Just a little note before we start, um, I bumped the timeline so years will be different. If you don't like it then boo and go away. So this is my redo of my other story. It's going to be slower going at first, so if anyone really remembers Different Than What Was, then this story is different than it was. I really like this one a lot better so I hope that you guys like it too.
1997
Petunia Dursley didn't know what to think one morning when she went outside, though the reason why she still couldn't remember, and found her young nephew wrapped in a blanket with a note tucked in the folds. It hadn't been that long since she had last heard from her sister, having made up with Lily just three months ago. She thought it was odd and out of the blue that Lily had come to her wanting to be close again, but she said that since she had gotten back on speaking terms with the Snape boy, that she thought she would try Petunia as well. And it surprisingly worked, they were soon very close and their boys were friendly with each other as well. Petunia never thought that her sister would be found, let alone killed. It was horrible.
Bringing the child in, she got him set up in a playpen with a few toys that Dudley wasn't too fond of, before quickly reading the note. Shocked at what the letter said, she sat in a nearby chair and put a hand to her mouth, muffling her quiet sobs.
"Pet-" Vernon Dursley started as he casually walked in and put Dudley in the playpen with Harry. Stopping when he noticed his nephew in the playpen, happily babbling away whilst sucking on his fist. Surprised, he turned around, "Petu-"
He quickly rushed to her side, well, as quick as someone that big could. Vernon was in no way a small man, fat and large, some people wandered how he didn't squish his wife at night. She was the complete opposite of him, being thin as a twig.
"Petunia, what's wrong? What's happened?" He asked frantically. the only answer being the letter, that had once been attached to Harry, being shoved in his face. After reading it, he quickly understood why she was so upset. While he'd had trouble getting along with his wife's sister and her husband at first, he had found himself able to look past how unnatural their magic was, and looked instead at how vastly different their lives were, how fascinating all that magic could do was. After that it had been easier to get along with them, and they had planned on having the Potters over for Christmas, as no one would suspect that they were there. For, to the wizarding world, Lily Potter and her sister were still on unspeaking terms, and would never be seen together, talking, laughing, in each other's company.
It took a while of Vernon trying his best to get her back to where she could even look at Harry without bursting into tears.
A month later, there was a knock at the door, and the doorbell rang through the house. "I'll get it, Vernon. Watch the boys."
He watched as she rose and walked out of the room. She opened the door and was startled to see a woman standing there with a startled look on her face, her hand raised to knock again.
"Yes? Can I help you?" That seemed to shake her from her stupor, as she shook her head to clear it and lowered her hand. "Sorry to disturb you, but are you Petunia Dursley? Lily Evans- er, Potter's sister?" The woman had long, chestnut hair that fell in waves down to her bum, silver almond-shaped eyes, and an American accent.
"Yes, why? Who are you?" Petunia said quickly, defensive and reluctant to answer should this woman be part of the dark side Lily had spoke of. However, the woman let out a relieved breath and smiled.
"Oh thank God, I'm Cameron Woolfe. I went to school with your sister, I wasn't in the same house but we were close friends. I'm also Harry's godmother, and I just wanted to make sure he's alright. If that is alright with you?"
Almost relieved, Petunia stopped, "She never spoke of a Cameron Woolfe, how do I know that you are telling the truth?" The woman just smiled as Petunia narrowed her eyes, "Did she ever speak of a Cammi? Or maybe a just a fluffy, red cat with silver eyes?" Lily had mentioned a girl she called Cammi in several of her stories from school. Petunia nodded slowly, causing the woman to beam, "I know that I have come at a bad time, but if you will let me see Harry, I will gladly explain myself."
Petunia decided that if this 'Cameron' was a dark witch, then no matter what Petunia did, she would get in, one way or another. So, the lady of the house let the woman in, and led her straight to Harry, who brightened and immediately reached for her, wanting to be held. "Cammi!" Harry called, obviously happy to see her.
Petunia introduced Vernon to Cameron, still unsure as to what to do. "I had given a charm bracelet to Lily, and a stuffed dragon to Harry, both spelled to notify me should something, like what happened a few weeks ago, happen. It went against Dumbledore's orders, not that I cared what that old bat had to say anyway. I needed to know that I would find out should they be found."
She turned her face from Harry to look at them, sporting an almost malicious grin, "For you see, I know who gave them away. I know who it was that sold them out, had them killed. I was the only one besides James, Lily, and Peter, who was there when they changed who the secret keeper was. Not the Peter would know it. He just thought that I was their new cat, that they found all dirty and pitiful-looking."
She put Harry back in the playpen, then straightened herself and looked at them with determination. "That's why I need to make sure that you will look after him until I can come back for him. It was in their will for him to go to one of Harry's godparents, and since I have to go get his godfather out of jail, bloody-erm, I won't finish that with young ears around. Anyway, like I said, I need you to watch him for a bit, not too long, just under another month at most."
They talked for a while before she started for the door, waving to Harry in farewell, as she spoke. "Are you alright with this? My taking Harry?" Vernon and Petunia looked to each other, "When you return, we'll let you know."
Nodding, she opened the door and walked out, before turning to them one last time. "If anyone asks about me, or who I am, you don't know what they're talking about, alright? I have a feeling that one of your neighbors is a bit too watchful. Until I return." With that, she turned and quickly left.
"I suppose that we'll have to watch him then?" Petunia just nodded in answer before going inside to begin the day.
Cameron's POV
"Minister, you must at least hear me out! I was the only one besides the Potters that was there just two days before they were killed, besides Pettigrew! And I am telling you that there was no way in hell that Sirius would change sides when he hated his family that was on that side!" I rushed after him, he had to see it my way, he simply had to! It wasn't like I was a thirteen year old witch that didn't know what she was talking about!
"And I am telling you that Sirius Black was sent to Azkaban due to being a dark wizard, as well as murdering several muggles! Now if you wou-"
"You sent him to Azkaban without a trial, Minister! Which, if I may remind you, is ILLEGAL! Even for the Minister of Magic! And I demand that you give him a trial!" I yelled at him, why was he making this so fucking hard?!
"And what will you do if I don't?" He rounded on me, his voice quiet but his eyes on fire. "I will involve every leader of every country, as well as the queen and the prime minister, if I must. I refuse to let this happen to anyone, especially to such a close friend of mine. You ensured the trial of every other suspected death eater, but now you refuse to even consider the idea of one unconfirmed suspected death eater, how is that doing your job in any way at all?" I was yelling at him in the Atrium, making a big scene, with plenty of people staring and choosing sides, mainly my side. Thank God people actually saw how unjust this was!
More and more people began to ask him how he could just let something like this happen and before it was over, albeit five hours later, I had my way. There would be a trial for Sirius in two days at 3:00 in the afternoon and I would testify and hopefully Dumbledore would fuck off and stay out of the way.
Sighing as I walked out of the ministry, I braced myself for what was going to be a long day.
"Oh for the love of all things holy, will you please just calm yourself!" I sighed loudly, rolling my eyes.
"Calm! How can I be calm at a time like this?! My oldest friend, whom I have just recently returned to her good graces, was killed last month! And now here you sit, telling me that you plan on getting the one that is believed to be her killer, free from prison!" The man exclaimed, pausing from his pacing as he threw his hands up in the air before collapsing onto the couch behind him.
I just sighed again, "Severus, I know you better than this. You're just stressed about Lily dying and Dumbledore being a bastard because of it. Just let me handle things, and you and I and maybe Sirius and Remus can go to America and get away from all this- this- this shit! Because really, that's all this is, is shit!"
I stood and started pacing, taking Sev's place as I started. "I just hate all the drama that Dumbledore is causing, that's all just stupid shit. I mean, come on! Why would anyone in their right mind actually listen to a fucking prophecy! I mean just because someone predicts ONE of the MANY possible outcomes of the future, does NOT mean that everyone should actually follow it! I just can't understand why someo-Woah!"
Severus successfully silenced me by pulling me down onto the couch with him, kissing me, "You stress too much."
"Oh-ho, really? I stress too much?" I laughed, as he nodded, "Yes, you stress far too much for my liking. It's unbecoming, you know."
"Ha! Well, you stress far too much for my liking, sir. And I find it very unbecoming, you know." I said smiling, "Now, come on! We gotta go find Remus, wherever the hell he is, and we must go save Sirius! AND keep Harry out of Dumbledork's reach by going to America!"
"REEEEEEMUUUUUUUSSSSS!" I yelled as soon as I stepped out of the fireplace, "No need to shout, Kit. I am right here." I opened my eyes and winced at the sight of him with his fingers in his ears, moving them around so as to clear them. "Heh, sorry, Moony."
Behind me, Severus huffed as he brushed soot off of his clothes. "I would have come if you had told me, no need to drag me through with you." I shrugged in response as he nodded to Moony "Remus."
Moony smiled and nodded back, "Severus. Kit, what are you two doing here? Not that I'm not happy for your company but I feel as if there is a reason behind it."
I nodded and moved to sit on the couch a few feet in front of me, the two men going to the arm chairs that sat across from the couch. "Yes, I have a plan to release Pads from Azkaban." Remus' smile disappeared as he processed what I said. "Oh, come on, Remus! Don't tell me that you believe the whispers on the street as well!"
"How am I not supposed to believe them? He was their secret keeper, and now they're dead!" The werewolf sighed and rubbed his face with his hands. "No, Moony, he wasn't. They changed it at the last minute, I was there!"
He looked at me through his fingers with a confused look, "What are you talking about?"
I scooted to the edge of the couch, my hands wringing in my lap with excitement. "I was there at their house, two days before they died. I was in my animagus form, I looked bloody awful, too, all beat up and such. That wasn't quite part of the plan. Anyway, Pettigrew and Pads showed up. Pads, we knew was coming, the rat was a surprise. I had been playing with Harry as a cat, all of you but the rat knew what I was. Artemissy never liked him, so I didn't trust him.
"Anyway, Sirius thought that it would be obvious if he stayed secret keeper, what with everyone knowing how close they were, so he talked them into changing it to Pettigrew instead. He would be a less obvious choice and so they wouldn't go after him. So they did, they didn't think that the rat would betray them, but he did! I bet he even faked his death, too! Just to pass the blame onto Sirius, the bastard."
At the end of my rant I was standing, and praying that Moony would believe me, since Sev barely did and the minister didn't at all. He sighed once more, "And why should I believe this? Kit, I-"
"Moony!" I jumped up, "Have you forgotten that there are truth serums and ways to prove that I'm telling the truth? How can you just give up on a close friend that easily?! Sirius wouldn't have done that to you!"
He jumped up in defense, "How would you know?! From the looks of it he would have done it to anyone!" I slapped him, "I don't know what spell you're under, but you better snap out of it before I snap you out of it myself." I went to the fireplace, "You don't have to be at the trial in two days, neither of you do. This is something that I suppose I'll just have to do myself."
I turned and went to the front door instead, wanting them to hear every word I muttered so they would know that I wasn't pleased with them. "Pffft, men. I honestly don't know why I bother with them at all. Bloody useless, all of them." I heard them sigh, and opened the door. "Oh, so kind. Opening doors for ladies, and being such gentlemen. Oh yes, perfect examples of perfect gentlemen." I heard them both sigh again and start for the door, but I was already through it and was walking down the street.
I ignored the sound of their footsteps following me and turned down an alley and apparated to the closest apparation point to my hotel in London. I wasn't really planning on staying here for long, I had already changed hotels since coming here, not trusting what family I had here to not find me and have me killed.
I knew what Sirius had always felt like, being the black sheep of the family. I was the first in my family to be a Ravenclaw, and while that alone wouldn't have been bad, I had made friends in every house besides that of my family, Hufflepuff. I had always found it stupid that my family here was so prideful in their house that one would think they were all Gryffindors instead.
I had a cousin in America, however, that had been a Slytherin, and had also been outcasted in our family, so after graduation, I went to live with her. I had found that it was a much lighter environment than the one I had dealt with living with my family here in England. It seemed that people can change what house they are suited for after being sorted, it felt like my family had gone from Hufflepuff to Slytherin. Ruthless, they were now, wanting me out of their lives, off their family tree. I was happy to go, however, which made it easier to leave them behind.
Walking into my hotel room, I shook my head to clear it, I needed to focus on Sirius now.
So that was the first chapter and I really hope that you guys like it. I've been working really hard on this and the next chapter should be a bit longer, and contain a bit more. These first few chapters will be building up to the main story. The next three weeks should be pretty productive so I might just be able to get another couple chapters in, if I'm lucky anyway. R&R!
~Lori