Disclaimer: I am not J K Rowling. I do not own Harry Potter.
Note: The following is a sketch set in an alternate universe where a prophecy was made about a child 'born as the fourth month blossoms, to parents though pure but poor', who would be the Dark Lord's nemesis. Voldemort subsequently concluded he needed to go after a different child from canon thought with pretty much the same parent-killing, curse-rebounding results. This one's a crazy idea which occurred to me between work on other projects, and is a one-shot glimpse into the life (and some of the world around) a different Boy-Who-Lived from canon.
When Ronald Bilius Weasley had nightmares, it was not about the man with the high-pitched voice, and the flash of green light, from his childhood, but about the man with the long white beard, and the cold blue eyes shielded by half-moon glasses, whom he somehow knew had stolen his first family, and some day meant to ruin his life once more. Ronald Bilius Weasley didn't know who that man was, or where he lived, or what his day job might be, but he knew that what the old man with blue eyes actually did for a living was to ruin people's lives, and he knew that some day, their paths would cross again.
Ron had spent the last nine years living safe and sound at number four Privet Drive, in the town of Little Whinging with his foster family, the Dursleys. The Dursleys were great. There was Mr. Dursley who worked for a drill company, and was quite important these days, and Mrs. Dursley who kept the house spick and span, and whom Ron found to be a reassuring presence, and their son, Dudley, a boy of about Ron's own age. Ron and Dudley pretty much ran the playground at the local middle school. Dudley provided the muscle, and Ron provided the brains, or at least the strategy and tactics. They were careful, of course, never to go too far, as that would upset Mrs. Dursley, and there were few things more awful than a telling off from her. When she broke down in tears, Ron always felt his heart sink, so he and Dudley stayed just the right side of nice. They both got pretty much the same results in the classroom, tending to mess around at any opportunity, and not caring too much if they were learning stuff. Mr. Dursley could always get them a job with Grunnings after they left school, but that was a long way in the future.
Every now and then, Ron saw 'Aunty Lily'. Aunty Lily had red hair, which meant he sometimes wondered if she was related to him? He knew she was Mrs. Dursley's sister, though, so that meant if she were related to him, then Mrs. Dursley and Dudley were too, which would be cool. Ron wasn't too sure what Aunty Lily did, beyond make sure Mrs. Dursley was paid a regular allowance for looking after him; he'd once asked her what job she had, and she'd snorted and said 'spymistress on long-term holiday'. Ron had said that that was cool and asked her if that meant that she was retired but she'd shook her head and told him there was always another war just around the corner.
She had a wicked sense of humour, when she was in the mood to use it, but so often when Ron saw her, she seemed tired and harassed, and as much calling by her sister's house to crash out and catch some rest as to check up on him.
Ron knew she had children – a boy called Harry, who was about his age, and a girl called Hyacinth, who was several years younger, but he'd only ever seen them a couple of times.
She used to wear a wedding ring, but hadn't the past few years. Ron rather thought she might be divorced, or at least separated.
Aunty Lily arrived on Christmas Eve, and brought with her a man who looked about her own age, but with prematurely grey hair and a careworn face. Ron and his foster family had been watching TV in the sitting room when they arrived, but Mrs. Dursley switched the TV off and sent Mr. Dursley for drinks when she saw who had arrived.
Mrs. Dursley seemed to recognise the man.
"Snape?" she said, although she sounded surprised by how he looked. She hesitated. "What happened to you?"
"Six years in Azkaban, Petunia." he said. "Six years in the chill shadow of the dementors, with nothing but regrets and fellow convicts for company. I committed crimes, and I have served my time for them." He frowned. "You seem tenderer than I recall, Petunia."
"Yes, well, I met the Potter prat and his mates since I last saw you." Her eyes were hard and angry for a moment. "Lily would have been better with you."
"Alas, in my youth I was foolish in the choice of most of my friends, and misplaced in my ambitions." the man gave a bitter laugh. "Potter and his friends had a part to play in that, although that does nothing to excuse the magnitude of my own follies. I wholeheartedly concur with you as regards to their characters, though, but I have more important things to do after half a dozen years in Azkaban, followed by another in St. Mungo's recovering, than to give thought to Potter and his cronies. Your foster son will soon be of age to have a wand, and I am here to assist in his transition to the magical world in whatever direction you think suited. Whilst Hogwarts is the… obvious… British school, your foster son's original family has enemies in Britain, and a continental option such as Beauxbatons in France might be a better choice. Beauxbatons is more progressive than Hogwarts, and if your own son, Dudley, has any kind of smidgin of ability it might be possible to get him in there, too, if the boys wish to stay together. And later on…" for a moment the man's eyes twinkled, "well, being a French school, Beauxbatons is famous for the beauty and accomplishments of its female students."
Ron couldn't understand why female students were so important. Mrs. Dursley went tight-lipped, but Mr. Dursley gave a broad grin.
"Don't worry about school fees, Petunia." Aunty Lily said. "I've spent enough years fighting James and working for the old coot, Albus Dumbledore, that I know the financial institutions and methods of the magical world inside out. Whatever school you choose, the funding will be in place, from the moment you sign up."
Author Notes:
Lily ended up being employed by a desperate Albus Dumbledore as his spymistress in this universe after the prophecy showed up, on the basis that she knew Severus Snape at Hogwarts, and Albus figured she might be able to contact/influence him. She actually proved reasonably competent at the job, although in the best traditions of espionage (or at least John le Carré), the strain of her work contributed to the eventual implosion of her marriage to James Potter.
When Albus needed somewhere to hide Ron after the events of Hallowe'en 1981, Lily's muggle sister seemed to be a good idea. (Other Weasley orphans were placed with Arthur's relatives, members of the Order of the Phoenix, or in Ginevra's case with the Malfoys...) Lily is one of Albus' most trusted lieutenants, after all, and the muggle world was one of the last places Albus figured witches and wizards would go looking for The-Boy-Who-Lived. There's some warding around the Dursley house, but no blood wards. The Lily in this universe has a somewhat better relationship with her sister than I get the impression canon Lily had. Some of that's probably down to Lily going out of her way to try and repair things, once she was pitched by Albus into the role of his spymistress in the latter days of the wizarding war.
Ron really hasn't had much cause to do 'accidental magic' since arriving at Privet Drive, since once he'd got over the initial awkward loss of parents/home and relocation, he's basically had things going his own way and been pretty content. (And reasonably lazy.)
This one is, alas, a one-shot. The muse wandered off some time ago, and hasn't been seen since, whilst those of other projects have been clamouring for my attention. I have a few metaphorical 'scribbles' regarding Hallowe'en 1981, and a discussion regarding Ron's school, but they don't really fit a stand alone format.