Title: In the Name of the Greater Good
Series: Harry Potter
Summary: It was Orion James Potter that had been declared the "Boy-Who-Lived" that Halloween night, not Hallie Lilian Potter. This would have been fine had Dumbledore not taken things a step further... It had all been in the name of the greater good.
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling does. Nor do I own the first line from the prophecy. That's from Order of the Phoenix.
Warnings: Fem!Harry
A/N: New story! ... and it's another genderswitch one! ... I seem to be addicted to these... strangely enough... I think this one might actually be more serious.... But yeah. I was just hit with this idea and had to post it so... updates might be sparse. (cough). Hope you enjoy.
In the Name of the Greater Good
Prologue
October 31, 1981
Godric's Hollow
"Are... are you sure about this, Peter?" Lily glanced uncertainly at their friend as she walked towards the door with her husband. "I mean, if you-"
James rolled his eyes at his wife. "Lily, leave the man alone. He said he'll be fine when you asked the last fifty times."
Lily scowled at her insensitive husband. "Way to be understanding, oh-so-dearly-beloved-hubby."
"It's what I'm here for, light-of-my-eyes-beauty-of-a-wife," James purred, grinning charismatically, causing his wife to slap him on the arm lightly as she fought the smile that threatened to break out across her face.
"Oh shush you charmer. Though... I do suppose you'll be fine, won't you Peter?"
The somewhat chubby man smiled at their antics before giving a nod. "Of course, Lily. Everything will be fine. I'm sure nothing will happen." Though he was outwardly reassuring, inside, he winced in guilt. 'Lies... It's all lies... Don't believe me...'
"Then I guess we should be heading out. Remember, the bottles have warming charms on them so you don't need to worry about that. The diapers are in the bottom cabinet across the bathroom. If you need anything or the twins get too rough, you can always contact us by-"
"Yes, yes, dear. I'm sure Peter knows." With a small wink at his friend, James led his wife out the door and towards their destination.
Behind them, standing in the doorway with sad eyes, Peter watched his long time friends walk out, arm in arm. 'I'm sorry, James. Lily. But I have no choice... At least... This way... you both get to live... I'm so sorry...'
Wrapping his cloak ever tighter around his rotund frame, Peter Pettigrew walked out the door, following in his friends long faded footsteps. As he walked past the gates, he looked back at the cottage, its windows shining with warmth and bright light, inviting him down a path that would have embraced him in love and happiness. With a shuddering breath, he forcefully turned his back against the house and stepped forth before disappearing from Godric's Hollow with a pop.
Little Hangleton, Riddle House
Peter appeared before his master, bowed down on one knee. "Master. I bring you forth news of the Potter twins' whereabouts."
Voldemort eyed his servant cruelly, his lips twisting into a malicious mockery of a smile. "Excellent, Wormtail," he hissed, enjoying the shivers of fear that visibly ran down his servants' backs. "Where are they?"
Peter never lifted his eyes off the hem of the dark lord's robes. "The Potters and Black have made me their secret keeper. They are currently living at Godric's Hollow."
Voldemort gave a dark chuckle. "Well done, Wormtail. But," here, his eyes brought forth a sadistic quality that had always lain hidden from view, "you took too long. Crucio!"
The Dark Lord watched with unrepentant glee as the pudgy man twitched and spasmed at his feet, pain filled cries echoing throughout the room. After all, there would be time to kill the twins later on in the night. For now, however, his subordinates needed reminding that he was not a patient man and that quickness was ever needed.
Twenty minutes later, Godric's Hollow
Voldemort walked into the cottage containing his prey, confidence filling his every step. Behind him, Peter reluctantly trudged behind, guilt filling his heart with every step they took. Soon, much too soon in Peter's opinion, the pair reached the door that remained the only barrier standing between Voldemort and the twins. A pale hand reached forward and turned, pushing open the door.
Five more steps and he had reached the twins. A triumphant smirk adorned the Dark Lord's lips, as he coldly gazed down at the twins. "One of you are prophesied to be my destruction...?" he muttered quietly, looking down at them. "You are but insignificant children. But even so..." He raised his wand, randomly aiming the piece of wood at twin to his right. "I can allow you to grow up to become something... significant. Avada Kadavra!"
No one expected the green light to rebound and hit him. Nor did anyone expect the Dark Lord to crumble into ashes, only his robes and his wand remaining.
With a trembling voice, Peter took a step forward. "M-master...?" he squeaked, eyes wide and his breaths coming in faster and faster. "Master?!" With a shaky hand, he reached out an touched the robes. Nothing... There was nothing but ashes underneath them. Panic overwhelming him, Peter hastily grabbed his masters wand and transformed into a rat, scurrying out of the nursery.
Somehow... The Avada Kadavra had failed...
November 1, 1981
Albus eyed the twins wearily with a heavy soul. Gazing down with a sigh, his eyes picked apart the two scars – one, an "s" that curled around young Orion's eye, and the other, a lightning bolt that adorned little Hallie's forehead, just above her eyebrow. With a long finger, he lightly traced both scars before biting back a curse. He had no way of knowing which one was the prophesied twin.
"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches..."
He took a deep breath, calming himself. It would seem... that he would have to choose which one was the one the wizarding world would need most. Hazel eyes so like his fathers shined up at him happily. A giggle escaped his mouth as he clutched at the finger in front of him. Next to him, his sister slept. However, had her eyes been opened, brilliant green eyes - a shade that seemed even brighter than her mother's - would have shone at him, showing the happy childlike twinkle that seemed characteristic of infants.
"I believe," Albus started, addressing the hugging couple sitting just beside him, "that young Orion Potter is the one who vanquished Voldemort."
"How... how can you be sure?" James questioned, tightening his grip around his shocked wife at the name of the monster that had attacked their home while they were out. God dammit! How could they have been so stupid as to trust Peter? Meek, helpless Peter. An unseen bitter smile curled his lips. Who would have thought... Meek, helpless, little, pudgy Peter.
"Young Orion has an 's' which is more fitting of Slytherin's supposed heir than a lightning bolt."
James stared incredulously at the greatly respected wizards. "Their scars? You're deciding this based on the shape of their scars?!"
"They are the only remnants of Voldemort," he said calmly, as a way of explanation. "I do not see why they can not give an indication as to who did what."
The marauder just shook his head. "Whatever," he muttered, burying his head in his wife's neck.
"What... what'll happen now?" Lily whispered, staring at her children, unable to believe what had come very close to happening. She had... she had almost lost her babies... She had...
"We will have to tell the press that Orion Potter is the one who defeated the Dark Lord. And..."
James furrowed his eyebrows, not liking the sound of that "and". He narrowed his eyes. "And what?"
Albus stared at the couple with sad eyes. "I believe," he said slowly, regret exuding in masses with every word, "that little Hallie Potter would be better off if you would give her-"
"NO!" James exploded, already knowing what the suggestion was. How dare he... how dare he... "How dare you suggest such a thing after we have just almost lost both our children to some ravaging monster! You want us to give up our baby girl?! Are you insane?! Get out!"
"James, my dear boy," Albus started, regret and weariness settling into every part of his body. "I-"
"Shut up! I don't want to hear it! You stay away from-"
"James!" Lily cried out, grabbing his arm in restraint as he had taken a threatening step towards the old man. "James please! No more violence! I don't want any more violence! There's been enough violence for the night!"
The ebony haired man let out a snarl of aggravation before pushing past the headmaster and reaching for his daughter with a gentleness that belied the true anger that strained to escape from his body. He stormed out of the room, not wanting to spend another moment in the presence of the man who had suggested he give up his flesh and blood.
Once outside, he was startled to feel a small tugging on his shirt. Looking down, he saw his daughter giving him a toothy smile, green eyes crinkling happily. His eyes softened at the site and he tightened his grip ever so slightly. 'Never...I won't ever give you up, Hallie. You'll always be my precious girl...'
Back in the room, Dumbledore sagged into a chair that Lily had conjured for him. "Thank you, dear. I-"
"I don't agree with your suggestion at all either," Lily interrupted coldly, her spine straight. "I don't even see where you're coming from."
Dumbledore lifted an eyebrow. "Don't you? Imagine Lily... Orion Potter will be praised among the nation as a hero. How do you think little Hallie will feel growing up with a celebrity as a sibling."
"Then we don't tell them," she said, her face utter straight.
The headmaster of Hogwarts shook his head. "I can not keep this from the public, Lily. A savior is needed."
"Then use yourself!" she cried out, unwilling to hear more. "Make yourself the defeater. People admire you enough to believe it!"
"I can't. Too many people saw me in the great hall last night. They'll know that it was not me."
"Then what do you want?!"
He was silent for a moment, gazing at her with blue eyes, no twinkles in sight. "Lily. If Hallie Potter stays with your family, she will become another Petunia. But this time she'll have magic. She will resent you and your whole family because it is inevitable that you and your husband will begin to pay more attention to Orion Potter, if only because there are likely to be people who target him. Do you wish for that to happen?"
"Of course not," came the broken whisper, as Lily seemed to curl in on herself. "How... how could I ever want that?"
Dumbledore felt a twinge of remorse for having sunken to this level but he pushed the feeling aside. It was for the greater good. "Then you must give her up."
Lily let out a shuttering sob. "No... What... what about if she goes to Hogwarts?" the red head asked, desperate to find something that'll let her keep her baby. Anything!
The old man paused for a moment before answering. "There is... a ritual," he said. "It will... drain someone of their magic and transfer it over to another person. I... I would be willing to perform it on Hallie and transfer it over to young Orion so that you'll at least have some part of your daughter."
She stared at him horrified. "Magical transfer? Albus! That can kill both the giver and the recipient!" she shrieked, hysteria bubbling up her throat. "Are you insane?!"
Dumbledore shook his head. "This is different. It's ancient magic. It would only make young Hallie a squib and since their both so young, their magical cores can handle the shock. They aren't fully developed yet magically and so their cores will adjust. You and your family wouldn't ever be able to meet Hallie but... it would solve all the problems..."
Lily shook her head, her breaths coming in short. "Albus... I can't... How can you... I need... I need time..." she gasped, clutching her heart.
He nodded understandingly, already knowing she would agree. "Of course, Lily. I've left you with a lot to think about. And... should you decide to agree, all I'll need is Hallie and a drop of Orion's blood."
She let out a whimper. "Please, Albus. Just... just leave."
With a regretful nod, Albus left the room, leaving behind the imprint of his words and a feeling that she had no choice but to follow. "It's for the better good," he whispered as he left.
November 20, 1981
In an unknown location, ritual room
Albus stared at the baby that lay down in the middle of a blood red circle. Everything was set. All he had to do was say the incantation. Still, he hesitated. Was this... really the best thing?
Earlier that morning, Lily had fire-called saying that she would not stop him, in an ever so weary voice. It had sounded dead and something inside of Albus curled with regret. She told him that she and James would be out around noon and that a babysitter would be there to take care of the children. Her only request was that he make sure she was happy. He would have to do everything himself.
So he did. He went to the cottage. The babysitter had easily let him in since James was unaware that his wife would be out that evening and had not been involved in choosing the babysitter. The boy had yet to forgive him, not that he really blamed him. He understood. But still sacrifices must be made. He had walked into the nursery, picked up the child, pricked a drop of blood from Orion Potter, stunned the sitter, obliviated her, implanted new memories of Pettigrew, and promptly walked out.
Thirty minutes later, he stood where he was, everything read, contemplating whether or not he was doing the right thing. The wizarding world was still very prejudiced and sexist. They would not be ready for a female savior. And so he was doing all he could to ensure that such a savior would not appear. Not yet anyway. But still... It was very wrong to take away someone's magic. The only reason this wasn't illegal was that it was so old that only the Dumbledores knew about it.
He gazed at the sleeping child before making his decision. Taking a deep breath, he started the incantation. 'I'm sorry, Lily. James. It's for the betterment of the wizarding world.'
Auror's office...
After the Halloween debacle, James had tied his housewards to himself so that he'd know if something went wrong or if someone intruded. That is why, when a large amount of magic was transferred over to Orion Potter, disrupting the wards, James felt a large shock go through his system, signifying that his wards had been breached. With a growing sense of dread, he rushed home, not paying heed to anyone else.
'Please no... please no... let them be all safe... please. Merlin, oh please...'
When he arrived home, it was to the site of a stunned girl on the floor and his wife, sobbing as she rocked their son back and forth. He dropped to his knees, already knowing that his beloved daughter was long gone and that it would be a long time before he ever saw her again. 'Hallie... Hallie... HALLIE!'
Little Whinging, Surrey
Number 4, Privet Drive
"Hello, Mrs. Evans."
Petunia stared coldly at the man that had forced himself into her house, carrying a basket. First, her freak of a sister came to visit last week and now, this... barmy, old codger?! Oh how she hated their world. "It's Dursley."
"Ah, then Mrs. Dursley," he said pleasantly, humming as he sipped tea. She'd have to throw the whole set away. It was probably contaminated.
"What do you want?"
Dumbledore stared at the basket that held Hallie Lilian Potter. "I want you to raise your sister's daughter – your niece."
Petunia's lips twisted into a sneer. "I will not raise a freak like that sister of mine!" she snarled, eying the basket with disgusted horror.
Dumbledore's eyes turned a chilly blue. "No worries. This child has no magic."
When Dumbledore left, Petunia looked into the basket to see a little baby with wild ebony hair and a jagged lightning cross over her right eyebrow. Despite this, she could already see that the child would grow beautiful... like her. It even had her eyes. Except more freaky. She glared. She didn't care if this child wasn't a freak like her sister. It was still a freak nonetheless. She would not keep it. She sniffed hautily. Off to the orphanage it would go.
A/N: So yeah. There you go. Sorry for the really short scenes. It just worked out that way.
Questions!
Q: Why fem!Harry?
A: It was originally supposed to be regular old male Harry but then... I decided that I wanted to make Harry a girl because I can relate easier to girls. And mostly because I've written genderswitch stuff for a while now and thought, 'Hey! Why not another one?'
Q:What the heck? How the hell did Dumbledore reach his conclusions about Orion being the BWL? Was it really the scar?
A: Er... no... it was not really the scar... only. It was because he's a bit sexist, he knows that the wizarding world is sexist and not ready for a girl savior, and because he knows that Hallie's same sex to Petunia would make it easier for Lily to visualize her becoming Petunia....
And there you go! Hope you enjoyed it. Please review!