Gold
AN. There are some minor spoilers for DH so if you haven't read that, why are you reading fan fiction?
Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize
Prologue
The golden light flowed around the two tall figures. One figure, slightly taller than the other shot a green light at the slightly smaller figure. At the exact same moment the other figure shot a red light from his wand. In a moment the two lights collided reflecting back to their owners. As the green light reflected back at Tom Riddle he collapsed in a heap dead. The red light hit the other figure, the golden light engulfing him, and when the area was clear of the odd light, Harry James Potter was gone.
Chapter One
Lily Evans walked quickly down the hall, and bumped into a tall figure, well his chest really. Her books flew out of her hand and she hastily picked them up. When she was finished she was met by a figure that greatly resembled James Potter, yet he was different. Raven hair fell in his eyes that were untainted by glasses. His hair had the same messy hard to contain style but even as she looked at him, he tried to flatten it down. But the most noticeable difference was his eyes, James Potter's eyes were a pretty shade of hazel, but this boy's eyes were stunning. They were like melted gold and they entranced her, pulling her into them and keeping her eyes locked.
"Miss," he said placing his hand on her shoulder.
She shook her head, the dizzy feeling letting up, though her knee's felt weak.
"Can you take me to the headmaster," he asked.
She nodded still feeling shaky. She turned down the corridor and pointed towards the large gargoyle that stood in front of the entrance to Dumbledore's office. He smiled and patted her on the back.
"The passwords gumdrops," she said.
He walked quickly towards the door, stating the password clearly and proceeding up the steps. Vaguely Lily wondered what was to become of him.
The seventeen year old jogged up the steps, knocking lightly on the door after which hearing a loud, "Come in."
He opened the door to the office, staring into the face of a man that he seemed to have seen before, but couldn't put a name on. At first the man smiled happily, merry blue eyes twinkling, but then the light faded and the wizened face hardened.
"Who are you?" he said in a voice that was as hard as ice.
The boy considered lying, but he decided to tell the truth.
"I don't know."
The old man looked at him, as if judging if he was lying or not. The boy felt a gentle pressure enter his mind and he pushed it back feebly. The presence drew back, unused to being detected. But whatever it was he was looking for; the man seemed to have found it.
"Do you know who I am?" the man asked kindly.
"Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. You are the brother of Aberforth and Ariana Dumbledore, son of Kendra and Percival Dumbledore. You are also the friend of Gellert Grindewald who you also happen to be famous for defeating. You happen to be rather good friends with Elphias Dodge, a boy whom no one would talk to because a rather unfortunate case of the chicken pox. You hold several high honors including: Order of Merlin First Class, extreme Mugwump, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, and you also happen to have your name on a chocolate frog card."
Dumbledore stared at him, looking at him with surprise in cerulean eyes. He looked rumpled and it took him a moment to answer.
"How do you know that?"
The boy shrugged, and he looked embarrassed and as surprised as Dumbledore had been.
"I don't know, sir. The moment you asked I just knew."
Dumbledore stared at him; and he seemed to see something in the boy's eyes and tone that made him want to believe him.
"What's your name?" he asked.
"I don't know."
"Do you know me?"
The boy shrugged.
"Not sure, it certainly seems so and you look familiar enough. But I don't really have any memories of you. Come to think of it, I don't have any memories at all."
Dumbledore seemed to ponder this for a moment, resting his head on folded fingers.
"What's the use of a beozar?" he asked suddenly.
The boy was surprised into answering, "It can cure most any poisons."
Dumbledore mulled this over for a moment, before throwing out another question.
"What's the form of your patronus?"
"I'm not sure, sir."
"Cast one for me then."
The boy nodded, thinking for a moment. But from what he knew you needed to have a happy memory to cast a patronus and he had a rare few to choose from. An hour at the most. But then he thought back to the girl; with her nervous smile and pretty features. Her red hair, he knew red hair somehow. Red hair was familiar, safe, beautiful.
"Expecto Patronum," his voice wasn't loud but it seemed to ring all the same.
A stag erupted from his wand, rearing his head and prancing around the room. He was beautiful and the boy reached out to touch him, but just as his hand touched the tip of the playful stag's nose, it erupted in blue smoke.
"You're to stay here, under my protection," Dumbledore said suddenly, "You're young enough to be a student here and you could be a useful addition. We'll have the hat here sort you."
Dumbledore reached up for a wizened hat, brown with age and dirt and old and crinkled as anything has ever been, but it smelled of power and age. When the hat dropped onto his head his eyes closed, blocking out the image of Dumbledore staring at him.
"Aaah" the hat groaned in his ear, "Another one to sort. But your different you are. You've been wiped. All that makes you who you are is gone."
The hat seemed to sit for a moment.
"Aaaah, no I was wrong about you, you're still you. Well as you as you'll ever be."
The boy found it confusing, but didn't think it polite to say so.
The hat chuckled, but said little on the boy's thoughts.
"You're a hard one to sort. You're everything the founders were looking for. Your smart enough to be in Ravenclaw, loyal enough to be in Hufflepuff, and you have more than enough cunning to be in Slytherin. Oh my, the founders would have liked you."
The boy could imagine the hat rubbing little hands together and it made him chuckle.
"Oh, but bravery outshines it all. We can expect great things from you, my boy, great things. GRYFFINDOR!"
The boy opened his eyes to see the smiling face of Albus Dumbledore lifting the hat from his head, holding what appeared to be a wizard's watch.
"The second longest sorting in the history of Hogwarts. The first was Alicia Dellington, the sweet girl; it took the hat over a half hour to discover that she was a squib. Had no magic whatsoever, the hat couldn't put her anywhere because she didn't belong at Hogwarts after all."
Dumbledore chuckled, coming out from behind his desk.
"One more issue to clear up, my boy. You truly have no idea what your name is?"
The boy shook his head solemnly, raven colored hair spraying out, making him look rather whimsical.
"So I hope you don't mind if we give you a name of your own?"
"No, sir."
"I'm rather fond of the name Evan Harry Alderson, if you don't mind."
Evan smiled brilliantly, showing perfect teeth.
"Brilliant."
"I'll get our Head Girl to show you to the Gryffindor dorms. You'll be starting up in seventh year."
Dumbledore picked an odd gadget that Evan had no name for. He tapped it with his wand, muttering a name under his breath and poking the odd thing again. Red smoke flowed out of the little silver whatsit.
"That should do it then," Dumbledore said.
He sat down in his grand chair and conjured a big purple armchair and Evan immediately settled into it.
"There is a great dynamic for conjuring chairs, you know?" Dumbledore said conversationally.
Evan nodded, as if it was the standard conversation topic.
"It's about preference, of course. But it also requires a focused mind. You are technically turning air into a comfortable chair. This is a quite magnificent one, sir."
"Thank you, my boy," Dumbledore said.
By the time Lily entered the room. It was cluttered with chairs of all different colors and sizes. Two wizards stood in the middle talking calmly as they conjured chair after chair. Dumbledore noticed her standing there and he waved his wand causing the legion of chairs to disappear.
"Miss Evans, this is Evan Alderson. Evan, this lovely young lady, is our Head Girl, Lily Evans."
Evan turned to see the girl that he'd met only an hour ago. There was something familiar about her eyes. He felt like he'd seen that shade of emerald green before. She blushed as she felt his gaze on her face.
"You'll find your things and your trunk will be up in your room, with an unbreakable lock on it. I fear you'll need it. Miss Evans if you would give Mr. Alderson a tour and then show him down to lunch?"
Lily nodded and headed out the door and Evan followed her, waving heartily to Dumbledore and easily keeping stride with the red-head.
"Thanks for giving me this tour," Evan said with a smile as they walked down another corridor and down another flight of steps.
Lily blushed slightly.
"Your welcome," she said, "I'll help you, or get people to help you around to classes. Once you know where you're going. It's not that hard."
He laughed.
"Easy for you to say. You've been going here for seven years."
She laughed, too. Swatting him on the shoulder.
"Come on," she said, "I'm hungry."
The two entered the hall and came to the first table that had a bright red banners with lions atop it. She slid into a seat next to two girls. They looked up in surprise when they saw Evan. He smiled nervously and they smiled back.
"I'm Evan Alderson," he said.
"Alice Prewitt," one girl said.
She smiled. Alice was soft, with round cheeks and flowing brown hair. She reminded him of someone; he couldn't put his name on.
"Have I met you, before?" he asked her.
She shook her head, brown hair settling around her shoulders.
"Don't think so," she said, piling mash potatoes onto her plate, "Though you look an awful lot like a kid that goes to school here."
Evan looked up in interest.
"And who might that be?"he asked also beginning to fill his plate. He felt like he hadn't eaten anything in months.
"James Potter," the other girl said drawing attention back to here.
She was petite with short black hair that cut off at her chin and shining blue eyes that seemed to be almost white.
"I'm Marlene McKinnon," she said, holding out her hand, Evan took it and smiled and he could swear a hint of a blush crept across her cheeks.
"There he is," she said hastily, drawing her hand away quickly and pointing at group of four boys.
What struck Evan first was the fact that everyone looked up when they came in, conversation didn't stop, but everyone seemed to know when they entered. The second thing he noticed that they were all handsome, in their own different ways. The two in the middle their arms looped around everyone else had the kind of charming look that made all the girls faint. One boy with sandy colored hair had a quiet sort of charm, though the first thing that Evan noticed about him was that scars ran across his face, some new and some old. The last in the group was shorter than and not quite as handsome as the others, but just as charming.
The boys meandered towards the table, one of the black haired boys sliding into the seat besides Lily, though he politely smiled at her, Lily turned away.
Evan leaned in towards Marlene who seemed to see the question before he had even asked it.
"That's James. He's been trying to date Lily for six years. She still things he's an arrogant toerag, but he's been better this year. We're all hoping she'll give him a chance. "
Evan nodded, but at that moment the foursome noticed him.
"Oi, James," the other raven haired boy said loudly, "Never told us you had a twin."
Evan turned towards the boys and watched as his twin turned as well. The boys crowded in beside him pushing the girls aside and taking their seats.
"So, twin," the other raven haired boy said leaning in, "Who are you?"
"The question is who are you?" Evan said mysteriously.
The boy leaned back.
"This one is good Prongs."
He turned his attention back to Evan.
"Tell us who you are, and we'll tell you who we are."
The sandy haired boy sighed.
"Lay off the poor boy, Padfoot."
"Don't reveal our identities, Moony," Padfoot said seriously, "It's our bargaining tool."
Moony sighed, but remained silent.
"I'm Evan Alderson," Evan said and Padfoot sighed dramatically.
"All was not lost because of you Moony. That's why we got good old Evan here."
He patted Evan on the back and the boy looked at him oddly.
"I'm Sirius Black, that sucker over there is Remus Lupin and that there is Peter Pettigrew. You're twin here is James Potter."
Evan nodded and Sirius threw his arm over him.
"So dearest Evan, what are you doing here?"
Evan shrugged, dang Dumbledore. He would have to make up his own story.
"I've been homeschooled all my life. My parents thought I should be able to socialize more, they sent me to Hogwarts for my last year. Take my NEWTS and all."
"So you've decided to join our fine establishment," Sirius said, stealing a sausage off of Alice's plate.
"Oi," she called from a few seats down.
Sirius winked at her and she stuck out her tongue.
"Have you had the grand tour?" James said cutting in, Sirius perked up at the mention.
"Lily showed me around a little bit before lunch. She said she'd help me get to classes."
James sulked at the mention of this. At that very moment Lily appeared and he perked up, but she didn't spare him a glance.
"Come on, Evan," she said dragging him from the bench, "I'll show you to the Gryffindor dorms. You can get settled in."
"We can take him," Remus said softly.
Lily smiled at him briefly, before shaking her head.
"I'm heading there anyway."
James stood up quickly, "so are we.'
But Lily just turned on her heel, grabbed Evan's hand and immediately started to drag him off towards the Gryffindor tower.