Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to Harry Potter and do not make any money in the online publication of this fanfiction.

NOTE: This story is in third person but is following and coming from Remus' perspective. This story WILL NOT have the Marauders know about Harry's true identity. The purpose of this story is to see the student's growth, small but significant, throughout Harry's time there while he completes his task.

NOTE: This story is COMPLETED and will be posted every MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, and FRIDAY unless the web server goes down or I do not have access to a computer.

Please enjoy.

A Dance With Fate

Canopus Carina

Prologue

Sunday: 24 July 1977

Nothing was stranger than looking at a person almost identical to your best friend, who looked so haggard and lifeless. No matter how cheerful that friend may be, seeing what looked like them so dead just made you think. The boy had just appeared out of nowhere with a flash of light. And if they did not have their friend looking down on the boy right next to them, they would have believed him to be James Potter. That and the fact the boy in front of them did not have glasses, and had much shorter hair as their fellow Marauder had.

"What do we do with him? Peter asked, poking him with a stick. "He could be dangerous."

"He could be a follower of the Dark Lord!" Sirius exclaimed.

"Either way, we should ask your parents, James."

"Ever the voice of reason, Moony," James answered once he recovered from the shock, "Which is why Padfoot is going to get them."

"Prongs!" Sirius whined, "Why me? I want to stay with the Death Eater!"

Remus just shook his head, "First, he seems too young to be a Death Eater. You would need to have graduated from school for the Dark Lord to have any interest with you."

"Unless you were a dark creature!" Sirius blurted out, "no offense…"

"None taken," he answered, though the stiffness in his voice told otherwise. The incident between Snape and the Whomping Willow was still fresh in his mind. "And second, if he were a Death Eater, he might have been sent to get you."

"You should go, Padfoot," Peter added, "imagine going back to your parents again."

As he couldn't come up with a reason why to risk going back to his parents, Sirius finally left the group to inform the Potters of their unknown visitor. The boy was truly a sight to behold. Scars ran all down his arms and legs, a few even on his face where they would be harder to hide. Some new cuts would soon add to his collection, which still bled slowly. Wherever he came from, he wasn't much liked.

"We will take it from here boys." The self-proclaimed masters of mischief were quite surprised as they found it was their headmaster, Albus Dumbledore himself, who came to inspect the newcomer. "Why don't you run along now? Get ready for the new school year." The twinkle in his eye seemed to almost know they were coming up with the pranks of the year. He was pretty much giving them permission to wreak havoc on the school. But they also knew a dismissal when they heard one. The four boys left the adults to the mysterious boy. They did not try to listen into the adult's conversation, as they knew Dumbledore would use a silencing charm. And the Marauders had come with an unspoken rule that Dumbledore was off limits unless the twinkle in his eye dimmed and needed a little prank to boost his spirits.

"So what happened?" Peter asked excitedly. It wasn't common for the Headmaster to make house calls, no matter how prominent the family was.

"He was already there, talking to your parents, James, when I got there. And he just turned to me and said 'Oh, he's here already, a little earlier than expected.' And they rushed out."

"So he was supposed to be here," James reasoned, "rules out being a Death Eater, doesn't it?"

"Unless he is a spy," Peter stuttered.

They were interrupted in their speculations as Mrs. Potter called for dinner. And they couldn't just talk about a guest as if he were a Death Eater spy in front of an adult. They just wouldn't understand.

"Mum, who was that guy?"

"Oh, a close relative, a cousin. He just traveled a long way in such an uneasy state. Poor boy, almost splinched himself. You'll meet him once he wakes up again."

"What had happened to him?" Sirius asked. "He looked pretty beat up to have aparated here."

"It is not my place to say. And I want you all to promise me that you won't pester him with questions he isn't ready to answer. I want him to rest while he can, he has come to relax."

They could tell by her tone that the discussion was over and the curious Marauders were forced to survive off that. Dumbledore trusted this kid, so should they.

The next few days were spent as all others before it with no sign of the boy. The elder Potters were close lipped about who he was, other then being family, and what his purpose was. By overhearing some of the conversation on the mysterious person, they learned his name was Harry and would go with them to Hogwarts with them once the school year started. For the rest, they would simply have to wait for the boy to wake up.

"You can't go by your real name! If you are seen, it will change everything!"

"I can, and I will. What do you think will happen if I'm ever in Hogwarts and they are there? One look at the map and I'll be figured out! Here, look at this."

She picked up the large book he passed to him, first reading the cover before turning to the page he had turned it to. "Your family book? Oh…"

"And now look at this." A sheet of paper changed hands.

UNITED STATES MINISTRY OF MAGIC RECORDS

SALEM DEPARTMENT

HOMICIDE REPORT

Name: Harold Christopher Potter

Guardians: Christopher Evan Potter (father), Cynthia Mary Richards Potter (mother)

DoD: Tuesday, 13 December 1977

Cause of Death: Killing Curse

Notes: Claimed to be prisoner of the dark followers of Lord Avarite for five months.

Noted added later- contradicted by British Ministry claiming in Hogwarts for five months until day before death. True story unclear.

"Are you sure it's not you dying there instead of here?"

"They are a true person, a second cousin or something like that. I must have been one of the people."

"I hope for your case that it's the one in Hogwarts…" She trailed off uncertain. He didn't want her to have to worry, but the ceremony would take both of their magic to succeed so she couldn't go with him.

"Which is why I have to keep my name."

The ceremony took up to twenty minutes of just spell casting, almost draining them of their magic. But they were determined to make this work, it had to. Without it, he would surely die for protecting his friend.

End of Prologue – 1,095 words
Posted: 18 May 2007