The Life We Could Have Had

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, it belongs to JK Rowling who is nothing short of a hero to me. She wrote Harry Potter on napkins for merlin's sake. Now she's famous. Suffice to say if I owned Harry Potter that Sirius, Remus, Tonks, Fred, Snape, and Dumbledore would all be alive :) But *sighs* I do not own Harry Potter, I only own Eliza Potter, which by the way her name much like Lily and Petunia is you guessed it a flower :)

Summary: They say you never forget the past, and that was true. Eliza had never forgotten the past, nor her baby brother she had promised to protect. Kidnapped by the Dark Lord and his followers at the tender age of four for being a seer mentioned in a prophecy, young Eliza Potter is raised as a deatheater by the name of Serena Black. Determined to prove herself and find a way to save her brother from the darkness, she enters the Tri-wizard Tournament. Harry who has no memories of his older sister and only knows she was presumed dead years ago, can't help but wonder who this red-head champion is and why does he feel as though he knows her? Will truth will out, will Harry finally find what he's searching for, family? Or is darkness absolute, corruptible, and impossible to fight? Only time will tell….

Chapter One: A Shade of the Past

"Only one who devotes himself with his whole strength and soul can be a true master. For this reason mastery demands all of a person."-Albert Einstein

Eliza wondered if she could ever master her fear of the dark, her fear of forgetting everything. You see, Eliza hated the dark, because when it was dark, she could remember. She could remember the things Malfoy Sr. had tried so hard to make her forget, her brother, her mother, her father, the family she once had. The life she could have had, the life her brother could have had. Normally one would think these things were something someone who want to remember. Oh Eliza wanted to remember sure, but remembering came with a high price. It came with a price she was unsure she was willing to bear. The price was the ability to remember, to see, to know but it came with the ability to do nothing. Eliza could do nothing to fix it, her past, or to help her brother, and oh she so wanted to. But all the same, a part of her didn't want to. Wasn't it simpler to forget? When had she become such a contradiction? Perhaps it would be better to explain, you see, Mr. Malfoy was the Dark Lord's most trusted servant, and when Professor Snape had overheard Sybil Trelawney give not only a prophecy about her but a partial prophecy pertaining to her brother, the Dark Lord went into action. Before James and Lily had even known they were being hunted by the Dark Lord, he had already sprung his trap and kidnapped the young girl. Eliza had been four, and she still remembered that creepy snake face staring down at her in the dark, perhaps that was why she hated it so much. Apparently the Dark Lord got it in his head that if he turned the Potter girl against the Order, he would have a powerful weapon and a powerful spy. But there was one flaw in his perfect little plan, the very gift the Dark Lord had coveted and sought from the young girl was the very gift that made her the Dark Lord's worst enemy.

Eliza got visions, but not just any visions, visions that showed not just the future, but the past, and present as well. She remembered everything. Even if documents had been falsified within the Ministry making it seem as though she was Serena Black, the niece of Narcissa Black, Eliza knew exactly who she was. She remembered vaguely how shocked Dumbledore had been when her name had been called. Dumbledore hadn't been aware there was a Serena Black at all, it had took a lot of work hoodwinking the automated letters to say Serena Black instead of Eliza Potter. However Lucius had been a prefect at Hogwarts for a reason, he was extremely intelligent and knew every spell in the book, he was unparallel in his knowledge of sneaky and cunning spells, the definition of a slimy Slytherin git. It was true Lucius had never been rude to her in any way, in fact he doted on her as though he truly was her uncle by marriage, Eliza was intelligent, cheeky, and sneaky, many of the things that Lucius himself prided. But Eliza could never forget the truth. No matter how much the truth and knowing it cost her. But there had to be one person who could bear it, and unfortunately bearing the truth was a curse Fate itself had placed upon her.

"Serena!" Eliza looked up at the shout, it was Lucius. She looked up from staring at the distance and turned to look towards the tent. Lucius was standing there in rich elegant robes stroking the beloved head of one of his many magnificent white peacocks in front of their extravagant miniature palace like tent. Narcissa and Draco were standing behind him. To the rest of the wizarding world they were just a rich prominent family, but oh how Eliza knew better, of course she did. She knew all too well about Malfoy's extracurricular activities. "Yes Uncle?" She said politely, she knew how to play this game far too well. She had to play her role like she always did. It was one thing she had learned from watching Severus Snape. She knew he too played his role well, and Eliza knew where his true loyalties lie, not that she would ever say the truth to anyone. She knew where the risk lay, and she also knew how Severus looked at her. Severus looked at her and saw Lily, and she knew it pained him. It would pain him even more if he knew she was truly Lily's daughter, and how she wished she could tell him. Not to pain Severus further, but to escape this life, that was why she so wanted to tell him the truth. Apparently she had been thinking and staring off into space too long because Lucius gave her a classic Malfoy smirk.

"Staring off into space again? It's rather unbecoming of a Black do not you think?" He said clicking his fingers in a beckon. "Hurry up Top Box is a long way up and we can't very well keep the Minister waiting can we?" His cultured British accent so much more traditional of a pureblood then hers was. Which was obvious of course, Eliza was certainly not a pureblood. It wasn't much longer that the Malfoys were up in the top box, Eliza anxious to see the match already. All these introductions to the "latest" and most "important" acquaintances of the Malfoy family were starting to bore her. She used her hand to stifle her yawn, as Narcissa gave her a disapproving look as if to say 'that's not very lady like stop it this instant' ugh how Eliza hated that look. It wasn't till she heard the Minister address Lucius that she noticed the Weasleys and then her heart leapt. Harry! She tried her best to put up a mask of blank disinterest, hoping she pulled the look off.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione turned quickly. Edging along the second row to three still-empty seats right behind Mr. Weasley were none other than Dobby the house-elf's former owners: Lucius Malfoy; his son, Draco; and a woman Harry supposed must be Draco's mother. But then Harry noticed the other girl, the redhead. He felt as if he should know her, he'd seen her before at school of course, hanging around with Draco, but he had never seen her up close before. She certainly didn't look like a Malfoy, if he didn't know any better he'd mistake her for a Weasley. But no Weasley would hang about Draco Malfoy. It was quite well known that Harry and Draco Malfoy had been enemies ever since their very first journey to Hogwarts. A pale boy with a pointed face and white-blond hair, Draco greatly resembled his father. His mother was blonde too; tall and slim, she would have been nice-looking if she hadn't been wearing a look that suggested there was a nasty smell under her nose. Lucius was a blonde as well, so why was this girl that was with them, a redhead. It made no sense. Harry turned to Hermione, when in doubt ask Hermione.

"Who is that girl with the Malfoys?", whispered Harry.

Hermione turned to look at him surprised. "Honestly Harry, don't you ever pay attention? That's Serena Black, she's a Slytherin perfect, Draco's cousin I suppose, I heard she's the illegitimate child of Bellatrix Lestrange if the rumors are to be believed. She's top of her year. A shoo in for Head Girl, Percy said she was the only Slytherin he liked, he was talking about it for a while this summer. I think he fancies her, even Fred and George tend to talk about her, about being the only decent Slytherin in the whole house", Hermione breathed back.

"Ah, Fudge," said Mr. Malfoy, holding out his hand as he reached the Minister of Magic. "How are you? I don't think you've met my wife, Narcissa? Or our son, Draco? My niece Serena perhaps? She got the Head Girl badge this year of course." Lucius said this as though he was rather proud of the girl. Eliza noticed this. Was that genuine pride? Really? She hadn't expected that from him, perhaps Lucius truly did consider her family and not just a future deatheater, although of course, to Lucius the two were one in the same.

"How do you do, how do you do?" said Fudge, smiling and bowing to Mrs. Malfoy. He gave Serena a rather intrigued look, Harry noticed. "And allow me to introduce you to Mr. Oblansk - Obalonsk - Mr. - well, he's the Bulgarian Minister of Magic, and he can't understand a word I'm saying anyway, so never mind. And let's see who else - you know Arthur Weasley, I daresay?" It was a tense moment. Mr. Weasley and Mr. Malfoy looked at each other and Harry vividly recalled the last time they had come face-to-face: It had been in Flourish and Blotts' bookshop, and they had had a fight. Eliza couldn't help but notice this and smirked, this would be good. There was nothing more entertaining then watching the epic Malfoy-Weasley feud. Harry caught this look and gave her a confused stare. Eliza just continued to smirk. Mr. Malfoy's cold gray eyes swept over Mr. Weasley, and then up and down the row.

"Good lord, Arthur," he said softly. "What did you have to sell to get seats in the Top Box? Surely your house wouldn't have fetched this much?" Eliza tossed Lucius an exasperated look, really did he always have to take a jab at their poverty? She sighed. Harry noticed this immediately, and this gave him the opportunity to stare into her eyes. Her eyes, thought Harry, they are just like mine. He didn't have long to pursue this thought as the Minister continued to talk, taking no notice of the tense scene at all, and if he did, he didn't care. Eliza catching his eye mouthed the word 'money.' Harry didn't catch on to it right away either.

Fudge, who wasn't listening, said, "Lucius has just given a very generous contribution to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, Arthur. He's here as my guest." But Harry couldn't help but notice that this Serena girl didn't seem much like the other Slytherins he had met. Nor any pureblood or Malfoy he had ever met. This girl almost seemed nice. Weird. None of this made sense of course, and Harry's curiosity he unfortunately inherited from his mother, came on full strength. He wanted to know more about this girl. Perhaps he'd write to Sirius and see what he knew. Sirius was the Head of the Black family, and as such surely he would know every other Black right?

"How - how nice," said Mr. Weasley, with a very strained smile.

Mr. Malfoy's eyes had returned to Hermione, who went slightly pink, but stared determinedly back at him. Harry knew exactly what was making Mr. Malfoy's lip curl like that. The Malfoys prided themselves on being purebloods; in other words, they considered anyone of Muggle descent, like Hermione, second-class. Eliza shook her head, her mother was a muggleborn if it was one thing she didn't agree with it was pureblood racism. However, under the gaze of the Minister of Magic, Mr. Malfoy didn't dare say anything, which Eliza thought was a good thing, Lucius really needed to learn to get over things. But of course, if Eliza said something cheeky to Lucius, she'd be at the receiving end of his snake modeled cane, and that was something she did not want a repeat of.

Hermione who was staring Lucius down despite her nervousness did not notice this reaction, but Harry did. Stranger still, a Malfoy who didn't hate muggleborns? Had hell frozen over? Was it just his imagination or did this Serena Black looked scared of Mr. Malfoy yet infuriated at the same time? Turning his attention back to Mr. Malfoy he watched as he nodded sneeringly to Mr. Weasley and continued down the line to his seats. Draco shot Harry, Ron, and Hermione one contemptuous look, then settled himself between his mother and father. Eliza didn't hear Ron as he called Draco a slimy git, but oh she would have wished she had, she liked Draco of course, but could only take his spoiled attitude in small doses. And with that Eliza turned her attention back to the starting up match. Yes, her favorite part, see Eliza liked Quidditch, if it wasn't for Lucius though no matter how good of a chaser she was she wouldn't be on Slytherin's team. Slytherin had never had a female on the team, but that was something Lucius had taken care of. It was going to be her last year playing and she couldn't wait to beat Gryffindor. So when the mascots were presented Eliza didn't immediately notice her foolish little brother's reaction to the Veela. Ugh was that idiot going to jump off the top box, stupid Gryffindorks, she thought, shaking her head. But by then all was forgotten for the match had started up and Eliza was watching with rapt attention. It wasn't much longer that the match was over, Krum catching the snitch, and Ireland winning still, 160 to 170. Eliza watched as the top box was suddenly magically illuminated and they began to make their way back to the tent.

She climbed into her four poster canopy bed in the tent, her hands behind her head, scattered images flashing before her eyes, she couldn't make sense of the vision. Sometimes she couldn't see properly, she figured, if she couldn't figure them out. All she knew for sure was the feeling of panic, and suddenly her throat tightened, she couldn't shake the emotions the vision had given her. Reaching over to the side of the bed, she tugged on the strap of her seemingly muggle back pack, which of course it was. Hell would freeze over before Lucius Malfoy ended up giving her anything a muggle had made, and that was why this backpack she had was from Professor Snape as an early gift for her 17th birthday. Her birthday was September 26th, and it had been an early gift for NEWTs this year. Reaching into the bag, she pulled out a calming draught, Severus had made it when Lucius told him she suffered headaches and feelings of panic, of course Severus had thought she was losing her mind at first. But then, Lucius had explained about her visions and how she would make a great deatheater one day, of course, just what she wanted to hear, however she appreciated the sentiment in obtaining her such a draught all the same. Taking the draught, she finally resigned herself to getting some rest of course, and perhaps she'd get some decent rest. She had no idea the plans swarming through Lucius's head, or the terror that would be spread, but she figured whatever it was couldn't affect her. How very wrong she was.

Author's Note:

This is quite possibly one of my most favorite stories I have written, I had a plot written out in outline form for years, and even the first chapter done. This chapter had been rewritten over the years for many many times. So if there is any errors in it please do let me know. I am currently without a Beta, and the girl who used to Beta my stories in my notebook at school which frankly was a long time ago, goes to college now far away. It's sad really she was my own personal Hermione Granger and I do miss her. So Dodi if you ever do read this, know this story was written with you in mind. I do know how much you love the misguided Malfoy family, so their feature in this story was written with you in mind. Now with that said, I was really nervous to post this story, so I would appreciate reviews. Now, under no circumstances will you hear me say "Oh if I don't get reviews I won't update." No, not at all, I know they are plenty of people who read and enjoy a story without reviewing. But please mates, I'd quite like at least a couple to give me a gauge of how well my story is going and if you like it. That in mind, I say thank you for reading my fic and I hope you continue, the next chapter will be up very very soon as it's already almost finished :)

Thanks,

-daughterofbrilliance