Title: The Other Side of the Light
Author: seething (formerly under the pen name ".x.Niki.x.")
Rating: T, for language, violence, etc.
Parings: Up for consideration
Summary: Rewritten. Dudley Dursley's death leads to consequences beyond imagination. AU, Slytherin Harry.
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.


prelude

"Sir?"

"Ah, yes. I presume you are Miss Stevens, the primary school teacher?"

"Yes, that's me. Why do you -?"

"I am an agent of the government, Miss Stevens. Or may I call you Melissa?"

"What? How -?"

"Now, now, I assure you there is no need for alarm. May I sit here? Thank you. I'm merely here to ask you a few questions concerning one of your…former students."

"Oh. You mean him, then."

"I am referring to Harry Potter, yes. Did you ever notice anything…peculiar, about him?"

"Um. Well, there was the whole mess with his cousin -"

"I know."

"- but you already know that. That's why you're here. Uh, well, yes, actually, now that I think about it. This one time, I was getting into my car - school had just ended - when I heard this yelling."

"Really."

"Yeah. I, um, looked out my window and saw a figure standing on the roof of the school. So I ran out, along with a few other faculty members, and we found D-Dudley and some of his friends standing around the dumpster and staring up at Harry, who was - somehow - on the roof."

"Ah."

"We still don't know how in the world he managed to climb up there. He insisted that he hadn't, but obviously..."

"That is quite interesting Melissa, thank you."

"Yes. There were more, um, strange events that he was involved with, if you -"

"No, no. That will suffice. Now, do you know where some of Harry's friends live? I'd like to talk with them."

"Uh. You see, Harry never really had any friends."

"And why not?"

"I'm not exactly sure. He was always so quiet. I guess he just liked to keep to himself. I used to feel sorry for him, you know. The little scruffy orphan boy. He never knew his parents. They died when he was just a baby."

"I'm aware of that, yes."

"But after some of the things he did, I began to wonder...and now all th-this..."

"Would you like a tissue?"

"No. No, I'll be all right. It's just…I never thought this would happen."

"None of us did. I'm so sorry, Melissa."

"Wait, what? What is that st -?"

"Obliviate."

A/N: Confused? Keep reading.