The Other Chosen One
Summary: What if there was someone else to share the duties of being "The Chosen One"? Someone much younger and much less prepared to face the Dark Lord? Set during PoA, AU- Lily/James alive, Sirius innocent. Triggers: Mentions of child abuse.
AN: Okay, so I've never actually attempted a Harry Potter story because honestly, I think JK Rowling perfected the work and I wouldn't want to ruin a good thing. That being said, this idea came to me and it wouldn't go away so I just started writing and so happened chapter one. It may be a little jumbled, or hard to follow because I am going through finals week and very sleep deprived and I've only finished two chapters so if I don't get much feedback on this, I don't know if I'll continue posting but anyway, here it is.
To all you British folk: I love your writing. Like I LOVE British literature. That being said, I'm an American and a Southern American to boot so my story, while I do understand Harry Potter was written beautifully in the British terminology, will probably be American terminology. I would rather write what is familiar to me instead of accidentally messing up your stuff.
That's it! Here's chapter one! Enjoy!
Chapter 1:
Lily Potter sat with Elizabeth Black in the library of Potter Manor. Both healers had the day off from their usual jobs at St. Mungo's. Lily was the head healer of the children's ward while Elizabeth handled Artefact Accidents. They had become friends when Sirius and Elizabeth fell in love, shortly after Harry was born. Then, they were married, just in time for Elizabeth to give birth to their first child just nine months after Harry was born. They named her Kathleen Lillian Black but everyone knew the brilliant young witch as Katie. She was a year behind Harry in school and to the shock of most of the witches and wizards that knew her, she was sorted into Gryffindor. They all assumed she would be a Ravenclaw like her mother. Exactly thirteen months after Katie was born, Elizabeth gave birth to what would become Sirius and her youngest child, a boy named James Remus Black, but called Jamie for short. He had just gone to his first year of Hogwarts five days ago and was also sorted into Gryffindor.
As for what had happened in the Wizarding World for the past thirteen years, it had been chaotic to say the least. On October 31st, 1981, Lily and James were betrayed by their secret keeper, Peter Pettigrew. Lord Voldemort himself arrived at their home in Godric's Hollow. Somehow, the couple was able to fight him off and dodge many killing curses but both wound up stunned as he chased after Harry, whom they had been protecting.
Something happened that night and the killing curse rebounded off of Harry, leaving him with a lightning bolt scar and leaving the Dark Lord dead for the time being. James and Lily had woken right as Severus Snape was arriving to their aid, followed just seconds later by Sirius, Remus, and some other Order members. They were able to capture Pettigrew and he was placed in Azkaban for betraying the Potter family along with many others that were imprisoned after the fall of the Dark Lord.
The Order was aware they were not safe. They knew that the Dark Lord was not truly dead and would return one day which lead them to their current activities of attempting to gain support from those they deemed fit to fight the Dark Lord and trustworthy.
The past summer, the one between Harry's second and third year at Hogwarts, Katie's first and second, and Jamie's first, Pettigrew escaped. This, of course, caused some chaos. Dementors were placed at Hogwarts to guard the school but namely, to guard Harry. It was the fear of the Order that Peter Pettigrew would attempt to find Harry. To find him, and to kill him. James and Lily felt slightly comforted about Harry being at Hogwarts with Remus their as the Defense professor. They knew he would watch over their young teenager.
The Order busied themselves attempting to protect Harry and to postpone the return of the Dark Lord. This meant setting out to find as many followers as possible that remained loyal to him. That was currently where James and Sirius were.
James, Sirius, Madeye Moody, Frank and Alice Longbottom, Nymphadora Tonks, and Kingsley Shacklebolt were sent to the Lestrange manor to attempt and find Pettigrew but to also attempt to make arrests of the deatheaters. As aurors, they were allowed to do this.
An alarm sounding, alerting the two healers that someone, loyal to the Order, had apparated inside the wards of the Potter manor. Soon enough, their husbands came through the door of the library, frantic looks on their faces.
"We found him on the mission." James explained as he carried a very small, very fragile looking child into headquarters which just happened to be the Potter family manor.
"Bring him to the infirmary." Lily directed her husbands as she hurried towards the room that was once used as an excess dining room when the manor had been used to entertain but was now used as the equivalent of the hospital wing at Hogwarts.
"Death eaters." Sirius told his wife as Elizabeth glanced at the young boy. "They were torturing him. We couldn't leave him there but we couldn't very well waltz into St. Mungo's either without announcing the order business which brought us to him."
"Does anyone know who this child is?" Lily asked as her husband gently placed the little one on one of the hospital beds.
"We got out of him that his name is Ryan but then he went unconscious." He answered her softly.
"There were two dead muggles in the cell he was kept in. We assume that they were his parents and that Voldemort's followers took him for being a muggle born." Sirius added.
"You two get Dumbledore here. We need to know what he wants to do about the boy. We'll handle his injuries." Lily directed her husband and "brother-in-law" for all intents and purposes.
Lily and Elizabeth got to work on the young boy while their husbands immediately took the floo network that only certain members of the order were able to use into the headmaster's office. They found Albus Dumbledore sitting behind his desk, two young Slytherins had seemingly found themselves in trouble as they sat across from the headmaster, Severus Snape standing on the headmaster's side. Sirius smirked as the two frightened Slytherins noticed two aurors had arrived and were looking all the more frightened.
"Off you go boys." The headmaster instructed.
Severus Snape nodded curtly to the two aurors. That had formed some sort of alliance a little over a decade ago when Severus had joined the Order and become a spy against the dark side. Both aurors nodded back before approaching Albus.
"Sirius, James, my boys. What can I do for you?" He asked.
"We've got a bit of a situation back at headquarters and we need to know what you wish for us to do about it." James explained.
"Sit down, explain this situation to me. Lemon drop?" The headmaster offered as the two men sat down.
Sirius accepted the candy but James shook his head as they took the seats previously occupied by the two young students. "On the mission to find Rodolphus, Rabastan, Bellatrix, and Barty Crouch Jr. we found something else. At the Lestrange home, where we did indeed find those four, we also found a young child kept and tortured in a makeshift jail cell in the basement of the home. His muggle parents were lying dead beside him. Moody directed us to take the child back to headquarters while he, Tonks, Kingsley, Frank, and Alice dealt with the four deatheaters. We have yet to hear word from Moody and the rest. As soon as the child was with Lily and Elizabeth we came to find you." James explained.
"Do you have any idea who the child is?" The headmaster asked.
"Muggle born, the only thing we got out of him before he was unconscious was his first name, Ryan." Sirius answered.
"Any clue on his age? I can see if he is on the list yet for Hogwarts." Albus offered, the twinkle in his blue eyes still prevalent.
"I'd say around four." James told the headmaster, thinking about the little copper haired boy that looked a good bit like his own wife aside from the freckles and brown eyes.
Albus began looking through a rather large book that neither of the two former students knew actually existed. They had assumed the "list" of students to receive letters was more metaphorical than literal.
"Ryan Collin Wilson perhaps? He's the only Ryan listed form the age group of four-year-olds and there are none from the three or five-year-old groups either. Muggle born. His father was a lawyer, mother an author." The headmaster told the two Order members.
"Seems to fit." James agreed.
"Well, we have ourselves in a bit of a situation then. Clearly the dark side has taken an interest in this little boy and now without a family, we've got to figure out living arrangements for him. I assume that's what has brought you here." Dumbledore began.
"Precisely." James agreed.
"Well obviously someone in the order will need to take him in. This will need to be done above the law so to speak so through a blood adoption performed by the goblins. I would suggest you and Lily, James." The headmaster explained. "You two are the obvious choice. Your blood and love has done more than enough to provide protection to Harry so it should be adequate to protect Ryan as well."
James wasn't entirely sure about adopting a child he had only known for a few hours but clearly, this was not really up to him or to Lily and the boy did need a home. He knew his wife would agree in a heartbeat. "Of course. We would be more than willing."
"Well it's settled then. I'll speak with the goblins about a time they can come to perform the ceremony. How severe were his injuries?" The headmaster asked.
"We had to do some immediate healing on the scene and that was just to stabilize him enough to apparate. Definitely some broken bones, bruising, cuts, and so on. He had been beaten as well as being tortured with various hexes. It looks like they did not spare unforgivables from him either. It's a miracle he's still alive." Sirius told him.
"He'll have a long road of recovery ahead of him. I'd like to come check on the child, I'll need to inform a member or two of the Order of my absence from Hogwarts even if it is for a few hours. Oh, whilst you're both here, I do need to inform you of the dementors that have taken an interest in Harry. With Pettigrew free from Azkaban, I appreciate the protection they offer but they seem to have a particular interest in Harry." The headmaster sighed.
"Harry hasn't mentioned this to me in any letters." James sighed.
"Not in mine either." Sirius agreed.
"There was an incident on the train but Remus was able to protect him with a patronus charm and some chocolate fixed him right up. Because of this, I've ordered the dementors to stay a good distance away from the school itself but I just thought you should be aware." Dumbledore explained to the men.
"Is Jamie causing trouble yet?" Sirius asked, thinking to his little prankster that unlike Harry, wouldn't be found by trouble, he would find it.
"Not yet. He lost Gryffindor ten points on his first day in Professor Snape's class but he's nothing compared to the Weasley twins." The headmaster chuckled.
"We should get back to Headquarters. Will you be joining us?" James asked Dumbledore.
"I'll be along shortly. Would you two like to inform Remus of this before you leave?" The headmaster suggested.
"That's probably a wise decision." James nodded.
As James and Sirius were explaining to their best friend what all had happened on the mission, and checking up on the three children, Elizabeth and Lily were doing everything they could to heal young Ryan. "Here Sweetheart, drink this one. It'll help you sleep." Elizabeth told the little boy as Lily sat him up for his last potion, a dreamless sleep one.
The child who was just barely awake, and hadn't said a word, did as Elizabeth said and gulped the potion down before Lily laid him back down and tucked the blankets around his small body.
As soon as he was asleep, the two healers took a step back. "That poor child." Elizabeth mumbled to her best friend.
"It's a miracle he lived through all of that. No doubt in my mind his magic aided in keeping him alive. His parents probably got similar treatment but had no magic to aid them." Lily mumbled as she pushed the child's hair from his forehead.
"He's a cute little boy." Elizabeth smiled as she watched Lily gently taking the child's hand like she imagined she would do had it been Harry this hurt.
Harry had been hurt in the past. His first year with everything that had happened with the Philosopher's stone had left Harry in the hospital wing, as had his broken arm that had turned into re-growing his bones, also something Poppy had to fix. Harry's injuries and illnesses, even minor ones, always brought out the most maternal side of Lily that Elizabeth was seeing now with Ryan.
"The boys are back." Elizabeth informed Lily who was too invested in the child to hear the apparition into the wards. There was always a small alarm, even if it was members of the Order. It was a safety precaution.
"How is he Lily?" James asked as soon as he and Sirius were in the infirmary followed by Remus.
"He'll be alright." She told her husband softly.
"He's tough that one." Elizabeth added as he husband wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
"What did Dumbledore say?" Lily asked her husband who moved to stand beside where she sat on the side of the child's bed.
"Should we go to the other room? I wouldn't want to wake him." James asked his wife hesitantly.
"He's too exhausted to make not to mention the potions keeping him asleep." His wife disagreed.
"Well his name is Ryan Collin Wilson, already on the list for Hogwarts and he is a muggle born wizard." James began. "He's four-years-old, born on July 31st, exactly seven years after Harry, and Dumbledore wants for him to remain with the Order."
"He wants the Order to raise the child?" Lily asked, a slight bit of confusion in her tone.
"Not quite." James disagreed.
"Just tell her Prongs." Sirius told his best friend as he stared at the little boy all bandaged up, looking extremely tiny in the hospital bed.
"He thinks you and I would make adequate parents for him. He wants the goblins to do a blood adoption above the law so that our blood can hopefully do what it has done for Harry and protect him. He said seeing as the child already has the attention of the dark side, we need to be able to provide protection for him." James explained. "I know we just met the child, but I do agree with Dumbledore's assessment even if it is sort of a lot to ask."
"Of course we'll adopt the child. If that's what it takes. Does he have any clue as to why they took such an interest in him?" Lily told her husband.
"No clue. Not that Dumbledore has shared with us anyway. It could be solely because he's a muggle born child." Sirius told her.
"Remus, you'll be his godfather won't you?" Lily asked the wizard who had remained quiet to this point.
"I would be honored, of course." Remus nodded as he looked at the tiny little boy
Before the wizards could continue their conversation, the alarm sounded alerting them to the presence of more Order members.
Soon enough, all of the members who had been on the mission with James and Sirius were in the room. "How's the child?" Kingsley asked.
"He'll be alright." Elizabeth assured the group.
"The deatheaters?" Sirius asked.
"We got Bellatrix and Rodolphus but the other two escaped." Alice Longbottom told the group. "Should we go in the other room?"
"He's asleep with potions. He won't wake for at least ten hours. His body needed rest." Lily assured one of her dearest friends.
"What's to come of the child?" Frank asked.
"Dumbledore wishes for James and Lily to adopt him via a blood adoption performed by the goblins so that the ministry can't interfere. Not to mention blood adoptions are very rarely practiced within the law now but their blood will aid immensely in protecting young Ryan." Elizabeth explained to the group.
"Actually, Dumbledore was wishing to arrive here as soon as he could inform Hogwarts professors of his temporary absence." James told them.
"Since when does Dumbledore inform the staff of his absence unless it is for more than a day or two?" Alice asked.
"He's worried about the dementors' presence." James told the group with a sigh.
"They seem to affect some of the students more than others. Namely, those that have parents in the order. On the train ride to Hogwarts I was sitting with Harry, Jamie, Katie, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Ginny Weasley, and Neville and a dementor came and its presence effected all the students but Harry the most. I used the patronus but the children were all fairly shaken. Harry had passed out from it. I gave them all chocolate and sent them straight to bed after the sorting feast." Remus shook his head. "Dementors on a train full of children. I can't imagine what the ministry will think of next."
"I just wish we could find Pettigrew already." Tonks sighed as she stood by Remus. "By the way Liz, Sirius, congratulations on Jamie's house. I'm sure he was ecstatic about being placed in Gryffindor."
"Well it was no surprise to us." Sirius chuckled. "Though Dumbledore told us he lost Gryffindor ten house points on his first day of classes."
"Snape's doing I assume?" Frank chuckled.
"It was justified." Remus shockingly defended Snape.
The alarms sounded once more. "That'll be Dumbledore." Lily told the group.
Sure enough, Dumbledore arrived with Minerva McGonagall, Severus Snape, Filius Flitwick, Pomona Sprout, and Poppy Pomfrey in tow.
"I figured an Order meeting was necessary given the new circumstances. The rest of the Order should be arriving shortly." Dumbledore greeted the group.
"This must be the child Dumbledore was speaking of. How is he?" Pomona Sprout, one of the most maternal wizards the group had with them, second only to Molly Weasley, asked.
"He'll be alright. He'll be sleeping for a good ten hours or so." Elizabeth informed her.
"Severus, could you possibly brew some more potions for our supply here. We are running low. He took quite a few more potions than we typically use in accidents." Lily asked one of her former best friends whom she still did care deeply about.
"Of course." Severus answered in his gentle tone his used only when speaking with Lily.
"We should give the child time to rest. We'll meet in the dining room like we usually do. Lily, I assume you'll be staying with young Ryan?" Dumbledore asked.
"James can fill me in later." The healer agreed as she stroked the child's bruised cheek.
Once the growing group of wizards had left for the dining room, Lily softly began humming to the battered child. "You're going to be alright Sweetheart." She assured him gently.
As Lily sat with the little boy, the Order was all gathered in the dining room discussing what had happened at the mission and trying to create another mission. Clearly, Pettigrew was not where they had expected him to be at the Lestrange manor. That left just a few options. The one the marauders thought was most obvious was that he was somewhere in his rat form, hiding like a coward.
The other members of the Order disagreed. They thought he was one of the followers of Voldemort most dedicated to bringing Voldemort back in his full form. They believed since they had ruled out the Lestrange manor, it really only left Malfoy Manner or Riddle House.
"Both would be much less practical to attempt and enter undetected than the Lestrange manor, especially now that those not captured today will inform the others of our attempt." Flitwick, his Ravenclaw logic, disagreed with the mission Sirius had just suggested to send the masses into the Malfoy manor.
"Any attempted attack on the Malfoy manor will need to be orchestrated carefully." Snape agreed.
"Will you be able to gather more information for us Severus?" Dumbledore asked.
"I will do my best of course, though if they have kept his location hidden from me thus far it means not everyone on that side knows of his location. It wouldn't surprise me if only one or two knew and if that's the case, it'll be incredibly hard for me to discover the location. I will be able to tell you for sure if he is at Malfoy manor or not seeing as I am highly trusted by Lucius but it'll be hard to gather the information you require." Snape answered.
"Aside from attempting to find Pettigrew, we need to discuss the attempt to recruit. I know we've hit quite a wall lately but those we've spoken to recently seem like they don't need much to push them over to our side. One major event, any piece of solid evidence that the followers are attempting to revive the Dark Lord, and I think we would have at least a dozen more members in the Order." Alice Longbottom told the group. She had been one of those at the forefront of strengthening the Order.
And so the normal discussions of the Order continued for about an hour before they turned back towards the day's event. The reasoning behind this, Fawkes arriving with a letter to Dumbledore.
"It's from the goblins. They said they can come Saturday next at 7:00PM." Dumbledore told James. "That should give young Ryan adequate time to heal before the ceremony."
"He might still be a little weak but he'll be okay by then." Elizabeth agreed.
So the conversation shifted to Ryan, and the theories of why he was such an interest to the Dark Lord. "I can't help but point out that he shares a birthday with Harry." Pomona sighed. "You don't think there could be two chosen ones, do you Albus?"
"I hope not Pomona but none of us have heard Harry's prophecy since he was a baby, long before Ryan was born." Dumbledore began. "Perhaps it is time to travel to the Department of Mysteries again and to find young Ryan's prophecy as well."
"Can prophecies change?" Molly asked.
"Very rarely and in very uncommon circumstances." Albus answered her. "I've really only heard of it happening once."
"If that is the case, it'll be an entirely new ball game. Two chosen ones? One that is only four? We need to postpone the Dark Lord's return for as long as possible. Even when Harry comes of age, Ryan will not even be old enough to attend Hogwarts." McGonagall sighed.
"We will postpone it for as long as possible of course. That's always been the goal. We know it is unreasonable to stop his return but that doesn't mean we can buy ourselves time." Dumbledore agreed with her.
"Looks like you and Lily are in for another rough bout of parenting and protecting." Tonks told James.
"Nothing we can't handle." He assured her.
After the meeting, the Hogwarts professors returned to the school with Dumbledore while the others returned to their own homes. Sirius and Elizabeth had been staying with the Potters for a few years though, with both the home they had built and the one they had inherited being much more easily found and targets of the Dark Side, it was safer for them, and for their children with their friends.
James headed back to his wife where he explained everything that had been discussed and theorized before convincing her to leave Ryan just long enough to eat the dinner that Elizabeth was preparing alongside the house elves.
After dinner though, Lily was straight back to little Ryan, even informing James she would be staying in one of the infirmary beds for the night in case the child needed her. And so she did. Lily Potter stayed with her soon to be youngest son.