What if Harry disappeared the night of the attack on his parents' home? And though Dumbledore looked for him, he searched in vain? What if Harry was raised under another name, and not by the Dursleys, but by another family? A wizarding family. And not a family Dumbledore would approve of. All will be explained in this story, a very alternate universe. Not sure how far I'll go with it, but possibly all the books eventually, if I get a good response.
This is NOT Harry Potter as you know him. This will start off with the same basic premise, but I intend to go off in a very different direction. Feel free to explain why you think what I've got is incorrect, but don't expect me to change things unless I tend to agree with the point you're making.
The characters are not mine, they all belong to her, so I promise I won't hurt them…too much.
By the end of this chapter, you will know who Harry grew up with. I really want to know what people think, so, if you like it, leave a review at the bottom of the page, or leave me an email.
Finding Harry
«--1--»
Orion
If you asked Orion if he was happy with his life, it would give him pause for thought. He had a beautiful mother, a handsome and strong father, a twin brother with whom he shared almost everything, and above all, he lived in one of the most important historical magical manors-Malfoy Manor. But despite this, Orion knew that there was something that was missing. It wasn't something easily quantifiable, either. It had simply always been missing, so it seemed impossible to figure out exactly what it could be.
He and his twin brother, Draco, had good days and bad, just like other siblings. The best days were those the two of them spent entirely alone together. They often did not even need to speak to know what the other was thinking. The house-elves would often find them tucked away in some remote corner of the estate, their two blonde heads close together, the only noise coming from them soft giggling.
Though Orion adored his father, he had to admit that most of the worst days revolved around the times he and Draco spent under their father's instruction. Though Draco was the older of the two boys-by almost an hour, something that showed in the fact that he was also a few inches taller than Orion, and always seemed to hit the milestones of childhood, sometimes months ahead of Orion—it was Orion who was the stronger, magically. And their father delighted in pointing this out. After each exercise, he would invariably shower praise upon Orion, then turn and berate Draco for failing to live up to his brother's example. Often, after these lessons, Draco would go days without speaking to Orion. When this happened, Orion was almost able to blame it on their father. But he simply couldn't. He admired him too much.
Time spent with their "friends" wasn't much better. The boys they were allowed to play with were all children of their father's friends. Unfortunately, this was such a limited selection that it also meant that none of them were much fun to hang out with. Vince Crabbe and Greg Goyle were okay, but they were so mentally slow that choice of entertainment was either eating or bullying smaller children, pastimes neither Orion nor Draco found engaging. The other two boys, Theodore Nott and Blaise Zabini, usually challenged anything either of them said, often until they ended up having to duel them to shut them up. The Malfoy boys always won, of course, but it only served to make the other boys that much more surly.
So, between lessons with their father, and "playtime" with their "friends," Orion and Draco much preferred their alone time. Alone, they could forget about having to be perfect little Malfoys. They could forget that they were expected to attend Durmstrang instead of going to Hogwarts like everyone else they knew. They could just be little boys. They were best friends and brothers, all in one neat package. After all, doesn't everyone want a best friend who understands everything?
But Orion was soon to discover that nothing was what it appeared. Though he loved his family, there were secrets he didn't know. Secrets that only his father could fully explain. Secrets that would not be revealed until the day he got his letter for Hogwarts. Or, as it turned out, letters.
Draco and Orion had been looking forward to receiving their letters to Hogwarts ever since they first learned of the school's existence. They knew that their father planned to send them to Durmstrang, but they had spent many hours together planning just how to get him to send them to Hogwarts. And they knew that the weak link in his chain was their mother.
Narcissa Malfoy was a very strong woman. She had not married out of love, but she had made sure to marry the right man. A man who could provide for her in the way she had become accustomed as a girl. Only the best for Narcissa Black. She had also gone so far as to extend this to her sons. She was not an overly doting mother, but she made sure that they always had the best of everything. And since Hogwarts was the best magical school around, why shouldn't her sons attend it?
It had ultimately been Draco's idea to take their letters to Narcissa the moment they got them. That way, their parents would battle it out, and both boys knew that eventually, it would be their mother who would win. So, when three owls arrived one morning, one with a letter for Draco, one with a letter for Orion, and the third dropping its letter in Orion's lap, the boys were all set to run to their mother. But the third letter distracted them.
Draco's letter was addressed to Draco Thomas Malfoy. Orion's was addressed to Orion Salazar Malfoy. But the third letter was addressed, to their utter confusion, to Harry James Potter. Both of them had heard of the Boy Who Had Disappeared. Their father talked about him frequently, laughing about it almost as though it were a joke. But why on earth would Orion receive a letter addressed to him? They discussed the letters for several minutes before Draco finally dared his brother to open the envelope.
"But Drake, it's not addressed to me!"
Draco spread his comfortingly familiar sneer across his face. "Maybe it is, Ori, maybe you're the Boy Who Disappeared!"
"Bugger that, Drake. We're twins. I can't be. 'Sides, I look nothing like the pictures we've seen of the Potters. Didn't Harry Potter have black hair?"
Draco sniggered. "Maybe father dyes your hair while you're asleep."
Orion pushed at his brother, and Draco pushed back. "G'won, Ori. You know you want to."
Orion stuck out his tongue at his brother. "So what if I do? I'm not Harry Potter, so I can't."
"If you don't, I will…" Draco snatched at the letter, but Orion pulled it away so that Draco couldn't reach it.
"No you won't, Drake. It came to me, and if anyone's opening it, I am."
"So open it already, Harry," Draco jeered at him.
Orion glared at his brother, his pale blue-green eyes narrowing. "Fine, I will." He slipped his finger underneath the flap of the envelope, and felt more than saw something fly out of it when he broke the seal. He glanced at his brother, who was still completely preoccupied with the envelope Orion was opening, so maybe he'd just been imagining things? Orion took a deep breath and pulled the parchment inside out of the envelope. There were the usual letters he knew that he would find in his own letter, accepting Harry Potter to Hogwarts, and the equipment list, but there was also a third letter.
Dear Mr. Potter,
This letter was spelled so that it could only be opened by you, and if my owl has done a proper job, then it has found you as it was supposed to. It may come as a bit of a surprise, but I have been looking for you for ten years. I was close to your Parents, and promised myself that I would keep you all safe, but I failed. Ten years ago, on Halloween night, a wizard known as Voldemort came and killed your parents. He would have killed you, too, but something stopped him. Unfortunately, before the person I sent to get you arrived, you disappeared.
All I can hope is that you have had a good life. I also hope that you know about the Wizarding world, and also your own legend, as it is important that you know what you will face when you come here to Hogwarts. For that is what I intend, Harry. For you to come to Hogwarts. To ensure this, I have spelled the seal on this envelope to alert me of your location once you open it. I will be there as soon as I can, Harry. Do not worry about what is to come. I will not let anyone hurt you.
Albus Dumbledore
Orion swallowed. Draco whistled once he had finished the letter. He looked wide-eyed at his brother. "I didn't mean it, Ori. You're my brother. Father won't let anyone take you away from us." He grabbed his brother, and hugged him roughly to him. "I don't care who you really are. You'll always be my brother."
Orion's entire body began to shake. It couldn't be. Father wouldn't do that. He just wouldn't. Besides, father loved him. Would he truly love the boy who had destroyed the Dark Lord? "Ori?" Draco whispered. Orion just shook harder. "Ori, look at me." Orion couldn't move. He was numb. "Ori, everything will be all right. It's probably a mix-up. Come on, we need to tell mum about our letters, remember?"
Orion closed his eyes, and when they opened, for a second Draco thought his eyes had gone just a bit greener, but then the colour was back to the way it had always been, a bright, luminescent turquoise. "Yeah," Orion said slowly. "Let's go show mum."
