A Change in History
A HP Fanfiction
Disclaimer: I do not own HP.
A/N: You must excuse me for making the chapter so short. I was having quite a bit of trouble writing this one correctly.
Chapter Three: Missing?
Shadows flickered on the walls in a dizzy pattern. Warmth seeped from the hearth, silver gates clamped shut tightly to keep the flames in. The faded light from the fire extended just barely to the large, winged windows and there, in the line between darkness and light, a young boy leaned against the wall. Emerald eyes gazed, unseeing, across the vast expanse of the lawn below and before him. The forest at the edge of the property lay dark and uninviting to all, all except the boy. He had spent many a night in his old life seeking refuge beneath those very trees. Snow obscured his vision, blurring the outlines of everything outside.
Harry shook his head, black locks of hair swinging in front of his eyes before he returned his watch to the forest. Sadness crept into his eyes as thoughts slid, unbidden, into his head.
Do they even miss me? He thought wistfully. Do they even realize I'm gone? Probably not. His mind added viciously. All they care about is Chris. Their "Prophecy Child". They don't care about me at all. He looked back out over the dense forest in the distance and concentrated, but no matter how hard he looked all there was was wood. He couldn't see the Potter Manor at all. I couldn't have run that far. So how'd I get here? He sighed in frustration. He had a feeling, though, that he would find out very soon. He felt it in his very core.
Later, Harry walked down the corridors that seemed to make up the majority of the keep. He had, at first, needed Binky to show him around, but had eventually managed to be able to traverse the length between the kitchen, library, and his room without aid. He was now walking from the library back to his base; arms laden with many books he had found that seemed to be rather interesting. Unfortunately, the stack of books was quite large in his small arms, and so couldn't see where he was going. He also didn't see the large, poisonous snake that was Nagini until it was too late.
"Ouch! Ssssstupid little human! How dare you sssstep on my tail? I ssssshould bite you and end your misssserable exisssstence right now! I…" the enraged snake stopped short as she saw just who it was that had stepped on her tail; Harry looked back at her, wide eyed in surprise and slightly fearful. Nagini, however, seemed to forget her threats of just a few moments ago as her scaly visage lit up in what could only be excitement. "It issss the sssspeaker! The sssssspeaker Massssster brought home! How ssssssimply delightful!" Harry slowly processed this in his head. This snake—a snake that could easily wind itself around him at least five times and crush him into dust—was talking to him. Harry suppressed a shiver. He supposed this was the Dark Lord's feared familiar—Nagini was her name, he recalled, and he had always heard Aurors who came to talk to James tell horrifying stories of how she killed—none of which Harry wished to experience. He shook himself out of his shock just in time to hear her next words. "I mussssst apologize, young sssssspeaker…I wasssss ssssssupposssssed to ssssstay with you until you awoke, but sssssome urgent bussssinesssss came up and Masssssster had to sssssend me away on an errand…Yesssss…very urgent…" Nagini trailed off, deeply in thought as Harry just stood there, goggling at her.
Voldemort assigned his pet snake as my keeper He thought incredulously. Okay, nothing can possibly surprise me now. Harry noticed that Nagini still seemed to be deep in thought, so he slowly began to edge around her huge, powerful body-- could crush me in seconds Harry thought, unable to stop himself—and just as he was beginning to think he would get away from the odd creature, he heard her call after him.
"Wait, young ssssspeaker! I wissssh to sssspeak with you!" Harry suppressed a groan. He knew this would not end well.
As Nagini slithered out of his room a few hours later (they had retreated there in order to "talk" or rather, hiss at each other) Harry reviewed on his earlier assumption and decided he had been wrong. Once he got past the fact that you were talking to a man killing snake who happened to belong to the most feared Dark Lord in a century, he began to see that she was a rather intelligent creature; he was certain she could probably run rings around the majority of the people Harry himself had met, if they could understand her.
I'm certain Voldemort appreciates her company, he thought to himself, smiling slightly. Yes, if anything Nagini had said to him was true (and he didn't think she had any reason to lie) the vast majority of the Dark Lord's minions were rather stupid creatures. All bark and no bite, as he had heard Lily say—he didn't refer to the Potters as his family anymore. The only one in that family deserving of his attention now was Chris, and even that was stretching it. He was certain, however, that given time he himself would find a rather good friend in Nagini. His thoughts were interrupted by Binky popping into the room, carrying a tray bearing sandwiches and fruits. Harry couldn't help but smile as she set down the tray and disappeared with another pop. Nagini had taken one look at him earlier and promptly demanded that he order a fit lunch for himself immediately—which meant, of course, he order what she told him would be best for him to get his strength back. "After all, you will need it for when Massster decides to sssstart training you." She was like a mother hen, he mused. With her around he didn't think he would have any need for a mother; she was already a much better one than Lily had been, which, to Harry, was a scary thought.
"Lily! Chris! I'm home!" James Potter called out cheerfully as he came gliding out of the fireplace in a haze of ash in the brightly lit entrance hall of Potter Manor. He smiled as a small, red-haired child flew out of the door leading to the main parlor and crashed into him, giggling with delight. He laughed as his son's antics and promptly began to tickle him mercilessly, promoting screams of laughter from the small boy. His mother followed him more slowly out of the doorway, trying her hardest to frown in disapproval at them, but finally gave it up and joined them in laughing as they retreated back to the parlor to prepare for the party. Although Chris's birthday had been the day prior, they (the Order and the Potters) had all decided to hold a separate birthday party today so that the family could spend time together, but still hold a public party. Sirius had complained loudly "You already spend every living minute you can with them, James! You're killing yourself!" but it had been decided.
The guests had begun to arrive an hour or so ago; bright streamers were hung everywhere and clashed horribly with the coloring of the room, but no one cared. They were all too busy laughing and having a good time. The cake had been consumed and small talk made by the time for presents to be opened rolled around. As everyone sat down to watch Chris rip into his gifts, Albus seemed to remember something. He looked around the room closely, frowning as he did so. James noticed.
"What's wrong, Albus? Someone missing?" he asked, drawing the attention of the room. Chris looked up momentarily from the mountain before him and looked to the aged Headmaster in curiosity. He wasn't the only one.
Albus was frowning again. "Yes," he said at length. He looked at the Potters directly, concern flickering in his eyes. "Harry isn't here. Have you seen him at all today?" Lily and James's eyes widened, and they glanced at each other before casting their eyes to the door leading to the entrance hall where the staircase to the upper floors was. They had not even paid Harry a single thought. Lily looked back at Albus and shrugged.
"We haven't seen him all day. So?" Albus frowned again, but this time he wasn't the only one. Remus looked over at the couple oddly, a slight twitch to his lips the only sign of his annoyance. He knew Albus would take care of it.
"My dear Lily, if I remember correctly, isn't it young Harry's birthday today as well?" Many in the room shifted uneasily, realizing they had not brought a gift for the other child of the house. James and Lily, however, seemed not to be concerned by this at all.
"He's probably up in his room, moping around again. Patty?" Lily called and a short, stubby nosed house elf appeared and curtsied. "Go find Harry and bring him down here. He should know better than to miss his brother's birthday." She added darkly as the house elf disappeared to fulfill her task. Remus frowned at her again as well as Albus, who was full out scowling now. Sirius, however, was oblivious as he always was and was busy helping Chris to unwrap his gifts, toying with them and laughing at the child's expression when he charmed a new plush lion to roar and dance around the room. A few more semi-quiet minutes passes before Patty appeared again, this time wringing her hands, her eyes darting around the room nervously. Everyone looked at her questioningly and she ducked her head, ashamed at her failure.
"I could not find him, Mrs. Potter ma'am," Patty said, wincing as she did so. "Young Master Harry is not in the house, and Patty had Bingy check outside but he is nowheres to be founds, Mrs. Lily Potter, ma'am." Silence reigned as James dismissed her, shrugging as he did so. He didn't care if Harry was missing or not. All he cared was that the brat was ruining his son's birthday. Remus, however, was not so easily assuaged. He excused himself and left the room, proceeding to check all the places he figured Harry might be hiding. By the time the presents had finally been opened, Remus had returned, looking worried. Albus asked him the whereabouts of the missing boy, and he simply shook his head.
Soon a full out search had been launched by the two men, a sweep of the lawn, house, and surrounding area by all Order members present; all the while the Potters stood to the side, uncaring, simply watching in adoration as Chris played with his new toys.
By the end of the day, Harry James Potter was proclaimed missing all over Britain.
A/N: Hey there, everybody! How are you all doing? As you can see, I haven't abandoned this story. In this chapter an interesting twist to the plot has been placed, so try and spot it, if you can; I also apologize for the chapter taking so long and its standard being less than the previous chapters. I've been rather stressed lately.
Same thing here as with Chapter Two and One—edited for grammar problems.