Harry Potter and the Dark Heir

By Lady Paradox

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and affiliates do not belong to me nor do I claim credit for them or claim any financial gain from this fan fiction.

AN: Thank you so much for your kind reviews in the last chapter. You really do keep my spirits up and my motivation running. Time sure has gotten away with me these months and I can only apologize deeply.

Chapter Six:

Immediately pushing himself to his feet, Harry cursed at fate for landing in the middle of another attack. It was just his luck that Voldemort chosen this time for another attack. He had been uncharacteristically quiet the entire summer. Instinctively, he reached his hand into his pocket but felt nothing but lint.

I must have left my wand at Grimmauld! Harry thought frantically as he looked around to gauge the situation.

Mr. Weasley had pulled out his wand, subtly conjuring his patronus and sending it off. Sirius and Remus had told him about the ways your patronus could be used to communicate with other people. Meanwhile, Mrs. Weasley pulled Ron and Ginny to her, backing away tactfully towards the barrier. Fearfully glancing around once more for her twin boys, she hesitatingly but forcefully pulled her youngest children out of harms way.

In the few seconds that had passed, chaos had taken over in the station. The parents of the muggle-born children, having no way of protecting themselves, cowered fearfully behind pillars , empty trolleys, and wooden benches. Most of the magically gifted parents pulled their children and the closest people to them away by apparition, the popping sounds of their magic muffled by the panicked shouts of those left behind.

Sure that the ministry under his father's authority would respond to the attack soon, Harry forced himself to start backing away from the battle, to suppress his urge to do something, anything. He could not afford to be caught in another attack, to have his presence in this world questioned before he could find a way to leave this dimension.

Crouching low and trying to stay out of sight of the Death Eaters, he saw that half were ignoring the cowering parents, instead boarding the Hogwarts Express. Where was the damned Ministry?

Having inched his way back towards the barrier, Harry hesitated to take that last step that would secure his obscurity, away from the prying eyes of the public. He couldn't help but feel like the training he had partook in for the past few months had been for moments like this. That he could be saving people, students from the Death Eaters.

Steeling his resolve and telling himself that his participation would make no difference, he put one foot through the barrier and was about to leave when over the din of chaos, he heard a familiar scream.

With that one frantic call, Harry dropped all his reservations and surged forward, ducking through the now arriving Order of Phoenix and Death Eaters alike, running down the platform and boarding the end of the train in a record time.

Looking toward the front of the train and through the glass, Harry noticed that most of the Death Eaters were at the front of the train, making their way back, as the Order was boarding in the middle, trying to stop them. It figured that in this world, the Order still arrived before the Aurors.

Turning his back on the commotion, Harry instinctively stalked forward to the last compartment. From his point of view, he could see that the door was ajar and the sound of the voice drifting out of the door was a low, threatening drawl. Subtly underneath was the sound of quiet whimpers of fear.

As he stepped closer, the voice of the Death Eater became clearer and he began to make out his words.

"Silly mudblood, you actually think you stand a chance." Said the man's harsh voice, before muttering a quiet Expelliarmus.

The spell was accompanied by a surprised gasp.

"Don't cry girl, it won't hurt for long, I promise." said the man with a little laugh.

Hermione! Shouted harry's mind as he ran down the last few steps to the door and burst into the compartment.

With his arrival, the Death Eater spun around in surprise, the tip of his wand already glowing green. Fearing that the man might be able to finish the spell, Harry suddenly ducked to the floor and shot off a wandless stunner towards the man. When he saw that it didn't hit, he didn't waste anytime before rolling sideways and in front of Hermione before the man could react. She had fallen to the floor and was sitting on the ground between the benches.

Keeping an eye on the man, Harry saw that his wand had started to glow green once again. Knowing that if he moved aside, the spell would hit Hermione, Harry desperately cast a wandless Protego, pushing all his power into it.

Miraculously, Harry's spell pushed outwards towards the Death Eater and propelled him out of the compartment, where he hit the door of the adjacent compartment, shattering the glass before slumping down onto the ground, unconscious.

Shell shocked that his tactic worked, Harry sat still for a moment before getting up and brushing himself off. Turning around, he sheepishly rubbed his neck while holding a hand out for Hermione.

She looked exactly like his own Hermione did, if not a little more wary, but it didn't stop her from grabbing onto his hand, accepting his offer to help her up.

Harry was about to pull her up and give her some excuse before trying to escape unnoticed until he heard a voice behind him shout.

"Hold it right there boy!" and the last sight he saw was Hermione's shocked eyes before everything faded into darkness.


Harry slowly struggled to open his heavy eyelids sometime later, blearily flinching at the unforgiving bright white lights directly above him. With each blink of an eye, he became more accustomed to the glare, blurrily looking into the unfamiliar blank whiteness that surrounded him as he wondered absent mindedly why he had such a habit of blacking out in this world.

Pushing himself up from the softness underneath him, he guessed that he was on a bed somewhere after being stunned. Looking to the side, he saw the form of a flat surface and he reached toward it, groping around for his glasses.

"Nice to see you awake my boy." said a kind voice from a distance away.

Surprised by the presence of another person, Harry immediately drew his hand back, warily staring in the direction where the all too familiar voice was coming from. Even without his glasses, Harry could see the huge shapes of stars and moons on Professor Dumbledore's dark blue robes. Seeing the recognizable eccentricities in this Dumbledore, he almost convinced himself that the past three months had been nothing but a dream. Yet when the warm and wrinkled hand of his mentor placed his glasses gently into his palm and he slid them onto his face, he saw the kind but distant regard Dumbledore held in his eyes and he knew that he was nothing but a stranger to this man.

"You don't know me, do you." Said Harry, his voice full of despair, sad that this was not his Dumbledore.

"I'm afraid not." Said Dumbledore kindly, looking down at him, "Though you do bear a striking resemblance to a former student of mine."

"Er… I have no idea what you're talking about," said Harry, cringing inwardly, "must be some distant cousin twice removed or something of the sort." It wasn't that Harry didn't want to tell the headmaster, but he was still hurt that the headmaster had ignored him in the past year, causing him to slightly mistrust this one.

"That's odd, but no matter, I'm sure that student could pry himself from his duties for a couple of minutes and visit his old headmaster and get acquainted with you" he said as he made a move towards the fireplace in the infirmary.

"NO!" yelled Harry before he could stop himself.

"You have a reason to be so vehemently against his presence?" said Dumbledore, looking curiously down at Harry.

Harry mentally slapped himself on the head. What was it about this man that made him unable to control his thoughts? Looking up at the Headmaster with absolutely no idea of how to explain himself, the awkward silence between them lengthened. Clearing his throat nervously, he was about to attempt to tell his story for the third time in this world when he was interrupted by the sound of familiar clicking shoes on the floor of the hospital wing.

"What's the use of using the private wing if you can't keep your voices down?" said Madam Pomfrey as she entered the room. For the first time since waking up, Harry noticed that while the room looked deceptively like the normal hospital wing, there were subtle differences, such as the door that had vanished as soon as she closed it behind her.

"I could hear you all the way out there," she said, moving forward to check Harry's vitals.

The Headmaster just looked at her with an innocent sort of look on his face, smiling in contrast to her scowling.

"You said you wouldn't bother him." She said, shooting the Headmaster an unpleasant look.

"We were only having some polite conversation, right Mr…?"

"Nothing to be concerned about." agreed Harry, dodging the unmistakable question.

"Nothing to be concerned about indeed," she said, looking disapprovingly at the two, "the term has barely started and I've already had to use the private wing!" she said, throwing her hands up into the air. "Aren't you a little young to be involved in all this death eater business anyways?" she said, looking over Harry.

"Desperate times, Poppy, you of all should know that." said the Headmaster softly.

The nurse sighed, before casting one last diagnostic spell. "Looks like you are fit enough to be thrown back into the fire, just try and avoid getting anymore concussions while you're out there." She said, giving him a grim sort of smile.

When she left, he shot Dumbledore a confused look as if he could explain why this Madam Pomfrey was so different.

"That was the wonderful Madam Pomfrey, a most excellent nurse."

"She seemed…irritated." said Harry, trying to phrase it nicely at the very least.

"We live in stressful times my dear boy. Now with your clean bill of health, I'd like to ask you up to my office for a spot of tea." said Dumbledore, more of a command then a question.

Harry nodded miserably, cursing the turn of events his life had taken since he decided to go to the Department of Mysteries.

Upon reaching the man's office, having met no one on the way, Harry settled uneasily into a chair in front of the desk after Dumbledore invited him to sit. He didn't know how this Dumbledore would react to his story. Looking around, Harry wasn't surprised to see that everything looked pretty much similar to his own Headmaster's office, down to the sleeping Fawkes. The only thing that was missing seemed to be Gryffindor's sword.

Sitting down behind the desk that now seemed imposing, the Headmaster said, "First things first," as he reached into a drawer, "would you like a lemon drop?"

Hearing the familiar question, Harry smiled and felt some of his unease melt away as he gratefully accepted the comforting candy.

Pleased with Harry's choice, the Headmaster had one himself before bring the conversation to a start.

"I'm afraid that I must be blunt at this point, but if you could enlighten me to your identity, I'm sure this conversation would go much easier." said the man, leaning back in his chair in an nonthreatening manner.

"Erm…." Said Harry, not knowing how to start his story.

"You mustn't worry, for I know you were not attempting to harm Ms. Granger as my colleague from the train previously thought. If I'm not mistaken, Ms. Granger believes you valiantly came to her rescue." He said, his eyes twinkling at Harry.

Before the headmaster could say anymore, the door burst open, a frantic Sirius Black running in, panting hard, disrupting the sleeping Fawkes from his perch.

"Boy… attack… scar… where?" he managed to say between his breaths as he crouched with his hands on his knees, trying to regain his composure from the run up from the entrance.

"Why Sirius, what a pleasant surprise. Our meeting isn't until tonight, but nonetheless would you care for a cup of tea?"

Sirius straightened up and was about to tell the Headmaster what he thought of his tea when he looked forward and saw Harry staring sheepishly at him. Practically leaping forward, he pulled Harry out of his chair and into his arms, hugging him tightly.

"Do that again and I'll kill you myself." He said, mumbling into Harry's hair. Holding him tightly for a little longer, he remembered that they were still in the Headmaster's office and he hastily let go.

"I take it you are familiar with our mysterious guest." Said Dumbledore, feeling much more at ease.

"You could say that."

Harry, still reveling in the feeling of warmth he got from the concern felt for him, quickly asked, "How did you know I was here?"

"A certain headmaster was calling a meeting about a mysterious boy on the train."

"erm… sorry." Harry said, hanging his head in the shame of his rash actions.

"I'll have you know that me and Remus are very upset with you." Sirius said, watching Harry nearly flinch at the admonishment. "But at the very least, you saved somebody and we're very proud of you too." He finished, ruffling Harry's hair.

"Remus knows of the boy too?" said the Headmaster in quiet contemplation.

"Ya, he's sorta been living with us for the past couple of months." Said Sirius, finally releasing Harry and settling down into a comfy armchair.

Fawkes, who seemed to give Sirius a dirty look, gracefully flew over, landing on the arm of Harry's chair, trilling at him.

"I think an explanation is in order?" Dumbledore said, glancing between the two.

Harry looked over at Sirius, questioning with his eyes as he absentmindedly stroked Fawkes warm back.

"I think it's time we told the Headmaster about you Harry." Sirius said to Harry, missing the complete look of surprise on the Headmaster's face. "If anyone can help you, it'll be him."

Looking back up to the Headmaster, Sirius said, "is it alright if we get Remus in here? He can explain the technicalities and what nots much better than me."

With Dumbledore's acquiescence and a quick floo call later, Remus was dusting off his slacks and accepting a cup of tea before sitting down comfortably on the other side of Harry.

"Now that all the required party is here, I'd like to hear about young Harry here." said the headmaster with a deductive look in his eye."

"The truth is Professor, my name is Harry Potter and I'm from an alternate universe."

Looking at his two guardians for approval, Harry took a deep breath and started to tell his story again, starting with his trip through the veil to look for his godfather.

"When he went through the veil, I knew I could save him, so I followed, even though everyone was sure he had died."

"And you found yourself here."

Harry carefully recounted the events of his first trip to the ministry and how he had escaped, then telling the story of his research and the meeting with his father. But unlike with Sirius and Remus, Harry felt it was wise not to tell the headmaster about his 'Guardian Knight' persona. He knew that the headmaster would've disapproved and wanted to stay on his good side. Similar to the Marauders, he also didn't tell the headmaster about his animagus training.

Finishing his part of the story, he let Remus continue explaining and discussing theories about the veil and dimension traveling with Dumbledore.

"If Sirius and Remus have already tested you with Veritaserum, then I see no reason not to believe you. It seems my familiar has taken a liking to you as well." Said Dumbledore, smiling slightly."

"You once told me that only those who were loyal to you could call Fawkes to them." said Harry, looking at the bird in wonder.

"It is indeed that way, my dear boy, and who am I to trust the instincts of such a magnificent creature." he said as Fawkes flew back to his perch, trilling happily.

"Thank goodness you believe me," sighed Harry, slumping in his chair, "I don't know what I would do if you didn't."

"No worries Hary, I just have one more question. The scar on your forehead, how did you get it? I must assume that is where our universes diverged as you are alive, and our Harry is not."

"I was wondering the same thing Headmaster. In my world, Lily AND James Potter died at the attack on Godric's Hallow, as did Voldemort, at least for thirteen years."

"Voldemort was defeated in your world?" the headmaster said curiously.

"Only temporarily. His killing curse reflected off of me and hit him."

"You survived the killing curse? How did that happen?"

"Sir, your counterpart told me it was my mother's love. But why didn't my father die in this world as well?"

"Perhaps we will never know what caused James Potter to be vacant from his home in this particular world. I would suggest you not dwell on it too long, for that kind of thinking could drive a man mad."

"You're right headmaster." said Remus, laying his hand on Harry's shoulder. "You should worry about getting back Harry."

"Well I'm definitely not leaving until I find Sirius." said Harry.

"I'll look into a way to get you back and see if I can locate your Sirius." said Dumbledore.

"Thank you." Said Harry, gratefully looking up at his mentor.

"In the meantime, what year of schooling did you say you were in Harry?"

"Oh no you don't Dumbledore, we can't have the basic reincarnation of James running around the school. He'd be a target for the death eaters instantly!" said Sirius, angrily defiant.

"You want me to go to school?" said Harry incredulously.

"I don't believe you should be behind your classmates when you finally return to our world should you?"

"But headmaster, the matter of his appearance…" said Remus worriedly.

"Nothing a quick glamour charm couldn't change."

"I… this doesn't have anything to do with the prophecy does it?" said Harry, looking at the headmaster in mistrust.

"You know of the prophecy?" said Dumbledore, more surprised than Harry had ever seen him.

"I know of it. I don't know what it says though. Something tells me you do." He said, narrowing his eyes at the man.

"Harry! You don't speak to the headmaster like that!" chided Remus softly.

"It's alright Remus. I think Harry deserves to know that prophecy that has plagued his life. If I know myself well enough, your own headmaster would have told you after the events in the Department of Mysteries."

The headmaster then turned to his cabinet and pulled out a very familiar pensieve. Putting his wand to his temple for a few moments, he concentrated and pulled the silvery thread out, dropping it into the basin.

"Go ahead Harry." He then said, pushing the bowl over to the boy.

Looking uneasily at Sirius and Remus for a second, he shuffled forward alone and was soon immersed in the memory. After a few moments, he backed away from the basin with a gasp, looking at it with grim determination.

"That's why he killed my parents, isn't it." Harry said darkly.

"It was a sad realization when I realized of whom it spoke." said Dumbledore sedately.

"Professor Dumbledore, what does the prophecy say?" said Remus softly, looking stricken.

"It is not my right to tell. You'll have to ask Harry."

Harry looked up, nodding at Dumbledore, giving him permission.

"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches...Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies...and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not.." Started Dumbledore, pausing before the climax.

"and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives...." finished Harry as the same time as Dumbledore.

"Well that…" started Remus, not knowing quite what to say.

"sucks." finished Sirius, looking between Harry and Dumbledore. "Wait… didn't that apply to the Longbottoms too?"

"It did indeed. But when Voldemort chose to attack to Potters in Harry's world, Harry here was obviously marked." said Dumbledore as Harry sat contemplatively, subconsciously rubbing his scar.

"Wasn't that prophecy told in this world? Does that mean that Neville is going to be marked at one point in his life?" said Remus.

"That I do not know." said Dumbledore.

"You knew!" shout Sirius suddenly, "you knew about this and you didn't even tell them! That's why you had them go under the secrecy charm!"

"I'll admit that I wanted to protect them from this horrific future."

"You painted a target on them! Dumbledore personally protecting the Potters? Even if Voldemort didn't know about the prophecy, he would have hunted them down and killed them just to spite you!" spat Sirius angrily.

"But if he knew of it, than Professor Dumbledore did all he could to protect them." Said Remus, trying to calm Sirius down.

"Even I don't know if Voldemort knows of the prophecy Sirius, and if he doesn't, I intend to keep it that way."

Sirius' anger seemed to deflate as they sat in silence for awhile, all contemplating the events that had unfolded and how it would affect them all, how it would affect young Neville's life, before the silence was broken.

"I'll go to school." said Harry suddenly and decisively.

"What?" said Sirius, "it's not safe for you here."

"Someone once told me that Hogwarts was the safest place I could be." said Harry with a wane grin. "Besides, I'm going to need all the help I can get if I'm supposed to kill the bastard."

"Let's say you get a glamour and you look different, there's still the question, who are you?" said Sirius.

"I believe you could be of help there Mr. Black."

"What? I don't understand."

"You've been secluded in your house, say fifteen years? Who is to know if you had a son in that time or not?"

"An illegitimate love child? I like the idea of that." said Sirius winking at Harry, his anger from before completely dissipating.

"What about a mother, birth records, the such?" said Remus.

"His mother must be an unnamed muggle, thus having muggle records, which is easy enough to counterfeit. Then Sirius stole him away and kept him locked up at home, home schooling him."

"A half-blood illegitimate love child? This is getting better and better. Oh how my parents must be rolling in their graves." Grinned Sirius.

"Then its all set. All we need is a new name Harry."

"I've always been partial to the name Will." said Harry.

"How delightfully muggle!" said Sirius, getting more excited. "and your middle name could be Liam."

"Sirius, come on… Will Liam? It's almost like a bad pun." Said Remus, chuckling at his old friend. "How about Hugh instead?"

"Will Hugh Black. I like it." said Harry with a smile.

"Now all we need is the glamour." Said Dumbledore, smiling at the trio. "Please stand Harry. Now what to change? You are definitely going to need higher cheek bones and Sirius' gray eyes."

"Not to mention fixing the dreaded Potter hair." Said Sirius with a smile, ruffling Harry's hair.

Deciding on the changes, Dumbledore immediately cast the spell and conjured a mirror for Harry to see the differences. Looking into the mirror, Harry saw that around all the subtle differences in his face, making him look more like Sirius, he looked basically the same. Only he wasn't a Potter clone anymore.

"I think you ought to sharpen the bridge of his nose a bit," said Remus, "because now he looks like James and Sirius the one time they accidentally fused together in that potions accident."

Harry laughed looking at Sirius for an explanation while Dumbledore privately remembered the incident fondly.

"We were trying to make a potion that made people stick together for a prank and Peter dropped in the whole jar of dragonfly wings. Ugh… I was closer to James then I ever wanted to be." said Sirius is disgust as Harry and Remus laughed.

After making a few more adjustments, Sirius proclaimed him perfect.

"Will." said Remus suddenly, behind Harry who didn't acknowledge it. "Harry." He sighed, finally getting his attention, "you've got to learn to respond to your new name."

"If I call you Willy will you respond better?" said Sirius with a grin.

"Stop spoiling my name for me." Said Harry with a playful punch.

Sirius was about to playfully fight back when a knock at the door interrupted them.

"Come in Minerva." Said Dumbledore omnisciently as the trio wondered how he did that.

"Headmaster," she said as she stepped in, "the students are waiting for you to arrive for the sorting."

"How irresponsible of me, in all the excitement I forgot all about it. Nevertheless, Minerva, I'd like you to meet Will Black who will be transferring to our school today."

"Black?" said McGonagall, staring suspiciously at Sirius.

"Yes Black, he's going to need to be sorted today as well."

"Very well Headmaster, I will go add him to the list." She said, turning around and leaving.

"I have to join everyone today?" said Harry incredulously as he heard the gargoyle's entrance close.

"Sooner is better than later I'm afraid." Said the Headmaster, his eyes twinkling furiously.

"Sometimes I hate you." Said Harry, scowling at the man.

"Hate is a strong feeling my boy."