Title: Perspectives of a Diverging Path--Book 2
Author: nilereina
Pairing(s): undecided
Rating: T
Summary: In a war of Dark versus Light, a prophecy calls for a savior. In the eyes of the magical world one child carries their burdens. But what most do not know, and possibly only a select few who do, this child holds a secret that could change everything. After all, the prophecy did say 'a power he knows not.' Then again, will this unknown power work for them or against them?
Warnings/Disclaimers: HP characters and world belong to J.K. Rowling….Ember belongs to me….Situations of: (includes or may include) violence, character deaths…cannon pairings as in the books (only the adults for now but may change later)…Spoilers of Books 1-7…AU setting
Author Notes: I'm taking the same curve as those out there where Harry has a sibling as a savior, but in this story his twin is actually the savior and young Harry is something completely different that only his twin knows…the Potters are also involved, though not in the normal sense as other stories…I wanted a story where Harry truly isn't the Boy-who-lived and not abused/hated in any way with his family, although his family don't always understand what he does, especially as Harry will follow the line of being in Slytherin and his twin in Gryffindor
Author Notes2: Although the setting is AU, there are times where Harry will have the same abilities (such as Parseltongue)…there will be other times he seems powerful, but only because of the situation he is in and nothing more (it will be explained throughout the story)…This will follow all seven books, though many events and possibly people will be changed or dropped to fit my storyline
Key Code:
Blah—yelling/screaming, Parseltongue
Blah—thoughts, emphasis
/Blah/-- Flashbacks, possible voices in Harry's head
'Blah'—Mental conversations with the Sorting Hat
Blah--titles, print
Chapter One
Ember squealed in delight as the summer months were coming to an end when an owl fluttered to a stop, two letters clamped tightly in its beak. Eagerly, she snatched them, tossing one aside on the kitchen table while ripping open hers, "The new year list!"
Laughter caused her to flush as she had momentarily forgotten about staying over at the Weasleys' for the end of the summer holiday as behest of Ron, with permission from their parents as well, even Hermione was allowed to stay over. She blushed even more when Hermione asked, "Excited, Ember?"
She laughed along with them, the excitement evident in her voice, "Of course, Hermione! Don't you love being at Hogwarts? I do!" But then she remember what happened her first year, frowning as she murmured, "well, without the whole life threatening thing."
"Yes, yes, that was dreadful. But the Ministry swears things will be much safer this year, isn't that right, Arthur?" Molly's stressed voice caused her husband to frantically nod, lifting away her worried nerves, at least for the moment until something happened, which she knew eventually will, with the twins. For now, she turned a bright warm smile to the excited students, "Well, how about a trip to Diagon Alley? We can get your supplies today."
Ember squealed again, "Yes! But we must invite Harry." Unlike her, Harry hadn't stayed at the red haired family's house. He had remained home or at one of his Housemate's place for the summer holiday, though he joined his twin when the Weasleys' celebrated the twins' birthday with the Potters, and a few other friends.
Molly nodded, "Of course, dear. Go floo your family, see if they'll join us."
And she bounced off with a smile to do just that.
Curious, Ron reached for the extra letter that his friend had tossed aside for hers. He grew very confused when he read Potter's name, "Why'd they send Potter's? The snake's not…" Smack! "Ow! Mum!"
"Ronald Weasley, what have I told you about manners? The poor owl probably didn't have time to deliver it yet when Ember got hers. Besides, it won't hurt you to have young Harry join us today."
Ron hissed under his breath, "Sure it would, that slimy snake."
Molly glared heatedly at her youngest boy, "What was that, young man?"
He gulped, shakily saying, "N-nothing, Mum."
"Exactly."
"Thank you, Molly." The red haired witch turned a bright smile to the arriving Potters as Lily graciously offered their thanks. "We were wondering where the post owl was with Harry's letter."
"Oh, it's no trouble, Lily." Molly quickly gathered her brood, bustling them towards the fireplace, causing her only daughter, Ginny, to suddenly blush as the poor girl was shoved against a silently waiting Harry Potter, "All right, who's first?"
The Weasley twins immediately began their battle with the floo powder. One twin yanked on the bucket of floo calling out, "Me!"
His brother yelled, "No, me, Mum!"
"No, George, me!" Fred, or they assumed it was Fred as he called the other George, grabbed a handful of powder, ready to toss it in when his twin shoved him back.
"No, Fred!"
Molly cried out in anger, trying to stop the fight before anything could go wrong, "Fred, George! Stop that right now!"
But it was all in vain.
Molly and Arthur tried to split their fighting twins apart when it happened. Floo powder flew about, quite a bit landed in the fireplace as the twins stumbled apart, one accidentally bumping into a startled Remus, who ended up losing his balance and pushing Harry, who had grabbed onto his Godfather to balance them both, instead they both fell into the fireplace, disappearing into the flaring flames of floo traveling.
"Harry!"
"Remus!"
"Uh…"
"Oh…"
"Uh oh is right, gentlemen." The prankster twins turned at the growl to find a very furious Lily and Ember Potter, a glaring Molly Weasley, and retreating families. All the twins could think was, they had no idea where the two men disappeared to as neither knew exactly what was yelled as a destination.
"They best be unharmed, especially Harry."
**Other side of the floo travel**
Two bodies tumbled free from the confided space, the larger collapsing on top of the smaller figure, both coughing harshly from ashes in the back of their throats. "H-Harry?" Remus immediately shoved to his feet, eyes blinking rapidly to clear his blurry sight.
A soft voice answered his concern, "I'm fine."
Amber eyes peered about the dim dusty shop, nose wrinkling at the smell of aging items, as he pulled his cub to his feet. Remus immediately recognized the questionable items, especially as there was only one place to get such things, "Knockturn Alley."
Harry glanced about in concealed interest, dusting off from their impromptu departure. Sometime soon he would wish to return, just to see what was offered in such a place. Until then he would content himself with the whispers about to enter the shop, "Malfoy."
"Huh?" Remus blinked at the confidently spoken word, only to be interrupted by a door chime.
"Ah, Mr. Malfoy, to what do I owe this pleasure?" Remus' eyes widen at the sight of the imposing figure of one Lucius Malfoy, going wider when a slightly smaller blonde copy stepped inside, wearing a very familiar sneer.
"Yes, I've come for business, Burkes, unless you no longer have such deals."
"No, no, that's quite all right."
Lucius' smirk grew, "Good." He carelessly dropped items he no longer wished to have on his person onto the dusty glass counter.
Remus inhaled sharply when Harry suddenly moved from his side to Malfoy, snatching up a leather bound journal that Mr. Burkes was about to pick up, "Interesting." He even dared to flip through the blank pages.
Steely gray eyes glared at the daring actions of the familiar green eyed boy at least until a low warning growl changed the direction of his attention. He glanced towards the shadows of the shop to find amber eyes flashing in the dim light. Carefully, he shifted more in front of his son, not wanting Draco to be seen as a threat to the werewolf with its cub nearby. And that cub had to be the boy, this he understood when green eyes glanced back at the shadows then blankly looked over his shoulder, where his instincts to survive were blaring with warning as if someone was ready to attack from behind.
Then Harry blinked.
He absently handed over the journal to Lucius while Remus quickly joined his side. "She wouldn't appreciate this." Then he turned from the quietly stunned older wizard to a concerned werewolf, "I'm done."
Remus knew better than to listen to those two little words. He just knew that Harry was very curious of the world they landed in, called Knockturn Alley, but he was just as happy to carefully lead the young man back to their family.
As they walked by, Remus tipped his head slightly towards the Malfoys, only being polite considering he was trying to tighten his bonds with his godson and what better way to regain what little trust was lost by accepting the boy's choice of contacts.
Lucius repeated the gesture as steely gray eyes watched the retreating backs, one gloved hand tightly holding onto the journal, mind racing with what he saw, before turning a demanding tone to his son, "Draco."
The smaller blonde Malfoy bowed his head as he confirmed what he suspected his father desired to know, "Yes, Sir. That is a typical Potter. As far as we can tell, he's the only one to have become different from the bloodline. We've all had similar reactions."
"Stay close."
Draco nodded, murmuring, "Of course, Father." He knew an order when he heard one. And with father having met the strange Potter boy, perhaps he knows what Harry is.
***Borgin and Burkes***
"Harry! Oh, thank Merlin, you are okay!" Lily hugged her son tightly, oblivious to his tensing muscles.
"You really okay, Harry?"
Harry nodded his answer to Ember as their mother deemed him safe enough to let go while Remus explained they only appeared in another part of the Alley until they were interrupted by the dreamy sighs of longing from every female in the book store at the entrance of what men would grudgingly and enviously call a blonde pretty boy. Every female that knew who this wizard was scrambled into line, pushing and shoving to be the first one, arms loaded with books they hoped to have signed, according to the huge sign hanging behind the brightly smiling pompous looking wizard.
Harry softly sighed, already bored. He quietly slipped away, not wanting to hear anything about this wizard from a dreamy mother and sister while the men in their lives glared heatedly and plotted to ruin pretty boy's flawless looks.
"Bored, Harry?"
Emerald eyes turned from the numerous book titles to find a smirking Draco Malfoy tearing pages from certain books as he glanced down at the lines of females. "Hello, Draco." He followed the suddenly narrowed gaze to find his sister blushing a bright red as she was pulled forth by a very excited Gilderoy Lockhart, the pretty boy wizard of every witches' dream.
"This isn't just a wonderful day for Miss Potter, hoping to get a signed book by yours truly, Gilderoy Lockhart. This is a very exciting day for her as Miss Potter will be receiving my entire collection of my autobiographies of adventures. And this will also be the perfect moment to report that she will not only be getting the signed copies but me, Gilderoy Lockhart, as her new Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor!" Cheers erupted from his announcement as everyone rushed forward in hopes of getting their own signed copies like the savior, who was pulled away by a glaring father.
Ember's blushing happiness came crashing down, as she and her friends maneuvered their way to the front of the book store, when a smug tone bit out, "Bet you loved that, didn't you, Potter? Always need to be the center of attention."
She immediately tensed up and tried to fight back when another voice jumped in through a tight lipped growl, "Shut up, Malfoy!"
Everyone, even Draco, had to stare at the usually shy and closed mouthed Ginny Weasley, who, at the moment, was blushing with embarrassment. She turned redder when her eyes fell on who was behind a slowly simmering angry Slytherin, "Harry," her voice fell low and whispery as she fidgeted.
Draco's eyes lit up with even more malicious ways to play his favorite game, ruin the Weasleys and those by association. But someone else was playing now when a familiar cane suddenly slammed down on his left shoulder, though to others it looked like a gentle tap, fighting to keep the pain from being obvious. "Now, now, Draco, play nice."
Lucius turned from his son to the glaring group before him. He recognized each child of his rivals, especially the small redheaded girl that mouthed off to his son, disrespecting the Malfoys. Sneering, he reached out for her tattered books, "shopping, I see. Tattered second hand books, hand-me-down robes, red hair can only mean Weasley. I'm surprised you even came out."
"Malfoy."
Lucius looked out the corner of his eyes as he implanted his plan, returning the girl's books to her cauldron, "Arthur Weasley. Paying overtime I hope?"
"Malfoy!"
He chuckled as two others appeared behind the tight lipped red headed older wizard, "Potter, Black." He then snubbed them all for someone better, at least in his eyes, "Good day, Harry. It was a pleasure to meet you. Come, Draco."
Draco gave a sneer of his own, not realizing how proud his father was becoming to find his son more like his father every day, "Potter, Weasley, see you at school." But he dropped for a neutral look for his fellow Housemate, "Harry."
As the two Malfoy men walked away, they heard the cries of disgust from Harry's family, "Harry! When did you meet Lucius Malfoy? You know you're not supposed to meet people like him."
"And what did he mean it was a pleasure to meet you?"
"James! Sirius! Leave Harry alone!"
Harry simply frowned as he faced his parents, "I was polite as I was taught, especially to those I call friends." That left many stunned as they tried to counter his point but couldn't without causing trouble or panic around them.
