What If? By Spunky
Summary: What would have happened if Hagrid had given Harry to Sirius that fateful Halloween night? Misunderstandings, pranks and a very mad Hermione.
Disclaimer: If Harry Potter was mine, would I be writing Fanfiction? None of this belongs to me so everyone else can battle it out arguing that it's theirs. Let me know who wins.
Author's Note: Let it be known that the characters in this story are alternate universe characters. They will behave differently then they do in the books because they have lived their lives differently. However if they act differently, reasons will be give for their change in behavior. They are not Out of Character (OOC) in this story because the situation is different. I have done my best to make the behavior changes realistic. Everything up to when the Potters are killed is the same as is described in the books.
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There has been a lot of muttering from you love-er-ly (sorry, I'm listening to My Fair Lady) reviewers about two things. The name Chad, and Harry's personality.
First of all, I didn't pick the name Chad, I simply asked reviewers to give me a name a few (8) months back and that was the first one suggested. It's a little too late to change it since the name is now embedded in my brain and no other name seems to fit. I do understand that it's not a British name. If you want, make up your own name and enter it where you see 'Chad' but I'm not changing it now.
Secondly, I completely understand everyone's concern about 'Chad's' personality. I can see where you're coming from. Just remember that he's only acting like he is because he's upset. As though you haven't thrown a fit when something you were wishing for desperately didn't happen. I know I have. I'm sure everyone has. I started the story just as this happens to Harry so this isn't his true personality, just a small part. Remember also, he's been raised differently. Later on in the story you will see a change in his personality that is much more like the Harry we know so let me get there.
I solemnly swear I am up to no good!
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Ron, Fred and George had been wandering through London trying to get to Diagon Alley (If they entered the Wizarding way their parents would surely find out) when they heard an alarm sound.
"What's that?" Asked Fred. "Some sort of Muggle thing?"
"Let's find out." Replied George.
The three hurried over toward the sound, which was coming from a nearby alley. The twins took one look at the wizard who was casting every evil spell imaginable and shouted "Stupify!". The wizard collapsed and all the three of them could do was stare at him.
"That was bloody brilliant!" Ron exclaimed.
Just then a boy jumped down in front of them, startling them all. "Thanks for the help." He said. He hurried over to the stunned man, picked up the wands and cast several immobilizing charms. "We had better get out of here. The Muggle firefighters will be coming soon."
"The what?" Asked Fred.
"Just come on!" The four boys hurried down the street, away from the alarm and the stunned wizard just as several red trucks pulled up in front of the building.
Three blocks later the boys stopped running and began to wander. They were in a small park filled with children and their parents.
"What was that?" Asked Fred again.
"Muggle firefighters." Explained the boy. "If there's a fire you pull down one of those red boxes and they come and put out the fire."
"Why don't they just get water?" Asked Ron.
"They do, just not the way you're used to. Those trucks are like......Giant wands, that only cast spells for putting out fires."
"But why don't they just-"
"I don't know. That's how the Muggles work." It seemed that suddenly the boy realized he was talking to complete strangers. "What are your names?"
"I'm George Weasley," said George. "That's my brothers, Ron and my twin's Fred. Who are you?"
The boy shrugged.
"Well, how old are you?"
"Eleven."
"Shouldn't you be going to Hogwarts?" Asked Ron.
"I should be, but" the boy sighed. "I'm not. I never got my letter."
Ron gaped. "You never got your letter?!?! The Magic you were doing in the alley back there was really hard! Were you taught at home?"
The boy nodded, "A friend of my Dad's taught me. Do you go to Hogwarts? Last time I heard they didn't have trips to London."
"No," Fred leaned over conspiratorially. "We snuck out."
The boy looked horrified. "You snuck out?!?!"
George rose his eyebrows, "Of course, if that's a problem with you, we can sneak right back in."
"Why would you want to leave Hogwarts?!?! I'm trying hard enough to get in!"
"Hey, we're just trying to figure out what's going on."
"What do you mean?"
"Haven't you heard? They found Harry Potter! He was living as a Muggle under the name Chad Granger. It's really strange because we think one of our classmates, Hermione Granger, is related to him but no one would tell us anything!"
The boy looked dumbfounded. "You snuck out of school just to find Harry Potter?"
Fred shrugged, "To find out about him any ways. No one will tell us anything!"
"What do you want to know?" The boy asked.
"Why? Do you think you can answer?"
"I might."
"All right," Fred decided to test the boy's merit. "Is Harry Potter, also known as Chad Granger, related to Hermione Granger?"
"Yes, he's her brother."
"Is it true that Sirius Black is an Anamagi and can turn into a black dog?"
"Yes, except he's got a small white spot on his back left paw."
"How do I know you're not making this up?"
"You don't. Can we talk about something else?"
"Like what?"
"Quidditch?"
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Mundungus Fletcher scuffled through the halls of St. Mary's Hospital. He was hidden beneath an invisibility cloak borrowed from Dumbledore so he had to be careful not to let anyone run into him. Mundungus had been the 'lucky' person assigned to search the hospitals for the missing Harry Potter. It was his fourth hospital and Mundungus was certain that by the time he was finished with his task he would have contracted every communicable disease known to man and would have to endure a sunny week in the Hogwarts hospital wing with Madam Pomfrey.
"Get him into room B-43 and get a respirator on him stat."
"Who is it?"
"We don't know. He was found in an alley where a false fire alarm was pulled."
Three doctors were wheeling a man down the halls. It most certainly wasn't Harry, but there was an air of familiarity about the man so Mundungus followed the doctors into room B-43.
"I've never seen anything like it." One of the doctors commented as he examined the patient. "He's breathing by himself yet he's not moving an inch. The only thing I can find wrong with him is that he can't move. His pulse is normal; His eyes are moving fine; He's just stiff as a board. It's almost like....Magic."
Mundungus tried to get closer so he could see the man, but the doctors blocked his way.
"I'd like to consult Dr. Fordin about this. I don't think the patient is going anywhere so if everyone could clear out..."
A few moments later the room was empty of all except the man and Mundungus. Mundungus hurried over to the man to get a good look. The man had aged, yet Mundungus would have recognized the man anywhere.
It was Peter Pettigrew.
Mundungus took out the portkey that Dumbledore had given and, with a firm grasp on Pettigrew, activated it. They landed in the Headmaster's office where Professor Dumbledore was seated at his desk talking to Sirius Black.
"Mundungus, what a suprise." said the Headmaster pleasantly. He indicated to Pettigrew. "Who is that?"
Mundungus approached Sirius, "Just what did you teach that kid of yours, Sirius?!?!"
"What do you mean?" Sirius asked.
"Magic. How much magic did you teach Harry?"
"Just a few spells-"
"A FEW?!?!"
"Okay, more than a few." Sirius shrugged his shoulders. "He was always wanting to learn more spells for pranks and I didn't see any point in telling him no. Why do you ask?"
"Do you see that man over there?" Mundungus indicated to Pettigrew. "That is Peter Pettigrew."
"Pettigrew?!?!" Exclaimed Dumbledore. At the same time Sirius growled, "That murdering traitor!"
"I found him in a hospital." Mundungus continued. "He is stunned, including some complicated guarding charms to prevent him from breaking the stunner's spell."
"Who-"
"I'm fairly sure this is Harry's doing and if this is ANY indication of Harry's magical abilities then he is already at a fourth or fifth year level in his magical schooling."
After staring, stunned, at Sirius for a moment Dumbledore held his hand out for Sirius to shake. Dazed, Sirius took it.
"Congratulations Sirius, you have just been hired to teach at Hogwarts. We need a new Defense teacher."
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Harry was enjoying his time with the three Weasley boys. It was the first time he had ever talked to any Wizards his age and he was finding out that, despite Sirius's elaborate descriptions, he didn't know nearly as much about the Wizarding world as he thought he did.
Sirius was great but he was... Well, he was Sirius. Despite the fact that he acted like a kid a lot of the time, Sirius was still an adult. He did, on occasion, tell Harry off for doing something he shouldn't have. (Although, whenever this happened Harry would point out that Sirius did the exact same thing when he was in school and Harry had gotten the idea from Sirius.)
Any ways, it was great to have someone to talk to about the Wizarding world besides Sirius. So far they had talked about Quidditch, Hogwarts, the Weasley's family (mainly Percy the Perfect) and pranks. At the moment, Harry was giving the Weasleys another class in Muggle 101.
"No, it's not a pheletone, it's a telephone."
"And how do you use it again?" Asked Ron for the umpteenth time.
"You just dial the number and talk into it."
"But how can the person hear you?"
"I give up!" Harry exclaimed. "Let's talk about something else."
After a brief silence George spoke up. "I've got a question for you. Who was that man in the alley back there? You know, the one who was trying to kill you?"
"No one important." Harry waved off the question. It had been horrible leaving Pettigrew in the alley, but it was either that or getting brought to the police station for pulling a false fire alarm, having to explain why he was carrying around a stick (his wand), and getting separated from Pettigrew any ways when he was sent to the hospital for not being able to move. So Pettigrew, Harry's only proof of Sirius's innocents, stayed in the alley.
"Don't give me that." George shook his head. "That man was trying to kill you! Who was it?"
Harry sighed, He really didn't want to go into this right now. "An old family friend, turned foe. He betrayed my parents and they died because of it."
"Oh, sorry."
Harry thought that was the end of the conversation. He was wrong.
"What was his name?" Asked Fred.
"Excuse me?"
"The man, who betrayed your parents. What was his name?"
Harry saw where this was leading.
"Peter Pettigrew. Why?"
"Peter Pettigrew?" asked Fred. "Didn't he betray the Potters to You-Know-Who?"
At this Harry stared.
"Everyone knows that." George replied.
'Everyone?' Harry asked himself.
"Did he betray someone else also?" That was Ron.
"I haven't heard of anyone. Have you?" George appealed to Fred.
"Nope." Said Fred. "Must be top secret."
Harry cut in. "Hold it, Fred. Repeat that."
"What?" Asked Fred. "'Must be top secret'?"
"No, before that."
"Oh, that everyone knows that Pettigrew betrayed the Potters to You-Know-Who?"
"Yeah, that." Harry had heard right. What this might mean to Sirius and him; Harry couldn't even begin to think.
"You didn't know that?"
Harry shook his head. "No, I didn't."
"You're really out of the loop, aren't you?" A thought then struck Fred. His eyes lit up and Harry could almost see a light bulb flicker on and the wheels begin to grind. "What's your name again?"
Harry ignored the question. "I thought that almost no one knew about that. How did everyone fine out?"
Fred grinned, "I'll tell you. IF you tell us your name."
Harry groaned inwardly. Sirius had explained exactly what had happened that Halloween when Harry was a baby. He had also given Harry a pretty good idea as to what would happen if he told a wizard or witch his name. Harry didn't like the idea, but now was as good a time to find out if Sirius was right as any time.
"I'm Harry. Harry Potter." Three pairs of stunned eyes bore into Harry. Harry sighed. Sirius had been right.
Unfortunately.
"You're Harry Potter?!?!"
"THE Harry Potter?!?!"
"The Harry Potter that has the Ministry running all over the country?!?!"
Once again, Harry sighed. This was going to take a while.
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*****Well, that's it for this post. Not as good as my other chapters but at least you've got something. Also, no big cliffie's (In case you haven't noticed, I like cliffies, more scope for my imagination). I haven't started my next chapter yet so if you have some ideas please e-mail me I need them (You can also e-mail me even if you don't have ideas. HINT, HINT!) I don't have much planned for the next chapter so it should be a little while before the next chapter is posted. I'm not sure how long but it won't be too long (a week, maybe a little more).
Read, Review and Solemnly Swear You Are Up To No Good!
(Thanks to everyone who reviews!)