My attempt of a Harry Potter fanfic. This idea has been swimming in my
mind for quite a while. We all know Hagrid pulls Harry out of the flames
after Voldemort attacks. But what if he had gotten there too late? What
if someone else pulls him from the wreckage? Someone who sets on using him
for their own schemes...
Disclaimer- I don't own Harry potter or any characters mentioned within SS/PS CoS PoA or GoF. I'm merely borrowing them for use in my personal plot. Keyword: borrowing. As in will return. Unless otherwise noted, all characters are copyrighted by JKR. I guess this could be considered AU.
To the reviewers:
Kinyo: Twice in under a week. A new record for me.
CircleSoft: Yes, Harry is different, but whether he will be evil or Slytherin is still up in the air.
Tigress: The upbringing is everything in my opinion.
RaistlinofMetallica: I haven't decided which house I want Harry in yet, but when I do decide, there will be a good reason in the fic for him to be there.
Aciendio: You'll see in the next chapter.
Kaelli Karali: I tried to make Wormtail as in character as possible, but I had to change it a little for this fic to work. Hope it doesn't take too much away from the story.
Spiffy-girl03: Here's another installment of the fic. Hope to get the next part shortly.
Kathleen: Perhaps I've been reading too many fics. This is just the way I think Harry SHOULD be. Instead of the constant Harry gets beaten by relatives, Harry cries at every little thing, Harry passes out at every whim, Harry in chronic depression etc. You get the point =)
Frodo Girl: Thanks. I'm glad you like it.
Jeice: Originality was top priority when I tried to think of a plot for this story.
Faith in a Boy
Chapter 5- Diagon Alley
"Is this your idea of a joke?" Lily Potter demanded crossly when the three of them stopped in front of an old run down building that bore the sign Leaky Cauldron. 'James' was currently taking her to see the so-called wizarding world but the first glances weren't very appealing. Harry shifted in her arms where she was carrying him and looked around.
"Don't let the outside of this place fool you." Peter said simply. "The other side is a spectacle to behold." Lily doubted his words but followed him anyway. "I had to borrow this from a friend of mine." Peter lied holding up his own wand. "It grants us access to the world of magic."
The trio entered the building and Lily grimaced at the inner appearance. It was even worse than the outside if such a thing were possible. A gentle breeze could probably knock over the entire building. Peter led them towards the back corner and waved the pointed the stick at the wall. To her surprise, he passed right through what appeared to be solid brick. Before she could scream out in surprise, a hand shot out of the wall and pulled her through as well.
"Remember your promise!" Peter hissed as the three of them finally made it through the barrier. Lily's eyes widened but she nodded and pretended to not notice the strange things around her. How could anything like this exist and not be known?
"Can I get you folks anything?" Tom the bartender asked the few new faces that came through from muggle London. Peter shook his head and quickly pulled Lily outside.
"You were right! This is a spectacle to behold..." Lily said after staring at the bustling crowd for a few minutes. No amount of thinking prepared her for the sight of Diagon Alley. It was like stepping through a gate and into another world. In many ways that's exactly what she did.
Lily would have stared at the various wizards and witches bustling around the streets clad in full wizardry apparel much longer, but a sharp voice cut her out of her stupor. "You can't act like a muggle!" Peter said under his breath before tugging her along. "It's bad enough we're not dressed like everyone else." She nodded but continued to cast furtive glances at her new surroundings.
Suddenly, she gasped as a group of wizards suddenly appear in front of her with a pop. They continued to their destination as if it were perfectly normal to appear out of thin air. She glanced down at Harry whose eyes were lit up in excitement. Thinking back to the day she was first introduced to magic, she wondered if that had been what Harry had done to get them both out of the store.
"I think it's called apparation." Peter explained trying to sound like he was guessing. He gave her a thoughtful look and scratched his head. "It's supposedly the easiest way to get around. I think I see why."
"So any wizard can just disappear and reappear wherever they want to?" Lily exclaimed. "This is incredible! They have no need for transportation! Just to think if London had no air pollution and congestion..."
She was cut off when Peter quickly put a hand over her mouth and dragged her to a less crowded place. "You can't say things like that!" He exclaimed once they were out of earshot from the rest of Diagon Alley. "They would figure out that we aren't one of them!"
"What is so important that our identity has to be kept a secret?" Lily demanded as soon as he was finished. Peter had already considered her question before they came here and gave her his planned response.
"Because wizards hate us non-magical people! You saw how they enjoy torturing and killing the muggles last time. What if they decide to do that to us? Then what?" Lily opened her mouth to protest but Peter cut her off. "Or worse yet, what if they torture and kill Harry?"
Lily's mouth clamped shut as she realized the seriousness of what he was claiming. Harry shifted in her arms and looked up at her with those ethereal emerald eyes that filled her very being with determination. "You're right James. They can torture me all they want, but I'll never allow them to hurt Harry."
Peter smirked inwardly at the small victory. The road to explaining what he needed to was paving itself and he liked where it was going. Now all he had to do was convince her to let Harry be trained under the pretense that it would protect him from harm.
"Wizards and witches are notorious for persecuting those that aren't like them. The only reason the people you saw were killed was because they were different." Peter took a breath while thinking how to phrase the next part. "Harry will be a target when he gets older."
"What! Why?"
"Because he is too powerful." Peter said simply. He almost laughed at the irony of his statement but held it in. His mirth disappeared when Lily looked at him with her aquamarine eyes blazing. For a moment, he was afraid she would actually hex him.
For a long time she was silent, but when she spoke, her voice was harder than steel. "We have to do something. I won't let Harry be persecuted when he grows up!"
Peter looked down to the boy in question. "I think I have the solution. Since I know a lot about wizardry in general, I'll teach him how to defend himself. When he gets a little older, I'll teach him everything I can."
"But what will that do? You don't know any spells!"
"There are thousands of books on spells and curses. All I need are some of them to teach Harry the basics. I think he's smart enough to figure out the rest of it."
Lily nodded and hugged Harry closer to her. She didn't know what she would do if Harry were ever subjugated to being tortured and hated not being able to do anything about it. She hated feeling helpless, but there was a little hope that James could teach Harry.
"Do you still want to sightsee? Or should we go home?"
"I don't want to see this hideous place ever again!" She snapped. "But what about those books we need?"
"I'll go get them. It'll be a needless risk if we all went. After I take you two back to London, I'll come back and pick them up." Lily nodded at his reasoning and didn't say another word as they walked back to the Leaky Cauldron. The scowl on her face as she watched various magical beings stroll around spoke volumes.
Right before she stepped through the wall, she turned to Peter with imploring eyes. "Be careful James. We both have to do everything we can to help Harry through this." She said and kissed him lightly before disappearing into London. Peter stood back at the corner of the Leaky Cauldron with a victorious smirk on his face.
***
"Holy shit! Did you see that!?" Sirius exclaimed as soon as the group of Aurors finished watching the tape for the third time. Nobody else said a word as the entire room's attention was glued to a muggle television that was playing the security tape. "Play it again!"
"No need." Remus said quietly and got up from the chair. "Even with the horrible audio commentary, I think we all realize what we just witnessed?" The other occupants nodded.
"Some kid survived the killing curse!" another exclaimed. A few others shook their heads in disbelief.
"And not only that, but he killed the Death Eater with his own curse..." Sirius added. "I want to find out who that kid was."
"I think I heard part of a name." Remus said after a pause. "I doubt any of you heard it, but it sounded like Har-. What begins with Har? Harris? Harold? Har-"
"Harry!!" Sirius shouted. "Remus, do you think..."
"Wishful thinking." Remus said shaking his head sadly. "We all know Voldemort got there first."
Sirius lowered his head and clenched his fists tightly. "Damn that bastard Pettigrew!" He spat. "If I ever see him again..." The others said nothing and let the threat hang over them.
"I'm sure all of us feel the same way." Remus stated and looked around at the various other occupants of the room. They nodded solemnly. "James and Lily were two of the most wonderful people anyone would ever meet."
"Damnit!" Sirius shouted and punched a nearby wall. "It's not fair! They didn't deserve this! Stupid fucker Voldemort! And Pettigrew!" He sat down and put his face in his hands. "I never got to know my godson..."
Remus walked over and put a hand on the trembling man's shoulder. "We'll get Peter for this. We owe Lily and James at least that much. Don't give up now."
Sirius nodded at his long time friend and stood up. "Play that tape again. I think there's something we missed."
For the fourth time that afternoon, the security tape was being played, but this time Sirius was paying much more attention than before. The previous three times, he glanced solely at the child who withstood the Avada Kedavra but couldn't get a clear look because of the conflicting light of the curses. This time, he looked to the left at the woman in the background. There was something familiar about her but he couldn't put his finger on it. By the time his thought finished, the scene shifted to when the child grabbed the woman's hand and they both disappeared.
'Nobody else is home except my son.' The words suddenly echoed in his mind and his eyes widened in realization. The spike of magical energy he had felt then only further proved his theory. "I know who she is!" Sirius shouted startling everyone else in the room. "If I find her, I find the kid!"
"Who is she?" Remus asked curiously.
"I've seen her before when I asked around in London about Pettigrew!" His face fell at the realization that he didn't exactly know where she lived but didn't give up hope. "Come on. Help me search for her!" The two of them disappeared with a pop before anyone else could get a word in. Arthur Weasley walked in the room as soon as they apparated.
"I hope you two know what you're doing." Arthur said amusingly to himself. "I hope what you're looking for isn't already here."
***
A/N: Remember that Lily's only experience with magic and wizards came from Death Eaters. She has no reason to believe otherwise than what Peter said. Harry's early training begins in the next chapter. Please review and tell me how I should improve my story. Thanks.
Disclaimer- I don't own Harry potter or any characters mentioned within SS/PS CoS PoA or GoF. I'm merely borrowing them for use in my personal plot. Keyword: borrowing. As in will return. Unless otherwise noted, all characters are copyrighted by JKR. I guess this could be considered AU.
To the reviewers:
Kinyo: Twice in under a week. A new record for me.
CircleSoft: Yes, Harry is different, but whether he will be evil or Slytherin is still up in the air.
Tigress: The upbringing is everything in my opinion.
RaistlinofMetallica: I haven't decided which house I want Harry in yet, but when I do decide, there will be a good reason in the fic for him to be there.
Aciendio: You'll see in the next chapter.
Kaelli Karali: I tried to make Wormtail as in character as possible, but I had to change it a little for this fic to work. Hope it doesn't take too much away from the story.
Spiffy-girl03: Here's another installment of the fic. Hope to get the next part shortly.
Kathleen: Perhaps I've been reading too many fics. This is just the way I think Harry SHOULD be. Instead of the constant Harry gets beaten by relatives, Harry cries at every little thing, Harry passes out at every whim, Harry in chronic depression etc. You get the point =)
Frodo Girl: Thanks. I'm glad you like it.
Jeice: Originality was top priority when I tried to think of a plot for this story.
Faith in a Boy
Chapter 5- Diagon Alley
"Is this your idea of a joke?" Lily Potter demanded crossly when the three of them stopped in front of an old run down building that bore the sign Leaky Cauldron. 'James' was currently taking her to see the so-called wizarding world but the first glances weren't very appealing. Harry shifted in her arms where she was carrying him and looked around.
"Don't let the outside of this place fool you." Peter said simply. "The other side is a spectacle to behold." Lily doubted his words but followed him anyway. "I had to borrow this from a friend of mine." Peter lied holding up his own wand. "It grants us access to the world of magic."
The trio entered the building and Lily grimaced at the inner appearance. It was even worse than the outside if such a thing were possible. A gentle breeze could probably knock over the entire building. Peter led them towards the back corner and waved the pointed the stick at the wall. To her surprise, he passed right through what appeared to be solid brick. Before she could scream out in surprise, a hand shot out of the wall and pulled her through as well.
"Remember your promise!" Peter hissed as the three of them finally made it through the barrier. Lily's eyes widened but she nodded and pretended to not notice the strange things around her. How could anything like this exist and not be known?
"Can I get you folks anything?" Tom the bartender asked the few new faces that came through from muggle London. Peter shook his head and quickly pulled Lily outside.
"You were right! This is a spectacle to behold..." Lily said after staring at the bustling crowd for a few minutes. No amount of thinking prepared her for the sight of Diagon Alley. It was like stepping through a gate and into another world. In many ways that's exactly what she did.
Lily would have stared at the various wizards and witches bustling around the streets clad in full wizardry apparel much longer, but a sharp voice cut her out of her stupor. "You can't act like a muggle!" Peter said under his breath before tugging her along. "It's bad enough we're not dressed like everyone else." She nodded but continued to cast furtive glances at her new surroundings.
Suddenly, she gasped as a group of wizards suddenly appear in front of her with a pop. They continued to their destination as if it were perfectly normal to appear out of thin air. She glanced down at Harry whose eyes were lit up in excitement. Thinking back to the day she was first introduced to magic, she wondered if that had been what Harry had done to get them both out of the store.
"I think it's called apparation." Peter explained trying to sound like he was guessing. He gave her a thoughtful look and scratched his head. "It's supposedly the easiest way to get around. I think I see why."
"So any wizard can just disappear and reappear wherever they want to?" Lily exclaimed. "This is incredible! They have no need for transportation! Just to think if London had no air pollution and congestion..."
She was cut off when Peter quickly put a hand over her mouth and dragged her to a less crowded place. "You can't say things like that!" He exclaimed once they were out of earshot from the rest of Diagon Alley. "They would figure out that we aren't one of them!"
"What is so important that our identity has to be kept a secret?" Lily demanded as soon as he was finished. Peter had already considered her question before they came here and gave her his planned response.
"Because wizards hate us non-magical people! You saw how they enjoy torturing and killing the muggles last time. What if they decide to do that to us? Then what?" Lily opened her mouth to protest but Peter cut her off. "Or worse yet, what if they torture and kill Harry?"
Lily's mouth clamped shut as she realized the seriousness of what he was claiming. Harry shifted in her arms and looked up at her with those ethereal emerald eyes that filled her very being with determination. "You're right James. They can torture me all they want, but I'll never allow them to hurt Harry."
Peter smirked inwardly at the small victory. The road to explaining what he needed to was paving itself and he liked where it was going. Now all he had to do was convince her to let Harry be trained under the pretense that it would protect him from harm.
"Wizards and witches are notorious for persecuting those that aren't like them. The only reason the people you saw were killed was because they were different." Peter took a breath while thinking how to phrase the next part. "Harry will be a target when he gets older."
"What! Why?"
"Because he is too powerful." Peter said simply. He almost laughed at the irony of his statement but held it in. His mirth disappeared when Lily looked at him with her aquamarine eyes blazing. For a moment, he was afraid she would actually hex him.
For a long time she was silent, but when she spoke, her voice was harder than steel. "We have to do something. I won't let Harry be persecuted when he grows up!"
Peter looked down to the boy in question. "I think I have the solution. Since I know a lot about wizardry in general, I'll teach him how to defend himself. When he gets a little older, I'll teach him everything I can."
"But what will that do? You don't know any spells!"
"There are thousands of books on spells and curses. All I need are some of them to teach Harry the basics. I think he's smart enough to figure out the rest of it."
Lily nodded and hugged Harry closer to her. She didn't know what she would do if Harry were ever subjugated to being tortured and hated not being able to do anything about it. She hated feeling helpless, but there was a little hope that James could teach Harry.
"Do you still want to sightsee? Or should we go home?"
"I don't want to see this hideous place ever again!" She snapped. "But what about those books we need?"
"I'll go get them. It'll be a needless risk if we all went. After I take you two back to London, I'll come back and pick them up." Lily nodded at his reasoning and didn't say another word as they walked back to the Leaky Cauldron. The scowl on her face as she watched various magical beings stroll around spoke volumes.
Right before she stepped through the wall, she turned to Peter with imploring eyes. "Be careful James. We both have to do everything we can to help Harry through this." She said and kissed him lightly before disappearing into London. Peter stood back at the corner of the Leaky Cauldron with a victorious smirk on his face.
***
"Holy shit! Did you see that!?" Sirius exclaimed as soon as the group of Aurors finished watching the tape for the third time. Nobody else said a word as the entire room's attention was glued to a muggle television that was playing the security tape. "Play it again!"
"No need." Remus said quietly and got up from the chair. "Even with the horrible audio commentary, I think we all realize what we just witnessed?" The other occupants nodded.
"Some kid survived the killing curse!" another exclaimed. A few others shook their heads in disbelief.
"And not only that, but he killed the Death Eater with his own curse..." Sirius added. "I want to find out who that kid was."
"I think I heard part of a name." Remus said after a pause. "I doubt any of you heard it, but it sounded like Har-. What begins with Har? Harris? Harold? Har-"
"Harry!!" Sirius shouted. "Remus, do you think..."
"Wishful thinking." Remus said shaking his head sadly. "We all know Voldemort got there first."
Sirius lowered his head and clenched his fists tightly. "Damn that bastard Pettigrew!" He spat. "If I ever see him again..." The others said nothing and let the threat hang over them.
"I'm sure all of us feel the same way." Remus stated and looked around at the various other occupants of the room. They nodded solemnly. "James and Lily were two of the most wonderful people anyone would ever meet."
"Damnit!" Sirius shouted and punched a nearby wall. "It's not fair! They didn't deserve this! Stupid fucker Voldemort! And Pettigrew!" He sat down and put his face in his hands. "I never got to know my godson..."
Remus walked over and put a hand on the trembling man's shoulder. "We'll get Peter for this. We owe Lily and James at least that much. Don't give up now."
Sirius nodded at his long time friend and stood up. "Play that tape again. I think there's something we missed."
For the fourth time that afternoon, the security tape was being played, but this time Sirius was paying much more attention than before. The previous three times, he glanced solely at the child who withstood the Avada Kedavra but couldn't get a clear look because of the conflicting light of the curses. This time, he looked to the left at the woman in the background. There was something familiar about her but he couldn't put his finger on it. By the time his thought finished, the scene shifted to when the child grabbed the woman's hand and they both disappeared.
'Nobody else is home except my son.' The words suddenly echoed in his mind and his eyes widened in realization. The spike of magical energy he had felt then only further proved his theory. "I know who she is!" Sirius shouted startling everyone else in the room. "If I find her, I find the kid!"
"Who is she?" Remus asked curiously.
"I've seen her before when I asked around in London about Pettigrew!" His face fell at the realization that he didn't exactly know where she lived but didn't give up hope. "Come on. Help me search for her!" The two of them disappeared with a pop before anyone else could get a word in. Arthur Weasley walked in the room as soon as they apparated.
"I hope you two know what you're doing." Arthur said amusingly to himself. "I hope what you're looking for isn't already here."
***
A/N: Remember that Lily's only experience with magic and wizards came from Death Eaters. She has no reason to believe otherwise than what Peter said. Harry's early training begins in the next chapter. Please review and tell me how I should improve my story. Thanks.
