Title: Mistake

Author: Orion

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

Note:

This is another of my short shots. Like all of them, this is up for adoption. Just let me know if you want to take it to use as part of your own story, or to take it and turn it into a story in itself. It's not so much to ask permission, rather so I know about it and can read it. If you ask and another author has already taken it, I will put you in contact with him or her and you can ask if you can use it too.

Mistake

James Potter, JR has spent his life the hero of the wizarding world. He survived a killing curse as a child, and has spent his life training to fight Voldermort and end the war. Other than a vague memory and a constant ache of emptiness in the back of his mind, he never knew that he had a twin brother until he was sixteen when he overheard his trainer, Professor Dumbledore, mention that Harry Potter had been missing for a decade.

Being used to getting what he wanted, he got the full story from his trainers. Harry was his twin brother, and while he had spent his life training, Harry had been sent to live at their muggle aunt's home. Harry was supposed to start Hogwarts the same year as James, but the Hogwarts Acceptance Letter was never returned. Dumbledore was slightly worried, but was a busy man. It wasn't until almost two years later that Dumbledore thought to look in on Harry, and it was discovered that Harry had not lived with his aunt since he was six.

Dumbledore didn't want to tell James that Harry was probably dead. It was better that way anyway; Harry could be used as a weapon against James, willingly or otherwise. Some very dark blood magic could be done on James with Harry's blood. So Dumbledore just told James that Harry had been found, and that they could meet after the threat of Voldermort was gone forever.

"James, first off: congratulations on graduating." Dumbledore spoke to his protégée. He had been training James for seventeen years, for the final battle. On magical ability and knowledge alone, the boy could have passed the NEWTS as a first year, but he had chosen to try to live a normal life outside of training. Now, finally, he was almost done with training.

"You have been training for seventeen years, since you were just a little infant, to defeat Voldermort. It's time I told you why."

James looked excited at this. He had wondered for a long time why he had survived Voldermort's attack. What exactly had happened, he did not know, nor why Voldermort attacked his family in the first place.

"There was a prophecy. Voldermort's servant heard half the prophecy, and I heard the whole thing. The first half basically says that you will have a power the Dark Lord knows not."

James looked at his friend and mentor in shock.

"It actually names me?"

"No James, it actually could have been you or a few others, but you were the one that he choose. He marked you as his equal, according to the prophecy."

"Marked me?"

"We assume it's a metaphorical term, or that it left a mark on your magic or soul, rather than your body."

"Ok"

"The second part is a bit more . . . dire. It basically says that with this power you will defeat Voldermort, winning for the light, or Voldermort will defeat you, and darkness will rule. It gives both endings, it is down to you. However, I look at it with hope. It says that you CAN defeat the Dark Lord."

James was silent for a few moments. Then finally, he looked back at Dumbledore.

"With your help, I can win. You have given me everything I need to win. I have knowledge and experience to back it up. I will win." James paused, gathering his thoughts. "However, I do wonder why these other powers I'm supposed to be able to use have yet to develop. You told me that I'm the Heir of Merlin, and a descendent of Gryffindor. Also, I have so many other questions. Like, what happened that night that I survived his attack? Why didn't he just cast the killing curse? What caused his body to be destroyed and his soul to weaken so much he wandered the earth for a decade?"

Dumbledore thought for a minute. He had never put too much thought into what happened, only what needed to happen to prepare James for the battle.

"I don't know. But . . . there is a chance that you might. Infants don't usually form complex memories. But, the senses are mostly developed upon birth, and more so by the first birthday. Perhaps what happened that night is buried in your mind."

A week later, James was ready to find out. He was sitting on the floor of Headmistress McGonagall's office. She had been Dumbledore's deputy until he retired to train James. Around him were his trainers, friends, and his girlfriend Cho Chang. Dumbledore looked at him, and James nodded his head.

The spell was cast.

James went still for a moment, and then suddenly he curled up into a fetal position and started rocking back and forth.

He was lying in a crib, and there was a bit of weight on his shoulder. It was Harry, his brother's head on him. They had just been tucked into bed by a beautiful woman, who was speaking softly to them.

Mother! It was his mother! He had only seen pictures of her before. Wow, she was so beautiful.

CRASH! A loud noise. It must be the door crashing open. Yelling. Green light.

The Killing Curse! There's only one spell with light like that.

Mother chanting, praying. Then the doorway goes dark. He's there. Voldermort. His eyes shinning red.

Mother begging for their lives. But refusing his offer of letting her live if she hands them over.

Another flash of green light. Mother is dead. Harry wakes up.

Another flash of green light. What? The killing curse already killed his parents.

It's coming for him and his brother. What? How?

He can feel the magic radiating off of Harry. But, what is this?

No, Harry's between him and the fast approaching green light. Harry's going to be hit. He is hit. But . . . he screams? He's alive? Harry's eyes give off a brilliant while light, and a green light flashes from Harry's hand to Voldermort. He disappears in an explosion of magic.

Harry collapses, falling unconscious. James notices a lightning bolt shape scar, a mark, on Harry's forehead.

"James!" Several people are saying his name, trying to draw him out of his fit.

It seems like hours have gone by since the spell.

"WHY DIDN'T IT WORK?" Somebody yells at the headmaster.

"It did." James whispers quietly. Everyone gets quiet to listen to him.

"I saw it. I saw it all." James practically cries. This shakes up everyone. None but Dumbledore had ever seen James cry, and even he not since he was a small child.

"Dumbledore, where is my brother?" James asks quietly. "You said you knew where he was. We need him here."

Dumbledore looked at his young friend with sadness.

"I'm sorry, James. I never actually found him. He's probably dead."

James looked at Dumbledore once more, then whispered.

"Then the war is lost. Harry was the one that Voldermort marked, he's the one that survived the killing curse and used it to destroy Voldermort. He's the one you should have been training all these years."

The End

Well, do you want to adopt this? What do you think? I know it's been done before, the "Harry's brother is/is mistaken for the Boy Who Lived." But I've never seen one where they find out that it's really Harry, especially in this manner.