Albus Dumbledore looked around at the grim, but determined faces around him and wondered, not for the first time, if this was the right thing to do.
He sighed, knowing that if they did not try to summon help from another all would be lost. If only the dementors hadn't killed poor Harry, then they wouldn't be in this mess now.
He began chanting, everyone holding hands to lend power to the ritual he was performing. A ritual he had hoped to never use.
The room at Grimmauld Place darkened, the lighted candles barely registering as something started to appear in the ritual circle.
Albus's power began to deplete rapidly. A loud crack of lightening and thunder boomed from outside while at the same time something landed inside with enough force to throw everyone back, effectively breaking the circle.
Sirius Black was the first to snap out of it and focus on the pale, naked figure huddled on the floor. Long inky black hair fell down broad, but lean shoulders. He sucked in a breath when the head moved and clear, cold emerald eyes pierced his.
The boy, who looked an awful lot like Harry James Potter except without the messy hair and glasses, cocked his head to one side.
" Sirius Orion Black.", he said softly.
" Who...who are you?", Sirius asked. " I was born Hadarian Jamesthorn Potter originally, that changed when I became Death before I turned eighteen.", he said.
Sirius paused to absorb this information. Suddenly the boy/man stood up and was instantly clothed. His green eyes flashed dangerously. " You dare bring me here when it is your fault that this time's Harry has been lost?!", he glared at Albus Dumbledore.
" My boy, I have no...", Albus was cut off as Death wrapped his fingers around the old wizard's throat, pinning him to the wall.
" Oh I think you know perfectly well what I am talking about, Dumbledore. You could have had Harry brought here with the others instead of ignoring him all summer. Riddle could easily bypass the blood wards if he truly wanted to as you know very well that Harry called Hogwarts home. Harry hated that house, much like Sirius hates this one and like Severus hated his.", Hadarian hissed.
Disgusted with the wizard, he dropped him and turned to the others.
" Well, since I'm here, I might as well make myself useful. So what's the game plan? I assume I am to take the place of this time's Harry?", he asked.
" Yes. Potter's death has not been announced to the public, only to us.", Severus Snape said. " Alright then. I can explain my change in appearance as finally having a growth spurt and having my eyes fixed.", the now Harry nodded.
He rubbed his hands together, perhaps this would be fun.