DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN ANY OF IT! WELL, EXCEPT FOR A FEW CHARACTERS YOU DON'T RECOGNISE!! MOST OF THESE PEOPLE ARE MINOR, HOWEVER.

A/N: Okay, this one is short too. Really, it's not my fault. I've got a limited time of about 50 minutes to type this before my computer shuts down. I'm at the hospital right now and a little depressed because of that, so I don't know how any of this story is going to go yet.

Only two reviews so far. It's better than I could have gotten I suppose, but any of you who didn't review the last chapter, please review this one. I got 2 reviews and nearly a hundred people read it so I know you're out there!

Chapter Two: Street Rat

Harry Potter: Dead or Alive?

Rita Skeeter

Those of the wizarding community know of the terrors of the War You-Know-Who caused. With his infamous sidekicks, the renown Death Eaters, he reigned horrors upon even the strongest of wizards of that time. He defeated the greatest of wizards, harmed the most innocent of children, and tortured anyone in between. He was a horrific man who, many say, can't even be counted as human by the crimes he committed.

Despite the fact that You-Know-Who was the most powerful wizard of the time period (excluding Albus Dumbledore, current Headmaster of Hogwarts) there was one boy who opposed him. One small boy, no older than fifteen months old at the time, took down You-Know-Who in an unknown way. You-Know-Who had murdered the boy's, Harry Potter by name, parents only minutes earlier. How had the boy managed to take down You-Know-Who? Still unknown, though it's thought that he was weakened in some way before trying to kill Harry Potter.

Albus Dumbledore, respected for his various positions in the wizarding world, has finally released the information Daily Prophet readers have been yearning after for years. Dumbledore, who took young Harry Potter to his aunt's house, whom are muggles, has finally notified us that Harry Potter is missing...and has been for two years after running away from his Aunt and Uncles house. Harry, who had been seven at the time, is thought to be dead, even by Dumbledore. No seven year old boy could live alone in street world, unaided by adults, magical or otherwise.

Even though Young Harry is thought to be dead, Dumbledore has admitted that he would still await the time when Harry is suppose to go to school. "If he's there, we'll know it. He's a remarkable boy with a very different personality and look to him."

In fact, Harry was not dead, but he was unaware of his magical heritage. When he'd ran away that night from the harsh Dusley's, he'd had no idea what to do at first. What was a seven year old suppose to do to survive a horrendous life on the streets? There were full grown men who couldn't live though the first winter, so how was a small boy suppose to do it? At his age, no one dared to hire him. Child Labor law was a nice thing to some, but a cruelty to others.

That first night Harry hadn't dared go to far. He'd simply ran to the safest place he'd ever felt before. It was the place that, despite how many time Dudley and his Gang tried to harm him, he always felt so safe anyway. Even when his nose dripped blood when he came home later, he would still feel safe. At the park, it was almost like a home away from home. Dudley had never really understood why Harry had never run while at the park. The smallish, but still quite large, six year old Dudley hadn't really cared why his cousin was 'stupid' enough to stay when he could have easily out run all of them.

That night he had laid in a concrete tube that was just barely large enough for him to stretch out on. his young mind was hardly able to accept the fact that they didn't want him anymore. Sure he'd gotten the hint that they thought he was just a minor person who lived there, but was really never there. How could he not have? Yet, Harry had always thought that they had something in their hearts for him. They'd taken him in all these years ago and hadn't given him up. Why not? It would have been so easy. One simple, bye-bye and they never would have had to deal with him. So why keep him around? They'd given him the ugly looks and curses. Why hadn't they saved themselves from him? Why hadn't they saved Harry from their beatings--their punishments?

He knew whe had to be missing something, but he couldn't guess what. From his point of view, he knew they cared none about him. They hadn't even waited till he was old enough to take care of himself. What wasn't there? He took his mind to pieces but he only succeeded in bringing back an old nightmare. A green light...screams. He shook from his hiding place as he dropped into a sleep filled with merciless dreams of terror that he couldn't identify.

"Boy," Harry felt a gentle hand on his shoulder and he winced away, thinking it was his cousin and his gang. He relaxed as he noted it couldn't be him--Dudley wouldn't bother waiting until Harry was awake to start another one of his sick games. "Come on, wake up, boy."

Harry grimaced and pulled away from the man who was crouched just outside the tunnel. He groaned and rubbed where he could feel where his scar was--or at least where it should have been. He rubbed his forehead more vigoriously, only to find that it was gone...or at least it felt gone. Harry looked at the man who was gazing back at him with a look of curiousity. "Where...Who are you?" He blurted out before he could think.

"Come out of there for a minute and I'll tell you." The man stepped away and Harry crawled out, blushing. He didn't like to be discovered in such a state. "Now, what's a little boy like yourself doing out here alone? Where's you're parents?"

Harry's eyes widened in alarm. This man would tell the Dursleys! This man would drag him back to the people who kicked him out two years ago. he couldn't let that happen. "I- I don't have any parents." Harry didn't look at the man...he couldn't. "They died awhile ago."

"Where do you live, then?"

"Here." Harry shrugged, knowing the truth had to be told in one way or another. "I'm nine now. I can take care of myself. I'm still alive aren't I?"

The man chuckled, "Yes, I must say, you are alive. There's no doubting that. I'm Henry, by the way. The name is Henry Shayde. And may I ask who you are? It's quite curious to see a boy your age out here alone."

Harry had already braced himself for the questions. Two years ago he'd woken up after that first night with the oddest sight of his light. In the middle of the night he'd woken up with an oddest tingle that echoed through his body. Out of half fear and half curiosity he'd gotten up and crawled to a small pool of water that just barely reflected himself. The first moment his eyes connected with the boys in the pond, he'd leaped back in fear. On second thought, he'd crawled back and starred at the boy...himself in the pool of water, not sure what to think. He knew his own reflection because of the hours he'd spent scrubbing the bathroom floors before guests came over. He'd mesmerized the long black hair and the emerald eyes, but he wasn't seeing that Harry.

The boy in the pool wasn't black haired any longer, but was now a light brown...almost a sandy color. He admired the short hair for a moment before looking into the now brown eyes, which glared back at him with an intensity that almost terrified him. he knew he really didn't have to fear the Dursleys anymore because of how much he'd...changed, but the fear remained all the same.

"I'm Aiden. " He said strongly.

"Don't you have a last name, Aiden?"

"No." He said, glaring at the man who looked taken aback. Harry's shoulders slumped in defeat. "I'm just Aiden. Dejan is my middle name. I haven't had a last name in so long, I think I've forgotten it."Harry hadn't forgotten it...there was no way he would ever forget the name Harry James Potter.

Minerva McGonagall watched as Albus Dumbledore scanned his intense blue eyes through the Daily Prophet article they both knew was, for once, horribly close to the truth. "Albus?" Minerva questioned the headmaster who sighed as he read the article for the eighth time. "I don't think the news will change just because you read it a dozen time over.

"Ahh," Dumbledore closed the paper and set it on the desk in front of himself. "I believe you are right. " He chuckled, but there was no sign of that familiar twinkle in the Headmasters blue eyes. "I deeply regret it isn't true, though. He'd be back by now if it was."

Minerva sighed. She knew exactly which 'he' he was talking about. "Albus, Harry's been gone for years and I don't think even he could survive winters alone. Then there's those muggle beggars who would do anything for an extra pence or so. Albus, I think it's best we accept that Harry won't attend Hogwarts two years from now."

"I've long since accepted the fact, Minerva. It's the rest of the world that's going to have problems accepting The Chosen One, The Boy Who Lived...is no more. He was our only chance at winning an upcoming war. It's going to be hard on everyone that we will not win."

"Albus! Surely there must be another way! There has to be another way in case something like this happens. Prophecies aren't for sure. You told me yourself a few years ago. They're not set in stone as many believe. Tell me you know of another way." Minerva didn't like the note of panic that was clearly in her voice.

"There isn't, Minerva. We either have to find the boy, alive and well, which in an impossible feat. The other way is to well, truely give up when he rises. That's the way to save many lives, but I can't see the witches and wizards of the world agreeing to either of these.

Minerva stood by, shocked at the Headmasters words. "Of course not, Albus! Surrendering to You-Know-Who would end the lives of muggleborns and halfbloods ever quicker than before. I'm shocked you even brought such a thing up!"

"Minerva," He said without blinking, "It's only a suggestion of the truth. You must accept it."

"Of course, Albus."

"May we move on now?"

"Whenever you please."

"Minerva, I want to talk to you about something I found on the Lists."

Minerva raised her eyebrows and muttered, "Albus, not even Headmasters are allowed to look at the lists until we are ready to send out the letters. We want absolute privacy for our students, you said those words yourself."

"I did, Minerva, but there was a strong force telling me something was different so I took a look, a quick one really, and at that moment another name added itself at the end."

Minerva frowned in confusion. "The names are permanent...they can't add any. It's not possible. When did this happen?"

"A couple of years ago." Dumbledore had a pained look on his face. "I also checked for Harry, but he wasn't on the list. It was my first clue he wasn't ever going to come to Hogwarts."

"What name was added?"

"The mysterious thing is that it wasn't a full name as I was expecting. It was a simple name...a common one too, only I've never known of a wizard by this name... Hmm. Aiden, I think it was. The list simply said Aiden."

"Aiden?"