1/20/06

A/N

This story is dedicated to the author of 'Rise from the Ashes', Karaii because her story gave me the idea somehow even though it's hardly identical to it.

Summary

Harry James Potter is dead. After killing Voldemort and, being drained of life force, died as well. However, being a hero has more pros than Harry thought. Harry is now a ghost able to physically interact with select few. He is sent to a chamber where he must choose his next adventure, and aid those he love that play the major role. Which universe will Harry choose?

Rating

R for language, child abuse and rape.

This is the godlike person speaking

: This is Parsltetongue:

/This is thinking/

Book 1

Chapter 4

The Beginning Of Something Beautiful

It was quite cramped inside the small cupboard under the stairs at Number 4 Privet Drive. Even for the ghost Harry, who could manipulate his form to fit nearly any occupation, the tiny space simply was not fit for minimal habitation.

Three days had passed since Harry arrived in this world he had renamed 'Hell'. His alternate self had passed out and had not woken since. Harry was at a complete loss of what to do, as he had no experience with younger children, not even having truly been one himself. He had little else to do but experiment on the can, and can not's of his ghost self. He explored the sensation of air walking, jumping and running he could hold and feel inanimate objects and with his other self. He hadn't bothered with the Dursley as they had so 'kindly' left them alone. However, this also meant that they hadn't brought any food to their cupboard.

Harry had many a time left the cupboard to snatch food from the refrigerator, and on his last expedition, he had heard Petunia Dursley talking on the telephone to a doctor who had, presumably, taken up Vernon's case. Apparently, Petunia had managed to get her husbands head unlodged from door and helped him downstairs as she called for an ambulance.

The doctor would allow Vernon to come home only if he agreed to stay bed ridden and, after testing for any drug or alcoholic use, to lay off the whiskey for a while. He would be coming home the thirty first of July. Today. Harry's birthday.

Harry sat rather cramped in the corner of the cupboard, wanting to leave room for his other self to lay down on the rags that littered the cold tiles. A small whimper emanated from the small form in front of him and small emerald eyes flickered open, squeezing shut from the light bulb above. Harry moved to it and pulled the little chain, causing the light to fade away leaving them in darkness.

"Hey, little guy," Harry said gently, stroking the child's face with tender care, even so he flinched in fright of an incoming blow to the head.

"I'm going to help you," Harry continued,

"Remember our conversation last time you were awake?"" The boy nodded.

"Well, for starts, call me…Natica," Harry said after a moment, thinking back to the Mirror Room.

" 'kay, Natica," Harry whispered in a raspy voice. Natica stood, his head protruding through the staircase, and glided to the kitchen to find Petunia Dursley there.

She screamed something terrible at the site of him.

"Oh, put a pipe in it," Natica grumbled and he headed toward the glass cabinet, Petunia watching in terror. After a few minutes of searching Natica turned the handle on the sink, filling the clear glass full of plentiful water.

Turning to Petunia, he said with an armed voice,

"You aren't a very good person you know."

Petunia's face filled with even more anguish as she listened to the ghost.

"If you were, you wouldn't let your husband do such horrible things to your own flesh and blood."

With that, he left, pushing through the cupboard door to Harry.

Petunia was sitting in her kitchen mulling over the past events of the week. She was terrified and eased rom that ghostly form that had popped out of no where, which frustrated her to no end as IT was the reason her husband was in the hospital but- her husband deserved it. Day after day, night after night, she had heard her husband giggling insanely up in that room and heard the screams of the little boy, until… that disappeared, leaving her husbands glee a solo.

It disturbed her to no end to know that her husband was torturing her nephew. How had she stood for it for so long? And her own son too. Vernon had pulled Dudley in that place too a few times, when Dudley had asked about girls and if cooties were real. They had drug her sobbing, shaking nephew up those steps to Hell, her Vernon telling saying he would show their son 'how it was done'.

A chill swept through the room and she looked up, gaped in surprise and ran to the far wall of the kitchen, flattening herself like a pancake. The ghost had come in. She had though he would have left by now but it was apparent that he hadn't.

He spoke few words to her as he searched the cabinets, until he found a glass, and filled it. When he was leaving he paused and said striking words to her. Five words stood out to her.

Your own flesh and blood.

That was right. Harry was, is, her own flash and blood! Why was she allowing this fat man who had double-crossed her or as good as done so, beat the life out of her last relative? She watched as the ghost left, feeling slightly more confident than before.

Boldly, Petunia crossed into the Den and searched through the phone book. Once finding the number she wanted she picked up the phone and let her index finger rest on a number. Petunia paused. Did she really want to do this? If it failed, she would be handed her death slip. Another moment passed.

"Hello, operator, I would like to hire a divorce attorney."

When Natica returned to the child, Harry's breath was wheezy and deep.

"Hey, Ince, I'm back. Relax now, I'm going to help you drink some water."

Natica whispered gently and held up the battered head of the throttled child. Harry relaxed noticeably and Natica felt joy blossoming in his heart that Harry trusted him so much already. He tilted the black and bloody mop back and poured a little water through the dry and cracked lips, massaging it down Harry's raw throat.

"I'm going to use a charm to conjure some bandages and healing salve, it'll sting a bit but will help."

Natica wouldn't usually explain his every action. No, usually he would jump right into something without a thought. This, however, was a completely different situation. He had earned Harry's trust so simply, he could not bear to lose it so quickly which he knew he would if he gave reason to.

Harry nodded, though he was shaking a little at the prospect of more pain. Muttering a charm or two, bandages and salve appeared with a small pop. Lightly pulling off the overly large shirt, Natica had to push down the urge vomit into the nearest curved object resembling a toilet.

So many scars, bloodied, some turning a sickening yellow from infection as well as dark black and purple bruises littering the outline of Harry's spine, standing out miraculously from his pale, porcelain skin.

Squeezing his eyes shut to collect himself, Natica opened the jar of salve and was about to dip a finger in it when he thought of something. / I can't just put the salve on! Merlin, I am such an idiot! They're already infected / Natica put the salve down and conjured and stood.

"I'll be right back. I need some hot water and a cloth before I can do anything. Here, I'll make it a bit more comfortable."

Natica rearranged the rags on the floor so they were all evenly leveled and congratulated himself on a job well done. He would not have Harry lying on crumpled up rags that pushed into his injuries and upsetting them more.

Natica left the cupboard and went back to the kitchen in search of a bowl to fill the water in. After another couple of minutes without success, Natica thought irately. / I lived here for 15 years, dammit! Why can't I find the things I used for 10/ He had no choice, as he did not know if there was a specific amount of magic he could or couldn't use as a ghost in this universe, he would have to ask Petunia.

Stepping into the Den, he spotted his mother's sister on the phone speaking in a surprisingly formal and commanding voice. He immediately ducked out of sight.

"Thursday? This Thursday? Should I bring my husband?"

Petunia listened for a few moments, nodding her head before scribbling something down onto a piece of paper.

"Alright. I'll meet you at the center at 8 PM, this Thursday and I'll bring my nephew and my husband."

She seemed to be saying this for her own benefit, as she was apparently nervous and trying to buck up.

"I'll be seeing you in three days then, goodbye and thank you so much."

She hung up the phone, looking deep in thought, before realizing she had a spy observing her. She was startled to realize it was that ghost from earlier.

"May I help you?"

She asked a little unnerved.

"Umm,"

The ghost was a little perplexed now, he floated there for a moment like a deer in headlights before finding his voice again.

"Whe-where are the large bowls that I could use to clean Harry up?"

Petunia was startled to find the ghost that seemed so fiercely adamant about her nephew, timid like a little boy caught with his hand in the cookie jar before dinner. Shaking herself for a moment she quickly answered.

"Yes, I'll get you one."

She sped out of the room, wondering if the ghost boy had heard her conversation on the telephone, while rummaging through pots and pans under the sink.

"You, err, could bring him out of the cupboard, you know."

Her voice quaked with nerves. Somehow, she knew not to anger this ghost.

"You wouldn't mind?"

The ghost queried floating into the kitchen after her. She shook her head and pushed the white plastic mixing bowl into his ghostly arms and nearly gasped when her hand rubbed against his arm. It was solid.

"Okay, umm do you mind if I use this?"

Natica pulled out a hand towel he had snatched from the downstairs bathroom and Petunia nodded shooing him out of the room and to the hallway, making the warm water splash on him a bit.

Harry was settled comfortably on the little bed of rags in the cupboard when Natica returned.

"Ince, I've got to bring you out into the hallway. You'll have to trust me on this."

Natica stroked the boy's cheek softly, soothing the boy to relax. Once Harry was calm, Natica gently heaved Harry into his arms and into the hall where Petunia was laying out a few blankets.

It horrified Petunia to see her husbands work after a few days from the incident. She was more determined to divorce from the incarnation of evil himself than ever before. He had no right harm her nephew or any child, ever.

He would pay.

After several hours of cleaning wounds and tenderly wrapping beaten flesh with the help of Petunia, she informed them she had to go pick up Vernon. Her voice trembled. She had no idea what Vernon might do to either of them, nor did she want know.

Natica had learned another side of Petunia Dursley that day. She was not as cruel as he had dubbed her while a child. Petunia looked terrified at the thought of her husband coming home but the fear in her eyes was not for herself. No, it was for Harry and himself. It had been many years since Natica had seen eyes like that.

"May Javan be with you…"

Natica muttered, picking Harry up in his arms again before realizing how ridiculous he sounded. Severus had insisted on teaching him Latin after Dumbledore was killed, it came in handy during the war. After a while it had been decided all the high ranking wizards on the light side would speak in Latin when consulting important matters as to how they would bring about the Dark Lord. It made it much more difficult for a spy listening in to know what they were saying and report to his master.

Shaking himself to reality, Natica turned and stepped into the cupboard under the stairs and placed Harry down gently onto the new cushions Petunia had purchased without her husband knowing. She kindly gave them to Natica for Harry and himself, which had surprised him by all means.

Natica left Harry and watched Petunia climb into the car with Dudley, who was sniffling at having to stop playing his computer games. Dudley had no idea what really happened to his father, he been told that Vernon tripped down the stairs while he was at Nursery School. Being the stupid fat lump he was, plus being five years old, Dudley obviously fell for it, not noticing there was a sizeable hole in the door of his 'fun room' as he had called it, much to Natica's disgust.

Not sure what to do next, Natica sat on the leather sofa in the Den, hands holding his chin up. Harry was asleep, and Natica knew he shouldn't wake the boy, he needed his rest.

The boy was a walking corpse now days, he had actually had some sleep and, since his body had a small taste, it had decided it liked sleep, making trying to stay awake for more than a few hours a difficulty indeed that was showing outwardly.

/ Come to think of it / Natica thought amusedly. /I don't know what I look like. I haven't even looked in a mirror- a normal mirror in months. / Standing, he glided up through the halls and up the stairs into Petunia and Vernon's room before he found a decent mirror NOT covered in silly drawing from Dudley in markers.

It was amazing how much one would change in the space of 5 months.

Once cleanly shaven and well groomed, Natica was now scruffy looking, stubble was all over his chin and he was covered in dirt, even his messy black hair which had grown long and knotted. He was reminded a bit of his godfather when he escaped Azkaban after twelve long years. His skin spread unhealthily around his cheekbones and clung tightly to now his long, spindly fingers.

"Good Lord, I need to get a shower or something," Natica, muttered a little surprised at his hoarse voice. Had it been like that since he arrived? It sounded as though he had swallowed a match of flames but got burnt.

/ Can a ghost take shower/ Natica wondered, all of a sudden feeling quite curious as he had in his first year when he saw the ruddy sorting hat sitting on the stool in the Great Hall. He was about to go back to the downstairs bathroom, not daring to use Vernon and Petunia's private one do to privacy, but stopped as his eyes skimmed over the border of the mirror. His eyes widened considerably.

Pasletongue.

Petunia held on to the steering wheel tightly as she pulled out of her driveway in Vernon's new Cadillac. Behind her, Dudley kicked the seat hard and shouted for her to take him back into the house to play Rocket 0R. Angrily she turned around snapped at him.

"Stop this now! You are going to be left with Mrs. Figg! I won't take you to a hospital acting like this!"

"Daddy says it's for building character,"

He sneered at her. Affronted, Petunia gazed at her son unbelievingly. She was the mother here, not this snotty brat who she slowly beginning to despise.

"I don't care what your father says! Then again, why should I care!"

Petunia was getting more and more upset by the second and was near tears.

"You'll be staying with your father not me! I'll finally be free of you, you stupid little brat!"

Dudley looked at his mother furiously. No one had called him that before. But her other words came to him. You'll be staying with your father not me! What did that mean?

"What do you mean?"

Petunia ignored her sons kicking and screaming but drove on until at last she reached Arabella Figg's home. It took a bit of begging and pleading to get Arabella to agree to take Dudley until she had gotten Vernon home. She said that as long she needn't have the screaming brat in her house for more than a few hours, she'd take him.

Back on track, Petunia found herself weak and tired. It had been so many years since she could relax without that horrible child and Vernon, it had taken its toll on her. But soon, oh so very soon if all ran smoothly, it would just be her, her nephew and that kind ghost.

It occurred to her then. What if the ghost man couldn't leave the house? He had to, he just had to! She didn't want to leave him behind but that house, it held too many dark memories for her and Harry. Come to think of it. / He looks familiar… /

As Petunia approached Jane's Medical Field Hospital, the nerves became over bearing and she had to pull into a handicap space and sobbed into the steering wheel.

It felt good to get out a good cry and feeling better than she had in a decade, Petunia pulled out of the Handicap spot and searched for a good parking place near the front. It seemed impossible, apparently, a lot of other people decided to get their heads stuck in door's too because every spot was taken up but for a few in the very back.

Climbing out of the car, Petunia began the long walk to the front doors of the hospital. It took forever. Finally when she reached for the door handle and pulled it open she had to blink a few times to clear her vision and was hit by the strong scent of cleaner and antibiotic medicines.

The room was deadly quiet, though there were a few people waiting, they seemed afraid to dare speak any louder than a hushed whisper. The walls were a shining bright white that gave one the sense of looking out over a barren field in a snowstorm.

Leaning forward over the desk Petunia called faintly,

"Excuse me…?"

Almost immediately, the other people in the room stared at her like she had screamed the words at the top of her voice and danced around the room in neon colors. A receptionist with a long pointed nose looked at her squarely, her beetle black eyes scrunched up and graying hair fell in her face.

"What?"

She rasped irately. Petunia flinched, it sounded too much like her nephews raw vocals to her liking.

"I'm here to pick up my husband, Vernon Dursley."

She said boldly matching the wrinkled woman's tone to a tee. The receptionist glared at her intensely. / Okay, not a good idea to be pushy around receptionists… /

"Second Floor in room 13D."

Thirteen. The thought gave her a shiver. Petunia gave the woman a small thank you and left to the elevator. Once the doors opened to the second floor, Petunia made her way out, to bump into another persons chest. Looking up, she saw a man around her age if not a few years older looking down at her.

"Sorry,"

She said automatically.

"I didn't see you there."

"No need to apologize."

The man chuckled in his pale green doctor suit. He had a heavenly laugh she thought dreamily.

"Where are you heading to Ms…"

"Petunia Dursley, I'm going to room 13D to pick up my husband."

Petunia's voice turned quite and the man frowned sadly at the thought of her being married already. However, he was not so into his disappointment that he missed the tremor in her voice as the talked along the way to the room.

"You don't have to come, I understand if you have other places to get to Mr.…"

She had insisted but he rejected them, saying he had no other places where he was needed.

"Lupin. Remus Lupin but you can call me Remus, Mrs. Dursley. You know, I feel like I know you from some where…"

Petunia smiled crookedly and nodded in agreement.

"Yes. And I'll only call you Remus if you call me Petunia. I won't be a Dursley much longer."

At the confused look on his face Petunia gave a small laugh and explained quietly.

"I'm getting divorced. He doesn't know yet but…He will soon…"

Remus looked understanding and they continued on in silence. Both were blushing a bit and avoiding the others eyes. / He's just so handsome…/ Petunia thought, embarrassed.

/ She's…pretty. / Remus thought, not feeling safe in his own mind.

"Umm…We're here…"

Remus said hurriedly and opened the door for Petunia who nearly ran in trying to hide the flush on her face. The room was too white. The bed, the sheets, the table, the chairs, the nightstand, the walls, the curtains…even the bloody floor was a pristine pearl!

"Petunia!"

Petunia jumped at the cry from her husband who lay on the bed looking pleased for his releaser from this ivory hell house. But when he saw Remus come in after her his piggy eyes narrowed and his mustache twitched.

"Who are you?"

He couldn't possibly sound more pompous than he did. Remus surveyed the man with great dislike.

"I am a surgeon here."

Vernon Dursley turned purple and muttered some malevolent thoughts aloud but quiet enough not to be understood. At that moment when the tension was thick enough to suffocate any one of them, Vernon's doctor marched in with a large file in his wrinkly old hand. He flipped through it absently.

"Mr. Dursley?

He turned to Remus, his eyes squinted as though trying to see but was blind as a bat. His voice was wispy and gave off more reason to believe he would be swept away by the wind if he dared go outside. He stepped toward Remus and brandished the file at him in anger.

"What are you doing out of bed without permission Mr. Dursley! How many times must I tell you!"

Remus stood frozen in shock as his upper workman tried to usher him into the spare bed.

"Doctor Asp! Please wait, that's not my husband, that's Doctor Lupin!"

Petunia giggled giddily to the old man. He looked closer at Remus and pulled out his glasses from his front chest pocket and slid them on none too gracefully.

"By George, you're right Madame! Sorry Remus, deepest apologies. Thought you had Thursday's off. Thought you'd be off trying to drown yourself in misery."

Remus winced visibly and hung his head. Why had Asp mentioned that?

"Honestly. Four years since it happened!"

He kept on rambling, causing Remus to freeze up. He had Petunia's attention as well now.

/No! He wouldn't/ Remus's mind writhed. / Not Uncle Asp! Please/ His hands clenched tightly, nails digging into his skin.

"Yes, yes, I understanding. Black, going off and killing your three best friends. Why, I still remember Lily and James! Best smiles I ever saw!"

Petunia gasped. Turning to Remus she was hit by memories of her sister, the wedding and the three grooms men.

"I remember now."

All heads turned to her, Vernon's eyes looking furiously at his wife.

"You were, you were one of James's grooms men…Weren't you?"

Remus was startled yet at the same time dread and despair flooded his heart. But there was just one thing keeping him from bolting. Curiosity. It burned like a torch in his soul. How did this woman know? He thought hard, and then it came to him. Lily had told of a sister who was much too quite and submissive to her boyfriend.

"You're her sister."

Doctor Asp was staring in amazement. Vernon was teaming in rage.

"Get me the bloody hell out of here Petunia!"

That brought every one out of their shock and Doctor Asp jumped into action.

"Yes! Now, you are free to leave after one more examination! We don't want any stitches to come undone, do we?"

Vernon shivered at the thought. The two left leaving Petunia and Remus in the room alone. Remus shifted uncomfortably before sitting on a chair. Petunia did the same.

"So…How's life been going for you? I heard you got custody for Harry."

Petunia let it all go. Everything that her husband had done, her suspicions and her fear that something more happened while she was out the times. It enraged Remus. Harry! Harry, Lily and James son! And also Petunia, too afraid to do anything.

"But…A ghost appeared in the room Vernon and Harry were in. It did what it did to Vernon and it's a solid ghost. It's odd I know…But I touched him, he's solid. He's been helping Harry. He's a wizard too I think. I don't know how I know but… He seems so familiar. Just like James! But he had a scar on his forehead, he's too young and he looks like he came out of a war."

Vernon came back in and Doctor Asp informed them they were free to leave and brought a wheel chair round telling Vernon not to stand for too long. Remus's eyes glowed vehemently at the man but he held his anger in check.

"Vernon. Could we talk alone a minute."

Petunia's voice was tentative as they pulled into a far away corner and Remus stayed nearby so he could step in if need be.

"Vernon, I-I'm afraid I have some bad news for you. I've decided to divorce from you."

Her voice now quivered as Vernon's face turned purple again.

"NO! WE ARE NOT GETTING A DIVORCE!"

Vernon slapped her across the face with an echoing slap and she fell to the floor, Blonde hair flying about. Remus ran into the room as Vernon started to stand from the wheel chair. With a shove he pushed Vernon to the ground and pulled out his wand. With a shout he cast a binding spell on the fat man.

When Doctor Asp ran to find out what all the racket was, along with a other nurses, he was met by the sight of Vernon Dursley sitting tied up in the wheel chair, purple faced and shouting at his wife. She had a tear stained face that looked red as a ripe tomato where she had been slapped and was being helped up by Remus.

"What is going on here?"

This scene obviously did not please Doctor Asp. Remus explained quietly and quickly while the medics hauled the bellowing Vernon off to a quiet room. Petunia looked breathless and unseeing. When asked what happened, her voice shook with fright and disbelief as she told the tale.

"He does this to Harry all the time…"

Her voice was faint but all of sudden determination scrolled across her face. / Now this is how Lily's sister should be/ Remus thought eagerly. He would help her get out of that house, along with Harry and the ghost. Maybe they could live with him until the got off? / Doubt they would except. Besides I have transformations. It's too dangerous even with wolfs bane serum. /

"I'm not taking him home with me until I have my nephew out!"

Petunia shouted angrily. She now had no intention of taking her husband, soon to be ex, home with her until she was divorced and had Harry OUT of that house!

"Lets make a compromise."

Doctor Asp offered some space at his apartment, free of charge, for her to stay with her nephew. She accepted reluctantly, thinking she might get more of a chance to talk to Remus. So much of the wizarding world she had wanted to know, to ask Lily but was to embarrassed to speak up.

It had been a pleasant surprise to her when she found out the Doctor Asp was a wizard as well as Remus's uncle. Another source of information. It also meant Harry could grow up in a magical environment. God knows how much of Vernon's resentment toward magic had effected him.

He would have killed her if she had told him her secret. The Evans family was once greatly known as the Slytherin descendants, quite powerful. But then, When Grindlewauld came…he felt that they were too powerful and would disrupt his plans of control. So, naturally he sucked the magic right out of them and into himself as well as any relations to him. That included Albus Dumbledore, his grandson.

The Evans Family was forgotten as Purebloods over the years as they could only produce squibs. They could not regain their magic because all thought them muggles. No pureblood those days would TOUCH a muggle much less marry one.

Then came Maria Quans, the last of a pure blood family. Apparently, Lily, being born first, was the one to give birth to a new family of Purebloods. It had been quite a surprise, knowing they're family history, to find their little Lily was in Gryffindor. But they didn't care too much. She was a witch that's all that mattered. Petunia suspected now that she herself was a squib. She would never be able to cast spells.

So, Remus came home with her, begging to see Harry aster so long. He was a little hesitant at having to meet the brat of that Vernon Dursley but if he could see his best friend's son, it was worth it.

Natica gazed in shock. The writing was neat yet script like writing, carved into the mirror like initials on a tree. What it read was even more amazing to him.

"The heirs of the Serpent may speak, but shall they read they shall be true"

It astonished him. A riddle. A snake using a riddle? Petunia, an heir of a Serpent? Meaning his mother as well? It confused him to know end.

Natica spent a few more hours in front of the mirror, examining it and reviewing the text scriptures on it. He was so deep in thought, he almost didn't hear the front door opening.

Snapping to attention, he seeped through the floor and found himself in front of a very alive, very real Remus Lupin. Natica froze up, rigid as a board and tears welling in his eyes. Regaining control of his body, he stumbled backward and flew into the cupboard. Harry was sitting against the far wall, wet streaks over his face. He had believed they had abandoned him. Horror filled Natica's very being, and he scooped Harry to his chest like a loving father would.

"Shhh…I'm sorry I thought you were tired…I didn't want to wake you…"

Harry calmed down a bit, but sobbed silently into Natica's misty blue chest. Natica in return hugged Harry tightly but not enough to reopen wounds.

Remus and Petunia had gotten home with a traumatized Dudley, he had been forced to look through the album of all the cats she had owned and been given STALE bread on his sandwich. When Petunia opened the door he ran up stairs to his room immediately and the sounds of computer combat were heard clearly.

Petunia began to head up stairs but then, Natica flew down through the ceiling in front of Remus. His eyes widened and Petunia saw unshed tears forming. He stumbled, if a ghost can stumble, backwards and into the cupboard with Harry. From inside they heard a small crying and consoling voice.

Remus walked to the cupboard and knocked quietly. There was no answer for a moment but the door creaked open slowly. Peering in Remus fought the need to cry. There was Harry. James's son bandaged heavily in the arms of another who was hugging him in a fatherly embrace.

Natica looked up slowly and Remus felt a sharp pain stab his heart. It was James replica looking back at him through haunted misty eyes. He looks just like JAMES… Petunia was right.

The ghost stood, and his head was sticking up through the stairs. He was avoiding Remus completely and emotionlessly asked Petunia.

"I thought Vernon was coming home today."

Petunia shivered at his tone. It was cold, colder than ice. What was wrong? Why was he suddenly an empty shell?

"Things came up."

Remus answered for her, as she was rather tongue-tied. Natica walked into the hall with Harry still hugging him tightly, refusing to let go. Remus finally got a good look at the man-ghost before him, looking battle weary but strong all the same.

"Natica, this is Remus Lupin. Remus, this is Natica."

Natica still refuse to look at Remus but his eyes welled with tears again, the grief of hearing what he was positive was his own Remus's howling screams of torture still plagued him.

"His Uncle, Doctor Asp, has offered us stay at his apartment for free."

She hesitated a moment and continued speaking.

"Remus was a good friend of my sister and her husband, James Potter."

Natica nodded and clutched Harry closer to his chest, feeling as though he was being ripped apart.

"If…If that's so I must tell you…things…of importance."

He place a kiss on Harry's forehead, and took him into the Den, placing him on the sofa where Natica pulled him into a half sitting half laying down position. Harry was already asleep, having worn himself out from crying. Natica glided into the kitchen followed by Petunia and a reluctant Remus who wanted to stay with Harry but was too overcome with interest in this strange ghost to do so.

"I…I don't really know how to say this but- Petunia, you should be able to guess my name is not Natica by now, am I right?"

Petunia nodded eagerly.

"This will be hard to-to understand but…I'm Harry Potter, from another universe."

Remus and Petunia's mouths fell open in synchrony, oh this would be the start of something beautiful, that it would.

A/N

Natica…Christmas Child

Ince……Innocent

Javan….Angel Of Greece

WOOHOOOOOOO! LONGEST CHAPTER IN A VERY LONG TIME!

PLEASE review! If you don't, DIE! I spent two day working on this, juggling it with my science Fair Project which I finished like, half an hour ago. What is the point of school? Why can't we be born knowing the necessities?

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