A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed!

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These dreams go on when I close my eyes
Every second of the night I live another life

Alternate Universes

Chapter I: Dreams

Harry Potter's parents were dead. There was no doubt about that. Lily and James Potter had died tragically in a car crash with a drunk driver when he was only one year old. Having no other family, young Harry was sent to live with the Dursleys, his aunt and uncle and their son.

His relatives were perfectly normal muggles. His uncle Vernon did maintenance work for the apartment complex they lived in. His aunt Petunia was a cleaning lady for a local wizarding family. His cousin Dudley was just a little older than Harry.

When they were young, Harry and Dudley would help aunt Petunia at her job, but when they reached the age of seven, it was time for them to start preparing for their own futures. Dudley went with his father to be an apprentice. Harry, much to the surprise of everyone that knew him, was chosen by the Ministry of Magic to work for them. Therefore, he was to be given an education (or at least a better education that normal muggles received). The Dursleys were of course proud of their nephew and threw a small party for him.

At the age of sixteen, after receiving a meager education, Harry graduated and went to work at the Ministry of Magic. His family was very pleased (aside from pride for Harry, they knew that Ministry muggles were paid slightly better, and they would be able to live slightly a better lifestyle) and celebrated again.

Harry wasn't happy, though. For all his education, he was little more than an errand boy. An errand boy who had to be emotionless in the face of wizards taunted and mocked him. Worse than that, he knew he only got to go school, so that visiting foreign wizards we not see how bad muggles were treated by the ruler of the British empire, Lord Voldemort.

There was one more thing about Harry's life that bothered him, but he couldn't talk about it with anyone. He didn't think his family would understand how unnerved he was by the nightmares that plagued him.

Harry had been haunted by his nightmares for as long as he could remember. At first, they were of his family. In them, they lived in a nice house, but they beat and starved and hated Harry. Then, when Harry was eleven, his nightmares took a bizarre and a far more disturbing turn. He started dreaming that he was a wizard. A wizard who's whole existence seemed to be to serve as a target to Lord Voldemort. He also dreamt of witches and wizards he didn't know or know of, but who felt like family to.

Harry sometimes felt as though he would burst if he didn't tell the Dursleys, but he knew they would laugh at him. Them, hate Harry? They idea was laughable! Everyone knew that no family loved their nephew more than the Dursleys loved Harry. They would put it down to Harry having a vivid imagination.

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It was a cold December day and an eighteen-year old Harry Potter wrapped his coat around him as tight as he could as he hurried home. His day had been a disaster and he wanted to get home as soon as possible.

It had all begun when a nobleman, by the name of Thomas Nott, had come into the Department of Records, where Harry had been working that day. Thomas Nott was one of Lord Voldemort most trusted advisors, part of a group that had been given the rather spooky name of "Death Eaters."

His visit was innocent enough. He came looking for the records of a wizard Lord Voldemort was considering promoting to Death Eater status. The wizened old warlock that was Harry's superior sent him to find the records while he chatted with Nott.

When Harry returned, he made the mistake of commented on the wizard (who he knew in passing) and said that he hoped that Lord Voldemort liked him. He had earned a dose of the Cruciatus curse, which caused him unimaginable pain. Muggles were never to speak to wizards unless spoken to and no one was to refer to the Dark Lord as "Lord Voldemort."

It was what happened afterwards that distressed Harry the most. Nott was about to (literally) kill Harry when Harry's own supervisor stopped him.

"Behave yourself," he said. "You'll catch Hell for killing this one," he said. "The Dark Lord picked him out himself."

Understandably alarmed, Harry ran out of the Ministry as soon as his shift was over, his mind still reeling at the words of boss. Is it true, he wondered. Did Lord Voldemort really want me to work for the Ministry? And why me? I've never even seen the man!

He couldn't help wondering if his nightmares had something to do with it. But that was silly! His dreams couldn't possibly have any significance to anybody but himself. Still, it was unusual. He decided that, after seven years, it was time to tell his relatives about his nightmares. He'd do it as soon as he got home.

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Looking back, Harry would never know what possessed him to do what he did. He was nearly home when he spotted a woman in a struggle with two wizards, probably members of the wizarding police known as "Aurors."

The sensible thing would have been for him to keep walking. I didn't concern him. He didn't know the women. Though she did look familiar...

"Oh, damn it all!" he muttered to himself. He had to help. He didn't know why, but he was sure this woman, whoever she was, was innocent and the aurors were in the wrong.

Harry started looking around for something he could use as a weapon. This was muggle London after all. The slums. There was always some trash around that he could use to fight with.

Spying a small pipe on the ground, Harry picked it up and snuck behind the aurors. Signaling to the women not to say anything (though he didn't think she noticed him at all), he brought the pipe down on one of the wizards with all of his strength, killing him. The second wizard turned around to see who had attacked his partner, giving the women the opportunity she needed. She raised her wand (which Harry had just noticed she had) and muttered words that Harry knew all too well. He had seen the green light that shot of her wand before, used against muggles he had known. She had killed the second wizard.

"Thanks," she said hurriedly. "Now let's get out of here."

Not waiting for Harry to react, she grabbed Harry's hand and ran, dragging him along behind.

"Where are we going," he asked as they ran through and alleyway.

"To my flat to pick up a few things. Then, out of London."

Harry was confused, but not because of what she said. He couldn't be sure, but he thought the woman's hair was blond, but now that they were out the alley, it looked mousy brown. He must have been mistaken.

By this time, they were out of muggle London and in wizarding London. Harry, who, aside from the Ministry, had been there, marveled at the sight of it. This section wasn't the nicest part of the city, but it was still much nicer than Harry's neighborhood. There was no smog, for one thing. It was cleaner, too. Harry couldn't see any trash on the ground.

The woman led him to an apartment building and took around to back. She climbed up the fire escape.

"Are you coming or what?"

Harry obediently followed her up the ladder and through a window which led into a bedroom with two small beds. She took into the main room, a large room which appeared to be used as both a dining room and a living room. The divide was a couch that was next a table.

Once they were inside her flat, Harry thought they were able to breathe a bit easier. It was late, nearly eleven, and Harry didn't think anyone had seen them. They needed to keep moving, but he was confident they could escape.

The woman wasn't. She had a much better idea of what the aurors were capable of. It wouldn't be long before they were alerted. She could only hope that they had trouble tracking her and her companion.

Despite her panic, she never lost a step and never lost control. She had been trained to think on her feet and she knew what to do in such situations. She grabbed a bag and put it on the table.

"Here, help me pack. We can't stay long."

Again not waiting for his answer, she ran of and came back with things for him to put in the bag. Then she would run off again. If Harry's head wasn't spinning with recent events, he might have realized that the bag wasn't getting any fuller.

"That's the last of it," she said, handing Harry a lighter and an aerosol can. Her hair had changed again. There was no mistaking it this time. It was now pink and spiked.

"By the way, my name is-"

"Tonks," he said, cutting her off. "Nymphadora Tonks."

Tonks looked shocked and Harry was sheepish.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot you don't like your name."

"H-how do you know my name?"

He didn't get a chance to answer. Three more aurors burst into the flat. They had their wands trained on Harry and Tonks.

"Drop the wand and put your hands where we can see them!"

TO BE CONTINUED...

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