Harry Potter and the Dark Heir
By Lady Paradox
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and affiliates do not belong to me nor do I claim credit for them or claim any financial gain from this fan fiction.
AN: Hi guys, here we go with another new chapter. Hopefully this will live up to your expectations, but it's hard to know them when you don't review…
Chapter Three:
Harry watched his father's eyes carefully, seeing his hazel eyes widen in shock behind the thin frames of his glasses. Seeing this, Harry confirmed to himself that his counterpart in this world must be vastly different. His father being alive, the Harry of this world probably had no connection to Voldemort, so his parents must have taken care of him. With proper nutrition, this world's Harry must have been able to fully develop, unlike his own skinny and petite body.
"Explain" said James Potter, staring Harry down.
Quickly, Harry launched into the story of his life, starting with the fact that he was from another world and ending with following Sirius through the veil and being discovered by the Aurors. Finishing his story, Harry looked up to see his father deep in thought. Seeing this, Harry wondered what event of the past had caused the differences between this world and his world. While thinking, he unconsciously started fiddling with the neck of his cloak, it suddenly becoming too tight.
While contemplating his thoughts, Harry failed to notice those same hazel eyes he was watching before narrow in unrestrained rage.
Barely moving, James raised his wand from behind the desk without alerting Harry and silently cast Incarcerous.
Harry was thoroughly surprised by the ropes that appeared out of thin air and bound him to the chair. Shocked, he looked up at his father to see that James had risen out of his chair and circled around the desk, stopping right in front of Harry. Harry watched as James stooped down and stared into his eyes. Looking straight back, he finally noticed the rage and hatred in James' eyes.
Opening his mouth, James spoke quietly, each word dripping with ire, "Give me one reason I shouldn't throw you in Azkaban right now."
Bewildered by the strange behavior exhibited by his father, Harry spoke quickly, "I'm your son!"
"You're not my son!" James yelled furiously, surprising Harry by backhanding him across his face.
"I'm your son! I'm from another universe! I know its crazy but you have to believe me!" exclaimed Harry. He tried to stare into his father's eyes to convey his honesty, but the tears of pain and confusion from the backhand blurred his eyesight.
"Lies! You're a Death Eater aren't you! Voldemort's mocking me! But you're not even close to my real son, you're just an imposter, a fake!" Yelled James, his mood becoming more unstable by the moment.
Harry looked at his father with frightened eyes, seeing the slight madness behind the darkening hazel eyes.
"You have to believe me! I know things about you that no one else does!"
"There's nothing about me that you said that no one else knows."said James, sneering at the bound Harry.
"Its hard to know your secrets when everything I know about you is from the words of others." Countered Harry.
"Convenient for you isn't it Death Eater!" snarled James.
"Everything I said is true! How else would I get a new key from Gringotts!" reasoned Harry.
James contemplated the thought over, how had the boy opened the vault?
"Voldemort must have tricked the goblin with dark magic. You didn't even get into the main vault, you just got into my son's trust fund."
"Everyone tells me I look like you! With mom's eyes!"
Gripping Harry's chin, James turned his head from side to side. "Hmm… A modified Polyjuice Potion? How did you get my hair Death Eater?"
"I'm not a Death Eater! I'm your son!"
"Stop saying that!" yelled James, dropping Harry's chin and towering over his bound form. Anger fueling every movement, James raised his wand and forcefully pressed it into the hollow of Harry's neck.
Harry looked down the wand and at the holder, more than slightly alarmed. Looking up, he saw the murderous intent on his father's face and grew afraid for his own life. Feeling frustrated by the unfolding of events, Harry couldn't help but release a single tear of hopelessness.
James stiffened at the sight of the boy's tear. Seeing those familiar green eyes filled with helplessness, James felt his anger slowly drain away. He lowered his wand and kneeled in front of the teen, who he realized was only a child. Pushing up the boy's left sleeve, James was relieved when he found it unmarked. Feeling unafraid of an unarmed boy, James stood up and released him from his bonds. Staring at the wall behind the teen, James noticed that the high quality sneakoscope Moody had given to him had been entirely silent the whole time. Knowing that Mad Eye's vigilance would never be amiss, James realized that the teen had to truly believe the story he was telling to be able to trick the sneakoscope.
"Go to St. Mungo's and get your memory checked out. Voldemort probably toyed with your mind." Said James in a dismissive voice, gesturing at Harry to leave as if he had never threatened him.
Harry's hope of being accepted fell at the dismissive tone in James' voice. Burying his emotions, he reached into his pocket and placed an unmarked envelope softly onto James' desk.
"Blood never lies. Remember that. These are the results of a paternity potion I used. You know this parchment can't be faked. When you're ready to accept the truth, send me an owl." Harry said dejectedly, trying not to let his voice shake.
Looking once more at his father who carried on as if he didn't hear him, Harry turned and walked towards the door. He crossed the office quickly and turned the doorknob, opening the door silently. Harry paused for a moment to regain his thoughts.
"There's a vanishing cabinet in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office. It leads straight to Borgin and Burkes. That's how they got in." he uttered, before exiting and shutting the door quietly.
Harry silently cursed as he traveled out of the Minister's office and toward the atrium to regain his wand. Furiously wiping away the tears on his cheeks, he once again berated himself for trying to interfere with this world. With his hopes of getting to know his father shattered, a confused and hurt Harry promised himself that he would go find Sirius as soon as possible and escape the false hope this world had supplied.
Moving quickly through the lines to reclaim his wand, Harry walked across the atrium and exited the ministry. This would be the last time anyone would learn his name. Harry vowed to go unnoticed and not affect the lives of this world's Potters.
Harry walked away from the telephone booth and headed towards the entrance of Diagon Alley. He had decided to become untraceable so that the ministry wouldn't be able to find him before he had a chance to locate Sirius and figure out a way home. With this thought in mind, Harry entered the Leaky Cauldron with the idea of buying a black market wand, which was only available in Knockturn Alley.
After tapping on the bricks in the correct order and seeing the wall open up another time, Harry was slightly surprised by the numerous amount of people walking the streets, much more then he had seen in the past few days. Looking around, Harry noticed that most of the groups on the street were families that included Hogwarts students. Mentally calculating in his head, Harry realized that it was the third day after the school term had ended. Most likely the homecoming of the students resulted in the family outings.
Walking along the street and blending in effortlessly, Harry felt almost at home among the crowds. Looking around at the hustle and bustle, he was pleased to notice that the kind Mr. Fortescue's ice cream parlour was much busier then he had seen it in the past few days. Feeling at ease by the positive attitude in the air and the warm sunny day, Harry decided that he would treat himself to a scoop of ice cream.
Crossing towards the street towards the shop, Harry reached for the doorknob just as a loud crack sounded throughout the street. Turning around in response to the loud noise Harry heard the pops of people apparating in and saw the forms of Death Eaters, causing him to instinctively dive into the nearest alley.
From the shadows of his hiding spot, Harry watched in horror as dozens of Death Eaters appeared, the sound of their apparition drowned out the sounds of the people looking and muttering around in confusion. Before Harry could form another thought, the first wave of Death Eaters began their attack of the innocent civilians populating the streets. In the blink of an eye, pandemonium had taken over.
Harry crouched in shock as he saw the peaceful scene from before devolve into a scene of absolute chaos. Biting his lip, Harry was conflicted because he felt that he should be helping get the people out of the area, his 'hero complex' acting up again. Yet he had just promised himself he would lay low in this world. Pulling out his wand, Harry was ready to forget his reservations and jump into battle when the sound of more loud cracks in the air made Harry freeze. Looking up, he was relived to see that the Aurors had arrived. Confident in the abilities of the ministry to protect as it had been doing since Voldemort's rise, Harry felt the need to help start to disappear and instead, he poured his energy into looking for a way to get out of the alley unnoticed. Looking out at the scene of the battle, Harry decided it would be safer if he followed the alley down to another area, hopefully one that was less populated.
Moving through the shadows of the alley, Harry tried to get the feeling of unease he felt from walking away from the battle out of his chest. Shaking his head a couple times, he tried to feel relieved that Voldemort himself had not deigned this battle important enough to participate in.
Reaching the end of the alley, Harry peered out carefully. He sighed in relief when he found that this part of Diagon Alley was relatively clear. Stepping out of the shadows, Harry was ready to start running towards the nearest exit when a deafening scream stopped him in his tracks. Looking around frantically, Harry caught sight of a single Death Eater dragging a teenaged girl down another alley by her hair. Because of the nearby fighting, it seemed like no one else had noticed.
Quickly reaching a decision, Harry ignored all his apprehensions about getting involved and ran over to the alley the two had disappeared down. Reaching the entrance, he caught sight of the Death Eater and hurriedly cast an expelliarmus at the dark figure. Hit from the back, the Death Eater never saw the spell coming, so his wand went flying out of his hand and fell at Harry's feet. The Death Eater spun around but before he caught sight of Harry's face, Harry shot a stunner off.
When Harry saw the Death Eater crumple, he carefully moved toward the body. Taking a firm hold, Harry took the mask off the Death Eater, fully prepared to recognize the face. When it revealed an unknown man, Harry was slightly relieved. Stepping over the collapsed Death Eater at his feet, Harry walked over to the still figure of the girl. When he got closer, he raised one hand shakily and laid two fingers on her neck, searching for a pulse. After a few tense moments, he found it and breathed a sigh in relief. Swiftly standing up, he picked up the man's wand and pocketed it so that he could not use it when he woke up. After moving to the end of the alley, he cast a rennervate at the girl and quickly left so she wouldn't see him.
Stepping back onto the main street, Harry realized he was still holding the man's mask and was about to toss it when he heard the sound of fighting get closer. Not wanting to be recognized, Harry put the mask on in impulse, pulling up his hood and turning around to face the newcomers. Assessing the situation, Harry realized that the battle had carried over to the obscure alley because a figure in Auror robes was retreating down the street towards him. Following the Auror and casting curses were two Death Eaters.
As they got closer, Harry was able to recognize the figure as Tonks. Not too surprised that she had decided to become an Auror in this world as well, Harry was proud to see her holding her own against the two Death Eaters. Nobody in the world moved quite like Tonks. She fought in such a way that she effortlessly dodged all the curses flying around by seeming to clumsily move around. Harry had never paid her dueling much notice before, but the way she purposefully fell around to confuse her attackers made him realize how she had qualified for the Auror program in the first place.
Watching the battle so closely, Harry forgot about the girl in the alley. When she came too, she staggered out of the alley and catching sight of Harry, she drew in breath sharply, gasping. Her frightened noise alerted Harry to her presence and he spun around to reassure her that he wasn't going to hurt her. Unfortunately, her gasp was loud enough to draw Tonks' attention to them, and she immediately raced over to save the teen from Harry.
Seeing the anger in Tonks' face, Harry instinctively took a step away from the girl. He realized that Tonks probably thought he was a Death Eater by the way he was dressed. From her icy cold eyes and stoic face, Harry knew he wouldn't be getting any mercy.
But in her haste to save the girl, Tonks let her guard down. Taking advantage of the situation, the Death Eater on the right raced forward and cast a curse at Tonks which she was able to sense and dodge. In a split second, the other Death Eater cast a killing curse at the teenage girl, knowing Tonks would try to save her. As predicted, Tonks dove forward, knocking the girl out of the way.
Seeing the killing curse move towards Tonks, Harry felt time slow as he quickly swished his wand and cast Accio Tonks. His charm pulled Tonks towards him and out of the way of the curse. What Harry hadn't counted on was her flying at him much too fast to stop and crashing into him, pushing them both onto the ground. Acting on adrenaline, Harry quickly cast two stunners as he fell down.
When the two hit the ground, Harry groaned in pain as his body cushioned Tonks' fall. He quickly recovered and frantically looked around over her shoulder for the two Death Eaters. What he saw made him anxious. He spotted one of the Death Eaters on the ground, hit by his stunner, but the other was no where to be seen.
Suddenly, Harry heard a gruff voice cast a spell he couldn't recognize and he reachted by pushing Tonks off him and to the side, while rolling off in the other direction. Harry was rewarded by his quick action when he saw the curse miss him by mere inches, instead shattering the cobblestone of the street.
Getting to his feet as soon as possible, Harry looked around and saw that Tonks had been rolled over near the girl, who was cowering in fear. Crouched protectively in front of her, Tonks looked at Harry and gave him a searching look.
Harry looked away, avoiding her gaze. He was about to leave the situation in Tonks' capable hands when another curse shot past him, grazing his ear.
The previous Death Eater was in front of him, in customary dueling postion.
"Who are you?" said the Death Eater, snarling at him.
Without saying a word, Harry bowed in tradition, before quickly whipping his wand around and casting an expelliarmus. The man easily dodged Harry's curse, sending a crucio back in retaliation. Ducking the spell, Harry rolled away from the man and to the left, behind a large barrel. From behind his hiding place, Harry stopped to catch his breath, when the girl's scream sent a chill down his spine. He had left Tonks and the girl out in the open! Looking out carefully, Harry then noticed that Tonks leg was bleeding and she had lost her wand in the scuffle. She was holding the girl's wand, but there was no guarantee how well the wand would work in her hands.
The Death Eater was standing a couple of meters away from them and Tonks was staring up at him from her crouched position. When syllables of another curse started coming out of the Death Eater's mouth, Harry impulsively tumbled forward, shielding Tonks and the girl. Quickly moving his wand in the correct movements, Harry cast a desperate Protego.
Harry closed his eyes in expectation of the curse and was relieved when he felt the curse hit his shield and rebound back at the Death Eater. Surprised by Harry's sudden appearance, the man didn't have time to dodge the curse, and the rebound hit him straight on. Harry watched in repulsion as the man started to spasm when he fell to the ground from his curse.
Getting up, he approached the man carefully, before getting close enough to stun him. Pulling off the man's mask, Harry was surprised to see one of the Lestrange brothers. Putting the thought out of his head, Harry was relieved to have survived the short duel, before his blood ran cold at the feel of a wand at the back of his neck.
"I thank you for saving us, but you're still a Death Eater." Said Tonks' voice evenly.
Contemplating his situation in his head, Harry knew that he couldn't afford to be caught. Using what he knew about Tonks, Harry spun to the right in his crouched position, pushing Tonks' arm away from him at the same time. With her momentarily distracted, He sprinted past her and into the dark alley the girl had taken into. Running as fast as he could, Harry saw flashes of light pass him, barely missing as he weaved his way down the alley. With Tonks' leg, Harry hoped she couldn't keep up with him.
After running for ten minutes, Harry slowed to a stop and cautiously looked around. When he determined that he was safe, Harry allowed himself to sit down in the dank alley to regain his breath. Breathing hard, Harry took off his Death Eater mask and shrunk it, before putting it into his pocket.
Extremely tired from the emotional and physical trials of the day, Harry rested for a few more minutes before standing up and walking along the alleys in a daze, somehow finding an exit to Diagon Alley. Yet, there was one more obstacle to his exit. There was an Auror guarding the exit of the alley. Gathering his nerve, Harry used his small frame to his benefit, succeeding in tricking the guard into thinking he was a young kid who had lost his way. Surprised when the guard brushed him off, he found his way back to his room at the Muggle inn where he immediately collapsed on the bed.
Harry didn't wake up until the next afternoon when his need for food overtook his tiredness. After having a quick meal at a restaurant next to the inn, Harry returned to his room to continue his alternate universe research.
Putting aside the book about his father's rise to power, Harry reached for the book he had abandoned. Opening the book to the part where he had gotten confused, Harry started reading. Sitting on the floor near his bed, Harry was so engrossed in the book that he almost didn't hear the incessant tapping on his window. Looking up, he saw an owl carrying what looked to be a newspaper.
Confused as to why the owl was delivering to him, Harry still opened the window and let the owl in. Giving the owl a sorry look for having nothing to offer it, Harry took the newspaper from its' claws before it flew away.
Perplexed by the events and a bit weary, Harry unrolled the newspaper and read the front page.
Death Eater Saves Auror and Girl
By Anson Cooper
Late in the Afternoon yesterday, a group of forty Death Eaters stormed Diagon Alley, surprising the many shoppers and families looking for a day of relaxation. Apparating in after breaking the Anti-Apparation wards, their appearance creates much dismay at the weaknesses in our defenses. But due to the new Auror response system, within minutes, the Aurors had been dispatched and had forced the Death Eaters to retreat.
Most surprising is the story of a young girl who was caught in the attack. She describes that a Death Eater had captured her and dragged her into an alley where she had fainted from panic. When she came to, the Death Eater was at her feet, stunned. Exiting the alley, she was met with another Death Eater. Yet, when a nearby Auror came to save her, they were ambushed by another two Death Eaters. Unexpectedly, the first Death Eater proceeded to save the girl and the Auror from the other two. After doing so, the Auror attempted to apprehend the Death Eater but he managed to escape. "He saved me," comments the girl, who could only describe the Death Eater's vivid green eyes. "He looked at me like he didn't want to be there, with desperation in his eyes." The Auror in question had no comment.
One of the apprehended criminals from the altercation is Rodolphus Lestrange, suspected to be a member of You-Know-Who's inner circle. This is one of the first captures of an inner circle Death Eater in years.
"The ministry's policy is to apprehend all suspected criminals" commented Head of the Auror Office, Rufus Scrimgeour. This reporter dares question this action. It is not unheard of, in dark times, for vigilantes to form. Most possibly, this man could be an infiltrator into the Dark Army. Upon hearing the story, whispers among the public of a 'Guardian Knight' have emerged. Is this the sign of a change in the war that the public has been waiting for?
For a continuation of the story and a list of casualties in yesterday's attack, please turn to page A7. Also on page A7, Sightings of the Dark Heir, Fact or Fiction?
Finishing the article, Harry cursed when he realized what the attack had done. It would be nearly impossible to lie low in the wizarding world after such a spectacle. Everyone would be on alert for strangers and suspicious people, constantly questioning each other. There was no way he could keep entering and leaving the ministry archives without being questioned. It was not as if his green eyes were common. As someone who was not supposed to exist in this world, he would be captured and treated as a fugitive.
Fugitive! Harry yelled in his mind. Why hadn't he thought of that before! The perfect place for him to lay low right now was at Grimmauld Place, where Sirius had laid low the entire year. Sirius must have returned there when he appeared in this world, Harry thought to himself.
His energy renewed with his plans, Harry got up and started gathering all his things together, putting it all in his pocket. Making sure he left no trace behind, he paid the inn keeper and took the train to Kings Cross.
Exiting the train, Harry tried to be as inconspicuous as possible, making sure he was not followed. Walking the twenty minute trek to his godfather's house, he hoped that Sirius had come to the same idea as him.
Upon reaching the street where Grimmauld was located, Harry was dismayed when the building did not immediately appear to him. Of course it didn't show up! Harry thought to himself almost immediately. It must be under Fidelius.
Seeing no way of getting into the house without being included in the secrecy charm, Harry, feeling dismayed, took a seat on the curb between Number 11 and Number 13, facing the street.
Maybe Sirius is already inside? Harry thought to himself, latching onto this thought and resolving to sit outside until Sirius appeared.
Deep within his thoughts, Harry didn't notice as Number Twelve appeared out of thin air, pushing aside the other two houses. Its magical door opened and a figure exited the building.
"James?" said the figure, going down the steps and towards Harry.
The voice broke Harry's concentration and he turned around to catch sight of his godfather.
Grinning at the sight of his godfather, Harry was unprepared for the stunner that came his way.