A/N: hello all, here's book 3 but my beta's been taking awhile to get the story back to me so i've done what i could to check and re-check the story...if anyone finds something wrong dont be afraid to point it out...but please enjoy :D
Title: Perspectives of a Diverging Path Book 3
Author: nile-reina
Pairings: Undetermined (mostly cannon)
Summary: In a war of Dark versus Light, a prophecy calls for a savior. In the eyes of the magical world one child carries their burdens. But what most do not know, and possibly only a select few who do, this child holds a secret that could change everything. After all, the prophecy did say a power he knows not. Then again, will this unknown power work for them or against them?
Warnings/Disclaimers: Characters belong to J.K. Rowling….Ember is mine….AU setting/alternate time line…Situations of: (includes or may include) violence, character deaths, cannon pairings as in the books (only the adults for now but may change later)…Spoilers of Books 1-7...AU setting
Author Notes: I'm taking the same curve as those out there where Harry has a sibling as a savior, but in this story his twin is actually the savior and young Harry is something completely different that only his twin knows. The Potters are also involved, though not in the normal sense as other stories. I wanted a story where Harry truly isn't the Boy-who-lived and not abused/hated in any way with his family, although his family don't always understand what he does, especially as Harry will follow the line of being in Slytherin and his twin in Gryffindor
Key Code:
Blah: yelling/screaming, Parseltongue
Blah: thoughts, emphasis
/Blah/- Flashbacks, possible voices in Harry's head
"Blah": Mental conversations with the Sorting Hat
Blah-titles, print
Chapter One
Bleary eyes stared out a tiny barred window, so tiny only a sliver of moonlight was able to enter. In his chilly dark corner he curled up, too tired to sleep, let alone crawl to his ratty bed on the other side of his cell. He tried hard to ignore the echoing screams, sobbing tears, and the occasional insane laughter of his fellow inmates. Just as he tried to ignore them, they ignored him during every weak moment he would finally give to his tears of fear and shame or the giggles of a broken man whenever the so called guards swept down the halls.
Dementors.
Oh, how he hated them since the moment he stepped forth upon this barren and desolate island. All because he was tired of being the one his only friends looked down upon.
He wasn't as powerful as them. Or as smart. Or as charming.
So, he decided to change all that.
And change they did.
He found new friends who truly appreciate the skills he had brought them. He rose quickly in the ranks. He was one of the very, very rare few to have special privileges. Because of that, and his skills, he had been very protected on both sides of the coin he played.
Had.
Eyes wearily moved about but always returned to the tiny moon beams. I was. Yes, he had been protected. Until one little mistake. How could they survive! All because the Potter family, parents and children, survived their ambush he had given upon a silver platter he had lost everything he had desired. Everything he had worked so hard to gain. It all ended with a one way trip to the darkest and coldest place among the magical world that even the Dark Lord's followers did their best to avoid. Those unlucky to find such accommodations had delighted in scaring new arrivals or those who came to visit, those who were human and not creature.
But despite only the most fanatical and loyal who found their way to a tiny dirty cell they held to one belief. It was the one thing they had and fought to keep. He was coming.
Giggles tore through his parched throat, stinging as he tried to wet his lips at the same time. Several cells down came more laughter until the cold crept close, cutting their sudden joy of thoughts of their Lord, their Master. Sobs and cries filled the air as their guards drank their fill, visiting each cell, leaving their victims weak and drained.
He felt even more tired as his body fell limp. Hopeful for some small escape, he sobbed as he forced his unresponsive body to crawl upon the cold, stone, dirty floor. All that was left was to lay beneath a ragged blanket and allow his body to finally collapse.
"Such a dreadful place."
He jerked awake, eyes wide as he scrambled to find the woman whom seemed to be by his side, muscles protesting such abuse. Voice raspy from disuse, "W-who?"
She softly laughed, voice full of dark promises, "Once again you end up in the dark. They left you behind just like before. But it was you who began such a journey, coveting what you could not have but saw every day."
He whimpered, burying himself beneath his blanket, desperate to get away from her mocking laughter. "Pathetic then and just as much now." He could almost feel her next to his bed, almost as if she was kneeling down, "But as before your weakness brought you what you coveted."
Creak.
He froze, barely breathing. He almost refused to look but he knew that slow creaking sound. He had heard it once he arrived and many times after every time a new member joined them. Carefully, he peeked over his cloth shield to find his cell door wide open. Stumbling and staggering, tangled with cloth, legs refusing to cooperate, he hurried as fast as he could to the door. Afraid his dream was about to come crashing down, breaking what little spirit he had left, he stopped before the entrance. Trembling and rapidly gasping, he slowly took a single step forward. He froze. A deep breath. A slow step. With each move he was that much closer to freedom. As he reached his goal he felt something wash over him. The wards! His fear almost made him turn when another feeling overwhelmed him. He then knew he could make it, yes.
Without the wards forcing him to stay and an inviting open cell door, he laughed and grinned, insanely happy. His laughter gave way to excited squeaks as his human body suddenly shrunk, forcing itself into the most familiar shape of his Animagus form.
Elated, he scurried forth on tired paws. Hands darted about to try and grasp his furry form but he swiftly evaded them, viciously biting and clawing those too close in his bid for freedom. Moments later he slid through a small hole, traversing the walls with practice ease and instinct to find a chilly moon bright night. Squeaking joyfully, he ran as fast as little stubby legs could afford, determined to get as far as he could from the prison.
Watching from above the prison a lone translucent shadow smirked, "Flee, little rate. This time you will be mine. Now the battle can continue."
"And as they saw before, playing with fire shall burn you. Haven't you learned anything, my greedy student?"
She sneered at the sight of the older wizard. Even after all this time he would not leave her side. "Considering what you would not teach me. I have learned all I desired."
"Yes, yes, but not enough. After all your greed brought upon your demise." He paused, eyes frowning as he remembered, "as well as mine. But yes, the battle continues, the war yet won. We shall see who prevails this time."
**Potter Secret Hideaway**
"James!"
Said wizard flew into the kitchen as his wife's scream, fear and panic settling in as a fleeting thought told him he was quite happy for once that Ember was with friends and Harry was off to a House mate's manor. "Lily?"
A white faced Lily Potter sat collapsed in a chair while one of their fellow friends patted her shoulder, as if to comfort her, while a tired looking man perused a crumbled newspaper. All three men flinched as her sobs went from nearly quiet to loud.
Worried even more now, James took the offered paper, hands shaking. Riiiiiip! After three people roughly handling it, the paper could no longer withstand such abuse before being shredded. Pettigrew Vanishes Under Ministry Wards! "No," he dropped in a suddenly appearing chair with a sobbed whisper, "how?"
"The Ministry is still investigating. No one knows what happened. Somehow the cell door to Pete..," Sirius flinched as he realized what name he was about to utter, "Pettigrew's was wide open and the wards intact but he was missing. No one knows how but he was able to flee the very wards that had kept him locked away for almost thirteen years. His magical signature had appeared outside Azkaban proves he made it and vanished using his Animagus form. It was the only way for him to escape the patrolling Dementors and guards stationed outside as well as inside."
"But…"
Remus Lupin interrupted James before he could as or Sirius could continue, "His magical signature showed he was still inside as he crossed the wards but vanished after that. It was the only way for him to be able to leave the wards without either dying or collapsing from the pain without consent from the Ministry. Even the tracking charms, upon his signature and various clothing items, vanished. Aurors can't track him anymore."
"But the wards shouldn't have allowed him to leave! We had the blood wards up!"
"We know. But he slipped past them. Not one ward was dismantled nor were they altered in any way. Not one alarm went off until after he made it past the walls of Azkaban where his signature had suddenly appeared."
"Who would let that rat out!" Lily was now beyond hysterical. She was fuming with fury and fear.
"We don't know. No other Death Eater had been freed. So whoever did it has an agenda needing only Pettigrew."
Stunned silence echoed in the kitchen. They knew this wasn't good. As far as the children were concerned, Peter Pettigrew had no place or memory in their lives. They knew someone had tried to set up the attack that Halloween night but James, Lily, and Sirius had been unwilling to tell them who was the mastermind. Remus tried to tell them to give up the truth, but as far as they were concerned, Peter Pettigrew died the same day he betrayed his three best friends as well as James' family.