Seeing Double

Aillil prompt: Potter/Dresden, looking a lot alike

*In which I experiment with Harry Dresden and 1st Person. A sort of 'what if' AU in which Harry Potter has lost, but is still alive - and wanted - by Lord Voldemort.*

It begins with a call at three AM.

"Harry Dresden," Murphy says without a hello, "tell me you've never been to Europe."

"Never been there," I grunt, "thinking about moving there now." Longingly, I look to my bedroom. It isn't much, but it's mine, and tucked into bed is where all good little wizards should be this late at night.

"Do you have a twin brother?" Murphy persists; I rub my brow a headache itching behind my eyes.

"What is this, twenty questions past twelve? No I do not have a twin brother." I leave out the fact that I do have an older half brother, but then – no one but me needs to know about Thomas.

"Dresden," Murphy says strained and sharp, "nights like this I really wish you had a TV." I know I'm not going to like what I hear next.

"On the news overseas it's saying that magic and wizards and witches, it's all real, all on a broadcast – and they've come out as nobles, royalty, and their leader – they call him Lord Voldemort: he's issued a reward, dead or alive, for a Harry Potter. He….he, I swear, looks just like you." Murphy is shaken, and I all I can think is circles of oh shit, and the High Council is going to kill me. Which makes no sense, but anyone who makes sense at three AM isn't sane.

And magic has never favored the sane.

Then the door is knocked on, hard, loud, demanding. I recognize that knock. It's just my luck.

"Thanks for the heads up, someone at the door – got to go, good night Murphy." I hang up before any sort of explanation can be demanded of me, or I can be cursed at.

"You need to see this." Thomas says as I open the door, as he's gotten the memo that no one says hello anymore. Without a by your leave, I get dragged into a car that makes me jittery, my magic I rein in like rope tying it off and hoping not to screw something up in the machine. Thomas would not thank me for it. The car looks very new and fancy, and has one of those little flat screen TVs in it.

I watch. If my mouth is hanging open unattractively toward the end, Thomas isn't the sort to say something impolite about it.

"What do we do?" He asks, as if it's any other problem we can work out together. This would be thought to be a little out of my lead, if I wasn't what I was – a Warden of the White Council - a wizard, and – apparently – this Harry Potter's look alike.

"Well, we're already at war." I muse, because it's true and with how much going on between anyone with or connected to magic, it's hard to keep track.

"We're going to get him out?" Thomas asks, as if it's a stupid idea, but one he expected. I want to ask, what's with this "we", but know better then to ask – Thomas won't rest (and certainly won't let me out of his sight) until we've cleared this up and no one is going after me, the wrong Harry. There are big advantages to having a half brother who is an incubus lord of the White Court. You can move things quickly when the need arises - I've never been to Europe, but even if no planes are flying, I'll be there before tomorrow morning.

"Duh, don't you want to meet him?" Thomas smiles in affirmative, and I nod final agreement.

Wizards we – well, I –just can't help my curiosity.