Part I, Chapter II

October 31st, 1995

Great Hall, Hogwarts

"Dark Lord Potter Still at Large," the Daily Prophet headline read. Nathan sighed. Over three months ago, his brother had vanished from Ministry custody. Suspicion had immediately fallen on him, Harry Potter's only public supporter. He had tried everything in his power to get his brother at least a trial before he was tossed into Azkaban, but his efforts only seemed to make matters worse. He had been labeled "the Dark Lord's Right Hand," and was nearly sent to Azkaban himself. Eventually, though, the masses bought Dumbledore's story of him being under the Imperius curse.

Regardless, the Ministry of Magic had questioned him extensively when Harry had disappeared. Eventually, they gave up, for not even Veritaserum gave them the answers they desired.

"Dark Lord, indeed," Nathan said to himself with a sneer. "Pathetic sheep, the lot of them!"

-o-

Atrium, Ministry of Magic

Meanwhile, in the Ministry of Magic building, Albus Dumbledore was walking back through the Atrium after yet another meeting with Minister Fudge. To date, they had yet to recapture the newest Dark Lord.

He sighed sadly. How had he failed them so badly? He should have known Harry Potter was going Dark. Lily and James had been horrified that one of their children had fallen from grace, fallen so far as to control his own brother's mind to unwillingly serve as his lieutenant.

Unfortunately, there had been no luck in finding this newest threat to their utopia. There hadn't even been any sightings since the Ministry had decided to fine one galleon for each false report.

As he neared the exit floo, Dumbledore saw a large group of people enter from the other elevator. He nodded his head in greeting, then stopped in horror. They wore white masks in a skull motif. When he looked up to confirm his fear, he gasped in horror.

Any who had fought in the Blood War would immediately recognize the figure at the head of this force. The ashen skin, crimson eyes, and serpent-like visage were very distinct. Harry Potter had not lied. Lord Voldemort had risen from the dead.

With this thought, another took hold, a thought that terrified him more than the idea that the darkest wizard in recent history walked the earth again. If Harry Potter had not lied about Voldemort's return...

"Have you figured it out yet, old man?" Voldemort asked with a smirk, wand twirling lazily through his fingers.

"Have I figured what out, Tom?" Dumbledore asked, feigning calm. If Riddle was implying what he suspected he was – but no. He couldn't be!

"The real murderer of the Diggory spawn, of course! I must say, it was ever so helpful of you to send him away, the only witness to my return."

So it was true, Dumbledore thought morosely. He had condemned an innocent child to Azkaban, and hadn't even given the boy a farce of a trial.

"Indeed, it was most helpful..." Voldemort declared triumphantly, holding aloft a small glass orb, no bigger than his fist, with coils of mist clouding its interior. A small parchment tag trailed below it, secured by a thin string. With horrified eyes, Dumbledore gazed upon the small orb in Voldemort's palm. The prophecy!

"Absolute rubbish, Dumbledore. I can't believe we were both decieved by that bumbling old fool." With that, the Dark Lord dropped the sphere to the ground. The glass orb shattered into tiny shards, barely bigger than a wood splinter apiece. The mist faded away, only a memory now, held within the minds of those who remembered its contents.

"Now, Dumbledore, prepare to die. AVADA KEDAVRA!"

The Headmaster barely dodged the jet of green light in time. In response, he sent a tongue of flame at his opponent. The Death Eaters made to attack, but their Master halted them with a cry, and hurled another curse at Dumbledore.

The duel continued for several minutes. At some point, Aurors arrived into the Atrium, engaging the Death Eaters in skirmishes around the room. By the eighth minute of dueling, however, Dumbledore was visibly tiring. Only the arrival of another battalion of Aurors, accompanied by Madame Bones and Minister Fudge, averted his otherwise-inevitable defeat.

Voldemort snarled. He knew an unwinnable fight when he saw one. "Retreat!" He and his minions vanished into the wind, taking advantage of the temporarily-lowered wards that allowed the Aurors to bring reinforcements into the building.

When the last of the Death Eaters had vanished, and he had recovered his breath, Dumbledore announced, "We have made a grave error. Voldemort, during the duel, confessed to me the real identity of Cedric Diggory's murderer."

Fudge said, "See here, Dumbledore – we all know Potter killed the boy!"

"We were wrong, Cornelius," the aging Headmaster said solemnly. "We were wrong."

-o-

November 2nd, 1995

Potter Manor

Lily Potter nee Evans walked into the dining room, cup of tea in hand. She trudged over to the window and paid the owl, who obediently dropped the day's paper on the counter. Lily picked up the roll, and set it on the table. Tiredly, sat down, and unfurled the roll. When she saw the headline, she screamed.

"He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named Returns! Harry Potter Not Guilty of Murder!"

"Peace, little brother," Nathan whispered with a sad smile when he saw the news. "Now you can live your life in peace."