November 3rd, 1995

Diagon Alley, London

"Mr Potter! Katherine Nott, Daily Prophet. What's your opinion on You-Know-Who's return?"

"Mr. Potter! Adam Brown, Wizarding Wireless Network. Now that the truth is known, what are your thoughts?"

"Mr Potter! – "

"QUIET!" Nathan shouted angrily from the steps of Gringotts Bank. "You want to know what has been running through my head since Voldemort announced his return?" He asked harshly. "I've been thinking that if my brother had had the common courtesy of a trial, this could all have been avoided. An innocent child would not have been condemned to Azkaban Prison, Voldemort would not have been able to build up his forces, and perhaps maybe even been eliminated in a matter of weeks after his return.

"But no. You had to have your scapegoat! YOU, not the Minister of Magic, not Albus Too-Many-Titles Dumbledore, YOU. You called for my brother's imprisonment, trial or no, guilty or innocent. You may have doomed us all..."

He savored the stunned silence for a moment as he walked to the apparation point, and then stopped short. 'I... I don't usually enjoy yelling at people... so why-?' He shook his head to empty his thoughts. He could deal with... whatever that was... later.

-o-

Albus Dumbledore held his head in his hands. After his duel with Voldemort a few days prior, he had delved into his pensieve, and reviewed the prophecy to see why Voldemort claimed it to be 'absolute rubbish.' What he had seen shook him to the core. He had been wrong. Nathan was not the prophesied savior destined to defeat Riddle. It was his twin brother, the twin brother that had been betrayed by all but a few people he knew.

How could he have missed the signs? In hindsight, they seemed so obvious! An attempted theft of the Philosopher's Stone, able to, with effort, create a new body for a malevolent spirit; petrification throughout the school, just as in 1942 and 1943; the Dementors of Azkaban abandoning their posts, as they did in the first war; gatherings of Dark creatures throughout all of Europe, where Riddle became Voldemort...

It seems he had fallen victim to the First Rule, like so many others before him. He needed to gather the Order, immediately. They needed a plan of action, and they needed to find their prophesied savior and bring him home.

-o-

November 11th, 1995

12 Grimmauld Place, London

"I hereby call this meeting to order," Albus declared. "For the first time in fourteen years, Death Eaters have attacked innocent people. We must ensure these killers face justice. Those of you who fought in the previous conflict, I ask you to resume your duties from then. To those of you who are joining us now, divide yourselves into groups. If you would prefer to capture Voldemort's followers to bring them into custody, stand with Alastor Moody. Those of you who would prefer to support the Order from the sidelines, stand with Molly Weasley. They will give you further instructions after the meeting."

When everyone had divided into their groups, Dumbledore spoke again. "I have word from a reliable source that Voldemort plans to attack Diagon Alley tomorrow evening. Moody, divide our forces to secure the alley. Aim to capture, not kill. Each one in our custody is more information we can glean on Voldemort's movements.

"Non-combatants, begin preparations to house the prisoners and treat any wounded that may require it. Poppy, you are on the vault list; if you require any potions, stock up now."

"Will Voldemort be there?" one of the new recruits asked nervously.

"Unlikely," Moody answered gruffly. "He prefers to stick to the shadows, striking from the cover of darkness. He will likely remain where he's at."

"That's a shame," Frank Longbottom stated. "If he were there, we could take him out."

"No," Dumbledore said solemnly. "None of us can defeat Tom Marvolo Riddle."

"Not even you?" James Potter asked, shocked.

"Not even me," Dumbledore confirmed. "Only one person can, and they are no longer in this country."

"Well, call that person back!" someone cried out from near the door. Dumbledore sighed sadly.

"We can't."

"Why not?!"

"He was forced away when he was condemned to Azkaban without trial, and he disappeared in late July."

-o-

November 15th, 1995

Griffindor Tower, Hogwarts

Nathan heard a knocking on his dormitory's door. "Nathan, my boy? I need to talk to you."

"I am NOT 'your boy,' Dumbledore!" he snarled back.

"Mr Potter, then," the Hogwarts Headmaster said with a sigh. "There is something I need to discuss with you."

"Unless it has to do with overturning the unlawful conviction of my brother or the fight against Voldemort, I don't want to hear it."

"It is the means by which, I suspect, Voldemort has attained immortality."

Nathan opened the door. "Talk."

Dumbledore sat down on the desk chair and began to speak. "Many years ago, a boy named Tom Riddle began to research a very dark, forbidden magic. While he could not find what he sought in Hogwarts' walls, he was not deterred, and eventually, he found what he sought. Later that year, he split his soul, and placed it into a device called a Horcrux.

"In your second year, you presented to me a damaged diary, claiming it had summoned Voldemort's shade. At the time, I thought it to be a prank in bad taste. Now, however, I am not so certain. It appears as though Tom may have created multiple Horcruxes, as the destruction of the diary did not destroy the shade."

"Hold up a moment. You're saying he did this multiple times?!" Nathan was appalled. After Pettigrew's escape from Azkaban convinced Fudge it was a good idea to station Dementors around Hogwarts, he and Harry had researched the soul extensively. They didn't find much, but what they found described in detail the consequences of damaging a soul. For Voldemort to have done so once, deliberately, was horrific. To have done so multiple times...

"If my suspicions are correct, he split his soul into seven pieces – six Horcruxes and himself." Nathan retched. "Until all seven pieces are destroyed, Voldemort cannot be slain, even with the Prophecy declaring Harry-"

"You lost the right to call him that when you sentenced him to Azkaban," Nathan spat.

"-Even with the prophecy declaring your brother has the power to end him, the Horcruxes have to be destroyed first."

"Right, and... I'm supposed to do what with this information, exactly? And what do you mean, Harry is prophesied to destroy Voldemort?"

"There was a prophecy given before you were born. I had thought it complete when you vanquished Voldemort as a baby, but I had missed the second half when I caught Se- a spy- listening in. The part I did not hear the first time I listened to it states, quite clearly, that your brother is the one to save us all.

On the matter of what you should do about the horcruxes, I believe I have tracked one down. It would give me great peace of mind for you to accompany me."

"Why?" he asked suspiciously.

"I would much prefer to have someone who has dealt with one of Tom's horcruxes by my side on this mission," Dumbledore said simply.

"Very well," Nathan sighed, "If you will overturn Harry's conviction and end the manhunt as soon as we return."

"We are agreed, then," Dumbledore said pleasantly, standing up. "I will meet with you in the Great Hall this Saturday after supper, if that time is agreeable."

"It is," Nathan said, closing the door behind the aging Headmaster.

-o-

November 21st, 1995

Leaky Cauldron, London

"Vote of No Confidence in Minister of Magic and Supreme Mugwump!

"A culmination of the events that started eighteen days ago, when Nathan Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, decried our society for the treatment of his brother, a vote of no confidence in Albus Dumbledore and Cornelius Fudge stripped the men of their titles in our government..."

Sirius Black smirked as he read the article. It was about time those two bastards got knocked down a peg or five!

"... leading Amelia Bones to be declared Interim Minister until the next election."

Black did a spit-take. Amelia Bones. Quiet, shy little Amelia Bones declared interim Minister of Magic. He must have been really out of the loop for the past decade or so for her to qualify for that position. Though, with where he had been assigned, that wasn't overly surprising.

After Voldemort's first fall, he had been tasked to root out any of his supporters still left in eastern Europe. By the time he'd been called back, his godson had been sent to prison by the supposed "Leader of the Light" Albus Dumbledore. Said man having no political influence of any kind from here on out would elicit no complaints from him.

-o-

When James and Lily, indeed, most of the Order of the Phoenix, saw the headlines that day, they paled. Dumbledore was no longer on the Wizengamot to keep the Dark Houses in line? Britain would fall within a week.

-o-

Great Hall, Hogwarts

In the Hogwarts Great Hall, Nathan smirked to himself, fingering the Gaunt family's ring which now rested in his pocket. The old fool had it coming. His refusal to call off the hunt for his brother had been the straw that broke the camel's back. Only two days ago, Nathan had sent a few letters to various news sources, shedding doubt on Dumbledore's and Fudge's leadership abilities. Now that Dumbledore and Fudge were out of the way, people with competence could come into power. His plan was beginning to unfold. If only Harry could witness it... 'No, he insisted to himself,' he's better off wherever he is than dealing with this nuthouse.'

He looked up and made eye contact with Ron, Fred, and George Weasley, Hermione Granger, who had only recently come out of hiding, and Daphne Greengrass. He received a sharp nod from each in return. They would be meeting tonight.

-o-

Riddle Manor, Little Hangleton

Lucius Malfoy knelt, trembling, before his lord. He had just reported the Minister's ousting, and the Dark Lord was angry. While Dumbledore losing all of his political power was not a bad thing, and indeed had been part of the plan when he had claimed credit for the Diggory boy's death, Cornelius Fudge was notorious among the Inner Circle for taking bribes. It would almost be worth it to keep Dumbledore in power if it meant he could maintain control of the Ministry of Magic. Alas, however, what is done is done, and now Lucius would pay for his failure.

"Crucio!"