When Voldemort returns from the dead, the Order of the Phoenix makes drastic measures to ensure the lives of the Potter family. So, with Albus Dumbledore's guidance, they summon a hero from across the multiverse to save them. They weren't expecting a foul mouthed, Dark Lord slaying, monster befriending wizard to be revealed and they definitely didn't expect it to be little Harry Potter, murdered by Lord Voldemort on that dreadful Halloween night all those years ago.
WARNINGS: Good! Peter; Good! Riddle; Evil! Malfoys
Chapter Two: A Hero's Awakening
In the later years of his life, Harry grew used to his wacky dreams. Hermione said it was from becoming the mystical Master of Death. He didn't care much as long as the snake-faced bastard stayed out of them.
His current dream was weird. There he was! Heroically fighting a hydra, set loose from a magical zoo by Death Eater wannabes. His friend (and former love interest) Ginny Weasley at his side along with his best mates Ron Weasley and Hermione Weasley nee Granger. His niece, Rose Weasley was watching with Ginny's girlfriend and Rose's Auntie Luna, screaming for her Uncle Harry to "KICK BUTT" and then…there was smoke and white light, and his friends were replaced by dead people.
There was his mum, of course. He remembered wandering over to her but not what he said. Harry Potter had a wonderful sense of worship for her departed mother. She had given his life for his and her love was so strong that it created a protective shield that saved him many a time in his youth.
"Holy fuck," Harry mumbled into the cushy pillow. "Probably not mum, what with her being dead and all." He blinked away the crust in his eyes and pushed himself up to glance around.
The room was painted in dark colors, all greens and dark color with snakes everywhere. Like Harry had been dumped in Salazar Slytherin's chambers. With that, he shuddered just remembering the damp place where he had nearly died thanks to ol' snake-face.
"Alright," Harry grumbled. "Coffee and then I figure out what's going on." Nearly half asleep still, donned his glasses that sat on a side table, and, just realizing, he was in strange clothes (although he quite liked the lion pajama pants that ran around and roared), summoned the Elder Wand.
The wand, nearly luminescent from having merged with his invisibility, glinted in the light. The stone sat at the base of the wand, ready to call whatever deceased fellow he wanted to help in crisis.
(He liked summoning Salazar Slytherin just to irritate him. The man was hilarious when pushed to yelling.)
He strode out of the room, scratching his head with the wand, and found he knew exactly where he was. Grimmauld Place, his godfather's family home. Harry had moved in after the war and after his failure of a relationship with Ginny. He'd grown used to the darkness that seeped through the walls and even managed a somewhat decent relationship with crazy Walburga Black. She knew a lot of crazy curses that had saved his ass more than once.
Harry blew the covered portrait a kiss as he sauntered to the kitchen where he heard loud arguing.
"-solutely not! He isn't going anywhere near any battles!" An icy but lovely voice came from the kitchen.
"Lily, be reasonable," Albus Dumbledore's voice said soothingly. "This was the reason for the ritual. A hero to help fight our greatest enemy! Peace for our world."
"That's Harry!" Lily screeched. "No, no, I won't lose him again!"
Hmm, Harry thought, alternate reality perhaps? Hermione had begun research into such things, but nothing concrete. In this universe, he thought, I died? And my parents survived?
Harry shrugged. Coffee first.
He walked into the kitchen dramatically and cast a long look around the table. Mum and Dad, he counted, and Remus and Sirius…and the rat? That was bewildering. Snape was there too along with good ol' Albus and a man that looked a lot like Voldemort before he became a snake hybrid. McGonagall was there too and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and Tonks! The one person he wanted to see, however, was not there.
"Kreacher!" Harry bellowed suddenly. He grinned when the old, angry looking elf appeared.
"Kreacher is coming for filthy dead master who is NOT filthy dead master," Kreacher huffed.
"Shut your mouth, Kreacher or I'll make sure you never end up on Aunt Wally's wall with the rest of your brethren." Harry said with a Snape-worthy sneer. "Get me a coffee, one cream and two sugars. Don't dally, you slimeball!"
Kreacher popped away with a frightened squeak and returned with a steaming cup of coffee. His round eyes watched him carefully. Harry had learned to pick up tricks living with the bastard elf.
"Fuck off now," Harry sneered. "And clean this place up! This is the Ancient and Noble House of Black and you. Are. Slacking."
Kreacher popped away to comply with Harry's orders and Harry took a seat across from Albus Dumbledore. He sipped his coffee slowly, letting the warm liquid heat his entire body.
"So, what's this about summoning a hero?" He asked lazily.
"Hold on!" Sirius cried out. "Did you call my mother "Aunt Wally"?"
"Yes," Harry said without breaking eye contact, "It infuriates her. By the way, you're all dead. Not that I'm not happy to see you, my dear dogfather but I have a good feeling I am not dead. Alternate universe?"
"I - yes, my boy," Albus finally said, twinkle in his eye. "Am I mistaken…are you Harry Potter?"
"The one and only!" Harry replied cheerfully, "Dark Lord slaying, possessor of not one, not two but THREE Order of Merlins and of course, lady slayer, but I am a Potter so that's more of a genetic trait."
"Damn right," James muttered. He had a strange look on his face, a mixed expression of sadness and pride. This should've been his son, if he had lived beyond that fateful night. Lily seemed to be thinking along the same lines if her sad look was anything to go by.
"Then Voldemort is gone in your world." Tom said, eyes lit with a bright light. Harry turned his eyes on him, and Tom was shocked to see how close his green eyes looked like the green of the Killing Curse. The laid-back attitude seemed to dissipate when Harry gazed at him, as if Tom were his enemy!
"Thomas Marvalo Riddle is gone." Harry said in a cool voice. "I ended his reign of terror when I was seventeen. He killed my parents, my godfather and several other people that I loved and cared about. Except you're sitting right here, and you don't look like a snake hybrid either."
"Professor Dumbledore?" Molly cried out. His eyes were soft when he looked at the plump woman. "He isn't…well…You-Know-Who!"
""Dumbledore?" Harry repeated.
"Father adopted me during my fifth year at Hogwarts." Tom said stiffly, a flickering look of horror at Harry's words. "He started fostering me during my first year. You're saying then…that I was Lord Voldemort in your world?"
"Yeah," Harry said quietly. "You were. You - or rather, he - made my life hell. I grew up too fast. Not all your fault, I suppose. I was forced to live with Petunia and Vernon until I was seventeen. Never looked back."
"Petunia?" Lily said in surprise. "You didn't like Petunia? She's a bit strict, I suppose, but she and Vernon aren't too terrible."
"Then your Dursleys and mine are vastly different," Harry said dramatically. "I was kept in the cupboard under the stairs until I was eleven. Honestly, I don't know how I survived. I still hate small spaces."
Lily looked horrified at that. "No! Tuney would never do that. She and Vernon love having the kids over. Dudley and Daisy are a bit spoilt but they're good-hearted kids too."
"Well, different universes I spos- wait a second." Harry said, blinking at her. "Who's Daisy? And kids? You have more kids?"
"We have four," James said, watching Harry's surprised look. "Lily was pregnant when…anyways," He cleared his throat, trying to ignore the thickness that built up. "Twins, Goldie and Charlie and then we have Albert and Poppy."
One thought flickered through Harry's mind: I really hope Mum hadn't been pregnant because the thought of losing twin siblings broke his heart.
"Right," Harry said, gritting his teeth. "So, there's a lot of differences between mine and your worlds: Riddle isn't Voldemort, he's a Dumbledore (which is bloody weird, might I say), I'm dead but you aren't, the Dursleys aren't arses. Say, did the Triwizard Tournament happen? That's how Voldy got resurrected in my world. I was chosen by the Goblet and portkeyed to a graveyard to participate in a godawful ritual."
"Our boy, Charlie, had that happen," James said tightly. "He made it back but another boy, Cedric Diggory was killed by Rookwood."
"Rookwood-" Harry murmured, eyes stopping on Peter Pettigrew. "That makes sense. Cedric…he died in my world too, but he was killed by Wormtail."
Silence took over the kitchen before chaos erupted.
"PETER! There's no way -"
"I would never work with that snake bastard! I'll make a vow, I swear!"
"How could Peter do that? It's Pete!"
"ENOUGH!" Harry finally bellowed. His magic snapped over the table and surrounded them tightly. He tapped the Elder Wand against his coffee mug and scowled at them. "Kreacher, more coffee." Without appearing, the house elf filled his mug with steaming coffee.
"I wouldn't." Peter said softly, eyes looking at him with firmness that his Peter had always lacked. "I'm a Marauder first and foremost."
"I believe you." Harry finally said. "Wormtail was my parent's secret keeper. He betrayed them and lived for years as Ron's pet rat, Scabbers. He was more rat than man after that." He observed them with the look of a man who had seen many wars and frowned deeply. "We'll make no progress like this. I'm going to help you but afterward, you send me home." Lily and James looked heartbroken at the thought, and Sirius looked even worse.
With a gentle look, he reached over and squeezed Lily's hand gently. "I'm sorry but I'm not your Harry." He blinked away tears. "I truly wish I was. I have always admired my parents greatly. They gave their lives for me which resulted in magical protection and that protection saved my arse more times than I can count. I have a home, however, and friends who are probably worried sick. I need to go back."
She nodded thickly and patted his cheek. "Then, I hope we can spend some time knowing you: knowing the man my son was supposed to grow into."
His throat grew thick. "I'd like that, Lily."
"Call me Mum," she said in a pleading voice.
"Alright, Mum." Harry said softly, before turning his eyes to Albus Dumbledore. "Alright, Albus, I need to know everything. Every death, every change, everything. Even if you think it doesn't matter, it does. And I know about the Horcruxes, so there's no need to avoid that."
The old man's twinkling eyes were soft with sorrow, and he nodded, ignoring the confused and disgusted reactions from the others. "Then let us begin," he said gravely.