Author Note: My brother has decided he wanted to try and write another story. So with my help to translate his incoherent ramblings into something approaching a narrative we are going to be working on this. It will be called My Old Kentucky Home.
In it Lily and Harry survive the night of terror, move to eastern Kentucky to be with her distant relatives. Harry is raised in the Appalachian culture along with Luna. Just before his 16th birthday Albus Dumbledore and Hermione Granger show up to try and bring him back. Chaos ensues.
The plan is for this to wind up a lunar harmony, it will have a very not nice Dumbledore and a rather ruthless Lily (My brother is wanting her to be a little bit of a magical sarah connor.) We are still discussing how bad the Weasleys will be as well as Hermione's parents.
Suffice to say not very many characters will be directly in character with their canon selves. There will be echos and reflections but twisted by what has happened in that timeline.
I forgot to mention that KGfinkel helped motivate my brother into taking the plunge and write.
(story begins)
It was the summer of 1996 and Albus Dumbledore was riding in a black car owned by the MACUSA. He had been doing so for far too many miles as they drove through the rolling hills and valleys of south eastern Kentucky. Each town growing smaller and smaller as they went.
It was all for a worthy cause though, Harry Potter had been found. Dumbledore snorted as he recalled the trick Lily had played, she had somehow convinced her sister Petunia to bring her son Dudley to visit for the night. That particular night when Voldemort would come and attack them. In the darkness and chaos Voldemort had managed to kill James but made a critical error. He mistook Petunia and Dudley for Lily and her son Harry.
The sacrifice of Petunia for her son had primed the ancient magics Lily had somehow placed over the nursery so when the Dark Lord attempted to murder Dudley his spell backfired. Dudley being a muggle had been killed but so had the body of the Dark lord. Reducing him to a mere shade.
Meanwhile Lily had spirited Harry out of the house. Albus had not counted on her being that ruthless and calculating. He would have to remember not to underestimate her again.
They turned off of a narrow two lane blacktop road called a highway onto a narrow paved road that followed one of the interminable creeks that seemed to be at the bottom of every valley. This one ran north to south apparently as the sun was now on his right. He glanced at the young student he had brought with him to perhaps help entice Harry to return. A young lady by the name of Hermione Granger.
She was considered the most brilliant student in her year, just like Lily, Albus thought with a hidden smirk. She had wavy brown hair and amber eyes. A fair figure Albus supposed, as his tastes did not align in that regards, and a tolerable personality. One of her other assets was she was devoutly loyal to himself as the authority figure in her life.
The vehicle began to enter a small cluster of houses at a broad point of the valley. The sign along the road said Cady Creek which made Dumbledore smile as the journey was almost over. The village had a tired working class appearance about it. With a small gas station that doubled as a store, a diner, and a post office being the only public amenities available. A small church stood by a neat and tidy graveyard. The largest employer appeared to be some sort of mine.
"No offense sir, however I was wondering how much further we have to go." Hermione spoke from the back seat.
"Well the address is just a bit up the valley. So not much longer." The driver said carefully maneuvering around a dog that looked at him crossly for daring to disturb his slow amble across the road. Miss Granger huffed in resignation as she wrinkled her nose at a collection of teens gathered around a large truck of some sort.
They turned onto a gravel road that was even more narrow than the pavement they had been on. Dumbledore wondered if they would wind up on a track in the woods before they were finished. Bouncing across a set of railroad tracks the road had begun to develop grass in the middle of it. The creek they had wandered back under the main road, the railroad and this road once, then back again a few hundred yards later.
The sun was being lost behind he tops of the ridges as they finally arrived at a small farm that was set back from the road along a gravel driveway. A wire fence surrounded an old wooden house with the name Ecars on the postbox in front. Dumbledore frowned as this was the address given for Lily.
Before the vehicle had even come to a stop three large smooth haired hounds came running up barking and baying. The driver froze as the biggest one leaped on the door staring in at him. Teeth bared with a menacing growl that could be heard through the window. Miss Granger sat in her seat staring carefully at the beast.
A tall slender older woman wearing a floral print dress and an apron stepped onto the porch shouting and clapping at the dogs. From some sort of building at the back of the house an older man wearing bib overalls and wiping his hands on a rag. Dumbledore put on his best grandfatherly smile and stepped out of the car.
"Hello. My name is Albus Dumbledore I was wondering if Lily Parker was home?" He remembered to use her new name as she had remarried in 1986, one of the things that had thrown him off of the trail for several years.
"Why you wanna know?" The older man said spitting a dark brown glob on the ground near Albus' feet.
"Well you see I am an old associate of hers from the U.K. and was wanting to speak with her in a matter about her son Harry." Albus said as cheerfully as he could.
The man worked whatever he was chewing from one side of his mouth to the other several times while he stared at Dumbledore. The older
"Richard! Where are your manners?" the older woman scolded as she walked to the two of them.
"Mabel you don't worry none about my manners this is that Dumbledore fellow Lily warned us about." The man named Richard declared with a scowl.
Albus raised his eyebrow, obviously Lily had told her distant family quite a few negative things about him. "I assure you, whatever you have been told, I can explain."
The old woman turned on him, "That ain't for me nor Richard to decide. Lily will be home once she gets done at the diner. Until then you can sit on the porch and cool yer heels or you can go on back into town and talk to her there." The old woman said putting her hands on her hips in a posture Albus felt deja vu over. This woman seemed so much like Minerva it was disturbing.
"Yes well, how soon may we expect her." Albus had no desire to sit around cooling his heels. Especially as two of the dogs had taken a great interest in sniffing his legs while the third one had come to sit beside the old man with a rather predatory expression.
"Oh right about an hour or two." The old man said glancing up at the ridge line with the sun peeking over it still.
"Yes well are there any accommodations available?" Albus politely asked.
"Not unless you go on back up to Benham. That's the nearest one. Otherwise you gotta go clear over to Harlan or down to Wise in Virginny." Richard said spitting another glob of that brown material on the ground.
Albus sighed, they had passed through that town on the way here. It had not impressed him any more than the current village had.
The window of the car came down to allow Hermione to call out, "I'm sorry for interrupting but I need to use the loo. May I trouble you?"
"Aw, no trouble honey. Come on over and I'll show you where it is." The old woman said walking to the car with a wide smile.
Hermione carefully got out. Pausing when the younger dogs ran over to sniff her. Finding her acceptable they followed her and the old woman to the house with their tails wagging.
"Well looks like you might as well make yourself comfortable. Mabel is going to talk the girl's ear off." The old man looked suspiciously at Albus in a way that made him slightly uncomfortable. "What'er ya doin wit a girl along wit ya anyhow?"
"She is one of our prefects. I thought she could speak with Harry about the school I run. Tell him about the programs and classes." Albus smiled neutrally.
The old man grunted then walked over to the car and rapped on the driver's window with the back of his knuckles. Inviting the driver to come onto the porch he led the way. Pausing long enough to pluck an apple from the tree growing in the front yard. He neglected to offer one to Albus but did offer one to the driver.
Once the three men were settled in rocking chairs on the porch the old man took a knife from his pocket, unfolded it and began to cut slices off of the apple.
The driver nervously fiddled with his apple until Mabel and Hermione came out. She had a tray with a large pitcher and several glasses of ice on it. Hermione carried a bowl with some cookies. Setting it on the small table in front of the wooden seat on the porch she smoothed out her skirt as she settled beside her husband. Hermione copied her as she took a seat beside her on the high backed bench.
"So anyone want some tea?" Mabel said pouring a glass.
"Yes ma'am. If you don't mind." Hermione said politely.
Albus took a glass as did the driver. "Thank you. It was a rather long drive."
"Oh I'm sure it was. We're a long way out from anywhere to here." Mabel said handing her husband a glass before she poured herself one.
"Yes indeed." Albus said. "So what has Lily told you about me?"
"Oh she told us a few things. So iffen yer worried about us knowing about magic we already do." Mabel said sipping her tea, "Most of the valley knows. Its pretty common around here. Granny Huck out on the Gap Road does a lot of the learnin the young-uns need."
"Oh. So Harry has received magical training already?"
"O-course he has. Lily ain't a fool. What she couldna teach him herself she made sure he learnt from others who could teach him." Richard declared emphasizing his words with another spit off of the porch.
They heard the loud exhaust of a vehicle coming into the drive way at that moment. Hermione recognized the large truck that had the group of teens around it. Behind the wheel was a tall black haired teen with a small blonde girl on the seat beside him. The truck was flat black with large tires and as it slewed around the government car Hermione saw two exhaust pipes belching smoke from them under the chrome back bumper. The roll bar was chromed as well. A large metal whip antenna extended from the left bumper and was tied to the roll bar. She wrinkled her nose at the entire excessive vehicle thinking how American.
"Was that Harry?" Albus asked with a slight grin.
"Yeah it was." Richard admitted. Slicing the last bite of his apple before pulling out a red handkerchief to wipe the blade clean.
They heard the trucks engine turn off and a moment later as it pulled behind the barn. Two teens approached the porch soon after. The tall lanky black haired boy wearing gold rimmed aviator framed glasses holding hands with the slender blonde girl. He was wearing boots, denims and a black t-shirt that had the Firebird logo across the front in gold while she wore cutoff denim shorts, and a white ribbed sleeveless t-shirt. She was shoeless but it did not seem to affect her, while her long blonde hair hung down her back in twin pigtails.
"Hey gramma!" The boy called out leaping over the stairs to give her a hug before nodding to his grampa. The girl smiled and hugged them before jumping to make herself comfortable on the porch railing.
"Harry this is Albus Dumbledore and Hermione Granger. I'm sorry young fellow I didn't catch yer name." Mabel said to the driver.
"Oh my name is Adam Sinclair ma'am." The driver said politely.
"Sinclair. Your folks from Lexington?" Richard inquired with some interest.
"Uh no Maysville sir. Just outside in Mays Lick to be precise." he clarified quickly.
"Good land. Good people." Was all Richard had to say.
Harry nodded to the driver then with a frown at Dumbledore he turned to Hermione and looked at her curiously. A slight grin playing at the corner of his mouth. "Hello. I'm Harry Parker. This is my girlfriend Luna Lovegood."
Albus gave a start at that introduction. Harry did not call himself a Potter. That was disturbing, as well as having a girlfriend already. That might make bringing Miss Granger a less than useful idea. Lovegood sounded far too familiar for his liking as well.
Hermione looked him up and down and was less than impressed. She had heard a great many things about Harry Potter from Dumbledore. How he was in hiding until the time for his return was foretold, how he was a great hero and being trained in secret to fight the darkness. The entire magical world of the U.K. had heard Dumbledore make these claims as things became more chaotic, and now with the return of the Dark Lord being rumored, the hour of need for his return had come. Yet here he was looking like any other common berk holding hands with a girl who looked even more common than he did. Plus she did not like the way the girl was looking at her. Like she knew her or had been expecting her.
"Ah Hello Harry. I am an old associate of your parents." Albus said with what he hoped as a friendly twinkle in his eyes.
Harry turned to him with those green eyes sizing him up quickly Albus thought. "I know. Mama has told me a lot about you and what happened."
"Ah well I would hope I could perhaps clarify a great many things."
"Juries out on that one." Harry replied turning his glance back to Hermione. "So what's your story?"
"Miss Granger." Albus began before those green eyes turned back towards him sharply. The fact his hand had slid to a knife that was sheathed on his belt was not lost on Albus. This was not a cowed child but someone who had backbone and a bit of wild in him. Albus realized he would have to tread carefully.
"I was asking her Mr Dumbledore, not you." The tone of voice brooked no argument from Dumbledore.
"My Apologies." Albus said then fell silent, gesturing for Hermione to continue.
Hermione looked at her professor then with a deep breath said, "I am one of the prefects for Gryffindor house at Hogwarts. Professor Dumbledore felt that I might be able to answer any questions you might have about our school and the classes from a student's perspective as well as encourage you to join us."
"Really? Why would I wanta go all the way across the ocean when I get all the learnin I need here?" Harry sighed leaning against the railing between Luna's legs. Legs she immediately wrapped around his waist.
Hermione looked at Harry in affronted surprise, "Really? Hogwarts is the best school for magic in the world. There are academic opportunities unavailable anyplace else in the world. There are the best professors and the library is astounding. Assuming you can read that is?"
"Etiam scio quam legere. quattuor linguarum" He replied with a smirk.
Hermione blinked in surprise, "Oh. Well is that counting English?"
"si lo es por supuesto" he casually said with a yawn.
"Ah bon? Alors connaissez-vous celui-ci ?" Hermione smugly replied.
"Oui. Donc pas besoin de se faire tordre les seins dessus." He replied casually causing Luna to snort.
Hermione huffed at him before turning to Dumbledore, "Are you sure he's really Harry Potter? He doesn't seem very heroic."
"Oh I can be real heroic when I need to be. Being a pawn like you in somebody else's game ain't in my plans." Harry growled back.
"I am not a pawn." Hermione angrily spat at him.
"That's all he does. He lies, manipulates and uses people. Chews em up and spits em. Iffen mama had listened to him she'd be dead too. How many folks did you get killed while you sat back and did nothing." Harry had stood up angrily glaring at Dumbledore as he shouted at him.
Hermione jumped up, "Don't take that tone with the Headmaster." She shrieked at Harry.
"I will take whatever tone I want to with this man. He's responsible for getting my dad killed. I grew up with nothin but stories about him. My mama said if she never ever saw him again it would be too soon." Harry growled.
"Now see here Harry. You mother's opinion might be a little bit biased." Albus said.
Harry's hand had gone to the knife on his belt, drawing it faster than Albus had expected he soon found the point inches from his nose. Hermione had drawn her wand almost as quickly while the driver sat holding his glass of tea and a half eaten apple in the other hand looking worried.
Luna cleared her throat. "Can I make a reasonable suggestion or is the the wrong crowed to do so with?"
"You go ahead and speak hun. They'll listen." Mabel said.
"Mr. Dumbledore your presence here is mighty contentious. You ain't gonna have a peaceful sitdown with Harry or his mama. That's a definite fact." Luna pointed out. "So why not leave Hermione here while you go do something else. She can talk to Harry and his ma, and they can talk to her. Eh?"
Harry and hermione both spun to stare at her in angry confusion, "What?" They managed to say in unison.
Harry followed his what with, "Have you lost your sense Luna?"
Hermione though sneered, "You want me to stay here?"
Albus quickly thought that would be a brilliant idea, either Hermione would be able to convince him to come back or "Capital idea young lady. I hope this will not be an imposition upon either of you?" Albus said smiling warmly at the Evans elders.
"Might want to ask her if she even wants to stay." Richard pointed out.
"Miss Granger would you please come with me." Albus said striding towards the car.
She glared at Harry but followed Dumbledore to the car. Once she was gone Harry frowned at Luna, "Look is this one of your feelings?"
Luna sighed before nodding, "Trust me Harry. Please."
Rubbing her arms he kissed her on the top of her head saying, "You know I do Luna. But she is a right piece of work."
Luna looked into his eyes with a smile, "I know. But so am I."
Harry relented with, "Yeah but at least you're fun."
Luna looked at the car with a tilt to her head, "She will be when she gets out of the shadows. Just give her time."
Harry grumbled, "I'll give her all the rope she needs."
Luna turned and looking sourly at Harry caused him to kiss her nose, "Okay. You win. I'll try and play nice with her."
Smiling brightly Luna said, "Thank you Harry."
Meanwhile Hermione was standing by the trunk of the car, "Sir. Do you really think I should remain here. In this place. Its so, its very. I mean look at him. He is nothing like the way you described him. If I had known he would be like this I might not have volunteered."
"True. I could have left you with your parents, or the Weasleys." Albus said calmly.
Hermione shuddered briefly before saying with a frown, "No. I'll do my best. Although what exactly am I supposed to do? He already has a girlfriend, and he seems rather satisfied with things here."
Albus looked at her with a smile before saying, "I'm quite sure you will figure things out on your own. You are after all rather brilliant and capable are you not?"
Swallowing as she looked around the farmstead she sighed in resignation, "Yes sir. I'll do my best."
"Good. That's what I expect." Albus said walking her back to the porch.
Hermione said in a calmer tone, "If it is agreeable to you, I would be more than happy to accept the offer to stay here."
Mabel stood up, "Well that will be just fine with us, Luna can show you upstairs. Harry now go on and get cleaned up for supper. Your mom and dad will be home soon."
"Yes gramma." Harry said setting off across the yard.
Luna waited for Hermione to retrieve her two bags before leading her into the house. Albus and his driver departed leaving Richard and Mabel standing alone.
"This is gonna be a real fun week." Richard intoned.
Review Responses
n0wa5t3r: I made sure to put some onions into the posting. Thank you. It was the first collaboration between my brother and I. He came up with the base ideas and I made them more coherent.
Sparkey40sw: Thank you. Glad you think so.
OfficerDonnz: katmom: thank you.
KGfinkel: You are absolutely correct. i am sorry I forgot to mention you.