Chapter 1 : The Mistake

Halloween: 31st October 1981: Potter's Cottage Godric's Hallow

A tall man in jet black robes hurried through the sleeping village occasionally glancing around making sure no one saw him and had a chance to raise the alarm. His attention was firmly fixed on the house at the far end of the street, striding up the well managed garden he raised his spidery bone white hand which gripped a jet black ebony stick.

A flick accompanied by the word 'bombarda' blasted the door of its hinges, the noise alerted the houses occupants of his arrival "Lily get the boys and go its Voldermort" a man yelled his voice laced with fear and panic. Steppeing through the open doorway the man also known as the feared dark lord was met by a man in his early twenties dressed in a casual t-shirt and trousers, his wand grasped firmly in his hand.

"leave Voldermort" The young man said his voice shaking slightly his eye's showing the true fear he felt. Voldermort merely raised his wand rapidly firing of a cruio curse along with a bludgering and cutting curse. The man dived out the way of the ruby red curse casting a shield which absorbed the bludgering and cutting curse, however he saw the cruituas curse to late and dropped to the floor screaming only to be silenced seconds later with a merciful stunner.

Striding past his stunned opponent he ascended the stairs, the nursery door suffered a similar state to the front door only this time it was flung across the room colliding with the young woman knocking her unconscious. Entering the pink coloured nursery he approached the two cribs to be met with the sight of the boy on the left asleep, his red hair all ruffled, sucking one thumb.

The boy in the right crib however was wide awake his emerald eye's gazing with intensity at Voldermort making the man shiver uncontrollable. "so your the one destined to defeat me" he hissed lowering his scaly face to the small boy who continued gazing into those red eye's that promised pain and death.

Ignoring the sense of impending doom Voldermort rose towering over the crib, "Avada Kadavra" Voldermort hissed his yew wand pointing at the child. The sickly green curse shot from the wand travelling at incredible speed, the young boy seemed to sense the danger and raised his hand in a futlie attempt to shield himself. A golden shield of sorts started to form around the boy, the killing curse collided with the shield and it seemed to spread round the shield before the boy screamed in pain as a small part of the killing curse broke through and hit him in the forehead.

His scream of pain strengthed the shield and a dozen killing curses shot forth impacting against the wall of the nursery, it was a miricle that non hit his twin or his mother though one did collide with the ceiling causing peice's of killing curse embuded plaster shower his twin one colliding with his forehead creating a nasty gash that ran across his temple.

The largest and strongest rebounded striking the Dark Lord in the chest causing the Dark Lord to scream in agony, his lifeless body following to the floor. Harry swayed in his cot exhausted from his excessive use of magic before falling onto the soft mattress slipping into the peaceful plains of unconsciousness.

Voldermort watched transfixed in shock horror and dread as a shield sprung up which seemed to stop the killing curse, a feeling of victory shot through him as the curse broke through before it turned to dread as a wave of power hit him followed by the rebounding killing curse. As he was torn from his body he cursed the potter's vowing revenge, his spectral form fled the house.

10 minutes later another figure appeared at the end of the street almost running down the deserted street, he'd felthis lords demise and knew that he was running out of time. Entering teh cottage he was relieved to see his 'friend' was unconcoius as it wi=ould make his plan easier.

He knew that the potters would accuse him as the secret keeper, if he altered their memory of the secert keeper to make them believe that it was sirius and not him that betrayed the potters he would be able to frame black and then vanish from the world. The sheep of the wizarding world would take the potter's word and any defense black may of had would be swept away.

Quickly altering James memory he hurried up the stairs and found lily unconscious, altering her memory curiouslity overtook his caution and he approached the cribs to gaze down at a screaming Matthew and sleeping Harry. Raising his wand to finish the work his master had begun he was interrupted by the sounds of someone coming up the stairs, abandoning his attempt at killing the child who had defeated his master he morphed in to his animagus form before scampering out the window and disappearing into the night

James awoke to find his muscles screaming in agony from their reacent torture, ignoring the jolts of pain he staggered up the stairs paling as he beheld the lack of nursery door. when he entered the room he was met by the frantic wailing of one of his son's. Rushing over to his wife he heaved the door of her checking for a pulse, he sighed in relief when he found one.

Casting in 'evernate' Lily woke with a gasp glancing frantically around "James the twins Voldermort" she blurted out. A particularly loud wailing caused the two to glance at the cribs, before they frantically climbed to their feet and hurried over.

At the same time a elderly man with a long grey beard and a shorter man with a grizzled face and weird spinning electric blue eye entered the nursery. " Lily james your already thank goodness the wards fell 10 minutes ago we got here as quickly as we could" the grandfatherly man said his gaze serious. The man with the mad eye interrupted them "more importantly how are you alive and were is you-know-who" he growled.

"It was Matthew somehow the killing curse failed rebounding on Voldermort destroying him" Dumbledore siad after scanning the still screaming baby, a healing charm along with a stunner quietened the baby. Picking the child from the crib he raised him "my I introduce you to the boy-who-lived Matthew Remus Potter.

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31st July 1984: Potter's Cottage Godric's Hallow

A three year old soon to be four years old awoke after a particularly vivid dream of a snake faced man, a burst of sickly green light and a burning pain. When he was younger he had mentioned them to his parents but they had brushed him off, ever since the night of Voldermort's demise Harry James Potter had realised that he wasn't loved or part of the potter family.

At the age of three he had learned how to read and write along with cooking for himself as the Potters never feed him and the house elves were bared from helping him. Orginally his cooking skills had been abismal but with the help of the house elves who found a way round their order, they could teach him how to cook they just could cook for him, his skills had advanced and by the age of three and a half he could match many of the elves even passing a few.

The elves pitted the eldest potter as they saw he was destined for great things and so they taught him many secret of house elf magic including basic house cleaning, elven culture and even the elven alternative of Appariating which they called sliding, one of the major advantages was that it allowed him to travel anywhere which would normal be inaccessible to those who apparated, Hogwarts castle being a prime example.

He'd also raided the potter library which was hardly used any more, his twin was never one for his books nor was his father though his mother used to be until the whole boy-who-lived thing and then she felt she didn't need to know being the boy-who-lived mother. He had found many interesting books and found his ability to perform wandless magic something unheard of and thought impossible in the Wizarding world.

Today was a special day for Harry even if others didn't realise it, today was his birthday along with his 'brothers', of course the Potters had totally forgotten that Matthew had a twin brother and that it was his birthday too but harry had gotten used to it realising that he would never be one of the potter family and so with a heavy heart he quickly got dressed and headed down to breakfast.

The day had been a typical day for Harry who spent the majority of the day in the library which conveniently overlooked the garden, he watched silently as the preparations were prepared for the 'boy-who-lived' fourth birthday party, crushing his grief and sense of loss he returned his attention to the book on transfiguration he was reading.

That evening dozens of wizards arrived for the part, Harry watched from his bedroom on the second floor as the festivites ran long into the night. As the clock beeped to signal the hour Harry decidied that he would sneak down and get something to eat.

Unlocking his door he crept downstairs, entering the kitchen he spied a partially cut cake and deciding that no-one would notice help himself to a slice. Turning to leave he found himself face to face with his younger 'brother'.

His twin had become spoilt over the years of attention he received, he along with his parents had let fame go their heads and now all they cared about was being in the spotlight as much as possible and lording it over everyone else.

Matthew spied the piece of cake in Harry's hand and a gleam appeared in his eye, "Mum" Matthew wailed fake tears spring to his eye's "Mum, Harry's stealing a piece of my cake". On cue Lily and James entered glancing once at Matthew before rounding on Harry "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE NOW BOY, WE'VE FEED YOU LOOKED AFTER YOU AND THIS IS HOW YOU REPAY US BY STEALING FROM US" Lily bellowed pulling Matthew to her.

James took over "YOU ARE NOTHING BUT A WASTE A SHAME TO THE POTTER FAMILY TO YOUR ROOM NO FOOD". Harry felt tears erupt and he fled from the room his mind replaying those two sentences that doomed any chance of them having a loving family.

Curled up in bed he feel into the land of unconcoiusness with one last thought 'please take me somewhere were I am loved and can prove myself" Unknown to him was the halo of magic that incircled him before both it and the young boy vanished, harry James Potter was not to be seen again for over a decade.