Fortune Favours the Damned

Rating: T

Story Notes: Alternate Universe. Slightly overpowered Harry. I'm teaching an old dog new tricks here folks. No non-canon pairings yet, no promises either.

Summary: Sirius hasn't the first clue who this green eyed stranger is exactly, but he's here now and somehow he's Sirius' problem.

*****

Chapter One: That could have gone better

Meetings with the Order of the Phoenix were always messy business. There were simply too many people involved for any sort of real organization to occur. It didn't help that Number Twelve Grimmauld Place was really too small to accommodate the number of people that regularly tried to cram into it. In fact it was physically impossible to have the whole Order there at once. Not that the whole Order gathered anywhere. It was too dangerous.

This meant that most information that was handed out filtered down the ranks through a haphazard communication scheme most sane people would refer to as 'gossip.' Official lines of communication existed in case of emergency, or the rare case of a true Need To Know, but most members of the Order learned more through casual conversations then they did through their official contact.

There was, however, a core group of wizards and witches that were kept more or less in the loop by very irregular meetings held at the esteemed home of the House of Black. Sirius had never worked out exactly what determined advancement to the core group but he suspected that it had a lot to do with the whims of Albus Dumbledore. And, really, who was he to question the Almighty Headmaster? (Sirius privately suspected that he was only included because they were using his house and he wasn't about to risk his status by questioning it.)

And so it was that Sirius found himself fighting off boredom on a Sunday afternoon while listening to very practical, and utterly dull, conversation on recruitment for the Order.

Currently Minerva McGonagall and Alastor Moody were debating recruiting sixth and seventh year students who were still at Hogwarts. Minerva was righteously horrified at the thought, while Moody was waffling between the security risks and the pros of having sources at the same age as some of the younger Death Eater recruits.

Sirius ran his gaze around the room, gauging reactions for a lack of better things to do. Albus stood by the floo, looking thoughtful and otherwise completely unreadable as always. Frank and Alice Longbottom sat a few feet away from the Headmaster, Alice looked uncertain but Frank had a speculative look on his face that made Sirius think he was for this idea. Arthur and Molly Weasley stood off in a corner, furious whispering making Sirius think that Arthur was trying to talk Molly out of hexing anyone who even considered recruiting children.

Snape – and here Sirius repressed a shudder at ever allowing the Slytherin within ten feet of his house – was scowling. Not that this was unusual. Besides, who cared what the greasy git thought? Sirius skipped past Snape quickly and rested his gaze on James.

James Potter met Sirius' eyes with a pained look and a helpless gesture towards Lily. His best mate's wife was staring at her hands with the shut down expression she always wore whenever the subject of children came up.

Lily Potter, the only person in history known to have survived the Killing Curse.

Lily Potter, who twenty-two years ago had been eight months pregnant when Voldemort had thrown an Avada Kedavra that hit and rebounded on the Dark Lord. Voldemort's body was destroyed that day, but the child in Lily's womb died and Lily was left unable to have children ever again.

It had been a hard blow to take, even with Voldemort's defeat. And now the bloody tosser had found a way back and in just one year things had gotten so bad that they were talking about bringing children into the ranks of the Order of the Phoenix.

Sirius gestured at James to get her the hell out of the room. If anything important was discussed they could be told later. Remus would have to be updated anyway since he couldn't make it to the meeting. And Peter, of course.

Sirius couldn't help but wonder about that exclusion. Of the Marauders the only one who wasn't part of these core Order meetings was Peter Pettigrew. Albus knew that they would share any really important information with him anyway; why not just let him sit in? It made Sirius think that their old Headmaster didn't fully trust the rat animagus. The thought left an itch under Sirius' skin and made him leave out things he might have said otherwise. Like Snape.

Only the people in this room (and Moony) knew about Snape. The very existence of their spy was a closely guarded secret. And as much as Sirius disliked Snape he wasn't about to put his life in danger. Not since that one time back in school.

Besides, Snape was important to the Order in a way that Sirius could never match.

Sirius didn't have the full story, but as he understood it Snape had gone to Albus shortly before Voldemort's attempt on Lily's life. After Voldemort's defeat his information had led to the incarceration of several key Death Eaters, though several more got away on pleas of being under Imperius and some well placed Galleons. Now the spy kept them that one important step ahead of Voldemort.

Focusing back on the real world, Sirius noted that James was attempting to steer Lily into the kitchen. With any luck Kreacher would have actually done what he was told and left something edible on the table. Damn house elf.

Snape's dry voice wretched Sirius back to the conversation. "As fascinating as this discussion is, I have other places to be. If there is nothing else?"

Albus opened his mouth to reply when a flash of yellow light appeared in the middle of the room.

Sirius let loose an exclamation and pulled out his wand. The flash was twisting and expanding in vortex of now multi-coloured light.

"Back away from it!" Moody called out unnecessarily. Sirius risked a glance around the room, noting that everyone was standing far away from the disturbance with their wands out.

After a moment it settled into a six foot tall and five foot wide swirl of chaotic magic. "What the hell is it?" Frank demanded.

"A rip," Dumbledore replied.

"A wha-" began James.

The magic flared a brilliant shade of white, temporarily blinding the occupants of the room and leaving several of them cursing profoundly.

It took Sirius a moment to realize that one of the people cursing hadn't been there before.

Where the vortex had been stood a young man sprouting enough profanities to make most seasoned Aurors blush.

"Watch your tongue, young man!" Molly Weasley snapped on some automatic instinct.

He stopped and stared at her incredulously for a second before his expression morphed into shocked disbelief.

Maybe an inch shorter than James the stranger had unruly black hair that just brushed his shoulders and bright green eyes that were half hidden by long bangs. In his early twenties, no older than twenty-four, Sirius assessed. He was wearing muggle clothing, but the wand clutched tightly in his hand meant that the kid was definitely a wizard.

Sirius could practically see the moment the kid got hold of his shock. His eyes narrowed, his face abruptly cleared of all expression and his posture shifted into something much more defensive. The grip on his wand was adjusted slightly. A light pulse of magic washed over Sirius, a trick he recognized from his own bag of Auror tricks. Placing everyone in the room without having to turn around.

Due to his entrance place the kid was surrounded. A quick calculation told Sirius that the young man could see himself, Molly, Arthur, Moody and perhaps Snape if his peripheral vision was good.

"Drop the wand," Moody commanded.

"No bloody way am I giving up my only defence." The light tenor was deceptively calm.

"You're surrounded, boy," Moody replied. "You don't have a choice."

"What is your name, young man?" Albus asked abruptly, having worked his way around into the stranger's vision.

Recognition and something less definable flashed through those green eyes. "Harry," he replied shortly. "You're Albus Dumbledore."

"I am," Dumbledore said, even though it hadn't been a question.

"Prove it."

Sirius nearly laughed at the demand. Who asked for proof of Albus Dumbledore's identity? And how would this kid even know the difference?

Albus stroked his beard thoughtfully, "I admit that I am not entirely sure how to do so. Much of what you would know is public information."

'Harry' seemed to consider this. "You have a brother. What's his name?"

Sirius was reluctantly impressed. Not too many people knew that.

"Aberforth," Albus responded, curiosity twinkling in his eyes.

Harry nodded sharply. "And your sister?"

Sister? What sister? Sirius caught the outright shock on Dumbledore's face a second before the old man schooled his features.

"Ariana," came the soft reply.

The change was almost as instantaneous as the last. Harry flipped his wand over and offered it, handle first, to Dumbledore. "Sorry," he muttered as Albus took the wand. "Had to be sure."

"Quite alright, young man. Caution is admirable. Though I would be fascinated to hear just how you know so much about my family."

"I'm more interested in where I am." Something shifted in Harry's expression. "Or maybe when I am. That's possible too."

"It's July 31st, 2002," Sirius provided.

Harry stared at him for a moment before a grimace crossed his face. "Well, that puts paid to the time travel theory. And this is still Number Twelve Grimmauld Place, so I haven't moved locations exactly."

No one had anything to say to that, especially since Harry mostly appeared to be talking to himself. Green eyes did a sweep of the room, taking in the half lowered wands (and the not-at-all lowed wand in Moody's case) and suspicious expressions.

"Mind if I take a seat?" Harry asked, his question directed at Moody.

It was Albus who replied. "Go right ahead, Harry, was it?"

"There a last name to go with that?" Moody questioned when Harry had taken a corner seat. Sirius noted that he'd chosen a place where he could see everyone. And that despite his tone, this kid was tense as hell.

"Not that I'm up to sharing just yet."

Moody snorted, a half-grin on his face. "Finally meet someone who practices proper vigilance and it turns out it's someone we need information on."

Harry actually smiled at this. "Learned from the best, sir."

It's official. This kid is beyond strange.

Not that he was a kid, really. But he was young enough that Sirius couldn't quite stop thinking of him as such.

"How old are you?" The soft question was Lily's.

Again, that twenty-yard stare. Like he wasn't convinced they were really there. "Twenty-two," he murmured finally.

"Perhaps some introductions are due?" Dumbledore said, waving for everyone to put away their wands. Only Minerva, Arthur and Molly actually complied.

"It might be prudent to check for the Dark Mark first, Albus," Snape reasoned smoothly.

Harry's stare shot to Snape with that remark. "You think I'm a Death Eater, sir?" There was a rich irony in his tone which caused Snape to raise his eyebrows. Harry shook his head slightly, dark humour lighting his eyes. With a casual air so pronounced that it had to be fake he rolled up his sleeves.

"At least you aren't an official Death Eater," Moody offered. "No magic in the world can hide a Dark Mark."

"Not that it means much," James said, unconvinced. "Plenty of You-Know-Who's followers don't carry the mark."

"Wait, you mean that Voldemort is alive?" Harry demanded harshly, ignoring the way people twitched at the name.

"He's been back for a year, kiddo," Frank said.

It was Sirius' turn to stare. What rock has this kid been living under? And what twenty-two year old is willing to say that name?

"He's been dead for four years!" Harry snapped. "I was there."

Silence met that statement. Sirius exchanged an uncertain look with James and entertained the thought that maybe their unexpected guest wasn't quite right in the head.

"Dead, you say?" Apparently Dumbledore had other thoughts. "Harry, this might be a bit presumptuous, but could you tell me the names of the people here?"

Harry looked at him like he had three heads. "The paranoid one is Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody. The snarky git over there is Professor Snape." Ignoring Snape's indignant start, he waved a hand in the direction of the Longbottoms. "I'm pretty sure those two are Frank and Alice Longbottom, but the last time I saw them they were in St. Mungo's, so I'm not really sure. Professor McGonagall is the one giving me the evil eye."

Harry's gaze shifted to the Weasley's and softened slightly. "You're Arthur and Molly Weasley." He stopped there, appearing reluctant to go on.

"And the other three?" Dumbledore prompted.

"James and Lily Potter." Harry stated, something almost wistful in his tone.

Sirius nearly jumped when blazing green eyes met his own. There was emotion there, too much to even begin comprehending.

"And Sirius Black."

Moody remained unmoved. "So he knows who we are. None of us are exactly low profile -"

"Where's Remus?" Harry asked, interrupting whatever train of thought Moody had. "Given this grouping you'd figure he'd be here."

Minerva got over her shock first. "Mr. Lupin was unavailable, Mr- Harry. Albus, what are you thinking?"

"I believe Harry here is from another dimension."

Harry stood up and paced for a moment before laughing. "Well, that's one explanation."

"You're taking this rather calmly," Alice noted, worry crinkling at the edges of her eyes.

"Calm?" Harry replied. "No, I'm not calm. I'm hallucinating. I'm drunk or suffering from some dark spell or potion. Hell, maybe I'm dead. Or maybe my sanity has finally snapped like Malfoy always said it would." There was a rising note of hysteria in his voice. "I'm having a chat about alternate dimensions with a bunch of dead people! So, no. I'm not bloody calm!"

Some of the loose objects in the room began lifting into the air.

Sirius moved back a step, fighting the absurd urge to run like hell. He had the sinking feeling that Harry, wherever he came from, was bloody dangerous.

"Voldemort is alive, you say? Great! Scenario right out of my freaking nightmares!"

"Harry," Albus said urgently, as Harry's hair and clothing began whipping around in an invisible wind. "You need to regain control."

Sirius watch in horrified fascination as the magic around Harry became visible in a flickering aura of colours. He'll blow us all sky high.

Moody was apparently thinking the same thing. "Stupify!" he cried desperately.

Harry collapsed, his magic cutting off.

Sirius winced at the bang of formerly floating objects hitting the floor and furniture.

"Well," Albus said. "That could have gone better."