A Shot in the Dark by Lady Squish

Summary : Things didn't go exactly as planned during the final battle between Voldemort and Harry. Now, five years later, Ianto Jones has a secret that he hasn't told anyone. What do these two have to do with each other? Crossover Harry Potter/Torchwood

Warnings – Past Character Death, Past Relationships (Het and Slash), Slash, Adult Themes.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything expect the plot. Harry Potter belongs to JKR and Torchwood belongs to RTD. Also, one main idea belongs to Hope Night who has given me permission to use it.

AN – Please note that I have set the story so that the final battle happened when Harry was 20. Some other things have changed, but nothing important at the moment. Just take into account that some of the last book will be different.

-Prologue-

The war was over. Finally after years of training and fighting and hiding, Harry was free. Or as free as he could be when he was a Child of Fate.

He never expected that to happen, but then again be hadn't expected a lot of things to happen. He hadn't expected his friends to die or to go missing. He hadn't expected to fall in love twice and lose both loves just when he was ready to tell them. But this was beyond that. This was...impossible.

It had happened during the final day of the battle. Voldemort had finally joined the fight, walking the field and taking down fighters in an almost casual manner. When Harry had spotted him, he had made his way toward the snake, knowing that now was the time to face his destiny, now was the time to end this war. His eyes on his target, he hadn't even noticed the badly aimed green light as it flew toward him, until it slammed into his chest and he felt the world go black.

On waking the first thought was that he had died, then confusion came as he realized that that wasn't supposed to happen. No one was supposed to be able to kill him except Voldemort. After all, isn't that what "and either must die and the hands of the other" meant?

He was so caught up in his musings, that he didn't even notice the other presence until she spoke.

"Harry Potter." She said, her voice like that of a thousand angels. Harry jumped, not expecting someone.

"W-who are you?"

The woman smiled and the beauty of it brought tears to the young man's eyes.

"I am Fate, my child. And we have much to discuss."

"A-am I dead?" Harry asked, somewhat fearfully.

"Not yet."Fate said, with an amused chuckle. "I am here to offer you a choice, Harry Potter."

"What?"

"You have been given a choice, as you have not fully completed your destiny. You and Tom Riddle were meant to battle on this day, and a victor chosen. As this did not occur, I am here to give you a choice. You may continue on, into the afterlife or you can go back and save those left and fulfill your destiny."

Harry was speechless. How could someone ask this of him? How could he make a choice between going back and saving the world or being selfish and continuing on to the ones he loved?

"I understand that this choice is not an easy one to make. Know that either option comes with consequences. If you choose to continue on, there is no guarantee that you will be with your loved ones. Past this point I cannot tell you what will happen. Also, if you choose to move one, you will forever watch the destruction of the world. It is the job of those who have passed on to watch the world continue on."

"On the other hand, if you choose to go back to your human form, I am afraid you will forever be bound to that form. You will be known as immortal, or as close to that as a human can get."

Harry's mind was spinning. What kind of choice what that? His anger welled up inside of him. Hadn't he done enough? With that though, he turned angry eyes on the ethereal form.

"How can you ask me to choose? Either way it's torture. Haven't I suffered enough!"

The woman's eyes clouded with sadness.

"Yes, my child. Your life has not been an easy one, but there is nothing I can do to change the past. I also am afraid that I have no power as to what will happen if you go to the afterlife, as I can only work with the living. But if you do go back I can promise you some hope. If you chose your human form, I would request you work for me in a sense. I have humans whose sole purpose on earth is to watch and make sure that other's destiny happens. Your mother was one, she was meant to protect you, so that you could fulfill your destiny. I am afraid, after her death there was no one to watch you, which is why this grievance happened today. If you go back and become a Child of Destiny, a Watcher and Protector of Innocence, I promise that you will never be alone. There is another that will be like you. An Immortal that has chosen to protect earth. I promise that once you find this person, you will never feel the loneliness of roaming time forever."

She looked deep into Harry's eyes, into his soul and made the promise.

"Now I ask you, child. What is your choice?"

Harry took a deep breath and closed his eyes and made the only choice he could.

"I choose to go back."

TBC...

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Edited 12/19/2009