Disclaimer: Seriously? Does anyone read these things anymore? I don't own anything except a 73 Harley, its oil leaks and a Dell laptop.
A/N: This is the first of a few things scattered over various thumbdrives that I had started, but may never finish. They will all be oneshots, at this time. Of course, I've said that about a dozen other stories. I am working on SoG and the new story, starting fourth year, but I found this and few others looking for all my reference data for SoG, so am posting it while I work out how to finish SoG. Since these are drabbles, they are un betaed, unedited and rough as hell. You can brit pick, grammar nazi and correct anything you want, but be aware that I won't be fixing anything unless this becomes a real story. Jiminy Cricket says that's not going to happen soon though.
Scenario: The night the Potters died, Sirius and Hagrid arrive to find Harry gone. Sirius doesn't go after the rat, deciding that finding Harry is more important. The two of them catch a DE and discover that the LeStranges are going to attack the Longbottoms, looking for information. With forewarning and several extra wands, the Longbottoms live. Harry, Frank, Alice and Neville Longbottom disappear, not to be seen or heard from until it is time for Hogwarts. The first three years of Hogwarts slowly diverge from Canon as their actions change things. Harry is protected by several things, including Lord Sirius Black, the Blood wards and a Potter, who is supposedly from a cadet line that squibbed out some years ago, with this new Potter being the first in his family to have magic in four generations. Since he is obviously a Potter, can anchor the Blood wards and can access the Potter Grimore, The Wizengamot refuses to send Harry to a Muggle household. The two boys step back into the Wizard world accompanied by Hermione, whom they met in school. (By the new Potter's design.) Needless to say, they are not what anyone expects.
Harry Potter and the Man Who Knew Too Much
Ravenwood240
Harry Potter, fourth year Gryffindor, looked up with everyone else as the doors to the Great Hall opened with a boom. Lit in a flash of lightning from the enchanted ceiling was a very disturbing sight. Mad-Eye Moody was marked by a lifetime of fighting the Dark Arts and the people that used them. His scars had scars and only the former Care of Magical Creatures Professor was missing more body parts. Harry grinned at the old man and used his wand to send a magical pulse that Mad-Eye's artificial eye would pick up. Harry saw the orb swivel around to look at him and he send another pulse.
Harry frowned as Mad-Eye didn't break his stride or respond in any way. He considered the man as Headmaster Dumbledore introduced him and came to an abrupt conclusion. Harry closed his eyes as he fought the red tide of rage that threatened to overwhelm him. The five people sitting closest to him stiffened and looked at him as they felt his magic stir. Hermione Granger, Neville Longbottom, Fred, George and Ronald Weasley watched him, four with concern and Ron with confusion. Harry fought the anger down and opened his eyes. His eyes swept his four companions. "That's an imposter up there," he muttered and all four of them looked at Mad-Eye.
Hermione looked at him. "You're certain?", she asked. Harry nodded and sighed.
"I told you what I would do this year if things didn't change, and an impostor pretending to be the man who taught me for three years says Dumbledore is either an idiot like second year or up to something like first year. Either way, I'm off to Sirius and better days." Harry finished his comments as the food appeared and stood up.
Fred and George looked at each other and then at Harry. "Keep in touch," said Fred. "Mum will never let us leave yet, so we'll be your eyes and ears here in Hogwarts." Harry nodded and started towards the doors as Hermione and Neville stood up to follow Harry.
"Potter, where do you think you're going?" The sibilant challenge was loud enough to silence the Great Hall. Professor Snape was standing at the head table, glaring at Harry's back as if his look would stop Harry.
Harry and his friends didn't break stride or even acknowledge the Potions Master, until the doors of the Great Hall swung shut in front of them. Harry tried the door and was not surprised to find it locked. The anger that he had fought down was rising again as he turned to face the only person that could have locked the doors. "Headmaster Dumbledore, would you open the doors, please? My friends and I would like to leave."
"The feast has just begun, Mr. Potter. I find it hard to believe that you have eaten yet." Dumbledore watched him curiously. Over the summer, Sirius, Harry and the Headmaster had worked out all the conditions of Harry returning this year, and he had met them all.
Harry stared at him for a minute and realized that he had to tell the old Wizard why he was leaving. "In my first year," he said, load enough to cover the still silent room, the DADA Professor was possessed by Voldemort." He paused and allowed the gasps and sounds at the sound of Voldemort's name to end before continuing. "I ended up having to kill him." Murmurs broke out as Harry openly admitted to the rumours that had surrounded the end of first year. "Second year, Lockhart was a fraud, and I had to stop him from Obliviating me. He's serving life in Azkaban now for his crimes. Just last year, Auror Dawlish turned out to be a Pureblood Supremacist and Hermione and I were forced to kill him." Harry stared at Dumbledore, keeping the man pretending to be Mad-Eye Moody in sight. "So, this year, Lord Black would only allow me to return if the DADA Professor was somebody we both trusted not to try and kill me again."
Dumbledore looked at Mad-Eye and back at Harry. "Both of you approved Auror Moody, Mr. Potter," he said, suddenly worried about what Snape had started. He was careful to keep Mad-Eye in the corner of his eye.
Harry nodded. "We did, Sir. We did so, because Mad-eye was my trainer for three years." More murmurs broke out as the impostor stiffened. "In order to keep it secret, Moody taught me a charm that his eye could see, that would unlock the memories of that training. Without that charm, no spell could find those memories." Harry looked at man everyone else was staring at. "When the charm is sent, Mad-Eye has a signal that he's supposed to send me. Since the man sitting there didn't send it, I believe that is an impostor. Given my first three years here, I have to assume that it's yet another plot to kill me."
Barty Crouch Jr. looked at all the people staring at him and the sheer number of wands pointing his way and knew he was not getting out of this room under his own power. Since the Dark Lord wanted Potter for a ritual, he couldn't attack him, but Dumbledore was right within reach. Going for a wand would be foolish, but there was another choice. He jumped at the Headmaster, slipping the dagger up his sleeve into his hand as he jumped.
He was shocked to find his attack stopped abruptly, and to feel himself flying through the air. Before he could catch up with what had happened, his skull collided with the stone wall of the room, and despite Harry's belief, Death eaters did not have heads harder than rock.
Every eye in the Great Hall watched as the death eater slid down the wall, leaving a streak of blood and thicker things behind. After the body hit the floor, those eyes moved to Hagrid, whose giant hand had grabbed the impostor and slung him against the wall. Hagrid looked at all the faces and ducked his head. "Never attack Professor Dumbledore in front of me," he muttered, seconds before the room erupted into chaos.