Title: Little Lost Children
Summary: We're going way back… to before Harry Potter gets his letter from Hogwarts. He runs away from Privet Drive… So what happens when two characters we know and love/hate and one new character comes to Hogwarts from a completely different life than they had in the books?
Disclaimer: Autumn and the plot is mine. The rest is Ms. Rowling's
A/N… AU pplz. And I'm adding a new character to an old family. Please review and/or flame. Anything will be appreciated.
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A small boy slipped from shadow to shadow, moving down the houses of Privet Drive. He had dark, straggly hair, and his emerald green eyes flashed in the moonlight. His baggy, ragged cloths hung from his lanky form, the darkness of the cloths helping him blend into the shadows. As he reached the end of the drive, he turned once and looked upon Number 4 with the deepest look of utter and complete hatred. He could just imagine the three people – the people who called themselves his family, the people who had no qualms about beating a undersized and under-nourished ten year old child nearly to his death – getting up in the morning, expecting their breakfast ready and waiting. He could see the man nearly roll his blubbery way into the hall, and yanking the door to the cupboard under the stairs open, his piggish face red, screams of a boy's worthlessness erupting from the man's tiny puckered mouth before he even realized that the room was empty.
The boy flipped his hair out of his face, a lightning shaped scar showing in the faint light. A scar that was supposed to have come from a car crash that the boy's parents' hadn't survived. The boy turned and began to full out run, intent on getting to the city and finding a corner or ally to hide in before the sun rose in a few hours. The boy's thoughts once again turned to the parents he had never known. He had a gut feeling that no car crash would have killed Lily and James Potter…but he didn't know how that would have been possible. But one little boy who was running from the only home he remembered knew that his scar had far more … sinister origins.
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At the same time, the same distance from the dirty, infested alleyways of London, a shockingly blonde head was confidently walking off his estate, a small bag slung over his shoulder. The boy's silver eyes flashed in the dark, stepping into the small patch off woods that separated his home – or rather the house of his father and mother – from the city. The blonde smirked, despite the dark bruise that ran from his cheek, down his throat, and seemingly far down under his shirt. The boy ignored his own limp as he moved into the patch of forest. He knew that forest, and despite all the warnings he had always received from his worried parents – worried that their heir would be harmed and perhaps permanently marked – that the creatures that inhabited those woods would like nothing more than to harm him. For the past ten years, the creatures in that forest had been the ones to save him from the fate that Lucius and Narcissia Malfoy were so certain the 'filthy creatures' would inflict.
No, it had been Lucius to beat the boy into oblivion, Narcissia to ignore her husband and the wounds of her only child. It had been the boy – since the young age of 4, being daring enough to ask 'but why are mudbloods so beneath us?' – who dragged his bloody, bruised, and broken body from the back veranda to his beloved forest. His only regret for leaving home was leaving his forest and the creatures – the ones he considered more of a family than his own parents – within. But he couldn't take it. The 'Dark Lord' was rising again, only waiting for the boy-who-lived, one Harry Potter, to arrive at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
But the blonde boy didn't want to be a death-eater. He didn't want to be a follower of some bodiless, powerless bastard who was defeated by a one year old. He didn't want any mark on his arm that constantly hurt –from what he could tell from his father anyhow – and he certainly didn't want his life in anyone's hands but his own.
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Autumn prowled the alleyway that lead to the corner that had been her home for as long as she could remember. The girl had dark red hair and hazel eyes. She was dressed in a black blouse and black jeans – her bare feet filthy, as the rest of her was. The corner she had found when she was a bright eyed and intelligent two year old, and her protector had been 16 - just two years before she had been killed – was certainly cozy. If one could call a corner behind a building in a filthy alleyway of London cozy. She made her home between the backsides of two buildings. It was narrow, and at one end a brick wall had been built.
Autumn had managed to construct a lean-to between the buildings, against the brick wall. That long narrow alleyway was her's, and everyone on the streets knew it. You didn't mess with the tough, wiry ten-year-old girl and get off lightly. Most of the time, attackers came away with unexplained ailments, as well as physical wounds. She had even a bed – of sorts – built under the farthest corner of her shelter, up on bricks and wooden slats. She even had quite a few blankets saved up. And that little corner even managed to stay dry.
Autumn didn't question why she was up and prowling the alleyway that led to her alleyway this soon before sunrise, because that feeling in her gut had never steered her wrong. So… Autumn, the bane of all homeless children, was watching the entrance to the alleyway with hawk-eyes. When she saw two fairly clean boys – one with dark, carelessly strewn hair, and the other with stark blonde hair – glaring curiously at each other, she was a little amused. Her first thought was that there were two new kids on the block and she was awake to teach them their first lesson on the streets – the one where you left Autumn alone – with her fists. Immediately following that thought, her gut –what she called her intuition, for she didn't really know that word – screamed at her to take these boys home.
Never one to ignore her 'gut' Autumn lunged out of the alleyway in a lightning quick movement and grabbed both boys by the back of their shirts, and quickly dragged them into her home. They were both too shocked, just about to introduce themselves to each other that they didn't put up much of a fight.
"Rule one on the street boys, you stay out of the main streets during the working day. And as it is 6 o'clock and 30 minutes from sunrise, you two were in main traffic." Autumn's voice was hardened by the street, but you could hear the potential in her voice – the potential to be a magnificent singer and speaker. "Now, tell me who you are." She raised a finger when they both opened their mouths. "Last names don't mean shit out here. You give me first names only. Last names mean you have a family; they mean you have somewhere you belong. Out here that can get you killed." Obviously both boys were very surprised by the girl before them. "I'm Autumn. What about you Blondie?"
"Draco" Autumn could hear the cultured, high-class sound in his voice. She snickered. "Alright Dragon of Bad Faith. What bout you midget?"
"Nothing so impressive." She could hear the smirk in the boy's voice, as well as see it on his face. She smiled slightly at him. "Harry." Draco looked closely at Harry before spotting the scar he was looking for. Draco debated with himself on weather or not to say something. Obviously the boy-who-lived didn't know who and what he was, there were certainly plenty of wizarding families willing to take *him* in.
In the end Draco let it go, favoring the questions he had for Autumn. "If the streets are so unfriendly, then why are you telling us the 'first rule'?" Autumn turned to glare at the blond.
"We have got to do something about that hair. Come with me. Once you two are more suited to the streets I'll answer your questions." Autumn turned around on her heal, unaware of the resemblance the move had to a military 'about face'. She fully expected the boys to follow her, and both being intelligent enough to know that she may be the only help they'd get, they did as expected. Draco was just curious about what she meant about his hair.
They walked down the alleyway, and turned in between the two buildings. They saw a lean-to at the end of the alley, up against a brick wall. They also saw a kid just a filthy as Autumn moving about. Autumn took off running, and was behind the kid in a matter of seconds. The kid didn't know she was there until she had him turned around and she was in his face.
"You KNOW this corner is MINE. Ya in luck 'cause I in a good mood. But I catch ya anywheres near here again I'll do a right good number on that pretty-boy face. So GET LOST" Draco and Harry saw that the kid, at least 15, was shaking and nearly peeing in his pants because of the ten year old girl in front of him. The boys knew it was impressive. The boy ran past them, not giving them the first glance. Autumn turned around and smiled at them. "Welcome home.
"That means, boys, you defend this corner. If you don't you'll be living in a cardboard box during London storms.
"First thing we have to do…come 'ere Dragon." Autumn beckoned Draco forward. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched as Harry seamlessly melted into the shadows. "Alright. You will now be known as Dragon." Autumn acted like a queen knighting Draco. Then she giggled a little. She dipped a hand into a bucket and her hand came away black. The stuff in the bucket was a mixture of tar, mud, and oil. She took a little one her other hand and started to smear it on Dragon's cheeks. "On the streets, looking clean just shouts that you are new, and the kids out here attack the weak – the newbies." Once Autumn hat smeared the muck on Dragon's face and bare arms she rubbed the rest between her palms and ran her hands through his hair. He squeaked in surprise and Autumn laughed.
"Ya hair shines to much. Best look is filthy and straggly. Your turn Harry…oh. Dragon take off your shoes and smear some of this muck on your feet." Harry stepped forward from the shadows right next to Autumn. She smiled.
"You are now Shadow." Autumn once again pulled the 'queen' act. She repeated what she did with Dragon to Shadow. Except that she didn't have to use as much in his hair… as the mop on his head wasn't bleached blonde. Autumn directed Shadow next to Dragon. "Okay boys. First rule it stay off the streets during busy hours. Second rule is that I AM QUEEN out here. Rule three… you defend this corner. Now, I will teach you two to fight, but I think the rules of the street and how to gather food are more important right now.
"Rule four…You try not to stand out. That means we have to stay filthy. Personally I prefer clean, but clean means new and weak out here… got it so far???"
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A little over a year later…
Autumn awoke to the hooting of an owl. Her boys were curled around her, the thin blankets they had doing little to keep them warm in the cool summer night. Autumn, knowing she was safe for the moment, took the time to look back on the year she'd had with Dragon and Shadow. The three of them discovered that their birthdays were within days of each other. Dragon turned eleven first, July 12th. Then Autumn on July 14th. (at least, as far as she knew) Harry's birthday was the 18th, just last week. The owl hooted again… THE OWL?????? Autumn snapped upright, bringing her boys out of their light sleep. She stared at the beautiful gray owl perched at the foot of their 'bed', looking down its beak at them. A thick piece of parchment tied to its leg.
"Dragon? Shadow? Do either of you know what is going on??" Shadow looked as confused as she, and Dragon had paled.
"Dragon?" Shadow asked when he noticed his friend's pallor. Dragon reached out to the owl and took the parchment from its leg.
"Sorry friend, but we don't have anything for you." Dragon said to the owl as he unrolled the parchment. Some of his color returned. His only friends were staring at him oddly. He handed one envelope to each of them. "Its an invitation. A notice of acceptance to a very prestigious school. Remember how I told you two of witches and wizards?" The two baffled children nodded.
"The invitation is to the best wizarding school. Hogwarts." The three children opened the envelopes carefully, pulling out acceptance letters and supplies lists. In Autumn's letter, it had an extra passage.
Ms. Autumn Weasley,
Hogwarts is glad to have found you, and glad that you might be attending. September first, a teacher will pick you up to escort you to our school. Please respond and return your response with this owl. .
Looking forward to meeting you,
Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Head Mistress,
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry"Wow. Um, I don't think they know that you two are here with me." That was all Autumn could think to say. The boys shook their heads.
"Mine says that a professor will pick me up at the house that I used to live." Shadow mentioned, before noticing Dragon's curious look towards Autumn.
"You're a Weasley?" Autumn snapped her head to Dragon, fire in her eyes.
"I told you last names don't mean shit. If these 'Weasley's are bad enough to leave their daughter on the streets from the time she was two, I don't want anything to do with them!" Dragon put an arm around Autumn.
"NO! No. The Weasleys, a large family, never gave you up, or put you on the street, or any of that. You were kidnapped by some of my… Lucius Malfoy's peers when you were just a little baby. About two weeks before Shadow over there 'lived'. The Dark Lord ordered you and your twin kidnapped and killed, but they only managed to get you, and the one who grabbed you couldn't kill you, so he left you on the streets of London, figuring you'd die out here. As for Shadow, his parents sacrificed themselves for him, but he survived through the killing curse. All three of us will be famous. You two for the reasons I mentioned, myself because I am the son of the richest wizard in England. My letter just tells me to be at the station on September first, so its obvious that Lucius Malfoy has not let it out that I ran away." Dragon took a deep breath.
"So it looks like the three of us will be picked up here September first. Joyful isn't it?" Shadow growled. Autumn laid a hand on his leg and tossed off the blanket.
"Lets get some breakfast!" Autumn took their letters, folded them together, and wrote,
Ms McGonagall,
The teacher you are sending to me must be prepared to also fetch my companions, Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter. I warn you that we are filthy, nor do we have a way to get any supplies. But we are willing to come to your school.
Autumn
Dragon
Shadow
She then tied it back on the owl's leg, and whispered to it to take the packet back to Minerva McGonagall. The owl flew off, and the trio set out to fetch themselves breakfast. It was Shadow's turn to stand post on their alley, and the other two stayed in sight…actually one stayed in sight of Shadow, and the other stayed in sight with them.
TBC…
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chappy one. I have more. Just thought I'd give something… cause the next part isn't finis. I have a few other WIPs that I'm trying to get more chappys out for.
Eep! dkTyga