Harry Potter and the New Lives

By Steve2

Disclaimer: Not mine. All characters belong to JK Rowling. Bummer that. But it gives me a chance to play with some nifty characters.

Alternate reality (AU). After the war ended, 7th year Harry Potter is transported into an AU where Neville is 'The-Boy-Who-Lived'. How will the powerful Shadow Mage Harry Potter get accustomed to a new life as a 'nobody'? Why was he sent there to begin with? And what happened to the Harry he displaced? So many questions, so few chapters…

This story was inspired by SilverAegis's Harry Potter and the New Life. But since it appears that he has abandoned it, I have decided to rewrite it and add an ending. Good news: I have this thing totally plotted out. Bad news: it's not totally written out so you'll have to wait while I scribe each chapter (of which I have ideas for the next 30 chapters). And of course if SilverAegis ever decides to start writing this story again, I might be persuaded to cease writing my version.

Read and review might get you a cameo in this story, providing I like the review, or even if I really hate it. Or you could give me money. That works just as good as cash.
(Heh-heh-heh – I really love those Yogi-isms).

Update: After the initial two chapters of this story went out, SilverAegis dropped me a review and gave me permission to take his story and update it as I see fit. Not all of his ideas and settings will make it to this story, but some will and you (the reader) will probably see these if you've read his story. If you haven't read his story, then all of this will be new to you.

Prologue – October 31st, 1981

As a man walked down a hallway towards the foyer, he suddenly heard the front door crack and shatter, wood pieces flying all around him. Shielding his face with one hand, his wand in the other, he looked through the carnage to see a terrifying figure.

"He's here!" the man shouted to someone upstairs. "Take the boy and get away! I'll hold him off!"

Lord Voldemort surveyed the scene. Door fragments littered the floor and were also impaled into the wall and staircase. He smiled at the man for informing him of where his target was. "Avada Kedavra!" he said automatically. Oops, he was going to offer the now dead man a chance to join him first but his enthusiasm got the better of him. Oh well, there's always the woman to tempt.

He quickly ascended the stairs and made his way to the room where a woman was swearing. Oh good, Voldemort thought, she must have found the anti-apparation wards. So nice of people to test his handiwork.

He entered the room and she stopped looking around to stare him in the eyes. If she was going to die, it would be standing and not groveling. She placed herself in front of the crib and her charge.

"Stand aside, woman," Voldemort commanded, his lips thinning at the anticipated execution. He needed to get this one over with and head for the other child mentioned in the prophecy.

"I know what you want. I will not allow it. You will have to go through me to get my grandson," she snarled, quickly throwing six successive reducto's at the dark lord. Smiling, he barely moved his wand to block all shots, rebounding one of them back towards her. She was not as spry as she once was and the curse clipped her on her cheek, whipping her head to the side. A smattering of her blood fell on her grandson who was quickly beginning to realize that something was not right.

"Stand aside and I'll let you live," Voldemort offered again. Not that he'd let her live – but it was certainly fun watching their reactions when they realized it once they'd capitulated.

"I love my grandson, you monster. I'd as soon as see you in Hell first than let anything happen to him," she snapped, sending more spells towards him. His shield absorbed most spells and those that it couldn't he simply sidestepped.

Voldemort knew he had a timetable to keep, so a quick "Avada Kedavra" later the old woman was dead on the floor. Smirking, he approached the crib to see the young boy looking up at him.

"So, you're the child of prophecy. Enjoy the afterlife, child, for there is no room for you here." He raised his wand to utter the killing curse.

Ten minutes later aurors led by Frank and Alice Longbottom broke through the wards surrounding the house. "Check the main floor!" Frank yelled at his coworkers as he and Alice flew up the stairs to the second level. Moments later they found the carnage in the nursery.

"Neville! Oh, Neville, my baby!" Alice sobbed in desperation as she made her way to the crib. To her amazement she saw her baby son alive. His cheek was bleeding but he was alive!

Frank surveyed the scene after noticing his son was alive. He saw his mother on the floor near some dark wizard robes. He recognized Voldemort's wand in the robes. "Oh, mom," he choked out as he verified she was dead.

Mad-eye Moody stopped at the door. "Perkins is dead downstairs. Killing curse. What happened here?"

Training kicking in, but tears still in his eyes, Frank said, "My mother fought Lord Voldemort here. He must have killed her. Residual Killing Curse magic is still on her body. He must have then attempted to kill my son but the prophecy protected him. He's still alive after that monster shot a killing curse at him as well."

"What happened to you-know-who?" Moody asked, surveying the room and seeing the robes.

"Neville must have killed him. Possibly spell backlash. Here's V-Vo-you-know-who's robes and wand. You know he'd never leave the wand behind if he were still alive."

"Your son killed a dark lord? Good boy."