Who the hell are you?

Harry Potter was sitting on the swings in the playpark of Little Whinging. It had been only a few weeks ago that Voldemort had come back from the dead. He had been traumatized and then left to his own devices. He was not happy. Left to his own thoughts, he found he had quite the imagination. And what he was thinking was not happy things.

He had just had it out with his relatives about listening to the news. They didn't want him to do anything normal, or freaky. They couldn't make up their damn minds about him. If it were up to them, he'd just disappear, and they'd be happy.

He was sulking. He did that. He knew he was pouting, and he didn't care. His cousin was coming over with his gang of friends and Harry was gearing up for a round of wits with unarmed foes. He reached for his wand.

"I wouldn't if I were you. It is a futile effort," came a voice from right next to him.

Harry whipped around and looked at the teen sitting in the swing. He looked just like him, only… darker? The other Harry was wearing black clothes and had an aura that screamed 'don't fuck with me'. He was older than him too.

"Who the hell are you?" Harry asked, ready to jump up and fight for his life. "You look like me, but older," he added, seeing the other teen was about five years older than him. There was the shadow of a beard on his chin and a small mustache. Harry had always wondered what he would look like with facial hair and now he knew. He looked good. He couldn't wait until he started shaving. He was already getting some stubble.

"Bravo," the other Harry said, clapping his hands together in a mocking way. Harry growled at him. "You get a biscuit. Come on, let's get out of here. I've got some things to tell you and I don't want to be here when the dementors come," the older teen said, getting off the swing. He glared at Dudley, who took one look at him and changed direction.

"What dementors?" Harry asked, getting up and following the other Harry. He was looking at the sky to see if he could see them, but they were clear. Still, he followed the other man. It was him after all. If he couldn't trust himself, who could he trust? It wasn't like his friends were giving him any information.

"The ones Umbitch is sending after you. They'll find us eventually, but I don't want it to be here," the older Harry said, moving towards the woods that lined the park.

It was getting dark, and the younger Harry didn't really want to go into the woods. Too many bad memories of the Forbidden Forest. However, Gryffindors went bravely to where angels feared to tread. He squared his shoulders and moved into the trees. There were no giant spiders, centaurs, disembodied Dark Lords, or other monsters here. It was simply a place where trees grew. There might be a deer or things of that nature.

They walked for a little while and stopped at a clearing. It was a small clearing with only a few rocks and a bush or two. The sound of bugs where predominant. There was a cry of birds in the trees, but not many since the sun was going down. The rustling of small animals going about their business could be heard. It was almost peaceful.

"Sit," the older boy said, waving his wand and creating two chairs. They were easy chairs, which had no place in the middle of the woods.

"Shite, I'll get in trouble for that," Harry said, watching the sky for owls. Every time someone used magic around here, he got busted for it. If the ministry pinned this on him, he might get expelled.

"I'm over seventeen, I'll be nineteen soon, that and we're far enough away from your house that it won't be registered as your magic," the young man said, sitting on one of the chairs and nodding to the empty one. "They might pin what will happen later on you, but this will not register."

"What's going to happen later?" Harry asked, settling in the chair.

"You'll find out," the older teen said, waving it away for now. "It'll make sense later."

"Right. What do I call you? I can't call you Harry," Harry asked, thinking it was weird talking to himself. "And why aren't we trying to kill one another. Hermione said…" he started, only to be stopped by a raising of a hand.

"Hermione was wrong. She's a smart one, but she relies on books far too much. She only knows what the books and Dumbledore told her. Besides, I didn't just go back in time. I came from a different reality. I'll tell you all about it later," he said, crossing one leg over the other. "Call me Shadow. It's my Marauder name." He seemed proud about that.

"You're an animagus?" Harry asked, excited over the thought that he too could be one. He ignored the quips about Hermione for now.

"Yes," was the only answer he got.

"What are you?" was the excited question.

"A grim, like Padfoot," Shadow said, there was a tinge of sadness in his tone.

"Did something happen to Sirius?" Harry asked, very concerned all of a sudden.

"Yes," again with the short answer.

"You're not going to tell me," Harry accused. He was getting quite upset at people keeping information from him.

"I will, but in time," Shadow said, settling deeper into his chair. "First tell me what you were doing in the park. I can guess from my own life, but I want to make sure they are similar." He looked at Harry expecting him to talk.

Harry didn't want to tell him, but he understood why the man wanted to know. So, he spilled his guts about how everyone was ignoring him and not writing to him. How his relatives were being arseholes and limiting his access to the news. He had no clue what was happening and was frustrated. "I don't understand what is going on," he finished, slumping down in his easy chair.

"Yes, that is what happened to me too. You can blame Dumbledore for the silence," Shadow said, picking at a piece of lint on his trousers. "Don't worry, I'll tell you what's going on. Nothing. That's what. Dumbledore is guarding the prophecy, and you. That's it. Voldemort, and I suggest you start calling him something else soon, is laying low. He will go for the prophecy soon, but you don't have to worry about it. It's not important. Trelawney was the one who made it and we know what a fraud she is."

"She also predicted that Peter would escape," Harry pointed out. Remembering that night well. If only he had listened to her. Then Pettigrew wouldn't have escaped.

"She got lucky," Shadow said, sneering at the other boy. "She predicts your death daily. Do you put stock in that?" An eyebrow was lifted in a mocking manner.

"I guess not," Harry said, though he remembered how different she was when she said what she had about Pettigrew.

"Look, I'm trying to save you a lot of heartache. If you want to follow Dumbledore's plan and get killed, go for it. I'll just toddle off and empty your account at Gringotts and disappear," Shadow said, making as if to stand. "I don't have to do anything. I am you. The goblins will let me take the money and go," he added.

"Wait," Harry said, aghast that the other bloke would do that. "I'm sorry. I get that you're trying to help, but what do you have against Dumbledore?" He was desperate to not have him take his money. He wasn't sure he was serious enough, but it was worrying.

"For starters, he puts too much faith in that fucking prophecy," Shadow said, glaring at the empty space between them.

"What prophecy?" Harry asked, never having heard about it until now.

"Here, I'll tell you what it is," Shadow offered, leaning forward in his chair, folding his hands between his knees, "and you can make up your own mind. 'The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches... Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies... and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not... and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives... The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies...'" he said in a dead voice, like he was quoting Binns.

"None of that makes a lick of sense," Harry said, going over the words in his head. It was all vague and twisted.

"I know, right? But Dumbledore has his own interpretation and he's willing to bet his and your life on it," was the comeback.

"My life?" Harry exclaimed, flabbergasted at the audacity of the headmaster. "Where in there does it say that I have to die?" He went over the words and came up with the passage himself, just as Shadow started talking.

"'And either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives,'" the older boy quoted again. This time with derision. "The headmaster thinks this means that only you can kill the Dark Lord and he has to kill you first. You see, Voldy made these things call horcruxes and you happen to have one in your forehead. As long as it sits there, he can't die. Dumbledore, in all his wisdom, thinks that only Voldy can remove it from your noggin," he explained. "And that only you can kill Voldy."

"I have something connected to… Voldy in my forehead?" a floored Harry asked, his tone flat. He didn't know what to think about that. "Are you saying there's a different way to get rid of it?" he asked, hoping that he didn't have to face the Dark Lord.

"Yes, a few. The goblins will remove it for a fee. You can let me kill you," he started, only for Harry to abruptly stand and start to back away. "You'd survive," he added, smiling at the teen.

"How?" Harry asked, not sure what to think about that. Was this bloke for real?

"The horcrux would die and give you a chance to survive," was the answer. "Well, it's a fifty/fifty chance, but… Anyway, there's another way. You can have sex," Shadow said with some amusement.

"Why didn't you lead with that?" Harry asked, sitting back down. Not that he was ready to have sex yet, but he had thought about it.

"Because it wouldn't have been as funny?"

"How would having sex take care of a horcrux?"

"Well, Voldy hates love, so it would have to be really meaningful sex," Shadow said, rubbing his chin in thought. "So, either Hermione or Ginny. Or Fleur would do in a pinch, but she's got her sights set on Bill."

"Ginny? She's Ron's little sister," Harry said, never having thought of Ginny in a romantic way. She was just an annoying kid that followed him around.

"I forget you're still young," Shadow said, thinking of something else. "I guess, your first time might be enough. I wonder if we can hire a hooker?" he contemplated.

"I'm not going to a hooker," Harry said, cringing away from the thought.

"Not even to save the world?" was the laughed question.

Harry stopped to think about that. Would he pay for sex to save the world? Would it be enough? What if it didn't work? Then it would be for nothing, and it would ruin his first time. "How sure are you that it'll work?" he asked, leaning forward.

"Pretty sure. You never forget your first time. In the hands of a professional, well you'll never forget, ever," Shadow said, an evil glint in his eyes. There was something there that Harry didn't quite trust. However, it was to save the world.

"Alright, fine. Let's go save the world," Harry said, getting up ready to leave before he changed his mind.

"Wait, here come the dementors. Let me handle it and the fallout," Shadow said, seeing the dark clouds coming their way.

Harry felt the depression that came with the demons and pressed himself against a tree. He had his wand at the ready in case he was needed.

Shadow cast a spell that was like a Patronus, but much brighter and deadlier. To the dementors that is. He killed both of them. Then he stood there and waited. Five minutes later, while Harry wondered what they were waiting for, an owl showed up. It dropped the envelope it had been carrying.

The message said that Harry had been expelled from Hogwarts, and that they were coming to snap his wand. Shadow held up his hand and indicated that he should wait. So, he did. Another letter came telling him to stay in his house, and not to give up his wand. Then another letter came telling him there would be a hearing. Then another letter came telling him not to do any more magic.

Harry was beyond angry at everyone for their nerves at treating him like a naughty boy. He hadn't even done anything.

Shadow took out a letter, attached it to an owl and sent it to Amelia Bones. "I let her know that I was the one who performed the magic. I told her that I am a cousin who was visiting when the dementors attacked. I gave her the name Shadow Potter. If asked, just tell them the truth," he said, waving Harry to follow him.

Harry did, though he was still very angry. Maybe sex would help. He had heard it was a cure all.

Hphphp

"You're an arsehole," Harry mumbled as they made their way to Gringotts. They were walking through the streets of London. It was dark out and there were some toughs about, but Shadow looked like he could take them, so they were left alone.

"You should have seen the look on your face," Shadow said, laughing his arse off.

Harry had been quite the nervous wreck trying to ask a lady-of-the-evening to take him on. The problem was he was only fourteen and there wasn't enough money in Britain for any of them to be caught catering to a minor.

Shadow found it hilarious. "I'm sorry. I didn't think they'd turn you down," he said, still chuckling.

"Yeah," Harry said, never having been so embarrassed in all his life. Not even when Cho turned him down for the Yule Ball.

"Come on. Hopefully, the goblins' method is painless," Shadow said, tugging his sleeve to hurry him along. They were almost to their destination, so they moved faster. Diagon Alley only had one entrance, and it was open until two in the morning. It was going on ten in the evening now.

"What? You don't know?" Harry asked, not sure if this was a good idea anymore.

"Why would I know? I took a killing curse to the face," Shadow said, looking at him with a look that said it was still an option.

"What? Why? How?"

"It wasn't planned," Shadow mumbled. "I was there to fight, and someone said something to me, and I turned at the wrong moment. I got the curse to the face and that's how I know it might not kill you. I came back." he stated, but he sounded disgruntled about it.

"Why aren't you happy about that?" Harry wanted to know.

"It's what happened in the in-between that I didn't like. I don't want to talk about it," he said, moving faster, going to the door of the Leaky Cauldron. They had made it and were now going to the back of the pub. Tom, the bartender, was dutifully tending his bar. He waved Harry on and did a doubletake at his company.

Harry waved back and just shrugged. He hurried to the back of the bar, and into the Alley. They went to Gringotts, which never closed, and accosted the nearest teller.

"Good evening, teller," Shadow said, nodding his head. "We need someone to examine Harry here," he said, getting straight to the point.

"Why?" the teller asked, taking up a quill to write a note.

Shadow leaned forward and whispered, "Horcrux."

"You don't say?" the goblin said, looking at Harry scar with a bit of awe.

"It's the truth," Shadow said with a shrug. They'd find out when they examined him.

"Very well. I'll send a message down. Go sit over there," the teller said, pointing to a set of benches near some double doors.

The duo did just that and sat and waited. They watched the nighttime patrons of the bank, and they were some shady characters. Vampires, werewolves, and other dark creatures that couldn't do banking during the day. Well, that didn't make them shady, so much as their auras. Much like Shadow's.

It took ten minutes for someone to come and get them. "Come," the goblin said as he waved them through the doors.

"Okay," Harry said, slowly. Didn't goblins introduce themselves first?

"Just follow along," Shadow said as if he knew what Harry was thinking, which he probably did. They were the same person. At least they had been at one time. Harry didn't know what happened to make him turn into Shadow, but he hoped it didn't happen to him.

They walked down a long corridor to a brightly lit room. It was full of medical equipment and hospital beds. There were goblins and wizards.

"So, the teller said there was a horcrux to take care of," one of the wizards said, pointing to one of the hospital beds. "Jump up and let's have a look," he instructed.

Harry moved to do that, cutting a look at Shadow, who was looking stoic. He laid down and tried not to worry about what was going on.

The wizards waved their wands, while the goblins chanted. There was a lot of noise going on and Harry was getting concerned over what it all meant. The chanting got louder, and the wand waving got more frantic. Suddenly, they all stopped.

"Well, you're partially correct. Someone's soul piece is in this scar, but it is not a horcrux," the first wizard said, looking at Shadow since he was the adult in the room. "Which is good news, that makes it easier to remove."

"Great, let's get to it," Shadow said, reaching for his money pouch.

"That'll be 3,000 galleons," one of the goblins said, greed in his tone.

"I don't carry that kind of cash on me," Shadow said, letting his hand drop. "Harry, do you have your key?" he asked the boy.

"Yeah, I think so," Harry said, sitting up and searching his pockets. He remembered putting it there this morning. Something about not letting Dudley find it, or some such rot. He pulled it out and handed it to Shadow. He was concerned about handing it over to the boy who said he'd empty the account earlier, but he had little choice but to right now. The mediwizard said there was a soul piece in his head. "Bring it back, okay?" he said, worry in his tone.

"I promise," Shadow said, making a gesture over his heart. "I'll pull out what we need," the older teen said, going out the door, leaving Harry there with the medical personnel.

They were all looking at the younger teen like he was an experiment gone wrong and they wanted to fix him.

"We'll wait until he returns," the goblin who spoke earlier said.

"Can I at least have your names?" Harry asked, looking at the two wizards and three goblins.

"I'm Spats, this is Timmons," the mediwizard said, indicating the two wizards. "The goblins are Lurkar, Bargus, and Gorrak. They are the primary shaman in Gringotts," Spats said, looking proudly at the three goblins.

"Pleasure to meet you," Harry said, grinning at them. He felt better knowing their names. "Have you been working together for long?" he asked, trying to start a conversation.

"Many years," Spats said, seeming to be the only one willing to talk.

"Oh, good," Harry said, his topics petering out. He had no clue what else to ask. "So, my scar isn't a horcrux?" he tried. Maybe something medical would make them talk.

"No, you're lucky it hasn't possessed you yet," Spats said, waving his wand over Harry again, a frown marring his face. Then realization lit his eyes. "Ah, I see, a mother's protection. That is some powerful magic."

That got the others talking among themselves. It would affect how they got the soul piece out. They would have to work with this protection so as not to rid the boy of it.

Shadow came back just then with two coin pouches. He handed one to the goblins and one to Harry. "Keep that one on you," he told the boy. He gave him back his key and went to stand by the wall.

Harry gave him a queer look and nodded. He was relieved that the man had come back. He tucked the pouch in his trouser pocket and laid back down. They seemed to be ready to extract the soul piece. More wand waving and chanting, this time reaching a crescendo, and the nasty object was ejected from Harry's head.

"Ow," the teen said, grabbing where his scar burst open.

"Don't be a baby," Shadow said, seeing that it really didn't hurt that much. He knew the looks of pain on that face, and that wasn't one. "It's all over now," he said as the soul piece came out.

The goblins waved their hands about and dissipated it. They did a lot of other ceremonial things, but it was over and all that was left was the cleanup.

Harry cleaned his forehead of the gunk and jumped off the bed. "Thanks," he told Spats.

"You're welcome," the distracted man said, waving his wand around and making sure the soul piece was gone.

Shadow and Harry left.

"So now what?" Harry asked when they left Gringotts.

"Now you have choices to make," Shadow said, walking him towards Knockturn Alley. "You can come with me, or you can stay and listen to Dumbledore and die when he wants you too. This time you don't have the horcrux to save you," he said, moving down the dark alley like he knew where he was going.

"Where are you going?" Harry asked, wanting information, before he made any type of decision.

"I'm going back home. I only came to save at least one Harry Potter from the fate that that man thrust upon me. I plan on doing this as many times as I can. There is another option for you. You can disappear. You have enough money in your vault to just go. Take Sirius and vanish," Shadow said, tapping a wall at the end of the alley. A door appeared and they were back in muggle London.

"How come we didn't come in that way?"

"It's an exit only," was the answer.

"Oh," Harry said as he settled down in thought. It was a tough choice. Did he want to fight in a war that had nothing to do with him anymore? He had just got rid of the reason for the prophecy. He was no longer marked. "What about my friends?" he asked, looking at Shadow.

"I can't make up your mind for you," the older teen said, stopping and looking at him. "I can tell you that they will stay and fight. They are Dumbledore's people through and through. They didn't write you on his word. They will do anything he tells them to. Even spy on you," he added, giving him a knowing look.

"I know," Harry said, still unsure. They started walking again. "How much money did you put in that pouch?" he asked.

"Enough to support you for a month if need be. That's what took me so long, I had to get muggle money," Shadow said, then thought of something. "You won't be able to rent a room though. You need an adult."

"Dammit," Harry said, knowing going back to the Dursleys' this late was asking for trouble.

"Come on, I'll get us a hotel for the night. You can ask your questions and do your thinking," Shadow said, going to a decent hotel down the street.

"I do need to think," Harry said, following along. He looked up to the sky and saw his owl following along and smiled. He knew he was going to be writing to at least one person tonight.

Hphphp

The next morning put many things into perspective. Harry didn't get a reply to his letters, bar one. That reply was a mangy dog scratching at his door first thing that morning. He let his godfather in.

"How did you find me?" he asked Sirius when the man changed back into a man.

"I followed your scent. You were in the Alley last night," he stated though there was a confused look on his face. "There were two scents though."

"Yeah, hold on, Shadow is in the loo," Harry said, hearing the shower stop. "He'll explain everything," he said, hoping that was true.

Shadow came out of the restroom and froze. "Padfoot," he said, softly.

"James?" Sirius said, shock in his tone.

"No," the other man said, shaking his head. "I'm Harry from a different reality. I'll explain more in a minute. Let me get dressed and call for breakfast," he said, and did just that.

When breakfast came, they sat and ate while Shadow explained why he was doing what he was doing. "I got the raw end of the deal," he said, bitterness laced his voice. "Dumbledore had planned my entire life. Who I married, who my friends were, what my career would be, when and how I died. All of it. I rebelled, and I was cast out. My money was confiscated, and I was labeled a Dark Lord. So, I gave them what they wanted and took over the magical world. It was then that I decided that I needed to help other Harry Potters to not have my life. I don't like who I am. It's not in my nature to be Dark," he said with a heavy sigh.

"Maybe not all Dumbledores are like yours. You know, one turned right, while the other turned left," Sirius said, thinking of the chaos theory.

"You're right, of course, which is why I asked questions and scouted Harry out before I approached him," Shadow said, scooping up some beans and eating them.

"What are you thinking, Harry?" Sirius asked, ready to support whatever Harry wanted to do.

"I want to leave. There's nothing for me here," Harry said, his tone firm. "I mean, I'll miss Ron and Hermione, but they made their choice this summer," he added. He had thought about it all night. He didn't want to fight in a war.

He was fourteen fucking years old.

"Okay. I can't go to Gringotts, but I can write a Letter of Authorization," Sirius said, looking to Shadow. He reached in his pocket and handed the young man his key. He kept it on him, so Fletcher didn't steal it.

"I can do that," the younger man agreed, knowing what Black wanted. "I can clear out Harry's account too," he said, knowing that a blood test would let him do that. That and Harry could give him the key.

"We're really doing this?" Harry asked, surprised that Sirius wasn't trying to talk him out of it.

"Yes," his godfather said, gesturing for him to finish his breakfast.

"Good," Harry said, picking up some bacon and eating it with gusto.

Hphphp

Harry and Sirius disappeared from magical Britain and were never seen again. They left the muggle way and were safely in the outback of Australia. There was a magical community there that took refugees from Britain and Sirius was promised a fair trial, after he begged for political asylum. They lived a full and happy life, married, and had children. The bonus was they never fought in a war.

The prophecy was defunct the night the boy left.

Shadow stuck around for a few days to make sure their trail got cold. Then he went home satisfied that he helped Harry out, and he vowed to continue to help out other Harry Potters. His method of traveling realities? Well, that was a Potter family secret, and he wasn't telling.

As for what happened in Britain after Harry left. Well, Voldy won for a few years, until there was a muggleborn uprise from the continent. They came from all over Europe, and he was eventually squashed.

The goblins were a major help in that they let the resistance know about the horcruxes. A squad was set to hunt them down and kill them.

Dumbledore did succumb to the ring horcrux. He never told anyone his secrets and they died with him.

Snape was found to be a spy, and he died by Voldemort's hand.

The Order of the Phoenix was better run by Mad-eye Moody and helped the resistance. It was with their help that Voldy eventually fell via Neville Longbottom.

Remus was lonely because he ignored Sirius when the man had asked for his help the day before he disappeared. He lived through the war, and married Tonks, but he missed his best friend and always had that hole in his heart.

Ron and Hermione were gutted that Harry left without so much as a by-your-leave. He had written to them the night before he left, asking them one last time for information, but they had ignored him, and they paid the price for that now. They survived the war, but their friendship didn't survive without Harry.

They should never have listened to Albus Dumbledore