A/N: I don't own Harry Potter. I do not get any compensation from these fictional works.
The Wizarding world woke up on July 31, 1996 thinking it was another ordinary day in their ordinary lives. They were proven wrong that afternoon when several flocks of owls soared over every magical enclave in Britain carrying nets full of rolled scrolls and began dropping the scrolls en masse.
The scroll read:
The Prophecy is false. It was given by a quack during a job interview in a pub! Merlin people research things! I am not the Savior. I refuse to be the Savior.
I have lost my family, my childhood and my privacy because the Wizarding World was willing to put the burden of murdering the most powerful Dark Lord of all times on the shoulders of a child. I've had a childhood full of insults, hate, abuse and starvation because a meddling old fool named Dumbledore thought 'the Greater Good' more important than my well-being.
Here's a thought: SAVE YOURSELVES!
YOU are the adults. YOU are trained. YOU have experience. There are more of you than there are of him!
Take responsibility. Grow a backbone! Defend yourselves and your families because I won't. I quit.
I didn't start this war. I refuse to give my life for someone else's fight especially when the entire ADULT population wants to hide in their homes quivering in fear while a CHILD fights their war for them while they spout lies about me, call me a liar and call me unstable. One moment I'm your only hope the next I'm the next Dark Lady on the rise. Why should I die for you? I owe you nothing.
Merlin! Grow up. Learn to think for yourselves. Quit being sheep.
I'm leaving England. I'll leave you with some fun facts that I learned by asking questions and digging for answers.
Albus Dumbledore and Grindelwald were friends, cohorts plotting to rule over Muggles 'for the Greater Good' until a falling out killed his sister. Yes, the 'hero' of the Light was Dark in his youth. It was guilt and grief that made him duel Grindelwald and defeat him not morals.
He hid my parents' will, placed me with abusive muggles against their express wishes and hid my heritage from me so I would be dependent on him 'for the Greater Good'. I had no idea I had money, titles or properties because Dumbledore hid it from me.
He laces the lemon drops in his office with mild truth and loyalty potions. Oh, and the tea, too. There are wards on the school to discourage students from telling what goes on within the walls.
Sirius Black is innocent. Peter Pettigrew was the secret keeper who betrayed my parents. He is still alive and hiding as a rat animagus.
Your illustrious leaders sent an innocent man to Azkaban for twelve years without a trial 'for the Greater Good'. Fudge ordered a Kiss on sight order to cover this up.
Albus Dumbledore knew it because he set the secret. I can hear all of you denying that the great Dumbledore would do such a thing. Dumbledore considers people pawns and not much more. He just hides it well. He'll sacrifice anyone for 'The Greater Good". He's already told me that he's willing to sacrifice me.
Speaking of Fudge…he's a good minister for Wizarding Britain. He hides from responsibility and hard truths like the best of you. He's known Voldemort has been back for two years now and had rather smear my name than admit it. I believe just thinking of Voldemort makes him wet himself and curl up into a fetal position.
Voldemort is a half-blood himself.
That doesn't make him less powerful, but more (less inbreeding you morons).
Massive inbreeding causes insanity (Bellatrix), physical deformities (Parkinson), decreased intelligence (Crabbe, Goyle) and an upswing of squibs as well as increasingly difficult pregnancies. That means the Purists are killing themselves.
I didn't destroy Voldemort as a babe. My mother did. She's the hero, the savior not me.
The Wizarding World helped create him by NOT taking RESPONSIBILTY and helping an abused orphan. (Send your thanks to Albus Dumbledore who ignored his pleas for a rescue and sent him back into a hellhole every summer.)
Ever thought of MAGICAL orphanages for MAGICAL children? Use your heads people!
Finally, you have created this mess by thinking everyone else will do your duty for you and by being self-serving, judgmental snobs. I'm not just speaking to the purebloods or Dark wizards. The Light side is just as self-serving and judgmental. Clean it up yourself.
Lady Harika Jamiel Potter
(Not anyone's Savior)
HP/TMR
Albus Dumbledore stared at the letter that had been flown in by an owl in shocked disbelief. The girl had tossed some of his dearly held secrets out to the public! That disbelief quickly transitioned to fury at her audacity. He hurried to his office. Sure enough the ward indicator was going off announcing the wards around #4 Privet Drive had collapsed.
How could this have happened? How did she find out about her inheritance much less claim it before he could seal it until she was twenty-five? He should have been there first thing this morning, but hadn't wanted to appear too eager.
Did she think she could leave the country without him knowing it? How did she find out about him and Grindelwald? How dare she just toss information out to the public like that! His mind whirled round and round circling disbelief/anger/shock, stumbling over questions and threats as he struggled to find a way to minimize the fallout. Only one thought was clear: He had to reach her before she left and get her to print a retraction.
He strode quickly to the gates and apparated to Privet Drive. A firm knock on the door and the horse faced woman opened it with a squeak.
"Where is Hari Potter?" Albus snapped not even pretending to be genial to this muggle.
"G…g…gone," Petunia stuttered looking into the cold, blue eyes of the powerful wizard in her doorway.
Albus dove into her mind without compunction. A myriad of images flashed past him. The clearest from this morning when she opened Hari's bedroom door to find the room empty and a one word note: Goodbye.
Black must know where she was going. She told her beloved godfather everything. He turned and disappeared. He appeared in #12 Grimmauld Place. He sighed and took a deep breath when he heard the many loud arguing voices in the kitchen.
HP/TMR
"She didn't! How could she…that ungrateful brat! Blaming us! Accusing us of hiding behind a child! Lying about the greatest wizard ever!"
Arthur hurried into the kitchen where his wife was shaking with rage and screeching loudly as she read a sheet of parchment. "What are you on about, Molly?"
"What…what…" she spluttered. "Here," she thrust the parchment at him. "Read that…that…" she trailed off shaking the parchment in his face.
Arthur snatched it from her and bent his head to find out what set his harping wife off. His eyes widened. Wow, the girl lambasted everyone! He chuckled at her sharp wit and the pure courage it took to denounce people so publicly and thoroughly. He was shocked to his core at some of the things she said about Dumbledore. He hoped she managed to hide away somewhere safe until this was all over.
"What are you laughing about?" Molly shrieked.
"The girl has courage," Arthur murmured.
"Courage? Courage! She ran away!"
"Well," Arthur huffed aggravated at his wife. "She's right. We're the adults and she is the child as you so often point out when she asked for information. We should fight our own battles."
"She's telling lies on Albus and the minister!"
"Is she?" Arthur asked. "You know of his childhood? You know his interactions with You Know Who as a child or with Grindelwald?"
"No, but…"
And we both know You Know Who has been back and Fudge has been denying it. So, Molly dearest…quit being a sheep. Do some research before coming to a conclusion. Now, we should probably head over to Headquarters. If she has truly left the Dursleys, Albus is going to be sending us out searching for her." Arthur stated and walked out. "And I want answers from him on some of her charges." He called out over his shoulder.
HP/TMR
"Remus! Remus! Get over here!" Sirius yelled into the fireplace in a panic stricken voice.
Remus staggered into the living room and dropped to his knees. "Sirius, what's the matter? What's happened? Is Hari okay?"
"Haven't you seen this?" Sirius shook the crumpled paper in his fist.
"I was asleep until your yelling woke me. Last night was a full moon. What is it?"
"She's gone! Sweet Circes, my goddaughter has fled the country! Merlin the things she says has been happening." Sirius moaned.
Remus paled. "Let me get dressed. I'll be right there."
Remus ran to his room, noticed an owl pecking at the window and opened it. The owl glared at him as it dropped a rolled scroll into the room and flew off.
A note attached to the scroll read: Moony, please take care of Padfoot. I'm sorry. Hari. Remus sat on the bed and unrolled it. He sat in shock for several minutes before racing for the floo and stumbling over to Grimmauld. Sirius was sitting on the sofa with his head in his hands. Several voices could be heard in the kitchen already.
"Sirius, did you know she was going to do this?"
"No," Sirius whispered. "I knew she wasn't happy with Dumbledore, but who is. I knew she didn't want to fight, but who really does? She never said one word about leaving." Sirius looked up with haunted eyes. "She said she wasn't telling me where she went or what her new name was because I'd tell Dumbledore 'for her own good'. She said once the war is over she'll contact me."
Sirius looked up at Remus with pain filled eyes. "Could all this be true? Could Dumbledore really be as bad as…as…"
"I don't know. There is something that makes me uneasy around him. We'll find her, Sirius." Remus said determinedly when Sirius broke off with a sob. "We'll find her and keep her safe from everyone including Dumbledore."
HP/TMR
All over England people picked up the scrolls as they fluttered down from the sky. The reactions ran from shock, fear, hopelessness, guilt, shame and anger. Many families began packing up to flee themselves. Without Hari Potter they were doomed.
Minister Fudge nearly had an apoplectic fit at the things she said about him. How was he to know that Black hadn't received a trial? That was before his term! So what if his predecessor left a journal indicating such. Of course he hadn't believed a hysterical thirteen year old about a man's innocence.
Madam Bones silently cheered the girl and wished her luck before calling her Aurors in to research the imprisonment and trial or lack of for one Sirius Black.
HP/TMR
Thomas Riddle aka Lord Voldemort was sincerely glad he was alone as he gaped at the document in his hand. His mind whirled between shock, anger and….well, pride. You had to hand it to the girl no one else had ever had the audacity or cunning to pull off something like this.
Somehow under Albus Dumbledore's watchful gaze she had found out about her inheritance, his past, Dumbledore's past, put together an escape plan and slipped out of the country without alerting Dumbledore.
He re-read the scathing letter. He then re-read the one sent directly to him.
Tom Riddle aka Lord Voldemort aka the Dark Lord aka He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named aka You-Know-Who aka…
Don't you get tired of all the hyphens? I know I do. Hopefully you've read the first letter first. I'm really leaving. It isn't a ploy, etc. No more Hari Potter aka The-Girl-Who-Survived aka The-Light's-Savior aka You-Know-Who's-Defeater, aka blah-blah-blah.
Sorry about outing you, but couldn't take potshots at Dumbledore without taking a few at you too. Just crucio anyone who dares to give you lip about it. Show them how much more powerful a half-blood is over a snooty pureblood. Who'd want to be one of those inbred, stick-in-the-muds anyway?
Tom laughed softly.
Hopefully I've undermined Dumbledore enough to get you a tiny edge. I'm disgusted enough at this point to decide that the Wizarding World deserves you. If you are unwilling to fight for your freedom then you don't deserve to have it.
I almost hope you win at least then someone with a brain would be in charge. I say that with optimism. I believe you should be feeling a little saner now than before. You know with a little less mindless killing and a little saner platform you could probably win the war politically. Note I did not give out your real name. Cow the Prophet into printing your true goals and ideals because right now everyone believes what Dumbledore tells them. Or better yet buy it out under an alias. Or start a new one – The Phoenix of Truth. No one will think a Dark Wizard would name their newspaper that. Just a thought.
Anyway, really leaving the country. Really, really, really have no desire to stop you, kill you, fight you, etc.
I just want to live a quiet life. Do things I've never been allowed to do like take a walk in the woods and picnic by a lake. Perhaps get a dog or three and toss a stick for them. Maybe learn healing and truly help people live better, healthier lives.
Maybe, and this is a long shot considering my childhood, maybe find someone who can deal with my myriad issues and have a family.
Please, and yes, I am begging you; please don't send a hit squad after me. Please let me have my life.
Oh, and if you do feel like doing me a teeny, tiny favor…. #4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey. My relatives were just as hateful and abusive as your orphanage. Maybe more so. Let Bella have a go at my uncle.
Lady Potter
The prophecy was false? Could it be? Did it matter if she made up her mind not to try and stop him? Now that he was in his right mind again and able to think clearly he realized that many prophecies were self-fulfilling and the Hall of Prophecies had endless shelves full of unfulfilled prophecies was time had come and gone.
He chuckled at her tirade against the wizarding population. She had a point. Adults quaked in fear of his very name and expected an untrained child to defeat him. How pathetic was that?
"Sheep?" He murmured and chuckled again. Did Fudge really curl up and wet himself at my name? The girl didn't hold back anything, did she?
His eyes narrowed. He'd known that Dumbledore put something in his office offerings, but to see it tossed out there for everyone to see…he laughed out loud at the mental image of a furious Dumbledore. Oh how that man hated his secrets revealed especially the Dark ones! Parents were not going to happy about the potions and wards.
He had wondered how Black had ended up in Azkaban. Hmmm, Peter had out lived his usefulness; perhaps he would gift Hari with her godfather's salvation. Perhaps…
He snorted. Fudge was a useless, self-serving coward.
He sighed when he reached the part about himself. She could have at least kept his blood status secret. Ah well, she was right a few well-placed cruciatus curses and other dark spells and order would be restored.
She did have a point about inbreeding - that Parkinson girl with her big ears and pug nose not to mention Crabbe and Goyle. Tom shuddered. Perhaps he'd make it a law that you couldn't marry anyone closer than your third cousin.
He stared thoughtfully off into space. The girl considered her mom the hero not herself. He sighed. That was one of the few deaths he regretted causing. Lily Potter had been an amazing witch.
All in all, he hadn't been this entertained in decades.
She wanted him to go torture her relatives? Just how bad had been the abuse that she'd blithely hand them over to him and Bella?
Grinning, he bent over his desk to write a reply.
To the one person with as many hyphenated names as myself -
Yes, they are tiring.
Apology for the potshots accepted. At least you did not reveal my name.
You may have a point on the political front. The mindless fear is starting to hinder more than help. Do you even have a clue as to what my 'platform' is? Saner? I have actually been feeling saner here lately. Any clue as to why?
I agree about the magical orphanages, by the way.
You've never had a picnic? Really? What else did you miss out on growing up?
You are a Parselmouth…get a snake. They don't shed as much.
If you truly have no desire to fight me and make no effort to defeat me, I shan't chase you down. Live your life, Hari. Just do it outside of England.
I will allow the occasional visit to Gringotts to oversee your accounts and holdings. Do not leave that establishment and I will consider you a non-interested party in the war.
I am surprised you didn't ask me to spare any of your friends.
TMR
P.S. I am feeling favorable at the moment. I'd like to know the entire prophecy anyway.
HP/TMR
Voldemort, appearing as Tom, strode into Gringotts amused at how people ignored him when he was Tom, but would run screaming in fear if he put on the Voldemort glamour. He walked confidently up to the teller at the end of the foyer.
"I need to see Lady Potter's account manager."
The goblin looked up with a sneer that vanished quickly at seeing the current Dark Lord standing politely before him. "No disrespect intended, but we cannot divulge client information even to you."
Tom smiled graciously. The goblins knew him. He did have to conduct business like anyone else, but they were absolutely neutral and would not sell him out. In return, he wouldn't target Gringotts. "I understand. I only wish to have him deliver her a letter from me."
The goblin gaped then snapped his mouth shut. "One moment please."
At Tom's nod, the goblin disappeared behind large golden doors.
Within three minutes he reappeared with another goblin. The new goblin approached Tom.
"I am Hizel, the Potter account manager. Please come with me."
Tom followed him to a lavish office. He waited politely for the goblin to take his seat behind his desk before settling into a plush chair. He put the letter on the desk. "She sent me a letter asking some concessions. I am merely replying. I am assuming only you and her solicitor know how to contact her."
The goblin nodded and regarded the letter suspiciously.
Tom leaned back and crossed his legs elegantly. "You won't offend me if you check it. You do have to look out for all your clients. I understand that fact."
With a look of relief the goblin held his hand over the document and chanted softly. It was clear of curses, tracking devices, and well…everything. He blinked and looked up in surprise. "I shall forward this to her."
"Thank you," Tom said as he stood. With a small bow he left the office and made his way out of Gringotts.
He stood on the steps and watched the 'sheep' run around. They were darting furtively about today. Most were glancing over their shoulders as if he and his followers were going to swoop down and massacre them since Potter was gone. Some were gathered in tight groups angrily denouncing her for leaving them to their fate. Others were talking in shocked whispers about the information on him and Dumbledore.
With a soft laugh, he disappeared.