TITLE: The Boy Who Wasn't

AUTHOR: Cath

ladyaeirn@yahoo.com

FANDOM: ATS/HP

RATING: PG

PAIRING: None

WARNINGS: Completely AU, forget Conner coming back, never happened.

DISCLAIMER: All the pretty, pretties belong to Joss, Mutant Enemy and JKRowlins.

SUMMARY: The battle is over, He Who Shall Not Be Named destroyed. Why isn't Harry happy? What did he find out during the last confrontation?

AUTHOR'S NOTES: The results of a rabid plot bunny bite while reading indarae's HP tale, The Gift, http://www.tthfanfic.com/story.php?no=2897. Yes, I am totally out of my mind, but I just couldn't let it go, I had to write it. There will be no sequel. This is a one of plot bunny bite story.

THANKS: to Amanda aka QueenSereya for a great and speedy Beta job.


The Boy Who Wasn't
By Cath

It was over. The final battle was fought, the final deathblow delivered. They had won; the Boy Who Lived had completed his destiny and defeated the Dark Lord, Voldemort. The wizarding world was rejoicing…peace at last.

There had been loses, too many. Tonks, of the wild pink hair, was gone, protecting Harry from a killing curse thrown by Lucius Malfoy. Professor Sprout was struck down defending her beloved greenhouse and Hagrid, sweet, gentle giant, died rescuing a unicorn mare and colt, who where going to be used as a blood sacrifice by Death Eaters. Percy Weasley, trying to make up for going against his family, had died protecting Ron when he had been knocked unconscious. Draco, snarky and snide til the end, had been struck down by the Dark Lord himself. He had been killed for the crime of killing his father when he attacked the first years Draco had been protecting. He had died protecting the youngest of all four houses. So many dead, so many children now parentless, so many parents now without children. There were also many wounded to be cared for.

The curse Harry had used had not only killed Voldemort, it had also destroyed his Death Eaters. No one knew exactly how he had killed Voldemort, the teenager had been alone with him. The power Harry had called upon had been unbelievable in its intensity and force. It's results would have far-reaching consequences...Harry now knew everything, everything that had been kept hidden from him.

So the winners feasted in thanksgiving. They had survived. They would mourn their dead, then bury them tomorrow. Now was the time to celebrate and give thanks for their survival. The main hall was crowded with the survivors, it was like they could not stand to be away from each other, and they needed the closeness to reaffirm that they were alive. The school had been opened to all and the house elves had out done themselves with the feast they provided. There were not just teachers at the head table for a change. Arthur Weasley, the new Minister of Magic and his wife Molly were sitting at the table with the remaining teachers and the hero of the hour, Harry Potter.

The adults had called for wine to celebrate the victory and had proposed many toasts, no one noticing that Harry had not smiled for a very long time. He had raised his glass and made the appropriate responses, but no one noticed he had also drained his glass and refilled it with every toast. Harry had finally had enough of the dark red wine to loosen his tongue and he had truly had enough of sitting here quietly. He could listen to no more speeches glorifying the deaths of so many people and practically canonizing himself and Dumbledore. He glanced over at the old wizard, wondering how he could have missed so much about the old man. Had he been charmed to not know he was being manipulated? It was time for the Boy Who Lived to make a few toasts and if the crowd didn't like what he had to say, too damn bad.

"I believe it is my turn to speak." Harry stood up and peered out at the crowd. "This has been a long and bloody fight. The last seven years of my life have been dedicated to bringing about the downfall of Voldemort. I think it is now safe to say exactly what I want to." The crowd laughed quietly at the usually soft-spoken Potter. Harry raised his glass to the man sitting next to him. "To Albus Dumbledore, the wizard responsible for me being here. The man responsible for me being taken from my true family, the man responsible for giving me to muggles who hated me, starved me and abused me, the man who hid my true identity from me for seventeen years."

Molly Weasley was appalled, "Harry that is enough, you have obviously been too free with wine. Please sit down."

"Mrs. Weasley, I have always looked to you as a mother figure. I respect you and Mr. Weasley greatly, but I will be heard. This man is responsible for me being ripped from my real father." Harry looked out at the crowd; "I am not James and Lily Potter's son. Their son was still born and he knew it. He arranged to exchange me for their dead baby. The spell I used to try and defeat Voldemort was more powerful than anything I had ever tried before. The power got away from me and suddenly I had all this knowledge in my brain. I saw what he did, I saw him orchestrating my kidnapping. He played with people's lives like they were children's blocks to be arranged as he pleased. He changed me to look more like the Potters. I don't even know what I should look like. My father mourned me as dead, the only child he will ever have. Another man lives with the knowledge that he helped kidnap me because of a false prophecy, created by Albus Dumbledore. My father tried to kill that man he thought responsible for my loss. A man who almost died trying to do what he thought was right."

Arthur looked over at the man he had always looked up to with the greatest respect, "Albus, is what Harry said true? Is he James and Lily's son or not?"

"I did what I had to do to ensure the defeat of the Dark Lord. He had to be defeated at all possible costs. I did what I had to." The crowd could tell from his manner of speech that there was no regret for what he had done. "I took you from a monster, a demon with no right to have a child. You were needed here; it was worth every sacrifice. You had to defeat Voldemort, no one else could do it."

"But I didn't defeat him."

People were standing up all over the room. He could hear Ron over them all. "What do you mean, you didn't defeat him? Of course you did Harry, you're the only one that could."

"No, Ron, I didn't defeat him. The spell I used called the ones who did it to me. So in a way I guess I did do it. I brought them here. The ones who killed him, my true father and brother."

"You're still a hero Harry, you still got rid of him."

Harry snorted and laughed mirthlessly, "Harry Potter, the savior of the wizarding world, but I'm not. Am I? I'm not Harry Potter." Harry looked up as the large main doors opened and three men came walking up the middle aisle. The men stalked up the aisle confidant in their power. The two in the front exuded a sense of power and menace, leather coats floating out behind them. The third walked slightly behind them, a crossbow in his arms, the look in his eyes making it very apparent that he was more than ready to use it. The group stopped in front of the head table. Harry looked from the men standing in front of him to the people at the main table, "Oh God, Draco would love this. Drake my love, wherever you are I hope you're watching and enjoying this. Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived is Connor Angel, the Destroyer, son of Angelus and Darla, the Scourge of Europe." Harry was laughing as tears streamed down his face. "F..fa..father?"

Angel and Spike were there before the boy could hit the floor. Angel lifted the boy into his arms and nuzzled his neck drawing in the scent of his child, his Connor. Spike was in game face and hissing at anyone who even looked like they would approach the pair.

"Dumbledore, you made a mistake going to Wolfram and Hart for help. I have access to all their files now. If you or anyone working for you comes near my son again, I swear by all that is unholy, I will show you why my family was known as the Scourge of Europe. Wesley go get the portal ready, I'm taking my son home."


END