Betrayal

Harry Dursley emerged from a deep sleep. He tried to get up, but his body refused to obey him. He looked around and was surprised to find the place extremely familiar and restful. He searched his memory, but his head felt like it was made of cotton. Then he met two sparkling blue eyes, behind half-moon glasses that seemed to delve deep into his soul. He then felt his shields being violently attacked and concentrated with all his might to repel the attack.

Dumbledore then withdrew from his mind and exclaimed:

One could say that you didn't make my task easy.

Oh you see me sorry. Harry Dursley replied sarcastically, finally managing to recognize the Hogwarts infirmary. He tried once more to get up and realized he was tied to his bed. Meanwhile, Dumbledore continued to monologue without paying attention to either his escape attempts or his apparent distress.

You will be happy to learn that your little scheme worked perfectly. This preposterous story of a rat transformed into Peter Pettigrew who conveniently took advantage of the commotion caused by your fainting to escape has definitely convinced the Weasleys to host the real Harry at their home for as long as necessary.

I did not lie, Petter was really…Dumbledore magically imposed silence on him with a simple gesture from which all his power radiated.

Choosing to entrust the child to the Weasley clan was an extremely... bold choice. I myself would not have believed that they would betray me so easily. But, I suppose you didn't have many other options. After all, there aren't many wizarding families both capable of protecting him from my influence and sufficiently upright not to take advantage of him.

I didn't know the Weasleys had so much power. He said, bringing his hand to his temple and holding back a desire to vomit. Despite what seemed to have been a long nap, he felt on the verge of fainting.

Playing innocent will not win you my favor. Their rivalry with the Malfoys is well known and proves to everyone that they are not as destitute as their change in fortune might suggest. It's useless to try to make me believe that it's a coincidence you abandoned the child to the only member of the Sacred 28 likely to help you.

You are paranoid. Most people are just winging it, and even when there is a plan, usually after 5 minutes it needs to be thrown away. The world is just a series of poorly executed coincidences, not a battle between chess players.

And you, quite naive, if you really challenged Voldemort without even the beginning of a plan. Your recklessness could have caused his death and that of many innocents. Besides, as far as I know, he might already be doomed because of you.

My fault? You're the one who abandoned him with his watches.

Seeing that his accusations elicited no reaction from the old sage, he added, outraged:

You knew.

For any response, the director tried again to penetrate his mental defenses.

I knew that the treatment from his guardians was not ideal, but nothing that put his life in danger, and that's the main thing. Be sure that if I had had the slightest concern for his health, I would have acted immediately.

But what is wrong with you? He locked him in a cupboard, starved him, and beat him. How could you let that happen without questioning it? Harry Dursley exclaimed indignantly.

The director then exploded, almost shouting, his magic now out of control preventing him from breathing properly.

Who tells you that I don't constantly ask myself that? It has been years now that my nights are filled with insomnia from wondering if there might be a better choice, for him and the many other sacrifices that peace has demanded. Years that Fawkes refuses me his affection. But, I wake up every day with the certainty that I must continue. I am not the cold monster you seem to think. Clearly, you know nothing about me or the horrors of war, or you would understand that each of the difficult decisions I had to make will haunt me until the end of my days, but that this suffering is nothing compared to the misfortunes that will strike the world if no one assumes the responsibility to do what is necessary to thwart Lord Voldemort.

I am sorry. But if you had seen the way he was treating him. Even knowing the prophecy, I don't see what can justify leaving him at their mercy.

Before satisfying your curiosity, I'm afraid you must satisfy mine. Who are you and where do you come from? I have some hypotheses, but you'll understand my need to confirm them before entrusting my secrets to such a strange sorcerer. Even if he already seems to know the most important ones.

Harry Dursley hesitated for a moment before telling him the truth. But despite everything he had discovered, this Dumbledore resembled his own too much for him not to trust him. And in any case, he was at his mercy.

I am Harry Potter. As for where I come from, I don't know myself. From a parallel universe, I presume. All I know is that in my world, I died. I... I committed suicide to take Voldemort with me. It was horrible. All his horcruxes were destroyed, but he possessed me and he had the Deathly Hallows. So much blood, death, screaming...

Harry, breathe. Focus on my breathing. Dumbledore advised him with a worried look, casting spells of cheerfulness on him.

After a moment Harry Dursley calmed down and Dumbledore asked eagerly:

You are dead then. And after that? You found yourself in our world? Just like that? Without explanation?

No. Not immediately. Now it feels like a dream and I'm not really sure what happened anymore. Voldemort and I were on the other side. Or in a place between the two. I don't remember. All I remember is that everything was cold and dark. And yet I felt good. As if the place was clear and warm. I didn't quite understand what happened. At first, he was just a kind of hideous sleeping baby. But he still had the relics. I tried to take them back from him, but as soon as I approached him, he woke up and became whole again. And then, I'm not sure. I think I tried to fight him and he did a monologue that I don't remember anymore. He does that all the time, you know. He knows that every time I pretend to listen while looking for a way out.

Tom's arrogance is his greatest weakness.

My Dumbledore would no doubt have said that his greatest weakness was his inability to love.

An extremely wise being, if I may permit myself this excess of pride by proxy.

Yes. I miss him. I wish he were here so much.

If I may ask, how old were you when... At the time of your death.

14 years old.

The face of the old sorcerer suddenly sagged.

Almost 15. And you too were dead.

At my age, it's not a great tragedy. But let's continue. What happened next?

Then he used the relics to open a portal. He said that the relics had the power to change the universe because I had died several times. Then, as I refused to help him with his megalomaniac projects, he decided to teach me a lesson and wanted to force me through one of the portals. Then I don't quite remember why he panicked and lost control, and we both went through the portal. And I woke up at the Dursleys' in the body of my 10-year-old self. You know the rest of the story.

The essential elements in any case. Approved Dumbledore.

After a moment of silence where the director seemed to be thinking about what he had just learned, Harry Dursley asked:

Do you believe me?

Yes. Although improbable, your story is much less so than the recent events or the results of the tests that Pomfrey and I conducted on you to determine the cause of your discomfort.

After a moment, Harry asked anxiously:

What do I have?

To the great despair of the mediwizards who have taken turns at your bedside, I am pleased to inform you that according to our examinations you are in perfect health. And yet, over the past few hours, life was gradually leaving you without any of our treatments managing to even slow the decline of your vital signs. Then, for no apparent reason, a few hours ago the alarms sounded informing us that you had suddenly recovered. In our eyes, your affliction is just as mysterious as your recovery, and I had to deploy all my ingenuity to shield you from the curiosity of Pomfrey and Dr. Housser. I was hoping, moreover, that you could teach me more.

No, I have no idea what I have. Anyway, it's over. I'm better now. He said, looking critically at his extremely pale skin.

I imagine there is no good way to tell you this, so I'll be frank: I think you are going to die.

Again? Fortunately, we recover quickly. He tried to joke to mask the fear that was now piercing his stomach.

To be honest, I do not wish it for you. Postponing death is not without a price. Until your miraculous recovery, I was convinced that it was she who demanded her due. But above all, you risk not coming back alone.

Voldemort?

Yes. If it wasn't you who helped Voldemort get hold of the Resurrection Stone and use it to resurrect, then there's only one other possible culprit. And I'd rather not imagine the damage that two immortal Voldemorts could cause.

I don't know if I should thank you for your honesty or punch you in the face. Now tell me why you left my double to rot at the Dursleys'? If I'm going to die, there's little chance I'll tell anyone.

If I understand correctly, in your world that was not the case?

Yes, but in my world, the Dursleys loved me and treated me like their own son. And don't change the subject.

I am not changing the subject. I was just hoping that my double had found an effective alternative. Or failing that, that those glimpses you gave me of your story confirm the necessity of my choice.

He will not return to their place.

I'm afraid it's necessary. And in any case, you no longer have the means to oppose me.

Harry tried to protest but a bout of weakness forced him to lie back down (which only increased Harry's anger). Dumbledore continued as if nothing had happened:

What do you know about what happened on Halloween night? Or rather, what happened in your world?

Harry did not need him to specify which night he was talking about.

Voldemort tried to create a new horcrux, but it failed because of a protection spell created by my mother's sacrifice. The Avada meant to kill me and tear off a part of his soul that would become his new horcrux bounced back on him and ...

Harry Dursley then had a flashback of that moment 3 years earlier in the cemetery. He vividly relived Voldemort: 'I then felt my soul being torn away.'

A mysterious connection has been established between me and Voldemort, Harry said simply, fearing to understand what had really happened that day.

If by sacrificing him you could put an end to the war. Maybe even before it starts. What would you do?

He understood at that moment that his intuition was correct and interpreted the prophecy in a completely different way. Did his Dumbledore know? Probably, he thought, recalling his saddened expression when he mentioned his promise to 'free' him from his connection with Voldemort once all the Horcruxes were destroyed.

You raised him like a pig destined for the slaughterhouse. His well-being doesn't matter since he is destined to die anyway. He reproached both the Dumbledore in front of him and the memory he had of his own.

We all are, at different times of course, but the sentence is universal. However, unlike Voldemort, I do not believe that the transience of our sorrows and joys deprives them of all importance. If I understand correctly, you have felt in the depths of your being the malevolent power of Lord Voldemort. How can you even imagine that a mere baby could resist it?

My mother's love

His mother is dead and Lord Voldemort is still alive. To maintain the protection his mother gave him through her sacrifice and thus give him a chance not to meet the same fate as you, it is necessary for him to live in the home of his only living relative. Any removal would weaken the protection and put him in danger. And now that because of your actions Lord Voldemort is back more powerful than ever, it is even more necessary than before for him to return there. How much time do you think we have before he realizes the situation and tries to exploit it? Unless you help us defeat him. Where were the horcruxes in your world?

Is that the only thing that interests you? Defeating Voldemort. You don't care about him.

I thought it was clear that I do care. And that is precisely why I would do everything in my power to defeat him. The only question is: are you on my side or Voldemort's?

I am a Hufflepuff, once given, I do not withdraw my loyalty. I am in the camp of my double.

You are dying. We don't have time for this kind of subtlety.

On the contrary, it is because I am dying that I must ensure someone will defend his interests after my disappearance.

Helping her will not redeem the horrors you committed under Tom's influence.

Harry Dursley, deeply shocked by this last tirade, took a few seconds to check his occlumency shields and calm down, but Dumbledore added

I don't need to use Legilimency. You resemble me more than you want to admit and more than I would like. I too, when I was young, was ready to sacrifice everything for what I considered right. But after losing too much, I eventually understood that it is illusory to aim for the greatest good and that I had to settle for choosing the least bad.

Maybe you should hand over to someone less worn out by the war, he suggested with hostility.

At the risk of surprising you, I think you are right. It is not good for one man to concentrate so much power. Especially a man like me. And I would be more than happy to find someone to unload my burden onto. Unfortunately, I fear I have found no one with whom it would be wise to even share it.

A great man once told me that:The only way for men to achieve exceptional things is to work together. Given your record, I think the problem is not that the other wizards are less competent but that you do not see your own flaws.

Obviously the opinion of an idealist who has never had to exercise the reality of power. In truth, the people who are both deserving and willing to exerciseTo obtain any responsibility over the destiny of their community are very rare.

That man was you. Perhaps this difference in perspective and way of doing things has something to do with the fact that the Dursleys in my world ended up treating me properly.

Pure hypothesis refuted by the fact that your Dumbledore did not seem to have shared his secrets either. But I would prefer you to tell me why you specified: 'End'.

With hesitation, Harry Dursley replied:

I couldn't remember it, but I know that when I was very little at first my adoptive parents treated me as badly as the Dursleys of this world. I understood why you had to leave him there, but nothing forces you to watch passively as he gets tortured.

I tried to talk to them at first, but I could hardly attempt more without risking breaking the tenuous bond that united them. Even though she did everything to deny it, Petunia still retains some affection for her sister and her child. Without that, the spell would not have worked. And then, despite the increasingly alarming reports, I let myself get caught up in other problems.

You have an opportunity to correct your mistakes. He will not go back there. Harry stated.

For the moment, no. But eventually, there will be no other options. Nia Dumbledore.

There is another one: the Deathly Hallows. With their combined power, you will be able to send Voldemort to the other side of the veil without having to destroy his last horcrux...

I would not risk the survival of our entire community to save the life of a single person. I'm sorry, but in the end he will have to die. Anyway, if I believe the prophecy, neither of us will have a say in the matter.

I believe you are right about one thing: we are very much alike. And I am not the kind of man to blindly rely on a damn prophecy when it comes to protecting what we hold dear. Either you make the unbreakable vow to protect it, or I will not reveal the location of the horcruxes to you.

Think carefully. Are you really ready to face the consequences of your choice if things don't go as you planned? Don't forget that now that Tom knows about the Deathly Hallows, our time is limited. Are you sure your counterpart wouldn't prefer death to the fate that awaits him if your gamble fails? Besides, if I'm not mistaken, that's the choice you ended up making.

Harry Dursley would have liked to assure that no, but the truth was that death was a thousand times more preferable to this long agony made up of a kaleidoscope of massacres for which he was responsible and the powerless screams he uttered in his own head, alone and in the dark. He hesitated and maybe he would have ended up siding with the white mage's arguments if he hadn't felt his mind being violently invaded. The attack was subtle but Dumbledore put all his power into it so that he felt like his skull was going to explode. Then, after what seemed like an eternity, he withdrew.

I recognize Severus's work. Commented Dumbledore with obvious frustration in his voice while Harry was recovering with difficulty.

Dumbledore withdrew to gaze at the Hogwarts grounds through the window for a while, and Harry took the opportunity to regain his composure in silence.

I have always wondered if my inability to find the other horcruxes all these years was due to the prophecy or because I would be forced todo if I managed to destroy them all before Voldemort regained a corporeal form. If only we had a little more time. He could have grown enough to understand and accept the horrible truth. In exchange for the location and nature of the horcruxes, I agree to make the unbreakable vow not to harm him.

Harry Dursley added:

And not to send him back to the Dursleys without his consent or mine.

If he doesn't go back, then he won't be able to resist possession.

I spent almost a year at Hogwarts without it weakening my mother's protection. We have time to find an alternative solution.

Your Voldemort will have undoubtedly spoken to him about the connection. We must strengthen the protection as much as possible before he tries to exploit it. Against Dumbledore.

If Voldemort is aware of the horcrux residing in him, he will do everything to make it an ally and control it. At least if he thinks like mine. Sending him back to the Dursleys would only make it easier for him.

After a moment of reflection, Dumbledore nodded.

Alright, you convinced me. He will not return to their place. For now, he added at the end to temper his interlocutor's enthusiasm.

Don't worry, I am well aware that nothing is settled and that he may have to die. Harry Dursley replied grimly.

For any response, Dumbledore performed the Unbreakable Vow ritual and swore not to kill Dark-Harry.

Now it's your turn to uphold your end of the bargain.

Harry took a breath and weighed the pros and cons before deciding to confess what he knew to the old man:

There are a total of 6 horcruxes: First, there is his diary that he entrusted to the Malfoys, but I don't know where they hid it.

Dumbledore went to a painting and pushed it, revealing a safe with the Hogwarts crest whose magical protections were so strong that Harry flinched when they lowered after a long incantation by the headmaster. Once opened, he took out a black notebook that Harry Dursley would have recognized among a thousand.

Is it about this newspaper?

Yes, how did you do it?

A lot of money and years of perseverance open all doors. Especially in politics. It cost me extremely dearly but over the past few years I have been able to sufficiently weaken the position of Lucius and the other Death Eaters to force them to accept surprise inspections of their domain. And recently my efforts have finally borne fruit.

The beginning of the explanation reminded Harry of one of the reasons why he was angry with the headmaster.

Your money? Or the one you stole from my double? And from all the others?

According to the report I wrested from the goblin last night, I am not the only one here who has benefited from his generosity.

He agreed. I didn't steal it. Harry defended himself, suddenly remembering that he hadn't actually asked his opinion before helping himself.I have also committed no theft. Despite the goblins' dubious insinuations, I only used the proxies that their parents had granted me in good conscience.

This money was not meant to finance your political schemes but to ensure that their child would lack nothing.

Because you think there's a risk that what I left them might not be enough? Know that your double's vault is not the best filled. The Potters remain a minor family of the wizarding nobility.

Do not change the subject.

I am not changing the subject. What is better for them? To have yet another mountain of galleons they will never be able to spend, or to have an additional chance of surviving this war? In your opinion, what would their parents have chosen for them if they had the chance? Contrary to what you seem to think, I did not use this money for my personal enrichment or to obtain some prestigious position. I used it to improve the survival chances of your counterpart and the other children under my care. Among all the difficult choices I have had to make, this one weighs the least on my conscience and is the only one I would be ready to defend before their parents the day I meet them on the other side. Argued Dumbledore with the conviction of a well-rehearsed lawyer.

After a moment of silence, Harry declared:

I am still not comfortable with that.

And I am not comfortable with the fact that your arrival coincides with when I destroyed this horcrux, which I hoped, without really believing it, to be the only one. On the other hand, I am happy to see that the Voldemorts of both worlds seem to have been similar enough to choose the same objects and hide them in the same place.

The coincidence also struck Harry, but as he felt himself weakening and didn't know what to do with this information, he decided to continue:

Then there is: the diadem of Ravenclaw which is hidden in the Room of Requirement at Hogwarts. You just have to ask it for a place to hide an object and the room where the diadem is hidden will appear. The only problem is that I can't remember exactly where it is stored in all that clutter.

I cannot say that I am particularly surprised that he was arrogant enough to hide one of his precious horcruxes in my domain. However, I am annoyed to find that he managed to know it better than I do. I have never heard of this Room of Requirement.

I will show you.

He tried to get up from his bed, but even without the restraints that still held him, he would have collapsed. His strength was leaving him quickly, and this worried him.

It will get better with a little rest. Just finish and tell me the location of the other horcruxes. Dumbledore asked with an eagerness that convinced Harry Dursley to be wary of this Dumbledore. However, he had no choice but to collaborate with him.

She is on the third floor, right in front of the tapestry depicting a wizard trying to teach orcs to dance. You must pass by it three times while thinking about what you want, and it will appear. The house-elves know this room and can lead you there. There is only one simple Horcrux left to reach: Salazar Slytherin's locket. It is located in a room at 12 Grimmauld Place, the house of Sirius Black.

Indeed, this one should not be too difficult to destroy. Commented Dumbledore.

Then there is the Hufflepuff cup. It is in Bellatrix Lestrange's vault at Gringotts. But the hardest to obtain will be the Gaunt ring. Or rather the Resurrection Stone set in it. Yes, you understood correctly: he hastransformed one of the Deathly Hallows into a Horcrux. Now that he knows its true power, he would not part with it, not even to sleep.

This is unfortunate. But from now on, none of this concerns you anymore. Somnius!

And Harry Dursley fell back into unconsciousness.

oOoOoOo

Still in shock from what he had just learned, Dark-Harry pressed himself against the wall of the small infirmary room where Harry Dursley was lying until the horrible old man went off to continue his scheming elsewhere.

Once alone again, he removed his invisibility cloak and draped it over his double from another world, and after this last effort, he collapsed into a chair beside him, then tried to put some order into the storm of emotion and thought that had taken hold of him. How could things have gone so wrong in such a short time?

At first, everything had gone well. With the help of that Wormtail that Voldemort had sent him, he had been able to discreetly escape from the Weasleys' home before dawn and make his way to an abandoned building reeking of wild animal located near Hogwarts with the portkey-thingamajig. Then Wormtail had escorted him through a secret passage leading to Hogwarts until he violently hit an invisible wall and whined that the protections of Hogwarts would prevent him from going further. Harry left him, not forgetting to cast a look of disdain at this miserable man who had played an important role in the death of his parents (even if he hadn't understood what a secret keeper was or why it was so important).

One day, he and Voldemort would pay for the years he had spent with the Dursleys because of them. But for now, he needed them, and the tricks from Dudley's gang had taught him patience and control over his emotions far advanced for his age. Even if an opportunity arose, he would not act before having a complete view of the chessboard he had just landed on. The conversation he had just overheard only confirmed that he urgently needed to learn more about the wizarding world.

On the other hand, he was no longer as sure that he could rely entirely on his double.Certainly the conversation he had just overheard and the discovery that they were in some way of the same family had dispelled his last doubts about the loyalty of his double. However, his lack of combativeness worried him. He had so easily given up the information their enemy was asking for. He had settled for a mere promise not to harm him.

But above all, he had accepted with far too much ease for his liking the prospect of his own death. He hadn't even gotten upset, hadn't sought any solution, and had accepted the prospect calmly. As if deep down he had always known it or that death wasn't so terrible. He was terrified to the point of almost revealing his presence when he realized the director wanted to see him dead. He had tried to understand why his double seemed to think he was doomed and sought a solution at all costs. Instead, his double had calmly negotiated his support for a war that didn't concern them and for a side that wanted to see him dead.

Whatever his double might think, he had made his choice: he would not die before having the opportunity to exact his revenge. If he really had to choose a side, then between the murderer of his parents just wanting toImprison him (according to his double), and the so ineffective protector of his parents wanting to kill him, then he would have no hesitation. And in his eyes, the fact that he wanted to target the Muggles was just an appreciable bonus.

Initially, he had planned to betray Voldemort after he had helped him access Hogwarts. He intended to use the cloak to kidnap his double and take him abroad, away from this war, to allow him to recover with the best doctors that the mountain of gold he possessed would allow him to afford.

However, once he had made sure that his double was breathing regularly, he left the room hoping it was not a coincidence that he felt better the moment he covered him with the cloak and that once again it would heal him.

He, in the meantime, went to carry out the mission that Voldemort had entrusted to him, hoping that it would weaken the old man enough for him to cease being a threat.