For 16 Galleons

Prologue

The Wizarding World of the United Kingdom is a very different place than the one we are used to. The Minister of Magic is the Great Lord Voldemort. He has ruled in an almost dictatorship for two decades. He and his closest advisors, still known as Death Eaters, have their political fingers in everything, including the Muggle world. The government of the United Kingdom is firmly under the Great Lord's rule. He also has influence in the governments of several European countries and the United States.

He and his Death Eaters are not foolish enough to try and rule the Muggles openly; however, by bribing Muggle officials with magical benefits or threatening them in various ways, they effectively run both worlds. The judicious use of squibs married into the Royal Family and other influential Muggle bloodlines is also quite handy.

The Great Lord has made many changes to policy during his tenure. The Ministry now uses the Book of Registry to find Muggle-borns as soon as they are born. Once found, they are taken from their families by subterfuge or outright purchase to be raised as servants to established Wizarding families. Being raised to the position, Muggle-borns seldom revolt. If they do, there is always the Imperious Curse. Occasionally a child slips through the cracks and is not found until they are older. If they are still young enough, they are bought or stolen and introduced to the life of a slave.

Another change is that marriage between magical folks and Muggles has been outlawed. Magical folk are allowed to breed with Muggle-born witches and wizards but not marry them. The resulting children carry no surname and have limited rights but are allowed to actually marry a witch or wizard. Their children are considered fully magical and have full rights. Lord Voldemort doesn't want the Wizarding World to die out, after all. Squibs are married into important Muggle families to ensure influence. Magical children from these marriages are treated as Muggle-born. Witches and wizards of old pureblood lines are the only ones allowed in the ruling class.

On Halloween night, 1981, Lord Voldemort and a select few of his Death Eaters went to the home of James Potter to kill the family. He had already destroyed the bloodlines of both Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. With the deaths of James and his children, the line of Gryffindor would come to an end. Afterwards, there would be no descendants of any of the Founders to threaten his rule. He killed James, his wife Corina, their three children, and Corina's servant, Lily. When he cast the Killing Curse on James' and Lily's son, it apparently killed the child but partially rebounded and struck him also. Lord Voldemort's discorporated soul immediately went in search of his servant, Wormtail, who allowed himself to be possessed by his master. Lord Voldemort has continued to rule Wizarding UK in this form. He has a staff that diligently searches for a way to restore their lord to his own body.

Unknown to Lord Voldemort and his followers, the infant survived. Harry was taken away by the Headmaster of the exclusive Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Albus Dumbledore, and placed with his Muggle relatives. As he left Godric's Hollow, Dumbledore set fire to the place so no one would realize a body was missing. Dumbledore was the only person to know that Harry had survived. He intended to use the boy to defeat Lord Voldemort in the future. He placed many wards and shielding spells around the Dursley's house so that no one would detect the magic in the little boy.

He explained to Petunia and Vernon Dursley that the fifteen month old child was the son of Petunia's long lost younger sister. They called him Harry Evans, using Petunia's maiden name. Petunia had always resented her phantom sister. Her parents had never gotten over her kidnapping from the nursery. In the home of Lily's sister, Harry grew up, deprived of human comfort, believing he was unwanted and unlovable. When he began manifesting signs of magic, he was deemed a freak.

The spring when Harry was six years old an influenza epidemic swept Europe and the UK. It was nothing abnormal; the flu sweeps the world every year. However, this year the elderly Headmaster of Hogwarts was severely affected by the illness. Despite the efforts of the school nurse and his Potions Master, the old wizard died. Professor McGonagall took over as Headmistress and Professor Snape became her deputy. For several months they were occupied with resetting all the wards that had been cast by or attuned to the late Headmaster. Life went on and no one remembered Harry.

It took a while for the wards around Number 4, Privet Drive to dissolve. Shortly after Harry turned seven years old, his world turned upside down...