Harry awoke for the first time in months the next morning by his own accord and not by being forced from his bed by several stinging hexes and expletives courtesy of Filmore, certainly a welcome change.
It took a few moments for him to gather himself and remember exactly where he was and sighed at what he would be facing today. But for the time being, he had his morning exercises to complete before he even wanted to dwell on anything else.
He pulled on some of his exercise clothes and exited the pub, giving Hedwig a treat on his way out and began running through the streets of muggle London passing Charing Cross station and eventually finding himself in St James Park, where he completed a few laps of the area before making his way back to the Leaky Cauldron where he finished up with his press ups and other exercises.
He took his shower and though it was warm outside, he relished in the hot cascade of water that soothed his tired muscles before dressing and heading down for breakfast.
"Good Morning sir" Tom greeted him with a smile. "Would you like some breakfast?" he asked.
"Could I have some porridge please and maybe some fruit?" Harry requested feeling rather hungry from his morning efforts.
"Right away" Tom obliged with another smile.
Harry began eating the food and contemplated the way in which he would handle the situation with Dumbledore. Although he had spent much time with the man over the years, this one could be rather different. The Dumbledore of his period was very open-minded but he could not be sure how this younger version would react to him. He only hoped that he was not deemed insane by the headmaster and sent to St. Mungo's.
He desperately tried to formulate a plan that would work, but could not come up with one that he was certain of so he decided that he would take everything as it came and do whatever was necessary to ensure that the man believed him; he had to make him believe.
He finally managed to steel his nerve enough to exit the pub and apparate to Hogsmeade.
The walk from the village to the gates of Hogwarts felt like it lasted for an eternity as he became wrought with nervousness once again and continuously second guessed himself the entire way.
He finally reached the gates only to find that they were locked and he breathed a sigh of relief at the apparent pardon he had been given, though he doubted he would have the nerve to come back again if he left.
He sighed again and dragged his hand through his hair before turning to leave when he was stopped in his tracks by the sound of a very familiar voice.
"What yeh doin' 'ere, Students ain't spose' to be 'ere durin' the summer" Hagrid informed him.
Harry tentatively turned to face the half giant, the sight of his friend warming him and giving him a sense of relief.
The man looked as he always had to Harry, complete with his brown moleskin coat, though the visible skin around his eyes was less wrinkled.
"Oh, sorry, I thought yeh were a student 'ere you look like a lad tha' goes 'ere" Hagrid apologized with a frown.
That statement gave Harry an idea and he inwardly thanked the man for the unintended help.
"Actually I was hoping to enroll here and was hoping I could speak to Professor Dumbledore about it" Harry replied with a smile.
"I dunno know 'bout that" Hagrid returned uncertainly. "These gates 'ere are spose to stay locked", he explained.
"I'm happy to hand over my wand" Harry offered.
It was then that a large, heavily salivating dog bounded up to the gate, wagging its tail madly, trying to get Harry's attention.
"Hello there" Harry said in greeting and began stroking the monstrous thing through the bars. "You're a messy boy aren't you" he chuckled as the dog continued to drool, leaving a puddle on the ground between them.
The dog barked happily as Hagrid pulled the behemoth away.
"Get back Dozer, ruddy dog" he grumbled.
"Dozer?" Harry asked with a raised eyebrow.
"All 'e does is sleep" Hagrid answered with a shake of his shaggy head.
"Ahh" Harry deadpanned.
"I can't be just lettin' yeh in, but I can check wi' Professor Dumbledore if e'll see yeh" Hagrid decided.
"Ok" Harry answered nervously.
"Yeh stay 'ere Dozer an' keep the lad company" Hagrid instructed the dog, who immediately bounded forward to once again get a fuss from Harry. "I figure yeh a good lad, 'e don' like many" Hagrid mused aloud before he turned away and headed towards the castle.
Harry waited nervously and stroked the dog absentmindedly until Hagrid returned around fifteen minutes later and begun to unlock the gates.
"Sorry 'bout tha' but can't be too careful these days" he explained. "Professor Dumbledore says e'll meet yeh, jus' keep yeh wand away" he advised.
"I understand" Harry returned. "It would be foolish for anyone to try and attack Dumbledore though, I don't have a death wish" Harry chuckled knowing that a bit of flattery towards the headmaster would go along way with the half giant.
Hagrid led Harry across the grounds and through the familiar corridors of the school to the stone gargoyle that immediately hopped aside as they approached.
Harry paused and took a deep breath, bracing himself for what he was about to do.
"Yeh alrigh' there lad?" Hagrid asked worriedly.
I'm fine, just a little nervous" Harry responded genuinely.
Hagrid chuckled.
"No need ta be, Professor Dumbledore is a good man, e'll see yeh right" he assured him, clapping him on the back and almost sending him sprawling to the ground. "I bes' be off, a lot ta do before term starts, 'opefully I'll be seeing yeh, my name's Hagrid, by tha way" he introduced himself offering the teen a massive hand.
"Harry" the boy replied, happily shaking the man's hand.
"Yeh'll be fine 'arry" Hagrid promised before turning and leaving the teen in front of the spiral staircase.
Harry took a deep breath and ascended the stairs, knocking gently on the door when he reached the top.
"Enter" the muffled voice of the headmaster called after a moment.
Harry hesitantly opened the door and stepped into the office to see that it looked as it always had though the man sat behind the desk looked a little younger than Harry remembered.
"What can I do for y…".
The man paused and his eyebrows rose significantly as he caught sight of Harry.
"My, you look very much like a student here" Dumbledore observed with a calculative stare. "The resemblance is almost uncanny" he added in awe.
Harry swallowed deeply before speaking.
"That's kind of why I'm here sir" he replied, not knowing how to begin.
Dumbledore noticed that the teen was clearly apprehensive and offered him a warm smile.
"Then why don't you take a seat and explain why you are here in your own time", he offered, gesturing to the chair opposite him.
Harry nodded and took the offered seat, grateful to be off his feet as his legs had begun to tremble slightly.
"Hello Fawkes" Harry greeted the phoenix, who trilled in reply before leaving his perch and climbing onto the boy's shoulder.
"I see you are familiar with my friend here" Dumbledore cut in. "Though I am sure we have never met" he added confusedly, trying to ascertain if he had ever come across the teen before.
Harry dragged his hand through his hair, lost for what he should say.
"Why don't you just let what you need to say come out, I find that if we choose our words to carefully it can be rather unsuccessful" Dumbledore advised, leaning slightly forward.
Harry nodded and braced himself once more before speaking.
"What are your thoughts on time travel sir?" he asked quietly.
Dumbledore leaned back in his seat, clearly thinking about what had been asked of him.
"Magic is a very wondrous thing and I fear that we have barely scratched the surface of what it is capable of" he mused aloud. "I have been lucky to witness some magnificent things that most deemed impossible, yet I have seen for myself that they are not" he continued with a shake of his head. "Time travel is something rather unimpressive in comparison to some things, though it is well known to have its limitations", he frowned. "Are you telling me that you have taken a significant journey through time?" he questioned skeptically.
Harry nodded again.
"20 years" he answered hoarsely.
"Is that so?" Dumbledore asked amusedly. "That is quite a feat" he surmised. "And what would your name be young man?" he finished, glancing at Harry over the top of his half-moon spectacles.
Harry sighed and swallowed deeply before answering.
"Harry James Potter, sir" he answered.
Dumbledore looked at him speculatively and nodded.
"You reminded me of young James when you came in, though your eyes are those of another student here" Dumbledore replied quietly.
"Lily Potter… Evans" Harry clarified.
"Indeed" Dumbledore agreed. "So Mr. Potter will be successful in his pursuit" he added thoughtfully stroking his beard.
Harry remained silent and waited for the old man to speak.
"Now Harry, I do not doubt you are who you say you are, but one can never be too careful in times like these" Dumbledore began again after a moment. "I will need to verify who you are in some way" he stated seriously.
"I'll do whatever you need sir" Harry responded truthfully.
"Very well" Dumbledore returned with a warm smile. "I can perform a blood verification charm or question you under veritaserum, it is your choice" he finished.
"Could I take the potion?" Harry asked, not at all keen on giving the man any of his blood, not being entirely sure what would be done with it.
Dumbledore nodded.
"Solly" he called.
A house elf wearing an apron with the Hogwarts crest popped into the room and bowed before the man.
"Could you ask Professor Slughorn if he would consent on providing me with some veritaserum?" he asked. "Tell him I will of course replace it" he finished and the elf popped away.
The two sat in an amiable silence for the elf to return which he did after a few minutes, clutching a small vial of the clear liquid. After handing it to Dumbledore he popped away leaving the two alone again.
"Are you familiar with veritaserum Harry?" Dumbledore inquired.
Harry nodded.
"Yes sir, though I've never taken it willingly" he explained.
"Ok" Dumbledore nodded as he rose from his seat and made his way over to the teen. "Open your mouth please" he requested.
Harry complied and the headmaster placed 3 drops of the potion onto his tongue and waited for the tell tale glazing of the eyes to occur, indicating that it had taken effect.
"What is your name?" Dumbledore asked.
Harry immediately felt as though he could fight off the potion but decided to let it run its course, he had to make the man trust him after all.
"Harry James Potter" he answered truthfully.
"What is your date of birth?" Dumbledore inquired.
"The 31st of July 1980" Harry replied.
"Who are you parent's?" Dumbledore questioned further.
"Lily and James Potter" Harry returned immediately.
"And why did you come here?" Dumbledore asked curiously.
"To kill Tom Riddle and stop him from ending our kind and to save my family" Harry finished with a choke as thoughts of Sirius and his parents came to the forefront of his mind.
Dumbledore sighed and took his seat, waiting for the potion to wear off.
Harry felt the effects stop and he looked at Dumbledore and swallowed deeply.
"I am sorry for the last question my boy, but I needed to know" Dumbledore explained. "So you are very much aware of our problems" he stated.
Harry nodded.
"And you have experienced the man?" Dumbledore asked with a frown.
"Since I was born" Harry confirmed darkly.
"Could you explain?" the headmaster requested.
Harry sighed.
"Why don't you look for yourself? I'm sure a man of your calibre is versed in Legilimency" Harry offered. "I will drop my occlumency shields around my memories of the man if you promise to only look at those and not into anything else, most of it is personal" he added seriously.
"You know Occlumency?" the old man asked, clearly surprised.
"It's necessary to hide my secrets" Harry pointed out.
"Indeed, well Legilimency is illegal Mr. Potter" Dumbledore pointed out. "But I do have a pensieve, that way you can choose what memories I see" he offered.
'And the use of veritaserum is heavily regulated' Harry thought to himself.
However, he nodded and Dumbledore summoned the stone bowl and placed it on his desk between them.
Harry sighed and removed the memories from his mind with the tip of his wand and placed them into the device.
"I don't want to see them again" he stated and gestured for Dumbledore to enter on his own.
Dumbledore nodded his understanding and plunged himself into the mass of dark memories.
It was quite some time later that he emerged looking both grave and very upset, his eyes shining with the emotion he was feeling.
Without saying a word he opened a draw at the bottom of his desk and poured himself a generous measure of brown liquid and drained it in one.
While the headmaster was busy Harry took the opportunity to retrieve and replace his memories.
"I am very sorry for the difficult life you've led Harry" Dumbledore whispered sincerely. "But killing him for revenge makes you no better than him" he added pleadingly.
"It's not just for that, there are other reasons that I am not willing to share just yet" Harry explained.
He had decided not to share the prophecy with the man and risk him trying to garner some form of control over him. He needed him as an ally, not a protector after all.
"I hope in time that you can trust me enough my boy" Dumbledore replied in understanding.
"So do I" Harry responded quietly.
Dumbledore nodded and took a deep breath.
"So you wish to attend Hogwarts?" he asked.
"Yes sir" Harry answered. "I still need to complete my last two years" he explained.
"Of course" Dumbledore acknowledged with a nod. "But what do you intend on doing about your family? You are the same age as your father here" he pointed out.
"I really don't know" Harry answered honestly. "I was hoping I could get to know him and maybe we could be friends" he shrugged.
"You look too much alike for that" the headmaster stated with a shake of his head. "And we can't have you taking polyjuice potion" he added with a frown.
Harry grimaced at the thought.
"You would not be willing to change your name and appearance" Dumbledore said questioningly, already knowing the answer.
"No" Harry answered firmly.
"Then there is only one thing for it" the headmaster sighed as he stood and approached the fireplace.
"What are you doing?" Harry asked urgently, jumping to his feet.
Dumbledore sighed again.
"People will take one look at you and know you are a Potter, it is undeniable and I myself do not like the idea of trying to hide it" he admitted ruefully. "It is simply too much work to try to hide you and it is much too dangerous for you to be out in the world alone so I am going to call Charlus and Dorea and see if they can come up with a plan, they are your family after all and I am sure they will understand" he explained.
"No, wait, I'm not ready to meet them" Harry pleaded. "And I can look after myself" he added firmly.
"My boy, the longer we put it off the worse it will be" Dumbledore responded sadly. "At least we have time now to come up with a plan, we can't leave it any longer, school starts in less than 3 weeks" he concluded with a sympathetic smile.
Harry just gaped, not able to put a sentence together and eventually hung his head in defeat.
"Good boy" Dumbledore intoned. "I will remain with you and stand by you no matter the outcome" he promised.
Harry just sunk back in his chair dejectedly and even considered running away, though he knew it would achieve nothing now that Dumbledore had his mind made up.
Dumbledore took a deep breath and threw a handful of floo powder into the flames.
"Potter Manor" he called clearly and stuck his head in the flames after they had turned green.
He removed himself from the fire after a moment and took his seat behind the desk once more.
"They will be here momentarily" he informed Harry with a nod.
Harry took a deep breath and swallowed deeply, attempting to stop the nausea that he felt within himself, though he was excited at the same time to even meet his grandparent's.
True to Dumbledore's word the fire burst into life only a few minutes later and a woman in her early fifties stepped out and dusted the ash off of herself with a wave of her wand.
She had barely taken a step further into the room as she looked up and stopped dead at the sight of the teen sat in the chair, her eyes going wide in shock.
She was a very beautiful woman with long and thick Black hair, very delicate features and light grey eyes. She was very petite, lithe and stood about 6 inches over the five feet mark.
Only a moment more passed when the fire burst into life once again, depositing a rather imposing man who stood around 6 feet tall. He was well built with his height and his hair was dark brown, matching that of his eyes.
"This had better be damn good Dumbledore" he growled as he too stepped out of the fire, removing the ash from his black robes, only to bump into his wife who was still staring at Harry completely in awe.
The man frowned as he collided with the woman causing him to look up and catching sight of the young man, his eyebrows shooting up to his hairline in surprise.
"As I said, we have a very delicate matter to discuss" Dumbledore cut into the silence. "Please take a seat" he requested gesturing to two chairs next to Harry.
The two snapped out of their respective stupor's at the sound of the headmaster's voice and took the indicated seats, clearly not knowing what to say.
Dumbledore sighed when he realised that Harry was not able to speak and began.
"Now, this young man sought me out this morning and had quite the tale to tell" he began seriously. "Please let me explain" he added when it looked as though Charlus would interrupt him. "I'm sure Harry here will answer any questions you may have when we are done" he finished.
The two Potter's nodded, neither knowing what else they could do for the time being.
"I have verified everything that the young man has told me and I am sure he will consent to you doing the same, any way you see fit" Dumbledore began again, shooting a questioning glance towards Harry.
Harry nodded his agreement and Dumbledore continued.
"As difficult as this is to believe this young man is in fact your Grandson" he informed Charlus and Dorea.
Charlus immediately scoffed.
"What are you trying to pull you bloody relic" he demanded angrily. "James must be about the same age as this boy and we have no other children, as you well know" he pointed out with a frown.
"Indeed" Dumbledore acknowledged and sighed. "Young Harry here was born in 1980" he added in explanation.
Charlus let out a bark of laughter.
"You're insane", he stated. "That's bloody well 4 years from now".
"Charlus" Dorea cut in warningly. "I'm sure there is an explanation" she deduced, feeling very curious to see where this was leading.
"There is" Dumbledore replied with a bow. "But I believe that it is Harry that should explain it, I only know the bare minimum" he explained with a shake of his head.
The two Potter's looked towards Harry who immediately felt very nervous at the stares he was receiving.
"I'm sorry" he began. "I wasn't going to bother you and I don't want anything from you" he added sincerely. "But I had to come back here to kill Voldemort" he finished weakly.
"Kill… you're just a boy" Dorea answered worriedly. "Why on earth would you need to do it?" she asked disbelievingly.
Harry sighed and shook his head.
"There are things you don't understand" he returned uncertainly.
"Then try" Dorea requested firmly.
Harry sighed again.
"James really is my father and I was born in 1980, my name is Harry James Potter", he said honestly. "Voldemort killed my parent's when I was a year old and he tried to kill me but failed, he has tried to kill me ever since", he concluded hurriedly.
"James was killed?" Dorea asked fearfully.
"Yes" Harry confirmed. "My mother also and I was raised by my Mother's family" he explained.
"Why the hell would you not have been raised by us?" Charlus cut in angrily.
"You were already dead and I never even knew about you until a few month's ago" Harry replied with a shrug.
Dorea shook her head and looked at the boy sadly.
"But that doesn't explain why you have to kill him" she pointed out.
"It's complicated", Harry responded shooting a glance at the headmaster, indicating he did not want to discuss certain things with him present.
"I'm sorry but we need to understand" Dorea insisted.
Harry nodded.
"Do any of you know Legilimency?" he asked, not being able to think of another way to show them what he wanted to explain.
"I do" Charlus answered.
"I'll drop my Occlumency shields and you can see for yourself why I have to do it, but a lot of my memories are not pleasant" he warned. "I won't stop you going through anything you need to, I just want you to see I'm telling the truth and not trying to swindle you in any way" he finished sincerely.
"You know occlumency?", Charlus asked, clearly surprised.
Harry just nodded.
Charlus and Dorea shared a look and the man nodded resolutely.
"Ok" he agreed. "It will put any doubts to rest" he shrugged.
He removed his wand and looked at Harry speculatively.
"Legilimens", he whispered and dove into the boy's mind.
Dumbledore immediately conjured a glass and filled it with the same brown liquid he had drunk earlier. He placed it on the desk in front of Charlus's chair causing Dorea to look at him worriedly.
"I saw some of his memories earlier, I fear your husband will need it when he is done", he explained seriously.
Dorea just raised an eyebrow at the headmaster and waited for her husband to finish. She hated legilimency but understood the necessity of it right now.
Harry watched as his whole life played in front of his eyes in a blur. He did not know how long it lasted but he knew a considerable amount of time had passed when it was finally over, his head pounding under protests of the strain.
Dumbledore and Dorea watched for close to an hour as Charlus and Harry just stared at each other while the man went through the boy's memories at will.
When Charlus had finished he extracted himself from Harry's mind and immediately stood, turned away and walked towards the wall, shaking uncontrollably.
"Charlus?", Dorea called worriedly.
The man just shook his head and turned to face Harry, his eyes full of tears as he just stared at the boy in both horror and utter disbelief.
"Charlus what did you see?", Dorea asked.
She knew instantly that it must be terrible, her husband was the strongest man she knew, he himself had seen war and he had never been in this state.
"Charlus" She said pleadingly once more.
Charlus turned to look at her and swallowed deeply.
"What did you see?" she questioned again.
"Things that no one should see, especially not a boy" he answered cryptically. "How the bloody hell are you alive?" he asked Harry weakly.
Harry was rubbing his temples in an attempt to alleviate the throbbing in his head.
"I've been lucky" he sighed.
Charlus shook his head.
"That was more than luck", he stated noticing the drink on the desk and downing it in one. "You're a hell of a wizard" he finished, taking a deep breath.
"I just wanted you to see that I'm telling the truth" Harry explained. "It's like I said, I don't want anything from you, I just wanted to meet you and maybe be friends with my Dad" he added sincerely.
"I don't doubt you are telling the truth" Charlus replied in a whisper as he took his seat and placed a hand on Harry's shoulder. "But I can't let you fight him, you're just a boy, it shouldn't be your problem" he said firmly.
"You saw for yourself that it is", Harry pointed out.
Charlus just looked at the boy and sighed.
The boy was only sixteen and he had seen more than any man should ever see. He should be worrying about homework and having fun with his friends, not planning on fighting a murdering maniac and all because of something as foolish as a prophecy. Charlus certainly did not hold Divination in high esteem.
He could see that the boy would not be swayed, clearly he was stubborn, very much like his wife.
"You have two years left of school, why don't you finish that and just see how things go", he suggested. "It will at least give you time to prepare", he added.
"That was my plan", Harry returned. "I was going to come back to Hogwarts, that's why I came here today, I didn't mean for any of this", he explained.
"And that is the main problem we have to deal with" Dumbledore cut in. "As you can see the resemblance between young James and Harry is very similar, that is the reason I asked you both here, I mean it is possible that we could use a glamour to hide the similarities" Dumbledore suggested.
Charlus shook his head and frowned.
"That is not fair on the boy and all it would take would for him to be stunned and they fail" he pointed out. "He shouldn't have to hide who he is, he's been through enough" he added with a sad sigh.
"We can't say he is an illegitimate child either, he would be persecuted" Dorea cut in.
"Yeah, and so would we", Charlus pointed out.
"I don't want to cause any trouble", Harry piped up, realising the problems he was causing.
"Nonsense" Charlus replied. "You are family, regardless of where or when you come from" he stated firmly. "I didn't even have any siblings so we can't even say you're a nephew" he added with a sigh.
"Well we have to think of something, the boy could pass for James's twin" Dorea said exasperatedly.
Charlus's head shot up at that and he looked at his wife with a smirk.
"Say that again" he requested.
"What, that he…" she paused mid-sentence. "Could pass as James's twin" she finished in a whisper and looked at Harry speculatively.
"Woah" Harry piped up in realisation. "No, just… No" he finished disbelievingly.
"It could work" Dorea concluded, ignoring Harry's protest.
"How would that work?" Harry asked weakly.
"It could" Charlus agreed. "No one knew about James until we sent him to school except for Dilys, who is now dead and… Arcturus, he was the only who came to our house when James was growing up", he finished with a sigh.
"We can always tell him" Dorea suggested. "He would understand, it's family Charlus, he would understand" she reiterated.
Charlus nodded.
"We can just say that we sent him away to be privately tutored, hell the boy is more than talented to make that believable" Charlus pointed out. "The boy is a damn prodigy" he added sincerely. "We can just say we brought him home because of the war, we wanted him close" he concluded triumphantly.
"I would advise against informing Mr. Black", Dumbledore cut in gravely.
"This is family business Dumbledore" Charlus retorted irritably. "It no longer concerns you" he added in a no nonsense tone.
Dumbledore simply shrugged and remained silent.
Dorea sighed.
"That's all well and good but you are forgetting one thing" she said with a shake of her head.
Charlus frowned and looked at his wife questioningly.
"James", Dorea reminded him exasperatedly.
"Ah", Charlus deadpanned.
The two sat in silence for a while until Charlus spoke again.
"We tell him the truth" he said simply.
Dorea frowned at him and shook her head.
"He's 16 Charlus, you can't put that on him" she sighed.
"We can't lie to our son hell, he deserves a chance to get to know the boy it's not like he needs to babysit him, it might even make him bloody well grow up some" he responded.
He sighed before he carried on speaking.
"I'm not saying it will be easy, far from it but it will be worse if we try to hide it from him" he pointed out. "We are family, no matter how we are related we have to look out for each other it's small enough without lies and secrets amongst ourselves" he finished with a sad shake of his head.
"Honestly, it's ok" Harry piped up once again. "I can just change my name and wear glamour's" he offered, though he felt reluctant doing so.
"You'll do no such thing" Charlus responded firmly. "You're a Potter" he added simply.
"This is just causing problems and I didn't want that", Harry said sadly. "I don't need anything and I'm ok, I have more than enough gold to buy myself a house when I finish school, maybe we should just forget about this", he suggested and stood to leave.
He really did not want to cause problems for his family, he had only come here to enroll at school, perhaps find a much needed ally in Dumbledore and had been thrown into this unexpectedly.
"And what about us?" Dorea asked emotionally getting to her feet. "You just expect us to forget that we met you?" she added with a shake of her head. "You are our Grandson, no matter how you came here" she finished firmly.
Harry paused with his hand on the doorknob and swallowed deeply.
Charlus stood and placed his hand on his wife's shoulder.
"As I said, our family is small Harry" he spoke quietly. "We never got the chance after James to have anymore children" he choked. "We can't just forget that you are here, you are family and you don't have anyone else, James will understand, it will probably take time but he will, he always wanted a brother, just as we wanted more children" he finished with a weak smile.
"I never had a family" Harry whispered.
"And now you do" Charlus replied. "It will be an adjustment but we will make it work somehow" he added with a nod.
"But it's not fair on my Dad" Harry responded with a shake of his head.
"And it will be even more unfair if you hide from him and not give him the chance" Charlus pointed out.
Harry dragged his hand through his hair.
This situation was even more strange than he could have ever have comprehended and he had no idea what to do. He felt as though he had no choice in the matter. He could walk away and hide and know that he had hurt the only family he had ever had or he could face what he felt was coming.
He turned to face the couple and could see the pleading in their eyes.
How could he say no to them?
The simple answer was that he couldn't and he knew it. They were willing to at least try, he should be able to do the same and he knew he would regret it if he left now and didn't.
He sighed and nodded, noting the relief appearing on his grandparent's faces as he did so.
"I'll go and get him" Dorea offered as she walked towards the fireplace and she paused. "Sirius is there" she said in realisation.
Harry's breath hitched in his chest at the mention of his godfather.
"We will worry about him after we've spoken to James" Charlus replied.
Dorea nodded and disappeared into the flames after throwing in some floo powder.
"If you plan on attending Hogwarts Harry I will need a transcript of some sort", Dumbledore broke the silence that had fallen after a moment.
Harry nodded and reached into his pocket to retrieve the OWL results he had brought with him and handed them to the headmaster.
Dumbledore glanced over the parchment and nodded enthusiastically.
"Very impressive", he praised. "Very impressive indeed", he added with a smile.
Charlus frowned and took the results from the man to read for himself, his eyebrows raising significantly as he did so.
"All O's and O+'s" he said proudly. "I wouldn't have expected anything less" he surmised. "Especially after everything you've been through, I mean a basilisk at age 12" he added, clearly impressed.
"A basilisk?", Dumbledore questioned frantically.
"The boy is more than impressive", Charlus replied dismissively, clearly not wanting to share any details with the old man. "Dorea will be pleased with a certain ability of yours, though you should keep it to yourself, people are still under the impression it is dark", he advised with a shake of his head.
Harry nodded his agreement.
He understood that Charlus meant his parseltongue ability and knew from experience that the man was right in his deduction.
It was only a few minutes later that Dorea exited the floo once more and nodded towards her husband.
"He's coming, I told him we needed a serious family discussion" she explained nervously.
Charlus just nodded and waited for his son to appear.
The fire sprung to life after only a moment and Harry got the first glimpse of his father in person.
They did look very much alike, though the eyes were different and Harry's features were a little more delicate, but even stood next to each other the differences would be difficult to notice, the eyes would be the only real giveaway that they were not the same person.
James Potter stepped out of the fireplace and immediately began making excuses, clearly thinking that he was here for something school related.
"Whatever it is it wasn't me, I've behaved myself…",
He paused as he caught sight of Harry, his expression mirroring his parent's when they first laid eyes upon him.
"Shit" he whispered.
"Language James" Dorea scolded and shook her head exasperatedly.
"It's not every day you walk into a room and see your double" James pointed out. "Is that polyjuice potion?" he asked walking closer to Harry and looking at him in awe.
"No James and stop prodding the poor boy" Dorea answered. "This is what we need to discuss with you, take a seat" she requested seriously.
"So I'm not in trouble?" James asked looking relieved.
"No" Charlus confirmed. "But this is very serious" he explained firmly.
James frowned and took the seat his mother gestured to, looking at his parent's expectantly as he did so.
Charlus sighed, finding himself in the position that Harry was in earlier and not knowing where to begin.
"This" he began. "Is Harry" he introduced the boy with a gesture.
"Ok" James replied skeptically. "What, is he a long lost relative or something?" he asked having already noted the resemblance between himself and the other boy.
"In a manner of speaking" Charlus conceded. "But he's not from here" he added with a sigh.
James frowned.
"Well where is he from?" he asked curiously.
Charlus and Dorea shared a look and it was the latter that spoke.
"Harry was born in 1980" she sighed.
James shook his head and looked at his parent's confusedly.
"It's 1976" he pointed out.
Charlus sighed and dragged his hand through his hair, demonstrating where Harry had gotten the habit from.
"We know that" he said exasperatedly. "Harry has time travelled here" he explained simply.
James just laughed and shook his head but stopped when he noted the grave expressions, his parent's were wearing.
"You're serious" he choked.
"We are" Dorea confirmed quietly.
James's eyebrows rose and he looked at Harry closely, inspecting every detail of the other boy.
"You look just like me" he whispered.
Harry swallowed deeply and nodded.
"Are you my brother?" James questioned, all of the amusement now absent from his face.
Harry swallowed again and shook his head slightly.
"Then who are you?" James asked almost desperately.
Harry tried to speak but the words stuck in his throat, he simply could not make a sound.
"He is your son" Dorea choked out.
James's eyes went wide at the revelation and he stood and shook his head in disbelief and then burst into a fit of laughter.
"No, it can't be true, he must have come back what…"
"Twenty years" Harry said, cutting him off.
James turned to look at the boy and shook his head again.
"That's not possible" he stated. "Why the hell did you come? Why isn't the me from the future looking after you?", he asked confusedly.
Harry sighed and looked at his father sadly.
"You're dead" Harry whispered making James freeze with a horrified expression on his face.
"How?" he asked weakly after a few moments.
"You were murdered when I was a baby" Harry explained emotionally. "It's one of the reasons I came back, to stop that happening to you and my mum" he elaborated.
James turned to look at his parent's and then at Dumbledore who was looking on in concern.
"Is this real?" he asked the headmaster. "You're not trying to get me back for all the pranks?"
"I'm afraid so Mr. Potter, both myself and your parent's have verified it", Dumbledore answered seriously.
James turned once again to look at his Mother and Father and they both nodded in confirmation.
"But I'm only sixteen" he said weakly. "I'm not ready to be a Dad" he pointed out.
"And we don't expect you to, neither does Harry", Charlus replied.
"I don't need a Dad" Harry cut in quietly. "I've never had one and I don't need one now" he sighed sadly.
"Then why are we here? He doesn't need me, he said it himself" James asked his parent's.
"This has been sprung on him as it has with us James, he only came to enroll at school and Dumbledore contacted us" Charlus explained. "The boy did not even want to tell you, he was going to just leave" he added with a shake of his head.
"Why would he do that?' James questioned, looking towards Harry.
"Because he didn't want to cause any problems, but we couldn't just let him walk away, he's our family" Dorea answered.
James nodded his understanding. His mother had always drilled into him the importance of family.
"This really isn't a joke?" he asked again.
"No son, it's not a joke", Charlus answered firmly.
James sighed and dragged his hand through his hair and approached Harry.
"You're not trying to pull something are you?" he questioned the other boy sternly.
Harry shook his head.
"I don't want anything from any of you, all I wanted was to get to know you and maybe be your friend", Harry answered sincerely. "I have my own money and everything else I need" he added with a shrug.
James nodded though Harry wasn't convinced.
"Why don't we perform a blood verification charm, that will show you" he suggested.
James looked at his parent's who both shrugged.
"Ok" he agreed.
"Would you like me to do it?" Dumbledore offered.
James nodded and the two boy's approached the desk.
"I just need a sample of your blood in these vials" he instructed.
Harry nodded, drew his wand and conjured two intricate silver daggers.
"How did you do that?" James asked in awe as he took one of the knives offered to him.
"Harry is a very gifted wizard" Charlus explained, saving Harry from having to answer. "I won't divulge any of his secret's they're his to tell, but he is very special" he added firmly.
James just shook his head and turned his attention back to Dumbledore and the other boy.
He watched as Harry casually cut across his palm and filled the vial he had been given without even a grimace, quickly sealing the cut when he was done.
James mimicked the actions of the other boy and couldn't help the hiss of pain that escaped him as the blade sliced into his flesh.
When he was done Harry took his hand sealed the wound causing James to notice his wand for the first time.
"That's a strange wand", he pointed out with a frown.
"I had to have it made, I outgrew my old one", he explained sadly, not wanting to discuss the fate of his old wand and the connection to Voldemort it had.
""It's nice", James praised with a nod.
Dumbledore coughed to get the two boy's attention.
"If you are indeed father and son the blood will turn gold, if you are related in any lower form it will turn silver", he explained as he drew his wand and began casting the spell with a Latin chant.
Harry did not even look to know that the blood would turn gold but James watched the two samples intently and unblinkingly.
Unsurprisingly, after only a moment, the two vials of blood were full of a now brightly gold coloured liquid and James took a deep breath before resuming his seat, not saying a word.
"Who was your mum?", he suddenly asked curiously.
Harry swallowed deeply, unsure if he should say, but he didn't want to hide anything from him.
"See for yourself", Harry answered, stepped closer to his father and pointed to his eyes.
James frowned and looked at where the other boy was pointing, his eyes widening when the realisation hit him.
"Lily", he whispered as he recognized the eyes looking back at him.
Harry nodded.
"You can't say anything to her", Harry pleaded.
James shook his head.
"She wouldn't believe me anyway, she thinks I'm an idiot", he mumbled.
"Yeah, Sirius said as much", Harry chuckled.
"You knew Sirius?", James asked excitedly.
"He was my godfather", Harry answered. "I knew Remus too", he added.
"What about Peter?", James questioned.
"That's enough questions for now", Charlus cut in. "You don't want to say too much Harry, it might change more than you want it to", he said warningly.
Harry nodded his understanding.
"Remember, what people did where you came from hasn't happened here, you can't hold it against them and you are in a position to prevent it, remember that", Charlus advised.
Harry understood what the man was implying. He was in a position to stop people becoming what they were and he should keep an open mind. He knew it would be very difficult to do where certain people were concerned, but he would try.
Harry conceded the point with another nod.
"This is all well and good but how do we explain all this?" James asked no one in particular.
"We have already thought of that" Dorea responded a little nervously.
She went on to explain the idea they had come up with earlier in the day and James frowned.
"Or we can just pretend this hasn't happened" Harry added when the woman had finished.
James sighed.
"It's a little late for that" he pointed out. "It will take some getting used to but I guess it will work, it would make me a crappy person knowing what I do and pushing you away, I don't even think I could now", he finished with a sincere whisper.
Dorea smiled at her son.
"You're taking this rather well" she observed.
James shrugged.
"You always told me that family is the most important thing" he replied. "And it will be one hell of a prank" he continued with a smirk. "And as long as I don't have to change nappies" he finished with a mischievous grin.
Dorea shook her head exasperatedly.
"When are you going to grow up James?" she asked irritably.
"Never" the boy answered simply.
Dorea shook her head again.
"How do we tell Sirius, he is living with us after all?" she questioned with a hint of concern.
""Sirius doesn't do talks like this" James responded with a shake of his head. "But I know a way we can do it, and we get to prank him at the same time" he added in realisation.
"James, this is not a time for one of your jokes" Dorea chided.
"Mum I know Sirius better than anyone, if we try to explain it like this he will freak" James said confidently. "We need to make it as small a thing as possible, trust me" he implored.
Dorea looked towards her husband who shrugged.
"He might be right" he conceded.
"Fine" Dorea agreed reluctantly. "But don't push it too much" she warned.
James just smirked.
"How do you feel about pulling your first prank?" James asked Harry with a grin.
Harry shook his head.
"Why have I got a feeling that I'm not going to like this" he sighed.
James just smirked again and began putting his plan together.
"Where are you staying Harry?" Charlus questioned. "I don't think you said".
"The Leaky Cauldron" Harry answered. "It's only a few weeks until school starts" he shrugged.
"Well if we are going to pull this off then you had better get your things and come back with us" Charlus suggested.
Harry nodded, the man did have a point.
"I'll go with you" James offered. "It gives us a chance to get to know each other a bit" he shrugged.
"Ok, but come straight back here and don't let him drag you in the quidditch shop" Dorea said to Harry.
"I already got my broom" Harry responded.
"You play quidditch?" James asked, his eyes lighting up.
It was Harry's turn to smirk.
"Youngest seeker in a century?" he answered casually.
James choked and shook his head.
"What house were you in?" he questioned.
The three adults in the room all leaned forward, just as curious to know.
"Gryffindor", Harry replied, though he was tempted to make the boy wait.
James visually breathed a sigh of relief.
"I thought you might have been a snake", he muttered.
"James, how many times do I have to tell you that not all of them are bad, I was in Slytherin", Dorea cut in heatedly.
"Yeah because you're sane", James mumbled cheekily.
"Excuse me?", Dorea asked, looking at her son through narrowed eyes.
"Nothing mum" James answered innocently. "Shouldn't we be going now?" he questioned Harry and began pushing him towards the door.
""You can use my floo if you wish?" Dumbledore offered.
Harry shook his head.
"I really don't like the floo" he answered honestly. "And I could really use the fresh air" he added.
"Ok, but be careful" Dorea pleaded.
"Believe me, they will be fine" Charlus cut in and placed a comforting hand on his wife's shoulder.
With that Harry and James both exited the office and headed towards the front doors of the castle.
"He took it much better than I thought" Dorea observed.
"He did" Charlus agreed. "Let's just hope we can keep it that way" he sighed.
(BREAK)
Harry and James left the office and began walking through the corridors of the school in silence and it was Harry that broke it.
"I am sorry about all of this" he said genuinely. "I didn't mean for it to happen this way, even though you are taking it well, better than I would be" he finished with a shrug.
James paused and looked at the other boy and shook his head.
"It's not your fault, you had it pushed on you just as much as us" he sympathized. "Honestly, it hasn't really sunk in and it will take some getting used to" he admitted. "But it's like Mum said, you're family wherever or whenever you came from" he concluded.
"Well thanks, for being so understanding" Harry replied.
"The one thing Mum always wanted was to have kids" James responded seriously. "She couldn't have anymore after me and she'll never admit it but it's something she never got over, just don't upset her" he implored.
Harry nodded and the two began making their way through the grounds in silence once more. They reached the gates and passed through them before James broke the silence this time.
"How're we getting to London?" he asked curiously.
Harry just offered the boy his arm in response.
"You can apparate?" James asked excitedly. "Can you teach me?" he added in a begging tone.
Harry just nodded and grabbed the boy by the shoulders, apparating them away as he did so.
The duo arrived outside the back entrance of the Leaky Cauldron and Harry had to steady the other boy to prevent him from falling over.
"I didn't like that" James stated, looking considerably pale.
"It's better when you do it yourself" Harry explained sympathetically and led the boy through the bar and up to his room.
Harry began putting everything together, making sure he didn't leave anything behind.
"How did I end up with Lily?" James asked suddenly.
Harry looked at the boy and sighed.
"Sirius said you grew up, that's all I know", he shrugged.
James nodded his understanding and became lost in his thoughts again.
"And you know Remus…"
"Is a werewolf?" Harry cut in. "Yeah I do" he confirmed, eliciting a sigh of relief from James. "And I know all about Prongs too" he added with a smile.
James's head shot up and he looked at Harry questioningly.
Harry shook his head in amusement and dug into is trunk and removed a battered piece of parchment, passing it to James casually.
"You have the map?" James asked in awe.
Harry nodded and reached into the trunk once more, removing a silvery, silky cloak.
"And the cloak?" James added weakly. "Do you have any idea what we could do with two maps and two cloaks" he questioned with wide eyes. "The possibilities are endless" he concluded.
Harry just chuckled knowing that the other boy was already cooking up a pranking spree like Hogwarts had never seen.
"What exactly do you know about Prongs?" James asked curiously after a moment.
Harry just smiled and drew his wand.
"Expecto Patronum" he whispered.
James stared on in awe at the high level of magic he was witnessing and was simply dumbfounded at the sight of his animagus form.
After a few moments Harry ended the spell and James turned to look at him.
"I'm your patronus?" he asked weakly.
"Ever since Moony taught me when I was thirteen" Harry responded.
"Thirteen?" James scoffed. "Shit, you must be good" he whispered proudly.
"I had to learn it" Harry replied cryptically.
James nodded.
"You haven't mentioned Wormtail" he pointed out. "I can't imagine not ever being friends with him, what happened? He asked.
Harry swallowed deeply and remembered what Charlus had said. As much as he wanted to get his father away from the rat and kill the bastard he knew it was not his place to interfere, yet.
"It's like your Dad said, I shouldn't say too much, but I will stop anything bad from happening" he promised.
James wanted to protest but thought better of it figuring that Harry was probably right in the fact that he probably had an advantage of knowing what was going to happen and if he changed too much it could end up worse than it was before for the boy.
James nodded though Harry could see he was not too happy about it.
"There are things that I won't tell you but you can always ask" he explained sincerely. "If I can't say then please understand it's not that I don't trust you, it's just that you really are better off not knowing" he added.
James nodded his understanding a lot more convincingly now.
"You know, you're going to have to get used to calling them Mum and Dad" he pointed out. "Oh, and I get to be the older brother, it is weird enough as it is without you being older" he finished with a shake of his head.
"Agreed" Harry responded instantly.
It was bad enough being the same age as his father let alone being thought of as older.
It was then that Hedwig flew in through the window and landed on Harry's shoulder, nibbling his ear affectionately.
"She's beautiful" James observed as he stepped forward and stroked the bird who stared at him calculatingly.
"She's the only living thing I could bring back with me" Harry responded sadly.
James stopped stroking the owl and looked at the other boy.
"It must be really hard for you" he observed. "I didn't think about your friends or anyone else you knew and you came here all alone" he continued with a shake of his head. "Why did you come back?" he asked.
"I had no choice" Harry answered. "I imagine you'll know why I came back one day, but not yet" he said firmly. "Are you ready?" he questioned.
James nodded and Harry sent Hedwig on her way, knowing that she would be able to find him.
"Could you teach me how to do a patronus?" James asked as the pair left the pub and apparated back to Hogsmeade.
(BREAK)
Dumbledore, Charlus and Dorea were eagerly awaiting the return of the boy's in the office, with the woman out of the trio pacing backwards and forwards nervously.
"Merlin, Dor will you please just sit down, they'll be fine" Charlus sighed exasperatedly.
Dorea paused and gave her husband a worried look.
"They've been gone for ages" She replied.
"It's been fifteen minutes" Charlus pointed out. "They could have barley gotten out of the grounds in that time" he added knowingly.
Dorea suddenly brought her hand too her mouth, her eyes going wide.
"We didn't even check to see how they would get there" she said in realisation.
"I imagine Harry will apparate them" Charlus shrugged.
"He hasn't got a license" Dorea huffed. "You need to put a stop to that or the Auror's will take him in".
"I didn't get a license until after the war and I never got caught" her husband returned unworriedly.
"Charlus" Dorea growled.
"Alright, I'll have a word" he grumbled, dragging his hand through his hair. "You have to remember he's not your son" he reminded her firmly.
"For all intents and purposes, he is" Dorea responded.
Charlus sighed.
"You have to tread carefully with him Dor, he never had a Mother growing up, damn it he slept in a cupboard for 10 years of his life" he explained angrily.
"He what?" Dorea asked dangerously.
"I shouldn't have said anything" Charlus replied with a shake of his head. "Just be careful, please" he pleaded. "He's not like James, he might be only sixteen but he's far from being a child, just don't try and mother him too much, I don't think he wants that and it's bloody confusing enough as it is" he finished.
"Then the boy needs to learn how to be a child" Dorea retorted.
"I agree" Charlus returned. "Hopefully spending time with James and Sirius will mellow him, Merlin knows he needs it and not be so damned focused on killing that bastard" he concluded sadly.
"Why does he think it has to be him?" Dorea asked sadly.
"Not here" Charlus warned. "But he has more than enough reasons to want to, I understand that but just not yet" he finished lamely.
The couple were interrupted by the sound of laughter coming from the stairway and Harry and James entered the room mid-conversation.
"He didn't really do that?" Harry asked while holding his sides.
"He did" James answered seriously. "McGonagall loved that tin and bang, a few fireworks later and I'm in detention for a month and Sirius gets away with it" he explained with a shake of his head.
Harry just laughed and stopped when he realised that they were back in Dumbledore's office, tapping James on the shoulder to get his attention.
Dorea was looking at the pair of them disapprovingly while both Charlus and Dumbledore were attempting to hide their smirks.
"And just how did the pair of you get to London and back?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.
"We apparated" Harry shrugged.
Dorea frowned and James face palmed.
"Rule number one, never admit anything to mum, deny everything because you will get the same punishment either way" he whispered, with a shake of his head.
"Thank you James" Dorea growled. "There will be no more apparating until you get a license, not unless it's an emergency" she added firmly.
Harry shrugged.
"I prefer flying anyway" he responded.
"What broom did you get?" James asked. "Did you bring one with you?"
"They wouldn't let me bring mine, it would have been a dead giveaway but I got a Comet 200" Harry answered.
James nodded his approval.
"Are you two ready to go?" Charlus asked the pair.
"Yeah, just follow Harry's lead when we get back" James instructed. "Oh and I'm the oldest" he explained.
Both Charlus and Dorea shook their heads.
"The address is Potter Manor, you've got our blood so the wards will let you pass" Dorea informed Harry.
Harry nodded his understanding and both Charlus and Dorea bade Dumbledore goodbye before exiting through the floo.
"Thank you Professor, for everything" Harry said sincerely to the old man.
Dumbledore gave him a warm smile.
"It all worked out for the best" he responded happily. "Oh, and although you were in Gryffindor before you will have to be sorted, to keep up the pretense of course" he informed Harry.
Harry swallowed and nodded knowing that he could pretty much convince the hat to put him wherever he wanted to go.
"You'll be a Gryffindor again" James said confidently before entering the flames and disappearing.
Harry nodded and followed the other boy to meet his sixteen year old godfather for the first time.
(BREAK)
Harry exited the floo and actually managed to not fall to the ground face first for the first time in his life, much to his relief.
Charlus and Dorea were waiting for him and he felt a tap on his shoulder.
"Take these", James whispered, handing him his glasses from under the invisibility cloak.
Harry took them and shook his head uncertainly.
"Are you sure about this?" he asked worriedly.
"It's the best way" James said confidently. "Trust me, I know him" he reiterated.
Harry had to agree. Although he knew Sirius this was not the same man from his time who had spent twelve years in the company of the Dementor's.
Harry nodded and put the glasses on and allowed himself to be guided through the stately home by James.
They eventually came to a lounge room and Harry caught sight of his godfather as a teenager for the first time.
He looked very much how Harry remembered though this Sirius was definitely much healthier and considerably less gaunt looking.
He took a deep breath and walked into the room, picking up a quidditch magazine he spotted on the table. He took a seat opposite the boy who was sprawled over a couch reading a book of his own and didn't even look up to greet Harry as he arrived.
"So, what did Dumbledore want?" Sirius questioned offhandedly.
"He apologised for the month of detention I served for McGonagall's tin" Harry shrugged. "He said he now knows who did it and they will be punished when school starts" he added, relieved by his own fast thinking.
He heard James stifling his laughter from just behind him.
Sirius immediately sprung to his feet with a look of horror on his face and was about to speak until he caught sight of the other boy and simply gaped at him.
"You know" Harry cut in. "You shouldn't stare at me like that, people are already starting to talk about you" he said seriously.
Sirius's eyes bulged within their sockets and he began to babble incoherently, which was fortunate as James let out a snort of laughter, still hidden underneath the cloak.
"What do you mean people are talking?" Sirius questioned angrily.
"Well, it's understandable" Harry shrugged. "The hair products, the scent charms and the trousers you wear are rather snug" he reeled off casually.
"You know me Prongs, I've been with more witches than you, Moony and Wormy combined" Sirius spoke desperately.
"For all I know you could be overcompensating for something" Harry pointed out.
He then put down the magazine and looked at the other boy who was still looking horrified.
"Look, I don't have a problem with it" he stated genuinely. "But just so you know, not my thing, though with those cheekbones you could be quite a pretty girl if you made the effort" he finished with a nod.
Harry could here James snickering from behind the chair and he coughed in an effort to hide the sounds coming from the hidden boy.
Sirius whimpered slightly and then looked towards the other boy, frowning once more, his eyes suddenly going wide after a moment.
"You're not James" he said flatly.
"What the hell are you talking about Padfoot?" Harry asked irritably.
It was then that Dorea entered the room and Sirius immediately turned to address her.
"Aunt Dorea, look at James" he requested, sliding his wand into his hand.
Dorea turned to look at the boy and shrugged.
"Yes, that's my son Sirius" she observed questioningly.
"That's not James, it looks like him but it's not" Sirius pointed out desperately.
"For Merlin sake Sirius, I think I know what my son looks like" Dorea huffed indignantly.
Sirius shook his head.
"His features are more delicate and his bloody eyes are green, James has brown eyes" Sirius tried desperately.
"And you wonder why people are talking about you" Harry cut in in a disappointed tone.
By now James had clearly had enough and could no longer hold in his laughter as it escaped from him and he removed the cloak to reveal himself, his eyes full of unshed tears.
"That was bloody gold" he declared, patting Harry on the shoulder.
Sirius stared between the two boy's with a look of complete disbelief and confusion on his face.
In his dumbfounded state he managed to point at them both a stammer out random noises, not even being able to formulate a single word.
"Who the hell are you?" he managed to stutter out, his gaze shifting between the two near identical boys.
"This" James cut in. "Is my brother, Harry" he introduced the other boy to his best friend.
Sirius's eyebrows rose and he shook his head.
"You don't have a brother" he stated flatly. "I've known you since first year and been here the last two summer's, you've never once mentioned a brother" he pointed out.
"It's a family secret, was a family secret" James corrected.
"Why would you need to keep a brother a family secret?" Sirius asked confusedly.
James sighed and dragged his hand through his hair.
"Harry is…special" he said simply.
Sirius frowned and shot a look at the other boy and leaned in closer to James.
"What, Crabbe and Goyle special?" he asked with a whisper.
James shook his head and chuckled.
"More like Dumbledore special" he replied seriously.
Sirius's eyebrows rose significantly at that revelation.
"Really?" he questioned and shook his head. "Why would you keep it from me, we don't have secrets" he sighed.
"I had to Padfoot, you know how family secret's are better than anyone" he pointed out.
Sirius conceded the point with a nod. Who only knew too well how secretive his own family was.
"I'm sorry Sirius" James said sincerely. "It's the only thing I've ever kept from you" he promised.
Sirius sighed and nodded.
"I understand" he returned with a sad smile. "But why now and where has he been?" he inquired.
"Harry has been privately tutored abroad since he was eleven, we knew that Hogwarts wasn't right for him at the time, he needed extra attention" Dorea explained. "But with everything that's happening here, we wanted him home" she elaborated.
"So he really is special then?" Sirius asked with a frown.
"Very" Charlus intoned seriously as he entered the room. "I'm sure you will see it for yourself soon enough" he finished confidently.
Even James looked towards his father with wide eyes. He already knew that Harry was an exceptional wizard from the small amount of magic he had seen from him, but he didn't know the extent of his abilities.
"Does that mean he's coming to Hogwarts then?" Sirius asked excitedly.
"He is" Charlus confirmed. "That is why we were with Dumbledore" he added distastefully.
Sirius looked between the two boys and frowned again.
"So you're twins?" he asked.
James nodded.
"He's younger" he explained.
"Even up close you look so damn similar, it's only the eyes that give it away really, and you look a bit bigger" he pointed out with a look to Harry. "Oh, I'm Sirius Black, by the way" he introduced himself, offering Harry his hand.
"Harry Potter" Harry replied with a smile and shaking the offered hand.
Sirius suddenly burst into a fit of uncontrollable laughter.
"What?" James asked with a frown.
Sirius shook his head as a triumphant grin formed on his face.
"Snivellus and the snakes are going to lose it when they find out about him" he deadpanned.
James's eyes went wide with glee.
"I didn't think of that" he whispered. "This is going to be hilarious" he declared.
"And we get to prank Moony and Wormy with it too" Sirius pointed out ecstatically. "Wait here" he suddenly demanded and ran from the room without warning.
"He's gone to get his notebook" James explained and sighed. "I don't like lying to him" he admitted sadly.
Harry swallowed and nodded.
"Me either, maybe once everything settles down we can tell him, I know he's trustworthy but we can't tell him yet" Harry offered genuinely.
James smiled gratefully.
"Yeah" he agreed. "He's been through a lot recently so we will wait for a while" he decided.
Harry remembered a conversation he had had with Sirius when he explained about running away from home to live with the Potter's when he was sixteen and understood what James was referring too.
"He will have a lot more questions when it sinks in" Harry observed.
"We will deal with it when it comes, we all have to get used to it" James sighed.
It was several hours later that Harry found himself in bed, thoroughly exhausted by the events of the day.
The trio had spent the rest of the day coming up with pranks they could play on their fellow students and getting to know each other a little better with Sirius asking lots of questions about Harry and what he had been doing with his life.
It was clear that neither Harry nor James liked keeping everything a secret from the other boy but they had to for now until they themselves were comfortable with the situation they found themselves in.
Harry sighed and sunk himself into his bed and fell asleep soon after simply enjoying the fact that he finally had a family.
Even though everything was more than a little skewed, he had a family, the one thing he had always wanted above all else.