Harry Returns

DISCLAIMER FOR ALL CHAPTERS/ENTIRE STORY: I don't own anything in this story. None of these ideas are even mine, my brain isn't even mine, but don't take it away, it likes the place it lives in now.

Prologue

After the defeat of the Dark Lord Voldemort, Harry James Potter disappeared from the Wizarding World completely. No one had any contact from him for a very long time.

A lot of things occurred after his disappearance that should have brought him back. The Headmaster of Hogwarts, Professor Dumbledore, came out into the open and announced that he had faked his death. As did Sirius Black, who had been cleared of all charges after the discovery of Peter Pettigrew. Many people in the Wizarding World wondered if Harry Potter hadn't perished in the final battle, but his closest friends knew better. However, even Dumbledore couldn't figure out where Harry had gotten to.

Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger got married four years after Harry's disappearance, and a year after had a son, Tyler Weasley. They had a wonderful life together, having three more children after Tyler (red headed twin boys, and a little girl), but always wished that Harry could have been there with them.

Sirius did not give up on Harry, and spent nearly all of his time searching the country for his godson, nearly driving himself crazy. Remus and Tonks (who had also been married) spent a lot of their spare time trying to help their friend, but it was becoming harder and harder, and Sirius would probably never be the same. He completely blamed himself for Harry's disappearance.

However, Harry James Potter was absolutely fine now. He hadn't gone on his own accord at first, but he had been taken by a few death eaters after his defeat over Voldemort. Harry had been so drained, it had been easy for them to kidnap and keep him. He was tortured and taunted until he had managed to escape, but their taunts had left a mark. They had said that there was no one left for him, and they had been right, hadn't they? So Harry had moved far away to a completely magic free life. He had married a sweet Muggle girl named Rose, around the same time as Ron and Hermione had married, and soon after they had a child as well. Only Rose did not survive the birth of their daughter. Harry had been left to name and raise her on his own. Her name was easy, she looked just like him, and since he was a mix of his parents he chose the name Jamie (for her father and grandfather) Violet (a flower like her mother and grandmother) Potter.

Harry and Jamie lived a nice life, without magic. He home schooled her and only worked a little in a retail store down the road. She grew up in that store and town. When she was nine, Harry loathed to take her away from her home, but knew with only two years until she was to go to Hogwarts, a lot of explaining was in order. He did want to eventually reintegrate into the Wizarding World, but was rather afraid of how he would find it.

One week after her ninth birthday, Harry sat Jamie down and told her all about magic, her grandparents, his schooldays, quidditch, and so on. She was absolutely enthralled. She had always wondered why she experienced strange things. However, Harry could not bring himself to tell her about his fame, or his battles.

The day after he had answered (almost) all of her questions, he had her pack up everything she wanted to keep with her and they headed to London, for Diagon Alley.

Chapter One: Old Friends

"Jamie, are you ready?" Harry called to his daughter.

She answered back politely, "Almost Daddy." She seemed so mature for her age, but she was only nine. He really didn't want to tell her about everything that had happened in the wizarding world, but he knew she could handle it, and he needed to keep a low profile, so she had to be as careful as he.

"Jamie, there is something else I need to talk to you about. . ." He told her how he really didn't want a lot of people to know he was going back to his old world. He needed her to be inconspicious, and not mention their last name to anyone.

"Alright. But why?"

"I'll have to answer that question later, okay? We need to get going now." And Harry took his daughter and headed back to a place he once thought he'd never return to.

"Where exactly are we going?" Jamie asked her father as they got off the train and walked along the crowded street of London.

"We're looking for a place that only witches and wizards can see called The Leaky Cauldron. It should be, oh! There it is, come on Jamie. Remember what I said, don't bring attention to yourself, and act like you do this everyday, nothing new, okay?"

Jamie nodded and they entered the pub. It was a little dark in there compared to the sunshine they had just been in, but when Jamie's eyes adjusted she nearly gasped at what she saw. Everything looked magical, literally. She had dreamed of things like this, but never thought she would truly see them.

Harry smiled a small, sad smile as he looked down at his daughter. He remembered when all this had happened to him. He had been a little older than her, and much less fortunate. He had to admit that it scared him, he didn't want anyone, let alone his daughter, to have to go through what he did. He wanted to shelter her, and never let her near anything magical. Now, she was considered the daughter of the famous Harry Potter, the boy-who-lived, the defeater-of-he-who-must-not-be-named. (He almost laughed at that thought, wondering if people still wouldn't say Voldemort's name.) If he knew Jamie, she liked attention just as much as he did. Or in other words, not at all. At least she didn't have a scar to distinguish her, she only looked like him in every other way. Maybe she would be okay.

However, these things were, sadly, less worrisome than others. It had been around fourteen years since he defeated Voldemort, but that was how long it had been before when the dark lord had come back. Harry knew he was gone for good now, but how many death eaters were left out there? And how many were desperate for revenge? Like those that had kidnaped him and . . . no, he shouldn't think about those memories, they were all in the past. But what if they got a hold of his daughter for revenge? He couldn't lose her. He hoped Hogwarts was safe for her, but without Dumbledore? Was it ever going to be safe enough for his daughter if Dumbledore wasn't there?

This started a whole new train of thought. What was he going to do now? The reason he had left in the beginning was because there was no one there for him, and what about now? He could always go to the Weasley's, but would they want him around anymore? Too many unanswered questions were rolling through his head as he walked through the familiar pub to the back alley, and the brick wall. He pulled out his wand and started to tap the bricks, when his daughter's voice pulled him out of his miseries and reminded him that he had a very wonderful thing in his world no matter what world it was.

"Dad, what are you doing? This is a dead end."

"Ah, but not everything in this world is as it seems. How many times have I told you that?" He said, thinking of his former mentor, and with that he tapped the bricks and they split apart to form a magnificent archway into a bright, colorful place.

Harry took a second to look around, familiarizing himself with everything there, then he urged his daughter on. She walked slowly looking at everything, totally forgetting the deal she had made earlier. That was alright though, because Harry had almost forgotten himself. A snake sat in a cage, it looked up and blinked at them. Jamie looked as though she were about to go over and strike up a conversation with it. Harry puled her back, leaning down to whisper to her, "Don't talk to the snakes. It isn't a common gift, and it would bring too much attention. I'll explain later, just ignore it." And they kept walking.

Suddenly, Harry stopped dead in his tracks, causing Jamie to run right into him. "What is it Dad? Are you okay?"

Harry didn't answer right away. They had stopped in front of a store called Weasley's Wizard Wheezes and he was staring at a man with bright red hair standing at the counter.

"Dad?" Jamie prompted again.

"Oh. Sorry, honey. I used to know him." Harry said, still staring at the man who was now helping someone out.

Jamie looked from the man to her father, "Let's go say hi. You don't have to tell him about me, or even you. Just say hi." She gave her father's hand a tug, and pulled him to the door. Harry walked in and looked around. It was almost exactly like he remembered. Almost.

"Can I help you sir? Are you looking for something special, or just looking?"

Harry turned to the voice and found himself face to face with George Weasley. Or Fred Weasley maybe. Either way, it was his best mates older brother, and he froze. He just stared a while until the red head said, "Sir? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, um, George? Or Fred? How about Gred or Forge?" Harry laughed at the memory of the old joke.

"I'm Fred. I haven't heard that joke since school, did I know you? You look kind of familiar. What's your name?"

"Oh. I-I really would rather not say, yet. Is Ron still around?"

"Ron? Oh sure, he lives out in– wait," at that second, Fred looked up to Harry's forehead, and saw beneath the hood of his cloak, the tiniest hint of the tip of a lightning bolt shaped scar, "Ha-Harry? No, no way, you're. . . why didn't you come back? Where have you been? Dumbledore and Sirius have looked all over for you! Why. . ."

"Wait. Dumbledore?" Harry interrupted looking hurt. "Sirius? What kind of sick joke are you playing? They're dead." He said as though reminding himself of it.

"You mean you didn't hear? No wonder you didn't come back. You really should go to Hogwarts, talk to Albus, I can't explain it all. I just can't believe you're here. Does anyone else know? Have you seen anyone else? Mum will be so glad to know you're back, you really should go see her. . ."

"Are you sure? Is everyone still mad at me?"

"Mad? No one was mad at you! We were all really worried! We had no idea what had happened. We just knew you and you-know-who were both gone and, why are you laughing?"

"You still can't say Voldemort?"

"That's what I'm saying! Some people don't know if he is really gone or not! We had a funeral for you two years ago when the aurors gave up the search, but no one found either of your bodies. Then Dumbledore came out and said that he and Sirius had faked their deaths to help in the war, but didn't know where you were. They insisted that You-Know-Who was gone for good, but they were worried about you. Everyone could tell, even though they tried not to show it. Sirius is driving himself insane about it still. In fact, maybe you ought to go see him first. . ."

"Well we had better go then, don't tell anyone yet please. Come on Jamie, we have to go to Hogwarts. Hold on to me tight, and don't worry." The girl that had been standing in the shadows came out and grabbed on to Harry as he disapparated with her attached. Fred barely nodded before they were gone, and all he could do was stand dumbfounded and mutter, "Jamie?"