I was inspired by stories such as this but were never Done to my satisfaction. I hope you all like
I do not own Harry Potter
Mistakes of the Past
Sometimes a mistake done in the past has a way of coming back to bite you in the ass. Thinking that they had done the right thing in leaving their son with friends disguised as themselves to flee for another country. Lily and James were unaware of events that would transpire shortly after their departure.
The reason they had left was that Lily was pregnant again and as much as they didn't want to leave him. Since hearing of the prophecy from Dumbledore, they were afraid of what could happen, should Voldemort come after them.
They told no one save Peter, to whom they had trusted to tell their son as he got older why they had left. Convinced by Sirius to use Peter as their secret keeper instead, it felt only right to let their friend know the plan they had come up with. After all he would never betray them.
How silly a notion that Peter would do such a thing...
When they had heard about the attack on their former home, several months after setting up their new one, it did not take long for them to realize what had happened.
Holding their newfound son, Thomas, Lily ended up crying for days. She was so sure that Harry would be safe with their friends. She was so sure that her baby boy would live and be happy with his godfather Sirius and godmother Alice. The latter of which would have been happy to take her son into her home to raise alongside their newborn son Neville.
Thinking their son had died, they never heard about the fact that Harry had lived. They never heard about their dearest friend Sirius being thrown in prison. Peter never telling Dumbledore as he said he would of the trade, they never thought about that even though they realized he was the traitor. They never thought that the Longbottoms and many of their closest friends would never see the light of day again.
James simply sat in his chair and held tightly onto the picture of a little boy, who was reaching up to him in it. His wide green eyes happy and joyful, he remembers the last words his oldest had ever told him.
Luv Dada, Mama...
Those words would come to haunt him when he and his family return to England in what would have been Harry's 17th year of life.
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Hearing how Voldemort was finally gone, they had returned home to England with their three children. Intent on seeing Sirius again after setting up repairs upon what was left of their former home, James had left his wife and children at the Leaky Cauldron while he sat about announcing his return.
Expecting to find everything as it was, when he first arrived at Gringotts, he almost found himself blasted by the goblins. Yelling his rage, it would take about an hour, before James would find that since he was declared dead; his next of kin whom had recently come of age had control of everything now.
Confused as he had no other living family, he had asked whom had taken over the Potter family accounts that he had left to be used only by Sirius in trust for his son Harry.
The latter he thought being gone and Sirius not able to access it without a blood tie close to him. He was started and then pale as the Goblin looked at him pointedly. "Harry James Potter, I believe your oldest son."
"That can't be right...he's dead." James whispered as if to deny himself the truth of his own ears.
"I do not know where you have been Mr. Potter. But you are wrong your son is very much alive and at the moment a hero. He killed Voldemort or have you not heard?" The goblin replied. "Now that you are back I can reinstate the status of you being alive and not dead for you and your wife. But as to your accounts, that is of ancient magic even we Goblins can not touch. The vaults recognized Harry as the heir to your family accounts so therefore you will have to go through him."
That said, the Goblin kindly escorts him out of his office. The little being knew full well, that well that shit was about to hit the fan.
So to speak...
James had returned to his rooms at the Leaky Cauldron where his wife was speaking with others in the bar. Their children sitting at a table beside them upset and in tears, he could only hear angry raised voices. One of them being that of a beloved former head of house...
Minerva McGonagall...
"Minerva that isn't true!" Lily screamed. "I never meant to abandon Harry!"
"Really...those three are proof that you did." The older woman stated with anger and a touch of hatred. "Do you know what Harry had gone through? Do you understand what he has suffered?!"
A bushy brown haired girl standing beside his former head of house, she was flanked on one side by a red headed youth as well a blonde haired girl. To the other side their was a dark haired youth, who although battered and looking a little worse for wear, could be none other then a Longbottom.
He looked too much like Frank and Alice not to be related to them...
Still racing forward, it was at that moment, that the red head approached from behind his friends and swung his fist hard and fast.
"You son of a bitch!"
Feeling the right hook of the youth hit him hard and fast, James had no time to duck or get out of the way and was sent sprawling to the floor. The older man startled by this, it took the brown haired girl as well as the other two to restrain the red headed youth who looked to be out for blood.
Lily racing to him as his children ground around them. It is Minerva who steps forward as the other teens keep the red head from going ballistic.
"I think you and your family had better leave Lily."
Nodding her head quietly in agreement, Lily helped her husband as Thomas ushered his brother and sister up the stairs. Tears on their faces as well as Lily's, when they finally arrived in their room, Thomas helped his 8 year old siblings into a separate chamber and got them to playing before he stalked in to confront his parents.
Although 15 years old, Thomas was the spitting image of his mother, save that he had inherited his father's eyes and easy going laugh. But right now he was far from it as he looked at his parents with loathing.
"Thomas don't you dare look at your mother that way!"
"Like what Dad, it's not everyday you find out your elder brother is alive and that your parents abandoned him to save themselves."
Slapping his son for the first time ever, James looked at his hand in horror, as Thomas glared at him with a mixture of surprise, shock...and hatred. Whirling around, the youth turned back and re-entered the room he was going to share with his siblings and slammed it hard.
Turning to expect Lily, to yell at him for hitting their son, he finds the red headed woman curled up on their bed sobbing.
"Lily...?"
"We shouldn't have left Harry...we shouldn't have James." The woman sobbed out. "He was alive all this time and we never knew!"
"But Lily...you know why we did..." James murmured as he tried to reassure his flower of a wife. But as she turned those same green eyes on him. Doubt filled his head as thoughts and emotions he thought he alone had were reflected back at him through her gaze.
"I know but it was a mistake James!"
"No it wasn't!" He replied. "And even if he had lived I am sure he would have grown up fine. He would have Sirius as well as Alice and Frank to raise him!"
"I'm afraid that's where you're wrong Mr. Potter."
Turning around in surprise at the sound of a young feminine voice, the older couple finds the bushy brown haired girl standing in the doorway.
"I hope you do not mind, but your door was open. And do forgive Ron...Ron sees Harry as his brother..."
Remaining silent, it takes only a moment before James speaks up. "Who are you and what do you mean I was wrong."
"The name's Hermione Granger, I fought alongside your son at Hogwarts." The young woman replied. "And the reason why you are wrong is that Neville's parents were attacked the same night you guys...well those who were supposed to be you guys were. They are still alive but they were tortured to insanity."
"Alice..." Lily whispered in shock. The petite dark haired woman had been her first friend in Hogwarts and to find this out. "No...it can't be true."
"I'm afraid it is. They are both in St. Mungo's at the moment under constant watch. Neville from time to time visits them."
"And Sirius?"
"He was thrown into Azkaban for your deaths as well as the deaths of 13 others." The young woman replied. "Harry was raised by the Dursleys."
Paling now, Lily shoots up upset and angry. "No you are lying! Dumbledore would have never done such a thing! Peter was supposed to tell him of the..." Whirling on her husband who was realizing some of the truth of the cold hard facts, the older man clutched his fists into the bed sheets to keep from screaming.
"Peter never told him. We figured he betrayed us once we heard what had happened here. But not once did we think he betrayed everyone!"
Hermione said nothing else, as everything started to sink into them. "Knowing the Dursleys, they immediately knew Harry's childhood was virtually non-existent. The happiness they thought that he would have had if he had been alive all this time was pretty much null and void.
"We have to get Sirius out of there..." James murmured as he started to get up. "Sirius is no killer..."
"You don't have to."
"WHY NOT! HE'S MY BEST FRIEND!"
"He's dead." Hermione said coldly as she glared at James. Never before has a man known for laughter has felt such anger directed towards him, that he clutched his wand. As if he was ready to battle. "He died two years ago trying to save Harry."
Instantly, despite his wanting to know how that was possible considering Sirius was supposed to be in Azkaban. The fact that when she mentioned he was dead, no matter how cold her voice was, that expression of pain and sadness in her gaze...was far to real for it to not be true.
"Before you ask about Remus to don't...you are the last living Marauder." Hermione stated with that same voice and gaze. "Remus died three weeks ago defending Hogwarts along with Harry. He died along with his wife...leaving their newborn son orphaned. But unlike you two they left Teddy with a legacy of true heroism, and a godfather who fought hard to stay alive to be there. Who refused to abandon that baby despite the danger when his parents were killed." Turning to flounce away, the young woman is stopped as James has to ask one last question.
"Who's his godfather?" James asked, almost hesitant to hear the answer.
The girl just stopped and said the one name that hurt James down to his very soul while at the same time making him proud.
"Harry is..."
Walking out into the hall, she paused only long enough to pull something out of her pocket. Then closing the door behind her, it was only seconds later as James collapsed to the ground and started crying this time in earnest. Remus and Sirius were both gone. Dead...killed...
His son, whom he though was gone...his beautiful oldest child, the one who looks like him more then any of his kids was alive and well. The picture that was worn from handling he pulled out as memories of those times with this boy filled his mind.
Precious memories of a little boy who adored him with all his heart...
As he looks at it, it is Lily who finds the courage to get up and see what the young woman had left.
It turns out it was a single photograph. Recent and on what was left of Hogwarts grounds, it showed the same girl alongside the other teenagers she had seen from downstairs. There were two others in the image though. One of which had caught her eye immediately.
A dark haired youth who looked exactly like her husband had an arm wrapped around a red headed girl. The girl in question looking so much like the youth who had hit her husband, that they could only be related to one another. Still though it was the other to whom she remained fixated on.
For he may look like her husband, but he had her eyes...
"Harry..." Lily whispered sadly. For despite the happy and relieved look on his features, their was an expression of permanent pain and sadness etched there for all to see. Her baby had grown too old...to fast.
"James..." Lily sobbed out as she began to cry once more. The older man hearing he words, he finally manages to get up despite his own turmoil, to see what she had. Taking the single picture from her hands, the older man caresses the image of the smiling and yet old youth from the photograph with tenderness.
"Harry..."
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While James and Lily were feeling miserable for the poor decision they had made, Thomas as well as his siblings who had finally calmed down had determined looks on their features.
Looking at one another, they were for once glad, that their room was actually and adjoining one and not a two bedroom suite like their parents had essentially wanted. Sneaking out as soon as they felt it was safe, the three of them had made it to downstairs luckily in time to catch the blonde and dark haired boy who were just getting ready to leave.
"WAIT!"
Startled by the sudden shout, the two older teens had paused in confusion. It allowed Daniel and Anna to immediately latch on to both of them, stopping them in mid process.
"What the?" Neville stated in shock. "Let go!"
"No not until you take us with you!" Daniel yelped out as he stared at the older boy.
"Listen kid, I don't think we can!"
"You must... I know our parents made a big mistake and all. But...he is our brother."
"Neville, lets hear them out?" Luna replied with a gentle smile as she stopped Neville from growling words that should not be heard with young ears. "The fairies are twittering all around them anyway. We can decide after we listen."
The youth raising an eyebrow at this remark nodded his head in understanding. This was the blonde girl's way of letting them know to at least listen to what they had to say.
"Come over here..." Neville gruffly stated as he took a table big enough to fit all of them. Breathing a small sigh of relief, the three younger Potters follow the dark haired youth to the table and take seats alongside him and the blonde girl.
Sitting down, the three of them are suddenly having second thoughts as despite the twirling and playfulness of her look in general. Serious blue eyes gazed at them from behind long blonde hair.
"I'm Luna Lovegood and this is Neville Longbottom." She said as she pointed to the glaring young man beside them. "Who are you three?"
Taking care of the introduction for himself and his younger sibling, the two older teens were thoughtful to say the least. "So you three are his little brothers and sister."
"Yes." Thomas stated quietly. "Hearing what your teacher had said along with what the other girl told my parents. I can see why you don't want them or even us here. But, we were always told about our older brother Harry. Even though we thought he was dead, we want to meet him. He's...our brother."
"I don't think that would be wise?" Luna said in a dreamy and yet quiet tone. "All though you three are innocent of what they had done. Harry will be most upset."
"But according to what we heard and know, wouldn't he be happy to have us! To have siblings..."
Smiling gently for the first time, since this event had started, Neville places a hand on the younger teens shoulder in reassurance. Startled by this Thomas looks at the dark haired boy as Luna offers comfort to Anna. The little girl was definitely upset, but desperate for her older brother to figure out a way for all of them to be happy.
Silence was all that there was until the floo flared up and the arrival of a dark haired young man, who was visibly upset. Staring at the youth, Thomas and his two siblings immediately realized that this had to be their older brother Harry. As his parents had told them, he looked exactly like their father, except for the fact he had their mother's bright green eyes.
Shortly followed by the same two teens from before, there was also another girl with them. Looking enough like the young man who had hit his father earlier, the girl could only be related to this red headed boy as he was to the dark haired youth.
"Harry don't!" The girl shouted out as she tried to calm him down. Neville and Luna hoping this would not have happened did their best to form some sort of shield around their three younger companions.
Especially as Harry's magic flared out in his rage...
"Why not Ginny!" Harry yelled in pain and rage. "All my life I had thought I had no one I could call family. A family I wanted so desperately to take me away."
"But Harry Mate...isn't my family yours?" Ron said quietly.
"All the Weaselys are Ron and you know that, but there are just..." Harry cried out sadly.
"There is just some things having only your real family around you can do." Hermione whispered as she clutched onto her boyfriend's hand. "That sense of having a belonging..."
Harry nodded his head silently. "Although I am glad your parents accepted me and allowed me to become part of your family Ron these last several years. The close bond you have with them is more then I have. It's what I wished I had growing up..."
Understanding finally dawning on the lanky youth's features, he watched as his sister pulled Harry to the side and talk to him gently. It was at that moment, that he as well as Hermione noticed Neville and Luna talking to the three kids that were there earlier with Harry's mother.
Eyes narrowing in anger, they watch as the oldest of the three stands up and is ready to fight back if necessary, It was at that moment though, that after trying her best to calm him down, that both Ginny and Harry look towards the people that his friends were staring at.
That moment, young Anna had enough and was desperate to meet and comfort her big brother. Before anyone could stop her, she had not only gotten out of her seat. She had barreled herself into Harry's body, slamming him with the biggest hug she could.
"Don't hate me big brother!"
Startled by her words and admission, Harry looked down at the hazel eyes peering up at him from dark reddish hair. Eyes that so desperately wanted him to like her that he bent down to her level to look at her directly with his bright green.
"Who are you?" He asked gently, his anger effectively diffused as he had no desire to hurt or hate any child, regardless of who they were. Ron backing away with Hermione, Ginny herself would be doing the same, out of respect. But the tight grip of Harry's hand upon her own was one of desperate need. One that wanted her to stay, to be his link to sanity...
"She's Anna..." A young male voice responded. "Anna Potter your baby sister..."
Hearing the teenager speak, Harry looks up to find two other boys approaching. Both with the same similar coloring as the little girl in front of him, it is looking at the older of the two boys, who looks like the picture of his mother, except for the eyes.
Eyes that belong to his father...
"I'm Thomas and this Daniel..." The youth stated quietly. "I guess you could call your brothers. But Anna's right...please don't... don't hate us."
Not wanting to say anything, he squeezes Ginny's hand tightly. The young woman responding with a simple reassurance of her presence with him... "I will always be close Harry."
He finally let go at her quiet words, long enough for her to back away as Daniel now came running to hug him alongside Anna. Thomas just waiting as his two siblings does their best to welcome their oldest brother as only they could.
A few minutes later, Harry is standing up with both of the younger children to his side. His hand offered out tentatively, Thomas takes it, only to pull his elder brother into a hug.
Eventually separating, the four Potter children look at one another, with a kind of gentle smile. All though they have never felt it before, there was sense of right now amongst them. Something that had been missing in their lives was replaced with a sense of belonging. Turning towards Ron and Ginny, Harry is about to ask them something, when he spies two people coming down their stairs.
The rage returning, the three younger Potter children back away wisely with aide from Harry's friends. Anna immediately finding a sense of comfort in the red headed girl, that her older brother had called Ginny. Neville was comforting Daniel alongside Luna, as Hermione struggled with Thomas to keep Ron in check.
Although Harry has accepted his siblings, for despite everything, they were innocent. His parents on the other...well that was something else entirely.
Looking at the older woman who had rushed to approach him, he gave her a look of such enmity such disgust. That Lily couldn't help but want to cry in pain.
"Who was she?"
"Harry?"
"Who was the woman that died? Who was she who gave me what protection I had from Voldemort?"
Confused and not understanding, Harry continues speak. "When I first encountered Voldemort at 11 years old...and I mean 11 years old. I had barely escaped with my life. Dumbledore said the only thing that saved me was a mother's love. A mother who sacrificed her life for mine..." Harry stated coldly. "And since my mother is apparently alive and well, I want to know who the woman was! I want to know who the woman was that apparently loved me more then you did!"
"Harry I..." Lily exclaimed as she tried to reach out for her son. But is visibly hurt and shaken as he pulls away roughly, shoving her towards his father, who now bears the brunt of Harry's enmity.
"And who was the guy that died?" Harry worded with such a cool and angry tone, that James shivers in pain and sorrow. "The man whom I thought loved me and my mother so much according to my godfather, that he willingly died trying to protect us. Who was he?"
"Harry...please...give us a chance to explain." Lily spoke up once more. "Don't you understand why? Don't you understand we left to protect him...?"
"Yes I do." Harry said quietly and much to their surprise. It did not stop the oldest Potter child from being angry. "So once again who were they? And also...why was I not worth being protected by the two people who were supposed to love me?" The youth screamed out. The harsh reality of what they had done hitting them hard no, Lily sobs as James holds on tight. The glare and hatred of those bright green eyes gazing at him where they once held love and adoration made his heart break.
"Harry...please..." James, for the first time in his life was begging. "We...we do love you."
"No you don't." Harry said quietly. "If you loved me, you never would have left." The dark haired boy stated with such a cold and emotionless finality, that both of his parent felt their heart and souls rip into two.
Especially as he continues to speak...
"Did you know my first real hug came from Ron's mother? Did you know that Sirius was the first to offer me a real home? He was on the run, after all that he had done to escape Azkaban. But he wanted me to come home and live with him, when and if we ever cleared his name."
Crying now, all life has seemed to stop in the Leaky Cauldron. Wizards and witches alike listening to the boy who was their hero's words, they could all feel the pain and emotion within his heart as he confronted his parents. And it hurt...it hurt them so much.
"Remus listened to me...it was Remus faced my demons. It was Dumbledore, who tried his best to advice me when I needed it. And above all, you know who protected me because he believed my mother...the woman he had loved since he was a little boy was dead."
"Severus...?" Lily said her heart wrenching.
"Yes...Mother...dear Severus Snape...a man who died to save me. Because he loved you, he overcame his dislike somewhat for my father, to spy for the Order so that he could make sure I lived."
In sorrow over the loss of a childhood friend, Lily held on to her husband tightly, as James looked at Harry with such a desperate look to his eyes. "Surely Dumbledore would have done something to save... Severus..."
"I'm surprised you couldn't say what you usually called him dad. But Dumbledore couldn't do anything...you see Albus had been dead for the last year. Snape killed him to save the Malfoys and to keep Albus from suffering the poison of the Horcrux he had destroyed. At his request!"
Paling now, it was at that moment, which Harry turned and headed back towards the floo. But not without one last parting shot...
"Who knows what would have happened, if you had stayed. But one thing is for sure. Anything would have been better then this..." Harry stated coldly. "I hate you..."
Grasping the floo powder at that moment, and throwing it in, he called out the name of Sirius's former home and vanishes. He is shortly followed by the other older teenagers, who say nothing but pity them. It was only after the last of them had gone that an old and familiar house elf had emerged.
"KREACHER!"
Ignoring the friend of his former master, Kreacher spies those whom he was sent to find. Handing Thomas a note, the fifteen year old is puzzled, but accepts it.
"Kreacher is to wait for an answer Master Thomas sir. Master Harry wishes to know if you and Master Daniel and Mistress Anna would like to come and visit him someday."
Despite how much it hurts that the house elf is plain out ignoring them, as their remaining three children nod their heads happily they say nothing to dissuade them.
James and Lily Potter made their mistake...when they believed they were doing the right thing.
Now they will have to live with it...
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Epilogue
Despite all that they hoped, that Harry would forgive them for what they believed was right. It would take at least another year of trying to see him, before Ginny Weasely soon to be Ginny Potter put her foot down.
Gathering memories, Harry was reluctant to share in a Pensieve; she took it to the new Potter residence in the Lowestoft area. Leaving it with them, they were scared to look inside. In the end it was the inadvertent fact that Anna had looked in by accident. When she had come out, she glared at Lily and James with such emotional sadness and anger.
That they to looked in and what they saw made them almost age overnight.
The life they had thought their son had with the Dursleys was far more severe then what they had imagined. Lily wanted to and tried several times to reach out to the little boy crying for a mother that would never come...
And his years at Hogwarts were filled with happy and yet extremely dangerous memories. Ones that if James had been there, to teach his son about the world... To help him defeat his enemies...Harry may have never had to endure what he did.
Harry never really talked to his parents ever again. Only his siblings were invited over to play with his children as time went by...
It was through pictures that the Potters were allowed to treasure their first grandchildren. The two youngest of which looked so much like them it was uncanny...
In the end it was only when in death that the Potters were allowed to see their son again. Having become an auror, Harry was killed in action while trying to track down Death eaters that had escaped trial and punishment in the wake of Voldemort's war. Attending the funeral, they watched as Ginny Potter, clutched tightly to the hands of her children as she approached them after it was done.
"James...Albus...Lily...say hello to your grandparents." Ginny said with a gentle smile. The Potters looking up at them in surprise, they look towards their remaining children and their families. None of them saying a word as they were to busy mourning the death of a brother and an uncle.
"Why?" Lily asked heartbrokenly. "If he hated us why did he..."
"Name our children after you?" Ginny asked?
Nodding her head, it was Albus who answered. Looking so much like his father, Lily wanted to touch him to be sure that all this was real. "Dad always said he loved you...it's just with all that he went through growing up. He could forgive...but never forget."
That said, they three oldest Potter children left with their mother. But not before a young house elf hands them a letter addressed to them from Harry.
Opening it up, it is small and not very long...
Mum, Dad
If you are reading this, I guess this means I'm gone. I wanted to let you guys know that for a while I did hate you. But when Ginny was pregnant... Well I didn't want that hate to transfer from me to my children. I wanted to come and see you. Several times I almost did...
But the pain and the rage from before would always come back up.
In the end my hate would still transfer to my children. Because all though I have in my own way forgiven you for leaving me alone. I will never forget that you did.
I hope in the next life, that we can become a family again. To have a second chance at what should have been.
Love,
Harry
Clutching the letter that held the last words, their son would ever say to them. Lily and James mourned...