Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.
The Owlery was always the least busiest on the night before school began but a young boy appeared out from nowhere. The boy was of average height, but slightly on the short side. He was modestly dressed but with a silvery material draped over his shoulder. His black, wavy hair was out of place and his light blue eyes darted furtively like he knew he was going to be in trouble any second but the prize outweighed the risks. Either that or he does not like the Owlery because all the predators and prey are in one spot. The young boy worried about finding his Great Grey owl snacking on someone else's pet. He still questions the school for allowing students to bring either owls of any kind, cats, or toads as pets. By the end of the school year, most of the pets will be killed or eaten by other pets.
"K-9, here boy! Come here, K-9!" an owl, which had any semblance to a dog whatsoever, flew to his shoulder.
"Good boy, K-9. I hope you have been behaving yourself and not doing anything stupid," the boy petted the owl's body as he tried to hide his wince from K-9; the owl was digging his claws into his shoulder. He hoped Neville's R2-D2, a Scops owl, gets to sleep in the Gryffindor's boys' dormitory. "Would you like to wait here while I write to my brother?" he asked K-9. It felt so strange to vocalize that particular question but the owl just repeatedly hooted.
The boy strode to the large window that was a portal for the owls to the world outside of Hogwarts. He took his folded paper out of his pant's pocket and unfolded it. The boy never have any difficulties in finding a pen or pencil because either one is always clutched in his hands. He has a black ink pen in his hand this time. In case he made any mistakes, he still has spare paper in his back pocket. The ink pen was poised over the paper and finally he felt his thoughts were all in order to write. K-9 stood patiently waiting for him.
Dear Harry,
I don't know where to begin but with an introduction of myself. Harry, I'm your younger brother, Jason Ryan Potter. I don't know if you have a younger brother by my name in your universe, but please know I am not trying to prank you. You see, I'm trying to contact any Harry, in multiple universes, in hopes of finding one that is an orphan and would like to live with his family. I do understand if you reject this offer because you would be living Uncle Sirius and may have come in terms with your parents' deaths. But in this universe, we haven't gotten over your death.
I have never met you because, in this universe, you died before I was born. You were murdered by a dark lord who has been troublesome for us and he may be as well in your universe. I'm still confused on why he targeted you on that Halloween night and not staying around to murder Mum and Dad. Our parents are one of many who opposed the dark lord so it would make sense for him to kill them, not you. I think Mum and Dad knows why he targeted you but, instead of telling me, they keep saying that they just want to forget that horrible time. Mum was about a few weeks or so pregnant with me when you were murdered. This is my first year at Hogwarts and you would have been entering your third year. I always wanted an older brother, a physical one, so that is why I am writing to you. I'm hoping that you and I work together to bring you to this universe. If your dark lord has been vanquished then please allow us into your universe.
I know you are probably questioning why I would flee my universe for yours instead of trying to stay and defending my world. People are constantly telling me that my head is somewhere else; I'm either thinking about what could have been or the future. Mum
"Shh! Can you be quiet? I'm trying to write here," Jason beseeched to the owls that were starting a raucous. He considered finishing the letter tomorrow so he did not have to see this year's first victim, but the birds started to quiet down. Something his mother said last year was coming back to him: Hagrid's roosters were being killed often. Jason told his mum maybe the owls were killing the roosters. Her response was that Hagrid had roosters over the years and none of them were killed by owls. He almost got lucky enough to not go to Hogwarts because of last year's events. He had to read the letter quite a few times to get his line of thought back.
worries that I do not understand anything about death because my imaginary friend was you. How could you not be with them always choking up about you? Your presence is everywhere because Mum and Dad can't help wonder how you would turn out to be like. I had to go to many funerals so I can have an understanding about death. Neville- is there a Neville Longbottom in your universe? He is in your year. He is the only one, besides you, who knows that I am trying to contact another universe in the hopes of finding you. Neville tells me that I am only driving myself crazy and that if you do exist in another universe then you have enough past there to not want to abandon it.
I'm alright if you decide that you don't want to be a part of this universe, but please write a little about yourself in response. This is my first night at Hogwarts and I keep looking at older kids trying to figure out who would be your friends if you had lived in this universe. I was more interested in that than Sorting. I also wondered what House you would be in and how you would react to my Sorting. Our parents believed you would have been a Gryffindor, but I think there is a possibility that you could have been sorted into a different House. I'm really surprised that I have been sorted into Ravenclaw. I told the Sorting Hat to not put me in Gryffindor because Dad somehow compares me to you. If I do something, he always wonders would you have done the same. It gets interesting when I get in trouble and he starts to say 'I bet your brother wouldn't have done this'. I didn't think I would have been sorted into Ravenclaw because I have a learning disability.
Jason reddened when he realized he made himself vulnerable by disclosing that he has a learning disability. Not even Neville knows about Jason's learning disability. Would his brother mock him by slowing down his speech if they ever meet? Also would he used this against him by claiming that Jason was not rational enough to make his own decisions. Jason went from feeling elated at the thought of being in Ravenclaw to feeling hollow inside.
I've always worked hard for my grades and I try to be so prepared that the course work would be familiar. Which is a good thing because Dad is always moving me to different school districts; he's afraid if we stay around one place for long the Death Eaters might attack us. Being sorted to Ravenclaw means that everyone is right about me; I do have my head in the clouds.
Jason paused, considering what information he should tell Harry. Would Harry want to know more about the war? Harry may be living in a world that is not conflicted with war. He also may be living in a dystopian society. Jason snorted at that thought; if anything, he is living in a dystopian society because the Wizarding World has always been divided and intent on destroying itself. If Harry wants to know more about the war, then he'll write back asking for more information. Jason felt like he was lacking some information that Harry may like to know, so he read the letter in hopes to figure out what else to write.
I don't know what else you want to know, so please write me any questions you have. I wonder if you look the same in different universes. Mum thinks you would have looked exactly like Dad but with her eyes. So, are you very pale with messy black hair and with green eyes? I have Dad's pasty skin as well, but I do not have messy hair and I do not have Mum's eyes. I have a combination of Mum and Dad's looks, but I do not have either one of their eyes. Unfortunately, I have Aunt Petunia's pale blue eyes. I wish that I have Dad's hazel eyes. I am pale, but with wavy black hair. Do I look the way I described in your universe? If my other self is in your universe, then show him this letter and tell him that he is lucky.
Jason paused, trying to determine if he should keep that last sentence. He was tempted to add "to have a brother like you." Does he really know who Harry is? If his brother had lived, he always imagined Harry as a prankster that loves his family and wants to emulate his father. Harry would tease him for being sorted into a different House apart from his family. But that is the Harry he imagined. For all he knew, Harry and his relationship could have been as turbulent as his mother's and Aunt Petunia's. If this gets into the hands of a Harry who happens to have a younger brother that he continually picks on all the time, then that Harry might destroy this letter thinking his brother was playing a trick on him. Jason did not know how he could convince that Harry that this letter is legitimate and have him send K-9 on his way.
Harry, I can't think how to prove to you that this letter is real and that K-9, my owl, managed to fly through openings of the universe. I'm not sure K-9 will be able to fly to different universes, but I have to hope that there is a possibility of a Harry out there wanting to reunite with his family. K-9 will show that travelling through universes are possible if he manages to find you. If your family is still together, then please send K-9 on his way with this letter still placed on his leg. All I hope is that this letter does not get to Dad because I want to make sure you get this letter so I put your full name on the envelope. There is a chance that either your letter arrives to Dad because of your middle name or to your gravesite. If Dad gets this letter, then I am headed for years of therapy. Your gravesite is a memorial representing the innocent deaths in this war. Lots of people put tokens of kindness there so I also hope this letter does not wind up there.
Jason looked around, wondering if this was a good place to finish this letter. He was tempted to ask Harry if that excited, bushy haired Muggleborn, Miney Granger, existed in his universe. She surprised Jason by telling him all about Harry. He didn't quite get what she said because she ended up mumbling and apologetically rushing off towards Hagrid's Hut. Neville and Ron excused her actions because she realized that she was informing Jason on what he already knows.
He decided to allow Harry to bring up classmates that they may have in common. Jason still hardly knows anyone except the children whose parents hang around his in secrecy. Too be honest, Jason was surprised about seeing the bushy haired witch because it is a dangerous time for Muggle-borns. Although, there are Muggle-born twins in his year and the one who thought going to Hogwarts is a punishment was sorted into Slytherin. Jason wonders how long Henrik Arud will survive being a Muggle-born amongst Death Eater children.
Jason caught the time on his mechanical wristwatch and hurriedly finished the letter:
I need to leave now because it is past curfew. Please write back soon, although I do know if K-9 is successful then it may be months before I hear from you.
-Jason R. Potter
P.S. If K-9 does manage to travel to a different universe, then please treat him well. Allow him to rest and give him plenty to eat before he has to fly again.
K-9 sensing finality about the letter, due to Jason staring at nothing for a moment, stretched his foot out for the attachment of the letter. Jason snapped to alertness and pulled out paper from his back pocket. K-9 hooted repeatedly as he placed his foot back on the sill. He rewrote the letter omitting the part he has a learning disability and, in attempts to correcting his grammar, he created more grammatical mistakes.
"Now, K-9, do not deliver this letter to my dad because all it would mean to him is that his son needs therapy. So, if you can't find Harry, then you need to come back to me as fast as you can. OUCH!"
Jason's eyes widen in surprise. K-9 bit Jason as in to inform him that he was burning the little time he had allotted. He promptly attached the revised letter to K-9's leg.
"You can go now, but be careful," Jason mumbled miserably. Despite time constraints, Jason wanted to see K-9 off in his first delivery flight. Yet it was already too dark for Jason to see the owl flying away.
Jason flung the invisibility cloak over himself and, like a little kid dressed as a ghost, made a mad dash from the Owlery to Ravenclaw Tower. Harry and K-9 was quickly forgotten as Jason feverishly hoped that his mum and dad have not been trying to contact him on the two-way mirror.