Prologue

I welcome you to this story, featuring two twins, a prophecy, a war, and perhaps some twists. Will Harry and Caden make it?

Notes: This story is completely AU, with Harry having been born with a twin, and a change in schooling for one of them later in the story. If you do not like that, well, hopefully this first story at least will captivate you to read on. I'm not going to follow the canon plotline for many of the books, and by the third book you will definetely see what I mean. I plan to make this story in 7 parts and judging by the amount of time I have, this should take me about 1-2 years.

Disclaimer: Any recognizable people, places, events, spells, and items belong to J.K. Rowling. I'm not, in any way, claiming ownership to anything but the words, actions, events, and characters that are my own.

I give credit to Lightning on the Wave for her Arc, The Sacrifices Arc, and to The Santi for his story, Harry Potter and the Boy Who Lived for inspiring this story. I assure you that I did not copy either of them.

Oh yeah, and thanks to: Hermoine Granger-Weasley and Cabin3Demigod for betaing this for me. You guys rock!

October 31st, 1983

"Give me the boys."

"No." Grace Potter looked up at the Dark Lord stubbornly, every inch of her body screaming defiance.

Lord Voldemort smiled, enjoying the game they were playing. "No, m'dear, is a relative term. If you give me the boys now, I will spare yourself and your son if he proves that he knows how to keep out of my way."

Grace snorted. "Even if you were known to keep your promises, I still wouldn't give them to you."

The boys were currently hiding in the attic of the house in Godric's Hollow, neither understanding what was happening. All Harry and Caden knew was that Grandma had told them to hide, to be silent and try and get out of the house. The boys' three year old minds had understood, if barely, that it was not a game of hide-and-seek and that the matter at hand was serious.

"You could have saved lives tonight by giving them up. Your husband will meet you wherever the dead lay, as well as your son and his filthy Mudblood wife." The Dark Lord smiled coldly.

Grace smiled as well, a smile of acceptance. "I will die happy knowing the twins are safe, knowing that you won't ever get to them."

The Dark Lord smiled. "As you wish." Twirling his wand, he murmured, "Avada Kedavra." The thrill of the spell flew throughout his body, leaving him what would have been giddy if he was still human and his soul still whole. He pointed his wand to the ceiling, where he was sure he'd heard light footsteps coming from before the conversation with the Potter matriarch. 'Homenum Revelio,' he thought, carelessly aiming his wand towards the attic.

Up in the attic, Harry and Caden shivered at the feeling of something swooping over them. Both wanted to say 'I'm scared' but Grandma had told them to be quiet, so they settled for hugging each other fearfully, trying to keep themselves from making a noise.

However, they couldn't keep from whimpering when the attic door burst open, a steel-gazed man walking in with a cold smirk on his face. Tears began pouring from both their faces as he aimed his wand at them. This man wasn't a good person, they knew. Both wished their mother and father were there to make the bad man go away.

"Avada Kedavra."

A green light surrounded Caden before instantly rebounding off of an invisible shield to Lord Voldemort. Harry and Caden both shivered from the scream that left the man's mouth before he seemingly disappeared. A dark shadow appeared to wisp around the room, not helping either of the boys fear. They could feel that the bad man, though he couldn't be seen anymore, which made him even more scary to them. The shadow suddenly disappeared, and Harry and Caden both breathed a sigh of relief; the bad man was gone! The fear came back, though, when the wood and spells holding the roof up gave in. Debris fell around the boys, so they had no choice but to crawl under a musty old table Harry and Caden continued their frightful whimpering, and only stopped when a wood board slammed into their heads, leaving them both unconscious.

"Harry! Caden!" Lily Potter ran frantically into her destroyed home, tears running down her face at the doubt of their survival. Her husband followed her, desperately calling both of the twin's names. The husband and wife scoured the ground floor for their sons, neither remembering any spells that could possibly be useful. When Albus Dumbledore arrived ten minutes later, he cast the Body Revealing charm and three blue glows were visible to him

"Lily! James! There's a body in the nursery and two in the attic!" Dumbledore called. He walked briskly up the stairs, Lily treading behind him, and leaving James to check on the body in the nursery that, judging by the size of the glow he had seen, was most likely his mother. A single table was left standing in the ruins, though beneath the table was hidden with debris.

Lily instantly came to her senses and cast a Debris-Clearing charm, more tears pouring down her face when she saw one baby with dark red wavy hair and another with black messy hair under the table, both unconscious but breathing. "Enervate," she murmured through her tears, first at Harry then to Caden. She frowned when she saw the blood dripping down Caden's forehead, murmuring 'Tergeo' to clear it off, revealing a lightning bolt shaped wound. Lily frowned for a momentbefore casting 'Scabiem.' The wound stopped bleeding, but Lily frowned as it didn't scab over like wounds usually did after that spell, but decided that both boys were safe at the moment, and whatever Voldemort had done to them was done and over with, because they were both alive, against all odds.

Lily, tears of joy running down her face, held both boys in her arms, a smile that couldn't disappear on her face, even if Harry and Caden were crying at the moment, in her arms. She refused to let them go when Dumbledore, who was worried she would drop the boys due to uncontrollable shaking, offered to carry them. She wasn't going to let them go for a while.

"James! They're alive!" Lily shouted, overjoyed. She had her boys back and more importantly, they were safe.

November 12th, 1983

"So Caden's the one the prophecy spoke of?" Lily said as she worriedly stroked her son's auburn hair, lifting up his fringe to see the lightning bolt scar that rested on his forehead. James, holding Harry in his lap, had a very disturbed expression on his face, though that could have been from the fact that Harry had had a broken jawbone.

James paused in stroking Harry's hair, looking up curiously at his former Headmaster. "How are you sure that it's not Harry?" Dumbledore smiled at James, opening the cabinet that held his Pensieve and drawing out a memory. The figure of Sybill Trelawney appeared above it in a misty form, reciting the prophecy.

"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches ... born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies ... and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not ... and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives ... the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies ..."

Dumbledore motioned to Caden, who was resting in his mother's arms, looking around the Headmasters office in curiosity. "Caden has been marked by the killing curse. And to be frank with the two of you, Harry is quite lucky. When the Dark Lord comes back-"

James now looked alarmed and Lily mimicked his shock. "Back?" James demanded. "He's dead, isn't he?"
Dumbledore blinked, realizing he was ahead of himself. "Forgive me, I forgot to explain," he said. "Lord Voldemort-"He pointedly ignored the cringes both Lily and James made at the name. "-has taken steps to immortality, if I am right. A rebounded killing curse cannot kill him; he has made sure of this."

James and Lily both knew by the look on his face that Dumbledore would not give them any further insight on the Dark Lord's current state and possible immortality

"Alright…" James said slowly.

Dumbledore smiled, his eyes twinkling for the first time that day. "As I was saying, Caden is in a very unfortunate position. He will be sought after by the Dark Lord and will eventually be expected to finish him off, whether he decides to pursue him or not." He hastily continued at the looks of anger on both of their faces, "He will grow up under the pressure of fame he will no doubtedly have, and you two must keep both of them from becoming spoiled. Treat both of them equally."

Lily adopted an indignant expression. "I have some things to say regarding this prophecy, but do you honestly believe that we wouldn't treat them equally?"

Dumbledore ran a hand through his beard, sighing nervously.

"Fame has negative influences on the best people. Fame means power, and power can easily be misused. Personally, I do not believe that you two would do so, but I know…others who have fallen into the trap." For a moment, the Headmaster looked to be in another world, remembering different times, places, and people.

Lily opened her mouth to continue her argument, but James decided it would be best to interrupt at that moment.

"Can we get back on topic?" he asked.

"Of course we can, my dear boy," Dumbledore said, realizing that he had drifted from what he had meant to talk about with the two. "Lily, is that fine with you?"

About to open her mouth in disagreement, she paused, a smile tugging on her lips, when Caden angrily stated, "I wan' Harry!" He was bored of the adults talking, or so it seems.

"Honey, Harry can't play right now. He's sleeping." Lily replied softly. Just then, Harry woke up in his father's arms and looked for Caden, "I wan' Caden!" he said, pouting when his father started laughing. Caden mimicked his brother, pouting as well, leaving even the angry Lily giggling.

"All right, you two can play with each other. Can it wait five minutes though?" Lily said, stroking Caden's scar.

James, noticing the almost subconscious movement, looked at the scar in curiosity. "Wait…The scar is where the killing curse hit Caden, right?" At Dumbledore's nod, James continued, "If the killing curse hit him, how on Earth did he survive?"

Dumbledore looked serious for once as he stared at James through his half moon lenses, eyes watering the tiniest bit. "Love. A grandmother's love."

November 2st, 1983

"Prongs! Finally! I've been telling them it wasn't me for ages, and I've been worried sick about the twins!" Sirius Black stood up from his cell, his annoyance at the legal system clear when he 'accidentally' almost tripped the guard opening his cell.

"Sorry mate, we've been a bit busy…." James trailed off, grabbing Sirius' arm and Apparating to Hogsmeade.

"Peter was the spy."

Sirius' disbelief was unmistakable in his face. "Peter Pettigrew? Wormtail? Our Wormtail, the chubby and short one who has a killer 'Expelliarmus'? Are you sure? Maybe he was tortured for the information or something…"

"He wasn't," James replied. "We have him in custody, he admitted to letting You-Know-Who into Godric's Hollow and being the spy."

Sirius looked horrified." I'm so sorry mate…"

James looked at his best friend curiously. "What do you have to say sorry for?"

"I'm the one who suggested making him secret keeper!"

James rolled his eyes. "It wasn't your fault, and we both know that."

Sirius still had a very guilty expression, that was soon replaced by one of intense worry. Stepping in front of James, he said, "If You-Know-Who came to your house, what happened to the twins?" His face was filled with dread, and seemed to think he knew the answer already. "No. No, they can't be dead! It's my fault!"

"Sirius."

"They're dead, aren't they?"Sirius said worriedly.

James smirked. "No, Caden reflected the Killing Curse. Voldemort's gone, for now."

Sirius's face lit up, mind content on ignoring the voice in his head that screamed, 'That's not possible'. "If you're joking with me, I will kill you," he said.

Leading him over to the Three Broomsticks, James chuckled softly. "Why on Earth would I lie about my children? Come on, I'll explain it to you over a drink."

"Frank and Alice are dead?"

Albus Dumbledore replied, "Not dead, just…well…They were forced into insanity by multiple Cruciatus Curses." The twinkle left Dumbledore's eyes again, a glimmer of sadness pooling in his eyes. Dumbledore did not like it when members of the Order-or anyone, really—passed or were seriously injured.

"Who?" Lily paced in his office, angrily thinking of ways to get revenge on whichever Death Eater had done such a horrible thing to the Longbottoms. They were such a nice couple!

"Bellatrix Lestrange and Barty Crouch Jr."

Lily froze, gaping at her old Headmaster. "Are you serious?" She frowned. "Barty Crouch Jr.?" At Dumbledore's nod, she laughed bitterly. "The press is going to have a field day with that! Especially that horrid woman, Rita Skeeter."

Dumbledore laughed. "I wouldn't call her as horrid as she is determined and cunning. It is a trait among Slytherins, after all."

Lily rolled her eyes. "Of course it is." Standing up, she said, "Excuse me, Dumbledore. I hope you don't mind, but I have a trip to the Longbottoms' to make."

Eyes twinkling again, he replied, "I presume it's to make arrangements with Augusta so the boys can all play sometime?"

Tilting her head in confusion, Lily wondered out loud, "How on Earth do you do that?"

'I should have expected that,' she thought when the only reply she got was Dumbledore's kind, knowing smile.

"James!" Lily shouted, looking around the bar for her husband. "There you are!" Pulling a chair over to his and Sirius' table, she continued, "We need to sort some things out now, and for heaven's sake, please tell me you aren't drunk." Looking warily at the almost empty bottles of Firewhisky in front of him, she sighed before pulling James up and leading him to the Floo to go to Hogwarts. Repeating the gesture with Sirius, she followed them, all the while muttering things like, 'stupid men and their obsession with alcohol.'

Once in Dumbledore's office, she glanced pleadingly at him for help with the two now drunk men. Chuckling, he said, "How did your business with the Longbottoms go?"

"Well, I wouldn't know. I haven't gone over to the Longbottoms, yet," Lily commented. "I just realized we don't exactly have a house now."

Dumbledore blinked. He had completely forgotten the extent of the damage to their house in Godric's Hollow. "If you need any help with finding a new one, please tell me," he said finally. "You are all welcome to stay in one of the guest rooms in the Administrative Quarters at Hogwarts until then."

"Thank you, Albus." Lily smiled. "Do you think we could have our old house fixed?" Lily's eyes had a glimmer of hope in them; she loved Godric's Hollow.

"Most likely not. There is dark magic inside the house, and that is not where you'd want to live."

"Well then we'll most likely buy from the Muggle market," Lily said, sighing. "Or maybe we can get a wizarding architect to help." The soft smile on her face disappeared when she looked over at James, who was completely plastered. "And I'll need James' help with the details, of course. And he'll need to be sober, for one."

James chose this moment to mumble, "'m not drunk."

Dumbledore looked at all three of his students with a twinkle in his eye yet again. He was, of course, rather amused by the whole thing.

"I'm sorry, Dumbledore. Do you think that Poppy has any hangover potions in stock?"

Pulling out a small vial from one of his many desk drawers, Dumbledore replied, "I have some right here. Someone told me I would need some today, and it seems that they were correct."

Lily looked at her former Headmaster oddly before splitting the vial between both men.

Both James and Sirius groaned when they saw Lily's stern and disapproving face. "All right?" she said.

"Sorry, Lils. I didn't mean to get this drunk." Lily glared at her husband, shooting him a 'We'll talk later' look.

"Neither did I!" Lily snorted in disbelief at Sirius; his favorite pastime was getting drunk! Well, except for shagging a random woman. Both of those tied.

Looking at her husband, she replied with a smirk on her face, "Well, now that our house is ruined, we need a new one." James groaned, knowing the punishment he had coming. "You get to come with me to every single one."

"Oww…" Sirius complained when Lily hit the back of his head. She paid him no mind; it was his fault for laughing, after all.

December 23rd, 1983

"I hope you like your new home, Mr. and Mrs. Potter."

Lily smiled at the architect who had offered his services for free after hearing from James that the Potter's needed a new home. All James and Lily were expected to do was provide the materials. The architect was a proud old man, having built many pureblood manors, and was famed among the wizarding world for his exquisite work. "The house is beautiful, Mr. Waller. Thank you, so much for making Dovehall for us," Lily said, smiling at him.

"It was my pleasure, Mrs. Potter." The architect bowed once before walking briskly to one of the many fireplaces scattered throughout the building. He used a bit of Floo powder and disappeared in an instant.

It was a large home, far too large for a single family, really. The inside of Dovehall was peaceful after its namesake, the house open and carefree with various portraits scattered on the walls. The residents of each portrait had yet to appear, but Dumbledore had assured them that whoever they were, they would be useful.

Leading to the second floor and the loft, James noted with appreciation that there was a majestic staircase that moved each time wanted it to (courtesy of Albus Dumbledore). The second floor consisted of a large circle with seven of twelve doors labeled: The largest door had James and Lily written on it, and then there were three doors next to each other labeled Harry, Caden, and Neville. The door next to the one with Neville written on it was labeled Augusta. Both rooms were in return of the favor Augusta had done them, letting the Potter's stay with them while Dovehall was being built. A door away from Augusta's room, there were two doors labeled Sirius and Remus, paw prints carved next to each of their names.

The remaining five doors were two guest rooms and three bathrooms. As the staircase moved upwards to the loft, James and Lily exchanged excited grins. The house was as perfect as they had expected it to be.

The loft had a balcony that overlooked the large garden in the backyard, where a light dusting of snow covered the grass. A few deer peered out from the western edge of the forest surrounding the house, and rabbit tracks could be seen upon close observation of the garden.

"James?" Lily asked as they walked into their new home, her head resting upon his shoulder. Behind them, you could hear Sirius and Remus' voices intertwined with Harry and Caden's happy laughter.

"Yeah, Lils?"

"I love you, you know that?"

James smiled at his wife, happy with himself. It paid to know the right people, especially the person who had designed and built many pureblood manors. It was quite a bonus that Lily's anger at him for getting drunk had completely disappated.

August 21st, 1986

Lily smiled at her sons pleadingly. "Harry, Caden, can't you ever sit still? Just for one picture?"

Both sons gave her dubious faces.

Lily grinned in triumph, having taken a picture. It wasn't what she had wanted a picture of originally-a picture of them smiling and hugging with Dovehall's surrounding forest as a backdrop- but it would do. "Yes!"

"What did you win today?" James murmured into her ear, having walked up behind her.

"Well, at first, I was trying to get them to take a sweet picture to send Tuney-oh, stop it James, she isn't that awful-and Augusta, Professor Dumbledore, of course—he would want to know how they're doing— and Padfoot and Moony, and—"

"Honey, I know who you would send a picture to." James smiled at his wife fondly before kissing her lightly. A chorus of "eww!" came from the twins.

Lily smiled back at her husband. "Well, anyway, I was attempting to take a picture, and, well, you know how they are. They refused to. So when they both gave me a 'look', I took a picture and it's absolutely adorable." She showed him the picture, which was indeed adorable: two pouty little boys with Dovehall in the background.

"I'm not adorable! I'm a big boy!" said Caden indignantly, standing up. Harry, sitting on the grass, nodded in agreement.

Lily and James both looked at each other before laughing.

This, of course, only made Caden more angry.

"Mum!" Harry smiled, proud of himself for figuring out that saying 'Mummy' would most likely be more of a 'baby' thing to do.

"I'm sorry, sweetie. I lost control, as a mother." Harry and Caden nodded. That was true. "Of course you two are big boys. "

Both nodded again, this time with their hands on their hips. Lily managed to keep from laughing, though James wasn't as lucky and received glares from two angry six year old twins

May 5, 1989

"Mummy, what's a Parselmouth?"

Lily looked up from her book at her dark-haired son, startled. "Well, honey, it's a person who can speak to snakes. They aren't very good people, like Voldemort."

"Oh. So Parselmouths are always bad people?" Harry inquired.

"Yes. They usually are very dark wizards." Lily set her book to the side and motioned for Harry to sit on her lap, surprised when he shook his head vehemently and practically ran out of the room.

A moment later James entered the living room, where Lily was staring in confusion at the doorway through which Harry had ran.

"What's wrong with Harry?" he asked. "I asked him for a hug, and he looked at me like he was about to cry and determined not to at the same time."

"I have no idea."

Harry ran to his room, stressed. In his head, he could hear his mother's voice: 'They are very dark wizards.'
'I'm not a dark wizard! Am I?' he thought.

Harry walked outside to the boundary of the forest and the yard, ready to confront the snake who had spoken to him earlier that day and ruined his thoughts of himself as a Good Wizard.

"Welcome back, speaker of my tongue."

Harry looked around worriedly before lying on the grass next to the snake. The grass was fading from the lush green it had been in the summer. Instead, Harry noted with annoyance, there were far too many leaves that poked your back and got stuck in your clothes.

"I don't want to speak your tongue. Can you make it go away?" Harry begged.

The snake reared upwards, leaving Harry afraid of his parents seeing it. He frantically pushed him down with the palm of his hand, receiving a hiss in return.

"Why would you want to be rid of the ability?" the snake hissed angrily. "It is a treasure to speak with snakes, the most majestic of creatures."

Harry backtracked, not wishing to anger the small serpent. "I'm sorry. I just don't want to because my kind doesn't think of it that way."

The snake gave an odd sort of noise that in human terms could possibly be thought of as a snort.

"Your kind is very strange. The snakes have their own magic, and their own traditions, and they are killed. We endure it, prevent the death of each of our kinds, and your kind kills each other for sport. I shouldn't be talking to you, if it is a matter of pride."

Harry twitched. The snake,though beautiful like the rest of the animals in Dovehall with scales that were an emerald green with gold dancing over each in the sunlight, was very annoying.

"I don't want this ability. I love my…kind, not yours, and I want it taken away," Harry sighed.

The snake laughed, each hiss higher than the last.

"Even if I knew how to, I would not. I do not believe it is possible."

Harry's eyes hardened. "Then I have nothing further to speak to you about." Harry stood, brushing grass off his trousers, and began to walk away.

The snake reared angrily. "I do not like you. You do not walk away from a snake, for fear you will become its prey."

Harry ignored the snake's hisses. It couldn't do anything to him, it was simply a small snake, and it had told him that it wasn't poisonous the conversation before his with Lily's.

'I won't ever speak snake-tongue again.'

June 11th, 1989

"Tag! You're it!" Harry ran gleefully from his friend Neville, who immediately began chasing Caden in the other direction.

Harry watched Caden run from Neville, laughing. Harry stayed in one spot, only moving if Neville got too close to him. The game was fun, but it was a lot more so to be the one laughing at 'It' and the person whom he was chasing.

"I'm going to get you, Harry!" Neville proclaimed, changing directions. Harry instantly ran farther away, keeping track of Caden in the corner of his eye, and trying to run towards him at the same time. His attempt to make Caden a closer target didn't work; Caden ran as soon as he saw Harry running to him.

Harry was laughing when he heard it, Neville having just missed him.

"Speaker."

Harry paled, jarring to a halt. He ignored Neville managing to tag him, saying, "Err….I'm tired. Do you guys want to go in—"

Harry was cut off by his worry for Caden, who tripped as he ran towards them, wondering why Harry wasn't attempting to chase after him or Neville. As he stood up, three snakes darted up his body. One possessively wrapped itself around his neck and the other two rested on his arms, their fangs bared and above Caden's pulse points.

Caden's scream brought Lily, James, and Augusta running from the house, wands outstretched and curses ready to leave their lips.

Lily was the first to see the snakes wrapped around Caden. "Caden, sweetie, just stay very still."

"Staying still does not help when a snake attacks, except for the chokers, and we are not so." Harry did his best to ignore what the snake on his twin's throat was hissing.

James aimed his wand at the snakes. "Lils, what curses are good for snakes?"

"I don't know! Usually, the ones in Britain aren't easily provoked, and if they are, not like this!"

James rolled his eyes impatiently. "Then what usually happens?"

"We attack, we poison, we eat, we kill." Harry gulped. There had to be a way out that didn't make him a Dark Wizard, but would ensure Caden's safety.

Lily looked at the snake. "Nothing good! Augusta, do you know anything?"

"We are resistant to the spells. The snake you were rude to picked us for that reason. The only way to get us off is for you to order us to, Speaker, as the snake you wronged told us to. Will you speak?"

Augusta looked at Neville worriedly, as if checking him for any possible snakes before moving her gaze back to Caden. "No, "she said slowly, "This kind of snake is magic resistant. It's a magical one, a Rainbowscale snake. It's poisonous." Caden paled further, his breathing coming in short, panicked puffs.

"Speak the word, Speaker, and we won't bite." The snake, seemingly taunting Harry, pressed its teeth against Caden's neck. Caden gave a strangled cry.

'There isn't a way around speaking, unless I want Caden dead.' Harry closed his eyes in regret "Stop," he hissed. Each eye turned to Harry with horror.

"Stop what, Speaker," the snake asked, almost obnoxiously.

"Threatening my brother, you—"Harry took a deep breath. "Please stop. Just…get off my brother."
The snake on Caden's right wrist spoke up. "Should I bite, sir? Can I poison?" Eagerly, the snake gently prodded Caden's wrist with its teeth. Caden looked at Harry in betrayal and fear.

Harry's eyes widened before he snarled, "Get the hell off my brother! You can slither on me, but not on anyone else!"

The snake hiss-laughed. "Yes, the Hisser you wronged will be pleased. You will have to meet with her; she will always be hiding in the grass, stalking her prey. Under the sun, of course, as is natural of her, my nest-bearers snake relation, a Sunweaver. She shall always bask under the light."

Harry glared at the snake, refusing to meet anyone else's eyes. "Get off. Now."

"Harry?" Lily asked cautiously.

Harry never let his eyes leave the snakes, which were still stubbornly sprawled out in their positions on Caden.

"They'll be gone in a-"

"You are speaking in our tongue, Speaker. Until we meet again." The snakes, one by one, slithered down Caden's body, leaving him pale and shaking. James instantly caught Caden as he fainted, stroking his son's dark auburn hair.

Lily ran to Harry, ready to give him a hug. Harry shoved her away, running across the garden to the house.

"Harry, has this been what you were worried about for the past month?"

'Of course it is. I'm a Dark Wizard, and now you all know!' he thought. Outwards, he nodded, tears running down his cheeks.

"Harry, I don't think any less of you for being a Parselmouth." Harry shook off the instinct in his brain that automatically wanted to correct his mother and say 'Speaker' instead.

"I don't, I really don't. You're my son, Harry, my baby." Lily's hand soothingly rubbed Harry's back.

Harry spoke quietly, so softly that Lily had to strain to hear his words. "You said that all…Parselmouths are Dark Wizards."

Lily stiffened. "Harry. Harry. Look at me." She shifted on Harry's bed so Harry could see her eyes and all the love in them. "I love you, and while I did say that, I obviously didn't know any Parselmouths, other than Voldemort. You, Harry, will never be a Dark Wizard. You're too kind, too caring, and love us all too much to ever be able to become a monster."

Harry moved his eyes so he could look directly at her eyes. After seeing the truth in them, he enveloped her in a hug. "Thank you," he whispered.

"Sweetie, there's no need to thank me for saying the truth and only the truth. Now, let's go downstairs, and meet with everyone." Seeing Harry stiffen again, she added, "They won't think any less of you, either. You're still Harry, our Harry."

July 30th, 1990

"Just think, Harry, Neville! In a year, we'll be getting our Hogwarts letters!" Caden said enthusiastically.

Harry grinned. "Yeah, it will be amazing. We can actually get out of Dovehall and Longbottom Manor—"

"Well," Neville interrupted, "Last time you guys went to Diagon Alley, you had a mob of people wanting Caden's autograph. And then there was Rita Skeeter, who somehow got your conversation about how annoying the press was on parchment and used it to say you were antisocial, Caden, and that Harry was just a tag-a-long to Caden and agreed with everything he said. So maybe it's best to stay here and in Longbottom Manor."

Harry glared at Neville and in his head, an imaginary Rita Skeeter blew up in a mental explosion. He hated that article, and anyone who said that Caden practically owned him because he was the Boy-Who-Lived. It was a complete lie; they were brothers, and best friends, and Caden most certainly did not own him!

"I hate Rita Skeeter," Harry said, the annoyed expression on his face that was always present at the mention of Rita Skeeter on his face.

"We know you do, Harry. We know," Caden said softly, "You ranted about it for ages after that article came out."

Harry huffed. "Well, you would too." A moment later, a grin appeared on his face.

"Harry?" Caden asked worriedly.

"Nothing, just a thought." Harry refused to elaborate.

Maybe it wasn't so bad after all. Really, if everyone thought he was just some pet of his brother's then he could prove them wrong, because that's what they were. Completely bloody wrong.

Hopefully, I will have the next chapter up tomorrow or the next day. I can't promise this for all chapters, but I don't think I have too much going on this week, so I should be able to update soon. Thanks for reading this!

-Revina