There was something there, something needling at him, even in his state. Harry didn't move, couldn't really. He had no idea how long he had been lying in his own blood but it had to have been a while.
But there was still something there. He could feel it, even over the pounding in his head. Someone was coming…
Xxxxxxxxxx
"Are you sure about this?" Erik repeated the question, staring up at the nondescript house before him.
"You did not have to come," Charles pointed out, striding towards the front door of the house.
Erik shrugged. "I was curious," he said and then smirked a bit. "I don't think I have ever seen you so…rattled."
Charles gave him a mildly disgruntled look and stopped at the door of the house, without knocking. Erik could see that the lights were out and there were no cars in the drive.
"No one is home," he stated after a moment but Charles ignored him, placing the tips of his fingers on the wood of the door. Erik watched as his expression became pained.
"Charles?"
"Open the door," Charles requested after a second, the look in his eyes darkening by the second.
"You want to break into a strangers house?" Erik asked in surprise. Charles turned his blue eyes on Erik and the look in them nearly knocked Erik breathless.
"Please."
Erik nodded and reached out with his power. The lock clicked a second later. Charles didn't wait, instead grasping the knob and entering the house. It was well kept, clean but empty of people.
Charles ignored the surroundings, instead walking quickly over to the stairs and to what looked like a closet under them. He unlocked it and opened the door. The sound he made when he did so had Erik going over to him in concern.
What he saw nearly made him gag. The first thing he noted was the blood, it covered the small form huddled on a cot in the tiny space. The child was even smaller than Scott and, from the smells, had been left in the small space for a while.
Charles looked as if he were going to physically ill as he knelt next to the cot and his blue eyes were brighter than before, pained. Erik looked to the child when he heard a groan and the one eye that was not swollen shut flickered open.
Xxxxxxxxx
Harry felt him. Barely able to move, in so much pain that he could hardly think, he still felt that presence. He hardly noticed when the door to the cupboard was opened but he felt it grow stronger.
He tried to open his eyes, but only one of them seemed to be working. Through blurry vision, Harry saw two dark forms there. His first instinct was to shy away, and he might have flinched back if he could move but then a soothing voice sounded in his head.
I am not here to hurt you. I only wish to help.
The voice wasn't like the others. The others all ran together in a constant stream of thought. This was different. Through the fuzziness, Harry tried to respond. Who are you? He thought he'd said the words.
My name is Charles and I have come to help you
Harry's head swam. Help? How could anyone…people had tried before. One of his teachers had tried, he remembered, but it had only led to more punishments, more pain. No, maybe this was better. That he should be left here to die. Then at least the pain would stop.
No, dear one, the voice sounded again, soft, soothing, that is not an option.
Harry tried to fight it, that voice. Once again, it was a natural reaction after everything he'd been through but this voice was different, impossible to fight against.
It is alright. Sleep, dear one.
The endearment was probably what did it, something he'd never heard before, something that was coming from what he had thought was a stranger. But the presence was so soothing and Harry felt like it should have been there all along. It was a strange feeling, like he'd just gained something he had been missing before and he finally gave in to the suggestion.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Charles felt it as the child fell asleep, succumbing to his suggestion. He straightened and turned to Erik, about to suggest a hospital but Erik had already beaten him to it. He was hanging up a phone on the table near the couch in the living room.
Things happened quickly after that and it wasn't too long after that Charles and Erik were in a waiting room. Erik's jaw had been clenched so tightly throughout that it was a wonder he hadn't broken any teeth.
"Do you know who did this?" He asked, eyes flashing.
"I believe his relatives. I did not see much but…" Charles tilted his head. "The connection is still there. There was a large man he identified as his uncle."
"Have you figured out how you heard him? I know how wide your range is, Charles, but to reach another country?"
Charles frowned and shook his head. "I have not figured that out yet."
"Sir?"
Charles and Erik both turned to face two police officers.
Xxxxxxxx
Panic was not an emotion that Albus Dumbledore felt often, or at all at his age. In fact, he hadn't felt such an emotion since he had been much, much younger. And yet he did feel it when he was alerted to the fact that the wards around Petunia and Vernon Dursley's home had fallen.
He'd gone there immediately. Albus had never felt his age more than he had then, after his investigation into why the wards had failed. The police had been called, and Petunia and Vernon were to be arrested after the discovery of their nephew, beaten and bloody and locked in a cupboard.
Petunia and Vernon were in a hospital when he found them, attending to their brain damaged son. Albus had been so disgusted, so angry after that he had barely held himself back from cursing the two.
Then the guilt had settled in. He had known that Harry would not have an easy time of it with his relatives but to go this far…and then there was the matter of what he had learned from why Vernon and Petunia had gone as far as they had.
Albus hurried towards the hospital, intent on finding Harry and taking him to a healer. He would never forgive himself for leaving the boy with such people.
Xxxxxxxx
Charles stared sadly down at the child. The boy was sleeping. The injuries to his back had been cleaned and bandaged and there was a cast on his wrist. He had hope that the monster that had done this to a child would be arrested soon.
Harry was too small, and the doctor had informed him that he was malnourished. The child was even smaller than Scott. Charles sat down in one of the chairs by the bed next to Erik. He would be there when the boy woke.
But he was troubled by something else as well. The boy's name. Harry Potter. "This is my child," he said quietly. He did not look over at Erik as he said it.
"What?"
Charles shifted and ran a hand over his face. He had felt guilty over that encounter before. Over the pretty, grieving, redhead.
"Potter is a name I know." He had gotten that from her head and he still remembered the encounter clearly. His memory had always been better than good. There had been times where he cursed that fact.
Charles told Erik of the encounter he'd had with Lily Potter. "It would explain the connection."
"Yes, I suppose it would."
Xxxxxxxx
Albus stopped in the open doorway of the hospital room and hesitated briefly. There was one other occupant in the room, asleep in a chair beside the bed. Albus could only guess that this was one of the young men that had found Harry.
He walked quietly over to the bed and then stopped, and stared down in confusion. The child sleeping there held very little likeness to the one Albus had dropped off at the Dursley's. Even at one and a half, Albus had been able to see that the boy had taken a great deal after his father. His hair and his features had reminded him so strongly of James, even at such a young age. And from all reports from Arabella, Harry had grown into those features until he was nearly the spitting image of his father.
But this child's hair was a light brown and, while it was messy at the moment, Albus was sure that was just because it hadn't been brushed. His face was more round than James', his nose a bit wider. All in all, this boy did not look anything like James.
Albus came out of his thoughts when the boy groaned and then opened his eyes. At least, his eyes were still the same vibrant green they had been as a baby. Putting aside the changes for the moment, he would look into it later, Albus bent towards the boy. His green eyes widened in fear and he tried to flinch away from Albus, only to wince in pain when a voice called from behind him.
"Who are you?"
Xxxxxxxxx
It was the sharp, sudden terror that woke Charles from his light doze. He very nearly fell from his seat at the feeling. He took a moment to compose himself and remember where he was and why…then spotted the man.
Charles stood. "Who are you?" He demanded but did not give the man time to answer. His first concern should have been the terror rolling off the boy. Charles went to the bed, relieved when the un-named man stepped back and allowed him room.
Charles bent towards Harry, putting his hands on either side of the boy's face. Calm down, dear one. I am here. I will not let anyone harm you.
Charles was relieved when the child calmed almost instantly. The child stared up at him, reaching out with his mind and Charles met him halfway, so to speak. He sent out the positive emotions while assuring Harry that he was safe.
Charles had been so focused on the child's terror that he did not notice the changes until his green eyes slipped closed again. He froze in the act of straightening up and stared. The boy's hair was lighter, his features different. In fact, if it were not for the connection, he might have questioned if this was the same boy at all.
If Charles had had any doubts about his earlier revelation that this was his child, they were gone. Except for the fact that he was much too skinny, the boy in the bed was an image of him as a child.
Charles finally straightened and was about to turn towards the man when he felt someone trying to enter his mind. He brought his mental barriers down hard and literally shoved the other out. The other man standing in the room stumbled backwards.
Xxxxxxxx
Albus had been shocked to find out about the treatment Harry had suffered through at the hands of his relatives. He had been shocked at the physical changes in Harry. But he was most shocked at the young man, who had been sure was a muggle, that had been in the hospital room when he entered.
Albus watched as the young man calmed Harry. He said nothing, only put his hands on the boy's face and met his gaze for a few minutes. Still, Harry calmed almost immediately. It was quite astounding and Albus hadn't been able to help himself. He had reached out with his legitimacy.
It was then that he encountered shields so strong that they had to have been reinforced for many years and then he was thrown out of the young man's mind with enough force to make him stumble on his feet.
He had gained nothing except for the feel of the young man. And that feeling was that this man, although looking quite normal and very young, was very powerful.
"Who are you?" The man repeated and Albus. He brought a hand on his temple and Albus felt something against his occlumency shields. The touch was pulled out before Albus could even attempt to throw the other out.
"What are you?" He stood in a protective stance. "Your mind is shielded rather well."
"I should ask you the same,' Albus countered warily.
"I could tear through them, your shields," the young man said. "I expect it would cause you a great deal of pain though." Albus watched as he kept himself between the child and Albus.
"I came to see Harry," Albus started. "I was very sad to hear that his relatives could do something so…"
"You knew him and yet did not know he was being mistreated?"
"I have not seen him since he was a year old, when his mother died."
At this, and to Albus' surprise, the man's blue eyes grew sad. "His mother is dead?"
"You knew of her?"
The young man did not answer right way, however. His gaze slid past Albus to the door. "What's going on here?" A new voice asked and then another man walked into the room. Eyeing Albus, he walked over to stand beside the other.
"Perhaps you should explain yourself fully?" A raised eyebrow and Albus nodded reluctantly.
"Alright."
Xxxxxxx
There were voices talking around him. Harry kept his eyes closed. He felt heavy anyway. It was sort of like being stuck between real sleep and being fully awake. But the voices…he wanted to move, or to at least open his eyes to identify them.
He felt something else, however. The presence. The connection. Harry reached out towards it and it responded.
I am here, dear one. Do not be afraid.
Harry relaxed some at the soothing words and tried again to open his eyes. It worked this time and Harry realized that the pain he had been feeling when he'd woken last was gone completely. He was only a little sore.
Who are you? When he caught sight of the blue eyes watching him, the man leaning over him.
My name is Charles Xavier. We have much to talk about but that can wait until you are fully recovered.
Harry sighed, his eyes closing. "Felt you coming…"
"Yes, dear one. I felt you calling."
Xxxxxxxxxx
There were not many things that could catch Charles Xavier off guard. After all his years with the ability to see into others thoughts, he had thought that he may have seen everything. His best friend could bend metal, and his sister could change her form into anyone she saw fit to.
But he found himself completely surprised at Albus Dumbledore's explanations. Magic? Charles had protested it until Dumbledore had displayed it. And, yes, he could do things that seemed impossible himself but he was of the firm belief that it was based in genetics, in evolution. It could be explained. This, however…
Erik had only raised an eyebrow at his surprise. "If I can deflect bullets and you can literally freeze people, why is this so hard to believe?"
Charles could only shake his head. Dumbledore had certainly provided enough proof so that, even if Charles was incredulous, he still believed it. Charles and Erik had provided their own proof, even if Erik looked downright mutinous, especially after Dumbledore had revealed that it had been he who had left the child with his abusive relatives.
"How exactly did you find Harry?"
Charles hesitated. Ah, yes, that question. "I had an encounter with Lily Potter when I was eighteen. She was grieving and distraught over the loss of her husband. I was…dealing with several things myself. I admit that I felt some guilt over what we did that night because of the state she was in."
Not that he hadn't picked up women before but Lily had not been in a good state of mind. The problem had been that neither had he. Alcohol hadn't helped matters. And he'd been young…
Dumbledore slumped in his seat. "Are you saying that you believe this child is yours?"
"How else would you explain the changes?" Charles asked, with a frown. "He looks nearly exactly as I did when I was a child."
The old man seemed to deflate further as he stared at the child. "And you wish to take care of him?"
"Yes, I do."
Dumbledore nodded, and Charles could see the regret, sadness shining in his eyes. "I wish to take him to see a magical healer. She will be able to heal him much quicker and in a much more painless way."
Charles, of course, agreed, with the condition that he and Erik were to stay by the boy's side.
Xxxxxxxxx
Charles watched as the lady bustled around the bed Harry was in, using what she and Dumbledore had called a wand. Erik looked angry beside him but Charles had come to the realization, after only knowing Erik a couple of months, that anger was his default emotion.
Charles watched with a certain amount of awe as she waved her wand, and rubbed an ointment into the wounds on Harry's back and they began to disappear at a rapid pace.
"And the changes?"
Charles perked up at this question, which came from Dumbledore.
"I don't know. The potion Lily must have taken should have been permanent. I have seen witches take it before, when they didn't want their husbands to know about their…indiscretions."
"Perhaps it is a result of his mutation." It was Erik, surprisingly, who suggested this.
"His mutation?" The woman, who had identified herself as Poppy Pomphrey asked.
"His is the same as mine," Charles said. "It deals with the mind, not the physical appearance."
"The blood wards fell," Dumbledore mused softly. "And you found him. Magic can be unpredictable at times…"
Xxxxxxxxxx
"After much thinking, much consideration, I do believe that you are right and that you will take care of Harry."
Charles, Erik, and Albus were sitting in an office, the healer's office because Charles refused to go too far from the child. He wanted-needed-to be there if the boy woke again.
"I have a couple of conditions."
Charles straightened. This was his child, a child he had only just found out about and that had sounded like a demand. Still, after witnessing what the old man in front of him could do, Charles would rather not fight him and he listened silently.
"Conditions?" It was Erik, instead, that spoke up.
"I wish to erect wards around your place of residence, wards that will hopefully ensure that no one but the people you specifically invite could enter your home."
Charles nodded at this. That was an easy enough addition to agree to. He did not want some unknown monster coming to claim his child.
"I also wish for Harry to be taught magic, and I would hope that he would learn this at Hogwarts."
Charles nodded yet again, but did not voice the promise. He would relay this to Harry, and he would give the child the choice. Harry should make his own choices in this matter. Dumbledore, though, seemed satisfied.
Xxxxxxx
Albus watched sadly as Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr left the small office. He had been a fool, leaving the child there. He had been so focused on the blood wards, on the idea that Voldemort would be back at some point, and that there were still Death Eaters out there that would love to do the boy harm that he had ignored things he shouldn't have.
The two young men stood close by in case the boy woke and Albus watched their whispered conversation. It was clear that Erik Lehnsherr was angry and clear, from the glare he'd shot Albus, just who he was angry with.
As he watched Charles Xavier reach for the sleeping boy's hand, a tender, protective expression on his face, Albus resolved to do everything in his power to make up for his mistakes concerning Harry.
