Goodness me, I am blown away by the amount of follows and favourites this story has received already since its publication- thank you all.
Thank you to Ace Trainer Jessie, WRose, Stebba stud28, Pikachu 79 for their kind reviews
Chapter One: To Have Our Time Again
Harry Potter lay awake on the cold stone floor of the Shack in which he and his only living relatives, the Dursleys, were staying for the night. A ferocious storm was raging outside but that was not the reason for the boy's lack of sleep; Harry's green eyes were fixed on the digital display of his enormous cousin Dudley's watch as it counted down the last few seconds until his eleventh birthday.
Five: the rain lashed against the tiny windows.
Four: a flash of lightening illuminated the room.
Three: the wind whistled through the shack making Harry shiver.
Two: thunder; the storm really was that close.
One, and…
BOOM
Little did Harry know that the enormous visitor to the tiny shack, Rubeus Hagrid by name, would be instrumental in changing, not only his hopes and dreams for the future but his very past.
"Mr Harry Potter wishes to make a withdrawal," Hagrid informed the goblin who sat behind the desk in the marble bedecked lobby of Gringotts Wizard bank.
The goblin looked up at Hagrid. "Mr Harry Potter?"
His gaze settled on Harry and his eyes widened. He let out an exclamation in a strange language which was actually almost familiar to Harry.
"Is there a problem?" a second goblin came scuttling up.
"It is possible," the first nodded then lapsed into that strange tongue again.
The second goblin looked at Harry; looked him directly in the eyes and said. "I see; well we shall have to take this matter to a higher authority."
"Mr Hagrid," the first goblin addressed him. "We received word that you were assigned to make a withdrawal on behalf of an anonymous party."
"Oh yeh," Hagrid nodded. "But I 'ave teh wait with Harry."
"He will be quite safe Mr Hagrid," the goblin assured him. "He shall still be in the Building when you return."
Harry felt like it would be better not to argue; Hagrid however hesitated...
"Is there a problem?" a voice with an accent somewhere between American and English asked.
Harry, Hagrid and the two goblins looked in the direction of the speaker. A blonde haired, blue eyed, man in his early twenties, dressed in wizard's robes. By his side was a pretty girl of about Harry's own age. She was a half a head taller than him with large blue eyes; she had black hair which was only half successfully restrained in a low pony tail. She was dressed in a knee length denim skirt, suede boots and a green T-shirt under a denim jacket.
The girl smiled at him: a smile, which Harry recalled from his Primary School photos, was a lot like his own.
"Aeowyn," the man said and the girl looked up at him.
"Yes Uncle Toby?"
"Run and fetch your father," Toby cocked his head to look at Harry. "I think he'll be interested in this new… development."
The girl, Aeowyn, frowned but nodded and disappeared back the way she and her uncle had come.
"Mr Potter," Toby smiled. "I am Toby Williams, CEO of Gringotts; may I have a word with you in my office?"
Dumbfounded Harry nodded and allowed Toby to tow him into a rather plush office. A large desk stood in the middle of the space with a high-backed leather chair behind it, a large mirror stood in one corner and a shelving unit stood behind the aforementioned chair, crammed with books and a few oddments.
"Sit down" Mr Williams gestured to a comfortable looking chair which Harry was sure hadn't been there a second ago. "As soon as my niece returns with... ah that was fast."
Harry followed the blonde man's gaze to the mirror and his jaw dropped as the girl, Aeowyn, stepped through into the office followed by a blonde man dressed in tight leather trousers, knee length boots, a black billowy shirt over which he wore a leather coat.
"Toby," the man began, a smirk twisting his mouth. "Why do you insist on wearing those ridiculous dresses whenever you come Above?"
"It's a habit Jareth," Mr Williams said with an elegant shrug. "But that's not the point." Here he gestured to Harry. "Look at the boy's eyes."
The man called Jareth crouched before Harry; caught his chin in one leather gloved hand and looked into his eyes.
"Sarah's eyes!"
Harry wondered just who this Sarah was, his mother's name was Lily.
"I know," Mr Williams nodded. "He goes by the name of Harry Potter and everything."
"Airen," Jareth muttered. "Yes, I see it now. Sarah cannot see him, not in this condition..."
Harry wanted so much to ask this man what was going on, but a decade with his Aunt and Uncle had taught him not to ask questions.
"Tell me boy; where have you been living?" Jareth demanded of Harry. "The full address, quickly."
"Number Four Privet Drive," Harry recited, automatically. "Little Whinging, Surrey,"
"Thank you," Jareth smiled. "Toby, the boy looks hungry. Aeowyn, you know your way around the alley well enough, my dear- go and have some fun."
"Thank you papa," Aeowyn bobbed a curtsey and skipped out of the office.
"Where are you going Jareth?" Mr Williams asked, as the older man turned in the direction of the mirror again.
"I have some ten year old business to take care of old chap," Jareth said with a smirk. "Take care of the boy's needs while I am gone."
With that, he vanished from the office.
Jareth, King of the Goblins, appeared in a stiflingly magic free suburb. This was where his son had grown up then was it? He found Number Four quickly and let himself into the empty house.
There was little to suggest that there was anyone living in this house besides a horse faced blonde woman with too much in the way of neck; a ruddy walrus of a man and a fat blonde boy with his father's mean piggy little eyes.
He touched the wall of the living room and, because it's true what they say about walls having ears (and eyes for that matter), the Goblin King's anger towards his son's mortal guardians grew as he was shown ten years of cruelty and neglect. His beloved son had been treated worse than a house elf simply because he had been raised by narrow minded, magic loathing mortals.
"No more, my son," he promised. "You shall be saved from this treatment."
He vanished and rematerialized in the gardens of his parents' castle where his mother, sister and wife were taking tea.
"Pardon my interruption Ladies: Maman, Caelie, may I steal Sarah away for just a few moments?"
It wasn't really a question and Sarah knew it. She rose, took the hand he proffered and allowed him to lead her through to the orchard where they had almost shared their first kiss, many years before. He pulled her close and kissed her deeply.
When the kiss broke Sarah stared up at him, slightly dazed. "What was that for?"
Jareth grinned down at her. "Do I need a reason to kiss my beautiful wife?"
"No, but what brought this on?"
He kissed her again, whispered in her ear. "I have found him my love, I have found Airen."
Sarah's eyes widened then she threw her eyes around his neck. "Where is he Jareth? Where's my baby boy?"
"Safe now precious," Jareth assured her. "I know where he has been since the night that his surrogate parents passed on and..." here his voice darkened. "What the poor child has been through."
Sarah stared up at him. "What do you mean, what he's been through?"
"He was given to Lily Potter's sister," Jareth told her. "She and her family mistreated him horribly while he lived with them- but fret not Sarah-mine; I shall reorder time and rescue Airen before he was placed with those ahem... people."
Hiding in the shadows the Goblin King watched as an elderly man with long silver hair and beard, dressed in ridiculously elaborate wizard's robes appeared in Privet Drive, extinguished the streetlights and sidled casually up to sit next to a tabby cat on the wall outside number four. Jareth's sharp eyes adapted to the change of light level almost immediately and he half considered listening to the banter between Dumbledore and the cat-witch. Where was Airen?
Jareth was impatient to reclaim his son and return to the Underground.
Finally a huge flying mortal vehicle came roaring into land at the edge of the property, baring a man who couldn't be any less than half-giant. This man had the baby.
"Fell asleep just as we were flyin' over Bristol," the man, whose name turned out to be Hagrid, announced.
Hagrid handed 'Harry Potter' over to Dumbledore and Jareth, the witch and Hagrid watched as he placed the baby on the doorstep.
When the mismatched envoy departed it was Jareth's turn to step in and sweep the boy away from the narrow minded bastards who would make his life a misery. He picked the blanket wrapped bundle up and a tidal wave of negative experiences which would no longer happen to his precious son washed over him.
The level of abuse and neglect that Airen would have suffered with the magic haters in this dwelling angered Jareth. Harry Potter would cease to exist until it was time for him to attend Hogwarts; and the 'Muggles' would learn to tolerate those different than themselves.
"The magic in thy sister's blood shall carry through to your son Petunia Dursley," he decreed touching the front door with an uncharacteristically bare hand. "This way you shall learn that Magic is not an abomination."
He turned his attention back to his sleeping son and bent to press a kiss to his brow. The fug of powerful dark magic almost sent him reeling. What had been done to him?
No, that was unimportant right now, what was important was delivering Airen back into his mother's arms.
"Come my son," he said to the sleeping boy. "It is time to return to your mother and sister,"
So saying the Goblin King and his precious son melted away into the shadows the merest second before the streetlights burst back into life.
Peace had been restored to the Underground months ago but Airen had not yet been found. Jareth paced the throne room deep in thought- his very demeanour shouted out to all and sundry that woe betide any who came too close to him. Was this his punishment for his flagrant dismissal of the curse on his bloodline? To lose his heir true heir before the curse hit him?
"Now then old boy," a familiar voice remarked from behind him. "Your back may never forgive you for hunching it like that."
Jareth's head snapped up so that he could look at the cretin whom he was about to condemn to the bottom of the Bog of Eternal Stench but his jaw dropped at the sight of himself leaning casually in the archway leading to the Escher Room. This newcomer looked older than him- his hair had more grey in it than Jareth had ever hoped to see in his lovely blonde hair, and his face was somewhat lined.
"Ten years of constant searching and worry do terrible things to a man," this older Jareth informed him with the ghost of a wry smirk. "Fortunately I have spared from you this fate."
"Explain," Present Jareth frowned.
The older Jareth parted the cloak which was draped around him revealing a bundle in his arms. "Jareth, King of the Goblins, allow me to reintroduce you to your Son."
"Airen!?" Present Jareth exclaimed, taking the baby in his arms. "Where was he?"
"With the magickless relatives of Mrs Lily Potter- this should explain things," Future Jareth produced a crystal which he tossed to younger Jareth. "I must go now before I fade."
With that the other Jareth turned and vanished.
Jareth parted the folds in the blanket which swathed his son- Airen lay sleeping peacefully, he looked perfectly healthy and completely unharmed save the lightning bolt shaped cut on his brow- this cut reeked of dark magic. A curse scar?
"Come my son," he murmured to the sleeping one year old. "You have had us all worried, but none more so than your mother."
"Sarah, open the door!"
"Just a minute, Jareth!" Sarah called, casting a glamour over herself to hide the fact that she had been crying for their lost son again- Jareth hated seeing her cry. When she was again presentable she went to let him in.
Her jaw dropped at the sight of the bundle in her husband's arms- could it be...?
"Jareth…?" she asked, eyes darting between the bundle and her husband's face.
"He is home my Sarah- safe and sound."
With a sob Sarah took the bundle from her spouse and looked down into her beloved son's face.
"What happened to him?" she asked, tracing the scar with the tip of one finger.
"He was hit by a curse- a dark and powerful one." Jareth sighed. "There should be a way to remove it. We shall have the Healer check him out in the morning; but for now- let him rest."
The entire Underground celebrated the return of the missing prince for weeks. But in the Aboveground an elderly wizard by name of Albus Percival Wolfric Brian Dumbledore paced his office, concern etched in every line of his body.
Little Harry Potter was not with his Aunt and Uncle and, staggeringly a new name was added to the waiting list- Dudley Vernon Dursley: Number 4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey.
~v~
Next time: There is a talk of a prophecy and old friends are reunited
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