The next morning, a fuzzy headed Harry Potter woke up at 6 a.m. He was in a room he didn't remember ever being in, and his body was aching again. The pain inhibitor potion was starting to lose its effects, but Harry thought he still was at his aunt's house, so he got up to start making breakfast. 'If I don't hurry up I'll be late with the breakfast and uncle Vernon will have to punish me again. After what happened yesterday, I better not get on his bad side.' Today, though, the boy didn't mind waking up early, because he had a really good night of sleep, the best he might have had his whole life, one without nightmares, and might have even been a good dream, if you forget about the gross drinks parts. 'I'm never going to drink stuff like that in my life. If it was that bad on a dream, imagine in real life!' Harry shuddered just from remembering the taste.
As he tried to find his way to the kitchen, Harry couldn't help but remember the house from his dream. 'Did we move away again? I guess uncle Vernon hit my head harder than I thought if I don't remember moving away. It's pointless though, because I'm sure Hogwarts will find a way to contact me again.' Harry finished his thoughts with a smile. He then found out where is the kitchen and started to make breakfast. 'I'm going to make pancakes. If I'm lucky enough there might even be some scrapes left for me to eat.'
Upstairs, James woke up to the wonderful smell of pancakes.
"Ugh, it's too early to wake up. I only slept what, 2 hours?!" James groaned as he looked at his bedside clock "Lily, let me sleep, pleeeeease" James stretched out the word like a whining child
"I'm not doing anything. Maybe it's Jim trying to bribe his way out of trouble with food." Lily said chuckling, and a fond smile at their son's new name
"If that's his plan, he might just make it." James took a long sniff as Lily giggled
"Make what? "
"JIM?! If you're here, and I'm here, and Lily's here, then who's cooking? "
"HARRY! " the three said in unison, and darted to the kitchen
Meanwhile, in the kitchen, said Harry Potter heard his name being shouted by three different people, and stiffened. As he did it, though, the bowl of batter he was holding slipped from his finger and crashed to the ground, making a mess of batter. As he bent down to clean it up, his ribs and broken arm protested, and he collapsed, taking with him a couple of plates that were in the counter. Even then he still tried to clean up the mess, cutting himself and making even more of a bloodied mess than ever. When he started to notice the mess he was making, his eyes welled up with tears, a few making their way out. 'What do I do now? Now uncle Vernon's going to hit me for sure! I don't think I'll make it if he does.' Then Harry saw the only good option he had: run. He managed to balance himself on his legs, and started to make his way to the kitchen backdoor. When he was almost at the door, though, he felt a hand on his shoulder, and started to scream and wrestle whoever it was.
"HARRY! Calm down, it's me! " he heard the voice of the man in his dreams "Take deep breaths." The man said but Harry was having difficulties to hear him, and only then did he notice he was hyperventilating. "With me, Harry. In, and out. In, and out. "The man said as he rested Harry's head on his chest, and Harry's breath started to even out with the man's.
"Is he alright? " he heard himself ask, but he didn't remember asking
"Yes, he will be. Help your brother get cleaned up, please. I'm going to help your mother clean up the kitchen. "
"Ok." The boy said "Come on, Harry. " Harry felt weird, as if he was floating away.
"Do you want to take a bath or a shower?" The boy asked, but Harry made no move to answer "Ok, a shower then. It's quicker." The boy added as if he thought Harry needed to be given an explanation.
After he showered Harry and helped him into new clothes, Jim sat Harry on his bed. It was weird to think that even though they were supposed to be the same person, Jim's clothes looked really baggy on Harry, and said boy was so thin Jim could have carried him in his arms if he wanted. Although, Jim has always been a heavy eater, and was the catcher of Gryffindor's quidditch team even as a first year. Harry looked like he had been barely fed, and his back- Merlin, his back. It looked like he was attacked by a hippogriff, with all those scars, and even some new bruises that were still bleeding. Harry's back was a multicolored blue, purple, yellow mess, with only a few spots in his skin color.
"Harry, I'm not good with healing spells, so I'm going to have to do this the old muggle way. I'm going to go fetch the first aid kit, and I need you to stay here, alright? " he said the last part as he walked out. By this point it's not like he even expected an answer from the boy anymore
When Jim came back with the first aid kit, Harry hadn't even moved an inch. Jim got out the antiseptic spray, and said to Harry "This is going to sting a little, so you have to bear with it.". When he sprayed the cut on Harry's arms, the boy barely winced. 'It's not that surprising if you imagine what he might have already gone through.' Jim thought sadly as he bandaged his arms and torso.
"Let's get back down to the kitchen. Can you walk by yourself?" Harry nodded 'Now that's what I call a development'
When they returned to the kitchen, James and Lily had already finished cleaning up the kitchen. James was sitting by the table reading the daily prophet, and Lily had started to make breakfast from scratch.
Jim took a seat at the table, and Harry went to help Lily, but she adamantly refused his help.
"Go have a seat, darling. I'm almost finished with breakfast anyways." Lily said smiling to Harry, but he could se the redness on her eyes. ' She'd been crying. Is it because I ruined her breakfast? Now that I won't work I won't be able to eat. I wish at least today I could eat.'
James stood up to fetch Harry's potions, but that gave the boy a whole different idea. 'He's going to send me away.' Harry thought
The boy dejectedly sat down at the table, and quietly tried to brush away the few stray tears that escaped his eyes. ' If they see me crying, they might tell my aunt and uncle, and I don't know what they would do then.'
Jim noticed the boy's crying, though "Harry, what's wrong? Are you hurting anywhere?" Asked the concerned older brother, but Harry only shook his head in response and cried harder
James returned to the kitchen and noticed the commotion. Soon he was by his youngest side. James, being a legilimans, had the idea of seeing inside the boy's head, but decided on asking his permission first.
"Harry, son, would you let me see inside your head so I can figure out what's wrong? " at seeing the child's wide eyed scared expression, James quickly added "I promise I'm only going to se what you want to say but can't." To this the boy nodded his head
James put both hands on the side of Harry's head and he could see what the child was thinking.
"Oh, Prongslet, you know we would never ever send you away, don't you? " Harry shook his head. "Merlin, what can I do to make you believe me?" James sighed to himself as he placed Harry on his lap "Look at me, Harry. Whatever those people did to you, it was wrong. I don't know what they did or told you, but you are not a freak. You are very loved. Your mother, your brother and I love so so much, we would never send you away. You are never ever seeing those people again. You're safe now. Your mother and I would move mountains to protect you. I can't force you to believe me, but I wish you would. Honestly, I want to go to your dimension and hex that whale and the horse faced lady so much! And your Dumbledore as well!" James added in the end, to which Lily gasped in horror of him saying such things in front of the children, and Jim started laughing, and to their surprise, Harry laughed as well.
"Ok, now that all's solved, let's have some breakfast! I don't know about you guys, but I'm starving! " said Jim, to which Lily rolled her eyes
"Tell me one time when you're not hungry. " she said while playfully ruffling Jim's hair
"When I'm sleeping, of course! " he answered, and Harry giggled
"Sorry to rain on your parade, Harry, but you have to take your potions." James said, and Harry shook his head with such vigor that one would think his head would separate from his neck "Come on, Harry, you have to take them." The boy shook his head again
"No! It's gross! " the boy argued (whined)
James was about to argue back, when Jim cut him to it. "Leave it, dad. If Harry's too much of a baby to take his potions, we can't do anything about it. "
James turned to glare at his oldest son, and Harry scowled at his big brother "I'm not a baby!"
"Oh, really? Then prove it by taking your potions."
"But it's gross! " Harry argued (whined) back
"Baby! "
"Am not! "
"Are too! "
"Am not! "
"Then prove it! Drink the potion! "
"I'll show you who's the baby! " Harry said as he downed the gross skin mending potion and the nutritional potion, which surprisingly was sweet and not gross at all. When he finished both vials, he rushed to get water as James and Jim had a silent conversation.
'How?' James mouthed, to which Jim just smirked in answer.
When Lily finished setting up the dishes her three boys were already seated. James and Jim advanced on their food like savages, and Harry only nibbled on his.
"What's wrong, Harry? Do you not like the food? " Lily asked
"No, it's delicious. It's just that it is too much food. "
"But you put just a bit of food in your plate... If you are full you don't have to force yourself though, okay? "
James looked up from his food to both his children, and remembered something he had wanted to discuss with the boy's.
"Harry, Jim, once you two are finished, please wait for me in my study. I want to discuss some things with you two. " as he noticed Jim's pale face, he chuckled softly before adding "Relax, it's not that kind of discussion. " he chuckled a bit more at the boy's relieved sigh
At the study, the twins waited for their father to finish helping with the dishes before coming up. Harry was looking around the room with awe, and Jim watched him intently.
"This is dad's quidditch trophy. He was considered the catcher of the decade in his time, but I'm going to beat him to it. "
"Jim, you play as a catcher? "
"You play quidditch too? " a nod "Which position? "
"Seeker. "
"Seeker? That's wicked! Do you play in the school team as well? " another nod "You must be amazing on a broom then! " Jim exclaimed excited and the two boys went on a cheerful conversation about quidditch
When James entered the study, he was pleased to se both his boys chatting about quidditch. They were so engrossed in their conversation they didn't even noticed him. James cleared his throat to get the boys' attention.
"Boys, I called you two here so we can discuss the house rules." James stated and Jim groaned
"But daaaad, I already know the rules! " Jim whined
"And that didn't stop you from breaking them, right? " that shut up any possible argument from coming up. "There are four ground rules: obedience, you listen to what me and your mother tell you, and don't go against it; honesty, You. Do. Not. Lie. To. Us. I'll know it when you are lying and it will be uglier than if you didn't lie about it. Omit also counts as lying; respect, you don't cuss, mouth off or have an attitude with me or your mother or any adult for that matter"
"Even aunt Petunia? "Asked Jim with (fake) innocent eyes
"Well horse face's a different case, but don't tell your mother I said that. The fourth and most important ground rule is: don't put your life at risk. If you know there's something dangerous, go call an adult for help. Other rules are: bedtime is at 22:30, you have to do your homework, no fooling around with your wands, no magic inside the house, no flying after 18:30, no fighting. Also, don't go anywhere near Black manor. Harry, this rule applies mainly to you: don't cook without someone near you, and also don't do any heavy household work. Leave those to me. Any questions?"
"Um, what will happen if we break the rules? " Harry asked uncomfortably
"Right. For lying and disrespect a mouth wash will do the trick. Mostly I will ground, take a privilege or have you write an essay. For minor things, a time out, and if it's a major rule breaking, I might spank you." To that Harry paled. "Don't worry, you will never suffer the same treatment you got at the Dursleys. You will never feel hunger or be hurt by my hands. I need you to trust me on that." Harry nodded "Okay, Harry, you can go. I have to talk with your brother." Harry nodded and left the room "Okay now, troublemaker. This is the second time you go to the Black manor, so I want you to write an essay on why disobeying me is bad and one on why I don't want you to go there. You're also grounded from your broom for a week. Next time you know what to expect, don't you?"
"Yes, sir! " Jim said with a mock salute
"Cheeky" James said while ruffling Jim's hair
"Hey, dad, have you seen Harry's back? "
"No. Why? "
"It's awful, dad. It looks like one of those things you expect to see only on movies. You know, when I think it could have been me the one who suffered so much, it chills me to the bone. What kind of monstrous fate hates him so much that he has to stand so much? " Jim said with a sad face
"Hey, hush child. He has us now, we'll make sure he's happy now. " James said while hugging his eldest child