'human thoughts
'anything other than human thoughts
'anything other than human speech
spells
For those confused about Susan Bones' appearance, I've changed the previous chapter to include her. The reason will explained in this chapter.
Chapter 2: Where have you been?
Harry had been told about his family by Aaron and Lucario, but seeing them in the flesh was a whole different story. Harry had so many emotions flowing through him right now, and even with his increased control over himself, he had trouble containing both excitement and fear from showing themselves on his features. He always feared that his family would turn him away, once he came back, but luckily his mother had dispelled most of those thoughts. He was also excited about the prospect of having family to actually depend on, and that was something he eagerly looked forward to.
Ever since Harry had returned from wherever he was, Lily refused to let him out of her sight. Harry began to shirk away from the red headed woman, trying to get a little personal space, but the woman was on him like a hawk on its prey. Her eyes were constantly scanning the yard, making sure Harry wouldn't up and vanish again. She had been counting the days until this moment, and she was finally glad to have her other son back. There was a lot of love backlogged in her heart for Harry, and she seemed to be trying to give it to him all in one fell swoop.
Harry took his chance at getting some space away from Lily, in order to survey the party that was going on in the yard. He saw the other children playing in the yard, fawning over the new broom that, it looked like his twin had gotten for their birthday. He sighed, knowing that he was going to have to get used to having a sibling, as well as the concept of having a real family.
'I doubt Aaron and Lucario count as a conventional family, but they were awesome. It was actually like having siblings, now that I think about it.' Harry thought to himself, looking over to Lily and James.
He felt some sort of resntment toward them, for giving him up so easily, but Aaron also explained that given what he was carrying, he would've gone with him either way. Willingly, or by force. Harry sighed, and realized he couldn't blame his birth parents one bit, and judging from Lily's reaction, it was more of a grudging acceptance. They truly had not wanted to let Harry go, and he was thankful that they did anyway. His control over aura was nowhere near complete, but it was enough to make him not kill anyone by accident.
He was drawn from his corner of the yard by two men walking up to him. One of them had shaggy, curly black hair, and the other one had sandy, blonde hair. The black haired man had more aristocratic features on his face, especially the high cheekbones, and perfectly straight teeth. The blonde haired man had three whisker-like markings on both his cheeks, and his teeth seemed more sharp than normal. Harry closed his eyes, before opening them again, and having the whole world phase into black.
The only things that were visible to Harry were colors. The black haired man had a green aura around him, signifying increased strength of will. The man next to him was a quandary for Harry. Half of his aura was yellow, showing great fear, but half of it was white, like the color of the moon. He closed his eyes again, and opened them up again, returning his vision to normal, and he smiled at the two men as they came over. The smile was more of him remember how he managed to obtain his beginner's aura sight in the first place.
Flashback start:
A five year old Harry had been running through the forest as part of a grueling exercise routine formed by Aaron. A blur of brown and green passed, as the thin air swirled around him. The man had told him that he was sprinting for miles by the age of 6, so Harry had high standards to live up to. The boy grumbled, as he ran through the forests of the Kaios mountains. Just because he was being taught by an aura master, didn't mean he had to be trained like one. But the man was a slave driver, and wouldn't listen despite Harry's complaints.
The high elevation was a problem for Harry as well, as his lungs were on fire, as they were struggling to get enough air for him to breathe. But he managed to his pace up to the peak of the mountain. Once he reached the top, he couldn't help but be astounded. Pure white surrounded him, as if everything around him had been bleached. It was frosty at the top, but Harry felt a peace he'd never experienced before.
He reached into the pack that he strapped onto himself, and pulled out the warmer clothes that Aaron said to put on , once he made it to the top. He only had one more job for the morning, and that was to meditate in the extreme weather. He was new at it, so they allowed him warmer clothing. Aaron usually did it next to him only in spandex underwear. Damn him.
He sat down, and crossed his legs, trying to block out the extreme weather from his senses. His task was to feel the life around him, and see their natures. Every person had a nature of aura that was most suited to them, and it was shown through a specific color. Green was willpower. Red was anger. Yellow was creativity. Orange was vitality. Blue was intelligence. Purple was emphatic. Pink was love. Gray was sorrow. And black was evil. If you were able to see the colors, then you had taken the first step into the aura sight.
Harry closed his eyes in his seated position, and tried to focus. Unbeknownst to him, Aaron was on the very peak of the mountain, looking down at his charge. He had used the boy's powerful aura to track him all the way up the mountain. To his aura sight, Harry's aura was like a flare being set off in the middle of the night. Aaron looked down, and saw the boy try and focus his thoughts, but there was something blocking his breakthrough. It was then that Aaron peered deeper into the boy's aura, and figured it out. The boy had to meet the being he found when he first brought the boy to the mountains.
Aaron reached deep into Harry's aura, and without Harry noticing, tried to contact the being within him. He responded with an angry tone, but Aaron had come to expect that from this being, seeing as he had been tainted. It probably affected his moods too.
'What do you want of me, guardian?' the being asked, making Aaron sigh.
'Can you not feel your charge trying to access the sight? Why do you deny his request to meet with you, and delve into his aura?' Aaron asked mentally, making the being look at him, before speaking deliberately.
'Because the boy is not ready to meet me. The darkness aura needs a more mature handler than who the boy is right now. You expect one of his age to handle such power?' the being said, his tone harsh.
'I don't expect the boy to be a master overnight. However, if you don't let him access his aura, how will he ever develop?! He needs to understand the power he has, and try to harness as much as he can handle.' Aaron said, making the being sigh. However, another voice cut in between the two, and shocked both of them.
'You know you're not as sneaky as you think, Aaron.' Harry said, He then focused on the sentient being that was also present. 'Who are you? Are you another aura guardian?' Harry asked, confused by the third presence.
'Boy, I am your aura. Due to the power of your aura, it manifested itself into my being. I was not planning our meeting until a few of your human years from now. However, due to the guardian's meddling, I suppose I shall teach you about a small portion of your power.' the being said, making Harry even more confused.
'Okay? What am I going to learn?' Harry asked, trying to take all of this in. But this person was using words that were a little too big for him.
'Boy, you contain the aura of darkness. You were not meant to contain such an aura, but what is done, is done. I've been keeping it at bay within you, and shall continue to do so, until I feel that you are ready for such power. I will be giving you small doses of power, in order to ease you into the process.' the being said, making Harry confused.
'So you're blocking my power off? Why? I can handle it. I've gotten loads stronger.' Harry said, a little upset that this person had thought he wasn't ready for handling his own strength. However, if he thought he was ready, he changed his mind after the being spoke.
'Fool! Do not presume you know the magnitude of this power. Now, listen to me, as I guide you in the ways of the sight. Guardian, take your leave. Your meddling has done enough.' the being said, making Aaron nod, before leaving Harry's mind. The being then turned back to Harry.
'Child, the darkness aura takes tremendous strength of will and mind, as well as body. If you succumb to the darkness within your heart, the aura takes hold, and warps your personality. You will be forever changed, and I refuse to let that happen. You are my charge, and I shall protect you.' the being said to Harry, making the boy nod in understanding. He was glad this person was looking out for him.
'Now, focus your thoughts, and try to feel a breathing sensation. . .'
End flashback:
It had taken Harry about two months to get aura sight after that moment, but meeting his aura personified had certainly been an experience for him. However, he was told that this was only the basic aura sight, so he still had a ways to go. However, it was a start for the boy in terms of training to master his aura. He was pulled from his thoughts as the black haired man was introducing himself.
"Hey Harry, I'm pretty sure you don't know me. I'm your godfather, Sirius Black." Sirius said, bending down to give Harry a hug, which he reciprocated back.
"And I'm Remus Lupin. I'm your brother's godfather. We were both there the night you were sent away, and it's so good to see you in good health." Remus said, also bending over to give the boy a hug, that he reciprocated again. Harry looked at the two men, and then frowned a bit, as he noticed his brother on the broom.
"Hey Mr. Black, what are they doing over there?" Harry asked, making Sirius frown at the formal way he was addressed by his godson.
"Harry, it's just Sirius, or Uncle Sirius if you want. None of that Mr. Black stuff, mostly because I hate my father." Sirius paused, a slight scowl found its way to his face, and just as quickly changed to a bright smile. "Anyway, that's flying. Wizards and witches have the capability of flight when they get on a broom that's been manufactured and enchanted specifically for flight. We use those brooms in a game called Quidditch." Sirius finished, making Harry nod in understand.
"So Harry, what do you like to do for fun? You're at a birthday party, but the only thing I've seen you do is avoid your mom." Remus said with a slight smirk on his face at the embarrassed look on the boy's face.
"It's not my fault!" Harry tried to plead. "She just keeps coming up to me and hugging me, before she starts crying again. I didn't want her to cry anymore! I'm bad with crying girls!" Harry said, making Sirius and Remus look at each other with a smirk on their faces.
"Oh? So you're saying that you've been around more girls, and you've made them cry? Harry, you dog you!" Sirius said, making Harry blush in embarrassment.
"It's not like that! I didn't do anything to them!" Harry tried to reason, but Sirius and Remus just kept laughing at the poor boy's expense.
"Padfoot! Moony! Why are you picking on my other son?" James walked over, with a smile gracing his features. Sirius and Remus responded to Padfoot and Moony respectively, Harry noted.
'Must just be nicknames.' Harry reasoned.
"Prongs, apparently your other son is quite the lady killer! He's been making them cry without meaning to." Sirius said, making Harry note that his father's own nickname, was Prongs. James looked shocked for a moment, and then turned to Harry with a smirk on his face as well, making Harry cringe.
"And here I thought the Potter genes would go to waste. I'm glad someone's picking up the tradition." James said, before he heard a cough behind him, and he felt a strong sense of dread.
"And what tradition would that be, dear husband?" Lily said, her eyes hardened in a glare at her husband. James paled, and Sirius and Remus couldn't help but snicker at their friend's fate.
"Go watch the children, before I neuter all three of you animals. And don't you dare corrupt them, like you've been trying to do to Harry!" Lily said, making all three give a mock salute, before going over to the other kids. Lily smiled at her son, who looked like he had been saved from a pack of wolves.
"Thanks Miss...mom." Harry said, trying out the word for the first time. He did have to admit he could get used to saying that more often. Unfortunately for him, that triggered Lily's water fountain again, as she hugged him, and started to sob. It wasn't for long though, as another woman walked over, and tried to reason with the sobbing woman.
"Jesus Lily, the kid looks like he's ready to spell himself to death." a woman with dirty blonde hair walked over. She wore red lipstick, and her eyes held a hard expression, even though she was smiling. The woman looked as if she had seen her fair share of horror. She held a slim figure, except for her bosom, which was barely being contained by the dark red blouse she chose to wear.
Lily looked up at Harry, and found that her friend was right. She gently released her son, before giving him a kiss on his forehead, and mumbled an apology.
"Thanks Amelia. I'm just so thrilled to have my son back, that I can't really control myself. I suppose I could use a little calming down though. You should go and play with the other children Harry. I promise I won't bother you too much." Lily said, making Amelia chuckle, and the two women began to converse about some article that had come out in the prophet earlier today, about an attack on Gringotts.
Harry slowly walked over to the other children, and then he saw that they were still crowding around his twin, and the broomstick that he seemed to enjoy flying on. As he made his way over to the crowd of children, James walked over with another man by his side. He had a little larger than average forehead, and his eyes were a deep shade of blue. He had a very large body, showing that he had great strength, and his jaw was very square, and chiseled. He was wearing a dark blue button down, with gray slacks. Harry closed his eyes to focus, before opening them again and saw the man outline in green. He closed his eyes again, before opening them again. This man had great strength of will, like his godfather.
James walked over to the other kids, and stepped in front of him, and got the attention of the children. They all stopped playing around with Matthew on his broom, and they came to stand in front of James. The man sighed, wondering how he'd word this, and then spoke with deliberation to the kids.
"Okay everyone, you guys have someone new to play with today. His name's Harry, and he's been away for a really long time, so he doesn't really know too much about magic. I want you all to play nice, and to be his friend, alright?" James said, making all the kids nod. He then stepped out from in front of Harry, causing the boy to give a weak wave when all of their eyes fell on him. The first one to actually speak was Susan.
"Your hair is really long. I thought only girls have long hair?" Susan said, making the other boys snicker, and making Harry embarrassed, but making James ponder.
"You know Harry, you could use a haircut. Do you want to cut it?" James asked, making Harry nod his head in the affirmative.
"I tried to get Lucario to cut it, but he did a bad job, so I just left it alone. Aaron refused to cut it, saying that long hair was the symbol of a true man, then he pointed to his hair, and never brought it up again." Harry said in a rushed fashion, making James smile. Of course that man would support long hair, seeing that he had long hair himself. He probably tried to groom Harry to be like himself, but luckily, Harry had better sense than that.
'And if Potter hair isn't cut, it gets like Harry has it now. It's unmanageable short, I couldn't even imagine what Harry has to go through.' James thought humorously.
James then turned to the man next to him, and spoke in a more soft tone.
"Are you gonna pop the question to her anytime today, Frank?" James said, making the man blush furiously. He then glared at James, and gave him the finger, as soon as he saw the children weren't watching.
Frank Longbottom and his wife Alice, had been attacked two weeks after James and Lily, by Bellatrix Lestrange. She was Voldemort's second in command, and while Dumbledore, Sirius, and James showed up in time to offer assistance to him, it was too late. Lestrange had gotten to his wife, just as he had managed to kill the scoundrel that was keeping him at bay. It turned out that it was Rabastan Lestrange, so when he had found out that Bellatrix had killed his wife, that was a piece of information that had given him comfort.
Although she would've never shown it, he knew that he hit Bellatrix hard that day. Especially after he had gotten her thrown into Azkaban. She had been screaming that her master would save her, confirming Frank's theory that she didn't know that Voldemort had perished.
The years after that were mostly kind to him. He continued his work in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, his mother helping him care for Neville. He kept digging to find out why Bellatrix attacked when Voldemort was vanquished two weeks prior to her assault, but he never found any clues. His only guess was that the attack was predisposed, and she was merely following her last order from the dark tosser himself.
It was throwing himself into his work that allowed him to grow closer to the young department head, Amelia Bones. Bones had also lost her spouse to one of Voldemort's raids, and it was only her skills as a former professional duelist that allowed her to finish the assault, and throw Igor Karkaroff in prison. They ended up solving a lot of their cases together, him more than her, because she had her administrative duties to attend to. After a few months of working closely with her, Frank had gotten the nerve up to ask her out. That was five years ago.
Today, Frank had decided he would pop the question, and asked James to set something special up during Matthew's birthday party for him. He didn't really know the other Potter twin, so he felt it was alright to just call it Matthew's birthday. His nerves were getting to him though, and he felt he couldn't go through with it.
"I think I should do this at a more opportune time. After all, you just got your son back, and it's both their birthdays. I don't want to take away from the special occasion." Frank said, a bead of sweat trailing its way down his forehead. James merely smirked at the man.
"Yes, because I'm sure an eleven year old will be terribly upset at being outshone by an engagement!" James said, making it loud enough for Amelia and Lily to overheard. Lily, who already knew what was supposed to happen glared at her husband for being so callous. James just wobbled his knees, and Lily understood. Frank was getting cold feet.
"Engagement? Is someone getting proposed to?" Amelia asked, confusion covering her face. Lily could only snicker, and James spoke up.
"Apparently not. Nobody has the stones to do that today for some reason." James said, making Frank get a heated expression before walking up to Ameila, and pull a box out of his side pocket.
"You know I'm terrible at the romantic speech thing. Still want me to give it a go?" Frank asked, as Amelia covered her hands, and tears begun to spill from her eyes. She nodded her head, and he got down on one knee. All the children stopped playing, and huddled around, wondering why all the adults got really quiet.
"Amelia Susan Bones, you came into my life when I didn't think I would love again. The loss of Alice almost seemed too terrible of a burden, but your light showed up at the end of my tunnel, and I'm a better man for it. I love you. And I want you to take me for your husband, and let me have you as my bride. Amelia, will you marry-" he was cut off as Amelia jumped him, and planted a passionate kiss on her fiance. Frank happily reciprocated, and all the boys stuck out their tongues, except Harry.
Susan swooned at her auntie doing something so romantic, as did Lily. James and Sirius, both seeing where this was going, cleared their throats loudly, and Remus snickered at bit. At least he didn't have to do it this time. Lily realized why they did it, and blushed at getting so caught up in the romantic moment.
"Alright kids, time to wrap the party up. You guys can come over to play tomorrow. Neville, Susan, you guys are staying here tonight, so you know where to go." Lily said, making the two look confused.
"Why are we staying over tonight, Auntie Lily? Auntie Amelia and Uncle Frank don't have to work tomorrow." Susan asked, making Lily very uncomfortable. Luckily, Amelia came to her rescue.
"Unfortunately Susan, an emergency has come up. You see, your Uncle Frank and I have immediate business to attend to, and I'm afraid it would keep us up all night, so we wouldn't be able to tuck you kids in." Amelia said, feeling a bit bad about lying to her niece. However, she struggled keeping a straight face when Lily was snickering over her saying they'd be up all night.
"You see dear, your aunt will be performing an important job tonight, and we wouldn't want her to keep you kids up all night." Lily said, struggling to maintain her composure, and making Amelia glare lightheartedly at her.
"Okay." the small girl said simply, making Lily sigh, and then full blown laughing, as the girl went over to Neville and Matthew.
"Up all night, huh?" Lily said, making Amelia blush lightly.
"Shut up! It was short notice, and it was the only thing I could think of." Amelia said, only serving to make Lily laugh harder.
"Immediate business? You gonna jump him in the fireplace? Jesus Amelia, I didn't know you had it in you." Lily said, further serving to deepen her friend's blush. Lily then walked away, knowing her job was done. She wasn't like her husband, but she did have a sense of humor too.
Just then, a couple with orange hair stepped out into the yard, and Ron ran up to them, embracing them in a hug. Harry watched the affair, and guessed that these were the carrot top's parents. He had looked at Ron's aura early, and saw that it was a deep yellow, showing a deep seated fear within his heart. It caused the boy to lash out a lot, and Harry found it really distasteful. However, he was friends with Matthew, so Harry thought it best to not be too judgmental.
When he walked inside, his father asked him where his bag was, to which Harry replied promptly.
"What bag?"
James looked like he was going to pop a blood vessel. He looked at his son, and realized that he actually had no material possessions on him at all, and James sighed.
"Harry, where are your things? Didn't you own anything that you wanted to bring from wherever you were?" James asked, only for Harry to respond shortly.
"No. And I was training in the Kaios mountains of eastern Japan. It is said to be the holy ground of all aura users, and holds the secrets of aura within the mountains." Harry said, sounding as if he was quoting a textbook. James sighed, and then called for his wife. When she came over, she realized the same thing that her husband had seen instantly.
"This won't do at all. You'll borrow some of Matthew's clothes for tonight, and then when we go shopping at the alley tomorrow, we'll shop around muggle London as well. You'll get everything you need Harry. But I'm curious though. If you don't have any clothes, how did you manage for 10 years?" Lily asked, James nodding along in agreement. Surely their son couldn't have worn the same pair of clothes every day for 10 years.
At this statement, Harry couldn't help but give a small chuckle, and then wink at his parents. He then walked upstairs while saying, "the power of aura is limitless."
Everyone promptly cleared the house, and the only people left were James, Lily, Harry, Matthew, Neville, and Susan. Lily called them all down stairs, and had the children entertain themselves with the television that she managed to get to work with magic, while she and her husband read their own individual novels on the couch behind the children.
The idea of the box with moving pictures seemed like a marvel to Harry. He was enraptured by the pictures, and colorful characters inside of the box, and thought the people of magic barbarians. They trapped people inside of these boxes for their entertainment. He got off of the floor, and turned to face his parents angrily. Lily, seeing her son's angered expression, responded with one of curiosity.
"What's wrong honey? Problem with the television. I suppose it is a new experience for you, isn't it?" Lily said, making Harry scowl.
"Are the people of magic ones of such evil? To trap these innocent people in your box, merely for your entertainment?" Harry asked, fuming slightly, only for Susan to fall over laughing. Harry turned to her, as she got off the floor, wiping the tears from her eyes.
"Harry, you're hilarious. Those aren't people trapped in there. It's a protected image." Susan said, making Lily smile at the girl.
"Projected image, dear. But yes Harry, she's right. Those aren't actually people, and.." she paused, finally seeing the unusual characters on the screen, " a dinosaur, a triceratops, and a donkey on the screen." Lily said, wondering just what the hell her child had turned on. "Anyway, you don't have to worry about it too much, because it's bedtime!" she said loud enough for the other two boys to hear.
"Aww! Five more minutes mom, please?" Matthew begged, but Lily smiled at her son's antics.
"Sure. In fact, we can cancel the trip to Diagon Alley tomorrow, and you can stay up as late as you want. I'll just take your brother shopping, while you're sleeping." Lily said, making the boy jump up from his spot, and run to go brush his teeth. Harry chuckled at his mother's manipulations, and then bowed from the spot he was, before going upstairs as well. Neville had already gone upstairs while Matthew was bantering with his mother.
A few minutes later, Harry and Matthew were in their beds on opposite sides of what used to be just Matthew's room, while Neville was on a mattress in the middle. They had magically enlarged the room, so the boys would have space. Susan slept in a spare room in the manor, separated from the boys.
Harry laid awake in his bed, and was thinking to himself as he heard what sounded like Lucario mowing down a few trees for training, but was actually Neville's snoring.
'Today was pretty fun. Mom was pretty cool, and Dad was funny. My godfather and Remus were also kinda funny, even though they were trying to poke fun at me. I still haven't gotten time to really know my brother yet, but we are going to school together. Maybe that will give us a chance to know each other.' Harry thought, before a scowl etched itself on his face.
'That carrot top is another story entirely. I didn't like how he kept pushing Susan and Neville around just to be closer to Matthew. I don't like bullies. Calm down. Focus on my breathing. Next thing. I wonder what I'll be getting tomorrow. I never had the chance to actually own things. Aaron always said that nature provided for her guardians, so I wouldn't need anything. I think that's enough thinking for tonight.' Harry thought while yawning.
' I should rest easy, although it'll be hard to sleep in such thick air. And I can't feel the wind, nor feel the earth beneath my skin. I'm not gonna be able to sleep like this.' with that last thought, Harry got up, and left the room.
While Harry had been lost in his thoughts, Matthew was also pondering something. Today had changed his whole world. His parents no longer only had him to dote on, and praise. He was even sharing his room, even though they had plenty of room. Now he was even going to get a bunch of new clothes, which means his parents might not be able to get him that new broom that his dad promised him.
'Why did he have to come back? Everything was going just fine!' Matthew angrily thought, before hearing Harry leave the room, and with that, he promptly closed his eyes, not caring where his 'brother' was going at this time of night.
While the two boys were awake, thinking about their respective situations, another conversation was taking place inside the master bedroom. Lily Potter was trying to convey her worries to her husband, who just took everything in stride.
"James, he had no other clothes with him! And did you see how he reacted when he saw the television? Our boy was horribly mistreated. Why did I let you talk me into sending him with that fool and his dog-thing?" Lily pleaded to her husband, who merely chuckled.
"Lily, I checked him for abuse, and he was fine. He had a few scars here and there, but that's probably from some roughhousing here and there. Lily, he went there to control his abnormally large power of aura, not go on a luxury cruise. Now do I wish he could have grown up with a little more comfort, yes. Absolutely. But the fact he grew up spartan, doesn't mean he grew up mistreated. He just knows how to survive with less than other children, who were more privileged." James finished his tirade, making Lily stop her ranting and sighed.
"We missed so much James. I want it all back." Lily said in a dejected tone, making James pull her into an embrace.
"I know babe, I know. Look at it this way. We have him for the rest of the summer, and we can make sure that he grows up knowing what the love of a family really is. We got him for the harder years anyway." James said with a chuckled, and Lily laughed into his chest.
It was then that both of them heard footsteps coming from the boys' room, and both of them got up to check it out. It turns out that Harry had left the room, and was heading downstairs toward the kitchen. They both got on a robe, and followed him, only to see him leaving out the entrance to the yard, and they were shocked at what he did next. He plopped himself down onto the grass, and looked up at the bright, star soaked sky.
"Ah, this feels so much better, minus the air, but hopefully when we get to this school, I can go play in the mountains." Harry said aloud, only to be interrupted by his mother.
"You'll do no such thing, young man!" Lily yelled at Harry, making the boy roll backwards onto his knees, and clench his fists, which were glowing a black color. Lily and James were surprised at the show of power, and slowly walked out into the backyard to join their son.
"Harry, why are you out here?" Lily asked, making Harry feel a little sheepish. He let go of his power, and his fists returned to normal, which then unclenched.
"I couldn't sleep. Not in that cramped room. I've spent almost every night sleeping underneath the sky, feeling the wind around me, and the ground beneath me. When winter came around, Aaron just used aura to warm me, and for some reason, we found out that I couldn't get normal sicknesses." Harry said, making both Lily and James grow a look of realization. It was then that James got an idea, and shot a look to Lily.
"So would you mind if we stayed out here with you?" James asked, making Harry a little uncomfortable. It was their yard after all.
"Sure. That's cool." Harry said, making James post up on side of Harry, and Lily on the other. She then pulled Harry's head onto her lap, and the boy felt a comfort that could be described. His eyes felt a tug on them, and eventually, he drifted off to sleep, while James and Lily watched their son. He seemed so different, but he was still a young boy at heart. From a window on the second floor, Matthew watched the scene with an envious look.
'So now it's special privileges? It hasn't even been a day yet, and I'm already wishing he was gone.' Matthew thought bitterly, before rolling back in his bed.
The next morning, the Potter family, plus Neville and Susan were getting ready to go to Diagon Alley. If you were standing outside the manor, you would think that someone had set a circus loose inside. However, that was just the struggle of having four children to dress, clothe, feed, and get organized for an outing. Neville and Susan were arguing about who was going to have the larger bedroom in their new house. Matthew had been sulking for some reason, and Harry had been confused at all of their morning rituals, seeing as he had never used deodorant, or toothpaste.
"The sap of trees, when powered by aura, is a most nourishing supplement for the teeth. I'm surprised you wizards don't know of it. Instead you stick paste onto your teeth, and scrub them with a brush. Most amusing." Harry said, making James grow a tick mark on his heads.
"Yeah, well get to it Mr. Amusing. We don't have time to collect tree sap." James, said, handing the toothpaste to Harry, watching the boy conduct the hygiene. Matthew on the other hand, hadn't said a word. He just gave a few brushes, and spit, before walking away, making James look at him oddly. He just brushed it off however, as Harry had kept brushing until his whole mouth was covered in foam.
"What must I do now? Saliva has built up in my mouth. Do I swallow?" Harry asked, making James chuckle. From the hallway, Matthew scowled lightly, and Harry caught it as he walked away. He would have to talk to his brother soon.
Lily had just finished getting Neville and Susan to stop arguing long enough for them to get dressed, and ready to go. She saw Matthew come down, and ushered him into the group she was creating by the fireplace. Lastly, James came down with Harry, fully dressed in some of Matthew's clothes, making the boy scowl further, however, he wiped it off his face before his parents could see.
Lily took Susan and Neville back to their respective guardians, and then came back to the house, for all four of the Potters to floo to Diagon Alley. They wandered around most of the shops, picking up various supplies for the children, both on and off of the list. James insisted that they go browse Quality Quidditch Supplies, but Lily had insisted that they stay focused, and head to the bookstore.
"Of course you would say that. It just so happens that what you love is actually part of the list." James said with a disapproving look, making Lily look a little bit sheepish.
"I can't help it if you're a fan of that barbaric sport. Besides, you should learn to read more. It would help you with your pranks." Lily said, with a small smirk on her face. In the end, James and Matthew went inside the quidditch shop, while Lily took Harry to the bookstore, as he was also interested in getting reading materials aside from what was required.
Once they reached the store, Harry found that the shelves seemed endless. Countless volumes on magic, separated by the specialty you were looking for. Transfiguration and charms seemed like they would be the most useful, but Harry was drawn toward the magical history, and defense against the dark arts sections. He needed to read up on the magical world, so as to not be caught completely off guard if someone brought up something about the wizarding world that he didn't know.
He looked to the section next to it, and saw that this shelves had various books on offensive and defensive spells. This seemed to be the section that spoke of combat using magic. Harry perused the shelves, and realized that this was probably more useful than the charms or transfiguration. He was about to reach for the Hogwarts, A History, when another hand touched his, and then immediately pulled back. He was surprised that someone had managed to come next to him without his knowing.
The girl had brown, but really curly hair. It resembled a bush that hadn't been trimmed in a very long time. She had slightly larger front teeth, showing an overbite, but overall, she was fairly cute. Her hazel brown eyes enraptured Harry for a few moments, before he realized that she was talking to him.
"I'm terribly sorry. I wanted to pick the book up first, since it was the last copy." the girl said, making Harry blink, before looking back up at the shelf. It was indeed the last copy, and he hadn't even noticed. He sighed, and then reached for the book, making the girl's eyes become dispirited. That was until Harry held the book out to her, and she smiled brightly, making the boy smile as well.
"Thank you so much! Oh, where are my manners? I'm Hermione Granger. I'm going to be a first year at Hogwarts." she said in a rush, making Harry snicker a bit at her enthusiasm.
"I'm Harry Potter. And it's a pleasure to meet you Miss Granger. I hope to see you on the train." Harry said, before grabbing a book off of the shelf called Black Magic vs White Magic. He then left the girl behind, not leaving much chance for her to say anything else. His mother was probably worried he had gone off to the mountains again.
Not too long after his encounter with the girl, he found his mother perusing the charms section of the bookstore, before she noticed that Harry had found her. She grew a sheepish expression on her face, as she saw the impatient one on Harry's. He must have been there for a while. She put her book down, before looking at the book in Harry's hand, and a worried expression grew on her face.
"Harry, why do you want to learn about dark magic?" Lily asked, a scared tone in her voice. Harry merely looked at her with a blank expression, before going into a small explanation.
"I merely wish to understand all aspects of magic. It is my understand that these are the two largest camps of magic in your world right now. As such, I wish to explore both options. There's no reason for you to fear mother. It's merely research, not application." Harry said, making his mother give a sigh of relief.
"Okay. I guess I can understand that. You have to understand that you and your brother were almost killed the biggest practitioner of that brand of magic. So your father and I aren't terribly fond of dark magic." Lily said, making Harry nod his head in understanding. He then gave her the book to hand to the clerk, and they left the store promptly with their purchases after she paid the man. They found James and Matthew still in the quidditch shop, and had to pull them out of there, so Harry and Matthew could go get their wands.
As they walked into Olivander's wand shop, they were met by a wide-eyed old man, who slid to the front of the shop while on a ladder. He then grew a big grin, and grabbed a box from the shelf, before walking over to meet the family.
"Welcome Matthew Potter. I trust you're here to procure your wand for Hogwarts. Forgive me, but I don't quite know who you are child." Olivander said, turning to Harry. Lily and James stepped in to explain that Harry had been sent away as a child, but had now come to be with his family, and is going to Hogwarts as well. Olivander nodded his head, before giving the wand to Matthew, and going to find one for Harry.
"Matthew, just give it a wave." James said, making the boy wave the wand, and a bright light enveloped the room, before Matthew grew a broad grin on his face.
"This is the wand for me. I felt amazing just now." the boy said, making Olivander smile.
"Curious. Curious that you should be destined for that wand, when it's brother has given you that scar you bear." Olivander said, making Lily gasp, and James look at Matthew's wand with a serious expression. He knew that Voldemort had tried to kill him as a baby, so that meant his wand was the brother to Voldemort's wand. That was actually really creepy.
"Now, for the other Potter, let me see what I have in my stores. Ah! Twelve inches, yew and dragon heartstring." Olivander said, giving Harry the wand. Harry wrapped his fingers around the wand, and tried giving it a wave like his brother did. However, what happened was not what he was expecting.
His left arm, which held the wand, had all of his veins rise to the surface underneath his skin, so they were all visible. His arm pulsed a black color, before his veins changed color to black as well, and you could see a blue light trailing through his veins, all the way up his arm. Once the process was done, his arm returned to normal, although there was now a circular run around his arm that had small runes running through it, with an intricately drawn pattern in the middle depicting a what looked like a grim reaper without the scythe.
Olivander looked shocked, and then took the wand from him, only for ash to fall from the wand. Upon further inspection, the core had been disintegrated. He looked at the boy, before scowling. This had only happened once before, with an aura user. Their power was so volatile, that the focus of the wand was not enough to center their power, and ended up destroying the core that had powered the wand. And they also gained strange abilities, whenever they tried to integrate their powers with those of wizards. He then sighed, and looked at the boy, who was just as shocked as his parents and sibling were.
"Mr. Potter, are you by chance an aura user?" Olivander asked, surprising the boy, as well as his parents. He then nodded his head, making the older man sigh.
"I wish you would have said something, before having me give you that wand. That could have been someone's true match. Oh well, what's done is done. Give me one moment." Olivander said, before going to the very back of his shop, and coming back with a pitch black box. It looked to be the length of a wand. Harry grew curious, until he heard a voice in the back of his head.
'The old shopkeeper surprises me. Not only does he know of aura, but he holds a focus for your magical abilities that is compatible with aura. Most impressive.' the being said inside Harry's head, making Harry nod.
'So it is a wand then?' Harry asked, making the being sigh.
'Yes boy, what else would it be? You're nowhere near the level in aura or magic for a staff from either, and there's nothing else that these magicians have created that can act as a focus. But that wand is powerful. We shall see if it is powerful enough to be compatible with your aura though. Remember what we spoke of before you arrived here.' the being said, making Harry nod.
'How could I forget.' the boy mumbled, mentally.
Flashback start:
It was a sunny, summer morning, and a 10 year old Harry was in the middle of a clearing in the forest atop the mountain, meditating on channeling his aura. He had managed to access his aura sight, and his first aura projectile was a few days short of a year ago. But he still hadn't accessed his true aura. According to Aaron, when a person has no awareness of their true aura, everything they do with aura goes to a default, or secondary color. Harry's was blue, due to the boy's surprising vast intelligence.
The boy wasn't content though. Despite all of his inner aura being's warnings of patience, Harry really wanted to see what his true color was. Aaron's was green, and Lucario's had been purple. He really hoped he was red. From what he had seen, they were really strong, and with his brain, he could be unstoppable. Or that was the plan anyway, once he found his color. However, before he could continue concentrating, he was pulled into his mind, and he was face to face with the black being that was a manifestation of his aura.
'Boy! How many times will you continue to disregard my warnings?! Have I not stressed to you how dangerous your true aura color is?!' the being roared at Harry, making him cow slightly. However, he grew just as angry, and roared back.
'I'm don't wanna listen anymore! Everyone else knows their true aura color, and both you and Aaron, stop me every time I'm close to getting mine! I'm being left behind in all the lessons, and I can't do the cool stuff everyone else does with their aura! What's so bad about mine?!" Harry yelled at the being, having finally had enough of being kept in the dark.
The being sighed, before lowering the brightness of his glow, and then crossed its arms, making Harry realize that things had suddenly gotten serious.
'Listen close boy, do you remember when we spoke years ago? When I told you of your true aura. Harry nodded, as he remembered what he learned that day. Everyone knew that the darkness aura was by far the most powerful, and the most dangerous. If not careful, it could drive the user insane with power that could destroy planets.
'That is why we forbid you from learning your true aura color just yet, because you will need more maturity to handle the emotions and thoughts that will be thrown at you. If you became exposed to such a negative aura at that age, I would fear for your sanity growing up. I am telling you to wait, and your power shall be revealed in time. And although I'm not one to easily admit it, I've grown fond of you. So I do not wish to see you corrupted so early in your life cycle.' the being said, making Harry feel warm inside.
'So, now that you know this, be warned. The aura may present itself in times of great stress, but once you are back with your family, the amount of those should considerably lessen. Once you find your true aura, my being will depend on your thoughts. However you fall in the fight of light and dark, I will fall with you.' the being said, throwing Harry out of his mind, and remaining silent, despite the boy's questions that he still had.
"Well, better get back to practicing that aura sight." Harry said dejectedly, knowing he wouldn't be finding his true aura for quite some time.
Flashback end:
The boy looked at the box, and he felt the immense power that his being was talking about. It was almost as if the wand itself was calling out to him. He took the box from Olivander, and he listened to the old man's explanation, as he held the box. His parents and sibling also listened, being just as curious as to what he was holding, as he was.
"Okay Mr. Potter, what you have in your hand is a wand that I made, daresay, almost a century ago. That is how long it's been since I've encountered one of your kind. You would think someone with the energy of life itself would require a wand with the core of one of the most light filled, holy creatures on the planet. I made a wand with a phoenix feather, and wood from the tree of life. Quite possibly one of my greatest creations to this day. He absorbed the power just like the others." Olivander said, making Harry nod his head, signaling for the man to continue.
"However, I was not deterred. I quite liked the challenge that the man was presenting to me. If he could not take one of the most holy creatures, then I would give him one of the most unholy creatures' parts as a core. And so it was, I managed to be around for when He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, launched an inferi attack on the alley. That is actually how I got this scar." Olivander paused, to point to a scar on his face. It was a long gash that went all the way down to his neck.
"I almost died that day, but a healer found me, and nursed me back to health. Before they managed to wound me, I managed to perform a slicing hex on one of their heads. I obtained a sample of inferi blood. Knowing that I had one component, I kept the wood from the tree of life, and soaked it in the inferi blood. After such a feat, I now just needed the core. My friend Albus is not a big fan of dementors, and actually knows how to finish them off." Olivander said, making James gasp, and Lily looked horrified as this story continued. From the looks of things, Olivander was giving their son a wand ready made for dark magic.
"While we launched an attack on some lone dementors around Azkaban island that were terrifying the guards, I managed to grab my last component. A piece of the dementor's cloak. With that, I came back to the shop, albeit, abandoning Albus. He gave me an earful later, but it was worth it. I infused the piece of cloak into the wand, and before I knew what was happening, I was blown back into a wall of the shop. I was concussed for three days." Olivander said, making Harry finally open the box.
The wand was pure black, but every few seconds, it would pulse blue, outlining the runes that seemed self-ingrained onto the wood. It gave an ominous presence, and Harry picked up the wand slowly, not hearing James and Lily protest at the last second. When his fingers connected with the piece of wood, he felt a sense of cold warmth. It was cold all around, except for a core of warmth that was found deep in the pit of his stomach. His aura flared around him, before forming a skull behind him in black aura. Harry was so excited at the fact that his aura had shown it's color without anything bad happening, that he failed to see the shocked looks on his family's face. He waved his wand, just like Matthew did, and before he knew what was happening, Olivander lost his right arm.
Finished.
AN: What a twist right. I wonder what's gonna happen now. I know the chapter was really slow, but I wanted to bring out a lot of character development. I had to introduce several characters, as well as make slight changes to characters' histories, so I thought it was relatively smooth, despite all of these things. Anyway, I hope you enjoy. As always, any spelling errors, or inconsistencies I couldn't catch on my own, just let me know.