Chapter One

Elin smilingly watched her two sons devour everything on the breakfast table. Five years had gone by since she first met Harry, and he had grown into the family remarkably fast. Both Alexei and she considered him their own son, and Viktor and Harry were as close as blood brothers. They even looked alike with their messy, freely growing raven hair and stately build. But where Viktor had the round shoulders of his grandfather, Harry had normal shoulders.

Two years ago, Alexei had received a notice of that he was going to be Bulgaria's ambassador at the Swedish ministry of Magic. And so, they had moved their permanent home to the small wizard village Stocka at the east coast of Sweden, north of the capital Stockholm. They still kept their house in Bulgaria though, since they stayed there at all vacancies Alexei received.

A bonus to the circumstances was the fact that both their children would be trilingual, knowing Bulgarian, Swedish and English. Not to mention that they got closer to their future school, Durmstrang. Because even as the school had a terrible reputation, mainly because they stood outside the law and dared to teach the dark arts, it was the best school there was except Hogwarts. And the students who went there learnt to take care of themselves in situations beyond those you meet everyday. Harry and Viktor would need it, seeing as Harry was a target for the dark wizards.

The news that He-who-must-not-be-named had perished had reached the wizard world very soon after they had found Harry, and they assumed that their little boy had something to do with it. And they weren't so stupid that they believed that He-who-must-not-be-named was gone forever either. Besides, even if he was, there were other dark wizards. Like the man at Voldemort's side even the Death Eaters feared, even if he never was a part of the teams that went berserk over Britain, only known as Riddle. And if their assumptions about Harry were correct, he was going to be a target all his life. So, they wanted him and Viktor to be prepared for an eventual attack. And the training had already begun.

Viktor and Harry had shown signs of their magic abilities already at a very young age. 'Redecorating' their house, transfiguring their parents into cuddly creatures and similar things. In the beginning, it had been innocent enough, but nowadays, these events had become all too deliberate. Their sons had created a strong reputation of being the most ingenious pranksters alive, 'borrowing' wands and doing spontaneous magic in every direction. They even seemed to have some control over their wandless magic, something that was highly unusual.

They had never tried to keep it from Harry that he wasn't their biological son. He didn't quite understand what it meant yet, but they realized it would bring questions in the future. Yet, they though it was better this way. They did not want to lie to their son, and so, they had told him the truth. But they had yet to see what he would think of it.

Elin sighed and went into the kitchen. She had to be at work soon, and so, she had to get her sons to their day-care centre.

***

Harry was utterly bored. It was Thursday afternoon, the day when he and Viktor stayed late at Rowan Islet's Day-care Centre, seeing as their parents worked late at their respective jobs. He was sitting in one of the playrooms, looking outside on the kids dimly illuminated by the lampposts. They were swinging on the swing set, and he couldn't fathom why anyone wanted to be out in the dark. But everyone, including his friend Cecilia Johansson, was outside. Not he though. Darkness scared him as it brought out memories of being cold, utterly alone and afraid. He could not remember why though.

Then one of the other children at the centre entered the room. One Fredrik Berg. Harry had never liked him; the redhead was older than him and slightly stuck-up, seeing as his dad was a respected member of the Swedish Ministry of Magic. He had never bothered to tell him that his father was an ambassador for the Bulgarian ministry, or that his mother owned the Quidditch shop in the village though. He didn't like privileges and preferred to stand in the shadows and watch.

"What are you doing?" Fredrik wondered, leaning over the smaller boy, looking out through the window.

Harry tried to ignore the boy but didn't succeed, seeing as Fredrik now had hopped onto the windowsill and was looking at him.

"You're looking at your muggle friend," he smirked. "How typical for you ordinary wizards."

Harry glared at him with as much venom a six year old can manage. Cecilia may be a muggle, but she was a great friend. And in Stocka, everyone with knowledge of the wizard world was welcome. But before he could answer, Fredrik started speaking, a smug look in his eyes.

"But you aren't outside," he continued. "That's smart. Then the monster can't take you at least…"

Monster? Memories of a black clad shape with glowing, red eyes surfaced in his mind. Harry's eyes filled with tears and he nervously looked at the light blonde girl laughing in the lamplight outside.

"What monster?" he bravely said, yet his voice quivered. "There are no monsters in Stocka."

Fredrik's grin broadened.

"Yes, there is," he countered. "The monster. It only comes out at night and hides in the forest until it sees someone it can eat. And it really likes little kids."

Harry swallowed as he watched Cecilia outside and he started crying. Poor Cecilia! He wanted to help her, but it was so dark outside! What if the monster took him? But he couldn't let the monster eat Cecilia and the others…

But he never had to make that decision as Viktor entered the room. His brother took one look at his crying little brother and the smirking Fredrik, then rushed over to Harry and hugged him.

"Harry?" he softly said while glaring daggers at Fredrik, who quickly remembered that he had to be elsewhere.

Already at ten years, Viktor Krum was someone to be reckoned with. He wasn't as innocent as Harry, and used to being the protective of the two. And while it was easy to get away with scaring Harry, as he was a quiet, serious child, everyone knew that the consequences were harsh if it reached to Viktor. Especially as Harry was just as vengeful after having been reassured by his brother. There used to be severe pranks played on those who had done the deed. And no one ever repeated it.

Harry looked up into the black eyes of his big brother.

"Fredrik said there's a monster out there," he chokingly said. "And that it's after Cecilia."

Viktor smiled at him and wiped away the tears on his cheeks.

"There's no monsters here in Stocka," he soothed. "There's nothing out there. Fredrik just tried to scare you. And even if it was monsters, do you think I would let anything happen to you or Cecilia?"

Harry tentatively shook his head and looked enquiringly at Viktor.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Positive," Viktor gently said, rising. "And to prove that to you, we are going outside, so you can see for yourself there's no monster outside."

Harry's eyes widened and he tensed up, looking frightened through the window.

"I'm…I'm afraid," he softly stuttered, so softly Viktor almost couldn't hear him.

Hugging his brother again for reassurance, Viktor took his hand.

"Don't be," he seriously said. "I'll be with you all the time. And Harry, remember: the only way to defeat fear, is to face it."

Harry nodded and together they walked to the cloakroom.

***

He was outside with Viktor when their mother arrived. They had gone to the swings together, Harry very tense first, but it went easier and easier. Now, he was completely relaxed and while he hadn't forgotten the tale Fredrik served him, he had realized the disinformation of it. He was not afraid anymore.

"Feeling alright now?" Viktor asked as they had a game of 'swing crash'.

Concentrating on trying to speed up his swing, Harry nodded.

"Yeah," he said. "I can't believe Fredrik managed to scare me like that."

Viktor grinned and managed to crash his swing into Harry's with so much force it jumped.

"Don't worry," he replied. "It happens. When I was five, I was terribly scared of You-know-who…"

He was interrupted as their mother came up to them.

"Harry, Vic" she kindly said. "Run and get your things. We are going to dinner at Raphael's and Evelina's."

Both boys beamed at that. The couple lived in a huge, old wizard house, which kept changing around, pleasing the boys' lust for adventures. Needless to say, they managed to get there and back at a new speed record, all the while they animatedly discussed the latest secret corridors they'd found and where to go this time. They had temporarily forgotten everything about the recent happenings. But something – or rather someone – would soon remind them again.

Arriving at the house, the six year old and the ten year old bounced up the stairs at their mother's heals. Their father followed closely behind, and when Evelina opened the door, they were gathered in an idyllic pose, as if they were making a commercial for the perfect family. The illusion was shattered soon though.

"Hi, aunt Evvie!" they chirped together.

The black-haired twenty-nine year old grinned.

"Hello to you too, pranksters," she smiled. "Don't put up any tripping wires this time, ok? Rafe made a spectacular dive down the stairs the last time you were here. The cushioning charm was a nice touch though."

Elin glared at them.

"Viktor, Harry" she warningly said. "You know what I think of you stealing daddy's and mine's wands."

Harry gave her an angelic look.

"We didn't steal your wands!" he protested.

Viktor smirked.

"No, we took uncle Rafe's" he cheekily said.

Then they tore down the corridors before their mother had a chance to start yelling at them. Running around a corner, they ducked into one of the secret rooms and locked the door.

"That…was…fun!" Harry panted.

"Yeah," Viktor agreed, not as out of breath as his brother.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it," a sarcastic voice said from the shadows. "Now, can you please tell me what you're doing in my bedroom?"

The boys whipped around and stared at the shape emerging from the shadows. Startled and not so little uncertain on what to expect. And as the shadows pulled back, revealing a tall man clad in black robes with a hood shading his face, they both reacted.

"Dementor!" Viktor shrieked and backed away as far from the figure approaching he could. "Harry, run!"

But Harry was frozen in place, feelings and images emerging from his mind he thought he'd never experience outside his worst nightmares.

Black cloaked shapes closed in on him, a taller shape with angry red eyes in their lead. His daddy took one look at them and…

His mommy was crying over his bed and the red-eyed man was glaring at her.

"Not Harry, not Harry. Please not Harry!"

"Stand aside, you silly girl…stand aside, now…!"

"Not Harry, please no. Take me! Kill me instead! Not Harry! Please…have mercy…have mercy…."

A flash of green light and then a high-pitched laugh sounded. Then two words…

"Avada Kedavra…" he whispered before he sank to the ground. "Avada Kedavra…"

Then everything disappeared in a green mist. He could vaguely hear someone curse with a great resourcefulness as something exploded. Then he felt someone lift him up and lay him down on something soft.

"The Boy Who Lived…" a silky, soft voice murmured. "My father… This was unexpected…"