Chapter 4

Harry gasped in awe.

'Julian. Dad, your home's amazing!'

He heard Julian chuckle behind him. They'd apparated to a meadow in the middle of nowhere. It was so peaceful. The house, while not as big as a mansion, was larger than the Dursley's home. It sat against a picturesque scene of mountains, forest and a lake. There was a large garden and a vine covered barn sitting a little away from the house within the perimeters of the garden wall. The house itself was a dazzling white with a dark red roof.

An incredible creature just then appeared from the barn. It looked like a green scaled deer with a branch like horn on its forehead. Following it came a jackalope. Harry hadn't truly believed it when he found out jackalopes really existed. Unicorns and mermaids sure but jackalopes just seemed a little too bizarre.

'Welcome to Hidden Hearts' Julian said.

'It's beautiful! You live with these creatures!? Do they have names? What is the deer creature called?'

Smiling Julian led him up to the house. The deer like creature and the jackalope came down to meet them.

'This is Swift and Wisdom. Wisdom is a Kirin. Her species can live for thousands of years and are very intelligent. They originate from Japan.'

The creature in question nuzzled Julian warmly, then turned to Harry. With a small swish of its tail it stepped forward and bowed slightly. Harry bowed back without thinking about why he had to. It just seemed the most respectful thing to do. Wisdom reached out to nuzzle his cheek. Harry could almost hear her bid him welcome.

The jackalope was stunning. Silvery grey with a black stripe from its forehead down to his tail and black paws and ears. Its antlers were an almost shimmering white, as was it's eyes, with a tuft of white under its tail. It sniffed at Harry's hand and head-butted him gently in greeting.

'Swift is my familiar. I met him at Hogwarts. Jackalopes tend to live a number of years, so when I left school, he came with me.'

'You had a jackalope as a familiar! That's wicked!' Harry replied.

Julian smiled, then looked serious.

'There are a few rules I have. Pick up after yourself. Eat your fill, you won't go hungry here. And don't go into the forest. There's a creature in there called a wendigo. It's an un-dead malevolent spirit with an intense hunger for flesh. It looks like a giant stag standing on its hind legs with large claws instead of hooves on its forearms. Spells will have no effect on it. You can tell it's near when the wind starts to whisper and the temperature drops dramatically. If that ever happened when you're out playing you must run for the house. It can ride the wind, making it extremely fast.'

Julian paused as Harry started shivering in fear. He wrapped his arms round his son for comfort.

'I'm sorry I'm scaring you Harry. I had no idea it even lived here until after I had the house built. It rarely comes here. The garden is strongly warded against it, and Wisdom and I will both be with you in a heartbeat should it ever show. I can't kill it, but I can drive it away. You need to know what to do if you feel its effects.'

'I can't believe you actually live with that kind of creature for a neighbour! It's ok Dad, I'll remember your warning. And I'm not ever going into that forest' Harry replied.

Inside the house was just as impressive. The front door led to the main hall with the stairs before them, the sitting room to the left and a massive library to the right. Behind the stairs was a potions lab. Julian had it installed for Professor Snape. The man used to visit often, but due to safety and work reasons had to stop. The sitting room led through to the dining room and both took up the whole left side of the house, with the kitchen tucked behind the potions lab off from the dining room. There was an entertainment room attached to the front of the library with large bay windows. Upstairs there were four bedrooms, each taking up a corner of the upper level. A large bathroom was behind the stairs. Harry chose the front right room as his own. Julian had the front left. The back left held the spare bed which had been for Professor Snape.

Harry wound up sleeping beside Julian. He was having nightmares of huge bloodthirsty stags chasing him. Julian apologized profoundly for causing him to have trouble sleeping. It was clear just how guilty he felt about it. Harry reassured him that it was better he knew than didn't. Merlin knows what could have happened if he had wondered into the forest without knowing. With his dad's arms round him Harry managed to sleep soundly for the rest of the night.

They spent the next morning working out what Harry would need for his new room. Julian eyes darkened again slightly when he heard about the cupboard and he was quick to reassure Harry that this room would be his and his alone for however long he wanted it. Harry decided to bring the desk and chair from his vault, which left him with a bed and bedside table, a wardrobe, a bookcase and a cupboard to get.

'Harry are you sure I can't pay for these? It is my duty as a parent.'

'It feels like they're really my own if I pay.'

Julian pouted slightly and Harry laughed.

'Ok. The desk and chair I'm taking from my vault so that leaves the rest. You can buy one thing and I'll get the others.'

'So… Just one?' Julian asked.

Harry suspiciously nodded. Julian smiled.

'Alright. I'll get you the bed.'

They flooed to Diagon Alley. Julian helped him to his feet and cleaned him off. He still hated that form of transport. With glamour in place they set about getting his bedroom furniture. Their first stop was the bank where he greeted Strikeaxe warmly and retrieved the items from his vault. The old goblin gave them a nod and a smile, bidding farewell as they left. Harry was then led to a store that sold furniture. They spend some time looking over the pieces. He decided to stick with the oak theme and found pieces that matched the desk and chair. Harry wondered just what Julian was planning as they searched for the bed and side table. They found a selection and he made a choice, moving to pick out a mattress.

'You'll need a bigger one. That will never do for a king size.'

Harry just stared at his dad.

'Wait. That's what you were planning?! I don't need a king size bed. I'll hardly make a dent in it.'

Julian just smiled impishly.

'Ah. You did say I could pay for it. And I want to treat my son. Now hunt down that mattress in king size will you. They have the bed you want and I intend to make sure you could fit ten people on it. For the absolute sake of knowing you can do it.'

Harry couldn't help but laugh. There was no way Julian would let this one go. Sighing he left the single and went to look for a king. He didn't want pampered. He just wanted a home where he would be loved. Clearly Julian was going to spoil him though. Just a little. That left his with a warm feeling in his heart.

With the bed and matching bedside table bought and shrunk down with the others, Julian steered Harry to the ice cream shop and, after a quick playful argument, they decided to treat each other to a dessert. Harry discussed a few thoughts he had on school. The main one being how to keep Dumbledore from using legilimens to find out his plans. Julian solved the dilemma by saying that Wisdom was extremely good at occlumency and she could teach him. Granted he would need to be taught as Ebony, but the information could be retained in the human side of his mind. Between her and Professor Snape, Julian himself had been taught to an expert level. He wasn't quite skilled enough to teach much more than the basics himself though. They spent some time going over the plan once they were safely back home. Home. Harry hadn't been able to call anywhere home. Hogwarts came close, the Burrow too. But this really was home. Even the wendigo didn't put him off feeling this way.

Occlumency proceeded much better than with Professor Snape. Wisdom was patient and explained everything calmly and in a way Harry could remember. She was a lot like a grandmother. She explained how when Julian was a child, Severus brought him to a market. Julian saw Wisdom in a poor state of health and, using his abilities, set her free. She later tracked him to Hogwarts, and spent time watching him and being there to mother him when he was upset. Between her, Swift and Severus, Julian always had someone to turn to. Harry told her she had a beautiful heart, and thanked her for looking out for Julian. As the days past his lessons were getting easier and by the time he was to return to the Dursleys, to be there for Hagrid coming, he was a pro at occlumency. Certainly not a master, not even close. But good enough that Dumbledore would have a very hard time seeing his thoughts.

Julian saw Harry to the door on the evening of July 31st.

'You sure you'll be ok?'

'I'll be fine. The letters will by now have made the Dursleys move. Hagrid will help me buy my school things for first year, and when I leave the Dursleys will have the fake me back?' Harry replied with a reassuring smile.

'The fake you? What spell did you use? I hadn't even thought about how you fooled them' Julian asked curiously.

'I made a clone of myself. He doesn't have any magic so nothing accidental will happen. And the tracking charm Dumbledore placed on me when he left me there has been transferred to the fake me. Uncle Vernon will drop him off and pick him up from the station just like last time. I've made it so he'll disappear as he gets out the car and Uncle Vernon will drive away believing he went inside. He'll vanish if I appear and reappear when I leave. It will stop those watching the house from becoming suspicious' Harry replied.

Julian nodded and hugged him with a quick kiss to the forehead. Harry found it reassuring that his scar didn't bother Julian. Not that it did last time either but Julian hadn't kissed him before. With a wave and a smile he vanished.

Julian was waiting for him when he came back the next day. Harry told his dad it went fine. The goblin at the bank had, when Hagrid gave him the key, called on Strikeaxe who nodded at Harry and sent them to the vault, taking the key at the end of the visit without Hagrid knowing. Harry now had Hedwig. This time she would be protected from curses.

They went inside, and Harry was surprised to see the sitting room full of balloons and confetti with a large banner over the fireplace. Swift was sitting playing with the coloured paper and Wisdom nuzzled Harry as he came in. Julian steered him to the sofa where a cake was sitting on the coffee table and a small pile of gifts had been paced.

'Happy Birthday Son! Why don't you let Hedwig out and blow out the candles' Julian announced with a grin.

Harry found he was blinking back tears. He rubbed his eyes and opened Hedwig's cage. She flew onto the back of the sofa and hooted at him. He then turned to the cake, blowing out the eleven candles.

'Thank you.'

'You're welcome. Couldn't miss your birthday, could we? I made the cake while you were away. And got you something' Julian replied.

Harry gasped. There were eleven gifts, all neatly wrapped. He wasn't greedy like his cousin who demanded more each year. He would have been happy with one. He looked up at Julian to thank him, and saw his dad was looking both nervous and saddened.

'Dad what's wrong?'

Julian gave him a small smile.

'A lot of these you'll have grown out of. I've been collecting them since you were born.'

Harry tilted his head slightly in question. He sat down and picked up one. The label read "To my son on his 3rd Birthday". Another was addressed for his fifth. One by one he picked them up and sat them in order. In the end he had a gift for each year of his life. He looked back at Julian who had sat beside him.

'You bought me these? Even though you thought I was dead?'

'I didn't want to forget you' was the reply.

Harry pulled his dad into a hug. He couldn't believe how thoughtful Julian had been. Or how upset he must have felt each time he bought a gift he thought he would never get to give.

'I don't care what they are. I'll love them and keep them all. Thank you' he whispered.

He carefully unwrapped them, starting with the earliest. He received a silver rattle that Julian made with his elements when he was young. It must have exhausted him; A handmade hanging mobile with glowing planets and stars; A set of building blocks with mythical animals carved into them; A nightlight in the shape of a phoenix; A plush dragon; A music box that Julian had recorded a song onto; An ornament of a baby dragon; A Hogwarts train set; A snow globe with Hogwarts inside; A wooden book that opened to become a charmed marble puzzle; And for this birthday, Harry received a crystal owl. He had told Julian about Hedwig previously.

'I realize that the first few are not much. I didn't have a lot of money' Julian explained.

Harry wiped the tears away from his eyes and shook his head.

'You took the time and effort to buy or make a gift that would let you remember the son you thought had been killed. Money doesn't matter. These are worth more than the most expensive gift a child could receive. I love them. I love you, Dad.'

'I love you too, Son.'

A thought came to him.

'Dad, when's your birthday?'

'29th of June' Julian replied with a smile.

Harry nodded. He would make sure to remember that. Without a doubt this had been the best birthday he'd ever had.

The next day, with his gifts placed lovingly in his room, Harry sat with a list of things then he needed to bring back from Hogwarts.

"Invisibility cloak

Philosopher's stone

Basilisk fangs

Horcruxes: Hufflepuff cup

Ravenclaw diadem "

He was ready. Come the end of first year, he would be half way towards defeating Voldemort.