Harry and James walked a few blocks before stopping.
"Shall we portkey or apparate?" asked James.
"What's a portkey?" asked Harry.
"A portkey is a device wizards use to transport from one spot to another at a prearranged time. Mine is set to go off in ten minutes, but we don't have to use it."
"I think I'd like to try portkeying. A good spot is a few blocks away in the woods behind that park up there." Harry pointed.
"We might as well be going, if we want to get there in time with the muggles watching us."
Harry and James walked in silence neither of them knowing what to say to the other. Then Harry came up with something.
"How's Hedwig?"
"The white snowy owl with amber eyes? She's great your sister has grown fond of her. I think it's mutual to be honest. She gets along fine with our owl, Lily."
"You named it after her?" asked Harry quiet now.
James nodded looking somber now too. The two of them walked the rest of the way in silence. Both thinking about Lily Evans Potter.
When they arrived at the park a few of the members of Dudley's gang were hanging around. Before Harry could move Piers Polkis, Malcolm Gordon, and Dennis Bradley came over. Piers, the biggest of the three, Dudley's second in command said: "Hey Potter, how you doing? I heard St. Brutus's kicked you out? where are they sending you now to be hanged?" Malcolm and Dennis laughed.
"Yeah Potter" agreed Malcolm "Who's that, the lucky officer to bring you in?" the three of them started laughing.
Then it was Dennis's turn "Now Potter, big D may have told us to lay off you a couple years ago, but he doesn't o what he's missing." The three boys started to move to attack him.
Then Harry did what he had always done before Hogwarts, he ran as fast as possible he just hoped that James was following him.
When he stopped he looked around he remembered this place the only place that felt safe to him, the forest clearing where he'd spend days with no one bothering him. Lucky for him James had followed.
"Where are we?" he asked Harry.
"This is where I used to go to get away from the Dursleys and Dudley's gang Harry explained. "It was the only place I felt safe until Hogwarts. How long do we have until the portkey goes off?" Harry asked changing the subject.
"Oh Merlin quick!" said James. "Just put a finger on it now!"
Harry had done it just in time and he felt a pull at his naval. Like with the time-turner he felt like things were flashing past him. Then his feet slammed into the ground, and of course he fell over, like with the floo. James was still standing.
"You all right?" he asked offering Harry a hand.
"Yeah, just all the pressure of the ground I'm fine." Then he looked around at the open fields surrounding them. "Where are we?" he asked.
"We are at Potter Manor, in Scotland." And then a magnificent building came into view. "it's under the fidelius charm." James explained answering Harry's questioning stare. "Come on, everyone's waiting." and James took his son by the hand, and lead him into his new home.
Harry and James walked up a country road to the house, and up a walk to an oak front door. James put the wand at the place a keyhole would be on a normal door and it swung open.
"Since our wands are pretty much a part of us the door will open if you put your wand tip to it. It knows you're a Potter."
"If you have to be a Potter, then how would Natalie do it?"
"In the wizarding world when you adopt someone there is a potion you can give them so the person actually has the family blood." James told him.
Then they walked into the house. In the front room where they had just entered there were three people waiting. A girl with brown hair and blue eyes, and a boy with darker brown hair than the girl with hazel eyes. Both looked about eleven Harry assumed they were Natalie and Nathaniel. There was also a woman with dark brown hair, and lighter brown eyes, who Harry assumed was Mary.
Harry assumptions were proved right when the boy spoke. "Hi Harry I'm Nathaniel, but if you know what's good for you call me Nathan." the boy stepped forward and shook Harry's hand exuberantly. "That's Natalie, and that's Mum." he pointed at the others.
"Er nice to meet you Nathan, Natalie and?"
"Call me whatever you want just not Maria." Mary smiled.
"That's Uncle Sirius's name for her." Nathan whispered loudly in Harry's ear so everyone could hear.
"Where is Sirius anyways?" asked Harry remembering he was supposed to be here.
"he's at Remus's place." answered Mary. "He thought you may need some time to adjust before the prank wars start."
"Prank wars?"
"Yes, Sirius, and James, do it nonstop. It doesn't help that this one keeps egging them on." Mary poked her son in the chest.
"Oi, I never do anything of the sort!" Nathan fake pouted.
"Oh you do young man. Now why don't you give Harry the tour I have to get lunch ready."
"I'll help." said Natalie smiling shyly at Harry then turning to follow her mum down a hallway to the left.
"I have to leave too Harry. Sirius and I are going into London for ministry business. I should be home around dinner." James waved and disapparated on the spot.
"How does he do that inside the house with the wards?" asked Harry.
"If you are a Potter you can, but everyone else has to use the floo, or apparate past the boundaries of the property." Nathan explained. "Now, where should we start the top, outside, or the basement?" ask Nathan.
"How about the top." said Harry.
"All right, come on." and Nathan lead Harry up two flights of stairs.
"The third floor is where all our bedrooms are. There are six in total. If the family were larger they would probably live on one of our larger properties."
"What do you mean? How many properties are there?"
"Twenty-one I believe. Only three including this one are in use though. They aren't just in Britain. We've got one on every continent literally. Our great-grandfather even bought a small estate in Antarctica. He only used it once, after that experience I guess he decided to never go anywhere cold again so he bought a beach house in North America in the U.S. in Los Angeles California. Back to the tour you can hear about Potter family history anytime. Dad'll talk your ear off about it if you let him." Nathan lead Harry down the hallway to the last door.
"This, is the master bedroom Mum and Dad sleep in here." Harry took a look around the room.
"Wow!" exclaimed Harry "This is like the size of my dormitory at Hogwarts!" it had carpeting that felt like it was a foot deep, the bed was massive, there was a sitting area with two armchairs and a sofa around a coffee table, and three of the four walls had windows.
"All the bedrooms in this house are suites so they have a seating area" Nathan pointed "And a bathroom" Nathan pointed at a door on the wall that had no windows.
Harry and Nathan went to the next room. "This is the nursery. I don't know why we still have it set up as a nursery. I mean seriously, no one has used that for like nine years!" Harry went to open the next door, but Nathan stopped him.
"This, is Natalie's room, don't go in there without knocking if you know what's good for you. Hang on." and Nathan took a deep breath then said: "I Nathan Sirius Potter swear on my life aaaand my magic that I won't touch anything in this room except the floor." Harry sent a questioning look at Nathan. "When we were younger I came in here and broke a couple of her dolls ever since I've had to do that." Nathan cautiously pushed open the door.
The room was covered in different shades of pink except for a mural on the wall of a castle that looked like Hogwarts.
"Lets go." said Harry feeling uncomfortable. Nathan nodded agreeing, and the two boys ran out as if they couldn't leave quick enough.
"This room" said Nathan quite proudly "Is my room." Nathan threw open the door.
"Oh Merlin." whispered Harry amazed. The room he had just walked into had one wall of windows, a wall that had the picture of a football (soccer) field, and the opposite wall had what amazed Harry: a moving wizarding picture of a Quidditch match going on in a professional stadium. "Pride of Portree versus the Tutshill Tornados 24/7." whispered Harry.
"It can do even more watch" said Nathan excitedly. "Quidditch World Cup of 1990." and the game switched in seconds.
"Wow! That's even better than a muggle telly!" said Harry.
"Then I think Dad picked the right room for you." said Nathan smiling leading Harry out of the room. Nathan opened the door to the room next to his.
Harry was even more in heaven with this room than he was with Nathan's his Dad was right this was Harry's dream room. One wall of windows, a mural of Hogwarts Castle on one wall, and on the opposite side of the room was the same Quidditch moving picture that Nathan had. "This is amazing are you sure about this Nathan?" Harry asked using his brothers name for the first time.
"Yeah, of course." Harry and Nathan then left the room.
"This last room is empty." Nathan pointed at the room next to Harry's. "Come on now I still have a lot to show you."
The boys went down the stairs. "This is the second floor like I said before all the bedrooms in this house are suites. These aren't as fancy as ours, but still are pretty nice." Nathan opened the door to one to show Harry. It was definitely not as luxurious as the rooms on the third floor, but Ron would be amazed at a room of this class.
"There's no need to show you the rest of this floor." said Nathan. "All the rooms are similar, come on I'll show you the first floor now."
The boys walked down another flight of stairs. Nathan lead Harry into the front room. "There are three halls that go off this room." said Nathan. "That one" Nathan pointed at the left one that Mary and Natalie had went down earlier "goes to the kitchen, and our family room." The two boys walked in on the right they could hear the stove. Harry and Nathan poked their heads in. It was pretty fancy for a kitchen stainless steel counter tops, a table that could seat eight, and like most of the rooms in the house many windows.
Harry and Nathan then went into the family room which had two couches, and three armchairs, a round table, a fireplace. Harry smiled it looked kind of like the Gryffindor common room, it was furnished in red and gold.
"Right onto the next hall."
The boys went back to the front room and to the hall straight ahead. "This hall has the ballroom, parlor, and the dining room." The ballroom looked like a miniature version of the great hall minus the house tables, and enchanted sealing.
The parlor was much more proper than the family room, this room was furnished in brown and beige, and didn't have a fireplace.
The dining room looked like one of those formal restaurants that the Dursleys would go to about once a year with friends, and pretend they did it all the time.
The boys went back to the front room this last hall has Mum and Dad's home offices, and the Potter family library."
Nathan briefly showed Harry the offices. Then they went into the library. Harry looked around there were a few tables, and shelves full of books. Hermione would love this place Harry thought it was about a quarter of the size of the Hogwarts library, and that library was the largest he had ever seen.
"Come on it's almost time for lunch and we still have to go to the basement, and outside."
The two boys went downstairs, Harry had been expecting a cellar so he was extremely surprised to be standing in a finished basement. There were four doors leading off the main room. The main room was a lounge that had a television.
"This is the only room in the house where muggle technology works we don't do magic in here." Nathan explained.
"That door is to our sauna Mum and Dad say it's kind of like the prefect bathroom at Hogwarts." Nathan opened the door.
The lights turned on when they entered to reveal a pearl colored room there was a huge bathtub that was like half the size of a swimming pool with different taps all around x' and a pile of fluffy looking towels along the wall.
"Each tap does a different thing like different colored bubbles, and making a waterfall that sort of thing." Nathan showed Harry a few taps.
The next room the boys went into was a gym. "Normally all these machines" Nathan pointed around the room "have to run on muggle electricity, but Mum and Dad manipulated them somehow Mum's a genius with charms, and Dad's a master at transfiguration." Nathan said proudly.
The boys left the room and Nathan opened the next door with a flourish. "This, is the legendary Potter family dueling room. Well at least in Dad's eyes it is." Harry couldn't agree more with Nathan about that. The room was completely normal with pads on the wall, and floor for safety.
"You'll love this one." said Nathan happily.
"What is it?" asked Harry interested.
"It's the Potter family indoor Quidditch pitch!" said Nathan as he opened the door.
The room almost look like you were outside it had turf grass, good for kicking off the ground, and the ceiling was enchanted. It had the professional dimensions, and there were bleachers on the side of the pitch.
"This is amazing, it isn't as great as playing outside, but if it's raining or too cold it's perfect." said Harry. "Can guests come down here?"
"yeah, me and my best friend Jimmy come down here all the time."
"Great!" said Harry. "Can I test it out?"
"Sure lets get brooms." there was a shed in the corner of the room.
There were six brooms in the shed a Cleansweep 7 like the Ravenclaw team had, a Comet 260 that Cho Chang rode at Hogwarts, a Silver Arrow Madam Hooch's favorite broom, a Nimbus 1995 that looked similar to Harry's old Nimbus 2000, an old Shootingstar like Ron's, and a Bluebottle children's broom. Nathan grabbed the Cleansweep seven, and Harry grabbed the Nimbus 1995. Nathan grabbed a quaffle to throw around. The boys kicked off racing each other around the pitch while passing the quaffle to each other. Harry couldn't believe it he was enjoying it more than he enjoyed looking for the golden snitch. He felt like him, and his brother were a part of each other knowing exactly what move the other would make. The boys landed after a few minutes.
"That was amazing I never felt so good after playing Quidditch before." said Harry smiling.
"Neither have I." said Nathan.
"Lets go I haven't seen the outside yet." the two boys sadly left the basement.
The boys then walked out to the grounds of Potter Manor. "We have a pond" Nathan pointed "There's woods" Nathan pointed in the distance "and of an outdoor Quidditch pitch." the two boys raced out to the pitch, and ran to the broom shed. "We keep better brooms out here." said Nathan. In this shed there was a Nimbus 1997 2001, a Cleansweep 8, and 9, another Silver Arrow, another Comet 260, another Bluebottle, and two brooms still in there packaging. "That's strange I was just out here this morning and there were no packages here. They're probably Dad's, sometimes he gets to beta test new brooms. I never get to try them, just Dad. He doesn't even let me watch."
Again the boys grabbed the broom of their choice Nathan the Cleansweep 9, and Harry the Nimbus 1997. "Why the '97 not the '01?" asked Nathan.
"Because that's the broom Draco Malfoy used to bribe himself onto the Slytherin Quidditch team two years ago." Harry explained looking disgusted even at the thought of riding the same broom as Draco Malfoy.
"Oh, I see. Mum and Dad say that the Malfoy's were on Voldemort's side in the war. Is that why?"
"That's part of it, he's a show off, a cheater, and of course house rivalry's part of it too." said Harry as they mounted their brooms.
"This time I'm going to set up the keeper machine it tries to act like a keeper for us. So we can see how we match up." said Nathan. And that's how Natalie found her brothers a half hour later passing the quaffle, and trying to score goals.
"It's time for lunch Mum says you have to come in now Nathan.
"All right," said Nathan sighing along with Harry. The two boys sadly put their brooms away for the second time that day.
Harry followed Nathan into the kitchen the table was set for four at one end. Harry and Nathan sat on one side with Mary and Natalie across from them.
"So Harry what do you think of the house?" asked Mary.
"It's great." said Harry grinning. "It's like my dream house. I guess our ancestors have similar tastes to me."
"Yeah well almost every Potter has played quidditch at Hogwarts." said Nathan matter of factly with his mouthful of turkey and ham.
"Nathan Potter!" cried Mary "For Merlin's sake don't talk with your mouth full!"
"Sorry Mum." muttered Nathan crossing his fingers under the table. Harry smirked at him, and thought I'm finally home.
Meanwhile at the Ministry of Magic
James and Sirius ran full speed into the ministry. "Why didn't you tell me to meet you here?" ask Sirius panting.
"I only got the owl like a minute before I left to get Harry. Dursley punched me when I got there."
"Tell me later." said Sirius frowning as Lucius Malfoy strutted over to them sneering.
"Ah, Potter, Black. So you managed to snag an invitation to the meeting I hear. It was supposed to just be me, Fudge, that coot Dumbledore, Crouch, and Bagman but now there's someone to represent every department this is really unnecessary. This place is going to the dogs!" Lucius then strutted away towards the meeting, like he owned the place.
"Prat" muttered James "Come on we'll be late for the meeting."
The Two men ran again passing Lucius Malfoy on the way he taking his time still strutting. James and Sirius walked into the meeting.
"Lord Potter, Lord Black just in time. Have you seen Lord Malfoy by chance?" asked Fudge formally.
"Yes minister he's on his way. He er just had to do something before the meeting."
"If Lord Malfoy thinks it's more important to show off then get to the meeting on time, I say we start without him." said Alastor Moody frowning.
"Now Alastor, Lucius has never been late to a meeting before I say we give him a minute, and if he isn't here then we'll start." said Fudge firmly.
A minute passed. Fudge Sighed "All right, looks like we'll have to start without him James put the wards in place. James went over to the door putting up the standard ministry meeting wards.
"All right, Mr. Bagman and Mr. Crouch asked me to call all of you here for a meeting about a idea they had. Why don't you tell them?" asked Fudge.
"Our idea was to try and have the Triwizard Tournament again this year at Hogwarts." said Crouch seriously.
"There will be an age restriction so only people who are of age seventeen or older will be able to participate." added Ludo Bagman
"Don't mind me interrupting Ludo Barty, but what if a younger student asked an older student to put their name in the Goblet of Fire?" asked James.
"Oh dear I didn't think of that." said Fudge.
"No matter what we do there will always be that loop hole." said Dumbledore. "And I daresay students will think of that."
Ludo sighed "So I guess we can't proceed."
"I'm sorry Ludo, Barty there are valid reasons here why we shouldn't do the tournament no matter what we do. The next thing we need at this time is worried parents suing us for letting this happen." The men were about to leave when James spoke.
"I think I have a great alternative, better than the Triwizard in my opinion, what if we had a Quidditch tournament with wizarding schools from all over the world? The majority of students are in to Quidditch. There could be three teams a second and third year team, a fourth and fifth year, and a sixth and seventh year team."
"that's a great idea James, why didn't I think of that?" ask Ludo excited now.
"yes that way it involves students of all ages not just the sixth and seventh years that'll be even better for International Cooperation." said Barty Crouch who actually looked excited for once.
"This year the schools could put together teams from each year and play each other. Then next year the top eight teams in each category will play each other for the real tournament. Not everyone who's picked would be on the same team, but the best would be chosen!" said Sirius grinning.
"I like it." said Fudge nodding. "Quidditch isn't exactly the safest thing, but children play it all the time anyways so they won't be doing anything too dangerous."
"So it's settled." said Dumbledore his eyes twinkling now. "I'll go inform the heads of the major wizarding schools around the world." Dumbledore left, and the rest of the men took that as a cue to leave.
"Can you believe it?" asked Sirius excitedly. "i'd have loved to be at Hogwarts the next two years."
"Yeah" agreed James "Harry and Nathan will both be playing Quidditch. Many children will get to play now not just twenty-eight there will be eighty-four students playing. The competition will even be age appropriate no more second years getting crushed by seventh years."
"That's if Dumbledore keeps it." said Sirius.
"Oh, he will." said James "He will, trust me. Are you interested in getting a drink at the Leaky Cauldron?"
"Sure why not?" and the two men left the ministry happier than they had been since their own Hogwarts years.
"Two fire whiskeys." said James at the bar to Tom the land lord.
"Sure thing James, what's up at the ministry these days, anything interesting?"
"Oh yes" said James "You'll find out soon enough, can't tell you now. I can tell you it's something happening at Hogwarts that the students will love."
"Here you go two fire whiskeys anything else?" he asked.
"No thanks we're good Tom." the two men went and sat down in the pub whispering excitedly about the tournament, what they didn't know was that someone had followed them and overheard their conversation.
Potter Manor dinnertime
After lunch Harry and Nathan went out to the pitch again with the same brooms as earlier. That's how James found them when he got home at six o'clock.
"Hey boys great conditions right?" the boys landed, and walked over to talk to James.
"Yeah great!" said Nathan cheerily. "Harry and I have been out all day we just took a break for lunch, and came right back out."
"That's great, what do you think of the place Harry?" James asked his elder son.
"It's great" said Harry. "everything's great an indoor and outdoor quidditch pitch a movie Quidditch picture, a mural of Hogwarts it's amazing!"
"I'm glad you like your bedroom, I thought you would."
Harry frowned then. "I haven't seen Hedwig, where is she?"
"Oh, we have a owlery like Hogwarts, of course ours is smaller. You didn't show him Nathan?"
"No, we've just been playing Quidditch all day."
"I would like to see Hedwig now." said Harry interrupting.
"All right lets go."
When they entered the forest Harry saw something that looked about the size of a shed, but had open windows. James unlocked the door with his wand, and Harry ran inside. Hedwig was up high on a shelf that had a bed of straw on it.
"Come here girl." Harry called up to her. Hedwig flew down landing on his shoulder. Harry petted her for a minute and Hedwig hooted happily. Then she nipped Harry's finger in her usual way, and flew off to go hunting.
"I like this." said Harry nodding at the owlery as he walked out, Nathan and James following.
Harry and Nathan kicked off again scoring goals trying to fake out the keeper.
"You should probably come in now boys, it's almost time for dinner." said James. The boys landed by the broom shed they put their brooms in the holders.
"Hey Dad." said Nathan. "I see you get to test some new brooms."
"No, I don't. Did you bother to read what the tag says?"
"No." answered Nathan. "Should I?"
"Yes." James replied mysterious now.
Harry and Nathan each picked up a package. "This one says it's for you Nathan." said Harry handing over the broom.
"And this one's for you Harry." Nathan replied doing the same.
The boys tore back the packaging each gasping in surprise.
"The new Cleansweep ten?" asked Nathan amazed.
"The new Nimbus 2003?" Harry asked excited then frowning.
"Yeah I thought you may want them. The Cleansweep just came out yesterday, and the Nimbus will be out in two weeks."
"But i Already have a broom." said Harry frowning. "I have the Firebolt that Sirius bought me."
"No you don't. Not anymore anyways. Sirius sent it back and got a refund. I wanted to buy my son a broom."
"Then why didn't you just pay Sirius for half or something?"
"Sirius wouldn't let me, but then we had an idea that we knew you'd approve of Harry."
"What did you do?"
"We bought the Weasleys new brooms. We got the twins Jolly Jaunters, the girl Ginny right?"
"yeah"
"Well we got her the Siberian Arrow, and we got your friend Ron a Nimbus 2002. We couldn't get him the '03 like you because it isn't out yet. I didn't know if you wanted your friends knowing the connections I have."
"When will they get them?"
"I was going to send them tonight."
"Could I floo over tomorrow and bring them?" asked Harry hopefully.
"Sure if you want they could come over here and test them out on a proper pitch."
"Yeah, that'd be great!" said Harry happily.
Harry, Nathan, and James left the broom shed. Harry and Nathan carrying their new possessions like they were made of glass. The boys brought their brooms up to their rooms, then came back down for dinner.
"So what did they need you for at the ministry?" asked Mary as she put pork chops, mashed potatoes, and gravy on their plates.
"Barty Crouch and Ludo Bagman had an idea to try doing the Triwizard Tournament again at Hogwarts."
"oh Merlin!" Mary exclaimed. "Please tell me they aren't doing it!"
"They aren't. They originally wanted to just put an age restriction on it, but Dumbledore and I pointed out that a younger student could just ask an older student to put their name in. Then I came up with an alternative idea that Ludo was jealous he hadn't thought of."
"What is it Dad?" asked Nathan excited.
"Sorry Nat I can't tell you. You'll have to wait until the welcome feast."
"Come on James I'm sure Lucius Malfoy told his son." said Mary agreeing with her son for once.
"Lucius didn't make it to the meeting." said James smirking. "He was too busy strutting around the place. I guess he lost track of time. Even if Lucius Malfoy was at the meeting I wouldn't tell you. Right now Fudge trusts me, the only other person he trusts as much is Lucius Malfoy. The next thing we need at the moment is Malfoy making Fudge full of himself."
Harry and Mary nodded in agreement.
For the rest of the meal everyone in the family took turns trying to guess what James's idea was. Nobody guessed it.
"Is Hogwarts getting a football team?" asked Nathan hopeful.
"Are they turning Hogwarts into a day school?" ask'ed Mary.
"Are they banning all Slytherins?" asked Harry excited.
"Are they getting more fashionable uniforms?" asked Natalie.
"No, no, no, and no!" said James for the hundredth time.
That night in bed Harry couldn't help thinking that he loved his father. Ever since he met him he had been trying to put him in the worst light possible, but tonight he couldn't. He now had his own family something he had always wanted, sure the Weasleys were great, but they felt like close relatives not immediate family. Life couldn't get any better than this Harry thought dreamily.
