The first thing he noted upon waking was not the strange room he was in or the strange boy in the other bed but the splitting headache that was almost, but not quite, as bad as the ones Voldemort tended to give him. His entire body throbbed in an odd sort of way that reminded him eerily of the pains that had plagued him every now and then ever since the Cruciatus Curse had been placed on him.
Having his identity tested had, overall, been a very quick process. Sure, not knowing his own title had been awkward and had left him feeling rather stupid but it passed soon enough and had been replaced by shock when they informed him that he was Lord Potter, in name at least, for someone else apparently took care of his responsibilities until he came of age. They had then asked him to perform some magic, a simple Levitation Charm that he had learnt at eleven years old, and had then been handed a potion by Snape. To his credit, the professor had warned him that changing his appearance would hurt but Harry was rather sure that he'd seen a malicious sort of gleam inside the greasy bat's eyes as he nearly choked on the thick, gooey mass.
As the pain slowly faded away, Harry opened his eyes and sat up.
"Oh, you're awake."
He startled around. Standing a few feet away from him, clad in only PJs, was a boy with blonde wavy hair and blue eyes. He looked to be around fourteen years, which, Harry duly noted, was his own real age- Finian, his mind supplied. The boy looked a lot like Malfoy but only upon closer inspection. He was lanky but not too tall, probably an inch or two shorter than Harry was- used to be- and his skin wasn't as terribly pale as Malfoy's.
"Who're you then?"
"I-I'm, uh, Harry. I'm Harry."
"You sure?" The boy smirked at him and turned around to rummage in the drawer that stood behind him. "Because you don't really sound sure."
Harry rolled his eyes and stood up, crossing the room to open the wardrobe. "Who're you then?"
"Nathan. You don't happen to know where our clothes have gone, do you?"
"You were awake before me."
Nathan shrugged. "Pity. I don't fancy being seen in my PJs and this stuff won't fit me- or you for that matter."
They abandoned their search and sat on their beds opposite each other and as Harry once again eyed the boy who had been born his twin brother, a thought came to him. "Nathan as in Nathan Longbottom?"
"Yeah," he nodded, raising an eyebrow. "I suppose you're Harry Potter then?"
"Yeah."
Nathan chuckled drily. "Bit ironic, is it? Gryffindor's Golden Boy is actually the son of a Death Eater."
"I'm not Gryffindor's Golden Boy."
"Sure you're not," Nathan shrugged again. "Still funny."
Harry didn't think it was funny in the least. No one would find it funny to be told that their entire life had been one big lie- no one but Nathan Longbottom, apparently.
When he had met Nathan, he had seemed to be rather like Neville, if not as shy as him, but now, as he was talking to him alone for the first time, the realization that the two cousins weren't alike at all came crashing down on him. It was disappointing, in a way. He would've liked a brother like Neville- he was a pretty good friend and doubtlessly one of the most trustworthy people he knew. Of course, Nathan did seem alright, even if his reaction to what was happening as highly inappropriate and nothing like the way Harry had reacted.
"Why don't you attend Hogwarts?" He asked, not really in the mood to pick a fight. "Neville does."
"That's because my grandmum isn't Neville's grandmum. I was supposed to go but then that thing with you and the Philosopher's Stone happened and grandmum decided that Hogwarts was too dangerous."
Hogwarts was dangerous but most the time, Harry thought it wasn't too bad- if he ignored all those times everyone hated him. Some of the classes were quite fun. He had especially enjoyed his Third Year Defense Against the Dark Arts class. It had been taught by Professor Lupin, one of his father's best friends, and had been the class he looked most forward to. Charms with Professor Flitwick and Transfiguration with Professor McGonagall weren't bad either and almost made up for Potions with Snape.
"What about your parents? Do they think it's dangerous too?"
"Dunno. They just said that if Grandmum thinks it's dangerous, they don't want me there. I'm their only son, see, and I'm in line for lots of titles."
"Really?"
"Yeah. You're too, I guess. I'm in line for Potter too but I think I'm the 20th spare or something. Everyone who's at least half-blood is in line for a dozen or so titles. I get most of mine because my great-grandmother was born a Black."
One title was more than enough for Harry- he certainly didn't want any others. He hadn't even known about the Potter title let alone the many more Nathan spoke of. Would there be even more added now that the truth about their heritage was out?
"Will we be in line for Malfoy's title?"
"Yeah," he nodded. "You're supposed to be Eoin, right?"
"Does that matter?"
"Of course. If I'm Finian, and I think I am, then you're before me. The birth order decides that. Draco Malfoy is Heir, of course. That'd make you scion and me first spare. We're also pretty far up the line for the Black title."
He sat back in a daze. He had known that things would change, of course, he'd known. But this- this was too much, too much in too little time. They couldn't expect that of him, they couldn't expect him to embrace all those changes. He didn't want them, had never asked for any of it. Sure, he'd wanted to be with his parents for as long as he could remember but he had meant the parents who had died for him, not the man who was partially responsible for their death and his wife. Yes, he had wanted siblings and Nathan didn't seem too bad but he didn't want Malfoy as his friend, let alone his brother.
"Harry!" Nathan jumped up, pulled Harry off his bed and threw a blanket onto the fire. "What are you doing? Do you want to kill us?"
Harry didn't know where the fire had come from but he knew it had been him. He hadn't had control over his magic in days- maybe longer even. Last summer, he had accidentally blown up Aunt Marge without even meaning to.
"I- I didn't mean to," he said. "I can't control it. The other day, I exploded my entire room, it just happens."
Nathan frowned. "That's not supposed to happen. Did you tell anyone?"
"No, but the Malfoys know. I- I've known for a week now, about being Eoin, I mean, and when Malfoy told me, I lost control."
Nathan's lips formed a thin line that Harry thought was an oddly familiar expression but before either could say anything else, the door was pulled open and Mrs Malfoy and her husband stepped through.
Mrs Malfoy stopped at the sight of them and brought her hand up to cover her mouth- he could only assume that she was overwhelmed. Aunt Petunia used to look like that whenever Dudley returned from Smeltings, as though she could hardly believe that handsome young man was her little baby boy. Harry, of course, didn't think Dudley had ever been little, even as a baby, or would ever grow to be handsome.
"Which one of you is which?" Malfoy asked, looking between the two of them.
Harry made to answer but Nathan held up his hand and stepped forward.
"I demand to see my grandmother. She'll put an end to this rubbish."
"This is hardly rubbish," Malfoy said. He frowned at Nathan's laugh. "Nor is this a joking matter."
"Well, see, I'm not anyone. Neither is he, for that matter," he pointed at Harry. "We're both under the personal protection of Albus Dumbledore and when I tell you to let me see my grandmother, you'll do as I say or he'll-"
"I assume you're Nathan Longbottom then? Of course, who else would you be? Harry Potter doesn't know any of that, nor does he have a grandmother. Let me tell you one thing, Finian. No one but my wife and I holds claim to you and your brother. Not your grandmother, not Dumbledore. You may not like it but you'll learn to accept it-"
"Lucius," Mrs Malfoy chided. "Don't alienate them. Finian- Nathan, I know this is a very bad situation for you but I think once you give it time and thought, you will come to understand that we are only doing what is best for you. Being Nathan Longbottom, or Harry Potter, isn't safe for you. We can protect you-"
"What's in a name?" Harry groaned- even he knew that particular quote. "That which we call a rose by any other word would smell as sweet. Giving us different names won't erase who we are. You can call us Eoin and Finian Malfoy but that won't mean that we've never been Nathan Longbottom and Harry Potter. You-Know-Who will still be after him and people would still seek to use me against my family. Our pasts won't lose their meaning if you change our words."
Use him against his family? Nathan hardly seemed important, not like Harry. His name had never come up before, Harry hadn't even known he existed before Neville introduced him and if people would use him to get to the Longbottoms, then Neville was in no less danger than him and Harry was sure that Neville was as safe as can be.
"Well, I suppose a Ravenclaw is still better than a Hufflepuff," Malfoy muttered. "We are aware that going by different names won't make the targets on your backs any smaller but we can shield you better than that idiot Dumbledore can. He's a fool if he thinks he can protect you from those that wish you harm."
"Whoa, hold on," Harry said, stepping away from Nathan. "Who are you? If people are after you, why aren't they after Neville?"
"Neville and I have different grandmothers. It's not the Longbottoms I could be used against, they'd go for Neville in that case," he ran a hand through his hair.
"Listen, Harry, you won't believe me-"
"Try me."
"Fine," he snapped. "Remember what I told you about my titles?"
"That you've plenty."
"Yes. Most of them are spare titles but I'm Heir to two houses. One is the House of Crouch and the other is the House of McGonagall."
Crouch? He knew that name- Barty Crouch Jr. He had impersonated Mad-Eye Moody and had forced him to compete in the Triwizard Tournament- Nathan was related to a Death Eater? And McGonagall? His Professor McGonagall? "What?"
"My Grandmum, the one I told you about, is Minerva McGonagall. Her daughter is my Mum. And my Dad, he's Barty Crouch's nephew- the Senior, that is. After Barty fell out of grace, I became Uncle Barty's only heir. His name used to hold lots of power with the Ministry, he condemned lots of Death Eaters to Azkaban or worse and now that he's dead too... Dad holds the title for now, until I come of age but I'm essentially Lord Crouch."
"As fascinating as this is," Malfoy drawled, pulling Harry back into reality. "We've more urging business to attend to. Such as getting the two of you to Malfoy Manor. Eoin, I expect there to be no explosions this time, do you understand?"
The Death Eater pulled out his wand and transfigured their PJs into simple robes. Harry nodded curtly and shoved his hands into his pockets.
"Good. Now, there will be reporters outside but we can't apparate from the Ministry so we will have to go through them. I will give a short statement but you will not answer any of their questions."
The entire hall was filled with reporters- Harry even spotted Rita Skeeter, the most obnoxious reporter he'd ever met, trying to fight her way to the front by elbowing her colleagues as hard as she could.
Flashes of light clouded his vision from all sides and he heard his name, both his real name and the name he was born with, being shouted dozens over dozens of times. They only quieted down when Malfoy stopped with Mrs Malfoy by his side and Nathan and him slightly behind them.
"Yes, it is true," he began in the regal tone Harry hated so much- the pretentious git shouldn't feel so self-righteous. "The boys known as Harry James Potter and Nathan Bernard Longbottom are our kidnapped sons, Eoin and Finian. We have lost almost fourteen years with our sons and have a lot to make up for and in order to be able to do this, we will go on an extended vacation and return in time for our boys to return to Hogwarts. Until then, I wish for no one to interrupt us."
They arrived back in Malfoy's study only a few minutes later. Harry's eyes fell on Nathan, only a few feet away from him, and could see the reality of what was happening finally sink in. He looked at the fireplace longingly, a strange look coming across his face before going blank again.
"Eoin," Mrs Malfoy said. "Why don't you show Finian to his room? It's directly beside yours."
He shrugged and led the way out of the study and down a hallway that was somewhat familiar- he had found himself in this particular wing of the Manor quite often though he hadn't known that Malfoy's study was in it until that day. Now that he knew- escaping would be far easier now that he knew where the only working fireplace was situated.
"You've been here for a few days already?"
"Yeah," he said lowly. "I've been trying to find a way out."
"Any luck?"
He shook his head. "No. None of the fireplaces are connected to the floo system only the one we came through and the doors downstairs that lead out of the Manor wouldn't open for me."
"I'll send word to my grandmother. She'll get us out. No one says no to Minerva McGonagall and gets away with it, didn't you know?"
"Are you sure?"
"Of course. My grandmum is the best."
Harry smiled wryly- he spent the better part of the year under McGonagall's strict rule. Was she like that with her grandson too? He didn't think so. Nathan did, after all, seem to admire her beyond belief. He liked her too and had always thought that she had a soft spot for him but after what Nathan had said earlier- was he truly the reason she didn't want her grandson to attend Hogwarts?
"McGonagall thought going to school with me was too dangerous for you?"
"Not you," Nathan said. "You didn't put the Stone in a castle full of kids, did you? She wanted me safe and if that meant not attending school then she was willing to live with that. I was homeschooled by most your teachers though, all but Transfiguration and Potions and electives, of course. Grandmum was too busy and Snape quit on me. He thought I was a waste of time. Probably right, too. I'm useless with potions."
"I wish he'd quit Hogwarts," Harry stopped as they arrived in the hallway where their bedrooms were located. He pointed at the rightmost door. "That one's Malfoy's bedroom. Never went in, never plan to. The one beside it is mine."
"The one you blew up?"
"It was rebuild," he grinned and pointed at the leftmost door. "That one's yours, I suppose."
Nathan stared at the door for a while before slowly moving to open it. It was almost exactly like Harry's, only that this one followed a rather Ravenclaw-esque color scheme.
"Grandmum will get us out," he finally said, more to himself than Harry. "I know she will. Listen," he spun around to face Harry. "We need to find a way to contact someone, anyone. I can try to summon my House Elf tonight but I doubt he'll be able to get through the warding."
"Warding?"
"Most places have warding. Mine too. It's basic security," he waved his hand. "Do you have an owl?"
"Yeah but she's at Ron's. Don't worry, I told him to inform Dumbledore. And we'll probably be on the front page tomorrow. They're bound to notice."
"Right. Right, of course. Grandmum and my parents will notice too, naturally. I don't make it a habit to stay away from home. Right. Good. Don't get too comfy here, we'll be out faster than Malfoy can blink."
Harry smirked- much as he would've liked to have Neville as a brother, he certainly appreciated Nathan's determination. Between the two of them, they'd be gone soon.
"Play along for a while, alright?" He asked. "Cooperate a bit here and there. While we're here, we might as well take the chance to get to know the enemy."
Yes, Harry thought at Nathan's smirk, they'd get along splendidly.
