A/N: Hello again readers! I'm terribly sorry for the super late update but it took me a while to recover from the chicken pox. Along with that I suddenly became very busy so I started having very little time to write. I'm sorry. I promise to start updating more regularly. And I mean it this time :).
Thank you so very, very much for all the reviews and favourites and alert. I'm really happy about them. hint...hint.
Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine no matter how I wish it was.
Alright then, here is the new chapter. I hope you enjoy it :)
Chapter 8
James and Sirius said their goodbyes to Remus. They were both heading to Potter manor whilst Remus would be going back home to his mother. As Remus walked away the two boys started to look for Charlus and Dorea Potter but to their surprise they were nowhere to be found. Instead James spotted Tilly, a house elf of the Potter family, and began to walk toward her.
"Hello young Master James. Master and Mistress were called away to Hogwarts, sirs, and told Tilly to collect you and your friend at the platform, sir." The little elf was so excited to see her young master that she talked as fast as she could and nodded her head so fast that her ears began to shake. "I is very happy to see you master James. You has gotten thinner. I says and says to the master that Hogwarts elves don't feed the young master well but nooo... " she stressed the 'o' "no. Master doesn't listen to poor Tilly. I says again and again that Tilly should bring you food but master says that young master is fine." Tilly ranted, she had been with her master James since he was born and couldn't help fussing over him.
"its fine Tilly. I'm fine." James smiled. He had missed the motherly elf whilst he was in Hogwarts. "do you know why they are at Hogwarts?"
"No sir. We should go now. You and master Sirius can leave your trunks with Tilly sir. You go home through the floo. Tilly will bring them for you."
Sirius and James walked to ward the fire places on the platform. Sirius loved that little house elf. She always made him laugh with the way he fussed around James, plus she was a cracking cook.
The boys stepped into the fireplace and flooed to the Potter manor. After unpacking and freshening up the boys were too into their conversation to notice that Dorea and Charlus had returned, bringing with them a stranger.
"James, Sirius! Can you guys come down here for a moment? There's something important to talk about." Charlus' voice interrupted the conversation.
"yes dad, just a second." James shouted back.
Meanwhile, downstairs, Harry had sat down in the kitchen to wait for the situation to be explained to James. Or at least the explanation they had come up with. No one other than those who had been in the headmaster's office could know about their true origins. It would be too dangerous and really no one else needed to know. For that to work Harry had to change his middle name so it wouldn't be suspicious.
James walked towards the dining room feeling very worried. He knew that his parents had been to Hogwarts to see the headmaster but he wasn't sure why. From what he could remember he had done nothing that warranted a talk with his parents. Preparing himself for punishment he walked into the dining room quickly followed by Sirius. Whatever it was it couldn't be too bad since he couldn't even remember it.
James walked to his mother and father. It didn't matter that he was about to get into trouble. After months of not seeing his parents all he wanted to do was hug them and he did just that. Sirius may not have been a son of Charlus and Dorea but he was still family through his relation to Dorea and thought of Charlus and Dorea as second parents. Sirius didn't merely hug Charlus and Dorea, he smothered them. Sirius loved his biological mother and father but couldn't help but feel more comfortable in the Potter household.
Sirius was Gryffindor whilst all of his immediate family were Slytherins. Though he was never told this Sirius couldn't help but think that his parents, particularly his mother, were disappointed that he wasn't in the house that were all in. It was even more obvious since his younger brother had started Hogwarts and was sorted into Slytherin. It wasn't out right favouritism it was just little things like never cheering as happily when Gryffindor won the house cup or always supporting slytherin in Quidditch games between the two teams even though they has one son playing on each team. The fact that the Potters were a Gryffindor(Charlus)/Slytherin(Dorea) family made Sirius more comfortable and made him wanted to spend as much time in Potter manor as he could.
The boys sat down on the soft, cushiony chair and waited for Charlus to begin. The way Charlus paced did not help their nerves. They just couldn't figure out what they had done wrong.
"Well...boys, we have something very important to discuss. It may come as a shock to you but I hope you accept it and everything goes well." Charlus began.
"What is it dad? Has something happened?" James could tell that it had nothing to do with him being in trouble in school. That only made him more anxious. Was something wrong with his mom or dad? His brain was going frantic.
"Something major has happened but there is nothing wrong at all. Actually something great has happened. James you might be especially pleased with this as it solves one of your biggest issues. All I ask is if you are unhappy with what is going on you come to me and talk about it sensibly as opposed to lashing out. Is that ok?"
"Sure dad. Will you just tell us what's happening because your starting to worry me." James said as Sirius nodded.
"Well dear, there is someone here. The story generally revolves around him so I'm going to get him. I think its best that he's here whilst we explain." Dorea walked into the kitchen and emerged several seconds later with a man neither Sirius or James had ever seen before.
The stranger was tall, and from what James could tell well toned and muscled. He definitely wasn't bulging or anything but both James and Sirius could tell that the guy could take care of himself in a fight. His eyes were a vibrant deep green, far brighter than Charlus's light green eyes. The hair was what really caught the attention of James though. It was the exact same hair he had, and the exact same hair his father had, and grandfather. The jet black locks were as messy and dishevelled as they came but on the stranger they looked different; like they had been styled to be that way. James hair just looked like he hadn't bothered to brush his hair.
"James, Sirius, this is Harry." Dorea broke the silence.
Harry smiled slightly at the boys. It was an odd thing to see this father and godfather looking so young. He knew that they weren't the same people he knew but they were still his family. Harry pushed down the wave of nostalgia to greet them.
"Hi." It wasn't the best of things to say but it would do.
"This is very hard to explain to you so please bear with us." Charlus took a deep breath "it was a couple of months before you were born, James, and me and your mother were taking a holiday in France. The thing is we weren't alone. We had taken a child with us." Charlus saw James about to interrupt. "Please James wait till I finish. It's a very hard story for me to tell." At James nod he began to tell the fictitious story once more. It was the story they has come up with for the sudden appearance of Harry, Ron and Hermione. "Anyways we were in France with a child. This child would be your older brother James. It was our first child. We were with the Weasleys and their youngest boy. The children were only a couple of months old and were a lot of hard work and we were very young. One night me, your mother, Septimus and Cedrella decided to go out for a meal and left the boys in the care of house elves. When we were out there was a fire in the house were staying in. The house was magic proofed because the boys had very strong accidental magic and we didn't want them to do anything that could hurt themselves or the house elves. The elves couldn't do anything to stop the fire and didn't want to leave because they wanted to protect the boys. All those elves died that night. When we came back the house was destroyed and no one was alive. You have to understand that we were devastated. That's why we didn't tell you about it. We blamed ourselves. We didn't want to tell you and upset you and make you hate us." Charlus said sadly. Even though the story wasn't true it related to some of his guilt for not being there for Harry in the world he was from.
"Dad I could never hate you. It wasn't your fault at all. You were just trying to do what was best for everyone. You don't deserve the guilt." James said. He felt so sorry for his parents for going through all of that. The small amount of anger he held for not being told vanished at the sight of his mother and father's anguished faces. He could tell that it hurt them to talk about it.
"Thank you." Charlus said with a smile.
"You may be wondering why we are telling you this now. A couple of weeks ago we got some information. About two boys, two seventeen year old boys with black and ginger hair who just suddenly turned up at a old wizards when they were only babies. It happened on the same night as the fire. It took us a while to investigate but we found out that the wizard died when the boys were fifteen. It took us a while but when we met the boys we were sure that they were ours. Ours and the Weasley's. We even did a inheritance test to be sure." Dorea let the boys take in what she was saying.
"Are you saying what I think your saying mum? I have an older brother? Who is he? Where is he?" James had completely forgotten the stranger who came in earlier with his mother. He was too excited and so happy for his parents. James knew they wanted more children and were unable to have them.
"Calm down James! Yes that is exactly what your mother is saying. You do have an older brother. And to answer your last question he is right here. We just introduced you but if it helps I will do it again." James was so confused until he saw his father walk towards the man he had forgotten about.
"James Aiden Potter, meet your older brother, Harrison Evander Potter."
DUN, DUN, DUNNNNNNNNNNNN!
A/N: Sirius's past and the behaviour of his parents is because Voldemort never existed so none of them became death eaters. There is still a rivalry between Slytherin and Gryffindor but not anywhere near the level it's at in cannon. The houses are competitive with each other but people in Slytherin are not seen as evil nor are the Gryffindor's portrayed as perfect. The black's still use darker magic but are not evil because intent is what makes the wizard good or bad.
Harry's middle name Evander means good man.
James's middle name Aiden means full of fire.
Thanks so much for reading and I hope you liked it :) please review. I shall love you forever if you do. I'm sorry for the late update but I will try to update faster from now on.
