Harry scooped the last of the bacon onto a plate and put it on the table, slightly proud of himself for making his own breakfast. True, it was a simple affair comprising of a four egg omelette, some buttered toast and bacon, but it was still a meal he had made all by himself.

Who knew being made to watch bacon would help him down the line? If he didn't utterly loathe his aunt, he would have thanked her. Come to think of it, he might just thank her to see her face.

'Well,' he said to his clone. 'What do you think?'

The toddler got up on his knees from his seat at the table and gingerly poked at the omelette, a wary expression on his face.

'Ah, forgot about that,' Harry said, slapping his forehead. Picking the infant up, he sat down at the table, placing the boy on his lap. 'Problem solved,' he said brightly, handing out a knife and fork. 'Eat up!'

His answer was a blank stare.

'You don't really know how to eat with a fork and knife, do you?' Harry said slowly. He sighed when the toddler shook his head.

'Ah well, no time like the present to learn, eh? You watch me for now.' Saying so, he started cutting up small slices and feeding them to the toddler, alternately having some for himself.

'Not bad, eh?' he said to his clone. 'I think I'll add less water next time, though.'

'You never put water in your eggs in the first place, Harry,' Dumbledore commented lightly as he strode into the room and sat down across the boys.

'P-professor,' Harry sputtered, suddenly self-conscious of the fact that he was dressed in nothing but boxer shorts. His clone had decided to emulate him and was similarly dressed, though in his case he was wearing briefs. 'I thought you were coming much later.'

'Well, I felt compelled to clear my morning schedule.' Dumbledore replied nonchalantly. 'And with nothing to do, I thought it would have been best to come here and perhaps talk to Molly. Where is she?'

'Well, something came up and she had to go home last night,' Harry said with a shrug. 'I told her that we would be fine for the night. She should be here soon enough I expect.'

Dumbledore frowned. 'Very well,' he said slowly. 'I was looking forward to having some of Molly's cooking for breakfast before having a much needed discussion with you. But I suppose we can have that much needed discussion now.'

'Sure,' Harry said slowly. Suddenly remembering his manners, he said 'Want some bacon, sir?'

Dumbledore took a rasher and popped it in his mouth. 'Not bad,' he said, after swallowing. 'Much better than I would imagine the eggs are.' He wiped his hands. 'I distinctly remember you telling me you were off pork…?'

'Yes, but this is bacon! Completely different.'

'As you like it,' Dumbledore said, inclining his head. 'Now, let's get down to business, shall we? Of course, we'll do that once you are, ah, more presentable.'

Harry shrugged. 'Eh, I'm fine. Let's get this out of the way.' He had no intention of getting up from behind the table in front of his headmaster.

Dumbledore blinked. 'How Bohemian,' he commented. He looked down at Harry's clone kindly, not that it stopped the boy from flinching back at the attention.

'I have some nice toys for you to play with,' the headmaster said in a low calm voice. He waved his wand, and an assortment of toys appeared at a corner of the kitchen. 'Why don't you try them out?'

It took some encouragement from Harry, but the boy eventually slid off Harry's lap and slowly made his way over to the corner, occasionally glancing back as if to reassure himself that Harry hadn't disappeared.

Dumbledore subtly flicked his wand. 'There,' he said confidently. 'Now we have some privacy.'

'What did you cast, professor?' Harry asked curiously.

'Just a handy little privacy spell,' Dumbledore said casually. 'People can hear and see us, but they will have a hard time understanding what we say. I might teach it to you someday. But right now we have another matter to discuss, as you well know.'

'Oh,' Harry said. He took a deep breath, silently going over the argument he had thought of the previous night. 'Professor Dumbledore, you mentioned that this boy's name is Harry James Potter, right?' Harry began slowly.

'That is correct.' Dumbledore admitted.

'And this was done to ensure that he is, as you put it yesterday, "as close to the original version" which happens to me?'

'… yes, on both counts.' Dumbledore said slowly.

'Well there you have it then!' Harry said, thumping the table. 'I am not taking care of another child. I am taking care of myself! He is me, after all.'

Harry sat back expectantly.

Harry could see that Dumbledore looked thoughtful. So he pressed on. 'Professor, you mentioned earlier the reason why I had to go back to my Aunt's house.'

'Yes I did.'

'Well, Aunt Petunia is no longer the only person who shares my mother's blood.' Harry said, gesturing towards his clone. 'Besides, if we use little Harry here as the focus of the protection, then it should last much longer, shouldn't it? After all, it will be thirteen years till he turns seventeen. That's thirteen years more protection for both of us!'

Dumbledore chuckled. 'I had thought of that possibility yesterday. I will admit that I find it quite appealing. However, I cannot in good conscience burden you with a responsibility that you had no part in. I also do not think you understand how difficult it will be to take on the role of caregiver for a child. Many adults find this a daunting prospect.'

Harry snorted humourlessly. 'If I had to choose between being saddled with a kid, and going back to Privet Drive, I would choose the kid hands down. I doubt it will be fun and games, but it will be damn sight better than living with … them. And if you say you are thinking of my happiness, sir, then I will warn you now that my response is not going to be polite at all.'

Dumbledore looked at him appraisingly. 'I did not do you any favours leaving you with the Dursleys, did I?'

'I spent the first ten years of my life in a cupboard under the stairs.' Harry said flatly. 'I was in a cupboard while they had four rooms between the three of them. They only gave me Dudley's second bedroom after seeing my first Hogwarts letter. Apparently the address was enough to scare them into grudgingly improving my living conditions. In the interest of time, I am not going to delve into the other crap they put me through. All I will say is that they tried their best to keep me as downtrodden as possible in order to "stamp the magic out of me". So, no, professor. You certainly did not "do me any favours".'

Harry felt savage glee at seeing the headmaster wince, however minutely. But he wasn't done yet. 'You know the worst bit of it, sir? They were so frightened of wizards and you that a mere address written in a letter improved my home life ten-fold. Imagine what would have happened if you had actually demonstrated to them that you were watching them from the beginning. I cannot begin to imagine how much better my life would have been then. And it wouldn't have taken much of an effort for you either. I know now that you've had members of the Order following me over the years before I came to Hogwarts. All they would have to do is announce their presence and intentions. I suppose I should be glad I didn't end up an Obscurial.'

'What you have told me isn't something that is unknown to me,' Dumbledore said slowly. 'Unfortunately, this all came to light much later, when you were due to attend Hogwarts. I am truly sorry for this failing. At that time, though, I was content that the protections had thwarted no less than five separate kidnapping attempts and three attempts on your life. The only time I had someone following you was when you stepped out of the protections placed. Nobody ever thought to look into the Dursleys. Again, that was an oversight that I deeply regret and unreservedly apologise for.'

Harry considered Dumbledore's words. 'I appreciate that living with them may have protected me,' he said slowly. 'But that appreciation is quite tempered by the fact that my living conditions at Privet Drive weren't the best. Getting back to the point: I am going to be the one taking care of Little Harry. Not only does it get me out of that hellhole, but I have noticed that he prefers my company more than anyone else's. I have no idea why, but there seems to be some connexion between us. I am the only person he will talk to or even look at.'

Professor Dumbledore cast a speculative glance at the young clone who until then was watching the conversation. As soon as he saw that he had the headmaster's attention, the boy quickly turned around and pretended to be engrossed in a toy, playing with it at a pace that can only be described as industrious. The toddler shortly looked back to see if Dumbledore's attention was still on him, met his amused gaze, and then went back to playing with greater intensity.

'He is unusually attached to you,' Dumbledore mused. 'And he has just met you. Curious…'

'You got that right,' Harry said, thinking about earlier that morning when he had woken up to find a tiny foot shoved in his face. Despite having put the boy up in the same room the twins had used last summer, the toddler had decided to come down to his room sometime in the night when Harry was asleep.

It was kind of cute. Slightly annoying, but cute.

Meanwhile Professor Dumbledore had stood up and made to approach the corner little Harry was occupying. The toddler immediately tensed, looking like a stray cat about to bolt.

'Fascinating,' Dumbledore said as he slowly backed off and retook his seat.

'He isn't going to be happy with anyone else, sir,' Harry observed softly. 'You should have seen him last night. Mrs Weasley was doing everything in her power to get him to come to her before she had to go home. She even offered him some food! He still wouldn't budge from my side. I think she was upset by that.' Harry just raised his hand towards his clone. Immediately the toddler zipped across the room towards him, giving the sitting headmaster a wide berth.

'The two of us will be happiest with this arrangement,' Harry said, drawing his young clone close to him. 'We will also be the most secure. Surely, you can see that?! Besides, it isn't as if I will be alone with him. You can have members of the Order checking in every now and then…'

Dumbledore sighed heavily. 'You certainly have given me much food for thought,' he said at length. He slowly got to his feet. 'Very well, I shall talk to the Order. But,' he said over Harry's cheering. 'I make no promises.'

'Yes, sir.' Harry said with a wide grin that was mirrored by his younger doppelganger.

Albus internally sighed at the twin expressions of hope and happiness. He really hoped he wasn't making another colossal mistake with regards to Harry.

To think he had come here to escape the complication of dealing with the Ministry officials who had come to the school this morning. He was beginning to feel that the mess involving Umbridge, and her excesses of power was far less complicated than this.

And to top it all off, it hadn't taken long for Peeves and the students to notice that her office was unguarded and that she was on her way out. He almost felt sorry for the hapless ministry worker that had been sent to collect her things. Untangling the various curses, hexes, charms and jinxes that had been cast by many vengeful students wasn't going to be easy for someone who wasn't him, Filius or Minerva. And that wasn't even taking into account the havoc Peeves had wrought.

Harry bounced a ball across the hall, watching his younger self run to catch it with amusement. The kid was quite active when he wasn't aware of any adult presence in the room. At least, Harry assumed that he was reserved among adults. He wondered how the kid would take to people Harry's age.

He couldn't help a smirk when the toddler enthusiastically threw the ball back. At least there was enough momentum for the ball to roll towards him. Picking it up, he glanced at the closed kitchen door.

There wasn't any noise coming through the room. Not that it was surprising, Harry was around when the noise abruptly cut off a minute or so after the door closed. He idly wondered if Fred and George would consent to giving him a device to eavesdrop on future Order meetings despite the muffling charms placed on the door.

Normally, he would have objected in being excluded, but he did not want to be around Mrs Weasley when she first heard Dumbledore's decision.

Just as he was about to throw the ball again, the door opened. Little Harry suddenly froze, looking at the door warily as he hurried to Teenage Harry's side, hiding behind the older boy's school robes.

The Weasley brothers were the first ones out. 'Harry, they want you in,' Fred said bracingly as he and George passed the teen. Spotting Little Harry peeking from behind the original's legs, he made a funny face causing the toddler to duck back. Snorting in amusement, he refocused his attention on Harry. 'Some friendly advice, mate. Mum does not look happy. And she hasn't found a target to release the rant she has been building up ever since yesterday when you volunteered. Anyway, good luck!'

Entering the kitchen, Harry saw Dumbledore, Mr and Mrs Weasley, and Tonks seated at the head of the table. Mrs Weasley had a very displeased look on her face. Her lips thinned when she saw little Harry try and fuse to him as soon as he was seated.

'Well, Harry,' Dumbledore said as soon as Harry was settled in. 'After considering various factors, it was determined by all of us-' Mrs Weasley harrumphed, '-that the best solution is for little Harry to live with you for the summer. In that time period, Mrs Weasley and Miss Tonks will be visiting on a regular basis along with other members of the Order. Hopefully by then your clone will be more comfortable with one of those adults to allow them to take care of him when school starts. The blood based protections should be stable enough by then. We shall be having another meeting regarding this a few days before term starts.'

'That's great!' Harry exclaimed, ignoring Mrs Weasley's disapproving frown. Admittedly he hadn't thought about school, but as long as he was no longer in Privet Drive, he was happy.

'Yes, well,' Dumbledore cleared his throat. 'I have reached out to some of my myriad contacts about finding a suitable place of residence for the two of you. I should have an answer soon enough. Once that happens, you and I shall be going to Gringotts to have the property registered in your name. Speaking of which, a visit there is well overdue. There is other business regarding your parents' and Sirius' estates to take care of. I also have set the ball rolling in quietly getting you emancipated. There is no reason for Fudge to get wind of that. That, for the moment, should take care of how the two of you stand legally. We might have to change that definition soon, but since the existence of Harry the Younger is only known to a few select individuals who I trust, we don't have to worry about it at the moment.'

'"Harry the Younger" … I like it,' the original Harry said. He nudged the child now sitting on his lap. 'What do you think?'

Harry the Younger gave a shy smile and nodded. 'OK, that's what he shall be officially known as,' Harry declared.

Dumbledore smiled a bit at the easy interaction between the two boys. 'Well,' he said, standing up. 'I shall be on my way. I have a lot to do. Harry, Mrs Weasley has suggestions about what she terms, "Childcare". I shall leave you to her. After that, Miss Tonks will side-along Apparate you to Hogwarts where you can collect your things from your dorm, and if the situation permits it, have a few words with your friends.'

Dumbledore swept out of the room, leaving Harry with the Weasleys and Tonks.

'I think I have some work to do … somewhere in the house,' Tonks said, getting up, her eyes fixed on Mrs Weasley who was looking at Harry beadily.

'Sounds interesting, allow me to help you.' Mr Weasley said as he also got up. The two of them hurriedly left the kitchen.

Harry tried for a winning smile at Mrs Weasley, but did not get one in return.

'For the record,' she said with a disgruntled expression. 'I am not happy about this decision. It is monumentally stupid in my opinion. But since people aren't going to listen to me, I suppose I can only go with the flow and ensure that at the end of the day this child here not only ends up alive, but healthy, happy and most importantly clean.'

As she paused to take a deep breath, Harry had a very bad feeling about all of this.

'Right, today we shall cover basic hygiene…'