AN: I am so sorry I didn't update for so long. But family comes first and I just hadn't the time to write. I am sorry if it is a bit rushed at time but I want to go on with the story. Thanks for all your reviews! (I am flattered!!)

Thanks again to Agnes for her invaluable input. You are great!

Disclaimer: Still don't own Harry Potter!

ENJOY!

Chapter 14: Talks, letters and Halloween –part one

Office of Filius Flitwick

Hogwarts

"Uncle Albus did not only know this? He made you give Harry up?" Owen finally whispered, tears falling down his face now. James nodded. He knew how Owen worshipped the old man and was sorry to destroy Owens trust in his honorary uncle.

"Why?" the boy whispered. "Harry could have been trained, too. Why all the training anyway? Why do I have to be prepared? What for?" he asked. Realizing something Owen looked at his father: "Why does Unc. – Professor Dumbledore need so much control over me? Over The Boy Who Lived?"

James hesitated. Should he tell Owen the prophecy? He had a right to know. Not to mention he would be very, very angry with him when he would come to know it later. But No! The boy was only eleven years old! He should be a boy for a few years before he was told. Beside that there was still no sign from Voldemort so there was no hurry to tell him.

"I am not sure Owen, I am not sure!" he finally answered. Owen narrowed his eyes. He knew his father was lying.

"One last question, father!" James flinched. Owen hadn't said dad. He was still angry!

"Yes Owen?" Owen took a deep breath studying his father closely.

"When would you have told me that Nathan Longbottom is Harry?" James inhaled sharply.

"How do you know?" he asked. Owen snorted.

"I am not an idiot, father! There is a reason I am a Ravenclaw. Nathan and I live in the same dorm for nearly two weeks now. I would have to be really dense not to note, that he is not comfortable around me. He also has exactly the same scar as Harry had. So, father, when would you have told me? Would you have told me?"

"Sure I would have told you. I wouldn't have withheld your brother from you, son!"

Owen glared at his father.

"You just did it for over six years." Owen stood up. At the door he turned around.

"This is as much your fault as it is mothers. You could have protected Harry, but you choose not to." He said and left. James sat there staring at the door for a long time. He dropped his head in his hands. He had lost his sons trust. Owen was angry with him and he deserved every minute of it.

First year Boys' dormitory

Ravenclaw House

Owen was tired when he came back in the dorm he shared with the other first year Ravenclaw boys. He stopped in the doorway when he saw Harry, no Nathan and his brothers waiting for him. Nathan seemed nervous while Alan and Neville seemed determined. Unsure Owen looked at the brothers.

"Uhm hi!"

Longbottom Manor

Greenhouses

Frank Longbottom looked up from the spitting Whitethorn when a black and white owl flew into the greenhouse. After he relieved her of her burden she hooted and took air again. Turning the envelope Frank looked at the seal of the House of Potter. With a feeling of dread he opened the seal and began to read.

Dear Frank, dear Alice,

It has been years since we really spoke to each other and I am not sure how to begin. At first I want to say that I am sorry. I am sorry that I let our friendship be destroyed, that I was so weak and as much as it shames me to admit this, such a coward. What I regret most is that I was such a lousy excuse for a father for both Owen and Harry – especially Harry.

I let myself be influenced by both Albus and Lillian. I trusted their words more than I trusted myself. I had not even the decency to give him to you-no you had to take him out of an orphanage.

I was happy and relieved when I learned that you found Harry and brought him home to you. I didn't tell Albus and Lillian because I feared they would take Harry away from you only to dump him in another orphanage. I thanked Merlin and the stars the day you adopted Harry. You gave Harry, no Nathan the family he deserved. The family who gave him love. I can not thank you enough for that. I will never try to take this away from you and your son. I give you my Wizards Oath; he is yours and always will be.

I hope that maybe with time our old friendship can be restored.

Sincerely

James O. Potter

Relived Frank released the breath he didn't realise he had been holding. The letter was worth a wizard's oath! After putting his working tools away he went to find the rest of the family. Only one hour later a dark brown owl left Longbottom Manor on the way to Hogwarts.

Nr. 12 Grimmault Place

Sirius Blacks study was a spacious room. The walls were full of bookshelves with books of various subjects. Only exception was a big fireplace at the east wall of the room and two small windows facing north. A big oak desk full of papers with completed and uncompleted notes, books, ink and quills scattered among it stood squarely at the window. Another round desk stood in the middle of the room surrounded by six squashy looking armchairs.

Sirius Black sat on a comfortable seat near the fireplace his eyes fixed on the fire a piece of paper in his hands. It was a letter of his godson, Owen Potter

Dear Uncle Siri, (only Owen called him that and came away with it)

Father has finally told me why they gave Harry away. To think that a five year old kid would go dark because he can speak to snakes. Really! Were they really thinking that? I don't think I believe that. They didn't want him or at least Mother didn't want him. Do you know she always told me that they had to give Harry away because he was not good enough? Not enough! How could he not be enough? How?

As you can see, I am still pretty upset with both of them. The only good thing in this mess is that I know now that Harry is alive. He has a family who really loves him and is happy there.

Classes are really good and interesting, beside History and Defence that is. How con someone who seems to be afraid of his own shadow teaching Defence of all things. And Binns! I swear that ghost could bore everyone to death! Hermione and Alan are the only ones in this class who are not asleep after the first fifteen minutes.

Ron is really annoying. He is always nagging me to spend time with him boasting around about being my best friend. Ever since the train ride I think that he has never been a real friend. Every of my dorm mates are a better friend to me than Ron ever was.

I have to go the guys want to head down for dinner.

Love

Owen

Guild gnawed at the Head of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black. His best friends family was breaking apart, he was sure of it. Harry had been his godson, too. Why had he been so blind? Why had he done nothing to prevent it?

Unseeingly Sirius Black stared in the fire.

Hogwarts

The following weeks went by. The first year Ravenclaws had their first flying lessons together with Hufflepuff the second week of October. All beside Hermione and Terry found that flying was fun. Ron Weasley still kept trying to spend time with Owen boasting about being the best friend of The Boy Who Lived. It annoyed Owen to no end. When he was not busy following Owen around Ron was picking fights with the Slytherins, especially Draco Malfoy. He even challenged Malfoy to a Wizards Duel. Ron was given two weeks detention with Filch after nearly being scared to death by a giant three headed dog in the forbidden corridor.

Before they knew it Halloween approached. Owen for his part was thankful that he wouldn't have to attend any The Boy Who Lived and Destroyed You-Know-Who Parties this year. There was the occasional Boy Who Lived and Where is Harrison Potter? article in the Daily Prophet but that was it. Beside the Potters a break at Gringotts was extendedly discussed in the wizarding media. For Owen and Nathan it was a welcome diversion.

Nathan had become more comfortable with Owen. His parents wrote him about James Potter's letter and the oath it contained to never taking him away from his family. Owen too had held his promise not to tell anyone about the fact that Nathan had once been Harry and Nathan began to relax. He was still worried that the truth might leak out someway but with his growing confidence his mischief loving nature returned. Nathan genuinely began to like Owen and the two were becoming real friends now.

In their charms class on Halloween morning Professor Flitwick was teaching them how to let things fly. Alan, Neville and Nathan already knew the spell and paired up with Owen, Terry and Mandy to help them with their casting. Hermione much to her chagrin was paired with Ron. She had quite a difficult time to help him letting his feather fly.

"Your incantation is wrong," she told him after he had unsuccessfully tried for nearly twenty minutes. "Its Wing-gar-dium Levi-o-sa, make the "gar" nice and long."

Ron glared at the girl annoyed. "If you know why you don't do it!" he snarled only to look very annoyed when Hermione let her feather fly.

When they filed out of the class Ron still ranted about Hermione, his friends Seamus and Thomas only nodding in agreement when he called her a know-it-all with no friends. In an instant the other first year Ravenclaws surrounded Hermione.

"If you didn't realize it, Weasley," Nathan snarled at the other boy, "Hermione has friends. It's not her fault you are too thick to manage a simple spell." Together they made their way down to lunch.