Disclaimer: All recognizable characters and settings belong to J.K. Rowling.

A/N: Thank you for the adds, follows and reviews! I really appreciate it!

Cassius opened his eyes and stretched. He felt much better and rested. His eyes wandered around the infirmary before widening when he saw Draco Malfoy sitting by his bed. "Malfoy?" He asked in surprise.

Draco gave him a sad smile. "Hey. How are you feeling?"

Cassius sat up, eyeing Draco suspiciously. "I'm fine." He reached up to smooth back his hair and frowned. Something was different. His arm seemed shorter or something. And his hair felt smoother. He started to get out of bed.

"No, not until Madam Pomfrey releases you," Draco said, gently pushing him back down.

Cassius stared at him in confusion before scowling. "I don't have to listen to you, Malfoy," he muttered.

"You'd be wrong about that," Draco said. He frowned when his brother tried to get out of bed again. "Hey, I told you to wait for Madam Pomfrey to clear you."

"Why are you even here?" Cassius asked. Oh, he knew Draco had never become a death eater and that his parents had switched sides, becoming spies. He also knew losing them had changed Draco, he no longer strutted around the castle acting like he was better than everyone else. But still, he was Malfoy. They'd been enemies since day one.

"I'm watching over you," Draco answered.

Cassius's mouth dropped open. "Why?" What was going on? He looked down and frowned as he pushed up his sleeves again. Why did his clothes seem so big? "What's wrong with my clothes?" Suddenly he realized something else. "Why can I see without my glasses?" What was going on?

"Something's happened," Draco said. "Something was found out when Madam Pomfrey ran a diagnostic on you."

"Did someone cast a shrinking spell on me or something?" Cassius was sure he was smaller than he had been. Had Voldemort hit him with a curse before he was struck down?

Draco hesitated.

Poppy walked out of her office. "Oh good, you're awake." she said as she walked over to Cassius. "How are you feeling?"

"Confused. Why am I shorter?" Cassius was getting impatient. He'd faced Voldemort and finally could just be a normal guy. He could finish his seventh year without having to worry about the prophecy or death eaters or anything.

"This is your true height," Poppy said honestly.

Cassius just stared at her.

Poppy looked at Draco. "Do you mind if I explain it to him?"

"Go ahead," Draco said, leaning back in his chair. He in no way expected Cass to take it well and prepared himself for the fall out.

Cassius just sat quietly as Pomfrey explained everything she had found out. The truth about his parentage, his identity and his real age. She explained he was small for his age because of not getting enough food when he was little as well as the toll the aging potion had taken on him. She then held up a mirror so Cassius could see himself.

Cassius sucked in a breath at his reflection. Gone was the messy dark hair, instead it was blonde that lay flat, a shade or two darker than Draco's. His green eyes were gone, now were a silvery blue. His features were different and he looked...well, he didn't look bad but he did look young. "This must be a mistake," he said finally. Or a joke, or nightmare or something! It couldn't be true.

"It's not." Poppy said. She cast the parentage charm and then the identity charm. "See?" she said softly as Cassius eyes stared at the words that hovered in the air.

"But...but you don't even have a brother!" Cassius said to Draco.

"Yes, I do. I was five when you disappeared," Draco said, remembering that horrible day. "Our manor was warded, we could never figure out how someone had taken you. You were only a month old and already had all of us wrapped around your little finger." Draco smiled sadly. "I was so proud when I got to hold you. I even read to you a few times."

Cassius shut his eyes. "This can't be real. You're lying! You hate me!"

"I do not hate you," Draco said calmly. "I love you, Cassius."

"My name is Harry!" Cassius shouted. "We're enemies, remember?"

"Not anymore." Draco said. "Cass, listen I know -"

"Shut up!" Cassius tried once again to get out of bed but Draco grabbed him before he could and held him close.

"It's true, Cass. Everything you have been told is true." Draco said in low voice. "You're my little brother. You're a Malfoy. I don't know how this happened, I don't know who took you but - "

"I know," Snape said tersely as he entered the infirmary, a guilty looking Dumbledore with him.

Poppy scowled at the Headmaster. "Did you know about this?"

Dumbledore stared at Cassius for a moment, slowly nodding. "I'm so sorry," he whispered.

Cassius's mouth dropped open. It really was true? If Dumbledore was even saying it...

"When Harry Potter was five years old, I found out he had died in his relatives care." Dumbledore said with a sigh. "I use the term care very loosely, they had neglected him. They didn't feed him much, and they made him sleep in a cupboard. He had gotten sick, a bad cold and they locked him in his cupboard, not checking on him or getting him any medicine. He passed away." Dumbledore looked away. "I knew once the wizarding world found out, it would be chaos. Never mind that I had left him there, the wizarding world counted on Harry Potter to be their hero. I summoned a house elf, one who worked as a spy for me. I asked him to get me a male child, one that needed a home. He returned with a month old baby." Dumbledore cleared his throat. "I glamoured you and gave you an aging potion. I obliviated the Dursley's so that they didn't remember Harry passing away and put you in their house. I sent them a note, telling them that I could check up on you at anytime and I had better find you in good health."

"But you never checked up on me," Cassius said, staring at the man he had thought of as a mentor. He had been left to be neglected and starved, just like the real Harry Potter.

"No," Dumbledore admitted. "But I did have Arabella Figg keep an eye, that was when I had her move into the neighborhood. It wasn't until after I put you with the Dursley's that I heard about you disappearing from Malfoy Manor. See, the house elf was a Malfoy house elf. He was my spy."

"A spy for what?" Draco yelled, standing up.

"Your parents were death eaters, I needed all the information I could get," Dumbledore defended himself. "His name was Twitchy. He wasn't a fan of your family and that was why he took Cassius. He thought he would be better off."

"Twitchy was an obnoxious, horrible little elf," Draco snarled. "He hated all of us."

"Your father abused him, Mr. Malfoy," Dumbledore admonished.

Draco gave a humorless laugh. "Yeah, because Twitchy would hit me! He always told me I would be a bad wizard like my parents and that I shouldn't even be alive. I was just five years old! So yeah, my father was rough with him because of it. Twitchy got worse after Cassius was taken and finally, my father gave him clothes and told him to never show himself again."

"I didn't know that," Dumbledore said, his eyes pained.

"No wonder we could never figure out how Cassius was taken," Snape said, his dark eyes furious. "No one thought it could be one of the house elves." House-elves were usually bound to their masters and could not lie or harm them. But apparently, Twitchy had never been bound to Lucius.

"I know it means nothing, but I am so sorry," Dumbledore said. "By the time I found out who the baby was, it was too late. I had already changed Cassius into Harry." He looked pained. "The wizarding world needed a hero to rely on. They still do, now that you have defeated Voldemort." He smiled. "I knew you could do it, my boy." He said to Cassius.

"He is not your boy and he should never have had to defeat Voldemort!" Draco shouted. "He should have never had to live with those horrible muggles or be in near death situations every year at this school. How could you do something so horrible, so dark?"

Dumbledore flinched. "I did it for the greater good," he said weakly. He yelped as a strong stinging hex hit his arm. "Poppy?"

"The greater good?" Poppy sneered. "You just did it so no one blamed you for Harry Potter's death. You did wrong by Harry and you caused the Malfoys incredible pain. And Cassius, he should never have had the childhood he has had! He should have grown up with his family, who loved him."

"I did what I thought I had to do," Dumbledore said quietly.

"What you did was incredibly selfish and cruel," Snape said coldly.

Cassius felt tears fill his eyes. He looked at Draco. "Would they have loved me? Your parents?" He asked in a whisper. The Dursley's had always told him he was unlovable.

"Our parents." Draco corrected. "And yes, they never stopped loving you. I know you didn't have the best impression of them, they had hardened themselves after losing you. But after what happened at the Ministry at the end of fifth year, they switched sides. They wanted Voldemort gone. They weren't bad people, I promise." he said to his brother. "They loved you. I love you. I've missed you since I was five years old."

Cassius wiped the tears that were falling. It seemed surreal, to think he could have grown up wanted and loved.

"Severus missed you too," Draco said with a small smile.

"Huh?" Cassius looked over at his potions professor.

"I'm godfather to both of you," Snape said gently.

"But – but you both hate me! You've spent years hating me!" Cassius yelled, standing and staring up at everyone. Merlin, he was small now! "This can't be – I'm seventeen!"

"You're twelve," Snape said calmly. "And I do not hate you. However, I am very sorry for how I treated you. It had nothing to do with you, even if you were really Harry Potter, it had nothing to do with you. It was my own bitterness and anger."

Cassius shrugged and looked away. "This is stupid, I'm an adult. A seventh year." He wiped the tears off his cheeks. He was sick of crying! He wasn't a baby!

"You're twelve," Draco spoke up. "You will be starting your second year."

"I already did my second year!" Cassius protested.

"You'll do it again," Draco told him. "This time as Cassius Malfoy. My little brother. And I want the hat to sort you again."

"What?" Cassius glared. "No!" Who did Draco think he was?

"Cass, if it sorts you into Gryffindor again that's fine with me," Draco said in a gentle voice. That wasn't true though, he wanted Cassius in Slytherin with him. He didn't want to let his brother out of his sight ever again. "I just think you should be sorted as Cassius."

"Cassius should rest some more," Poppy spoke up. "A nap would be good for him. Besides facing Voldemort, he now has had all this laid on him."

"I don't need a nap!" Cassius snapped at her. "I'm leaving!" He started to stomp away but Draco grabbed him and spun him around. He gulped at the stern look on Draco's face. He had never seen him look stern like that before. And now Draco looked so much bigger and stronger than he remembered.

"I know all this has been difficult," Draco said, making eye contact. "But I want you to get control of your emotions. Calm down and stop yelling. And you are not going anywhere."

"Oh yeah?" Cassius looked at him defiantly.

Draco just stared at him. "Yeah. You want to test me, little brother?" He asked softly.

Little brother...Cassius's eyes filled with tears. Merlin, why was he crying so much? "I don't want to be here alone," he admitted softly. He'd always hated being alone in the infirmary.

"I'm not going to leave you," Draco promised.

Cassius's eyes flashed to his. "You won't?"

Draco pulled him into a hug. "I won't. I'll sit by your side, all right?" He whispered into his ear.

Tentatively, Cassius put his arms around Draco. And for the first time that he could remember, he felt safe.

/

"I want Dumbledore to pay for this," Draco said, watching his brother as he slept.

"He will. Everyone is going to know what he did," Snape said. "Minerva has already told him he needs to resign." At Draco's questioning look, he explained. "She was there when I confronted him. She's furious."

"And will he resign?" Draco asked. He didn't want that man near him or his brother.

"Yes, he agreed. Minerva will now be Headmistress." Snape said. "Albus knows a lot of the wizarding world will turn on him after they hear about this."

"And Cassius will be the subject everyone talks about," Draco sighed. "He can never get away from being in the spotlight and if there's something I've observed over the years, he hates the spotlight."

"He does," Snape agreed. "I always accused him of loving his fame, but I knew it wasn't true. Merlin, he is never going to forgive me for how I've treated him." he said with clear regret.

Draco rubbed a hand over his face. "I have the same worry." He heard Madam Pomfrey snort and looked at her in surprise. "What?"

"This boy," Poppy said as she gestured to Cassius fondly. "Is a very forgiving, sweet boy. And, sad as it is, he is desperate to be loved and cared for. He will forgive you both, in time. I'm sure of it."

"I hope so," Draco said, smiling at his little brother. He really hoped so.

/

Cassius had woken up and was eating some soup as Draco and Pomfrey talked in her office. Draco knew his brother was irritated by the fact they were talking about him, but he would deal with that later. He needed to know how to best care for Cassius and he wanted Pomfrey's take on how he could do that.

"You have a big responsibility, Mr. Malfoy," Poppy said solemnly. "You are your brother's guardian now. He is going to need a lot of love, guidance, patience, discipline and consistency."

"I know," Draco said. It was a big responsibility but he wouldn't have it any other way. "He's been emotional since the truth came out."

"He has spent years holding in his emotions and being over burdened. With you, he can finally let go and be himself. It's good that he is younger, he is not ready to be an adult. He has a lot of healing to do. Don't be surprised if he sometimes acts younger than he is, so much has happened to him and it has taken a toll."

"So how do I treat him?"

"Treat him whatever age he is acting," Poppy said. "He will need a lot of reassurance. Even if you have to discipline him, make sure he knows that you still love him and won't abandon him."

Draco sighed. "I hope I don't have to discipline him, I just want to hug him." he admitted.

Poppy chuckled. "Unfortunately, he is a twelve year old boy. He will get into trouble from time to time, it's normal. How did your parents handle you when you misbehaved?"

"Well, unlike what most people seem to think they never hexed me or anything," Draco said, a little bitterly. He had heard from other students that they assumed he had been crucio'd as punishment or that his father had taken his cane to him. Neither of those things had ever happened. "I would get put on restriction, my broom taken away or be given lines. On occasion, my backside would pay the price. It was never done cruelly or too harshly," he assured Poppy. "My father would just use his hand or once in awhile a slipper, if I had done something dangerous. But he always held me afterwards and assured me I was forgiven and loved."

"That sounds similar to how a lot of wizarding families treat their children." Poppy nodded in approval. "Based on Cassius's past, just make sure to never withhold food as a punishment or lock him in his room."

"I would never do that," Draco said seriously.

Poppy patted his shoulder. "You are going to do just fine and of course, you have your godfather to help you. Just be aware that Cassius may act out to test you, once he starts to get more comfortable. It will actually be a positive thing when he does."

"Test me?"

"Yes, I wouldn't be surprised if he tests you to see if you will be cruel to him like the Dursley's or if you will turn your back on him," Poppy said. "When he sees that you won't , he'll realize that he is safe with you."

Draco nodded his understanding. "I just want him to be happy."

"He will be. He now has you."

/

"Ron, we aren't supposed to be in here. Harry needs to rest!" Hermione whispered as she followed him into the infirmary.

"He's missing all the celebrating!" Ron said as he pushed the curtain surrounding his friend aside. He stared at the blonde boy sitting up on the bed. "Who are you? Where is Harry?" he demanded.

"Uh, hey, Ron," Cassius said weakly. Draco was in Pomfrey's office discussing something with her, he figured it was about him.

"Do we know you?" Hermione asked in surprise.

"Yeah, Mione," Cassius said. He took a deep breath. "I'm Harry."

"What?" Hermione's brown eyes went wide.

"No, you aren't," Ron frowned. "You look like...Malfoy!"

Cassius winced. "I know. Pomfrey ran some sort of in depth diagnostic on me and found out that I had a glamour. Dumbledore did it...when the real Harry Potter died."

"You're mental," Ron said, glaring at him. "Where's Harry?"

"Right here!" Cassius snapped. "We met on the Hogwarts train, you were bummed because the trolley was going by and all you had to eat was a corned beef sandwich. I bought out the trolley and we feasted on sweets all the way to Hogwarts. Hermione came by, looking for Neville's toad. You tried to cast a spell on Scabbers but it didn't work and Hermione told you that you had dirt on your nose."

Ron and Hermione stared at him. "You – you're also younger," Hermione said in confusion.

"I was like a month old when I was taken from the Malfoys," Cassius explained. "I was given an aging potion... Antiq something."

"Antiquiorem?" Hermione's mouth dropped open.

"Yeah, that's it," Cassius said with a nod. "See, the real Harry Potter passed away when he was five years old."

"You were aged from a month old to a five year old?" Hermione was shocked. "But – Dumbledore did this?"

"Yeah, he admitted it," Cassius said glumly. "You can ask him if you don't believe me. Or you can ask Pomfrey, she's in her office with Draco."

"Draco?" Ron's eyes couldn't get any wider.

"My brother, apparently," Cassius shrugged. "See, Dumbledore had a house elf work for the Malfoy's as a spy. He was the one that took me and gave me to the Headmaster. Dumbledore said he didn't know I was a Malfoy until after he glamoured me, gave me the potion and put me with the Dursleys. That's a good thing about this, I'm not related to the Dursleys."

"But you're related to Draco!" Ron protested, looking horrified. "This is awful! The worst thing that could have happened! Make them change you back!"

"Ronald!" Hermione scolded. "It's dangerous to be aged that much! Plus Harry deserves to know who he really is!" She paused, looking at her friend uncertainly. "What is your real name?"

"Cassius."

"Your name is Harry," Ron said stubbornly.

"I was never really Harry Potter, Ron," Cassius sighed. "And I'm only twelve years old," he said grumpily. "I have to do second year again!" he complained.

"Well, that's not so bad," Hermione said tentatively. "This time you won't be distracted by a basilisk or Lockhart. You can actually concentrate on your studies." She said encouragingly.

"So this whole time I was best friends with a Malfoy?" Ron said disbelievingly. "I was friends with a little kid?"

"Hey," Cassius said in an affronted voice. "It's not like I knew. And I'm still the same person, I'm still your friend."

Ron snorted. "You're a Malfoy. You deceived us all!"

"I didn't know!"

"Sure," Ron backed up a step, looking at him distastefully. "This is insane. Make Dumbledore change you back. You're better off as a fake Harry Potter than a Malfoy," he spat out the last word.

"Is that so, Weasley?" Draco stepped forward, Pomfrey behind him. Draco's eyes were like ice as he stared daggers at Ron.

"It is so," Ron sneered. "Why would he want to be a Malfoy and have you as a brother when he could be Harry Potter and have me as a friend?"

"He was always a Malfoy," Draco shot back. "He was always my brother!"

"At least your parents are dead and he doesn't have to deal with them," Ron said cruelly.

"Ron!" Hermione gasped.

"Mr. Weasley, that was a horrible thing to say!" Poppy snapped. "Apologize!"

"No," Ron glared at Cassius. "Have Dumbledore change you back, Harry."

"His name is Cassius," Draco said, fury in his voice over Ron's insensitive comment.

"Cassius," Ron scoffed. "So the one who defeated Voldemort is a Malfoy? I don't think so."

"Mr. Weasley, enough." Poppy said sternly. "I know this is a shock but perhaps you could show some sensitivity to your friend."

"I will never be friends with a Malfoy," Ron muttered.

Cassius's eyes filled with tears. "We've been friends for years."

"I was friends with the hero of the wizarding world," Ron said. "Not a Malfoy."

"Ronald Weasley," Hermione snapped. "How could you say that?"

"I want you two out of here," Draco said. He saw his brother getting upset, he looked ready to cry. Ron must have seen it too because his eyes narrowed.

"Aw, is the little kid going to cry?" Ron mocked. He yelped when Hermione slugged his arm.

"You are being an insensitive prat!" Hermione hissed. She cast an apologetic look at Cassius as she pulled Ron towards the exit.

Cassius watched him go sadly. He'd lost Ron.

TBC: Next up, Cassius visits Malfoy Manor and Draco takes him shopping in Diagon Alley.