I do not own Harry Potter, the Wizarding World, or any canon characters.
Note: This is the original reply to the prompt on the HpFanfic subreddit.
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"My parents are alive. I have a little sister."
Harry Potter sat and held his little sister, trying to stop her crying as much as he tried to stop his own. He had grown up thinking that he was alone, that his parents were dead. It was something the Dursleys reminded him daily. That he was alone, unneeded, unnecessary.
Unwanted.
Yet and she was, the proof to one of the lies at least. His parents were alive. But it seemed that he was unwanted after all.
Something he shared with his newly discovered baby sister.
Petunia, his mother's sister, had been equal parts cruelly amused and upset when she read the letter that had accompanied his little sister. That the Potters had faked their deaths and in trying to protect their children, had sent her somewhere to be safe.
If it was not so tragic, it would be hilarious.
Harry did not know what safety was. Growing up with the Dursleys had shown that he had no such security. He starved. He overworked. He suffered. And now his little sister would share his fate.
He felt a tiny hand touch his face, stemming the tears from falling. The tiny form in his arms gurgled, no longer crying. She clumsily patted his face, making noises that were no longer wails.
No. She would not suffer. She would not endure what he did.
She would be wanted. By him.
-0-
"They didn't want me or Holly, but they wanted him?"
Harry looked at his brother, James Potter the second, with frank disbelief. Today was a complicated day for him. He was on the Hogwarts Express, going to Hogwarts. He had to leave his little sister behind, something he had tried his hardest not to. And yet he had to. Holly did not cry much as they grew older, but she had cried this day, as did he.
The door to the compartment had been thrust open and his twin had stood there, incensed that there was someone that looked like him, that shared his last name. There were many differences between the two boys. James looked healthy, happy, vibrant, arrogant. He had no air of neglect. He was sure of himself.
He did not have green eyes. Harry did.
Harry had some grim amusement that apparently his parents had lied to his brother too. James was told Harry had died. James thought Holly was dead too.
Within minutes, Harry knew that there would be no familial bond, no friendship. James despised him so much, just as much as Dudley if not more. At least Dudley was taught to hate Harry. James created that opinion on his own.
Harry, though disappointed, did not care overmuch. As far as he was concerned, he only had one family member and he would do everything in his power to keep her safe and happy.
-0-
"Are we going to be okay?"
Harry's heart broke at the uncertainty in Holly's voice. "We'll be okay," he said, as confidently as he could. "You can't stay at the Dursleys anymore. You'll be closer, here in Hogsmeade."
"How can you afford this though?" Holly asked.
"I've been working since I came to school. I was given special permission to work and I was sending money back for them to take care of you." Harry bit his lip and tasted blood. "Even with that they treated you badly. No, no more. Now I don't have to send any money and you'll be closer."
"I'll work too."
"You won't. I can take care of us."
She hugged him. "I'm sorry," she said softly, tears growing.
"Don't be. I do this for us, happily."
"Thank you," she whispered. They held each other for long moments. "Is...how is he?"
Harry knew who she was talking about. "He's...not great but he has reason to be."
"Why?"
He looked down at her, emerald eyes meeting emerald eyes. "He doesn't have you."
She smiled with watery eyes. "He doesn't have you."
-0-
"Uh...Harry?"
"What do you want James?"
James winced. Before he alternated between being cold and cruel to Harry and biting and cruel to him. He took Harry's existence as a personal insult and did all he could to grind Harry to the stone. The only time he had listened to Harry before was when he tried to bully Holly when she came to Hogwarts.
Harry had shown why badgers are respected after he sent James to the Infirmary. It was well worth all the trouble that came of it because James never went close to Holly ever again.
But that was before Harry had saved James' life. That was before Harry stood against the Dark Lord come again. Voldemort had returned and had tried to take out who he thought stopped him before.
Turns out he was wrong as well.
Harry had stopped him when Voldemort learned of Harry and Holly's existence. Harry, was oddly indifferent at the threat to himself however. When the Dark Lord took an interest in Holly however, he was stopped completely and utterly.
A shocked Wizarding World had a strange new realty. One where a Dark Lord returned and was stopped by the same boy, many years apart. A boy that they had no idea that existed until James Potter Junior was seen with an almost identical twin. A boy who's existence showed just how his parents had lied, lies increasing when a little sister appeared.
James was forced to really examine all he thought he knew and it turned out that he knew nothing.
He coughed. "I, uh, wanted to thank you."
"I didn't do it for you. Or for your parents."
Another wince. "Then for...oh. For her."
"Yeah, for her."
"Is...can I...I feel like I should do something."
"Leave us alone. And tell your parents to do the same."
"But...they want you back, both of you. They want us to be a family." James shivered. Harry's eyes were colder than ice and he had only seen that look twice. Each time someone was grievously hurt. The first time was himself. The second time was Tom Riddle Jr. At least James had survived the experience.
"You know, there was a time that I dreamed of that," Harry said softly. "There was nothing I wanted more."
"Then why not accept-"
"Because I don't want it anymore. Neither does Holly. It's clear that the Potters never wanted us." Harry looked at him. "I think we finally share something in common."
"We do?"
"Yeah, growing up you wanted for nothing. Now, I want nothing from you or your parents. You guys gave me the one thing I ever wanted from the Potters: Holly. Tell them to leave us alone."
"I...I'm sorry."
Harry walked away. "I don't want your apologies either."
-0-
"I got another letter from them," Holly said.
Harry sighed. "I wish they'd stop."
"Me too. You'd think after the last time I sent it back and it exploded in their house they'd catch the hint."
Harry smiled. "Lovely charm work by the way."
She smiled brightly. "Thank you! I had a wonderful tutor." She hugged him tightly.
"For tutoring you?" he teased.
"No, for loving me. For wanting me," she said into his neck.
He hugged her close. "Always, since we met," he said softly into her hair. He smiled gently. "Thanks for wanting me."
"Always, since we met," she murmured.