DISCLAIMER: I don't own Harry Potter.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sorry this took so long.  My editor, Jesschan, has been swamped with work.  It took me a while, but I finally found a new editor, Nibor13, and will have chapters up to 11 done within about 2 weeks.  Also, if you leave your e-mail in the review, I can notify you when I update. Enjoy! ^^

Chapter 3

The First Step

            "I have a half-sibling?!  Not only a half-sibling, but also his father is Snape?  This is a joke! It's not true! I REFUSE TO BELIEVE IT!" Harry yelled.

            "Shhhh, Harry, you don't want to wake up the Dursleys.  I don't believe it either, but we have to remain calm.  I suppose we should tell Snape first thing, then we can find your half-brother."

            "No, I think we should find him and then tell Snape.  I don't know how he's going to react.  I wonder why my mother didn't tell him herself when she found out," Harry said curiously.

            "She was most likely scared.  Remember, she was only 18.  I don't think they meant for it to happen either.  The first thing we should do, though, is go to Gringotts.  That's your best bet.  Gather all you can on your half-brother.  We'll have to go with your way, he is your half-brother.  I hate to break this to you, but it seems like Snape is, ummm, your stepfather."

            "HE IS NO WAY IN FUCKING HELL MY STEPFATHER!"

            "Harry, shut up!  This is not going to be easy, and if you can't behave, then it'll be harder.  Plus, your brother's twenty now.  Maybe you could live with him."

            "Hey, Sirius, thanks.  I'll need all the help I can get on this.  I wish I could leave the Dursleys, but I can't.  Something about blood relatives being the only ones who can protect me from Voldemort.  I know you can't go into Diagon Alley and just walk into Gringotts, so how are we going to get this letter?"

            "What if one of your friends picked it up?  You're also going to have to get your school supplies somehow.  Have you gotten your letter yet?"

            "No, but it usually comes later in August."  Harry stopped when he saw a few owls hovering near the large window in the basement.  He dashed towards the window and let the owls in.  He saw that they were from Ron, Hermione, and Hagrid.  Opening Hagrid's package first, he saw a beautiful cake.

            Dear Harry,

                        How's it been?  I wonder how those Muggles are treating ya.  Happy Birthday!  Olympe helped with the cake.  She's a great cook, I tell ya.  I'll be sad in September when she has to go back to Beauxbatons.  Dumbledore's been a mess over here.  He's trying to do so much, with Fudge being the prick that he is.  Come visit me as soon as you get to Hogwarts.

                        ~Hagrid

            Harry looked at the cake again and offered it to Sirius first.  Sirius cut it in half and began to eat his piece.  Harry looked over to the next gift, which was from Hermione.

            Dear Harry,

                        How's the rest of your summer been? Happy Birthday!  I went to Diagon Alley and thought you might like this.  It's a book, I know, but I still thought you'd like it.  I hope it'll help you with Divination.  Maybe your death won't be predicted as much, or you'll be able to more accurately predict your future.  You should finish your summer homework quickly.  Any chance you'll be going to Diagon Alley?  If you are, write back and tell me when.  See you then!

                        ~Hermione

            Harry look at the book, Using Your Inner Eye-The Right Way by Cassandra Vablatsky.  He thought that it was thoughtful of Hermione.  She always managed to find the right things for his birthday.  The next owl was from Ron.

            Hey, Harry!

                        Happy Birthday!  How's it going?  Heard anything from Snuffles lately?  Dad's been so busy at the Ministry lately, we rarely see him.  Fred and George are excited about next year.  They can't wait for their last year at Hogwarts.  Then they can finally open a joke shop.  I've sent you a ton of Daily Prophets, though there hasn't been much in there.  Hey!  Good news!  Bill's coming to England for a week and he's going to go visit you!  I hope the Muggles will let Bill stay there for a day.  I hope you don't mind, he's coming tomorrow at 5.  Sorry, but Happy Birthday!  Bill's bringing the present; I hope you don't mind it being late.  Well, have a fun summer; maybe I'll see you in Diagon Alley. 

                        ~Ron

            "Hey Sirius, how's the cake?"

            "It's good.  You have to eat your half now.  What's new with your friends?"

            "Nothing much.  They asked how you were.  Oh yes, you remember the other redheaded boy that was in the hospital wing earlier this summer?"

            "He was kind of tall, with long hair?"

            "Yes, why?"

            "Ron's surprise present is coming with his brother.  That's Bill.  He's coming tomorrow at 5, think you'll be out of here by then?"

            "Yes, I should be out of here by then.  I should leave after lunch.  Are you planning on telling the Dursleys that another visitor is coming?"

            "Are you kidding me?  Hell, I'm going to tell them.  They'd try to lock me up and pretend I don't live here.  It's not the first time it's happened.  Anyways back to my half-brother, Tristan  What are we going to do about it?  Who could go and believably get my stuff?"

            "Try owling Dumbledore.  I could always ask Remus.  The full moon just passed.  Yeah, Remus would do it.  Besides, your mother wrote in her letter that Remus knew about her dating Snape, so it wouldn't be as big as a surprise," Sirius reassured Harry.

            "All right then.  You write to Remus, while I write back to Hermione, Ron, and Hagrid.  I have to thank them for their birthday presents to me.  Here's some parchment, a quill, and some ink.  You can use Hedwig."

            Harry and Sirius sat down to write their letters.  By the time they had finished, it was almost two o'clock in the morning.  They sent the owls off, but not before reviewing each other's letters.  Harry's were all identical and just brief thank-you notes.  Sirius', on the other hand, was a bit longer.

            Moony,

                        Hey, it's Padfoot here.  It's July 31, Harry's birthday.  I'm visiting Harry right now at his Muggle relative's house.  Apparently the Muggle Prime Minister let me off the hook.  Harry says hi as well.  We need you to do us a favor.  I can not be sighted by anyone in the wizarding world, and Harry can not leave the protection of his relatives.  We need you to go into Gringotts and get an envelope out of Harry's vault.  It should say something like 'Harry's eyes only' and be hidden.  It should also be in Lily's handwriting.  Lily put it in there without James knowing, so it should be well hidden.  Do you remember what happened our seventh year between Lily and Snape?  There's a very long story that can accompany it, but I'll give you the condensed version.  Lily fell in love with Snape.  They had sex during the August after we graduated.  Lily became pregnant and had a boy named Tristan Cameron.  She gave the boy to another wizarding family to be raised, since she was barely 18.  We just found out a few hours ago.  Harry is devastated and jumping for joy at the same time.  His half-brother is about twenty now and that also makes Snape his stepfather.  Harry is glad to have other relatives, but he doesn't know what to do.  We both are at a lost.  We're writing to you to see which of the options you like better.  Option one is to tell Snape and then find the boy.  Option two is to find the boy and then tell Snape.  We really don't have much time.  In the envelope, it tells us everything needed to find Harry's half-brother.  We need that envelope soon.  Send it to Harry, since I'll be leaving tomorrow, August 1.

            ~Padfoot

            Harry looked over Sirius' letter and smiled.  He knew Remus would be happy to see this letter and that he would also be greatly surprised.  Never in his wildest dreams did he think he had a half-brother that was related to Snape.  It would be a weird feeling, facing Snape during Hogwarts.  Sirius sent Hedwig off and told Harry to get some sleep.  Harry slept until he heard Aunt Petunia's normal screeching of how to cook the food.  He looked over towards Sirius, who was still snoring.  Getting upstairs took a lot of him, he hadn't fallen asleep until almost two-thirty in the morning.  Looking at the table, he saw a little grapefruit half on each plate.

            "Harry, where is this godfather of yours?  Did he leave without saying good-bye?"  Aunt Petunia asked, thinking that Sirius might have left and been rude.

            "No, Aunt Petunia, he's still sleeping.  Would you like me to go wake him up?"

            "No, that won't be necessary.  What time did you say he was leaving?"

            "I'm leaving around 12 tomorrow, why?" Sirius said, scaring Aunt Petunia.

            "You looked like you were sound asleep, when did you get up?"

            "Just now.  Shall we dig in?" Sirius said sarcastically.

            Harry and Sirius finished their little grapefruit halves quickly; they still had some sweets downstairs.  Once downstairs, they continued to go through the boxes.  Most of the boxes contained his mother and father's photo albums from Hogwarts' times.  On the top of one of the boxes, he found a note addressed to his aunt.

            Petunia

                        Here are some things that I want you to keep safe.  I trust that you can keep these out of evil's reach.

                        ~Your sister

                                    Lily

            Harry was surprised.  From the way his aunt talked about his mother, she hated his mum.  He saw that it was a one-sided relationship.  Something struck him.  Realizing this, he knew he had to find his half-brother soon.  He did not want to grow and be like his aunt and mum or, even worse, not know his half-brother at all.  He hoped Remus would write back soon; it would solve all of his problems.

            That day passed on peacefully.  At night, Sirius told Harry the pranks that he had played when he was at Hogwarts.  Harry's stomach hurt from laughing so hard.  They slept soundly throughout the night, and they were surprised when they woke up.  A note was left on the door, saying that his aunt had taken Dudley clothes shopping.  Harry knew how much Dudley hated clothes shopping, and was glad to be home with just Sirius.  He realized that his relatives wouldn't be home until after Bill had arrived, since the note said that they were going out to dinner and for Harry and Sirius to find something to eat themselves.  Sirius had to leave by 12, so that Bill would not find him and report him.  Bill was coming by 5 and Harry couldn't wait to see Bill again.  Harry thought Bill and Charlie were great and hoped his brother was like them.  He looked outside, wistfully thinking about his brother.  Sirius called him back to earth.

            "Harry, I know what you're thinking about.  It won't help you to think about it.  Let's play a game of Exploding Snap.  It'll clear your mind, trust me," Sirius encouraged.

            "If you say so, I believe you."

            They played Exploding Snap until almost three o'clock, when Harry looked at the clock.

            "Hey, Sirius, look at the clock!"

            "HOLY SHIT!  I've got to go now.  Harry, you truly are your father's son.  I wish you luck in finding your half-brother, and keep in touch with me," Sirius said as he dashed off, turning into his Animagus form.

            Just as Sirius had finished getting down the street, Bill Apparated to Harry's front door.

            "Hello, Harry.  Here, this is from Ron.  Happy fifteenth birthday!" Bill cheered.

            "Thanks Bill.  Now, I knew you were coming, but my relatives didn't know you were coming.  I'm sorry, but how would we explain it to them?"

            "Well, your best bet is to be honest.  Tell them that I'm only staying one night, and I will be leaving very early in the morning.  What time are they coming home?"

            "After dinner, they're going out to dinner."

            "What about you?"

            "There's always something around the house.  Would you like something to eat?"

            "I'd love food.  Open your present first."

            "Alright, let's go into my room."  Harry led Bill downstairs into his room, while Bill gasped.

            "This is some nice room you have.  From the way Ron described it I pictured something different.  He mentioned it being upstairs."

            "If I cleaned the basement out, I was allowed to have it as a room.  You can have the bed if you want.  I'll take the couch."

            "No, I'm leaving very early, so I'll leave without saying good-bye.  I hope you don't think I'm rude."

            "Not at all!  Just as long as Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon don't know you're here, you're safe.  They frown upon anyone who shows a hint of being rude.  I highly doubt they'd like you, considering your looks."

            "They're those kind of people?"

            "Yeah.  Well I'm tired now, good night Bill."

            "Night Harry, but open your present!"

            "Okay, okay."  Harry opened his present and a huge smile crept over his face.  Ron has given him a bunch of travel Muggle board games to play in the castle.

            "I found these in a tourist shop and mentioned them to Ron.  He thought you'd love them."

            "Thanks Bill.  Good night!"

            It was another peaceful night at the Dursley's.  Bill left just as he had said, without the Dursleys ever knowing.  Harry woke up to seeing two owls outside his window.  He recognized the envelope in one of them.  It was his Hogwarts letter.  He opened that first and wrote back to Dumbledore, wondering how he would get his supplies.  He realized that he would need a new potions book and a few other new things that were just getting old.  The second owl was owl he was awaiting.

            Dear Harry,

                        I've received your letter.  I'm glad to hear Padfoot and you are doing fine.  I did go and get the package you wanted me to get.  I've sent it with another owl; it was a bit too large for this one.  Yes, I did know about Lily and Snape, but I never knew it was that serious.  A girl, Carrie, a Slytherin, was the only other person who knew about them.  She was found to be murdered by Death Eaters.  I believe that she knew about little Tristan Cameron.  I didn't look at the package; I figured that you should be the first one to open it.  I wish you luck in contacting your brother and I hope he accepts you.  Happy birthday, I'm sorry, I didn't get you anything but this. (Harry felt five Galleons fall out of the envelope.) I hope it's enough for you.  Though, knowing you, you don't want or need it, but live a little and have some fun.  Have fun and write back soon!

                        ~Remus

            Harry looked around and saw another owl, struggling to come in.  He relieved the first two owls and put the newest one into Hedwig's cage, so they could have some water and food before taking off again.  Harry opened the envelope and noticed a birth certificate.  He read only the things he felt were important.

Full Name of Child: Tristan Cameron Evans

Mother's Maiden Name: Lily Marie Evans

Father's Name: unknown

Date of Birth: April 24, 1976 at 9:36 PM

Place of Birth: Southampton General Hospital

            Seeing this, he knew the truth.  His mother gave birth in a Muggle hospital.  He researched what his brother's name means.  Tristan means "riot" or "tumult" and Cameron means "crooked nose."  Harry laughed at this.  If Tristan looked like his father, he would have a crooked nose.  So far, he was causing a riot within Harry's little family.  Harry continued searching through the folders of information.  The next one was the adoption certificate.  Reading the key points, he learned a few more things.

Name of Child: Tristan Cameron Evans

Name of Biological Mother: Lily Marie Evans

Name of Biological Father: unknown

Name of Adoptive Mother: Diana Catherine Winbaf

Name of Adoptive Father: Gregory Hugh Winbaf

Date Signed: July 31, 1976

            It was just a coincidence that Tristan was adopted on Harry's birthday.  Something clicked again.  Snape's name wasn't mentioned at all.  He truly didn't know he had a son.  Harry began his letter to Tristan first.

            Dear Tristan Cameron Winbaf,

                        Hello.  You may know me as 'The Boy Who Lived,' but I am something more to you.  I am simply Harry Potter to most people.  To you, though, I am your half-brother.  I only found out yesterday, on my fifteenth birthday.  My mother, Lily Marie Evans Potter, is your biological mother.  She gave you up for adoption to a wizard family when you were only four months old.  I've sent a wizard picture of our mother and your father.  You and I have different fathers.  If it is at all possible, could you send me a picture of yourself? I'd love to meet you.  Our aunt, uncle, and cousin have raised me since I was one.  You must have had a better life than I had, since Aunt Petunia, our mother's sister, did not like me very much.  I was treated like dirt because Mum and my father were wizards and I most likely was as well.  I've included a picture of myself and the family I live with. 

            Your younger half-brother,

                        Harry James Potter