I don't own Harry Potter.

Flicker of Light

He looked around and found that he was all alone, in the middle of a dark forest. The pale, bone white moon was hanging carelessly on the sky, highlighting every little leaf that was slowly falling to the ground. The deep lake reflected the weak rays of moonlight, like a torch of pale fire in the darkness of the night. That, and with the quietness of the forest, only made the atmosphere all the more mysterious.

The one-year-old walked slowly towards a random direction in hope to escape the forest only to turn back when all he could see was darkness. The moonlight couldn't pass through the thick piles of leaves. He went back to the lake where the trees were not as many and sat beside the lake. It was getting cold; he must find the way to leave if he didn't want to freeze to death.

He jumped as a sudden strong light blinded his eyes. He forced his eyes to open regardless of the pain.

The light came from the middle of the lake. There was a dark shadow in the light and it strangely resembled a man.

He blinked as the light started to fade, before staring at the shadow, somehow unable to move. It was moving towards him...

"Ahh! Mummy! Daddy!" Harry Potter, the elder son of the Potters, screamed as he returned from the realm of dream, before realizing that his mummy and daddy were not here.

Lily and James Potter were at St. Mungo's that night. Harry vaguely recalled his mother telling him excitedly that he was going to have a little brother. He found her excitement a vivid contrast with his indifference.

Ever since his mother was pregnant with his brother, his parents were overjoyed by the idea and Lily was forbidden to do any of the housework. James was a horrible house worker. The meals he cooked were often burnt (which was not much worse than Lily's). There were no more good-night kisses, no more warm hugs, and Harry had to walk the stairs since he was nine months old… by himself.

Although he knew his parents still cared about him, Harry couldn't help but feel jealous of his brother. But, when he thought that his parents probably did the same when they were having him, he didn't feel jealous anymore.

It was late. He'd better sleep now if he didn't want to oversleep…

"Hey, are you Mr. Potter? Congratulations, you have just become a proud father of two sons! Your wi— oh! Please! Calm down Mr. Potter! Yes I know you're very nervous, but- put down my collar and let me continue, PLEASE! Good. your wife wants to name him Andrew, Andrew James Potter, named after you, isn't it just—AHH! MISTER POTTER! Violence is forbidden in the ward area! Please don't—AH!—OUCH! Okay, OKAY! I'll tell you! They are in room 214! It is over there. No, not that way! It is there, see? No! Not there! It is- AH! I told you that violence is forbid—OHHH! AHHHHH!"

James rushed into the room, ignoring the meddlesome doctor. Really, the nerve of that man!

He looked around and found a pale Lily Potter lying on the bed. James immediately ran to hug her tightly.

"James... don't... don't do that... I can't breathe..." choked a weak voice. James let go of her, embarrassed, before he exclaimed loudly, "Where is him? Where is the boy?"

Lily pointed towards a cradle near the bed. "That is your son, Andrew."

James looked at his newborn son and then blinked for a few moments before grinning from ear to ear. "He is so much like me," James whispered as he held his son with uncharacteristic gentleness.

Andrew Potter was indeed like his father. He possessed the same round-topped nose and hazel eyes as James; and his hair was already untidy when he was just a baby. The only thing he inherited from his mother was his deep red hair, and with his eyes and nose, promising a handsome figure as he grew older.
James tried to cuddle his son but instead got a punch in the face. Lily watched her husband and son, smiling happily, but then her smile turned wistful.

"James..." Lily's voice was soft, "Don't you think... this is a bit unfair for Harry?" said Lily, turning to gaze at the ceiling.

The Marauder stopped his attempted "talking" with Andre abruptly and hesitated for an instant before answering, "Of course not. This is, after all, for the good of the wizarding world."

Lily held her gaze for a while, and then looked down. "Maybe."

"Mummy?" The elder son of the Potters said quietly as he watched his mother milking a baby. It was just last night that his parents returned from the magical hospital. But he was asleep then, so he didn't see them.

"This is... brother?" asked the dark-haired child while looking at his brother curiously.

"Yes, Harry," said Lily with a fond smile, "his name is Andrew."

"Andwoo?"

"No, it is Andrew. Try again?"

"Adrew."

Lily leaned down and said, "An-drew."

Harry looked thoughtful for a moment before he said, "An-drew. Andrew."

Lily watched as a bright smile spread over her son's face and he jumped up and down.

"Andrew. It's Andrew. I know! Yeah!"

They were interrupted by a grinning James who had just come down the stairs. "Hey, Lily," said James, "let me hold him."

The red-haired woman handed over her younger son carefully. James held his son with just as much care as Lily did, correcting his earlier carelessness. He pulled his son's little hands up as he cooed, "Ow, aren't you simply cute? I daresay, you will be handsome like your dad." Lily smiled, amused, and reached out to caress Andrew's little pink cheek. Surprisingly, the child cried out in agreement, which made the smiles on his parents' faces widen. They continued to feed him and play with him, temporarily forgetting the other child present.

All the while Harry watched silently with a smile that rivaled James and Lily's, and a jealousy that he hid from his face and even from himself. It is just that my brother is still young, he convinced himself. Of course mummy and daddy will care more for him. It will return to normal when my brother gets older.

It turned out that it didn't.

It was already several months since his brother was born and nothing had changed. If anything, it had gotten even worse.

Gone was the loving words that had often been said to him in meals; gone was the thoughtful touches and bedside stories that had always warmed Harry's heart. Although his parents did not ignore him, Harry still felt somewhat hollow. He wanted to take Andrew's place, to be his brother and receive all this attention he desperately wanted yet at the same time feeling guilty because of it.

Deep inside he still loved them.

"How's Andrew today?" Harry was jerked out of his reverie by his father's question. It was Halloween and they were having dinner. James had just come back from work.

Why don't they ask, thought Harry, "How's Harry today?"

"Pretty much the same. He wouldn't stop screaming and I had to stop him," answered Lily.

James grinned. "Of course, he's my son," he said while running a hand though Andrew's short but messy hair. Lily pouted and then smiled too.

"Andrew, wanna drink milk?"

Andrew giggled loudly in James' arms. Lily took it as a yes and fed him milk.

Harry smiled to himself sadly. Of course they won't ask him.

"And Harry, do you want some too?"

Surprised, Harry snapped up his head to stare at his mother. He hesitated for a moment before he said, "Yes, thank you."

The red-haired woman smiled and Harry looked down as she started to pour some milk into his glass.

Had he bothered to look, he would find a Lily Potter looking at him with a strange guilty expression...

TBC