Chapter 1: The Nephew's Reunification
Albus Dumbledore looked at the letter closely as he found a familiar address. Deciding it was that of a pureblood, he was about to set it away but he decided to read it anyway.
Mr H. Potter,
Room No. 58,
5, Damson Lane,
Wool's Orphanage,
Tingbey, London
Albus Dumbledore immediately started moving out of Hogwarts to see if another Dark Lord is about to start Hogwarts. The boy was probably some orphan half-blood, given that last name, but with Tom now starting to make waves as Voldemort, Albus couldn't take another Dark Lord to start his career.
_
Harry picked up his letter and read it.
Finally. The week was absolutely boring, though Harry had heard some festival will take place at the end of this month due to the town's historical significance.
He sat upon the old bed and yawned. This place was boring. The people were either bullies, some of the most normal people, people who only like to play sports or adults. Adults didn't want to talk to kids, especially that Mrs Cole.
Also, Harry was the only person with black hair here. Apparently, Mrs Cole didn't like those kids that much but Harry had no idea about that so he was going to suffer the matron's glares.
Mrs Cole peeked into Harry's room and glared at Harry for no reason, she said, "A Professor is here to meet you, Mister Potter."
Harry nodded slowly and said, "Thanks, Mrs Cole."
Her eye twitched as she couldn't scold him for thanking her properly after he left and a person entered the room.
'Why did he send Hagrid when he could come by himself?' Harry thought as the old man sat in front of him in an old wooden chair. Dumbledore looked years younger and happier than he did, and more innocent than he was. His blue eyes looked sparkling instead of twinkling and he had a shorter and greyer than a whiter beard.
His clothes looked less colourful and more in shades of blue and white, his wand was in his hands and not in a hostler like the last time Harry saw him.
'War against Voldemort seems to have changed him a lot' Harry realised as Dumbledore sat more relaxed than Harry had ever seen him.
Before Dumbledore could speak, Harry greeted him, "Nice to see you, Headmaster, I would attend Hogwarts."
Dumbledore seemed surprised and asked, "My boy, you know about magic?"
Harry nodded and answered, "When dad and mum were attacked and killed, I had run away. They had kept me a secret just so they wouldn't target me since they were quite popular. Since then, I stayed on the streets and recently, started staying in this orphanage. Mrs Cole doesn't like me much though."
Dumbledore looked thoughtful for a while before answering, "I see, either way, my boy, we do not know how much you know about the magical world. I would agree to guide you, young Hardwin, but alas, I am far too occupied with my work as the Headmaster and the British representative to ICW. I do know a family of Potters, perhaps you know of them, we can see if your parents are related to them?"
Harry nodded, actually surprised that Dumbledore was actually being respectful and not trying to see if he was Light or Dark, nor believing the rumours that Mrs Cole would have surely fed him, and just trying to help the orphan he had found. Perhaps this was the Dumbledore that his parents, Sirius, Remus and Hagrid saw.
Dumbledore asked, "I would be quite thankful if you granted me their names, my boy. You see, it would shorten the time I have to spend on it."
Maybe Dumbledore thought Harry was too young when his parents (and they were his parents now, no need to be suspicious by calling them anything else) died and thought to ask them their names to see if he remembered them.
Harry answered, "Charlus and Dorea Potter."
_
"What do you mean my brother had a kid and didn't tell me 'bout it, Dumbledore?!" Fleamont Potter shouted angrily, feeling offended that his own brother wouldn't tell him about something this big, despite them being not that close.
Albus tried to calm his old accomplice down, "Fleamont, try to calm down, no need to be angry. We have found the boy and he is quite assuredly Charlus' son."
Fleamont's lips thinned, something Albus' own deputy and Fleamont's friend, Minerva, had picked up from him, and he huffed. He visibly tried to calm down and sat on his desk sadly. He said in a much lower tone in a sadder voice, "Is there any proof that he is the kid?"
Albus had personally checked this and had actually found proof from another old accomplice, Alastor Moody, which included the boy's birth certificate and a statement from Moody about how they had thought the boy died due to him not being found when Charlus and Dorea died.
Albus nodded and said, "Alastor told me that a few Aurors knew that the boy existed due to the fact that Charlus knew he was a high profile target, and they searched for him for a year before deciding the boy was dead due to the increase in the crime rates by a large amount. We even confirmed by taking a blood sample of Hardwi - Harry - to perform a spell, and even his Hogwarts Fee Cheque was set up by Charlus.
"There is plenty of proof, Fleamont. His face is that of Dorea's if she were a wizard, and his attitude is pure Charlus. It is quite clear, my boy."
Fleamont snarked, "Don't call me your boy, old man." before running a hand through his black hair, the other hand adjusting his glasses a few moments later. He looked down and sighed. His frown deepened and he looked seconds away from crying. Everyone who knew the eldest alive Potter knew that he was a very emotional man and that he didn't of his nephew had hit him hard.
"Where is he?"
Albus looked up, looking a few years younger. At least Fleamont would agree to meet Harry. Albus quickly responded, "Before meeting you, I had wanted to make sure you can meet him after the meeting, so I had decided to have him come to my house a few roads aw-".
"You could've come with my cousin, you know, Professor." A young voice was heard.
Fleamont looked up and Albus turned around to see a young boy with extremely messy hair and hazel eyes. Fleamont groaned and Albus chuckled. This was James Potter, the sneakiest and the most adventurous boy Albus had ever seen.
"This is the fifth time this month that you've heard in on my meetings, son."
James rolled his eyes and ran a hand through his hair, exactly like his father, before answering with a smirk, "Well, it isn't my fault that your office falls between the library and my room!"
James spent a lot of time in the library after getting his Hogwarts letter to make sure he got the best marks possible and learn more than a few prank spells. James is good at pranking, quite like Filius Flitwick, Albus always thought.
James turned to Albus and asked, "Professor, why didn't you bring him with you?"
Albus looked at Fleamont and then back to James before answering, "You see, my boy, I didn't quite know the reaction that Harry would've had if he entered with me. I didn't quite want to take the chance."
James was still confused but nodded anyway, since he knew that he wouldn't have said no to spending time with family, even if it was with that creepy Arcturus Black, who was technically an in-law due to Dorea Potter.
Fleamont looked offended but nodded, knowing it was a possibility however small it may be. The Potter Patriarch asked, "Can we see him?"
Albus nodded, wanting to see how the meeting would go and hoping it would go peacefully and nicely.
_
Harry had thought that the Ministry would help him with the Potters but apparently, Dumbledore was actually helping him this time. He was still shocked by that.
Harry had been left here by Dumbledore, though he could understand a bit why, and was waiting for Dumbledore to arrive to tell him that they were not available or were ready to meet him. Harry, finally, had a bit of trust in Dumbledore but it wasn't enough to not make him suspicious of the old wizard.
Somebody hit the door hard, probably thinking he was knocking, and trying to open it by sheer force and annoyance alone but a deep voice stopped him, though it sounded nervous. Another person opened the door, which Harry knew was Dumbledore.
It was easy to identify Dumbledore, he was pretty easy to identify with an orange tuxedo, but the Potters were easier to identify. Harry's and Fleamont's eyes looked the same and as did some of their features. Harry could have passed for Fleamont's son, and since this was actually the body of his nephew, it was quite a surprise.
James looked a lot different than Harry was either told or had seen in the pictures. James looked like an average boy his age, though a lot more thin, likely due to lots of activities or high metabolism, and had the messiest head of really dark brown hair which was long enough to be more of a controlled mess than a chaotic one. James' eyes were hazel with green flecks in them and Harry's gene from James, instead of Lily, could've been mutated when he was born to give him emerald green eyes.
James exclaimed, "Hello, cousin! I am James Potter!"
Harry was thrown off by the sheer energy pouring out of James this early in the day and just nodded slightly, ignoring Dumbledore smirking at him.
Harry introduced himself, "Hardwin Ignotus Potter, call me Harry."
James nodded enthusiastically before saying, "I hate these complicated names, you know. When I have a baby, I will name him something simple like Jane or Bob."
Harry nodded, sometimes hating the complicated name as well despite it earning points with Purebloods, and exclaimed, "I have been living in the muggle world for years, you know, where everyone has simple names like Jack, John, Jean, Jane, Jones and Joy, and my name stuck out like a sore thumb!"
James grinned, happy that someone finally agreed with him, and was about to continue when his father stopped him, "James."
James, not having seen his father this nervous, stood aside to let him talk with Harry.
The heavily muscled war veteran bent down to Harry's height and looked him into the eyes and sighed. He blinked for a minute and calmed himself before saying, "Harry, I am sure you know it by now that I am your uncle."
Harry nodded, wondering where this is going.
Fleamont said, "You see, if anything had happened to your parents, you should have come to me but since that obviously did not happen, I wanted to apologise. Guess even my brother was too prideful to think that his house cannot be invaded."
Harry nodded and then stared at his uncle (It was easier than Harry expected since he had never met his own family and had even lower emotional attachments) and said, "It's okay, you didn't know about me."
And just then, the dam broke and Fleamont picked up Harry into a hug.
Harry's relationship with Susan was more emotional and mental than physical, which is why it still hurts Harry that he doesn't have here, meaning he had never been touched by her more than kissing or touching hands. Meaning, he had only been hugged once in his life that he could remember, by his dead godfather, Sirius Black.
Harry broke down into the hug, feeling amazed by the bubbly emotion in his chest and wondered if this was how it was like to be hugged for the second time in his life. The Dursleys may have been family, but their neglect was such that even they forgot he lived with them.
It felt great to be hugged, Harry decided, and melted into it. He hugged Fleamont tightly, afraid that this feeling would disappear if he let go.
It was a moment Harry would remember forever.
_
"You decided it again without permission, didn't you?"
"Yup", said Hel, sipping her coffee as she watched Thanatos sit in the Common Room for all Multiversal Entities of Death.
Thanatos sighed as he kicked out his shoes and sat on the sofa, taking a mobile phone out of his pants as he did so. "You know that the Elders would scold you again about it?"
Hel shrugged and said, "They are a bunch of old coots who would rather let a Universe die out just because of less paperwork, I actually want to have this one life, I actually like the comics they make."
Thanatos sighed and rolled his eyes before correcting his glasses. He said, "Hel, that's more paperwork for me."
Another voice shouted, "Then, freakin' bear it, you moron. The mortals deserve peace too, you know."
Hel and Thanatos said together, "Shut up, Osiris, go back to your dogs."
_
A thin man poured himself some wine. This had been a rough year and he had almost killed his son again while helping him build some towers from blocks.
Still, his son was alive and laughing out in his room. Well, it was his son's fault that he got a twisted ankle, the brat was walking funny, it doesn't matter if he was one!
The man pouted, I mean, frowned to himself. His wife had taken his toys again and kept them in her secret box which he could never find. Where do moms get such stuff anyway?!
The man sighed and looked at the fireplace in front.
A voice called, "Sir, the car's here!"
The man nodded and then looked at his wine glass sadly before standing up and stretching his ever tired muscles.
He called to his butler, "Just coming, go get Maria and Anthony, we will be going with them!"
His butler shouted an affirmative response and the man heard footsteps, signalling his loyal butler getting his wife and son. It was a business event tonight and he didn't want to be late today.
He reached the car minutes later, getting some of his devices with him, they were surely going to cause a technological revolution when he released them. It was his dream that his company be the only technology company in America and thus far, he was progressing well, except for having to make weapons for the army sometimes, which was annoying.
He still missed the olden days of the War sometimes though, as daunting as it sounds. All his friends had died off in it and others had gone away with broken hearts, so sad that he couldn't face them.
And in Steve's memory, he made weapons for the government, that man was the Soldier in the War, even though his enthusiasm was noticeably lower when they lost James. Pe - Margaret - she was still angry with him since he told her to get over Steve, she will never be, he had realised now.
As Howard Stark entered his car, Jarvis announced, coming with his wife, Maria, and son, Anthony, "Sir, we are ready to move."
"Let's go, Jarvis, and have some fun."
_
Nicolas, known to many as Noah at the moment, spoke in Spanish as he spoke to his Penerelle, who was going by as Petra at the moment.
It takes quite a lot to stay in hiding when you have a stone that secretes liquids to make you immortal.
Nicolas should have never been so egotistical enough to spread the news that he somehow made this. He had been trying to get a cure for the Bubonic Plague which was rampant back at home then and somehow stumbled down this rabbit hole, resulting in the invention of Liquid Life, as he called it, which extended the user's life.
He couldn't have let this secret fall to the muggles and therefore, took the help of a magician named Yao, who introduced himself at the time as a sorcerer from the East who took the mantle to preserve the American lands after they saved his life from a deadly curse. It did result in him changing his genders randomly for long periods as Nicolas found out when they were fighting demons one time.
Nicolas found out that Yao was cursed to not die naturally in the late sixteenth century due to having harvested Dark Energies from the demons so much while preserving the American lands. Till then, Yao had started to extend a preserving barrier for Europe as well as the Australian continent, with plans to extend more.
Nicolas gave Yao an idea to start training others into her newer type of sorcery and she agreed, before starting a training centre in Nepal during the early seventeenth century, taking the mantle of 'The Sorceror Supreme' like Merlin once did, to ensure no alien powers would disturb the planet.
Penerelle had helped a lot into that, but since the fall of the Samurai caste in Japan, assassination attempts on the couple had risen up. They had started hiding in the Kingdom of Kashmir before going to the land of Turks and then travelling back to France. They had stayed in France for years before going to England where they found Albus Dumbledore, an absolute prodigy, whom Nicolas trained in subtlest of magical arts.
After Albus left to begin his life, Nicolas and Perenelle left England shortly after the Grindelwald Threat rose. They hid in Switzerland where they learnt whatever languages they can before deciding to settle there.
They were currently on a vacation to Mexico to get some peace from those burdens on the enchantments on their home.
Perenelle - Petra - said, "This place looks like a nice place to say, dear."
Nicolas - Noah - nodded and remarked, "Indeed, my lady."
_
Harry looked around in awe.
This place was completely destroyed by Voldemort and wasn't complete even a decade later from when James Potter had paid for this Manor to be rebuilt.
It was beautiful. This was elegant and expensive yet simple and modest. This was home.
Harry gasped, "Wow."
His experiences with beautiful places were only limited to Hogwarts only. Privet Drive was not beautiful and Grimmauld Place had deteriorated to be a perfect home for monsters.
James smirked and announced, "Welcome, Harry, to Potters' Home, The Nest!"
Harry nodded, still looking around.
Fleamont said, "Come, Harry, I will show you your room first and then the whole house. James, you go to your mum and have her meet us after the tour, understood?"
James nodded, and Harry and Fleamont started Harry's introduction to The Nest.
It was wonderful.
It was home.
AN: Yes, I am throwing random bullcrap into characters' history but still going on with what I know. And this story is going to focus mostly on Harry on an international scale later on, so setting the base for it. And the story for Yao? Totally made up.
Also, I am simply incompetent as a human being, maybe. I slipped and tore off the skin of my right hand and right knee. I couldn't bend my joints due to it and it still pains my arm to do so, making it longer to upload this chapter.
