The Blacks had no idea what Albus' goal may be. Regulus' thought, that the man may think Ryan the hero, hit home. They didn't have any idea though why he would suddenly. They knew he had used a spell, when the babies were in the womb, to leech magic from Ryan. It had been meant to fortify his brother, to make him strong enough to face Voldemort, and survive. Sirius was reminded that he and the couple thought the baby a squib, they had said it more than once, when they had him. They refused to believe Severus, when he ran a test, and told them he had magic. The Blacks knew of course, that Ryan did in fact have magic even back then. The fact he was an elemental, even with a blood adoption and with his health issues on top of it, led them to know there was perhaps a chance. But it was all the more reason to protect their son. It was all the more reason to keep him believing he was a Black, and never know he was a Potter. Having a hero status thrust on him, and Albus looking to use him for power, and likely the Potters wanting him back, was too much. Ryan was a Black, and he would remain so, and he had no need to know.
While the Blacks were struggling to protect Ryan, Hector was plain struggling. He had never thought of being a hero as a burden until now, as the pressure to be the best in school, was over whelming him. He knew his father would kill him, if he knew he had turned to Remus for help.
After dinner Ron stopped him. "Where are you going?"
He was reluctant to tell even his best friend. "Professor Black's classroom."
Ron was confused. "Why? You didn't get a detention did you?"
For a moment Hector thought of the lie, but he didn't. "No. For tutoring."
Ron stared at him like he had two heads. "Tutoring? Does your father know?"
Hector shook his head. "What do you think?"
Ron knew better. "He'd have a fit if he knew."
Hector glared at him. "You're not about to tell him."
Ron shook his head. "Of course not. I'm your best friend aren't I?"
Hector let out a breath. "Sorry. I just…"
Ron clapped him on the back. "I know what an ass your dad is. You know I've got your back."
Before he could respond Hermione's voice chimed in. "I think it's a good idea."
Hector turned to look at her. "Why do you care?"
Ron sneered. "The know it all is just snooping. You know she is dating the snake now."
Hermione didn't deny her and Blaise had gone out that weekend. "If you ever need help studying, I am happy to help."
Hector watched her walk off. "That is odd."
Ron smirked. "It's a trick. You know her new boyfriend is friends with the brat."
Hector shook his head. "She isn't like that."
Ron sneered. "If I didn't know better, I'd think you had a crush."
He didn't, but his opinion of her had changed, over the years. He was reminded of calling her names when they were back in first year. She was still a bookworm, but friends and a few years, had tamed down being a know it all. She and Seamus had broken up on good terms, they were still seen talking a lot, and she had gone on a date with Blaise that weekend. He didn't have many friends in school, not even among his own house. Ron and Nick were the only ones who hung out with him all the time, though Dean would, and the younger students as well. He had once thought he'd be the most popular kid in school, but that was quickly deflated. He sometimes still looked at Ryan, and thought that was supposed to be him. He was meant to be the one, that kids from all years and houses, hung out with. He knew it had a lot to do with who he was. He could admit, his father making him act and treat people like he was the hero, would never help. And those who were there, he often doubted, because of it.
Hector headed up for the class, knowing he should be lucky for Ron and those he had. He was sure when he was done school, and had a brilliant career as an auror, his life would do better. He was sure as an auror, he would shine, and people would respect him more. He just had to get in.
Remus was waiting when he got there. "I was wondering if you would come."
Hector stopped. "I'm not late."
Remus motioned him in. "No, I just know you worried about your father."
Hector couldn't deny it. "I want to be an auror."
Remus took him towards a door. "Then we better get started."
Hector had no idea where they were going. "Defense at least."
Remus showed him a training room. "I can help with charms and transfiguration. I hear you do well in herbology."
Hector shrugged. "I guess plants are simple enough."
Remus motioned to the mats. "You know Horace would be willing to help as well."
Hector pointed out. "He is Ryan's Uncle. The kid hates me."
Remus shrugged. "I'm his Uncle as well. And Ryan doesn't hate you, and wouldn't sabotage you doing well in school.
Hector took off his robe. "But you're my godfather, though I thought you forgot."
Remus stopped. "I have never forgotten, neither you, nor it."
Hector watched him. "I haven't seen you in eight years. Except here, for him."
Remus sighed. "Your parents refused to allow me near you."
Hector was reminded. "Because of the book store."
Remus didn't want to bad mouth James to him. "Yes. I had to do what I thought best."
Hector picked up his wand. "I didn't mean to nearly kill them."
Remus took out his own. "I never doubted that."
As he worked with Hector, on all three classes in a way, Remus knew. He thought of his husband, and what he had said, before dinner. He had thought if anyone had the chance to bring out Hector's human side, it was Remus. Remus thought perhaps more, as the human side was already coming out. He had a feeling there had to be a bit of Lily, as no matter how much she changed, she did love her son. He saw more doubt, than true arrogance, in Hector. When he was a kid, he must have thought he had time, to prove who he was and get stronger. But now that he was sixteen, less than a year from being of age, the doubts seemed to creep up. He knew Hector had few good friends, and he had dated less than Ryan had. He knew Hector was straight, or from those he dated, but not if he was interested in anyone.
After practice he stopped Hector. "If you ever need someone to talk to, not just tutoring, I'm here."
Hector put his robe back on. "Why?"
Remus came to his side. "You just reminded me I was your godfather."
Hector nodded. "You have him. And you hate my dad."
Remus put a hand on him. "I can have two kids in my life. And if you want me, your father won't stop me."
Hector looked down. "I'll think about it."
Remus handed him something. "It can't make up for eight years, but I'd like to start."
Hector took the package from him. "I know it wasn't your fault."
Remus made him look up. "I care about you. If you need someone to talk about, about anything, I am here."
Hector smiled a little. "Thank you."
Remus watched the boy, not knowing if Hector would ever come. It took a lot for Hector to ask for help, coming to Remus to talk, was different all together. But even if Hector never did, Remus felt better, putting the offer out. He headed for his rooms, wondering when his husband would return, and what happened in town. He knew neither Sirius or Ryan would mind, if Hector did take him up on his offer.
Hector opened the gift and found a beautiful pair of defense books. A note on them read. 'I am sure we will soon put these to good use.'
Orion was on his way to school on Friday. He knew he had to be careful about his grandson, and these extra studies. The fact was, if they gave Albus reason to believe Ryan had special magic, it could put Ryan in danger. The man had suspicions years ago, but they had dealt with them, through the DNA test. But if they gave him some other reason to be suspicious, he may go poking again. But the training meant a lot to Ryan, and to his grandsire, and they wouldn't take it from him. They wanted to protect him, but this training was important, and would help as well. Ryan had struggled for so many years with practical, and if nothing else, this would be a boost to his confidence.
It had been worked out, that Ryan would be brought to the shrieking shack instead for lessons. Orion wouldn't be seen on campus, and it would limit any kind of suspicions they hoped. Albus would believe him in lessons with his Uncle, who would use the tunnels, to bring him through.
Sirius looked at his nephew on the Friday. "Are you ready for this?"
Ryan nodded. "Why am I with you?"
Sirius reminded him. "You're meant to be having a class with me."
Ryan was confused. "Why? Grandsire is just tutoring me."
Sirius knelt down. "You know Albus is watching you all of the time."
Ryan knew all too well. "Why would he care if I am spending time with my grandsire?"
Sirius understood. "He hates your grandsire's power. And he would poke to find out."
Ryan sighed. "He can't know I am an elemental."
Sirius agreed. "He would try to use you like Hector. Elementals are such a rare occurrence."
Ryan looked at his Uncle. "But he wouldn't suspect would he?"
Sirius nodded. "He knew or suspected my great-grandfather was. He tested me and your daddy, when we were in school."
Ryan was confused. "Why would Grandsire allow that?"
Sirius smirked. "Do you really think the headmaster asked?"
Ryan shook his head. "No. But how did he run such a test without asking?"
Sirius didn't mention what was on his mind. "Used on of your trip to the hospital wing."
Poppy had been the nurse back then, but he had found a way around that as well. Poppy didn't have a bond like now, her close relationship with the Blacks was because of Severus, and Ryan. But the woman had always cared about her students, and would never have allowed them to be used like that. Ryan had her in extra doses, because of her close bond to Eileen, thinking of him and his Papa as nephews. Ryan knew Albus had looked into his mother, why Ryan had found out about Penny, but not about the DNA test. And his family would keep it that way.
Orion was waiting for him in the shack. It wasn't his top choice of where to study, but until next year, it would have to do. Ryan could leave school with family, but it would be as suspicious if Sirius took him, as it would be for Orion to be at school.
Orion smiled when he saw his grandson. "Are you ready to start?"
Ryan nodded. "Yes. Definitely."
Orion shook his head. "I never knew either your Dad or Uncle to be so excited."
Sirius smirked. "Well if you offered to teach me something cool perhaps. I did get into auror training, and an animagus."
Orion looked at his elder son. "I agree, in spite of your horrific study habits, you did excel in certain areas."
Ryan smiled. "He is a good tutor. I already have feathers."
Sirius looked at his nephew with pride. "Even faster than I did."
Orion wasn't surprised. "The earth element in you, should help."
Ryan looked at his grandsire. "You haven't really explained. Can I make things grow or something? Or make earthquakes?"
Orion laughed a little. "In ways yes, but there is much more to our powers."
Ryan didn't even notice his Uncle leave. "Okay."
Orion handed him a book. "My grandfather gave me this, when he realized I was one."
Ryan held the book to him. "I will take good care of it I swear."
Orion didn't doubt it. "I am not loaning it, it's yours now. You will do it proud, I am certain."
Tonight was mainly telling him about the powers. Earth was a very different element than the other three. Fire, water and wind, he may have been right about. The other three were about the actual element, manipulating them, and controlling them. There were other minimal powers linked. The water elements had a link to mental powers, why Voldemort was so good at occulemency. Fire had a gift for seeing the future, and air had a link to transfiguration. Earth was a link to mother earth, not just the soil. He could manipulate not only the soil, but the plants, and they often had a link to animals as well. Though it was air elementals with the transfiguration link, due to the forms being animals, earth often were good as well with becoming animagus. Healer abilities had been known as well, though neither Orion or his grandsire, had ever explored them.
Ryan was surprised when his grandsire accompanied him back to the school. Orion didn't come out of the tree, but there was someone waiting for him, and it wasn't his Uncle, or Filius His Uncle had been laying low in his rooms, so Albus didn't wonder.
Ryan looked at Firenze. "I didn't think we had class tonight."
Firenze shook his head. "I thought to speak to you about your next lesson."
Ryan was reminded about what his grandsire had said. "Okay."
Firenze motioned him to follow. "My father will be coming."
Ryan stopped. "Magorian? Hagrid said even he has only seen him a handful of times."
Firenze smiled. "He wishes to train you himself, in healing."
Ryan was amazed. "Did grandsire ask him?"
Firenze shook his head. "I told him of your skills, and powers. My father sees potential."
Even in the days, when the centaurs helped tutor students, this never happened. Before the war happened, some students had classes with the centaurs, for special training. But none had gone to the village, and no one had training with Magorian, even contact with him. Ryan wasn't being invited to the village just yet, but to have Magorian come to him, was an amazing honor. His class with Firenze was an honor before.
Firenze watched the boy go and said to himself. 'Father is right, there is something special about the child.'
Albus was waiting for word to come from France, about the boy. He needed to find out where the child was, what happened to him. The more he thought about it, the more he had this sickening feeling, he was the hero. He just didn't understand how. He had used the spell, to drain the magic from one baby, and put it in Hector. For a moment he wondered if he used it on the wrong baby. But Hector definitely had magic, even though it didn't show until he was a bit older, other than very rare accidents as a baby. And the other baby was so tiny, and so sick, it seemed clear it worked. If Severus hadn't told them the baby had magic, he would be convinced he was a squib, just looking at him.
Albus' mind went to the spell that he had used on the babies. Technically it no longer worked, it was only in the womb, that Hector got the magic. There was a physical link to the twins in the womb, and it allowed for the spell to work.
He went to a person he hadn't thought to speak to in years. "Nicholas."
Nicholas Flamel looked up. "Albus, what do I owe this visit too?"
Albus heard the bite in his voice. "I needed to speak to you. It has been a long time."
Nicholas led him into his study. "Tea?"
Albus took his usual seat. "Of course."
Nicholas was silent until an elf brought the tea. "So why have you come?"
Albus put down his tea. "I wished to speak to you about a leach spell."
Nicholas put down the cup. "I warned you against those long ago."
Albus had sought his advice back then. "You made your opinion clear."
Nicholas nodded. "The spell, even when done right, is a risk to a child. Twins are born every day strong."
Albus had done the spell himself, without help. "Would the spell have left the baby a total squib?"
Nicholas sighed. "Yes, even if performed wrong. If performed wrong, it would likely kill the baby."
Albus had warned James of the risk. "So there is no chance the baby would have magic?"
Nicholas stopped him. "I didn't say that, exactly."
Albus eyed him. "Then what exactly did you say?"
Nicholas was worried why he was asking. "It only works on conventional magic. Normal magic."
Albus didn't understand. "Okay?"
Nicholas smirked. "If the baby had veela blood for instance, or any kind of special magic."
Albus thought, there was little chance. He knew the Potter family tree, going back over a few hundred years, and there was no veela blood. There were no others, like goblins in Filius, or elf blood which was extremely rare. He was reminded of his testing the Black brothers, to see if they were elementals, as he knew their great-grandfather was rumored to be. There was a chance there was elemental blood among the Blacks, and that was definitely not conventional magic, he realized. There was a chance, that it was in the Potters.
Nicholas didn't like why he was asking, but he agreed. Elemental magic was a different magic, it had a link to the very core, and it would not be affected by such a spell. If the baby had such magic, it wouldn't be drawn out of him like that.
Nicholas said. "It may actually bring out the element even stronger."
Albus raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
Nicholas thought. "A child gets magic from both parents, why old bloods always thought only purebloods were powerful."
Albus sneered. "We know they were wrong."
Nicholas agreed. "But if both parents have magic, you get some from each. The elemental powers may be held in check, by the other magic."
Albus had to think. "So by removing the other magic, an elemental's magic may be unleashed?"
Nicholas added. "If the Blacks are actually elementals."
Albus wasn't sure. "Sirius and Regulus' parents are both Blacks, and neither of them had the magic."
Nicholas stood. "You performed the spell didn't you? Against all my advice, you performed the spell."
Albus stood as well. "Things needed to be done for the war. I couldn't wait for you to see that."
Nicholas smirked. "Didn't work out the way you wanted it seems."
Albus didn't like the look. "Of course it did, we won didn't we?"
Nicholas looked at the man who he once thought a friend. "But you lost the hero didn't you? That's why you're here."
Albus ground his teeth. "I didn't say that. Just because the other had magic, doesn't mean he was the….."
Nicholas laughed. "The hero? Doesn't it? You think he is, or you would never have come to me."
Albus turned to leave. "I won't make the mistake again."
Nicholas called as he left. "Where ever the boy is, I'd offer all my magic and money, to keep him away from you."
Once friends, that had all ended, years before. Nicholas realized, when his stone was almost stolen, Albus was behind it. Albus resented, Nicholas never taught him to make the stone, and only the maker could use the elixir. Nicholas had tutored the man once, and once thought of him like a son, but he had seen the danger he was. He didn't know where this child was, but if he was the hero, Nicholas would keep him away from Albus. Hector had no special powers, if he was the BWL, he survived only because of his mother. But if Harry had been the hero, he had magic that Albus could only dream of, and he was too dangerous for the man to control. Nicholas knew that.
Albus stormed out of the manor, and knew he needed to find out how to track the spell. There had to be some way, to find the boy. Talking to Nicholas, he had few doubts left, Hector was not the hero. He didn't plan for the world to know, unless he found the boy, and could control him.
He went to Potter manor, knowing what he would need. "I need to speak to you both."
James allowed him into the house. "Is something wrong with our son?"
Lily had come in from the den. "What is this about?"
Albus sighed. "I would like to perform a spell on you, to locate the other baby."
James ground his teeth. "We told you, the child is dead to us."
Lily asked. "You really think it could work?"
Albus shook his head. "I'm not certain if it will, but there is a good chance."
James pointed at the door. "Leave. You will not open this door again."
Albus stopped. "Would you say that, if you knew the boy was the hero?"
James and Lily both stopped and stared at him in complete shock. They had been told from day one, that Hector was the boy who lived, even before he was attacked. He was the bigger and stronger baby, even before they used the spell in the womb, they knew he would be first born. They thought this had to be some joke, that the man was insinuating the baby they gave up, was the actual hero.
James shook his head. "You can't be serious, you can't. You're telling me the baby we gave up, we left with muggles, is the hero?"
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