A/N: So first and foremost thank you everyone who favorited, followed, and/or reviewed the story. Favorites, Follows, and reviews are greatly appreciated. All that being said, I struggled with this one, I really pushed for the 2000 word mark, 2,053 words before any Author Notes, though that was probably due to the lack of time I dedicated to this chapter. I also have started a one-shot that will tie into the Wicked Lives AU, but it's in it's very early stages and even if I finished it tomorrow, I wouldn't release it for awhile as I really need to make progress in Wicked Lives to limit how much I have to info dump in the one-shot to make it make sense. I will continue to update WL at least once a week until it is done.
Also I do read through my chapters, but it is very possible I missed something. So if you see any spelling mistakes, inconsistencies, or just have a suggestion about writing style, I would appreciate reviews calling those out. Anyways, thank you for reading! :)
Five Years Later
A 15 year old Harry Wakes was standing alone in his family's training area, arrayed in front of him was a wall of magically reinforced practice dummies. Slowly and methodically he was sending the most powerful Reducto he could muster at each of them. As soon as he managed to destroy one, he would move onto the next. After sending several spells at his current target, it finally broke. Seeing the target break, Harry dropped his hands to his knees leaning over. He looked back at his progress, but was disappointed. Seriously?!, he mentally berated himself. He'd been at the endurance training for two months, and it felt like he hadn't even improved. I've got to get stronger, i will get stronger. He thought to himself, throwing all he had left into one spell at a new target. The spell connected, and with a bright flash the target splintered into several pieces. After seeing the spell connect, Harry collapsed onto the floor, shocked and struggling to catch his breath. Where did that power come from? Harry thought to himself, but he decided not to dwell. Must have been adrenaline. Sighing, Harry's thoughts drifted to the near future. He only had a week before it was time to go back to Hogwarts, and he was not looking forward to it. It had been 5 years since he had attended his first year at Hogwarts. Five years since he'd learned how different the world actually was compared to how he was raised. A house elf popped in to the training room, "Master Harry, it's time for breakfast." However, as soon as she saw the state Harry was in, she rushed to his side.
"I'm fine, Plasmy" Harry responded, a smile on his face. "I'm just a bit tired from my training. You can leave, I'll be up to get breakfast soon." While he could tell she wasn't convinced, she didn't push him, all she did was return his smile.
"Okay, Master Harry." With that, she disappeared with another pop. Plasmy was one of the several Wakes family house elves, and the only one that Harry was particularly close to. When Harry was younger, around the time he was six to eleven years old, Plasmy watched him often when both Henry and Alice had things to do. At times, it felt like Plasmy was Harry's only friend, and over the summer she'd done her best to cheer him up. While she wasn't able to, Harry did appreciate the fact that she tried.
That's enough reminiscing, Harry thought to himself as he tried pushing himself up off the floor. He was forced to grab onto the wall as his legs buckled and pain shot through his body. Maybe I've been pushing myself too hard, he thought, holding onto the wall to steady himself. A few minutes later, Harry began slowly making his way towards the kitchen, each step he took sent an ache up his body. He laid his hand on the hallway wall that lead to the kitchen, careful not to disturb any of the pictures adorning the hallway. As a child, Harry had spent hours looking at every picture and talking to the nicer portraits in the manor, but over the years he'd become apathetic towards them, instead spending more and more of his time training or reading, not because he enjoyed it, but because he didn't enjoy things like he did when he was a child. After giving the hallway one last look, he moved into the kitchen. "Hey mom, dad" Harry said, forcing a smile on his face despite his exhaustion. The kitchen was a large room, with a small room with a table adjoining it. Wakes manor had a large dining room, but his parents insisted on only using it for official functions.
"Took you long enough," his mom's smile faltered as she saw her son stumble. "You pushed yourself too hard, again."
"I know," he said as he fell into a chair. "I just lost track of time." That was a half-truth, but he hoped it would deter his mother.
"No more." She said, her voice hard, "You're only 15, you should be hanging out with friends, not...not training for some bloody war." Her hands were clenching the kitchen counter. Henry Wakes was watching the discussion unfold, unsure of when to step in.
"Mom, I know. I... I just can't sit back and do nothing. I promise, I'm not looking for a fight." Harry could feel his mask folding, he hated upsetting his mom. "Look I promise I'll take it easier, at least for the rest of the summer." Harry knew that either way she would stop him, and he was too tired to argue. Alice's hands had relaxed at Harry's words. Over the last several years, the battle lines had been solidified, and while tensions had waned and waxed, in recent years they steadily began increasing. I know I can't keep him safe forever, but he's still my baby, if only for a bit longer, Alice thought to herself. She was staring at her son, who had moved on to eating. Something had changed within him recently. Harry had always been reserved, incredibly good at maintaining his mask, even when he didn't need to, but they always knew when it was his mask and when it wasn't. However, now Alice wasn't sure if it was his mask or him. He's changed so much since he got back.
The Beginning of the Summer:
Harry had just gotten off the train from Hogwarts, all around the train platform, students were rushing to their parents excited to tell them all about their year. Harry gave a quick side glare to Jason Potter, too quick for anyone but Harry's parents to see. "Something happened," Alice whispered to her husband. Henry only nodded, as the couple watched Harry make his way over to them.
"Son, how was..." Henry began, but Harry cut him off.
"Later." For the first time in their lives, Harry's adopted parents felt like they could literally feel emotions ripple from Harry. Harry's parents both froze, stunned. Harry had never been like that. Yes, he could be distant, but he had never brushed them off. Henry looked over at Alice, worry flashing through his eyes.
"Sure Harry," Alice said, acquiescing, unsure how to navigate this newfound outflow of emotions from Harry. Henry and Alice then both laid a hand on Harry, preparing to apparate. However, before they could leave, Henry caught an accusatory glance from James Potter. Great, Henry thought to himself, as him and his family disappeared with a small pop.
Once they were back at Wakes manor, Henry grabbed Harry by the arm before he could storm off. "Harry, explain." Henry's voice was hard, knowing Harry would dodge the explanation if given the opportunity.
"I hate them, the Slytherins, The Gryffindors, all of them." The strain of maintaining his composure was showing on Harry's face. "To the Slytherins, our neutrality means we are against the Dark Lord. To the other houses, I might as well be a Death Eater just because I'm in Slytherin." Henry and Alice could only watch, eyes wide, as Harry's eyes reverted to their natural emerald color and his anger boiled over into an act of extremely powerful wandless magic. Harry released his anger onto the forest surrounding the West side of the manor, snapping several trees with a wave of his hand. Before the trees had a chance to hit the ground, Harry stumbled, the exertion knocking him out. Without a word, Henry and Alice both reached to catch Harry before he could fall completely to the ground.
"Henry, what happened to our son?" Worry filled Alice's voice as she pushed Harry's hair back to look at his scar, which had started to bleed slightly.
"I don't... I don't know." Henry said, laying his hand on the his wife's back. I mean, I realize he's now the heir to two Noble and Most Ancient families, but that shouldn't have been possible. Henry was trying to think of something, anything that could explain this. "I think we should do a little bit more digging into our family and the Potters." Uncertainty laced Henry's voice.
"And what if this has nothing to do with him being the heir of two families?" Alice was staring at her husband, who in turn was staring into the sky.
"Then we'll figure it out, but for now if Harry doesn't remember when he wakes up, we should keep it that way." Henry knew that given the chance Harry would strive to utilize whatever power this was, but as far as they knew, this could seriously injure Harry. "Regardless, this is gonna be an interesting summer." Henry forced a smile on his face. "For now let's get him to bed."
When Harry woke up his eyes had changed back to brown and he had no memory of what happened. Looking around he struggled to get his bearings. "Where am I?" He asked himself groggily, before his eyes began to adjust. This is my room, how did I get here? Harry tried to get up, but his body was exhausted, and before he could question his situation further, he's eyes closed and he drifted off to sleep.
Present Day, Manor:
"So son, I have some business to attend to at Gringotts, so why don't we make a trip of it?" Henry asked, as Harry was finishing up his breakfast.
"Sure, I guess." Harry said, "Anything to get out of the house for a bit." Standing up, his dishes disappeared from the table. "I'm gonna go get ready." Harry was still moving slow, but he wasn't falling like he was when he first got done with training.
Once Harry was gone, Alice turned to her husband. "Is your business about his incident at the beginning of the summer?"
"Sort of. Everything else we've looked at this summer has been a dead end, but while perusing the Wakes when I stumbled upon a journal from my great-grandmother. It talked about a book detailing the Wakes family history, including several people who married into the family. I'm thinking that maybe, it just might have something that can help explain this." Henry knew it was a long-shot, but at the moment it was all he had. "But how about you, anything from your side of the family?"
"I did my best, but it turns out my family really isn't anything special. We may be purebloods, but we're a young family, and since my father was disowned my line of succession was cut, so it's not like it matters much." She let out a large sigh. "It really looks like our leads are drying up."
"I know, Alice. My biggest fear is this could very well be a Potter thing, and without their help we'd have no hope of finding the truth." Henry laid his head in his hands.
"We need to stress to Harry the need for keeping his mask in place. He cannot do this at school. Could you imagine if Harry, with his bright green eyes, threw Jason Potter through the Great Hall?" Alice stopped as she heard he husband chuckle.
"I mean, that would be funny if it didn't mean everyone found out about Harry." Henry said, defending himself from his wife's harsh gaze. Alice was about to give Henry a lecture when they heard Harry coming down stairs. Henry gave Alice a smile, knowing he managed to get out of her chewing him out, at least for the moment. Standing up, he made his way out of the kitchen and into the foyer. "Are you ready Harry?" Henry asked his son, who was coming down the large staircase.
"Yeah," Harry responded, reaching the bottom of the stairs, "let's go." With that, Henry laid his hand on his son, apparating away from the house.
