I own nothing. If the spell is not from the books, it's the Latin translation.
Chapter II
Six Months Later – February 1981
To say that the last six months for the Potters had been hectic would be an understatement. The move to Potter Cove had put an immeasurable amount of stress on James and Lily. Lily's reaction to the end of their marriage had been very distressful. Despite all her misgivings about James and his Marauders, Lily cherished the relationship and love she felt for her husband. The memory of her wedding was one of her most beloved: responsible for her particularly powerful Patronus. Her trepidation was eased, however, when James assured her that he would never marry another and though she was no longer his wife, he would never love another.
When the rituals were performed and James became the Head, Lily felt a violent pull on her soul. The ending of their marital bond was a difficult procedure, especially so soon after giving birth and Lily was bedridden for days. James was distraught with worry but couldn't dwell long on the matter as his new responsibilities took up his time. He alone had to go to Potter Cove and alter the wards to allow others to enter. It was a simple process but redesigning the wards was very tedious. Fortunately, Dumbledore recalled Sirius and Remus from their Order duties to help with the Potters' transition (no doubt an attempt to apologize for his earlier transgressions). Together, Sirius and Remus helped vacate Godric's Hollow and take care of the children until Lily was back on her feet.
Harry was confused about the whole situation but stayed close to Daniel and helped take care of him while Lily was confined to bed. James and Lily tried to explain the situation as best they could so that he understood. Harry accepted it well; he had already spent most of his young life confined to Godric's Hollow. The only interaction he ever had with the outside world involved visits from the Marauders; Sirius, his godfather, was his favorite.
Daniel, despite only being a few days old, seemed to realize the difficult situation his family was in. The presence of his older brother was one of the few things that kept the young baby calm. It was strange how Daniel gravitated towards Harry, but Harry didn't seem to mind.
Eventually, things began to settle down at Potter Cove. The majestic estate consisted of one hundred acres, including a beautiful cove with a plush sandy beach surrounded by large clusters of rocks that were constantly battered by waves. The three-story home stood about two hundred feet from the cliffs that overlooked the cove; a small, winding path along the cliff's edge gave access to the beach.
The house itself was a beautiful Victorian style grey-stone mansion with plenty of windows for natural light and lots of fireplaces for heat. The mansion also included a clear glass sunroom on the left wing that was used mostly for casual dining and entertaining guests. The perfectly trimmed ivy snaked all along the rough stone façade and provided a naturally rustic look to the angelic home.
The estate was the home for two house elves, Gretel and Bobby, who maintained the manor should a Potter ever need it. Gretel was the cook and housekeeper while Bobby was the groundskeeper. Lily wasn't accustomed to servants and ordered both of them to the kitchen while she took responsibility for the housekeeping and gardening.
There were also many additional nooks and parlors where a person could spend countless hours curled up with a book. The extensive library included numerous volumes that were exclusive to the Potter family and spanned all forms of light and dark magic. Lily was a constant learner and spent many hours going over those ancient tomes while her boys sat nearby and played.
Ever since she had heard about the haloed moon and its involvement with the prophecy and Danny, Lily was determined to discover its significance. Unfortunately, very little was known about haloed moons since the phenomenon was very rare. As she scoured a journal written by an ancient wizard who had observed a haloed moon that occurred a millennium ago, a sudden crashing noise somewhere to her left distracted her.
"Attaboy, Harry!" James could be heard through the stacks of books. Lily saved her spot and moved over where the boys played with miniature toy brooms and James's favorite snitch. James held the giggling Harry and lightly tossed him in the air while Danny made happy gurgling noises. About five feet from them, a large pile of books were disorderly strewn about, having fallen from the shelves.
"What happened?"
James quickly turned to Lily and lifted Harry up, presenting him to her. "Harry here just performed his first bit of accidental magic."
"I did it mummy! I did! I made the books fall down. See! See!" Harry exclaimed as he pointed excitedly at the pile.
Lily grabbed Harry from James's arms and gave her boy a firm hug and a kiss on his head. "That's wonderful, Harry, but next time, try not to make a mess."
"Gah, not one minute after performing his first bit of magic and you're already lecturing him," James teased as he took back Harry.
"I'm just saying," Lily defended. "Those books are very old. I would hate to see them damaged."
James looked at Harry and pouted. "That's your Mum for ya, always a bookworm." Lily put her hands to her waist in protest. "But you're not going to be a bookworm, are ya, son? No, you're going to be a Quidditch player, right?" James continued as he flew Harry around like an airplane. Harry laughed and spread his arms.
Lily couldn't help but smile at the scene, her indignation about being called a bookworm forgotten. She walked over and picked up Danny who was still giggling happily at the sight of his brother and father. Once in her arms though, Danny quieted and looked into her mother's eyes.
"What's the matter, Danny? Do you want to play airplane, too?" Danny whined in protest and instead looked over to a nearby table; his tiny hazel eyes squinted in concentration. Lily followed his gaze and almost dropped Danny in shock when suddenly, the table rose from the ground and began to rotate in the air.
'How could Danny have that much control in just six months?' She frowned contemplatively. It wasn't possible. James continued to swing Harry around and came up next to Lily. He was similarly startled when he noticed the rotating table and Danny's focused stare.
"Lily?"
"Yeah?"
"Please tell me you're doing that."
Lily could only shake her head in response; meanwhile, Danny lifted his hands and began to make circular patterns in the air. The table, in turn, began to spin upside down repeatedly.
"Yayyyy! Danny can do magic, too!" Harry cheered, clearly ignorant of the gravity of the situation. Harry's exclamation, however, shifted Danny's focus and the table crashed to the ground. Danny turned to Harry and made more gleeful gurgling noises and clapped his hands.
Later that night after they put the boys to bed, James and Lily met back in the library.
James unceremoniously dropped on one of the larger chairs in clear exhaustion. He had been unusually tired ever since Danny's display in the library. He also had had a nagging headache all day, like some bird was constantly pecking at his temple. Lily, meanwhile, returned to her table and immediately began to thumb through the journal she had been examining earlier.
"How was that possible, Lily?" James asked. Lily ignored him and continued to read. "I mean, it's amazing enough that Harry's magic showed so early but six months! It shouldn't be possible."
James wasn't unfounded in his amazement. Normally, a magical child wouldn't show signs of magic until they were four or five years old. Harry, who was only two, had the potential to become a very powerful wizard but it was nothing compared to Danny. Lily continued to leaf through the journal and made notes as she read. James rose from his chair and came up beside Lily. "Have you been able to find anything?"
Lily finally stopped and looked up at James. "I don't know. This journal has some details about haloed moons but it isn't clear on its cause."
James brought his chair closer and sat down impatiently. "Does it have any theories?"
Lily shuffled through her notes and retrieved a single page filled with graphs and placed it before James. "No, but this is what I have so far." She pointed to a particular graph and the images began to move. "You know that magic constantly flows through nature and can affect certain natural events, right?"
James nodded. "Yeah, like volcanic eruptions and earthquakes."
"Exactly! And experts believe that this magic will build and build until it overflows, resulting in dangerous levels of stress on the planet which causes these events to occur. However, things like volcanic eruptions and earthquakes don't happen often enough to completely relieve the stress. So what else can decrease natural magic to keep it from becoming unstable and causing serious damage?" James shrugged so Lily continued. "Well, there are theories that state that sometimes this magic will concentrate around the birth of a child and will flow into that child."
James's eyes widened and he muttered, "Muggleborns."
"Exactly," Lily confirmed.
"So that is what happened with Danny?" James asked.
"Not entirely. For one, Danny is not a Muggleborn; his birth was already surrounded by magic. Also, it doesn't explain why the haloed moon is significant," Lily countered.
"But couldn't there have just been a high concentration of natural magic when he was born and it flowed into him like with Muggleborns?"
"Possibly. I think it's connected with Danny, but it still doesn't explain what any of this has to do with the haloed moon. It has to be a significant factor if it is referenced so clearly in the prophecy." Lily then grabbed the stack of books on the table. "And these books have next to nothing about it. All anyone of them can say is that a haloed moon is a significantly large magical event but don't know why and that it looks pretty." She frustratedly slammed them loudly in front of James. The resulting sound echoed through the quiet home.
It wasn't long before cries were heard from down the hall where Danny slept. Lily propped her elbows on the table and placed her head in her hands in anguish. Her shoulders began to shake and tears began to flow down her cheek. James rubbed her back soothingly and quietly shushed her.
"Why is this happening to us, James? Why does it have to be our boys?" Lily sobbed.
James continued to soothe her. "I know it isn't fair, but we have to be strong for them. They're going to need us."
James rose, pulling Lily with him and wrapped her in a hug. Lily buried her face into James's chest and continued to cry. "I know you're going to figure this out, Lily. There has never been a problem you couldn't solve, nothing you couldn't fix. Heck, look at me," he said lovingly as Lily lifted her head and stared up into his face with her tear stricken eyes. "You fixed me, didn't you? Where would I be if you hadn't straightened me out?"
"Probably out with Sirius getting drunk and chasing girls," Lily stated matter-of-factly with a ghost of a smile.
"Damn, you're right," James joked and stared off into space. Lily lightly slapped James and buried her head back into his chest.
"Hey," James cooed as he lightly lifted her chin until their eyes met. "There is nothing, and I mean nothing, that could possibly make me regret being here with you." Lily smiled again and leaned up for a kiss. James quickly complied and passionately delved into Lily's embrace.
The kiss was soft at first but quickly became more zealous. It was the first intimate moment they had shared since they moved to Potter Cove. James's hands eagerly moved down Lily's back to her rear and firmly lifted her onto the table's edge. Lily, in turn, wrapped her legs around James's waist and pulled him closer. Their embrace began to grow more passionate and heated as their hands began exploring each other.
Their moment was interrupted, however, by Danny's crying. They slowly broke away from each other and exchanged quiet 'I love you's' before they fixed themselves up and made their way out of the library to tend to their two incredible sons.
Four Years Later – February 1985
It had been four years since the day Danny showed his power in the library. After a while, the event was pushed to the back of everyone's mind and they all settled into a daily routine. Lily and James split their time between raising their children and keeping themselves in the loop with the war. Since learning of the prophecy, Voldemort had mysteriously disappeared. His Death Eaters had been in disarray and some had tried to carry on without their Dark Lord. They attempted to recruit more heavily and with harsher punishments for those that refused. However, the Death Eaters were mostly incompetent without their master's leadership and most of them were eventually captured and imprisoned. Some Death Eaters remained at large though, and were able to disguise themselves or reintegrate into society by claiming that the Imperius Curse was responsible for their crimes. Life for the past four years in Magical Britain had settled down and relative peace had returned.
At Potter Cove, James and Lily remained skeptical that Voldemort had completely lost interest in Britain and would never return. So, they decided to begin their sons's educations early. Lily would teach them elementary skills like mathematics, English, potions, and Muggle history. James knew that his sons would be forced into politics and trained them in pureblood etiquette and the mental arts as most politicians were skilled in rudimentary Legilimency.
Sirius and Remus visited as much as they could. Outside of their parents, Sirius and Remus were all Harry and Danny knew of the outside world. Sirius would often try to bring as many treats and pranking supplies as he could, as long as Lily didn't find out. When Sirius was forced to be serious, he used his extensive dueling knowledge to teach them basic magical and physical self-defense along with a strict regimen of exercises to keep their bodies strong and their stamina high.
Remus would teach them about magical creatures, focusing in particular on how to distinguish dangerous creatures from the harmless. It wasn't long after they discussed werewolves that Harry was able to figure out Remus's "furry little problem." From that point, Harry and Danny always referred to Remus as "Uncle Moony" or just "Moony."
Also, due to his condition, Remus was an expert ward-maker and taught Harry and Danny about how the Cove's wards protected them. He also used his knowledge of how magic worked inside the body to teach the boys about meditation and keeping their magic under their control. When Harry had asked how he knew all this, Remus explained that he was always trying to find ways to calm the beast that was an unfortunate part of his magical core.
While Harry and Danny were both eager to learn and had great retention, they were always more enthusiastic about playing than learning. James and Lily were very proud of their sons and James occasionally joked that they were channeling the spirit of Ravenclaw rather than Gryffindor. Whenever Lily wasn't looking, James and Sirius took the boys up on their brooms and taught them the wonders of flying and playing Quidditch. Things were going as well as possible, despite being confined to the estate, until late one evening…
"Mummy!"
At the alarming cry, Lily quickly awoke and sluggishly moved to get out of bed and mumbled, "I got him." James was unresponsive and Lily assumed that he had slept through the cry.
Lily yawned as she shuffled towards Danny's bedroom. Inside, she saw him sitting up in his bed breathing very heavily. "What's the matter, Danny?" Danny remained silent and started to shake. Lily moved to his bedside and placed her hand on his sweaty forehead. "You're burning up, Danny. Are you okay?"
Danny shakily replied, "I had a bad dream."
Lily hugged Danny and rubbed his back. "It was just a dream."
Danny continued to shake, but eventually settled into his mother's comforting embrace. Lily leaned back and softly cupped Danny's cheeks. She brushed back a wet strand of hair from his face. "Are you going to be okay?" Danny looked uncertain and remained silent.
"Is Danny alright?" Startled, Lily turned to the door and saw Harry standing there.
"Danny just had a bad dream, Harry." Lily internally smiled at the concerned expression on Harry's face. Harry always seemed to be there when something happened to Danny. Lily often wondered if Harry's concern for his little brother was more important than his own. James always reasoned that Harry was simply acting like a big brother.
Harry made his way into the room and climbed into the bed. "There's nothing to be afraid of, Danny. I remember the last time I had a bad dream. It was really scary. This huge troll was destroying everything and he was going to step on me. I was so afraid. But then I remembered that I had Daddy, and Mummy, and Uncle Sirius and Uncle Moony to protect me and together they beat that ugly troll and saved the day."
Danny listened to Harry's story with wide eyes. He had shrunk back when Harry mentioned the troll but relaxed when Harry told him about all the people that would protect him. Lily just smiled through Harry's story and hugged Danny closer as she consoled, "Harry's right, Danny. We will never let anything bad happen to you." Danny looked up at her. There was still some fear in his eyes.
"Do you want to come and sleep with me and Daddy?" Danny nodded urgently.
"Okay, come on then." Danny clung to Lily's neck as she rose from the bed.
"Can I come too?" Harry asked.
Lily smiled. "Sure."
Together, they moved to the master bedroom and approached the bed. James was exactly as Lily had left him. Lily put Danny down and both he and Harry climbed into the bed.
"Looks like we're going to have a few extra occupants tonight." James remained quiet. "James?" Lily moved to James's side of the bed and pulled back the sheet. James's eyes were wide open in pain and his hands and feet were shaking.
"James!" Lily immediately placed her hands on James's face and tried to get a response. When she received none, she promptly moved her hands down his neck to check his pulse. She sighed in relief when she felt the beats, but quickly frowned at the rapid pace.
"What's wrong, Mummy?" Harry questioned.
"Harry, Danny get off the bed softly and go sit in the chair," she commanded.
Worried from his mother's tone, Harry quickly took Danny and did as they were told.
Thinking quickly, Lily grabbed her wand but realized that she had no idea what spell to cast: she was a researcher, not a healer. She knew basic diagnostic spells for bruises and broken bones but she was pretty sure this was beyond a simple injury. Extensive training was needed to perform the more complex healing spells; she swallowed a wail of despair. If Dumbledore dared not attempt such healing, how could she? Reaching a healer would be impossible since the floo wasn't connected to Hogwarts or St. Mungo's. Her desperation was quickly mounting until she suddenly remember that Remus had tutored under Madam Pomfrey and had learned many of the more complicated healing enchantments.
She quickly moved to the fireplace and tossed some floo powder into the fire before yelling, "The Retreat!"
The fire turned green and Lily stuck her head into the flames. "Remus! Sirius! Come quick!" She then waited until the two pajama clad young men entered the room with their wands drawn. They relaxed when they saw it was only Lily.
"What's wrong, Lily?" Sirius yawned.
"Come through right now, it's James." She demanded desperately with fresh tears rolling down her face. She removed her head from the fire and returned to James's side as she watch both men burst out of the fireplace.
"Merlin! What happened?" Sirius cried as they both noticed James's state and rushed to the bed.
"I don't know. I woke up because Danny had a bad dream and when I got back he was like this."
As Lily spoke, Remus took out his wand and scanned James's body. Lily and Sirius nervously looked on as Remus performed various diagnostic and healing spells but all he accomplished was getting James to stop shaking and close his eyes so that he appeared to be asleep. Remus continued to exhaust his repertoire of spells but after a few minutes his shoulders dropped and he turned to Lily, his expression grave.
"I don't know how but his magical core is draining power rapidly, so rapidly that it is putting tremendous strain on his heart. If we don't find a way to stop it, it will cause him to have a massive heart attack and die." He ran a hand through his brown hair in the midst of the pregnant pause before finally declaring, "I've tried everything I know, but nothing seems to be working."
"W-what can we do? There has to be something else we can do!" Lily replied. She refused to give up and accept that her husband was going to die.
"Did anything unusual happen to James today? When was the last time he was alright?" Remus asked.
"I-I don't think anything happened to him today. We were just practicing potions with the kids and then he took them up on his broom, like he always does after lessons. He was fine when we went to bed."
"What kind of potions?"
"Nothing difficult, just Pepper-Ups and Calming Draughts."
Remus concentrated for a moment before asking, "Did anything happen after you went to bed?"
Lily blushed slightly. "We, ummm, we, I mean, we–"
Remus raised his hand to stop her. His face turned red as he shifted uncomfortably. "Did anything unusual happen with…that?"
"Moony! What does that have to do with this?" Sirius interrupted.
"I'm just being thorough, Sirius," Remus defended.
"No, we went to bed after and nothing happened until Danny's scream woke me up." Lily answered quickly, her face still red.
"Did James wake up, too?"
Realization dawned on Lily's face. "No, I-I just assumed it didn't wake him."
'Which was unusual,' she pondered. 'James has always been a light sleeper and was always quick to attend to the boys when they called.' She looked up to tell Remus but noticed his attention was elsewhere.
Remus was staring contemplatively at Danny who was clinging to Harry looking very scared. She didn't know what he was thinking as he moved over the boys and knelt beside Danny.
"Hey there, pup."
"Uncle Moony, is Daddy alright?" Danny asked in a small voice.
"He's going to be just fine. Now, I'm going to cast some spells around you real quick but don't worry, they are not going to hurt at all, okay?"
"Okay," Danny nervously replied.
Lily watched with trepidation as Remus moved his wand around Danny and muttered some words. Once he finished, she noticed his eyes bulged at what the readings were telling him. Her alarm heightened and bile rose to her throat at Remus's furrowed brow as he stared at James and then back to Danny.
"What is it, Remus?" Lily questioned. Remus didn't answer but quickly raised his wand at Danny and stunned him.
"What are you doing? What did you do to Danny? Why–" Harry yelled before Remus promptly stunned him too.
"REMUS!" Lily and Sirius exclaimed. She reached for her wand and noticed Sirius from the corner of her eye doing the same.
Remus raised his arms to stop them. "I'm sorry, but it was necessary."
"What are you talking about?" Lily and Sirius moved over to Harry and Danny and positioned them in more comfortable positions.
"Why did you stun them?" Lily demanded heatedly.
"I think that Danny's magic is what caused this to happen to James."
"How? He's only four." Sirius questioned.
"Four and a half," Lily corrected offhandedly. It was what Danny always said when someone called him four.
"Whatever, there is no way that a four and a half year old could emit enough magic to harm a Head of House." Sirius had a point. The Head of House was usually the oldest and strongest male in the family. This meant that the Head had enough power to mask the magical emissions of everyone under the wards so they couldn't be detected. According to Remus, Danny had somehow emitted so much power that it had transcended James's power.
"Don't you remember when James and Lily told us what happened four years ago with Danny's magic? At that age, that kind of control is impossible and yet somehow when Danny was afraid because of his nightmare, he tapped into that power again. Almost as if he was trying to protect himself. By stunning him, his emission level will begin to decrease and James will wake up." Remus explained, hoping his theory would be proved positive.
Lily recalled that time in the library when Danny had shown frightening control over his magic. Could Danny have really caused this? Lily's eyes displayed her puzzlement and fear as she helplessly watched and waited for her husband to wake up. After a few moments that seemed like an eternity, nothing happened and Lily anxiously looked back to Remus hoping that he had another solution. The look in Remus's eyes, though, told her that he had none: her husband was going to die.
Lily refused to believe it and frantically said, "Remus, it's not working. You have to try something else."
Tears began to fall from the werewolf's eyes; he had no other plans. Lily continued to urge Remus to try as her own tears began to fall, her tone becoming shriller and more insistent with each demand. She marched over to him and began to push and shove Remus until he hit the wall. Remus just stood there and endured her punishment. She felt Sirius try to pull her away but she quickly turned and kneed him in the crotch. Sirius dropped to the ground and Lily rounded again on Remus and loudly implored the silent, weeping man to do something—anything—to aid her ailing husband.
Remus continued to take Lily's punches in the chest until she finally sobbingly collapsed on his chest. Remus could do nothing but hold his dear friend while she cried. His body was numb with the grief of losing his first true friend. He considered all of the Marauders his brothers but James was the first person to find out about his condition and not fear him. Remus had been blown away when James said that he, Sirius, and Peter were going to become animagi so that the werewolf would have some company during his transformations. He never had friends after he was bitten but that had changed and it was all due to James. Glistening tears rolled down his face as he stared at the still prone form on the bed.
Sirius was possibly in a worse state than Remus. As he lay on the floor, he substituted the pain in his groin for the pain of losing his best friend. Unbidden, he recalled the first time they had met. It was at one of those boring Christmas parties that the Black family hosted every year. Sirius had wandered aimlessly through the crowds, watching as his brother, Regulus, reveled in the attention of being the favored son. His feet had taken him to the portrait room where a young man with wild hair and round glasses spoke animatedly with the paintings. As Sirius came closer he began to hear an extravagant tale about how the Black family had all been fatally poisoned by a flobberworm infestation. Sirius remembered how he had walked up to the boy and told his ancestors that he was all that was left of the historically old family. It was absolutely hilarious to watch the horrid look on their faces before the two boys burst out laughing; it was the start of a beautiful friendship. Despair raked his body and soul at the loss of the friend that saved him from his family.
But suddenly…
"Lily?" A soft whisper from the bed released the three from their sorry state.
"James!?" Lily turned and quickly rushed from Remus's arms back to James's side.
As they spoke softly to each other, Remus remained prone. His gazed fixed on the little boy nestled in his big brother's arms.
The Next Day
It was a beautiful day. The recent snowfall had transformed Potter Cove into a winter wonderland. Overnight, the cloud cover had broken, allowing the sun to shine gloriously. Everything seemed set for a fun and productive day for the residents at Potter Cove. Sirius sat with Lily by a roaring fire pit and continuously stroked the logs while watching over the succulent pork upon which they were snacking. The fire was mostly for show since Lily had cast her best Warming Charms over every part of their bodies. Still, it was heartening to sit and enjoy a nice fire while picking off slices of delicious pork. She and Sirius watched and cheered as Danny and James flew around on his broom doing spectacularly but "not too dangerous" stunts. The after effects of last night's episode had caused James to experienced stiffness in his limbs, especially his left leg, but he eventually got out of bed to prove to everyone that he was alright.
The only one not partaking in the family fun was Harry. He sat on the window sill of his bedroom and watched his family; the events of the previous night weighed heavily on his mind. He just didn't understand how it could have happened and was frustrated that no one saw fit to tell him how it had occurred. He had tried to ask his parents but they said that he shouldn't be concerned yet and that he should be thankful that his father was alright. Harry was almost seven years old and had been forced into hiding practically since birth. Since the time he could read, he had been taught in everything from wizarding history to hand-to-hand combat, so he felt damn sure he was ready to know how something had almost killed his father. A sudden knock on the door broke Harry from his thoughts. Harry turned and saw Remus standing in his doorway.
"You should really come down, Harry. You're missing all the fun," Remus said with a smile.
"I don't want to," Harry replied grumpily before turning back to the window.
Remus's smile fell and he made his way into the room to sit beside Harry in the window. For a while, the two sat together in silence and watched Danny lift his hands up in the air as James did a barrel roll. The smallest of smiles crossed Harry's face when Lily screamed up at Danny to hold onto the broom and at James to not do any more of those "spinning things." Remus smiled too and placed his hand on Harry's shoulder.
"Come on, Harry," he said softly and rose to his feet.
Harry didn't respond and raised his legs up to his chest and placed his chin on his knees. Remus sighed and turned to leave, but when he reached the doorway, Harry called, "It was Danny's fault, wasn't it?"
Remus stopped in his tracks. "What?" Remus turned back around and inquired incredulously, "How could you say that?"
Harry wasn't fooled.
"I saw how you were looking at him after we were revived last night," Harry replied coolly. "You tried to smile and act like everything was alright but I saw your eyes. You were afraid, afraid of Danny."
Remus looked visibly shocked that he had been read so easily. It was unsettling for Harry to see his normally calm and collected uncle look as afraid as he did the night before. It only made him want to know more about what happened. He could tell that Remus didn't know what to say which only confirmed his suspicions; it had been his brother.
Harry took another look outside and saw that James and Danny had been grounded and Lily irately confronted James. Harry pondered on what his father had done this time and kind of wished he was down there to listen. He still loved to hear his parents playfully argue.
Danny had moved over to Sirius and sat next to him while sampling some of the pork. He and Sirius had smiles on their faces and made frequent glances towards Lily and James. Harry hid his own smile and turned back to Remus. The werewolf still had a pensive look on his face as he tried to find a way to answer Harry. Harry moved from his perch and made his way towards the door. When he halted in front of Remus and gazed up, the werewolf finally found his voice.
"Harry," he said. "I know you have questions. I know that you're concerned–and you have the right to be–but I'm not the one who should tell you."
Remus knelled down on one knee and grabbed Harry's shoulders as he stared softly into Harry's eyes, as though willing him to understand something very important. "We live in a perilous time and one day, you and your brother are going to have a part to play. Don't blame your parents for wanting to shelter you for a little bit longer."
"But he's my little brother," Harry said simply and with conviction. "I'm supposed to protect him."
Remus looked touch by Harry's concern and noticed the determination in his eyes.
Remus sighed. "I'll talk to your parents but no promises." Harry's face broke out into a smile and infectiously caused Remus to do the same as they walked out of the room.
"No! Absolutely not!" Lily exclaimed.
"Listen, Remus said he already knows it was Danny so why–"
"How? How does he know, did you tell him?" Lily interrupted Sirius, glaring accusingly at him.
"No, of course not! He must have figured it out all on his own. He's a smart kid," Sirius defended.
"I know he's smart, but he's not ready for this, whatever this is," Lily argued.
Sirius sighed and lowered his head in exhaustion. For the past ten minutes, they had been talking in circles. The happy and carefree act they had put on throughout the day for the children's sake had long since been abandoned. Lily believed that it wasn't the right time for Harry to learn the secret that surrounded Danny's birth. She knew that her sons would have to face the truth about their world eventually; she just hadn't expected it to be so soon. She wanted them to have as normal a childhood as possible and remain innocent before the darkness of reality tainted them.
"Lily, it won't do us any good to hold this back from Harry," Sirius explained, carefully articulating his reasoning. "It will only cause him to resent us and force him to find his own answers. Harry is smarter and more mature than any other child I have ever known, certainly more so than we were at his age. He can handle it."
Lily looked around the room at the two silent men in desperation, hoping to find support. Remus seemed conflicted since he didn't know which side to take. James, who had remained suspiciously quiet throughout the entire argument, sat with a pensive face in his usual chair while he held his hands together in front of his face with two fingers pressed against his lips. His eyes were cast downwards, unwilling to lock gazes with anyone in the room.
James didn't want to admit it, but he had never been as scared as he was last night. The pain he felt had been greater than any before; not even the Cruciatus held a candle to having his magic violently pulled from his body. After he had woken up, his entire body felt tired and incredibly stiff. It felt as if he had been casting spells continuously for hours. His extensive Auror training had never left him so physically and mentally exhausted. He hadn't been able to move for six hours and sleeping was nearly impossible.
Eventually, the morning came and James was finally able to rise from his bed and move around, albeit laboriously, but the more he moved the better he had felt. In his eagerness to assure his worried family and friends that there were no lingering effects, he had wanted to spend the day outside. He had neglected to mention that his left leg had a lingering numbness that didn't dissipate until after they had eaten dinner.
"James?" Lily asked sharply, hoping for the support of her husband. When James didn't answer her, Lily walked over and placed her hand on his shoulder. "James?" She asked again quietly.
James still remained quiet. Everyone in the room stood patiently and waited for him to speak. Finally, after Lily gently nudged him, James removed his hands from in front of this mouth, grabbed Lily's hand from his shoulder, and rubbed the back of it affectionately. He looked up into the concerned eyes of his wife and whispered, "Tell him."
Lily's eyes widened in disbelief and as she was about to berate her husband she felt him softly squeeze her hand.
"Sirius is right, Lily. If we don't tell him something now he'll just find out on his own. This way we can control what he knows." She tried to protest, but James's touch silenced her again. "I know that what happened last night was an accident but it was also a reminder that there may come a time when we won't be around to protect them." As James spoke, he subconsciously moved his hand to lightly rub his left leg. "I'm not saying that we should tell him everything since there's a lot we still don't know but telling him something now will show him that we trust him. And who knows? Maybe this way, he can be more prepared and help stop it from happening again."
Lily held back her tears and nodded her head. What James said made sense, though she still didn't like it. James looked around the room and saw Remus and Sirius nod in agreement as he met their gaze. James then turned to Lily, started to rub her hands again, and softly cooed, "It'll be alright. We can still protect them."
"I know, I just wish it wasn't so soon." Lily's voice hitched as she held back her tears. James and Lily shared a quiet moment before James turned and motioned to Remus to summon Harry from the hallway.
Outside, Harry was actually surprised when Remus stepped out of the library. Harry expected the discussion to last much longer given the stubbornness and protectiveness of his parents. He hoped it didn't mean that they were not going to tell him anything. As Harry approached Remus, the man gave him a small smile and a slight nod in encouragement. When Harry entered the library, he noticed Sirius standing by the fireplace with his arms crossed and his mother standing beside the chair occupied by his father; they stared intently at him. Without speaking, they motioned for Harry to take the seat across from them. Harry sat down and waited for his parents to speak.
"Harry, we want to let you know before we start that we will always love you and Danny, and there are some things that we want to protect you from whether you think you're ready or not," James began.
"And you must understand that not even we know everything," Lily said affectionately. Harry shook his head in understanding and remained silent as his parents spoke.
"But what we do know and can tell you is that on the night Danny was born something significant happened and because of that your brother is very special," James explained.
"Special how?" Harry said seeking clarification.
"Somehow, Danny has access to an enormous amount of magical energy, but we don't think he's even aware of it," Lily said slowly. "But last night when Danny got scared because of his dream, that energy expanded which caused your father to get...sick."
Harry recalled just how "sick" his father had looked the night before and as his eyes met his father's, he could not hide the look of fear on his face. "And if it happens again?" Harry asked timidly. He tried desperately to control his voice and not show his fear of the answer.
Their silence was all Harry needed to understand the terrible truth. Harry wasn't as ignorant of death as his parents believed. He had found some old pictures of his parents with a group of people and when he had asked Sirius why he had never met any of them in the picture besides the duo, Sirius had been forced to explain that some them had died or gone missing during the war. Sirius's eyes had lingered on Peter's image for a moment before he explained the existence of a vigilante group, the Order of the Phoenix, and how they sought to make the world safe, but not all of them had survived. His parent's silence to his question caused Harry to recall that conversation and face the possibility that the fate of those people in the picture could befall his own father.
All of these emotions overwhelmed Harry and he moved out of his chair and rushed into his father's arms. James wrapped his arms around his son and rubbed his back as Harry's body shook. Lily too bent down and wrapped her arms around her son. Her eyes moved to James and they shared a silent conversation; maybe they had told him too much. After a moment, Harry removed his face from his father's chest, looked up at his parents, and hesitantly asked, "Will it happen again?"
"We don't know. We put a mild Dreamless Sleeping Potion in his food so tonight, at least, he will sleep peacefully," Lily said reassuringly.
Harry took a moment to think and said, "But Dreamless Sleeping Potions can be addicting."
Momentarily proud of her young student, Lily nodded her head. "Right now, it'll have to do until we think of something else."
"I want to help. I-I can keep him calm. We won't climb the trees anymore or fly anymore and we won't go down on the beach because sometimes the waves and the rocks scare him and-and-" Harry rambled hysterically before James shushed him.
"It's okay, Harry. You won't have to do any of that. We'll think of something." James looked intently into his son's eyes and solemnly said, "Your old man will be just fine."
It was at this moment that an idea struck Sirius. Abruptly, he blurted out, "What about Devil's Grip?"
Harry was confused but the look on his parents' and Remus's faces told him that Devil's Grip was something to fear.
"Are you out of your mind? You would subject Danny to Devil's Grip?" Remus cried.
"Not the real thing, of course, we'll modify it. You and Lily are good at runes. Can't you change them so that it won't harm him?" Sirius defended.
While Remus and Lily both paused to ponder the issue, Harry piped up, "What's Devil's Grip?"
James and Lily looked at each other and wondered how best to explain the vile artifact.
"Devil's Grip is a bracelet that is used on wizards to absorb their magic. If left on for too long, the wizard will lose all of his magic, essentially becoming a Muggle," James explained disdainfully.
Harry looked incredulously at Sirius. Why would his godfather want to take away Danny's magic? But Sirius's focus was on Lily and Remus who were quietly consulting with each other. Growing impatient. "Well, can you do it?"
They simultaneously glanced at Sirius. "Possibly, but it doesn't really matter," Remus started. "We're not likely to find Devil's Grip just lying around in a jewelry box, are we?"
After a moment of contemplation, Sirius waved his finger towards Remus. "I may know where we can find some."