Chapter seven

When Harry stepped into his parent's home, the first thing he did was cast the fidelius charm making himself as the secret keeper. This would give him time to make the rest of his plans. He put his stuff in the spare bedroom then thought he should eat before organising his plans. The first thing was to magically make up fake papers, ID for him to use in the muggle world, so he did that and stuck them in his pocket then walked slowly down to the small town, sat in the restaurant and ate while he thought about his life.

He knew being male he needed to see a healer, not a doctor, but everyone knew who he was. So that was the first thing he needed to work on, then the image of Hermione as the cat in their second year came to him, polyjuice potion, that will work. Now he needed hairs, a fake name and somewhere to go. He couldn't use a name that would be too recognisable to people he knew. So Harry knew the names Black, Evans, Potter were out, even names like Lupin and Tonks were out. So as he sat he started to go through names that wouldn't make any one suspicious but also something he could get used to. One name that wouldn't make anyone suspect it was Harry was William, a normal man's name but William is the full name for Bill, Bill Weasley. It gave Harry something that he would recognise easily.

Okay, so something Williams, a last name would be better than a first, so what Williams,' he thought again thinking of people he knew from when he was young until now. John, John is a common name but it was Remus' middle name, but just a bit different, so Jonathan Williams, he could remember that, yes, that will work.

So after eating he put that name on his fake forms then went into a couple of muggle towns, slipped his cloak on and snuck into hair dressers and grabbed hair from the bins. He thought that was the easiest way to stay disguised. After he had a bag full of all types of colours and a wide range of people, went into a normal muggle bank, opened an account in the name of Jonathan Williams, then he headed into Diagon Alley to buy everything he needed to make polyjuice potion. After finishing in that shop he organised to transfer the money from the Black vault into his muggle account. Harry thought of an idea so it wouldn't look suspicious, he started talking to the goblin about helping out orphans, so that's why he wanted that money in a muggle bank, but would keep the Potter vault for him to use in the magical world. Harry talked casually like he was just making small talk, thanked the goblin before leaving and heading home.

He sat in his office and started thinking about where he might live, some muggle country town, somewhere Charlie would never think to look for him because as of now, Harry wanted nothing to do with him ever again. He was too angry with him and hurt that Charlie could just give him up so easily.

A few days later, Harry packed up his belongings again, he looked around his home once more stepped outside. He sealed the house and apparated away, away from his old life as Harry Potter and ready to start his new life as Jonathan Williams.

For months everyone had been trying to find Harry, Hermione wrote constantly but the owl always returned with her letter. Ron and Ginny's parents were trying to find Harry as well, but to no avail. Kingsley also got involved in trying to find Harry, but met with the same as everyone else, nothing. Charlie was miserable, he missed Harry and realised he'd made a mistake, so he was also using all his spare time to try and find Harry, nothing, like the others. They all thought finding Harry would be easy, he is famous around the magical world. Then Hermione realised what Harry had done.

'He grew up in a muggle house, he knows the muggle world. Harry is now living as a muggle and if I know him, he's either using polyjuice potion to change his appearance, or his making sure his scar doesn't show, changed the colour of his hair and changed his name. He wouldn't use names we'd know, so Black for Sirius would be out, naturally Potter would be out, James, no too obvious.'

'What about Evans, he could use Evan as his first name?' Ron suggested.

'Again too obvious, we'd know that and you just said it. No, it will be something we won't pick up on but also something he will remember easily until he gets used to it.'

'We need to find him, I need to tell him how sorry I am,' Charlie said feeling frustrated, 'What about checking out things for the deaf, muggle things. Hermione would you know where to look if he is living as a muggle?'

'I'm sure I could work it out Charlie, but I would need to go into a muggle doctor's office to ask some questions.'

Minerva McGonagall was watching Charlie, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Neville and a few of their other friends all talking about finding Harry. She knew he wouldn't like this, but she wanted him found as well. She walked over and joined the small crowd.

'I know Harry will probably hate me for this, but there's two things I can tell you that might help find him.'

'What, we need anything Minerva, please,' Charlie said urgently.

'Okay, not a lot of men get pregnant, but there are a far few out there, I had Poppy check. There are about three hundred around the magical world. Now you could check all the ones that give birth to a boy. Harry said his name will be James, whether he keeps that as it's an obvious name, I don't know, but I think he will.'

'A son, I'm going to have a son,' Charlie sighed, 'We have to find him, what else?'

'A few days before Harry left, his hearing returned. The day he left you the note Charlie, he was in your room under the cloak listening to everything and watching your reaction.'

'Oh fuck, he'll never forgive me, not now,' Charlie put his head down on the table, 'I didn't mean it, I was in shock, all this was just way too soon, I didn't know what to do.'

'We know Charlie, but we still need to find him, then you can grovel to try and get him to talk to you, but finding him is the main priority right now,' Hermione said.

'You're right, let's just concentrate on that. So looking for deaf people is out, but maybe checking out all the men that give birth to a son in another two months.'

'I've got Kingsley working on that, but he might be overseas for all we know. Using another name and a different look, they might not want to help our ministry. He's going to try, he's just not sure if it will work. Harry had time to put his plans together, he knew his friends would try to find him, he knows Hermione is smart but also a muggleborn. So even if he is living as a muggle, I still believe it will be difficult to find him if he doesn't want to be found. That doesn't mean I'm going to give up. I've been contacting people I know from other countries to see if they can discreetly ask around.'

'You are right Professor, he knows we won't give up,' Hermione sighed, 'I'm not giving up, but I'm starting to think we'll never find Harry,' she looked around and noticed they all felt the same as she did, they looked defeated just like she felt.

Hermione and her friends were sitting at the Gryffindor table having breakfast when the post arrived, owls flew down everywhere. Hermione was surprised when one landed in front of her. She took the envelope, gave the owl a piece of her toast before it flew away. She opened it and pulled out three pictures.

'Harry had the baby,' Hermione screamed, 'He has Harry's hair.'

Everyone crowded around Hermione looking at the picture of Harry holding a baby boy in his arms. But the look on Harry's face as he gazed down at his son was beautiful, they could see the love he had for his son.

Charlie walked over and handed Ron some pictures, 'He sent me some as well, that's my son,' Charlie sighed then sat down, 'I'll never see him.'

'We'll try again Charlie, now he's had the baby, we'll work something else out,' Ginny said seeing how defeated and lost Charlie looked.

'It won't work, he made sure he could never be found, so there's nothing we can do. We've tried Ginny, we all tried, it's hopeless,' Charlie picked up his pictures then left the great hall.

'Do you think he will ever return?' Neville asked.

'No, he was too hurt by the way Charlie reacted. But at least we know he's fine and by the look at this picture their both fine and Harry looks happy. He's a daddy, Harry's a daddy,' Hermione smiled down at the picture of Harry and his son and even though she missed her friend, she was happy that he had his own family. For the first time since he was a year old, Harry had a family.

'Yeah, he does look happy, but why would he send Charlie the pictures when he doesn't want anything to do with him?' Ron asked.

'Maybe to let him know their son arrived and he was okay, healthy. I don't know Ron, all this is hard on everyone, but more so on Charlie,' Hermione turned the picture over, 'He was born last week, the twenty sixth, James, he still called him James, but he didn't put the last name on though.'

'Do you think people in the ministry could track him, any magical child with the name James?' Ginny asked.

'They probably could, but knowing Harry, he'd have his place protected, so it won't be that easy. But we have classes, let's go.'

Over the next year, Hermione occasionally got a picture sent to her home, but she did get one letter from Harry saying that he won't be sending pictures very soon. He didn't want to be found, so he didn't want his son to be recognised. He wrote that he missed her and Ron, all his friends, but there was no mention of Charlie, so Hermione realised Harry was still hurt and probably angry with Charlie. She couldn't blame him she just wished he had spoken to her even if he didn't want to speak with any of the Weasley's, even Ron, he could have talked to her. Hermione sighed made a copy of the letter and picture before sending Charlie the originals, then told him to keep it, like she always did. She felt sorry for Charlie, he still loved Harry and hasn't given up trying to find him. She knew he never would but she also knew that unless Harry wanted to be found, no one will find him.

As the years passed, no one heard from Harry again, not a letter and no more pictures of James. He was in their thoughts, but they had their own lives now, all but Charlie. All he did was teach, but he never got involved with anyone. He hardly left Hogwarts and his family were worried about him, he hardly spoke, never visited anyone and the few times they saw him, he would just sit there.

Little did any of them know, but Harry occasionally watched Hogwarts, he would be under his cloak, his son with him thinking it was a big game. He had seen Charlie a few times, walking around the grounds and to Harry, he looked lost, sad, alone. The first few times Harry had seen him it made him angry thinking that Charlie brought this on himself, but now, he was starting to feel sorry for his old lover and he admitted that he still loved Charlie, but could he ever forgive him, he wasn't sure. Maybe he needed more time, time to think about what he should do or even if he should do something.

Minerva McGonagall was sitting in her office when an owl dropped a letter on her desk before flying away. She opened it and read.

"Dear Minerva McGonagall, yes it's me, Harry, I really don't know what to say, but I just felt the need to write to you. You are one person I knew I wanted to write to. I need someone to talk to, someone that is wise, caring and kind hearted and you are all those things. I was so hurt when I left, it took me a long time to get over that, but then I just couldn't see him anymore, not after the way he treated me. So I put all my love, time and energy into James. He's a wonderful boy Minerva, looks like me, but his hair lightened over the years, so it's more like my mother's now, but he does have my green eyes but thankfully he doesn't need glasses. You're probably wondering why I'm giving so much away, well, I would like to see you and talk to you and if you do, you can meet my son. All I ask that you don't tell anyone and I won't show myself until I know you're alone. If you can meet me at Godric's Hollow, in the back garden of my parent's home, let me know when and I'll be there, but please come alone and don't tell anyone, especially Charlie. I'm not ready to see anyone else just yet. Maybe after talking to you I will, I don't know, I'm still very confused. I will say this, I have watched Hogwarts a lot. I stand under my cloak, James thinks it's funny, like it's a big game. He has to concentrate to stifle his giggles, he's a good kid Minerva and I love him with all my heart, my boy, my son, I hope you do meet me. I miss seeing you, but I really need someone to talk to, someone I can trust, Harry." Minerva re-read the letter again, 'I think he wants to come home, but he's still hurt and scared of being hurt again.'

'Yes, I believe you are right Minerva, are you going to meet him?' Albus Dumbledore asked from his portrait.

'Yes, I am,' Minerva pulled a fresh piece of parchment towards her and wrote her letter, then she called a house elf to take her letter up to the owlery, 'He used the name Jonathan Williams, I don't think even Hermione would have picked up on that name. Well, William is the full name for Bill, that would make it easier for Harry to remember, the Weasley's or Bill, Jonathan, I'm not sure.'

'Remus' middle name was John,' Albus explained.

'Should I mention to Charlie that I have heard from him, even if I don't tell him I'm meeting Harry?'

'No, meet with him first, talk to him find out if he really does want to come home. He respects you Minerva, I believe he will listen to you. Don't push too much, just casually tell him about Charlie and his friends, see how he reacts to that.'

'Alright Albus, you were always very intuitive about Harry, so I will take your advice. Now I hope I can convince him to return home.'