The Potter Brothers CH7 rough
So this was an attempt to get this out fast, yeah. Anyway... On with the show! Hey, you stole my line!
The morning was full of activity and speed. James hadn't packed his trunk although he had promised Dorea that he had the night before, then, while finally packing he tried to smuggle some joke stuff he had bought at Gamble and Japes into his bag for the train. This wasted at least the first hour of activity so that, when they finally arrived, they were almost late.
"I've got to go now, have a great time at school you two. Harry, keep your cousin in line for us, James, try not to get a detention first thing this year." Charlus said quickly with a wink before running back into the fireplace at the station, disappearing back to the ministry. All around them was a blur of lost pets, friend reunions and shouting parents.
After a rather spectacular fall by Harry during the arrival, Charlus had quickly wished Harry and James a great year before heading back to his job, there was still a bit of trouble with the new Death Eaters, although there were only a few the aurors couldn't seem to catch them which made things complicated and difficult.
"Come on Harry! You'll miss the train if we don't get on now, and if you miss it you'll lose your magic and become a squib." James said attempting to trick his cousin, although Dorea quickly caught him out.
"Nothing of the sort will happen, Harry. But you should get on that train, it would be a shame if you missed your first ride." She said as the warning whistle blew.
The two of them quickly hustled onto the train, James helping him with his bags much to his protests. Once they were on they were quickly spotted by Remus who happened to be in the same carriage as they were. "Hello James, Harry. How was the rest of your summer?" He asked politely.
"It was very good thank you." Harry replied. "You look very pale, are you alright?" He asked.
"Um, yes, just a, you know, a bit of a cold a few days ago." Remus stuttered out when a huge realisation hit Harry: of course he wasn't feeling well, it was the full moon two days ago!
"Yeah, Remus is always getting ill, at least once a month!" James said with a grin, not realising how close to the truth he was.
"Well I hope you feel better soon." He managed to reply as Remus paled deathly white. "James, I'm going to go off somewhere, make some friends and all that. I'll see you on the other side!" He smiled and dragged his trunk off with him as the other two looked for Sirius and Peter.
He had to move through quite a few carriages to find a compartment with space for him. Would he ever arrive at the platform with enough time to get a seat of his own choice? He speculated silently as he opened the door. "Hey, could I sit in here?" He asked the only occupant of the room, a black haired boy who was gazing out the window.
"Um yes, sure." He said turning around. Harry did a double take, here was a younger version of Sirius, only paler, and with shorter locks.
"Regulus?" He whispered.
"H-How do you know my name?" He demanded in shock, the slight stutter betraying the tough front he was attempting to put up.
"Oh, um-" he desperately tried to come up with an excuse, he couldn't let anyone know. "Ugh, my Aunt Dorea taught me all about the Pureblood families, sorry to come off weird."
"Dorea? Are you related to the Potters then?" He said with an expression on his face that looked almost tired. "Mother said that the Potters were all blood-traitors, but you seem ok enough." He said with a small smile.
"If she's anything like Sirius says I wouldn't believe it either." He said without thinking. "Not like that's true of course!" He hurriedly added on.
Regulus however didn't seem very offended. "No, you got it right on. Sirius is right." He said quietly with a small smile. "So since you know my name, what's yours?" He asked politely.
"Harry Potter, Dorea and Charlus's nephew." He said.
"It's nice to meet you, I didn't know they had a nephew" Regulus held out his hand nervously, with a grin on his face Harry shook it. He could save Regulus too, along with everyone else; top him from joining the Death Eater ranks.
"Nice to meet you too. And I don't think they did either, it was a surprise for everyone." He said truthfully. "Chocolate frog?" Harry asked with a quirked eyebrow as he pulled out the few Dorea had packed for the journey.
"Umm yeah sure." He replied with a happy but restrained smile, almost like he was trying not to have fun. Harry inwardly rebelled at that, he would get through that wall Regulus had. He would make sure that they were friends.
XxXxXxXxXxX
OD
Harry paused for breath, he was looking wistful, an expression she hadn't expected to see on this new, healed Harry. "So what happened to Regulus then?" Hermione said, oblivious to the warning look from Sirius and James.
Harry's expression visibly darkened to one of a combination of regret, sadness and loss. "I- I don't, can't really talk about that right now. I, when I get there." He managed to make out.
Hermione easily deciphered the actual meaning of his stuttered mess. "It's fine if you don't want to continue for a while." She offered.
"Yeah, I can speak for a bit if you want?" Sirius said, an arm wrapped around his shoulders, conveying strength through his presence.
Harry nodded, tears pricking his eyes. He leaned against Sirius's side and closed his eyes.
XxXxXxXxXxX
AD
The Marauders made their way onto the platform, Sirius watched as James searched the crowds for his cousin. He was surprised at how quickly James's usual carefree and jokey demeanour vanished and was replaced by one of responsibility and love whenever Harry came onto the scene. It seemed as though his James would always take a back seat whenever the young Potter ever needed anything from his brother.
After spotting him, James quickly made his way through the crowd to where Harry stood. "Good look on the sorting!" James said. "You'd better not get into anything but Gryffindor, especially Slytherin!" He joked but Sirius could see the unease beneath the surface, he was clearly worried about it.
"Yeah right, I'm definitely not going anywhere else." Harry said defiantly.
"Good!" James exclaimed before the first years were herded off by the half giant Hagrid, the Marauders had discovered his secret last year.
While walking up to the carriages Sirius caught Remus's eye. Knowing exactly what Sirius meant he took Peter a bit ahead and distracted him with some conversation or another.
With the other two gone Sirius moved over to James. "You do know he won't end up anywhere else, I just don't see him in the other three." He reassured, showing a softer side of Sirius that few ever saw.
"I know, me neither." Said James truthfully. "But what if the hat makes a mistake, or it gets jinxed to change its mind, or- or if Harry doesn't actually want to be in Gryffindor with us, what if he wants to be a Slytherin Sirius?" He said overthinking the situation.
"Don't be stupid James, and anyway, what if he did end up in Slytherin? So what? You wouldn't love him any less, and don't deny that you do, I'm more cleverer than most people think." Sirius said.
"More cleverer? Yeah, how could anyone possibly miss it." He said sarcastically with a small smirk.
"But seriously, would you? And I don't believe your parents could ever do so either." He reassured. "But I don't know what you're worrying about, he's a Gryffindor through and through."
"Yeah I suppose." James said. "I was thinking stupid again." He said smiling.
"Wouldn't be the first time. Now hurry up I actually want to have dinner tonight!"
XxXxXxXxXxX
"I'll take it from now I suppose." James said while Sirius comforted his husband. Obviously taking some of the attention away from the pair.
XxXxXxXxXxX
Despite Sirius's limited words of wisdom, James still had a seed of worry in the pit of his stomach. The carriages seemed to take hours to get to their destination and half way through the journey it began lashing it down with sheets of rain. By the time they had reached the gates it was barely possible to see more than a couple of metres ahead, Harry must be getting soaked out on the lake.
The dripping wet students pulled into the great hall and filled the tables, James purposely directed his group to the space adjacent to where the new first years would sit, so that Harry would be next to them.
After a few minutes of superficial, idle chatter the doors opened, effectively silencing all the inhabitants of the hall with a creak. A line of students filled in behind Professor McGonagall, who was leading them up in front of the teachers table where someone had placed the stool and the sorting hat. James caught sight of Harry who was surprisingly stood next to Sirius's brother.
"Is that Regulus, next to Harry there?" Remus asked, having only seen the Black brother a few times at the beginning and end of the last school year when Sirius had been picked up and dropped off by his family.
"Yeah, it seems even rule abiding, boring Regulus can't resist the Harry charm." Said Sirius with a smirk. "I just hope he doesn't get into Slytherin, he's smart enough for Ravenclaw surely?" He asked himself, the smirk faltering partially.
Just as expected the sorting hat opened its mouth and sang its tune:
"In times just after Merlin
The greatest of our kind
Four wizards came with offers
To train an eager mind
They took up Scottish residence
Of castle and of land
They named their new home 'Hogwarts'
And that is where you stand
They took the young and taught them
They guided them to bloom
Each wizard had, however,
A different type to groom
They split the children four ways
According to their skill
They looked at personality
At power and at will
The youngest man, one Gryffindor
Sought hearts of solid steel
He favoured those with bravery
And bold, heroic zeal
Ravenclaw, however,
Sought logic in her group
She chose bright minds intelligent
They formed a brainy troop
The oldest man, Sir Slytherin
Decided he would take
Those people with ambition
Whose greatness wouldn't break
The youngest girl, Miss Hufflepuff
Preferred those true and loyal
Her charges felt that things came best
With hardest work and toil
The four worked well together
But sadly time had passed
They knew that in their absence
Something had to last
So Gryffindor took from his head
A hat to fill with wit
You see that's me, I read your mind
So under me come sit
I'll figure out the best place
For you to flourish well
I'll seek out skills and character
So your house I can tell!"
The entire room burst into applause including a few of the bewildered first years at the front, Harry one of them. Once the noise had quietened down Professor McGonagall explained what was happening to the new students and began the sorting.
"Appleby, Amy" she called and a tough looking girl moved in front of the entire room to sit down.
Once McGonagall placed the hat on her head it only took a few seconds to shout out "Gryffindor!"
James clapped along with everyone else. After that there were one or two Hufflepuffs and then Sirius's brother. He watched his friend closely with baited breath, Sirius was watching the sorting hat intensely, somehow hoping to convey the single thought, Gryffindor.
The hall sat silent for a minute before a few people began whispering, Sirius glared at them. After what seemed an age, the hat finally called out, "Slytherin!" Sirius closed his eyes with disappointment. A disappointment James could sympathise with as Harry's turn with the sorting hat was drawing nearer and nearer.
"Potter, Harry" the professor called.
XxXxXxXxXxX
Harry closed his eyes as the hat fell over them. The same voice as the one twenty years in the future at this moment spoke up. "My goodness, why I've never had the pleasure to sort someone from another dimension before!" The hat said in his head. Harry as surprised, dimension, not just the future? "That's right, I'm very sure that is what happened, I can see from your memories the events that brought you here and you aren't a time traveler that's for sure, I've sorted a few of those people before and you are quite different, that I can see." The old hat said.
Well that was definitely unexpected, was that dream from months ago real then, did he look into the first dimension? There must have been some connection remaining once he had travelled.
The hat interrupted his thoughts. "Anyway, it is time to sort you, as that is why we are here is it not?" It paused for a moment. "You are very brave but you know that already. However you are also incredibly loyal, and quite smart though you don't believe it entirely yourself. You also have determination, a very Slytherin quality. But I see, just like the first time you were sorted you wish to enter the lion's den, this time to be with your cousin. Very well, you shall have your wish."
XxXxXxXxXxX
James was worried again, Harry was taking long to be sorted, five minutes now. He took in a breath as he saw the hat open its mount hand he closed his eyes, not wanting the hat's judgement, but needing it all the same.
"GRYFFINDOR!" The hat called out and the table stood up to clap for him. James let out the breath, stress overcome by excitement. Along with the others he stood up and cheered, grinning as Harry caught his eye.
XxXxXxXxXxX
When Harry's head finally hit his pillow, he was exhausted. Once the feast was over and they had all gone to the Gryffindor common room the Marauders had congratulated him loudly, semi-embarrassing him in front of all the new students. However after Sirius, Remus and Peter had all gone up to their dorm James had pulled Harry aside.
"Well done for getting into Gryffindor Harry. I was worried because you took so long?" He said, making it a question.
"Well, the hat couldn't decide between Gryffindor or Ravenclaw." Harry lied, he felt dreadful about not telling him the truth but he didn't want his cousin to know he had a chance of being put into Slytherin, he didn't want to know how he would react.
"You're such a nerd!" James remarked with a grin.
Harry playfully pushed him away. "Am not!"
"Don't try and deny it! I've already seen you reading your course books!" He retaliated with a slightly larger shove. He had been reading them to see how much the syllabus had changed. They both grinned at each other. "Anyway, big day tomorrow, first day, I bet you can't wait to learn!"
"Shut up James, just because you can't tell one end of your wand to the other doesn't mean everyone else can't." He retorted before sighing. "I am tired though, night?" He asked.
"Night Harry!" He said still grinning. "Don't hit that enormous brain on the way up there!" He said before leaving to walk up the stairs.
Harry smiled at the memory. It was weird how well the two of them got along, while James was loud and domineering, Harry was more quiet.
Shaking off his thoughts he settled down to sleep a wave of sleepiness fogging his mind.
XxXxXxXxXxX
The dream was similar to last time, the real-ness of it. He was at the Burrow again and in his old body, he could hear the rain outside and the smell of something cooking downstairs, probably courtesy of Mrs Weasley. He realised he was in Ginny's room, he hadn't been in there much when he had stayed at the Burrow in the past and so didn't recognise it right away.
He heard a sniffle from the bed, he turned to see who it was and recoiled in shock. Both Hermione and Ginny were sat side by side, silently crying in the company of each other. They were talking quietly between themselves, Harry moved closer so that he could make out what they were saying.
"It's been weeks, do you think we'll still find him? Eventually?" Ginny asked quietly.
"No, not anymore." Hermione replied so softly Harry wasn't sure if he heard correctly. "I think whatever took him has hidden its tracks well." She said and they both fell into tears again, however there were no tears left to shed.
Harry stood there, unable to comfort them yet unable to leave. It was torture knowing he was the one who had caused this pain yet he couldn't do anything to alleviate their suffering. "Please, you've got to listen I can't come back but I want to, I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry!" He shouted. He could have sworn he saw Hermione shudder slightly, as if she could detect his presence. "Yes, Hermione I'm here I'm here!" But there was no reaction.
Suddenly he woke up to someone shaking him.
"Harry, Harry wake up please!" He heard James's voice shout out. He opened his tear filled eyes to see a James shaped blur leaning over him. "Oh thank Merlin! You weren't waking up, you had another dream, but it's ok now, 'cause you're here and you're safe."
The other boys in the dorm were looking at him funny. James noticed and glared at them until they backed off. One of the boys who hadn't backed off was on the other side of the bed to James. "Is he alright now?"
"Yeah, he should be fine, thank you for getting me, what's your name?" James asked.
"Tommy, Tommy Ackerman." He replied. "I just thought he would want you, nothing much."
"Thank you anyway." He said with a grateful smile.
So thanks for reading the chapter, I'm not sure it was very good but anyway, if you like it review!
A lot of you have been saying this sounds very similar to two stories, one a cross over between Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings called 'The Long Road' by Crazy purplesage (which is very good) and another story called 'a new life' by HarryPotterBlack7. I admit that I took inspiration of the wedding scene and Harry telling a story from the long road and I'm not ashamed to say it was a really good idea and I stole it! However a lot of people have said that I have been too similar to A New Life, which I have only read the first few chapters recently after being told this. I have made plans for my entire story and have them all written down already, although I won't be changing these I'm going to read the entire story of a new life and try to avoid sounding so much like it. I don't want to create something that has already been made, it's not fair on you guys as you get less variation to read.
ANYWAY, that was a long rant/explanation, I hope you guys review! :)
(Also, I didn't come up with that song, it was written by a wonderful person who has written the song for general use of fanfictioners everywhere!)