Chapter 34

Dear Harry,

Hermione told me that she's been writing to you and offered to help me send this letter.

My name is Neville Longbottom and your mother was my godmother, my mother was yours. Mum and Dad are permanently incapacitated and I live with my grandmother which is why we didn't grow up together.

Ron Weasley's been bragging about being your best mate and that you visited him over the summer and had a great time, but Hermione told me what you said happened, please don't think that I'm another glory hogg wanting fame for being one of the people who you write to. If you write to me, I won't tell anyone except Gran, and maybe Mum and Dad.

Hermione told me that you were adopted. Are your new parents good people? Do they treat you well? I could try to get Gran to rescue you if you need it but I don't want to assume that just because they're not from our world that they're bad parents. I hope they're good to you and you found a way to learn all the things you want to learn.

It's hard writing to someone you don't know, especially having to be careful what I talk about. My favourite subject is gardening, it's also my favourite pastime at home. I spend hours most days in the green houses and out in the garden growing things.

Hermione said that I should tell you what I know about your original parents. My Mum Alice was your mum's best friend. Dad was a couple of years older but he and your Dad worked together in the war and were friendly but not great mates. Everyone says that you mum was brilliant, your parents were Head Boy and Head Girl and she was top of the class. From the photo's I've seen she was also really pretty with red hair and green eyes. She was especially good at what Hermione calls charms and deportment and biochemistry. Your father was best at transformative literature and was captain of the house team.

I'm sorry I don't know more than that,

Yours Respectfully

Neville Longbottom

Heir of the House of Longbottom

-o0o-

Dear Neville,

Thank you for your letter, and for what you said about my Mum. I live with her cousin, John. He's my adopted Dad which is odd because everyone said I look just like my Dad, they say it here about John and they said it in Diagon Alley about my father James. Apparently the two of them look alike even though they weren't related. So people told me stuff about James instead of mentioning my mother.

They said James loved to fly, my Dad is a pilot and loves to fly too, he's been taking me up in his planes since I was a kid and I love it. Mum sounds more like my Papa, Dad's husband. Papa is a scientist and a genius with Dad agrees that he's the smartest man on the planet. Apparently, James was a prankster, I can't say that I hate pranks but the base I live on isn't a good place to try to prank somebody and it wouldn't do to make my Dad look foolish in front of his command.

Dad and Papa are good people and they love me, I've never doubted that they wanted me to be their kid. I love them. I can't imagine being in a boarding school where I couldn't even talk to them for months at a time. They've hired me a tutor, he's great and I'm learning a lot, more than I would at school. Hatcher says I'll be ready to start second year before Christmas for charms and deportment, transformative literature and defence and soon after Christmas for the rest.

Even though Dad and Mum were cousins he really didn't know much about her. He only met her one summer when they visited England. Dad was a teenager and she was younger so she wasn't all that interesting to him. Mum had a sister too but I don't think I've ever met her.

Hermione told me that you tried to write to me before. I swear I never got a letter Neville. I live too far away for post owls to find me. Dumbledore had to use Fawkes to send my Hogwarts letter. Have you met Fawkes, he's beautiful. He stayed with us a couple of weeks and he seems to understand every word we said. Dad and Papa warned me not to trust him since we cannot trust Dumbledore but I think we can. There's something just so earnest about him even before I read about the type of bird creature he is.

Hermione tells me that you're her friend, I'm glad she has you. She sounded lonely and homesick in her first couple of letters

Yours sincerely

Harry Johnathan Sheppard.

Heir of the houses of Potter and Black.

PS. That seems an awfully formal way to address a letter to a friend, and I do hope that we can be friends, but I guess it's the right way to do it since it's how you wrote to me.

-o0o-

"He wrote back to me! It sounds like he wants to be friends," Neville said happily. He'd been beginning to think Harry wasn't going to write, though Hermione hadn't got a reply to her letter yet either.

"Yeah. He's nothing like Ron says he is. "If Harry hadn't told me he'd been there then I wouldn't even believe Ron had met him but they were only there about half an hour, they didn't even stay for lunch since they nearly killed his Papa by serving food he was deathly allergic to. Harry barely remembers which redheaded kid was which," Hermione said amused. Ron had been getting on her nerves bragging about his friendship with Harry again.

Neville laughed. "I should write back before he thinks I'm not interested in being friends."

"He won't think that. He knows sometimes the censors take longer to send stuff on than others," Hermione reassured him.

Dear Harry

I wrote and asked my Gran more about your Dad since you don't know much about him. Gran said he was top of his class at the Auror Academy (for law enforcement) and really good at his job. Gran said he was charming, (not in the way Hermione means it) and that he and Lily were besotted with each other.

We were born a day apart, so James was there with your Mum when Gran brought my Mum to hospital. She said she'd never seen a man more proud of his wife and baby, he was bragging to everyone he met how amazing you were. So much that Gran said my Dad took offence and told him he'd see him on the duelling platform if he kept telling my family that you were smarter, more beautiful or stronger than I was. Gran said that your mum and my Mum insisted that we meet before you left the hospital so we could start our friendship right from the very beginning of our lives.

Gran said we both cried at each other because our mum's woke us up to meet and Mum cried too but Lily laughed and cuddled us both until we calmed down. There's a photo of the two of us with her somewhere at home. Gran said she'd find it for me and send it but I didn't know if you could get photos since Hermione said you don't actually get my physical letter.

Gran said your mum was a real lady and she wasn't a fool, which is one of her top compliments, but that she didn't know her very well. Gran thinks she was a researcher for the department of mysteries before she fell pregnant with you, but she couldn't say for sure. Your Mum gave up work to look after you, she didn't want you to be raised by elves, not that she disliked or distrusted them she just wanted to be sure that you knew you were loved. Not that Mum didn't love me, she took time off but there's only so much time you can have away from being an Auror before you need to go back to the academy again.

Hermione said you're being tutored and can work at your own pace. I'd like that, I hate feeling like I'm slowing other people down and limiting how much they can learn. Hermione is jealous that you're learning more than her, and frustrated that she can't do many of the things you've been encouraging her to try. I hope your tutor is nice and not too strict, I wouldn't want to learn everything from Snape or even McGonagall. Being tutored by someone like Flitwick would be good though, he's always so encouraging and he makes his classes seem fun. He teaches Charm and Deportment.

Yours Sincerely

Neville.

-o0o-

Sirius eventually recovered enough to ask Moony about Harry during one of his weekly visits.

"How is Harry?"

Remus had been dreading the question since his first visit but he had to admit that he was also concerned that it had taken so long for Sirius to ask. "I don't know," he admitted nervously.

Sirius missed the nerves and hesitation, and seemed to ignore the answer. "He'd be eleven now, wouldn't he? Did he sort into Gryffindor? Does he like Hogwarts?

"He doesn't go to Hogwarts, his guardians decided to home-school him," Remus said.

"Why did Frank and Alice decide not to send Harry and Neville to Hogwarts?" Sirius asked baffled.

"Sirius, he's not with Frank and Alice. They're both here in the Janice-Hickey ward for long term spell damage, they've been here since November 1981," Remus said gently.

"Then who does Harry live with?" Sirius asked.

"Dumbledore thought he'd be safer in the muggle world. He gave him to Lily's family," Remus replied.

"He left our Harry with that bitch Petunia?" Sirius yelled.

"No, thank Merlin! His guardian is a cousin of theirs, John Sheppard, he and his partner adopted Harry,"

"I've never heard of him, he wasn't at the wedding?" Sirius asked.

"No, he's American and his partner's Canadian. He's in their military, specifically the Air Force, and they live on base somewhere I can't talk about. But when you're well, Dumbledore and Fawkes will take you to visit Harry," Remus said.

"Is he a wizard?" Sirius asked.

"No, but he's accepted that Harry is. They've hired a tutor, they don't want to deprive Harry of his magic they just think that muggle education is important too," Remus said.

"Have you met the tutor? Do we know them?" Sirius asked.

"No like I said, John Sheppard is American, they hired someone who went to Ilvermorny," Remus said.

"Why didn't they hire you instead?" Sirius demanded.

"Well, I rather think that was Albus idea in taking me to meet them but I cannot live on base because of my furry little problem as you and James used to call it," Remus replied.

"There's no way you could travel to a safe place each moon?" Sirius asked.

"The only way I know how to travel there is to have Fawkes take me," Remus replied. "I couldn't take the risk that he'd have a burning day at the wrong time of the month or Dumbledore merely forgot to send him to me one month." It would be a very real worry with the moon cycle being different than Earth's even if he could live there part of the time.

"So what you're saying is you have no idea where in the world Harry is living?" Sirius said angrily. "Did you keep in touch with him since he was left with muggles?"

"No, I believed Dumbledore when he said that the wards on his house would prevent dark creatures from entering the property, and that he was safe and well cared for," Remus said.

"You believed Dumbledore… you don't anymore, it wasn't true?" Sirius said confused.

"I've no reason to believe his cousin doesn't care for him but I wasn't there long enough to know for sure. Dumbledore gave Harry to Petunia, set the wards on her house. Petunia was the one who gave Harry to her cousin John in America. There are no wards on their property or on the base. Harry is safe because he cannot be found," Remus said.

"Dumbledore found him," Sirius said doubtfully.

"No Fawkes found him when none of the school owls could take his Hogwarts letter," Remus corrected. "Believe me when I say it would take a phoenix to get to him even if you knew where he was."

"Is he happy there?" Sirius asked.

"I don't know, he seemed to be in the minute I was able to see him, but there's something about the base he lives on. I literally cannot be there at all even away from the full moon it felt like I was going to change," Remus said sighing. "Dumbledore acts like his family prevented him from coming to Hogwarts but he seemed desperate to change their minds. I'm not sure he's telling me the entire truth again. I do know that when you're well enough to leave here he will want to take you there to visit."

"Is that why he finally pushed for me to get a trial?" Sirius asked after thinking through everything Remus had said.

"I'd like to say that it was because he only just discovered that you hadn't already had one but… again I don't know, it is suspicious that you got a trial at the same time Albus is struggling with the fact Harry isn't attending Hogwarts," Remus replied honestly.

"Why's that so important to him? I mean you and I want Harry to know where his parents went to school and experience what we all did. But why does it matter to Dumbledore?" Sirius asked.

"I don't know Siri," Remus replied seriously.

Sirius just nodded thoughtfully, his trust in the elderly headmaster had taken a beating, the old man had been one of the very few to know that he wasn't the Potter's secret keeper and in spite of his excuses he had had the ability to insist on a trial, or even just to speak up so that the truth was on record. Still if the Headmaster was the only way to find Harry then he wasn't going to confront the man. He'd wait and see.

-o0o-

It took a lot of coaxing and some outright bribery with frozen berries to get Fawkes to agree to even take a letter to Harry asking for an appointment to see him and introduce his Godfather. He refused point blank to take him without Harry's and his guardian's permission, flying over and dropping blank parchment or his quill on Albus's head, to Sirius huge amusement.

So Albus wrote a request to visit, remembering this time to tell them he was using the United Kingdom standard time clock and who he was bringing with him.

"Where is this place that's so difficult to get to any other way? You've been there so couldn't you make a portkey?" Sirius asked.

"I'm afraid that you wouldn't believe me if I told you and no, you cannot portkey or apparate to there from here. They are completely cut off from the rest of the world," Albus said wearily.

"I thought Fawkes would be back by now?" Sirius said eagerly.

"He normally stays with Harry for a few days if given the chance. It wouldn't at all surprise me if he picked young Harry as his new companion when I depart for the next great adventure. Our appointment is for next Saturday if his guardian's agree with the time offered," Albus said reassuringly.

-o0o-

John wasn't impressed by the return of the flaming red bird creature but Harry was pleased to see Fawkes, and his tutor, Hatcher was fascinated to meet a phoenix face to face.

"He wants to bring someone else to visit. Says that he's Harry's godfather," John said reading the letter.

"A godfather, isn't that the person my parents chose to take me if they both died, Is Albus trying to take me away from you again?" Harry said anxiously.

"He won't succeed. Legal adoption supersedes a chosen godparent," Rodney replied.

"Yes, usually that is what parents mean when they choose a godparent. The question then is, if he's your godfather why weren't you living with him rather than given to Petunia to be abandoned on Dad's doorstep?" John said.

"Did you choose godparents for me?" Harry asked.

"No I'm agnostic and Rodney's an atheist, neither of us was comfortable with the idea of a 'godparent', however if Rodney and I are both killed our will leaves custody of you to be shared by Teyla, Ronon and Radek with instructions that you are to have a place on Atlantis as long as you want to be here, and custody to Dad, Dave and General O'Neill if you wish to return to Earth, since they have the resources to protect you better than Jeannie and Kaleb," John replied.

"I wonder why I wasn't given to my Godfather when my parents died?" Harry said.

"Speculation is useless, without enough data. You will have to ask him," Rodney said.

"Do we really want the old man to come back here?" John asked.

"I want to meet my Godfather, he can tell me more about my birth parents," Harry said. He'd been disappointed that even after finding out his birth parents' names his Dad and Grandpa had been able to tell him very little. Neville had tried to find out more for him but it seemed that there weren't many people willing to tell him anything beyond surface impressions.

"We could arrange to meet him next time we go back to Earth," Rodney suggested.

"I assume that the Godfather is a wizard. We have more control over the wizards here on Atlantis," John said.

"Okay then, we tell him he can come but we're supposed to be off world on P76-731 when he wants to come, they will take it as an insult if we reschedule our trade discussions," Rodney said.

"We have a 'Sunday' coming up in a couple of weeks, they could come then," Harry said eagerly.

"0900 here will be Friday the 17th at 1500 GMT," Rodney said jotting down a note on the back of the parchment Fawkes had brought.

Fawkes stayed another couple of days with Harry before he flashed back. John had put a security detail on him but he also got an impression whether it was from Fawkes or from the city itself that Harry would not be taken away without his consent.

-o0o-

Albus and Sirius were both upset about the delay for their own reasons. Sirius having heard that Harry had been left with Petunia and still lived with a relative of hers who was refusing to let Harry attend Hogwarts was anxious to check on him and make sure he was being well treated and wasn't being prevented from going to school against his will. He was concerned that Harry's relatives had put off the visit. Albus was eager to see Sirius exert his authority and insist on Harry attending Hogwarts like his parents had wished and subtly encouraged his anxiety.

Finally, the day they were invited to visit arrived. Sirius dressed in his best muggle clothes, from the 1960's, unaware that muggle fashions changed much more rapidly than wizard fashions and that Harry and his relatives wouldn't think that he looked groovy but rather that he was out of date and a middle aged man trying to dress like a teenager. Remus tried to tell him but since Sirius didn't think much of Remus' fashion sense to begin with, he refused to listen.

Fawkes deposited them directly to the infirmary where Carson quickly let security know and started preparing them for the typical exam for new arrivals. John, Ronon, Stackhouse and Markham arrived fully armed, prepared to insist on the wizards disarming and being examined and scanned before they saw Harry.

Sirius surrendered without a fight, anything to check on his godson though he was angry at being treated like he might endanger the population of wherever they were. Albus protested that surely it wasn't necessary a second time.

"Are you willing to swear that you've been in isolation and have seen nobody but this man here since you left us?" Carson demanded.

"He runs a school, he cannot have been isolated from all other people and wizards," John said.

"All the more reason you need to be scanned. Schools are petrie dishes for viruses and illness causing bacteria," Carson insisted.

"You don't have to stay. I'm sure your flaming red birdlike creature will come back for Harry's godfather when he's ready to depart," Ronon said fingering his weapon lovingly.

"What's the matter? Will the scans harm us? Is this why Remus couldn't come with us?" Sirius demanded.

"The scans will do you no harm wizard, but we cannot guarantee the same for any magical artefacts so it's best you change so we don't inadvertently break something you've forgotten to remove from a pocket," Carson said calmly.

Sirius changed and submitted to the scan but began to object again when confronted with the needles. As a young fit wizardborn wizard he'd never had a needle or blood test in his life.

"I'm beginning to think that wizards are all great big babies. The children don't take on so when I need to draw their blood," Carson commented.

"You do this to Harry?" Sirius asked in shock.

"When he needs it. Everyone gets examined on their return if they've been off the planet," Carson replied, drawing the blood as the younger wizard was distracted.

Albus submitted to the testing and the indignity of wearing plain muggle cotton pants and a top and they were led out onto the balcony where Harry's family had gathered to meet them.

"Jamie!" Sirius whispered reverently.

"No Sir I'm Harry," Harry replied looking confused.

"I take it the boy looks like his father," Radek commented.

"Indeed yes, he looks exactly like James except for his eyes. He has his mother's eyes," Albus replied.

"You didn't know that?" Sirius demanded.

"No my father had several photo's of my cousin Lily as a child that he's passed down to Harry but we never saw Harry's father or a photo of him," John replied.

"You? You're Harry's cousin?" Sirius asked shocked.

"This is my Dad, John Sheppard and this is Papa, Dr Rodney McKay and Uncle Radek, Uncle Ronon, Aunt Teyla and cousins Torren and baby Malih, Uncle Evan and Aunt Miko, and you've already met Uncle Carson" Harry introduced everyone, claiming familial relationships with everyone there from Atlantis. His parents were concerned that it was an indication he was afraid of being taken away from them and moved closer to him putting their hands on his shoulders in support.

"James was your father," Sirius corrected.

"Harry has no memory of his birth father. He wasn't old enough to remember either of his parents or anyone else he lived with before being left on my father's doorstep during one freezing cold night in winter. Legally he's now Rodney's and my son," John replied calmly.

"He was supposed to live with me," Sirius protested. "It was what his parents wanted."

"Then why didn't I live with you? Why was I left with Mom's sister Petunia when she didn't want me? Didn't you want me either? Why are you here now then?" Harry asked bluntly.

"I wasn't able to take you in when you were a baby. I was falsely accused of a crime and left to rot in prison," Sirius replied with a poisonous glare at Dumbledore.

"All this time?" John asked incredulously.

"Yes unfortunately, we were at war when Sirius was arrested under the war crimes act. He was one of several people who's lack of a trial was overlooked in the chaos when peace was restored," Albus said looking as if he was saddened by the fact but hadn't had anything to do with it.

"And it took ten years for someone to suddenly remember that he hadn't received a trial or was he sentenced to ten years in prison without a trial and nobody noticed at all until he was released?" Evan Lorne asked horrified.

"Do I have a godmother? Was she locked up too?" Harry asked curious to see if the Headmaster would tell him the truth.

"Alice is your godmother, Alice Longbottom. She and her husband were viciously attacked just days after your parents were killed. She never recovered, she and her husband remain in the long term spell damage ward at St Mungo's" Sirius said sadly.

"Neville's mother?" Harry asked sadly.

"Yes Harry, Neville's mother Alice and father Frank were attacked just after your parents," Sirius replied.

"How do you know Neville?" Albus demanded.

"He's a friend of Hermione's. She mentioned meeting me and that we correspond and Neville wrote me a letter," Harry said.

"I wasn't aware you were corresponding with Miss Granger," Albus said thoughtfully.

Harry turned on him. "You will leave Hermione Granger alone, if I find out you've interfered with her mind in any way I will contact the British Wizarding Newspapers and give them an interview about how you tried to kill my Papa and manipulate my friends. How you cannot be trusted," he said fiercely.

Albus looked like he had been shocked silent.

"What was my father like?" Harry asked Sirius.

"James was my best friend. We met on the train to Hogwarts before first year and became instant friends for life and shared a dorm room for seven years. He was the best friend I could ever imagine," Sirius replied.

"But what was he like?" Harry burst out.

"He was an excellent flyer, he made chaser for the Gryffindor Quidditch team from his second year onwards. He loved to pull pranks, and to hang out with us. Me, James, Remus and Peter, I thought we'd be inseparable for life," Sirius said, ending sadly.

A/N: Thank you to all those who reviewed followed or favourited or gave Kudos to this story for your support.