Chapter Two

When Harry opened his eyes the following day, the first thing he saw when he put his glasses on was his mother sleeping silently in the bed next to him; as Harry looked at her, he felt tears slide down his face and, for a moment, couldn't understand why he was crying.

"She's really here," Harry thought with a smile; he had been so afraid of falling asleep the previous night because if this was a dream, then it was one that he desperately wanted to stay in.

He didn't want to be the Boy-Who-Lived, famous for something he couldn't even remember doing in the first place, and forced to live with people who hated him for no reason other than his existence. What Harry wanted more than anything was lying next to him, and he never wanted to stop looking at her.

A moment later, however, the doors to the Hospital Wing banged open loudly, making Harry jump up just in time to be tackled by his new big sister, Rose, who wrapped him in a tight hug; if she noticed the way Harry flinched in her arms, she made no mention of it.

"Good morning, little brother!" Rose chirped as Madam Pomfrey came out of her office to see what the noise was and frowned disapprovingly for a moment before heading back inside.

"Um….g-good morning, ma'am," Harry stuttered, unsure what to call her; apparently, ma'am was the wrong thing to say, though, because she frowned as she pulled away and tweaked his nose softly, making Harry giggle for a moment.

"What's this 'ma'am' nonsense?" She asked in mock-annoyance, "Call me big sister! Or Rose if you prefer! Ma'am makes me sound like an old hen."

"Well, you ARE older than him, sweetie," Lily said softly, making the two turn to her as she rose from the bed. Harry felt his eyes prick again, and Lily seemed to notice because she sat down next to Harry and wrapped her arm around the boy before beginning to gently rub his hair. Harry, who had never been held before, didn't know what to do and didn't want to anger her, so he tried to stay very still.

Lily internally sobbed as she felt her son stiffen in her arms; it broke her heart to know that Harry had not only been thoroughly damaged by her own sister but even now expected his own mother to hurt him when all she wanted to do was hold him and keep him safe. She swore at that moment that no matter how long it took, she would repair the damage Petunia and her monster of a husband had done to her child.

"Moooooom!" Rose fumed, "I'm only two years older than Harry! I'm not old!"

A voice began to laugh behind her, making Rose turn to see James enter the Hospital Wing alongside Dumbledore; both looked to be thoroughly enjoying Rose's torment, which only seemed to annoy her more.

"You too, dad?!" Rose asked in a mock-wounded voice, "Have I no allies left to call upon in my darkest hour of need?!"

"Always so dramatic," James said as the Hospital Wing echoed with laughter, "I knew we shouldn't have let you read those muggle books that your mother bought,"

"Hey!" Lily retorted, "Shakespeare is something every child should read at least once! Just because you have no culture in your life does not mean I will let you corrupt our children too!"

Harry watched curiously as Lily and James traded verbal barbs back and forth for a moment before Dumbledore cleared his throat loudly. The two stopped after another moment of laughter, which sounded like music to Harry's ears.

Good morning, Harry," Dumbledore chirped, his eyes twinkling, "How are you feeling?"

"Fine, sir," Harry replied softly,

"Excellent, and Madam Pomfrey has given you a clean bill of health, aside from a few things that I shall need to speak to your parents about; so, I see no reason why you can't go home with them today."

"Go…home?" Harry asked in shock before turning to look up at his mother, who was smiling warmly down at him,

"That's right, sweetheart," Lily replied happily, "We're taking you home until the new term starts as you've already completed your first one back in your old world."

Harry gaped like a fish for a few moments before he was finally able to form words,

"Old world?"

"Yes, Harry," Dumbledore replied cheerfully, "I believe that the mirror of Erised that you fell through actually pulled you into another dimension, this dimension, to be precise. And seeing as how you've already completed your first term at Hogwarts, I see no reason why you shouldn't be allowed to go home until the next term starts after the Christmas holiday."

Harry's mind reeled at the words, and he suddenly felt as if the room was spinning very fast; he was in another dimension with no way back, his parents were alive, and he was going to go with them to their house and stay there until after Christmas. It was all too good to be true; too much was happening at once, and Harry collapsed into Lily's arms with a groan.

"Harry?!" Lily said fearfully as her son passed out, "Headmaster, what's happened to him?!"

"I believe we bombarded the poor boy with too much shocking news at once," Dumbledore chortled as Lily laid him back down gently, "It's no wonder the poor boy collapsed after all that; anyone would, I imagine."

James chuckled softly at Dumbledore's words before turning his attention to his daughter,

"Shouldn't you be in class, young lady?"

Rose seemed to shift nervously under her father's inspection, made worse when the other adults also turned their gaze on her.

"Um…..I might have told Professor Flitwick that I wasn't feeling too well and asked if I could go to the Hospital Wing…."

James gazed disapprovingly at his eldest child for a moment before a smile split his stern expression, and he shook his head in exasperation.

"Well, you can hardly blame me!" Rose said defensively, "I just got my baby brother back! I….I just wanted to see him….that's all…."

"I understand completely, my dear," Dumbledore said warmly, "But we mustn't neglect our responsibilities, must we?"

"No, sir," Rose said glumly before turning her gaze to the floor,

"Now, now, my dear," Dumbledore said quickly, "There's no need to be so morose; you're more than welcome to sit here with young Harry while Madam Pomfrey and I talk with your parents about Harry before they take him home."

Rose almost jumped for joy at that and quickly sat on the bed next to her brother, seemingly entranced with the act of simply staring at him as she held his hand in hers; Lily stood staring at her two children happily for a moment before following the two adults into Madam Pomfrey's office, gently shutting the door behind her so as to not be disturbed.

As the three adults sat down, they stared across the desk at Madam Pomfrey with sudden trepidation; the school nurse had a pained look on her face as though she was hiding a secret she didn't want to share yet knew she had to.

"Are you sure you wish to know what I've found?" Madam Pomfrey asked softly, "Once you know, you can never unknow…."

"If it concerns my son, then I would like to know everything," James replied firmly, "Even if the knowledge is better left unsaid,"

Lily nodded quickly at her husband's words and took his hand in hers under the table,

"I need to know what those animals did to my son," Lily growled.

Madam Pomfrey sighed wearily for a moment before she picked up a piece of parchment and looked at it sadly for a moment before passing it over to Lily, who took it with a shaky hand before looking down to read what it said:

Left arm broken- age three.

Right arm broken- age three.

Concussion- age three.

Jaw broken- age four.

Scalding burns on both hands- age four.

Scars on back and buttocks from severe beating with unknown object- age four.

Left arm broken again- age four.

Three ribs broken, evidence of severe fall- age four.

Scars from dog bite on left leg- age five.

Spinal injury, evidence of severe fall- age five.

Right leg broken- age six.

Left leg broken- age seven.

Right arm broken again- age seven.

Skull fracture- age seven.

Right hand broken, evidence of object crushing it- age eight.

Lily couldn't bear to read anymore and handed it to James, feeling as though she might be physically ill; how could her sister do this to Harry?!

Lily knew that Petunia had always been jealous that Lily could do magic, and Petunia couldn't, but to do such things to an innocent child was beyond jealousy or bitterness; it was evil!

"How could he have survived this?" James asked, looking like he was dangerously close to murdering someone, as he handed the parchment to Dumbledore, who began reading it with a shocked expression.

"His magic," Madam Pomfrey said, a single tear running down her cheek, which she quickly wiped away, "His magic is the only thing that has kept him alive all these years. Whenever those animals hurt him, his magic began healing him almost immediately. Being kept in a near constant state of magical healing for so long has also strengthened Harry's core considerably; he will be an incredibly powerful wizard one day."

"How could Petunia do this…." Lily whispered, yet everyone seemed to hear it, and James wrapped an arm around his wife comfortingly as she fought not to sob; beside them, Dumbledore placed the parchment down on the desk before looking down at his lap as though he had aged fifty years in a matter of moments.

"While you two were upstairs talking to Albus, I spent the majority of last night trying to repair the various scars and misaligned bones that the poor boy has," Madam Pomfrey said in a broken voice, "I got most of them, but not all. Harry will have to come back to see me in a few weeks so that I might finish my work. Also, be aware that Mr. Potter will be incredibly stiff for a few days while his body gets used to his bones being in the proper place for once. I will be proscribing Draught of Dreamless Sleep to help with any nightmares the boy will surely have and some pain relief potions for use if the boy needs them."

Lily and James nodded gratefully at the nurse before Madam Pomfrey continued, clasping her hands together and placing them on the desk in front of her,

"You should be aware that this much abuse over such an extended period can have long-lasting effects on a person. You will need to take things slowly with Mr. Potter; he will not be used to kindness from others and will no doubt be afraid of being hurt by you two should he do something wrong."

"I WOULD NEVER HARM MY SON!" Lily shirked in rage as she jumped to her feet, making Madam Pomfrey raise her hands soothingly.

"I know that, dear, but Harry doesn't! And it will take time before he understands that."

Her fury left Lily, and the woman seemed to collapse back into her chair as she realized the truth of the nurse's words. Harry had spent his whole life being hurt, and it would take some time before her son realized that it would never happen again; the thought of what he had endured made Lily sob as she placed her hands over her face. Beside her, James looked ready to march to Petunia Dursley's house and Crucio her until her mind broke. It was all she deserved after what she had done to his son for so long; instead, he gently rubbed his wife's back as she sobbed her heart out.

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When Harry opened his eyes again, it was to the sight of his sister holding his hand and staring at him with a warm smile on her face,

"You know, if you're going to keep fainting, we may need to charm a pillow to follow you around so you don't get hurt," Rose joked.

"I'm sorry…." Harry mumbled, dropping his gaze to his lap and making Rose's smile drop slightly,

"I was only kidding, Harry. There's no need to be so serious; you'll end up with wrinkles in no time if you don't remember to joke around now and then."

Harry raised his eyes to look at her, and she was pleased to see a slight smile on his face,

"That's better, little brother!" Rose said warmly as she scooted closer to him, "I wish I could go back home with you; you're going to love it! Potter manor is huge and has its own Quidditch pitch where you can practice! Plus, the library is magnificent!"

As Rose went off about how amazing Potter manor was, Harry found himself feeling suddenly nervous, and Rose stopped in the middle of explaining the various rooms,

"What's wrong, Harry?" Rose asked, "You can tell me anything. That's what big sisters are for, after all."

"What if…." Harry suddenly found himself unable to voice the fear that had been nagging at him since he woke in this strange new world, "What if mum and dad don't want me? What if they realize that I'm not THEIR Harry and decide to abandon me?"

Rose felt a terrible sadness rip through her at the words, and she quickly wrapped her arms around the boy, ignoring the way he flinched in her embrace; she held him in her arms for a moment longer before pulling away and placing a hand under his chin, forcing him to look at her.

"Now you listen to me, Harry James Potter!" Rose said sternly, "No matter what world you came from, you ARE my brother, and I love you with all my heart! Just as you are mum and dad's son! They will never abandon you, nor will I! Understand?"

Harry stared into Rose's hazel-brown eyes silently before tears began streaming down his cheeks, and he nodded happily. Rose smiled and gently wiped away Harry's tears before taking him in another fierce hug, trying to hide her own tears as she felt her baby brother flinch from her.

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For almost thirty minutes, the Potters sat with Dumbledore and Madam Pomfrey discussing what to expect with Harry and what the boy would need to heal from the years of mental and physical abuse he had received. Then, finally, Dumbledore turned the conversation into something new, to the relief of Lily and James.

"Now, I believe that I have come up with a very cunning deception that will allow us to reintegrate young Harry into your lives without much complication. It, unfortunately, will mean that your family will be under heavy scrutiny for some time, but hopefully, it will pass by the time the new term begins and Harry returns to school."

"What have you come up with?" James asked curiously,

"We will inform the world that Harry Potter was, in fact, NOT killed the night that Voldemort attacked your home, but rather apparated to safety with the help of accidental magic," Dumbledore said, making the two Potter's jaws drop in astonishment.

"THAT'S your plan?!" James demanded, "That'll never work! We had a funeral for the boy, Dumbledore! It was in the papers for weeks! We can't just have Harry show up after a decade and say, 'we made a mistake!"

"Ah, but that is PRECISELY what we can do, James," Dumbledore said calmly, "Voldemort's curse left no body, only a pile of ash behind. So, who's to say that young Harry actually died that night? Instead, we will say that Harry apparated away and came to a muggle orphanage. Harry was simply lost in the system with no name and no reports of missing children until his Hogwarts letter appeared, leading to him being returned to his loving family."

"It…could work…." Lily said softly, "The only people who know the truth of that night are the ones who were there, and I don't think Voldemort will show up and disabuse the Ministry when this story breaks. And with Peter dead, that just leaves us three." Turning to her husband, Lily continued, "But Professor Dumbledore is right, James; when this story breaks, Potter manor will be bombarded with reporters and people wanting to interview the boy and us, for that matter. It will be a media circus for the foreseeable future."

"We dealt with those leeches before," James said darkly, memories swirling of how reporters had stalked him and his family following the death of their son. They had not been given a moment's peace and had only stopped when James, in a fit of rage, had hit a reporter with a curse that made him vomit up snakes. The other reporters had been so horrified that they had given the Potter family a wide berth after that, and James had been fined a thousand galleons, though he hadn't cared a bit.

"Very well, then!" Dumbledore clapped happily, "If there is nothing else, I think you two should go and prepare Harry's room for tomorrow."

The Potters smiled at the words, and James hugged his wife close as they rose to leave Madam Pomfrey's office; their boy was coming home.

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The next day, Harry felt very nervous; his parents had come early to collect him and take him back home to Potter Manor. Rose had shown up before breakfast and given Harry a fierce hug with the promise that she would write him every week, and he had better write back, or she would come to Potter manor herself to make sure he was okay. After a final hug, Rose left for breakfast, and Harry had been led to Dumbledore's office by his mother holding his hand as though terrified he would disappear between the Hospital Wing and the headmaster's office.

"Ready, Harry?" Dumbledore asked warmly when they finally arrived to find James and Dumbledore quietly talking about something,

"Yes, sir," Harry replied softly, making everyone smile at the shy boy.

"We'll be in touch, headmaster," James said warmly before he approached Harry and took the boy's other hand; James then threw some powder into Dumbledore's fireplace and shouted,

"Potter manor!"

Instantly, green fire lit up the fireplace in front of Harry, and the boy took a startled step back,

"It'll be okay, sweetie," Lily said soothingly, "It won't hurt you; I promise."

Harry swallowed nervously and nodded at his mother before allowing her to pull him into the flames; instantly, the world began to spin. Harry gripped his parent's hands tighter and felt their grip before he was spat out of a completely different fireplace.

"Welcome home, son," James said in a soft voice as Harry looked around in wonder; they were standing in what looked like a sitting room with two large couches facing one another and a large wooden table standing between them.

"Come, I'll show you to your room," James said warmly as he let go of Harry's hand and directed Harry to follow him; when they exited the sitting room and entered the entrance hall, Harry's mouth dropped open in awe.

A magnificent chandelier that appeared to be made of millions of tiny blue crystals hung over their heads. In front of them was an enormous marble staircase that seemed to rise forever; seeing his son's expression, James let out an amused chuckle.

"It IS a lot to take in at once, but you'll get used to it soon enough,"

"I don't know if that's possible," Harry replied in an awed voice, making his parents laugh for a moment before Lily retook Harry's hand and directed him to follow his father up the stairs.

When they, at last, came to a door made of what looked to be oak, James turned to Harry and sheepishly said,

"I hope you like it. We didn't have much time to get it ready,"

James then slowly opened the door, and Harry stepped inside, feeling his knees buckle as he did.

The room was twice the size of Dudley's, with a magnificent-sized bed against the far wall; a large open window lay open in front of Harry, and he could see a large forest that stretched interminably.

The room held four large bookcases, a desk, a large dresser, and an even more enormous closet; but the best thing of all was the color, James had painted the entire room Gryffindor colors, and the red and gold seemed to make the room seem even warmer and more welcome than should have been possible.

"Do you like it?" Lily asked softly as though afraid of what he might say,

"We can change the colors if you prefer," James added;

before anyone could say anything else, Harry had tackled his father in a fierce hug and mumbled into his shirt,

"It's perfect, thank you, d-dad, m-m-mum."

Lily felt tears prick her eyes as she knelt down and hugged her son; they stayed there for a long time, no one wanting to do anything else but spend time with the one they thought lost so long ago.

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