James got down the train bound for Kings Cross. Harry had stayed awake babbling like a toddler would. He asked where mom was but James couldn't tell him, he's too young. All he said was Mommy had to sleep for a long time and when the time was right Harry would see her again. Harry took it at face value and didn't mention it afterwards.
Napping on the subway James looked at how innocent Harry looked all cuddled up in his coat jacket. He'd transfigured it out of a bag he found. He needed a place for them but first-
"Breakfast," Harry mumbled in his sleep.
"Yes, Breakfast. Sleep Harry. I'll wake you up when we're there."
"M'kay,"
There was a diner he'd go with lily to around here and they served breakfast he wondered if it was still up. A wave of dread hit him. Lily. His fiery girl with his bright green eyes. He loved her so much the mere thought of what happened to her hit him hard.
She was dead.
She wasn't coming back.
His sassy girl wasn't coming back. Everyone around him was gone. Sirius was missing and Remus was spending his days and his nights finding him. Regulus was dead. Peter was missing as well. All he had was Harry now.
It was all due to Voldemort. James shivered. Even saying his name felt weird
James ushers a positively charmed Harry into the muggle business.
"You hungry Harry?" He asked. "Their bacon is really good. Sirius loves it."
"Pa'fo?" Harry still had a hard time saying padfoot. "Uncowe Siwii?"
"Yup,"
"I want, I want, I wa-"
"Alright, Alright, Alright." Harry just doubled over giggling. James smiled, he was happy his son wasn't burdened by his mother's death or the bounty on his head.
He wanted Harry to live a happy life.
And he'd be damned if Voldemort would stop him…Dumbledore had encouraged the members of the order to use his name.
His name has much power, but the more it's said the more common it becomes and then the more null its effects are.
Dumbledore seemed to have aged more when Voldemort started to rise to power than with Grindelwald. At least with Grindelwald he knew him to his bone, Voldemort? Was still a mystery he was still unravelling.
James ordered breakfast for the two and ate his slowly as Harry dug in. He wished Harry had the chance to eat with his mother one more time. As he sat there James realised something so morbid he felt sick to his stomach. He'd lost Regulus, Lily, Remus, Peter…all of them.
1979 was the worst year he'd ever experienced. When the owl landed on his table, the newspaper innocently attached. He hadn't realised how it had begun a chain of reactions.
BREAKING NEWS
UP AND COMING DEATH EATER REGULUS BLACK OF THE HOUSE OF BLACK CONFIRMED DEAD BY YOU-KNOW-WHO.
Rita Skeeter
The headline forever ingrained in his head. Reggie.
Harry heartily finished his food and went on babbling about something, James smiled and listened as best as one could to a toddler. The sound of glass distracted him and instinctively he reached for Harry's hand.
"WE FOUND HIM." James turned and was met with a masked death eater. He launched Harry out of his seat while sending out a curse which was dodged, he carried Harry through the kitchen door. Poor boy was crying silently, James hadn't necessarily taught him but circumstances.
This wasn't the first time.
James apparated however, suddenly he and his little boy were in a forest. Good news, the Death Eaters hadn't followed, bad news? He had no idea where they were. He held Harry closer, tightly against him.
"Harry, are you alright?" All he managed was a slow nod and a quiet sniff. James' heart ached. "Next time, I'll make sure no bad bad guys scare you again okay?"
"Owkay."
James lifted Harry in his arms but winced at a sharp pain, erupting at his back. He tried to hide it but Harry caught on.
"Daddy's hurt, Daddy!" Harry becomes hysterical. James tried to hush him, casting a few silencing charms around alongside that however there was someone here.
"Harry, silent game ready?" he whispered in his ear. Harry slowly nodded and kept quiet, closing his eyes tightly. James had taught him different survival codes while they were on the runHe heard footsteps so faint it could be that of an animal. He casually slid his wand out of his sleeves as he held Harry closer.
The silhouette of the figure became more visible. He moved backwards and the figure moved forward.
"Who are you?" James asked his heart in his throat. "I don't mean to cause any trouble." the figure didn't respond. Maybe he wasn't in England? English would be pointless then. Maybe France? "Qui est-tu?" Sirius had taught him French back at Hogwarts under the illusion that James wanted to impress a girl. If only.
James stopped in his tracks as the figure came into the light.
"No…" he whispered. "You? I… no."
"Hello James, your accent needs a bit of work." His black hair was a little shorter than he remembered, his height indifferent. His hypnotising grey eyes empty bored back at him.
"Regulus…" Harry opened his eyes and turned to look at the new person.
"Daddy? Daddy? Reggie?" Regulus looked at Harry, an odd look in his eyes.
"Is that him?" Regulus asked, walking forward. "The one The Dark Lord is after that he's got his panties in a twist? The one destined to destroy him?"
"Destroy him?" James asked, furrowing his brows. His little boy destroy Voldemort?
"Right, Don't blame yourself Dumbledore probably safeguarded that information with his whole heart." Regulus asked, his gaze still fixed on Harry.
"What information?" suspense and curiosity squeezed his chest. Regulus came forward till he was only a foot away.
"Now this is word for word, The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches... born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies... and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not... and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives... the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies…Quite mortifying."
The dark lord will mark him as his equal.
The dark lord will mark him as his equal.
The dark lord will mark him as his equal.
"But-But the Dark Lord hasn't marked him as his equal." James has Harry under his constant supervision: he was the only family he had left.
"No. You prevented that." Regulus shot a dark look behind him before looking back at James.
"As much as I trust your wand work, I think we need to go somewhere else." Then it all came crashing down. Regulus Arcturus Black, Sirius' brother, Barty Crouch's best friend, Prince of Slytherin House. His Reggie.
But Harry would come before all the questions. Steeling himself up he followed Regulus into the ever welcoming dark of the unknown forest.