Disclaimer: If you can recognize it, I do not own it. Also just restating. I know I spelled Knott wrong but I am not changing it because that is just too much to change.

Tiberius was the one who set his oldest son down and explained everything. It took some time for it to settle in. In the end though, Theodore just stared in absolute shock. Then he became horrified about what that meant for them as a family. He was reminded of everything he had ever done to the Gryffindor or what he had allowed to be done. All this time it was his baby brother. The idea of it horrified him. "Oh merlin he's going to hate me," Theodore said. "All this time, he was Harry Potter. For four years, I knew him for four years. He's going to hate me."

Tiberius had not thought about how that fact would hurt his son. It did make things more complicated. "Oh Theodore," Tiberius said pulling him into a hug.

Now more then ever, Theodore was horrified by his actions and ashamed to have to tell his father what the students at school had done. "Dad, we were so mean to him, all the Slytherins. Malfoys gang went out of there way to make him miserable and I never stopped them. I let them mock and ridicule my baby brother..."

"You didn't know Theo," Tiberius said gently. He had no way of knowing, that was hardly his fault.

"I let them bully him and then the tournament and people tried to kill him," Theodore sobbed. Suddenly having your brother appear after ten years was overwhelming and he couldn't help but feel guilty for failing to protect him. "He's only 13...oh merlin."

"Shhh, its okay Theo," he said gently letting all the worries and fears slip from the 15-year-olds mouth. He comforted him as best he could knowing that nothing would fix the fact that their youngest son who was torn from them was in the other room.

Theodore was sitting by his brother's bedside, they were taking turns and Tiberius forced Emilio to go shower and get some food so Theo promised not to leave. They didn't expect him awake for another half dozen hours at least.

So he wasn't expecting the boy in the bed to slowly wake up and look around, panicking slightly. "It's okay," Theo said quickly seeing him jump up. He stayed back having known the boy was fairly jumpy.

Gabriel blinked at him before his eyes widened in realization. It was clearly not a dream if he was in front of Theodore Knott. "That...that really happened," he asked.

Theo nodded not sure what to say. "Si-Sirius," he asked. "Wh-wheres Sirius?"

"He's in the other room, he passed out, physical and magical exhaustion I think dad said. Dad took Papa to get cleaned up, you've been sleeping about ten hours from when you got here."

Gabriel wasn't comfortable with the thought that so much time had passed without him realizing. "Th-Theodore right," Gabriel asked.

The older boy nodded. "Theo or Teddy," he offered.

Gabriel's eyes widened slightly at the name. Memories of screaming for teddy, having thought it was a teddy bear. He remembered the older boy, as a child, but he looked so different. He never put the two together. Having thought most of those memories as dreams too good to be true. "Teddy," He repeated softly. "You use to go by Teddy...I...Teddybear..."

Theo too stopped in shock and he grinned, could he actually remember him? He had been so young it was hard to believe. "Yeah, and you were angel boy," he explained. "Because Gabriel is an angel. You remember."

"A little...I think," he admitted. "But its sort of befuddled in my head."

"That's okay," Teddy said. just glad that he remembered anything. "You were only three, so it's bound to be befuddled." Theodore took a breath knowing he had to apologize. He hoped it would be enough for the other boy to give them a chance. "I'm so sorry Gabriel. I know I've been a git at school but I swear if I had any idea you were Gabriel I wouldn't...I'm so sorry."

Gabriel was confused, he tried to think of a moment that Theodore was a git. Out of all the Slytherins, he was pretty unremarkable. he never sent hexes at his back and he had never verbally attacked him, he never went out of his way to make life difficult. "Um, I'm not really sure what you're apologizing for," Gabriel admitted. There was absolutely nothing that he thought he had to apologize for.

"I've been a git..."

"I'm honestly trying to figure out when you've been a git," Gabriel admitted. "But I can't think of one."

His eyes widened slightly in surprise. Surely the other boy couldn't be serious. He had been so mean to him. "I wore that stupid badge and I never stopped Malfoys group from picking on you and...I never protected you."

"Why would you protect a Gryffindor," Gabriel asked. "You didn't know, we weren't friends and we hadn't spoken a few words to each other. Besides three-quarters of the school wore those badges. All the Slytherins did. Wh-why would that bother me? You didn't go out of your way to cause me problems. I don't think you've ever said two words to me."

"You...you don't hate me," Theo asked, it sounding too good to be true. "But...I'm a Slytherin."

"Your not Malfoy," Gabriel said deciding to make it clear right away. He had never expected an apology at all. "So honestly, I don't really have any reason not to like you. I don't really get that house thing...I mean..." he hesitated here not sure if he should say it but it was a Slytherin family. "the hat wanted me in Slytherin but I chose not to cause of Malfoy. I asked it to put me anywhere else, and I didn't think people would be happy with Harry Potter in Slytherin...even if I wasn't him."

Theodore couldn't hold himself back and pulled the younger boy into a hug startling him. Gabriel did not have a lot of experience with hugs. "I can't believe you are really here, your alive...merlin I can't believe..."

Gabriel awkwardly patted his back. "I kinda can't believe it either."

Theodore pulled away wiping his eyes slightly. His brother was really here and awake. He realized pretty quickly that he should run to get his parents. They'd want to know he was awake. "I should go get dad and papa."

Gabriel looked hesitant. He was a bit nervous to see them again something Theodore quickly picked up on. "Um, dad and papa? Which...which is which?"

"Dad is Tiberius and Papa is Emilio," Theodore said. "They don't like being called father, it is too formal. Papa hates formal and all that pureblood politics nonsense. Dad, well he loves papa and will agree to whatever he wants."

Gabriel tried to remember which was which. "Um...one hugged me a lot yesterday or earlier today," Gabriel had no idea what time of the day it was. "The other, well he hugged me too but one kept hugging me, I don't remember which is which."

"Okay, the huggy one is papa," Theodore said knowing without being there. While his dad was okay with physical affection, his papa loved hugs and was more willing to show it in public. "He'd have been fussier and honestly, he's a cuddler. Dads a bit more formal and stiff when in public. The huggy one was definitely papa. He loves hugs."

"Really," Gabriel asked not having expected it of what he knew from Slytherins. "Slytherins usually seem so formal."

"Yeah, we are because of politics and nonsense. But, only in public, private, we can act as Gryffindor or Hufflepuffy, as we want. Besides, papa was a Gryffindor. Dad was a Slytherin."

Gabriel was surprised at what he had heard. Not having expected it. Still, it made him a bit more hopeful that maybe, just maybe he could fit in here. "What are they like? I mean, you don't have to tell me but I was just..." He took a breath. "I just dont really know what to expect."

Theodore had absolutely no problem telling him anything he wanted to hear. Especially if it would help him be more comfortable here. The last thing he wanted was his baby brother to be frightened of them. "I'll tell you whatever you want to know," Theodore promised without hesitation. "Even before I go get them and tell them your awake if you'd like. It must be terrifying to be thrust into a house with strangers all of a sudden. Plus we are mostly Slytherin strangers. Dad and papa asked Sirius to stay to make you more comfortable. He's going to be living here for a while so you don't have anything to worry about."

"R-really," Gabriel asked shocked. "He is?"

"They missed you so much, Gabriel. They only want you happy and I think papa and Lord Black were friends," Theodore said. "I honestly don't even know what to say. We had hoped someone would find you someday but we never really expected it. Not after ten years. What do you want to know? I will tell you anything."

He wanted to know a lot of things but suddenly his questions dried up. He did have one big one though. "How did I get missing, I don't really remember a lot."

That was a tough question. Theodore, of course, knew most of the details but his parents rarely spoke about it. "You got sick," Theodore said cringing. "I only remember a bit, I was five and everything happened so fast. You were in an isolation ward because of dragon pox. I had to too.

It was during an epidemic. I was sicker I think and we were in different rooms. The healers sent dad and papa out of the hospital. Because of how messy things were. They did not like people in the room more than necessary since they could get in the way. Then you just weren't there. Someone had broken into the ward. We were finally getting better, past the danger stage. So dad and papa had felt it was safe to finally get some rest themselves. We had been in Mungos for over a week. I don't even know what happened. No one really did. You just suddenly weren't there. The war had been over for a while, everyone was in a time of peace so no one expected something like that to happen. Dad and papa weren't heavily involved in the war either. So no one knew why you would be taken."

"I was the right size...probably a bit skinny from being sick," Gabriel realized. It made sense why he would be chosen. He was likely close to the same size Harry had been when he was alive. Plus he remembered Sirius mentioning they were blood-related to the Potters back a few generations so it would be possible to do the spells needed to change him into Harry. "I close in age." Gabriel wondered for a moment if they didn't mean to grab his brother, he was the same age as Harry Potter so it would have made more sense. He would not want his brother to have suffered living with the Dursleys though. He would not wish that on anyone. His brother, that was a great thought. He had a brother. A brother who seemed to want him as a brother. "That's probably all they cared about. They probably didn't care what family I came from."

"Dad and papa were heartbroken when you were gone," Theodore said. "Crushed. They looked everywhere, used old contacts to search for you. Bagged for answers but they couldn't find any trace of you. They tried to find you. I swear they tried everything."

"I believe you," Gabriel said and he really did. "What are they like..."

"Dads, well he's my big tough dad," Theodore said. "He likes flying and he's really patient. A lot of the other Slytherins parents are really demanding but not dad and papa, they just want us to be happy. Papa, hes honestly, a Hufflepuff in disguise. Cuddly but fierce. Once someone said something bad about me being the son of a death eater though really my granddad was one and my uncle, not my dad and papa, they weren't death eaters, I swear." He knew how bad people could react to the very idea of that and he had been the boy who lived. He would probably take that worse than most.

"I honestly don't care if they were," Gabriel admitted. He really didn't. While he did not like death eaters. He couldn't bring himself to care anymore. He had a family. "Because as long as they don't want to hurt me, I don't care. I never wanted to fight. It was Harry's fight, not mine. No one ever asked."

Theodore let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. He continued where he had left off in his moment of panic. "Well, someone went at me for being a death eater spawn, a grown adult, papa ripped him a new arse. Normally he's quiet and caring but if someone insulted us, he'd get protective. I don't even know how to explain them. I've never really thought about it before. They are just my parents you know."

"I guess," Gabriel admitted.

"Our parents because your home now," Theodore corrected.

Gabriel was still nervous. "I...what if they don't like me," Gabriel asked. He cringed, he had not meant to say his worry out loud but he quickly realized he had.

"Gabriel. Your there son, that means they love you no matter what," Theodore said. "That's what being family means. Even if your...a spoiled git, they'll still love you. Its what family does. Come on, we will go tell them you're up. you are my baby brother, that means if anyone gives you a hard time, I get to hex them. Even if it is my parents though I know they wont."

Gabriel had to grin, remembering the twins saying the exact same thing to him and Ron after a group of Slytherins gave them a hard time. He had a brother. Merlin that was bloody brilliant.

"Alright," he agreed.

"Besides, Gryffindor's go forth right," Theodore offered.

Gabriel nodded, "yeah," he agreed.

"Sirius first or dad and papa, whatever you want," Theodore said.

"I...I do not want to disturb them."

"Dad had to drag papa away, you won't be disturbing anyone," Theodore promised.

"Alright," he agreed as they went out and ended up seeing them arguing.

"Tiberius, I want to go out and see my son."

"Emilio, you need rest, mi amore...I will be sitting with him, he should be sleeping for at least five more hours. I will watch over him I promise."

"I'm not tired."

"Yes, you are Emilio, you had been working for hours when we got the call. Besides, you want to be awake when he is. do you not? Look Theo is with him now. I'll be sitting with him. He will be fine."

"NO," He said angrily. "Last time I let him out of my sight he was gone. Ten years Tiberius, I cannot lose my baby again. Merlin, I need to go back to him."

Tiberius knew how his husband felt but he could also see how exhausted he was. Besides, the house was protected. Something that Emilio would realize if he wasn't so stressed and tired. "Emilio, you need to calm down for a moment, take a deep breath," Tiberius said.

That was clearly the wrong thing to say and did not calm his temper in the least. "Dont you tell me to take a deep breath, Tiberius Gabriel."

Tiberius tried to get him to stop fussing while Theodore looked at his brother. "Papa gets worried a bit. He wrote to me every day of school, my first year and he came to the school three times when I got too busy to write back. He's afraid we will disappear when he's not looking. You should expect to be checked up on a lot. Probably daily. At least for a year or two. Sorry in advance but, papa worries."

"I don't think I'll mind," Gabriel admitted. Someone worrying about where he was, what he was doing if he was okay. It would make a nice change. "Should we tell them I'm awake."

"Probably," Theodore admitted. "Dad, Papa," he said causing them to jump up. "Gabriel is awake."

They turned to look at him and both fussed over the 12-year-old who looked at them in complete shock slightly overwhelmed as he was led back to bed.