COUNTRY BOY

SUMMARY: Harry's always been the shy, naïve one of the 'golden trio' but is that who he really is? A visit from an old friend will bring the truth to light.

DISCLAIMER: Not only do I NOT own Harry Potter, I do NOT own the idea behind this fic nor this chapter!

The wonderful Rainbow Stripes has given me permission to adopt the fic.

A/N: May I suggest you all go read some of Rainbow Stripes fics! Away we go…

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Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny trudged sleepily down the stairs of number 12 Grimmauld place for breakfast. They entered the kitchen to find Sirius, Remus, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and Dumbledore sitting at the table, eating the generous spread laid out by Mrs. Weasley and talking. The group looked up when the teens entered and Dumbledore smiled.

"Ah, good; I was hoping you four would be down soon, I need to talk with you all about something." He said cheerfully. Harry surveyed him, trying to get any hints about what it might be, but came up with nothing and drew up a chair beside Sirius.

"Is it bad news?" He asked forebodingly. Dumbledore shook his head.

"Not at all. See, this year we are having a transfer student from Salem Academy of Magic. He will be joining the 5th years, and I invited him to stay here for the rest of the summer so he could get to know customs, and make a few friends. He is firmly on the light side, and says he even has a couple of friends back here in England, his mother and father went to Hogwarts, but he and his family to Dallas, Texas for his work about 8 years ago. I trust I can look to you to get him introduced to magical England?" He explained, looking down on them through his half moon glasses.

Harry nodded his agreement absently, these snippets of information piecing together in his brain to make him suddenly realized how familiar this mystery teen seemed to be.

"When is he coming, Professor?" Hermione asked, sipping her pumpkin juice.

"He will be here shortly, and arriving through the floo. In fact, I do believe he will arrive in about 5 minutes." He said, checking a silver pocket watch.

The four Gryffindors hurriedly finished their food and stood by the fireplace. The flames flared green and the room got a short glimpse of a tall boy with straw blonde hair and bright sapphire eyes before he was tackled to the ground by an excited Harry Potter. The two skidded to the floor and once the blonde realized who was on top of him, hugged back eagerly.

"Harry! Merlin, dude, you got short!" He exclaimed. Harry pouted.

"I am not short, Dyl, you just got tall! Why the hell didn't you call and tell me you were coming back?" He asked, climbing off the other's chest and helping him to his feet.

"Well, I was gonna tell you this summer, but then you up and got kidnapped." He joked.

"It's not kidnapping if the subject comes willingly, Dylan, remember, we researched it thoroughly when we found Kit." Harry teased back, elbowing his friend.

"Oh yeah... fine, you got willingly taken here, and by then it was too late. Ross and Cooper told me to tell you that Fury's kickin' up a right storm without you bro." He added. Harry winced.

"Poor kids, keeping that she-devil under control without me, wouldn't surprise me the slightest if she grew wings herself just to get to me. How is the family anyways?" asked Harry.

"Same old. Jade misses you, we all do actually. Mom says, what was it, oh yeah. 'Harry James Potter! If you ever go and do something so foolishly dangerous again, I will personally see to it you get tied to a wall and have every living animal on the premises kick you in the family jewels.'" Dylan said in a high falsetto with an amused grin, causing every male in the room, even the incredibly confused ones, to wince in sympathy.

"Your mother seems to get more and more creative every day. Third year was only having me on babysitting duty till I'm twenty five. It's so great to have you here, man! Oh, wait till I tell Dragon you're here!" Harry said happily. Dylan groaned.

"Oh, god. Har, for the love of all that is holy, do not set that Satan spawn on me till we get to school." He pleaded, causing Harry to chuckle.

"No can do, my friend, but I do believe we're getting some rather odd looks, odder than usual anyway, so you'd better introduce yourself." He said dryly, bringing Dylan's attention to the crowd around them.

Dylan grinned lopsidedly and stepped forward, giving them a better look at him. He was wearing roughed up jeans and a plain white t-shirt, his chin length blonde hair ruffled from his fall and blue eyes shining with mirth. He gave a slight half bow and shoved one hand in his pocket, the other still resting on Harry's shoulder.

"Dylan Storm, pleased to meet y'all." He said politely, throwing a charming grin at Ginny, who blushed. Harry smacked him over the head.

"Jesus, why didn't we rename him Casanova and be done with it," He muttered to himself. Dumbledore looked at the pair curiously.

"Harry, I didn't know you knew Mr. Storm." He said, eyes asking for an explanation.

"Yeah, no one did really, c'ept the family and a couple of others, but that was all before school. See, Dylan's mum takes in homeless, neglected and abused kids. Sirius might know her, Jenna Storm nee Branning. They found me one day in a park when I was 5, I was in a real bad shape. She took me home, fixed me up, and introduced me to the crew. Dyl's her only biological kid, the rest were adopted. She asked who I was, found out I was the son of Lily and James, two of her best friends at school, and demanded revenge on whoever put me with my aunt and uncle. She realised I had no idea who I was, and what I was to the world, and decided to take me in. She explained to the Dursleys, said if they let me come back for a few weeks every summer once I started Hogwarts, didn't lay a finger on me when I was there, she wouldn't press charges. I lived with them at the farm, then when they moved to Texas for Roger's work, I went with them.

We all live on this huge ranch slash farm slash animal shelter slash horse breeder's, We all knew about magic even if only a couple of us were magical, then when I started Hogwarts, I'd go back there in the summer then portkey to the Dursley's a few days before I was due to be picked up. If there was something going on at the Dursley's, AKA a visit from Aunt Marge, I had to be there. They told the neighborhood I was at some summer school for criminals if I wasn't there. Jenna said that some day she would send Dyl to Hogwarts, I guess now's that day." He finished, rocking slightly on the balls of his feet. Dumbledore gave him a strange look.

"But Hagrid said that when he went to pick you up, you had no idea about the wizarding world, your parents or anything." He pointed out. Harry's grin turned into a small smirk.

"Couldn't have the savior of the wizarding world actually know what he was doing, could we? Everyone has their masks, Headmaster, I don't let go of mine until I know exactly what I'm getting into. Before I started Hogwarts, I knew I had to be the Gryffindor Golden boy to fit in with the world's expectations of me. Plus, Voldemort dearly underestimates us Gryffies, something I prefer to use as my advantage." He said cryptically. The aged man nodded.

"How very Slytherin of you." He observed.

"I take that as a compliment you know." Harry retorted. There was silence for a moment as the two wizards, one young, one old, stared each other down, until Dylan broke the silence.

"Oh for the love of- Dude, don't go all cynical maniac on us now, we already got our work cut out provin' to the Prophet you're not insane." He complained. Harry cocked his head at him curiously.

"What's the point in becoming as big a bunch of liars as they are?" He asked innocently. Ron snorted.

"Mate, they're not supposed to know that." He pointed out, banishing the awkwardness as they all went back to the table to get food. Mrs Weasley went upstairs to wake the twins and Bill, and Dylan got sucked into a conversation with Ron and Ginny over quidditch teams. Harry smiled at his friend's short attention span and quickly snuck up to his room, grabbed his cell phone and ran back down stairs, only Sirius and Remus noticed he was gone, as Dumbledore and Mr Weasley had retreated to the sitting room to discuss Order business.

He tapped his blonde friend on the shoulder and held the small device up teasingly. "I'm going to call Dragon." He said in a sing-song voice. Dylan looked mortified.

"God no, please, I love the guy like a brother but I do not want to see him when he's angry." He whispered frantically. But Harry ignored him and pressed a speed dial number, holding the phone to his ear as the room watched in interest. No one but Harry could hear the other person speaking but it didn't stop them from grinning amusedly as he picked up and Dylan's eyes dilated in terror.

"Hey bitch"

"I'm not your bitch, Flame" The other person, who was definitely male, replied agitatedly.

"yes you are"

"But I'm straight!"

"I don't give a damn if you're straight or not, Drake, you're my bitch"

"I will not be your bitch, I am nobody's bitch!"

"whatever. Dude, guess what?"

"What?"

"Skater's in England! He's coming to Hogwarts!"

"Are you fucking serious?"

"Nope, not my type really."

"You're insane, brother."

"Don't you know it! So anyways, he'll be with us at school."

"You sure you want your friends to know who I am?"

"Sure, may as well. I gotta split, give Luc and Cissy a hug from me."

"'Kay then, I'll see you soon, Country boy. Tell Skater I'm gonna kill him for not telling me."

"Later Prince." With that, Harry hung up the phone, to see amused glances directed at him. "What?" He said defensively.

"Your bitch?" Sirius asked amusedly. Harry nodded.

"Uh huh, long story, don't ask. And Dyl, Drake says he's gonna kill you for not telling him." He told the blonde, who glared.

"I really hate you sometimes, you know that?" Harry smiled at him.

"Yeah, but the rest of the time you love me!"

TBC…

A/N2: Expect a longer, more detailed explanation in the coming chapters!!