`Harrigan James Potter sat as quiet as he could on the top stairwell of his home and listened to his parents fight, about him, yet again. The fireplace in the drawing room crackled and spit as if it was trying to counter the storm that raged outside, the crackling thunder was what had woken him up initially, baby Nate was still sleeping and mum had warned him not to wake him because Nathaniel was fussy and kept the rest of them up enough as is. Harrigan was a big boy, too big to need comfort during a thunderstorm, he was four now! Mum and Dad were fighting, yelling loud enough that they would probably wake Nate if they kept at it even over the crashes of lightning and thunder. His mum's eyes looked wild and he could see the tear streaks from here they quieted after a particularly loud shriek of outrage continuing in hushed and heated whispers. The fireplace flared again though this time with a green light and out came 'fesser Dumbledore he almost jumped up to greet the old man who was almost a grandfather to him before he remembered he wasn't supposed to be awake and was currently hiding behind the fancy bannisters of the ancestral Potter home.

"Professor!," Dad exclaimed taking the 'fessor's hand in his and shaking it maybe a little roughly as the old man had to lay a calming hand upon his shoulder, sometimes the 'fessor did that to him too when they tried to get him to use magic.

"Peace, James, has he arrived?" Dumbledore responded pulling off his outer robe without bothering to banish the ashes that had gathered on it.

"No, not yet", he was supposed to have been here by now, shouldn't he have been here by now?" Harrigan had never heard his dad sound like that, not even when Uncle Padfoot threw Nate just a little too high. Sometimes his dad sounded like that when they tried to make him do magic too. Harrigan knew he was different, his parents tried to hide it from him and everyone else they knew but he could tell. Things had changed after That Night, the bad man had been after them and mum had had Nate in her tummy when they moved into a new house. It was smaller than the one they lived in now so he had to share a room with Nathan when he was born he didn't mind really, Nate had a lot of new toys that he could play with but he missed his mum and Dad, they weren't home a lot anymore and Uncle Peter never played with him and always made Nate cry. Then one night while Mum and Dad were gone the bad man came he had hit Harrigan and shot a spell at Nate, Harrigan was thrown against the falling rubble and the magic burned like touching the hot stove all inside him. His mum and dad had come home and he and baby Nate were taken to the healers. Mum and Dad were really tense the next few days after leaving the hospital, he had bumped his head and Nate had a scar on his forehead but other than that they were fine.

He just couldn't do magic anymore, That Night had been almost a year ago now, Nate's and his birthday had come and passed and he hadn't done anything, before when he got upset or angry he could make things happen, just like Mum and Dad and everyone else in their old village but now, nothing. Even Nathaniel had started floating his blocks around the room or lowering the bars on his crib so he could crawl out. 'Fesser Dumbledore had taken him all over trying to figure out what was wrong with him, they used the word traumatized a lot, he didn't know what it meant but he talked to a lot of people in the beginning, now mostly he just stays home when ever Mum and Dad and Nate would leave. Sometimes he would see his Dad reading the newspapers and getting real angry, while he couldn't read much yet, Uncle Remus had taught him his name and he recognized it among the burning papers in the fireplace come morning, Mum and Dad always fought those mornings. He definitely wasn't going to tell him that he couldn't even feel that little spark that must have been his magic anymore, they would be so upset.

While he was lost in his thoughts he missed the rest of the conversation between the 'fessor and his parents but a loud banging on the front door made both the adults and him jump. They all went quiet for a second and Harrigan couldn't help but hold his breath as the air thickened with tension. 'Fessor Dumbledore was the one to step forward as rain pounded against the pane he opened the door for a tall man to step in.

"Geralt of Rivia, welcome," The 'fessor opened the door wider so that the man could step in and Harrigan had to cover his hands over his mouth to stop from gasping. The man had snow white hair tied away from his face and wore full armour complete with two swords and a crossbow, he looked like a knight! And he was dripping all over Mum's floor.

"Didn't mean to be late, the storm kept me", the man's voice was gruff like he had breathed in too much flu ash and there were deep, white and puckered scars on his face. Harrigan would never admit it but the man frightened him, just a little.

"Oh It's no trouble, no trouble at all, now let's get down to business", The "fessor conjured his favourite chair and sat on it almost primly for a man of his age, "Geralt this is Lily and James Potter".

"Of course it is, everyone knows the parents of the Boy-Who-Lived, I assume that this has something to do with him?" The white-haired one, Geralt replied.

"It's about our son," Mum burst out and Harrigan couldn't help but perk up, they were talking about Nathaniel, what could this stranger possibly have to do with baby Nate. "Harrigan, Nathaniel's older brother."

Harrigan's breath caught and Geralt's head whipped towards his hiding place Harrigan found himself staring into amber cat's eyes slit pupils and all a rhyme forced itself to the front of his mind.

For the Witcher brave and bold

Paid in coin of gold

He'll chop and slice you

He'll gut and dice you

He'll eat you up whole

Eat you whole

The man's cat eyed pupil's narrowed meeting what he knew was the green of his own. "Witcher?" Dad interrupted the man who held his gaze a second more before turning around without giving away his location. Harrigan couldn't be anything but happy now that the man's attention was off of him

"Need more details than that", the Witcher said brusquely. Why would Mum and Dad hire a Witcher about him?

"The night that he who must not be named attacked was the last time Harrigan has done magic", Mum told him her eyes filling with tears, so about his magic again Harrigan really shouldn't be surprised.

"Uh-huh, so he watched his little brother almost be murdered, I heard that traumatic experiences can affect the flow of magic, I'm a Witcher, not a healer and not a mage." Geralt replied leaning himself against one of the wooden support beams.

"You don't understand, our little Harrigan, before everything happened had an incredibly large magical core, Nate is the same, we took him to several specialists, even more healers they all say the same thing, it is untreatable, his pathways to his magic have all been fried, closed off", Dad finished his head falling into his hands. Harrigan felt the sob rising in his chest, his magic? Gone forever? But maybe that was why the Witcher was there, to help, Mum said that was what Witchers do.

The Witcher's eyes flicked back to Harrigan's hiding place before he refocused on the adults speaking. "Still don't see how this involves me".

"His magical pathways may be obliterated but his core, that still exists, you know that those kind of children need the correct kind of training", 'Fessor Dumbledore said in his special kind tone, the same voice he would use when people would come see his parents and Nate while he would get looks of mistrust and would be ignored often by their visitors.
"Mm', Geralt hummed, "how old is he?"

"Four, he's four, three years older than Nate," Mum replied.

"No, that's too young and I am definitely not the right Witcher for this job we don't even begin training until they reach the age of ten, at the very minimum".

"That is unacceptable, he can not stay here!" 'Fessor Dumbledore exclaimed and Dad flinched so hard that he could see it from the stairs.

"I can give of friend of mine your contact information and in a few years when the boy is old enough you can decide with him what you are going to do, the boy is alive and healthy you

should be grateful for that." The Witcher advised his face eerily blank.

Harrigan didn't understand what was happening. Training? but he would get that when he went to Hogwarts and he had to be a lot bigger mum said before he could go there. Unless he didn't get to go to Hogwarts anymore 'cus he didn't have magic now.

"He can't stay here, it puts the rest of their family in danger, the purebloods are already in a fit because Nathaniel is a halfblood, why, the muggleborns are rallying around that fact, when they find out Harrigan has no magic, is a squib for all intents it will be anarchy", Dumbledore argued in the self-assure way that he was used to.

"And what of your boy's safety, it is no life one chooses willingly it is dangerous and death is not only a possibility but a very real probability, you would sacrifice one child for the supposed safety of the other."

His mum's face crumpled while his dad's got hard and steely like it did when he woke nate up from a nap to play. "James, maybe we shouldn't-"

"Lil, we've been over this, Professor Dumbledore thinks this is the best option. Harrigan is strong, he'll make it. Nate is already going to have hard enough time growing up, so will Harrigan, how do you think he will feel in a few years when he doesn't get to go to Hogwarts when he is so discriminated against it will be dangerous for him to leave the house, you never grew up in this world, what you face as a muggleborn will be nothing, nothing compared to what our son would." Dad had his hands on Mum's shoulders and then continued deep sadness in his eyes. "But still, he'd our son, our boy, I don't know if this will be doing him any favours and isn't that out jobs as parents to make sure our children's lives are as easy as possible?"

Harrigan stomach clenched something wasn't right what did they mean he couldn't stay here, were they going to move again? He like this new house there were trees to play in and no one around for miles. He shifted and the stairs creaked causing all of the adults to turn towards him. He held his breath but Geralt huffed and spoke loudly, "you might as well come out now, they know you are there," Harrigan hesitated only a moment before slowly walking down the stairs his blue blanket trailing behind him,

"Harrigan James! You are supposed to be sleeping, what are you doing out of bed?" Mum shrieked he rarely heard that voice and when he did he knew he was in serious trouble.

"The lightning woke me up and then you and Dad were fighting but I had to get you so that I- I mean Nate wouldn't be scared."

His Mom's face softened a bit and his dad scooped him up, "C'mon buddy back to bed," Harrigan buried his face into his dad's shoulder everything feeling better now that he had his familiar arms around him. He liked the smell of Dad, how he would tangle his fingers in the wild waves of his hair and ruffle it, he like the way their warm skin colour shone against the fire, he like that he looked like his Dad.

"No, James we need to come to an agreement tonight," Fessor Dumbledore spoke his normally warm tone missing instead it was filled with ice that ran directly down his spine.

"Dad?" He asked when he was pressed more firmly against his chest Dad's shoulders shook a little and he thought he could hear him crying softly. "Daddy? Whats wrong? Dad?"

"He's just a babe, mage, and you would separate him from his family." The Witcher spoke his voice as sharp as the swords on his back.

"There is little choice, especially for you if you wish to keep the financial and political support that I bestow upon your organization, Witcher" "Fessor said a sad look on his face.

"I am not a baby!" Harrigan lifted his head from his dad's shoulder before ducking back down again when he met the slightly amused cat eyes staring back at him.

"Hush Har", Dad said rubbing his back in the small circles Dad knew he liked. "This is Geralt," His father croaked his eyes locking onto his own his dad put him down and Harrigan couldn't help but to immediately clutch his blanket in his arms and to slip a little behind his father's leg.

"Harrigan, there are somethings that we need to talk about and Daddy and I need you to be a big boy about them okay, we both want you to know that we love you very much and nothing is going to change that. Okay?" Mum crouched down so that I was staring into identical eyes as my own.

"'Kay", He agreed the missed sleep catching up with him.

"You, will be staying with Geralt for a little while, he going to help you, teach you some things that you need to know". She tried to smile but he could see her lips quivering and her eyes filling with tears.

"But why? You and Daddy and Nate are coming too right", Harrigan ask twisting his blanket anxiously around his hands. He could feel his eyes starting to burn and it felt like he had a lump lodged in his throat. "Mum?" Vaguely he realized that Dumbledore had left the room and up the stairs.

"You know how some of the other kids we see and even some of the adults don't always talk very nicely to me about being muggleborn? That's because your grandparents were never born with magic, non-magic people aren't treated very well now are they?" Harrigan shook his head, sometimes he heard about the attacks that witches and wizards fought against the non-magical people and even themselves if their families weren't pure enough. "And remember how we went and saw all of those healers to try and get your magic fixed? They told us there was nothing physically wrong with you, that you just don't have access to your magic anymore" Now that she had said the words out loud had explained him his face crumpled and he could feel the tears slipping down his cheeks. "And now that you are non-magic people aren't going to treat you very nicely either, they are going to try and hurt you to get to your brother and Geralt will protect you from them".

The tears had turned into full blown sob the lump from his throat had moved and tightened around his chest like a vice, "please, mum with my magic i'll be better, I'll try harder, please don't send me away." His chest was heaving like he couldn't breath even though he felt the air pushing in and out of his lungs.

"Har, hun it isn't about that, don't you want to be safe, don't you want to keep your brother safe, you told us that you wanted to always protect him, this is how you do that", she said closing her hands around his upper arms and looking at him with her wide green eyes.

"Ye- yes, but I don't want t-to go mummy, please," she had pulled him into her arms and was crying just as hard as he was.

"I know you don't, baby but we all need to make sacrifices , remember how we said that when we moved to keep Nate safe, you have to be a big boy, right?"

"Y-yeah, but-"

"It's probably best if we don't draw this out, say your goodbyes," The Witcher stepped forward and suddenly Harrigan wanted nothing more than to get as far away from this man as possible his mum squeezed him one last time before Dad picked him up and nearly crushed him.

"I am so, so sorry, son and I, your mother and I love you so very much,' Harrigan shoved his face into Dad's neck no doubt smearing snot and tears all along the collar of his robes.

"Da-Daddy, please do-don't let him take me, please", he begged again the panic squeezing him tighter or maybe that was his father and the short sob that he let out as well. He hear somebody slowly making their way down the stairs but he had his fingers clenched tight and his head pressed down and didn't look up. Dad continued to murmur how much they loved him while "fessor and Geralt conversed quietly about a bag of what he assumed were his things.

"Time to go," the Witchers boots clunked on the floor and Harrigan clenched his hands tighter, so tight he wouldn't be surprised if the ripped the fabric of his dad's robes. He felt surprisingly gentle hands on his side pulling him while his dad tried to pry his fingers off of his collar.

"No, no please, Daddy Mummy, please!" he choked as the unfamiliar man held him tight enough that he wasn't able to wriggle from his grasp, "don't take me, sir, please you don't want me, really!" Harrigan couldn't get his breath it rushed in and out of him like he had just run a long way.

"Calm down," the Witcher's voice fell over him like a blanket and he intantly began to feel his heart slow, "Take deep breaths".

Harrigan did that exactly there were still tears coming from his eyes but he couldn't react as he had before, his mother gave one nervous glance at the witcher who held him before leaning in and pressing a damp kiss onto his forehead his father following shortly after. "We love you so, so very much sweet boy," Mum said brushing some of his thick black hair out of his eyes, she then picked his blanket off the floor and handed it to Gerlat. "You take care of him," She glared fiercely at him.

The witcher stared stonily back for a moment before nodding, "I will do my best". Before turning and walking out the door and into the rain he was soaked in a matter of seconds and the last glance he got of his parents was the 'Fessor's hand on both of their shoulders as if he were holding them Witcher hauled himself on the horse with one hand still keeping on pressed firmly against the boy's back and covered them both the best he could with his cloak before pushing his horse further down the road and further from his family.

AN-

Hey! Couldn't get this out of my head if you have any questions i would be happy to answer them and as always feedback i appreciated :)