Title: The Bond
Author: MissBlackPotter
Rating: K+
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.
Summary: While Harry returns to his sixth year at Hogwarts, James Potter goes on missions with Dumbledore that could eventually lead to the ultimate end of Voldemort. As the second war begins and darkness falls, the bond between father and son grows stronger, but will it be enough to protect them both at the final confrontation?
Notes: This is a sequel to Prongs Rides Again. If you have not read that story, then I highly suggest you do as you will not understand anything about this one.
Onto the story!
The Bond
By MissBlackPotter
Prologue
Trudging up the drive way of Number four Privet Drive, fifteen year old Harry Potter dragged his trunk into the house. He felt depressed but also happy at the same time. The weight of the Prophecy had fallen onto his shoulders, but the thing that made him happy, more happier then he had ever been in the entire world was that his father, James Potter, had returned to life, and had promised to come and collect him in two weeks, as soon as he had received his Auror's certificate.
He was about to drag his trunk up the stairs when Uncle Vernon approached him from behind and gruffly said: "I'll take it from here, boy."
Shrugging Harry let his Uncle take the trunk and haul it upstairs. He knew why the Dursleys were being nice to him. Back at the station James and Sirius, his Godfather, had 'talked' to the Dursleys and being faced with a convicted (now free-man) murderer and a once-to-be-used-dead-guy that they had decided it would not be a good idea to be cruel to Harry as he could easily inform his father and Godfather, and neither of the Dursley's liked the idea that two powerful Wizards would storm their home.
He followed his Uncle into his room, waiting until Vernon had positioned his trunk by the side of his bed, left the room, and then flopped down onto his bed and stared at his ceiling. He was back in this house when his father was alive and well. Though he felt angry at his father for forcing him to come back to this house, he understood his reasoning. James was in training to become an Auror.
Back in 1980 he had been a well known Auror, and a great threat to Voldemort. It had been his skill with magic that had aided James and his wife Lily to evade Voldemort and defy him so many times before they had eventually been killed. Since returning to life, James' ambition had been to get back into the Auror Academy but because Cornelius Fudge had been an idiot and not believed that Voldemort had returned, he had refused James' application.
However since proof had been given that Voldemort was alive, Fudge had been forced to accept James' application due to public pressure, especially those who had known him before and remembered how many victories he had given the Ministry.
Glancing at his bedside table, Harry noticed a photograph that he had not seen in a year. It was of him and his parents when he had been just a baby. It was one of the only images he had of the two people who had died for him. For most of his life he had wondered what type of people James and Lily Potter had been, and now he'd had the chance to learn exactly who his father was. James was everything he had always wanted: a father, someone who looked out for him and listened to what he had to say, but what made it more for him was that they seemed to share some sort of connection, a bond that helped them whenever one of them needed help. It was as if they could talk to each with their minds. They had not tried this for a few months but both of them were aware of the connection.
Harry closed his eyes, leaning back on his bed, dreaming of his father and remembering exactly what had happened at the station with the Dursleys…
James followed his son towards the Vernon Dursley who was standing with his wife and son, looking rather anxious at the group following Harry. He stopped in front of his Uncle and beamed up at him. Vernon eyed Harry suspiciously before hissing: "Who are these people, boy?"
Harry grinned. "Allow me to introduce my father." he moved aside so that James stepped forward.
Vernon squinted and words tumbled from his mouth. "It's not possible!"
Petunia shrieked, putting a bony hand over her mouth to prevent herself from screaming louder.
"It is possible." James replied. "I am alive and I did die but due to a sudden twist of fate I found myself once again living on mortal lands."
Vernon pointed a pudgy finger at James. "Then you can take the boy and go! If he has you then he can leave and never bother my family again!"
Clasping his hands behind his back in an effort to be more civilised, James cleared his throat. "Unfortunately I do not own a house. I am requesting that you take Harry for two weeks and when that time ends I will take him off your hands. I need the time to do work in fighting against the darkness that once again threatens our world. Much as I would like to have my son with me, he is much safer with you." James explained. "I will of course keep in contact with him to find out how you are treating him. If I find you are mistreating him then I will send one of my friends to sort you out."
"And I suppose it will be one of you freaks who will sort us out?" Vernon spat, trying not to be intimidated by James' tone, while Harry looked on.
"I am not a freak." Sirius, suddenly said, stepping forward and giving the Dursleys a devilish smile. His long hair seemed to fly in the wind.
Vernon's face grew pale. "You…you…stay away from my family!"
"Then agree to treat Harry the way you treat your own son, and then he will have nothing to complain about, will he?" James questioned, a bright glint in his hazel eyes.
Vernon reached forward and grabbed Harry's trunk. "Come on boy!" he turned hastily away.
Harry took one last glance at his father before following the retreating Dursleys. Hopefully his summer would be imminently better then the last.
Though he had only just arrived back at Privet Drive, Harry had the distinct impression that Vernon did not want his father or Godfather appearing in his house. He would have to wait and see how the next two weeks went.
Dear son,
I have completed my Auror training course and have received my license. Sirius and I are now fully trained and ready to go out on jobs for the Ministry. That does not mean I will not see you this summer. The arrangements are the same. In three days time I will come and collect you with Dumbledore, at eleven PM. Dumbledore has a job for you, it should not take long, but it is essential that we leave during dark as we both fear the actions that Voldemort may take to kill you, if he knows that you were out and about. After you have completed your task, we will escort you to the Burrow, where you will spend the remainder of the summer holidays. I will be there some of the time, but due to work commitments and my involvement with the Order, I cannot promise to be there for you all the time. Hopefully I should see more of you once you go back to Hogwarts, as Dumbledore has reassigned me to guarding the school during the year.
Hope your summer has been well.
Lots of love,
Dad
Harry folded the letter up. He grinned to himself. The summer had been better then the last ones. For a start the Dursley's had been feeding him more, and had not neglected him the way they had done before. Dudley got thoroughly annoyed when Harry was allowed to watch what he wanted on TV for a chance, claiming that he never got a chance to watch what he wanted to watch as Harry was always hogging the TV, which was a lie.
Harry suspected that Dudley could not handle the fact that his parents were being nice to Harry when they had treated him with distain for years. His aunt and uncle had not taken him out on trips, but they had not forced him to do anything against his will either. On the contary they had tried to talk to him about the magical world, though Harry had tried to repeatedly tell them that he did not mind not talking about the magical world with them, and that he understood how they disliked it.
Once he had got that point across they had not bombarded him with questions on the subject, instead Petunia had carefully asked how James had returned. Harry explained what had occurred after his wish, though he was sure neither of his relatives believed a word of it. But it was the only logical explanation that Harry knew.
Another good thing about the summer was that Dudley (now afraid of Harry) kept his friends away from him, which enabled Harry to wander threw the neighbourhood without interference.
On the morning that James and Dumbledore were due to arrive, Harry entered the kitchen with a swagger in his step, and his messy black hair sticking up at the back.
"I thought I'd let you know that my dad and Professor Dumbledore are coming to pick me up this evening at eleven."
"And why would they come at that time?" Vernon grunted. "Don't your kind sleep?"
That was the first jibe Harry had all summer, but he let it pass over him.
"It's for my safety and your security. I won't be returning until next summer." Harry added. "After nest year I will not be coming back."
"Oh, right." Vernon said. "I suppose we'll stay up to say goodbye then."
"You don't have to, I don't mind." Harry replied, spreading his arms wide. "I'm fine with leaving without saying goodbye."
"Well, we aren't." Petunia shrilled.
Harry nodded. "Okay. I'll see you later then."
For the rest of the day, Harry made sure his trunk was packed and ready to go. At around eleven, when the stars were shining down on the street, and most of the residents of Privet Driver were sound asleep, the door bell of number 4 rang.
Eagerly Harry went downstairs and opened the front door.
TBC
Only the Prologue but Chapter 1 is already written and ready. I will post that in about a week. I hope you liked the beginning of this story! Also I have posted a small one-shot explaining a bit more about why James came back to life! It's called Lily's Final Spell.
Next chapter: The Trial - Sirius goes to court. What will the Verdict be?
Let me know what you think about the beginning of this adventure!
MissBlackPotter