Disclaimer I do not own Harry Potter and everything recognisable belongs to J K Rowling.

Chapter One

It was a typical Friday evening. James had finished another week of dull work at the Ministry of Magic, to come home to his beautiful wife, Lily and his seven year old son, Damien. After dinner, Lily went through the usual bedtime routine with Damien, starting with his bath and James settled down next to the fire, a mug of tea in his hand.

He glanced absent-mindedly to the Christmas tree, still sitting on one corner of the room. A reminder left by Lily to 'take down the decorations' hovered around the tinsel covered monstrosity. James stretched and settled back in his seat. 'Tomorrow,' he thought to himself, 'I'll do it tomorrow.'

The flames suddenly turned green and leapt six feet tall before diminishing completely. James looked up at three very familiar visitors. Sirius, Remus and Frank all grinned at him.

"Hey Prongs!" Sirius greeted, stepping out of the fireplace.

Remus and Frank followed behind him, as soon as Frank's foot left the fireplace, orange flames returned, bursting back to life.

James smiled at them.

"You could at least let me know you were coming," he playfully complained. "I could've been busy."

Frank waved a hand at him.

"It's seven in the evening and you have a seven year old in the house." he winked at him. "You're not getting busy for another ten years at least!" he chuckled.

"You would know!" James replied, aiming a punch at him, but the fellow Auror and Order member leapt out of the way, laughing harder.

Sirius made his way to the kitchen, poking around the dishes.

"You got any dinner left?" he asked.

"Leftovers are in the fridge!" James yelled over to him.

"How can you still be hungry after all you ate at the restaurant?" Remus asked Sirius, following him to the kitchen.

"I have a very fast metabolism." Sirius answered, pulling out the leftovers of roast beef from the fridge. "I need to be fed at regular intervals."

"You're such a child!" Remus chastised.

"Which is why I'm so damn precious!" Sirius grinned as he began picking at the food, not bothering with a plate.

The four men settled back in the living room, chatting good naturedly about everything from work to Order business.

"Do you reckon Dumbledore is right?" Sirius asked, "could the Giants really become allies?"

"There's only one way of finding out." Remus answered.

"Hagrid seems to think it's fairly straightforward." Frank mused.

"Everything is straightforward for Hagrid." James said with a wry smile. "When it comes to potentially dangerous beasts, Hagrid has his unique outlook on them."

"Ah, well, in this particular case, Hagrid's opinion is bound to be a little biased." Sirius added.

The door opened and Lily walked in, having tucked Damien into bed. She wasn't surprised to see the trio sitting around her husband. Their appearance was a regular occurrence in Godric's Hollow, especially on a Friday evening.

"Hi Lily!" Frank and Remus greeted.

"Lils!" Sirius got to his feet, rushing to her. He kissed her twice on both cheeks. "The beef was simply sublime!"

Lily's green eyes narrowed at him.

"You were eating my food again?!" she asked crossly.

"Why of course!" Sirius answered, cracking one of his devilishly handsome smiles at her. "How can it be, that Lily Evans Potter cooks a meal and I don't taste it?!"

Lily rolled her eyes.

"Yes, the world would surely end if you stopped eating our food." she returned.

James got to his feet.

"I'll be back in half an hour," he told his friends. "Damien's waiting for his bedtime story."

"Actually, I better get going," Frank said getting to his feet. "I've got to pick Alice and Neville up from the Burrow."

"Did Alice and Molly convince the boys to make up?" Lily asked.

"You know how kids are," Frank waved a hand at Lily, "at each other's throat one minute and best of friends the next. Alice took Neville over to the Burrow so he could apologise to Ronald and I bet Molly convinced him to apologise too." he grinned, "so now, the boys will be fighting to stay together, even though they've spent the entire day with each other."

Lily smiled and nodded her head. Her son was the same. He would fight with Ron or Ginny but couldn't bear to stay angry at them for too long. They always made up just as easily as they fought.

Frank followed James out into the hallway, opting to use the front door so he could apparate to the Burrow instead of using the floo. Frank bid his goodbyes and left, leaving James to lock the front door again and make his way up the stairs, on his way to tell Damien his bedtime story. James had reached the top of the stairs and was just about to open Damien's bedroom door when he heard a knock on his front door.

James hurried back downstairs, thinking Frank must have forgotten something and had come back to get it.

"What is it now, Longbottom?" he asked with a grin as he opened the front door.

The smile rapidly slipped off his face when he saw who was standing at his threshold.

Peter Pettigrew met the shocked hazel eyes of the man that was once his friend. He hesitated a moment before lifting both hands slowly into the air.

"I'm not armed..." he started to say but was cut off when James suddenly grabbed him by his robes. Peter was pulled inside with such force, it made him stumble and almost fall over.

"Son-of-a-bitch!" James spat as he hauled him into the hallway and threw him face first into the wall.

Peter let out a pained cry and fell to the floor. He turned to see James pointing his wand at him and panicked.

"I'm not armed! I'm not armed!" he started yelling, covering his head with his arms, trying to protect himself. "James, please...!" he whimpered.

"Shut up!" James thundered, his wand shaking tremendously in his hand. He was in such fury he couldn't think straight.

Hearing the commotion, Sirius and Remus came to investigate. What they saw, they couldn't believe. Within moments, both men were at James' side, wands out and aimed at the man on the floor. Peter looked up at his three friends, the three boys he had spent his school years with, friends he had cherished at one point in his life and three people he still cared about.

"Don't...please...I-I just w-want..." Peter started.

"James, what is goi-?" Lily stopped at the door, her eyes on the man sprawled out on the floor. Before she could react or say a single word, James shouted over to her.

"Lily, take Damien and go!" James instructed, his eyes still on Peter. "Go! Now!"

Lily didn't argue or fight back. She turned and hurried past the four men and darted upstairs, to protect her son. The four men heard Lily run into the room upstairs and not a minute after the faint whooshing sound confirmed she had used the fireplace in Damien's room to floo out of the house.

Relived that his wife and son were out of potential danger, James turned his attention back to Peter.

"I-I haven't come to..." Peter started shaking his head in protest. "I'm not here to hurt anyone, just give me a chance...one chance...!"

James suddenly went for Peter, his mind consumed with nothing but rage. He grabbed Peter by the neck and forced him roughly to his feet before slamming him against the wall.

"Not here to hurt anyone!" he bellowed. "Not here to hurt anyone!" he slammed Peter against the wall again, his hands wrapped around the other man's neck, determined to choke the life out of him.

"James! No! Let go of him!" Remus and Sirius intervened, pulling James away. "Don't kill him! Not yet!" Remus told him but James was too far gone in his anger to listen.

With difficulty, Remus and Sirius managed to pull James away, releasing a gasping Peter in the process. They wrestled with a resisting James, who was struggling furiously to get free and go for Peter again.

"You bastard!" James spat at Peter, who had collapsed onto the floor, coughing violently the moment James' fingers were pried away from his throat. "You must have a death wish coming to my door!" James yelled, fighting against the restrain of his two best friends, wanting nothing more than to rip apart the traitor that had ruined his life.

Peter pulled himself to sit up, gasping horribly for breath. He shook his head at James.

"I-I never w-wanted to-to hurt you." he said in a voice barely above a whisper.

"You took away my son!" James spat, "you murdered him! You took him to Voldemort!" he shouted. "That wasn't going to hurt me?!"

"I was trying to save you!" Peter suddenly yelled at him, his raspy voice breaking as he did so. "I did what I had to, to protect you and Lily!" he was breathing in short fast gasps, gaze fixed stubbornly on James, regardless of how much hatred he saw in the hazel eyes. "I'm not like you, I'm not strong. I couldn't fight against him, against Lord Voldemort. He got into my head, said everything I feared and believed and I...I couldn't stop him." Slowly, Peter climbed to his feet. "But I couldn't stand back and watch him kill you, all of you," his gaze swept over the other two men. "I thought that if I took Harry, I would be saving all of you." he looked back at James. "The dark lord was never going to let him go, he was going to come for him." he explained fearfully. "But then he gave me a chance, a choice to save your lives. I thought, why not give Harry to Lord Voldemort? At least this way, I would be saving all of your lives."

James bristled and struggled anew, trying to get free but Remus and Sirius kept their grips on him, stopping him.

"You had no right making such a decision!" James shouted angrily. "Who were you to decide who lives and who dies!? Who did you think you were taking my son away from me!?"

Peter looked down at the ground.

"I know what I did was wrong," he answered. "I know that now. That's why I'm here today. To make amends."

He took a single step towards the front door, prompting Remus and Sirius to let go of James and aim their wands at him.

"Stay where you are!" Remus ordered.

"I'm not running away." Peter replied.

"Like hell you're not!" James glowered, darting towards him.

"James, don't!" Remus warned.

"If I was going to run, I wouldn't have come here today." Peter said making James stop in his tracks.

James lifted his wand and aimed at him, eyes now narrowed at him in suspicion.

"Why are you here?" he asked.

Peter took a single step back, to the front door.

"To correct a wrong." he answered quietly.

"You know we're not going to let you leave!" Sirius barked at him.

"I'm not leaving. I don't have anywhere else to go." Peter replied.

His words confused the three Aurors but they didn't say anything. Peter kept both hands in the air to show he wasn't planning anything. He moved back two more steps, keeping his back to the door. At the threshold, he leaned backwards and turned his head to the right.

"It's okay," he said, "You can come in now."

For the next few moments nothing happened.

Then James heard it, a sound, soft and light, like footsteps that were getting louder as they approached nearer. James' wand was still pointed at Peter, like Remus and Sirius' but his eyes were now fixed on the edge of the door. He saw a last encouraging nod from Peter and suddenly a boy appeared from the right of the house, hesitating at the door. James noticed two things right away, messy black hair and startling emerald green eyes. The sight almost made his heart stop. He stared at the boy, with eyes the same shade of green as Lily's, with hair that was messy and stuck up at the back just like his own, at the face that resembled him when he was only a boy.

Next to James, Remus and Sirius drew in sharp breaths. They too were staring at the boy with disbelief.

The young boy was visibly afraid, standing at the threshold of the house, eyes darting from one man to the next, from one wand to the next. He was tense, his body held so tight it seemed as if he was ready to flee at a moment's notice.

Peter put a hand slowly onto the boy's shoulder but his gaze was fixed on James.

"Nine years ago I took Harry away from this house." he said in a shaky voice. "I wanted to be the one to bring him back."

James didn't say anything. He was staring at the ten year old boy, his mouth opening and closing but not a sound left him. He stumbled forward, the wand slipped from his slack fingers and clattered onto the floor. But all James could do was stare at the boy. He took another shaky step towards him, all the while taking in the boy's features, his hair, his eyes, his face, there was no doubt in his mind as to who the boy was. He knew it was his Harry.

How it was possible for his son to be still alive, he didn't know and neither did he care. All that concerned him was that his Harry was standing before him, alive and well. His strength left him at his next step and James collapsed onto his knees before the boy. He stared into the scared green eyes of his son and felt his heart break at the confusion and uncertainty he saw in them. Reaching out with a trembling hand, James gently touched Harry's face, caressing his cheek.

"Harry." he whispered in a voice that cracked and broke.

Harry didn't speak a word but just stood where he was. James lifted his other hand and ran it over Harry's head, feeling the dark locks under his fingers, convincing himself the boy was real and was truly standing before him. Harry looked up at him then, with eyes glistening with tears. James saw the faint quiver of his lips before the first tear spilled out and fell.

Harry moved forwards just as James pulled him into an embrace. He wrapped his arms around the slender boy, holding him tight against his chest. It was a feeling he would never forget, like the bliss one would feel if an old torturous wound was suddenly healed completely.

James didn't realise it until later but he was crying, tears fell from behind his tightly shut eyelids as he held his long lost son in his arms. He felt the child shudder against him and his soft sobs reached his ears. He realised then that Harry had wrapped his arms around him too, gripping at his shirt, as if afraid to let go. James tightened his grip, crying freely now as he murmured Harry's name.

For nine years James had not spoken Harry's name, not brought the name to his lips. He wouldn't, he had promised to himself, not until he had avenged his son's murder. But now it was as if Harry's name was the only word he was capable of saying. James ran a hand over Harry's hair, repeating his name again and again through his sobs.

A green light blazed in the living room behind James and several footsteps thundered towards them. James looked up just as four people ran into the hallway, wands raised and ready, faces flushed with panic. Lily was at the forefront, leading them, Arthur Weasley on one side of her and Frank Longbottom on the other. Just behind them was Alice.

"James! James! I-I..." Lily's panicked yell was cut short when she saw James kneeling on the ground, a boy in his arms.

Arthur and Frank had their wands pointed at Peter but their eyes were fixed on the tear stained face of the ten year old, nestled inside James' embrace. Alice moved forward, coming to Lily's side, staring all the while at the boy.

Lily stared at the child, her eyes wide and unblinking. Slowly she pulled her gaze away and met her husband's tear filled eyes. Her green eyes darted from him to Peter and she stared at him in disbelief. Slowly her gaze found the boy again, but she didn't speak a word.

Gathering himself onto his trembling legs, James got up and took a hold of Harry's hand. He walked the short few paces to stand before Lily, gently bringing Harry along with him. Lily was staring at Harry, her eyes welling up with tears but she was yet to say a word or ask a single question. Her tears fell as she continued to gaze at the boy, but still she failed to move or say a single word. Beside her, Alice softly touched her shoulder.

"Lily?" she shook her gently, trying to break her out of her shock.

Lily never noticed. To her it was as if she was the only one in the room with her long lost son. Slowly, she lowered herself onto her knees, staring intently into the boy's eyes the whole time. Hesitantly, she reached out, faltering at the last moment before pushing herself to touch the boy's chest. She let out a strangled sob as her hand came to rest onto Harry and not go through him as she feared. He was really here. She wasn't imagining it.

With a desperate cry she pulled Harry into her arms and hugged him. She was sobbing, crying harder than she had in years. She pulled away and started kissing Harry, on his face, his hair, his neck. She kept pushing the hair away from Harry's head, as if to make sure he was really here and if he was okay. She saw the horrid jagged scar on his forehead, shaped like a bolt of lightening and she cried out at the sight of it but was in no fit state to speak and ask him about it.

Harry was crying too, burying his head into Lily's shoulder, to hide from the prying eyes of people he didn't know, that were staring at him. James was kneeling next to him, rubbing a hand down his back, trying to calm him. But it seemed all it did was make the boy more hysterical and he pulled away from James, pushing himself deeper into Lily.

Alice gestured to Frank and Arthur, asking them non-verbally to move from the doorway so Lily could take Harry into the living room. James and Lily rose to their feet and guided Harry into the room, silently welcoming him back to Godric's Hollow after nine years.

xxx

Frank and Arthur were standing on either side of Peter, as Remus cuffed his hands with conjured rope. Alice had already left Godric's Hollow to go and personally inform Dumbledore of what had happened. Sirius was fire-calling his home, checking if Dumbledore had arrived yet. That left Frank, Arthur and Remus to guard Peter, even though the man had stated repeatedly that he wasn't about to run away.

"I've got nowhere to run to." he said. "After tonight, Lord Voldemort will be after my blood." he swallowed heavily, clearly petrified. "When he sees that I took Harry away, he'll come after me. It's better that I'm here, with the Order. He can't get to me here."

"If you're so afraid of him, why did you risk your life to bring Harry back?" Frank asked, revulsion and anger evident in his voice.

Peter didn't answer right away. After long minutes, he looked over at Frank.

"I was contended to watch Harry die. But I couldn't stand back and watch him lose his soul."

All three were shocked.

"What?!" Remus hissed. "Dementors?"

Peter shook his head sadly.

"There are worse ways to lose your soul." he answered.

Sirius walked into the hallway, having made his firecall.

"Dumbledore is at the headquarters, as is the rest of the Order, more or less." he nodded at Peter angrily. "We can bring him in now!"

Peter dropped his head as they walked into the living room. From the corner of his eye he noticed James and Lily sitting on the sofa, Harry between them. Both adults were talking to him, but Harry didn't look like he was even listening. Peter could tell the child was emotionally exhausted, his entire life as he knew it, had been flipped onto it's head. This new life he had started by coming back home to his family was not going to be an easy one to settle into, especially since he harboured such horrific memories of this place, of his supposed parents. Peter didn't know everything but he knew enough to understand how difficult it was going to be for Harry to stay here, even though Harry now knew it wasn't his parents that abused him and it wasn't here that all those horrific things happened to him. But Peter believed James and Lily would succeed in the end. They would get through to Harry and love him so much that Harry would soon forget all about his past and be able to live happily with them.

Peter wanted to tell James, to explain what Harry had believed for so many years now. But he couldn't bring himself to tell the man that his son was beaten, starved and mistreated horrendously since he was barely two years old. He couldn't tell him and Lily that up until today, Harry believed it was his parents that hurt him and hated him. He wanted to tell them so they could understand Harry better and help him but he was far too afraid of the consequences. James would kill him for sure. He decided to keep quiet and let James and Lily figure it out on their own.

James looked up at Peter as he passed him, heading for the fireplace. He got up, leaving Harry with Lily and crossed the room to reach the fireplace. Sirius prepared the floo so Frank and Arthur could reach the headquarters first and be ready to receive Peter. Remus moved a little to the side, leaving James and Peter to face each other.

Both men stared at each other, not sure of what to say first. James was the one to break the silence.

"I know that what you did tonight will cost you your freedom." he started. "You can't go back to being a Death Eater and neither will you ever be a member of the Order again. Whatever fate Dumbledore decides for you is of no interest to me." James said. "But a part of me, however small, will be forever grateful to you for bringing back my son." his eyes hardened almost at once. "But you were the reason I lived for nine years away from my son. You tore apart my family. You betrayed my trust and for that, I will never forgive you."

Peter nodded his head.

"I know," he answered. "I didn't expect you to forgive me."

James moved away, allowing Sirius to take a hold of Peter by the arm and pull him into the green flames. Sirius and Peter were gone the next moment, gone to the headquarters where Dumbledore would be waiting for Peter. There was plenty of information the Order could get out of him.

James turned around to see Harry, his heart leaping in his chest again at the sight of him. Remus walked behind him into the fireplace.

"I'll bring Damien back from the Burrow, you stay with Harry." he told James.

James nodded, immensely grateful to his friend. Remus left and James turned around to face his wife and eldest son. A very tense and uncomfortable silence fell between them, with James and Lily looking among themselves and Harry focusing only on the floor. James slowly made his way back and sat down next to Harry.

"Are you okay?" James asked, noting how dejected the boy seemed.

Harry didn't look at him as he answered.

"Yeah, just tired."

James felt his heart jump again. It was the first time he had heard Harry speak and his voice was the sweetest sound to his ears. Lily looked over at James and he could see in her eyes she was feeling the same elation at having heard her son's voice.

"Do you want to lie down? Rest for a bit?" she asked, her arm still draped around his shoulders.

Harry shrugged, apparently not sure what he wanted at the moment.

"How about some dinner first?" James asked. Harry didn't respond so James stood up. "The kitchen is this way." he said, pointing at the door opposite them.

Harry suddenly jerked his head up, his eyes narrowing in the direction of the kitchen. They widened with panic and he shook his head quickly.

"No, I'm...I'm not hungry!" he said.

James shared a puzzled look with Lily.

"What's wrong, Harry?" Lily asked.

"Nothing, I-I just want to stay here." Harry replied.

James didn't say anything and sat back down but couldn't help but feel a little alarmed at how Harry had reacted to going into the kitchen.

"You must have many questions." Lily said softly to him.

Harry shook his head.

"No, I understand what happened." he answered sadly. The truth was he didn't understand anything other than that he was lied to by the 'father' he worshipped.

James ran a hand over Harry's hair again, noting how the action made Harry tense, almost like he was fighting with himself not to flinch. He took a moment to really study the boy. He found he was surprised at how well fed and healthy Harry looked. He didn't have glasses, something James had been certain Harry would have when he was older, as everyone on his side of the family wore glasses. He was tall for a ten year old and genuinely perfectly healthy looking.

James had fully expected Voldemort to keep Harry in the poorest of conditions. It was a relief to see that wasn't the case, very confusing and unbelievable but a relief nonetheless.

"There is so much I want to talk to you about." James said, "but I can see you're very tired."

Harry only nodded, eyes downcast.

"Do you want to rest?" Lily asked and she couldn't keep the disappointment out of her tone. She didn't want Harry to leave her sight. She had just got him back, she wanted to stay with him all night.

Harry looked over at her and nodded again.

James and Lily got up and led Harry to the guest room upstairs. Harry walked into an average sized room and instantly headed for the bed. He wasn't sleepy in the least but felt so exhausted that he could barely remain on his feet. He sat down on the bed as Lily left the room to go next door to Damien's room to gather some clothes for Harry, clothes that she would have to resize for him but she pacified herself that she would go shopping for Harry' clothes as soon as it was morning.

James was left alone with Harry. He walked over and sat down next to him.

"Not in my wildest dreams did I think, I would get you back." he said quietly. "I believed for the last nine years that you were..." he stopped himself saying the word. No parent would want to say the word 'dead' and their child's name in the same sentence. "I know that you're probably feeling a little scared right now, I can see it in your eyes." he told Harry. "But believe me when I tell you this. No one is going to hurt you, not while me and your mum are around. We won't allow as much as a scratch to come to you."

Harry looked over at him and his green eyes glistened with unshed tears. He nodded his head at James but didn't speak. Neither did he allow a single tear to escape. James moved forward and wrapped one arm around Harry, pulling him closer and kissing the top of his head.

"You're safe Harry, I promise you, you're safe. I let you down once with Peter, but I'll die before I let you down again." James whispered to him.

Harry nodded against him, closing his eyes tightly.

Lily came in with pyjamas that belonged to Damien, resized to be bigger. She put them down onto the bed.

"Try these on, Harry. They should fit."

Harry moved away from James, prompting the man to get to his feet.

"Sleep now Harry. We'll talk tomorrow. We have nine years worth of catching up to do." he smiled.

Harry didn't answer but mentally cursed to himself. He didn't want to tell him anything, not about his childhood, not about Voldemort and not about what it was he had been training to become.

He didn't want them to know he had killed a man tonight, that he was a murderer. No, all he wanted was to sleep, to rest for a bit and then he might be able to think, think about what had happened and all that he had learned tonight and what that meant for him and his future. He looked up at the two people as they bid him goodnight and reluctantly left him alone in the room.

Harry stayed sitting on top of the bed, trying with all his might to calm down. Four hours ago he had been in the main chamber in Riddle manor, being instructed to kill a Death Eater. Now, he was sitting inside Godric's Hollow, trying to process the truth that he had been stolen out of this very home nine years ago and that he was targeted because of a prophecy.

Everything he remembered was a lie. He hadn't run away when he was four, he wasn't mistreated by his parents and Voldemort, he hadn't saved him. He was the one who did everything. Voldemort had him stolen from his home with the intention to kill him. Voldemort was the one who had hurt him, who would beat him with the belt and slap him so hard the blow would throw him to the ground. Voldemort was the one who starved him, who ridiculed him, humiliated him. Voldemort was the one who had held his hand down onto the oven shelf and burned him. And he did it all under the pretence of being James Potter.

Harry lifted up his right hand, staring at the skin, the perfectly unblemished skin that held so many invisible scars it would turn him insane if he saw them. He dropped his hand onto his lap and breathed out heavily. He was still so confused, why did Voldemort do this to him? Why play this drama? Why act like he cared when he obviously didn't?

Harry pushed himself onto his feet, roughly pulling off his clothes. He wouldn't think about this anymore. He had to stop thinking about Voldemort. It was over. He got away. He was away from Voldemort and he was going to do all he could to keep it that way. He was back home, back with his real parents. Harry picked up the pyjamas and put them on, feeling rather strange wearing clothes that had broomsticks and balls printed on them.

He had just thrown his other clothes on the back of the chair when a knock sounded on the door. He turned around to see it open and his mother appeared in the doorway.

"I was hoping you were still awake." she smiled brightly.

Harry tried smiling back but he couldn't manage it completely.

"I was just getting ready." he replied.

"I wanted to introduce you to someone." Lily beamed.

From behind her, a little boy peeked around at him. He had dark hair like Harry but big hazel eyes that were fixed on the ten year old boy.

"Is that him?" he asked Lily excitedly.

"Yes, this is Harry," Lily smiled. "Harry, this is your brother, Damien."

Harry was caught off. He looked back at the boy who had walked out from behind Lily and was now standing next to her, studying Harry intently.

"This is so cool!" Damien grinned suddenly.

"I'm going to be waiting for you in your room," Lily reminded Damien. "Five minutes and then come to your room so I can tuck you in." she looked over at Harry. She was going to come to him after putting Damien to bed, even if just to sit with him as he fell asleep.

Damien nodded but his eyes were still on Harry.

Lily gave both boys a last look before quietly leaving, clicking the door to close behind her. Damien took a step closer to Harry.

"Are you really my brother?" he asked, as if he couldn't believe it.

"Yeah, I guess so." Harry replied. "How old are you?"

"Seven," Damien answered. "When is your birthday?"

"It's past, I was ten in July." Harry answered.

"You're the same age as Ron and Neville!" Damien happily pointed out.

Harry, having no idea who either boy was, decided to keep quiet.

"Ron and Neville are going to be so surprised when I tell them I have an older brother!" Damien grinned again. Then, abruptly his smile faded and he tilted his head to the side. "Where have you been all this time?" he asked.

Harry shifted from one foot to another.

"Did...they, um, m-mum and dad not...tell you?" Harry asked uncomfortably.

"They said you were stolen away and given to You-Know-Who." Damien answered.

"Yeah, I was." Harry confirmed.

Damien didn't show much of a reaction, but Harry figured he was only seven. What did he understand about Voldemort?

"So? Where were you?" he asked again.

"With...Voldemort." Harry answered, confused.

"But where?" Damien stressed.

"I can't say." Harry replied.

"Why?"

"Because it's under the Fidelius charm." Harry answered.

"What's a Fidelius charm?" Damien asked.

"It's...it's to keep something a secret." Harry answered.

"Why is it a secret?" Damien asked.

Harry let out an annoyed hiss of air.

"Why are you asking so many questions?!" he said.

Damien shrugged.

"Because I want to know." he answered simply.

Harry narrowed his eyes at him but secretly found he quite liked that answer.

The door opened and Lily appeared again in the doorway.

"It's getting very late, Damy," she said gently. "Time for bed."

"But I want to talk to Harry." Damien protested.

"You can talk to him all you like tomorrow." Lily said, taking Damien by the hand. She looked up to meet identical green eyes. "He's always going to be with us from now on." she smiled.

Damien let himself be pulled out of the room, looking back at Harry once he reached the door.

"Night, Harry!"

Harry nodded at him in response and watched him leave. He felt a smile force it's way across his face. He knew that boy was going to be annoying as hell with his constant 'why' and 'where' and 'what' questions but he couldn't help be a little excited at having a younger brother. He had a proper family, a dad, a mum and a little brother.

Harry lay down in the bed, sighing out a deep breath before smiling. Maybe things would work out in the end after all.

xxx