Disclaimer – Isn't mine

Chapter 4 – My Life

Nigel was more afraid than he had ever been in his life; afraid for his surrogate son that was. He helped the young girl, Hermione she had said her name was, remove Jason's shoes and outer clothing before pushing him gently into a bed. Jason was eerily calm, as if having taken a few too many of his pills, but the sight that had him the most concerned was Jason's normally vibrant green eyes, dull and staring.

'Jase.' Nigel said softly as he sat down on the edge of the bed. Jason's eyes flicked to him.

'Why?' he whispered. 'Why did they make me remember? I was so happy.'

Nigel could do nothing but lean down and gather the now sobbing figure in his arms. 'I don't know, Jase. I sorry I made you come. This is all my fault. I don't know what I was thinking.'

'I just want to go home.'

Nigel hugged him tightly. 'First thing tomorrow, I promise. If I have to carry you all the way to Edinburgh, I promise you won't stay a moment longer then you have to. Go to sleep now, try and get some rest.'

'Harry?' Hermione spoke up from Nigel's left shoulder, holding out a very familiar blue filled vial.

Jason took one look at it and shook his head violently. 'No. No potions, no magic and most definitely, no Harry Potter.' He whispered, pulling out of Nigel's arms and rolling over onto his side with his back to them. He had closed his eyes and tried to pretend he was asleep but they could see his shoulders shaking and knew it wasn't true.

Eventually Nigel stood up and took Hermione's arm, guiding her quite roughly from the room and into the sitting room, closing the door behind him.

'Talk now. What the hell is going on? What did he mean about potions and magic and who in the hell is Harry Potter?'

Hermione sighed and gestured for the man to sit down. 'It's quite a long story but to answer you main question, Jason is Harry Potter and he's a wizard.'

Nigel had just looked at her sceptically until she had drawn her wand and conjured some tea and crumpets. 'Garthows is not a school for gifted children. It a school for witches and wizards called Hogwarts and it's where Harry Potter learnt everything he knew.'

'Hogwarts?' Nigel was still looking extremely unconvinced and Hermione decided to start from the beginning. She told him about Voldemort, about Harry's parents and his growing up with the Dursleys. About Hogwarts and all that had happened during the first five years. When she came to the final battle that day at Hogsmeade she faltered, tears once again pricking at her eyes as she told of all the friends they had lost and about how Harry and the Dark Lord had vanished in a blinding flash of light never to be heard from again.

'My parents sent me the clipping about Jason's concert in London, that's why I had to come and see him. I had to know if it was him. That hope was all I had left.' She whispered.

Nigel just continued to sit there in stunned disbelief. When Jason had said he didn't think his past was very good, Nigel had though he might have meant an abusive father or something similar, not an entirely different world in which he was a central figure in a war that had been going on for over thirty years. It was just too much to comprehend.

'The letter. The one Professor Dumbledore sent do you still have it?' Hermione said suddenly.

Nigel looked at her curiously. 'Yes, why?'

She shrugged. 'Something you said, about not knowing what you were thinking. I need to check something.'

Nigel raised an eyebrow but dutifully went to retrieve the letter from his briefcase that had somehow found its way to Hermione's room sometime between them arriving with Harry and coming back out of the bedroom. Knowing what he did now, Nigel didn't even question it but just brought the briefcase back over and set it down on the table before opening it. He drew out the letter and handed it to the young woman who didn't even open it but pointed her wand at it and murmured softly watching as it glowed before swearing colourfully.

'That sneaky, conniving, scheming bastard.' She scowled.

'Excuse me?'

'Dumbledore.' She spat. 'He used a compelling charm on you.'

'I reiterate. Excuse me?'

Hermione blushed. 'Sorry. He charmed the paper so that when you read it you would want to come.'

Nigel's eyes narrowed. 'That bastard.' He agreed.

'I knew he wanted to make Harry try and remember but I didn't think he would go this far.'

'Why did he want him to remember so badly?'

Hermione shrugged again. 'I don't know. But I do know he will try his best to keep Harry here.'

'You're going to have to stop calling him that.' Nigel said pointedly as he reached for his mobile phone.

'Pardon?'

'Harry. If you're coming with us, and looking at the way Jason was clinging to you I imagine you will be, you are going to have to stop calling him Harry.' He said sternly, pressing several buttons on his phone. 'Blasted thing won't even turn on.' He scowled.

'It won't here. Electricity won't work in such a magical environment. That's why you had to leave the car up before the village'

'Blast. I need to make arrangements to get us out of here.'

Hermione grinned wickedly and levitated her bag over from the sideboard before delving into it and bringing out a pink mobile phone. 'My parents gave me this after the battle and Professor Flitwick, the charms teacher, helped me charm it so that it would work at Hogwarts. They were worried about me and wanted to talk to me more regularly. I have barely used it since the beginning of seventh year but I keep it charged all the same.'

Nigel's eyes lit up. 'You, my dear, are a gem.' He crowed taking the offered phone. 'Now, we need a map. I need to know exactly where the electricity stops and the magic starts.'

Hermione leapt to her feet. 'I'll be right back.' she said, pulling a silver cloak from her bag and literally disappearing into thin air. Nigel gaped at the spot she had been and only the opening and closing of the door into the corridor made him realise she had left. The man shook his head.

'I need a drink; a big one.' He breathed before pulling out his address book and placing the first of what would be several calls.

Ten minutes later Hermione returned and quickly placed a rather odd looking atlas in front of him. She tapped the cover with her wand and said 'Hogsmeade.'

The book opened and several pages flicked past, startling Nigel. Soon they stopped and a glowing spot hovered just above the village of Hogsmeade on the map.

'Okay, where does the magic start?'

'Here.' Hermione pointed to the edge of the village fairly much in the same area where they had left the car.

Nigel looked at the surrounding area and just to the left of it there was what looked to be a large field. The map was very accurate, even showing the buildings in the village so Nigel guess the field should be about right too. 'How long will it take to walk from here to this field?'

Hermione looked down. 'About twenty minutes, I'd expect.'

'Right.' Nigel picked up the phone and made one last call, finishing with 'seven o'clock then. Thanks Charles, we'll see you tomorrow.' Before hanging up and handing Hermione back the phone.

'We'd better get some sleep then. We'll have to try and leave here by half past six.'

Hermione nodded and glanced at the closed bedroom door but Nigel had already got up and walked towards it. 'You take the couch and I'll crash in with Jase.'

Hermione wanted to protest but she knew that at the moment the older man could help her friend more than she could and only nodded and smiled as the door closed once again.

Jason woke abruptly, bolting upright in the bed as his heart pounded and his head spun. It took him several minutes to remember where he was. 'Oh god.' He whimpered as he leant forward and buried his head in his hands.

'Jase.' Nigel's soothing voice calmed him slightly as he felt the older man rubbing his back.

'I don't want to remember, Nigel. I don't. Please.'

Nigel looked down into those pleading eyes and nodded, quickly helping him into his shoes and his jacket. 'Come on.' He whispered, knowing there was only one thing that could make Jason forget everything else. They crept quietly through the sitting room, where Hermione was still sleeping and out into the corridor. Nigel knew they were only a single flight of stairs up from the large hall Jason had played in last night and he guessed correctly that the piano was still there waiting for him. Dawn was just breaking and Nigel figured it must be about half past five as they silently made their way up the centre aisle.

Jason sat down at the piano staring at the keys for several minutes before looking back up at Nigel. 'I don't know….' He trailed off.

Nigel smiled coming around behind him and lifting his hands and placing them gently on the keys. 'You know Jason.' He said softly. 'It's a part of you. Just close your eyes and open you heart and it will come.'

And come it did.

It was tentative a first but minutes later the music emanating from the piano and from the figure swaying before it was unbelievable and Nigel now knew it was the magic inside the young man that was helping him.

He listened entranced as Jason continued to play. The music was haunting, chilling almost, and like nothing he had ever heard before. It was no one else's work. It wasn't an arrangement of other's put together and changed slightly.

No. This was pure Jason and it brought tears to Nigel's eyes.

He didn't even notice as the hall began to fill behind him, his eyes, ears and heart were riveted to the figure in front of him. Eventually he felt a small hand take his arm. 'We should be going.' Hermione said softly.

Nigel glanced over at her, the spell broken but he could see too that she had been crying. 'I have all of our things.' She added and Nigel nodded and smiled before walking slowly around the piano and placing both hands on Jason's shoulders. He bent down to whisper in the young man's ear. Jason stopped playing immediately, leaving those in the hall listening with a feeling of loss.

None of them knew what Nigel said but Jason stood up and hugged the older man tightly before going over and doing the same to Hermione.

'Let's go.' He whispered and the three swept through the onlookers and left the hall without a backward glance.

They could hear numerous sets of footsteps following them but they walked resolutely on.

Nigel felt Jason flinch as they heard Dumbledore call for Harry but still they kept walking and only stopped as they reached the outskirts of Hogsmeade village.

'Harry, please.' Dumbledore said again as he, Minerva, Snape, Remus and several other members of the Order including the Weasleys, Kingsley and Tonks.

'Harry.' Dumbledore said again and Jason spun where he stood, unable to take it anymore.

'Don't.' he screamed. 'Don't call me that. There was no Harry Potter. There was just the Boy-Who-Lived and he died that day in September over two years ago. Why couldn't you have left him there? I didn't want this. I didn't want any of it.'

'We needed to know, Potter.' Snape spat. 'We needed to be sure the Dark Lord was dead. If you were alive then he could be too.'

Jason's eyes flashed in anger, the first real emotion Nigel had seen in them since the night before, and he shrugged out Nigel and Hermione's arms and stormed the eight feet to where the potions master was standing.

'You know he's dead. Better than anyone.' He yelled and quicker than anyone could blink, Jason had grabbed Snape's left arm and ripped the sleeve to the elbow exposing a blank forearm for all to see. 'You've known since the moment I killed him and yet you still did this. One last time to ruin the life of James Potter's son. One last time to cause the child of your childhood enemy pain and I bet you took it with two hands and held on tight.' Snape looked away, refusing to meet the accusing green eyes. Jason dropped the potions master's arm now but was still screaming in his face. 'I was happy, you bastard. I was happier than I had ever been in my whole life and you fucking ruined it.' Snape was still sneering at him and Jason lost it, rearing back and punching the potions master square on the nose causing the older wizard to stumble back several steps before falling on his arse, blood pouring down his chin.

Jason felt Nigel and Hermione come and take his arms and he levelled one last glare at the man. 'I hope you die a lonely, miserable death you bastard because you deserve nothing else.' He hissed before he allowed himself to be led away.

'Harry, what are you going to do?' Albus called after him. 'You can't walk all the way to Edinburgh.'

It was Nigel that turned back as he kept Jason sheltered tightly in his arms. 'That is none of your concern.' He said bluntly and just then in the distance came the roar of a motor.

'What in Merlin's name is that?' Arthur Weasley breathed as an enormous helicopter flew into sight over the trees and circled several times in preparation to land.

'EXPELLIARMUS.' Hermione yelled and Dumbledore's wand sailed through the air towards her before he could finish the stupefying spell.

'Miss Granger.' McGonagall admonished loudly over the sound of the helicopter settling on the grass.

Hermione just ignored her instead turning to Nigel. 'Take him.' She gestured to Jason who was trembling violently. 'Get him inside. I'll be right behind you.'

Nigel nodded and half carried Jason to the helicopter and propelled him inside as Hermione turned back to the headmaster.

'Leave him alone. You've done enough. He's done enough.'

'Miss Granger, you don't understand.' Dumbledore began but Hermione cut him off.

'Yes, I do. It's you all that don't. Harry Potter is dead. He never wanted to come back and it was wrong of us to make him try.'

'But we need him.'

'No, you don't. Not anymore. You know Voldemort is dead. Although Snape could have told you that two years ago.' She added, glaring at the potions master who was holding his bloody nose. 'Just leave him alone or I will cause you so much trouble you'll wish Voldemort was back because he would have been easier to deal with.' Hermione fumed, raising her hands and snapping both hers and the headmaster's wands before throwing the pieces away and spinning on her heel and sprinting for the helicopter.

Dumbledore and the members of the Order watched in silence as the helicopter and its precious cargo lifted off the ground and swooped away over the trees.

Eventually there were just the sounds of the trees rustling and the birds singing until Dumbledore walked over to Snape and lifted his arm pulling back the ripped sleeve. He looked up at the taller man, his blue eyes filled with sorrow.

'Revenge, Severus? Is that what this was about?'

Snape yanked back his arm and dropped his eyes.

'I'm incredibly disappointed in you.' Dumbledore added quietly before turning and heading back down the road towards the school.

One year later

Jason barely heard the audience as he moved into what had become his signature. A song he had written himself that had sold more than a billion copies worldwide. It was entitled, My Life.

It began lightly, Jason's fingers skipping over the keys before with a sudden break it plunged into a haunting melody. The orchestra behind him lifted and the music grew stronger. Intermingled between the chilling sections were little riffs of harmony as if breaks of light in the darkness that had been Jason's life before. The music turned colder, darker, and Jason's hands flew from one end of the instrument to the other. The music had the audience almost shivering as they sat entranced at the dark haired figure that was playing with an almost violent passion. The orchestra continued to build once again and there were thoughts of death and destruction that flickered through many a head. Suddenly it stopped and even though the music had been so cold, the loss of it was worse. And then Jason began again, softly this time, lightly even, as if searching for something. He continued to build the sections together and the melody grew warmer until together with the orchestra he brought it home.

Before he had even finished the final note the audience was on its feet, the thunderous applause warming Jason's heart and bringing a sparkle to his eyes.

He stood up and moved around the piano to face them, bowing low as the applause grew even louder.

He raised his arm and gestured to the orchestra and the conductor who also bowed before his eyes caught his family waiting in the wings. Nigel was clapping loudly, his eyes bright with tears as Hermione practically jumped up and down on the spot, hands going madly and tears trickling down her face. In the reflection from the stage lights he could just see the sparkle of the diamond ring on her left hand. He raised his hand and blew her a kiss before turning forward and bowing once more.

Yes, he had finally moved forward. With the help of Nigel and Hermione he had been able to push the past behind him and leave it there. In two days he and Hermione would be married and he could finally look towards the future.

Eventually he walked off the stage and into two sets of loving arms never even noticing the twinkling blue eyes that were also wet with tears, watching him for several moments longer before vanishing into thin air.