Out of the Fire Into the Pan

by NinjaPandaScholar

Summary:

Harry Potter has never been normal. Even before he was born, he was a child of prophecy. So no part of his life could be called normal in the slightest. When given the chance to have a 'normal' life, does he even know what that means? No, he's gone through too much to even try, and he's too tired to care. It's too bad everyone expects him to be the upstanding son and heir of the Potter family when he's never had family before in his life though.

Also, the baby is a little difficult to explain. The baby who may eventually turn into Lord Voldemort...no, nature vs. nurture and all, and Harry plans to nurture the hell out of this kid.

Notes:

So I'm trying something new. I'm posting what I have for everything I'm working on currently. I'll add to each of my works as the muse strikes. I'll have several works in progress because of that, so I can't commit to a posting timeline. They will all eventually be finished though if I can help it.

I have an outline for this fic, but it's pretty loose, so feel free to drop suggestions or things you might want to see in the comments.

Disclaimer: There is a baby throughout this fic. Please don't take parenting advice from fanfics especially when the baby is not a normal baby and the author has no children! I'll do my best with research, but I'm definitely going to make mistakes.

Chapter 1: An Impossible Decision

Harry Potter opened his eyes to find himself in a too white and almost blinding version of King’s Cross Station. It was empty of trains, people, noise, and almost any color. Really, it was the most eerie thing he thought he’d ever seen. With an embarrassed start, Harry also realized he was completely starkers. With only that thought, his clothes from moments before were suddenly on his body; dirt, blood, tatters and all. He was going insane. Yes, that was it. He’d finally gone round the bend.

 

With a deep breath, Harry tried to calm himself enough to look around. Ok, so maybe he was just dead and not actually insane. He had just been hit with a killing curse. A train station was a solid metaphor for moving on, and that would probably explain the nakedness and even his clothes appearing when he wished for them. It would also explain why he wasn’t in significant pain even though he knew his body was still battered and bleeding…though the bleeding had seemed to stop for the moment at least…probably due to, you know, death.

 

He raised up the corner of his shirt and gave a resigned sigh at the new lightning bolt scar right over his heart. Yep, definitely dead. He supposed that had been the plan, and ironically the one plan which seemed to have gone off perfectly for him. He just really hoped someone killed the snake and took out Voldemort in his absence now. Bugger, but he hated leaving behind unfinished business…Harry looked up in fear at that stray thought.

 

“Forget that…I don’t have unfinished business, none at all,” he said in an echoing tone out into the station, really hoping that the universe or whoever didn’t think he wanted to go back as a ghost because that was the last thing he wanted right now. No way did he want to haunt the school for eternity; that just sounded horrible.

 

A small whimper sounded under one of the empty benches, and Harry finally realized he wasn’t alone to his surprise. He rushed over and knelt down to see the most pathetic sight he thought he’d ever seen in his life. It may have been a baby or some creature, but it looked like it had been tortured or burned. Harry wanted to reach out to it, but he didn’t want to cause it any more pain either.

 

He gasped something close to a sob at the sight, and his heart hurt for whatever it had been. “It’s ok,” he tried to softly say to the thing to hopefully calm it. “Hey, we’re dead now, so the pain should be over.”

 

He really hoped the thing wasn’t a baby and actually understood him. Why would there have been a baby at the battle anyway? There wouldn’t have been one in the castle, and why would any of the Death Eaters have brought one with them? It must be some kind of creature.

 

“Harry Potter…” a deep voice that didn’t echo at all like Harry’s had sounded from behind him. In fact, the voice was so flat that it had the hairs on the back of Harry’s neck suddenly stand on end, and he absolutely did not want to turn around and see what was there just over his shoulder.

 

“He cannot understand you,” the voice answered his earlier thought in what may pass for care or concern if it wasn’t in that terrifying flat tone.

 

Harry slowly turned his head to look over his shoulder, the fear not matching the nondescript man wearing a well-tailored black suit with silky, black hair and eyes so light blue they were almost white instead of having a color. “Er…hello…” Harry trailed off, having a good suspicion as to who this person might be and really hoping he was wrong. Who else would be meeting him in the afterlife than Death though?

 

“Hello young man, I’ve been expecting you for a while,” the man chuckled, and it caused goosebumps to raise on Harry’s arms. “Not that I knew when you would arrive, but I suspected it would be around this time. I am quite good at guessing when a person will pass on.”

 

Harry moved hurriedly to his left, still crouched since he didn’t want to leave the poor creature alone with this man, but the man stepped forward to sit on the bench like he owned the place…which he probably did. Harry wanted to be as far from him as possible while still being in range of grabbing the creature if needed.

 

Harry narrowly kept himself from lunging forward when the man just nonchalantly reached under the bench and grabbed onto the thing under it. Harry watched in fear and awe while the bloody and broken creature’s skin slowly healed and knit together leaving what could only be a newborn baby boy lying in the man’s lap.

 

The baby wasn’t moving. Harry stared in horror. “Is he…I mean I know he’s…but why…?” Harry trailed off. The baby was clearly dead if he was in the station with Harry who’d just been hit with a killing curse, but why wasn’t he moving?!

 

“He’s…let’s say asleep…” the man answered with a small smile that was more menacing than comforting. The man did actually shift the baby so that he was holding it cradled in his arms with a hand to the back of his head, and Harry let go of an ounce of his fear for the baby now that the terrifying man was at least holding him correctly. Merlin, he needed to get a grip! Maybe he really had gone round the bend this time, even if he was already dead.

 

The man gave him a knowing look that Harry didn’t like. “You have been in my realm only a short time, but since you have been here there has been no anger, no fear for yourself, only a desire for clothes, to not become a ghost, and then literally every thought since has been connected to the child in some form. The only question you have asked me has been concerning the child…now, what am I to do with you, Harry Potter?”

 

Harry blinked at the guy who was probably…yeah, he was definitely Death. So, Harry shrugged. What did the guy want from him? He’d made his decisions, and he didn’t regret them in the slightest.

 

“What would be the point of anger now?” He finally answered when the silence dragged on.

 

Another terrifying chuckle and the stare never let up in its intensity. “I believe there is a lot of ‘point’ here…” Death finally answered musingly.

 

“Really?” Harry raised a disbelieving eyebrow at him and finally stood from his crouch. “The way I see it, I’m dead, you’re most likely Death, this is some kind of metaphor for moving on, so yeah…done and dusted. What’s next? That seems to be your job now. I did mine.”

 

Death gave him a look that seemed impressed and a little proud. Harry was concerned. After a long moment, the guy laughed again and rubbed a hand down the baby’s back as if to comfort him. “You are correct in all of your assumptions. You were even asking the correct questions before my arrival. Where did the baby come from? Not from the castle, not from one of those minions, so where?”

 

Harry noticed Death’s sneer and avoidance of the term ‘Death Eaters’ and couldn’t help his little knowing smirk at the man who surprisingly rolled his almost white eyes in what could pass for exasperation. “Fine, so where did the baby come from?” Harry asked the question that Death seemed to be waiting for him to ask.

 

“You,” Death said simply and to Harry’s complete shock. “He’s yours…born of the piece of soul left in your scar when you were only a baby yourself.”

 

“The horcrux,” Harry breathed out, not knowing how he felt about that. He should hate the thing. It was a part of Voldemort. But he could only bring himself to pity it after what he’d seen had been done to the poor thing. And now…it was just a baby…

 

“Yes, I suppose it started out that way,” Death said, still rubbing the baby’s back with his black fingernails, which yeah, not paint, they were definitely black.  

 

“There is a very good reason why no one makes living horcruxes though. The ownership of the soul passes to the one it is housed in. A foreign soul cannot reside that closely with another, so they become…related shall we say,” Death continued conversationally.

 

“Wait, what?” Harry frowned, no longer following in the slightest. He crossed his arms and shifted his weight, trying to catch onto what Death was telling him and coming up with nothing.

 

“This piece of soul has been yours for almost your entire life,” Death continued. “This child has been nourished by your own soul and kept safe in your mind. Voldemort did it much damage while trying to exploit his connection to you, but you held onto it until the very end.”

 

“But…I didn’t even know it was there until like an hour ago,” Harry just frowned at the thought that he might have been protecting the horcrux subconsciously.

 

Death shook his head. “That is of no consequence. This piece of soul is no longer Tom Marvolo Riddle,” he said definitively. “This piece of soul is more yours than it was ever Merope Gaunt or Tom Riddle Sr.’s.”

 

“So…it’s a part of me?” Harry looked down at his body wondering why they were separate then.

 

“In a way,” Death smiled. “Similar to how every child is a part of their parents.”

 

“Oh, hell no,” Harry shook his head firmly at that. “Are you telling me that I’ll be raising a kid in the afterlife? Seriously? Is that even possible? What the hell are you saying?!”

 

“No, that is not an option for your upcoming decision,” Death responded, making Harry’s brain pull up short. He had a decision to make?

 

Death still seemed to be weighing him, and Harry was exceptionally uncomfortable that he may be found wanting. “A decision?” He finally asked, not being able to stand it anymore.

 

Death nodded slowly. “Yes, the killing curse requires a life. That is the Law, and even I cannot break it,” he responded. “The original killing curse you were hit with took Lord Voldemort’s life because of the power of your mother’s sacrificial magic. Unfortunately, his soul remained tethered to the earth because of his horcruxes. You have been hit by the curse yet again; however, this time you have two lives to bargain with,” he lifted the baby slightly as if to motion to it.

 

Harry had a sinking feeling in his stomach. He didn’t like where it sounded like this was going. “What are you asking me to do?”

 

“Choose,” Death smiled again, not comfortingly at all. “You are welcome to return to the land of the living and leave this life here with me in my realm in exchange for your own.” Harry was already shaking his head, knowing where this was going now and immediately rebelling against it. He would never let someone die for him ever again.  

 

“Or…” Death cut him off before he could protest. “You can stay here with me and send the little one back.”

 

The choice was so clear but so muddled at the same time. It was a baby! He couldn’t live knowing he’d killed it. But…the battle was still being fought. He couldn’t leave his friends when he had the opportunity to save them either. Also, the baby was kind of a part of Voldemort… but also maybe not?

 

“I see it is a difficult decision,” Death said, and Harry suddenly remembered that the man had seemed to know all his thoughts since he’d arrived in the King’s Cross metaphor. Death was continuing though. “To make your decision easier, I can guarantee you that the battle is already won. No matter which choice you make, Lord Voldemort’s forces are broken, and the light side will be victorious.”

 

Harry breathed out. Ok, he could live with that. Or rather, he could die in peace with that. “However,” Death said, getting a huff of frustration from Harry at his dramatics. The man just smirked at him knowingly. “I cannot guarantee the safety of a newborn baby in the midst of a group of Death Eaters, in the forest, late at night, during a war. There is no certainty he will survive the night. While his lifeline is strong, there are many decisions to be made by many people, and knowing the conclusions of those decisions is beyond my realm.”

 

“You aren’t helping in the slightest,” Harry grunted out and tossed out his fear to sink down and sit on the bench with Death. So what if he was terrifying, Harry was already dead for the moment at least.

 

Death leaned over and passed the baby to him. Again, not helping! Harry took the child and held him close though, feeling soft breaths leaving the little body now that he was in his arms. “How about I add a third option then?”

 

“Like we just both die?” Harry clutched at the baby, not knowing what was best. How could he live with himself if he returned, but was he sentencing the baby to a horrible death if he sent him back alone?

 

Death rolled his eyes again and crossed his arms. “You really are a perplexing human Harry Potter. You have yet to think about returning to the living for the sole purpose that you could live again. But I suppose you are correct in your options,” he said with that fond look again. “So, I propose then a fourth option.”

 

Harry wondered if the baby could be cold since it didn’t have clothes on. Harry wasn’t cold though, and they were technically dead, so was that even possible? “Could you please focus for a minute,” Death rolled his eyes yet again. Harry tended to have that effect on people, even primordial god-like beings it seemed. “The baby is not cold. He is not conscious.”

 

“Fine, what is this fourth option in all your terrible options?” Harry glared, never being good about not poking at the most dangerous thing around him.

 

Death just laughed though. “You make this easier surprisingly. I find I like you quite a lot,” Death said, and yeah, Harry was very concerned about that now. Death liking a person seemed like a terrible spot to be in. “Well, it seems you united my three Hallows before you died.”

 

“Er…yeah, well, I didn’t actually have the wand on me,” Harry frowned since Voldemort still clearly had the wand on his person, he’d just bloody used it to kill Harry.

 

Death waved his hand dismissively as if that didn’t matter in the slightest. “You were the master of the wand, the possessor of the cloak, and the owner of the stone…and then you died,” Death grinned smugly as if that last action had sealed some kind of deal. “So, I find myself obligated to grant you a boon.”

 

“Like, we can both go back?” Harry asked tentatively because then he could protect the baby in that clearing, and Death had said the war was won.

 

Death shook his head though. “No, the Law is very clear that a life is owed, and the Laws are far above my ability to ignore.”

 

“Right, so what then?” Harry asked impatiently. Merlin, but Death seemed to be one for dramatics.

 

Death leaned back and glanced over his shoulder as if to check that they were alone, but who else would be there? “Well, technically,” he said, and Harry was suddenly reminded of Hermione when she didn’t want to break a school rule but thought she’d found a loophole. “I can still take both of your souls from your world but deposit you in another. There are many dimensions and worlds I have dominion within. I’m a very busy being.”

 

Harry just blinked, trying to catch up. “Er…like other planets?”

 

“Some,” Death shrugged. “But there are also parallel dimensions where other decisions were made, sometimes just one almost insignificant decision or action with ripple effects throughout. There are some very similar to your own dimension and some very different. The curse and Nature still takes its due, but I can grant you and yours this boon if you would like since you united my Hallows three.”

 

Harry really didn’t have to think about it. He couldn’t throw a baby in the midst of the group of Death Eaters in the forest at night, and he couldn’t just turn his back on this soul which was apparently something like his own child even if he would miss his friends so much. Death had said the soul wasn’t Voldemort anymore but belonged to Harry, and Harry had never had a family before. What if the weird baby-crux thing was his only chance at a family? Merlin, he really was a little messed up in the head, wasn’t he?

 

Was a chance at a life in a different dimension with a baby who used to be Voldemort worth giving up everything he knew? But also, Death said there were similar dimensions. “Can I pick which dimension we go to?” He asked, his decision already made before he’d even weighed the options.

 

Death smiled a toothy smile again…and yeah, his teeth were pointed, weren’t they? “I knew I liked you,” he said. “No, but I’ll allow you…three, since that is the number of my Hallows, three requests for your new dimension which I will fulfill.”

 

Harry held the baby tighter and thought it over. The first request was easy to find. “It shouldn’t be at war…I just ended a war and don’t want to step into another one.”

 

“Your society,” Death held up a finger. “There is no dimension where war does not exist in some form at all, but I can put you in one where your own society is not at war and also not quickly heading that direction.”

 

Harry just nodded because that was fair. He thought over his other requirements. “Er…I want to be me still, so not like a blue, tentacle alien or anything.”

 

Death rolled his eyes. “I said another dimension, not another world, so you would not be an alien. To respect your requirement though, I will move you as you are now into the dimension.”

 

Harry nodded because he could live with that. He just didn’t want to have a completely new body to deal with on top of a new world and, he guessed, a baby now. It was just one more change he didn’t want to deal with. “Hey…he’s not going to like turn into Lord Voldemort at some point, is he?” He asked, just now thinking of that.

 

Death glared at him. “No, he is yours,” Death said as if he’d already said that, and Harry supposed he had. “He will eventually look similar to how Tom Riddle should have without all the dark magic because you’ve claimed the soul, not the genetics. However, he will have no memory or even echoes of the main soul’s life imprinted on his.”

 

Harry just nodded because he was definitely cool with that. “Brill…just checking to know what I’d need to watch out for.” Because, yeah, he’d been planning on raising the kid even if he had the potential for wanting to take over the world one day. Merlin, his head definitely was a little screwed up. He’d apparently had the soul with him his entire life, but he’d only been holding the kid for like ten minutes now, and he was already attached.

 

What to ask for next though? He could ask for his parents to still be alive. Or actually maybe Ron and Hermione would be the better ask since he really didn’t know his parents at all. But would Ron and Hermione be his friends? Would they even know each other? He could ask for Ron and Hermione, and they not even like him. Or, what if he was a muggle or squib and they weren’t even in school together? Merlin, what if he didn’t have magic?!

 

Harry blinked because Death had said another dimension, and it could literally be one with no magic. Could he live without magic now that he knew about it? Well, yes, the answer was decidedly yes, but still…it was a big part of him now. Plus, if he had no money, no house, and no NEWTs on record, at least having magic would guarantee that he could use spells as a stopgap to find them shelter, food, and heat until he could get a job. It was probably his safest option and then just let the chips fall where they may after that.

 

“I can do that,” Death responded, reading his thoughts before Harry could put it into words. “You are correct, having magic both complicates and makes life simpler. I think you made a good choice for you both, if you care for my opinion on the matter.”

 

“I’m sure if Hermione were here, she would have had much better ideas,” he sighed, knowing he was probably forgetting something vitally important.

 

Death just smiled. “This is your boon though, not Ms. Granger’s,” he said simply. “You know…I may just check in occasionally. I have so enjoyed our conversation. It has been a long while since I have enjoyed a conversation so thoroughly.”

 

Harry opened his mouth to discourage that thought vehemently before there was a blinding light and he was suddenly blinking stars out of his eyes from a very empty clearing in a forest. “Merlin’s balls!” Harry gasped and sank to his knee, holding the now squirming and crying baby tight. He hadn’t felt his injuries at all in the afterlife, but Death hadn’t lied when he said he’d return Harry exactly the way he was then.

 

Harry struggled to stand again with his aching muscles, the ankle he was certain he’d twisted at some point in the day, the burns all over his hands and arms from the vault, and he was also bleeding from several scrapes as well as the deep lightning bolt cut on his chest. The baby gave another soft cry and held onto Harry’s dirty shirt with his little hand.

 

“Right, so first thing,” Harry found his wand in his back pocket and thanked Death for allowing him to keep it. He was pretty sure it had never materialized with his clothes in the afterlife. On second look, Harry then cursed Death because that wasn’t his wand. He was holding the bloody Elder Wand in his hand!

 

“Bloody hell,” Harry grumbled, but went ahead and cast a warming charm on the baby. It was night, and it was cold, and the baby’s warmth and comfort were most important. Next…he supposed he needed some medical help…

 

The baby settled in, seeming to fall back asleep. Dying and coming back to life was very tiring, Harry agreed. He would be asleep now too if they weren’t in what was most likely the very same clearing they’d died in within the Forbidden Forest. So, they could theoretically walk up to Hogwarts and get help from Madam Pomfrey…if Hogwarts existed in this world and had a Madam Pomfrey that was.

 

That would raise a lot of questions though. Supposedly a Harry Potter existed in this world, and damn…did he kill the poor bloke off by taking his place?! Were there two of him? Ok, definitely should have asked Death more questions… He could hear echoes of Hermione yelling at him for not thinking of that.

 

Shove the thought in a box and deal with that later! Harry decided out of self-preservation and general bone-deep tiredness.

 

Ok, so too many questions that he couldn’t answer, and his brain was too tired to come up with lies to attempt the castle in the state he was in. He would really prefer to keep it a secret that he was from another dimension if at all possible. There were a lot of questions he really didn’t want to answer about his old life, and what if the Unspeakables decided he’d make an excellent research project?! What if Dumbledore was still alive? The headmaster always seemed to know when Harry was lying. He needed time to get his bearings before being interrogated by anyone.

 

So, the school was definitely out, even if it was there. St. Mungo’s was an option, but Harry figured it was probably the same exact day and time he’d died in his own dimension and him being out of school would raise just as many questions. He needed someone with at least some medical training who he could trust to not blab to the Unspeakables or the press about what happened to him.

 

Medical training…Madam Pomfrey who would be at the school was this first thought. Probably Snape who would either be at the school or somewhere Harry couldn’t find him, but he was pretty sure Snape hated him in all dimensions. He really couldn’t think of anyone else. Merlin, he needed more friends with medical training. And his shirt was starting to get soaked through with blood concerningly fast…

 

Right, so professions that may require some first-aid knowledge…maybe the aurors. What aurors did he know? Shacklebolt, who he didn’t know how to find…Tonks…oh Merlin, Tonks was probably still alive! But no, aurors worked for the ministry and he was both not in school when he should be and maybe killed their current Harry. Plus, Harry had never actually been to wherever Tonks lived. He didn’t think he would be able to find her.

 

Ok, so not aurors. Charlie maybe… Harry actually considered that. Charlie would have some medical knowledge working with dragons, but he was all the way in Romania and Harry definitely couldn’t get there in the state he was in as well as not knowing where in Romania the dragon reserve was. But that did raise another option, Bill.

 

Bill might know some first aid at least…Bill was a curse-breaker, so he would see injuries often and was very trustworthy in Harry’s dimension anyway. Also, it was one of the few houses Harry had been to and had even been told the location by the secret keeper… though it probably wasn’t under a Fidelus if there wasn’t a war in this dimension. That was if Bill even lived at Shell Cottage in this dimension. The cottage had been in the family though and Bill had inherited it from an aunt or something, so maybe if Bill wasn’t there, whoever was would know how to find him.

 

Harry had to weigh his options with the very little sleep, food, and mental capacity he had at the time, but he decided in the end to chance Gringotts before Shell Cottage. Showing up on a random Weasley aunt’s doorstep was the best way to get the aurors called on him. However, if Harry asked for Bill at the bank, then they would know how to get in contact with him and give Bill fair warning before Harry appeared. At the very least, Harry hoped there may be a goblin healer or a healer they could refer him to if Bill wouldn’t see him. Harry just really hoped this world’s Bill Weasley was still a curse-breaker with Gringotts, Also, he really hoped his dimension’s Harry hadn’t had any reason to steal the bank’s dragon!

 

The clearing was outside the wards of Hogwarts, so Harry turned on the spot and apparated to Diagon Alley. The baby in his arms woke up from where he’d drifted off while Harry thought and immediately started crying. Harry held the baby tight while he threw up the nothing in his stomach in the side alley he’d landed in. That was not a pleasant experience in the slightest! He bounced and shushed the baby while he banished his sick and turned to find the bank. Yeah, he really shouldn’t be apparating in his current condition. Probably best to take the Knight Bus next time to wherever Bill lived or something.

 

Harry had to pause and take in a very different Diagon Alley. Well, different from his time at least. It looked almost identical to before his fourth year when everything had started to fall apart. Sadly, there wasn’t a Weasley’s Wizarding Wheezes storefront in the middle of the alley, but everything else was there. It looked like it would be a bustling shopping area if it were daylight. He was pretty certain there were actually more stores than usual, but it was dark, and he frankly didn’t care to look or spend the energy to process in the slightest.

 

He gave his head a little shake to try to focus back in before hurrying up the steps to the 24hr bank. The baby was still sniffling some with snot running out of his nose, but he had quieted significantly when Harry pushed open the glass doors and strode up to where one of the goblin night-tellers were working.

 

“Can I help you?” The goblin trailed off with a clearly concerned frown at where Harry was injured, definitely bleeding, and probably only barely standing. “Should I call an auror? Have you and the baby been attacked?”

 

“No,” Harry quickly cut off the goblin and bounced the baby a little more. “No, I’m fine. It was just an accident, really.”

 

“Babies are not allowed on the carts down to the vaults,” the goblin eyed the baby next, seeming to try to figure out what the hell was going on. Harry’s eyebrows went up, not expecting that rule, but it very much did make sense. There was no way he was letting his baby on one of those death-trap carts!

 

“Actually,” he sighed tiredly, hoping to stay vertical for a little while longer before he would most likely pass out. “Do you have any way to get in contact with Bill Weasley? Er…I think he’s a curse-breaker here at the bank?”

 

The goblin’s eyes narrowed. “And who may I say is needing him?” The goblin asked in suspicion.

 

Harry almost sighed in relief. Wonderful! So, Bill did work for the bank here. Merlin, but that was good to hear! Harry opened his mouth but closed it again. It was second nature to not want to announce who he was at this point in his life…but if there wasn’t a war on here, then maybe…maybe he wasn’t famous? He could only hope.

 

“Harry Potter,” he finally said with his fingers metaphorically crossed that this was going to go well, and he wouldn’t be arrested on the spot like he would be in his own world.

 

The goblin’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Mr. Potter?” He asked incredulously. Harry suddenly had the sinking feeling that he may look very different from this dimension’s Harry. Realistically, he’d been starving for the past…well, his entire life. Plus, he needed a haircut like six months ago, and that wasn’t even taking into account his injuries. Maybe this whole laying low thing wasn’t his most reasonable idea.

 

“I’ve had a very rough day,” Harry lamely sighed. He really wasn’t going to come up with a good lie right now. “Can you please just get Bill for me before I bleed all over your lobby?”

 

The goblin shook his head, still seeming to try to get over his surprise before he turned and went into a backroom. “Hey, shhh,” Harry bounced the crying baby again. He just didn’t have the strength to do more. Actually, he would really like to put the baby on the counter to take some of the weight, but he currently had the kid wrapped in his shirt as much as possible, and everyone would see he didn’t have any clothes on if he did that. Merlin, he hoped he didn’t get peed on before he could find some nappies!

 

The goblin was suddenly back, surprising Harry who seemed to have zoned out for probably a long while. “Follow me,” the goblin opened a small door in the teller stand and motioned for Harry to enter. “Mr. Weasley has granted you access to floo through to his residence though I do not understand why.”

 

Merlin, that was good to hear. He hoped he had one more magical trip in him. At least he wasn’t using his own magic this time, or he’d probably splinch himself or the baby. The green flames of a fireplace in what looked like a waiting room was welcome for the first time ever. Harry hated floo travel, but he just needed to get somewhere safe. If he got somewhere safe, he could rest and put the baby down. He hadn’t been safe in so long…Honestly, he wasn’t sure he even remembered what safe felt like. Had he ever been safe? No, the prophesy had been made before he’d been born, so no, never been safe in his life.  

 

The goblin held out a tin of floo powder and glared. “The address is Shell Cottage, Cornwall.”

 

Harry almost collapsed then and there hearing that. Bill and Fleur were at Shell Cottage here too! Maybe things weren’t so different after all. He really wished he’d tried Shell Cottage first now, but he just hadn’t been sure how close the dimensions would be.

 

Harry shifted the baby to more safely protect his head for the trip. He’d gotten much better about not stumbling out of floos, but he still worried about the spinning and how it would affect a baby. Harry took some of the powder and threw it into the flames before quickly wrapping that hand around the baby too and shielding the small form with his own body.

 

“Shell Cottage, Cornwall!” He yelled clearly.

 

Harry held onto the baby as the air spun past them until he staggered out into the night-darkened kitchen at Bill and Fleur’s home. The baby let out a loud wail at the horrible form of travel, which Harry understood completely and supported wholeheartedly. Harry just sat right down on the stone floor, having nothing left to give in him at all, no matter what awaited them now.

 

“Hey,” Harry blinked up at where Bill Weasley, without any visible scarring, stood holding a wand on him in the middle of his kitchen with a surprised look in his eyes. “So…er…help us…please?”

 

Bill’s wand sank a little, and he looked completely lost at this situation. Harry suddenly realized that this Bill Weasley might not even know him at all. But…why would he let him come through the floo then?

 

“Merlin, Potter…,” Bill breathed out in shock. “Ramhorn said you were injured and had a baby with you, but what the hell are you coming to me for?”

 

“Ah, the baby,” Harry let out a slightly unhinged chuckle. Because yeah, of course, Bill would let someone he maybe only vaguely knew come to his house because they needed help and had a baby. Bill had been raised by Molly Weasley after all. Oh, this was probably a bad idea…

 

He had no energy left within him to keep going though. He hadn’t slept since the last time he’d been at Shell Cottage, he didn’t think he’d eaten since then either, and well, he’d lost a lot of blood. Even the baby had some of his blood on him now even though Harry had been trying to keep him clean on the other side of his chest. Harry just gave up. For the first time probably ever, he gave up.

 

Harry lay back on the ground and shifted the baby to rest on his chest, not even able to sit up anymore. “Please,” was all he could get out as his vision blurred.

 

“Oh, hell, don’t you bloody die in my kitchen, Potter!” Bill hurried over, and Harry felt the baby being gently lifted from his arms. He almost tried to pull him back, but Harry trusted Bill…he just really hoped he could trust this dimension’s Bill too.

 

“Don’t call the aurors,” was the last thing Harry could get out before he felt himself decidedly slipping from consciousness.

 

“I should have gone on that dig in Argentina,” Bill grumbled before Harry knew nothing else about what was going on around him.

Chapter 2: Rehab

Notes:

Warning: Non-graphic mentions of drug use and overdoses

“Shite!” Harry jumped to consciousness abruptly, casting a shield around himself automatically with the wand which was somehow in his hand as soon as he needed it.

 

“What the bloody hell?!” Harry felt his side where it seemed he’d been hit with a stinging hex by the apologetic Bill Weasley standing at the foot of the bed he found himself in and holding the baby who was now wearing a nappy and hippogriff themed onesie and looking very happy now that he was clothed and warm and Harry’s blood cleaned off of him. The baby blinked huge blue eyes at him and grinned a toothless smile. Harry’s heart melted into a puddle of goo.

 

“How did you get your wand?” Bill’s apologetic look fell into a frown. “I left it in the kitchen when it didn’t want me to pick it up.”

 

Harry dispelled the shield around himself and put the wand on the side table, fumbling for his glasses in the process. “Didn’t want you to pick it up?”

 

“I don’t know, mate. You have a weird wand. I got a stinging hex to the hand every time I reached towards it,” Bill shrugged, looking way more interested than his words would lead one to believe. Harry had a feeling Bill would really like to study Harry like he was some kind of interesting curse on a tomb.

 

Harry just looked at the man, taking in the differences. He looked the same as the Bill from his own dimension just without the scars. His long, red hair was tied back in a ponytail, he had the dragon tooth earring that Harry knew had been gifted to him from Charlie, and he had his normal magical band t-shirt and dark jeans Harry always saw him in which definitely weren’t dress code for a bank. He looked much less stressed though and less severe than the last time he’d seen the man. He was Harry’s same Bill, but also not…

 

“Why the hex to me then? It is because of my wand? I wasn’t the one who did it,” Harry rubbed his side again and realized suddenly that he was wearing pajamas which were too big for him, so definitely Bill’s. He also had bandages on his hands, arms, and chest. He must have really been out for Bill to do all that to him without him noticing. “Er…how long have I been out?”

 

Bill sat at the end of the bed and patted the baby’s back, just looking at Harry contemplatively, clearly trying to figure out the man who’d invaded his home. “You’ve been asleep for almost 15 hours, and I need answers before you’re reported as a missing person and your dad and godfather break down my door because you’ve been traced here or something. I don’t think the goblins will give me up, but I also don’t know who else you told you were coming here. As for the stinging hex, well, you wouldn't wake up when I yelled at you, so I went with a plan B. So, what gives Potter?”

 

Ok, so first of all…he has a dad?! And Sirius!! How does he even handle that?!

 

Harry decidedly shoved all that in the box in his head to be dealt with later, along with everything else cluttering it up now too. Yeah, he just couldn’t deal with that right now. But what did he tell Bill?

 

He originally chose Bill because he was going to have to let someone in or he’d never find out what was different about this dimension from his own before making some terrible mistakes. He didn’t think Death would be as helpful a second time around if he died. So, Harry needed help, and this man seemed like the least likely to turn him over to the aurors and most likely to hear him out…from what he remembered of the Bill in his own dimension at least. So, the truth it was…He really hoped he and baby didn’t live to regret this.

 

“Er…so…I didn’t kidnap the baby. He’s…er…mine?” Harry frowned. Right? Death said the baby was his in a way at least. Whatever, that seemed the most important thing to clear up first.

 

Bill gave him a dry look. “Yes, Potter. That was literally the first thing I checked after stopping your bleeding. I wasn’t going to harbor a kidnapper no matter how good at quidditch he is,” he said with an exasperated glare.

 

Harry just frowned. Wouldn’t the baby not be genetically his though? Like, he was still Tom Riddle genetically, right?

 

Bill just let out a sigh at his confused expression. “Look, it’s an easy spell to check someone’s family magic. The baby’s magic came from you…ergo, your baby. I sometimes use the spell to track curses to family magics, but it works for paternity testing just as well.”

 

Ah…Harry nodded. The baby’s soul was connected to his, so that must be what a person’s magic was connected to. Ok, so cool. One problem solved. Also, he supposed he must play quidditch in this world too? Sure…that’s great. It had been a while, but he missed flying. Maybe he could fly again without the threat of death hanging over him. Though…he winced at the flashbacks of the last time he’d flown which were already lurking in the back of his mind with Hedwig and Moody’s deaths.

 

Not seeming to have caught his mini-crisis, Bill passed the baby back to Harry who gladly took him, somehow already missing the little squishy tyke though they’d just met. Tom’s blue eyes blinked up at him with just a shock of messy dark hair on his mostly bald head. Harry couldn’t help a chuckle when the baby drooled down his chin with a happy look. Damn, but Harry already loved him!

 

“Also, if my mum ever finds out that I owl ordered baby clothes and nappies and bottles, then I’m taking that out on you in the most painful way possible,” Bill pointed at him seriously, and Harry couldn’t help his wince. Yeah, if Molly Weasley found out…Bill had every right to just murder him on the spot.

 

“Heard and understood,” Harry said, accepting that stipulation with the gravity it deserved. Bill looked a little confused, but Harry knew his mum very well, so he was in complete agreement. “Er…I’ll pay you back too…erm, when I can…Do I have money?”

 

Bill raised a surprised eyebrow at him, and Harry realized he’d said that last bit out loud. Merlin, he was still so tired! Anyway, maybe Bill would know if this Harry seemed destitute or not though. If he had parents, that had to mean he had some form of support…maybe? That wasn’t exactly his experience from living with his aunt and uncle, but the Potters had left him quite a lot of money after their deaths in his world, maybe they actually took care of their son…was Harry their son?

 

“Er…yeah…this is a bit of a fucked-up situation if I’m being honest…” Harry trailed off not even knowing where to start explaining. He’d just died though, so maybe he should be given a little understanding and empathy here.

 

“Right, so hold on. You’re going about this in the most confusing way possible,” Bill held up a finger and closed his eyes for a moment, seeming to collect himself. “First of all, in all this insanity, the question I need answered right this minute is what happened to you and who’s coming after you that you don’t want me to call the aurors? If we’re going to be attacked, or someone will be trying to arrest me, I need to know that right now.”

 

Harry blinked in surprise. For the first time in a long time, no one actively wanted him dead…that was just very shocking. “Actually…no one’s coming after me…well, I suppose if your world’s Harry isn’t around somewhere then I would eventually be reported as missing if I haven’t been already, then people may look for me. There might be two of me in this world though. I really should have asked about that before being sent here.”

 

Bill’s face went from exceptionally confused to shocked understanding in one fell swoop. “Time travel or dimension travel then?” He asked crossing his arms and taking Harry in as if so much more made sense now.

 

Wow, Harry knew he’d picked the right person to come to, but just…wow. Magical people tended to believe a whole lot more crazy than anyone else in the world, but Bill as a curse-breaker probably saw even more crazy than the average wizard. “Wow, ok, so yeah, you’re right…it’s dimension travel. We’re not from here. How did you put that together so quickly?”

 

“I don’t know if I’d call it quickly. You’ve been asleep for 15 hours, and I’ve cast a hell of a lot of spells at you and the baby,” Bill eventually admitted. “You don’t make sense. I don’t know this world’s Harry Potter at all, but I read the paper, so I know enough that you should not be him. You played in the season’s last quidditch game at Hogwarts two days ago, and your picture was all over the paper for it. You…this version of you is much thinner, your hair is atrocious, there is no way your injuries were all sustained after then, that scar on your forehead is old and didn’t exist two days ago, and there is no way the Heir to the House of Potter has been systematically starved for most of his life…so yeah…mate, your dimension must suck!”

 

Harry couldn’t help the unhinged laugh because Bill had no idea, and Harry was certain he was a little loopy still on lack of sleep, blood loss, and oh yeah, dying. “Yeah, mate, it definitely sucked!”

 

“I’m guessing you knew me in your dimension which is why you came here?” Bill asked, seeming to put that piece together with some relief at another answer fitting into place. “We’re not really close in age. How did we even meet? Please tell me I wasn’t a professor at Hogwarts in any dimension?!”

 

Harry smiled. “Not in mine at least. You were a curse-breaker with Gringotts, that’s why I went there to find you. I didn’t realize you’d live in the same house, and I didn’t think an old Weasley aunt would listen to me before calling the aurors if whoever had this house before you was still alive.”

 

Bill breathed out a dramatic breath. “Thank Merlin for that! I’d hate that I sold out to teach Charms or something. And, yeah, I’ve been living here for almost a year, ever since I came back from Egypt full time.”

 

Harry just nodded, not really understanding why the thought of teaching bothered him so much but whatever, and kissed the top of the baby’s head. “I actually knew your family really well. They were…they were good to me. Ron and I were best friends since the train ride first year to Hogwarts, and I stayed here with you and Fleur for a while before…well, before I died and came to this world. You were the only person I thought I could realistically find who would have some medical knowledge, and who wouldn’t turn me over to the Unspeakables or something.”

 

“You and Ron? Really?” Bill raised a disbelieving eyebrow. Merlin, that hurt. He supposed this Harry and Ron must not be friends. Why wouldn’t they be friends?

 

“Last I heard he was plotting your murder if you scheduled ‘one more bloody quidditch practice’…his words,” Bill chuckled. “So, bypassing your death, which we need to come back to. Who’s Fleur?”

 

Harry blinked at him and processed that question. “So…I suppose you aren’t married in this dimension to Fleur Delacour?”

 

Bill’s eyes widened in surprise, and he slowly shook his head. “Er…no…I don’t even know who that is, and I’m very single, so nope, not at all. Was she cute at least?”

 

“Gorgeous, quarter veela too,” Harry just assured him with a small smile. Bill at least looked a little mollified at that information.

 

“Go me!” Bill grinned at him widely.

 

“I guess finding out if there’s another Harry here is probably first priority. Like…he’s probably already missed a class or something if I took his place,” Harry got back to business with a frown. "I really hope I didn't do something to him by coming here."

 

Bill wrinkled his nose with a look at the baby. “I think first priority might be changing the little tyke’s nappy. What’s his name by the way?”

 

Harry just looked at the baby whose face was scrunched in a way that clearly said he was pooping, so yeah. “I guess I need to learn how to change those,” Harry mused. “And erm…he doesn’t have a name yet…what does he look like to you? Any ideas?”

 

Bill’s eyebrows almost shot up to his hairline in surprise. “What the hell? How does your baby not have a name. Yeah, he’s a newborn, but not that new!”

 

Harry sighed tiredly. He probably could have slept for another fifteen hours at least. “Well, he’s not really…I don’t…I honestly don’t know how to describe what he is,” he gave up. How did a person describe a horcrux which had been in your head for sixteen years that became so different from the original soul it had been attached to that it became a different person altogether?

 

Harry just closed his eyes and jumped in to try the best he could. “Look, a really bad man tried to kill me as a baby and left a piece of his soul in my head because of some really dark and disgusting magic. When I died, Death showed up and explained that I owned the soul piece and handed me this baby who came from it. So, congrats, I’m a new dad, and then we get plopped in this dimension because I accidentally picked up three important artifacts and Death thinks I’m interesting and is having a lark at watching me screw up my life or something…”

 

Bill just blinked at him slowly, a stunned blank look on his face. Harry waited and watched Bill as a slow smile started to form and grew wider. “Potter…you are so much more interesting than the bloke we have here with your name! I mean, I don’t know him, but Merlin, I want to hear more about everything! What the hell have you been through? How in all magical creation did you get a baby from a piece of soul? Which…how does a soul split anyway? Just…so many questions…”

 

Harry scoffed at Bill’s excited rambling because he’d had to live through it all and thought it was more tragic and traumatic than interesting. Frankly, he felt a little insulted for this world’s Harry who may have a wonderful family, great marks in his classes, and a promising future. He really didn't want to screw that up for the bloke if he did.

 

“Please, you don’t even know him, so he may have a wonderful life. Mine’s more of a horror story. And call me Harry for Merlin’s sake!”

 

Bill laughed but flicked his wand and summoned a nappy and some wipes from the other room. “I’ve already changed several of these, it’s your turn,” he laughed again and handed it over.

 

Harry laid the baby on the bed and made faces at him to get him to laugh and not cry. The onesie was a little complicated…how did…

 

“There are snaps under him,” Bill motioned.

 

“Ah…” Harry nodded and figured this must be pretty self-explanatory, right?

 

“Watch out, he may pee on you,” Bill warned with a smirk.

 

“How are you so good with this?” Harry asked, taking off the nappy and giving the kid’s bum a good wipe before banishing the old one and the wipes.

 

“Lots of younger siblings, and I babysat Ron and Ginny a lot,” Bill shrugged and stood. “He needs a name. You think about that, and I’ll send an owl to my brother and see if I can ask if he’s seen you around today without it sounding too suspicious. Godric’s balls, I don’t know how I’m going to do that, but I’ll give it a go.”

 

“Thanks,” Harry said distractedly before he was left all alone with the baby again. “Well, we’re definitely not calling you Tom…”

 

The baby started crying since Harry was apparently taking too long with the nappy. “Bossy already, aren’t you?” Harry laughed and finished snapping the onesie up again.

 

“So, how are you faring in your new world? Settled in yet? Made any enemies?” An echoey voice asked from where a familiar man was suddenly sitting on the chair beside Harry’s bed looking as if he belonged there.

 

“Godric’s balls!” Harry jumped and gripped his chest. “Death! You’re going to give me a heart attack.”

 

“That would be counter-productive,” Death shrugged and smirked at him, picking at his black nails. Why was his voice echoey now when it’d been so flat in the afterlife? Whatever, it didn’t matter.

 

“Mate…just…is there another Harry here somewhere?” He asked quickly, needing answers. “I forgot to ask. Are there two of me, or did you kill the guy off? Wouldn’t that mess with Nature or something too?”

 

Death smiled, showing off his pointed teeth. “You are learning. That is very good,” he chuckled. “No, you are the only Harry Potter in this world, but that was fairly easy to work within Nature to accomplish. I didn’t even need to strain myself.”

 

“What does that mean?” Harry was very suspicious. That didn’t sound good at all. What happened to this world’s Harry?!

 

Death chuckled and that understandably upset the baby who Harry clutched to his chest and tried to soothe now with a rocking motion and rubbing his back. “Harry Potter…in most dimensions you die at either fifteen months or seventeen years of age. It is almost a constant in all realities. There are only a few where Fate allows you to reach adulthood, and this was not one of those. This Harry Potter died only moments before I left you in the forest to take his place.”

 

Harry just blinked in shock at that horrifying news. Why did Fate have it out for him like that? Was Fate a real being like Death was? Oh Merlin, that was a thought Harry quickly shoved in that same box in his mind to not deal with at all. He never wanted to meet Fate, or he was definitely going to punch the being and probably be killed for it…again.

 

“Are you telling me that I took the place of someone who was murdered? Is there someone out there trying to kill me? I know that’s technically not a war but come on Death! You have to know I meant safety when I asked for no war in my new dimension!”

 

“First of all,” Death held up a long finger with a smirk. “You didn’t ask for safety, so that was never in the requirements. But this Harry wasn’t murdered, so no, as of right now there are no homicidal maniacs after you in this particular dimension…so far at least. You do tend to attract them.”

 

Harry frowned. “What then…was he sick, or did he…Death, did he kill himself?!”

 

Death shook his head then confusingly frowned and shrugged. “I suppose you’d need to define what you meant by ‘sick’ and what you mean by ‘killed himself.’ This Harry had a chronic drug problem which had gotten worse over the past year. He overdosed under the quidditch stands just before I took his body and left you here.”

 

What the hell?! “But…there aren’t drugs in the magical world…” Harry just stuttered out. He’d never heard of any magical beings with a drug problem. Drinking, well definitely, like most of the people he knew had a drinking problem, but no one had ever mentioned drugs.

 

Death laughed at him. “Oh dear, sweet child,” he continued to chuckle, making Harry glare at him for the condescension. “You may have been a child soldier who murdered his first person at eleven, but you were so very sheltered in some regards. I do quite like getting to know you. You are fascinating.”

 

Harry glared at Death but just grabbed his wand and cast a patronus, not feeling up to standing. “Bill don’t send the owl. There isn’t another Harry,” he said before sending Prongs to wherever the man was with a flick of his wand.

 

“Is this going to be a thing?” Harry motioned between them to indicate Death’s check-in. “Not to be rude or anything, but I didn’t think we’d be best mates while I’m, you know, alive.”

 

Death just hummed at him and winked before Harry was all alone once more with the baby. He let out a noisy sigh and leaned back in the bed with the baby on his chest. “Alright, whatever…you need a name. Merlin…what about…?”

 

Harry couldn’t think of a single name. What the hell? How did people pick their babies’ names?! He’d gotten Hedwig’s name out of a book…

 

Harry sucked in a breath. Was Hedwig alive in this world? Was she Harry’s owl? He really hoped she was this Harry’s owl!

 

Right, baby names first, so families had naming traditions, that might help. What did the Potters do? Harry, as a name, didn’t seem to come from anywhere special that he knew of. Sirius’s family did the constellations, but Sirius was alive now, so would he think it weird that Harry had used his family’s naming tradition?

 

Bill’s head appeared in the doorway several moments later before he entered carrying a plate with a sandwich and crisps on it. “Awesome patronus,” he remarked with a grin. “I thought you might be hungry.”

 

“How do you pick a baby’s name?” He asked the man at a complete loss. “Your family does some combination of Arthurian legends and family names, right?”

 

Bill paused to think about that, then just nodded before sitting the plate on the bed in front of Harry. “Yeah, I don’t know what to tell you Harry. I think they make books with baby names in them. What are your ideas?”

 

“I just know not Tom, and that’s the extent of it,” Harry grumbled and gratefully took his sandwich. He wanted to inhale the thing, but he made himself take small bites and chew slowly or he knew he’d throw it all up again.

 

“Thank you…” he said between bites. “You just missed a little visit from Death, by the way. Apparently, he was ‘checking in’ or something.”

 

Bill paled and almost collapsed down on the bed. “Is that how you figured out there wasn’t another Harry? I wondered how that came about.”

 

Harry just nodded while he chewed. He swallowed and winced at the reminder. “Yeah, er…apparently this Harry overdosed and died right before I popped here…bloody hell, I didn’t even know there were magical drugs!”

 

Bill looked very concerned, which fair, Harry was too. “Ron and Ginny both are on the quidditch team with him, and they’ve made some comments in the past that your, or rather his, behavior could be a little erratic. As far as I know, there weren’t any rumors about drugs though. You, or rather he, was an excellent quidditch player, already signed on to play with Puddlemere United after you graduate. Er…how’s that going to work? Please say you’ve at least played before.”

 

Harry shrugged. “Youngest seeker in a century, but I haven’t played in a year at least…being on the run during a war isn’t conducive to quidditch games.”

 

Bill stared at him before just reaching out and taking the baby so Harry could have two hands to eat. “I need a lot more information about you, but we need to talk strategy first. If there isn’t another Harry, then someone has noticed him missing by now. Your mum is the Muggle Studies professor, so she’s probably going frantic searching the castle as we speak.”

 

Harry choked on his sandwich. “Mum? M-My mum is alive?” He didn’t know why that hit him harder than hearing his dad was alive. He should have realized she would be if James was too.

 

Bill’s face fell in sadness. “She wasn’t in your dimension?”

 

Harry shook his head and took the time to slowly take another bite, chew, and swallow. “Bill…in my world, I’m famously an orphan with literally no living family…well, that wants me at least.”

 

The baby was starting to fall asleep, so Bill transfigured the chair Death had been sitting in into a cot and one of Harry’s pillows into a mattress for it. “Harry…I’ll say it again, but your dimension sounds like it sucks.”

 

“It sucks balls,” Harry snorted a laugh and ate one of the crisps on the plate. Yeah, he missed Ron and Hermione with an ache so painful it felt like being stabbed, but also, they had each other still in that old reality, and he had family here it sounded like. More importantly, he wasn’t famous for anything more than being a good quidditch player at Hogwarts…as far as he knew at least.

 

“I haven’t eaten in…I don’t think I can even do that math right now,” he remarked with a shrug and another crisp. “I’m really trying not to make myself sick…”

 

Bill looked so very sad at the plate. “Do your best. I’ll make a light dinner for us. But…based on the little I know, you may need to consider that it might be best to tell people, your family anyway, about being from another dimension.”

 

Harry hated that idea with a passion. “And explain what happened to their Harry! Absolutely not! That's not my job.”

 

Bill was shaking his head though. “There’s no way you can pass for this Harry based on your health and how you look. Like we’d need to actually stage a kidnapping and keep you out of the public eye for a month to explain how you look the way you do.”

 

“Plus the kid,” Harry sighed, feeling the last of his energy seeping away.

 

“Plus the kid,” Bill agreed. “It’s not ideal…and I don’t know your parents well enough to guess if they would keep it a secret or freak out.”

 

Harry frowned and chewed a bite of his sandwich. “Do you think they might turn me over to the Unspeakables? I’m not their son. What if they think I was the one who did something to him?”

 

Bill transfigured a piece of parchment into a blanket for the baby while he thought it over. “James Potter is head auror, so that may be a tick in the negative for if he feels like he may need to investigate what happened to his son and why you’re here. I would assume your family loves you though.”

 

“Not me, their Harry,” he shook his head. “Also, their Harry had a chronic drug problem according to Death, so really, how close could they be? Why didn’t they get him help if they knew? If it was bad enough for him to die from an overdose, then how could they miss it if it was that bad? I don’t know anyone with a drug problem, but the alcoholics I know are pretty clearly alcoholics, so shouldn’t someone have at least guessed and tried to get him help? And if they don't know he had a problem, then they have no reason to believe I'm not some imposter who killed their son and took his place. Death said he took the body, so I don't have proof for what happened.”

 

“Let’s look at the other side then for if you don't tell them,” Bill sighed, not seeming to be able to answer any of those questions. “What could explain you looking different and suddenly having a son?”

 

Harry pushed the plate away from him, already getting queasy now. “Oddly enough, Little Bub over there is actually pretty explainable if I met a girl during this past summer. That would be long enough ago for him to be a newborn now. If I spun the story that she was a muggle and didn’t want to raise a magical baby, then maybe she just dumped him on me.”

 

“Fair, so you told her about magic then? The baby is too young for accidental magic,” Bill bounced the sleepy baby while he thought the story through.

 

“I assume I’d have to have told this theoretical girl if I found out she was pregnant,” he shrugged tiredly. “I think I still need to disappear for a while because of how I look though. I don’t know of any type of potion that would make me look healthy at this point, not instantly anyway.”

 

“What about rehab?” Bill stopped bouncing the baby, actually seeming to look like he was beginning to agree with this insane idea surprisingly enough. “You found out you had a son and decided to get yourself clean. You write a letter to your parents, and from what I hear…er, from people…you aren’t allowed a lot of communication and visitors in rehab, so you should have time to gain back some weight before they see you.”

 

Harry was nodding, wondering who Bill had known who had to go to rehab. Probably not something he should ask though. Well, the knowledge was helping them now at least.

 

“Most of my scars are coverable with long sleeves and trousers, but I would need to come up with something for my head…maybe I fainted and hit my head when I found out I was a father,” he grinned with a chuckle. “I really might have if I hadn’t been dead already at the time and dealing with that.”

 

“We have time to come up with a lie for that particular scar…and your hand,” Bill frowned at the scar written across the back of his hand. Harry turned it, not liking people to see that scar the most of all the ones on his body.

 

“How did…?”

 

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Harry cut him off. “I’ll come up with a lie or be a ponce and wear gloves or something.”

 

Bill accepted that magnanimously and passed the baby back to him since Harry was done eating and the kid was two seconds from falling completely asleep at this point anyway. “It would still be easier to tell people what happened.”

 

“That I’m from another dimension where they’re all dead; I was a baby of prophecy who had to die to save the world; I did die but did it as the Master of Death, so Death thought it would be a fun idea to toss me to another dimension so we could be best mates or something? Oh yeah, and your son is dead, but I didn't kill him, and no I can't prove that...?" Harry summed up with a raise of his eyebrow. He’d just lived it and even he didn’t believe it. That was a whole lot to throw on parents who he didn’t know in the slightest. Even a sane version of Sirius, Harry wouldn’t know or be able to predict his reaction.

 

Bill blinked a few times before snorting out a sharp laugh. “Point taken. I suppose I’m probably only taking this well since I’m not emotionally invested in the Harry who used to live here…either that or I’m just awesome,” he chuckled. “Yeah, ok, I’m on board with the lying our arses off plan then. How about going ahead and writing that letter then so no one starts looking for you? I really don’t fancy being interrogated on my day off.”

 

“Flower and plant names!” Harry exclaimed with a huge smile when the thought struck him. “That’s Mum’s family’s naming tradition! Think of flower and plant names for the baby!”

 

Bill stood, continuing to laugh. “Yeah, yeah, let me get you some parchment and a quill, and we’ll draft up that letter together so I can make sure you don’t throw anything completely insane in it.”

 

---

 

Dear Mum and Dad,

 

I’m sure you know I’ve been struggling recently. The stress and pressure of expectations just got to me with the quidditch final and NEWTs, and I made some very bad decisions. Mum, Dad, I’m addicted to drugs.

 

I wish that was the most shocking thing I needed to tell you in this letter, but it’s unfortunately not. I met a girl out in London last summer. She was really cute, smart, and a muggle. We didn’t plan on this being a lifetime commitment or anything, just a bit of fun. Well, that bit of fun led to a baby I only just learned about.

 

Your grandson is perfect. He’s beautiful with dark hair, blue eyes, and a magical core. I had to tell his mum about magic, and she absolutely does not want to raise a magical child. She says that either I take custody of our son, or she’ll put him up for adoption. I shudder to think of what could happen to a magical child in the muggle foster care system.

 

I’m taking my son. I just can’t do it the way I am now. I’ve checked myself into rehab to get clean. I know I’m supposed to be at school, but the baby’s mother and I agreed I would take him as soon as possible, as soon as I get clean.

 

I’ve checked with the ministry, and I can take my NEWTs there at the end of June. I will leave rehab just before then. That will still give me plenty of time before my contract begins with Puddlemere to get the baby settled.

 

I know this puts you both in an awkward position to have to explain to Professors McGonagall and Dumbledore why I’m not attending classes for the rest of term, and I am very sorry about that. I left for this program as soon as I found it when I heard of my son’s birth. Also, they’re not going to allow any visitors while I’m here to focus on my recovery. You are welcome to owl me, and I’ll reply when I’m allowed to. Importantly, be aware that the program directors will be reading all correspondence you send.

 

I will see you both in just over a month. I’m very sorry.

 

Your son,

Harry

 

 

 

“Sound reasonable?” Harry asked Bill who was nodding at the letter. “I kept it as vague as possible just in case they did know about the drugs and what it was in particular he was addicted to since I have absolutely no clue. And you’re sure I’m in Gryffindor and McGonagall and Dumbledore are the ones I should mention?”

 

Bill glared at him. “Yes, I might not know you, but everyone knows that.”

 

“I think the beginning is vague enough for if they already knew I had a problem or not, right?” He asked, worrying over the letter. What if there was something in it that clued them in to him not being their son? “And you’re sure about when the NEWTs are administered and when the professional quidditch season starts?”

 

“Yes, yes, I'm sure. I think it works, and everything checks out. I like the addition at the end about the directors reading the post,” Bill nodded. “That will keep them from sending howlers or getting too confrontational at least. I think it sounds good for what it is.”

 

“Would they have any reason to recognize your owl?” Harry asked, handing the letter over to Bill to post for him.

 

Bill shook his head. “No, and Gringotts requires me to keep up anti-tracking spells on him for security purposes, so they can’t follow him back or anything.”

 

“Brilliant,” Harry sighed and lay back down on the bed, wanting to join the baby, who was now asleep in his transfigured cot, in a nap. “If you can give me a few more hours of sleep, then I’ll take Little Bub and find a muggle hotel to check into or something. I’ll need to swing by Gringotts, but maybe I have access to some money.”

 

Bill gave him a weird look. “What?”

 

Harry didn’t follow his confusion. “Thank you for your help. Do you mind if I sleep just a little longer before we get out of your hair?” He asked again in a different way since Bill didn’t seem to understand.

 

“Why the bloody hell are you leaving?” Bill expanded on his confusion. “Harry, you came to me to help you, and you might not actually know me, but you trust my other dimension self, and that means something to me. Plus, you clearly have no idea how to take care of an infant, so I’m not turning you lose out there without any help. Just…we’ll owl Gringotts and have them send you some money because that’ll sell you paying for rehab and give you money to buy things for the kid, but you can stay here. No one is using this guest room.”

 

“Oh…you’re really ok with us staying here for a while?” Harry frowned, feeling so very touched and grateful, especially since Bill had just assumed he was staying when he hadn't even asked. “But…you don’t even know me.”

 

Bill smiled softly and folded the letter. “I suppose I’m a sucker for damsels in distress and cute babies.”

 

“Hey!” Harry scoffed with a snort of laughter because he kind of was a damsel in distress currently.

 

“Get some sleep, Harry,” Bill stood and said softly. “We can figure everything else out once you’re well rested and eat some more.”

 

Harry hummed but was already halfway asleep now. “Sounds good…”

Notes:

Up Next: Baby names and planning...

Chapter 3: Recovery

“It’s fine, Ramhorn. I'm not being held prisoner or involved in some government conspiracy or whatever you're thinking. It was actually an accident like he said,” Bill lied to the goblin he was talking to in his floo.

 

“The boy needed St. Mungo’s,” Ramhorn frowned with a look that took all of Bill’s many years working for the goblins to recognize as concern and not anger.

 

Bill rubbed the back of his neck and held in a groan. Really, Harry should be awake and helping him deal with this, but the kid was still asleep and clearly needed all the sleep he could get. Lucky bugger. “It wasn’t as bad as it looked,” Bill tried next. Actually, it had been worse, but yeah, better not say that. Ramhorn might just jump through the floo if he did. Goblins understandably had a thing about children (especially babies) being in danger...as anyone should.

 

Ramhorn grunted and looked off to the side as if addressed by another goblin. “We assume you will be taking the day off?” He asked as if it were a foregone conclusion.

 

Bill nodded; it was why he’d made the floo call to begin with. “I think I’m going to need tomorrow too. I just need to get Harry and the baby settled and seen by a healer, and I’ll be back in.”

 

Ramhorn nodded and turned away, most likely to convey the news to Bill’s supervisor. Bill had tried to call his supervisor, but Ramhorn had intercepted the call when he heard who it was from, still remembering and worried about Harry and the baby. And people thought goblins didn’t care…

 

“I assume Lord and Lady Potter have been notified?” Ramhorn asked next with a raise of his eyebrow.

 

“Of course,” Bill assured him. Well, they had…sort of. “We’ll need to owl later to get some money from Harry’s vault. Can we send that directly to you and you handle it?”

 

Ramhorn grunted acceptance. “Just make sure he signs the letter so we have his magical signature.”

 

“Will do!” Bill replied, really wanting to end this call before he was asked any more questions he would have to lie to answer.

 

“And get the kid a healer,” Ramhorn grunted before ending the call abruptly.

 

Bill sighed and stood. Harry really did need a healer, but he knew that was not going to go over well at all for him to suggest again. Bill's new strategy was to convince Harry of a private healer, or even the Weasley family’s healer. Harry had seemed like he trusted their family. He said they’d been close in his dimension, so maybe he would trust the healer they used...though he was really more for children... Bill always saw a goblin healer these days, so he'd never looked into getting a witch or wizard healer for himself.

 

That would still need to wait until Harry woke up again though. Bill began to make tea on the stove and added extra water just in case the kid was able to join him. Harry had been asleep for about 12 hours this time. He’d woken the kid up again to make him eat some dinner, but he’d gone right back to sleep after.

 

Bill was suddenly very thankful he’d insisted on Harry staying with him. He would have pushed himself to stay awake and take care of the baby if he was on his own, that was clear to see in the short time he’d known the kid…no, Bill should stop thinking of him as a kid. While he’d normally think of someone his youngest brother’s age as a kid, Harry had seen more, done more, and had more responsibility in his life than Bill or even Bill’s parents, and he only knew the very vague things Harry had let drop so far when he’d been awake. No, he was harboring a war veteran in his guest room, not a kid, and it was probably disrespectful to even think of him that way.

 

This was really not going to go over well with the Potters! Bill was going along with his insane plan for the moment, but he didn’t actually think it would work in the long term. It would work now while Harry recovered and had time to get his bearings, which was the only reason Bill had agreed to it, but not long term when he had to actually interact with people. He had a feeling from what Harry had said that he had been an orphan most of his life. Did he even know where the Potters lived? He wouldn’t know anything about the family. What if someone just bloody mentioned something that happened last Yule? Harry would have no idea what they were talking about. Yeah, this was a recipe for disaster.

 

At the very least, maybe the lie could get this new Harry past the main part of dealing with the trauma of the war and dying and getting a baby and all though. Bill thought his new friend might be more reasonable about letting some more people in once he had more sleep, food, and had time to just rest and build up his strength again. And definitely have a healer and some potions to help with all that.

 

Bill poured the water in a mug and added another mug from the cabinet when he heard the door to the guestroom open. The baby monitor charm he’d put on the cot hadn’t gone off, so he assumed the baby hadn’t woken Harry up. Actually, the baby had been up off and on the whole time Harry was asleep, but Bill always collected him as soon as the charm went off to hopefully help Harry get more rest. Even though he was trying to stay more at arms length for his own sanity, Bill was starting to really get attached to the baby. The tyke was just so cute and happy and deserved all the nice things in the world!

 

Harry was rubbing his face with his hair standing almost straight up all over his head when he finally entered the kitchen. Bill found himself doing something between an amused smile and grimace at how unkempt the guy was. Amused because he was definitely ridiculous and cute looking and a grimace because Harry needed a shower well before he’d shown up in Bill’s floo, and, even with the cleaning charms Bill had shot at him, he was starting to smell overly ripe now.

 

“Morning,” Harry plopped into a chair at the kitchen table and yawned.

 

Bill looked pointedly at the clock. “Good afternoon,” he corrected with a smirk.

 

That only got a roll of the eyes from Harry who still looked half asleep. “How’s Little Bub been? Has he been asleep this whole time?”

 

Bill pulled the chicken and rice he’d made for whenever Harry woke again out of the cool pantry and cast a warming charm at it. “He woke up for a while and drank a bottle and went back to sleep not long ago. Babies his age sleep a lot for now…I’m guessing he’s about a month old from the spells I cast on him.”

 

“Huh…wonder why that was the age Death made him…or whatever deity made him corporeal,” Harry mused and gratefully took the plate of chicken and his tea. “Thank you so much, by the way. I don’t know if I’ve said that yet…”

 

“Oh you have, many times,” Bill cut him off with a grin, because he got thanked every time Harry woke up since he got there.

 

“Anyway, I’d probably be in some holding cell for the Unspeakables if you hadn’t helped,” Harry waved off the correction and took a slow bite of his food, still being very intentional with how he ate.

 

Bill seriously doubted that. He realized this Harry didn’t have many people he trusted, and Bill took it seriously that he was on that list. However, he was sure there were many people who would have helped, including Harry’s family, before turning him over to be some kind of experiment. Harry had come to Bill though, so it was on Bill to make sure he got stronger and healthy before having to deal with the world.

 

When Harry had taken several more bites, Bill slid over the pile he had placed on the table which had been delivered by his owl several hours before. It was three letters that had all come for Harry when he was asleep and Bill’s old herbology textbook. “I’m pretty sure those letters are from your family,” he motioned to the envelopes. "We need to answer them as soon as possible."

 

Harry scooted the letters off the book and frowned. “And the herbology textbook?”

 

Bill shrugged. “You said your mum’s family does plant names, so…maybe you can get some ideas from that.” Harry grinned at him like Bill had just gifted him a new racing broom instead of just pulling a book which he hadn’t cracked open since school off a shelf.

 

“Brilliant! We can’t keep calling him ‘the baby’ all the time. He really needs a name.” Harry ate with one hand while already flipping through the book contemplatively.

 

“Harry…” Bill pointed at the ignored pile impatiently because he really didn't want James Potter hunting him down at any point in his life. “You need to answer those letters. Your family is going to be very worried.”

 

“Not my family, his,” Harry corrected. And yes, he had a point. However, if they were going to keep up this charade for a little while longer, they had to reassure the Potters that Harry was fine.

 

Bill took a sip of his tea instead of nagging the man. Instead, he took the letter he’d already drafted to Gringotts from the kitchen counter and added it to the pile. “You’ll need to check over this, approve the amount, and sign it so we can send it off to Gringotts and get you some money to both sell the rehab story and buy the baby some things…and you some clothes. You’re significantly shorter than me, mate.”

 

Harry gave him a two fingered salute at that, getting a laugh from Bill. He did abandon the herbology book to pull over the letter though and check it though. He frowned. “That’s a lot of money…do you think I’m good for it?” He asked seriously.

 

Bill just blinked at him in surprise. The Potters were very wealthy. Not like Malfoy wealthy, but they owned a very well-respected potions company which developed some popular beauty lines of potions as well as some for medical usage. Clearly Harry didn’t know any of this. Yeah…this plan was going to crash and burn…Bill wasn't sure if he should be bracing for impact or find snacks while he watched it fall apart around him. Probably bracing for impact since it seemed he was caught up in the thick of things already.

 

“Yes, Harry. I’m certain you are good for it,” Bill said instead of all that. He’d fill in Harry later, but they were getting low on nappies already and needed more. Bill wasn’t poor at all, but this wasn’t his kid either, so yeah, some funds would be nice. Also, if he kept owl ordering things for a baby, he was certain somehow, someway, his mother would find out, and no one wanted Molly Weasley to think he might have a child. Bill shuddered at even the thought.

 

Harry signed the letter immediately then and passed it back over. Bill took the letter and put it in an envelope to send off while Harry finally seemed to steel himself enough to open the other letters waiting for him. There was some kind of strategy Harry seemed to settle on for which one to open first. One letter he firmly pushed off, obviously saving it for last. The other two he hovered between before opening the one with the most feminine handwriting. Bill was certain this one was from Lily Potter.

 

Harry’s face looked something between constipated and anguished while he read the letter, his food forgotten in the moment. The letter didn’t look very long, but Harry must have read it three times with how long it was taking him. “Everything ok?” He eventually asked when Harry hadn’t said anything for an extended amount of time.

 

“Huh?...Oh yeah,” Harry shook his head and gave Bill what could pass for a reassuring smile if he didn't look so haunted while attempting it.

 

“Apparently my handwriting is significantly different from their Harry’s, but my magical signature is the same, so that letter to Gringotts should be fine if it's a magical signature thing,” he said, passing over the letter for Bill to read. “Original Harry must have had much nicer handwriting than my chicken scratch.”

 

“You sure you want me to read this?” Bill asked, holding the letter and lost at what to do. Reading someone's mail was very personal.

 

Harry just looked at him incredulously before he scoffed and picked up the second letter. “Mate, you do realize you know my parents better than I do, right? You’re going to have to help me write the response, so yeah, read the bloody thing.”

 

“Right…” Bill winced. So, yeah, his guess had been correct, and Harry had been an orphan most his life. This was all going to go sooo well. Even the sarcasm of that statement in his brain wasn’t enough sarcasm to convey how he felt. He just sighed and read the letter though.

 

 

Harry,

 

Baby, I don’t even know how or what to say in this letter. At first, I didn’t want to believe it was you and it was some kind of sick prank Siri and your dad thought up. Your handwriting was so different from what it normally is. When I confronted your dad and Sirius about it though, they checked the magical signature. Sirius explained that withdrawals have a lot of physical effects then and that your hands are probably shaking. Oh, baby...I'm so sorry.

 

I’m so sorry you’re going through this. I’m so sorry you’re going through this without us. Please, tell me where you are. I’ll come get you, and we can do this together. You don’t have to do this with strangers.

 

At least tell us where your son is. I can go collect him. He shouldn’t be with someone who doesn’t want him for even a moment.

 

Why didn’t you tell us any of this? What did we do wrong?

 

With all my love,

Your mum

 

 

Bill read over the letter twice and figured it wouldn’t be too difficult to answer thankfully. They needed to do some damage control, but at least she wasn’t asking for specifics or alluding to anything Harry should know but doesn’t. If Harry were actually an addict, then Bill wouldn’t exactly approve of her approach with wanting to remove him from rehab or those last two questions which were overly accusing.

 

Thankfully, this Harry wasn’t really in rehab, but it still made Bill’s blood boil a little thinking about the harm it could have done. It was completely understandable from someone who hadn’t dealt with someone with an addiction before, but it also was a little selfish on the part of original Harry’s mum in his opinion. There was absolutely no way Bill was going to say that to Harry at all though. He knew intimately well to never say anything negative about a person’s mother even if, or maybe especially if, that person lost their mother early in life.

 

Harry was seething when Bill looked up at him though. “I’m taking it that one isn’t so good…?”

 

“From my father,” Harry glared at the letter before handing it over too with a grunt of disapproval.

 

Bill took it, wondering what had caused Harry that amount of anger. He didn’t know James Potter at all, and Harry didn’t either. What the hell could he have said?

 

 

Harry,

 

This is unacceptable behavior on your part. How could you let yourself get in this position! You know this places me in an awkward position at work as the head auror with my own son taking illegal drugs!

 

Now, it is commendable you are getting help. I do hope you have chosen a facility with excellent privacy and secrecy measures in place. Tell me the name, and I will check into it for you. We can’t let this damage your prospects moving forward, especially with a baby now.

 

Son, just how, how did you get yourself into this position? We talked through all the spells, potions, and even muggle contraception. How could you be so immature and selfish?

 

That is a discussion for another day though. Now, you must tell me who your dealer is. Tell me who has been supplying you with drugs, so I can have them arrested and brought to justice. 

 

I expect you to owl me immediately. Take your program seriously and apply yourself. We expect you to be clean and ready for your NEWTs exams as soon as the program ends. Owl if you need any additional funds and they won't let you contact Gringotts.

 

We love you,

Dad

 

Bill just blinked in surprise at the letter. “Harry…this is…”

 

“It’s bloody hypocritical is what it is!” Harry burst out before catching himself with a look to the stairs where the baby was still asleep in the guest room. He lowered his volume when he started again. “The James Potter of my dimension pulled pranks all through Hogwarts, not taking his studies seriously at all and breaking all kinds of rules and even laws as a teenager. Plus…you do realize how old I am right? I was born when they were 20, so conceived when they were 19! There is no way I wasn’t an accident myself!”

 

“I don’t know your dad enough to tell you if he lived a different life here than what you know of,” Bill offered with a wince. “Plus, there is no way you know original Harry’s dealer to answer this…”

 

“Doesn’t matter if I did!” Harry scoffed. “I’m no grasser! I’m not going to rat someone out to get the heat off me. I get it that drugs are bad, but Harry was probably getting them from someone at school, right? There is no way I’m turning a teenager over to an angry head auror with a personal grudge! I've been screwed over too many times in my own life to do that to someone else. If we learn it was an adult, then that's another story, but I'd still want someone besides James Potter to handle it in that case.”

 

“He’s probably just worried, and it came out as anger,” Bill tried to give the man the benefit of the doubt. He’d only heard good things about Lord Potter from his parents who knew them only in passing, so he thought this was probably a reasonable guess. No one really knew what happened behind the closed doors of a person’s home though.

 

Harry angrily tore open the last letter. Bill raised an eyebrow wondering why that letter had been saved for last. “Who’s that one from?”

 

“Sirius,” Harry almost smiled. Ok, so Bill guessed that Harry might actually know Sirius Black even though he didn’t know his parents. There seemed to be some positive associations there at least. Maybe Lord Black had raised him?

 

Harry’s smile fell into a confused frown. It was another letter that very clearly got read through multiple times. Harry's face did some kind of complicated series of emotions that started with incredulousness, then anger, confusion, then he finally just landed on looking lost. Bill got the feeling there was some kind of personal crisis going on there in the guy's head, but he wasn't sure how a short letter from a person in an alternate dimension could bring that about.

 

“Huh…” Harry finally said, looking up at Bill over the top of it. His face had suddenly gone blank as if he really just couldn't handle all the emotions he'd been hit with and gave up. “That was…unexpected…”

 

“What?” Bill held his hand out for the parchment expectantly.

 

Harry passed it over and cleared his throat. “Erm…it seems…I guess I’m gay?”

 

Bill almost choked. Ok, that…that really screwed with their entire plan where the baby was concerned. “You didn’t know that? Er…maybe that was just this dimension’s Harry? You are different people.”

 

Harry just shrugged, still looking somewhere between lost and a concerning blank. “I mean…I dated a couple girls, but that didn’t go so well at all. It’s just…I’ve been hunted down by a mad man literally my entire life. It’s not like I’ve had a whole lot of time and brain space to sit down and figure out if I have a favorite color let alone if I might be gay. None of my friends were, and my relatives would have literally killed me…so, I guess, I just didn’t put any thought into that as an option…”

 

Wow, so that was horrifying information that Bill had not expected to be told. So, who were these homophobic relatives of his? And he’d been hunted his entire life? And how did a person not even know their favorite color?!

 

“Right, so you have time now to figure all this out now. You don’t have to stress over it right this minute,” Bill breathed out and mimed for Harry to join him because the guy was definitely heading towards a panic attack with the amount of stress this was causing him even if his eyes still had that blank, haunted look.

 

Bill watched as Harry tried to slow and deepen his breaths. He needed to give him some kind of reassurance probably. “Most magical people aren’t homophobic,” he said to hopefully keep talking him down. “The old families can still be a little touchy about it, but it’s not as bad as out in the muggle world.”

 

Harry was nodding, so maybe this was helpful. “I grew up with my muggle relatives…they already hated me for magic. They made it very clear about how they felt about anyone who they classified as different or abnormal.” Bill was starting to see that this Harry needed a therapist as well as a healer. What all had the guy gone through?!

 

“It’s going to be fine, Harry,” he reached over and patted his new friend’s hand on the table.

 

“Maybe start in on the favorite color, and you can circle back around to sexuality?” He suggested with a grin. That got the snort of laughter he’d been going for. “And…if it helps any, I’m bisexual,” he said next. “My family all knows, and they’re cool with it.”

 

If Harry knew Bill’s family better than his own, maybe knowing they weren’t homophobic and were very accepting would help calm him down, or at least Bill hoped so. Harry’s eyes widened, but he ended up just nodding. “Oh, er, thanks?” Harry said as more of a question than a statement.

 

Bill chuckled and finally looked at the letter from Sirius Black, wondering how much damage control they were going to need to do with this one.

 

 

Prongslet!

 

What the bloody hell?! Far be it from me to judge anyone for figuring themselves out, but weren’t you exceptionally sure you were gay back when we talked last summer? Though, I guess this girl might have been before we talked when you were still trying to figure things out. How did this happen? Are you ok? Is the little tyke ok?

 

And drugs?! I thought you stopped that! You told me it was a one-time thing! I told you I could help you, but you said you were fine. Harry, please tell me that wherever you are you’re safe and getting the help you need!

 

You say the word, and I’m there, kid.

 

I know you haven’t told them yet, so I’m not going to tell your parents about being gay. If there is more going on with this than experimenting and ending up in a bad situation, then you need to tell me though. I can’t help you if I don’t know what’s happening.

 

You know Remy and I love you more than anything,

Padfoot

 

 

“Lord Black is going to be the problem it seems,” Bill concluded, putting the letter down on the table. “Harry, I get the very strong impression he knows you better than your parents.”

 

Harry snorted dryly. “You think?”

 

Bill heard a magical bell ding and smiled at the confused man across from him at the table. “Well, think over your responses while you go check on your kid. He’s awake.”

 

Harry’s face melted into a fond smile as he stood, seeming to completely push aside all thoughts of the letters. Bill shook his head and watched the guy hurry off to check on the baby. That man was going to be such a softie of a dad. The kid already had him wrapped around his little finger, and it didn’t sound like Harry had even had the baby for more than 24 hours (well, being conscious at least). Now, he should probably go ahead and send the Gringotts letter so they could buy nappies and more baby formula...and cute hats, definitely cute hats.

 

---

 

Between feeding the baby, changing the baby, finally taking his own shower, and drinking probably all the healing potions Bill had in his house, Harry did eventually respond to his letters. Lily got as many soothing platitudes and reassurances as he could cram into a letter. James…well, Bill annoyingly tore up Harry’s first attempt that had started with “Dad, I’m not a bleeding grasser…”

 

Apparently, that wasn’t appropriate to put in a letter to one’s father who happened to be the head auror. In theory, Harry loved James Potter dearly. Merlin, he’d put the man on a pedestal ever since he learned his parents hadn’t died in a drunk driving accident and instead died protecting him. In practicality though, Harry really didn’t know what to do with a father (or a mother either), but especially not one who wanted to tell him what to do or who tried to…well, father him.

 

The reply Bill eventually agreed to sending ended up being as evasive as possible while assuring the man he was fine, he was getting the help he needed, and that no, he did not feel it best for his own healing to disclose the identity of the underage (maybe?) person who had given him drugs and wished to keep this all a secret. In Harry’s opinion, he hadn’t even spoken to any of the ministers for magic he’d dealt with using that much care and diplomacy before, so he hoped James Potter would respect just how much that took out of him.

 

Sirius’s letter really was the hardest. Harry was certain Bill was correct, and Sirius would be the most likely person to guess he was not the right Harry. It also just bloody hurt that he was actually able to talk to Sirius again, even if it was only in letter form. In the end, he kept the letter very short. He confirmed Sirius’s guess that the girl was an experiment while he was trying to figure things out and that they were both fine, she just really didn’t want to raise a magical child. He said the baby was healthy and safe until he was able to take him on permanently. And he ended with thanking Sirius for his past support and a promise to tell him when things were bad in the future.

 

Maybe this whole lying plan wasn’t the best idea. Harry held the drooling baby while he flipped through the herbology book in Bill’s sitting room. He supposed he would eventually have to come clean, but not right now. He couldn’t. He needed time and space to grieve. He’d basically lost everyone he cared about in coming to this dimension. Ron and Hermione were here, but they weren’t his Ron and Hermione. They never could be. He’d lost everyone. He just needed some time and space to accept that before having to deal with everyone in this dimension’s grief over losing their Harry on top of his own grief.

 

“Any ideas so far?” Bill asked, joining him with an owl order catalogue that must have just been delivered recently for baby things.

 

“Don’t you have work?” Harry asked with a frown, pretty sure it was a Monday. Right? How long had he been asleep again? The battle had happened on May 2^nd…maybe...yeah, he was lost.

 

“I took the day off, tomorrow too,” Bill shrugged as if that was no big deal at all. Harry was shocked though. He’d just…taken time off to help? Who did that for Harry? No one, that was who.

 

After pulling himself back from his spiral of emotions at that off-hand comment, Harry just breathed out and rubbed Little Bub’s back. “Right…so, I’m now choosing between Heath, Rowan, Oleander, and Ash. I’m leaning towards Ash though.”

 

“Why Ash?” Bill asked with actual interest in his tone and circling something in the catalogue.

 

“It’s supposed to mean ‘happy’ or ‘fortunate,’ and this kid is going to need all of that he can get,” Harry smiled at the squishy baby. “Also, I kind of like that it sort-of alludes to him rising from the ashes of his origins, you know.”

 

“Sounds fitting,” Bill smiled at him kindly, and that smile was enough to brighten up the entire room in Harry’s opinion.

 

“Oleander was my second choice,” Harry continued. “It had too much tragic associations though with the myth of Oleander dying for his love and that the plant is poisonous and all…he already has a bit of a tragic start, so I don't want to add any on to that.”

 

“Sounds like you’ve made up your mind,” Bill held out a hand to trade the catalogue for the herbology book. “Hello, little Ash,” he smiled at the baby who was cooing and drooling on Harry’s arm now.

 

“Ash,” Harry kissed the top of the baby’s head…his baby’s head.

 

“See if you like that cot,” Bill motioned to the catalogue. “The one I transfigured won’t last for very long, so we need to replace it. This one looks very functional, not overly frilly.”

 

“Hmm, I like it,” Harry smiled at the piece of furniture Bill was just perfectly fine with them dragging into his house. This man was...well, Harry didn't know what to think of him really.

 

“You don’t happen to have any catalogues for men’s clothes, do you? I don’t think I’m quite up to going out shopping yet…plus, I don’t even know who to avoid who would know my parents and tell them they saw me," he eventually asked.

 

“I actually do,” Bill stood and put the textbook back on a shelf before rummaging through a drawer in a side table, presumably looking for the catalogue.

 

“On that note,” Bill held up the catalogue but with a concerned look. “I think we need to get you a healer…”

 

“Bill…,” he cut in.

 

“Just hear me out,” Bill then interrupted his protests with a firm look that clearly said he was going to try to out stubborn Harry. Well, Bill didn't know how stubborn he could be. “You’ve been hit with a lot of spells, many of which I don’t recognize.”

 

“Pretty sure I’ve been hit with every Unforgivable within this past week alone,” Harry shrugged, as nonchalantly as those words could be spoken. Bill paled but slowly nodded his head, accepting that information and going with it, the same as he had been every time Harry threw some new insanity at him. Harry was staring to really appreciate this man so very, very much.

 

“Ok, so yeah, I have first aid knowledge, like burns and scrapes and minor spell damage…not Unforgivables and dark curses and having part of a soul ripped out of you while you died,” Bill said, almost falling into a whisper at that last part in his horror at it. Bill didn’t even know him and seemed to be taking his death harder than Harry was…that was probably not saying anything healthy about Harry’s mental state, right?

 

Harry looked at the painful burns still on his arms that he really was just trying to ignore at this point. “I guess these were caused by a dark object and not something normal.”

 

Bill winced. “Yeah…well, that explains why the salve isn’t working on them…so my point stands, we need to get you a healer.”

 

Harry saw his point, he really did. He just didn’t know how to do that. “I don’t know any healers,” he finally said in a huff because he did want to get well; he just didn't know how to do that safely. “That’s why I came to you. Plus, I need one who wouldn’t go straight to Original Harry's parents.”

 

Bill gave him a look like he said something weird again. “Harry…You’re legally an adult. No healer can go to your parents with anything, or they would break their healer oaths which is severely punished by Magic herself.”

 

Oh, that sounded great! Was that a thing in his own dimension?! “Wow, ok, but I still don’t know any healers,” he said, seeing the problem not completely go away. “Is there a catalogue for those?”

 

Bill laughed and sat down beside him on the couch. “Well, I can contact my family’s healer, but Healer Franklin is really more a pediatrician than anything else. He may be best for Ash, but he won’t know anything about dealing with dark curses and whatever you’ve been hit with.”

 

Harry hadn’t thought about getting Ash a healer! He was already failing at this parenting thing! “Yes! Owl him for Ash, please,” Harry nodded firmly. The baby definitely needed to be seen. He hadn’t had any vaccines or been checked over…Merlin, he hadn’t even been born really. Someone needed to check him out!

 

“I’ll do that immediately,” Bill assured him. “Now…you aren’t going to like this suggestion…”

 

Harry rolled his eyes. “Just tell me.” Really, how bad could it be?

 

Bill smiled and put a hand on his knee. “Your family owns a potions company…there are healers on staff there who develop medical potions. One of them I’ve worked with in the past when we need a specialty potion component at Gringotts. It doesn't happen very often, but I've worked with him enough to trust him, or at least his potions.”

 

“My family owns a potions company?” Harry frowned. That was new. Right? Wait…someone had mentioned…someone had said his grandfather had developed Sleekeazy’s hair potion. Maybe they had always owned a potions company. Had Harry owned the company in his dimension and no one had thought to tell him?!!

 

“Yes, they do,” Bill just confirmed, brushing past Harry’s freak out at the fact that possibly no one in his life had thought it important to mention that his family owned an entire company!

 

“Anyway, the potion master I’ve worked with is also a healer as many masters are who work in developing medical potions, and well, I’ve asked for some questionable potions over my time in curse-breaking. I think it’s pretty reasonable to assume this healer will know more about dark magic and curses than I do or at least will be able to set you up with some good potions for healing and nutrition,” Bill explained, still talking like he was trying to soothe a stray dog who may be a little rabid.

 

Harry wasn’t that bad, was he? He thought he’d been pretty reasonable for someone who’d just been dropped in a new dimension after dying. Frankly, he’d been asleep most of the time he’d known this Bill so far.

 

“You’re sure this healer can’t tell James and Lily anything, even if he works for them?” Harry checked. He wasn’t going to completely disregard Bill’s concerns. He knew he was in bad shape. He hadn’t told Bill, but the avada kedavra scar on his chest had started bleeding again when he got out of the shower, so he'd thrown on another bandage. The burns were really annoying too while trying to care for an infant.

 

“I’m absolute, positively sure. We can even have him swear to that exactly before he examines you, if you want,” Bill said firmly, clearly in relief that Harry was caving in to his concerns. Right, so maybe Bill was more stubborn that he was. Harry thought that was probably a tick in Bill's favor then.

 

Harry thought it through and eventually nodded. “Ok, plus, if this bloke knows my family, maybe he can fill in some blanks for me,” he finally said. “What’s his name?”

 

“Potion Master Severus Snape,” Bill said to Harry’s complete and utter inability to handle.

 

“Bloody hell,” he groaned in tired protest.

Notes:

Up Next: Snape enters the group chat...

Chapter 4: Healer Visits

Healer Franklin and Snape both agreed to come out to Shell Cottage the very next day when Bill floo called them. Neither of them knew they were seeing Harry or Harry’s kid though, so at least Snape was understandable why he was willing to see Bill so quickly since he didn’t know. Harry was not optimistic that this world’s Severus Snape liked Harry Potter any more than his world’s. Healer Franklin though seemed to just have a very good relationship with the Weasley family, so he made time in his schedule immediately.

 

Healer Franklin was scheduled for first thing in the day, right after breakfast, so Harry borrowed a long-sleeved shirt from Bill and a knit hat to cover all his scars and injuries. He wasn’t sure that this healer would recognize him, but he’d gotten the impression from Bill that if a person cared about quidditch in the slightest, then they would recognize him from the papers. He’d owl ordered a few outfits the day before when the large bag of galleons had been delivered from Gringotts, but they hadn’t arrived yet along with the frankly shocking amount of baby things Bill had insisted they absolutely needed.

 

Harry held baby Ash on his arms and walked nervously around the sitting room bouncing slightly because the kid seemed to be picking up on his anxiety and was very fussy. Or maybe he just had gas, Harry still wasn’t sure what all he was doing and figured he was probably seriously messing this whole parenting thing up. He had to be better than Wool’s Orphanage though, right? In the grand scheme of things, Harry figured this Tom Riddle, now Ash Potter, must have a better childhood, no matter how incompetent he was as a dad. It might not be much of a comforting thought at all, but it was currently what was keeping him going.

 

It was more than a little painful to hold the baby with the burns on his arms, but he really didn’t care in the slightest and would hold Ash as much as he absolutely could since he’d already missed so much of his short life by being asleep and recovering. Ash clung to him and blinked his blue eyes so trustingly at Harry. Merlin, but Harry would already murder anyone who tried to put this baby in a cupboard under the stairs! … that probably wasn’t a healthy mentality…was it?...whatever…

 

“What if something is wrong with him though? His birth was well…less than traditional,” Harry asked Bill who was currently answering a slew of letters he’d gotten from Gringotts that morning about projects he was on since he was once again staying home with Harry to deal with the healers. Harry was certain he owed the man a life-debt by this point for all the trouble he’d caused if that was even a thing.

 

“Harry,” Bill looked up from his letter with a fond smile. “He eats, he sleeps, he poops. I think Ash is probably in a whole lot better shape than you are.”

 

Harry shrugged one shoulder. He’d been pretty bad off before like after the tournament and after the ministry fiasco. He hadn’t been quite this bad off, but whatever, Death was having fun watching his life or something, so it’s not like he was going to die just any minute now.

 

“Fifty-fifty shot on Snape just killing me regardless,” he grumbled, hating not knowing what all was going on in this dimension. Snape had been friends with his mum as a kid, so maybe they were still friends…but Snape hated his dad, so how did it work with him being employed by the company they owned? There was just too many dynamics he didn’t understand here.

 

“You do realize that your world sounds significantly different from this one, right? I highly doubt the bloke who works for your parents is actually out to kill you,” Bill raised an eyebrow at him. “Unless you can pull some kind of amnesia lie out of your arse, then I give you a day out in the real world before everyone figures out you aren’t this dimension’s Harry Potter.”

 

Harry sighed and sat on the sofa now that Ash had calmed down slightly. “Well…he wasn’t actually out to kill me, just really didn’t like me with a flaming hot passion, but yeah…I really need some time to settle in before having to deal, ok? I’ll come clean eventually…”

 

“Before people start testing you for Polyjuice potion?” Bill smirked knowingly and asked.

 

Harry just shrugged and smirked back. “Probably not,” because yeah, he really didn’t want to deal with any of this.

 

A pop of apparition sounded outside, and Harry felt his back immediately straighten. “This isn’t even your healer, unclench,” Bill rolled his eyes and stood to open the door. “Mate, I’m starting to get the impression you’ve never been to see a healer in your life.”

 

“Does Madam Pomfrey count?” He frowned when Bill opened the door.

 

“She’s a medi-witch, not a healer.”

 

“Then no…not even a muggle doctor,” Harry replied, getting a shocked look from Bill who surprisingly looked like he might want to punch someone. Harry was pretty sure it wasn’t him though…hopefully.

 

“William!” An elderly man arrived at the door and exclaimed as he reached out to shake Bill’s hand. The man looked probably older than Dumbledore, but he still seemed quite spry regardless. “Well, you look in good health. I haven’t seen you in…oh, a decade at least. I'm sure your mother gave you a hard time for that earring young man. I think it suits you though.”

 

“Er, thank you," Bill smiled and touched the dragon tooth handing from his ear with a little blush. "Yeah, she's not a big fan, nor of my hair."

 

The man just nodded solemnly. "Yes, all mothers have very strong opinions about their babies, no matter how old they are. Now, have you been seeing another healer all these years, or are we woefully behind on your physicals? No judgement...well, maybe a little, but best to get back on track if we are behind." 

 

"I usually see a goblin healer at work,” Bill chuckled and led the man into the house. Healer Franklin squinted at Harry and Ash around Bill before his face fell into a fond crinkle. Harry immediately felt all his anxiety seep from his body at the kind look sent their direction. Something about the healer was just…so welcoming and nice.

 

Healer Franklin grinned at them brightly. “Well, I suppose I’m not actually here to see a twenty-seven-year-old to whom I was going to have to explain he was too old to get a lollipop after his exam.”

 

Harry chuckled and rubbed Ash’s back. “I think Ash might be a little too young for your lollipops too,” he smiled at the man, much more at ease already.

 

Bill pouted though. “Healer Franklin always has the best lollipops.”

 

“Intentional my dear,” Franklin laughed. “All part of my strategy to take some of the fear out of seeing a healer.”

 

“Ash here just needs a checkup to make sure he’s doing good and healthy and that nothing's wrong,” Harry explained, turning the baby around so the healer could see him better.

 

The man looked Ash over and hummed with a nod. “He looks…about a month?” Healer Franklin sat his bag down on the coffee table and asked.

 

“Just about,” Harry said, hoping that was right. Bill said it was his best guess from the spells he’d cast.

 

“Harry and Ash were in a bit of a bind, and Harry told me he didn’t know a good healer,” Bill began explaining while he leaned against the mantle and watched what was happening. “I told him I knew the best.”

 

“Well, who was the tyke’s healer before me?” Franklin chuckled with a fond look over at Bill but paused in where he had raised his wand to cast a spell.

 

“Er…” Harry scrambled to remember their lie. “His mum is a muggle, so he was delivered in hospital. She didn’t want to raise a magical child though.”

 

“Oh, you poor dear,” Franklin patted Harry’s shoulder with an understanding look before raising his wand once more. “Now, try to get him to stay as still as possible, this will only take a couple seconds and won't hurt in the slightest, just some pretty lights.”

 

The man cast several spells at Ash and then listened to his heartbeat with a stethoscope, used a tiny torch to look in his eyes, he used something else to look in the baby’s ears, and then cast several more spells. “How’s he looking? Is anything wrong?” Harry asked once the healer paused to fish some things out of his bag.

 

“Oh, he's absolutely wonderful,” Healer Franklin assured him. “He can follow a person with his eyes now, he has a little control over his head and neck, which make sure you’re giving him some tummy time daily so he can keep working on that, and all his vitals look exceptionally healthy for a baby his age.”

 

Harry let out a breath of relief and a stone of anxiety that had been weighing down his shoulders. “Thank you,” he just breathed out, so very happy that Ash was healthy after everything that had happened to them both.

 

“My pleasure, now for his vaccines. We only give a couple at this age, and he’ll need another next month,” the healer lined up two vials on the coffee table. “We can schedule a time for next month before I leave today if you would like.”

 

Harry tensed; he didn’t want Ash to be hurt even if it helped him, but they could get through this. “Do they hurt a lot?” He asked, thinking this would probably be worse for him than Ash honestly. “I know they’ll keep him healthy, but I just need to prepare myself.”

Bill and Healer Franklin both looked at him confused. “Why would they hurt?” Bill finally asked when they seemed to give up trying to figure out what Harry meant.

 

“Er…you know…the injection…the needle…?” Harry tried, but that didn’t seem to register with either man.

 

“You’re the Potter heir,” Healer Franklin frowned further, his confusion seeming to grow instead of diminish. “Why do you not know how we do vaccines? I just spell them into his system…did you have muggle vaccinations for some reason? Why?”

 

“Er…” Harry scrambled. Thankfully vaccines were both free and required for primary school or Harry was certain his aunt wouldn’t have gotten him any vaccines at all growing up. But yeah, he’d only ever gotten muggle ones. “Er…my mum is muggleborn…” he tried.

 

“But…she got you magical vaccines before you started Hogwarts?” The healer really looked like he may be lightheaded at what seemed to be an oversight by Lily Potter. Harry was a little worried this healer might be too old for the craziness that Harry tended to throw at people without realizing it. He had to recover from this and fast!

 

“Er, sure, definitely! Sorry, I’ve just had the muggle ones too, so I wasn’t sure what he was getting this time,” Harry said, begging Bill with his eyes to save him, but Bill seemed even more lost than Healer Franklin. Harry suddenly had a feeling Bill had never seen a muggle injection in his life.

 

Healer Franklin frowned again before quickly spelling both potions into Ash whose face immediately scrunched up and he made a weird gurgling sound. “You ok, buddy?” Harry kissed his head and checked on him, but the baby looked perfectly fine now and even gave him a little smile.

 

“It feels a little weird, but it doesn’t hurt in any way,” the healer said. “Now…who is your healer, son? You really shouldn’t have been given muggle vaccines as a wizard. You cannot catch any of the muggle illnesses they counteract, so they're superfluous.”

 

“Er…” Harry really didn’t know what to say.

 

“I believe the Potter family usually uses Healer Almondson,” Franklin frowned further. “She would never advocate for muggle vaccines. Is she not still practicing? I would have assumed you would ask her to be your son’s primary healer.”

 

“It’s a very long story, Healer Franklin,” Bill cut in, finally saving Harry. Merlin, but this was devolving quite quickly. “It’s something Harry doesn’t particularly want to get into…you know…teenage pregnancy and single dad stuff and all…that can cause some tensions within the family you know…”

 

Harry couldn’t help the glare at Bill who was now going rogue and coming up with some whole new lie and backstory. Where even was this going?

 

“Anyway,” he cut Bill off before he was on the run from the fairies or involved in a cult or something. “Anyway, I mainly was looking for someone different from my normal family healer, no offense to her at all, but Bill really did say you are the best.”

 

“Well, I appreciate that,” Healer Franklin finished spelling everything back into his bag and snapped it closed. “So, one month from now, would you rather me come to you or you and the little one come to my office?”

 

Harry was frankly shocked the man was just going to let all that go, but hey, he wasn’t going to protest. “Yeah, I’ll come to you.” He really didn’t know where he would be in a month’s time, so the man’s office was probably best.

 

Healer Franklin wrote up a card with the date, time, and his office location on it before passing it over. He then frowned and opened his bag again to pull a large handful of pamphlets out of it and hand them to Harry. They were all parenting pamphlets about feeding, sleeping, developmental milestones, and things to watch out for. It seemed he wasn’t going to let Bill’s insinuations that he was all alone go completely.

 

“Wow, thanks. This is really helpful,” Harry spread them out on the sofa beside him to see better. It wasn’t an incorrect assumption, and these were actually very needed.

 

“My floo address is on that card,” the healer pointed towards the card still in Harry’s hand. “Owl or floo if you have any questions. I'm serious; any at all.”

 

Harry felt like this man may just be saving him from making some kind of irreversibly horrible parenting decision right there. He desperately wanted to hug the man. Some of that must have come through because Healer Franklin put a hand in his pocket and fished out two lollipops which he handed to Harry and Bill respectfully.

 

“Shh,” he winked. “Don’t go spreading it around that the big kids get them too.”

 

“Never!” Bill enthusiastically pulled the paper off his and immediately popped it in his mouth.

 

“Be good boys,” the healer patted Ash’s back before turning and making his way out of Shell Cottage once more.

 

“Well…that went better than I had expected,” Harry pulled the wrapper off his own lollipop which he was happy to see was dragon fruit flavored.

 

Bill gave him a searching look before taking Ash from his arms while making silly faces at the baby. “Yeah, so don’t let me forget to tell Snape you haven’t had any magical vaccines because you, my new friend, are a terrible liar, and I’m pretty sure Healer Franklin would have vaccinated you himself if he didn’t fully believe you’d been seeing the Potter healer your entire life.”

 

Harry hummed and stood to stretch his back since he was baby-free for the second. “It would have been a cruel irony to have died from some childhood magical disease instead of fighting in the war. I wonder what that would have done to the prophesy in my dimension?”

 

“I bet a few Harrys have died that way if Death was right and there are dimensions very close to each other, paired with the knowledge that you normally don’t make it to adulthood,” Bill added, and that may have just broken Harry’s mind a little. Ok, so yeah, that was actually plausible. Nope, not dealing with that at all.

 

“Right, well…that’s figure out this tummy time thing,” Harry changed the subject and picked up a brochure from the sofa to look through instead.

 

---

 

Harry and Bill had lunch, Ash had a bottle, then Ash and Harry both took a short nap while Bill finished some work for Gringotts, then Ash was on a blanket and doing his first tummy time on the floor in the sitting room when Snape’s pop of apparition sounded outside of Shell Cottage. “Well, it was nice knowing you,” Harry sighed dramatically at Bill from where he was sitting on the floor with his kid. “Tell Ash he’s a good boy every day for me, will you?”

 

Bill rolled his eyes at Harry and jerked the knit hat off his head. “Oi! You prat!”

 

“You’ll be fine, but this healer actually does need to check you out,” Bill tossed the hat on the armchair and pointed a threatening finger at him. “And don’t think I’ve forgotten about the vaccines.”

 

Snape knocked at the door, and Harry intentionally scooted closer to Ash just in case. If there hadn’t been a war here, then would Snape have been a Death Eater? Were the Death Eaters a thing in this dimension? Regardless, he wasn’t expecting this to go well.

 

“Mr. Weasley,” came a familiar drawl when a surprisingly unfamiliar man walked into the cottage. Well, Snape looked exactly like Snape from Harry’s dimension, but his long hair was pulled into a messy bun on top of his head with a quill actually sticking through it, he was wearing trousers instead of robes, and a green sweater-vest over a white dress shirt…a sweater-vest!!

 

“Master Snape, come in. Thank you so much for coming by today,” Bill said, offering a wide smile and ushering the anomaly into his home. Harry was staring to get the impression that this dimension might not actually be very close to his own at all.

 

“You said you were in need of a healer,” Snape intoned, still not having caught sight of Harry and Ash who were sitting on the floor and mostly hidden from view by the sofa. “I don’t do much work as a healer these days, so you would be better off with your normal one. I am happy to take a look at whatever it is though and refer you if you don’t have a normal healer.”

 

Ash, of course, took that moment to give a little squeal while he kicked his legs and wiggled on the floor. Snape’s head turned sharply and Harry was pinned with a look that went from surprise to shock to downright disdain. Ah…everything was right in the world. This Snape hated him too.

 

“I actually called you to take a look at Harry, not me,” Bill began, but Snape was already sneering viciously in his direction, the sweater-vest and quill in his hair doing nothing to soften it.

 

“Potter, you ingrate,” Snape growled. “Do you realize how worried your mother has been!”

 

Ok, so not the direction he’d expected this to take. It seemed this version of Snape and his mum had either made up after their fight or maybe it had never happened to begin with. Was this better for him or worse? Harry had absolutely no idea.

 

“Selfish, self-centered, ungrateful, brat!” Snape seethed. “You will grab your bag, and I will immediately escort you back to rehab. You’ve already broken your mother’s heart by taking drugs of all things! I knew you were an idiot, but I didn’t think even you would be that stupid! But leaving rehab…!”

 

“Snape! Shut it!” Bill snapped in such a commanding tone that even Harry’s back straightened in surprise and Ash whimpered slightly from where he'd already been getting fussy at Snape's tone.

 

“Shh, it’s ok,” Harry reached over and picked up his kid and rubbed his back to soothe him.

 

Honestly, Snape’s vitriol hadn't gotten to him at all. That was just Snape and frankly expected. It kind-of felt like home, but Bill seemed to have a completely different response to the situation, and he looked more angry than Harry had ever seen him…well, maybe not when Death Eaters had crashed his wedding. He’d been pretty angry then too, so toss-up. This Bill though looked ready to throw down for him though even when it was just someone calling him names and raising their voice, and Harry had maybe not felt this cared for in a very long time.

 

Snape’s mouth had snapped shut, but he turned a dangerous glare onto Bill next from Harry. “Mr. Weasley, you will step aside…” he began.

 

“No,” Bill held up a finger, and somehow, that and Bill's whole look, tone, and demeanor caused Snape to pause. Not the time at all, but Harry may have decided right then and there that yeah…he was definitely not fully straight…

 

“First of all, there is a baby right there in my sitting room that you will not distress,” Bill motioned to Ash, and Snape did maybe only slightly look a bit less thunderous. “Secondly, if you actually took a good look at Harry instead of bloody screaming at him, then you would realize, that man is not your Harry Potter.”

 

“And lastly,” because apparently Bill wasn’t done even while Snape did actually take a better look at Harry this time. “If this Harry had been an addict, then you guilt tripping him and calling him stupid and ungrateful would nowhere in any universe be helpful! I did not invite you here to treat my guest this way!”

 

Snape’s lips thinned and he frowned. “You aren’t addicted to drugs?” He finally found the part of all Bill's rant that he could process it seemed.

 

“I’ve never had anything stronger than butterbeer in my life,” Harry remarked because he never did feel safe enough to drink anything that could make him inebriated in the slightest, even in the Gryffindor common room. Too many people wanted him dead to not have his wits about him continuously. Now though, he had a feeling he shouldn't ever start because he wasn't sure how similar he could be to this dimension's Harry, and he didn't want to find out the hard way.

 

“But…” Snape’s dark eyes finally seemed to track the changes between Harry as he was and whatever this dimension’s Harry looked like. He really didn’t know exactly what this dimension’s Harry looked like, but he figured the bloke probably had better hair, was much less thin and more muscular, definitely didn’t have the scar on his head, and Harry had rolled up his sleeves earlier, so Snape could probably see quite a few more scars and burns currently.

 

“Who are you?” He finally asked, clearly confused and very worried. “You aren’t Harry Potter, but you do look like him…”

 

Harry sighed and put Ash back down on his tummy to drool on his toys and work on strengthening his neck. “Look, mate, I hate to break it to you, but your dimension’s Harry Potter died. I showed up here just a few minutes after he ceased to be,” he said, thinking this was probably the person who would feel the least amount of grief for any Harry at least, so small mercies there.

 

“Harry died in his own dimension and was sent here,” Bill cut in to explain. He walked over and sat down in the armchair while Harry finally stood to be on more level ground with the potion master towering over them.

 

“It’s a very long story that I don’t even know all of yet. He is Harry Potter though, just not the one from here," Bill finished.

 

Snape clearly wasn’t believing this nearly as easily as Bill had. He promptly pulled a wand from his sleeve, and Harry cast a shield around himself, Ash, and Bill at the same moment. Harry didn’t even remember pulling his wand, but the Elder Wand pulsed with power in his hand, strengthening the shield. He didn't know what Snape was about to do, but he sure as hell wasn't going to find out either.

 

Bill didn’t even flinch at Harry's reaction. He did sigh deeply though. “I should mention this particular Harry Potter fought in a war and has been hit by a plethora of dark curses. That’s why I called you here to my house to check him out,” he said as if this were a normal conversation he had all the time in his sitting room. Harry couldn’t help a small bark of laughter at the man, but he still held his shield because he’d been burned too many times to trust anyone.

 

Snape’s wand had stilled at the shield, and he paused in consideration. Harry couldn’t read his face well enough to know what the man was thinking. He had a feeling the potion master still didn’t believe them. Well, they didn’t need him. They could find another healer.

 

“Bill insists I’m not well…which, fair, but I don’t see a reason why I should trust you. My Snape was an acerbic bastard, but I’d trust him with my life…you, I don’t know you from Genghis Khan,” Harry glared. He really did consider how likely he would be able to stun and obliviate this version of Snape. Based on the man's perfect stance and wand control, he still didn’t like his odds even if this one hadn’t been a Death Eater.

 

Snape lowered his wand slightly and tilted his head to one side consideringly as if some things were slowly clicking into place. “You really aren’t this dimension’s Harry Potter,” he breathed out. “You wouldn’t look different if it was Polyjuice…no glamours are that strong…”

 

“Mate, he’s dead, I’m really not lying to you,” Harry breathed out in frustration. “He died of an overdose under the quidditch stands. I only told everyone I was in rehab because I frankly can’t deal with everyone and this whole new world right now!”

 

Just thinking about talking face to face with James and Lily Potter was enough to send him into a panic attack. Merlin, talking to Sirius! He couldn’t. He needed much more time before he could even think about that let alone do it.  

 

Snape looked down at Ash, and Harry tensed once more. “The baby isn’t from this dimension either, is he? This Harry...well, he didn't seem interested in girls if I were to wager a guess.”

 

“No, he came with me,” Harry said tersely, not wanting to be questioned on Ash's origins any more than that.

 

Snape nodded slowly. “So, he isn’t Lily’s grandson.”

 

Ok, Harry really needed to know what kind of weird relationship Snape had with his parents. This was just too strange. The man had a slight point though.

 

Finally, he shrugged after giving up on how to explain Ash’s existence without having to explain horcruxes, which he was never going to do. “I don’t know…I guess it depends on how you define that. He’s my son, and Lily Potter is biologically my mum, so…”

 

“Ash is your mum’s grandson,” Bill answered firmly as if him saying it made it so. And sure, Harry was willing to go with that.

 

Snape was still holding his wand when he crossed his arms over his chest and raised a challenging eyebrow. He seemed to be resolved to wait out Harry for whenever his shield finally failed. Joke’s on him though because Harry could hold this magic all day if he had to.

 

“Really, children,” Bill sighed at them both and rolled his eyes. “Harry, lower your shield and let Snape cast some detection and diagnostic charms on you. That was what sold me on your story, and I assume it will him too. I’ll make sure you are Ash are safe and won’t let anything happen to you. And Snape, pretend you’re a reasonable adult and dealing with a war veteran with severe PTSD…because you are.”

 

Harry and Snape just glared at each other though, neither willing to give in.

 

---

 

Bill needed a drink and possibly a professional mediator to deal with whatever fucked up situation was between the two grown-ass adults in his sitting room who were actively antagonizing each other. He had eventually convinced Harry to lower his shield by picking up Ash and taking him to the other side of the room and promising to keep his wand in his hand and ready in case it was needed. Snape though, had proceeded to cast a succession of detection spells that would have made Mad-Eye Moody, the grizzled auror Bill’s dad had drinks with occasionally, call him paranoid.

 

After the flurry of spells, Harry was left looking like he was ready to either crawl out of his own skin or stab Snape through the eye, whichever was easiest. Bill was suddenly glad there weren’t any sharp object in his sitting room…well, there was a letter opener in the drawer. Hopefully, Harry hadn’t seen him use that earlier and didn’t know it was there.

 

“You really are Harry Potter…but not ours,” Snape concluded in a tone that said he really did wish he were wrong but knew he wasn't. “Lily’s son is dead?”

 

Harry rolled his eyes because Bill's new friend was clearly done and on his very last nerve. “Yeah, James’s son too, but whatever. He’s dead, you’re stuck with me now. Just bloody give me a new burn cream for cursed burns from bloody Gringotts’s bloody inhumane security system!!”

 

“We’re so getting a swear jar for the house,” Bill put a hand over Ash’s ears, getting the small laugh from Harry he’d been aiming for. Harry seemed to calm down a slight fraction, but Bill was still worried for Snape’s continued health and well-being if he didn’t stand down from his glare soon.

 

“Wait…Gringotts?” Bill asked when that random comment sank in and maybe broke his mind a little.

 

Harry winced. “Yeah…maybe don’t mention to your bosses that I robbed the bank to get something we needed to win the war…also, does your brother Charlie know about the dragon? That’s just not right. Someone should be looking into that.”

 

Bill’s eyes widened, and he shared a look with Snape at all that random spew of severely distressing information. What of that did he handle first? “Er…yeah…Charlie’s been petitioning to get the dragon moved to the reserve since before I started at the bank…you robbed Gringotts?! How?!!”

 

Harry grimaced sharply, and Bill suddenly got the feeling he might not want to know. He’d never considered until that exact moment that war could cause people to do things that no one would consider doing in peacetime. Harry had probably done things to survive that he wouldn’t want Bill to know…things that a normal person would consider monstrous if they weren’t fighting for their lives and the lives of everyone they loved. Bill resolved to never pry into Harry's actions during the war unless his new friend offered the information first from there on out.

 

“Can we just…” Harry trailed off vaguely motioning to Snape’s wand to plead they change the subject. “Look…if you don’t want to be my healer, I can go to St. Mungo’s or find someone else. I’m er…kind of in a lot of pain though, and I might need some blood replenisher,” Harry put a hand on his chest where Bill knew the bandage over the weird and very deep cut was. Was it still bleeding? Had Harry changed the bandage again? Merlin, Bill realized he was failing in his job to take care of this guy.

 

Snape slowly nodded but put his wand in his sleeve. The potion master was starting to actually get a concerned look on his face, and Bill was hopeful that maybe this confrontation wasn’t going to end in bloodshed after all. “Yes, I cast several diagnostic spells as well earlier. Mr. Potter…do you know what all you were hit with? I couldn't decipher some of the results.”

 

Harry shrugged. “Not really, no…you can see the burns, I think I have a couple from the fiendfyre on my leg too; I caught a bone breaking curse to the ankle that Her…er, my mate fixed for me some anyway during the battle,” Harry swallowed, clearly about to say the name of someone he’d lost. Bill didn’t know how to help him, and his heart ached at the pain he saw. He kissed Ash’s head in the absence of being able to do anything for Harry in the moment.

 

“I got hit with a few other things, but I’m not sure what. Mostly, I just cast ‘finite’ on myself and kept going hoping for the best,” Harry shrugged again as if it were no big deal. “Oh, and all the Unforgivable Curses of course…crucio several times at least. Imperio doesn’t really do anything to me at this point, and clearly, I only got hit with the killing curse once,” he added with a wry snort that was maybe supposed to approximate amusement.

 

Snape was probably just as pale as Bill was by the end of that ramble. Bill had even known most of that, but having it laid out there so nonchalantly…well, Snape looked like he might have swallowed his tongue. “I…I do not have all the potions you will need on my person,” Snape finally said, only slightly recovering.

 

Harry blinked as if those were not words he’d ever expected to come from Snape’s mouth oddly enough. “Er…ok, that’s fine.”

 

“I haven’t seen anyone who’s been cursed with the cruciatus outside of my time in healer training,” Snape continued, causing even more surprise to cross Harry’s face. “There is a potion to help with the nerve damage, but I will need to research it before I can brew it.”

 

“Wow…” Harry just breathed out in surprise. “I mean…yeah, I knew this was another dimension, but…wow…”

 

“Excuse me?” Snape frowned, seeming at a complete loss, and yeah, Bill was too.

 

Harry shrugged and sat back on the sofa. “Our dark lord passed out crucio’s like candy. I frankly don’t want to count how many times I’ve been hit with it, and I know my dimension’s Snape got it a lot more than I did. So, yeah, I know that potion well. I can probably even help you brew it if you aren’t familiar. I was on the run this last year, and my mate only brought schoolbooks along for entertainment. She made me revise Potions way too much in my opinion.”

 

Snape just glared. “I will under no circumstances ever allow a Harry Potter in my potions lab, no matter what dimension he came from. I’m still cleaning the residue off my walls from when this dimension’s Potter threw something into a cauldron when he was ten and almost destroyed the place!”

 

Harry chuckled and leaned back. “That wasn’t me…but yeah, I get it.”

 

Snape took the bag he’d been carrying on one shoulder off and rummaged through it, pulling out quite a few potions. “Can I ask, why Mr. Weasley? Of everyone you could have gone to when you got to this dimension, why Bill Weasley. I was unaware you even knew each other.”

 

“We didn’t, not in this dimension anyway,” Bill said coming close with the baby now that Harry seemed less anxious that Snape would try something that would put his son in danger.

 

“Er, well, I probably wasn’t thinking extremely logically at the time when I first arrived since I’d literally just died, but well…everyone else I could go to was dead in my dimension, and I wasn’t sure how to find most people here anyway,” Harry said, stilling Snape’s hand with his words. “Bill worked with Gringotts in my dimension too, so I thought they might pass along a message for me. So, I figured he was the easiest one I could think of who may not be dead and who wouldn’t immediately call the aurors.”

 

“Everyone?” Snape looked up, a vial of purple potion in his hand which looked like Dreamless Sleep.

 

Harry just shrugged wryly. “Well, you were definitely dead, my parents, Dumbledore, Remus, and I really don’t know about who else. The fighting hadn’t stopped yet when I was killed even if I was assured the war was won.”

 

Snape let out a long breath before continuing to pull things out and then measure out dosages into smaller vials. “I will have to stop back by tomorrow with more potions and will write out instructions for these,” he said distractedly. "It may take several days for a few of the ones you need to brew."

 

"Apparently I have money," Harry shrugged, and Snape looked at him incredulously. "Just pass along my bill."

 

“Harry also needs all the magical vaccines. We learned earlier today when Ash’s healer stopped by that he’s never had them either,” Bill added in before they could forget.

 

Snape raised a shocked eyebrow and looked between them both while he sat down the vial he’d been holding. “Why have you not had your vaccines?”

 

“Er…I was raised by muggles,” Harry frowned at him. “I got all the muggle vaccines, but no one told me I needed others. They should maybe check that at Hogwarts.”

 

Snape’s eyes narrowed. “Pray tell…why were you raised by muggles?”

 

“Well, my parents died when I was only a year old,” Harry said with an apologetic look towards the man. “I went to live with my aunt.”

 

Snape sucked in a shocked breath. “Tuney?! You went to live with Tuney?! Who the bloody hell would leave a magical child with Petunia Dursley of all the bigots in the world?!”

 

Harry looked at Bill to save him, but Bill didn’t know what all was going on here. It seemed not a single part of Harry’s life had been easy. Merlin, but had he even grown up in an abusive home? What all had been done to this man?!

 

“Why did no one else take you in? What about that worthless godfather of yours and his mate? Or even Pettigrew! Alice Longbottom is your godmother, what about her? Salazar’s balls, even I would take your sorry hide in over Petunia Dursley,” he spat at the end like it was a curse.

 

Harry breathed out a chuckle, clearly less affected by all this than Snape or Bill. He held up a finger. “First of all, Sirius was wrongfully accused of mass murder and sent to Azkaban for twelve years,” he held up a second finger. “If by his mate you mean Remus, well, he was a werewolf in my dimension and not allowed to take me in…is he a werewolf here? Are he and Siri together? Like romantically? They signed their letter together, but I wasn’t sure. I don't think they were together in my dimension...well, Siri was dead, but back when he was alive at least...maybe they just didn't tell me...why?”

 

Snape blinked at where Harry seemed to have spiraled some there at the end. “Yes…those two…” he cleared his throat. “Lupin is a werewolf, and yes, they are together.”

 

“Ah,” Harry held up another finger, seeming to pull himself back together and push whatever spiral he'd been in aside for the moment. “Anyway, Pettigrew was out…I don’t want to talk about it…”

 

Snape and Bill shared a look over the murderous glare of Harry’s that they didn’t know how to decipher. Bill didn’t know this Pettigrew, so he had no clue who they were even talking about. Harry just continued though. “Alice and Frank Longbottom were tortured until their minds broke and were living in St. Mungo’s permanently…and you…well, there were extenuating circumstances that even if you didn’t hate my guts, then you still couldn’t take me in…I do appreciate that you would hypothetically offer though…” and Harry did actually look like he appreciated that.

 

“I’ll say it again,” Bill breathed out and sank down to sit on the sofa with Harry. “Your dimension sucks!”

 

Snape finally sat on the edge of the coffee table and handed Harry one of the vials. “Take this first, it is a blood replenisher. You’ll need to take off your shirt now, and I’ll apply a salve to the burns and take a look at the cut you said is on your chest.”

 

Harry knocked back the potion after only a cursory look at it as if to check that it really was what Snape said it was. After a second, Harry winced and struggled out of the shirt he’d borrowed that morning. Bill watched Snape’s face and saw the horror etch itself across his expression before he immediately wiped it clear once more. Bill had a similar look when he'd had to banish Harry's clothes that first night to tend to his wounds. This Harry had been through hell.

 

Not noticing the look, Harry just poked at the bandage on his chest which wasn’t red this time at least. “Hey, maybe it stopped bleeding,” he said hopefully.

 

Snape picked up a jar of what must be a much stronger burn cream and held out his hand for Harry’s. “Mr. Potter,” he eventually broke the silence after dabbing cream on the circular burns littering Harry’s arms. “We must tell Lily and James what happened to their son. Sooner rather than later…”

 

Harry grimaced. “Er…so…I was kind of hoping I could just do my fake rehab and avoid them a while…were original Harry and them close? I mean…maybe they won’t notice.”

 

Snape paused and gave Harry a look clearly calling him an idiot even if he didn’t verbally say it. “They will notice,” he firmly stated as if that conclusion were foregone, and yeah, Bill had already figured that out even not knowing any of the parties involved. He did believe that Harry needed more time though, which he planned to do everything in his power to give him.

 

Snape's face softened some. “Plus, they deserve to know their son has died. Lying to them is not helping anyone.”

 

Harry breathed out and looked panicky. Bill put a hand on his free arm to hopefully calm him down slightly. It marginally seemed to work. Bill was now considering that it may be best if someone else told the Potter parents and not this Harry. He was learning firmly towards this Harry never being able to handle it, or at least that he shouldn't have to...this actually wasn't his responsibility, and Bill was of the opinion that they shouldn't force it on the man who'd already gone through so much. Maybe he could come up with a solution to this if he gave it some thought.

 

“I’ll tell them…but I just…I need more time…I can’t right now,” Harry breathed out, looking like he might be trying to choose between fight or flight if Snape didn’t have a firm hold on his arm currently.

 

“So, you expect to be able to pretend to be their Harry,” Snape remarked dryly, and Bill knew something was coming by the man’s raise of an eyebrow. “Pray tell…what is your sister’s name? Huh? How old is she?”

 

Harry’s mouth dropped open…and yeah…Bill did kind of remember a sister now…oops.

 

“What? I have a…what?” Harry deflated as if every bone in his body had been banished.

Notes:

Up Next: Harry's first argument with his parents...

Chapter 5: Career Planning

Bill thankfully convinced Snape to give them until the end of Harry’s “rehab” to figure out how they were going to approach the Potter parents. Snape didn’t like it, but he clearly saw that he shouldn’t be the one to tell them since, just like in Harry’s original dimension, Snape and James Potter absolutely didn’t get along. So, Snape really didn’t have any leverage there since he refused to be the one to break the news. Harry saw his point, he really did, they had to tell James and Lily…but he still needed time. He was still reliving the final battle every night in his dreams, and he wasn't ready to deal with the outside world. He needed to stay in this safe little cocoon of Shell Cottage for a little longer, even if he knew he'd have to deal with the outside world eventually.

 

Snape did give him a wonderful gift though before he left. Harry now knew his sister’s name was Emily, and she was just finishing her first year at Hogwarts. That’s why Lily was currently the Muggle Studies professor. Lily normally oversaw the potions company as her career, but she took a sabbatical to teach for the one year both her children would be at Hogwarts together. Harry had never even considered having a sibling before. He supposed he should have since his parents hadn’t died so young in this world, but still…the thought had never crossed his mind.

 

Harry found that he really did like the idea of having a little sister though now that he finally let the thought in. Granted, Emily was actually Original Harry’s sister, so she may not even like this version of her brother. Harry really wanted her to like him though. Even if they weren’t in school together anymore, he hoped they could build some kind of relationship. At the very least, Ash would love to have an aunt growing up.

 

Ash was currently doing his tummy time again while Harry cleaned the spit up off his shirt from earlier when he'd burped the baby after his bottle. Babies were so messy! At least Harry had some clothes of his own now. Bill had been so very wonderful about lending him things, but Bill was taller with more weight and muscle than Harry who’d been on the run and starving for a year. Harry kind of felt like he was still wearing Dudley’s large hand-me-downs in Bill’s clothes. It was nice to have some things that fit.

 

It was the first day they were alone now though together. Bill had finally gone back to work, and Harry was frankly terrified. Yeah, he’d been taking care of Ash for a while now, but he hadn’t been on his own yet. Why would anyone, even Death, think Harry was responsible enough to care for a child?! But no, he was all Ash had, so he was going to figure it out and hopefully not screw this up, whatever that took!

 

Harry sat on the floor and leaned against the sofa to watch his baby drool on the new dragon plushie Bill had added onto their last owl order. Bill had been right; everything was definitely needed. Ash deserved all the plushies and rattles and cute hats with bunny ears on them. Actually, Harry decided he needed to invest in a camera very soon. Someone had to document how cute his kid was and hopefully use those pictures to embarrass him when he was a teenager. No one had done that for Harry, and he thought it was criminal for there not to be a record of how adorable Ash was as a tiny baby.

 

Harry found Bill’s now well-used catalogue collection to see if there was a camera or something in any of them. It didn’t take him long to find a magical camera in one and fill out the order form. Bill’s owl, Jeffrey (yes, Bill named him what had to be the weirdest name for an owl, and yes, Harry laughed every time he called the owl), was currently out delivering some letters for Bill, so he’d have to send off the order later.

 

They had made it to the early afternoon that way without any major catastrophes. Harry was exceptionally tired, but Ash was fed, changed, and Harry had just put him down for a nap. At least he hadn’t broken the kid yet. Harry hummed for a bit until Ash finally fell asleep, and Harry snuck out of his room after casting the baby monitor spell.

 

Merlin, but this was all stressful. How did parents do it every day? How was he going to do it every day?! Actually, who was going to watch Ash when Harry had to go to work? Ok, so Harry sat down heavily at the kitchen table and let that question hit him like a bludger to the chest. Did the magical world have daycare's? Everyone seemed to think he had a lot of money, but did he have enough to pay for a nanny maybe?

 

An owl tapped at the window, breaking Harry out of his tired mental spiral. Harry frowned but opened the window for the bird. He didn’t recognize the owl, but figured maybe it was looking for Bill but couldn’t find him in Gringotts or wherever he was off curse-breaking.

 

“Hey, you looking for Bill Weasley?” Harry asked, passing some owl treats to the sleek black owl. The owl hooted and held out a leg, the letter clearly said ‘Harry Potter’ on it.

 

“Huh,” Harry frowned and removed the letter. With an elegant flick of his wings, the bird was off and back out of the window almost instantly. Right, so Harry was concerned. Maybe this was from his parents or Sirius…or…what if it was from his sister?! He didn’t know anything about her to be able to answer any of her questions!

 

No, if it was from his family, the owl would have waited for a reply…right? Harry sat back down and opened the envelope, taking out the letter like it might be cursed, because yeah, he was still expecting cursed letters no matter what dimension he was in. He opened the letter…and it wasn’t cursed.

 

Harry read it and frowned in confusion. He read it again, but it still did make any sense. So, he read it a third time…nope, still didn’t understand. What the bloody hell?!

 

---

 

Bill apparated to right outside his home after work and saw the lights on in his little cottage and heard the Weird Sisters playing on the radio from an open window. It made him pause with a smile on his face. Bill was used to coming home to a dark and cold home these days. It had been since he was living at the Burrow when there was someone actually waiting for him after work, and he really missed it. Yeah, he’d dated an archeologist while he was working in Egypt for a little while, but she would never have been waiting on him after work. They didn’t have a domestic-type relationship, and it had taken a long time for Bill to realize that he did really want that. He wanted something like what his parents had when he was growing up. At least the comfort and stability if nothing else.

 

He knew this wasn’t his family. Harry and Ash were getting their footing in this new world, but they would leave and connect with the Potters and make their own family, but Bill knew he’d miss them. It had only been a few days, but he’d gotten attached. Harry was just so strong but also needed someone…needed Bill. And Ash…Ash had looked at him that first day with those huge blue eyes and gave him a toothless grin, and Bill’s heart was officially no longer his own. It was going to hurt so much when they left him eventually.

 

Taking a deep breath in, Bill opened his front door and smiled at the smell of something wonderful cooking. “Honey, I’m home!” He called out, getting an immediate laugh from the kitchen.

 

“We’re in here. I hope you like curry because I make a mean aloo matar,” Harry called from the kitchen. "I found it years ago in a cookbook my aunt had and made some changes to put my own stamp on it."

 

Bill put down his work satchel and wondered into the room with the radio going and Harry swaying to the song with a baby on one hip and stirring a large pot with his other hand. “The spicier the better,” Bill leaned against the doorway and smiled at the picture of the little family before him.

 

“Brilliant! My relatives never let me add any spice to it, even though the recipe clearly calls for it,” Harry grinned at him over his shoulder. “How was work?”

 

“Gimme,” Bill reached for the baby to give Harry both hands to work with and because he'd missed the little guy all day. Once Ash was passed over with a knowing look from Harry, Bill finally relaxed. “Work was good. I got to remove a curse from a bracelet which would make the wearer suddenly want to give all their money to the poor…I kind of considered just leaving it and trying to get Borgin and Burke’s to sell it to some old pureblood family or something, but the goblins vetoed that idea.”

 

Harry chuckled and went back to stirring, but something about him looked stressed. Had something happened? Bill bounced the baby to the music and looked around, but everything looked fine in the house. It may actually be cleaner than when he’d left. He’d need to make sure Harry knew to not worry about cleaning, that he’d handle it later.

 

“Hey, how was your day?” He asked when he determined that there wasn’t anything blatantly obvious that was causing the tense line in Harry’s shoulders and the furrow in his brow. “Was your first day alone stressful?”

 

“Huh? Er…yeah, but we made it ok,” Harry shrugged and let some of the tension go. “There was a tricky moment when Ash just kept crying, and he turned bright red, but he was just tired and eventually fell asleep.”

 

“Right…so, why do you look like you were the one dealing all day with goblins who were trying to interrogate you about the bloody and bruised teenager and baby who’d shown up at the bank instead of me?” Bill leaned against the counter to see Harry’s face better. Merlin, the curry smelled amazing!

 

“Oh no!” Harry’s face fell. “I’m sorry. I honestly didn’t think they’d care. Should I talk with them?!”

 

Bill snorted and shook his head. “It’s fine. I handled it,” he waved the concerned man off. It had been a bit of a headache, but he'd smoothed it over. “But why are you so stressed?”

 

Harry sighed and motioned to the counter under the window where a piece of parchment was sitting. “I got a letter today. I don’t understand what happened. Maybe you can make sense of it? I sure can't.”

 

Bill walked over and picked up the letter, shifting Ash more to one side so he’d have a free hand. The letter looked quite official, so it wasn’t from Harry’s family. He looked at the letterhead and immediately frowned. It was from Puddlemere United.

 

 

Dear Mr. Potter,

 

 

We are very sorry to hear of your decision to forego our offer to play for Puddlemere this season. However, we understand that health and family must come first. I hope you understand, we cannot hold your position on the team and will need to fill the open chaser position for the new season. You are welcome to try out again in the future if we should ever have an open position once more. We at Puddlemere wish you good health and success in your future endeavors.

 

 

Aerial Toppenham

Team Manager

Puddlemere United

 

 

Bill frowned at the letter. “You owled the quidditch team?” He asked, wondering why in Merlin’s name Harry would have done that. Harry had actually seemed a little excited to play again.

 

“Merlin, no! Why would I do that?” Harry put down the spoon and turned off the burner of the stove. “First of all, I didn’t even know Original Harry played chaser. I always played seeker, so that would have probably given me away if I’d said anything in the letter, and secondly…it sounded like a good opportunity. Why would they think I turned down their offer?”

 

Bill stood there holding the letter as an answer slowly began to dawn on him, an answer he knew Harry wasn't going to like. This was absolutely not going to go over well. “Erm, Harry…so, you know you’re a legal adult…”

 

“Yeah, no trace,” Harry flicked his wand to levitate the bowl of rice to the table as if to illustrate that fact.

 

Bill nodded because, yeah, this Harry had never had parents or even any family before, so why would he know. “Well, you’re a legal adult, but in the magical world, you are still under the protection of the head of your family until you are at least 20 for most of the old families, I'm not sure about yours. So, you can go off on your own and get a job, but your parents can still override things when they believe the decision to be not in your best interest. You can contest it, but that would require getting a solicitor and a lot of legal drama.”

 

“Oh,” Harry breathed out and Bill saw the realization hit him. There was a mix of disappointment, shock, and a healthy dose of anger all in the man’s eyes. “But why?! Why would my parents take away my job? I don’t understand!"

 

Bill put down the letter and tried to make sense of this all himself. It didn't make a whole lot of sense no matter how he looked at it. “I think you need to ask them. I would have thought they’d owl you about it before the team would, but clearly they didn’t. I don’t see how taking away your livelihood would be a good idea for anything, but maybe there was a reason.” He was hoping he was right and not just being overly generous here. At the very least, the news should have come from the Potters not the quidditch team though.

 

Harry plopped the bowl of curry on the table before immediately grabbing a piece of parchment and sitting down. “Eat. I have to write this now, or I’m going to blow something up or scream or something,” Harry growled and started scratching furiously at the parchment with his quill.

 

Yeah, Bill was going to have to read that letter before Harry sent it. This was definitely going to be a first draft. For the moment though, Bill just sat Ash in his new chair that vibrated with toys hanging over his head to distract him before he joined Harry at the table.

 

Bill was halfway through his amazing aloo matar before Harry finally shoved the letter towards him. Bill snorted a laugh at it while Harry finally filled his plate and took a bite, anger still lining every movement he made. “So, this is a first draft,” he confirmed. “I think we should remove all the swear words and the death threat at the end before calling it a final draft. You do realize that parents usually make decisions because they think they’re good for you for some reason, not because they are intentionally trying to screw you over?”

 

Harry just raised an eyebrow at him and seemed to actually be considering his words. “Not really in my experience,” he finally said, not surprising Bill in the slightest. Bill really wanted to make a trip to Harry’s old dimension to curse a few people very badly. “I get that I would only want to help Ash though, so I can see how that might be a parent’s goal…I just don’t understand this decision.”

 

“Which is what we’re asking, not trying to threaten them into retaliating in some way,” Bill sighed. Yeah, Harry should absolutely not be the one to tell the Potters their son had died. That would not go well at all. Bill didn’t know who else they would listen to though. It sounded like Snape was out, and they didn’t know Bill in the slightest, so he hadn’t figured out that dilemma just yet.

 

With a loud sigh, Harry took another piece of parchment out of the side cabinet and sat back down to write a new letter while eating with one hand. Bill tried not to laugh at the grumbling Harry was doing under his breath the whole time about bloody inconvenient parents who make life more difficult. If Harry wasn’t literally more of an adult than most adults, it would sound like a petulant teenager, but this Harry just really didn’t have parents or understand them in the slightest, and in all honesty, the Potters really didn’t know what was best for him because they didn’t know this Harry.

 

Harry finally passed over the new draft, and this one was at least acceptable. Harry explained the letter from the quidditch team, asked if they knew anything about it, and then just left it there. Apparently keeping it short and simple was Harry’s solution to cutting out all the swear words and threats.

 

“It works,” Bill shook his head fondly and put it in an envelope. Jeffrey had come back at some point during the day, so Bill went ahead and tied the letter to his owl and sent him back out.

 

The food was eaten, the kitchen cleaned, Ash put to bed for the night, and Harry and Bill were playing a game of wizard’s chess when Jeffrey showed back up once more. The Potters must live somewhere fairly close to Bill he figured for that quick of a turn around.

 

Harry detached the letter and handed it straight to Bill. “You read it. I need to pace or something,” he stood and did immediately start pacing. The nervous energy rolling off of him.

 

Bill opened the letter and cleared his throat to read it out:

 

 

Harry,

 

While I’m sorry you had to hear the news that way, I made this decision because it is for the best. You have seen much success at quidditch, but professional quidditch is a world and lifestyle that would not be conducive to your recovery. My aurors frequently are called to parties held by the team were alcohol and drugs are readily available. I had assumed you were mature enough to keep yourself out of that part of the profession when I agreed that you could follow this career path, but now I know you are decidedly not.

 

I have determined it is best for you to come to work with either me or your mother. Once you take your NEWTs, we will determine if you are best suited to a job at the ministry or at the company where one of us can keep an eye on you. Your mother has informed me that you left your trunk at the school when you left for rehab. I agree that was the best decision at the time since I assume you may have had some substances hidden within it. Now, she will remove your textbooks and send them along for you to study, and I will go through the trunk to remove any contraband it may contain before your return.  

 

Study hard son. Quidditch won’t get you far in the ministry or in business. Focus on your Charms revising since your mother said your marks are lacking there.

 

Your father

 

 

Bill stopped reading and watched while Harry clenched and unclenched his hands, breathing heavily and seeming to use inhuman force to calm himself down. “If you want to break something, that’s ok. I can fix it,” Bill offered, not liking how Harry seemed to be shutting down completely. Did the man know mind magic? Why would he? Oh, right, war…yeah, Harry probably was actually shutting down behind Occlumency shields.

 

Harry face just went completely blank as he slowly and too calmly sat down on the sofa, not taking Bill up on his offer of breaking something. “I see his point,” Harry said hollowly and without feeling. “His son should probably not have been surrounded by parties and drugs all the time. James didn’t even ask me though, or explain what he was going to do before he just did it.”

 

“And you aren’t his son,” Bill filled in because that was definitely what was bothering Harry the most. Harry might have initially thought to have stepped into this world’s Harry’s shoes, but the longer he was there, that didn’t seem possible.

 

“I’m just a fuck up to him,” Harry concluded, and clearly not meaning Original Harry by the words. It seemed of everyone who’d been told anything about this dimension’s Harry Potter, only this other version of the young man gave him any grace or understanding. Shouldn’t people from this dimension be the ones who cared the most, not the broken man who’d never even met the kid?

 

Harry was still shaking his head though. “I’m an addict and a teenage dad and I know nothing besides sports…Merlin, his son even played James’s former quidditch position. Just how much pressure was Harry under to live up to some expectation placed on him? And what is that expectation? How can I live up to it if I don’t even know what it is? Clearly, the original Harry couldn’t live up to it…he might have died trying.”

 

“We don’t know why Harry got involved in drugs,” Bill reminded him. “It could have been for any number of reasons. But what’s done is done. Unless you want to tell Puddlemere what happened, which I would strongly suggest not doing because they would definitely call the Unspeakables, then you’re going to have to figure out a new direction. What were you originally going to do for a career?”

 

Harry raised an unimpressed eyebrow at him. “I was going to die to fulfill a prophesy I’d been under since before my birth, that’s what I was going to do.”

 

Ok, so yeah, stupid question. Bill put down the letter and ran a hand over his face. He wondered how badly it would go over for him to stride into the head auror’s office and give the man a piece of his mind. Yeah, probably about as well as that sounded in his head.

 

“Right, so new question. Clearly this Harry had to work on Charms, what about you? You said you’d been revising while on the run this last year. What do you think you’re going to do well on with your NEWTs? We can at least try to aim for a job you’d like and would be good at,” Bill tried next.

 

Harry’s bark of laughter sent a chill down Bill’s spine from the sheer disillusionment held in the sound. “Bill,” Harry turned those hollow eyes on him. “I’ve been trained for one job, one field, my entire life. If I take my NEWTs and go for a job I’m good at, then I’m going to end up in the auror department. How likely do you think it is that my father would hire me to work for him as a bloody auror?”

 

Bill blinked, and that made sense. “Except, the head auror doesn’t hire new aurors,” he corrected. “The head of the DMLE hires new aurors. Is that something you’d want to do?”

 

Harry shrugged and did actually seem to consider it. “I would be good at it. Honestly, I’d probably be the best auror on the force, and that’s not like pride or something speaking. Who else had to study alchemy in their first year at school, rare and deadly creatures their second, the patronus charm and dementors their third, rare charms and defensive magic their fourth, mind magic their fifth, dark artifacts and necromancy their sixth, and basically anything to keep myself alive and to fend off an entire army who wanted me and my friends dead my seventh…?”

 

Bill didn’t know how to respond to that. He swallowed, but his mouth still felt dry. Eventually he cleared his throat. “Harry…I don’t care what you are good at,” he said as calmly as he could through the sheer horror of what the man had been through. “I asked if that was something you wanted to do. Do you want to be an auror, especially since your father and godfather both work in that office?”

 

Finally, Harry actually seemed to be considering his question. “I don’t know,” Harry turned his too green eyes on Bill. “I just decided that my favorite color is blue like Ash’s eyes…how am I supposed to know what I want to do for a career? Quidditch at least seemed safe and like I could get away from the fighting, but I’d be a good auror…maybe that’s enough. At least I could do it a while since it’s what I know and what I’m comfortable with.”

 

Merlin-be-damned, Bill didn’t think he would ever be in a position where someone would so logically explain how fighting dark wizards for their life was their comfort zone and what they felt would be the easiest career choice. He let out a breath but just nodded. “Well, the head of the DMLE is…”

 

“Amelia Bones, yeah, I know…we’ve interacted,” Harry’s lips thinned, and he actually let out a snort of laughter. Well, that was a story Bill needed to hear.

 

“No, it’s my uncle, Gideon Prewitt,” Bill corrected. Apparently, this was a difference between dimensions as well. “Amelia Bones is the Undersecretary to the Minister for Magic in his dimension.”

 

Harry actually let out a breath and seemed to find more light in his eyes at that remark suprisingly. The hollowness seemed to actually leave some. “Wonderful! So, the undersecretary isn’t Dolores Umbridge! Thank Merlin, because I’d definitely be arrested my first day as an auror when I cursed her.”

 

“I don’t know a Dolores Umbridge,” Bill said after a moment of thought. He was definitely going to ask his father if he knew the woman though because he may need to make sure Harry and her never met here, at least until Harry was a little more stable. “I can put in a good word with my cousin for you though, as long as you get the necessary NEWTs. I don’t think anything would go through your father until after you’re hired and start training.”

 

Harry grinned and joined him at the chess board again finally. “I’d forgotten your uncles would be alive here. Fabian is the other twin right? What does he do?”

 

Bill blinked. His uncles weren’t alive in Harry’s dimension? Why? No…he definitely didn’t want to know. “Uncle Fabian is in fashion. He has a robes store on Diagon that’s giving Madam Malkin’s a run for her money. Actually, we should stop there when we go out and do some shopping soon, once we figure out a disguise for you so you won’t be recognized.”

 

“Really? Yeah, that’s brilliant!” Harry grinned brightly and moved his knight.

 

Bill was certain this tenseness with the Potter parents was nowhere near over with, especially when their son showed up for auror training. James Potter was probably going to wish he hadn’t meddled then. Ministry jobs didn’t fall under the head of house’s ability to control since they were government and not private sector though. It was probably the best way for Harry to keep James from meddling in his life, as sad as it was that he would be signing on for a dangerous job when his original plan had been quidditch.

 

“Hey,” Harry chuckled with a wry look. “How likely do you think it would be to get Snape to drop by and help me with my practical Potions revising? I could study the theory on the run but couldn’t really do any practice when we didn’t have the ingredients.”

 

Bill rolled his eyes and took Harry’s knight; the guy really wasn’t good at chess. “To keep a better eye on you, I think Snape would agree to most anything. He might even be happy about if you let him cast some more diagnostics to study you...well, as happy as that man ever is. Snape is worse than an Unspeakable for wanting answers.”

 

Harry wrinkled his nose but shrugged. “Sure, whatever. I do need to be better at Potions since my name isn’t going to carry any weight here in this dimension, no matter what the other NEWTs say. It’s really only Potions I’m concerned about, so if he’ll help, I’ll let him cast a few spells at me.”

 

“I’ll floo call him in the morning then and ask,” Bill offered since the question would probably still be better coming from him than Harry. He didn’t know what Snape had against either dimension’s Harry, but there was still a lot of suspicion and irritation there.

 

“Oh, I forgot, I wanted to send Jeffrey with an owl order for a camera. Ash is too cute to not have a full photo album of baby pictures,” Harry grinned, seeming to have completely pushed the anger and frustration away and compartmentalized for the night.

 

Bill smiled at him fondly. Harry was just so…wonderful. There really wasn’t another way to think about him. He just…cared so much even when he was bleeding out on Bill’s kitchen floor or angrily writing letters with death threats to his own parents, it was because he cared about his son or about the original Harry or about Bill as weird as that was when Harry didn’t even really know him. Well, Bill supposed Harry actually did know him better than he did the original Harry at least.

 

“Actually, don’t worry about it. I have a camera you can have. It’s an older model, and I had to get a new one since I have to take a lot of pictures at work for documentation,” Bill said, remembering the camera he’d gotten when he first started traveling after school. It was a little battered, but it still worked fine. “I think it’s in my bedroom. I’ll find it for you in the morning.”

 

“Really?” Harry looked at him as if Bill had just given him a brand-new racing broom or an expensive piece of heirloom jewelry instead of an old camera he wasn’t even using anymore.

 

“Well, yeah, I want pictures of the baby too,” Bill scoffed playfully because that level of earnestness from Harry made his chest feel tight in ways he couldn’t unravel emotionally at the moment. “That kid is too cute for his own good, and have you put the rabbit hat on him yet? That one definitely deserves a picture!”

 

“Hell yeah!” Harry grinned widely, and yeah, they did need a swear jar before the kid started to get close to talking. Merlin…was Bill thinking Harry and Ash would be around that long? There was a lot of danger and heartbreak in that line of thinking, and Bill knew he needed to push it very far away.

 

Bill cleared his throat and moved a pawn. Harry was going to be in check in three moves. “Do you think you can write a response to your father without any foul language or threats?”

 

Harry scoffed and rolled his eyes but did find a piece of parchment to write something reasonable in reply. “I fully believe Original Harry would have at least three ‘bloodys’ one ‘fuck’ and an ‘arse’ in a reply letter,” he stated firmly. “It might not be believable if I don’t add them in.”

 

Bill just laughed at the ridiculous man. “You don’t even know the guy.”

 

“Oh, but I do, in here,” Harry pointed at his chest with a grin. “No version of me would take that bloody letter and roll over without some yelling, verbally or on paper.”

 

He might have a point there. “Right, so two ‘bloodys’ one ‘arse’ and no ‘fuck,’” He offered in compromise.

 

Harry looked only slightly put out. “If I must,” he gave a dramatic and long-suffering sigh. “Check,” Harry moved his bishop, and Bill blinked in complete confusion.

 

Bill studied the board. What the bloody hell? But how? When did…? Damn, Harry was actually good at chess!!

 

“Where in Merlin’s name did you learn wizard’s chess?!” Bill didn’t know how to get himself out of this. Harry was actually going to win.

 

Harry blinked up at him from the letter he had started in on. “Er…your brother? Ron taught me.”

 

That completely threw Bill for a loop. “Wait! Ron is good at chess?!”

 

“Er…well, mine was. He was really brilliant at it,” Harry frowned with that look of loss in his eyes again. “Have you played with him ever?”

 

“No…” Bill shook his head and gave in. Yeah, Harry had won. “I think I definitely am now though.”

 

Harry’s quill scratched away for a minute before he looked up with a question on his face. “Wait…if Amelia Bones is the Undersecretary for the Minister…then Cornelias Fudge is definitely not the Minister for Magic here, right? She’d never work that closely with him. Who’s the Minister? It’s not Scrimgeour, is it?” He grimaced at the end.

 

Bill cocked his head to one side and tried to place the name. “Fudge was minister for a while, but he was blatantly incompetent…Scrimgeour…I think he works in the DMLE…maybe? I don’t do a whole lot with the ministry. I really only know what Dad and Percy talk about and neither are in that department. Uncle Gideon is always pretty tight-lipped about his job. Riddle is the current minister though, and he’d pretty competent from everything I hear.”

 

Harry dropped the quill, a dark ink blot forming on the paper. Bill wasn’t sure what he’d said. Harry was obviously starting to panic. “What’s wrong? What’d I say?” Bill moved around the table to kneel in front of his friend. “Talk to me Harry.”

 

“Riddle?” Harry asked in that hollow tone while he clearly tried to shove the panic back inside. “Tom Riddle?”

 

“Yeah…?” Bill said as more of a question. He slowly reached out and took Harry’s hands to not surprise him. “Harry, breathe please. It’s ok. What’s wrong?”

 

“Death!” Harry bellowed angrily, making Bill jump abruptly. “Get your arse down here or up here or whatever! We’re not bloody staying this dimension!”

 

“Wait? What?” Now Bill was panicking. They couldn’t leave! Not now!!

 

An echoing chuckle sounded somewhere behind Bill, and he felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise. He was not going to look behind him. He didn’t want to see.

 

“Oh Master, but isn’t this just delicious?” That echoing voice asked in a tone of horrifying glee.

 

Bill felt his neck turning against his better judgement to look. He was still holding Harry’s hands and tightened his hold when he saw a midnight black robe with tattered edges in the corner of his vision. No, he didn’t want to look, but he had to…

 

“Death,” Harry breathed out in exasperation. “You can’t bloody leave me and Ash in a dimension where my murderer, the Dark Lord who hunted me my entire life, the man who made Ash is literally the Minister for Magic! What the hell?!”

 

That echoing chuckle reached Bill’s ears once more now that he was looking at a pale, handsome man who was somehow wearing a smart and bespoke suit, the tattered cloak only existing on the edges of his consciousness, was standing right there in his sitting room. “But Master,” Death smiled with teeth much too sharp to be normal. “What else would Tom Riddle be doing in a dimension where he wasn’t the dark lord?”

 

Harry squeezed Bill’s hands back before extracting his own. “While that may make perfect and logical sense to you, Death, how do you expect me to raise my son here with him?”

 

Death cocked his head to study them and smiled again, he even winked at Bill, and Bill might be having a stroke right now. “Well, I suggest never taking a muggle paternity test if you don’t want to answer some very uncomfortable questions then…he does have some of your DNA, even if most of it is Riddle’s. I mean…he lived inside you for sixteen years…”

 

“Wait…what?” Harry seemed just as confused as Bill was now. “Are you saying that Ash does actually have some of my DNA, like…he’s like my kid and Riddle’s kid…but…no, that’s just wrong…”

 

Death shrugged before ignoring Harry completely to look at Bill now with his white death-like eyes. “William Weasley…I didn’t expect you in this whole scenario, but you have been quite the plot twist.”

 

“Death!” Harry stood and crossed his arms with a glare. “I’m not some sitcom you get to watch when you’re bored!”

 

“More like a soap opera these days. You need to get out of the house more, and change up the scenery some,” Death grinned widely and yeah, Bill was definitely having a stroke.

Notes:

Up Next: Harry changes up the scenery and gets out of the house...

 

For those of you really looking forward to the Potters entering the story, there is still 2 or 3 chapters before Harry leaves "rehab" but we're getting there.

Chapter 6: Shopping Trip

“We’re going on a run, so put on your new trainers,” Bill ordered the harried man who was concerningly stress-cleaning his loo and had already attacked the kitchen, floor, and laundry the evening before.

 

“What?” Harry looked up and blinked at him through glasses that Bill swore they were going to get replaced in Diagon Alley when they did all their shopping. Those glasses were bent and scratched, and he didn’t think any repairing charms were going to help at this point.

 

Bill couldn’t help his fond smile at the confused look on Harry’s face. “Look, there’s nothing you can do right now about your arch nemesis being the Minister for Magic in this dimension or that you are sort-of raising his kid…or a younger him…or something. Anyway, the baby monitor charm will notify us as soon as Ash wakes up, and we can apparate right back to the house. You need some exercise to build up your strength again, so we’re going on a run.”

 

Harry eventually took off the gloves he was wearing and stood with a concerned look towards Ash’s room. “Seriously, as soon as he’s awake you can apparate right back,” Bill reminded him because Ash was perfectly safe with the monitoring charm.

 

“Right, ok,” Harry did go to his room and find the trainers they’d ordered for him only a couple days before. Bill had a feeling he’d always think of his guest room as Harry’s room from now on, even after the two left. He was dreading the day it was no longer Harry's room.

 

Bill stretched for a minute outside the house while Harry tied his shoes and stood, stretching his muscles out too. “Think you can keep up, short stuff?”

 

Harry raised an incredulous eyebrow at him from where he'd bent down to stretch his hamstrings. Harry looked him up and down dramatically. “Bill, I’m not that much shorter than you. You do realize the twins are taller than you, and I could keep up with them easily during Oliver Wood’s insane crack of dawn endurance runs for quidditch. I’m fast. I had to be.”

 

Bill snorted in disagreement and headed out to take Harry on his usual run along the beach. “Seriously, Harry, we slow down when you need to. This isn't a competition. You aren’t completely healed yet, so don’t push yourself.”

 

“Don’t worry old man, we can take a rest when you get winded,” Harry grinned teasingly and headed off down the beach with a laugh.

 

It turns out Bill was right, not that he was going to say that. Harry was fast, but he’d been starving for so long that the damage to his body had been pretty severe, and Snape’s potions were wonderful, but it still took time to recover. They ended up sitting on a large rock together and breathing deeply while watching the waves crash against the shore from where they'd looped back around towards the house.

 

“I buried one of my friends over there,” Harry pointed to a spot with a beautiful view of the ocean just up the beach closer to Bill’s cottage. “He saved my life. He never should have been in danger to begin with, but he came when I asked for help, and we couldn’t have won the war without him. It was my fault though. He gave his life for mine, and I don't think I deserved that.”

 

Bill breathed in and refused to cry. Harry needed him to be strong for him. Bill reached over and put and arm around this wonderful man’s shoulders and pulled him close. “I doubt he would agree. I may not know him, but I know you, and I think he would be glad you lived and stopped the war. You know...he’s probably still alive here,” Bill reminded him, hoping that would help some.

 

Harry frowned at the remark though and looked disturbed. That wasn't the reaction Bill had expected. “Yes…he should still be alive…but I wasn’t Harry Potter here, so he’s still in danger then.”

 

Bill frowned and didn’t let go because Harry’s tone held something that Bill thought he should probably view as concerning. “I don’t understand, Harry. Why would he be in danger if there isn’t a war in this dimension?”

 

Harry looked up at him with those large, green eyes that always trusted him too much. “Because he was in danger well before the war…Bill, how does one acquire a house elf from another family? Is there a way to...purchase one?”

 

Oh…now it made sense. Harry’s friend was an elf. And every single new thing he learned about Harry made Bill realize that he might be falling a little in love with his new friend as much as he was trying to fight it.

 

“His family is abusive?”

 

Harry scratched his neck in consideration and sat up, pulling away from Bill who felt the loss immediately. “I don’t know. They aren’t Death Eaters here…supposedly…I still don’t believe your minister isn’t an evil bastard, but I kind of doubt Lucius Malfoy is a pleasant person regardless.”

 

“Ah,” Bill nodded, looking out at the ocean in contemplation. That was going to be a tricky situation. “I helped remove a curse on a family heirloom for Lord Malfoy back about four months ago…I can guarantee that your friend is not in a healthy situation. Malfoy is…as you say, not a pleasant person. As far as I know, he hasn't been convicted of any crimes here though.”

 

Harry snorted wryly, and Bill was certain Harry had suffered at the hands of Malfoy at some point in his own dimension. It really didn’t surprise him in the slightest that the two were on opposite sides of a war. “There are ways to purchase house elves from other families. Sometimes a person will see an elf they think would be an asset to their home, and they offer a price to the current owners,” Bill began. “They are unfortunately still treated as possessions, though our minister has actually proposed a protection bill…”

 

Harry looked like he might have choked in shock. “Ok, didn’t see that coming.”

 

“Regardless, it hasn’t passed the Wizengamot yet, so for now, you would go to the elf hiring agency just off Diagon and they can reach out to the Malfoys and see if they are willing to sell,” Bill explained. "I've never done it myself, but some of the contracts have passed through Gringotts to be checked for curses since old pureblood families are pretty ruthless in their business dealings."

 

“That’s sick,” Harry did look queasy at the idea of purchasing his own friend from someone who owned him.

 

“It is,” Bill nodded. He'd been exceptionally supportive of the minister's campaign on rights for all and didn't know how to feel about the man being evil in another dimension. “The bill has stiff opposition, but Uncle Gideon said he’s optimistic it’ll pass.”

 

“Dobby wanted to be free,” Harry sighed in decision. “I should probably see what I can do before we tell the Potters I’m not their son. I’ll need access to their Harry’s vault if I’m to have enough money to entice the Malfoys. They’re not going to forgive me for taking the place of their son anyway, so what’s the addition of taking their money too in the light of all that.”

 

“We should go soon then to get it handled,” Bill nodded. “I have to go to work in a little while, but I’m off tomorrow. Let’s go after breakfast, and we’ll pick you up some more clothes and toiletries and get more nappies and formula for Ash.”

 

“Snape owled a list of ingredients he wants me to buy for our practical NEWTs practice,” Harry added. “I have a feeling he’s going to be more difficult than any NEWTs tester.”

 

“Oh, definitely,” Bill laughed because yeah, if Harry could survive Snape quizzing him, then he’d be perfectly fine for his NEWTs.

 

Harry stood and held out a hand to help Bill up. “Do you have a hat and maybe a fake mustache for me then?” He grinned but with that anxiety creeping back into his eyes.

 

“I can probably pull that off,” Bill smiled, picturing the ridiculousness of that look. “Race you back to the house?”

 

With a laugh, Harry gave him a shove before taking off. “Cheater!” Bill ran after him.

 

---

 

Ash had woken Harry up a few times during the night with a wet nappy, needing a bottle, then a dirty nappy, and Harry was so beyond tired when he rolled out of bed for their Saturday morning visit to Diagon Alley. Harry fondly glared at the baby still sleeping peacefully in the cot beside Harry’s bed. He was so cute and angelic like that, not when he was red faced and screaming at 2am.

 

Harry cast a monitoring charm around the bed before slamming his glasses onto his face and stumbling down the stairs towards the kitchen and where Bill would surely have a tea kettle on. That wonderful man. He was only a couple steps into the kitchen when he realized something was very different to their normal mornings. There were two redheads when there should only be one.

 

Harry was too tired for this. He blinked and shrugged off the extra Weasley for the more pressing need for caffeine, which Bill had a blessed mug of in his hand. “Charlie,” Harry nodded in greeting before walking right up to Bill and stealing his mug. Harry needed it more anyway. He took a deep sip, ignoring Bill's protest, and felt the caffeine soak into his bloodstream.

 

“So, big brother…care to share why a seventh year Hogwarts student is sleeping at your house, are we robbing the cradle now?” Charlie asked with a smirk, and Harry really didn’t care in the slightest because he had tea now, and Bill could handle his own brother.

 

“Er…” Bill stammered. Maybe Bill wasn’t the best at handling this.

 

“You’re supposed to be in Romania,” Bill finally deflected. Harry snorted and opened the cabinet to pull out the scones he’d made the day before. Bill was wonderful, but a spy or auror he would never be.

 

“You hungry?” Harry held out the plate of scones to Charlie who took one, never losing that amused smirk and twinkle in his eyes. Merlin, but Charlie looked exactly the same as the one in Harry’s own dimension. He supposed that Charlie’s love of dragons had absolutely nothing to do with Voldemort or the war, so his life probably wasn’t much different at all in this dimension.

 

“I’m only here for a few days to meet with one of the donors for the reserve and do some schmoozing,” Charlie answered Bill’s question. “I figured I’d drop in on my big brother first and see if he wanted to hang out today before I have to get to actual work tomorrow. I didn’t foresee walking in on whatever this is that I’m walking in on though.”

 

“Harry isn’t…well…Harry is…” Bill trailed off, clearly not knowing what to say.

 

Charlie rolled his eyes. “So, Harry Potter, how is the quidditch team this year? I try to keep up, but news doesn’t reach Romania very fast. Please tell me we trounced Slytherin at least.”

 

Harry took a bite of his own scone to give himself time to answer. Bill had said they won the cup, right? It had been in the paper. Yeah, that sounded right. “Of course, we did,” Harry said with fake confidence in his answer.

 

“Er, Harry’s my boyfriend,” Bill stammered out, and Harry just blinked at this turn of events. Ok, well, that actually worked quite well since Bill was out as bi and this dimension’s Harry was gay and that would keep them from having to explain that Harry was from another dimension. It gave him a reason to be at Shell Cottage at least.

 

Harry shrugged and sat at the table with Charlie. “I had to leave school for some personal reasons, but I’ll be taking my NEWTs at the ministry next month,” he added to explain his absence from Hogwarts. “Bill was kind enough to let me crash here for a while.”

 

Charlie leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms, studying Harry intensely. “You know you’re ten years younger than him, right?” Charlie shrugged towards Bill who was making more tea frantically as if to hide from this interrogation.

 

Honestly, Harry hadn’t really thought about it. Bill had always treated him as an equal in all dimensions, so their age difference hadn’t ever seemed important, especially since they weren’t actually dating or in any kind of romantic relationship.

 

Harry just mimicked Charlie’s shrug and took another sip of his stolen tea. “I’m legally an adult, and I didn’t even know him before then,” he said, only partially a lie. His monitoring charm buzzed, and a baby’s cry was heard from upstairs. It seemed he was being summoned.

 

“Excuse me,” Harry stood.

 

“Nope, my turn!” Bill beat him to it and hurrying up the stairs.

 

“Wimp!” Harry called after him, getting a chuckle from Bill before he heard the door open to his room.

 

When Harry sat back down Charlie looked ready to explode with questions. “My son,” Harry motioned to the stairs with his scone to answer at least one of those questions. “Long story.”

 

Charlie slowly leaned forward, putting both of his arms on the table and looking intensely at Harry. “So…I’m taking it Mum doesn’t know yet that her baby boy is currently taking care of a baby at his house,” Charlie said with glee in every syllable. “I’m sure I’d have heard the squeal from Romania if she knew.”

 

Harry leaned forward just as intensely. “If Molly Weasley hears about me, and Bill, and my son, then I’m going to assume you would love to be on babysitting duty any time you happen to be in England, understood?”

 

Charlie’s grin never slipped. “Oh, I’m not going to tell Mum, but I’m going to want a pensieve memory of when she does inevitably find out. I’d owe someone a big favor if they could provide that for me.”

 

Harry considered the request. Having Charlie owe him a favor could actually be very useful, especially since he didn’t plan on ever cutting Bill out of his life unless Bill wanted him to. He didn't know Charlie exceptionally well, but all Weasleys seemed to be very resourceful. “I suppose I could make that happen," he decided.

 

“Pleasure doing business with you,” Charlie smirked. “Now, where’s my future nephew? I only have a couple days to spoil him before I have to leave.” Harry choked on his tea and lost all his calm. Merlin, but he’d woken up a single dad hiding from his family to now having a fake-boyfriend and this!

 

“This little cutie is Ash Potter,” Bill appeared with a changed and happy baby. “Want to hold him?”

 

“Gimme!” Charlie reached out to take Harry’s kid with a huge smile on his face. Merlin, but did all Weasleys have some kind of genetic pre-disposition to love babies? Well, maybe not Percy...

 

“I’m going to be your Uncle Charlie,” Charlie cooed to a squealing Ash.

 

“You’ve created a monster,” Harry looked to Bill with accusation at the fact that Bill was terrible at coming up with cover stories.

 

Bill just shrugged. “It’s Charlie…he was always a monster.”

 

Harry rolled his eyes just giving in. “Well, Uncle Charlie, we need to go shopping today in Diagon. You want to join?”

 

“Oo! Can we go to the quidditch store?” Charlie grinned over Ash’s head.

 

Harry snorted. “Of course!”

 

---

 

Bill held Ash and stood with his younger brother outside of Harper’s Elvish Employment Agency while Harry had what looked to be a tense conversation with the owner inside. He hadn’t set out to claim Harry as his boyfriend, but as soon as Charlie showed up in his floo that morning, he couldn’t come up with a good excuse for why Harry would be sleeping at his house without explaining dimension travel besides the obvious…which was boyfriend. 

 

While they did need to tell the Potter parents about their son, Bill and Harry both firmly agreed that no one else could know...well, besides probably Sirius Black and Remus Lupin. The Department of Mysteries was terrifying, and Harry and his connection with Death was a very tantalizing mystery for them to solve. Bill did not want this wonderful person to disappear into that black hole never to be heard from again.

 

“How did you and Harry Potter even meet? I wasn't even in school when he was and hadn't talked to him once until this very morning, and I'm closer to his age,” Charlie asked, still randomly peppering questions about their relationship into conversation. So far, none had been too invasive just about how long they'd been together (it was very new), if Harry’s parents knew (definitely not), and why Harry wasn’t at school (personal reasons).

 

“The bank,” Bill answered, which wasn’t even a lie.

 

“Look, Charlie…can we keep this quiet for a while. This is…this could be something very important to me,” he said, being way too truthful with that admission. “Can we have some time to figure out what all this is before all our family adds their opinions into the mix? You know how they can be.”

 

Charlie looked offended. “I can keep a secret, big bro. And, even if I couldn’t, I live in another country. I do reserve the right to send dragon plushies and toys through owl post though. It's only my right as a possible future uncle.”

 

Bill snorted a laugh and bounced Ash in his arms. They needed to buy a pram while they were out. Ash loved to be carried, but he did get a little heavy eventually.

 

“Is the house elf supposed to be a nanny for Ash or something?” Charlie asked with a frown at the agency. Charlie felt similarly about house elves as Bill did, that they shouldn't be property. He was clearly holding his tongue on some judgmental comments.

 

Really, Bill didn’t know what Harry's plans were and doubted Harry even knew what to do with his own friend. Now it was just trying to get him away from the Malfoys and set him free. This Dobby would need a job or something to do when he was freed though. House elves didn’t do well without employment and someone to care for.

 

“Probably, once he takes the NEWTs, Harry will need to get a job. This house elf is important though. He's trying to get him out of a bad situation,” Bill said, thinking a nanny might be a good solution to that issue, and also not wanting Charlie to think poorly of Harry. For the nanny issue, they probably couldn’t count on Harry’s parents helping much since they both had full-time jobs and might actually hate him after they learned the truth about what all happened.

 

"Ok, well, ok then," Charlie suddenly seemed much more on board with this whole stop.

 

Harry opened the door and stepped out of the agency with a deep growl of a groan. He pulled his knit hat more firmly down and scowled. “He’s reaching out to the Malfoys and making my offer anonymously,” Harry said while making a motion like his skin was crawling. “This is just wrong!”

 

Bill really wanted to ask how Harry had gotten his friend away from the Malfoys the first time, but he couldn’t with Charlie there. “Next up, clothes!” Bill grinned instead. They'd told Charlie that Harry's clothes had been lost with his trunk in an unfortunate floo mishap. It was probably the wildest lie they'd told so far oddly enough. Bill wasn't sure how to bring up Harry needing new glasses with Charlie around though since that wouldn't fit in their story. They may need to do that another day.

 

“We going to Uncle Fabian’s?” Charlie asked with a grimace. “You know you’re holding a baby, right?”

 

Oh yeah, he hadn’t really considered that. “Well, we can’t go to Madam Malkin’s or Uncle Fabian will hear about it, and it’ll be worse. You know how all the shop owners gossip,” Bill sighed. This wasn’t going to go well.

 

“I could go by myself,” Harry offered with a knowing smile. “You two could go get the nappies, formula, and a pram. Plus, it’ll give you two some time together before Charlie has to get back to work.”

 

“We get to keep the baby then, right?” Charlie crossed his arms and stood with Bill who did his best puppy dog eyes over Ash’s head. Honestly, it made more sense for them to take the baby to the baby store and Harry to not have to worry about his kid while he did some intensive clothes shopping. They’d only gotten him pajamas, undergarments, t-shirts, and joggers through owl order since sizes could be more of a guess for those.

 

Harry laughed at them but nodded. “Sure, just return him after. I’m kind of attached to the little poop machine.”

 

“Go to Fabian’s not the competition,” Charlie pointed at a shop that probably hadn’t existed in Harry’s dimension if Bill’s uncles weren’t alive there. “Tell him we sent you, and he’ll give you a discount.”

 

Harry nodded and took out his bag of coins from Gringotts. “How much do you think you’ll need?”

 

“We’ll settle up later,” Bill waved him off and already headed towards the store. “Trust Uncle Fabian’s fashion sense, but don’t let him talk you into ruffles, he has a weird love of ruffles.”

 

Harry looked at him incredulously. “Yeah, mate, I don’t think I trust your uncle’s fashion sense.”

 

Bill laughed and shared an amused look with Charlie as they headed to the baby store. “You have it bad, big bro,” Charlie chuckled.

 

Bill’s step faltered, and he worried that he couldn’t even disagree. Bill was probably the last thing Harry needed in his life right now, but Bill couldn’t help getting attached to Harry or the baby. Bill knew he was in trouble. This wasn’t going to end well for him.

 

---

 

Harry finally stepped outside of Fabian’s Fine Fashions having spent way too much money and somehow ending up with a ruffled cravat he’d never wear once in his life. Everything else had looked great though, he had to give it to Fabian that he knew his stuff…well, everything not ruffled. He was even able to buy jeans at the store! Madam Malkin would never have sold muggle jeans at her shop. The discount wasn’t bad either.

 

Everything was shrunken down and inside of one bag Harry slung over his shoulder. Fabian had asked if he wanted the items owled to his house, but giving Bill’s address would have defeated the purpose of Harry going on his own to the store. It also seemed that Harry Potter wasn’t a usual patron of Fabian’s who also seemed to not be a quidditch fan, so he hadn’t had to answer any uncomfortable questions either.

 

So far, the shopping trip had actually been successful. He hoped Bill and Charlie had found a good pram for when they went out. Dobby was still a question mark, but at least he’d made progress while he still had access to Harry’s trust fund and could pay the exorbitant rate the agency had said it would take to entice the Malfoys.

 

All in all, it was a good trip, and Harry got a kick out of how boring it would be for Death if he was watching…

 

“Harry?” A familiar voice asked behind him, and Harry mentally kicked himself. Potter luck struck again. Of course, it couldn’t be that easy. And, of everyone who could have caught him out, this was probably the person who was most dangerous to Harry’s ability to hide.

 

“Why aren’t you in rehab? What are you doing in Diagon Alley?”

 

Harry slowly turned around and took in the sight of a man he’d last seen dead in the Great Hall, covered in blood beside his wife. Remus looked…good. He looked like he’d actually been taking care of himself with better clothes, less scars, and less grey in his hair too. Remus in Harry’s dimension had lived a very hard life, this Remus…he looked healthy, and it made Harry want to cry and wail for the man he’d lost and the life he should have lived.

 

“Remus,” Harry said, only barely holding it together.

 

Remus blinked and a confused look crossed his face when he took in Harry standing before him. Did Harry not normally call him Remus? Was he a professor in this dimension? Mr. Lupin? No, that would be weird.

 

“No Uncle Moony?” Remus frowned further and stepped closer.

 

Oh, that made sense. He’d probably grown up with this man. This was…this was about to be heartbreaking, wasn’t it? Remus gave him a sniff, and the werewolf’s confusion strengthened, and yeah, this was going to hurt.

 

“You aren’t Harry,” Remus said slowly his hand inching to a pocket Harry guessed held his wand. “No, you are…but you aren’t. You look like him, but…what happened to you, cub?”

 

How did he even answer that?

 

“Can we sit?” Harry motioned to a more secluded bench in an alcove. He didn’t want to do this out in the open, and he’d prefer to not do it around Ash either in case Remus decided to actually use his wand.

 

To his credit, Remus followed him and sat down without drawing his wand at least. “So, do I smell bad or something?” Harry tried to ask lightly, not exactly sure what was giving him away.

 

“You smell like potions and death,” Remus said with so much worry in his eyes, and yeah, that did sound worrisome. “You’re also so much thinner…is it the drugs? Why aren’t you in rehab? You didn’t leave, did you? Are you ok?”

 

Harry breathed out and carefully chose his words. All this would have been so much easier if Death had just left the original Harry’s body, but apparently there was some kind of law of Nature about two of a person being in the same dimension, even if one of them was dead. He could do this. It would be good practice for his parents and Sirius, who would probably be even more difficult.

 

“Remus,” he said, knowing he shouldn’t use the original Harry’s name for the man. He didn’t deserve that privilege. “I’ve never taken drugs and don’t need rehab. I told my parents that lie because I had to stay away for a while to heal. I couldn’t have them coming to look for me, not yet.”

 

“What happened?” Remus reached out, but Harry didn’t take his hand. It would only hurt worse when he pulled back. Remus eventually put his hand back down. “Sirius said he caught you in your room high out of your mind over the summer. He said he talked to you, and you assured him it wasn’t a problem, but clearly it was. We need to get you back to rehab. What about your kid? You need to be clean for the baby.”

 

“Ash is fine; he’s with a friend,” Harry shook his head. “It wasn’t me that Sirius caught his past summer, that was your Harry…I’m not your Harry…”

 

“Harry…you’re scaring me,” Remus’s amber eyes widened in what was definitely fear for him. Harry just breathed in again though, trying to not cry.

 

“Remus, I’m Harry Potter, but I’m from another dimension. I died in a war where I’m from. Ash, my son, is also from my dimension. I’d accidentally invoked some ancient magic I didn’t understand before my death, and it got me dumped here,” he tried to explain as succinctly as possible.

 

Remus didn’t look like he believed him. “Harry…”

 

Harry pulled the knit hat off his head and rolled up his sleeves. “You know your Harry really well, right…look, is this your Harry’s body?” He asked, showing off all the old scars littering his arms, forehead, and he even raised his shirt to show the lightning bolt on his chest and burns and scars there too.

 

Remus gasped and put a hand over his mouth. “You aren’t my Harry.”

 

“No, I’m not,” Harry pulled his shirt back down and pulled the hat back on his head.

 

Remus glanced around, and his face clouded. “Where is our Harry then?”

 

And that was the question he’d been dreading since he first realized Remus had spotted him. “There can’t be two of a person in the same dimension for any good amount of time,” Harry explained. “When I was sent to a dimension, it had to be one where the Harry Potter there was no longer living…”

 

Judging by the murderous look on Remus’s face, he wasn’t explaining this well. Remus’s wand was definitely in his hand now and he was standing, looming over Harry. “What did you do to Harry?!”

 

“Nothing,” Harry said firmly, steadily not going for his wand. It took everything he had to not react and push all his hard-won reflexes down, but he knew he had to de-escalate this, or he’d never have a chance to come clean to his parents himself or build any kind of relationship with Remus. “Your Harry was already gone when I was left here. I did nothing. He overdosed and was gone. That’s how I came up with the rehab excuse. I figured someone would know he had a problem…it seemed he kept it pretty well secret though.”

 

Remus just stood there, clearly not able to believe what Harry was telling him. “You’re lying.”

 

“Is everything ok, Harry?” Bill asked, stepping into the alcove their bench was in, alone and without Ash. Harry breathed a sigh of relief at the man coming to rescue him. He knew he could trust Bill to realize what was happening and keep his son safe with Charlie, far away from them.

 

“Mr. Weasley,” Remus only glanced his direction, his wand still trained on Harry. “This isn’t Harry.”

 

“No, he’s not your Harry, but that is Harry,” Bill confirmed, nonchalantly leaning against the brick wall of the building they were beside. “I would wager this Harry could have you disarmed and stunned before you could even blink if he wanted.”

 

“I’m trying to de-escalate,” Harry rolled his eyes at his friend who just gave him a tense smile. It was true. This Remus hadn't fought in a war, and Harry was pretty certain he could handle the situation if Remus did decide to attack, but he was really hoping it wouldn't come to that.

 

“He didn’t do anything to your Harry. Your Harry had a problem, and he was unable to get help in time,” Bill said with as much care as Harry had ever heard him use. “It was a tragic accident, but this Harry had nothing to do with it. He didn’t even get to this dimension until after your Harry was gone.”

 

Remus lowered his wand slightly, all color slowly leaving his face. “How you are you involved in all this Mr. Weasley?”

 

“Harry knew me from his dimension. He came to me for help,” Bill explained slowly. “We’re going to tell James and Lily what happened, but he was severely injured and needed time to heal. We were only buying time to get him well. This is actually our first trip out of the house since he arrived.”

 

Remus slowly sank back to the bench with a gasp of a sob. “Harry’s gone?”

 

“I’m so sorry,” Harry held back his own sob. He would never be family to these people, would he? He would always be a reminder of what they’d lost. “I promise I’ll tell them, but I need a little more time to get on my feet, to take care of my son.”

 

Remus put a hand over his mouth, not seeming to know what to say. “Why go to Bill Weasley and not to your parents or…or me?” He asked in a broken tone that Harry didn't know what to do with.

 

Harry’s heart sank at the question. He owed this man the truth though. “Because, in my dimension, you’re all dead,” he said, and Remus actually did let out a sob, tears streaming from his eyes. “I don’t know how to tell Lily and James Potter about their son…because I’ve never known them.”

 

Harry was certain he was imagining it as Remus reached out and pulled him into a crushing hug, made much tighter from werewolf strength. Harry winced but slowly wrapped his arms around Remus too and held him back. Remus cried and Harry felt his own tears falling to Remus’s back.

 

Harry caught Bill’s eyes, and he stepped back with a little understanding nod. Bill walked away from them, most likely to collect Ash and spin some kind of story to get Charlie to give them some time alone. He had a feeling they would be taking a werewolf back to Shell Cottage with them for the afternoon at the least.  

Notes:

Up Next: Werewolves and NEWTs...

Chapter 7: NEWTs

Notes:

Warning: this chapter does end on a little cliffhanger. Not terrible though.

Harry apparated with Ash back to Shell Cottage, and Bill apparated Remus after bidding Charlie goodbye. Remus immediately stumbled out from Bill’s hold and towards the ocean when they landed. “I just need a minute…can I have a minute alone, please,” he begged with a sharp catch in his voice.

 

“Of course,” Bill assured him, stepping towards Harry and the baby. “Take all the time you need. We’ll start some tea.”

 

Harry understood it completely. Hell, Harry wouldn’t blame Remus if he just apparated away and never came into the house. This was a lot to process and grieve. Harry was still grieving Ron and Hermione, and he knew they were actually still alive somewhere…he really hoped so at least. He knew he could ask Death, but frankly, he didn’t want to know for sure. As long as he didn’t ask, they were both still alive and building a life together in their dimension now that the war was over.

 

“Ash needs a bottle,” Harry commented over the squirming and crying baby in his arms. “I’ll get that while you start in on the tea.”

“Sure, yeah,” Bill gave him a tense smile and worked around Harry, both so comfortable in the small kitchen of Shell Cottage now.

 

“I’m sorry about you having to cut your time with Charlie short,” Harry remarked while he put formula in a bottle one-handed. “I would have avoided Remus if I’d seen him first.

 

“Hey, none of that,” Bill put the lid on the kettle and turned around to pin him with a very sincere look. “I’ll meet up with Charlie for breakfast before we both have to go to work, and honestly, it sounded like he hadn’t planned on dropping in on Mum and Dad, so now he has to, and that saves me from getting yelled at later for not telling them he was in town. Serves him right.”

 

Harry smiled and shook the bottle to mix the formula in. “Long as he sticks to his promise to keep your Mum away from me and Ash for a little longer.” They both shuddered. “I love your mother, but I think I’d burst out crying the moment she stepped in the door if I saw her right now.”

 

Bill laughed and turned the stove on. “He will, or I’ll buy Fred and George a portkey to go visit him for a good long vacation. His tent will never survive that.”

 

Harry frowned at that comment. The twins would be…two years out of Hogwarts here. “What are Fred and George doing here for work? They owned a joke shop in my dimension, but I doubt they'd be able to swing that here…” He didn’t want to say because he’d given them the start-up money.

 

“Merlin, they would love that!” Bill grinned widely. “They work as apprentices for Zonko’s now, but I bet you anything they’re saving up for their own shop. How did they get the money in your dimension?”

 

Harry was saved from answering by the sound of the front door opening and Remus stepping in. Once again, Harry was surprised he'd stayed around. After casting a quick warming charm at the bottle, he finally gave it to Ash to stop his fussing and walked into the sitting room to meet Remus this uncomfortable conversation.

 

“Hey,” Harry sadly took in the sight of the werewolf’s red eyes and snotty nose. Remus blew his nose in a handkerchief that he then promptly banished.

 

“Hey,” Remus just sighed out and collapsed onto the soft sofa Harry had come to love to read and nap on.

 

Harry looked down at the baby and then over to Remus, deciding to maybe show a little trust. “Do you want to…you know…hold him?”

 

Remus’s eyes widened, and he visibly perked up, telling Harry he’d made the right choice in the offer. “I’d love to,” Remus smiled sadly still and held out his arms.

 

“Er…support his head some, he doesn’t have the best neck control yet,” Harry reminded as he transferred a happy Ash and his bottle over.

 

Remus snorted a laugh and clutched the baby to his chest. “You know I held you and your sister as babies all the time…”

 

They shared a look when what he said sank in, causing both of them to wince. “I mean…I’m sure I held you in your dimension, you know, if I was alive that long…”

 

Harry sat on the other side of the couch and tried to give him a reassuring look. “I’m sure you did.”

 

An awkward silence stretched out while Harry wondered what was taking so bloody long with the tea.

 

“Er…”

 

“His name is Ash?” They both spoke at the same time.

 

They chuckled and Harry nodded. “Yes, his name is Ash. Right now, I’m going with Ash Potter, but I haven’t exactly settled on a middle name yet. I don’t want to do the whole my name as his middle name thing, so I’m leaning towards Edward…my godson in my dimension’s name was Edward, and he doesn’t exist in this world, so…”

 

Harry really hoped for not a whole lot of follow-up questions about that remark. He’d already broken Remus’s heart once that day, and he would lie through his teeth before doing it yet again. If Remus was with Sirius in this dimension, then he was never, ever telling him about Tonks and Teddy if he could avoid it. He didn’t want Remus to have to face whatever guilt or grief he’d take on himself from that knowledge.

 

Thankfully, Remus just nodded and smiled at the baby. “I think Ash Edward Potter sounds very distinguished. And he’s really your son?”

 

Harry just nodded. There was no point in trying to explain Ash’s origins, so yeah, that was it. “Ash is a very long story, but yes, he’s my son from my dimension.”

 

Remus nodded and finally looked up at him. “I’m glad you were able to come here together then.” Well, staying together was kind of the main reason why they came to this dimension, but that took too much explanation and talking about Death which may make the being think it was an invitation to visit. Harry was positive Remus wouldn't handle meeting Death well in the middle of all these revelations.

 

“Look, Remus…I’m really not trying to replace your Harry. I know it may look that way, but I frankly didn’t ask a lot of questions when I was given this option…like I’d just been killed, and there was the war, and I only really asked to go somewhere I wouldn’t have to fight,” he rambled until Remus’s face blanked even further, causing Harry to stop in concern.

 

“Right, so I’m going to break through this tension with tea and biscuits because we are British,” Bill hurried in and set a tea tray on the low table in front of them.

 

Remus’s face finally got some of its color back and he chuckled. “Very true,” he said while Bill scooped Ash out of his arms so the werewolf could make himself some tea.

 

Remus looked a little lost without the baby to hide behind now. He slowly stirred sugar and milk into his tea before looking back at Harry. “You know, the more I look at you, the less I see of our Harry and the more I see how unique you are to yourself.”

 

Harry didn’t know if that was a good thing or a bad thing. “Bill showed me a picture of your Harry in an old Prophet from back when he won the Hogwarts Quidditch Cup…we do look almost exactly identical besides the scars, and well…he looked a bit healthier…”

 

“A bit!” Remus snorted with absolutely no humor in it. “Harry…apparently our version of you was a drug addict who died of an overdose, and he looked significantly healthier than you. I need you to realize that that’s more concerning than you seem to think.”

 

Harry just shrugged. “Snape has me on a boatload of potions, so I’ll be up to shape in no time.”

 

“Severus Snape?” Remus frowned, and Harry once again wondered what the dynamics were between these Marauders and Snape who was clearly still a friend of Lily’s and worked for her at the Potions company. “What’s his part in all this?”

 

“I’ve worked with him in the past when I needed a potion in curse-breaking,” Bill spoke up from where he’d been feeding Ash in the armchair and making funny faces at the kid. “Harry needed a healer, and he was the first person I could think of who would know how to heal dark curses.”

 

“Snape actually knows everything,” Harry clarified since that was definitely what Remus was trying to ask. “He can’t tell anyone though since he’s technically my healer.”

 

“Also, he made it clear that it’d be a bad idea if any of this news came from him instead of literally anyone else,” Bill added in in an amused snort.

 

Remus nodded. “That is extremely true. I don’t know about your dimension, but Severus has a fairly acrimonious relationship with Sirius and James. He and I…well, it’s more on his side than mine.”

 

Harry chuckled, having guessed that much. “Same in my dimension. I guess there are some universal constants.”

 

“Right, let’s get down to business,” Remus seemed to superhumanly pull himself together before turning a stern look on Harry. “Just why didn’t you tell your parents about their child’s death when you first got here again?”

 

There was definitely accusation there, and Harry winced. He’d forgotten how disappointment from this man in particular always cut him like a knife. All other parental-type figures, and Harry could brush them off, but Remus…Merlin that hurt.

 

“Hey, no, you don’t get to do that,” Bill cut into Harry’s spiral down into all the guilt that had been building since well before his own death. “Harry didn’t know what had happened to your Harry when he first got here, and you didn’t see how bad off he was either. It may be cold of me to say, but letting your Harry’s parents believe their child is alive for a couple more weeks hurts no one, but them accusing or attacking an injured man who’d just been through hell would have!”

 

“Bill,” Harry tried to cut him off. He saw Remus’s side; he really should have owled as soon as Death told him what had happened.

 

“No, Lupin doesn’t know you, and he doesn’t get to judge you!” Bill glared, and Remus actually visibly shrank under that glare. If Harry didn’t know better, he would have believed Bill still had some of those werewolf genes from his dimension's Greyback. Bill then just put Ash against his shoulder to burp the baby, taking all the intimidation out of the image immediately.

 

“Remus, I’m sorry…” Harry tried next.

 

“No, he’s right,” the man shook his head. “As much as I can see you are a different person, my brain keeps trying to make you our Harry. I don’t actually know you though, and I shouldn’t try to be your Uncle Moony when I probably died when you were a kid. Merlin, you may not even know me.”

 

Harry frowned, realizing maybe he needed to fill Remus in some more. “Actually, you died only minutes before I did,” he said to Remus’s clear surprise. “Sirius died when I was fifteen, and James and Lily when I was only one.”

 

Remus blinked before a smile started to form on his face, and Harry suddenly realized the assumption he was about to make with a sinking feeling. “So, Sirius and I raised you then?! Wow…that's...well, not great because, you know, but still...wow...”

 

“Actually, no,” Harry said slowly, hating that he was about to burst Remus’s happy little bubble there. “Sirius was framed for a crime and sent to Azkaban for 12 years…and you…well, werewolves weren’t allowed to adopt.”

 

The joy washed completely off the man’s face. “12 years,” he breathed out, not seeming to be able to process that part. “Then who…Peter?”

 

Oh, bloody hell! Harry had forgotten fucking Peter Pettigrew in everything that'd happened! Of course, Pettigrew was alive and well in this dimension. No, he was absolutely not dealing with this right now.

 

“No, I went to live with my mum’s sister, Aunt Petunia,” Harry said tersely.

 

Remus looked disgusted for a second, exactly Harry’s thoughts too. “Why Petunia of all people?”

 

Harry shrugged and breathed out a sigh. “It’s a long story. It was supposedly safer, not that I really believe that. You have to realize there were two wars during my time. One that started before I was born, and another that started when I was 14. As far as I can tell, that is the main difference between your dimension and mine. Neither of those wars happened here. I don’t know what the specific change was that caused them not to take place, but that’s where the differences hit the hardest.”

 

“And you and I died in that second war?” Remus checked. “Why were you fighting in the war? You should only be 17 unless you’re older than our Harry.”

 

The man actually looked like he was hoping Harry would say he was older. Especially with the war and baby and all, Remus seemed to be banking on both time travel and dimension travel. Just another bubble for Harry to pop then.

 

“No, I’m the exact same age as your Harry,” he sighed. “Again…long story, but I was basically hunted my entire life. I’ve been fighting since I was 11 and on the run this entire past year. Being here with Bill for the little time I have…I’ve never felt this safe in my entire life…”

 

Bill’s face crumpled, and he looked like he wanted to reach out to Harry if he didn’t have a baby he was bouncing in his arms. “I mean it, Harry. You can stay here as long as you would like…literally, as long as you want,” Bill said firmly.

 

Harry smiled. He liked the sound of that. Honestly, he wanted to stay with Bill for as long as the man didn’t get tired of him and kick them out. However, with his nightmares and the baby, Harry had a feeling that would be sooner rather than later though, no matter what Bill said.

 

Remus crossed his arms and seemed to be thinking deeply. “We need to put some thought and planning into who and how you tell people then. I can see it will be tricky.”

 

“The Department of Mysteries,” Bill started, and Remus was already nodding. “They can’t learn of Harry. We’ll never see him again.”

 

“My thoughts exactly,” Remus agreed firmly. “I vote you tell as few people as possible. Right now it is just us and Severus, correct?”

 

“Yeah, that’s it,” Harry said, not thinking Death counted in that number.

 

“Also…I don’t think Harry should be the one to tell people,” Bill said with a pleading look at him. "It's not a good idea."

 

“What?” Harry was very confused. Wasn’t that always the plan?

 

Bill shook his head. “They aren’t going to take it well. I think it would be best for your future relationship with your family, if they heard it from someone else and you weren’t there to witness their initial reaction. Once they get used to the news and think it through, then and only then should they interact with you.”

 

“He has a point,” Remus leaned towards Harry with a pointed sniff. “I could smell that you are Harry even under the potions and death smell, but I think someone without my senses might first consider you an imposter.”

 

Well, he didn’t like that thought in the slightest. But…Harry had always had to do things alone before. Were they really offering to handle this for him? No one did that!

 

“Who then? They don’t know Bill,” Harry motioned.

 

“Well, I was hoping Lupin,” Bill rolled his eyes and stood to pass Ash to Harry since he was started to nod off after his bottle.

 

Remus winced but nodded. “I am unfortunately the best choice for this. Do you have a preference for them learning all at once or in stages?”

 

“Who all are you thinking to tell?” Bill asked before Harry could answer, and yeah, he wanted to know that too.

 

“Well, James and Lily of course, Sirius…and Peter, but he’s currently out of the country on a work trip, and you two were never very close in this dimension anyway. I’m not sure about yours,” Remus said as a bit of a question there at the end.

 

Harry held in his seething. Apparently, this Peter hadn’t betrayed anyone…yet anyway, so Harry had to find some way to not treat him that way. “Maybe we hold off on Peter then,” he said as neutrally as possible. “What about my sister…Emily, right?”

 

Remus closed his eyes and then nodded. “Yes, of course Emily wouldn’t exist in your dimension if James and Lily died when you were one. Right, well, I was thinking it may be best to leave telling her to your mum and dad.”

 

“Then maybe you do it all at once,” Harry breathed out. “That may be best, but could you wait a week or two? I’m only asking for the time because I’m studying for the NEWTs, they already think I’m in rehab, and well…I hate saying this, but it would be nice to have access to Harry’s trust fund at least until I can take my exams and get a job.”

 

Remus clearly hadn’t thought of that by the look on his face. The reasoning was cold as Bill had said before, but very practical. He couldn’t get a job without his NEWTs, and he refused to leech off of Bill until then, especially with the cost of a newborn. And Dobby…Harry had set aside the money for Dobby, but he hadn’t taken it out of the account. Maybe he should have done that just in case. He definitely would now after this conversation. Also…he’d had a freaking job that James Potter had lost him, so yeah…he could use some funds for the just over two weeks until he could sit his tests.

 

It took a few long minutes, but Remus finally let out a resigned breath. “Honestly, I don’t know if they’ll cut you off or not. I would hope not, but I can’t guarantee that, so I see your point, especially with the baby. I’ll wait until the day before your tests, no later though,” he said firmly.

 

“Yes, agreed, thank you!” Harry enthusiastically agreed in relief.

 

“Do you need any help studying?” Remus frowned next, and looked around the sitting room, taking in the textbooks Harry had left in various places from studying any time Ash was napping. “I write for DADA texts in this dimension, I’m not sure what I did in yours.”

 

“Really?!” Harry smiled broadly because that was brilliant. “You taught DADA my third year at Hogwarts actually.”

 

Remus look surprised at that. “I’m surprised I was allowed. Our new minister is pushing for more werewolf rights, but teaching at Hogwarts isn’t currently allowed.”

Harry firmly ignored the mention of the minister, still stubbornly not dealing with that. “Well, it wasn’t exactly allowed then either,” he winked. “That’s why it was only one year.”

 

Remus laughed. “Well, you need any DADA help?”

 

Harry just shook his head, because that was the one exam he could pass in his sleep. “Not that one, but if you know anything about History of Magic, I could use all the help I can get. Professor Binns was still teaching in my dimension.”

 

Remus grimaced. “He’s still here too. I hear they’re going to actively try to exorcise him over the summer though. I can give history a stab, especially since it may be a little different here.”

 

Harry groaned, almost waking Ash. “I hadn’t thought of that! Why didn’t I think of that?!”

 

“Best get started then,” Remus jumped up and went to raid Bill’s bookcase.

 

“Good luck. I doubt I kept any of those textbooks,” Bill stood with a laugh. “I’m going to start in on dinner. You staying Lupin?”

 

“Call me Remus, and sure, I should let Siri know, but yeah, if that’s ok with you two?” He looked at them hopefully.

 

“Of course, Remus,” Bill squeezed his shoulder as he walked by. “Sorry you’re having to keep Harry a secret for a while longer.”

 

Remus sighed but also shrugged. “Siri is an auror, I’m used to him keeping things from me for work. It’s only about two weeks anyway. He’ll understand…I hope,” Remus added at the end, so quietly that Harry almost didn’t hear. He hoped so too, for all their sakes.

 

---

 

Harry had asked for him to do this all at once, but Remus decided he needed back-up. Maybe he was just chickening out, but he needed to tell Sirius first. He’d waited until the day before Harry’s NEWTs, as he promised, but Padfoot was off work that day, and he was absolutely going to tell his husband over breakfast. He couldn’t deal with Sirius, James, and Lily all hearing this at the same time. He needed some support.

 

He had dropped by Shell Cottage almost every day since he’d learned about Harry, and he had to admit, he was already in love with his new nephew and his nephew’s baby. He was never going to rank or say he loved one Harry more than another, but this Harry…this Harry needed him.

 

Well, the other one had too, but they hadn’t caught that in time. Merlin, but it was eating Remus alive. How could they have missed how much their Harry had needed them before it was too late? The guilt was fighting with his grief for what hurt the most. Their Harry, his Harry, had always seemed so sure of himself, so put together, so much like he didn’t need them. It was easy to just assume he was fine.

 

This new Harry clearly had some of the same traits, that fierce streak of independence, but he was also injured, sick, and had a small baby. No matter how independent he tried to be, it was always going to be necessary for him to ask for help. At least he was mostly well now, or as good as he could get. Severus said some things were going to be long-term if not chronic, but they were manageable.

 

It was shocking in itself that Severus had been by a few times when Remus was at the cottage. He’d done his sneering as usual and overly surly attitude, but Harry and the baby had obviously worn him down too. Severus had almost an entire box of potions for Harry to take and had shocked Remus immensely when he set up to help Harry practice brewing for his NEWTs. Severus had sworn never to allow their old Harry near a cauldron ever again after the last debacle when Harry had visited his Mum at work and snuck into the lab causing chaos.

 

Severus even admitted within Remus’s hearing that Harry wasn’t…abysmal. Which basically meant he was going to pass his NEWT with flying colors in Snape-speak. Something about this Harry just drew people together unlike anyone Remus had seen before. He hoped with every fiber of his being that Sirius, James, and Lily would welcome the new Harry into their lives when they were finally able to look past their grief.

 

“I think I’m going to go shopping for some new boots today,” Sirius cut into his morose thoughts across the breakfast table at their little cottage outside of London. “I think my left toe is about to break through the leather in my work boots. You need anything while I’m out? Or, you want to go with?”

 

Remus put down his tea and let out a steadying breath. “I need to talk with you about something Sirius…it’s important.”

 

“Oh no, I’m in trouble,” Sirius quipped, clearly attempting to deflect in his sudden anxiety. “Whatever it is, I didn’t do it, and I’m sorry.”

 

Remus held in his eye roll. He knew his husband well, and yeah, he’d come about this from the wrong angle. Well, there was nothing for it now though. He just had to plow ahead.

 

“I need you to focus, Padfoot,” he crossed his arms and saw the panic intensify in Sirius’s eyes. “I ran into Harry a couple weeks ago in Diagon Alley.”

 

Sirius’s panic abruptly cut off, and he blinked. “Er, ok…did he have like a day pass from rehab or something?”

 

Now Remus didn’t know anything about rehab facilities, but that didn’t sound like a thing in the slightest. “He hasn’t been at rehab, Siri,” he continued. “I’ve gone to visit him every day since then. He’s been staying with a friend, taking care of his son, and studying for his NEWTs.”

 

Sirius seemed very taken aback. “But…he wrote me a letter…why isn’t he at rehab? Doesn’t he want to get better?”

 

Right, so ripping off the plaster or taking this slowly, that was the question. With Sirius, it was definitely better to take this slowly…maybe.

 

“Harry was injured and not well, but he’s actually never taken drugs. Rehab was an excuse for him to stay away from all of us for some time while he recovered,” Remus said, but he saw Sirius firmly shaking his head.

 

“Moony, you can’t just believe an addict like that. Harry was definitely high this past summer. I shouldn’t have believed him that it was just a one-time thing, but I hadn’t seen any other evidence. You can’t take his word on this though. He already fooled me once,” he said emphatically.

 

“I’m not,” Remus cut in. “I’m not because it was frankly pretty obvious what had happened within a few minutes of me meeting this Harry and talking with him.”

 

He waited and let that sink in for a second. “This Harry?” Sirius asked with confusion, just the part he’d been leading the man to pick up on.

 

“Sirius…” Remus breathed out. “Harry died over a month ago.”

 

Sirius absolutely didn’t process that. “I got a letter last week from him. I even checked the magical signature, and it was him,” he protested.

 

Remus pursed his lips and nodded. “And why did you feel the need to check the magical signature? Was it because it sounded a little off?”

 

Sirius’s face darkened. “Well, yeah, but he’s still in recovery. That does a lot to a person. It’s ok that he didn’t think to continue our normal joke where I call him Bambi, and he calls me Dog Breath. That’s just…not important. Harry is fine, or he will be anyway.”

 

Remus shook his head. “Harry, our Harry, died of an overdose. This Harry is still Harry Potter, but he’s from another dimension.”

 

“Bullshit!” Sirius went to his anger place, where he always went when he didn’t want to deal with something.

 

“In his dimension, this Harry died during a war. He said he’d accidentally unified some strange magical artifacts, and he was shifted across dimensions after his death,” Remus explains as succinctly as he could. He hadn’t been given a lot of information, and his brain was hurting at the little he’d been given in general. “Our Harry had already died when he landed here, so he had absolutely nothing to do with our Harry’s death. He was going to tell all of us, but he needed time to recover. He asked me to wait to tell you until right before his NEWTs so he'd have that time.”

 

“No,” Sirius firmly shook his head. “Harry is in rehab. He has a problem, but he’ll be fine. Why are you saying this Remy?! We would have noticed. If Harry was that bad off, we would have known! Why?! Why…!”

 

Remus hurried around the table and pulled Sirius towards him. He fought, pushing Remus away for a second before just collapsing in his arms. “I know, baby. I know…I didn’t want to believe it either. He was too young to go. We didn’t have enough time with him.”

 

Sirius was shaking his head frantically against Remus’s neck, tears falling onto his t-shirt. “No, he knew things…like he called me Padfoot, and we talked quidditch and he mentioned I was a beater…he’s our Harry!”

 

“Oh, Siri…” Remus held his tighter. “He is Harry, and he does know you, just from another dimension. And, babe…he’s…he’s hurting.”

 

Sirius pulled back, the anger right back on his face. “What do you bloody mean he’s hurting?! Our Harry just died, and he shows up here like he’s going to take his place!”

 

“No, baby, no,” Remus tried to assure him. “He didn’t know. He didn’t know what had happened to our Harry. Siri…he went to Bill Weasley to help him, to take care of him when he got here.”

 

The anger washed away in confusion as Remus had known it would. Sirius was emotional and quick to anger, but he was an excellent auror, and he knew how to ask the important questions. “Bill Weasley? Arthur's son? Why?” He asked incredulously. “Why not us? Or his parents if he didn’t know what had happened to our Harry? Or at least that bloke on the quidditch team he was so close with…what was his name? Oliver Wood or something?”

 

“Well, I don’t know anything about Oliver Wood,” Remus frowned. That had never come up. “For everyone else though, Sirius…we’re all dead in his dimension. This Harry…he’s lived through two wars. He died in the last one.”

 

Sirius’s mouth fell open at that and all the anger, incredulousness, and disbelief washed away in righteous horror, just as it had for Remus. “What the hell dimension did this kid come from? And please tell me our Harry didn’t end up there?!”

 

Remus blinked at that question. You know…he’d never asked that. Their Harry probably wouldn’t have united whatever mystical artifacts the other Harry had though, so no, he didn’t think it was a trade. “No, our Harry is dead,” he said firmly because it had to sink in eventually. It had taken a day for it to really sink in for Remus, but he watched in real time as it sank in for Sirius and he fell down to his knees on the floor and cried.

 

---

 

“I got this,” Harry told himself as he stood in the atrium of the Ministry for Magic. He was suddenly more concerned with passing the Elder Wand to the witch at the front desk than actually taking his NEWTs. “Death…if you were going to help a mate out, now would be the time. My life would be exceptionally more boring as a Department of Mysteries experiment.”

 

He slowly walked up to the counter. “Er…hello? I’m here to take my NEWTs,” Harry stammered out with a smile he hoped came off as shy and not suspicious.

 

“Wand?” She held her hand out, a bored expression on her face.

 

Harry held in his wince, but pulled his wand from the new holster Bill had gotten him as a gift for no reason apparently. Bill really was great. No one had ever given him a gift just because before. Anyway, he slowly handed the wand over, almost jumping out of his skin when he looked at it, and it looked exactly like his old holly wand!

 

The witch took his wand and put it on a scale while Harry just stared, offering a mental thanks to Death wherever he was probably chowing down on popcorn and laughing at Harry’s misadventures. The witch handed the wand back over, and already in his hand, Harry felt the wand’s wood change right back to the elder and thestral hair wand that felt even more right in his hand now than the holly wand had surprisingly.

 

“Take the lift up to level 3,” the witch didn’t even look at him when she waved towards the lifts.

 

Right, so now he just had to pass his tests. And his anxiety was spiking once again. At least he had a reprieve from dealing with his parents for another day or two. Remus had owled late the night before. Apparently, he had decided to tell Sirius early in the day, and it hadn’t gone well. Remus was going to stay with Sirius until he felt up to them telling the Potters together. Merlin, but that made Harry feel even worse, but at least he didn’t have that confrontation weighing on him. He was wondering if he’d see Sirius first, but probably not. He guessed they would tell his parents first, but he just didn’t know when now.

 

He stepped into the testing office which was the most boring, beige, and bland room ever. How was anyone expected to stay awake in there? He cleared his throat to get the elderly man who was dozing behind the desk to wake up and look at him.

 

“Er, hello. I’m Harry Potter. I’m scheduled to take my NEWTs today,” he said as politely as possible since he’d just woken up the man who frankly looked frazzled now.

 

The man cleared his throat before shuffling through some paper and handing a form over with Harry's name at the top. “Check this over, are these the tests you are taking?”

 

Harry blinked and almost screamed in frustration. Of course, this Harry would have taken different classes than him! This Harry wasn’t planning to be an auror, so why would he have taken the necessary classes? Actually, with Harry’s dad being an auror, that was probably furthest from the old Harry’s career choices as possible.

 

Ok, he could work with this. “I can change them?” He asked the man because this would absolutely not get him into the aurors. Old Harry hadn’t planned to do NEWTs in DADA or Potions.

 

The elderly man yawned and nodded. “Yeah, you just have to take a minimum of four.”

 

So, he thought Harry was going to cut subjects…ok, yeah, he definitely was. “I need to cut Arithmancy and Ancient Runes,” he said taking a quill and scratching them off. There was absolutely no way he could pass either even with him glancing through Hermione’s books while they were on the run out of sheer boredom.

 

“I’m going to add DADA, Potions, Care of Magical Creatures, and Muggle Studies,” Harry wrote them in at the bottom, getting a sharp raise of a bushy eyebrow from the man.

 

He’d almost added Divination, but no, he probably wouldn’t pass that. Muggle Studies, he could explain away since his Mum was muggleborn and had taught it for a year at Hogwarts. Honestly, it just looked good for the aurors though, and he’d grown up in the muggle world, so he wasn’t concerned. DADA and Potions would be harder to explain, as would Care, but he’d just say he’d done a self-study with his dad or something or interned at their company or whatever.

 

“Are you sure?” The man asked when he took the form back. “That’s quite the changes.”

 

“I’m sure,” he nodded firmly.

 

“Sure, sonny. Have a seat, and we’ll be with you shortly,” the man stood and headed to a back room with the form.

 

After waiting for long enough that Harry started to miss Ash and wanted to check in on Bill and how they were doing, he was finally called back to a depressing room with one desk and the same elderly man sitting in an armchair and drinking tea while watching him like a hawk, suddenly not nodding off in the slightest. Harry cracked his knuckles, then flexed the hand with the cursed writing on it since it got stiff still occasionally before he picked up his quill and jumped right in.

 

The written exams were hit or miss. The DADA one was a breeze, Potions wasn’t actually that bad surprisingly, Astronomy was a little rough, and Transfiguration asked about Gamp’s Law of Elemental Transfiguration, so Harry was positive he wrote them word for word as much as they had come up over their year on the run. After that, Charms was ok, but he thought he might have gotten a couple spells mixed up. Care asked about hippogriffs and thestrals, so he was all good there. Herbology was…eh? He wasn’t sure. He hoped he did well. He probably bombed History. And lastly, Muggle Studies was so ridiculous there was no way he wasn’t correcting the exam in some places. Really? A vacuum was not the same thing as a microwave.

 

The practical portions were generally where Harry did best. He was much more of a learning by doing person than reading textbooks. He was pretty sure about everything except Astronomy, and Herbology where his venomous tentacula bit him, so he wasn’t sure if he’d get points docked for that since the examiner had to heal it.

 

In DADA the examiner actually clapped a few times. He looked so impressed at Harry’s shielding charms, his jinxes, and his disillusionment spell that Harry wondered how much they were actually teaching in DADA with their society being in peacetime. Maybe everyone was actually using that terrible book Umbridge had forced on them.

 

“It's extra credit if you can produce a corporeal patronus charm,” the examiner stated as if he wasn’t expecting anyone to ever take him up on that offer.

 

“Expecto Patronum,” Harry cast immediately. He wanted Gideon Prewitt to be so impressed with him, that it wouldn’t even occur to him to get James Potter’s blessing to hire Harry on.

 

The patronus that emerged from Harry’s wand surprised both himself and the examiner though. Harry was actually going to throttle Death next time he came for a visit. It was definitely the being’s fault that Harry’s patronus was somehow a thestral now!

 

“Merlin’s balls!” The examiner swore in stupefied awe. “That’s a…! I’ve never…!”

 

“Yeah,” Harry sighed in resignation and watched the death horse prance around the room like it owned the place. He even looked smugger than Prongs had. “Anyway, it’s a patronus, as you can see.”

 

He flicked his wand to get rid of the horse. He really hoped this wasn’t like super weird or something because that would definitely be his luck. He didn’t know how, but this was definitely Death’s fault.

 

The examiner eventually collected himself and cleared his throat. “Your scores will be owled to you in two weeks’ time,” he said, making a note on his parchment. “You are free to go.”

 

Harry left that depressing office just as fast as his feet could carry him. He wanted to get home to his son and Bill and their celebration dinner that Bill was surprising him with. Well, he knew about the dinner, but not what they were having. And…he bet there would be cake. He really hoped there was cake.

 

“Well, so how did it go?” A voice surprised him from just outside the testing office.

 

In horrified dread, Harry slowly turned around and absolutely did not recognize the man for half a second. His dad was standing there with no glasses, a few grey streaks at his temples, and a sterner expression than was in any of the pictures Harry had seen in his album. This was a James Potter who had lived for sixteen more years of life and had worked his way up to head auror at the ministry. Harry had never seen this man before.

 

He cleared his throat. “Erm…hi…erm…have you talked to Remus today?” He winced, already knowing the answer or James wouldn’t be there.

 

James stood from where he’d been leaning against the wall and crossed his arms. “No, why would I have talked to Remus today? Why are you avoiding my question, Harry?”

 

“I’m not!” Harry stepped back and scrambled for an answer. “I did well. I think I passed most of them if not all.”

 

“Most of them?!” James’s expression said Harry had better not be joking, and he wasn’t. What had he said wrong?!

 

“Er…what? I did ok,” Harry tried again as James stepped closer to him.

 

James’s eyes narrowed as he took Harry in. “You’ve lost weight at that center. Come on, your mother is making that roast you like. She is also anxious to pick up your son.”

 

“But…erm…” Harry didn’t know what to do. Did he go with James? How could he get out of this if he didn’t? Could he make a run for it? Remus and Bill both said he probably shouldn’t tell the Potters? Why had Remus not done this yet?!

 

“Well, come on son, I don’t have all day,” James impatiently motioned for Harry to follow him. Right…help…?

Notes:

Up Next: A needed conversation...with Emily...

Chapter 8: Secrets Laid Bare

Harry hurried along the ministry corridors behind his father silently panicking. He had a feeling that running away from James Potter would cause this situation to escalate dramatically, so he didn’t really have a choice but to follow. But, how did he get out of this? He wanted to send a patronus to Bill, but Harry wasn’t certain how usual it was to have a magical creature as a patronus based on his examiner's surprise. Plus, he was absolutely certain this dimension’s Harry Potter wouldn’t have had any reason to learn the charm.

 

In addition to all these concerns, Harry had actually sent Bill a patronus when he’d first woken up way back when he entered this dimension, and it had been Prongs then. Sending a thestral patronus now would probably worry Bill more than being a little late to dinner. So, he resolved that if it didn’t look like he was going to be able to get out of all this relatively quickly, then and only then would he send a patronus message. For now…he’d just bide his time and look for an opening to escape.

 

Harry was counting on James stepping into the ministry floos first, and that would be his opening. Once his father flooed away, then he would floo to Shell Cottage. Or alternately, if he was made to go first, then he’s just floo to Shell Cottage anyway…no, because then James would know where he was staying…this was too complicated.

 

It would have been nice if an auror or any ministry worker stopped James to ask him a question and distract him, but unfortunately, Harry’s exams had taken all day since he had so many of them. The corridors were almost empty with everyone having already gone home to dinner. So, they made it all the way to the bank of floos in the atrium without being stopped once. Harry took in a steadying breath, this was going to be his best chance of escape.

 

“Potter Manor,” James threw a handful of powder into the closest floo before turning and reaching out. “Come here.”

 

James pulled Harry over to him and wrapped his arms around his thin frame before stepping into the floo. Harry was so stunned that he just went with it. He was already in the floo before he felt the breakdown grab ahold of him.

 

It was the first time in his memory his father had touched him. James Potter had his arms tightly around Harry while they were spinning through the floo network. It was the first time he was held by a parent. Harry couldn’t breathe…

 

Suddenly, they stumbled out into a luxurious receiving room Harry had never before seen in his life. He fell out of his father’s arms onto the floor and had to put his head between his knees while he tried to pull himself together and stop hyperventilating. He couldn’t fall apart now. James didn’t know who he was. He wasn’t safe. He had to hold it together just a little longer.

 

“Harry, are you ok? Did you scrape an elbow or something? What's wrong?” James asked with a hand on his back. Harry looked up and saw a well of concern where James’s eyes had been disapproving and hard only minutes before. This he couldn’t handle at all. He could handle disappointment but not concern.

 

He closed his eyes tightly and pictured himself standing on the beach at Shell Cottage with Ash in his arms and listening to the waves crash along the shore. He breathed in deeply, then breathed out. He pushed all his panic and distress down to deal with later when he could cry himself to sleep in Bill's guestroom. Now, he could be who he needed to be to get through this.

 

“I’m fine,” he breathed out, doing all he could to not meet James’s concerned gaze. “I just got a little dizzy and nauseous for a second. It must the long day of tests.”

 

“You sure? Here, let me help you up,” James took a hold of his elbow and pulled Harry up to his feet.

 

Harry wobbled a little, but he pulled himself together and nodded firmly. Now, time to deflect. “I’m good. Now…I heard there was roast?”

 

James clapped him on the back with a small smile and started walking towards the door. “With those roasted potatoes you like so much,” he said, looking back still in concern and not completely trusting that Harry was following. Harry really did consider making a run for it, but he honestly had absolutely no idea where he was. This was decidedly not the house in Godric’s Hollow. Did they own this house in his own dimension? Why did no one tell him? Well…no one told him anything, so he could believe it had existed all along.

 

Merlin, but were they like the Malfoys?! Harry grimaced at the ornate moldings around the ceiling and the vases that were probably worth more than everything he owned…which frankly wasn’t much. Portraits of what must be Potter ancestors barely spared them a look while they walked by, not seeing Harry as anything out of the ordinary. What would it have been like to grow up in this house among all this history with a family who cared?

 

James stepped into a well-equipped kitchen that was so much homier that anything Harry had seen so far in the manor. Clearly, the kitchen was well-lived in. “Look who I stumbled upon wandering around the ministry!” James put a hand on both Harry’s shoulders and pushed him into the kitchen before him.

 

A red-headed woman who was a little heavier and with a few more crow’s-feet than the pictures he had of her in his old album turned around and smiled at him warmly. “Harry-Bear! You’re back!” She rushed over, and Harry shoved every single emotion he possessed behind what little Occlumency shields he had as his mother pulled him into a tight hug.

 

“You’re so thin! They must not have fed you right at that place, and what happened to your glasses and head?” She shoved his hair up to get a better look at the lightning bolt scar. “Did you trip while you weren’t well and injure yourself and break your glasses? We'll have Sev brew you some of his best scar cream and take care of that right away.”

 

While he ‘wasn’t well?’ Ok, that was one way of putting it. Also, Snape had already slathered that scar cream all over him, and it hadn't done anything to all the curse scars. Harry opened his mouth to make some kind of excuse, but James cut him off.

 

“Don’t coddle the boy. He’s fine. We’ll get his eyes fixed in a few years when he can take the potion anyway,” James kissed his wife’s cheek and went over to similarly kiss a red-headed pre-teen girl’s head who was sitting at the small kitchen table and flipping through what looked like a Hermione-level textbook.

 

Harry liked his new glasses. Bill had helped him pick then out, and they were the nicest glasses he’d ever had…with the best prescription for his eyes. This was all a little insulting.

 

“Come over here and sit down, baby,” Lily pulled him to the table with who must be Emily and sat him in one of the chairs. “Now, you tell me all about that place you’ve been, and the NEWTs, and then we’ll eat a nice dinner and talk about picking up your little one. He really shouldn’t be somewhere he’s not wanted. I hate to think of my grandbaby being unsafe.”

 

“Ash is fine, I promise,” Harry said, the first words he’d been able to get out since entering the kitchen.

 

“Oh, Ash! I like that!” Lily cooed and ruffled his hair. "Such a cute name!"

 

“Merlin, why something like Ash?” James raised an eyebrow and snorted from over where he was swiping a carrot off a pan. “Did the mother name him that? Sounds a little like Ashley to me.”

 

“And what’s wrong with that?!” Lily glared and placed a big kiss on the top of Harry’s head. “Harry-Bear can name his baby whatever he wants.”

 

He had a bad feeling. Bloody hell! Was he Dudley?!! Harry knew there were serious and definitely criminal problems with how he had been raised, but he didn’t think he wanted Dudley’s childhood either.

 

He looked over at Emily questioningly who had her green eyes narrowed at him. She definitely couldn’t answer his questions. “Harry,” she said slowly as almost a question more than anything else.

 

“Er…hi…Emily. How were your end of term tests? First year is always rough,” he asked. That was a normal big-brother question, right? He had left school early, so he wouldn’t know how her first year tests had gone. That was just being...conversational.

 

“Good…” she said slowly.

 

“She did amazing, our little Ravenclaw!” Lily cooed and finally left them to go back to where she’d been cooking.

 

“Harry said he thought he passed ‘most’ of his NEWTs,” James told Lily accusingly with a glare over to Harry.

 

“What?” Lily looked back at him only slightly less indulgently. “Well…he’s been ill…he can take any he didn't pass again.”

 

“Ill? So that’s what we’re calling it now,” Emily rolled her eyes and scoffed.

 

Harry was thankful that he seemed to have found the only sane person in the whole house. He was ok with having a very sarcastic Ravenclaw sister even if she’d clearly gotten all the brains in the family. He couldn’t help his smile at her that had his sister narrowing her eyes once more.

 

“Don’t make fun of your brother, we’re being supportive,” Lily scolded, and Harry was so out of his depth if this was supportive. He wasn’t really sure what that was, but he felt more like he needed to run fast and far away more than anything else. Maybe he just didn't recognize 'supportive' since he didn't think he'd ever gotten that before.

 

“Me…make fun of Harry?” Emily asked as if it were a scenario that would only happen when Hell froze over.

 

“Son, you have to have good marks now that you can’t rely on quidditch,” James continued in a tone of exasperation. And just whose fault was that…? Harry glared, but held in every single biting remark he wanted to say to the man.

 

“I know you didn’t do a Potions NEWT, so that’s going to put your mother in a difficult position in finding you a job at the company,” James continued, not seeing his glare or ignoring it at least. “I think the Department of Magical Sports and Games has a secretarial position opening, but no son of mine is starting as a secretary if there is somewhere better we can place you.”

 

“James, we don’t have to talk about this right now. He just got back home,” Lily scoffed at her husband and took a roast out of the oven that smelled heavenly. Harry definitely needed that recipe. He was still upset that he was missing Bill’s celebration dinner though. He needed to get out of here before they realized he wasn’t their son. If they’d let him say more than a few words or actually looked at him, they would have figured it out by now he was positive.

 

“Lils, we can’t let him squander his future,” James huffed, their parents now bickering and ignoring Harry and Emily at the table.

 

“He won’t! I can find him something to do in a low-level managerial capacity,” Lily said, and wow, Harry never did think he would be a person to ever be in a position where nepotism would come into play. Fame, yeah, but nepotism, he hadn’t had any family for that to be a factor before. He didn’t like it at all.

 

“We indulged that quidditch dream of his for far too long,” James continued, and Harry was feeling very defensive of former-Harry now. He sounded like a great quidditch player who took it very seriously. What was wrong with that? It's not like their Harry had to fight or war or whatever. If he wanted to play quidditch, he should have been allowed to...well, if he was still alive.

 

Emily cleared her throat loudly, finally getting the attention of their parents who turned around. Emily shifted her gaze to Harry and held out a hand formally. “Hi, my name is Emily Potter, and who are you exactly?” She asked in all seriousness. Harry let out a breath of something between resignation and relief.

 

He slowly reached out his hand and took hers. “I’m Harry…I’m just not your Harry,” he said, seeing a look of concern in her eyes before she let go of his hand. “How did you figure it out?”

 

Emily cocked her head to the side, ignoring their stunned silent parents. “My Harry is…not nice,” she finally said as if weighing her words carefully. “It’s not that he’s mean or anything, but he hasn’t called me Emily in years. I’m always Bitty Baby or Braniac or Carrot Top or you get it. Plus, my Harry would have been yelling right back at our parents from the moment he walked into the kitchen. He doesn’t have the best filter and thinks he’s being funny when a lot of the times it just comes off as mean-spirited. So…where is our Harry?”

 

Harry noticed the wands pointed at him now from both Potter parents. He continued to look at Emily and ignore the others in the room because they hadn’t figured it out, she had and deserved his attention.

 

“Remus found me out when he caught me shopping in Diagon Alley a while ago,” Harry explained. “He thought it best that the news doesn’t come from me. He was supposed to tell you all, but he told Sirius first, and apparently Sirius has not been handling it well. I think you should talk to Remus since he made a good point that he should be the one to tell you, not me.”

 

“Where is my son?” James Potter said with all the danger a head auror could put into a question. It probably would have made a normal criminal piss in their pants, but Harry had literally just been killed in a war. This was child’s play.

 

He turned his eyes on his father and studied the anger he saw in the man’s eyes and the fear he saw in Lily’s. He’d never wanted to make them feel this way. It broke his heart, especially knowing he was about to break theirs. “Don’t curse me,” he told his father while he slowly reached for the Elder Wand in his pocket. “I’m only sending a patronus message to Remus. I'm not going to try anything else.”

 

James’s hand tightened on his wand, but he allowed Harry to pull the wand out, getting a small gasp from Lily. Clearly this wasn’t original Harry’s wand. Harry made sure to move slowly and never point it anywhere near anyone in the room. He pointed it to a far corner of the kitchen.

 

“Expecto patronum,” he cast getting three gasps from everyone in the room when the thestral appeared.

 

“Remus,” he said tiredly. “I’m at Potter Manor. You are needed here now.” With a flick of his wand, the thestral was gone.

 

“Stupify!”

 

Harry’s shield caught the spell before he’d even consciously cast it. James was clearly surprised especially when with a flick of his wand, Harry’s shield expanded and became opaquer and stronger. It wasn’t the most useful shield in battle because he couldn’t move once he’d cast it, but it would block anything that wasn’t an extremely dark curse or an unforgivable. Here was hoping James didn’t try to cast something like that at him.

 

“Look,” he said in the tone he used to get people to calm down in the face of certain death, and that was probably a bad sign that he had a specific tone for that, but whatever. “I’m going to leave as soon as Remus gets here. I mean you all no harm at all. I did nothing to your Harry. I never even met him, and I am truly sorry I haven’t told you all this before now. I had reasons. Whether you agree with those reasons or not, is your own prerogative.”

 

“You said you are Harry though?” Lily asked, her hand slightly shaking where it held her wand. Harry had a feeling she was starting to suspect what might have happened. “So, you…are you from another dimension or reality? Or was it time-travel?”

 

“Another dimension,” he confirmed. “It was a magical fluke that had me ending up here.”

 

That was one way of putting it he supposed. It was an accident that he’d collected all the hallows and then died while they were in his possession. He hadn’t made Death decide to take an interest in him intentionally.

 

Lily put her hand on James’s wand arm where he was clearly trying to figure out what kind of shield Harry had cast. Good luck with that. It was one Harry had found in the Half-Blood Prince’s textbook, and even his dimension’s Snape might not have created it without a war and the Death Eaters prompting it.

 

“You're our son too then, right,” she said to Harry’s complete surprise. She gave him a sad and concerned look. “You were taken from us, from your parents, in another dimension?”

 

Harry absolutely did not know what to say to that. How did you tell your mother that the only memory you had of her was her death? You didn’t, that’s what. He cleared his throat and pulled himself together when he heard steps running down the hall before Remus skidded to a halt inside the kitchen and took in the scene in front of him.

 

Sirius entered a second later, and Harry couldn’t help the tears that immediately filled his eyes. Sirius was almost unrecognizable from Harry’s godfather in his own dimension. This man was healthy, and even though his eyes were red rimmed from crying, they weren’t haunted. There wasn’t even any grey in his godfather’s hair, and he was just so much younger looking than Harry’s Sirius even though he was several years older.

 

“So, this all doesn’t look like a good sign,” Remus motioned to the shield. “I have to tell you, Harry, that’s probably the most impressive patronus I’ve ever seen. The most unique too.”

 

Harry just shrugged, not able to stop the tears falling from his eyes while he couldn’t take his eyes away from Sirius. For his part, Sirius looked like his heart was breaking all over again. Harry thought it must be because the fact that he lost his own Harry must have hit him again. For the first time since he’d entered this dimension, Harry found himself jealous of the Harry who’d been here before him.

 

He sniffed and did his best to pull himself together. “They only know I’m not their Harry,” he filled in Remus. “I’m going to go. Ash and Bill are waiting for me.”

 

Lily sniffed. “Ash is yours from the other dimension? Not our Harry’s?”

 

He held the shield while he slowly stood. It would break when he took a step, and he wanted to make sure James wasn’t planning to curse him as soon as that happened. “Ash is mine. I would like you to be in his life if you want to be though,” he offered, knowing she had sounded excited for a grandchild. He didn’t want to take that away from her if she would allow it.

 

“I’ll give you time to process,” he said, more to his mother than anyone else. “Reach out if you decide you ever want to. I’ll…erm, I’ll stay away until then though.”

 

“Harry,” Emily surprised him by speaking up. He looked at his little sister who looked so much like the younger version of their mother he’d seen in Snape’s memories. She looked so young and kind and brilliant, and he loved her already. She opened her mouth a couple times but didn’t seem able to put her thoughts into words.

 

“I’m here if you ever need anything, just owl,” he told her instead. If their parents let her reach out, or even if they didn’t, he wanted to make sure she knew it was welcomed.

 

He looked at James seriously. “Let me leave. Remus will tell you everything.”

 

James looked at Remus who gave him a reassuring nod. Finally, Harry’s father lowered his wand just slightly. He figured it was probably the best he was going to get. He took a step and the shield broke.

 

Harry braced himself, but no one cursed him. At least not yet. They didn’t know what had happened to their Harry yet though. “Right…well, I suppose maybe I’ll see you around,” he nodded to the group, and couldn’t help one more watery look towards Sirius before he walked towards the door.

 

Harry stepped by Sirius and couldn’t help his wince of pain when Sirius took a step back, further away from him. He gave a short nod though and hurried out of the kitchen and towards the direction of the floo reception room. He’d apparate away, but he didn’t know where the front door was, and he’d probably splinch himself with how he was feeling right now anyway.

 

“Shell Cottage,” he threw the powder into the floo and jumped in as quickly as humanly possible. He only had a second of worry that Bill wouldn’t let him through since Potter Manor wouldn’t be connected to Shell Cottage, but Bill should be expecting him, so maybe he’d chance it and let the person in who was trying to get to his kitchen.

 

It seemed he had nothing to worry about, because Bill’s floo opened, and Harry tumbled out onto the stone floo of Bill’s kitchen once again. “Well, this is a whole lot of déjà vu right now,” Bill chuckled from where he was holding Ash on one hip, and his wand in his other hand. “Why did you floo…Harry?”

 

Harry’s emotions finally crashed down on him and he let out a harsh sob before he curled up on the floor and broke down. He couldn’t breathe between sobs, and tears and snot streamed down his face. He gasped and choked and tried to pull himself together, but he was beyond able to do that now. He’d been strong for as long as he could, and he couldn’t do it anymore.

 

Bill was suddenly right there with him, pulling Harry almost into his lap with Ash. “I got you. I got you. You’re home,” Bill was soothingly saying as he held Harry smooshed up against him. Ash grabbed onto his hair and gave a tug, getting a small chuckle in the middle of a sob out of Harry.

 

“You’re ok. No blood, no new bruises,” Bill was saying as if he was checking Harry over while still trying to soothe him. “It’s all going to be ok. We can deal with whatever it is. I got you.”

 

Harry couldn’t catch his breath. It was too difficult to sob and breathe at the same time. He tried, he did his best to calm down or he’d end up making himself pass out. He put a hand on Ash’s back, hoping to pull himself back, and it did work just a little.

 

“Shh,” Bill soothed, holding him even tighter. “Come on, baby, I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what happened. It’ll be ok, just let me help you.”

 

Right, so Bill calling him ‘baby’ was just the shock he needed to take in a deep breath and finally get air in his lungs. What the…? Did Bill…? Harry didn’t even know how to finish those questions. Right, deal with that later.

 

He pulled in another breath. “Dad…James, was waiting on me after the tests. He made me go home with him…I met Mum and Emily,” he gasped out, taking Ash out of Bill’s arms and into his own, holding his son like a lifeline.

 

“Merlin,” Bill swore. “I suppose we should have considered that. Did you tell them? Did it not go well?”

 

Harry shook his head. “No, Emily actually figured it out…I sent a patronus to Remus and then got out the hell out of there.”

 

“That was smart. That was good,” Bill kissed his hair.

 

Seriously? Harry was starting to get some ideas where Bill was concerned...frankly, he'd been getting those ideas for a while, and they weren’t super platonic ideas. Merlin, but Harry most definitely wasn’t against it. Shite, he definitely wasn’t straight, was he?

 

“I’m sorry you had to go through that, Harry,” Bill continued talking, and Harry was finally able to pull himself together enough to wipe his eyes and look around at the room.

 

Bill had made fish, probably fresh caught if the fishing pole by the back door said anything. There was also a salad and roasted vegetables, and it smelled amazing! And there was definitely cake! Right, so Harry might actually love Bill Weasley a little even though he’d just realized like two seconds ago that Bill might possibly be an option. Merlin, what was wrong with him?!

 

Harry sniffed and wiped his nose on his shirtsleeve getting a grimace and eyeroll from Bill at the action. “Food looks good,” he said, needing to move forward, just for a moment. “I’m hungry. I only had a fifteen-minute break to grab a dry chicken sandwich from the canteen during the tests.”

 

“Well, we can fix that,” Bill helped him stand since he was still holding Ash who was squealing like he was trying to tell Harry all about his day now. “Sit, I’ll fix you a plate.”

 

“Thanks, Bill,” Harry bounced Ash on his lap and kissed his brown hair that was standing up in a semi-permanent cowlick from where he slept on it. Voldemort would be mortified, and Harry loved it!

 

Harry watched Bill fix up two plates for them. “Dad tried to stun me,” he said, cutting into the comfortable silence. “I shielded it, but yeah…I really don’t even blame him. I’d probably have done worse if the roles were reversed.”

 

“That had to still hurt though,” Bill sat the plate in front of him and joined them at the table.

 

Harry nodded and cleared his throat. “So…erm, I found out I have a new patronus too. I blame Death.”

 

Bill choked and then barked a laugh. “Like the annoying being who sat on the dock and watched me fish for an hour today or the actual dying during the war part?”

 

Harry raised an eyebrow and laughed, feeling his anxiety wash away now that he was back home. He felt more at home than ever before in his life, even at Hogwarts. “Death actually stopped by just to watch you fish?!”

 

Bill shrugged and speared an asparagus with his fork. “Apparently watching you take tests was too boring. He offered to hold Ash while I fished, but I didn’t think that was the best idea.”

 

Harry shrugged. “Death held him while we were in the in-between place. He supported his head and all. It should be fine if he offers.”

 

Bill looked at him like he’d been speaking in Sanskrit or something, but Harry didn’t understand what was wrong with what he’d said. Death had actually been pretty good at holding Ash after the initial scare Harry had about what the being was going to do with the baby.

 

“Anyway, I meant the being,” Harry just moved on since he wasn’t going to figure it out. “Maybe losing some of my hero worship of Dad was part of it since I cast my stag when I first got here, but now…well, it’s a thestral, so I definitely blame Death.”

 

Bill snorted a laugh and shook his head. “Only, you Harry,” he chuckled as if it all made perfect sense.

 

“How unusual is it to have a magical creature patronus?” Harry asked since the examiner person had been so utterly shocked when he saw it. It could have just been because it was a thestral though.

 

“Expecto patronum,” Bill cast suddenly with his wand he’d put on the table. A snake with the most unique pattern Harry had ever seen emerged from his wand and slithered around the dinner table between the dishes. Ash laughed and reached for it with a gummy smile.

 

“Wow,” Harry smiled and touched the snake’s head whose semi-corporeal form bumped up against his finger as if appreciating the pets.

 

“I don’t know, Harry,” Bill said, watching him and the snake interact. “I learned the charm when I was in Egypt though because there were lethifolds in some of the tombs. I got a lot of surprised looks for that patronus, it’s an uraeus…a magical snake of the pharaohs. I don’t know how common it is, but at least you aren’t the only one.”

 

Harry smiled at him, and yeah, he definitely loved Bill Weasley a little bit…maybe more than a little bit. The snake disappeared with a flick of Bill’s wand and kitchen was suddenly much dimmer in the evening light. “Thank you,” he said, not even sure what he was thanking the man for…for everything, for taking care of them, or letting them in his life, for being there, for not letting him think he was a freak, for everything…

 

Bill cleared his throat and put some more asparagus on Harry’s plate. “So, how did the tests go?”

 

Harry winced, not wanting a repeat of James Potter’s reaction, but also knowing he wasn’t going to get it from this man. “I’m not sure I passed History. The older stuff was ok, but there were some more recent questions that I’m not sure about from this dimension. Was Grindelwald a dark lord here?”

 

“Hmm? Yes, back in the 40’s,” Bill confirmed, and Harry breathed out a sigh of relief.

 

“Good…well, bad for there being a dark lord, but I might have passed with an Acceptable then at least,” he said with a shrug.

 

“I know I got O’s in DADA, Muggle Studies, Care, and possibly Charms,” he continued. “I think I did ok in Potions and Transfiguration. I really can’t even guess with Herbology or Astronomy though. I don’t particularly need them to be an auror anyway.”

 

“Wow, brilliant, that sounds great!” Bill grinned widely, and yeah, that was the reaction Harry had been hoping for.

 

They chatted about the tests through the rest of dinner and then Bill made them tea and cut slices of the cake. “Anything else interesting happen besides fishing and a surprise visit from our favorite voyeur?” Harry asked over the excellent strawberry cake. He didn’t think he’d ever had strawberry cake before, and it was quickly becoming a favorite.

 

“Actually, yes,” Bill smiled broadly and picked a letter up off the counter by the window. “I can only guess as to its contents, but I’m pretty sure by the thickness of it that the Mafoy’s agreed to your offer for Dobby.”

 

“What?!” Harry ripped open the letter as fast as he could and pulled out a thick contract. “Thank Merlin! I’m so glad I already took the money out of Harry’s vault.”

 

He then put down the letter and felt his heart sink when the implications of his aborted dinner with the Potters sunk in. “Bill…I think I’m going to be cut off really soon from the vault. I can’t…I can’t pay for Dobby can I? Then we won’t have any money to live off of? What do I do?”

 

Bill reached across the table and took Harry’s hand in both of his. “You’re going to send that bag of galleons to the Malfoys, and we’re getting your friend back,” he said firmly as if there had never been a question about it. “I’m not letting you and Ash go without. If I have to shoulder more of the financial burden for us, then I will. You’ll get a job before you know it, and I’m not hurting for money. I want to take care of you and Ash if I can, but we can’t let your friend stay with the Malfoys a second longer than he has to.”

 

Harry disentangled his hand from Bill’s and stood abruptly. Bill’s face fell as if Harry had rejected him in some way, but that was the farthest thing from Harry’s mind in that moment. He walked around the table and kneeled down some to be closer to the sitting man’s level.

 

“Bill Weasley,” he breathed out, shifting Ash to more comfortably sit against his hip. “I may be reading all this completely wrong, and just tell me if I am and it’ll be fine. But I’m about to kiss you if you don’t tell me to stop.”

 

Harry leaned up, catching the completely surprised look in Bill’s eyes. Shite, maybe he had read the signals wrong!

 

Then he was pulled up and strong arms were wrapped around him and Ash, and soft lips were pressed against his. Bill tasted like strawberries and Earl Grey, and Harry wanted more. He wound a hand in Bill’s long hair and deepened the kiss. He had absolutely no experience at all, but he was going to give it his absolute best shot. He couldn’t be doing too bad though because Bill chuckled against his lips and licked a hot tongue into his mouth.

 

“Eh hem!” a voice made them both jump apart and two wands pointed directly at the dark man standing in their sitting room holding a duffel bag. Harry’s shield already covered all three of them.

 

“I knocked,” Severus Snape drawled as he looked between them with a very judgmental look on his face...which was honestly his normal look.

 

“Merlin, Snape! You about gave me a heart attack!” Bill sighed in relief that they didn’t seem to be in danger of attack, but Harry definitely didn’t lower his shield. He didn’t trust it just yet.

 

Snape rolled his eyes and stepped to the side of the shield, putting his bag on the floor before going to serve himself some cake on a plate. “So, I’ve already gotten two howlers from James Potter and three from Lily. One of you could have given me a heads up that the wolf would fill your parents in on the news today. I was expecting sometime next week.”

 

“Why are they sending you howlers?” Harry frowned, finally dropping his shield since Snape was just his normal self and not murdery.

 

Snape scoffed and sat at the table, pouring some tea from the pot into a mug for himself. “Because the wolf must have told them I knew and was your personal healer now. Apparently, privacy laws mean nothing to concerned parents.”

 

Harry sat back on the chair beside Bill so very confused. “But…they aren’t my parents. I told them that, and Remus was going to tell them what happened to their Harry.”

 

Snape and Bill both looked at him like he was missing something very important. “You are still their son, even if from another world,” Snape sipped his tea. “Apparently, your sister was much more observant concerning your appearance than your parents were in their distress. She mentioned the scars on your arms and hands, and they have decided to shift all their misplaced concern they would have put into their own Harry onto you now that they can no longer help him. I would presume the wolf filled them in on some of your past history as well.”

 

Harry frowned and shook his head. “But…they haven’t owled me.” He looked around, but there were no owls anywhere.

 

Snape shrugged and took a bite of his cake. He slowly chewed and swallowed before answering. “Just because they are concerned and at least tangentially see that you are still their son does not mean they are ready to welcome you into their lives or that they aren’t hyper-focused on their own grief right now. I am an easy target to release their ire on though as per usual, so hence my howlers.”

 

“Well, you didn’t need to come here and bring them with you,” Bill scoffed, and yeah, those howlers would definitely follow him to Shell Cottage, and they had a baby who was scheduled to go to sleep very soon after a bottle.

 

Snape glared at them. “Lily escalated to trying to get into my floo, so I decided it was expedient to leave my house completely,” he drawled. “So, you two now get the pleasure of my company since this is all your fault.”

 

Bill and Harry shared a look, not knowing what to do. They couldn’t ask Snape to leave since this was actually Harry’s fault, but they also didn’t want the Potters trying to get into their house. Maybe they could convince him to go to the Leaky Cauldron?

 

Snape finished his cake and stood with his mug of tea. “I presume the baby sleeps in the guestroom? I will take the master then. Kindly put up a silencing charm if there are any carnal activities going on within my hearing.”

 

And Snape was gone up the stairs to steal Bill’s room now. “Er…” Harry looked at Bill with wide eyes.

 

Bill laughed loudly and threw his head back. “Merlin, I was a curse breaker who was once chased by pygmies out of an underground aquifer attached to a witch’s cat’s tomb, and I can truly say my life was boring before you came along, Harry.”

 

“Er…sorry?” Harry smiled, not knowing what to say about that.

 

Bill smiled and leaned over. “You could just kiss me again.”

 

“That I can do,” Harry smiled back.

 

“Silencing charm!” Echoed down from upstairs once again, getting giggles from them both.

Notes:

Up Next: The rescue of Dobby, Free Elf...

Chapter 9: Reunion

Bill groaned at the sharp cry that woke him up yet again that night. “Your turn,” the limpet that had been curled around him let go, and a bony knee pushed him away.

 

Bill chuckled, but that was fair. This was the third time Ash had woken up that night and Harry had gotten up the other two times, and well every time before since he was well enough to back when he first got to Bill’s house. Bill figured it was time to share some of the nighttime responsibility if they were going to give whatever this was they were building together a go. Bill picked up the crying baby who didn’t have a dirty diaper, so maybe he was hungry? Or maybe (in Harry’s words) his other father’s sadist genes were showing.

 

“How old does he have to be to start sleep training?” Bill asked while he bounced some to soothe the baby. He hadn’t been involved in any of the nighttime things for his younger siblings, so he wasn’t really sure how that went.

 

Harry grunted. “Books says 4 months minimum, but there is debate on if that's actually possible or a good idea,” he said into the pillow his face was smooshed into. It was adorable.

 

Bill looked at Ash who was calming down rapidly, and he kissed the baby’s messy hair. “You hear that, sweetie? Sounds like you get to train us instead of we train you. I bet you like that, huh.”

 

Bill smiled at the man who was already asleep again with a soft snore. He chuckled and opened the door to leave the room and let Harry sleep a little longer. Their first ‘romantic’ night together had consisted of a chaste peck of a kiss goodnight, and that was it. This was for two reasons, the first and most important being that they’d been dating (or whatever this was) for literally about an hour before they’d gone to sleep, and the second…there was a baby sharing the room. So yeah, nothing was going to happen even if Snape had stuck them sharing a bed.

 

It was early, but not much earlier than the time he’d normally wake up for work, so Bill decided to just give up and start the day now. Harry could use some extra sleep though after his too eventful day before and all the trauma that it had brought up. “Let’s get you a bottle. How does that sound?” Bill asked Ash who looked like he was about to tear up again.

 

Bill paused in surprise at the man already dressed in slacks and a dress shirt, with his hair in a bun and his wand sticking through it at his kitchen table. Snape was nursing a mug of tea and reading the Prophet like he lived there. “Snape,” he nodded a greeting. “Good morning.”

“William,” Snape dryly responded before turning the page on his paper without looking up. “Is the baby suffering from cholic?”

 

Bill frowned, Ash was waking up a lot, but he usually had a reason like wanting a diaper change or being hungry and didn’t generally cry for extended periods of time. “No, I don’t think so. I think he’s just hungry this time. We had his second check-up last week, and Healer Franklin said everything looked good then.”

 

Snape nodded and motioned behind him. “The kettle should still be hot.”

 

“Bless,” Bill breathed out thankfully because he could use some caffeine. He didn’t know how Harry had been doing this nightly alone for the past month. “How long are you planning to be our new flatmate anyway?”

 

He didn’t particularly mind Snape being around, but now that he’d stayed the night with Ash, Bill was already planning to ask if Harry might want to move in with him in the master bedroom and leave Ash with a monitoring charm in the guestroom. That would keep them from waking at his every little noise and only when he actually cried then. Right, so that might be moving very fast for this (whatever this was) relationship, but honestly, they didn’t have to do anything just sleeping together, and actual sleep was definitely a necessity for them to function, especially if Harry joined the aurors shortly.

 

Snape did finally look up at Bill who was getting Ash’s bottle ready. “I must return to work tomorrow. I assume if Lily doesn’t take time off to grieve, she’ll at least be professional enough at the company to not curse my bollocks off there. I will return home then.”

 

Bill nodded because that did sound reasonable. He hoped Harry’s mum took some time off though because this was a massive loss, and he worried that if they didn’t handle it well, that would directly impact their relationship with his Harry.

 

“Here, hold Ash for a minute while I finish this,” Bill handed the baby to a stunned Snape so he could use both of his hands. It was Snape’s own fault for moving in with them if he didn’t want to be around a baby.

 

Snape held Ash who squealed and tried to grab his nose. Thankfully, Ash had much better neck strength and control of his head now because it didn’t look like Snape had ever held a baby in his life. Snape turned wide, scared eyes on him. “I don’t do babies.”

 

“You do if you’re staying here,” Bill snorted because that was the truth. “Just give me a minute to finish his bottle and my tea, and I’ll take him back.”

 

Snape turned Ash and held him at least a little more securely. “If you throw up on me, I will hold it against you for the rest of your life,” Snape warned the baby who squealed and tried to grab for his nose again.

 

“Well, you bled out all over me and died in my arms, and I’ve let that go,” Harry grumbled, stumbling into the kitchen blearily. “A little spit up is nothing, so don’t threaten my kid.”

 

Snape blinked at Harry and shared a shocked look at Bill. Harry hadn’t let that little nugget slip before. “Here, take the sprog then,” Snape passed Ash off to Harry who kissed his chubby cheeks before sitting at the table.

 

“You can sleep longer if you want, Harry,” Bill tried, handing the now ready bottle to Harry. “I’ll take care of him.”

 

Harry shook his head while Ash happily drank his breakfast now. “Nah, I think I drifted off for a second there, but I couldn’t really get back to sleep. I think I’m just awake now…maybe I’ll take a nap later when Ash does.”

 

“Did your tests go well yesterday?” Snape asked, passing the quidditch section of the paper across the table to Harry. It shocked Bill that Snape had been to his house enough over the past month in the mornings before work in order to help Harry with his Potions NEWT that they already had an odd morning routine.

 

“I think I got the NEWTs I need,” Harry nodded. “Thank you for the Potions help.”

 

Snape just nodded in response and pulled his wand out of his hair and gave it a wave to make some bread pop into Bill’s toaster and get some breakfast started. “I am sorry about your less-then-ideal first meeting with your parents,” Snape remarked. “Your mother is a good woman…and your father…well, he’s grown into a respectable member of society, so I would presume they will eventually come around,” he said, looking like it physically pained him to say anything nice about James Potter.

 

Harry frowned and shrugged. “It’s not like I had a lot of expectations going into all this,” he said with a lost feeling in his tone that made Bill want to hug him until it went away. “I don’t really know what to do with parents in general, so I can’t really expect them to know what to do with a son as messed up as I am.”

 

“Hey, don’t say that,” Bill sat beside him and wrapped an arm around Harry’s shoulders, giving in to his need to soothe that hurt. “You are brilliant just the way you are.”

 

Harry snorted wryly and rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I’d like to remind you about all the times I’ve accidentally broken things around your house when I freaked out about something.”

 

“Eh, easy reparo charms,” Bill smiled and shrugged. He stiffened when his wards pinged after a crack of apparition sounded outside the house. He felt the wards pass over the visitors. “Remus and…someone else I haven’t added to the wards,” he told the group.

 

“That is my cue to return to my room to finish my paper and tea in peace,” Snape stood quickly. “It is too early to deal with either Black or Potter or whoever Lupin rudely decided to bring along with him.”

 

“You mean my room,” Bill couldn’t help shooting after him before he stood to go answer the knock at the door. If anyone was going to be accused of rudeness…

 

Harry looked concerned. “We’re still in pajamas,” he said as if that was what was concerning him, even though it very clearly wasn’t.

 

“Do you want me to get rid of them?” Bill asked, pausing with his hand on the door. He had no problem kicking whoever this was off his property if they were going to cause Harry more distress, especially when they were interrupting their breakfast.

 

Harry held Ash a little closer but just shook his head. “No, let’s deal with whatever this is. I’ve run from dealing with everything long enough.”

 

In resignation, Bill opened the door to see Remus Lupin and Sirius Black standing on his front porch. “It’s early,” he accused, not standing aside.

 

“I wasn’t sure if you were working today or not, and we wanted to get here before you left so we weren’t just cornering Harry alone,” Remus shuffled his feet in embarrassment. Good, they hadn’t even finished their tea yet, he should be embarrassed. Molly Weasley would have had a fit about showing up this early in the morning with no notice.

 

“I’m off today, but back on shift tomorrow,” Bill clarified, looking at Black who seemed like he would rather be anywhere else but at Bill’s house.

 

“Erm, is Harry awake?” Remus asked with a wince, clearly avoiding looking back at Black to see his reaction. Black seemed physically pained at the mention of ‘Harry’ who wasn’t his Harry.

 

Bill sighed and stood aside. “He’s just feeding Ash. Come in if you must.”

 

Remus and Black both entered, but Black hung back, letting Remus lead the way to the kitchen and where Harry was still balancing Ash on one arm and holding the bottle with his other hand. “Good morning, Harry,” Remus said with fake brightness in his tone.

“So, what’s the fallout from last night?” Harry asked, getting right to the heart of it.

 

Bill decided to just start in on breakfast and make extras for their guests because he was hungry, and they could do whatever this confrontation was on full stomachs. “Full English?” He looked over at Harry who gave him a tense smile. “Have you eaten yet Remus…Lord Black?”

 

“Sirius, please,” Black winced, speaking for the first time.

 

“We ate before we came, but I wouldn’t say no to some tea,” Remus added conversationally from where he’d sat beside Harry at the table.

 

“Well?” Harry impatiently prompted them again while he sat the bottle down on the table to burp Ash.

 

Remus sighed at having to answer the question. “There was a lot of crying and screaming and blaming each other and questions I couldn’t answer, but none of that was unexpected,” he responded, looking haunted at the memory. “I did make it clear that you had nothing to do with what happened to this dimension’s Harry.”

 

“Which is the truth, is it not?” Black asked from where he was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed and looking at Harry like a suspect in an interrogation room.

 

“Your Harry would have died whether I showed up here or not. In fact, he had already died,” Harry pinned him with a serious look. “So, if you don’t like me or want me here, it should be on my own merit and not on any perceived harm I may have caused to your godson. I never met him or influenced his actions in any way.”

 

Black winced but did relax slightly from his combative stance. “Kid, you have to realize, you just showed up and told us we’ve lost a person we love deeply and there isn’t even a body to mourn. That’s not easy to get past. Then there’s the fact, you pretended to be him for weeks.”

 

Harry nodded slowly in acceptance of the remark. “I know, and that was done poorly on my part,” he admitted, patting Ash on the back. “From my point of view though, my first thought is always going to be how to defend myself and Ash, and when I first arrived here, I was too injured to protect us. I couldn’t trust that you all wouldn’t attack first and ask questions later…as justified by James’s immediate response of trying to stun me.”

 

Black didn’t seem to have a response to that and just let out a deep breath of what might be resignation. Bill poured up the tea and set the mugs on the table to bring some semblance of normalcy to this whole affair. Black finally wandered over and sat down to take the mug.

 

“Can I?” Remus offered to take Ash after a burp and spit up now on Harry’s shirt.

 

“Yeah, now that I got all the spit up on me,” Harry grumbled with a teasing smile, but passed Ash over before spelling his shirt clean.

 

“Who’s his mum? Was she a muggle like you claimed, or was that part of the lie?” Black asked, clearly trying to connect with Harry and not sure how. This wasn’t the way to do that since Ash was a sensitive topic, but Bill didn’t know how to save the situation because Ash’s backstory was just too strange and too dangerous that the Unspeakables would get involved to attempt to explain it.

 

“Ash’s mum is a witch, but from my dimension. She had died,” Harry said to Bill’s surprise. Was Harry talking about Tom Riddle’s mother then? Ash didn’t exactly have a mum. “I don’t really want to talk about it,” he added.

 

Remus and Black both clearly wanted to ask more questions. “What have the Potters decided to do about our new Harry?” Bill asked, deciding to change the subject.

 

“And just how are you involved, Mr. Weasley?” Black asked. “Remy was a little vague on your part in all this.”

 

“I knew Bill from my dimension, and he was one of the few people I was fairly certain I could track down in this one; plus, I knew he would help,” Harry explained, getting a smile at his trust from Bill. He’d never been more grateful that he’d opened his floo to Gringotts ever.

 

Harry cleared his throat and crossed his arms with a pointed look. “Is anyone going to fill me in on what’s going on, or are you going to keep ignoring my question?”

 

The two men shared a look and Remus ended up conjuring a rattle for Ash and letting Black handle whatever this was. Black rubbed a hand over his face before starting in. “I don’t think James and Lily have made any plans yet. They’re struggling to just process what’s going on right now. However, the only thing that they have decided on is having a memorial service for their Harry, just us…” he looked at this Harry, clearly communicating he wasn’t invited with a wince that said he may not agree, which gave him points in Bill’s book.

 

“I didn’t figure they’d want me there,” Harry nodded and stood to help Bill with the sausages. Clearly, keeping busy helped Harry to not get pulled into his emotions. “Please, make sure they know Harry’s death and my showing up needs to be kept as secret as possible though. The Department of Mysteries would love to make me ‘disappear’ if they hear anything about my existence in your dimension.”

 

“They know. James actually mentioned that himself before Remus could say anything,” Black assured him. “We’re keeping this just within the family, so only the people who already know and Peter. We’ll fill Peter in next week when he returns.”

 

Harry dropped the spatula he was holding and sucked in a breath before trying to pretend he hadn’t reacted so negatively to that. Bill wondered what Harry’s past with Peter Pettigrew was, but also didn’t want to pry if it was something he didn’t want to talk about. Only days ago, Harry wouldn’t have mentioned what had happened to Snape, not wanting to remember it, but he just let it slip as if it was nothing this morning. Bill knew it was a bit of a defense response, but still, he didn’t want to push before Harry was ready.

 

“Remus said Pettigrew and your Harry weren’t close. Should he really be brought in on this?” Harry asked, clearly trying to make this sound like it wasn’t a big deal. Bill didn’t think Remus or Black noticed since they weren’t standing right beside Harry like Bill was. Since he was though, Bill could see the lines of stress in Harry’s back and arms.

 

Black scoffed as if question remark was ridiculous. “Just because Peter didn’t babysit doesn’t mean he isn’t family,” he said, that combative tone coming back into his voice. And that knocked a couple points off him again in Bill’s book.

 

“Right,” Harry just nodded in resigned acceptance, his hand tensed on the spatula, but he seemed to be stubbornly trying to let go of whatever it was that was bothering him.

 

“Now, for why we’re actually here,” Black leaned back and crossed his arms. “Your sister said you have a lot of scars, and you admitted you were injured when you arrived here, and Remy says you’ve gone through a lot, so out with it. What all’s wrong with you? Lily is worried you’re going to keel over too, and she shouldn’t have to worry about you as well with everything else. We need to get you to see the family healer instead of Snape anyway.”

 

Bill frowned at the sheer rudeness of the man demanding Harry share all his medical history. It was one thing to ask a person about their health and how they were doing, and quite another to demand answers and push that person towards a new healer when they’d just been convinced to trust the one they had. He was about to lay into Black, but Harry put a hand on his arm with a shake of his head. Harry turned off the burner and put down his spatula to turn around and address the man directly. Bill stood down but he steeled himself to toss two idiots off his property if Harry needed him to.

 

“Bill, take Ash from Remus please,” Harry instructed him, and he hurried over immediately, taking the baby from Remus who looked both shocked at being deprived of the baby but also with horrified understanding at where this was clearly going.

 

“You should have come to one of us over Snivellus or Weasley anyway. This all could have gone so much more smoothly if you had thought all this through a little more,” Black glared patronizingly next, clearly not reading the room.

 

“I am sorry for your loss,” Harry started with forced calmness in his tone. Bill could feel Harry’s magic crackling around him, so the storm was only slightly being held at bay. He was probably either going to blow up in anger or have a panic attack, and Bill didn’t want to see him have to do either.

 

“However, I owe you balls all in this dimension,” Harry finished, so it seemed he was leaning towards anger…good.

 

“The hell you don’t,” Black stood in indignation. “You took our Harry’s place, and you are a Potter whether you like it or not! You owe your parents everything!”

 

“You don’t know me, and I don’t know you,” Harry cut him off. “I did nothing to your Harry, and I’m sorry you’ve lost him, but I’m the one here now, and like it or not, you’re stuck with me. I do not know James and Lily Potter, and I feel very bad for them, but I’ve had my life controlled before, and I’m never going back to that! I’ll die first! Or again, or whatever!”

 

“Siri,” Remus put a hand on Black’s arm who was clearly about to escalate the situation. Bill stepped farther away, ready to shield himself and Ash if this came to spellfire.

 

“The kid can’t speak to us like this…” Black started.

 

“I’m not a bloody kid!” Harry yelled back. Ash shifted in Bill’s arms, probably getting a little afraid. “You didn’t raise me since you were locked up in Azkaban my whole life, Lily and James were dead, Remus basically ignored my existence, and Pettigrew, let’s not even get into him! You don’t get to issue ultimatums or tell me what to do!”

 

“Oh really, because we could just let the Unspeakables deal with you!” Black shot back.

 

Bill had the man bound and stuck to the wall with a flick of his wand. “You even try it,” Bill warned with all his anger bleeding into his tone. “And I’ll tell the goblins that the severely injured teenager who asked them for help was abused by the House of Potter. Child abuse is taken very seriously in their nation, and they will champion Harry’s cause because, even if he’s legally an adult in the magical world, he’s still under James’s responsibility, and they won’t have that.”

 

“Bill,” Harry started.

 

“No, they will not threaten you, not after everything you’ve been through,” Bill glared at the man who was probably trying to set him on fire with his eyes.

 

“No one is talking to the Unspeakables about anything,” Remus growled in anger, sounding much more like the wolf than the man. “Sirius, I will make all of us swear a vow to that if you ever threaten Harry again! I am ashamed of you!” Black seemed to deflate even as Harry looked like he was doing his absolute best to stave off a panic attack now.

 

“We won’t, I promise. I was just upset; I’m sorry,” Black said pleadingly, clearly having spoken without meaning the words, and Bill reluctantly cancelled his spell, ready to cast again at a moment’s notice though. Ash started crying at all the yelling, and Bill tried to comfort him with little shushing sounds and bouncing.

 

Harry was almost physically holding himself together with his arms crossed over his body. He was going to collapse soon from lack of air, and Bill didn’t know how to help him and Ash at the same time. He was torn, but he knew Harry would want him to focus on Ash. Black looked frantic at what he had caused, but Harry was a little too far gone to listen to anyone now.

 

Not able to breathe, Harry leaned up against the counters and just slid to the ground. Remus and Black both made to step forward, but Bill blocked their path with a glare. “Leave him be,” he warned. “Just give him a minute.”

 

He walked over to the stairs quickly. “Snape! Send down a calming drought. I know you’re listening,” he yelled up, since the potions master was most definitely listening to everything going on downstairs.

 

“Snivellus is here?” Black grimaced. “Why?”

 

“Lily was trying to break into his floo to ask him questions,” Bill rolled his eyes and grabbed the potion vial out of the air from where Snape had spelled it down to him, clearly not willing to deal with Black, and Bill didn’t blame him.

 

Bill gingerly sat on the floor beside Harry and passed over the vial, shifting Ash to his opposite side to hold Harry too. “Here, love, take this. That’s right,” Bill pulled Harry to lean against him and kissed Harry’s head once he took the potion and started to calm down. “It’s alright. You’re safe. I won’t let anyone take you if there is anything I can do about it.”

 

Harry buried his face in Bill’s neck, his breaths coming in short painful bursts while he tried to calm his heart rate and breathing. “I’m sorry,” Black said again, hopefully actually meaning that. By the look on his face, he really did.

 

Harry nodded but only barely shifted his head to look at the other two men. “I’m not going to spill my life story to people I don’t know and who I don’t believe care for me in the slightest,” Harry said, the words clearly hitting Black like a blow.

 

Bill wondered if Black had just assumed that Harry would jump to just cave to all their demands and do whatever they wanted, desperately wanting to be a part of the family. Black was sadly mistaken if he believed Harry was going to do all the work to make this situation work out for everyone. Bill didn’t even think Harry would know how to do that if he wanted to since he’d never had a family, and the letters while he was in ‘rehab’ had already taken away all the initial want to figure it out he’d had when he landed in this dimension. Bill knew Black was the one person Harry had wanted to connect with the most, and the man was quickly undercutting all that in this one conversation.

 

“Kid…Harry,” Black started, the pain on his face clear at having to use Harry’s name. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said what I did. We really are concerned about you though. Your parents do care…”

 

“But they aren’t my parents,” Harry reminded him, still not moving from Bill’s side in the slightest. “My dad gave his life to buy time for Mum and me to get away from danger, and my Mum stood up to the most feared Dark Lord in history and offered her life for mine. I know James and Lily are those same people on some fundamental level, but they aren’t my parents who gave their lives for mine.”

 

Black was clearly floundering, and Remus just reached out to hold his hand, not knowing how to help. “Harry, cub, no one knows how to handle all this,” Remus tried next. “Your parents need some time, but Harry, they do actually want to be your parents.”

 

Harry was shaking his head. “They don’t even know me. How can they want me if they don’t even know who I am?”

 

“Ki…Harry, we want to get to know you. I’ve just bollocks’d this up, I know, and handled it all wrong,” Black said with feeling and frustration in his voice. “I think…I think we all need a little more time. This wasn’t a good idea to come here today.”

 

“No, I don’t believe it was,” Bill agreed with him. He passed Ash off to Harry and stood. “I think it’s time you both leave. I’ll show you out.”

 

Remus and Black looked like they wanted to say something else, but with a frustrated sigh, Remus pushed Black towards the front door. “We’ll write you, Harry,” Remus said next. “I think letters may be a better first step. Is that ok?”

 

Harry nodded, still on the floor and cuddling with Ash who had finally calmed down. “Yeah, letters,” he said with no enthusiasm or any emotion in his tone. He sounded completely shut down.

 

Bill just shuffled the two men through his sitting room and out the front door. “Don’t reach out to him until you’re willing to listen and hear what he actually needs,” Bill warned them since this had been a fiasco.

 

Black’s arm shot out and grabbed Bill’s elbow in a harsh grip. Bill just raised an eyebrow because, auror or not, this man didn’t intimidate him. “He’s ten years younger than you,” Black hissed in what was probably supposed to be a threat. “You need to back off.”

 

“He’s an adult,” Bill responded because yeah, the age difference would probably bother him in anyone else, but Harry had gone through too much in his life for that to matter. If Harry chose to be with him, then Bill considered that an honor he’d never take for granted or let slip through his fingers unless Harry himself decided he didn’t want Bill anymore.

 

That didn’t seem to get through to Black through, and Bill sent a stinging hex through his skin, a little trick he’d learned from a goblin elder. Black hissed, pulling his hand back in surprise. Bill glared and held himself back from yelling all the biting comments he wanted to make to maybe impart some truth instead.

 

“Harry is an adult, a father, and capable enough to know his own mind and take care of himself. If you try to treat him as a child, then you will lose him faster than you already are,” he warned. “Watch yourself Black; you were the one he cared about the most, so you have the ability to hurt him the most. He’ll also cut you out of his life first if you make him shut down like you did today and when you stepped away from him last night. You’re the only one he has expectations of, so don’t let him down.”

 

Black looked like he’d been hit with a bludger when Bill backed up and closed the door in his face. Bill let out a breath of relief before making his way back to the kitchen once he heard the sounds of apparition from the other side of the door. They should have known to not come before they could do this rationally. He really shouldn’t have opened the door.

 

Harry was just pulling himself and Ash off the floor when Bill got back to the kitchen. “I’m taking you out on a date tonight,” he announced, making the decision in a slip second, knowing Harry needed something to look forward to. “We’ll take Ash with us, or Snape can babysit, but you need some fun and to get out of the house.”

 

Harry smiled tiredly but shook his head. “We have to pick up Dobby tonight.”

 

“Then we’ll do the date first, then pick him up,” Bill said, not deterred in the slightest. “Nothing major, just a stress-free dinner somewhere. Come on…please…”

 

Harry gave him a little smile before passing Ash back to Bill to finish up the cooking. “Ok, but we’re taking Ash. I think between the two, I’d rather Death babysat my son than Snape.”

 

“He’s a healer and potion master; I think he could figure out how to keep a two-month-old alive for a few hours...which I'm not so sure we can say about the embodiment of Death,” Bill laughed, seeing Harry’s point, but Snape really wasn’t that bad.

 

Harry turned the sausages back on and actually seemed to consider it. “I suppose it would only be a few hours…”

 

“Are they finally gone?” Snape re-entered the kitchen with an empty mug and no newspaper now. “I take it that did not go well?”

 

Harry smiled a huge toothy smile at Snape. “So…what are your plans this evening?”

 

Snape narrowed his eyes, not trusting what he was about to get himself into, which he really shouldn’t. “I have a book I’ve been reading and would like to finish.”

 

“Ah, so nothing important,” Bill grinned next and took the man’s mug to refill it. “Here, hold Ash, and I’ll talk you through how to make him a bottle.”

 

“What?” Snape sputtered even as he took the baby shoved into his arms.

 

---

 

Harry wandered with Bill in the evening light through Diagon Alley after their wonderful dinner at the Leaky Cauldron. It wasn’t anything special, and it was just what Harry wanted. Something low-key, not stressful, and just him and Bill. It was the best first date he could think of in the midst of everything else that had been going on. They'd talked about Ash, and things Harry was discovering he liked, and Bill's job, and nothing big or important, just light and fun. Now, they were slowly making their way to the house elf employment office to pick up Dobby and finally make sure Harry’s friend was safe.

 

“Should we talk about whatever this is between us, or do you want to wait to have that conversation on a less-stressful day?” Bill asked, taking Harry’s hand in his slightly larger one with a tentative little smile.

 

Harry snorted a laugh. “I think most of my days end up being stressful, so best not wait for an easy one or we'll be old and grey,” he said, squeezing Bill’s hand. “I know what I’d like, but I also realize I know at least a version of you more than you know me.”

 

“I think I know who you are a person pretty well by this point,” Bill said with a look on his face that had Harry actually believing him. “I’ve been falling for you Harry Potter…I’d like you and Ash to be my family one of these days. I’d be so honored to have both of you as family someday when you are ready.”

 

Harry sucked in a breath because he’d been about to say he’d like Bill to be his boyfriend, but wow, this was…even better. “Yeah,” he breathed out. “Me too…so…boyfriends?”

 

Bill chuckled lightly before giving him a little peck of a kiss. “Yes, for now.”

 

Harry wondered what this meant for him and Ash and where they lived though. Did this mean they could stay at Shell Cottage indefinitely or was that weird now that they were in a new relationship? “Erm, about our living arrangements…?”

 

“Well, Snape is not staying,” Bill snorted a laugh and smiled at him like he knew where Harry was going with the question and thought he was being silly. “I was thinking…we don’t have to move things along quickly with our relationship or anything, but it might be best if you move into the master bedroom with me, and we set up the guestroom as Ash’s room. Now he wakes you up at every little sound he makes at night, and you can sleep better if we’re only woken up when he’s actually crying. That absolutely doesn’t mean we need to do anything besides sleep though. What do you think? Would it make you worry being in a different room from him? Is it weird to sleep with me if we’re only just sleeping?”

 

Bill gave him an option and asked his opinion. It was a breath of fresh air after everything else in Harry’s life. He wasn’t pushing for anything, he just saw a need and thought of a way to fix it, and then asked if Harry liked it. That was…Merlin, but Harry might actually be starting to fall in love with this man.

 

He thought about the suggestion though because he couldn’t dwell on how hard and how fast he was falling right then. He would be worried with Ash being in another room, but he was also so very tired and could use better sleep at night. He wasn’t ready to have sex with Bill yet, not by a long shot, but they had slept in the same bed the night before, and it had been nice. Even with the baby waking them up, Harry had slept better than he had in a long time. All in all, it might be something he'd like to try out anyway.

 

“As long as we can actually kick Snape out, then yeah…I think I’d like that,” Harry said, matching Bill’s happy smile.

 

“Well…you ready for this?” Bill asked, motioning to the office they were now outside of.

 

“I just have to keep reminding myself that this Dobby has no idea who I am in the slightest,” Harry nodded firmly. “Right, so, let’s do this.”

 

Dobby looked exactly the same as the first time Harry had met him. He was too thin, wearing a dirty pillowcase, and so nervous that Harry’s nerves were jumping just looking at him. The sale had been completely anonymous on Harry’s end, so he never actually had to deal in person with the Malfoys. After a boatload of paperwork and some kind of bonding ritual that Dobby led, they were all back on the beach in front of Shell Cottage before Harry turned to fill in Dobby on who he was and this odd situation he was about to find himself in.

 

“Master…Dobby’s happy to serve new master,” he looked behind them and frowned at the cottage and not knowing Harry's name. Harry wasn’t sure if he was weighing the small house against Malfoy manor, or if Dobby had an idea of how much they’d had to pay for him and was wondering at their finances…again because small house. “Who is Dobby serving?”

 

Dobby’s huge eyes seemed to look through Harry who was doing his best not to cry since they were standing literally only steps away from his Dobby’s grave. “This is Bill Weasley, and I’m Harry Potter, Dobby. I bought you from the Malfoys, but you don’t actually serve House Potter…we need to talk,” he sat down on a rock with Bill to be closer to Dobby’s height. He didn’t want to go inside the house and maybe wake up Ash who should be asleep already if Snape had followed their instructions.

 

“Dobby is happy to serves great House of Potter,” Dobby’s eyes had widened at the clearly recognized name, but he looked very confused at how all of this had been handled so far.

 

Harry knew this wasn’t his Dobby, so he wasn’t exactly sure how to approach the situation. This Dobby had never defied his masters to save Harry. This Dobby may not even want to be free, but Harry had to try. He had to give his friend the chance at happiness.

 

“Ok, this is going to sound really strange, but hear me out, please,” Harry said firmly, taking comfort from where Bill had a hand on his back. “I’d like to hire you to help me with my son and keeping up the house…I’d like to hire you, not own you…”

 

Dobby’s ears drooped, and he frowned. “Dobby doesn’t understand. Master Harry doesn’t wants Dobby?”

 

Harry was certain they were seconds from Dobby bashing his head against something. “I do! I promise I do! It’s just…” Harry breathed out a loud breath of frustration at having to explain this yet again. “I had a friend, and he was a house elf…”

 

“Master was friendses with an elf?!” Dobby gaped in surprise.

 

Harry nodded. “Yes, I’m from another dimension a lot like this one but also very different, and I lived a whole life there before I accidentally ended up here and took the place of this world’s Harry Potter. In my world there was a war, and I was in a lot of danger.”

 

Dobby’s eyes widened to the size of tennis balls. “Master Harry’s elf friend was in the other world?”

 

“Yes, Dobby…you were that friend,” Harry tried to explain as straightforward as possible. “In my world you were a free elf, and you loved it. I want to make you free, but you can work here for me if you want or go somewhere else if you’d rather. I’ll give you wages and days off, and I just want you to be happy…you…you Dobby, saved my life. Even if it wasn’t this you, I still owe you everything.”

 

Dobby cocked his head to one side and seemed to be looking through Harry again, not sure what to make of what Harry had said. Harry only hoped he believed him, even though the story was bat-shit crazy. He knew how it sounded, but if Dobby stayed on, he wasn’t go to lie to him, and he couldn’t hide he was from another dimension when they spoke about it around the house so often.

 

Dobby slowly walked forward and reached out a long, bony finger. Harry frowned, wondering what was happening, as Dobby reached up and tapped that finger right in the middle of Harry’s forehead, making his eyes cross. Suddenly, Harry felt like he was right back in Snape’s classroom in fifth year as his memories flashed behind his eyes in a frantic swirl. This time though, there was no pain beyond the emotional as image after image of Dobby flashed in his eyes in a dizzying swirl. Dobby destroying the pudding at the Dursley’s, Dobby in the infirmary after Lockhart had vanished Harry’s bones, Harry freeing Dobby and Dobby then saving him from Lucius Malfoy, then Dobby and Winky, and the hats Hermione knitted, and the gillyweed, and the Come and Go Room, and Malfoy Manor and Harry holding Dobby as he died in his arms.

 

Harry gasped with tears flowing from his eyes. “What happened? Are you ok?” Bill asked worriedly, looking between them.

 

“Harry Potter!” Dobby choked out before crashing into Harry’s knees and wrapping his arms around Harry’s legs. Tears and snot stained his jeans as Dobby held on with more strength than his spindly arms should have in them “Dobby’s Harry Potter is alive and survived the Dark Lord! Dobby knew Harry Potter would win!”

 

“Dobby?” Harry gasped…what had happened…was this…was this his Dobby?!

Notes:

Up Next: NEWTs are in and letters are written...

Chapter 10: Building Bridges

“But are you…are you my Dobby?” Harry was finally able to stutter out at the small elf hugging his knees. Had Dobby somehow followed him from the other dimension?

 

He got the most confused look he might have ever seen on Dobby’s face back. “Of course, Dobby is always Master Harry Potter’s!”

 

Now it was Harry’s turn to be confused, and it looked like Bill was just as perplexed. “No, I mean…are you from my dimension? How? You died. Although...I guess I did too.”

 

Dobby’s eyes widened before comprehension finally settled on his face, accompanied by a sad look Harry really didn’t like. “No, Harry Potter, sir. I’s saw you’s were sad, so Dobby needed to know how to make you’s happy again,” Dobby explained, absently patting Harry’s knee with a hand. “I’s copied Harry Potter’s memories of his Dobby, so I know all Harry Potter’s interactions with his Dobby, and I know how his Dobby would have felt for everything, but I am not from Harry Potter’s dimension.”

 

Oh…That really made him think. What was it that made a person who they were? Dobby wasn’t his Dobby, but he knew about all their interactions and could surmise how the other dimension’s Dobby would have felt. If anything, this Dobby may have lived a slightly better life without his masters having been Death Eaters, but the Malfoys most likely still weren’t pleasant to work for. So…was this his Dobby even without being his Dobby? Did it matter?

 

With a shrug, Harry decided that he wasn’t going to let it matter. He hadn’t expected to get his dimension’s Dobby back, and that this one was much closer and could remember more than he’d expected was a pleasant surprise. Well, for Harry at least. He was a little worried that Dobby now had all the negative memories too.

 

Regardless, they could work with this, and he was going to love this Dobby just as much as he could. Now, they just had to work out what living together would look like. He knew he had to handle this carefully.

 

Actually no, this Dobby had all the memories now…

 

“Right, so Dobby, as you now know, Dumbledore was paying you a galleon a week and gave you two days off, that’s the absolute lowest I’m going to go,” he said firmly. “I propose three galleons a week, two days off, and a couple floating days a month you can take whenever you want.” Dobby’s eyes narrowed, and he put his hands on his hips. Bill chuckled behind Harry, but he could just stay out of this, it wasn’t his business anyway.  

 

“Whiles Dobby does like the idea of being a free elf, Dobby really only wants to serve Harry Potter, so I’s don’t see why I’s need to be free to do that,” he glared, so this was definitely going to be a negotiation.

 

“So that you can do what you want, leave when you want, and tell me to shove it when I’m being ridiculous, that’s why you need to be free,” Harry countered.

 

Dobby gave it some fake thought. “Well I don't want to leave…but I do know’s Harry Potter can be ridiculous.”

 

Harry and Bill both laughed. “At least he knows that going in,” Bill said wryly, getting a swat from Harry for it.

 

“Dobby will not go above one galleon and two days off a week,” Dobby countered. “So I think we’s stuck.”

 

Harry nodded. “Yes, but I have a baby, and that’s asking a lot, so at least let’s add a floating day a month for when you get tired and want to just get out.”

 

Dobby scoffed, his ears flapping. “Dobby loves babies, that’s a positive, not a negative. Plus, Harry Potter’s Dobby looked after an entire castle.”

 

“With an army of elves,” Harry countered with a narrowed look. “Fine, one galleon and two days off a week, but we revisit this after a month to see if you want more pay or more time off.”

 

Dobby grinned and held out his little hand to shake. Harry had a feeling he lost this negotiation. So far, he was still loaded, and James and Lily hadn’t cut him off yet, plus he’d have a job shortly, so it’s not like he couldn’t pay much more. Bill refused to take rent money since he’d inherited the house and wasn’t paying rent himself, so Ash was really all he was currently spending his gold on. He’d figure out some way to take care of Dobby more if it was the last thing he did.

 

“Well, I think for old time’s sake then…” Harry pulled off a shoe with a grin and removed his sock. Dobby clapped his hands and grinned, dancing with glee on the sand, so Harry knew he’d made the right choice. “You ready for this?” Harry held out the sock.

 

“Dobby will serves Harry Potter and Baby Potter so well!” Dobby grinned, taking the sock, and Harry felt a little pop in his magic from the bond breaking that had been formed only an hour earlier at the house elf employment agency.

 

“Well, hi, I’m Bill again,” Bill said now that it was all taken care of. “Currently, for as long as they'll have me, Harry and Ash are living with me, and we have a nice place set up for you in the attic. How about we show you around and relieve our babysitter.” Harry couldn’t help a little snort of a laugh at Snape babysitting. He hoped it had gone well. Snape had only looked mildly terrified.

 

Dobby’s room was pretty awesome though, if he did say so himself. Bill had a finished attic that spanned most of the top floor of the house, but the roof was so low that a normal sized human couldn’t stand in it, so it basically wasn’t being used for anything. It was the perfect size for a house elf suite though. They’d bought a toddler bed to put up there and a small dresser and trunk too in anticipation of the elf’s arrival. Dobby would have to come downstairs for a bathroom, but all in all, it was a nice set-up. Much larger than Harry’s cupboard or the place Kreacher had made for himself in Grimmauld.

 

Dobby happily hurried along with them into the house where they were met with the sight of Severus Snape snoring on the sofa with Ash asleep in a transfigured cot right beside him and soft music playing somewhere magically. “Awww, the baby tired him out,” Harry cooed at the sight which everyone in his dimension’s Hogwarts would have paid their life savings to see.

 

“Potion Master Snape?” Dobby squeaked out, clearly recognizing the man. It seemed Snape and the Malfoys knew each other in this dimension as well. Harry would probably need to ask about that at some point. Dobby only seemed surprised for a second before he ran over to silently coo over the baby who was much more important.

 

“Here, let’s let them sleep for a minute while we show you around, then I’ll wake Snape,” Harry ushered Dobby into the kitchen. “This is the kitchen. I tend to make breakfast, we all take care of ourselves for lunch since Bill’s at work most days and I will be too soon, but we can rotate cooking dinner.”

 

“Dobby’s can cook all the meals,” Dobby scoffed.

 

“We’ll rotate dinner, and you can have a couple breakfasts a week,” Harry argued back.

 

“I like to cook some,” Bill added before Dobby could protest again. “Harry does too, so sharing the responsibility would actually make us happy.”

 

Right, so that was a better way of explaining it. Harry made a note of that. Dobby finally comprehended and nodded firmly. “Dobby will clean the dishes then.”

 

Harry let that one go because he knew he wouldn’t win. Plus, he’d seen house elves clean dishes magically, and that was something he’d never be able to do as well. “Now, there’s a small loo downstairs,” he pointed to it before heading to the stairs.

 

“Master Snape is staying in the large bedroom tonight, but he’s going back home tomorrow,” Bill explained, opening the door to his room while Harry opened the door to the guestroom.

 

“We were thinking,” Harry motioned between the two rooms. “Bill and I…well, we’re kind of together, but it’s really new…”

 

Dobby just nodded, before he gave Bill a large smile. Well, that was great. Harry let out a breath, not sure why Dobby’s acceptance of Bill was more concerning to him than his own family’s, but yeah, that was the truth and something he may need to deal with later.

 

“Well, so, we were thinking to set Ash up in the guestroom as a nursery, and he sleep in there with monitoring charms while I stay with Bill,” he said, waiting to hear Dobby’s reaction.

 

Dobby crossed his little arms and raised an eyebrow. “Dobby will sleep in the room with the baby Ash.”

 

Would every room lead to a new battle with the elf?! Harry took in a breath. “We’ve set you up a room in the attic, we’ll show you that next. It’s very comfortable, and you can change things around and add whatever you want.”

 

Dobby was already shaking his head though. “Dobby will stays with the baby Ash. It’s best someones sleeps with babies while they’s little, and baby Ash is little when Dobby’s seen him.”

 

“Oh…” Harry looked at Bill questioningly who shrugged.

 

“I really only know about feeding, nappies, and entertaining babies,” Bill added.

 

Dobby wagged his long finger at them. “Never take baby advice from humans!”

 

Harry figured it was probably more like not taking advice from other single people who’d only ever babysat their younger siblings before, but whatever. The healer had said they’d been doing great so far, and the only thing keeping Harry sane was his mantra that at least he was better than Wool’s Orphanage. There was no way Dobby was going to sleep in the room with Ash though every night.

 

“I’ll just stay in the guestroom with him,” Harry sighed. He’d really been looking forward to moving in with Bill. He’d actually slept a lot better with another person there to ground him and keep the nightmares away some. Even if all they were doing was sleeping, he kind of had liked the idea. Oh well, Ash needed him…

 

“Dobby will stay with baby Ash…” Dobby started again.

 

“How about a compromise?” Bill thankfully cut in, because Harry had a feeling he and Dobby were about to try to out-stubborn each other. “Harry, you are very welcome to stay in your and Ash’s room, but I’m also not rescinding my offer to stay with me even if that means we move Ash into the master bedroom with us.”

 

“But then you won’t get good sleep either,” Harry frowned.

 

“Which is where we compromise,” Bill smiled at them as they argued in the hallway quietly to not wake up anyone downstairs. “How about Dobby stays with him a couple nights a week, just for us to catch up on some sleep. Or, we could even trade off on feedings like I do the first, you the second, and Dobby whatever after that. If you stay in the guestroom, I’d still like to take over one of the feedings so you have more sleep. Is there some kind of compromise we can come up with?”

 

Dobby huffed and snapped his fingers while Harry was still trying to come up with a good reason to move in with Bill even though it made more practical sense for him to stay in the guestroom. Dobby though made the decision for them since Ash’s cot was now located beside the bed in Bill’s room.

 

“Baby Ash will stays in the master bedroom, and Dobby will set up a monitoring charm to take care of the baby for the first time he wakes up,” he informed them as more of an order. “You twos can work out the next times he wakes up. Then Dobby will collect him when he’s wakes up for the day because house elveses wake up early.”

 

“Works for me!” Bill grinned, and Harry was happy to see that Bill looked just as relieved as he was that the sleeping situation had been worked out in the least practical way but where they were together.

 

Dobby wagged his finger at them again. “Dobby does requests to see fully clothed masters though when he comes into the room.”

 

Harry and Bill both blushed. “Er, yeah, not a problem, not for a long time anyway,” Harry assured the elf, getting a firm nod from Bill thankfully too. Good, they were on the same page there then.

 

“Now, I’s suppose that’s the bathroom,” Dobby continued walking and looked in their shared bathroom.

 

“Er, yeah, and we’ll get whatever products you want and put in there since we’ll be sharing,” Harry said before opening the door to the attic. He only barely caught Dobby’s completely shocked and flabbergasted look, but really, he knew house elves still needed to use the loo and bathe, so he didn’t expect Dobby to pretend like he didn’t. That was ridiculous.

 

“And here’s your room. Just let me know whatever you want up here, and I’ll buy it for you. No need to spend your one galleon on things you need. That’s for doing fun things and candy and socks or whatever you want,” Harry trailed off because Dobby had just sat on the rug in the large room and looked overwhelmed.

 

“This too nice. Why is this for Dobby,” he said in a tone so quiet Harry almost missed it.

 

“No, it’s not too nice,” Harry said firmly. “The ceiling is too low for human, so Bill couldn’t use it anyway, and it only has things you need like a bed and wardrobe. It’s not nice enough right now…we’ll add pictures and a chair and whatever else you want, but I wanted you to pick them out. Then it’ll be too nice, and that’s the goal. You deserve nice things. Whenever you say something is too nice, then I’ll be damned if I don’t do more than that! You’re one of my best friends!”

 

From where Harry was standing in the doorway to the attic, he suddenly had an armful of sobbing elf.

 

---

 

Bill quietly stepped downstairs from where Harry was consoling his friend. He’d always known house elves deserved better in their society. It was one of the main reasons he’d voted for Minister Riddle whose stance on creature rights was the most progressive they’d seen in Britain probably ever. He’d never had much occasion to interact with elves outside of the kitchen at Hogwarts though. But seeing Harry and Dobby interact…well, he really hoped Minister Riddle wasn’t actually evil because he wanted to donate some to the man’s initiatives to help move along what he was doing.

 

It was also a relief that Harry was still going to stay with him. He’d honestly offered for Harry to move to his room really only for his new boyfriend to get better sleep, but when Harry had accepted, he’d really liked the idea and started looking forward to it. When it looked like Harry might not move in, well, that had been sad, but that was Harry’s decision. Dobby just solving it for them, seemed the best option since Bill wasn’t going to push, Harry didn’t look capable of imposing, but they clearly both wanted him and Ash to move in.

 

Now though, the still had a surly potions master taking up space. He shook Snape gently who grumbled something about toad bile before he slowly blinked awake. “Hey, you can go to bed now. We’re home,” he said softly to not wake up the baby. “How was he?”

 

“Perfect,” Snape sighed but said it as if it was the complete and honest truth. “I do not believe I will ever choose to procreate to have one of my own, but Potter’s offspring is very well-behaved and is an exceptional example of a child.”

 

Bill filtered that through his Snape-translation he’d been developing since the man had been spending so much time with them. Translated, he was already in love with this particular baby even if he still didn’t like babies in general. Well, he’d take that. Ash was extremely cute.

 

“Right, well, Dobby the house elf lives here now, so don’t freak out if you see an elf around the house in the morning,” Bill told him while Snape cracked his back before heading upstairs.

 

Snape paused. “Isn’t that a Malfoy elf?”

 

Bill smiled widely. “Not anymore.”

 

Snape pulled the band out his long hair which fell crazily around his head before he just scoffed. “Whatever, I’m too tired to ask questions. I will see you for breakfast.”

 

“Sleep well,” Bill chuckled while the man disappeared up the stairs. He turned and looked down at the sleeping baby. “Now…how do we get you upstairs to our room without waking you up…hmm, any suggestions?”

 

---

 

Harry’s first letter from his family came the day after Remus and Sirius’s ill-advised visit. He was shocked to find it was from his sister of all people! While Bill, Dobby, and Snape all bickered at the table over how best to feed Ash, he opened the letter delivered by a tiny owl that must be his sister’s.

 

 

Dear Harry,

 

I called my Harry ‘the idiot’ so (for now) I’ll actually call you by your name until you prove you aren’t also an idiot. I have it on good authority (Uncle Moony) that I didn’t exist in your dimension, which seriously, that’s all I need to know that your dimension was seriously messed up! The fact you were deprived of my awesomeness is just tragic. So, I’m writing to tell you all about the wonder that is your little sister, Emily Hyacinth Potter

 

I’ve just recently turned 12, no you didn’t get me a gift. I’m in Ravenclaw, which is apparently the first for a Potter in centuries! Can you believe that?! My owl’s name is Merida, and she is amazing, so please don’t be like our Harry in thinking she’s annoying.

 

I don’t exactly know what I want to do with my life, but I’m leaning towards either healer or potion master. With either one I want to work at St. Mungo’s though and not for Mum (don’t tell her). The family company is nice, but I have a few years on my own to establish myself first before (maybe) I’ll consider working at Potter Potion Solutions.

 

My best friend is Janet Bones who I’ve known since we were both like 3, and she’s in Slytherin. I know, weird, a Bones is in Slytherin, but she’s a sneaky witch, and I love her! Also, purple is my favorite color (not blue!), I love dark chocolate but not milk chocolate, and I will hex you if you make a crack about my hair color even with the Trace on me!

 

So, enough about me. I have questions that the parental units were too absorbed in themselves to ask. So: What is my nephew’s full name? Who is Bill Weasley, and why are you staying with him? Is he related to Ginny Weasley? How did you end up in our dimension when you died? How did you die? Do you know anything about how my brother died? Do you even like quidditch? What Hogwarts house were you in? Who was your best friend in your dimension? Do they exist here?

 

Anyway, I know I didn’t exist in your dimension and that you aren’t really my brother, but I hope we can still be family. I’d really like to meet my nephew sometime. I always wanted to be an aunt!

 

 

Emily Hyacinth Potter

 

 

Harry couldn’t help his smile the entire time he read the letter. It was just…he’d never thought it would be possible for him to have a sister, but now, it was like something he’d wished for even when he didn’t know to. Emily was just a sweet kid, and he wanted to be a big brother to her. He would make it clear he didn’t want to take her brother’s place, but he could be maybe another brother to her.

 

“I take it that’s not from the mutt,” Snape drawled from where he was surprisingly feeding Ash. How had he won the argument over Dobby?!

 

“It’s from my sister,” he said, not able to keep the awe out of his voice. “She was telling me about herself.”

 

“That’s nice of her,” Bill remarked with a surprised look. “Actually, that’s probably one of the most mature responses you’ve gotten to telling people you aren’t from their dimension.”

 

“I know, right?!” Harry laughed, already looking for writing instruments in Bill’s junk drawer. “I never can find anything in here.”

 

“Dobby will organize!” Dobby hurried over from where he’d been trying to steal breakfast duty from Bill who’d decided to cook that morning.

 

“No! Dobby! I like my junk drawers!” Bill breathed out in a tone that clearly said he knew he wasn’t going to win.

 

“You are very fortunate your father hired a house elf,” Snape told Ash in an overly serious tone. “I was concerned about leaving you with those two dunderheads, but I presume you will survive with the elf’s help now.”

 

“Hey!” Harry protested from where he’d finally found some paper and a pen. “We’re doing the best we can!”

 

“Which is why Dobby is here now,” the elf unhelpfully sided with Snape.

 

---

 

Dear Emily,

 

Thank you so much for your letter! You are right, not meeting you in my dimension was decidedly tragic. I didn’t have any family that actually wanted me around or liked me at all in my dimension, so I’d like to get to know you more. I know I’m not your brother, and I’d never want to take his place, but maybe one day I could be like another brother, like a stepbrother or something.

 

Anyway, some of your questions are easier for me to answer than others. For instance, no, I really don’t know what happened to your brother besides that he had a drug problem and overdosed. I was told this after I already came to your dimension.

 

For the easier questions though: Yes, I do love quidditch. I haven’t gotten to play in a long time, but I played seeker. Actually, I was the youngest seeker in a century when I made the team! Even so, I have a feeling I’m probably not as obsessed with the game as your brother was. There was always a lot going on when I was in school.

 

I was a Gryffindor in school (yes, I know, cliché for Potters), and my best friends were Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. I’m sure you know this dimension’s versions of them much better than me, but they were my best mates since first year. I miss them a lot, and I’m really scared that don’t think I can make friends with them in this dimension. We were all very different people by the time I came here, and I have a strong feeling this dimension’s versions of them won't appreciate who I have become.

 

For where I’m living now, yes, I’m with Bill Weasley who is one of Ginny Weasley’s older brothers. I knew that family really well in my dimension since I was such good friends with Ron. He was the easiest person for me to find who I thought would have some first aid training when I arrived here. And your nephew…his name is Ash Edward Potter, and he is going to absolutely love you!

 

To address your last questions, there was a war in my dimension, and I died during the war. There were a lot of different factors that led me to end up in your dimension that Fate somehow made all fall into place. I guess the only way to answer that is: Have you ever heard of the Tale of the Three Brothers?

 

Now, I have questions for you: Do you like quidditch? What pro team? Do you have a favorite singer? When did you get your owl? Does your brother have an owl? Do you know who your brother’s friends were in this dimension? What do you plan to do over your school vacation? Do you like ice cream? And, would you want to get ice cream with me and Ash as soon as James and Lily agree that it’s ok?

 

Harry Potter

 

 

Maybe he should go by something different for his name, he thought as Bill’s owl, Jeffrey, flew off with the letter. Considering he was going to have to pretend to be this dimension’s Harry Potter, that might not be very practical though. Maybe he could ask Emily. It had felt wrong to put her bother's name at the end of the letter he sent her though.

 

---

 

Harry was just getting back from a shopping trip in the local muggle town with Ash when the next letter arrived a few days later. Dobby had settled in by then and had the house running much more smoothly than before, Snape had finally moved out again, and Harry still had unrestricted access to his trust vault surprisingly enough.

 

Harry put Ash down on his playmat for some tummy time before he opened the letter. This one wasn’t from Emily. He took in a deep breath.

 

Hi Harry,

 

I cannot apologize enough for my behavior when I visited with Remy. I should have realized I was grieving too much to think rationally. I hope you will give me just a little time out of your day to say in writing some of the things I should have said in person.

 

Hi, my name is Sirius Black, and I was this dimension Harry’s godfather. Remus tells me that I was your godfather too. He also tells me that you don’t know me well. I’d like to fix that. I’d like to get to know you, this you. I’m still coming to terms with the fact that you aren’t my Harry, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to be there for you and try for some kind of relationship.

 

Can we maybe start with little things before jumping into the big stuff? Like tell me about when you were a kid? Did you have a lot of friends? Did you have a favorite book? Favorite food? Who raised you? Was it Alice and Frank? Alice is your godmother in this dimension, but she and Frank are both very politically active, so we don’t see them as much.

 

I want to ask so many questions about your war, and how you died, and what happened to all of us, but I also don’t want to distress you. Just tell me a little about you, whatever you want, and can we maybe try this? Please, I’m so sorry for before. Can you give me another chance?

 

Sirius Orion Black

 

 

Harry sighed tiredly and sat down with Ash on the floor. What Sirius clearly didn’t realize was that asking questions about his abusive childhood was not the low-stress and easy conversation Sirius had been hoping it to be. He wasn’t sure how to answer this letter.

 

Without thinking about it too much, he did his best with a reply.

 

Sirius,

 

Remus is right that I don’t know you very well, but the sad thing is that I know you best of everyone from the family. You weren’t in a place where you could take care of me though. Merlin, you couldn’t even take care of yourself! But you tried in your own way. So, if my dimension’s you could try when we had everything against us, I can try now.

 

I’m not going to answer your questions though. Unfortunately, Frank and Alice Longbottom didn’t survive the first war intact. There was no one to take me in, so I went to live with Mum’s family. I lived with Petunia and Vernon Dursley. I don’t know if they exist in this dimension (I find I hope they don’t), but if you know them, then you know why your questions aren’t the lighthearted conversation you were hoping for.

 

So, I’ll tell you that the safest subject is going to be quidditch. I was on the Gryffindor house team, the youngest seeker in a century. I got in my first year when I caught a Remembrall while flying that someone threw to tease another student. I never lost a game that I was able to actually finish!

 

What about you? Remus mentioned you’re an auror here? What made you want to do that?

 

Harry

 

---

 

Bill tiredly stumbled down the stairs towards where he could already smell breakfast. Ash had woken up a few extra times the night before. Still, he was loving Harry and the baby staying with him. Harry was a cuddler, and Bill hadn’t even realized that he loved that so much and needed it in his life. He found it comforting to have someone there every time he woke up. And Harry was exceptionally cute with his hair a mess, drool on his chin, and elbowing Bill to tell him it was his turn to change Ash’s nappy.

 

Now though, it felt like he really should be concerned about the direction his life was taking, even when he couldn’t find it in himself to be concerned. What should be an anomaly (but alas wasn’t) was the man sitting at his kitchen table holding Ash. He blinked at Death a time or two before just sighing and going to start the kettle. Apparently, this was just his life now and there was no point fighting it.

 

Harry seemed to think Death was a perfectly fine babysitter, so Bill would just have to get over his hang-ups where the being was concerned. “Why are you here this morning?” He asked the being who was making faces at the giggling baby with his dead-looking eyes and too-sharp teeth.

 

Death looked up with a grin that made a chill run down Bill’s back. “NEWT scores are owled today,” he remarked as if Bill should have known that when it was definitely not common knowledge exactly when those were sent out.

 

“Plus, Friday is crepe day,” Harry smiled, flipping a crepe in the pan. “Dobby has the day off, so I sent him on errands to get himself things for his room. We’ll see if it actually works.”

 

Bill chuckled since the week before Dobby had found plenty of ways around those two days off, so he doubted this week would be any better. He took some fruit out of the bowl Harry had put on the counter to start cutting up for the crepes. “So, I assume that…”

 

The wards pinged. “Ah, right on time for the first crepe,” Bill rolled his eyes. Snape always showed up on Fridays for crepe day. He always came to the house with an excuse, like a new potion for Harry, collecting old vials, wanting to cast a diagnostic, checking on Ash, or whatever…but regardless, even after he was no longer helping Harry revise his tests, Snape still made it for breakfast when there were crepes.

 

“Your sister’s owl is a menace,” Snape drawled, opening the front door without knocking now. When did he get so comfortable in their home? Bill looked up to find a tiny scopes owl holding a letter as large as itself on Snape’s shoulder. An owl landing on his shoulder outside the door was probably the lamest excuse for being there that Bill had ever heard Snape use, or maybe he'd just given up on excuses in favor of crepes.

 

“Brilliant! Put it over there,” Harry motioned to the counter. “She owled last week that she was spending time with her friends, so she couldn’t get back to me right then. She must be home now. I'm so excited to actually get another letter from her, and I really need to know if she knew her Harry's friends and who they are as well in case I run into them.”

 

“Yes, I believe your parents decided it was best for her to get out of the house for a time while they discussed what to you about you,” Snape said that very concerning statement. Bill was no longer chopping fruit anymore but completely focused on the other man.

 

“And?” He prompted since Snape couldn't leave it at just that.

 

“And I do not know,” Snape said, shoving the letter-less owl out the window. “I am sure they will owl you shortly. I doubt it is anything concerning. Now…who is that with the baby?” Snape pointed at Death who looked like this was the most interesting morning he’d had in a long time. Death really needed to get out more.

 

Harry turned around as if he’d completely forgotten Death was there. He paused and looked between Death and Bill. Death would probably just tell Snape who he was if he wasn't enjoying Harry floundering so much for an excuse, and Bill was absolutely not helping. He wasn’t the Master of Death, so this was officially not his job.

 

“Er…that’s…” Harry hurriedly flipped the crepe again, clearly trying to buy time. “Er…Steve. Yeah, Steve, a family friend.” Bill just about face-palmed right there in his own kitchen.

 

“Whose family?” Snape asked in clear suspicion because, yeah, Harry didn’t have anyone here.

 

Bill gave in. “Mine, er…” his brain scrambled before he found something that they’d just been talking about only the day before and that Death might actually be able to help with. Well, if he was just going to show up in their home, then he could make himself useful.

 

“He’s a solicitor,” Bill said to Death with a smile. Death was clearly attempting not to roll his eyes. “He’s going to help us get Ash’s paperwork filed with the ministry and any paperwork Harry needs, so he’s been filled in on everything going on and who Harry and Ash really are.”

 

Snape looked at the man who very clearly wasn’t quite human. How polite would Snape be? Would he ask what ‘Steve’ was?

 

“I am sorry for our hosts manners,” Snape looked like he was trying to determine what curse would most quickly incapacitate Steve without hurting Ash. “My name is Severus Snape…and yours is…?”

 

Death bounced Ash in his arms and smiled with those way too-sharp teeth. “I am…Steve Weasley,” he said with a death glare over at Harry and Bill who checked that he was still alive because, yeah, Death could probably kill him with a look.

 

“I do not remember having met someone…like you before,” Snape said, definitely fishing for what on Merlin’s green earth Death was since he looked too human for most magical creatures but not human enough for a werewolf or vampire.

 

“My family does tell me I’m unique,” Death dryly remarked like he actually did have family who said that. Did Death have family? Like maybe Fate? Or Life? Or whatever? Anyway, before Bill's brain could melt, Death waved a hand and produced a stack of papers from nowhere. “I have that paperwork you requested. I have already filled out the specifics. I just need you to confirm.”

 

Harry smiled thankfully at Death. It seems they were right and that Death could help with this. Maybe they shouldn’t have cornered him into it though.

 

“May I see?” Snape sat at the table with Death and took the papers the being slid over to him. “Ah, yes, I hadn’t even thought about a birth certificate and documentation for the baby. I presume you have found a way around Ash not having a mother?”

 

“Oh, indeed, I have,” Death chuckled, and Snape had to feel the room lose a few degrees of temperature, right? Maybe not since Harry chose right then to plop a plate with a crepe and fruit down in front of him.

 

“Many people magically adopt, so as long as the paperwork is official, really anything can be put on it,” Death continued. “I already filled that in.”

 

“What did you put on it,” Bill hurried over, only narrowly missing the paper when Death pulled it away from him to hand to Snape.

 

Snape coughed around a bite of crepe when he read it. Bill was very worried. Just what exactly had Death filled in on Ash's birth certificate? He hadn’t filed it yet, so there was still time to change, right? Was this their punishment for tricking him into doing this for them?

 

Snape was still intently staring at Ash’s birth certificate when a large, ministry owl flew in. “That would be Harry’s NEWTs,” Death caught the letter from the owl who promptly flew out again. “Can I open it, Harry? Please?”

 

“What? No!” Harry rushed over but then paused with a nervous wring of his hands. “Actually, yeah…maybe you should open it and just tell me.”

 

“You shouldn’t be nervous. You’ll do fine,” Bill tried to soothe him. “Remind me, what do you need again?”

 

“I need an O in DADA and E in Charms and then just A’s in Transfiguration, Potions, and Herbology,” Harry rattled off. “That’s minimum though. I need to be impressive. I need to pass Muggle Studies and Care and History if possible and have much better than A’s.”

 

Snape finally looked over the paper to frown. “Do you want to be an auror? Those sound like the auror requirements. Why?”

 

Bill was still wondering that himself. Just because Harry knew he could do it, didn’t mean he’d enjoy or want to do it. Harry didn’t seem able to explain his full reasoning behind joining the aurors though, just that that’s what he wanted, so Bill was going to be supportive no matter what. He did still want an answer though to maybe soothe his own worries.

 

Harry opened his mouth, then closed it, then just shrugged. “Look, it’s all I know. Plus, I know…well, I know the people to look out for. Like, just because they aren’t Death Eaters in this world doesn’t mean they aren’t evil. And, maybe someone should be making sure that this world stays out of war…”

 

Oh, Bill hadn’t thought of that. Was Harry still trying to save them? Was he really planning to look up all the major players in the war from this own dimension and make sure they were law-abiding citizens here? That was…concerning…and dangerous. He was certain if Harry looked under those rocks, then he would eventually find something.

 

“You have fought and given enough,” Death was the one who surprisingly said. “You do not need to keep giving of yourself.”

 

Harry scratched his neck, and his eyes cut to Ash. “I know,” he said. “But I have to make sure Ash is safe. I won't have him grow up like I did.”

 

“Harry, you don’t have to be an auror to do that,” Bill tried again, but Harry was already shaking his head.

 

“Just open it will you. This might be a moot point,” he motioned impatiently.

 

Death used one too long and sharp fingernail to slit open the envelope while still holding Ash who was drooling on his very expensive looking suit. “Let’s see…” he glanced through it. “Unfortunately, Harry, you are fully able to become an auror.”

 

Harry sighed even as everyone else tensed at the news. “Thank, Merlin,” Harry laughed.

 

“What did he get in Potions?” Snape asked, and Bill rolled his eyes pointedly at the man who ignored him.

 

“An O,” Death replied with a wide and open smile at Snape that Bill was concerned about. “The only acceptable mark for having an excellent tutor such as yourself.”

 

“Very true,” Snape just nodded shortly even as Death moved the confectioners’ sugar closer to Snape, so he would have it for his crepes. Bill didn’t like this. He didn’t know what this was, but he didn’t like it and wanted it to stop.

 

“Right, so what’re the others,” Harry motioned for Death to get on with it.

 

Death cleared his throat and shifted Ash who was trying to grab the letter. “O’s in DADA, Potions, Muggle Studies, and Charms. E’s in Transfiguration and Care of Magical Creatures. An A in Herbology, and you got a P in History. Lupin will be distraught,” Death ended with a note of glee. So, he’d definitely been watching Harry’s revising sessions then.

 

Harry snatched the letter from Death’s hands, clearly not able to believe it. “Wow…that’s…I can’t believe I did so well…I didn’t even finish last year.”

 

“You said you studied while on the run,” Bill reminded him.

 

Snape cleared his throat and shoved the paper he’d been holding out to Bill. “While Potter’s NEWTs are actually impressive to my shock and amazement. I do believe we need to discuss this birth certificate. You cannot file this with the ministry.”

 

Bill took the paper and looked over it, wondering how he didn’t dramatically choke too because Death was definitely messing with them. There was no way this was legal, and Harry was going to have a strop. Harry deserved to have a strop about it. The paper read:

 

 

Ash Edward Potter

 

Father: Harry James Potter

 

Mother: William Arthur Weasley

 

Paternal Grandparents: James and Lily Potter.

 

Maternal Grandparents: Thomas Marvolo Riddle

 

Godfather: Severus Tobias Snape

 

Godmother: Steve Hades Weasley

 

 

Bill just stared. He didn’t even know where to start. Actually… “I’m not Ash’s mother; I did not birth him. Harry didn’t agree to that, and none of us can make that decision for him. You can’t just put yourself down as godmother. You can’t just put the Minister of Magic on a birth certificate even as a grandparent. And he’s not my bloody parent! And seriously…you’re going to chance my mum hearing about this and not being on it?!!! What the ever-loving bloody hell?!!”

 

Harry just calmly reached over and took the paper from Bill. “Huh…” he said with a frown.

 

“Huh?! What huh?!” Bill fumed.

 

“What if I made Harry Ash’s mother? Would that work?” Death asked as if that solved any problem at all.

Notes:

Up Next: Harry applies for a job...

Chapter 11: Job Interview

Harry just sat back and watched the argument happen around him while thinking through his own thoughts and feelings. Snape was vehemently arguing that no one in their right mind wanted him as a godfather, Bill was arguing that Harry should choose who were Ash's parents and no one else should make that decision for him, that Molly Weasley was going to kill them, and they were both arguing that the Minister of Magic couldn’t just be put on a birth certificate. Death just smiled at them and bounced Ash on his knee. Harry had a feeling that this was making Death’s year. He supposed that being an overworked immortal deity probably did get boring eventually. However…he also saw Death’s point in this instance.

 

Harry tapped his wand on the table, making a shower of light emit from it to get their attention. Ash gave a gurgling giggle at the pretty lights, but more importantly, everyone shut up for a second to look at him. “There does need to be some changes to the birth certificate, but I see Steve’s point…”

 

“Steven Weasley does not have a point,” Snape began with a sneer at the man and saying 'Weasley' like it was a bit of a curse.

 

“It’s just Steve, not Steven,” Death corrected with an offended huff as if Harry hadn’t literally just pulled that name out of the air a few seconds before on a whim.

 

Snape glared harder at the deity, and yeah, maybe someone should tell him who it was he was picking a fight with…whatever. Harry wasn't going to tackle that right now.

 

“And you aren’t even woman and have yourself listed as the godmother! And you just met the sprog!” Snape continued with a look that said he'd really prefer if someone took Ash away from this strange man he hadn't approved of. Yeah, Harry was definitely keeping Snape as the godfather. Even if a version of Snape hadn't been saving his arse for years, the way this man was protective of the baby was enough to make Harry firmly agree with that line on the birth certificate at least.

 

“I haven’t just met him,” Death corrected with a toothy grin. “Also, legally, no one will care about who is listed as godmother, and I can definitely be a woman if you would prefer that.” Snape sputtered, and Harry just rolled his eyes. Yeah, they were going to need to fill Snape in on Death since he seemed intent on pulling the man into their insanity now.

 

Bill coughed. “Er, Steve has, erm, been around…”

 

“He’s family,” Harry just waved them off because yeah, it didn’t seem like they were getting rid of Death anytime soon, and wasn’t that kind of the definition of family anyway? People who insisted on being in your life and you couldn’t shake them? Maybe? What did he know?

 

“Anyway, Steve has a point,” Harry started again, this time pinning them all with a hard look to let him finish. “First of all, yes, Steve, you should probably move me to be listed as the mother since I literally carried the kid for like sixteen years to an extent and birthed him in a very weird way – ish, so yeah, swap those. It just makes more sense that way.”

 

With a tap of Death’s finger, Harry and Bill were swapped on the page. “Harry…” Bill started again in clear concern.

 

Harry held up a hand though. “Look, Bill, in all your arguments, you never said you didn’t want to be listed as a parent, only that the decision shouldn’t be made for me, and I’m making it. I’d actually prefer you being listed since it gives Ash much more safety.”

 

Bill looked confused and looked over to Snape who frowned too. Harry cracked his neck to explain something he really didn’t want to think about but was one of his worst nightmares once it had occurred to him when things hadn’t gone so well after his visit with the Potters. Like, he'd literally had this nightmare a few times mixed in with his ones from the war. So, explanations...

 

“First of all, you’ve known Ash just as long as I have, have taken care of him just as much, and gone to all his healer appointments, even taking off work to go to the last…”

 

“Well, that’s…” Bill trailed off, clearly not having considered that he’d literally been there for Ash’s entire existence. It was kind of hard to think of that since the baby was ‘born’ a month old.

 

“Secondly,” Harry held up two fingers for the clincher. “I don’t know how many people knew this dimension’s Harry was addicted to drugs, but I'm sure there are some. If James and Lily ever decide to argue for custody or any reason, or if one of Harry’s friends calls some version of magical Child Services or whatever, then having you, who as far as I know have no addiction problems…?”

 

“No, I don’t,” Bill said, finally catching on with wide eyes.

 

“And a full-time job, plenty of family around, and a lot of support,” Harry finished. “Having you as a parent could keep me from losing Ash if James and Lily cause problems or anyone else for that matter. Plus, you’re such a huge part of his life already, even if this thing doesn’t work out between the two of us, I wouldn’t want to keep you two apart. You love him, anyone can see that clearly.”

 

“Lily wouldn’t take him,” Snape began, but also seemed to agree with a tight expression. “It is reasonable to think that other people would know about the problems this world’s Harry Potter faced though even if his family missed it.”

 

“It is the safest for the baby,” Death nodded, clearly having thought of that, and the reason he’d put it on the certificate that way. “Bill, presumably having adopted Ash, would take the place of the other parent and provide legal stability if it is ever needed.”

 

“And I know you added Tom Riddle because of a similar issue,” Harry sighed and looked over the paper again. “No matter whatever minimal genetic material I happened to contribute to Ash, he’ll eventually start to look uncomfortably like Minister Riddle. A paternity test could be disastrous then since I can't explain away how he's almost exactly the same genetically, but if he’s listed as a grandparent, then he has less claim to taking Ash from me and a reason to not think he needs a paternity test.”

 

“I would assume he’s had some romantic liaisons, though I do not remember anything appearing in the papers,” Snape added contemplatively before looking at Steve. “Have you done any research? Do you know of any past lovers. Does he even like women?”

 

Death grimaced. “That is not my area. I suppose I can look into it though,” he added reluctantly

 

Harry wondered what other deity Death was going to have to go ask if the minister had shagged anyone not in the spotlight that they could fake some records around in his…early to mid- 40’s, Harry supposed, to make the timeline work. That had to be an uncomfortable conversation, and Harry just grinned because Death deserved it for all his meddling.

 

Death shifted a squirming Ash on his lap some and looked over the birth certificate again. He tapped it a few times, moving some things around. “And remove me,” Snape reminded.

 

“Snape,” Harry sighed at his stubbornness. “We’re keeping you. You like Ash, you are a healer, you have your own home, and who else am I going to put on it? I don’t know anyone here who I actually trust yet…and my sister is only 12.”

 

Snape opened his mouth to answer but closed it again when the answer didn’t come to him. He blinked and seemed to flounder. Eventually, he pointed at Bill. “He has brothers.”

 

Bill huffed a laugh. “Only Charlie has met Ash, and he lives in Romania. Severus, really…will you be my son’s godfather, please?”

 

Bill looked at Harry and gave him an extremely sappy look at being able to call Ash his son. Harry had known it before, but now he was certain he’d made the right choice. Blood, genetics, or whatever weird bond they all had going on, they were a family now, and they should make it official.

 

Death passed Ash over to Snape with a teasing grin. “Come on…if those two kick it, you and I can take care of the tyke! We are capable human-ish people...or at least you are.”

 

Harry couldn’t help his eye roll at the absurdity of Death and Snape taking care of Ash. At least Death couldn’t die, so he would always be a sure option. However…

 

“At Snape’s house,” Harry pointed at Death firmly. “I don’t know where you live, and I definitely don’t want Ash taken there.”

 

Snape let out a breath seeming to both accept the fact now and be concerned by it. "I suppose I would want to make sure young Ash is taken care of, and I would be up to that task if needed," he said, actually smiling at the baby slightly before looking up with a glare at Steve.

 

“I’ve tried to be polite, but I do believe I must ask now…” he looked studiously at Death, trying to figure him out. “What are you?”

 

Death just grinned wider in something that resembled teasing or flirting and made Harry just roll his eyes at the deity. “What do you want me to be?”

 

“You don’t want to know,” Bill said at the same time.

 

“He’s the one who sent me here,” Harry actually answered honestly for them. If the possibility existed that Snape could be stuck taking care of Ash with Death of all beings, then he deserved to know what he was getting into.

 

Snape looked been them all. “But you said…and you’d died…and that would mean… What does that mean?” He gave up.

 

“So…those artifacts I accidentally united, er, what do you know about the Deathly Hallows?” Harry asked slowly.

 

“The children’s story?” Snape raised an eyebrow. “I believe I heard Lily read it to you once. The Three Brothers? It was at least less insipid than that Babbity Rabbity,” he shuddered.

 

“Myth,” Death snorted wryly. “Well…the bridge part at least.”

 

Snape’s eyes widened and he held Ash closer as the implications sank in. “That would make you…” he looked to Harry. “And you…”

 

“I don’t really think I’m master of anything,” Harry added quickly with a glance to Death.

 

Death just shrugged and grinned in a way that was not comforting. “Semantics,” he answered vaguely, and Harry didn’t trust that. What did that mean?! But did he really want to ask that question and actually get an answer? Nope...decidedly best not to know!

 

“Just call him Steve Weasley and don’t think about it,” Bill suggested, patting Snape on the back in empathy when he stood to answer the window for an owl.

 

“Steve Hades Weasley,” Death looked at the birth certificate with a grin, for some reason seeming to like that ridiculous name, then he tapped it with a finger, an official seal appearing.

 

“All good now?” He handed it to Harry to look over.

 

Now it read:

 

 

Ash Edward Potter-Weasley

 

Father: William Arthur Weasley

 

Mother: Harry James Potter

 

Paternal Grandparents: Arthur and Molly Weasley

 

Maternal Grandparents: James and Lily Potter. Thomas Marvolo Riddle

 

Godfather: Severus Tobias Snape

 

Godmother: Steve Hades Weasley

 

 

“As good as it’ll get,” Harry nodded firmly. “How public are these? Like…how soon should I be expecting a visit from Molly Weasley because Dobby and I might need to clean out the front garden first? I saw gnomes in there yesterday.”

 

“Mum tends to pop by whenever she takes the notion,” Bill added with a wince. “I’m frankly surprised we haven’t seen her yet, but she’s been a little busy with Ron just finishing school, I guess.”

 

Death waved his hand, and the birth certificate disappeared. “I filed it magically to bypass the worker who would normally do that for you. It is possible no one will ever see it, or a worker may run across it tomorrow while filing something else. I am not Fate nor Destiny to give you any certainties. It will be as it will be,” he said unhelpfully.

 

Bill plopped a letter in front of Harry that had been tied to the owl. “It’s from your Mum.”

 

Harry sighed and pulled a plate over to himself to ignore it for a while longer. “Crepes first, then Emily’s letter, then I’ll deal with Lily’s.”

 

“Your son needs his nappy changed,” Snape held Ash up to Bill who took the kid with a wide smile yet again at the new title.

 

“Well, let’s go do that while Mummy eats his brekky then,” Bill baby-talked Ash who blew spit bubbles.

 

“I’m not going by Mummy!” Harry called after them. “You hear me, William?! That’s not happening!!”

 

Death served himself some crepes and scooted the bacon closer to Snape while Harry finally opened the letter from Emily with a little smile. He was excited to hear from her again since she was currently the most helpful and interesting person from the other Harry’s life, in his opinion at least.

 

 

Hey Step-Bro…Step-Harry…Big Step…I’ll work on it,

 

Anyway, I just got back from Janet’s. We played gobstones most of the time. She trounced me in all but two games. We’re both on the team at school. And, no, I’m not really into quidditch. Probably just to be contrary to you and rest of the family, but eh, whatever, at least I admit it.

 

To answer your other questions, I like Stubby Boardman and the Hobgoblins, I got my owl Merida right before going off to school, you asked for a broom instead of an owl, so no, you don’t have one, and as for your friends…

 

Mate, I really don’t know. The quidditch team? You, or he, or whatever, was always training. I think he was friends with Oliver Wood before Wood graduated. He was a little intense and driven, like Dad just about quidditch instead of auror stuff. I wish I could help you more with this, but we definitely didn’t run in the same social circles.

 

I don’t know Ron Weasley besides that he’s on the quidditch team and Ginny’s brother. I don’t really know Ginny either, but she came to the gobstones tournament with Michael Corner who plays, so I met her there. She seemed cool.

 

However, I do know Hermione Granger. She was the Head Girl this year. I’m pretty sure she gave me detention back in November. It was completely unjustified Harry, no matter what Mum says! Anyway, I don’t know her personally, just that she’s a Ravenclaw like me, Head Girl, universally unliked by most of Gryffindor who’ve gotten detention from her, and that she’s also super intense, so yeah, I can see why you two were friends in another dimension.

 

Now, please explain the Tale of the Three Brother’s comment. There is no way in Merlin’s pants drawer you are going to convince me that’s not just kiddie trash. Seriously, Harry, stop trying to be mysterious because you are just not that kind of person, regardless of what dimension you came from.

 

Anyway, yes, I really do like ice cream. Yes, we are going to ice cream next week, and no, Mum and Dad don’t get a say in if I can hang out with my big (step-?) brother and nephew. Maybe I’ll just think of you like Harry’s twin? That might be easier.

 

Your sister,

Emily

 

 

Harry was grinning like a loon while he finished his crepes. Snape had already left for work, and Death was (maybe?) gone. One could never be sure with him. And Bill was on his way out now.

 

“Good news?” He asked, giving Harry a little kiss before passing Ash back.

 

“Emily is pretty brilliant. We’re getting ice cream next week,” he said, not able to stop smiling.

 

Bill picked up the letter from Lily before setting it down again further away from Harry. “You don’t have to open that right away. We can do it together when I get back from work if you want?”

 

“Nah, I got this, you go break some curses and act all bad-arse, and I’ll see you for dinner. Dobby said he was bringing take-away back with him since I told him not to cook on his day off,” Harry smiled, shoving Bill towards the door some.

 

“Send a patronus if either of you need anything,” Bill looked worried, his eyes flicking to the letter again.

 

“Stop being a mother-hen,” Harry laughed at him. “You’ve been legally a dad for half an hour, give it a day at least.”

 

Bill scoffed from the doorway, “I was born this way,” he smirked before leaving, and yeah, Harry was pretty sure that was the absolute truth.

 

As soon as the door closed, Harry put Ash on his play mat for some tummy time and opened the letter from Lily. Looking at it on the table was causing him enough anxiety that he just wanted to get it over with. If he was being cut off or told to never contact that family, then he wanted to hear it and process it to move on.

 

 

Dear Harry,

 

I’m so sorry we haven’t been in touch since our first meeting. We had a memorial service for our Harry in the back garden a few days after we learned what happened, and it’s been rough on all of us. And I know it’s been rough on you too, I'm not saying it hasn't. It’s just, your father and I aren’t really sure how to handle this situation. We understand you must pretend to be ‘our’ Harry in the world, but what does that mean for us and our relationship?

 

We’ve been talking, and we really want to be a part of your and Ash’s lives. We also think that maybe we should work up to a relationship instead of trying to force one when we realize we don’t actually know you. Baby, I want to meet you, and get to know you, as your own person, and I know that’s going to take time.

 

We were thinking, maybe a weekly family dinner night? Let’s start in two weeks. Would Thursday nights work for you and Ash? You can bring Mr. Weasley with you if that makes you more comfortable. I’ll admit I’ve never met William Weasley, but I’ve met with his uncle many times through work events with your father, and they seem like a nice family. I would also love to hear more about why he was the one you went to for help.

 

Your father wanted me to include some practical/legal information in this letter too. First of all, do not tell anyone else you are from another dimension. There is a lot of danger from the Department of Mysteries that your father will explain to you later. Next, owl me your NEWTs results, and I will see if I can find a place for you with the family company. I don’t know if you have taken different classes from our Harry or not, so I will need time to talk to our managers and see what we can do. I’m sure there is a place for you here though.

 

And lastly, you know you have access to our Harry’s trust account. Please feel free to continue to use this. Your father has gone over all your withdrawals and purchases charged to the account since you entered our dimension, and he says you’ve been very reasonable and practical with what you will need to care for yourself and Ash, much more than our Harry. For myself, I want to make sure you know that babies are very expensive and that buying for quality and comfort is important. Do not skimp on things you or Ash need. As long as an amount isn’t completely unreasonable, the goblins will let it charge to the account.

 

Let us know if you have a need for anything we can help with, owl me your NEWTs results, and we will see you in two weeks for dinner. I look forward to getting to know you while you find yourself here, away from your own mother and family.

 

Lily Potter

 

 

Harry frowned at the letter. It was…good news, just confusing. He was pretty sure either he, Remus, or Sirius mentioned that Harry really didn’t know James or Lily Potter, but that must not have processed for his Mum. Maybe she didn’t realize just how young he was when she died. Yeah, they probably hadn’t been that specific if she still thought he'd be missing his versions of Lily and James.

 

Also, he’d taken a very unreasonable amount of money out of that account for Dobby! How much money did their Harry usually spend?! He’d been buying really nice things for himself and Ash too with the thought that the money would eventually be taken away, and supposedly that mean he wasn't getting things ‘nice enough’ for his mother. Just how rich were the Potters? Where was this money in his time? Had he only been using a trust account in his own dimension?

 

Next, there was no way in Slytherin hell that he was going to work for the Potter family business when they still weren’t really sure what to do with him. Since no one knew the exact day NEWT results went out (besides Death apparently), and his would be different from the people who took them at Hogwarts anyway, he could hold off on sending those to Lily for a while. He didn’t like the idea of being forced into some position that probably no one wanted him in at a company he knew nothing about. Plus…there were a lot of Death Eaters out there who may not be Death Eaters in this dimension, but there was no way he’d believe that Bellatrix Lestrange was an upstanding member of society! He had inside information that he didn’t think he could ignore.

 

And lastly, he really, like really didn’t like the idea of James Potter or anyone else monitoring his bank account or controlling his life. While yes, it was technically the Potters’ money, that was…something about it really didn’t land well with Harry. So, he needed a job away from the family and now!

 

There was absolutely no way he was going to keep using that account indefinitely if his family could see all his transactions and withdrawals. Plus, they apparently had to approve large amounts and could take away access any time. No, he needed a job and his own account and the ability to take care of himself and Ash without relying on the Potter family…or Bill as much as he hated to admit it.

 

Yes, he was absolutely not planning on leaving Bill, and Bill was Ash’s father now too legally. But…Harry had been completely reliant on the Dursleys, then Dumbledore and the Order, and none of those situations had been good, safe, healthy, or anything really besides abusive. Harry needed to know that he wasn’t reliant on anyone else and could step away whenever he needed to for his own mental health and safety, even if he didn’t plan needing that where Bill was concerned.

 

Right, so how did one go about applying for a job?

 

---

 

Dear Little Sis,

 

Let’s do Florean Fortescue’s next Saturday at noon? Can you get there, or should I come get you at Potter Manor? Is the floo still open to me?

 

Thank you for the information you were able to tell me. I may try to reach out to Oliver Wood at some point, or maybe Ron or Ginny would be easier. Regardless, you were very helpful. And yes, I can definitely be intense sometimes too like your Harry, but probably not in a way you’d expect. I’ve had kind of an unconventional life and upbringing to say the least.

 

Anyway, we can talk all about this in person. As for the Three Brothers, yes, it is a myth. I’m not saying it isn’t, but there is some little truth in there too. I’m only really saying that the brothers were real, and we’re descended from the third brother. You know our invisibility cloak? Do you have that now? If you don’t, find your Harry’s school trunk and take it! It’s your birthright while at Hogwarts.

 

Beyond that, everything else was my bad luck, weird circumstances, and my refusal to leave Ash. Honestly, you probably don’t want to know more than that.

 

Let me know about Saturday, and bring your gobstones! I’ve never played and would love to learn.

 

 

Your Step-Big-Twin-Sort-of-Brother

Harry

 

---

 

Harry straightened his waistcoat in the much too nice suit Bill had insisted he needed for job interviews. Fabian Prewitt had gotten another visit, and it was only with Bill's help that he left without a ruffled cravat attached to this shirt. The suit was really nice though. He was suddenly worried that if he’d stayed in his own dimension that he’d have shown up to a meeting with a future employer wearing jeans and a t-shirt not knowing any better. He’d probably have still gotten the job though because of everything, for better or worse. Now…he wasn’t too sure how this was going to go.

 

“Hello dearie. Do you have an appointment?” An older witch with white hair and bright purple spectacles asked from the assistant’s desk outside of Gideon Prewitt’s office.

 

“Yes Ma’am. I’m a little early. Harry Potter?” He smiled at her, wishing he was back home with Dobby and Ash instead of here. It was just a lot of pressure. Bill had asked his uncle for the meeting but nothing else on Harry’s insistence. He was going to do this on his own, as much as he could anyway with James Potter being the Head Auror.

 

She tapped her finger on a diary on her desk and smiled. “Well, lucky for you, his last meeting finished early. You can go on in, dear,” she waved her wand towards the door to the office and opened it for him.

 

“Thank you,” he smiled at her nervously and stepped inside.

 

A man looked up from the desk who looked exactly like Fabian Prewitt who Harry had seen only the day before in Diagon…just wearing less ruffles. “Mr. Prewitt,” Harry stepped forward and reached out a hand to shake. “I’m Harry Potter. Thank you for meeting with me.”

 

“Of course! Have a seat!” Gideon stood and motioned to the seat in front of his desk with a wide smile. When he smiled, it reminded Harry so much of Molly. While Gideon was much larger, built like he worked out all the time, and had a scruffy red beard, he still had the same eyes and smile as Molly.

 

“Now, my nephew didn’t say much, and I haven’t run into your dad today to talk to him, so I have to admit, I really don’t know what this meeting is about. Care to fill me in?” Gideon sat back down and smiled with a little laugh.

 

“Ah, yes,” Harry passed him his NEWT results. Gideon looked at the paper, and his eyes widened perceptibly. “I’m here to apply for a job. I know I would normally go through the Head Auror first, but I also know it would be a conflict of interest for my own father to either hire me or not into an auror position.”

 

“You want to be an auror?” Gideon frowned, still looking over the results. “I’ve never gotten that impression from you before. I know we’ve only talked a time or two at your family’s Yule Balls, but it was always about Quidditch and how you were going to be a chaser.”

 

Gideon sat down the paper and started scribbling something on what looked like an inter-office memo. Harry really hoped it wasn’t to James Potter. “Yes, that was my original plan, but plans change,” he hoped he sounded professional and competent and not super anxious. “I’ve grown up some, especially over the past year, and decided I want to help others with my life. I’ve seen what my father and Sirius do, and I’d like to be there for people when they need help, when they need someone to stand up for them.”

 

Gideon nodded and sent the inter-office, paper airplane memo out of his office with a flick of his wand. “Being an auror is not all spell-fire and glory and girls falling all over you,” Gideon began like that's what led a lot of people to the job. Not, Harry, he probably had too good of an idea of what the job entailed. “There is a lot of hard work and discipline and procedures you’ll need to learn. You’ll also have to be willing and able to take orders from your father. Do you think you can do that? Separate your personal from your professional?”

 

“Without a doubt. That is really not a problem at all,” Harry said firmly, because yeah, that actually wasn’t a problem. It wasn’t following James’s orders that would be an issue, it’d be following any stupid order that endangered lives from anyone. He wasn’t going to do that again. Probably best not to say that in a job interview though.

 

“Well, your NEWTs are impressive, and exactly what you need for an auror position,” Gideon tapped the parchment with a finger absently while studying Harry. “Have you had any dueling experience? Maybe with your father or Auror Black?”

 

Harry nodded and narrowly kept himself from laughing. “Yes, I’ve had quite a lot of dueling experience. I’m good and quick, though I know I have a lot to learn still. I have depth of knowledge but not breadth. I know how to use what I know really well, but I could stand to add more spells to my repertoire,” he said because he wanted to be as truthful as possible.

 

Gideon ran a hand over his beard and nodded, absently reaching out and catching the paper airplane sent back to you. “Good answer,” he smiled before opening the airplane and reading it. His eyes instantly widened in surprise and his mouth fell open.

 

“Erm…is something wrong? Should I leave?” Harry asked, wondering if a case just came up or something.

 

Gideon snorted and shook his head with a chuckle. “No, son, I sent a message to the NEWT evaluator to ask his impressions of your DADA examination. An O is a letter on a page, it’s much more relevant to get the examiner’s perspective. Sometime someone barely scrapes an O based on their written side, which I want to know now instead of later. And sometimes...someone does much more than required, though that's not reflected in the score.”

 

“Oh, ok…erm, I did cast a patronus for him. He asked,” Harry frowned, not really knowing where this was going.

 

Gideon laughed loudly. “Yes, he very much mentioned the thestral patronus! Which is impressive just in itself, but Mr. Potter…”

 

“Harry, please,” he smiled, hoping this was going somewhere good.

 

“Harry…Examiner Listly said your DADA exam was the most impressive he’s conducted in his 80 years of administering these tests!” Gideon leaned forward and said emphatically. “And Examiner Listly is not easy to impress.”

 

“Oh…well, that’s good, right?” Harry blinked. That had to be good for getting a job.

 

Gideon snorted and picked up another piece of paper. “Yes, that’s good. That means that I’m scheduling you for your mental evaluation, physical evaluation, and a dueling test all next week. If you pass those, then you can enter auror training as soon as the week after. Does that sound good to you?”

 

“Well, yes, definitely,” he smiled, happy this was going so smoothly and hadn’t involved James Potter yet. He had been running most evenings on the beach with Bill and was certain he could pass the physical test now, and he really hoped he could pass the mental…

 

“I’ll tell your father he can’t be a part of the tests because of conflict of interest, but I’m sure he’s very proud. This is all very impressive,” the man said with a smile.

 

Harry cleared his throat awkwardly. “Erm, actually, I haven’t told Dad yet that I’m applying. I didn’t want to disappoint him if I washed out or something.”

 

Gideon’s quill faltered, and he looked up questioningly before a smile broke across his face again. “A surprise, like a prank almost? Yes, I think James would appreciate that. With these scores and Listly's recommendation, I doubt you’ll wash out though,” he said to Harry’s relief because he had a feeling James actually wouldn’t appreciate it.

 

“Is there anything else you need from me before the tests?” Harry asked once Gideon handed over the schedule he’d written up for Harry’s tests. He really hoped they didn't need a recommendation or anything because he doubted this dimension's Harry's professors would recommend him for an auror job.

 

“No, I think we’re good for now. But I am wondering…” Gideon smiled broadly and looked like Fred and George all of a sudden instead of Molly. “Just how do you know my nephew? I don’t believe I’ve heard him mention you before, but I know Bill, and he wouldn’t request a meeting for just anyone.”

 

“Oh, er…he’s…well we haven’t told a lot of people, and it’s kind of new,” Harry blushed. “He’s my boyfriend.”

 

Gideon’s eyes widened and he laughed. “Merlin, I assume my sister doesn’t know about this since she hasn't sent a flock of owls to everyone to tell us all about it?”

 

“Not yet,” Harry shook his head. It would eventually come out about Ash, but no need to bring him up before he had to. Harry really didn’t want Gideon Prewitt to accidentally tell his sister she was suddenly a grandmother. That decidedly wouldn’t go well.

 

Gideon nodded firmly and held out a hand to shake again. “Well Harry, welcome to the family then. I see you found my brother’s robes shop, plus you’re dating my most respectable nephew, so you clearly have good taste.”

 

Harry shook the hand and smiled widely at being welcomed back into the family by one of the Prewitt twins of all people. “I have good taste; Bill might not though.”

 

Gideon just laughed again and said he might just stop by Harry’s dueling exam. “Thank you, sir,” Harry smiled, hurrying out of the office and breathing in deeply once he was back in the atrium.

 

He couldn’t help the little laugh of sheer relief at everything going so smoothly. He just had to pass these last tests, and then he’d have a job. He’d be in auror training, but that paid at least, and he’d be on his way to a career he could make a difference in. He might not be excited to be hunting dark wizards again, but it was something he could do. He could keep Ash and this dimension safe even if that meant taking on the role of soldier once again.

 

“Harry?” A voice asked questioningly from behind him. Harry swore under his breath. He needed to stop tarrying in the ministry where he could run into anyone. “What are you doing here? Visiting Jamie? How was graduation?”

 

Harry finally placed the smiling man walking towards him with complete disbelief and surprise. How the hell did Peter Pettigrew turn into someone who looked like an adventurer who explored rain forests or such?! This Peter Pettigrew was still a little larger of a person, but not in a bad way. He also wasn’t balding, looked extremely healthy, and even had a tan to go with his cargo pants, linen shirt, and leather satchel. It was the same man, but absolutely not the same man at all!

 

“Er…hello,” Harry said and wasn’t sure if he was going to run or stun the man right there in the ministry atrium. What the bloody hell?!

Notes:

Up Next: Auror tests...and that pesky mental health examination...

Chapter 12: Ice Cream Date

Harry had to physically make his teeth and muscles unclench from where he was instinctually entering a fight for his life mode. Pettigrew looked significantly different in this dimension, but Harry could still only see the man’s silver hand choking the life out of him right after he tried to murder Harry. He took in a deep breath. He’d known this was coming sooner or later ever since he realized there hadn't been a war in this dimension.

 

Harry had intentionally said nothing to anyone about Pettigrew in this dimension because he logically knew this Pettigrew had never betrayed his parents or tried to kill him. This Pettigrew would have never had a reason to become the rat-bastard he was in Harry’s dimension. Logically, he knew he couldn’t hold the decisions made out of fear and during war against this man who had never faced Voldemort and chosen to betray his friends.

 

He knew this logically, but that didn’t mean he could just turn off his instinctive reactions. He didn’t think he could ever trust Pettigrew, but that didn’t mean he would allow himself to turn his parents or Remus and Sirius against the man unjustly. He had enough self-control to keep this the bloody hell to himself.

 

“You ok, Harry? You’re looking a little ill,” Pettigrew asked, genuine concern in his eyes, and Harry really didn’t know how to deal with that.

 

He physically made his hands unclench and forced a smile onto his face. “I’m…I’m fine,” he said clearing his throat to find his voice again. “Just a little under the weather. Remus said you were on a trip; did you just get back?”

 

Pettigrew frowned, and Harry kicked himself. This dimension’s Harry called Remus Uncle Mooney. He just couldn’t bring himself to claim a relationship that wasn’t his though. Hopefully, Pettigrew would just let it go. 

 

Pettigrew thankfully seemed to shake off the confusion easily. “Yep, portkey just dropped me off. I have to run to the Department of Magical Creatures to give my report, then it’s only a short stop-over before the Scamanders need me in Croatia this time,” he said with a look between pride and fond exasperation at having to travel so much.

 

Huh…so, Pettigrew did something with magical creatures and worked with the Scamander family. Interesting, and someone probably should have told him that. “Er…good trip?” He asked, having really no clue what Pettigrew did in the slightest but figuring this dimension’s Harry would at least care to ask how it went.

 

Pettigrew blinked in confusion again, and Harry really didn’t know what he’d done this time. Pettigrew looked pleased over suspicious though at least. “Wonderful! I think we’re close to identifying a new genus of Panthera,” he stated proudly.

 

Harry had absolutely no clue what he was talking about. “So…er, I’m guessing you haven’t talked to anyone since you’ve been back then?” He asked, taking into account Pettigrew said his portkey had just dropped him off. “Are you…erm, are you going to see my parents or…erm, anyone before you leave again?”

 

Harry wondered how long he had before Pettigrew was let in on the secret. He desperately wanted to order everyone to not tell the man, but this Pettigrew was still their friend. This man wasn’t Harry’s worst nightmare even if he was sending Harry right into a state of sheer panic through just existing.

 

“Do I need to?” He frowned and looked concerned. “I can if something is going on, but I was just going to go for a kip and head back out in the morning. We really are close to a breakthrough.”

 

Harry shook his head firmly. “No, no…you’re fine. I was just making conversation, you know,” he tried a weak smile in his relief that he had more time now. “Er, good luck with your…er…panther?”

 

“Panthera…genus, not species,” Pettigrew laughed brightly though still studying Harry like he sensed something may be wrong.

 

Harry nodded and started to walk away."Well, good luck, and I hope you have good trip."

 

“Hey Harry!” Pettigrew called him back.

 

With a mental swear at not being able to escape, Harry turned back around to take in the worried expression on Pettigrew’s face. “Hey, erm, you sure you’re ok? You know I’m here for you if you want to talk or need anything,” Pettigrew said emphatically. “I realize I travel so much that we’re not really close, but…you know, sometimes it’s nice to talk to someone who understands but who isn’t as close as maybe Uncle Mooney or Padfoot…right? I can be that person if you want. I do care about you kid.”

 

Harry nodded firmly. “Thanks Peter…I’ll remember that,” he said before turning sharply and heading towards the doors. He caught one more look of confusion out of the corner of his eye. Harry probably got the name wrong again, but he didn’t care because he was going to either have a panic attack or die laughing right there.

 

Harry pushed through the doors and hurried to the apparition point. He disappeared and reappeared right on the beach and in his favorite spot to think and listen to the waves. He collapsed to his hands and knees and tried to breathe, something between laughs and sobs coming from his chest. Bloody Merlin and all the founders!! Peter Bloody Pettigrew was worried about him and said he cared! Maybe he should have asked to be a blue tentacle alien instead of going to a similar dimension because then he wouldn’t have murderers offering to be a shoulder for him to cry on. What even was this dimension?!!

 

---

 

“Mum! I’m literally walking like 30 steps tops and know about half the shopkeepers on the alley,” Emily whined as Lily fussed over her while she was trying to walk towards the floo. “It’s one step through the floo to the Leaky, like 10-15 steps to the back courtyard, then like 20 steps tops to Fortescue’s. Stop worrying, please. I’m not a baby.”

 

Lily couldn’t help herself though. Emily was her baby girl, and she was going off by herself to London to meet with her brother…no not her brother, a man they really didn’t know. “You sure I can’t come too?” She asked. "I'll sit at another table and try not to bother you."

 

Emily gave her that look that was so from Lily’s mother. Emily had never met Grandma Rose who’d died before she was born, but still, she’d somehow inherited the glare that Sev had learned from the woman herself. “You and Dad have dinner scheduled with Harry next week, and you specifically said you didn’t want to meet up until then,” Emily reminded her, causing Lily to inwardly wince. That probably hadn’t been the best way to say they needed some time, and she really hoped Harry took it in the way intended and not the way it sounded coming out of her youngest’s mouth, like an accusation.

 

“I want to see Harry and meet my nephew now though, and he wants to meet with me,” Emily stood firm and crossed her arms, looking so much older than her twelve years. “We’re meeting in public; I know I can call Mimsy if I need her; and I don’t really think that my brother from any dimension, who is planning on carrying a baby with him, is going to cause me any harm.”

 

Lily let out a breath and nodded because they’d already gone over this. Mimsy, the nanny elf, was on call and would go to Emily if anything happened, and Remus had assured them that Harry was very responsible and would absolutely not harm his sister. Actually, Remus had assured them that this Harry was much more responsible than their own. Lily supposed this probably had some to do with the baby that she was actually really looking forward to meeting, even if this new Harry kind of terrified her.

 

It was just, they had lost their son. Harry, their Harry, was dead and they hadn’t even known he needed their help. Lily didn’t think she would ever recover or forgive herself for being so blind, and James hadn’t slept a full night since they’d heard the news. It was just…it was their worst nightmare. And she knew this Harry had nothing to do with it, but still…he was here, and her son wasn’t. They had asked for more time to hopefully separate some of that resentment out before meeting with him again. She looked at James and his haunted eyes, and she wasn’t sure they would ever be able to completely though.

 

“Right, ok, I know,” Lily kissed the top of Emily’s curly red head and let her go to head to the floo. “Just, be safe, call Mimsy if you need her, and floo call me at the office when you get back to tell me you made it home.”

 

“Yeah, yeah,” Emily rolled her eyes but gave Lily a fond smile before throwing floo powder into the fireplace and calling out for the Leaky Cauldron.

 

Lily sighed deeply and waited a minute before grabbing floo powder herself and flooing directly to her office. She stepped through and sank into her desk chair, not sure if she was actually going to be able to focus to get any work done at all. She was so far behind after taking her sabbatical to teach at the school for the one year her babies would be there together…Merlin…her son’s last year alive!

 

Lily stood abruptly and left the office. No, she couldn’t sit there and think about that. She had to get out of her head and think about something else. The best way to get out of her head had always been visiting with Sev and bothering him while he brewed, and he would most likely be there even though it was a Saturday, so she strode right to his personal lab and barged in on whatever it was he was doing for a distraction.

 

“Lils…One of these days, you’re going to cause an explosion,” Sev only minimally looked up from the potion he was stirring at her dramatic entrance. She just fell into his desk chair though and ignored the expected comment. Sev was much too good to ever be started into an explosion, so it was an empty threat.

 

“Emily is currently meeting Harry and Ash for ice cream, right this moment, all on her own,” Lily said, with all the emphasis and hand gestures she could put into that statement to stress how very worried she was about this situation.

 

“I heard,” Sev drawled as if that were not news in the slightest.

 

“How?” She raised an eyebrow and stood to walk over and see what he was working on. Was this a new product or was he updating an old one? And why would he know what her children were doing on a Saturday? 

 

Sev put down the stirrer and blinked. “I am Potter’s…Harry’s personal healer. You know this.”

 

That didn’t make sense for why Sev would know about the ice cream though. “Yes, but…just how often do you see him?” She frowned. How sick was Harry if Sev saw him a lot?

 

Sev pulled a strand of his hair that had fallen from his bun back up and jabbed a quill through it to keep it all together more securely. He really should just cut his hair. It had gotten so unruly since school, but every time she mentioned it, he got all surly on her. He pulled a stool over and sat though to look at her better. This seemed serious.

 

“What?” She sat on another stool and dreaded whatever this was. “Is Harry really that sick?”

 

Sev shook his head. “No, he is recovering very well. It’s just…I was helping him with his Potions NEWT, so I was over quite often.”

 

“Oh…well…that’s so nice,” she breathed out in pleased surprise. She really couldn't handle losing another son, not so soon. And, a Potion NEWT sounded wonderful. Her Harry had never been interested in Potions and had definitely not planned on doing a NEWT for it. Now, well, it might be easier to find a place in the company for this Harry to keep him close and make sure he was well-provided for.

 

Sev nodded and cleared his throat uncomfortably. “Right…so what did you do that I’m not going to like?” She asked, knowing her best friend way too well.

 

“Nothing, just…well, Harry makes crepes on Fridays for breakfast, and you know how much I like crepes…” he started, flushing just slightly.

 

“Yes, I know that very well…so, you’ve been going over on Fridays too?” She could feel her lips twitching up slightly as she tried to school her expression. Severus and her son had almost hated each other on sight. Harry was a menace around potions, looking just like James, and Sev didn’t like quidditch so it was a relationship made in Hell. Now though…it seemed things were very different.

 

Sev shrugged and looked off. “It’s possible I’m also his son’s godfather now too.”

 

Lily gasped in surprise. “Wait? Seriously? Sev! Why? How? I mean, you’re going to be a great godfather, but wow!” Well, this conversation was serving excellently well to get her mind off her worry and into a whole mess of confusion. Honestly, Severus was probably the last person she’d ever think her son would choose for his kid’s godfather, and didn’t Sev hate kids?

 

“Don’t you hate kids?” She asked before he could answer any of her questions.

 

Sev huffed. “Ash is a very well-behaved child,” he said as if he was offended that she thought he wouldn’t like his godbaby. Well, that was something to see. Actually, now she was feeling a little jealous that so many people had met the baby, and she hadn’t. She knew it was her own fault, but still…this was…well, it was like her grandbaby, right?

 

“If you must know, Harry knew me quite well from his dimension. Apparently, I taught Potions at Hogwarts all the years he was there,” he grimaced at the end, getting a mirror grimace from Lily as well. Sev would be a terrible teacher.

 

“And he still likes you?” She asked incredulously.

 

“He says I was a git…his words,” Sev drawled with an eye roll. “However, he said he trusts me with his life and his son’s, so I must not have been all bad.”

 

“You are a git,” she grinned, getting another eye roll. “But I trust you with my…sort-of son and grandson’s life too.”

 

“Stepson,” Sev corrected with a raise of his eyebrow. “He and your daughter have worked out that it’s easiest to treat each other as step-siblings. That may help you as well?”

 

That didn’t quite sit right with Lily, but it made sense. Harry was her son, but from another Lily Potter. A stepson was maybe the best way to think about it. Actually, that helped in keeping some of the guilt at bay that she felt whenever she thought she was replacing her own son. She would talk to James, but that was starting to feel very reasonable.

 

“And…you think he’ll be good to his sister?” She had to ask, the worry creeping back into her mind even as she tried to push it away.

 

Sev snorted wryly and went back to his potion. “Lils…I can assure you with every ounce of certainty I have, your daughter is safer with Harry than she is even behind your manor’s wards. He asked me to help with some dueling practice this morning when I stopped by…”

 

“This morning?” She raised an eyebrow again. It was Saturday, so that meant he’d stopped by yesterday for crepes and again that morning…for what? Just because? This was a new side to her friend she didn’t think she’d ever seen before.

 

“Yes, this morning,” he ignored her look. “Anyway, I’ve never been disarmed so fast in my life, and you know I’m not half bad at dueling.”

 

That was an understatement if she’d ever heard one. He’d been top of the Hogwarts dueling club during their time at school. “Wow, ok.”

 

“Plus, he was probably even more nervous about this meeting than you are,” Sev passed her a knife. “Now, if you are insisting on annoying me in my lab, then you can at least be useful. Chop those.”

“Wait…why is my son…or stepson or whatever needing dueling practice?” She asked after she’d chopped one of the flobberworms on the table.

 

“Just practice,” he shrugged, and Lily didn’t like that shrug. There was something Sev wasn’t telling her, but she’d let him keep his secrets for now. Harry would be at the manor in under a week, and she would get everything out of him then. They needed to plan, and he had yet to owl her his NEWTs, so she had a list of questions and topics to get through…well, after spoiling her new grandson rotten at least.

 

This Harry might not be her Harry, but he was a child and was going to need her help with the baby. Lily hadn’t planned on being a grandmother so very early in her life, but now that it had happened, she was looking forward to it. It had been a long time since there had been a baby in her life. Maybe she could keep the baby some when Harry started working. Of course, Mimsy would keep the baby most days, but she could maybe take the baby one day a week. Yes, that would work out nicely. She would talk to Mimsy that evening about helping set up a nursery. Maybe Harry and Ash should just move in. That would make things so much easier. Yes, they could talk about that next week at dinner too.

 

---

 

“I don’t see how you can eat that,” Emily wrinkled her nose from where she was holding a napping Ash across from Harry at the ice cream shop.

 

“It’s just butter pecan with a caramel drizzle and pieces of treacle,” he frowned at his bowl of ice cream in confusion. It was amazing. He’d worked through most of Florean Fortescue’s flavors during his sojourn in Diagon the summer before his third year, and this was by far his favorite.

 

“It’s so much sugar though,” she chuckled.

 

“And your dark chocolate with peanut butter drizzle isn’t?” He asked, pointing at her ice cream with his spoon teasingly.

 

“No touching my chocolate,” she glared, and Harry just grinned at her.

 

The ice cream date was going so much better than he’d expected or even dreamed of. Ash had been awake when they first met up, and he and Emily instantly loved each other even though Ash really loved everyone. It was Ash’s nap time though, so he’d fallen asleep pretty quickly even with all the excitement while Emily was holding him. So now, they were just talking about nothing and getting to know each other while avoiding all the heavy subjects that would most likely come up during their family dinner the next week.

 

“Soooo…how were NEWTS?” She asked leaning forward slightly. “You do know I’m a Ravenclaw, so you’re not going to be able to dodge school questions. Out with it…are you a meathead jock or management track in the family business...or both?”

 

Harry winced. “NEWTs were fine. I did pretty well; however, as you said in your letter, I don’t think I want to start out working in the family business. And, considering I’m only technically family, maybe not ever.”

 

“Ouch, the parental units are not going to like that,” she grimaced while licking her spoon. “I plan on gradually working them up to letting me do something else over the next six years. I think they only agreed to let our Harry play quidditch because he was obsessed with it since he could crawl.”

 

“Well, your dad doesn’t work for the company,” he reminded her, hoping that was going to be a reasonable argument.

 

She just shrugged. “Yeah, but why would anyone want to be an auror? Like seriously? And I think our grandparents only supported that because Mum was going to take over the company.”

 

Wait…what about their grandparents. He leaned forward in sudden interest. “Em…do we have grandparents?! Like living ones?!”

 

Emily cocked her head to one side before shaking it. “No…Grandfather and Grandmother Potter died before either of us were born from a bad case of dragon pox, and Mum’s parents died when you were a baby, one of a heart attack and the other of a car accident just a year apart.”

 

“Oh…” he trailed off.

 

“Sometimes I forget your world was so different,” she commented. “Did you know how your grandparents died in your world?”

 

Harry slowly nodded. “I’d heard about the dragon pox, but I never knew what happened with Mum’s parents. I think they died in the war, but Aunt Petunia refused to talk about them.”

 

Emily choked around her bite and coughed. They both checked on Ash who was still thankfully sleeping. She put him in the pram Harry had brought with them before looking at him to answer. “How in Rowena’s frilly bloomers do you actually know Mum’s sister?! Mum never talks about her, she gets quiet and sad whenever she’s brought up, and Dad looks like he’s going break something.”

 

Harry just shrugged. “That makes sense. It’s a very reasonable response to any mention of the Dursleys,” he concluded. He didn’t know exactly what had gone on in this dimension between the sisters, but that response was completely in his realm of understanding.

 

“Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon raised me though,” he said in explanation, causing his sister to look like she had just heard about a new version of Hogwarts: A History that had come out. Yeah, his sister was really just a cooler and more carefree version of Hermione he’d concluded. He loved her so much!

 

“In the muggle world?” She almost whispered in excitement. “How was that? Did you get to ride on the tube-thing? What about telly? Did you have one? Have you been to a cinema? Did you go to muggle primary school?”

 

He laughed at her barrage of questions. “Em, your Mum was the Muggle Studies professor last year. Didn’t she take you to anything out in the muggle world?”

 

Emily snorted and rolled her eyes. “No, she makes plans but then gets busy at work, and they always fall through. I saw her more last year at school than really ever. Mimsy raised us both…wait, you don’t know Mimsy, do you?”

 

Harry shook his head. That sounded like a house elf name. “Er, no…”

 

“Oh, well, Mimsy is great. I’m sure she can help with Ash if want. She’s the nanny elf,” Emily shrugged. “So, tell me all about the muggle world. Are our aunt and uncle really as bad as they sound?”

 

“Worse,” he winced, not planning on going into that. “Anyway, I don’t think we’ll need Mimsy’s help. And to answer your questions, yes, I went to muggle primary school. The Dursleys did have a telly, but I didn’t watch it much. I have ridden on the underground, and I will definitely take you there, and we’ll take it to a cinema and see a movie sometime. I’ve never been to see a movie myself, so it’ll be fun.”

 

“Really? You’d take me?” She looked at him with stars in her eyes. Having a sister was going to be so much fun if he could take her places and do things with her to make her happy like this.

 

“Yeah, what else are big-step-twin-sort of-brothers for?” He smiled back at her, probably starrier eyed than she was.

 

She smiled and they ate their ice cream in comfortable silence for a minute. “So, what are you planning to do then?” She eventually asked, not deterred from her original question. “You still have the offer our Harry got from Puddlemere, right? Are you going to play quidditch?”

 

He seethed internally, but didn’t show it. He didn’t want to say anything bad about their parents in front of Emily. It was just…it was the only thing he’d been excited about job-wise ever. He knew he didn’t particularly want to be an auror, but he thought he had to do it. The quidditch offer though, it’d seemed like a gift from Merlin before it was taken from him. He’d actually been looking forward to it for the few days it had been a possibility.

 

“I’ve applied to work with the aurors,” he said eventually, getting a very disbelieving look from his sister.

 

“Why the bloody hell would you do that?!” She fumed in shocked surprise.

 

He almost wanted to say something about her language but gave that up as probably hypocritical. Yeah, he’d definitely need to work on that before Ash was old enough to understand and repeat things he said. He sighed though. “I’m not saying I’ll do it forever, but it’s what I know,” he concluded lamely. He never seemed to have the best explanation for why he wanted to be an auror and people kept asking him anyway.

 

“It’s all I know,” he frowned as his own words sank in and made sense to him at least. “Everything here in this dimension is so confusing and has me off balance…I think I just need something I understand for a while. I know it’s an odd choice for something comforting, but yeah…I think it’s what I need right now…for a little while anyway, maybe not forever.”

 

Emily did not look like she understood him in the slightest. Eventually she sighed and shrugged. “Whatever, you’re going to have to work with Dad though…good luck with that.”

 

He shrugged too, not worried about it from his end at least. “I still have to pass all the entrance exams next week, so I guess we’ll see how it goes. I can tell you all about it at dinner.”

 

“Wait…” she leaned forward with a huge smirk on her face. “Does Mum and Dad not know you applied for the aurors? Seriously?”

 

“Er…no, why would I tell them?” He frowned. Why would he? It was a ministry job, so James couldn’t turn it down like the quidditch position, and it’d be a conflict of interest if he was involved anyway. This was Harry’s job, so he didn’t see why they would need to have any say in it at all.

 

Emily just laughed so loudly that Ash woke up and squirmed. “Merlin, but life is never going to be boring with you around, is it?” She shook her head while he picked up the baby and tried rocking him back to sleep in his arms.

 

“It never has been in my experience,” he agreed with an embarrassed shrug.

 

---

 

Tuesday evening, Harry collapsed onto the sofa in their sitting room with a tired groan. “Well, pretty sure I passed the physical, but I think I need to ice every inch of my body,” he told Dobby and Bill who were puttering around the kitchen trying to throw something together for dinner. Ash was laying on his play mat and trying to shove a plushie in his mouth, so it was just the calming domestic bliss he needed after his day of pushups, pullups, running, diagnostic tests, drug tests (yep, former Harry wouldn't have passed), and all the other tortures they put him through. 

 

“Mental exam tomorrow?” Bill asked over his shoulder from where he was putting together a salad.

 

Harry hummed an affirmation. “Yeah, that’ll be fun," he said as sarcastically as he could. 

 

“Master Harry really thinks he can pass a mental exam?” Dobby scoffed and chuckled while he worked on mashing potatoes.

 

“Oi! I know I’m a mess, but I'm not like a murdering sociopath or something, and that’s what they’re looking for,” he scoffed. “Plus, I know how to pretend to be normal. I’ve been doing it my whole life. I checked and they can’t use legilimency or anything, so it’s not like they can crawl into my brain and see the trauma.”

 

“Yes, Harry, but this is a trained professional,” Bill reminded him with a disbelieving look.

 

Harry just shrugged. “Well, it’s not like they’re going to ask me about living through a war or anything like that. If they don’t ask the questions to dig up the trauma, then they can’t find it. And again…I know how to pretend to be normal.”

 

Dobby walked over and just looked at him uncomfortably. “Master Harry…what would you do if you’s heard someone was going to try to kills the minister?”

 

“I’d stop them,” Harry said in all honesty.

 

“Even though you’s know the minister as Lord Voldy?” Dobby raised an eyebrow.

 

“Well, he hasn’t done any dark lordy stuff that I know of yet, so yeah, I’d stop it,” he rolled his eyes. “And that’s what I’ll tell the mind-healer person, and mean it.”

 

Dobby didn’t look like he believed him. “We’s see…”

 

“Merlin, no faith, either of you,” Harry scoffed but had to stop and stare in excitement. “Guys! Come here!”

 

“What?” Bill hurried over behind Dobby.

 

“He rolled over!” Harry had jumped down to the ground with Ash who had somehow squirmed over onto his back. “He rolled over!! That’s early isn’t it! Like is he supposed to be able to do that yet?”

 

“Baby Ash is almost three months,” Dobby cooed at the baby. “It’s a little early, but that just means our baby is so smart!”

 

“You hear that, Ash! You’re such a good, smart baby!” Bill laid down on his stomach to smile at the baby and poke his belly.

 

Harry kissed his little cheeks before rolling him back onto his belly. “Let’s see if you can do it again. Come on, Ash, show your daddies and Uncle Dobby how you can roll over!”

 

---

 

Gideon Prewitt was in his office reviewing the files of all the new auror recruits when Minister Riddle knocked on his door and stuck his head in. “How are they looking?” Riddle smiled that blazing white smile that had women offering to marry him while running to the polls to vote in his favor.

 

Gideon shook his head with a chuckle and motioned to the seat in front of his desk. Everyone was interested in the new recruits since they would take up a lot of different departments' time and energy over the next six months for whoever passed the exams. Even the minister would occasionally interact with them, but it was going above and beyond for Riddle to take a personal interest, which he always had ever since he was elected a couple years ago. Gideon had been expecting this visit all day actually.

 

“Three washed out over the physical exam,” he tossed those three folders in a pile to be banished later. “If you wait for a few minutes, the mental exam results will be sent on, and we can look at them together.”

 

“Any stand outs?” The minister asked, making himself more comfortable. He then flicked his wand to get Gideon’s hidden bottle of scotch out of the cabinet and poured two glasses. Gideon rolled his eyes, not sure how the man knew everything going on in the ministry, even down to where he stashed his liquor, but whatever, he could stand a drink.

 

“Two,” Gideon tapped the folders on his desk. “Anthony Goldstein, a Ravenclaw with excellent Potions scores.”

 

“Hmm, we could use someone proficient in Potions since Potter’s company really shouldn’t be giving us the discount it is, and we shouldn't be only using them for our potions. It could be construed as a conflict of interest,” Riddle raised an eyebrow with a look at him. Gideon could see the admonition in his blue eyes.

 

He just scoffed though. “Well, if he didn’t pay his brewers so well, maybe we could poach some at the ministry, unless you’re willing to raise salaries?”

 

Riddle gave in with wry flick of his wrist before pouring them both more scotch. “And the other one?”

 

“Actually, that would be Harry Potter,” Gideon tapped the folder. “The highest marks for DADA that the examiner has ever seen. I plan to attend his dueling exam myself to see if he lives up to the hype.”

 

Riddle frowned though. “I thought Auror Potter’s son was going to do quidditch based on what I see in the Prophet every day.”

 

Gideon shook his head. “I don’t know what changed, but he came to see me personally to apply. He said it would be a conflict of interest if he went through his father.”

 

“Which it would,” Riddle agreed firmly and with what looked like some respect for the boy's decision. “Do not let Auror Potter in any of his exams.”

 

Gideon chuckled. “Actually, Auror Potter doesn’t even know his son has applied.”

 

“Oh really?” Riddle sat up, looking surprised at that turn of events. He chuckled. “To be a fly on the wall when he learns that.”

 

A new stack of folders appeared suddenly on Gideon’s desk. “Well, here’s the new round. Let’s see how many we’re washing out this time.”

 

Gideon opened the one with a red tag on it. “Well, it seems like only one immediate flag.”

 

“Goldstein or Potter?” Riddle asked in interest.

 

Gideon shook his head. “No, Crabbe,” he said with a wince. “I wasn’t expecting him to make it though, so this is no surprise.”

 

He tossed the file into the pile with the other three. “Susceptible to bribes,” Gideon explained, getting a nod from Riddle that said he agreed with the mind-healer’s assessment.

 

“What about Goldstein and Potter then?” Riddle motioned slightly impatiently.

 

“You have somewhere else to be?” Gideon teased, opening Goldstein’s file to look through it.

 

Riddle sighed tiredly. “Two fundraisers that I have to make an appearance at before I can finally go home and relax.”

 

“Ah, the poor minister has to smile and kiss babies,” Gideon joked, getting a glare from the man.

 

He’d been slightly in awe of the very imposing Minister Riddle for all of three months after he’d been elected, then the man’s mother had come to visit and called him her little Tommy-Tums, and the larger-than-life imposing man had cut the crusts off her tuna sandwich and asked if she wanted more pudding at the cafeteria, undercutting most of the fear everyone in the ministry viewed the man with. Now they had an understanding where Gideon knew Riddle could destroy him without even raising his wand but that Gideon was allowed to treat him like a regular person and not be fired because of it. Also, Riddle knew where he kept his scotch apparently, so it all worked out to where they were friendly work colleagues who knew not to cross each other too badly.

 

“Well, you’ll be happy to know Goldstein passed with flying colors,” Gideon concluded, passing the file over in case Riddle wanted to see. The man just gave it a cursory glance as he flipped through. 

 

“Good, we’re losing Moody and Nott his year to retirement, so we at least need two solid new recruits for them to train before they leave,” Riddle concluded. “What about Potter?”

 

Gideon was frowning at the folder though. It just didn’t make any sense. Potter had passed, which was expected. He was perfectly fine to move on with the auror program, but the mind-healer had left some concerning comments for future follow-up.

 

“He passed…” Gideon trailed off, trying to make sense of what he was reading.

 

“But?” Riddle prodded.

 

“But, I don’t know,” he eventually just passed over the folder in confusion. “It doesn’t make sense. We know the Potters…not super well, but you’ve seen them at the Yule Ball. They’re good parents, right? Godric’s balls, James is our head auror!”

 

“Suspected past child abuse,” Riddle read with a dark tinge to this voice. Everyone knew how the minister would get about anything that connected to harm of a child. Gideon had never been afraid of a person more in his life than when the minister sat on a Wizengamot trial of a child abuser. He agreed with the minister, but the man was still terrifying.

 

“Suspected issues with food insecurity,” Riddle read next, that darkness rising in his tone. “And he passed?”

 

“There is no reason to wash him out over a painful past,” Gideon frowned. “But I don’t see how the mind-healer concluded that from what we know about the Potters.”

 

“Well, I think this warrants some looking into,” Riddle smacked the file down on Gideon’s desk. That was an order if he’d ever heard one.

 

“I don’t have grounds to open an investigation,” Gideon said slowly, hoping the minister didn’t try to fire him on the spot. “This is only an evaluation by a mental health professional. There is no proof, and even she only suspects that something may have been going on. Potter didn’t say there was or confide in her about anything. Besides, you implemented the child abuse checks at Hogwarts yourself. Potter would have been screened every fall just like all the other students.”

 

Riddle seethed but slowly nodded his head still looking at the file. “You don’t have to open a formal investigation to look into this. I’m sure you have your ways to still find answers when you need them,” he said eventually, and he was absolutely right. Gideon did have means to look into this more, especially if Harry joined the ranks of the aurors.

 

“Actually, you’re correct. I just recently learned Potter is dating my nephew,” Gideon leaned forward, holding a hand out for the file again to look over it. “I could invite them to dinner and see if I notice anything the mind-healer did.”

 

“You do that,” Riddle crossed his arms and looked off in thought. “And maybe I will ask some discreet questions to a few people who know the family well. The Potter family is very tied into the ministry and our community as role models and pillars of industry. I would hate to hear they have broken one of our fundamental beliefs and laws.”

 

“I’m sure there is an explanation or it’s only a misunderstanding,” Gideon hoped to Merlin he was right. 

 

“If not, then I will see their world burn and everything they have touched turned to ash,” Riddle stood, a promise in his eyes that made Gideon’s hair stand on end. He believed the man, and he knew the minister would make it happen…gleefully. He looked back at Harry Potter’s file and vowed to pay personal attention to this recruit.

 

“Oh, and Prewitt,” Riddle paused in where he was leaving the office. “Assign Trainee Potter to Auror Moody for his training, over his fathers protests if needed.”

 

Riddle and Gideon shared a smile of understanding. If anyone could root out what was going on with the Potter family, then it would be Alastor Moody, and if there was anyone who was actually more vicious in pursuit of those who’d harmed children than the minister, then it was Moody then too. It seemed new recruit training was going to be even more interesting than normal this year…and Gideon had a family dinner to plan.

Notes:

Up Next: The dueling exam and family dinners...aka Molly Weasley enters the chat...

Chapter 13: Grandma Weasley

Notes:

Hey all! I'm sorry I disappeared for a while. I've been traveling with work and just haven't had any free time at all. I'm still traveling, but things should start to slow down in the next couple weeks. I'll get back onto a more regular updating schedule soon hopefully.

Harry really did think he would run into James Potter at the dueling exam, and he was really dreading it as he entered the room. Although, now that he thought about it…his ‘father’ finding out he was going to be an auror in public might actually mitigate any harsh feelings and any curses. Honestly, he hadn’t thought the man would care, especially since he’s an auror himself, but Emily had gotten into his head, and now he wasn’t so sure. Whatever, though, these weren’t his actual parents regardless, and James Potter was already an enigma he couldn’t figure out as concerns his expectations and the whole vetoing quidditch-thing.

 

Regardless, James Potter wasn’t at the dueling exam, which was surprisingly being run by Gideon Prewett, the head of the DMLE, himself. It seemed this wasn’t normal based on the whispers he was hearing from the other auror candidates around him. Harry had a sneaking suspicion it was because of him that Gideon was doing this because of the conflict of interest and all with James Potter. It made him wince at causing the inconvenience, but he was happy for it all the same since James had to still be angry at him about taking this dimension’s Harry’s place, and that was probably not going to go well if he was given permission to throw curses Harry’s direction.

 

“What are you doing here, Potter?” Someone asked from behind him. Harry slowly turned, steeling himself for whatever he was about to face. A tall, blond haired teen with brown eyes and a kind smile was looking at him. A flash of that same smile from across a battlefield registered before Harry could stop it. He breathed in and smiled back.

 

“Oh, hi Goldstein. I didn’t know you were trying out for the aurors,” he said with as much warmth as he could push into the words.

 

Harry plastered a smile on his face and quickly ran through everything he knew about Anthony Goldstein from his own time, which really wasn’t much. The guy was in Ravenclaw, in the DA and good at the patronus charm but couldn’t get it corporeal while Harry was teaching him, and also apparently good at Potions since he was in Slughorn’s NEWTs class, but that was about it. Well…ok, so clearly Harry did know he fought in the final battle and was protecting Dennis Creevey last he saw him, so that raised his esteem significantly, but it wouldn’t help out in this current situation.

 

“Aren’t you supposed to be off training at Puddlemere?” Goldstein looked him up and down with a confused frown. “Although, you did disappear at the end of last term. What’s up with that? Rumors are that you ran off with a Veela from Beauxbatons and were sunning on a beach somewhere in the South of France.”

 

Harry had to laugh at that ridiculous rumor because that sounded like a Triwizard Tournament rumor from his own time instead of like something this dimension’s Harry would have done, especially since he was gay. Well, to be fair, this current Harry was pretty sure he was gay too since he was in a relationship with a bloke and currently sleeping with him (well, only actually sleeping right now, but that was definitely going to change soon-ish if he had anything to say about it); anyway it was a wild rumor.

 

“Merlin, who came up with that?!” He chuckled again. Well, it was time to see if he could pass for this dimension’s Harry. He had multiple cover stories based on how successful he was at passing and how well the person seemed to know him, so it was time to give the first one a try.

 

“There was no Veela, I promise, and I’m clearly here for the same reason you are, auror trials. I actually had some health-issues last term, but I’m completely recovered now and decided to follow in my dad’s footsteps over flying, I suppose,” he said before looking at Goldstein and taking a chance that they probably didn’t know each other well. If this Harry had been all-quidditch all the time, then it was a very safe bet.

 

“I’m happy to see you here actually. I know we didn’t talk a lot in school, but you always seemed like a good bloke,” he held out his hand with a hopeful smile. “Call me Harry?”

 

“Anthony,” Goldstein said, thankfully shaking his hand with a small smile. “I can’t believe you’re here too though. You always hated DADA class. I heard you loudly complain about the amount of homework affecting quidditch practice at least once a week.”

 

Right, so that was good to know. Any information he could get on this dimension was absolutely needed. Harry tweaked his cover-story based on that new information. “I studied DADA at home a lot between my father and godfather being aurors. The class was all repeat information,” he said. Harry had thought that was going to be the case based on what Remus and Emily had said about former-Harry, so he’d been planning on the tutoring story already.

 

“Ah, makes sense…” Anthony looked him up and down. “So, I take it you’re going to be competition then. At least your dad isn’t running this, huh. I think I’d still like my chances though.”

 

Harry was concerned for all of a second before Anthony’s face broke into a teasing smile. He let out a breath and had this elated feeling that he may have just made a friend. Making friends had never really been his strong suit, like he’d just fallen into Ron being a friend on the train, and a troll had brought Hermione into their group, but he really didn’t have any other friends besides the Weasleys who were more family. Well, and Dobby, but that was a very odd friendship and still was…actually, no, Dobby was family too.

 

Anyway, it was nice to maybe have made a real, normal friend without the threat of death or fame being a large factor in it. He did his best cocky smile in return. “Well, I’m pretty sure I’d be the one wiping the floor with you regardless,” he joked. “Though, I’m certain you have me beat at Potions.”

 

“Merlin-forbid they put you in front of a cauldron!” Anthony really shuddered. “How did you even pass that NEWT?!”

“A lot of revising,” he said in all honesty. If Hermione hadn’t insisted on revising in the tent while they were on the run, and if Snape hadn’t helped out when he got to this dimension, then he definitely wouldn’t have passed. “When I decided to join the aurors, I had to work my arse off with Potions.”

 

“You and Longbottom, mate, I don’t see how either of you made it out of that class alive,” Anthony chuckled, and that made Harry wince because he knew Neville in Potions, and it made him a little embarrassed for this dimension’s Harry if they were being compared.

 

“Everyone, line up!” Gideon called out. The man cut a very imposing figure with his dress trousers and shirt with his sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Harry was suddenly aware of the where Bill got his height and strong frame from. Even in more of a managerial position instead of active duty now, Harry was certain Gideon Prewett could still give him a fight and would be dangerous. If he remembered correctly, it had taken five Death Eaters to take down Gideon and Fabian during the war.

 

Harry recognized a few of the other candidates milling around him. He was kind-of surprised Ron wasn’t in the group since he’d planned on being an auror in their old dimension, but he was hopeful this Ron had maybe an easier life. Parvati was in the group though and gave him a little friendly nod as if they had never really talked besides just in passing. That was a little sad in Harry’s opinion since they were in the same house.

 

Besides that, he recognized a Hufflepuff from a couple years ahead of them in school who he couldn’t remember his name. Harry remembered him as being friends with Cedric though, so he felt a little bad he didn’t think of the bloke’s name. Then, Roger Davies was in the group, the Ravenclaw who had taken Fleur to the Yule Ball. But there were at least five more people in the group Harry didn’t recognize in the slightest. He wondered if they were from different schools or if there were more people alive in this dimension that had never been born in his because of the war. He really hoped he wasn’t supposed to know any of the other people, but none of them spared him more than a passing glance, some confused, like wondering why he wasn’t off playing quidditch, and some like they really didn’t recognize him either.

 

“You nine are our group who passed the physical and mental exams, and I expect you all to pass this dueling exam to become our new class of auror trainees,” Gideon said as more of an order than encouragement.

 

“If you pass,” he continued. “You will be paired with a senior auror for the next six months for them to teach you on the job all you need to know. They can wash you out of the program at any time during those six months, so the exams do not stop here today. You will be under scrutiny and must be your best at every moment during your training, and we do not expect that to end even when you become a full auror. You will be the best, or you will find work elsewhere, understand?”

 

“Yes, sir,” Harry echoed with the rest of the group.

 

“Now, it’s time to meet your training aurors,” Gideon motioned behind him and a door opened to a group of red-robbed aurors entering the room and fanning out around the edges of where was set up a dueling space in the middle of the round, stone room with strong wards to block stray spells and protect the onlookers.

 

Harry glanced over the assembled aurors and recognized Kingsley Shaklebolt and Tonks, who were also aurors in his dimension, but then Moody walked in, alive and not retired. Harry had to blink a couple times in surprise and to tell himself what he was seeing was true because the man was much more…well, whole than in Harry's original world. Moody still had a plethora of scars and the magical eye surprisingly but wasn’t missing any limbs and didn’t even walk with a limp. If Moody weren’t a surprise in itself, Harry was certain one of the other aurors in the group had been a Death Eater in his world. He didn’t know the man’s name, but he was certain the auror beside Moody had been in the graveyard his fourth year when Voldemort rose. Well, things were very different here as he was learning more and more each day. 

 

Harry just shook the shock out of his tense shoulders and focused back in on Gideon who commanded the space like the leader he clearly was. “You have already been assigned to your training auror who will be the one dueling you today. They will decide, based on your performance in the duel, if they will take you on for the next six months, so I recommend doing your absolute best. If your auror decides they will not take on your training, there is no second chances.”

 

Harry was already praying for Tonks. He’d be fine with Kingsley too. Hell, he’d even take the Death Eater guy over Moody who was probably just as suspicious, or close to it, as his dimension’s version based on the assessing glare he was shooting at each candidate. If anyone were going to figure out his secret, it would be Alastor Moody. 

 

“First up is Parvati Patil and Auror Tonks,” Gideon called out. Harry sighed sadly at the loss of his first choice but stepped back and out of the way to watch the first of the duels.

 

Tonks was just as badass in this dimension as Harry’s and disarmed Parvati after a solid duel of about fifteen minutes. Harry cheered along with everyone else when Tonks shook Parvati’s hand and told her she was looking forward to training her. He made a mental note to try to make friends with Parvati now that they were going to be working together for the foreseeable future. Their Yule date had gone terribly (his fault, he knew), but he’d always liked her even if they hadn’t been very close.

 

Each of the candidates were called up one by one and paired with their aurors to duel. Roger Davies went with Kingsley, and the Hufflepuff who Harry now knew had the last name O’Donnell passed his duel as well. Only one candidate, so far, hadn’t been accepted to continue. A wiry guy with the last name Ogden was disarmed within the first five seconds of his duel. The auror gave him another try and disarmed him again. Then one last try, and the Ogden guy had accidentally set his own sleeve on fire when trying to cast a shield. Harry certainly agreed with the auror’s decision to tell the guy to train up and try again next year. Gideon looked annoyed and disappointed when he asked the bloke to promptly leave.  

 

Anthony was called up and paired with the Death Eater (who wasn't a Death Eater) who Harry now knew was Auror Nott, so probably Theodore Nott’s grandfather. Anyway, Harry knew exactly who that left him with. His eyes met Moody’s, seeing the magical eye trained directly on him. His feelings about Moody were very conflicted because Barty Crouch Jr. had cast the imperius curse on him so very many times wearing Moody’s face, then tried to kill him, and then Moody himself had died trying to keep Harry safe.

 

All that flashed through Harry’s mind, but he just pushed it right down and nodded at Moody with respect before focusing on Anthony and Nott’s duel. He might not be looking forward to working with Moody who was sure to be suspicious about him and his lies, but the man was a good auror and seemed honorable, and Harry did want to make him proud in honor of his own Moody’s memory. He’d just have to keep his story straight and not do anything to cause extra suspicion to be laid on him.

 

It seemed that Nott and Anthony’s duel was over really quickly while he worried over his own, even though realistically it wasn’t. Anthony had done really well, and Nott clapped him on the shoulder and welcomed him to the aurors. Harry clapped loudly along with everyone else and stepped forward with Moody as the last pair to face off.

 

He felt the Elder Wand buzz in his hand with excitement and honestly felt excited himself. It wasn’t that Harry liked danger, but something about the danger and adrenaline of a challenging duel was more comforting than all the peaceful moments he'd had at Shell Cottage. Harry didn’t really want to examine what that said about him that safety made him anxious and off balanced, but danger calmed him. Regardless, he would most definitely use it to his advantage now.

 

Harry couldn’t keep the smile off his face as Moody’s spells shattered and dissipated against his shields. Moody was a very inventive caster staying just on the very line of legal. Harry knew he was not nearly as inventive as the old auror, but he was faster and had a wand that worked so seamlessly with him that it was almost responding before Harry could cast.

 

The rest of the room disappeared around them as Harry dodged, shielded, cast, and almost danced through the spellfire lighting up the room and making the duel’s ward boundary shine. This was his stage, and Voldemort had unfortunately trained him well in what it took to win a duel. With a flick of his wrist, his thestral patronus charged at Moody, and nonverbally, Harry twisted and cast expelliarmus, catching Moody’s wand out of the air while he jumped to the side to avoid the shining, death horse.

 

Harry breathed in a deep breath and smiled. “Good duel, thank you,” he said, handing the wand back to a very surprised Moody.

 

It took a second, but Harry finally noticed the silence in the room all around them. Oops. He’d gone and done it again, making himself stand out too much. Harry’s brain scrambled, trying to come up with an explanation or a way to brush it off as everyone, auror and candidate alike, just stared. He cleared his throat, but nothing came to him.

 

“Well done,” Moody finally said and clapped a hand on Harry’s shoulder with a bark of a laugh and shove that almost buckled Harry’s knees. “We’re going to have a fun six months, kid! I think I might actually enjoy this! And to think, I was annoyed at taking on a newbie in my last year!”

 

“Do try to not break him, Alastor,” Gideon remarked, further dispelling the tension in the room with a laugh. “Now, everyone, there are pastries in the breakroom, and your training officer will take you after to the ministry tailor to get your robes. We look forward to you all starting first thing Monday morning!”

 

Harry got a firm handshake from Anthony and a congratulations from Parvati before he turned to follow the aurors out of the room. “Potter!” Gideon called him back.

 

Harry walked over to where the man was making notes in a black notebook with a pleased look on his face. “Yes, sir?” Harry asked, hoping he wasn’t about to get into trouble. He was certain he hadn’t used any illegal spells though…well, he hoped at least. Frankly, his had definitely been more legal than Moody's. 

 

“Good job today,” Gideon closed the book at looked at him, his blue eyes piercing.

 

“Thank you, sir,” Harry said, wondering where this was going. “I er…I like a good duel. I practiced with Dad and Sirius a lot.”

 

“I can see that,” Gideon’s eyes narrowed as if he didn’t quite buy that, but he nodded and seemed to let it go. “I realized after our conversation the other day that it’s been a while since I've seen my eldest nephew. Would you and Bill like to come to dinner at my house on Sunday night? Fabian and his wife will join us then too if that is ok with you.”

 

Harry blinked as the invitation sank in. First of all, he was going to need to start getting used to being in the Weasley/Prewett family if he was going to be with Bill, so yeah, they should definitely do this especially since Gideon was like his boss's boss's boss. Second, well, he was having to check some incorrect stereotypes and assumptions he’d made about the fashion designer twin who had a love of lace and ruffles. Right, so Fabian had a wife, and Harry really shouldn’t assume. Brilliant, anyway, so yeah, dinner…

 

“Er, yeah, I think we can. I’ll check with Bill, and he can owl you later, right?” Harry asked, not exactly sure what the polite society manners were to do in a situation like this. This dimension’s Harry probably knew all the formalities and etiquette and all, but this Harry was completely lost.

 

Gideon just smiled and nodded to his relief. “I look forward to it,” he said, giving Harry’s shoulder a squeeze before he turned and strode out of the dueling room. Harry sighed and turned to go find Moody and get fitted for his robes. Merlin, dinner with the Potters on Friday and the Prewetts on Sunday. It was going to be a busy weekend!

 

---

 

Bill tossed a fifth rag with spit-up on it into the wash, wondering how it was possible to go through so many bibs and rags and onesies in only a day. He turned the washing machine on and wandered back into the sitting room where he had a moment of quiet all to himself. Ash was currently napping in his room, Dobby was out doing the shopping, and Harry was still off at this dueling exam. Bill had only been home from work for about an hour, and had already checked on Ash twice, started the laundry, and cleaned the already clean kitchen. The silence was a little disconcerting now that he was used to his small house being full and noisy. It hadn’t taken long, but he really didn’t think he could go back to the silence of living alone in the cottage from before Harry and Ash had crashed through his floo, and he didn’t even want to think about that possibility ever.

 

The floo flared, and Bill turned around to welcome Harry back and ask about his exam. Bill’s face fell when the hurricane of Molly Weasley herself stepped out into his kitchen and smiled at him. “So I said to Ron that his brother Bill could put in a word for him at the bank,” his mum was saying, as usual starting halfway into whatever conversation she was having with him in her head from before she’d even entered the house. “And then I realized, I hadn’t even seen my baby boy in over a month! Why haven’t you been by the Burrow, William Weasley?! How could we let it get to over a month? That's just not acceptable! I understood when you were in Egypt, but we're in the same exact country.”

 

“Er…” Bill blinked and trailed off from where he was standing with a recently cleaned baby bottle in his hand that he was about to put into the cabinet. “I’ve been busy?”

 

His mum tutted and walked right over to the stove and waved her wand to get the kettle going. “Well, I’m happy to see you’re keeping the place clean. I was worried I’d be walking into a right bachelor pad here,” she chuckled. “Banish any lingerie or anything lying around quick while I’m not looking.”

 

Bill blushed and died a little of mortification. “Mum! There’s nothing to banish!” He protested, just then realized he was holding a baby bottle. Oh yeah, this was not going to go well. Lingerie would probably have been better. 

 

“Wait, Ron wants a job at the bank?” Bill asked, momentarily distracted when the first part of his mum’s rant sank in. Ron had never expressed interest in doing anything at Gringotts...ever. 

 

“No, your brother got an invitation to try out with Puddlemere United,” his mum clearly rolled her eyes and seemed to ask Merlin for patience. “Apparently, there was a surprise opening on the team. I told him he needed a back-up plan in case he didn’t make it though. You know, it’s very competitive. Besides, it’s a chaser position, and your brother was only back-up chaser and played keeper his entire time on the house team.”

 

Bill had a sinking feeling about how that position was ‘surprisingly’ open. He really hoped Harry took it well that Ron was trying out for the position that had meant to originally go to Harry himself. He really did want his brother to get a place on the team since that was his dream, but Bill also couldn’t help feeling a flash of anger at James Potter once again for what he’d done.

 

The kettle was on the stove and his mum finally turned around, placing her hands on her hips and looking him up and down. “Mum,” he said, putting the bottle on the kitchen table where her eyes snapped to it like a magnet. “Maybe let Ron try out for the team, and he can then find a back-up plan on if he doesn’t make it.”

 

“Bill…” Molly Weasley pushed her red hair back and focused with intense confusion on the bottle on the table.

 

Before she could ask the question, a small cry sounded out in the room where Bill had the monitoring charm set to notify him of Ash. Another, louder cry sounded immediately after. Well, Ash was awake, and it looked like the next meeting was inevitable.

 

“Excuse me for a second,” Bill turned to go up the stairs, needing to deal with the crying baby before the confused grandmother.

 

“William Weasley! What in Merlin’s…”

 

“Mum,” he cut her off as the cries became a little more insistent, Ash was definitely hungry. “Could you fix up that bottle, there’s formula in the pantry,” he motioned to the clean bottle on the table.

 

Not waiting for an answer, Bill hurried up the stairs and into the nursery that used to be his guestroom. They had a cot set up in there for Ash’s naps now as well as the one in his and Harry’s room and even a little one in the attic if Dobby wanted Ash close by for the night. When Harry hadn’t lost access to his trust fund, he decided that they could afford to fix up a nursery and that they didn’t need to haul the cot into different rooms when Dobby decided to keep the baby for the night or when they wanted to put the baby down for a nap.

 

They still hadn’t really decorated yet, but that was planned for as soon as they could decide on a theme since Dobby was arguing for a flower and nature theme to go with Ash's name, Harry for magical animals, and Bill wanted fish and the ocean. They all knew Dobby would win, but Bill and Harry were at least attempting to convince him of their ideas for the sake of their pride if nothing else. Well, that was if Death (or rather Steve) didn’t decide to get in on the argument again because he’d mentioned a nice graveyard theme, and Dobby had about bodily thrown the deity out of the cottage then and there no longer afraid of the being in the slightest. If he tried to get involved again, Dobby would definitely just magically paint it and overrule any arguments in retaliation.

 

Bill picked up Ash and changed his wet nappy. So, he wouldn’t say he intentionally took longer than normal changing Ash to keep from having to face his mother, but really Ash was the only one who would know, and he wasn’t going to rat Bill out, not his sweet baby. They eventually had to go downstairs though since Ash was hungry, and Molly Weasley would have to eventually be faced.

 

As he could have predicted with absolutely no Divination training, Bill’s mum was still standing in the kitchen with a bottle fixed up perfectly for Ash and a million questions on her face. “This is Ash,” Bill said, passing the baby to his mum to feed since he had no hope of his mum not stealing her grandbaby away to feed even before she knew he was her grandbaby. Molly Weasley immediately love every single baby in her presence, and that was a universal constant. 

 

Molly cooed over the baby and walked into Bill’s sitting room to sit in the armchair with Ash. “Well, aren’t you the sweetest, with the prettiest blue eyes,” she gushed while Ash greedily sucked on the bottle. “Now, my family has blue eyes just that color you know…I know my Bill wouldn’t keep a cutie like you with the Prewett eyes away from his mother though. What do you think? Whose baby are you?”

 

Right, so Ash might not be able to speak and rat him out, but his looks did tell a story, one that both was and wasn’t true. Bill really hadn’t considered that Minister Riddle’s blue eyes did actually look about the same color as his family’s did. Realistically, he had no reason to ever look at the minister’s eyes, but Ash’s eyes were very blue, just like Bill and his siblings.

 

Well, there was at least a little truth in his mum’s accusation. “I’m sorry, Mum, things have been really busy as you can imagine,” he sighed and sank into the couch, suddenly tired now that he had to face this situation he’d been avoiding and definitely making it worse by avoiding it.

 

She breathed in a shocked breath. Apparently, she hadn’t actually thought she was correct in her teasing guess. “Bill, are you telling me…? Is this my…? William Arthur Weasley…are you a father?! And why am I just now hearing about this?!”

 

Bill opened his eyes and his mother was looking right at him, holding Ash like the most precious thing in the world while she looked a mixture of awed and hurt. His heart broke at all of it. “Yeah, Mum, Ash is my son. His name is Ash Edward Potter-Weasley,” he said.

 

Molly gasped and held Ash just a little closer, kissing the top of the messy brown hair on his head. “His mother?” She asked when a wave of confusion crossed her face. “There aren’t any women in the Potter line besides Lady Lily Potter and her daughter who is still very young. A cousin?”

 

Bill was shaking his head. “No Mum, I adopted Ash. Harry Potter is his other father…erm, we’re…well, we’re together,” he said, thanking all that was holy that he’d come out to his parents several years before or this would be a whole other level of awkward.

 

“It’s been a little fast, but we’re…” he smiled at Ash believing every word. “Mum, we’re really happy.”

 

Molly Weasley’s face took on a softer tone even though she still looked confused. “But who is his mother?”

 

“A muggle woman who didn’t want him when she learned he’s magical. Harry is his biological father though,” Bill told her the story they were sticking with. “Harry needed help when he first took in Ash and came to me, and we got to know each other better, and decided we liked each other, and Harry knew how much I already love Ash…”

 

Molly opened her mouth and then closed it again. It seemed she was trying to make sense of his story and not really getting to the conclusion he was wanting her to get to on her own. “But…love…Harry Potter is the same age as Ron.” She eventually said with a frown. “How did you two even meet? Why couldn’t he go to his own family? The Potters are...well, dear, they're wealthier than sin.”

 

All very good questions that Bill wished Harry was there to help him answer. “Well, actually, Harry went to the bank to get help, and they sent him to me,” Bill answered honestly but leaving out a lot. “Harry and his family are going through a rough patch right now…I think things will be fine, but staying with them was not the best idea when he first took in Ash. There were some extenuating circumstances that aren’t my secrets to share, but which I was able to help him with.”

 

Honestly, Bill was hoping his mother thought Harry had some kind of curse on him that Bill had to break since that was the easiest explanation, but he refused to outright lie to his mother if he could absolutely avoid it. The muggle mother of Ash was about as far as he was willing to go and only then to keep Ash safe from the Department of Mysteries or the minister or whoever else would want to take him away to study him as whatever byproduct of Dark magic he was. He was just a sweet little baby, and Bill would lie through his teeth to protect him if he had to, even to his mum if she didn’t buy this story.

 

“Well, you should have owled me immediately,” Molly Weasley scoffed and kissed the top of Ash’s head again, seeming to buy the story temporarily or at least not argue the point. "I could have helped."

 

“I didn’t formally adopt him until recently,” Bill smiled, hopeful that this conversation was swinging in his favor. “It was all a bit of a surprise.”

 

He was pinned with an ice blue stare before his mum moved Ash to her shoulder to burp him. “I still could have helped out with getting him things and watching him or whatever,” she insisted. “Two men here all alone with a baby. I’m surprised the house is so clean and you are all surviving.”

 

Bill laughed and stood to get the tea his mum had forgotten about in the kitchen. “Harry has a house elf friend who is staying with us…he’s a free elf and more like family, but he’s really good with Ash and watches him when we're at work.”

 

“A free elf? Well, my gracious,” she shook her head and moved Ash to one arm to take the tea Bill handed her. “I suppose that explains it all then. When am I to meet this Harry Potter? I don’t remember hearing anything about him except from Ronald talking about the quidditch team.”

 

“He should be home any minute now,” Bill sat with his own tea. “He’s looking forward to meeting you.”

 

“Your daddy really should have brought you to Sunday dinner, yes, he should,” Molly baby-talked to Ash with a smile. “He’s going to bring you this week though to meet your granddaddy, yes, he is.”

 

Bill supposed there was no getting out of it. He really should have looped in his mother well before now. “I’m pretty sure we’re free Sunday, he said just as the floo sounded from the kitchen.

 

“I passed!” Harry called out after what suspiciously sounded like a thump from where he’d fallen out of the floo. The man may be scary powerful, but he absolutely could not gracefully exit a floo. “And Bill! You won’t believe who I’ve been assigned to for training! I might have made a new friend too, but I'm shite at making friends, so we'll see. Oh, and are we free Sunday? Your uncle wants to have us to dinner…”

 

Harry trailed off as soon as he entered the sitting room and saw Molly Weasley holding his son in one arm and sipping a cup of tea with her other. “Er…hello Mrs. Weasley…I'm erm, I'm Harry Potter...good to meet you.”

 

“Yes, dear, I know, and just why has one of my brothers met you before me?” Molly Weasley smiled with a look that told Bill she wasn’t offended in the slightest but getting some amusement at Harry being thrown off balance. Merlin, but it was occasionally shocking to realize the twins had gotten their mischievous streak from somewhere, and it wasn’t their father.

 

Harry shuffled his feet and looked a little embarrassed at wearing his workout clothes from the exam when he first met Bill’s mum. Bill really did want to put his mind at ease though especially since his mother was definitely messing with him now. “Harry, babe, come sit,” he held out a hand and tugged Harry over to sit beside him when he took it. “Mum, Harry has been trying out for the aurors, and apparently, he just passed his dueling exam. It went well?”

 

“Yeah,” Harry breathed out a little rush of relief when Bill’s mum bounced Ash some and smiled. “I’ve been assigned to Auror Moody for training.”

 

“Ah, Alastor, he’s a good man. He and my husband do drinks now and then,” Molly nodded. “I would have thought you would be assigned to your father though?”

 

Harry blinked a little like he’d momentarily forgotten he had a father, which wasn’t actually out of the realm of possibility. “Oh, er…that would be a conflict of interest. Erm…Mrs. Weasley…what exactly has Bill told you about us?”

 

Harry nervously looked between himself, Bill, and Ash. Molly Weasley’s smile just grew wider though. “Call me Molly or Mum, dear…it sounds like we’re family now,” she said and passed Ash to Bill.

 

Molly stepped over and shoved Bill some to sit between them on the couch. “Now, dear, Bill said you are going through some difficult things with my grandson’s mother and your family, so I won’t pry, but you need to know I’m here to give anyone an earful if you need me to,” she said emphatically, causing Harry to look over at Bill seeming at a loss for words.

 

Bill chuckled and stood with Ash. “I’ll pour you some tea,” he said, leaving them to it.

 

“My son can’t cook for the life of him, and you are too skinny. You must come over to my house for dinner on Saturday. You’re eating with my brothers on Sunday? Well, then that’ll get you two meals,” his mum was ranting while Bill tried to hold in a laugh.

 

“But…Bill is a good cook,” Harry said in his defense though Bill’s mum was already onto another subject.

 

---

 

Harry found himself ordered into walking Molly Weasley out of the house and to the edge of the property to apparate even though she could have used the floo for some reason. Dobby had shown up at the cottage shortly after Harry, and he and Molly had gotten on like a house on fire. He’d shown Molly the nursery and explained his plans for it while Molly exclaimed over all Dobby’s ideas and promised to send along any old clothes and toys she’d kept from her own kids. Frankly, Harry could almost see the knitting projects being planned in every enthusiastic hand gesture and coo over Ash who just loved the attention.

 

“Now, dear, you floo call if you need anything at all,” Molly told him when they stepped out of the house. “If that lovely Dobby needs a day off or to do something when you boys are at work, I’m always happy to babysit, and I’ll send over those old clothes and toys immediately. William said Ash is seeing our family healer, so I know you're all set up there, but I do think I have some parenting books still on hand that I can send your way. Now, don’t even think about bringing anything Saturday. You just come ready to eat and meet the family.”

 

“Yes, ma’am,” he said, not sure if he was more terrified or less at that comment.

 

They walked just to the edge of the wards before Molly promptly turned on her heel and looked at him with eyes that would put her brother’s to shame in an interrogation. Harry swallowed as he felt the weight of whatever she was about to say and the reason she’d insisted he walk her out to the wards alone.

 

“I won’t presume to know what is going on in your life, Harry, and I will not pry,” she told him as she reached out and took one of his hands in hers. “I need you to know I’m here for you though, and not as Bill’s mum.”

 

“Er…ok, I don’t think I understand,” Harry frowned, not knowing in the slightest what the woman was getting at.

 

She gave him a sad smile. “Dear, I may be jumping to completely wrong conclusions, and I’m sorry if I am, but my son is ten years older than you. You came here to him when you needed help, and he helped you and your son in your time of need. Maybe all your feelings for each other are genuine and real, but maybe…just maybe, you are in a vulnerable situation, and my son showed you kindness and fell for you and your sweet baby, and it’s possible…well, it’s possible that one day you’re going to wake up and wonder if all those feelings are really love or just gratitude,” she paused, and Harry about cut in to protest, but she stopped him with a look.

 

“If that day should ever come, and I hope for all our sakes it doesn’t, but if it does…” she looked at him with a sad smile. “I want to say here and now that you aren’t alone. I used to be a social worker before I was a mum, and I know pain when I see it. I don’t know where yours comes from, and I won’t ask until you’re ready to tell me. But I want you to know that you have options, and I’m here to help you, even if that means you and my son don’t work out in the long run.”

 

Harry hadn’t realized Molly Weasley had been a social worker in her past. Actually, he didn’t remember hearing about her having any job except for fighting with the Order during both wars. Without the war, he supposed she probably had more options though in this dimension, and unsurprisingly, a social worker seemed just perfect for the Weasley matriarch. He squeezed her hand and smiled back hearing her words for what they were, an offer of support…something he’d always gotten from her, even when things were the darkest.

 

“Thank you, Molly,” he said with a little catch in his voice. “I really do love your son, but I hear what you are saying. And even if things don’t work out…Ash is still legally Bill’s son. He’s still your grandson. I’d never keep any of you from him. I know…I know with all my heart that Bill loves him just as much as I do.”

 

Molly patted his hand and let it go finally. “I know that too, love. But you need to take care of yourself too. You let me know if I need to go give anyone an earful, you hear?”

 

“Yes, ma’am,” he smiled with a chuckle. Molly gave him one more smile before she turned on the spot and apparated away.

 

Harry let out a breath and couldn’t help the wild laugh that escaped his lungs at the whole insane situation they were in. Molly Weasley just pulled him right back into the family and now he had dinner with the Potters on Friday, the Weasleys on Saturday, and the Prewetts on Sunday. How the hell were they going to survive the weekend?! And Merlin, then he started work on Monday with Alastor bloody Moody the most suspicious man on the planet! Yes, things were going very well...

Notes:

Up Next: The most chaotic weekend of all...

Chapter 14: Dinner #1

“You sure you don’t want me to babysit? I don't mind spending time with my godbaby,” Death asked as he held baby Ash while Harry was probably driving Dobby crazy while he ‘helped’ clean the kitchen because his nerves wouldn’t let him stand still for even a minute. He'd been running on adrenaline all day and the dinner with the Potters was looming ever present on the horizon. 

 

“Hell no, Ash is our human shield,” Harry gave a small unhinged laugh. “There is no way the Potters are going to start anything with their baby grandson in the room.”

 

“If anyone babysits, it will be Dobby,” the elf sniffed with a glare over at the being who seemed to be hanging out at the house even more than usual which was already a lot. 

 

Death bounced the baby on his lap. “Severus did not come for breakfast this morning, and it is crepe day,” he remarked, and ah, that must be why. And it all became clear. Merlin but Death was weird! 

 

Harry gave up on helping clean when Dobby finally shoved him out of the way of the sink and he instead collapsed into a chair at the table with Death and Ash. “He’s working on a time-sensitive potion at his lab,” Harry explained to the being. “He probably won’t be back by until Monday morning by what he said last we saw him.”

 

Death frowned and looked irritated at that. Harry rolled his eyes and reached out for Ash who Death finally handed over to him. “You know, you can go bother him at his lab if you want. I bet it’s impossible to keep Death out of any place you want to go,” Harry reminded him, thinking Snape was probably not going to thank him later for saying it, but it was true. “He’s not going to be happy if you interrupt his brewing though or make yourself a nuisance.”

 

“I am as old as time itself, so I do know how to brew potions perfectly well if you must know,” Death sniffed but seemed to brighten slightly if that could be said about Death who had an aura of…well darkness around him constantly.

 

Harry just shook his head in bemusement and kissed Ash’s messy hair. “I don’t know what you see in him, or what’s going on there, but I really don’t want any part of any of this.”

 

“Any part of what?” Bill asked when he jumped down the last stair into the kitchen while straightening the tie he had put on for some strange reason.

 

“I find him interesting and complex,” Death answered Harry instead of Bill. “It is very rare you humans are anything besides completely boring…present company excluded of course,” he added with a look and razor-sharp smile at everyone in the room.

 

“Ah, Severus,” Bill nodded as if it all made sense now. In Harry’s opinion, nothing made sense when Death was involved though, but whatever.

 

“Do I need to dress nicer? Is there like a dress code for family dinner or something that I don’t know about?” He asked, looking from Bill’s tie and dress shirt and slacks to his own jeans and t-shirt.

 

Bill looked him up and down and gave him a little grimace. “Erm, I think you look great babe, and it won’t matter with my family, but…”

 

“Dobby will lay Master Harry out clothes,” Dobby sat down the pan he was drying and popped away, most likely to Harry’s closet. Harry just huffed, giving up again on getting Dobby to stop calling him 'master' even when he clearly wasn't Dobby's master in the slightest. 

 

“Your parents are very posh,” Bill smiled apologetically and reached to take Ash from him. Bill smiled at the baby who blew a spit bubble at him in return. “We probably need to brush your hair too, sweetheart, and change a nappy.”

 

“Change his onesie while you’re at it. A blue one maybe to set off his eyes,” Harry nervously suggested when he stood to go see what Dobby thought was appropriate for posh parents.

 

“Well, since I am not needed here,” Death stood and straightened the sleeves of his pristine black suit.

 

“Do try not to scare Severus into your realm. We would kind of like to keep him for a while longer,” Bill warned before Death disappeared silently, leaving an echo of darkness that quickly dissipated in the bright room. “You’d think a deity would be busier and not have time to hang around messing with us all.”

 

Harry laughed before turning to go up the stairs. “I think he delegates, but I’m absolutely not going to ask who to. I really don’t want to know.”

 

He hurried up the stairs to see a pair of dark slacks and a white button-down laid out for him on the bed, minus a tie thank Merlin. Of all the weekend dinners they had coming up, this one was the one he was most concerned about. He didn’t think Gideon and Fabian had any ulterior motives or a desire to interrogate him, so that was probably going to be the easiest. Plus, he didn't know them and wasn't supposed to, so all clear there. 

 

Bill’s parents and siblings were going to be exceptionally difficult but for much different reasons than the Potters. Just seeing Ron…or Fred, was going to be gut-wrenching. Plus, none of them would know him…or not this version of him anyway. He knew Ron and Ginny at least would notice he was different since they were on the quidditch team with old Harry, but he and Bill had a story, and they thought it would work at least for now. If it didn’t work, Harry wasn’t against letting the Weasleys in on his secret if they had to. Bill voted to keep it as a last resort even though he trusted his family, but the more people who knew, then the more danger Harry and Ash were in.

 

For now though, they just had to survive the Potters. Harry hurried back downstairs now that he was ‘appropriately’ dressed to see Ash clean of spit up, with moderately neat hair, and wearing the blue onesie. “You are the absolute best thing that’s happened to us,” Harry just strode right over and pulled Bill down into a crushing kiss, meaning every word.

 

“Is this just because I changed the baby? I can do a lot more impressive things babe. You've seen nothing yet,” Bill chuckled against his lips when Harry finally pulled back slightly.

 

Harry felt his face flush but decided to ignore it in favor of getting them all out the floo so they wouldn’t be late. “Well, let’s just survive this weekend, and then maybe we can talk about you showing me some of those things you can do. I'm getting a little impatient to see all those... impressive things.”

 

Bill made some kind of shocked, choking sound while Harry shoved him towards the floo. Harry couldn’t help his little chuckle at the sound. Harry may be the virgin in this relationship, but he was quickly learning that Bill was surprisingly easy to fluster, and he was loving taking advantage of that any time he could.

 

“Yeah, yeah, I’m talking about sex. Just keep me from cursing anyone or blowing my cover this weekend, and we can have a talk about some clothes coming off and fun bedroom things to do.”

 

“You are absolutely not helping at all while we literally head to your bloody parents’ house right this second,” Bill glared but did walk to the floo and grab the floo powder off the mantle.

 

Harry just shrugged unrepentantly. “Not really my parents, but I promise you’re going to love Emily at least. James and Lily…I haven’t figured them out yet. Maybe we just need more time or something.”

 

Bill held out the powder for him. “You go first and make sure the wards are open for me to come through. You want me to carry Ash? You aren’t exactly the most graceful floo traveler.”

 

“They invited you, so you better be able to get there,” Harry said, but he did hand Ash over because Bill had a good point there. There had to be a secret to floo travel, but he absolutely hadn’t learned it yet. He grabbed a handful of the powder and threw it in. “Potter Manor!”

 

Somehow he ended up doing a complicated pirouette out of the fireplace with a spin on the rug to collapse right in front of Lily Potter. The woman chuckled and held out a hand. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen the like of whatever that was!” She laughed as she helped pull Harry from the ground.

 

He blushed, but smiled back at her, feeling some of his anxiety fall away at the joy sparkling in her eyes. He’d never heard his mother laugh before, and he found he really liked it. “Er…hi…erm, Bill is coming through next with Ash. Can he get through?”

 

“Yes, dear, of course,” she clearly tried to stifle her laughter. “Suddenly I’m glad you didn’t try to carry the baby. What even was that?”

 

Harry shrugged sheepishly. “I’m much better at apparition, but Bill has never been here before, and I haven’t been outside your house to have a place to apparate to outside your wards.”

 

“Oh…I hadn’t thought of that,” she frowned, suddenly not laughing at all. She clearly hadn’t realized that Harry had literally no clue where he was or even where the manor was. “You’ve never been here before? Well, besides that one dinner.”

 

Harry was shaking his head just as the floo flared and Bill stepped out with Ash as if he’d just walked across the room. It was bloody hot just as everything the man did was though. Well, in Harry’s opinion at least, but he was pretty certain that was just objective truth.

 

“Mr. Weasley, Harry,” James Potter entered the doorway and gave them both polite nods. “Welcome to our home.”

 

“Bill please,” Bill held out a hand to James who shook it with probably a little too much force.

 

“Lily,” she held out her hand next before smiling brightly at the baby. “And this much be baby Ash.”

 

Bill turned the baby a little so she could see him better. “Would you like to hold him?”

 

“More than anything,” she beamed as Bill passed the baby into her arms. “Well, you are the absolute cutest! With the prettiest blue eyes! I’m your Grandma Lily. Hello. I’m going to spoil you rotten.”

 

Harry held back a wince. There was absolutely nothing wrong with what she was saying. He was glad Lily was happy to see Ash and welcome him to the family. It’s just…he had a little too much of an uncomfortable feeling he’d been raised a lot more like Dudley or maybe Draco Malfoy in this dimension than he’d like. Spoiling a baby rotten was one thing, but the Potters would maybe need a few boundaries as Ash got older…hopefully not, but maybe…There just had to be a happy medium between his own ‘upbringing’ and Dudley’s, right? Bill would know at least, another reason they both needed him.

 

“Well, shall we go to the dining room?” James asked while Lily cooed over the baby. “Lily insisted on having the house elves make our Harry’s favorite roast. Though it’s possible you won’t even like it. I suppose we shouldn't assume.”

 

Harry frowned but followed James out of the room. “I’m really not picky at all. I’m sure I’ll love it.”

 

“He even thinks my roast is good,” Bill laughed brightly, giving Harry a teasing look with his blue eyes soft. “And I’m really not known as the chef in my family, so he’s not lying.”

 

“You’re a good cook,” Harry rolled his eyes at Bill with a smile. Just because Molly was some kind of amazingly wonderful cook didn’t mean Bill wasn’t good, it was just the comparison wasn’t all that fair in Harry's opinion.

 

“Hey Harry,” Emily looked up from the book she was reading at what must be the formal dining table instead of the one in the kitchen he’d seen last time he’d been there. Using the formal dining room was uncomfortable, and Harry was worried his very limited table manners weren't up to it in the slightest. He was suddenly glad he’d changed into the clothes Dobby sat out for him. If he'd shown up in his jeans, he thought he might die of mortification or something. 

 

“Hey Em,” He frowned and walked over quickly to kneel beside her once he'd gotten a good look at her face. She had red around her eyes like she’d been crying and generally didn’t have the energy he was used to seeing in her. “Hey, everything ok? You seem a bit down. Did something happen?”

 

He barely noticed James startle slightly in his peripheral vision as if the observation surprised him. It was something Harry noted to think over later. “You ok, bug?” James echoed his concern kindly though.

 

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Emily sniffed. “It’s just…I don’t know. It just hit me earlier again when I walked by his room…about our Harry, you know? I mean, you’re great, please don’t think I don’t like you…!”

 

Harry pulled her into his arms and rubbed her back as he felt and heard a sniffle over his shoulder. “Hey, I know. Grief comes in waves, love. It hits you when you least expect it. You’ll be doing fine one day, then you’ll see something that reminds you of them, and suddenly it’ll be like it happened yesterday.”

 

“I just…I don’t want you to think we don’t want you here,” she sniffed again.

 

Harry squeezed her tightly then pulled back a little to look her in the eyes. “I know, love, but this has nothing to do with me. You and your parents lost someone close to you. I’m not a replacement, and I’m not going to try to be. I’m here for you, and I want to make a relationship work. I know that’s complicated since I have to pretend to be your Harry out in the world, but here…here with you, I’m just your new stepbrother, right? You can even call me something different if you want like Har or Ry or Bob or whatever.”

 

She gave a wet laugh at the suggestion. “Maybe not Bob.”

 

He smiled and shrugged, happy to see the tears wiped away and her face brightening again. “I don’t know; I could pass for a Bob.”

 

“No, you really couldn’t,” Bill stepped forward and put a hand on Harry’s back. “Hullo, I’m Bill Weasley. Harry has told me a lot of good things about you.”

 

“He’d told me a lot about you too,” Emily smiled and blushed shyly a little at Bill, which almost made Harry roll his eyes with a chuckle. It seemed they were definitely related genetically at least. Maybe Bill just had that effect on Potters, the younger of them at least.

 

“Come here, baby,” Lily joined them and pulled Emily into a one-armed hug while she held Ash in the other. “You know, you can always tell us when something’s bothering you, right?”

 

Emily sniffed and nodded. “Yeah, Mum. Let’s just…let’s have dinner, ok?”

 

James cleared his throat and sat down, motioning for everyone else to join him. “Yes, lets. Pip!”

 

Suddenly the table was laden with food after a sharp pop. Harry moved to the other side of the table and sat in a seat next to Bill. He looked over the food with a frown, wondering yet again what had happened to his family’s home and property in his own dimension. Were there house elves somewhere he was supposed to be taking care of that he hadn’t known about? He hoped these elves were being taken care of and had good lives, but maybe he shouldn’t try to start SPEW in this dimension during his first actual dinner with his new family.

 

“Do you want me to take him so you can eat?” Harry asked Lily, motioning to Ash.

 

Lily chuckled and kissed Ash’s head who looked perfectly content being held by his grandmother. “I got him dear. Don’t worry about me, I’ve eaten many meals holding my babies. You just take a break and enjoy the food. I’m having the time of my life holding a baby again. It's been a long time.”

 

They got through a tasty first course and into the very excellent roast with only light conversation about the weather, Bill’s job, Ash’s developmental milestones, and what Emily had been doing over the summer before the first difficult question was posed. “So, Harry, you never sent me your NEWT results,” Lily said conversationally, but with a slight tone of exasperation as well. “We have plenty of opportunities for you at the company, but I need your NEWTs to know where to put you.”

 

“Harry did excellently on his NEWTs,” Bill said proudly while Harry just blinked in confusion yet again. Was she still on that? It seemed that Emily might have been right, and they really did expect him to work for the company. He’d kind of hoped they’d just forget about all that, but it seemed they hadn’t.

 

He just shrugged and blushed some in embarrassment. He was still not used to being able and even encouraged to admit to any academic achievement, having had to play everything down to be ‘less than’ Dudley and then because he didn’t want Ron to get upset if he’d done better than him…to be clear, it was not for anything Ron had said, it’s just…that’s how he’d been raised.

 

“I did ok,” he said eventually.

 

James sighed and put down his fork. “Whatever it is, we’ll find something for you, but we must be realistic. If you only have one or two NEWTs, then we may need to start you in more of an assistant role or even internship.”

 

Bill put his fork down next and frowned even though Harry didn’t know why he was upset. “Harry got O’s in DADA, Potions, Muggle Studies, and Charms. He passed Transfiguration and Care of Magical Creatures with E’s. He even had an A in Herbology, and he only didn’t pass History with a P, which is understandable since he isn’t even from this dimension…and still had Binns as a teacher unfortunately.”

 

All the Potters seemed slightly taken aback at the list until finally Lily let out a breath and chuckled. “Well, then, that makes everything easier. Congratulations Harry! An O in Potions is wonderful. We’ll find you a really good place at the company then.”

 

“Er…I already have a job,” he said slowly, not sure how this was going to go over with the parents.

 

“I applied and passed all the tests for my new job and start on Monday. So, I don’t need a place at the family business…er, thank you though,” he added at the end, hoping he didn’t come off as rude. Emily gave him a grimace and supporting smile, and Harry waited while his words seemed to sink in.

 

“You got a job? Already?” Lily just repeated his words while taking a fork out of Ash’s hand that he’d stolen from the table with a squeal.

 

“Well, yeah,” he shrugged, not seeing why this was shocking. “That’s what you do, right? You graduate then get a job.”

 

James shook his head and cleared his throat. “Well, I suppose you are correct. With your scores, I you do have options. What job are you starting on Monday then?”

 

Harry looked him in the eyes and smiled, hoping this would make James happy for some reason he didn't want to examine in his broken mind. “I’ll be an auror with you. I’ve been assigned to Alastor Moody as his new trainee.”

 

James dropped his fork on his plate again and sat up straighter with a frown. “Excuse me, did you say you joined the aurors? And they assigned you to Moody? Why didn’t I know about this?! Why didn’t you say anything?!”

 

Harry winced at the sharp raise of his voice. James didn’t exactly look upset at the news though, but more that he hadn’t been told. Harry looked between them in confusion. “You said you didn’t want to see me until this dinner, so why would I tell you? It would be a conflict of interest for me to involve you in my application process anyway. I went to talk to Bill’s uncle directly since that would be the procedure to apply to avoid that conflict of interest.”

 

James’s eyes cut to Bill. “Gideon Prewitt is your uncle,” he said as understanding crossed his face. He must not have put together that his boss and Bill were related until that very moment. “That’s why he was overseeing the dueling exam then…”

 

“Yeah,” Harry answered the unspoken question.

 

“But…but you have a baby…” Lily said next with a frown in her eyes.

 

Again, Harry was confused. “Er…James would have had me when he was starting as an auror…and well, Emily later. I don’t see how that’s relevant.”

 

Lily was shaking her head though. “No, Harry dear, that was different. You’re a single parent, and the auror job is dangerous with sometimes unpredictable hours.”

 

“But he’s not a single parent. He has me,” Bill spoke up, putting a hand on Harry’s shoulder and giving him a soft smile. Harry breathed out, feeling the support from Bill relax his nerves slightly.

 

“I for one think Har will make an excellent auror,” Emily said, clearly trying to help, but the parents weren’t looking any less frustrated at something Harry couldn’t comprehend.

 

“That’s very sweet of you dear. I’m sure you have helped out a lot,” Lily said dismissively to Bill and ignored Emily’s input entirely. “But we really can’t ask that of you. Harry will move in here with us, and we’ll help him take care of Ash.”

 

“Wait…what?” Harry protested in shocked confusion now. Where had that come from?!

 

“Excuse me,” Bill said at the same time, leaning forward as if to grab Ash even though he was at the other end of the table. Harry himself was wondering if he should reach for Ash.

 

“Your mother is right,” James said dismissively, leaning back and crossing his arms. And what did Harry even say to that? He should correct the mother thing, shouldn’t he?

 

“If you are going to continue with this plan of yours, you'll need to move in here where we have Mimsy to care for the baby,” James continued. “Though, I doubt any of this will last long, Auror Moody is known for washing out his trainees almost immediately, it’s why he’s not normally assigned a trainee.”

 

“But…but I have Dobby,” Harry lamely added, looking at Bill with confusion on his face, but Bill’s look just hardened and he pursed his lips. It seemed Bill wasn’t sure what to say to all this either.

 

“Dobby?” Lily asked.

 

“My house elf?” Harry said, not meaning for it to come out as a question but somehow it did. “I er…I bought him. And I have Bill, and Snape, and well…er, Steve…I have loads of help.”

 

“Snivellus,” James snorted and rolled his eyes in disgust. “So, your mother wasn’t teasing when she said you named him godfather. Really, of all the people…”

 

“Who is Steve?” Emily cut in to ask, seemingly trying to deflect from the landmines Harry just kept walking into unknowingly. Harry then realized he hadn’t mentioned Death in any form to any of them before. Well, he wasn’t planning on telling them the truth about the deity at any point in time.

 

“Steve Weasley…er, Bill’s…cousin,” Harry said with a look at Bill and a shrug, hoping that was the lie they were going with. “We named him godmother…or the other godfather or whatever.”

 

“You will move in to manor here, and that’s final,” James said firmly as if that was the final word. “We need to sort your kid’s paperwork too. If you’re to be an auror, you can’t have a child without a birth certificate on file. You chose the worse profession to keep your dimension travel a secret. We'll just have to work around that now though.”

 

So, James maybe had a point there about the secret, but the rest of it… “I’m not moving in here,” he said slowly. How had this even become a thing? He’d only planned on eating dinner, answering uncomfortable questions about his life in the other dimension, and leaving. They hadn’t even asked anything about his life before, just insisted he move in…what was this?

 

“My cousin Steve is a solicitor,” Bill put his hand on Harry’s shoulder and squeezed it comfortingly. “He took care of Ash’s paperwork for us. Everything is in perfect order with the ministry.”

 

“But Ash’s mother,” Lily sighed as if they just weren't listening, but Harry didn't think it was him and Bill who weren't listening. “We talked it over and, and we have some acquaintances in France who owe us a favor. We can list their daughter as the mother and have her immediately sign all rights away. It’s the perfect solution. You’ll move in here, and Mimsy and I will help with the baby. We already have a nursery set up for him.”

 

Harry was just shaking his head at this point not knowing how they'd gotten here. He was starting to feel cornered and was feeling the panic rising. He didn’t do well when he panicked. Bill’s hand was the only thing grounding him currently as he tried to breathe. “I’m not moving in. I live with Bill. We live with Bill.”

 

“Harry can stay with me for as long as he wants to. He doesn’t need to leave,” Bill said in a tone that was almost pleading like he was afraid Harry might actually leave. Well, that just wasn’t happening!

 

“Harry, you are being unreasonable,” James said in a patronizing tone that clearly said he was unwilling to listen to any argument. Anytime anyone had ever used that tone on Harry before, it had definitely not gone in his favor whether that was Dumbledore, the Minister of Magic, or…well, the one who had used it the most on him was Umbridge, and Harry felt himself rubbing the scar on the back of his hand and trying to chase away the flashbacks of pain and blood and torture.

 

“Listen to your mother,” James continued, not seeing Harry’s distress or not caring one. “It is all for the best. You are a child and not capable of raising a baby on your own. Plus, if our Harry had a drug problem, then you may have a propensity towards addiction yourself. You should stay here where we can keep an eye on you and make sure you’re safe and making good decisions.”

 

Harry was somehow standing. He hadn’t remembered standing, but here he was, and he wasn’t going to be told what to do by this man who he didn’t even know and who didn’t know him in the slightest. He shoved his chair back and walked over to Lily.

 

“Give me my son,” he held his arms out, ignoring her wide-eyed look of surprise.

 

“Harry, really…”

 

“Lily, give me my son,” he said with all the authority he’d used on the battlefield and pinned her with probably just as cold of eyes.

 

“Mum,” Emily said in a small tone. “Har isn’t Harry. He isn’t your son.”

 

Lily slowly passed Ash to Harry who clutched the now cranky baby to his chest. “Harry…” Lily started again.

 

“No,” he said, turning to James. Bill was standing now too, and thankfully already by his side. “I am not moving in here. I live with Bill. Bill and I are together, as in we are a couple.”

 

“Really!” James sputtered, looking up at Bill with hard eyes. “But he’s a…how old are you?”

 

Harry let out a growl of frustration at this man just not listening to him in the slightest. “It doesn’t matter. This is my life,” he said coldly. “Bill is legally Ash’s father now, so you will not be taking my son away from me or his other father, you hear. As for any propensity for addiction I may or may not have, I’ve never drank or done drugs and don’t plan to start. Bill doesn’t even keep wine in his house anymore. Plus, Bill doesn’t have a problem, and he has more claim to Ash than you two. Don’t make me fight you on this; you will not win.”

 

“My cousin in an excellent solicitor. Do not make us request his services,” Bill said coldly next, and Merlin, but that was right. Harry could see Death going up against these two, but he didn’t think they deserved that even after their blatant refusal to listen to him.

 

“I will see you at work on Monday…Auror Potter,” Harry said coldly before looking over at Emily and softening his face. “Em, I’ll owl, ok?”

 

“Yeah, Har,” she nodded firmly and glared at her parents.

 

Not waiting for any more protests he didn’t want to hear, Harry just turned and walked towards what he hoped was the front door. Bill hurried along on his heels, grumbling obscenities under his breath at the whole situation.

 

“Harry, wait!” James Potter called out, but Harry had found the door, and he threw it open and walked out into the evening. He didn’t have to deal with this, and he refused to. Thankfully, James didn’t catch up to him before he crossed the wards, and Harry turned on the spot just a second after Bill did as well.

 

---

 

“What the bloody hell was that?!” Harry indignantly fumed as soon as they stepped into Shell Cottage and into the peace of home and safety.

 

“I wonder if that’s how they treated their own son,” Bill took Ash from Harry and strode towards the kitchen to make a bottle since the baby was getting exceptionally fussy now.

 

“Did they just control his life and expect him to fall in line?!” Harry fumed, thankful that it seemed Dobby had left the house or was at least in the attic because he wouldn’t put it past the elf to go to Potter Manor and yell at the Potter himself. “Emily seems too well-adjusted for that.”

 

“She isn’t the heir,” Bill let out a breath and seemed to deflate against the counter. “It’s actually pretty common that heirs in pureblood families have a lot of expectations put on them from both their families and society. I know you aren’t exactly a pureblood, but the Potter family is old and well-respected. Even my dad expects me to look after my younger siblings and have some level of respect in society, and the Weasleys are notoriously not concerned with all the pureblood nonsense…well, that and we just really don’t have any money.”

 

Harry didn’t have any point of reference for any of this since he was only really close with Ron and Hermione. Neville probably would have had a lot of that expectation placed on him, but with what happened to his parents during the war, Harry figured that would influence things. However…Neville did explain how his family had been almost obsessed with making him show accidental magic growing up, and he was always concerned with what his Gran thought. Maybe he had seen some aspects of this. Plus…plus, there was Draco Malfoy…

 

Harry winced. Damn, it seemed he'd been wrong and original Harry hadn't been raised like Dudley, but uncomfortably like Draco Malfoy. There he’d seen some of the pureblood expectation to the family in action. Malfoy crying in a bathroom in sixth year with his family’s lives hanging in the balance on him completing an impossible task. Merlin, but Harry could suddenly see how his counterpart might have gotten into a drug problem…he didn’t agree, but maybe he could understand just a little more.

 

“I don’t care,” Harry finally concluded and crashed into the armchair, all his fight leaving his body. “You and Ash are my family, not them. I don’t need them, and I’m not touching that bank vault ever again. I start work in a couple days, so we don’t need the money, and we don’t need them.”

 

Bill finished the bottle and came into the sitting room to join him. Ash was finally happy with the bottle in his mouth and kicking his little legs. “It’s your decision Harry, and I'll support you no matter what you want to do,” Bill said with a sad look at him. “I don’t want them to distress you, but they are your family in some form. You don’t have to let them into your life if you don’t want to, and we don’t need the money. But…their actions aren’t unexpected…”

 

Harry raised an eyebrow and just stared at him. “Really? Not unexpected?”

 

Bill shrugged and seemed to be weighing his words carefully. “They’re clearly confusing you with their son, and none of their expectations are outside of the realm of what some families do in our society...not that I agree with them in the slightest. I’m just saying, that maybe you keep owling Emily and don’t completely burn the bridge with your parents because they may realize their mistakes when they aren’t so much in the middle of their grief.”

 

Harry thought over his words and still wasn’t sure what he wanted to do. He’d have to have some sort of working relationship with James, and Lily did really care for Ash. He wasn’t caving though to whatever this fucked up pureblood thing was. He was absolutely not going to let them railroad over him and make decisions for him. He had experienced that too often in his life and was done with it.

 

He ran a hand over the words carved into the back of his hand. Bill’s eyes tracked to the movement, and he frowned deeper. “Harry…?”

 

“I hear you Bill,” Harry cut him off, not willing to explain tonight after all he’d been through already. He was just too tired. “I can’t be their son though, and I frankly don’t care enough to try right now. If they apologize, then I’ll listen, but that’s all I have in me to give right now.”

 

“I think that’s all anyone can or should ask of you,” Bill reached across the distance to take his hand with a sad smile. “And that may be asking too much anyway. Do you want me to cancel with my parents tomorrow? We don’t have to go. I promise you they will understand.”

 

Harry let out a breath and just held onto Bill's hand with all he had. “No, let’s just get this over with.”

 

Bill snorted a dry laugh and kissed the back of Harry's hand right over the words there. “That’s the spirit.”

Notes:

Up next: And now on to the Weasleys...

Chapter 15: Dinner #2

Harry tiredly yawned before he slowly began cracking eggs for breakfast. It was blissfully quiet in the kitchen since Bill and Ash were both sleeping in after a very fussy night, probably because Ash had picked up on all the stress and anger from his dads at their failed dinner. Dobby was off doing laundry, which had become an almost every day chore with how many messes Ash created, Bill and Harry’s clothes, and Dobby seemed to only use his salary on clothes and chocolate, so he was maybe surprisingly the best dressed person in the house these days. So, Harry was all alone in the kitchen since he couldn’t make himself sleep any longer.

 

It was nice, having a moment to himself. It was also a little too quiet if he was being honest with himself. He’d gotten used to the noise and chaos of Shell Cottage. Harry only hoped Bill had too and that he wasn’t missing his peaceful bachelor life they’d dropped in on and completely wiped away all in a day. Bill kept swearing that he didn’t want them to leave though and hadn’t made any hints even at needing space. Harry was watching diligently though, as soon as Bill made any suggestion that they leave, he would immediately. It would break his heart, but he would do that for Bill.

 

He started scrambling the eggs and tried as hard as he could to not think about the disaster of a dinner the night before or what might be waiting for them at the Burrow later that evening. He was being less than successful when he heard the front door creak open slowly. “Shouldn’t we knock?” A familiar voice asked in a loud whisper.

 

Harry sighed and put down the bowl of eggs, wondering if there was any way to get out of this. “No, the baby is probably asleep,” Remus’s voice answered. “I’m just going to stick my head in and see if Dobby is awake. If he isn’t, then we can start cooking some breakfast for them.”

 

“You know this is technically trespassing,” Sirius answered the man.

 

Harry walked over and looked into the sitting room where the two were creeping in and suddenly looking very sheepish at his glare. “I’m going to have Bill restrict your access to the wards,” Harry raised an eyebrow at Remus because this wasn’t acceptable behavior at this early in the morning.

 

Remus actually looked surprised at that. “But, Harry…I’m sorry, but we didn’t want to wake you if you were asleep. We were worried.”

 

“Then you could have come later in the morning,” Harry put his hands on his hips and glared even harder at them. “At least Snape doesn’t come to the house before 8am.”

 

“We’re so sorry and won’t do it again,” Sirius stepped forward and around Remus quickly. “We heard about last night, and we were worried about you and Bill and the baby.”

 

Harry just sighed and motioned for them to follow him back to the kitchen. He supposed he could add some more eggs and set two more places for breakfast. Merlin, but breakfasts were becoming surprisingly busy in their house for some reason. At least they were always up early because of the baby, so small mercies. 

 

“How are you doing, Har?” Sirius asked, sitting at the table while Harry found some more eggs to add into the mixture in the bowl.

 

“And can I help?” Remus asked, motioning to where Harry had set out some ham to fry up next.

 

“Sure, and we’re…I don’t know,” he shrugged, not currently being able to answer Sirius. “Are you going to tell me to apologize to them because I’m not feeling very generous right now.”

 

“Hell no!” Sirius scoffed loudly. “I learned my lesson, now it’s your parents’ turn. They need to apologize to you, and that’s what we told James when he stopped by our place last night to rant.”

 

Harry didn’t think that was going to do any good. “Yeah, well, I’m pretty sure they don’t want me as a son, so I don’t think it’ll matter regardless. I don’t bloody know what they want from me, but whatever it is, I just can’t give it, not anymore. And frankly, I don’t care to try as horrible as that sounds.”

 

“Harry,” Remus stopped what he was doing to turn to Harry and meet his eyes. “That’s not horrible at all, and you are under no obligation to twist yourself into some other version of yourself from another dimension who you’ve never even met before. Lily and James are at fault here. By what we understood from James’s insane rant, it doesn’t sound like they know anything about your life or what you’ve been through. We haven’t told them much since we don’t even know a lot of particulars, and I thought…maybe mistakenly, that it should come from you anyway. But now…I think they have their heads so far up their arses that they’ve lost the plot.”

 

Harry snorted a chuckle, feeling relief wash over him from the dread and frustration that had been weighing down his heart since dinner the night before. Just someone besides Bill saying it wasn’t his fault went a long way. He trusted Bill fully but also thought the man may be just a little biased in his favor.

 

“Well, it would have helped if they’d asked me even a single question about my life,” he rolled his eyes and went back to scrambling the eggs. “I was planning on filling them in, psyched myself up for it and everything…then nope, just do what we say and don’t complain.”

 

Sirius let out a rush of breath in almost a growl. “That dumbarse,” he sighed. “Look, Har, James and I were raised very differently in many regards, but similarly in some very important ones that are affect you now,” he began to explain.

 

Harry put down the bowl to give Sirius his full attention, hoping for an explanation he could understand. “Well?”

 

“Pureblood parents of a certain generation held firmly to the view that children should be seen and not heard, my parents and James’s alike,” Sirius winced. “While mine were restrictive and abusive for the sheer meanness of it; James’s were out of some misplaced benevolence. Like children are incapable of making their own decisions and must be led with a firm hand.”

 

“It absolutely didn’t help that most of these kids went a little wild as soon as they started Hogwarts and got some freedom, James and Siri most of all…” Remus said with a pointed raise of his eyebrow. “The switch between all your decisions being made for you at home and the freedom of school messed with a lot of kids’ minds.”

 

“You can say that again,” Sirius sighed and sank back further in the kitchen chair he was sitting in. “I didn’t think James would be that kind of parent, but Harry, old Harry…well, he was a bit of a handful, a whole lot like James was at that age. And well, the family has gotten a hell of a lot more money, power, and prestige over James’s lifetime even with a lot more press attention and scrutiny because of that, and I think that made him lean even more on his own parents’ practices in parenting. And Lily…well, she’s a wonderful person, but she gets very caught up in her projects, like single minded. She’s never been the best at multi-tasking.”

 

Harry nodded slowly as he tried to make sense of what Sirius was explaining in comparison to how he’d been treated the night before. “Ok,” he nodded and went back to the eggs, putting the pan on the stove to get it hot. “So, they don’t actually see me as a person. Got it…that doesn’t mean I’m going to roll over and accept it.”

“We aren’t asking you to,” Remus said firmly. “We basically told James to leave you the bloody hell alone until he could see you as a different person from his son, as an adult man, and as someone who has more lived traumas in his life than he has.”

 

Harry couldn’t help his snort of a laugh at that. “Well, that’s going to be kind of hard since he’s technically my boss at work now.”

 

“Wait!” the kitchen chair scraped against the floor when Sirius suddenly sat up. “Did you freaking join the aurors?! Why? But that’s…well, brilliant! We’re going to work together!”

 

“Yeah, start on Monday,” Harry smiled over his shoulder at the man. At least one person was happy for him to join the force.

 

“But what happened to quidditch? You never explained why you weren't playing anymore. You said you were really good, like just as good as our Harry,” Sirius frowned deeply. “I think that’s what you said in your letters anyway, right?”

 

Harry just shrugged and poured the eggs into the hot pan. “I don’t exactly know how good your Harry was, but I’m good. And well, he didn’t know I wasn’t his son at the time, but apparently drugs and alcohol are commonplace at quidditch parties, so James rejected Harry’s offer with Puddlemere.”

 

Remus growled and bent the handle of the spatula he was holding slightly. “Hey, I like that, don’t kill it,” Harry smacked the man’s shoulder to get him to unclench. That was his favorite spatula, it had just the right width and feel in his hand, and that was very important for a kitchen implement.

 

“Anyway,” Harry rolled his eyes at the horrified look that he just didn’t understand from other two men. “The aurors are a ministry job, so James has no say in it. Plus, that would be a conflict of interest anyway. Gideon Prewitt would have to fire me or Moody wash me out to get rid of me.”

 

“Wait, you got Moody as your trainer!” Sirius actually stood up at that to walk over and study him to see if he was lying or delusional or harmed or something. “How the hell did your duel go? Are you ok? He actually took you on? That man has washed out almost every trainee he’s gone up against at that first duel, one of the reasons he’s hardly ever given trainees anymore.”

 

Harry just rolled his eyes and shoved Sirius farther away from him because he was getting a little claustrophobic with Remus on one side and Sirius on the other. “It went fine. I won, but I don’t think he was really giving it everything he had. I’m sure he’ll be all ‘Constant Vigilance!’ every second of the day, but I know Moody and can handle him, so I’m not too worried. I have a feeling I might even be more paranoid than this version of the man…as weird as that sounds.”

 

Sirius just sat right down on the floor of the kitchen, sliding down so his back was against the cabinets in the most over-dramatic fashion possible. It was kind of nice since it reminded Harry a little more of his own Sirius who was more than slightly unhinged and overly dramatic. Maybe the two weren’t so different from each other after all.

 

Bill chose that moment to come downstairs and blink tiredly at everyone who had invaded his kitchen. “I’m restricting your access to the wards,” he told Remus with a glare before walking straight up to Harry and giving him a good morning kiss. “You ok?” he asked quietly, clearly willing to throw the two invaders out if needed.

 

“I’m fine,” he smiled and gave Bill a kiss back. “They were worried. Apparently, James went to their place last night to rant about us.”

 

Bill crossed his arms and glared at the two. “And their opinion is…?”

 

“That James is a twit and needs to grovel for Harry’s forgiveness,” Remus answered firmly before plating up some of the ham.

 

Bill narrowed his eyes before slowly nodding. “I may still allow you access through the wards then…as long as you keep the visits to acceptable times of day in the future.”

 

“Lesson learned!” Remus nodded firmly with a wince.

 

“Good, put this on the table,” Harry passed the basket of scones Dobby had made the day before down to Sirius who was still on the floor. “So, anything going on with you two recently? I don’t actually know much about your lives.”

 

“Well, we did get a very interesting letter from Peter yesterday,” Sirius said while trying to grab butter and jam while still holding the basket of scones and not being very successful. “He asked me to check on you since he ran into you at the ministry several days ago. Apparently and you were acting strange and made him worried.”

 

Harry winced. He’d figured he hadn’t played that off well. “I’m really not sure what I did wrong actually. We didn’t even talk about much.”

 

Sirius dumped his load of supplies on the table and frowned a little as if carefully choosing his words. “Our Harry…old Harry…well, I love him dearly, but the kid…well, he was more than a little self-absorbed, like a lot of kids are. And well…it seems you asked Peter about his trip and how his research was going…”

 

Harry turned down the heat on the stove and just frowned. “That was enough to get him concerned? Really?”

 

Remus plated the rest of the ham and turned off the burner. “Well, I promise he was a good person, but our Harry…well, he wasn’t the nicest, but it wasn’t really intentional or mean spirited, he was just so very tunnel visioned.” Harry just huffed and rolled his eyes. He’d never figure out the old Harry’s mannerisms, it was probably best he and Bill had come up with a new lie for the Weasleys, he might need to spread it around even a little more widely since he was clearly never going to get this right.

 

“Ok, so, we need memory loss and personality differences in my cover story which we need to start spreading around now that I'm out doing things in the world more than just here recovering," he said.

 

"Well...drugs will do that," Sirius winced. "You had us all fooled for a while since we attributed all that to an overdose."

 

"Yes, that was the original thought," Harry sighed. It's just that wouldn't maybe go over well with some people. "So I know drugs will do all that, and people who already know about the drugs can believe that's what happened if they don't ask, but I don’t want all and sundry thinking I have a drug problem. Bill and I were thinking that it made sense if I was struck by lightning while flying at school and flew into the Whomping Willow. It explains my extra scars, and we can attribute some partial amnesia to that as well as some personality changes because of the partial amnesia and near-death experience…and that also gives a reason for my absence from Hogwarts. Can you two fill in the Potters on the new lie? I haven’t run into anyone from old Harry’s past yet really besides you all who we've let in on the truth, but the questions are going to start very soon, probably right after I start work.”

 

“That actually sounds pretty good for an excuse,” Remus gave him an approving look and nod. “I’ll fill in James and Lily later today, and hopefully talk a little more sense into them then as well. Maybe James can spread it around work too in case things come up.”

 

“But what about Peter? We’re still telling him the truth, right?” Sirius frowned while digging through the basket for a scone he liked the look of presumably.

 

Harry winced but slowly nodded. “If you want, sure…”

 

Remus reached out to put a hand on his arm with a frown. “Hey…you haven’t really mentioned Peter much. If you don’t want us to tell him about you, then you know we’ll do what you want. This isn’t about us even though we all seem to be making it about us and putting our collective feet in our oversized mouths.”

“He's right, Harry, you haven’t mentioned Peter Pettigrew,” Bill asked in concern now. “As in, you’ve very intentionally not talked about him when he's brought up and usually change the subject. Is everything ok there?”

 

“Great, how did he die?” Sirius groaned. “Was it extra traumatizing or something?”

 

Harry sucked in a breath not wanting to tell them but seeing that it was time. He'd avoided this as long as he could. “Yeah, it was traumatizing...I killed him…or well, my actions led directly to his death, but I would have killed him with my own hands if I’d had the opportunity,” he said firmly, causing everyone in the room to look at him dumbfounded. “My trauma with you two is my grief over your deaths, I don’t have the same trauma with Pettigrew. I do know this person is a different man though, but I did not and will never grieve that monster’s death.”

“But Peter is…he’s harmless…” Sirius trailed off, looking questioningly at everyone else in the room.

 

Harry just shrugged. “This one probably is. And I’m not going to tell you what he did, because this one hasn’t done it and will not because the circumstances just aren’t there for it in this dimension. I don’t know that I can ever trust him though, but I can try to not treat him outwardly as the same man at the very least.”

 

“Hey,” Remus squeezed his arm that he was still holding before letting go. “Then, we’ll explain the lightning strike story to him, and that's all. The less people in the know, the better anyway. Peter is hardly ever around, so there is no need for you to feel uncomfortable.”

 

Sirius cleared his throat, still clearly surprised. “Yeah, sure…agreed.”

 

Harry turned off the eggs and scooped them into a bowl. He felt so much relief at that concession, and he hadn't even realized he was holding in a lot of anxiety over it. Just knowing that Peter wasn’t going to be looped in had him feeling so much better and lighter though.

 

He glanced around then, and decided that it seemed breakfast was ready. “Bill, call Dobby please.”

 

With a flick of his wand, Bill sent his uraeus patronus off to summon Dobby to breakfast. Sirius cleared his throat nervously over where he was still standing beside the table with the basket of scones in his hand and looking lost and more than a little concerned. “So…both of you have magical creature patroni…I don’t…I didn’t even know one person was possible and now there’s two of you?”

 

Thankfully, Ash woke up with a cry echoed by the monitor spell so that Harry didn’t have to deal with whatever existential crisis Sirius was falling into. That could just wait for another day. “Can I?” Remus asked them with a hopeful smile.

 

“Sure,” Bill shrugged. “He’s in our room, not the nursery.”

 

Harry watched Sirius’s lips purse and his brow furrow as if he wanted to say something about that. A second later, the man shook his head and sat to start buttering himself a scone. Good, Harry wasn’t going to stand visitors in his home judging him and Bill. Neither of them deserved that in the slightest. As long as Siri could hold his tongue, he was still welcome. Remus just bounded giddily up the stairs not fazed in the slightest, so no worries there.

 

Dobby sauntered in next, already wearing a smart little suit for the day, looking more like a gentleman's valet than the super casual Bill and Harry's roommate and friend. “We’s have company? Masters should have called. I could cook breakfast.”

 

“You were doing Merlin’s own work with the laundry,” Harry said enthusiastically because he hated the chore himself. “I got breakfast, just grab you a scone, and the eggs are done.”

 

Bill looked up suddenly and rolled his eyes. “Incoming. We should just always set another place or two at the table for breakfast.”

 

Harry laughed and handed Bill another plate when the door was flung open. “So, how did it go last night?” Death asked, taking in the extra two men in the room with a sneer since Remus had just come down the stairs with the baby.

 

“Terribly, and I don’t want to talk about it. I’ll fill you in later if I must,” Harry sighed and just handed Death the bowl of eggs to put on the table. “Steve, meet Sirius Black and Remus Lupin…unless, did you two hyphenate when you got hitched?”

 

“What? Er, no?” Sirius sputtered looking at Death like he’d really like to be casting some spells at him to figure out what the hell he was.

 

“Brilliant, then you two meet Steve Weasley,” Harry motioned to Death who grinned, showing his too sharp teeth. “He’s Bill’s cousin, our solicitor, and Ash’s godparent, so be nice.”

 

“Pleasure,” Death said dryly, clearly communicating it wasn’t. He sat primly at the table though in his normal chair at the head because he was Death and he wouldn’t have it any other way. Harry just rolled his eyes at the insufferable being who was somehow now part of their family.

 

“Snape coming by today, or he still busy?” Harry asked, joining them with the hot tea kettle.

 

Death sighed deeply like he was most put-out. “He wouldn’t let me help, but I’m going to try again later today. That man is deliciously stubborn.”

 

“I don’t think I can sit by him,” Remus said with wide, scared eyes from where he seemed to be frozen by the stairs and holding Ash like he was about to take off running at the slightest provocation.

 

“Oh, sorry…the wolf probably doesn’t like him, no worries,” Harry winced. He should have seen that one coming. “Er, Siri, can you just move down one, and I’ll sit by Steve, then you can be at the other end of the table Remus. That work?”

 

“What are you?” Sirius glared even more at Death in suspicion even as he did move down for Harry to sit between him and Death.

 

Death just scoffed and grabbed a scone. “That is a very rude question, Mr. Black. And I am actually invited here unlike you.”

 

Bill coughed in something between a laugh and a scoff. “Invited? You invited yourself, mate; we just finally got used to you always being here.”

 

“Res ipsa loquitur,” Death waved him off uncaringly.

 

“The thing speaks for itself? Doesn’t apply,” Sirius scoffed next. “You can’t just say the outcome infers the question for an invitation to someone’s home.”

 

“Someone please pass the eggs,” Harry smiled while Death and Sirius got into some kind of convoluted legal argument that he didn’t understand in the slightest. At least this bit of his family was working currently. Now he just had to survive two more dinners…

 

---

 

“Call Dobby if baby Ash gets fussy or anything. I will be right there,” Dobby himself fussed over them all at the door since he was still feeling bad about their dinner the night before even though he had nothing to do with it.

 

“We’ll be absolutely fine,” Bill assured him firmly. Harry was just happy he was able to be comfortable in his jeans and t-shirt this time. Bill was even wearing his largest and dangliest dragon tooth earring because he said his mum would get a kick out of complaining about it and his hair and ignore everything else.

 

To maybe help smooth things along, Ash was even wearing one of the soft onesies Mrs. Weasley had already owled to them in a large box that was presumably leftovers from one or more of her own kids. So, they would be fine. It’d all be fine. He just had to keep telling himself that.

 

“Should you apparate us? Do you think anyone will question me knowing how to get to the Burrow?” Harry asked nervously.

 

Bill shook his head though. “The wards are pretty far from the house. No one will be waiting on us to notice. You’ll be fine, and I know you’ll be more comfortable travelling with Ash on your own.” Harry didn’t particularly like side-along apparition, so he just nodded and turned on the spot, thinking of the place that he had once called home.

 

The man was already blasted back ten feet and tied up completely in ropes before Harry even processed that Charlie Weasley had been waiting for them and had jumped forward when Harry appeared. “Shit! I’m so sorry! Charlie! I’m so, so sorry!”

 

Bill popped into existence and immediately fell out laughing. “Charlie! Bro! You’ve met Harry; you should have known better!”

 

Harry banished the ropes, and Charlie just hopped right back up onto his feet with a grin like nothing had happened at all. “Well, I know better now!” He chuckled. “Nice reflexes…you ever want to work with dragons? I think you’d have some great skills there.”

 

“Not in the slightest, mate,” he shivered, never having had a good experience with a dragon yet in his life and having had too many bad experiences.

 

“Can’t blame me for trying,” Charlie grinned and held out his hands with a pleading look. “So…can I hold my nephew again…please?!”

 

Harry laughed but handed Ash over. Charlie had doted on him during their first meeting, so Harry figured Ash would maybe remember. Ash tended to like everyone though, so it wasn’t a surprise when he made a raspberry noise and put his head on Charlie’s shoulder.

 

“Well, hello again,” Charlie smiled widely at the baby. “Last we met, I was just friend Charlie, now only a few short weeks later, and I’m Uncle Charlie because apparently your new daddy works lightning fast when he likes someone.”

 

“Why are you even here?” Bill moved to put an arm around Harry’s shoulders while they all made their way up the hill to the Burrow together. Harry found it exceptionally comforting to have Bill there since he wasn’t holding Ash anymore.

 

Charlie just grinned at them though. “Well, Mum floo called everyone and told us we all had to be at family dinner on Saturday this week, even me. She said we had a new nephew that we were going to meet. And well, the only baby I knew of was this little guy, so I couldn’t miss seeing the chaos my big bro is about to throw the Weasley clan into. Really, Mum hasn’t said anything to anyone besides be here, baby, and it’s important. Everyone was so curious that now you have a full house.”

 

“Great,” Harry groaned, leaning into Bill more.

 

Bill sighed before looking at his brother. “Wait…does that mean you haven’t told her that you’ve already met Ash yet?”

 

Charlie gave them a little sheepish smile and quickly held the baby back out to Bill. “Yeah, good, right idea, don’t let on that I knew things first. I know nothing. Good to meet you, Harry, for the first time. Don’t blow my cover,” he said quickly before hurrying along to the back of the house, clearly to pretend he wasn’t just chatting with them and in the know.

 

“Well, you ready for this?” Bill asked Ash, and Harry was very glad it wasn’t him asked because he didn’t have an answer.

 

Harry pulled in a breath and reached out to knock on the door. “We got this…”

 

He trailed off when the door was suddenly flung open, and Molly Weasley beamed at them both. “Welcome! Welcome! You’re actually on time! I never got anywhere on time when my babies were little. Very impressive. Though, maybe I should be giving praise to that wonderful Dobby for that.”

 

“Yes ma’am, it was definitely Dobby,” Harry smiled, relaxing just slightly at the excited welcome. At least someone was happy to see them, well two someones with Charlie. So, just the rest of the family now.

 

Molly scoffed, “I told you, Mum or Molly, dear,” she smiled and held her hands out to Bill. “Can I hold my grandbaby then?”

 

“Sure, Mum,” Bill passed Ash over. Molly promptly turned and cooed to the baby all the way into the house. Bill and Harry just looked at one another with a chuckle at being left standing there since apparently they were no longer important in the slightest. After a second, they just sighed and entered behind her, ready to face the family.

 

“Oh, he’s just the most adorable!” Harry heard Ginny’s voice before he saw literally the entire family gathered in the Burrow’s kitchen. He just took in everyone while they were transfixed by the baby and not paying the other two newcomers any mind. It was a good moment to ground himself and be able to feel his emotions before they were going to be scrutinized by everyone. 

 

Charlie, of course, was Charlie, and Ginny thankfully looked the same as well. Arthur didn’t look much different, only maybe less tired and actually a little better dressed in Harry’s opinion. The twins…Merlin but Harry’s heart ached when they were whole and well and together! It took all he had to hold in a sob at the two hanging all over each other while trying to get a better look at Ash.

 

Ron was…Merlin but Ron looked good! He didn’t have the scars from the brains in fifth year, the weight loss from being on the run, and his eyes weren’t haunted in the slightest. This Ron looked happy and like he hadn’t faced horrors and impossible decisions that no one should ever face in their lives. This Ron had never looked at himself in the mirror and decided he hated the decisions he’d made and what he’d become. This Ron would never need to decide to leave his friends and regret it so much that he’d almost get himself killed trying to find them again. Harry didn’t know this Ron at all…

 

And who the hell…was that…?! Harry just stared at the person who must be Percy just based off of who was left in the room, but that wasn’t Percy. This man looked maybe a little older, closer to Charlie’s age than the twins. He was tall and thin like most of the Weasley men but didn’t wear glasses, was less soft around the eyes, and looked more like he was used to manual labor than studying and bureaucracy. He looked good, and was clearly a Weasley, he just wasn’t the Percy that Harry knew. What could have changed Percy to a while freaking different person though?!

 

Harry quickly tried to figure this out in his mind, or he wouldn’t be able to focus through the interrogation that was sure to come. Ok, so there was a larger age gap between Charlie and Percy than any of the other Weasley siblings in his dimension…almost like Molly and Arthur had put off having more kids because of a war having just begun. So, maybe they didn’t put off having kids this time since there wasn’t a war. But now there was more of a gap between this Percy and the twins…maybe because the parents didn’t want more than three toddlers at a time? Well, this wasn’t something he’d seen coming…

 

 “Wait…Potter? What are you doing here?” Ron was the first to see who had walked in with Bill and frowned at him in confusion.

 

“Hey Ron,” he smiled back, happy for this person…happy that this man wasn’t his Ron. He hoped to Merlin that his Ron was finding some peace now that the war had ended in their dimension, maybe with Hermione…

 

“What…no Weasley?” Ron scoffed in what must pass for how he thought Harry sounded…which uncomfortably sounded a lot like how Harry would imitate Malfoy.

 

Harry just looked around the room pointedly though. “I think that would get a little confusing considering our location.”

 

Bill laughed loudly and put his arm around Harry’s shoulders. “So, everyone…meet my son, Ash Edward Potter-Weasley…and my new boyfriend, Harry.”

 

The room erupted with literally everyone talking at the same time. Harry tried to piece through all the questions he was being asked, but it was sheer chaos, and he was sure he missed a lot. What he thought he got was:

 

One Twin: How did you even meet Bill?! He's old! 

 

Another Twin: But where did the kid come from?

 

Ginny: What’s with the big scar on your face?

 

Ron: Is this why you left school?

 

Percy: But aren’t you Ron’s age?

 

Arthur: Just how long as this been going on?

 

Bill put his hand to his mouth and whistled, getting everyone to shut up and focus back in on them. Unfortunately, this also set off Ash crying. “Oh, I’m so sorry, baby,” he apologized while Molly just shushed the baby and bounced him around the room to calm him down.

 

“Right, just give me a minute, and I’ll try to answer all your questions,” Harry sighed, knowing this was coming but still dreading it. At least they finally had a solid story. “Ok, most of this was told to me, so I don’t actually remember the specifics. I might not be able to answer all questions because of that,” he said pointedly.

 

“What does that mean?” The man who was presumably Percy asked with suspicion in his voice. Suspicion at what, Harry didn't know. 

 

Harry just breathed in and prayed that Charlie didn’t negate anything he was about to say. He couldn’t exactly remember what they’d told Bill’s brother when he’d visited them weeks ago as an excuse, but Bill didn’t think their new cover story would make him suspicious…hopefully he’d hold his tongue if it did because it would definitely give Charlie away for having known about all this ahead of time at least.

 

“So, Ash first of all…I met a muggle woman last summer, and we had a fling. It wasn't love or anything, but yeah,” Harry motioned to the baby.

 

“Ash is ours. However, when she learned she was pregnant, and I had to explain magic to her, she didn’t want to keep or raise Ash any at all. So, I took custody of him shortly after I left school back in May. He was born April 5th.” They’d decided on the date because it was an exact month before both Harrys died and a month before Ash was ‘born’ during the Battle of Hogwarts.

 

He got some nods, so he assumed that made sense. Now for the hard part. “So, not connected to that at all, I left school early because of an accident. I was struck by lightning while flying across the grounds at school, and that pushed me into the Whomping Willow of all things. It was night, so it took a long time before Mum found me out on the grounds, by that time, not all the damage was reversable because of the time I took before I received any treatment,” he motioned to the very distinctive scar on his forehead and hoped they attributed all other scars to that as well.

 

“Harry has some partial amnesia from the accident as well, which is why he doesn’t remember everything,” Bill added.

 

Harry just nodded. “I remember most things, but occasionally there will be something that I just don’t have anymore. There doesn’t seem to be a rhyme or reason behind why I can remember some things and not others, or at least none my healer can figure out anyway. We aren’t sure if I’ll ever get the memories back.” They were really hoping this just gave a good explanation for all the weirdness that Harry was probably about to cause.

 

“But what about you two? And how did my son come to adopt yours?” Arthur Weasley asked, concern on his face, not suspicion or anger or anything like that. Harry was so very relieved.

 

Harry just smiled up at Bill dopily though. His man really was something special, fake scenario or real. “We met after the accident. I was sent to the Goblin healers about my memories to see if they could do anything since St. Mungos had done all they could, and we met there. Bill saw I was a bit lonely stuck in the bank while healers cast spells at me and mumbled different diagnoses, so he just hung around and chatted with me. Then I needed someone to help me handle getting custody of Ash.”

 

And here was the next part they were hoping everyone just rolled with…

 

Bill tensed a little beside him. “I remembered our cousin…you know Steve Weasley,” he said pointedly to Arthur with as much nonchalance as possible, like of course they knew Steve. “He moved here not long ago and set up shop as a solicitor. Our paths crossed with bank business a couple times, so I reached out to see if he could help Harry.”

 

“Steve?” Arthur looked questioningly to Molly like she would remember since he didn't. 

 

Molly just frowned in thought herself. “Would that be your uncle’s kid? Weren’t they living in Amsterdam?”

 

Arthur nodded slowly. “Yes, Uncle Bors, he had quite a few kids…as all us Weasleys do. I suppose one was probably a solicitor.”

 

“Yeah, he moved from Amsterdam,” Bill just smiled and nodded. They’d been pretty sure that was how this was going to go. There were quite a few Weasleys around Europe who didn’t keep in touch well because of all of the having such large families themselves, so they were counting on Arthur or Molly just linking Steve to one of them, and it seems they’d judged the parents correctly, thank Merlin!

 

“Anyway, we got close, and I needed a place to stay with the baby once I was released from hospital,” Harry smiled broadly. “And, well, Bill knew Ash just as long as I did, and loved him just as much. We didn’t actually get together until we’d been living together for a while. Anyway, Ash needed another parent.”

 

“But what about your parents? Where were the Potters in all this?” Arthur asked and Harry winced, not even playing it up for effect.

 

“They er…well, they weren’t happy about me dating a muggle last summer or being a new parent and taking on sole custody of Ash,” he said with a shrug. “Things are a little tense right now, but we’ll work it out,” he added, not actually being sure of that in the slightest.

 

“Wait!” Ron’s face fell all of a sudden when a thought occurred to him. “It’s your spot on Puddlemere I’m trying out for, isn’t it?! Shite…I’m so sorry!”

 

“Language Ronald!” Molly scolded while putting a hand over Ash’s ears.

 

Harry just blinked in confusion at the outburst. Oh…well, that made sense. Ron was trying out for his spot on the team? But Ron wasn’t a chaser. Ok, Harry wasn’t either and had been planning on playing the spot anyway. Well…damn, but…Ron deserved it! More than Harry who hadn't even tried out for it anyway. 

 

Harry just smiled broadly, thankful his friend found something not the aurors he would be happy doing. “Well, how’re tryouts going? You better get my spot after putting up with me as captain for so long!”

 

“Ok, interrogation over! Leave the poor man alone,” Molly Weasley cut them all off. “Everyone sit down, dinner is ready and getting cold. Arthur, dear, take Ash for a little while so I can get the food on the table.”

 

Arthur expertly took the baby but with wide eyes at suddenly having a grandson in his arms. “Well…hello, little one,” he said to the baby who had finally calmed down and was making a scrunchy face that had Harry sighing. Ash was definitely pooping.

 

“I think your grandma passed you off just at the right time, didn’t she?” Arthur said, making a face at the baby who was definitely starting to smell. “Grandma didn’t want to change a poopy nappy, didn’t she?”

 

“I got him,” Harry stepped forward to save the man.

 

“Oh no, you don’t,” Arthur just stood with a smile. “I’ve changed more dirty nappies than I’ve filed reports with my job. I got this. You two just take a break, and load up on Molly’s mashed potatoes, they are excellent…put some meat on those bones,” he said with a smirk at Harry, knowing exactly what he was starting.

 

“Yes, Harry, love, sit down. You need to eat more. I didn’t know what you like, so I made all my best dishes. You have any food allergies?” Molly fussed over him while pushing him into a chair right beside Ron, probably so they could talk quidditch.

 

“No, ma’am…I mean Molly. I don’t have any allergies,” he smiled when a plate was handed to him as Molly made all the food magically float towards the table, enough for a literal army. It was like every dinner Harry had at the Burrow in his past, and he really wanted to cry. 

Notes:

Up Next: A fatherly chat...and the third dinner...

Chapter 16: Dinner #3

Bill was proud of his family. Yes, they were suspicious of his and Harry’s story and clearly concerned, but they still welcomed Harry and Ash wholeheartedly into their home. Not that he would compare…but so much better than the Potters had done, so score one for the Weasleys! And Harry, well, he seemed to actually be doing alright, thank Merlin.

 

It didn’t take long before Ron and Ginny figured out that Harry definitely knew them, knew their quidditch positions, and their capabilities but didn’t remember a single match they’d played together. That realization got an uncomfortable moment of shocked silence from the entire family before the two heroically tried to cover for everyone by regaling him with all the best hits and highlights of his time on the team. Bill knew the three hadn’t been friends in this dimension, but he was very proud of his little brother and sister for trying, especially when they realized he didn’t remember anything. Harry though just smiled and actually seemed interested.

 

“So, no more bachelor pad on the beach?” Percy asked lightly but with a whole hell of a lot more behind that question that Bill was trying to infer.

 

He tried to smile reassuringly because Percy was by and far the most protective of his siblings…well, besides Bill himself, but that came from being the oldest. Percy had been through a lot in his life and had somehow come out the other side even more empathetic, caring, and desperately needing to make sure everyone else in his family was safe and happy.

 

Bill reached out a hand and clapped a hand on his brother’s shoulder. “I’m happy Perce, I promise. I’m happy, and Harry is safe and happy. And I love Ash with all my heart. I know it was fast, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t want all of it.”

 

Percy finally seemed to let go of a little of his tension. “Well then…er, how’s work, I guess?”

 

Bill just chuckled at the attempt to show acceptance. He reached across and grabbed another roll. “Fine…kind of boring recently actually. No cool curses or anything in the past week, but the standard petty things that always cross my desk.”

 

“Wine, Harry?” Bill’s dad asked from where he was pouring himself another glass down the table. Bill tensed slightly, but not for Harry though, what may come from the question. He was starting to have a feeling about why Percy had been concerned about them moreso than the rest of the family so far, but he really didn’t want his suspicions confirmed.

 

“No thank you, I don’t drink,” Harry brushed him off lightly with a smile.

 

Percy cleared his throat softly, looking at his own and Bill’s water glasses pointedly. “Wine, Bill?” He asked seriously but quietly so no one else would hear.

 

“No, Perce,” Bill smiled, seeing his suspicions were about to be confirmed. He cheers’d his own water to Percy’s. “Shell Cottage is dry now.”

 

“Ah,” Percy nodded with a glance towards Harry. He seemed to have lost the rest of the tension he’d been holding ever since Bill and Harry had entered the house together. “Good…because this isn’t the first time Potter and I’ve met…well, outside of just passing each other in the school corridors anyway. Hopefully he doesn’t remember, which there is a good chance he might not even without the amnesia.”

 

Bill sighed, not having seen that complication, even if he should have. Old Harry’s drug problem had sounded like it wasn’t a new development. He would need to give Harry a heads up, but… “I seriously doubt he remembers. I think he’d have said something.”

 

Percy didn’t seem reassured though. “I’ll try to talk with him later at some point when I can get him alone. He should know I don’t have secrets from my family anymore in case he is trying to protect me for some misguided reason…and I want him to know I’m here to talk if he would ever like to. Do you think that would be ok?”

 

Bill wasn’t really sure how to respond to his brother’s question. Harry would definitely not know this particular dimension’s Percy, but maybe they’d been friends in the other dimension. In that case, it would be nice for them to reconnect here. But also, this Harry wasn’t an addict, so he didn’t need a sponsor or whatever Percy was offering, but telling Percy that when they’d most likely run into each other high or while buying drugs was not going to help in the slightest.

 

“I’m sure he’ll appreciate it,” Bill finally said, because he was certain that Harry would actually appreciate the sentiment and someone looking out for Old Harry when it didn’t seem like many had in this dimension at all. “He does have help now though, just so you know. He’s not doing this alone.”

 

“Good,” Percy just nodded firmly again but finally smiled and passed the salad to Bill like all was settled.

 

The rest of family dinner stayed much lighter around the table at the Burrow and mainly focused on quidditch, new products at Zonko’s, Charlie’s dragons, Percy’s work in landscaping and herbology, weird cursed muggle artifacts Bill’s dad found with work, and Ash and babies in general. Bill was so thankful for the reprieve and knew Harry was too. Bill smiled at the end of dinner when the twins led Harry off to their room to show him some prank products they were working on for Mr. Zonko. He looked around for Ash and saw that Charlie had him again while starting up a wizard’s chess game with Ron. So, Bill was currently baby-less and partner-less.

 

“Come help me out in my workshop,” his dad said, putting an arm around Bill’s shoulders and steering him towards the back door.

 

Bill didn’t groan, but it was a close thing. ‘Helping in the workshop’ had always been code their entire lives for an important fatherly chat, and it seemed the entire family had been in on it to get him alone for this. “Sure, Dad,” he said because it was probably best to get this over with now instead of putting it off.

 

The two of them crossed the back garden that twinkled with conjured fairly lights in the evening to Arthur Weasley’s small workshop where he liked to tinker with muggle things he’d found. His dad made a show of picking something up with a cord and lots of buttons on it before the expected clearing of his throat came. Bill just sat on the workbench and waited for the coming ‘Talk.’

 

“I like Harry…we all do. I think even Ron and Ginny do, and they used to complain about him a lot while they were in school together. They seem to be trying to put that behind them now anyway,” his dad said, surprising Bill who’d thought this was going another direction.

 

“Great,” he said with a smile, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

 

“You two seem happy together,” he continued. “But…”

 

Ah, there it was. Of course, there was a but.

 

“But…isn’t this all a little fast?” His dad finished, looking up from the muggle things to give him a searching look.

 

“Harry and I spent a lot of time together before we began talking about a relationship actually,” Bill countered, not liking all the assumptions but willing to take them to be with Harry. “This may be too much information to share with my dad…but we haven’t even had sex yet, for your information. We’re actually taking this thing slow.”

 

Arthur Weasley sat the muggle thing down and just shook his head firmly with a sigh. “Bill, son, I’m not actually talking about your romantic relationship, though that is good to hear. I’m talking about Ash. Adopting a child this quickly seems very hasty and ill thought out. And I know my oldest son, and he isn’t hasty and he always thinks things through. It’s why you’re such a good curse breaker, and it’s why your Mum and I weren’t prepared in the slightest for the chaos of your twin brothers,” he chuckled but still pinned Bill with a sharp and questioning look.

 

Bill really wished Harry was here for this. He knew Harry would trust him to say what needed to be said, but it also felt like sharing a secret not his own. He weighed how much he could tell his dad without breaking Harry’s confidence or putting his dad in a position with the ministry of knowing things he should report but never would.

 

Eventually he met his father’s eyes, so similar to his own, and tried to impress how important this was. “Dad, I’m going to tell you as much as I can, but I can’t tell you everything, and I need you to not ask questions,” he tried. “I don’t want to tell Harry’s business when he’s not here.”

 

His dad didn’t seem to like that, but he eventually nodded. “Is he in danger though?”

 

Bill opened his mouth and then closed it because no…but also yes…he just sighed. “Look, Harry had good reason to believe there may be people who would want to take Ash away from him,” Bill eventually said, still not putting that past the Potters even with their legal safeguards. “We explained everything to Steve when Harry took him on as his solicitor, and he agreed this was the safest for the baby.”

 

“Take his son away?” Arthur sucked in a shocked breath, clearly not having seen this as the reasoning behind the adoption. “How does you adopting Ash help with that though?” He asked, not following Bill’s don’t ask questions rule at all.

 

Bill crossed his arms and gave his dad a firm look, trying to get his point across without actually saying anything. “I have a house, a job, financial security, and have never had substance abuse issues,” he said meaningfully. “Harry’s parents have not been the most understanding or supportive through all of this, so having a parent for Ash with more legal rights to Ash than them was deemed safest by our legal representative.”

 

“Oh…” his dad seemed to deflate down to sit on his stool at that. He had a look of utter horror and concern on his face. “Harry is safe and well now?”

 

“He is,” Bill assured him firmly.

 

“Percy…you should ask your brother to speak with him,” his dad suggested next with sheer concern in every inch of his expression.

 

Bill really wasn’t trying to lead his father to believing the drugs lie, but that really was a reason they thought the Potters might try to gain custody of their son. “Percy already offered,” he just said as the complete truth.

 

“Good,” he nodded, seeming to come to a conclusion. “Then you tell Harry that he and Ash will always be welcome in this home…no questions asked, ever, you got that?”

 

“Yeah, Dad,” Bill stood and wrapped his arms around his father. He’d known his family was serious about looking out for each other, especially after all they’d gone through with Percy, but this was even beyond his expectations.

 

“I’m proud of you son,” His dad hugged him back tightly. “You’re going to be such a good father, no matter what happens between you and Harry.”

 

“I’m going to try so hard,” he promised with all his heart.

 

“And you’ll always have all us…and supposedly also our cousin Steve too to help,” his dad chuckled. “I should probably invite Steve out for drinks or maybe even lunch soon. I can’t actually remember the lad very well. Hopefully he isn’t too offended.”

 

---

 

Harry was impressed with what the twins had been working on for Mr. Zonko, but what he was seeing wasn’t quite up to Weasley Wizarding Wheezes standards just yet. Zonko’s was definitely holding them back, but he didn’t know how to help with that, especially since he’d vowed to never touch Old Harry’s trust vault ever again. Maybe a few well timed suggestions…

 

“Er, Harry…we actually wanted to talk with you alone, that's why we brought you here,” one of the twins cleared his throat. It had taken Harry a little longer since they looked younger and more carefree than when he’d last seen them in his own dimension, but he was pretty certain now this one was Fred.

 

George then cleared his throat. “We need to apologize to you.”

 

Harry frowned in confusion, not following this in the slightest. Why would the twins need to apologize to him? Well…Old Harry presumably. But still, they’d graduated two years before him, so he wasn’t sure how their paths would have crossed recently at all. Maybe in Hogsmeade?

“We know that Ron already apologized,” George continued. “But we need to tell you how sorry we are about the part we played in helping him with that prank during your last quidditch game.”

 

“Yeah, mate,” Fred looked gutted, and Harry didn’t like that at all. He just wanted to reassure his friend, but he didn’t know what for. “It’s…well, we really didn’t know we were going to out you like that to everyone with it. We’d never do that to a person intentionally.”

 

Oh…Harry frowned and let that sink in. Was this why Ron was being nice to him when Bill had said he’d been a royal arse as a quidditch captain? Well, that was a seriously fucked up situation that he wasn't sure how to fix, or if he even should. 

 

“We’re so sorry, Harry,” George continued while Harry just tried to follow along. “We really hope you can forgive us and Ron, especially since you’re with Bill now. We don’t want to cause any problems there.”

 

Harry just slowly shook his head before shrugging. Well, the cover story still worked. “Guys…I honestly don’t remember,” he said truthfully. “I don’t remember any of the quidditch games beyond vague impressions, and if this happened during or right after a game, well, it’s gone.”

“Oh,” both twins said, looking at each other in confusion and concern.

 

“Well, ok, so this is what happened,” Fred started with a grimace at having to tell Harry something he’d apparently done that was pretty damn bad.

 

“No, I don’t want to know, not now at least,” Harry stopped him because this wasn’t productive. He should maybe know at some point in case anyone brought it up, but the dinner had been going so well, and he couldn’t emotionally handle it being derailed now when he’d just started to relax. “I get the broad idea of what happened from your apology, and mates, that sucks really bad, but did you learn from it at least?”

 

Fred and George both nodded vigorously. “Yes, that was the worst thing we’ve ever done,” George assured him. “We’ll never do something like that again.”

 

Well, Harry was actually glad that was the worst thing because he was pretty sure he and the twins and most of the teens at Hogwarts had done much worse by then in his own dimension, so that was heartening at least. “Ok, then consider yourselves forgiven then,” he told them firmly. “I may want to know what happened at some point if it becomes relevant, but now, let’s just…start over?”

 

He really hated whatever this meant for Old Harry, but it was nice that it had earned him some goodwill with Ron and the twins now. He had a sneaking suspicion this was going to bite him in the arse at some uncomfortable point in the future though. Oh, well…that was future Harry’s problem. This Harry was tired and ready to go home and curl up in his bed with Bill and call this dinner successful.

 

“Yeah,” both twins nodded firmly just as Bill knocked on the door, holding Ash who was squirming and whimpering.

 

“Good timing,” Harry sighed with a smile at him. “You ready to go home?”

 

“Yeah, Ash is getting fussy. It’s his bedtime,” Bill smiled back and held out his free hand for Harry.

 

“See you both soon,” Harry smiled at the twins who frantically waved goodbye to him and the baby in relief.

 

It took longer than it should to get out of the Burrow since everyone wanted to tell the baby goodbye, but Ash was complaining and fussy, so they were eventually let go to apparate back to Shell Cottage. Harry put Ash to sleep in his cot in their room before collapsing onto the bed beside Bill himself, after they’d done all their nighttime routines.

 

“We lived!” He sighed with a chuckle. “So, time for a debrief…”

 

“Percy already knew you,” Bill said out of nowhere.

 

“Well…that’s unfortunate,” Harry sighed tiredly as he scooted closer to Bill to wrap an arm around his larger frame and throw a leg over his body. He wanted to be as close as possible for this debrief.

 

“Unfortunate?” Bill asked as if that wasn’t the word he would have chosen but did still hold Harry closer.

 

Harry just nodded into his chest. “Yeah, because your brother…this man, isn’t the same Percy as the one in my dimension, so I literally know nothing at all about him. Everyone else in your family I know probably more information about than Old Harry would have, but definitely not Percy.”

 

“What?!” Bill pulled back slightly to look at him. “What does that mean? Percy wasn’t alive in your dimension.”

 

“Yes…no…” Harry just gave up with a shrug. “It seems maybe your parents put off having a kid after Charlie because that’s when the first war started, but then they had another son closer to the twins’ age. So, you did have a Percy as a brother, but not this one. He was a rule-following bookworm who worked at the ministry in my dimension. Well, he was rule following until he quit his job while dueling the corrupt Minister of Magic during the final battle,” he couldn't help adding with a chuckle. 

 

Bill just blinked in what seemed to be shocked confusion. “I don’t like that thought at all,” he eventually said. “I don’t like that I never got to meet this brother of mine and that there’s a Bill out there somewhere who doesn’t know this Percy.”

 

Harry didn’t know what to say to make that better. It wasn’t something he could change or do anything about. “Well, how does this Percy know Old Harry then? Quidditch?” That seemed like the main defining factor of this Harry’s life anyway. Merlin but that kid needed more hobbies...though Harry really couldn't talk since Voldemort was really the only defining factor of his own life. 

 

“You ever wonder how I knew so much about rehab and withdrawals when we were trying to put off your parents learning about you?” Bill raised a significant eyebrow while looking at him.

 

Yes, Harry had actually really wondered that. “Oh…well, that’s going to be very awkward,” he concluded with a sigh. “Did he at least buy the lightning and amnesia story?”

 

“Yeah, but expect him to want to talk to you and offer to be a help and support during your recovery,” Bill warned. Harry just nodded, wondering how he was going to handle that sensitively and not offend anyone. He’d figure something out.

 

“I also had to give Dad a vague rundown of why I had to adopt Ash so quickly,” Bill added. “I’m sure he’ll tell Mum.”

 

Harry scooted even closer into the warmth, getting more comfortable. “Well, we expected to have to do that. We told James and Lily exactly why we did it too, to keep them from getting ideas where Ash was concerned.”

 

“Thankfully, my parents never have occasion to interact with the Potters,” Bill snorted a laugh. “Our social circles are galaxies apart.”

 

“What about on your end? Did anyone say anything concerning?” Bill asked. “Or did you learn anything? Did everyone behave? I was actually surprised Ron was so welcoming. He never seemed to be your biggest fan when he said anything about you in the past.”

 

Harry winced. “Yeah…so it seems there’s an explanation for that,” he said, not really wanting to tell Bill this but knowing he needed to. “Ron played a prank on Old Harry during their last quidditch game at Hogwarts…not long before he died.”

 

Harry let that sit because he didn’t want to think the Weasley brothers had any part in his counterpart’s OD, and realistically they probably didn’t with how long-term Old Harry’s drug problem had been going on and all the expectations from the Potters that he’d seen with his own eyes. Still...the timing was very concerning, but there was also nothing they could do about it now anyway.

 

“The twins apparently helped Ron with the prank, and they pulled me aside to apologize for their part in it…it seems Ron already apologized at some point," he explained. 

 

“What did they do?” Bill asked with a resigned sigh.

 

“I don’t know. I told them I don’t want to know and just want us to get past it since we're going to be seeing a lot more of each other presumably,” Harry said. “Outcome-wise, it seems Old Harry was somehow outed as gay, probably not to everyone in the stands or that would definitely have made the papers, but at least to enough of his classmates that Ron and the twins felt really guilty about it.”

 

“Well, shite,” Bill just sighed, it seemed he also didn’t know what to say about that.

 

“All in all, it was actually a pretty nice dinner though,” Harry concluded their debrief. “No one yelled at us, I didn’t have to threaten anyone with legal action, so I’m going to call it a win.”

 

Bill gave a dry chuckle and kissed his head. “Our bar is really low, babe.”

 

“Well, our last dinner is tomorrow night, and at least that one will be easy,” Harry concluded, finally seeing the light at the end of this terrible tunnel. Then…then…he wanted to take some time to make Bill exceptionally embarrassed and see how far he could make that blush go and discuss upping the physical aspects of their relationship some. At least he had something good to look forward to.

 

---

 

“I don’t feel very comfortable gossiping about my son’s boyfriend,” Gideon’s brother-in-law said from the floo as if that wasn't exactly the intention behind this floo call. Arthur had just given Gideon a very helpful run-down of their family dinner anyway, and it had been…concerning to say the least.

 

He let out a breath. “Merlin, but I didn’t even know about the baby,” he said with a shocked shake of his head. “Why has no one mentioned the baby?! I mean it has nothing to do with his job or anything, but still, you'd think James having a grandson would have gotten around the office.”

 

Arthur sighed himself. “I don’t know what’s going on specifically, but there is definitely a rift with the Potters. My son adopted Harry’s son to give the baby extra protection in case the Potters tried to gain custody for some reason.”

 

Gideon sucked in a shocked breath and ended up coughing around soot now in his lungs. He reached behind himself to take the cold cup of tea he’d forgotten about when Arthur flooed and sipped it to clear his throat. “Damn, this is going to end up being a scandal, isn’t it?” he concluded. “And my nephew is going to be right in the middle of it…him and my…wow, great-nephew! How did that happen?!”

 

“Thankfully, my cousin, Steve, from Amsterdam moved here not long ago and is their solicitor in all this,” Arthur said, and Gideon nodded firmly, so grateful they had legal representation. He would need to talk to this Steve Weasley, just to tell him that he had Gideon’s support at the very least.

 

Gideon nodded thoughtfully. “I’ll see what I can get from them tonight. Do you think they’ll bring the baby with them?”

 

Arthur shrugged in the fire. “They’re new parents. My guess is that they don’t even realize you don’t know about Ash yet. They’re mainly just trying to keep their heads above water. They do thankfully have a house elf though. Molly said he’s very eccentric but extremely capable.”

 

“Thank Merlin,” Gideon laughed because he didn’t have any kids himself, and didn’t want any, but he could appreciate how very time consuming and high maintenance they were.

 

“And lightning struck him, really?” Gideon asked next in shock because again, how hadn’t he known that.

 

“Then right into the Whomping Willow,” Arthur winced. “That scar on his forehead looks nasty. It’s no wonder he has some amnesia from it all. The injury doesn’t seem to affect his everyday life, but it seems that he’s missing little things like his quidditch games at school and some specific knowledge about interactions with people.”

 

Gideon sighed, it did explain a lot. It didn’t explain any of the reasons he or the mind-healer had thought the kid might be abused though. There was a lot going on in his new trainee’s life, and Gideon was determined to uncover if any of it was illegal or unethical. Thankfully, nothing he’d learned was reason to suspect Potter wouldn’t make it as an auror though, especially after actually beating Alastor bleeding Moody at a duel. Merlin, but that was the most impressive thing Gideon had seen in a very long time.

 

“I have to go, Gids,” Arthur looked behind him and back. “Charlie is heading back to the reserve in a few minutes, and I want to tell him goodbye.”

 

“Give him a hug from me,” Gideon smiled before saying goodbye and closing the connection.

 

He leaned back on his rug and took another sip of the tepid tea before grimacing at the cup. What the hell had his nephew gotten himself into…what had the Potters gotten themselves into…just what the hell?! He sighed, now both dreading and very much looking forward to Moody’s assessment of his new trainee. But this could cause a very large scandal in their world. They needed to stay ahead of it if at all possible. 

 

For dinner though, how did he approach this? Fabian and Agatha were clueless about everything going on and his suspicions, because of that, they would probably save them all by making this dinner more lighthearted and normal seeming. But what did Gideon do? Did he question them? He needed reinforcements. With a sigh at the loss of his good scotch, he tossed in another handful of floo powder to ask for help.

 

---

 

“Right, so Uncle Gideon is not stuffy at all, even though his house looks that way,” Bill assured Harry as they stared up at the mansion in front of them. “This is actually just a loaner…”

 

“A loaner?” Harry asked incredulously. “What in Merlin’s frilly pants does that mean?”

 

“It means the house comes with the head of the DMLE job,” Bill huffed and took Ash to carry him up the path to the front door. “Uncle Fabian and Aunt Agatha live over their shop in Diagon Alley. We really aren’t posh, I promise.”

 

“Uh huh,” Harry said incredulously at the jeans and t-shirt Bill had told him he could wear and that he now regretted. “Do we have time to go home and change?”

 

Bill scoffed and tugged him forward. “You are fine, I promise! Uncle Gideon wore his bathrobe all the way through the last dinner I had with him. Don’t be ridiculous.”

 

“Maybe we should have left Ash with Dobby,” Harry suggested next. “I don’t think I told Gideon about my son. What if he doesn't like kids?”

 

Bill snorted a laugh. “And you really don’t think Mum or Dad haven’t already told him? Do you not understand families at all.”

 

“No, Bill, no I don’t,” Harry just deadpanned as he knocked on the large door. Bill looked a little embarrassed and leaned down to give him a quick kiss in apology.

 

“Billy-boy!” The door was flung open to the twin wearing a ruffled cravat, so most definitely Fabian. “Come in, come in! Is that the baby?! He’s so cute. I didn’t believe Molly when she told me, but here he is! And those blue eyes!!”

 

Fabian gushed enthusiastically all over Ash until a kind-faced, redheaded woman joined them. “Agatha Prewett, dear,” she offered her hand to Harry to shake.

 

“Harry,” he said with a nervous smile, shaking her hand enthusiastically.

 

“Ack! None of that!” She laughed loudly and yanked him into a strong hug that pressed all the air out of his lungs. “You’re family now!”

 

Harry coughed when he was finally released and just looked at Bill with all the shock he could muster. How was this side of the family even worse than the Weasleys?! “Er, hi,” he said lamely.

 

“Come in, come in!” Gideon appeared with a drink in his hand and thankfully wearing what looked like track-suit bottoms and a Falcons jersey, much more casual than his nice robes he'd worn at work. 

 

“I hope you like Indian take-away, Harry,” Gideon threw an arm over his shoulder next. “Because I really can’t cook if my life depended on it and would definitely poison us all.”

 

“Er, yeah…erm, I do,” he stuttered even though he'd never had it from a real restaurant while he was led towards what was probably a sitting room. On the way Agatha stole his son and was telling him all about where she grew up in Scotland it seemed…because she wanted him to visit her family there? Harry was lost.

 

“Everyone’s here now,” Gideon proclaimed. “And Riddle is already into my good scotch, so Bill? Harry? Either of you want a glass?”

 

“No…I don’t drink,” Harry said, his brain suddenly coming to a screeching halt as he was met with the living image of Minister Tom bloody Riddle drinking a glass of scotch and standing in the middle of Gideon Prewett’s sitting room wearing khaki trousers and a green polo shirt of all things!

 

“I’m going to need a second…loo?” Harry gasped out, ducking out from under Gideon’s arm and backing up.

 

“Second door on the left,” Fabian called after him while Harry just scurried as fast as he could out of there.

 

This was not happening! How was this happening? Why hadn’t anyone warned him? What was Tom Riddle doing there? Why? And how the bloody hell did he look so good when last time Harry had seen him he didn’t have hair, a nose, or any human coloring at all?! He really couldn't do this! 

 

Harry was definitely having a panic attack on the floor of Gideon’s marble tiled loo and didn’t know how to stop it. After what seemed an eternity, a soft knock sounded. “It’s just me,” Bill’s voice threw him a lifeline.

 

“Come the bloody hell in!” Harry hissed, scooting over slightly when Bill hurried inside the loo and sat down with him on the floor. “That’s! That’s…!”

 

“I know, breathe babe, it’s ok. He’s not here to hurt you,” Bill held him to his chest and breathed slowly for Harry to match his breaths. “I got you, and no one is going to hurt you or Ash while me and my family are here.”

 

Harry’s breathing finally calmed. “I know…and I knew I’d have to do this at some point. I just didn’t expect it so soon.”

 

“I know,” Bill kissed him and stood to help Harry off the floor. “Do you want me to claim food poisoning and help you escape?”

 

“No,” Harry just steeled himself for what was to come. He had to do this. He was strong enough for this. “Let’s get this over with. How strange did I look running out of there?” Bill raised an eyebrow at him and laughed.

 

They made it back to the sitting room where Harry walked in as if going to battle. And there he was…Lord Voldemort, Minister Riddle, looking very uncomfortable while Fabian held out Ash for him to see while Fabian cooed over the baby. Minister Riddle almost looked relieved when they walked back into the room.

 

“Everything ok?” Gideon asked in concern.

 

“Yeah, er…just loo,” Harry shrugged and trailed off, hoping no one pressed the issue.

 

“What is the child’s name?” Riddle asked, and Harry felt the Elder Wand slip into his hand.

 

Bill pulled him closer and wrapped his arm around Harry’s, effectively stopping the hex Harry was really attempting to hold in. “His name is Ash,” he said proudly. “Ash Edward Potter-Weasley.”

 

“Ah, so, you adopted the boy?” Riddle hummed in understanding even if his face said he didn’t understand in the slightest.

 

“What does James think about all this, Harry?” Gideon laughed lightly as if it were a great joke. “He must be beside himself at being a grandfather in his…how old is he? Thirties still?”

 

“Yes, I believe he is,” Riddle drawled, walked closer to Gideon and away from the baby as if escaping. Harry let out a breath of air. Ok, everything was fine. Ash was fine, Riddle wasn’t going to do anything, they were all fine.

 

“Ja…erm, Dad and Mum…they like Ash,” he said lamely, not knowing how to expand on that and outright lie to the head of the DMLE and the Minister of Magic.

 

Gideon and Riddle shared some kind of look, but Fabian started complaining about being hungry and hurrying them all into the dining room before Harry could really figure out what it was. They all sat at the table where it looked like (probably Fabian) had dished up the Indian take-away into actual nice dishes so that it at least looked more like someone had cooked.

 

“Really, Prewett,” Riddle drawled with what looked like a fond smirk at the food then Gideon. “You really must learn to cook. I can teach you an easy paella and a few standard roasts if you would like...whenever we find the time that is.”

 

“You know how to cook?” Harry almost chocked on really nothing at all, but he was certain he was about to die yet again. What the bloody hell?!

 

“Well, yes, my mother is an excellent cook and insisted I learn growing up,” Riddle said in something close to pride. "Do you like to cook any?"

 

Everything seemed to stop around Harry. All the pieces fell into place. The little changes, the differences, the why of it all. He looked around him…was it all that simple? He let out a small chuckle because, he’d have to check with Death, but Harry was actually reasonably certain what the one difference was in this dimension that had made all the other far-reaching changes from it. Tom Riddle’s mother…Merope Gaunt, hadn’t died in this dimension…

 

“Harry is a really good cook himself,” Bill said proudly as Harry tried to get his brain working once again. It shouldn’t make sense at all, but it did. But what?! Death really had some explaining to do.

 

“I’m surprised your parents had any time to teach you growing up,” Agatha commented. “Your father and mother are both so busy with their jobs and the charities their company supports. Did maybe a house elf teach you?”

 

Harry couldn’t help the snort of disgusted laughter at that. “Erm, no…I just…well, I taught myself,” he said dryly, but adding a small smile at the end to hopefully make it seem less weird. “Bill can cook too, you know, he just doesn’t have a very high opinion of himself, probably because his mum is just amazing, so no one can stand up to her.”

 

"Agreed!" Agatha pointed her fork at him in agreement. "I've told Fabian he is never allowed to compare anything I cook to his sister's."

 

“Actually, we really lucked out with Harry’s friend Dobby coming to live with us though,” Bill ignored Harry's comment on his own cooking to add. “Dobby has been a lifesaver with Ash and cleaning and the laundry and actually knowing what the hell to do with a baby.”

 

“Your friend?” Riddle leaned forward, suddenly much more interested in the conversation for some reason. “But Dobby is a house elf name, isn’t it? You didn’t purchase the elf?” Harry felt himself blush because he really didn’t like how all that had gone down on a moral level. Yeah, he'd laughed at SPEW, but Hermione did have a point even if she had gone about it wrong. Like he was really glad Dobby lived with them now and was free, but buying him, that still felt so wrong.

 

“Er, yes, I bought Dobby, but I bought him because he was my friend,” Harry tried to explain. “I freed him though, so he has a salary and days off and can do what he wants, but he wants to stay with us. I still can’t bloody keep him from calling me ‘master’ though as much as I try.”

 

Riddle’s eyes flashed in a twinkle way too reminiscent of Dumbledore than his future self. “That is highly interesting. Your friend is happy as a free elf?”

 

Harry winced, it seemed he’d stepped into something setting himself apart again. “Well, yeah…we negotiated his salary and everything, and he has a really nice room and can leave whenever he wants. We told him we’d change anything he wanted us to.”

 

“Mr. Potter,” Riddle actually freaking smiled. “I don’t know what you’ve heard about my elf rights bills, but I would be exceptionally grateful if your friend would agree to have a chat with me. An elf who made this decision for himself is an anomaly in our world, and I would love to hear his views on my proposed bill and how to best help the elves overall.”

 

“Er…yeah, sure I’ll ask,” Harry shrugged and tried to give the man a smile, which may have been closer to a grimace while he loaded something with rice onto this plate. He’d never had Indian food that he hadn't made himself before, and he was very much looking forward to it.

 

“Right, so Bill,” Fabian leaned forward with a wide smile. “I didn’t get the chance to ask when you both stopped by the store to do your shopping, but how did you two meet?”

 

Harry sighed at having to do this again. He really hoped any legilimens in the room were taking the night off because there was nothing he could do about that. “Well, did you all hear that I had to leave school early…yeah, well, there was this lightning strike…”

Notes:

Up Next: Off to work...and James Potter has questions...

Chapter 17: First Day

Notes:

Oh look...we're starting to maybe see a little plot...

Bill and Harry had left Gideon's house first for the evening to put the baby to bed, then Fabian and Agatha left soon after. So now, it was just Gideon and Riddle all alone in the house with Riddle still holding a glass of Gideon’s good scotch. “Well…that went ok, I suppose,” Gideon sighed and crashed into the armchair across from Riddle’s in his sitting room.

 

“I believe you have bemused your brother and sister-in-law with my presence here this evening. I wander what their guesses for me being in attendance will be,” Riddle chuckled, swirling the liquid in his glass. “I must admit, it was a very interesting evening though, much less tedious than all the charity and state dinners I must attend at least.”

 

Gideon waved his hand dismissively before summoning the bottle of scotch to his side of the room to pour himself a glass. “Fabian and Agatha will get over it. The family gossip is strong but also fizzles out quickly because there is also something new to talk about in a family as large as ours. More importantly, what did you think? The Potter situation doesn’t seem normal does it? Harry clearly didn't want to talk about it.”

 

“What is normal though?” Riddle sighed but leaned back in his chair as if in he was going over all the interactions from the evening again in his mind.

 

Personally, Gideon still didn’t have any specifics or evidence for their suspicions, but Harry seemed less polished than an heir to the Potter fortune should be. Actually, he seemed more like a Prewett or Weasley in his opinion. However, that could have something to do with the accident and Harry’s missing memory. Also, Harry would deflect any questions about his own family, which was concerning in itself, and the situation with Gideon’s nephew adopting the baby when they’d only just started dating raised its own questions.

 

“I find the Potter heir difficult to read,” Riddle eventually concluded. “Or what I’m getting doesn’t make sense at least. He seems…angry at me or afraid of me for some reason, but we have met before at one of those insufferable ministry parties, and I don’t believe anything happened to cause either emotion. I believe our interaction was solely focused on his schoolwork and the Gryffindor quidditch team.”

 

“He did run to the loo as soon as he saw you,” Gideon nodded. “It was very abrupt and he seemed paler when he returned. I would say maybe he's still unwell, but he passed his physical exams.”

 

“Also, he did lie on occasion,” Riddle stated as if that weren’t a concerning statement in itself.

 

“About?” Gideon raised an eyebrow wondering just how Riddle was sure of that and what and when he caught any lies.

 

Riddle just slowly shook his head though. Eventually he looked at Gideon with a smirk and tapped his temple. “I will deny this if it ever comes up, but I may have developed some low-level legilimency abilities where truth and lie are concerned. It does tend to help tremendously in politics if you can imagine.”

 

Gideon frowned before he just scoffed and rolled his eyes. “Yes, of course the Minister of Magic would admit to something not quite legal right in front of the head of the DMLE and just expect me to do nothing about it.”

 

“It’s a grey area…it might not be quite legal, but it’s not technically illegal either,” Riddle just smirked again, knowing there was nothing Gideon could do or that he would want to do either.

 

“Fine,” Gideon huffed. It’s not like he could prove it anyway, and Riddle wasn’t wrong, it wasn’t technically illegal. “Well, what did he lie about?”

 

“I honestly don’t know,” Riddle said, his frown causing his brow to wrinkle in confusion, and Gideon suddenly had the wild desire to put his thumb on the man's forehead to smooth out the wrinkles. Wow! He'd maybe had too much to drink. He was definitely cutting himself off after this glass of scotch.

 

“Lie and truth were so mixed together…and when he was saying things that were clearly the truth, I still caught a hint of lie," Riddle said vaguely. 

 

“Like?” Gideon prompted in exasperation.

 

Riddle put down his glass and steepled his hands in front of his face. “For instance, when Mr. Weasley would say the baby’s name, it was complete truth. When Mr. Potter would…there was a hint of a lie there.”

 

“But why…” Gideon trailed off, not having any clue why that would be. “Should I pull his birth certificate? Do you think something is wrong?”

 

“I don’t see the point,” Riddle shrugged. “We already know there are complications with the child’s past, and it has no bearing on our suspicions of abuse. Some personal privacy is a right we all have. It is also possible the baby's mother wanted to name the baby something else, and Mr Potter changed the name. If he originally associated the baby with the first name, it could add just that hint of a lie when he says the new one. Legilimency is more of an art than a science, and Mr. Potter is remarkably frustrating.”

 

“Touting privacy rights from the man who made himself into a human lie detector,” Gideon snorted.

 

Riddle glared at him, and Gideon just smiled teasingly. Riddle took himself too seriously and needed to lighten up a bit in when he was away from the office at the very least. After a second, Riddle gave up on his glare, and picked his glass up again to sip. Gideon was confident he'd won this round...but yeah, definitely cutting himself off after this glass. 

 

Riddle seemed to still be musing though. “Also, he was lying about the lightening and accident, but that could also be because he doesn’t remember it, and it was only told to him later. You should check with Auror Potter before taking my assessment there with any weight.”

 

“Were those the only times?” Gideon asked because that wasn’t helpful in the slightest.

 

“Overall, he seems an honest young man who lies much less than the average person, though he does evade exceptionally well,” Riddle said with what seemed a great deal of approval.

 

“Less than the average person?”

 

Riddle just smirked at him again. “You lied about my presence here, about your plans for tomorrow which I assume are less sitting around your office and paperwork and more scandalous in nature, about what you thought about your brother’s outfit, and that you planned to visit your great aunt sometime soon.”

 

Ok, so that was impressive. Riddle may have a point though, little half-truths and lies did tend to seep into conversation. However…

 

“I’m working on something with the Unspeakables tomorrow,” he said with a raise of his eyebrow, not wanting the minister to think he was involved in some kind of affair or secret relationship or something. “Nothing scandalous in nature and only classified above the general populace.”

 

Riddle shrugged off his explanation, clearly not caring. “Regardless, he seems a nice young man, who truly cares about your nephew and who loves his son. As for our suspicions of abuse, I still have strong suspicions but nothing to say definitively either way. There is clearly a rift between him and his parents, but that could have to do with the child or with him dating your nephew. Auror Potter isn’t homophobic, is he? That could explain all this.”

 

“No,” Gideon could actually answer that confidently. “No, his best friend is Auror Black who’s married to Remus Lupin, the man who writes the DADA textbooks.”

 

“Ah,” Riddle nodded and continued to think. “Maybe it’s the age gap or…I hate to say it since it’s your family, but possibly the social class issue.”

 

Gideon just snorted wryly because he’d risen to a very high place in the ministry, so he’d dealt with the prejudice of social class and his family for years. It didn’t make him think any less of his family only much less of some of the other people high up in government. Riddle must face the same type of prejudice since it was rumored he came from an even less affluent family than Gideon’s. However, Gideon had a feeling that anyone only showed prejudice in front of Riddle once and learned their lesson exceptionally quickly after. There were a few members of the Wizengamot who’d basically had to step down and pass their seat to another member of their family because they’d suddenly lost all standing and power unexpectedly. Gideon was pretty sure Riddle was at work in each instance.

 

“Either that or something more sinister,” Gideon just agreed. “I will talk with Auror Moody after he’s worked with his trainee for a week, and I’ll keep my eyes and ears open to observe how Head Auror Potter and his son interact at work.”

 

“I would hope they are at least able to remain professional in the workplace,” Riddle stood, clearly planning to leave. “If not, I expect you to deal with it.”

 

“Yes, sir!” Gideon smirked and raised his glass in a fake cheer. “You good to apparate, or do you want me to open the floo.”

 

“I will apparate. I believe I'm somehow less tipsy than you,” Riddle said with a knowing smirk before heading towards the front door. “And Prewett…thank you for dinner. I was telling the truth when I said it was a pleasant evening.”

 

Gideon couldn’t help an actual real smile at that. You never quite knew where you stood with the minister, but he was starting to think they were on the precipice of what may be a slight friendship or at least collegiality. “Then, we’ll do it again sometime soon. I may even take you up on your offer of a cooking lesson.”

 

“Please do,” Riddle fake-winced. “Living on take-away is quite sad for a grown adult.”

 

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Gideon waved the man off who chuckled on his way out the door. He would have to invest in some more scotch before he invited the minister back it seemed, but it was actually a nice evening. Riddle was surprisingly an interesting guest and conversationalist who wasn’t as intimidating when away from the office.

 

---

 

Harry had just expertly flipped the first crepe out of the pan when the front door opened slowly in perfect timing for breakfast. It wasn’t their normal crepe day, but Snape had to miss Friday, and it was Harry’s first day of work, so they deserved something special. “Death or Snape?” He asked Bill who was sitting at the table holding Ash and leaning back to see the door.

 

“Snape,” Bill answered with a smile. “He’s not here,” he called out to the man who must be hesitantly entering.

 

Snape gave some kind of huff but strode confidently into the kitchen then. “I blame you,” he pointed at Harry. “I don’t know what you did, but I blame you for the annoying interloper in my lab. How do you make him leave?”

 

“I did nothing, and if you figure out that last bit, let me know,” Harry shrugged and smirked. Right, so he had made the comment to Death that he could literally go anywhere he wanted, but that wasn’t new information to the deity. “Did you at least get your potion finished?”

 

“Yes,” Snape said, taking Ash promptly from Bill who held out the baby to him. “Your mother didn’t help either with stopping by my lab all weekend. I’m sorry to hear your dinner didn’t go as easily as you’d hoped.”

 

Harry sighed and put the crepe on the table in front of Bill. “Don’t worry about trying to explain their behavior to me, Bill already did and Remus and Sirius did, and I do understand. I just don’t care.”

 

Snape bounced the baby some and shrugged. “Well, I do not understand, and I told Lily she sounded like a spoiled brat and should maybe listen to her children more instead of complaining to me. I then asked her who she thought raised you since you had literally no idea who she was, and she should stop assuming you do. I maybe broke your mother’s brain a little when I told her she’d died when you were only a year old and that you didn’t know her and James in the slightest. I think she was believing in error that they had at least lived to your early adolescence. So, anyway, expect more questions now…I don’t know if that’s a good or a bad thing. I do apologize.”

 

“Oh,” Harry didn’t know if that was a good thing or a bad thing either. He found he didn’t care. “I don’t plan to be around them much for a long time at this point, not until I’m less angry and they apologize anyway. Oh, and…Aunt Petunia raised me if you didn’t know that already.”

 

Snape hissed in what looked like abject disgust. “Merlin help us! Yes, you mentioned that, but I didn’t want to be the one to tell your mother. It may have been better if you’d been in foster care! Petunia may be worse!”

 

“Yeah, probably,” Harry just shrugged. “Maybe, maybe not. We’ll never know.”

 

“Well, we aren’t going to any more dinners anytime soon…with anyone!” Bill said firmly while putting blueberries on his crepe. “I’m all family dinner’d out. They can just owl or come here individually if they want to visit. Which reminds me…now that you’ve met the whole family, is there anyone you want me to restrict access to the house? All the Weasleys and Prewetts basically have unrestricted access right now.”

 

“My family doesn’t, right?” Harry grimaced, much more concerned about that. It warmed his heart that Bill thought to ask and wanted to make him comfortable, but the fact was that it wasn't Bill's family who were the problem. 

 

“They’ve never been here for me to give them any type of access,” Bill said to his relief. “Remus has pretty unrestricted access, but, at his own suggestion might I add, I made it to where he can’t bring anyone else through the wards now since he was concerned James would make him if I didn’t. Sirius only has limited access, and Snape, you’re clearly unrestricted since you're Ash’s godfather.”

 

“Well, your family is fine. I have no problems there, as long as they don’t start stopping by when we’re asleep or when we aren’t here or something,” Harry shrugged, not seeing a problem since they weren’t the ones who abused the privilege unlike the people he’d brought into this whole weird living situation. Snape at least knew he was welcome for breakfast, but Remus and Sirius didn’t have that open invitation yet and were on thin ice currently.

 

Snape definitely smirked at the knowledge that he was welcome while petting Ash’s back. “It’s a shame you can’t restrict his godmother though.”

 

“Did I hear my name?” Death said from where he hadn’t even used the front door this time and just silently appeared right in the middle of the room. Death easily caught the knife Harry had reflexively thrown right at his head as if it was entirely expected.

 

“Death! Seriously! You know better than to do that!” Harry wrung his hands. He hated his reflexes and how jumpy he was, and Death knew better! At least he couldn’t kill the man.

 

“I quite like your murderous tendencies,” Death just smirked and put the knife on the counter before sitting at the table.

 

Bill reached out and took Harry’s hand in his and gave it a squeeze. “Hey, it’s ok. Death is the only one who can just appear like that in the house, and you aren’t going to hurt him. So, no harm done. No one else can sneak up on you like that in your safe space, so you aren’t going to lash out at me or Dobby or anyone else. We can’t appear silently.”

 

Harry’s heart was still racing though even when he knew it was the truth. He breathed out and squeezed Bill’s hand back before going back to cooking. If he could just get back into his routine, he’d calm down, he was sure.

 

“And you,” Bill pointed warningly at Death who’d joined them at the table. “I can’t restrict your access, but Harry’s right and you know better.”

 

Death frowned but it did seem to actually sink in. “I do apologize Harry and William. I will use the door in the future or at least announce my arrival more.”

 

Harry sat the next crepe in front of Snape, so he took Ash and passed him off to Death. “Here, just, try to be a little more considerate of my nerves in the future.”

 

“Can we please return to calling him Steve,” Snape uncomfortably glared at the man now holding Ash. “I know he is who he is, but it helps my mental health to only think of him as Steve Weasley.”

 

“Fine with me,” Death smiled broadly, clearly still liking the name for some odd reason known only to the annoying being.

 

“Also, why are we getting your mail now?” Harry tossed a letter on the table in front of the deity that said 'Steve Weasley' on the front. It had been delivered by an owl Harry didn’t recognize along with their paper that that morning.

 

“Wait…that’s my dad’s handwriting,” Bill put down his fork to look at the letter before he groaned. Huh…it seemed the Weasleys didn’t have Errol in this dimension, wonders never did cease it seemed. “Ergh! I think dad is inviting you to drinks. This is a terrible idea, please tell him you’re too busy.” Death just happily moved Ash to one side of his lap and slit the letter open with one of his long, black fingernails though.

 

“I doubt an owl would be willing to deliver a letter to me in the underworld…and also, I’m not sure how the little owl soul could keep the letter with it when it crossed over anyway,” Death offered in what was not a comforting explanation about why they were getting his mail now. How did owls even know to deliver the letter to Shell Cottage though? Did Death put some kind of owl redirect on their house in anticipation of getting mail?! Why was that very concerning?!!

 

“You will not be getting drinks with my father,” Bill more firmly said since Death was smiling very disconcertingly at the contents of the letter.

 

“But…he’s my cousin…though he says I can call him Uncle Arthur,” Death said with an even toothier smile. “I’ve probably already offended Uncle Arthur by not reaching out when I first moved here from Amsterdam,” he smirked, waving the letter tauntingly in front of Bill now.

 

Bill rolled his eyes and cut off another piece of his crepe. “It was the best explanation we could come up with. I’m guessing nothing I’m going to say will stop this train wreck, will it?”

 

“I can answer that,” Snape smirked. “Not in the slightest.”

 

Harry plated a crepe for Death then himself before joining them at the table. He was positive Death didn’t actually need to eat, but he still always joined him if they gave him food. It did make him seem a little more human though, so Harry was perfectly fine with giving him food just for the novelty of watching Death eat something he'd made.

 

“Are you excited for your first day at work?” Death asked conversationally. “I do approve of your choice of career, it's so very brutal, but please avoid allowing anyone to inspect your wand closely if possible. The holly wand illusion only works for a cursory inspection.”

 

“That was my plan,” Harry shrugged, not intending to let anyone touch his wand if at all possible. That did raise a question he'd wondered several times and just hadn't though to ask in all the turmoil going on though. “Does this dimension’s Dumbledore have the same wand as me?”

 

“Why would you have Dumbledore’s wand?” Snape raised an eyebrow.

 

“The Elder Wand of course…my Hallow,” Death answered for Harry. “And yes, and no…this dimension’s Albus Dumbledore did have my Elder Wand, but it lost all significance and extra properties when you brought my blessed Hallow with you from your own dimension. He only now possesses a normal wand of elder and thestral hair instead of a blessed Hallow.”

 

“Ah,” Harry frowned, still concerned for the significance of what all that meant. “And the cloak and stone?”

 

“I really don’t want to be hearing any of this,” Snape sighed, stuffing more crepe in his mouth. They'd only given him a very broad explanation of how Harry had gotten to this dimension, and Snape clearly hadn't wanted a more in-depth explanation for his own sanity. 

 

“Yours whenever you would like them,” Death shrugged. “The cloak is currently in this dimension Harry’s school trunk, though I presume you would like your sister to hold onto it. The stone…well, you will run across it eventually. Claim it or not, it makes no difference since it is yours no matter who currently holds it in their possession.”

 

Harry knew who should have the stone, though he hadn’t noticed if Minister Riddle was wearing any rings the night before. Harry was a little too busy being thrown that the man looked like a normal human being while Harry himself tried to act like a normal human. Unfortunately, they would most definitely interact again at some point where Harry could make sure to look. Really, Death was more frustrating at trying to be mysterious and all anyway.

 

“Whatever,” he sighed. “Now, did you find out anything about Riddle’s past love-life? Is there someone we can claim Ash is connected to if we're ever asked.”

 

Death frowned and huffed, which didn’t bode well for good news. “You have to realize, my siblings and I don’t just watch all you humans constantly. We do have our own responsibilities and lives.”

 

“Oh, really. I never would have guessed,” Bill said dryly with a raise of his eyebrow at the deity who had been following them around since he plopped Harry in that dimension. Snape gave an appreciative snort at Bill which Death pouted at slightly, though Harry was a little afraid of even thinking that about the being.

 

“Regardless…” Death began again. “I checked with my siblings who were most likely to know. I went to my sister Fate first, but it seems Tom Riddle has never been fated to be with anyone in any dimension. He’s always most tied to you…” Death looked at Harry who just grunted in irritation before pouring some chocolate sauce on his crepe. He deserved it.

 

“That doesn’t mean he hasn’t had or will have relationships though. Not all couples are fated, those are only the most special or important bonds,” Death continued. “So, then I checked with Eros, who I really was trying to avoid the little irritant by the way.”

 

“And?” Bill prompted impatiently, clearly tired of Death’s dramatics.

 

“And they said that Riddle has not had a love match in this dimension and there isn’t a strong consistency across dimensions he is in either,” Death concluded with a shrug. “That still doesn’t mean he hasn’t been in any relationships, just that he hasn’t been in love.”

 

“So, we have nothing,” Harry concluded with a sigh. “Well, maybe I’ll hear gossip around the ministry or something. For now, we’ll just be thankful that all babies kind of look the same and that Ash and Riddle don’t both have some kind of clearly identifying birthmark or something.”

 

“Well, that being said, I need to hurry and finish getting ready for work,” Bill stood to take his plate to the sink. “Dobby!” He called.

 

A second later and the little elf appeared in the kitchen. “How may Dobby help this morning.”

 

“Hey, Dobs, your crepe is on the counter,” Harry motioned behind him to the one he’d set aside for when Dobby decided to join them.

 

“I might be a little late getting home tonight,” Bill said to both Dobby and Harry. “I may also be less reachable during the day. I’m going to be on loan to the Unspeakables for a few days working on some cursed objects they came across.”

 

“Awesome! You finally get some interesting curses!” Harry reached back to fist bump Bill who had been complaining for weeks now that all the curses he had to break were so boring.

 

“Yeah! And I’ll keep an ear open for any mentions of dimension travel or anything like that while I’m there,” he said bumping Harry’s fist then giving him a kiss. “Hey, see if the other trainees want to go out for drinks or tea or something after work since I’m going to be late anyway. It’ll be good bonding and help you make friends with them.”

 

“Maybe,” Harry shrugged, finding that thought a little scary. It was probably a good idea to make friends with them, but he still hadn’t interacted with a whole lot of people who didn’t know his secret yet. And honestly, he just really wasn't the best at making friends. “Will you be ok alone with Ash all day, Dobby?”

 

Dobby just scoffed as if the question was completely insulting. “Dobby and little master will be fine.”

 

“You know how to get in touch with my mum if you do need anything though,” Bill told him seriously because they both worried even though Dobby was probably better than both of them with kids.

 

“I am also off work,” Snape surprisingly said from where he was now taking Ash back from Death. “I worked all last weekend, so I have today and tomorrow off. I am happy to stay around if Dobby would like some help.”

 

Ok, so Dobby definitely did find that insulting. “Dobby and little master are fine!” He stomped his foot.

 

“Hey, we know that,” Harry reached out to pat Dobby’s arm. “It’s just a long day, so we want you to know you’re not all alone if you don't want to be.”

 

“Thank you Harry Potter,” Dobby seemed to let go of all his irritation with a small smile. “You’s just worry about your first day at work though.”

 

“Which I should definitely get ready for,” he jumped up, wanting to be early if at all possible.

 

“Dobby steamed your robes. They are hanging in the wardrobe!” Dobby called after him as Harry bounded up the stairs, Bill slightly behind him to finish getting ready too.

 

---

 

James Potter stalked through the corridors of the ministry early before work on Monday morning. It was his (son’s) first day as an auror, and he did not want to be late for seeing the trainees when they first came into the office. Now, though, there was something that was nagging at him, and he just needed to do something about it before he could start his day and settle into work.

 

James was frankly embarrassed at how dinner had gone with Harry…or Har as Emily was now calling him to make the distinction between the two different people. He really and truly hadn’t even considered the option that Har wouldn’t know who he and Lily were in the slightest. He’d just assumed that some version of him had been raising the boy for a least a large chunk of his life before he and Lily had supposedly died, but Lily had spoken with Snivellus who’d told her they had died when Har was only a year old. It made a lot more sense at how this version of their son was interacting with them.

 

Now, he wished he’d asked more questions, but asking meant acknowledging that this man wasn’t his son. It meant really believing that his own son was dead and that he wasn’t even allowed to grieve him publicly. But how did he both treat Har as his son in public and like a stranger in private. Because he was…this man was as much a stranger to him as he was to Har. After Sirius and Remus had basically yelled at him for his assumptions, and after he’d gotten an earful from his own daughter, James and Lily talked and they determined they had to change their strategy. He just didn’t know how or what to do though. He'd always thought he was doing the best he could with what he had, but that didn't seem to work with Har...maybe it hadn't worked with his Harry either. That would have to be a problem for another day. 

 

At the very least, he could trust but verify now though. Which meant, James believed him when Har said Ash’s documents were in order, but he needed to check for himself and make absolutely sure that everything was legal and would hold up to scrutiny. If not, they had their original plan that he would just need to convince Harry of. He wasn’t sure what to do about the Weasley boy. Weasleys were…well, they were unpredictable since he’d really never had to interact with them. They ran in completely different social circles and there weren’t any in school with him. Plus, this man was much older than Harry, and James just wasn’t sure how he felt about that. Though, this wasn’t his son, so his opinion most likely didn’t matter to Har anyway.

 

He strode into the birth and death records office and strode up to the counter where an old witch was actually sitting and knitting, clearly perpetuating the stereotype he already had of the workers in this particular office. “I need to see a birth certificate,” he told her, probably putting on the head auror role a little too strongly for the situation.

 

“Sure, deary, just sign in and give me the name,” she motioned to a parchment that looked only sparsely used. Actually, the last person who’d signed in was one of his aurors, and it was two months ago for a case.”

 

Still, he signed the form and waiting for the woman to look up at him again. “Ash Edward Potter-Weasley,” he told her with a wince at the name. Really, why ‘Edward’ for a middle name? That just didn’t follow standard naming traditions. It should be Ash Harry Potter, and did they really need the Weasley part tacked on?

 

With a surprised blink at the name coming from him, she waved her wand towards the large filing cabinets behind her. James just really hoped his woman wasn’t a gossip. He had a very good reason for looking at his own grandson’s birth certificate though even if she was. It was his grandson!

 

A piece of parchment flew out of a cabinet in the back of the room and straight into James’s outstretched hand. “Thank you,” he mumbled at the woman before looking at the paper.

 

Ash Edward Potter-Weasley

Born: April 5^th, 1998

 

Mother: Harry James Potter                                                                         

 

Father: William Arthur Weasley

 

Maternal Grandparents:                                                                 

James and Lily Potter                                                                                 

Thomas Marvolo Riddle

 

Paternal Grandparents:

Arthur and Molly Weasley

 

Godmother: Steve Hades Weasley   

Godfather: Severus Tobias Snape                                                            

 

 

James just stared in shock at the birth certificate. What in Merlin’s saggy britches?! How did Ash have three maternal grandparents, and why the bloody hell was the Minister of Magic one of them?!! And also…Snape? Really?

 

James really didn’t know what the hell to make of this. It was all very legal though, he could tell from the seal and spells on the parchment. The adoption was clearly all taken care of and everything was above reproach, but how and why? The only reason to have a third maternal grandparent was if Riddle was possibly Ash’s actual grandparent from the mother’s side and Harry wanted him to keep some rights to the baby…

 

And now James realized that he knew literally nothing about Ash’s biological mother. Har hadn’t been specific, and they hadn't asked much. James had thought the muggle story Har had come up with was probably the actual truth that he’d tailored to this dimension, but that didn’t seem possible. Did Riddle have a daughter, or maybe granddaughter, in Harry’s original dimension who was Ash’s biological mother? Even if she was, this Riddle wouldn’t know anything about it, which made his inclusion in the birth certificate even more confusing.

 

The elderly witch was looking at him expectantly, so James just schooled his expression and cleared his throat. He sent the birth certificate back to his original location with a returning spell, not wanting to hand it to the woman who would surely look at it to refile it and maybe tell others. “Thank you. Have a nice day,” he nodded at her before turning on his heel and striding towards the auror offices.

 

He'd have to ask Har about this. But…that would mean his sort-of son would need to talk with him, and James got the very clear impression that Har wasn’t going to do that outside of work. At the very least, James hoped they could keep it professional…at least until Moody inevitably washed Har out of the program.

 

What James hadn’t expected was the catch in his throat and what felt like pride when he saw the image of his son stride into the office wearing red robes and already walking like a trained auror. Moody must have seen James off where he was standing in the corner of the room while the other aurors met the trainees and congratulated them on their first day because he strode over and leaned against the wall with James with a grunt.

 

“Must be proud of the scamp,” Moody said in his growling tone.

 

James couldn’t help nodding, but with a little sinking feeling at the emotion all the same. This wasn’t his son. His son would never have a job and would never make something of his life or have a family or grow old. This Harry though, well, James did still want the best for him, even if he was a stranger.

 

“Moody,” he sighed, looking at the man who was about to give his son hell because yes, he should probably claim Har in his own mind at least if he was going to claim him outwardly to the world. “If you took him on as some kind of favor to me…that’s really unnecessary. Just give him a fair shot, will you?”

 

Moody looked at him like he’d just lost his Merlin-loving mind. James didn’t see why that was a crazy thing to say. Clearly, Moody had a reputation, and James was just wanting his son to get a fair shot and not be washed out on the first day even if he might have gotten into the program out of some sense of duty.

 

Eventually, Moody just scoffed and leaned back again. “I take it you haven’t talked to your son or anyone else in the department since the duels last week then,” he chuckled and shook his head. He pushed himself away from the wall, presumably to go grab Har for the day.

 

“James,” he said, giving the man a very intense look with that magical eye of his pinning him down. “Your kid beat me fair and square in a duel. I haven’t been this excited about a new recruit in all my time here, so don’t you worry one bit. I’ll eat my own fake eye if he doesn’t come out top of his class.”

 

James just stood there dumbfounded as Moody walked over and greeted his son to get started for the day. What the hell?! Remus had said his son had trauma…but trauma that made him into a fighter who could take out the department’s best dueler?! James really, really regretted not having asked more questions of the kid.

 

---

 

Harry sat at the desk Moody gruffly pointed at and ordered him in. He winced when his auror trainer slammed a stack of folders in front of him. “Now, welcome to your first day,” Moody smirked evilly at him. “It’s time to learn that most of this job is paperwork.”

 

Harry did actually sigh internally at that. Yeah, he’d been expecting paperwork, but on his first day? That was a little cruel.

 

“I’ve got a suspect I need to interrogate and which you are not ready for, so I’ll be a few hours and need you to keep busy,” Moody continued. “Now, I want to see where you are here at the beginning here with your investigative skills.”

 

Moody motioned to the large pile of folders. “These are all the nuisance complaints the department has gotten over the past two weeks. Now, I’ve already looked at them and have my own opinions. I want you to look at them and let me know which ones you believe we should pursue investigating…in order of importance…as soon as I return,” Moody said, looking him him significantly. This was definitely a test.

 

“Yes, sir,” he said firmly because he’d been prepared for tests. He wasn’t sure how capable he was at this one, but he’d been pretty good at knowing when something wasn’t right and people were up to things his entire life. Maybe he could do this.

 

“By the time I get back,” Moody said again before striding away and off to where Harry only assumed the interrogation rooms must be.

 

Harry cracked his neck and promptly flipped open the first file. There were a lot of nuisance complaints…and some of them were just ridiculous. A neighbor acting ‘strangely,’ a wild animal by a kids' playground, a potion the wrong color, a singing kettle that only sang God Save the Queen instead of its usual repertoire…and so on and so forth.

 

Harry made three stacks of the files. The first stack were cases that should be referred to other departments like Mr. Weasley’s for muggle artifacts or the Department of Magical Creatures for the wild animal. The second stack was for things that weren’t illegal at all, so they couldn’t follow up, like the neighbor acting strangely. They weren’t doing anything concerning or illegal, so there wasn’t anything they could do there.

 

The third stack were the ones they did need to follow-up on like the potion of the wrong color. It could be that the potion had expired, but it could also be something more concerning. Asking a question or two and looking at it would be worth their time if it was an entire batch from the apothecary with something wrong with it or if someone had changed out this particular potion for a nefarious reason. Then he took that third pile, and Harry started sorting it for most and least timely.

 

Everything was sorted, but something still nagged at the back of his mind. It was that feeling he always got when he knew something was worse than it looked on the surface, like a lake with inferi just waiting to grab you. Harry’s hand hovered back over the first stack of files, and he pulled the wild animal one out to look over again. Something about it sent up warning bells, and he needed to look over it again. 

 

Harry was on his third read through of the file when a shadow crossed his desk. “Harry,” James Potter greeted with a tense smile, making Harry look up and refocus his eyes from squinting so much at the file. “I've been talking to all the trainees, and I just wanted to welcome you to the aurors…as your…as your boss…”

 

Harry just frowned, not even processing what James was saying since his mind was still thinking over the file. “Does Fenrir Greyback exist in this dimension?” He asked abruptly. “He was the one who changed Remus into a werewolf in mine.”

 

James looked completely taken aback, and he seemed to have to reset his brain with a blink. “Yes, Greyback has been on our radar for a while…I was unaware anyone, Remus included, knew who changed him though…”

 

“Oh…” Harry looked back at the file with a short nod and placed it right at the top of the third pile now. He shook his head, knowing he was going to have to sell Moody on it since it didn’t look concerning at all on the surface. Harry had a feeling that people in this dimension might not have a reason to know that Greyback could partially transform when it wasn’t the full moon though. And Harry knew that Greyback had a very creepy and unnatural interest in children…which, as bad as it was to say, Harry really hoped was only an interest in turning them into werewolves. So yeah, that was most pressing if he could just sell Moody on investigating it.

 

“Thanks…so, er…what were you saying again?” He looked up at James Potter in confusion at what the man was even doing there.

Notes:

Up Next: A very Weasley drinks night with Death...

Chapter 18: Suspicions

Notes:

This chapter was kicking my ass. I'm not sure how I feel about it.

Alastor Moody left the interrogation room feeling frustrated, but ready to wash his hands of this entire case. They had enough to send the guy to trial, but it still wasn’t as much as Moody would like. He wanted the confession, but it looked like it was going to be up to the barristers this time to seal the deal. Sometimes that was just the way it was though.

 

Now, Moody needed to go check on his new trainee. Honestly, he was very suspicious of this whole situation. He hadn’t been assigned a trainee in years, and then suddenly James Potter’s progeny is thrown at him in the year before he retires. There had to be a reason. Frankly, he’d entered the first duel ready to bounce the kid that first day. Surely, mini-Potter was there as some kind of nepotism hire. But then…well, Moody was cautiously hopeful…

 

That didn’t mean he wouldn’t kick the kid out of the program at the first sign of blatant incompetence, but still, he had skill with a wand at least, and he was fast, like lightning reflexes. Time would only tell if the kid had any innate investigative ability though. He’d heard Auror Potter complain about his son’s single-minded obsession with quidditch for years, so Moody wasn’t very hopeful that the boy had the skillset to investigate a crime or the observation skills to catch the nuances of a situation.

 

He'd left Trainee Potter with a stack of the last week’s nuisance complaints to see what he would make of them. Moody already knew what he was going to find though. If his trainee had actually gotten through all of them and wasn’t goofing off with the other trainees, then he’d be more than a little impressed. The bar was low though, and Moody wasn’t expecting much. There was a purpose for this assignment, and he's used it many times before when he'd actually been assigned trainees in the past. It was a learning opportunity because Moody already knew what the kid would decide.

 

He was sure that Potter would predictably mark the report of the suspicious neighbor as most important which was such a newbie move, but there was no actionable basis for it. Actually, Moody was quite certain the neighbor was having an affair and feeling guilty about it which was affecting his behavior. So, not great for the guy’s marriage, but not illegal in the slightest.

 

The cursed tea kettle was another teaching opportunity because wherever Potter put it in the pile, Moody was using it to explain delegating to other departments. That was not their department, so they would pass it off to Misuse of Muggle Artifacts, the same with the magical creature spotted by the playground to the Department of Magical Creatures. The correct answer which Moody wasn’t optimistic to hear was the potion of the wrong color. It wasn’t sexy or thrilling, but it was something that needed investigating in case a larger issue was uncovered.

 

Moody’s optimism took a downward turn when he stepped back into the bullpen and saw Auror Black standing over his trainee and chatting. Black knew better than to distract his trainees, but the man was infuriating. There was no way the kid had gotten any work down with that idiot around. On second look though…it seemed Trainee Potter was trying to get rid of the annoying idiot who Moody refused to partner with under any circumstances. There may be hope for him yet.

 

Moody cleared his throat loudly behind Black. “Auror Black, are you distracting my trainee when I specifically gave him an assignment I wanted him to finish by the time I returned?” He asked accusingly.

 

Black rolled his eyes and huffed at him. “Harry was already finished, but yeah, yeah, I’ll go. But hey…think about it,” he turned back to Potter with a look. “It’s still your birthday; we should do something.”

 

Potter grimaced and didn’t seem excited about that in the slightest. Moody briefly wondered what the kid had against his birthday but also found that he really didn’t care. Black did leave at that, and Moody glanced at the kid’s desk and saw three piles of the files. “Which one did you get through?” He asked, figuring it was some sort of system for what the kid had read yet or not.

 

Potter just frowned at him though. “Er…all of them…” Moody raised his one eyebrow and crossed his arms. Well, the bar rose just slightly, now what had the kid made of the files? Here was where Moody would get to really lecture and make the kid see just how much he needed to learn if he wanted to be an auror. 

 

“Well…talk me through them then.”

 

Potter pointed at the smallest pile. “This is the ignore pile. There isn’t anything illegal or concerning in it that we can investigate.”

 

Moody picked up the pile and flipped through it. Damn, but the kid was good. He paused at the file with the suspicious and probably cheating neighbor in it and felt his eyebrow rise even higher. Well, there went that teaching moment. It was everything Moody himself would have put in the pile.

 

He put the pile back on the desk with a nod. “And the others?”

 

Potter tapped a finger against the next pile. “These can be sent to other departments. They aren’t auror business but can be handled by other ministry departments.”

 

Moody picked up the pile and flipped through it. There was definitely hope for this kid yet. He supposed that James Potter’s son would have a working knowledge of the other departments in the ministry though, so maybe this made sense. He held in a smile when he didn’t see the magical creature by the playground in the pile. Great, he still had one teachable moment, he could work with this.

 

“I suppose the last pile are cases we should actually investigate?” He put down the pile to look at the last. “What are your top picks?”

 

Potter picked up the top folder to show Moody the magical creature file to his surprise. The kid had been doing so well too. Thankfully, the second file looked like the potion file, so not a complete failure, but still, he couldn’t tell the kid’s reasoning for this one, it just wasn’t that concerning overall and could be delegated. It's not like the creature had attacked anyone. 

 

“I agree with everything, except for this,” Moody dropped the file back on the desk. Instead of jumping into his lecture though, he decided to maybe give the kid the benefit of the doubt and at least ask why. “This case can be sent to the Department of Magical Creatures. Do you have a reason it wasn’t in the pile with the rest of those ones to pass off.”

“Yes, sir,” Potter gave him a little smile and flipped open the folder. The kid wasn’t afraid of him yet, and that impressed Moody, but he still only gave it a week. The kid would be a tense mess around him shortly, and that would be a headache but inevitable. “I believe this is a werewolf, Fenrir Greyback."

 

Moody didn’t even try to disguise his sigh. The kid had been doing so well. “Trainee Potter, did you bother to even look at the date? If you had looked, and checked a calendar, you would have seen this was nowhere near a full moon. And, even if it was, werewolves are not our problem unless they are committing a crime.”

 

Potter was shaking his head though. “That’s why I said it was specifically Greyback and not just some werewolf,” he explained. “Greyback can partially transform when it isn’t a full moon. I don't know of any other werewolf who's managed that, but he definitely can.”

 

Now this was news to Moody. This changed everything about the investigation they'd already started into the man. They knew he was turning people intentionally, but they hadn't been able to figure out how or been able to prove it yet. “How do you know this?”

 

Potter just shrugged as if this wasn’t extremely concerning information. “I’ve seen it. He can’t infect someone when it's not a full moon, but he stalks his prey beforehand, and he prefers children, hence the playground. I believe he’s specifically targeting one of the kids who were there, and he’ll attack at the next full moon. We should check into the families who were there and see if there is any evidence of one of the children being stalked before they're attacked this next full moon.”

 

Moody looked at the information in the file more intensely. The description did sound like a partially transformed werewolf, but he’d assumed it was only an imp or maybe even a centaur since the mother who had reported it hadn’t gotten a good look. Still, this was quite a leap. It was a leap that did sound worth spending an hour or so looking into though. 

 

“How do you know all this? We haven’t made any information about the investigation into Greyback common knowledge. Has your father been talking to you about it at home?” Moody asked next. That would be a problem if Head Auror Potter was talking about open investigations at home with his family. 

 

“No, sir,” his trainee shook his head firmly. “My uncle, Remus Lupin, was turned by Greyback as a child, so I was interested to learn more and have just kept my eyes and ears open.”

 

Merlin, but had they even interviewed Lupin? Why hadn’t they? Surely, the man knew something even if this happened when he was a child. If this was the case though, Potter was right, and they really did need to look into this sighting. Actually, this was far above a trainee’s capabilities and duties though.

 

Moody looked at the kid and narrowed his eyes. He really should pass this off to a seasoned auror team or even ditch the kid and look into it himself. Potter had found it though, and he had uncovered connections Moody hadn’t even considered. It was only fair he was allowed to help…plus, seeing the kid in the field would be a great way to see his observation capabilities. Trial by fire in the first day and all…

 

“Right, grab a notebook and pen to take notes, and follow me to the floos,” Moody nodded at the teen who jumped up, already grabbing the requested items. “You let me do the talking, and don’t do anything without my explicit permission. You understand?”

“Yes sir!” Potter smiled and hurried along behind him. Well, this was going to be interesting. He didn’t know what he thought of the kid now. Something was up with Trainee Potter, and Moody didn’t know what. The kid was a little too capable though…had Head Auror Potter been training him as a child? That would be…concerning…

 

---

 

Harry was killing it his first day! Or at least he hoped so. Moody didn’t seem disappointed in him yet anyway. Thankfully, he’d actually gotten through the files before the auror returned because James Potter and Sirius had both stopped by his desk to chat when he really should be working. James had only been doing come kind of first day check on all the trainees it seemed though, so Harry had answered his questions and sent him on his way easily enough. Sirius though…Sirius had actually remembered his birthday was in a few days and was trying to get him to agree to do something for it.

 

Harry just didn’t feel it though. His birthday had never been a happy occasion even when the Weasleys had really tried since it was during a war and right after George lost an ear and Moody had died. But now, he’d lost his everyone he cared about from his own dimension, and Ron and Hermione wouldn’t be there to celebrate with him. He was very happy with his new little family, but his birthday was somehow a reminder of all he’d lost more than most things in his life. Plus, he didn’t think James and Lily Potter would appreciate him celebrating when their own Harry was no longer there to celebrate with them.

 

Anyway, he was thankful Moody had shown up to get him out of having to explain all that to his godfather in the middle of the auror bullpen. Now though, well, getting to go out and actually investigate on his first day was exciting. It was also nice that Moody hadn’t immediately gone to check in with Remus, who it didn’t sound like anyone knew Greyback had turned him for some reason. Harry supposed that information had probably come out during the first war when Greyback was running wild, but it was fairly common knowledge in his dimension as well as Greyback’s practices and preferences in his victims.

 

After a floo trip, a chat with a local innkeeper where they didn’t learn anything new, and a walk through Godric’s Hollow, Harry and Moody arrived at the mother’s house who had reported the sighting. Moody promptly knocked on the door with a glare at Harry that he interpreted as a reminder not to talk. He could do this though, he could take notes and let someone else be the leader, he didn’t always have to be in charge when something important was going on. This would be refreshing. 

 

“Do any of your neighbors have a connection to the Department of Magical Creatures, have campaigned for creature restrictions, or have testified in any trial against a magical creature?” Harry found himself asking, ignoring the murderous glare from Moody he was getting. It's just...they weren't getting anywhere with Moody's questions! 

 

Ok, so maybe he wasn’t very good at keeping his mouth shut. But, Greyback usually had a reason to target the children he went after, and that was usually that their parents were involved in something against creatures. This family didn’t seem to have any connections to any creature legislation, but they also weren’t the only family at the playground that day.

 

The woman was shaking her head before she paused and frowned in consideration. “Actually…” she trailed off, tapping a fingernail against the china of her teacup. “The Roberts family, three houses down…I believe Susanna Roberts, the wife, is currently working on a research study with St. Mungo’s on suppressing the werewolf infection. Does that count?”

 

“Yes, yes it does,” Harry made a quick note. “Was their kid at the park that day?”

 

She nodded quickly. “Yes, I believe little Chester was there.”

 

Wow, Chester…not a name Harry would have chosen, but whatever. He was sure the boy was just lovely. “And which house is theirs?”

 

“Three to the left, blue door,” the woman pointed.

 

Harry finally looked over at Moody since he didn’t have any more questions and found the man studying him with a very intense look in his eyes. Yeah, Harry was in trouble…he just hoped it wasn’t firing trouble because there was no way he was letting this go now. If this Chester kid was in danger, Harry was going to help as an auror or not, so hopefully he would be allowed to do it legally at least.

 

Moody tersely thanked the woman and reminded her to keep her daughter indoors on the night of the full moon before they left the house. “Er…sorry…” Harry trailed off with a raise of his eyebrow when Moody spun around and pinned him with his magical eyes and a growl.

 

“I told you not to talk,” Moody said in what was probably supposed to be a very intimidating snarl. Harry wondered if he should act intimidated or at least step back and look more apologetic, but no, he was past caring about that in the slightest.

 

Harry just glared right back at Moody. “Remus Lupin’s father was one of the most vocal supporters for reducing werewolf rights, and Greyback has an MO. This family isn’t connected to creature legislation in the slightest, but a healer looking to cure the werewolf infection, she is someone Greyback would see as a threat against who he is and werewolves in general. He targets the children of the families he sees as hurting his kind.”

 

Moody glared at him for a moment longer before he finally stepped back. “Well…you want to ask questions…then you’re in charge of questioning the Roberts family. Let’s see how you do leading this. And don't forget...I'm watching.”

 

Harry knew this was another test, but honestly, this was just so much easier. He smiled happily at Moody and headed off to the house with the blue door. If Moody wanted to play it that way, then Harry was all too happy to oblige, thank Merlin!

 

---

 

Bill looked at the amulet sitting on the desk in front of him while he tapped his wand against the wood, casting indirectly through the wood of the desk instead of directly at the amulet. The Unspeakables had done that once and knew not to try it again, so Bill was being maybe overly cautious before he jumped into this. The amulet may look like a simple brooch with an odd design of a triangle, circle, and a line that bisected them, but it would fight back when cast at directly in very gruesome and inventive ways. 

 

It was all very curious. He had seen this design before on something, but he wasn’t sure where. He thought it had been in Egypt, but he couldn’t remember if it was a sarcophagus or a tomb or what. Whatever it had been on when he’d seen it last must not have been cursed. This though…this was nasty…

 

“So, dinner went well…” Bill’s Uncle Gideon remarked conversationally from where he was looking through the papers taken in the same raid at a desk across the small office they were almost imprisoned in down in the Department of Mysteries. The Unspeakables had gathered up everything from the study of Albert Wagner whose manor had been raided just a couple weeks before by the aurors after he’d attacked and killed three muggle women…they still hadn’t found the bodies. The study of the man had been covered in runes and curses and had things such as this artifact, which radiated such a cursed aura that the aurors had happily let the Unspeakables take the first crack at it.

 

Now even the Unspeakables were admitting to needing a little help. The ministry didn’t actually employ curse breakers since Gringotts hired out theirs for a very reasonable fee, and any curse breakers not employed by Gringotts were freelance. Since no one could study the amulet with the current curse which set a person on fire who cast at it among other things, they needed a curse breaker to handle it first before they could really study whatever else it did. And this wasn’t the only cursed object on Bill’s table right now, this was just the first. He was actually very excited for what looked to be an interesting few months of work at least.

 

Uncle Gideon was representing the aurors and going through the things the Unspeakables had taken to help with the investigation into Wagner and his activities. The Unspeakables had marked everything as extremely high security level because of the curses and what looked like arcane ritual magic. Because of the danger, the Unspeakables had requested either the head auror or the head of the DMLE to look over it instead of a random auror who may not be as careful…and Bill was extremely relieved his uncle had agreed to this and he wasn’t currently working with James Potter.

 

“Yeah, it was a good dinner,” Bill smiled up at his uncle. “We should do it again sometime…but not soon. Harry and I are a bit done with family dinners for a least a few weeks. We had three in one weekend. I don't know if we mentioned that before.”

 

Gideon hummed in understanding while he flipped through the parchment. “Us and your parents, and who was the third?”

 

“The Potters,” Bill barely managed not to seethe, but some of his ire must have leaked through because Gideon looked up at him and frowned.

 

“So…what is really going on between your boyfriend and his parents?” Gideon asked, definitely digging.

 

Bill did not appreciate being questioned while trying to work by anyone, even family. “So, what is really going on between you and Minister Riddle?” He fired back because two could play at that game.

 

“Absolutely nothing,” Gideon said with a fond eyeroll at him, clearly communicating he knew what Bill was doing.

 

Bill cast another couple spells through the wood before sighing. He did really want to say something, and it wasn’t his place, but maybe someone in the family should. “Uncle Gideon…it’s been a long time since you lost Aunt Imogen,” he said, seeing Gideon’s hands still. His uncle had married his auror partner when they met on the job, and he’d lost her the same way, a raid gone badly.

 

Bill knew he was probably crossing a line, but he loved his uncle and wanted to see him happy again. His uncles were only in their like late fifties, so they were still very young for wizards. Uncle Gideon shouldn't have to be alone for the rest of his life if he didn't want to be.

 

“Look…I know I’m not the only bisexual person in this family, and I’m just saying that no one expects you to stay single forever. You could probably pick an easier and less politically fraught romantic partner than the bloody minister of magic, but our family has weathered worse drama…I’m just saying…”

 

“Uh, huh, you’re just saying,” Gideon mocked with a raise of his eyebrow. “Billy…there is literally nothing going on between me and the minister. Frankly, I don’t think anyone even knows what his deal is whether he’s into women, men, nothing, whatever. I know the Prophet has been trying for ages to figure him out, so even if I was interested, I don’t think that’s the direction I should be looking.”

 

Bill just shrugged and was happy he hadn’t been yelled at or anything, not that Gideon had ever yelled at him, but talking about grief was a touchy subject. It’d been a decade since they lost his Aunt Imogen, but still, he knew his uncle felt it still every day.

 

Maybe he’d been around Harry too long, but he couldn’t help pressing his luck just a little further. “You know, there’s this novel concept where you tell a person that you like them and then ask if they might like you too. I’m just saying…” he trailed off with a smirk at his uncle.

 

“You’re just saying an awful lot there, peanut,” Gideon smirked right back, even breaking out the childhood nickname. So, yeah, Bill should probably check all his mail for pranks over the next few weeks because there was definitely going to be retaliation, Prewett style.

 

“Hey, you see anything on blood boiling curses linked to runes over there,” Bill asked, getting back to business because there was a very interesting tiny rune engraved on the amulet.

 

“Hmm, maybe…” Gideon flipped back through some of the papers he’d already looked through to find the runes.

 

---

 

Arthur Weasley sat at the little café in Diagon Alley and looked expectantly at the door any time someone entered the shop. He was looking for a redhaired, blue eyed, young man who was probably wearing a nice suit since he was a solicitor. It had been years since Arthur had seen his Uncle Bors and was looking forward to reconnecting with a small part of that branch of the family. In addition to that, this Steve had already helped his son so very much. The least Arthur could do was thank the young man and invite him around for family dinner. Weasleys stuck together no matter what, and his cousin should not be allowed to think he was alone at any point in time, especially being so far from home.

 

Plus, Arthur had an uncomfortable feeling that his son may need more legal help at some point in the future. He didn’t exactly know what was going on with the Potters, but he knew enough to be concerned. He also knew enough about pureblood families to know that even the most well-intentioned of them could do some despicable things under the guise of preserving the family heritage. He and Molly thanked Merlin constantly that the Weasleys and Prewetts had never been that way. Well...some of the Prewetts were in the distant family, but not their immediate family at least, so yeah, thank Merlin. 

 

The door jingled again, and a new person walked in, seeming to darken the entire cafe just with his presence. Arthur despaired at the dark-haired man who stepped in. It didn’t take a second though before the man caught his eye and smiled. Arthur just blinked in surprise. This was not a Weasley. The young man, most likely in his early thirties, had long, black hair tied in a low ponytail with an impeccable black suit which probably cost more than Arthur’s entire wardrobe, finished with a blood-red tie with a skull tiepin. The man was handsome, fit, and looked like he could have stepped out of a fashion magazine.

 

This wasn’t the surprising part though…this young man was very clearly not a human. The man’s eyes were blue, but a white blue that looked almost like they were covered in cataracts or dead, and his teeth…his teeth were sharp like a canine’s. The man then gave him a little wave, and Arthur caught long, black nails as sharp as talons.

 

The man quickly ordered, and now he was walking over towards the table Arthur was sitting at. Arthur breathed in and wracked his brain for what was going on. He was supposed to be meeting Steve Weasley, and this man was walking over to him as if he was expecting to meet Arthur. This man wasn’t a Weasley…but that didn’t mean he hadn’t been adopted...

 

With a relieved sigh and small laugh at the realization, Arthur pushed aside his uncomfortableness at the man’s appearance. It was just like his Uncle Bors to have adopted a magical creature child who needed a home. Actually, yes, he thought he had heard of someone adopting a child in that branch of the family, it must have been Bors. Right, so no worries there, best not to let his cousin see him being uncomfortable. It’s not like little Stevie could help the way he looked or even his aura. That must have been a struggle for him growing up. Arthur's heart hurt for the little kid this young man must have been. 

 

“Uncle Arthur?” The man asked with a large smile as he sat at the table.

 

“You must be Steve. It’s so wonderful to meet you, son,” Arthur reached out and shook his cousin’s hand, repressing the unconscious wince he wanted to make at the talons wrapped around his hand.

 

“Well, I’ve heard good things, and Bill has been so very welcoming,” Steve smiled that predatory smile while the waitress put his coffee on the table in front of him before she scurried away as if being chased.

 

Arthur forced a smile back. He was determined to push down whatever the chill was that ran up and down his spine. It might help if he knew what Steve Weasley was, but asking was exceptionally rude, and Molly would never let him hear the end of it if he did. He guessed based on the looks and the creeping feeling of dread that the man was probably a Mara or one of the many fae. That really must be a struggle for a young man trying to set up a law practice when those around him would shudder away in fear either conscious or subconscious. Well, he would just have to be extra welcoming then, and maybe even recommend his cousin's services to help him get more clients.

 

Arthur reached out and patted Steve’s arm. “I’m sorry I didn’t reach out sooner. I really didn’t know you had moved here, but now that you’re here and we’ve met, you really should come by the house for a visit. Molly would love to cook a good homecooked meal for you, and the children would love to meet another of their cousins.”

 

Steve looked at his hand with wide eyes as if he was completely unused to people touching him, which wasn’t that just so very sad. Steve’s face melted into a soft smile, and Arthur resolved to find every opportunity to make the man feel welcomed and maybe even see if he would mind some hugs when they got to know each other better. His cousin feeling touch-starved and having people avoid him was just completely unacceptable.

 

“I would love that, Uncle Arthur,” Steve said with that wide-toothy grin again. Arthur was very happy he’d told the man to call him uncle. Even though they were actually cousins, he had been certain the man would be much younger, and now he could feel like he had closer family, and someone to look out for him.

 

“Great!” Arthur smiled broadly before picking up his teacup and taking a sip. “Now, tell me all about how you’ve been settling in here in England. I haven’t talked to your father in years, but I know he was always one to push for a comfortable home, so I do hope you’ve found a nice flat or somewhere to live.”

 

“Oh, I have a home,” Steve smiled and dumped way too much sugar in his coffee, making Arthur wince. “I spend a lot of my time at Shell Cottage though. Harry makes a wonderful breakfast, and Severus is there most mornings too, and I would never want to turn down a chance to see him.”

 

“Severus?” Arthur asked with a small chuckle. It seemed that his son really had been building up his own little family unbeknownst to them. It was really nice that Bill had been able to inherit the cottage from their aunt since it seemed he needed to the space all of a sudden.

 

“Ah, Severus is Ash’s other godparent,” Steve said with a broad grin, and yes, Arthur did seem to remember his son mentioning that they’d made Steve the baby’s godparent. That was so nice of Bill and Harry to do, especially now that Arthur had met him and saw that he needed more love and support in his life. Steve was still explaining with a soft look though. “Severus Snape is a potion master and friend of Harry’s.”

 

Arthur knew that look, and he couldn’t help a little teasing grin. Well, he didn’t think he’d ever met this Severus Snape before, but it seemed like that was going to have to change very soon. His family was just growing by leaps and bounds now. It may be a race to wedding season at this point by the looks of it.

 

“Then, you will just need to bring him to dinner with you,” Arthur said, getting an even wider smile from Steve. “So, tell me more about your young man. We have to make sure he's good enough for a Weasley of your caliber, you know.”

 

“He’s just so deliciously complicated and so very stubborn,” Steve enthusiastically waved his hand in emphasis. “In all my years, I’ve never found someone who intrigues me more or in the same way. Harry and Bill are both very intriguing too, but in a different way, not that they aren’t interesting, don’t get me wrong.”

 

“I understand completely,” Arthur chuckled. “Have you told him this?”

 

“Yes! All the time, but I don’t think he wants to hear it,” Steve almost pouted, and Arthur reached out to pat his hand again comfortingly. It really must be a challenge to start a new relationship with the aura of whatever magical creature Steve was.

 

Arthur decided then and there that Steve must be smothered in as much family as possible then. “Well, maybe he just needs more time. But you know, you do need to respect other people’s decisions and boundaries. I know Uncle Bors and Aunt Julia would have stressed that.”

 

“Oh, yes, Bill has been telling me that too,” Steve nodded firmly and sipped his coffee. “He said I have to knock now when I enter so I don’t scare Harry and cause him to panic. But Severus hasn’t specifically told me to leave him alone or stop talking to him or anything. I even knock when I visit him in his lab, but he won't let me help him brew.”

 

Now that was concerning. Arthur frowned, it sounded like Harry was having some anxiety problems. He wondered if the young man was getting some mental help. Maybe he’d ask Percy to stop by very soon to check on him. Percy could relate and was really good at getting people to talk to him even if he spent most of his days in greenhouses and gardens. Not that Arthur didn’t trust Bill, not in the slightest, but Percy could maybe understand more where Bill couldn’t.

 

“Well, that does sound promising,” Arthur returned to the subject. “And how is your new law practice going?”

 

“Oh, wonderful,” Steve enthused. “I have my first client and everything. Bill and Harry really have been so very welcoming.”

 

Arthur blinked in surprise. Bill and Harry were his only clients?! Well, this was more concerning than he’d imagined. How was Steve able to afford to live with only the one client? He remembered that his Uncle Bors was well off, but still, Arthur resolved to set up a meeting with his brother-in-law immediately. The DMLE used a lot of solicitors for various reasons, and Steve could definitely find work with Gideon. Yes, that was going to need to happen as soon as possible…well, maybe dinner with Molly first, but very soon.

 

“So, Uncle Arthur, tell me all about the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts office,” Steve asked, leaning back in his chair. “Have you seen any deliciously vicious curses?”

 

---

 

Alastor Moody stepped into the head of the DMLE’s office wondering what exactly he’d done this time to get himself in trouble. He didn’t think he’d broken any department protocols or suspects’ bones recently. He blinked in even more surprise when he saw the bloody Minister of Magic sitting and sipping tea in the corner of the room like he was a piece of the bloody furniture. He must have really fucked up this time!

 

“Auror Moody, take a seat,” Gideon Prewett motioned to the chair in the center of the room, like he was about to be interrogated. Moody huffed but refused to be intimidated. Whatever they thought he’d done, well, he’d take his lumps like the best of them.

 

Moody looked between the two. “Is there a reason I’m meeting with two of the most powerful people in the ministry after my shift today?” He asked dryly because he really did want to go home, it had been a very long shift of questioning families whose children had been turned into werewolves. It was heartbreaking, and they had compiled more evidence than anyone had been able to so far on a rogue werewolf intentionally targeting children…a werewolf that was distinctly looking like Fenrir Greyback. They only had another week until the full moon, so they had to find the man and have enough evidence before then to arrest him.

 

“I’m only here for the tea,” the minister motioned with his teacup and a smile that no one was buying. So…this was off the record then. It seemed Moody hadn’t done anything wrong. Well, what was this about then?

 

“I wanted to ask how your first week with Trainee Potter went,” Gideon spoke up, propping his elbows on his desk and looking at Moody over his fingertips.

 

Ah, so there was a reason he’d been paired with the Potter kid. Well, he wasn’t sure what to tell the men. They must have more information than he did since they seemed to be digging for something. Moody just shook his head. “You didn’t give me a trainee, you gave me a fully trained auror,” he grumbled. “He’s caught things I didn’t and made more inroads into an investigation that had stalled well before he looked over the file. Something’s up with that kid, and he is not a recent Hogwarts graduate who spent his life only obsessed with quidditch as his father claims.”

 

That seemed to be news to his boss and the minister. Apparently, whatever they were expecting him to find wasn’t this. Maybe they were expecting Potter to be incompetent or something, but the kid took all Moody’s expectations and basically tossed them out the window to be trampled by a hippogriff.

 

“Are you saying you don’t believe the man you’re training is Harry Potter? Like an imposter?” Gideon frowned in what looked like horrified concern.

 

Moody shook his head firmly though. There was absolutely no evidence to think that. “No, no, I’m only saying he’s had training. Maybe his father or godfather or something, but he’s got raw talent and a brain. He definitely does not know protocol, but that’s easily trainable. I can’t train a person to think if they refuse to, and the kid sees things and puts the pieces together like no other trainee I’ve ever seen.”

 

“Have you seen anything that would lead you to be concerned about the boy’s homelife?” Minister Riddle asked next, and Moody suddenly realized why he in particular had been assigned Potter. Moody had made his mark on any and all child abuse cases over the years. But surely James Potter wouldn’t?!! The scandal alone, not to mention the hypocrisy! But then again…

 

“The scars…the kid is covered in them. He spun some story of being struck by lightning and flying into the Whomping Willow,” Moody growled at the only lie he was sure he’d been told. While he was willing to believe it had happened, that didn’t explain all the scars. It was an explanation, but not the full one. 

 

“You don’t believe him?” Gideon asked next as expected.

 

Moody shrugged. “I don’t know, maybe…but have you seen his hand?”

 

“His hand?” Riddle set down his teacup and leaned forward. “What about his hand?”

 

“Look at it next you see him,” Moody said since he wasn’t even sure how a person could get scars like that which weren’t self-inflicted. The scars were clearly in the boy’s own handwriting, Moody had checked. “I don’t want to say anything to get the kid kicked from the program because he’s the most promising young auror I’ve ever seen, but if you’re looking for signs of abuse…I think maybe you should also be looking for signs he may have done whatever it is to himself.”

 

“Which still doesn’t discount abuse,” Riddle sighed and leaned back again. “Did the mind healer warn about self-destructive tendencies?”

 

Gideon shook his head and pulled a file from a drawer and opened it. “No, not at all. Maybe it was in his past and he's worked through it, whatever happened.”

 

Gideon handed the parchment over to Moody who was surprised to see Potter’s psychological evaluation. This wasn’t generally shared with training aurors, but it wasn’t against regulation or anything. These psych evals were not private when a candidate signed on for training, but usually they still weren’t handed over like this.

 

Moody read it though. It’s not like he was going to turn down more insight into his new and very confusing trainee. He seethed at the healer’s comments though. He’d need to pay more attention to the boy and see what his eating habits were too. Moody wasn’t sure he’d ever seen the kid eat while on shift. Moody himself sometimes forgot lunch too, but no healer had ever accused him of having issues with food insecurity.

 

“Well, it looks like I’ll be making sure my trainee eats lunch in the cafeteria now,” he handed the parchment back over. “I have no evidence for you besides questionable scars and unexpected levels of competence. I know to look harder now though. Have you spoken with James Potter?”

 

“No, and we’d like to keep this between us for now,” Riddle spoke up instead of Gideon. “This is all speculation still currently, so just keep your eyes open.”

 

“Magically and otherwise,” Moody tapped his temple beside his magical eye and stood. “If that’s all?”

 

“You’re dismissed,” Gideon waved him off, and Moody left with a dark cloud over his mind. He would have to shift gears and study his new trainee as a victim instead of as a suspect as he’d been treating him. Yes, yes, he knew Trainee Potter wasn’t a suspect for anything, but that was his default approach to new recruits. But he could shift gears and maybe eat lunch with the boy some too. Ergh! And unfortunately ask about his bloody private life. Moody really hated to talk about his coworkers’ personal lives, but he supposed he must now.

 

---

 

Hey Em,

 

I’m sure you know my birthday is in a couple days, and somehow Bill found out about it (I blame Sirius). Anyway, he’s insisting we do a little dinner thing at our place with cake and all. Would you want to come? I completely understand if it’s too difficult. I promise, my feelings won’t be hurt in the slightest. I really hadn’t even planned to do anything to mark the day.

 

If you do come, please don’t get me anything! Bill has already threatened clothes and books and candy, so don’t add anything to it. And also, please don’t take this the wrong way, but I’m not up for inviting your parents. So, if they don’t let you come, then we can do ice cream or something soon. Just let me know. Tell them Remus, Sirius, and Snape will all be there if they're concerned.

 

Anyway…one last question. I was really planning to let this go, I promise. But, it seems I’ve never let anything go in my life before so…do you happen to remember a prank played on your brother maybe after the last quidditch game? Bill’s brothers mentioned it, and I’m just curious. Do you know what they were talking about?

 

Always here for you,

Har

 

X

X

X

 

Har!

 

Of course I’ll be there! I found your invisibility cloak just where you said it’d be, and I’ll sneak out of the house if I have to!

 

Don’t worry, the parents are actually planning to let me go to the party as long as Remus comes to pick me up. I know you’d go all big brother protective and not let me sneak out of the house. I might not know you very well, but I’m pretty sure that’s hypocritical of you, by the way.

 

Anyway, I’ll be there, there will be presents, so suck it up! I have a very impressive trust vault and only use it for books, so deal with it.

 

To answer your question, there was a prank that involved something like a truth potion, but I don’t see what the big deal was. Harry ended up waxing poetic in front of most of Gryffindor house in the common room that he fantasized over Malfoy’s arse and that Professor Leboux’s little goatee was sexy or something like that. I mean…it’s not like most people hadn’t guessed he was at least a little gay. I’m pretty sure he dated Oliver Wood for a hot minute…or maybe he just had a crush. I really don’t know. Anyway, it wasn’t a surprise to most people. Plus, you know our family, we may have problems, but homophobia isn’t one of them.

 

Harry seemed a little upset, but I think he brushed it off quickly. I talked to him after, and he seemed more upset that he’d been talking about Malfoy of all people instead of that he’d been outed. So yeah, anyway, that’s all I know.

 

Your cutest little sis,

 

Emily

 

X

X

X

 

Thanks Em!

 

Now I’m very concerned about who your brother could have dated. Any rumors besides Oliver Wood? I’m starting to realize there are people here in this dimension that didn’t even exist in mine, and I may have a problem if it’s one of them I’m supposed to have dated.

 

Who is Professor Leboux? What subject does he teach?

 

Is Malfoy a prat in this dimension too?

 

Don’t bring me any presents! Bring something for Ash if you must!

 

Har

 

X

X

X

 

I’m bringing presents!

 

And mate, I really don’t know. You need a friend who was friends with my Harry. Maybe someone from the quidditch team? Inside information needs to come from someone not the annoying little sister who Harry pretended wasn’t even in school with him.

 

Professor Leboux teaches DADA and has for the past five years, so you should definitely pretend you know him. Malfoy is a prat by my understanding, but our paths never really crossed with him being a seventh year and me a first. You two had some kind of quidditch rivalry going though.

 

Em

 

X

X

X

 

Hey Em,

 

Professor Leboux, did he ever seem murdery to you? Maybe don’t hang out around him without a lot of other people.

 

Thanks for the advice, and I’m trying to take it. I’m going to invite the other trainees out for drinks after work very soon…just as soon as I stop wimping out about it. Why is making friends harder than dueling a dark lord? Asking for a friend…

 

Har

 

X

X

X

 

Har,

 

What’s your issue with Leboux? He’s like a hundred and ten at least and retired from being an auror to work at the school. So, besides my brother having exceptionally questionable taste about anything being 'sexy,' I don't see what the problem is. 

 

And, Har, really, you look at the person and say ‘Hey, how about drinks?’ Just do it!

 

Em

 

X

X

X

 

Em,

 

You are brutal, and I love you. I have a past with DADA professors; you really don’t want to know. See you in two days! The cake is strawberry!

 

Har

Notes:

Up Next: Harry tries to make friends...and the full moon approaches...

Chapter 19: Birthday Gifts

Bill was woken up way too early on his day off, but he couldn’t even be mad at it since it was by hot kisses being pressed into his skin and little teasing nips of teeth. After pretending to still be asleep for a moment just to enjoy the feeling, he couldn’t help a little chuckle when Harry pushed his long hair back to kiss his neck. “Hmm, better than a cup of tea to wake you up,” he mumbled, moving to give Harry even more access.

 

“It’s my birthday, and Ash is sleeping in Dobby’s room right now,” Harry whispered in his ear, a hand now finding its way under Bill’s t-shirt, and yeah, he was definitely getting the idea here. Merlin, but this was a very good way to wake up! 

 

Against his own better judgment, for some reason he still found himself protesting. “You didn’t even want to celebrate your birthday,” his mouth said against his will.

 

“Maybe this is more my idea of a party than having to deal with people,” was the retort just as Bill’s shirt was completely rucked up under his arms now for Harry to kiss each and every of the many freckles on his skin.

 

Bill gasped and was completely not asleep at all anymore. “Why do I feel like I’m always arguing to protect my virtue around you for some reason?”

 

Harry had to stop to laugh. “I really don’t know, babe, I’m clearly not worried about my own, and it’s not like you’re the blushing virgin in this situation. Maybe you should think that over and just give in.”

 

“Oh please, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you blush,” Bill snorted a laugh and was sold on just how ridiculous this all was.

 

“You didn’t see me trying to date a girl. There was a lot of blushing and awkwardness,” Harry grimaced. “I think I can see this dimension Harry’s point about girls.”

 

Bill wrapped his arms around the man hovering over him and flipped them, getting a gasp and a laugh out of Harry who was now lying on his back on the bed with Bill taking over the duties of kissing him. He stopped to pull his shirt off and toss it to the floor. “So, birthday boy…” he grinned widely, getting a matching grin from Harry. “What do you want for your present? In my personal opinion, I think I’m very good with my hands.”

 

Bill illustrated his point with a squeeze to Harry’s probably painfully hard erection. “That sounds lovely,” Harry gasped and moaned out. “Yeah, great present. Do that.”

 

Bill pulled his boxers off next, and helped Harry do the same. “Yeah…definitely gay,” Harry remarked giving him a very appreciative and lecherous look.

 

Bill couldn’t help his bark of a laugh at that. “Love, this would be a very inconvenient time for you to conclude anything else.”

 

“Come on, I’m getting impatient here,” Harry gave Bill’s bare arse a little smack. Bill just laughed louder and kissed the infuriating man who was welcome to order him around any time he wanted.

 

---

 

Bill bounded off the stairs into his kitchen, humming under his breath. It only took a second before his happy mood turned into a scowl. “Come on! The party is four hours from now!” He chided the two men sitting at the kitchen table. It looked like one of them had cooked though at least. Bill really hoped it was Snape because Death cooking sounded like a really terrible idea and that they might all be poisoned.

 

Death gave him a look, a look like he knew exactly what had been happening upstairs not that long ago and was a little too much approving. Which, no, that was just not acceptable. “You both really need to work on boundaries,” he pointed at them.

 

“I was not planning to come here before the party,” Snape drawled, sipping his tea. “Steve showed up at my flat at the crack of dawn though claiming we needed to cook Harry breakfast. I reminded him that you two have a house elf, but apparently, that was not good enough.”

 

Dobby entered the room and scoffed. “Dobby allows the Harry Potter and Master Bill to cook, but theirs is a line, and yous crossed the line!”

 

“Tell him that,” Snape pointed at Death accusingly.

 

“Please tell me you didn’t cook anything?” Bill begged Death because the bacon really did look good, and the eggs didn’t look half bad.

 

“I stirred the eggs,” Death looked abnormally proud of that. Merlin-be-damned, it seemed Bill was going to have to eat them now and say they were good regardless of if they actually were or not. Sometimes, he wished their little family was slightly more traditional…but then Harry entered the room carrying Ash.

 

“Hey! You guys cooked for my birthday? That’s so nice!” He smiled so brightly at Snape and Death that Bill immediately tossed out all desire for anything less weird and eccentric. 

 

Bill prayed this would be a good birthday for Harry. He had a very strong feeling that there hadn’t been many (or any) good birthdays for his partner before. He’d insisted on a small party of just their closest people, the ones who didn’t stress Harry out. He just really hoped he wasn’t wrong to do that. He always wanted to respect Harry’s wishes, but completely ignoring his birthday, didn’t seem like the best way to do that, even if it was how Harry had planned to treat the day. It this blew up in his face, at least Bill knew there were other things he could blow now to hopefully turn the day back around.

 

“I hope this counts as your present because I told you not to get me anything,” Harry said to Death and Snape while Dobby handed him a loaded plate of food before he and Ash joined them at the table.

 

Bill winced, he’d gotten Harry a present, but he’d wait to give it to him until after everyone left if this was going to be a thing. It wasn’t anything big, but it was a nice pair of boots he could wear to work. Harry had been wearing the trainers they’d bought when he first got to this dimension, but he really did need sturdier boots for his auror job. So, it was practical at least and a splurge Harry would refuse to make until he’d gotten his first paycheck since he refused to touch his trust vault anymore.

 

Bill took his plate from Dobby next before he and the elf both joined everyone else at the table to eat. “I have gotten you something small, but I made it myself, so I don’t believe it counts under your stipulation to not buy you anything,” Snape said while taking Ash from Harry so he could have both hands to eat. "It is also practical, so I believe that should help."

 

“Right, so potion…I’m cool with that I guess,” Harry shrugged and smiled at him. “It’s not like you don’t keep pouring those down my throat all the time anyway.”

 

“Speaking of,” Snape slid the nutrition potion he was still brewing weekly for Harry over, getting a grimace before Harry obediently downed it before taking a large sip of his tea to wash the taste out of his mouth.

 

"The eggs are good," Bill said dutifully and not even untruthfully and got the expected preening from Death. Merlin but when had his life featured making Death of all beings happy on a regular basis?! 

 

"Thank you, Bill," Death smiled.

 

"I cooked them," Snape scoffed while Death took all the credit. 

 

“I at least followed directions about presents,” Death huffed. “I wish I hadn’t now though. I was unaware it was acceptable to just ignore some of your rules.”

 

“You ignore rules all the time,” Bill pointed his fork at Death with a grin. 

 

“I’m pretty sure plopping me here in this dimension was ignoring some kind of rule in itself since you were being all squirrely about it in the afterlife,” Harry added with a smirk at the being. “But no, I was serious. I really don’t want presents.”

 

Death frowned further. “I will get you something by the party.”

 

“Please don’t…”

 

“No, I’ve now been told it was a rule I was allowed to ignore…” Bill sighed, this was going to bite them in the arse, he was certain.

 

“When will the wolf-man bring Mistress Emily by?” Dobby asked, already seeming very excited to meet Emily. Bill was looking forward to it too. Harry’s little sister was fun and the sanest of the Potter lot…Harry included.

 

“Noon,” Harry answered with a smile. “We’ll eat, hang out for a bit, then everyone is supposed to go, and no singing!”

 

“Low key party,” Bill reminded the two men who regularly invaded their space. 

 

“Of course,” Snape nodded from where Ash was slobbering on his hair. Snape was not the person Bill was worried about though, but Death seemed to be off in his own little world trying to come up with a gift. Again, this was definitely going to bite them in the arse. It was more Sirius and Remus he was concerned about for the party, but he'd warned them in very explicit detail about what was expected and how they would behave. 

 

“Hey, Death,” Bill started. Snape cleared his throat pointedly.

 

“Sorry, Steve,” Bill started again with an eyeroll at the ridiculous man who knew perfectly well who the guy was. “How was drinks with my dad? I owled him, but he hasn’t gotten back to me yet.”

 

“Uncle Arthur is perplexing, but I do believe I like him,” Death gave him a terrifying grin. “He is a very simple soul but seems to lack the inherent fear of me you mortals all seem to have. It's quite refreshing.”

 

“Er, what?” Harry asked with a frown around the large bite of eggs he’d just taken.

 

“Present company excluded,” Death huffed and gave Harry a fond look that was really just wrong. With a shrug Harry went right back to eating.

 

“We have been invited to dinner,” Death said to Snape next. Bill almost choked on his bacon. That was a situation he absolutely hadn't predicted. 

 

“What? Why me?” Snape shifted Ash in his lap to turn more towards Death. “How did I even come up in this meeting?”

 

Death shrugged and stole a piece of bacon off Dobby’s plate. The elf looked close to stabbing the being’s hand with his fork. “Uncle Arthur asked me about my 'young man.' You are a man and you are young…well, as compared to me…”

 

Ok, so Bill found this hilarious. He shared a look with Harry where they were clearly both holding in their laughter. They were so going to have a good laugh together after this though. They may even need to break their ban on family dinners to attend that one!

 

“Steve,” Snape breathed in like he was trying to keep himself from screaming. “We are not in a relationship. He was asking about a relationship.”

 

Death didn’t look concerned in the slightest. “I could change my form if you would like that better? Would it help if I was a woman?”

 

“What? No!” Snape sputtered and Bill and Harry had to share yet another look, yeah they were going to break down just any second now. Harry clearly had given up eating so he wouldn’t choke on any food.

 

“So, this form is pleasing to you?” Death motioned to himself, not seeming offended or concerned, like he was just asking a logistical question. “I can change whatever you would like. I’ve been in this form for many millennia though, so I did not think to change it.”

 

“Merlin help us!” Snape groaned and abruptly stood. “Here,” he held Ash out to Bill who was definitely laughing now, yeah he’d given up.

 

“You, come with me,” Snape pointed at Death once he was free of a baby. “We are going to have a little talk and will see you all at the party.”

 

Death didn’t seem concerned in the slightest as he followed the potion master out of the house. Harry let out a loud guffaw as soon as the door closed. “Oh, my, God!” He gasped out.

 

“He could stands to trim his nails,” Dobby suggested with a shrug while putting more bacon on his plate.

 

“I have a feeling absolutely nothing is going to change about him,” Bill snorted another laugh and kissed a babbling Ash on his soft head. “I think if Snape can convince Death to back off just a little, that those two will eventually…well, how does Death even have a relationship with a mortal?”

 

“I really don’t want to know,” Harry just laughed again before picking his tea back up. “So, what all do we need to do before people arrive?”

 

“Dobby will cleans the loo if you two clean the kitchen,” Dobby offered.

 

Bill looked around and groaned. “They could have cleaned after cooking!” He ranted.

 

---

 

Harry was actually having a very good birthday. He hadn’t expected the day to go well at all, but his morning in bed with Bill had been…well, it’d been amazing and better than he’d thought it would be. They were definitely doing that again, and much more. Anyway, great start to the day.

 

It was also quite sweet for Snape and Death to make them breakfast. They definitely weren’t the best cooks, but not bad, probably due to Snape and not Death. Anyway, it was a really nice thought for his birthday.

 

Then the party rolled around, and as much as he hated to admit it, Bill was right. It was only the people in attendance who didn’t cause Harry stress. Well, Remus and Sirius were still a bit hit or miss, but they were on their absolute best behavior. And Emily…Harry just wanted to wrap her up in his arms and never let anything bad happen to her. But she’d probably bite him if he did that, which was just wonderful.

 

Emily passed two presents over to him, getting a glare from Harry. “How do two presents fit into the definition of no presents?” He teasingly glared.

 

“Well, one was yours already,” she shrugged unapologetically. "The other is nonnegotiable, so deal."

 

Harry opened the first and knew exactly what she meant. “This is yours now, bug,” he tried to hand the invisibility cloak back to her. "It's for getting into trouble...or rather avoiding it at school."

 

“My cloak,” Death leaned forward with a sharp grin (his appearance looking exactly the same as he had that morning and still sitting way too close to Snape). Harry didn't think anything had changed there, so he had no guesses about what their 'conversation' had entailed. 

 

Emily blinked at “Uncle Steve” and just seemed to shrug the outburst off. “Bro, I really don’t sneak out after curfew and have no desire to. I actually like to get my beauty sleep unlike you trolls.”

 

“But…it’s safety too,” Harry tried. “If you need to hide from someone for any reason.”

 

“I’m a Ravenclaw,” she raised an eyebrow at him. “It’s not like I jump into harebrained adventures like all you Gryffindor idiots.”

 

Snape cleared his throat. “Not talking about you Uncle Sev,” Emily rolled her eyes. It seemed the two of them actually got along. Harry was a little surprised, but it did make sense that Emily had gone with their mother to her office often. Clearly, Snape didn’t like the other dimension’s Harry, but he seemed very cool with Emily.

 

“Plus, it will be useful with your new job,” Emily continued to argue.

 

“She is correct,” Death added, running his fingers over the hallow still in Harry’s hand.

 

“Why does a Weasley know anything about the Potter invisibility cloak?” Sirius asked, still not having any clues at all as to who ‘Steve’ actually was or even ‘what’ he was.

 

“Really, don’t worry about it,” Bill responded and just handed Sirius a large piece of cake, probably to shut him up.

 

Harry really wanted to protest further, but he wasn’t really sure what to say. So, he’d definitely circle back around to this just as soon as he had a good argument to use on the girl who was too smart for him. For now, he put the cloak aside and opened the second package which was a very long box.

 

It didn’t take more than a moment of uncovering the box to realize what was in it. “A broom!” Harry breathed out in awe. It wasn’t a Firebolt, but it was nice. A Nimbus 2000 by the label. “This is way too expensive, Em! You really shouldn't have!”

 

“Oh please, it’s several models old at this point,” she scoffed. “You do realize we’re loaded, right? I would have gotten you a top of the line one, but I knew you’d throw a fit. So, just open the box and take it for a fly sometime. You have a nice ocean outside your front door to fly over.”

 

Harry found himself tearing up as he opened the box and pulled the broom out, the same model as the first one he’d owned and which had been destroyed by the Whomping Willow. “Thank you, Emily,” he breathed out.

 

She just gave him a sad smile. “I know you don’t want to hear this…but mum suggested this as a present.”

 

Harry didn’t know how he felt about that. He stroked the bristles and felt the magic under his fingers. He was cautiously hopeful this was his mum trying to connect and not still thinking of him as exactly the same as her late son. They were respecting his wishes to not reach out to him so far, so he was hoping that maybe with more time, maybe they could salvage something.

 

Remus just cleared his throat into the silence and shifted a sleeping Ash in his lap to pass over another brightly wrapped box, this one much smaller. “This one is from me and Siri.”

 

Harry opened the box and just stared at it. Why would they…?

 

“We noticed your watch is pretty battered,” Sirius remarked. “Plus, it’s tradition to give a watch as a present when a person reaches adulthood. I know we’re a year late, but…”

 

Harry cleared his throat and sat down the watch. Not much had come with him from the other dimension. His clothes had been in tatters, his glasses had been broken, his trainers had never been in good shape, but his watch…it was still the exact same watch Mrs. Weasley had given him on his seventeenth birthday.

 

“Merlin’s balls, we messed up again, didn’t we?” Sirius groaned, seeing the look on Harry’s face apparently. “I’m guessing the one you have is meaningful?”

 

Bill suddenly frowned. “Wait…that’s Uncle Fabian’s watch…or at least it looks the same, only more battered.”

 

“Yeah, it is…” Harry looked at it with a small smile. “I was given a watch on my seventeenth birthday,” he told them.

 

“The Weasleys…they were my family, or at least the closest thing to it I had,” he said, smiling at Bill. “They didn’t have much, less even than in this dimension…but still, your mum gave me her brother’s old watch. A family member they’d lost, something precious to her.”

 

“Well, damn,” Sirius reached out. “Hand it back and we’ll get you something else.”

 

“No, no, I’d like to keep it,” Harry pulled it back towards him. “I’ll wear it for nice occasions or when I’m around Fabian or something.” It really was a nice thought even if he probably wouldn't wear it much. 

 

“Well, moving on, some of us have places to be,” Snape shoved over a vial, not even wrapped. “Take this before going to bed. It will not be pleasant.”

 

Remus gasped, trying not to jostle Ash when he leaned forward. “That’s wonderful, but Harry’s not old enough yet.”

 

“I made some changes. This should be safe for someone his age,” Snape drawled with a shrug, clearly not liking having to address any of the Marauders directly. Harry wasn’t sure what all had happened between them in this dimension, but it was still clear that none of them liked each other and were only in the same room currently because of Harry…and that Snape seemed to be able to hide behind Death probably didn't hurt where he was concerned.

 

“The company is going to make a killing off this,” Sirius whistled getting a murderous glare from Snape at addressing him or talking about money or something that Harry couldn't even guess at least.

 

“Er…what is it?” Harry asked, holding the vial of clear liquid up to the light. He wasn’t sure how everyone had seemed to recognize it since nothing was remarkable about it…well, except it seemed to be an expensive crystal vial instead of a glass one.

 

“It’s a vision correcting potion, isn’t it?” Bill asked, studying it as well. “Those have to be kept in crystal vials…and it’s really safe? Wow, that’s…expensive…”

 

Harry frowned, now concerned. Snape didn’t need to spend any money on him. Snape just scoffed though. “I’m a potions researcher who created this version of the potion. It literally cost me nothing except the time to develop it. Maybe do not mention this to Lily though until I present her with my research,” he added to Emily who just smirked at him.

 

“Thank you,” Harry just breathed out, not even able to imagine a world where he wasn’t reliant on glasses, but finding he was excited for it. It would be nice to not have to worry about losing his glasses in the middle of a battle or training or something. 

 

“That will be most helpful in your new job too,” Death added with a sharp nod.

 

“On that note,” Bill handed him a box. “I was going to wait to give this to you later, but it seems to be on theme now.”

 

Harry put the vial on an end table and took the box. It was larger, and Harry found he was actually excited while he tore the paper off. Maybe he did actually like getting presents, at least useful ones…that was a new feeling. 

 

“Awesome!” He opened the shoe box to find work boots. “I really needed these!”

 

“I had Uncle Fabian help me pick them out,” Bill said, flushing a little at Harry’s praise. “They’re self-sizing, so they should fit you perfectly.”

 

Harry immediately put them on his socked feet and watched them magically shrink to perfectly fit his feet. He jumped up and walked around the room with a huge smile. “Moody was not happy with my footwear, so at least I can get him off my back about this now.”

 

“How’s it going with Moody, by the way?” Sirius asked, smiling as he watched Harry test out his new shoes. Merlin, but Harry had very rarely had new shoes in his life, and this was his second pair since coming to this new dimension. It really was wonderful.

 

“Oh great, he likes little tests and seeing how I’ll handle things when he throws them at me,” Harry waved him off, not concerned in the slightest. “I think I’m doing pretty good though. Our current case is coming along nicely. We have some solid leads.”

 

“Wait…you’re actually working on a case?” Sirius sat up more and frowned. “You’ve only been at the office a week!”

 

“Yeah, I had to convince him of it, but Moody’s on board now,” Harry just shrugged. They only had a week until the full moon, but they were close. They knew who Greyback was targeting, and they were making headway on gathering evidence.

 

“Oh, er, Remus,” Harry winced. “Auror Moody may be reaching out in a day or two…erm, just hear him out with an open mind.”

 

“About what?” Remus asked in clear suspicion.

 

“It’s better if he explains,” Harry smiled innocently at him. Honestly, Harry really just didn’t want to ruin his party. That may be very selfish of him, but he wasn’t legally allowed to talk about an open case with someone not an auror anyway. Remus deserved to know, but Moody really would reach out in a day or two, and selfish or not, Harry wanted to keep his birthday as pleasant as it had been going.

 

Death clapped his hands excitedly. “Is it my turn? Please say it’s my turn!”

 

Bill groaned, and Harry felt a similar spike of dread. The no presents rule really was more for Death than anyone else. Plus, whatever Death could come up with in an afternoon was probably not purchased, which was decidedly worse…much worse.

 

“Well…I’m interested,” Sirius remarked with a smirk at the man who he seemed to have forged a bond of bickering at each other with. Remus still was sitting as absolutely far away from the being as humanly possible.

 

“Do you know?” Bill asked Snape.

 

Snape just shook his head though. “I only disabused him of the notion that he should do anything with his appearance this morning, that was all. He then left, and I have been in my lab since.”

 

Death just jumped up. “It’s outside,” he hurried to the door. “You know…animal souls are much different than human ones…more wiggle room there…”

 

He ran out the door and Harry was very, very concerned. “What does he mean by that?” He asked Bill because he had a bad feeling.

 

“I think my cousin Steve picked the right profession,” Bill huffed. “That man has never met a loophole he didn’t like.”

 

“What does he man by souls?” Remus asked in almost a squeak when the door was thrown open once again.

 

“I picked her up in your dimension just seconds before she crossed over,” Death hurried into the house and held out his arm proudly.

 

Harry couldn’t breathe, he couldn't move, and he was certain his eyes were lying to him. He knew tears were streaming down his face as he slowly reached out. “Whoo!” Hedwig softly intoned, her yellow eyes taking him in.

 

Harry held out an arm and she jumped right over, a feathery head nuzzling into his neck. Harry was full-on crying now. He was gasping out sobs as he kissed the snowy white feathers.

 

“Mistress Hedwig,” Dobby breathed out, clearly recognizing the owl from the memories he’d copied over from Harry. "Welcome home," he said softly with tears of his own in his eyes. 

 

Hedwig nipped at Harry's fingers affectionately. She was really here. Harry just stared into her eyes and tried to convey all the love he felt for her…and he thought she might have understood. “Hey girl…I’ve missed you…” he said, sniffing and really trying to stop crying, but he couldn’t.

 

“She’s beautiful,” Emily said with a sniff as well. “She’s…she’s yours? From your dimension?”

 

“My first friend,” Harry breathed out, looking up at Death in what must be awe.

 

The being was wringing his hands as if he wasn’t sure if he’d done the right thing or not. "I did not mean to distress you. I'm so sorry...I just thought..."

 

“Thank you…thank you,” he said with as much feeling as he could convey. It was…Harry couldn't even put his feeling into thoughts he could understand.

 

“Thank you,” he said one again.

 

Death seemed to finally relax with a small smile. “Oh good. I thought I had messed up.”

 

“No, not at all,” Harry shook his head, and kissed Hedwig’s feathers. "This is more...more than I could ever ask for..."

 

“Wait, wait, wait…” Sirius waved his hands around. “Are we literally going with Bill’s cousin somehow found a way to bring Harry’s pet…who it sounds like died in his dimension, over to this one?”

 

“What are you?” Remus asked this time with a very concerned look at Death.

 

“That’s still rude,” Death pointed at him.

 

“Mates…you really don’t want to know, just don’t ask,” Bill told them both firmly. “Like, plausible deniability and all. Just leave it.”

 

Sirius did not like that suggestion at all. Remus looked ready to throw down, but after a glance down at Ash and over to Harry who gave him a pleading look, he finally seemed to deflate. “I don’t like this,” Remus said, but did seem to let it go at least temporarily.

 

“So,” Emily leaned over to where Death had sat beside her. She smiled and her eyes flash in what looked like excitement. “Necromancy…how would I…?

 

“No,” Snape leaned around Death to tell her firmly. “Your mum will kill me! No!”

 

“Death is not so bad…” Death smiled widely at Snape and Harry really, really didn’t want to know what a relationship would look like between those two or what even Death was insinuating. He wasn’t going to touch that with a quidditch goal post.

 

“Come on, let’s go introduce Hedwig to Jeffrey,” Bill held out his hand to Harry, clearly knowing Harry was overwhelmed and needed some time away from people more than they needed to introduce the two owls right that very minute. Harry took his hand and stood with Hedwig on his other arm and gave the man a grateful look. He needed a minute, just a minute to calm down and process this.

 

“Dobby will pass out the rest of the cake,” the elf helpfully offered while Bill and Harry left for a moment alone and to introduce their two owls who hopefully would get along.

 

---

 

Harry made to push up his glasses and had to stop himself with a smile. That was going to take some getting used to, no longer having glasses. He’d taken the potion the night before, and didn’t know what Snape had been talking about with it being unpleasant. It had definitely tasted bad, but he’d slept through it healing his vision. Bill had said that Harry kept rubbing his face against him in his sleep throughout the night as if his eyes itched, but Harry had never woken up. Frankly, he was certain Snape had added something to the potion to make him sleep through it, that softie!

 

It was really nice now to not have to worry about glasses though, and Moody had seemed very impressed that Snape had found a way to make the potion safe for him. James had given him a questioning look, but hadn’t asked him about it, yet anyway. Regardless, it made looking over endless transcripts of interviews much more pleasant.

 

Harry just frowned at the interview he was reading over for the fifth time. He knew they were missing something. Something just wasn’t right. This Fenrir Greyback did have a lot of similarities to the one in his dimension, but it wasn’t perfect. There was some other motivation he couldn't find. Not all of his victims were the children of people against creatures’ rights. Some had political parents, but they weren’t always against creatures. There was some other motivation.

 

Frankly, Harry hadn’t realized how large the magical world was in his isolated years at Hogwarts. The witch and wizard side who went to Hogwarts was fairly small, but there were quite a few people who had magical cores but not enough to be admitted. Plus, there were squibs who were still active in the world and could still be turned into werewolves. And that wasn’t even taking into account the other magical creatures. Now there was a bit of a werewolf overpopulation problem, but the wolfsbane potion did exist here thankfully and was (maybe not surprisingly because of Remus) offered for free through Potter Potions Solutions.

 

It bothered Harry that he couldn’t figure out Greyback’s motivation in some of the turnings though. The man had always been very consistent…well, until he was working for Voldemort. But even that had made sense because he went after Voldemort’s enemies. Now though, whose enemies was he going after?

 

Harry looked up and pushed the folder aside slightly when he saw Roger Davies, Anthony Goldstein, and Parvati Patil enter the bullpen laughing with each other over something. It hadn’t occurred to him until that very morning that the other trainees tended to get lunch together and hang around talking when they weren’t busy. Frankly, Harry had been really busy with Moody, but he hadn’t realized he seemed to be outside of the group. Now though, he was very nervous.

 

He'd promised himself and Dobby that today was the day. He was going to ask the other trainees to get drinks, and at least these were the three he already knew their names. Merlin, he really needed to work on remembering the other trainees’ names! He really was bad at this whole being a normal friend thing.

 

Right, he had this planned, he could do it. Dobby was taking Ash to visit with Molly Weasley today, so he wasn’t needed home right away, plus, Bill would be there. He could do this….he just had to actually stand up and walk over. “Just do it!” He heard Emily scoff in his head in the way she definitely would be doing right now. That sister of his would have done exceedingly well in either Gryffindor or Slytherin if she wasn’t such a nerd.

 

He stood and wandered over to the laughing group, trying to look as nonchalant as possible. “Er…hey…uh, hello,” he said tentatively cutting into whatever their conversation was.

 

“Potter?” Parvati looked up at him with a questioning expression as if it was exceedingly surprising that he would have approached them. “You need something?”

 

Well, at least Anthony gave him a little smile. “Yeah, er…I was wondering…would you all…er, would you want to get drinks after work? I, uh, have a babysitter tonight, so I don’t need to go straight home, and I was hoping to maybe…catch up?”

 

The three other trainees just looked at him as if utterly confused. “Er, if you don’t, that’s cool…” He trailed off with an inward wince. This was so not going well.

 

“Wait…babysitter?” Parvati asked, finally breaking the stupor of the group.

 

Harry just frowned. Was that not common knowledge yet? Wait, did Moody know? Maybe he should tell Moody. No, he was sure Sirius would have been spreading it around, but maybe not…

 

“Yeah…my son…” he trailed off again, clearly seeing that they had absolutely no idea what he was talking about.

 

“What the bloody hell, Potter!” Anthony burst out.

 

Harry just sighed, now wishing James or Sirius had been spreading this around so he didn’t have to. “Right, so summary, I got a girl pregnant, I know stupid…especially since I’m gay. She was muggle, didn’t want to keep a magical kid, so I have custody. Er, I was struck by lightning on my broom and flew into the Whomping Willow which was why I had to leave school early…oh, and I have just a little bit of amnesia. Frankly, I don’t know what I don’t know until something comes up, and I just don’t remember it. So yeah…all caught up now…”

 

“…drinks?” Harry asked when the silence stretched for an uncomfortable amount of time.

 

“Well, Merlin’s balls! I’m in!” Roger exclaimed suddenly. “I need to hear this story!”

 

“Amnesia? Really? Right, so that’s why you didn’t remember you owe me ten galleons,” Anthony smiled before Parvati elbowed him sharply in the side. “I’m just joking, ow!”

 

“I think it’s safe to say, we’re definitely going for drinks,” Parvati spoke over Anthony’s complaining. “I have to leave a little early to meet with Padma, but I hope you have pictures of the kid.”

 

“Well, duh!” Harry smiled, having several pictures of Ash and Bill now in his little moleskin pouch, the only other thing that had made the trip with him to this new dimension.

 

“Potter!” Moody growled suddenly.

 

“I have to go, but drinks later!” Harry waved and rushed off to meet up with the man who would definitely leave him if he didn't come immediately. Well, that could have gone worse. Now he just needed to get through a couple more interviews, and he’d be free to meet up with (hopefully) his new friends!

 

---

 

“I don’t like it,” Trainee Potter grumbled to Moody while they packed up for the day in the auror locker room.

 

Moody just sighed in irritation. The kid was doing exceptionally well but really needed to know when to let things go. “We know his next target and only need to catch him in the act to have enough for an arrest,” he said for the third time that day alone. “I admit, it would be ideal to be able to arrest a werewolf before he was turned, but all we have is circumstantial evidence and guesses right now.”

 

“Some pretty strong circumstantial evidence,” Potter huffed, but put his red robes in the locker provided for him which now had a small picture of a redheaded man holding a baby in it. A man who looked a lot like Gideon Prewett…must be the boyfriend and the son. Should he ask…?

 

“I think he’s working with someone else,” Potter continued while Moody tried to work himself up to asking a personal question as distasteful as that was.

 

“That will come up in questioning,” Moody said. He agreed with Potter, but now it was just waiting until the full moon. He was going to question Remus Lupin early the next morning, but he wasn’t optimistic for any more solid evidence than what they’d gotten from all the other victims they were certain (but couldn’t prove) had been turned by Greyback. If they weren't on a time crunch with the next full moon, they would have more time to build a case, but now they had to rely on catching the werewolf in the act. 

 

Potter sighed and wiped a hand down his face. The scar on Potter’s forehead was much clearer now that the kid wasn’t wearing his glasses, and really did look like it could have caused some amnesia. Merlin, but the boy’s birthday had been useful. His trainee had shown up to work with regulation boots and no need for glasses, Moody’s main grumblings about the kid so far, which was saying a lot since he normally had many more issues with trainees. He was already trying to convince Auror Robeson to wash out Trainee Smith who just couldn’t figure out the paperwork in the slightest and who had almost messed up a case so much it couldn’t go to trial…Trainee Potter had caught it though…something Moody was quite smug about.

 

He cleared his throat. “Your kid?” He asked, motioning to the picture.

 

Potter let out a relieved breath. “Oh, thank Merlin, you already know. Yeah, that’s Ash,” he said with what could only be described as a sappy smile at the picture. “I mentioned him to the other trainees, and they threw a fit about not knowing. I guess I just figured Dad or Sirius would have mentioned him if I didn’t already.”

 

Moody nodded slowly. Right, that actually sounded pretty good. If Potter had thought James or Sirius would be talking about the baby and wasn’t upset about that, then that spoke to a better relationship than Gideon and Riddle had feared. “He spend a lot of time with his grandparents then?” Moody asked, trying to sound conversational and not like he was interrogating the kid.

 

Potter nodded and shrugged. “I guess…he’s with his grandmother right now. Molly is really great with him.”

 

Moody blinked, trying to sort through that. James’s wife was Lily…Gideon’s sister was Molly Weasley…right, the boyfriend’s mother. “I imagine James is probably terrible at changing nappies, even with having you and your sister,” he remarked, hoping that sounded normal and not like he was really prying.

 

Potter closed his locker and looked at Moody with narrowed eyes. Damn, he was caught! The kid was too suspicious! Which really was just wonderful though. Moody might just have to keep this trainee. 

 

“My mum and dad have a nanny elf,” he said, crossing his arms. “I take it you’ve heard that we aren’t exactly on the best of terms right now?”

 

Moody just nodded because admitting it was the only route to take right now. “I heard a rumor.”

 

“Teenage pregnancies do tend to create rifts in families,” Potter said circumspectly. “They love their grandson though, even if we aren’t having many family dinners currently.”

 

Moody wasn’t sure how to take that. It sounded like things weren’t actually that bad from what Potter was telling him. Moody looked at the long gash he could see the end of from where Potter was crossing his arms though. And there was the writing on his hand. All questions weren’t answered.

 

“I have to leave,” Potter cut into his thoughts before Moody could just jump in and start asking. “I’m meeting the other trainees for drinks. You should ask my dad if you have questions about what happened. Honestly, it was more my fault than anyone else’s though…so er, just let it go…”

 

And now that sounded a hell of a lot more suspicious now. Moody didn’t think a rift should be the fault of the teenager who was raising a child on his own (well, with the boyfriend). “Bright and early, Potter,” he called out. “And don’t let the other trainees influence you. We don’t want you picking up their bad habits.”

 

“Yeah, yeah,” Potter laughed and waved him off. “See if you can find some silver chains or something if you get in before me.”

 

“Potter! I give the orders, not you!” Moody called out to his retreating back. And damn, yeah, they did need to find some of those! Well, at least he had a very long stakeout coming up where Potter couldn't escape his questions. 

Notes:

Up next: A full moon stakeout...

Chapter 20: Greyback

“Auror Moody, thank you for coming to see me so promptly,” James Potter said as the man sat in the chair in front of his desk. “A report crossed my desk this morning that I find very concerning, you must know what I'm talking about.”

 

Moody snorted. “Must be from Trainee Smith because my trainee can properly format a report by now.”

 

Trainee Smith was actually a problem, but that wasn’t James’s main concern right now. He held in the panic he’d been feeling ever since he saw the report. Parents always talked about how they wanted their kids to follow in their footsteps, but now that James was confronted with the reality of that very situation, he found that he was highly regretting turning down Harry’s Puddlemere United offer. This Harry may not be the baby he’d held in his arms, but he was still a Harry and still a version of his kid, and he didn’t want him anywhere near danger. No matter how terrified he was though for his son, he had to keep reminding himself that Harry, this Harry, was a grown adult who he hadn't raised and did not have a say in his life. This wasn't that situation though. 

 

James waved the report around. “You cannot take a trainee on a stakeout to confront a fully transformed werewolf!”

 

Moody crossed his arms and leaned back in the chair looking defiant. “Trainee Potter can handle it. He led most of this investigation, under my supervision of course, and he should be allowed to see it out.”

 

“He’s been on the force for two weeks! Moody, you can’t really think that’s reasonable or acceptable!” He fumed because this man was going to get his kid killed. There were a whole lot of really good reasons that Moody wasn't given trainees anymore. 

 

Moody didn’t seem to be backing down any at all. “Is this because it's a trainee or because he's your son?”

 

James fumed because he could bloody well separate the two! Yes, he was highly upset this was his son, but also… “It’s because it’s only been two bloody weeks! No trainee should be thrown up against a transformed werewolf at any point in time during their training period!”

 

Moody pursed his lips and looked stubborn, but he did seem to be considering James’s words at least. “Look, I won’t lie, I’m concerned about my son,” James allowed himself to be honest and actually feel. Maybe a little truthfulness would get him further with Moody than even logical reasoning. “But Moody…you have to be reasonable here, even if this was not my son, we would still be having this conversation. I’m just much more invested in you listening to reason this time because it's my son.”

 

Moody slowly nodded after studying the man intensely. James had a sinking feeling that he’d just been subjected to one of Moody’s famous tests. He didn’t know why or to what end, but it seemed he may have passed.

 

“Heard,” Moody said simply. “I will keep Trainee Potter away from any direct action; however, this is his investigation, so he should be allowed to be there and observe the conclusion…from a safe distance.”

 

James let out a breath of relief. That was still too close to danger for James's mental health, but it was all he could argue for without it being him being overprotective of his own kid instead of a supervisor looking out for the trainees. He couldn't overstep his bounds here because Harry would know and that would be the end of any inroads he was hoping they could make. 

 

“I heard from Remus,” he said, changing subjects. He was so very thankful that he’d gotten through to the man without having to escalate this up to Director Prewett. “It seems Greyback has been much more prolific than we had originally believed. He asked me to send along his thanks for not letting this go and finding justice for other people like him.”

 

Moody slowly nodded, his magical eye spinning. “What I still don’t understand is how your son knew Greyback had transformed Remus Lupin, when Lupin himself didn’t know that…?”

 

James really did want to groan and maybe even bang his head against his desk, but he held it all in. Harry really needed to have chosen literally any other job or at least any other trainer than Moody. He couldn’t have slip-ups like this, or he was going to get himself in trouble. James really needed to talk with his son again. He’d been trying to stay away, but they needed a more cohesive strategy here.

 

James threw something together that would hopefully seem reasonable. “You know Harry by now, he’s good at asking questions and putting things together,” he said since Moody had been claiming just that about his son since he’d started with the aurors. “He has always been fascinated by werewolves because of our company’s work with the wolfsbane potion and his Uncle Remus.”

 

Right, so he would need to tell Harry that new lie. It sounded reasonable though. He was sure Moody would buy it…

 

Moody nodded. “The scamp would be one to do just that. That kid of yours doesn't let anything go,” he said to James’s relief. Moody's assessment didn't actually sound like James's Harry at all, but he supposed this new Harry was going to surprise him in many ways. 

 

“Now, if I’m allowed to go…” Moody motioned to the door. “I really need to requisition some silver chains for tonight.”

 

“Of course,” he motioned to the door. “Just remember, no trainees anywhere near direct action.”

 

“Heard and understood,” Moody agreed before he left in a swirl of red robes.

 

With a breath of relief, James stood to go find his son. He was much less hopeful that his next conversation would go as smoothly as this one had. However, he needed to fill Harry in on what he’d told Moody, and maybe, hopefully, impress upon him the need to be more careful. Their family couldn’t take another loss, not now, not ever. He and Lily were not doing well at all. Lily vacillated between smothering Emily with attention and hiding in her lab at work. And James…he just couldn’t sleep. Every single interaction with his son since he was a baby would run through his head instead of sleep. Where had he missed the signs? Where had he gone wrong? What part did he have in what happened?

 

James found their new Harry buried under all of Moody’s reports probably from the several months. “He’s making you do his paperwork?” James asked with a smirk at the man who blinked up at him as if his eyes had crossed and he was refocusing. Merlin, but Harry's eyes were so much greener without the glasses. How had he not realized how very green his eyes were, even more than Lily's if he had to guess. 

 

With a snort, Harry closed the file he’d been going over. “Moody says I’m weakest in protocol and procedure, so he wants me to study his past cases to learn from them.”

 

James saw the reasoning behind that, however… “Just please remember that Moody gets in trouble the most of all the veteran aurors for blatantly breaking protocol when it serves his purpose. Also, please don't look at your Uncle Sirius's past reports either.”

 

With another snort, Harry grinned up at him. “I had actually realized that,” Harry pointed at a file for a case on the desk that James and Director Prewett both had to meet with Moody over, and Sirius wasn't innocent in that one either. Thank Merlin Moody and Sirius refused to work together or they really would have a problem.

 

Merlin, but this was possibly the easiest and least emotionally fraught conversation he’d ever had with this Harry. The problem was, James never could determine how to avoid jumping right into those emotional potholes until he was waist deep already. He really, really hoped he could do this and avoid any emotional fallout. He hoped that, since they were at the office, that Harry would feel less cornered and that he could leave at any time unlike when they had talked at Potter Manor. 

 

James looked around and flicked his wand to create a privacy barrier around them. He saw Harry sigh and lean back as if he was expecting they would be heading right towards one of those potholes immediately. “I’m really trying to not upset you,” James began, stepping back just a step so it wasn’t like he was towering over Harry as much.

 

Harry just laughed though, as if James was the one being ridiculous. “James, I’m not fragile. It’s just that you really have to stop thinking that you know everything about me. Whatever you have to say, just say it so we can both get back to work, right?”

 

That ‘James’ hurt him more than he thought it would. Well, to business then since that’s how Harry wanted to keep this. He held up four fingers. “Four things, then you can get back to work, I promise.”

 

Harry nodded and motioned for him to continue. “First, the lightning strike and Whomping Willow story has gotten around, and is holding up. That was good thinking on your part. You need to watch Moody more though. He caught that you knew Remus was turned by Greyback even though Remus didn’t know.”

 

Harry winced and nodded. “Merlin’s balls, it’s hard to keep track of literally everything I’ve told people. I’ll focus more on Moody though, you’re right. Thank you. I know I can't afford slips like that.”

 

James nodded, feeling optimistic this was going well. “I told him you have always been interested in werewolves because of your Uncle Remus and because of the company’s work with the wolfsbane potion.”

 

Harry nodded consideringly. “That works. Thank you. I promise I’ll be more careful in the future.”

 

Wow, ok, this was going well. They could do this, they could have a conversation that didn’t devolve into yelling and curses. “Good, so second, why is Minister Riddle marked as a grandparent on Ash’s birth certificate?”

 

That got James another look of surprise before Harry crossed his arms and got that stubborn look that James’s Harry used to get, it made his heart clench in pain. “It was necessary,” Harry said slowly. “It may not come up for years, but Ash will begin to look uncomfortably like Tom Riddle as he gets older. When questions arise, we needed an explanation. The hope is that Minister Riddle has some kind of youthful indiscretion in his past that Ash’s ‘mother’ could be connected to, but we haven’t been able to unearth anything so far. The guy is either asexual or discrete on a level more paranoid than even Moody.”

 

James chuckled at that assessment. “That does seem to be true. You missed the Prophet digging into his past during the last election. Even that horrible Skeeter woman couldn’t find anything. Is Ash’s mother Riddle’s granddaughter or something though?”

 

“No,” Harry said simply looking around them. “This isn’t something I feel comfortable talking about in the ministry, even behind a privacy ward.”

 

Ah, James nodded firmly and let it go for now. He could respect that and understood completely. If this was dangerous to his son and grandson, then it should absolutely not be discussed anywhere near the ministry. “Moving on then, third,” he held up three fingers because Harry seemed to appreciate him staying as organized as possible in this conversation, so he was going to keep going with that.

 

“Third, Lily would really like to see Ash again at some point. Would you be willing to allow some supervised visits? Your house elf could stay with them, or even you if you would prefer that?” James asked, trying not to let how very important this was show in his face. This was a very big deal to his wife, and being able to see her grandson would do so much in helping them both through his truly horrible time.

 

“Of course,” Harry’s face softened. “I don’t think I can do unsupervised right now, but we can work up to that. I’ll talk with Dobby and Bill, but I think Dobby would agree to stay with Ash for a visit. I’ll talk with them and owl you both, I promise.”

 

James let out a breath of relief. He felt his muscles unclench. He couldn’t believe this was going so well. Just one more thing, and he could mark one conversation at least as successful with his new kid.

 

“Lastly,” he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box. “I wanted to say happy birthday from me and Lily. I’m sorry that we just couldn’t…not this year...” James wasn’t sure he could finish that sentence without breaking down right there in the office.

 

Harry gave him a sad smile and leaned forward. “Hey, I understand, and thank you,” he said with feeling that just broke James’s heart. Why was his son so very mature and understanding? This child should still be making stupid mistakes and going out with his friends instead of raising a child, talking his own parents through their grief, and strategizing how to avoid being kidnapped by a shady government organization.

 

James cleared his throat and sat the box on the desk. “Well, it's not really a present since that is yours, and Lily and I…we want you to have it.”

 

Harry opened the box and took out the vault key inside. “Er…this is for…?” He held up the key with a frown like he'd never seen a master vault key before. Why didn't he recognize it? Shouldn't Harry have had access to all their assets in his own dimension for months, ever since he'd turned 17? Another question he wanted an answer to but knew he should wait to ask. 

 

James let out a breath because he would absolutely never have done this with his own son, but his own son would not have been able to handle the responsibility. This was him and Lily changing strategies and hopefully showing that they did know this man was not the same person as their Harry. “Lily and I have noticed you haven’t been using your trust vault,” he said, noticing the hard look that crossed his son’s face. It seemed they had guessed the motives correctly. 

 

He kept going before Harry could say something that would lead them to arguing again. “We talked, and it sounds like you’ve been on your own for a while. We thought that you may not be using the vault because I monitor the withdrawals from it and have say over what you can and can't spend,” James tried to explain. “This is us trying to tell you that we trust you. This key is the master for your trust vault. If you have it, then I cannot see anything about how you use it. I’ve moved everything over to your name with Gringotts too so that you have sole ownership.”

 

Harry put the key back in the box and sat it on his desk. “This isn’t my money. This is your son’s. I can't accept this, so just...give it to Emily or donate it or something.”

 

James was already shaking his head though. “You may not be our Harry, but you’re still our son.”

 

Surprisingly, James was certain he saw some kind of mistiness in Harry’s eyes. He hadn’t thought this would be this emotionally straining or he would definitely not have done it at work, but money had always just been money with his son, not an emotionally fraught concept. This seemed like much more to this man than James had originally guessed it would.

 

“Please, take it,” James pushed the box closer to him, meaning it even more now. If this showed even slightly how much they did actually care for and want him, then James was so very relieved. “Use it, or keep it in trust for Ash, whatever you would like. I won’t even bring it up again unless you do first.”

 

Harry looked at him for the longest before sliding the box back over to himself. James smiled, so very happy he’d taken it. James had a strong feeling that Harry would be checking everything he’d just said with Gringotts before touching the vault, but at least he’d taken the key. If this was all he could do to help with his new son and grandson for now, then he’d take it as a good start. It was a very small step forward, but he was thankful they were able to take it.

 

“Be careful tonight with Moody,” James said as he dispelled the privacy ward around them.

 

Harry nodded but stood as if planning to leave too. “Of course, I know what I’m doing. This isn’t my first transformed werewolf.”

 

James was fairly certain he’d stopped breathing and was possibly having a heart attack. “Excuse me…”

 

“I really need to get to lunch now,” Harry looked at the battered watch on his wrist. “Moody is weirdly insistent that I take lunch in the cafeteria everyday. If I don’t leave soon, he’ll try to go eat with me, and that’s just so very wrong. That man can make a cup of soup awkward.”

 

And Harry was gone before James could ask any more questions. What the bloody hell?! What werewolf? How? Why? And he still didn’t know what Minister Riddle had to do with any of this!!

 

---

 

Harry was still stunned at the conversation he'd just had, and he didn't have any clue what he was going to do with the trust vault. He was definitely going to have Bill check over everything James had said about it before making any decisions, but still, the conversation had gone better than he thought it would when James had thrown up the privacy ward. He was now halfway through a Cornish pasty while congratulating himself on holding an actually productive conversation with his father when the empty chair at his table was suddenly not empty anymore.

 

Harry blinked at the redhead who promptly dumped way too much dressing from a small cup on top of his salad. “Hello…” Harry asked more than greeted.

 

“Hey, Harry,” Percy smiled at him brightly. “Mind if I join you?”

 

Harry looked around them, but yeah, they were in the cafeteria at the ministry, a place the old Percy would have been, but not this one. “I thought…don’t you work in herbology somewhere? Like gardens and greenhouses and such?”

 

With a chuckle, Percy grabbed the pepper shaker off the table and started violently shaking it over his salad. Harry had a feeling the guy actually didn’t like salad and was trying to make it taste like something else for some reason. Why didn’t he just order a sandwich?

 

“I’m a herbologist with a private company, but my company also holds all the contracts to care for the plants around the ministry,” Percy motioned to the potted plants around the small fountain in the cafeteria. “I spend a lot of my time here in the ministry with all the plants that are meant to make this place slightly less depressing as well as supplying some of the plants used in the potions department.”

 

“Oh,” Harry nodded and poked at his pasty in thought. It seemed no version of Percy Weasley could completely avoid working in the ministry.

 

“Well, yeah then, you can definitely join me. How are things going with you?” Harry knew Percy had been wanting to talk with him, and frankly, he wasn’t sure he was up for another emotionally draining conversation so close to the last, but he also didn’t want to offend Bill’s brother. He'd just have to get through this as gently as possible since he really wasn't sure how to handle someone who had actually known him (or sort of him) as an addict. 

 

“Never been better,” Percy smiled at him kindly before adding a container of cheese from a large lunch box on the table to the top of his salad now.

 

Harry just laughed. “Mate, you should probably just get a sandwich or something. Is that even still a salad anymore?”

 

Percy looked at his bowl and grinned, dumping a container of some kind of seeds on top now. “What? It has lettuce on it. I’m trying to be healthy. With our past...you know, we have to really watch our health now.”

 

Right, so Harry did have to watch his health but from long-term malnutrition instead of past addiction, so he supposed it still held true. However, Harry was certain that salad was not healthy in the slightest. “Sure…you do you,” he chuckled, taking another bite of his pasty which really had to be healthier than whatever it was Percy was building over there since a small container of cut up fried chicken was added next.

 

“So, Harry…” Percy started, and Harry braced himself for whatever was coming. “I know you have your amnesia thing, and I’m not sure if Bill mentioned it, but we’ve actually met before…uh, back when…back when we both had a problem.”

 

“I don’t remember,” Harry said because he was not even going to try to attempt to fake it. “Bill did tell me though. I’m glad to hear you’re doing ok now.”

 

“Yeah, I got a lot of help,” Percy smiled at him and took out his wand to add a privacy ward around them. This day just kept going there, didn’t it?

 

Percy just looked at him kindly though. “And well, I wanted to make sure you know that I’m here for you if you ever want to talk. I know we weren’t close, but hey, we went through something very similar, and I know how difficult it can be. Dragon’s Breath doesn’t let go of its hold on you, even when you get clean. I know it’s a constant struggle.”

 

Oh, thank Merlin, finally! Someone finally told Harry what the hell it was that he was supposedly addicted to! Now he could do some research.

 

“That’s very kind of you,” Harry smiled at him. “I may take you up on that. And, Perce…I’m here if you want to talk too.”

 

Harry wasn’t sure he could help Percy any at all, but he could listen if he ever wanted to talk. And Harry vowed to tell Percy the truth too if ever came down to it. He wasn’t going to fake having gone through the hell this man had if Percy was struggling and came to him, that was an ethical line he refused to cross. 

 

Percy nodded and speared some lettuce with his fork. “I actually have a wonderful sponsor. Have you been to any of the meetings? They’re really helpful.”

 

“I have a support system,” Harry said vaguely, because it wasn’t drugs, but he was still struggling, and he was thankful that he had Bill, Dobby, Snape, and Death all there for him. He wasn't sure he would have come out of his grief when he'd first gotten to this dimension without them and Ash. 

 

Percy nodded and didn’t press the issue thankfully. “Oh, and when or if you remember…no hard feelings…” He said with a smirk.

 

“What?” Harry paused where he was just about to take another bite. “What does that mean?”

 

Percy just smirked at him more. “I’m just saying…if you ever get your memory back, I think you ended up with the right Weasley brother.”

 

Harry groaned and put down the pasty. What the bloody hell had original Harry done? “Please tell me I didn’t hit on you. That’s just wrong.”

 

Percy laughed and crunched away at his terrible excuse for a salad. “Hey, I know I don’t have the whole long hair and earring thing going on, but I’m not completely unfortunate looking I hope. Just because I didn’t want to shag someone already too high to remember, doesn’t mean things wouldn’t have gone differently in another situation…when you were a little older too.”

 

Harry just groaned in mortification. Merlin, but original Harry was most definitely underage then as well based on that last comment. Well, this was going to be an extremely awkward conversation with Bill later.

 

“Can we please pretend you have amnesia too?” He asked in all seriousness.

 

Percy just laughed brightly. “Sure, I’ll never mention it again. I just wanted it out there just in case the memories ever do come back so we could avoid a future awkward situation.”

 

With a wave of his wand, the privacy ward came down around them. “So, has Ash started crawling yet?”

 

Harry shook his head and picked up his pasty again. “Ash isn’t even four months old yet, so no, definitely not.”

 

“When does that happen then? I really don't know anything about babies,” Percy asked as if he was absolutely interested. Well, this was a subject Harry would never tire of at least.

 

“Really whenever he wants,” Harry shrugged. “But probably closer to 6 months anyway. He turned over all on his own the other day though.”

 

Percy smiled widely. “I feel like that’s a big deal, so I’m going to go with wow, good for him.”

 

“I know, right!” Harry enthused.

 

---

 

Moody shifted his leg that was starting to cramp up from where he was crouched behind some serious disillusionment, scent-negating, and body heat masking wards behind the playhouse in the Roberts’ back garden. The house was empty with the family were gone and staying in an auror safehouse for the night, but they had set up enough spells in the house to mimic body heat and smell to fool even a werewolf until he was literally inside the house.

 

“Say it one more time, just so I can be sure you still remember and are going to follow orders,” Moody growled lowly to the trainee beside him.

 

“I don’t move, I stay right here, and I do not attempt to insert myself into any violence,” Potter said by rote. “Unless Greyback comes after me, then I scream and run and use whatever spells I can to defend myself, legal or not.”

 

“Good,” Moody grumbled with a smile this time. He’d had surprisingly little pushback from the kid when he told Potter that he would not be a part of the direct action. It seemed the boy was reasonable anyway, well, as long as he was still allowed to be a part of the take-down. Moody had a feeling that Potter having a kid of his own went a long way into making him see perspective and actually stay out of danger. 

 

The house was unfortunately right up against the forest, just perfect to make their jobs harder, so the aurors had set up a perimeter, but they’d focused their forces to the west of the house since that led into a deeper and more dense part of the forest. It was the most likely direction Greyback would come from, and they just didn't have enough people to fully cover all parts of the forest. They would get this bastard, and then they would find out who he was working with and why.

 

Moody glanced at the kid beside him who was laser-focused on the surrounding area, intensely looking for any sign of disturbance or movement. After Moody’s very eye-opening discussion with James Potter earlier that very day, he felt like he was getting a feel for what may have led to the mind-healer’s report and Gideon and Riddle’s subsequent interest in his trainee. His observations and guesses were lining up to actually make sense now, even with the writing on the back of Potter's hand which looked like some kind of bloody messed up punishment. That was the clue that made the most sense actually with his new suspicions. 

 

Moody was almost completely certain now that James and Lily Potter had not abused their son. James’s concern and also his ability to back off and let his son stand on his own with the aurors were not behaviors indicative of an abuser. Moody had also closely watched the interaction between James and his son behind a privacy ward in the office earlier in the day. There was genuine care on James’s face, and Trainee Potter did not seem afraid of or combative with the man in the slightest.

 

What Moody had noticed was a distance between them as if they were much less well-acquainted than they should be. That distance paired with the fact that James and Lily both had very demanding jobs, a charitable foundation they were actively involved with, and the comment Trainee Potter had made about them having a nanny elf…well, Moody was more certain now that the Potter parents were at most guilty of not spending enough time with their children and passing off their care to others such as the nanny elf and tutors while the children were growing up.

 

Oh, Moody was absolutely certain his trainee had been abused as a child, but Moody was also fairly positive now that it hadn’t been at the hands of his parents. If he had to guess, Moody would lay the blame with a tutor since elves were generally incapable of harming someone under their care. Also, the writing on Potter's hand could be from a blood quill...a horrible punishment, but one which seemed more likely to have come from an abusive tutor than a parent.

 

What Moody couldn’t figure out was if James or Lily Potter knew what had happened to their son. Moody had worked with James and Sirius both long enough though to fully believe that if they did know, that this tutor or whatever was not still out there in the world. Moody could believe that busy, wealthy parents could get caught up in standard wizarding practices which would lead to them not spending much time with their children. Moody couldn’t believe that James Potter or Sirius Black didn’t absolutely love Harry and Emily. Moody had seen enough baby pictures and quidditch trophies bragged about over the years to be able to think otherwise.

 

Now, in this very moment, Moody was surprised to see his trainee distracted. Potter had been absolutely focused the entire time so far, but he was staring off behind them now with a frown on his face. Did he hear something?

 

“What is it?” Moody asked lowly, trusting in the silencing ward, but still not wanting to chance any sound getting out.

 

Potter just frowned further, looking very confused for some reason. “That shouldn’t be possible…” he trailed off lowly with confusion in his tone.

 

“What shouldn’t be possible?” Moody was starting to get concerned. He looked and listened, but he didn’t hear anything besides the wind rustling through the leaves and the grass.

 

After another moment, Potter shook his head and turned abruptly to Moody. “Greyback, he’s coming from the south, from the direction of the river.”

 

“What?” Moody frowned, not knowing where this was coming from.

 

“Not the west, the south,” Potter almost stood, but Moody shoved him right back down.

 

“Stay,” he ordered before opening a small mirror all the teams had on them to relay the information. The problem was that they were on the south side of the house, and they definitely needed more back-up. “Move forces, converge on the south,” he ordered quickly, hoping they hurried.

 

“How do you know this?” Moody asked, still keeping a grip on Potter’s arm. “Did you see him?”

 

“No,” Potter shook his head but motioned to the undergrowth. “I’m a Parseltongue. He disturbed a grass snake that just came through complaining about the wolfman who almost stepped on his tail.”

 

Moody stared for a second too long, not even able to process that in the slightest. What the bloody hell?! How was a Potter of all people a Parseltongue?! As far as he knew, their current Minister of Magic was the only Parseltongue in all of Great Britain.

 

They didn’t have time for this though because a limb sharply broke not three meters from them. Moody and Potter both raised their wands. “Stay behind me,” he ordered, glancing back, but Potter was suddenly nowhere to be found.

 

With a swear, Moody gasped and turned back towards where they were sure Greyback was coming from. “Stupify!” Moody cast where he thought he saw a shadow and only hoped it wasn’t Potter.

 

A growl sounded loudly, and Moody hurried to put the playhouse between himself and the growl. “Incarcerous,” he cast around the playhouse.

 

Clearly, he hadn’t hit anything because a dark shadow broke through their warding and bounded right towards him. Moody dodged out of the way, throwing a nasty bone-breaking curse up and over himself. The werewolf seemed single-mindedly heading towards the house though, he didn’t even turn back around to come after Moody.

 

Greyback rushed towards the back window, snarling and growling. “Levicorpus,” sounded from somewhere to Moody’s right.

 

Suddenly, the werewolf was hanging upside down and violently clawing at the air around him right by the back window that he had been heading towards to probably break through. “Potter?” Moody asked, out of breath.

 

Between two blinks, his trainee appeared, taking off what looked like an invisibility cloak. “You were supposed to run if he came after us,” Moody growled and kicked open the trunk containing silver chains beside them.

 

“He didn’t come after me, he came after you,” Potter shrugged with a smile. “Besides, it’s not like he could see me.”

 

“Idiot boy! He could still smell you! He's a bloody werewolf!” Moody almost yelled back at him now that more aurors were finally converging on where they were, too late as usual.

 

“Nah, my cloak is better than that,” Potter smirked as if that made sense but levitated the chains up with Moody and sent them towards the upside-down werewolf.

 

When Greyback was completely wrapped in silver chains, Potter cancelled whatever that exceptionally useful spell was he’d cast. “I want a full write-up of that spell you used in the report,” Moody added, never having heard of it before.

 

“Sure,” Potter shrugged before bending down to look at something in the grass. “Moody…there’s something here…”

 

“Don’t touch it,” Moody said quickly, levitating over a camera and an evidence bag. “Take a picture of it, whatever it is, before you put it in the bag.”

 

“It looks like a gold necklace,” Potter bent down with the camera. “I think he was wearing it. It must have fallen off when I flipped him.”

 

Moody turned to the other aurors. “Backtrack through the woods, see if you can find where he left his clothes and transformed,” he ordered. "We think he came from the direction of the river."

 

A sudden gasp sounded from his trainee and Moody spun around with his wand held high. “What is it?” He asked, checking the boy over for any curses or traps he may have sprung, but Potter was only holding up the evidence bag and looking at the necklace inside of it.

 

“Nothing,” Potter said tersely, clearly lying. “I’ve just seen this somewhere before.”

 

Moody took the bag and looked at the necklace. He was pretty certain he’d seen the design somewhere before too, but he wasn’t sure where. It was a triangle with a circle in it and bisected with a line. Something was tickling at the back of his mind, reminding him of his early days as an auror, but he still couldn’t quite place what or where he’d seen it.

 

“Do you know what it means?” Moody held it between them asking.

 

Potter just stared at the bag, a constipated look on his face. “No, I really don’t,” he said, truth shining through finally with the statement. “It’s probably a good idea to ask him about it in interrogation though. I don’t imagine werewolves wear jewelry when they transform commonly.”

 

Moody snorted in agreement at that statement. “Well, he’ll be held until he changes back and we can question him, and the evidence team has it from here. So, go home and hug that baby of yours,” Moody told the kid.

 

Potter nodded and smiled at him. “I’ll get started on the paperwork first thing in the morning.”

 

“Nah, take tomorrow off,” Moody said instead, they'd worked way more hours that week than normal, so taking a long weekend would help even them out. “We’re going to let Greyback stew in holding for at least a day before questioning him. I’d like to get Veritaserum approval for his questioning, but solicitors need to work with a magistrate to decide on what questions we can legally ask him then to not break any of his rights, so it will take some time, probably early next week. It was a long day though and a long week; go spend time with your family.”

 

With a bright grin, Potter pulled his wand back out, an odd wand that Moody hadn’t been able to place what the wood of it was yet. “Well, I’m not going to complain about that. Have a good night! I’ll see you Monday,” Potter said before immediately apparating on the spot.

 

Moody shook his head with a fond snort of laughter. “Smith! If you touch that without gloves on, I’ll stun you myself!”

 

---

 

Bill woke when cold hands wrapped around his bare stomach under the covers of the bed and a lithe body slid in behind him. He hummed and looked over his shoulder at the man kissing the back of his neck. “How did it go?” He asked, happy to see his boyfriend was home and didn’t look injured.

 

“Better than expected,” Harry said, snuggling in and throwing a leg over Bill’s. Bill still wasn’t sure why he always ended up the little spoon when he was the bigger of the two in this relationship. “Ash go to sleep easily?”

 

They both looked over to the crib in the corner of the room where Ash was sleeping deeply, his little lips making tiny movements like he was trying to drink a bottle in his dreams. “Yeah, he had a fun day playing with his Uncle Dobby and Grandma Weasley, so he crashed pretty quickly.”

 

Harry chuckled and settled in more. Bill felt himself starting to slip back into sleep. “Hey, we need to talk to Death in the morning,” Harry said abruptly, making Bill wake up immediately at the sound of concern.

 

“Hmm, why? He’ll probably be at breakfast, it’s Friday crepe day,” Bill remarked since it was apparently now a tradition.

 

Harry was tracing a pattern on Bill’s stomach. “Greyback had this necklace with a pendant on it…it was Death’s symbol. The symbol of the hallows that I collected in my own dimension. Plus, I did a thing I didn't think I'd be able to do anymore, and I need to get his opinion about it.”

 

Bill thought it though while Harry continued his tracing. 'Doing a thing' was vague enough to throw alarm bells up in Bill's brain, but Harry also clearly didn't want to talk about it. It didn't help that the drawing on his stomach was distracting enough that Bill had to pay attention, Harry was drawing a triangle, then a circle, then making a dash through it all. That was…it was very and concerningly familiar.

 

“The cloak,” Harry drew the triangle slowly. “The resurrection stone,” the circle. “The elder wand,” Harry finished with the dash downwards.

 

Bill pulled in a breath. “I’ve seen that before,” he said, turning around to face Harry. “The artifacts I’ve been working on with the Unspeakables has something like that. There’s a broach with that design on it and a crazy number of curses layered on top.”

 

Harry just stared into his eyes, thinking all that over. It's not like they could do anything that evening, but Bill was starting to get very concerned even though (or maybe because) he didn't have much of the backstory that Harry seemed to have. If there was something going on connected to Death and the hallows, did that mean it was also connected to Harry and his presence in this dimension? 

 

“We need to talk to Death,” Harry finally concluded, getting a nod of agreement from Bill. It was really all they could do right now. “And we need to ask if maybe the ministry would like the help of a new solicitor who’s trying to set up practice here in England.”

 

Bill groaned because this was so going to be a terrible idea. “Steve Weasley really doesn’t need any more business. Doesn’t he have a day job?”

 

Harry just shrugged and kissed him. “He has reapers to delegate to. Plus, he can spend more time with us. You know he'll love that.”

 

“That’s what I’m worried about,” Bill grumbled, but wrapped around his boyfriend now so that this time he could be the big spoon…at least until they fell asleep when they’d inevitable switch places for some reason.

Notes:

Up Next: Riddle and Harry have a little chat...

Chapter 21: Impossibilities

Harry took his lunchbox of leftover pasta from the dinner Dobby had made the night before with him to the cafeteria at work. So far, not much had been going on after their arrest of Greyback surprisingly. It was a hurry up and wait type of situation. Apparently, the solicitors were still negotiating which questions were allowed to be asked under Veritaserum and which weren’t. Moody was clearly getting very irritated at the whole legal process. That just meant that Harry quickly escaped his irritated grumblings as soon as lunch rolled around.

 

Harry paused on his way into the cafeteria when he saw Anthony and Parvati sitting together at one of the tables. He briefly wondered if he’d be walking into something if he asked to join them, but he was pretty certain Anthony had said he had a girlfriend at some point, and that girlfriend didn’t sound like it was Parvati. Ok, so one awkward interaction discarded, so he should theoretically be safe to go over there. Right, so walk over and ask if he could join…

 

It was still very difficult. Their drinks night had gone really well. Harry had ordered himself a soda and bought a round for everyone else with whatever they wanted which they all seemed to really appreciate. They mainly just chatted about work while at the pub, then what people were doing since graduation, some of those people Harry had no clue who they were, and Ash…everyone was also very curious about Ash, as they should be because his son was just brilliant.

 

Anyway, Harry still had to steel his nerves and take in a deep breath before making himself walk over. “Er…hey guys,” he smiled when the two looked up at him with what looked like welcoming looks hopefully. “Er…can I join?”

 

“Yeah! Man of the hour!” Anthony kicked a chair out for him. “How the hell did you convince Auror Moody to let you go to the take down of a transformed werewolf?! Auror Nott doesn’t even trust me to talk when we go interview people, actually, I don't think he'd allow me to breathe if he could get away with it.”

 

Harry sat and gave them an embarrassed shrug. “I don’t know…I guess I’m just stubborn is all.”

 

Parvati snorted. “You can say that again. I don’t know how many times I’ve heard you strong-arming the quidditch team out of the common room to train. You do the stubborn and obsessed thing very well. I'm glad you're on our side and not one of the more irritating reporters or solicitors who chase us around for stories or cases or whatever.”

 

Harry just smiled and opened the tin of biscuits Dobby had packed him and offered some to the others. “Ooo, those look good!” Anthony took one and immediately shoved it in his mouth. “I have to run soon, Auror Nott always wants me to eat and run, no rest for trainees and all.”

 

Harry blinked in confusion at that. Based on what Moody had been telling him, he’d thought it was required for auror trainees to take an hour every shift for lunch or dinner or whatever meal was during their shift. Maybe that was just a Moody rule though…but that really didn’t sound like the man.

 

“Shite! I’m late too!” Parvati jumped up after looking at her watch. “Sorry, Harry…we’ll talk soon though! Drinks again or maybe dinner at your place because of the baby and all.”

 

“Yeah, yeah, we'll do that. Have fun,” he smiled and waved them off as they rushed out. He still counted it as a win even if it was a very short interaction. He had made himself sit down, and he didn’t think he’d made anything awkward, so definitely a win. Maybe he was getting the hang of this whole normal friends thing.

 

Actually, Harry kind of liked sitting and having lunch alone even though he knew he did need to expand his circle of friends outside of his little family. But eating alone gave him time to think and have some time to himself when he was normally surrounded by people in the office. Plus, Sirius was always stopping by his desk to talk, and James now stopped by at least once a day to say hi and ask about Ash in the mornings. Now they talked logistics because Dobby was actually taking Ash to see Lily for the afternoon in a few days, and Harry wasn’t sure how he felt about it. He knew Ash was safe, especially with Dobby there, but he was also still really nervous.

 

And now Harry had the whole mystery of whatever was going on with the Deathly Hallows to think about. He and Bill had cornered Death over breakfast, but the deity didn’t know anything about it the symbol being used in this dimension. The symbol as a whole actually meant nothing to him, only the items themselves. If people were using the symbol for something, even in Death's name, it wouldn’t come to his attention until it became quite major…like war-level major. He did say he’d have his reapers check in on it though for them.

 

It was all so very confusing though with the little Harry knew about this dimension. When Harry had been studying for his NEWTs, Remus had definitely said Grindelwald had been taken down by Dumbledore the same in this dimension as his own. And yes, Death confirmed, Merope Gaunt living instead of dying in childbirth was the minor change in this dimension that had led to everything else, and she had nothing to do with Grindelwald as far as Harry knew. So, someone else was using the symbol of the Deathly Hallows…but why, and were they searching for the items? Harry had two of the Hallows on his person at the very moment, and he thought Minister Riddle may have the third, so the items were not easily accessible to anyone.

 

They needed to get Death involved whether he wanted to be or not though if they were going to figure this out. It turns out, in a stroke of luck, Arthur Weasley had already reached out to Gideon Prewett about hiring ‘Steve Weasley’ on as counsel for the ministry. Death had just proudly smirked over his mail that he was getting (concerningly) consistently at Shell Cottage now. Harry had a feeling the being didn’t care in the slightest about whatever was going on with the Deathly Hallows symbol since that was 'boring,' but he was getting way too much sick glee out of pretending to be Steve Weasley and had even asked Snape to help him prepare for a job interview. So, they were well on their way to making the deity help then. 

 

If all this weren’t enough on his plate, Harry had asked Snape this past Friday morning about whatever the hell Dragon’s Breath was, and now Harry was determined to take down whatever person or persons or organization was selling what ended up being an exceptionally terrible drug to Hogwarts students. It would totally freaking help if he actually knew who original Harry’s dealer was, but that was impossible as far as he could tell at the moment. Harry knew he could talk to Percy about it, but that was an absolute last resort. He didn't want to get Percy involved in any of this if he could avoid it. What Snape described though was…well, Harry didn’t actually know much at all about drugs, magical or muggle, but this one was insanely addictive and could cause long-term cognitive and physical effects on users. And someone was selling it to kids. So, yeah, Harry had a new goal now that Greyback was in custody…along with everything else.

 

“That looks good,” James Potter motioned to his pasta before he sat down beside Harry at the table and swiped one of his biscuits.

 

“Er…hello,” Harry blinked at the man. They’d already had their awkward ‘good morning’ and ‘how’s Ash’ conversation of the day, so this was a little concerning. “Can I help you?”

 

James leaned back and looked at Harry intensely, his red robes somehow fitting him much better than Harry’s did him to his consternation. “I just read two reports on the takedown of Fenrir Greyback from four days ago. One from Moody and one from you,” James told him with significance in his tone even though Harry didn’t know what the significance was.

 

“Did I put something in the report wrong or something? Some of the lines are a little confusing,” Harry frowned, putting down his fork since the pasta no longer held any appeal and any hunger he may have been trying to feel was suddenly gone.

 

James’s lips tightened for a second before he let out a breath and shook his head. “No, kid, but I’m worried about you.”

 

Right, so Harry was so very and absolutely confused now. “Nothing bad happened at the arrest. I don’t have a scratch on me,” he said, even pushing up his sleeves to prove his point, which, granted…probably didn’t help much since that did show off all his scars more.

 

James took his wand out and gave it a flick, the expected privacy ward snapping into place around them. “I told Moody to keep you far from the action, but it seems that didn't happen,” James held up a hand when Harry immediately started to protest. “Not because I don’t trust you but because you’re still a trainee, and that’s just not done.”

 

“Ah,” Harry deflated some. “I did what he told me to do and listened to him, but Greyback came from a different direction than we'd expected. We didn’t think he would come from the river.”

 

James just nodded. “I know, and I’m not mad at you or at Moody,” he said, frustratingly still not getting to the point. “Right, so I have a few questions for you that I need answered. I don’t need your life story right now, I know we need to talk about that with your mother and definitely not at the ministry, but I need just a few answers now. Is that ok?”

 

Harry really didn’t like the sound of that, but he also knew that he really did need to eventually talk to James and Lily if they were ever going to have anything resembling a relationship. “Can I say no if it’s something I don’t feel comfortable talking about at work?” Harry asked because a few questions he knew that he probably couldn’t answer without breaking down still, like anything about Ron or Hermione or his Sirius.

 

“Of course,” James immediately agreed, making Harry feel so much better about all this. “It’s just…I need to know why you are just as capable as any of my veteran aurors, and this is actually a pressing question for a reason, but I need to know the answer before I tell you that. Can you give me some reason, even something vague, for why Alastor Moody basically doesn’t think you need to be trained in anything besides procedure and paperwork?”

 

Well, that question wasn’t going to make him break down. It did make him snap the disposable wooden fork in his hand though because that way led to anger not despair. James raised his eyebrow at the now broken fork in Harry’s hand. “Right so new question, and feel free to answer this one first…”

 

James reached out, and Harry couldn’t help his flinch when James took his hand and slowly flipped it over, tracing the scars on the back with his thumb. Harry grimaced at what he knew was coming. “Who did this to you?” James looked like he’d been punched in the gut. “Did this happen when you were a child? Lily said that it sounded like you’d been raised in either an orphanage or maybe foster care. What happened?”

 

Harry just breathed out and, as kindly as possible, pulled his hand out from between James’s. He couldn’t have this conversation when someone…maybe someone like a father, was looking at him like that and holding his hand. “So, that’s actually kind of connected to your first question,” he admitted.

 

Harry couldn’t meet James’s eyes so he looked down at the table and his rapidly cooling pasta. “Now, I need to note that I was literally walking to my death before I even put any of the pieces together, so it's kind of a hindsight thing, not something I realized was happening as it was,” he said, hating that it had taken so long to see the manipulations. Frankly, it had taken Snape’s memories for any of it to even make sense. “I was raised…from when I was only a year old, to be a soldier, someone who would do as I was told by any authority figure who actually seemed to give a damn and question all others, always put others’ lives before my own, and fight tooth and nail until the very moment I was needed to stop and willingly hand my life over for the greater good.”

 

James sucked in a breath and was clearly holding himself back from whatever it was he really wanted to say or do, but that punched look on his face only got worse. Eventually he just nodded. “So, you do have training…but not training in self-preservation or safety.”

 

“In the most roundabout, manipulative, and mind twisting way possible so that I don’t even know what’s normal or socially acceptable or even how to feel things in a way I understand most of the time,” Harry rushed out in seething tones. Merlin, but he really hoped he didn’t run into Dumbledore in this dimension. While he knew the man wasn’t technically evil, even in his own dimension, a lot of the things that Harry struggled with the most in his everyday life, he laid right at the man’s manipulative feet.

 

James slowly nodded. “I asked because Moody has recommended accelerating your training,” he finally got to the reason for all this emotionally charged questioning. “The reports have been passed up the chain of command, and Director Prewett wants my input. He’s made it clear that I’m still considered a conflict of interest where you are concerned, but he still wants to hear what I have to say about it. And kid…I don’t know. I see what Moody is talking about, but are you going to get yourself hurt or killed because you can’t ask for help? I need some honesty here.”

 

Harry gave his father the respect of actually and logically thinking through the question. “A year ago, and that answer would be a resounding ‘yes,’” Harry told him truthfully. “But now, no, I don’t think I will. When Moody told me to back off at the arrest, I thought of Ash and Bill, and I did. I stepped in when I safely could, but not while putting myself at risk. I think…I think having people who need me around is maybe helping with some perspective?”

 

Harry couldn’t help phrasing it as a question because he wasn’t really sure that’s what was happening. But he did know that he didn’t feel the need to put himself in danger like he once would have. When Greyback had charged at them, he’d put on his cloak, and he’d stepped aside. He cast, but only when he was clear and wouldn’t be injured.

 

James breathed out and leaned back again. “I wish we could safely get you a mind-healer, but even with privacy laws, dimension travel is too risky to chance it.”

 

Harry just shrugged, not sure that anyone, even a professional, could handle his level of chaos anyway. “I’m doing a lot better,” he just said because it was true.

 

James didn’t look like he was completely sold on that but seemed to be giving in slightly. “I’m going to choose to believe you for now,” he said eventually. “I’ll recommend your training be accelerated, but I’m sure Director Prewett will want to talk with you about it as well before anything is decided.”

 

Harry nodded firmly. He really didn’t care much either way, but having more freedom would give him the opportunity to look into the Hallows and the drugs situation and all that. “Sure, no problem.”

 

Harry looked at James and decided to offer him a little more. He could leave it there, but he didn’t like that he had basically dodged a lot of the man’s questions. “I didn’t grow up in an orphanage,” he said finally. Frankly, enough people knew this (Emily included) that someone should have clued the Potters in already, but no one wanted it coming from them it seemed.

 

“Foster care?” James asked, raptly interested in the conversation once again.

 

Harry shook his head. “Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon.”

 

James literally seethed and had a look of abject disgust on his face. “What the bloody hell?! I’d trust Snivellus before them!”

 

Harry couldn’t help a laugh. “That does seem to be the common sentiment. But no, it wasn’t the most pleasant upbringing.”

 

James reached forward again, but this time stopped before touching Harry. “Did they do this? How?” He motioned to Harry’s hand.

 

“Ah,” Harry looked down at it. “No, that was a professor…blood quill in detentions. I think I actually hate her more than the dark lord I fought.”

 

James seemed to have choked on nothing and was having some trouble breathing. Harry closed his eyes and prayed to all that was holy that Remus at least had told James Potter that Harry had been fighting against a dark lord and that was why he’d died in his dimension. James just closed his eyes and seemed to be doing some kind of breathing technique though.

 

“Right, so I’m not asking about that in the middle of the bloody ministry of magic,” James said slowly. “But I do want a name, Harry. Who was this professor?”

 

“Someone in my dimension,” Harry shrugged. “As far I know, they haven’t done anything to me here.”

 

James just shook his head though. “I don’t care if they’re the bloody second coming of Merlin in this dimension, can I please have a name?”

 

And actually, Harry found he really didn’t care if James went after Umbridge. He had her on his list of people to just casually glance into their lives and see what they were doing now to make sure they weren’t secretly evil serial killers or dangerous criminals in this dimension as well as his own. He hadn’t gotten very far on his list since Greyback had popped up to the very top of it. At least Riddle had been scratched off, and Pettigrew too (so far).

 

“Dolores Umbridge,” Harry just said, going to let those chips fall where they may. “She was the Undersecretary in my dimension. I heard Amelia Bones has that job here though, which is bloody brilliant.”

 

James looked tense. “I don’t know the name, but I think I’m going to know it very soon.”

 

Harry shrugged. “Just remember, she may not have committed any crimes at all here.”

 

James grimaced but did seem to get it at least. “Right, so last question…”

 

“I really hate questions,” Harry laughed, but gave James a smile to hopefully convey that he really wasn’t offended or anything.

 

“Well, it’s the last one for now, I promise,” James just snorted. “So, on your report…you’re a Parselmouth? How did that happen? And does it have anything to do with Minister Riddle being listed as one of Ash’s grandparents? He’s the only living Parselmouth I’ve heard of in Britain.”

 

And…Harry had no clue how to answer that question. “So, that’s going to be one I can’t answer here,” he finally said because even behind a privacy ward, Harry refused to say the word ‘horcrux’ inside the ministry. “The quick answer is that ‘yes’ they are connected but it's an extremely long and convoluted story. The longer answer is that I didn’t get the gift genetically, and frankly, I shouldn’t even still have it, but it seems that once a language is in your brain, it doesn’t just automatically leave.”

 

James tapped the table with a finger in thought. “Ok, I won’t press you now, but we do need to talk about Ash’s connection to Minister Riddle at some point. There is danger there. I don’t know how to avoid that danger if I don’t understand it.”

 

Harry had to wryly snort at that. “Story of my life, mate.”

 

James surprisingly smiled at Harry calling him mate. Maybe, that’s more what they should be trying to be to each other, Harry thought. He wasn’t sure he could ever really see James as a father, but a friend, maybe…maybe they could get there one day?

 

James just cleared his throat. “Well, for you,” he checked his watch. “You need to hurry because Ash’s grandfather would like to meet with you about your successful take-down of a violent criminal.”

 

“Excuse me?” Harry was so very confused.

 

James just smirked at him. “You did it to yourself, but a trainee taking down a werewolf…well, Minister Riddle wants to meet with you personally, and you just about have time to make it to his office on time if you hurry.”

 

Harry jumped up and shoved his lunchbox at James to do something with. “I’m so telling Emily on you,” he pointed at James who laughed loudly just as Harry hurried through the privacy ward, breaking it.

 

---

 

Tom Riddle smiled at the letter that had been delivered by owl just after this last meeting. It seemed his mother was doing well in her new retirement community in Brighton. He would always be grateful that he had reached a place in his life where he could really take care of her now how she deserved. His mother wasn’t well and had never been, but she had always been there for Tom, and he could be there for her now with whatever she needed and wanted. He folded the letter and put it in his desk drawer with the many others his mother sent him regularly.

 

This was the reason he’d risen to the highest level of power in their country, and he wanted a reminder of it close by. People like them were not meant to succeed. Their society did everything possible for people who were on the outside to never make it to the inside. People like his mother who were not mentally sound, or the poor, or the magical creatures, or the squibs. He’d promised his mother, even before Hogwarts that he would change that if it was the last thing he did.

 

And it was changing. Their society wasn’t changing as fast as Tom would like it to, but slowly and surely he was getting the ministry there. And he’d destroy anyone who got in his way (legally destroy that was…or at least not get caught).

 

Then there was his next meeting which should not be connected to this line of thought but somehow was. He was waiting for the new auror trainee to come to his office. This was a man who should be the antithesis of everything Tom was working towards. This was a man who’d been raised by one of the wealthiest and most powerful families in their society. He had everything laid on a silver platter before him, every chance to succeed. Harry Potter should have had the easiest life of anyone entering the workforce, not even having to work a day in his life if he didn’t want to.

 

But then, Harry Potter had somehow risen to stark levels of concern by a significant portion of the most powerful people in the ministry…meaning himself, Gideon Prewett, and Alastor Moody who may not be high ranking but who had significant influence because of his long service. The man who should be an entitled nepotism hire was turning out to be so competent that everyone was asking themselves what horrible thing had happened to make the man into a top auror even before he was trained to be one.

 

Then there were the scars, and the memory loss, and the baby, the alienation from his family, and the report by a mental health professional which said he couldn’t tell when his body needed food and seemed to have been severely abused. And Moody backed this up with actual evidence from this time training the man. He and Gideon had met with Moody right after the shocking takedown of Fenrir Greyback, and Moody was certain now that Harry’s abuse wasn’t at the hands of the Potters, but Tom wasn’t quite ready to completely dismiss those concerns just yet.

 

And now…now they knew Harry Potter was a Parselmouth. And Tom Riddle did not understand how that was possible in the slightest. It was a genetic trait almost completely lost to Britain, and (as far as he knew) no one in the Potter family or Harry’s mother’s family had immigrated within the past few generations. Tom’s family line was the last in Britain with the trait…and he could not understand how it would suddenly crop up again in a family line so quintessentially British that they must have tea running through their veins instead of blood.

 

This meeting wasn’t about any of that though. This was the Minister of Magic meeting with a new auror trainee who had uncovered a dangerous and violent criminal who was suspected of decades of attacks on magical people, mostly children. Tom was doing his best to hurry along the interrogation of the monster because he needed to know how far this went, how many lives were destroyed, and he needed to see the man given the harshest punishment possible for the crimes.

 

A magical notification from his secretary announced his visitor’s arrival before a tentative knock sounded at his office door. “Enter,” Tom called out, plastering his most benevolent smile on his face. This wasn’t a casual dinner with the Prewett family, this was a meeting between a person who was the lowest-ranking ministry official with the highest-ranking one.

 

“Er…hi, erm hello, Minister Riddle,” Harry Potter stepped into his office looking too awkward and out of place for the heir to a prominent family who should have been dealing with political situations his entire life.

 

“Trainee Potter, please, have a seat,” Tom motioned to the chair in front of his desk before he stood himself and walked around the desk to take the other chair to convey that this was supposed to be a more casual meeting, and that he only meant goodwill.

 

Potter flinched slightly, almost imperceptibly, when Tom sat close to him. That was…interesting and not expected. “Did Head Auror Potter tell you why I requested this meeting?”

 

“Oh, er, yeah, about Greyback he said,” Harry seemed to valiantly try for a smile and was not extremely successful in Tom’s opinion.

 

“It’s not often we see arrests of this caliber, and the fact that a trainee was so integral to how it was carried out is unheard of,” Tom said as softly and soothingly as possible. He didn’t know why Harry looked spooked everytime he was near, but he was doing his best to smooth that over and hopefully find out why.

 

Harry looked sheepish. “Oh, well, Auror Moody just had me looking over old files. I’m sure someone would have caught it eventually.”

 

Tom very much doubted that based on what Moody himself had said. “Be that as it may, I wanted to meet with you to personally convey my gratitude on behalf of the ministry and the Wizengamot. We have yet to see the extent of his crimes, but even if it was only this one child, this was a wrong that desperately needed to be righted.”

 

Harry actually flushed slightly, and Tom couldn’t help his smile widening. Good, so the man responded well to praise. He could work with that. “Unrelated, but I am curious…have you always known you could speak Parseltongue?”

 

Harry actually coughed. “Would you care for some tea?” Tom offered solicitously.

 

“Oh, er, no, I’m fine,” Harry recovered quickly and looked slightly panicked, though he covered it expertly well. If Tom wasn’t quite the level of legilimens that he was, then he would never have known. Maybe the Potters had looked down on this ability? It wasn’t disparaged in their society, but it was closely associated with Salazar Slytherin, and the Potters were historically all Gryffindors…except the youngest which he believed may be a Ravenclaw if his research was correct. The youngest Potter which did not seem to portray any the concerning behaviors and habits of her brother, according to her professors and the school matron at least.

 

Harry cleared his throat again. “Oh, well, I don’t suppose I always knew, but I've known for a long time. I went on a trip to the zoo once as a kid and accidentally set a python on my cousin,” he chuckled at what seemed to be a good memory. Tom mentally shuffled through everyone who could possibly be counted as a cousin, and there were very distant relatives but none Tom would think could be close enough to count. Maybe it was the mother’s side?

 

“I have found snakes do not make the best conversational partners, their minds are very simplistic,” Tom said, still trying to find out what the man knew about his own ability. “However, they are useful sometimes, especially in a situation such as you found yourself in on Thursday evening.”

 

Harry finally gave him a true smile and seemed to relax slightly. “I heard one talking in the corridors at Hogwarts once and thought I was going crazy for a while,” he said conversationally.

 

Tom raised an eyebrow because that would actually be distressing. He had occasionally had a similar experience while walking in the forest but not in the corridors at Hogwarts. This was an interesting memory for Harry to retain with his memory loss. He wondered if there was any reasoning behind which memories had been affected and which had been left untouched by the lightening and his subsequent injuries.

 

“I can only imagine,” Tom responded, reaching for his own abandoned cup of tea. “I find that the ‘s’ sounds tend to help clue me in when surprised by a serpent.”

 

He noticed as Harry’s eyes tracked his hand as he brought the tea to his lips and down again. Tom glanced at his hand, the only adornment on it was his family ring given to him by his mother. It wasn’t a particularly impressive ring, so he wasn’t sure why Harry seemed so fascinated by it.

 

However, this also distracted Harry long enough for Tom to similarly study Harry’s hands which were nervously clutched in his lap. Tom’s lips thinned as he took in the scar Moody had told him to look for. ‘I must not tell lies’ was scrawled across the back of his hand, and there was no good, legal, and mentally healthy reason for it to be there. Someone had done this to this man when he was only a child, and Tom wanted to throttle them, whoever it was.

 

“Erm, so…is that…is that all?” Harry tentatively asked, really looking like he would very much prefer to leave.

 

Tom smiled again that very practiced political smile which he found was actually more sincere than it had been before. “That is all, Trainee Potter. I do wish to say though…if you would ever like to talk about our shared ability…or anything, my door is open to you.”

 

He wondered if Harry even realized how significant this offer was. Tom Riddle’s door was open to very few people without meetings booked well in advance. Actually, that number was now down to his mother, Prewett, Madam Bones, and Albus Dumbledore…and only Dumbledore because he could not get the irritating man to make an appointment.

 

“Er…thank you, sir,” Harry stood with a smile. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

 

Tom sipped his tea for a moment after Harry left. There were so many questions still, questions he needed answers for but which he was not sure how to ask…and that was a very rare circumstance Tom found himself in.

 

The rest of the day passed with a meeting with his Undersecretary, a minor Wizengamot trail, a meeting with the conservative party, which then necessitated a trip to Prewett’s office for a glass of scotch and some actually pleasant conversation. That then helped power Tom through a mind-numbing meeting with the event planner for the ministry Samhain charity fundraising ball. And then there was a dinner with the head of the European wandmaker’s guild where Tom heard the man talk way too much about his wood with so much unintentional innuendo that Tom’s eye was twitching by the end of the dinner from trying to maintain a stoic façade.

 

The day finally did end though, and Tom collected his attaché case from his office and closed the door behind him; his secretary had thankfully gone home hours ago. On his way out of the office, Tom paused and reconsidered. This meeting with Harry had been swirling through his thoughts all day, mainly the question of where the Parselmouth ability had come from.

 

He let out an exasperated sigh at his own ridiculousness before his made his way back to the lifts and down to the Office of Vital Records which housed all the birth, death, and marriage certificates. He knew this was an invasion of privacy, but these records were public records for a reason, and even if they weren’t, he was the bloody minister and could look if he bloody well wanted to.

 

The office was empty, but Tom’s wand was keyed to grant him access to all areas within the ministry except for some select offices within the Department of Mysteries. He strode into the office, the magical lights flaring back to life. “Accio birth certificate, Harry Potter,” he cast, and waited a second before the paper fluttered towards him from well into the stacks of records.

 

Tom caught the paper out of the air and looked at it. He didn’t know what he had expected to see, but everything was just as normal as it could be. It read:

 

Harry James Potter

Born: July 31^st, 1980

 

Mother: Lily Evans Potter                                                                        

 

Father: James Fleamont Potter

 

Maternal Grandparents:                                                                 

Rose and William Evans (muggle)                                                                              

 

Paternal Grandparents:

Fleamont and Euphemia Potter

 

Godmother: Alice Longbottom 

Godfather: Sirius Black

 

It was absolutely nothing unexpected. With a flick of his wand, the birth certificate zoomed back to wherever it was filed. He didn’t know what he’d been looking for, maybe Lily Potter’s maiden name to be Slytherin or Gaunt or something. But no, she was just a normal muggleborn woman outside of his family line.

 

Tom turned to leave but paused…if he was already committed to doing this, he might as well do it correctly and thoroughly. With a sigh, he turned back around. “Accio birth certificate, Ash Potter,” he cast.

 

Another piece of paper zoomed towards him, and Tom caught it with a sigh. He glanced at the paper and froze. He checked the seal and spells, but everything was legal and certified by magic. First of all, he was surprised that William Weasley’s adoption of the baby was already complete and official. But also…what the bloody hell?!!

 

Tom sank into the rickety chair by the door and just stared at the piece of paper. How was it possible for him to be counted as one of the maternal grandparents? He hadn’t been anywhere on Harry Potter’s birth certificate, and a magically certified birth certificate had to be legally true and sound through either blood or adoption.

 

Tom had a moment of wild thought for if he could have sired an illegitimate offspring, but he found himself burst out in a manic chuckle that he’d be embarrassed if anyone had been around to hear. Well, that was just ridiculous and not possible. He then paused though…what if something had been done to him? He was an expert legilimens, so he was certain he’d know if his memory had been modified or if he’d been drugged though. No, it just wasn’t possible.

 

With a flick of his wand, Tom had a copy of the birth certificate before he sent the original back to its file. He wondered what Gideon Prewett was doing this evening…probably ordering takeaway and listening to the Falcons game on the radio. The man was very predictable. Well, he had better be presentable for some company because Tom was not going to be able to figure this out on his own; he may be an expert when it came to political maneuvering, but an investigator he was not.

Notes:

Up Next: Harry does some investigating...and Steve has a job interview...

Chapter 22: A New Direction

“Defense! Defense! Come on!” Gideon yelled at the radio. He loved the Falcons, but offense was way more their game instead of defense, to their own disadvantage a lot of the time.

 

Gideon sat back down with a groan when the chaser scored once again. He reached for his beer bottle and paused at the ding of an approved visitor walking through his wards. Well, it’s not like the Falcons could win now anyway unless the game went on for a whole lot longer since even catching the snitch couldn’t save them at this point. He switched off the radio and walked towards his front door hoping that pajamas were appropriate for whatever this was about to be…actually, he really didn’t care, this was his house, so whoever came here could deal with him being comfortable.

 

After a perfunctory knock at the door, Gideon threw open the door to see the Minister of Magic standing on his doorstep. “Er…is everything ok?” He asked with a frown because Riddle didn’t look his usual posh and stoic self. Actually, he looked tired and stressed. 

 

“May I come in? I could use your help with something,” Riddle ran a hand through his perfect hair, messing it up in a very endearing way. Merlin, but Gideon needed to stop drinking whenever the man was around, this was ridiculous!

 

“Yeah, yeah, you hungry? I have leftover take-away Chinese from dinner,” Gideon stepped aside while Riddle almost stormed in and towards his sitting room and probably the liquor cabinet.

 

“I ate already…that dinner with the wand makers guild,” Riddle said off-handedly, and definitely reaching to the very back of Gideon’s liquor cabinet to find the good scotch he hid there. Gideon just rolled his eyes and summoned a glass for the man. Gideon figured he should definitely stick to his beer or maybe even tea for whatever this conversation was going to be.

 

Gideon waited until Riddle had a drink and had collapsed into the armchair he always seemed to favor when visiting before he crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow at his home’s invader. “So, what did the wand makers do to cause this level of disruption to your usual level of Zen?”

 

“Zen?” Riddle snorted and sat down his glass. He reached into his coat pocket and took a piece of paper out. Riddle stared at it before slowly handing it over.

 

“Harry Potter is a Parselmouth,” Riddle told Gideon while he reached for the paper. “As far as I know, it is only my family line who still retains the gene in Britain.”

 

“I had heard from Greyback's arrest report,” Gideon frowned, not having really put much thought into it because…well, people immigrated all the time, and he didn’t know a whole lot about Lily Potter’s family.

 

“In a moment of ridiculousness, I decided to look at Harry Potter’s birth certificate to see if there were any connections to the Gaunts or Slytherins…my family,” Riddle sighed and took a sip of his drink. “But his mother is muggleborn with the maiden name of Evans, so I don’t see that as a possibility.”

 

Gideon opened the paper to see a birth certificate. “Ok…but this is Ash Potter’s…”

 

“Look at the grandparents,” Riddle said, downing the rest of his drink in one go.

 

“Oh…” Gideon picked up his beer and took a sip just to give himself time to process. “So, you said you aren’t on Harry’s birth certificate?”

 

“No, I am not, nor did I see any connection to me,” Riddle said tersely. “I do not understand.”

 

Gideon didn’t either. Harry Potter couldn’t have three parents. He looked over the rest of the birth certificate. Everything looked in order. He was a little surprised that everything was all finished and legal for the adoption…oh, and didn’t he have an interview with the godmother, Steve Weasley, just the next day? Well, nothing looked wrong except for the random third grandparent…unless…

 

“Ah, this is an adoption,” Gideon shook his head and held up the paper, finally seeing what must be happening here. “Bill adopted Ash, which means the mother of the baby was removed from his birth record.”

 

“Yes, I do know what an adoption is,” Riddle rolled his eyes. “That still doesn’t explain how I’m suddenly on a magically certified legal document for a child.”

 

“Yes, it does, because the mother is no longer on it,” Gideon said slowly, hoping he didn’t have to spell this out. Riddle was discreet, but well, he had to see what this meant. Riddle didn’t seem to be catching on though. The man had to put two and two together here. 

 

Gideon sighed and placed the paper on the coffee table between them. “Look, according to our laws, if a mother is removed from a birth certificate, that doesn’t automatically negate all family rights from her side unless they also signed them away. Her father,” he said significantly, “Would have some rights towards his grandchild…and he would be listed as a maternal grandparent on the birth certificate.”

 

Riddle was already shaking his head though. “I am not that child’s grandfather. I do not have a daughter.”

 

Gideon sighed at the man's unwillingness to even consider it. They had been waiting for the scandal to come through all this, he just really hadn’t thought it would be a sex scandal involving the minister, that was just so cliché. “Look, Riddle, take a breath and be reasonable here. By what we’re seeing, it’s clear that you do have a daughter out there somewhere. So, who were you shagging a couple decades ago that you may need to go talk to now?”

 

“I do not have a daughter,” Riddle said, now looking something between angry and frustrated. Gideon thought the man must be having some kind of crisis.

 

“Mate…I hate to break it to you, but you do,” he said firmly. “It’s not like you have to take on the role of father now. Clearly they never reached out to you her entire life, but you might want to at least meet her. And you’ll need to decide if you want to retain those rights with Ash or not. You could always just ask Harry who his baby’s mother is if a name isn't immediately coming to mind.” Gideon wondered just how many names were on that list. 

 

Riddle gave a little growl of frustration before standing and refilling his scotch. “Prewett…I’m going to say this once, and only once, so listen closely,” he took a sip before sitting and looking at Gideon intently. “While I appreciate the human form and have desires, my one main goal and desire my entire life has been becoming the Minister of Magic and enacting change in our world. That goal, of raising in power, is the only thing that matters. I would never allow any other petty desires to get in the way of it. So no, I absolutely do not have a daughter because the most efficient way of avoiding blackmail, bribery, scandals, and things that could politically damage your image is to not have anything there as a basis for that. So, no…me having a daughter is laughably impossible.”

 

Gideon blinked in surprise. It seems that list was nonexistent. “Oh…” he shook his head and chuckled. “Well, that’s one way to avoid a sex scandal.” Merlin, but he hadn’t seen that coming.

 

The Prophet and Witch Weekly had been speculating for years about Riddle’s sexuality and past relationships, and here it was, the answer…Riddle didn’t have any past relationships. Gideon found himself both extremely impressed and a little concerned about the man. Not that he didn’t respect the decision, but Riddle had never said that he didn’t want a relationship, just that he wanted to be minister more. And that sounded a little lonely…not that Gideon really had any ground to stand on there since he'd been a widower for over a decade without a single date to make his family worry less.

 

So, with a shrug, Gideon picked up the birth certificate again. “Well, all respect to you then, mate. That’s some kind of determination and willpower, but now this birth certificate really doesn’t make any sense at all.”

 

“And now you see why I’m here drinking your scotch,” Riddle waved his glass around with a glare.

 

Gideon looked at the drink. “And you’re sure you never got like blackout drunk or anything and just don’t remember? I mean…you do like your scotch.”

 

Riddle snorted. “Have you ever seen me drunk?” He raised an eyebrow and pointedly took another sip of the drink. “If I refuse to have sex to avoid a scandal, the same goes for getting drunk. I regularly take a potion that negates all effects of alcohol, though I do still enjoy the taste and ritual.”

 

Gideon held in his glare. The man drank all his good scotch and didn’t even have the decency to be tipsy from it. “Right, so that’s out then…” he just stared at the paper. “I really don’t know. This pared with Harry having the same ability as you though…there is definitely something going on here.”

 

“I am not an investigator,” Riddle started. “I would like your advice on what to do next. Do I confront the boy with this, question James, or keep it to myself while trying to find other information?”

 

Gideon considered. The fact of it was though, this was his family. While he would be willing to wager Molly and Arthur didn’t know what was going on, he was almost certain Bill must. And, if something less than legal was at play, then he didn’t want to charge in and reach a point of no return where he put his own family at risk. The more he thought about it, the more he firmly determined it was less likely that all this was completely legal.

 

Gideon looked at Riddle and weighed what he should do. Gideon was a stickler for the law. He didn’t bend or break rules, it was how he rose to be the head of the DMLE, but for a child…for his nephew’s baby…maybe he wasn’t quite as much of a stickler as he would want to believe. But could he trust Riddle?

 

Tom Riddle was ruthless, everyone knew that. But Riddle also never backed down from a fight when a child or someone who had been abused or oppressed was in danger. Could Riddle be trusted to look the other way though if something that could potentially cause a scandal for himself was on the line though?

 

Gideon didn’t know, but he also felt like he didn’t have a choice but to trust with how much Riddle already knew. “Riddle,” he breathed out.

 

“Tom,” the man corrected surprisingly. They’d never been on first name terms, actually, almost no one was on first name terms with the minister. “I think we’re reached a point where a level of familiarity is warranted,” Tom said with a wry smile.

 

Gideon just nodded. “Gideon then…look, there’s a good chance there is something illegal going on here,” he said, metaphorically laying his cards out on the table. “I know my nephew though, and if it is…it’s to protect Ash. I am not willing to do anything that may put a baby in danger, no matter if a law has been broken, and I realize I’m saying that to a person who could technically have me fired.”

 

Tom rolled his eyes, and Gideon suddenly felt relief sink into his bones. “Please, firing you would be too much of a hassle. I’d have to get Amelia to sign off on it too, and you know how much she likes you, plus there would be an inquiry, and then I’d have to deal with Potter taking your place at least temporarily, and that man is insufferable.”

 

Gideon smiled broadly. “Well, then, maybe we tread lightly then, if that’s ok with you,” he suggested. “You were invited to Shell Cottage to meet with their house elf, were you not?”

 

Tom sat up, clearly having forgotten about that. “Yes, I definitely was. Maybe I should move forward on that. My house elf legislation will come up for a vote next Wizengamot meeting.”

 

“Then, maybe discreetly poke around while you’re there,” Gideon suggested next. “I have an interview with Ash’s ‘godmother’ tomorrow to work as a solicitor with the ministry, and he clearly dealt with this whole adoption, so I’ll ask some probing questions then to him as well.”

 

Tom slowly nodded, thinking it over. “Yes, having more information before confronting them head-on is best. We would not want them taking any drastic measures, and we both need to maintain some plausible deniability in case there is something illegal with Ash’s adoption.”

 

“If anything, I still believe it is the Potter parents who have done something morally questionable over Harry or Bill,” Gideon added firmly. He liked and respected James Potter, but he knew his nephew, and it was easy to choose which one he trusted more.

 

“Agreed,” Tom said with surprising certainty. “I will owl about meeting with their house elf as soon as I have a free moment in my schedule.”

 

“Good, then we have a plan for now. I’ll let you know what I find out after my meeting with Steve Weasley tomorrow,” Gideon leaned back in his chair and picked up his beer again.

 

Tom sipped his drink, not seeming in a hurry to leave. They sat in comfortable silence for a moment before Tom’s eyes took on a slight smirk. “I find I’m just noticing how…comfortable you are,” he chuckled. “Dancing nifflers? Really?”

 

Gideon propped his legs up on the coffee table to better show off his whimsical pajama bottoms his niece, Ginny, had gotten him a few Christmases ago. “Oh, please, you wish you could pull off this look as well as I do!”

 

“No, you are right, I don’t think I could pull off dancing nifflers quite as well as you,” Tom gave him what Gideon thought was Witch Weekly smile number 3 gauged to look just flirty enough to make a person feel flattered but not enough to make them swoon.

 

“Minister Riddle! The scandal!” Gideon snorted a laugh and rolled his eyes at the man. Merlin, but Tom knew exactly what he was doing, and Gideon found that he was even more impressed at how well the man played the press now. He found he was actually flattered that he was being let in on this small part of Tom’s personal life and motivations.

 

Tom smirked and just leaned back in his chair more, clearly tired from a long day and the stress of his discovery. Gideon looked at him, not even disguising his stare. “Would you want to?” He asked, voicing his thoughts. “Would you want to be a grandparent if it turns out to be true somehow?”

 

Tom opened his eyes that he’d just closed, and Gideon was surprised to see the first terrified look he thought that anyone had ever seen cross the minister’s face…probably ever, and the man had lived through World War II. “Salazar’s balls,” Tom breathed out.

 

“Yeah…there is an actual literal baby at the other end of that birth certificate,” Gideon snorted a laugh and pointed at the damning paper in question.

 

Tom blinked with wide eyes. “My mother can never learn of this!”

 

---

 

Gideon paused in reading the report of Greyback’s ongoing interrogation. It was horrifying, and it wasn’t anywhere near finished yet. He put it aside though at the magical notification from his secretary that his interview had arrived.

 

“Enter,” Gideon called, shuffling through the papers on his desk to find a blank piece of parchment and a quill to take notes. He found them as he heard the door open. He was ready for a new Weasley and sort-of family member to join their lives. The family really just kept growing. So, whoever this tall, red-haired, blue-eyed, wizard was, well, he was family, and they’d find a place for him where possible.

 

“Bloody hell,” Gideon involuntarily breathed out in a whisper when he looked up at the man standing in front of his desk, feeling himself fall into a fight or flight response. “Who…who are you?” He asked.

 

“Steve, Steve Weasley,” the man with the aura of nightmares smiled widely, razor sharp teeth on display as he reached out a hand to shake, a hand with black talons for fingernails.

 

Gideon blinked once…twice…then he shook his head and held in his involuntary shudder. He reached out and shook the man’s hand. “Please…sit,” he found himself saying instead of asking the man to leave which he would really prefer to do.

 

Gideon now understood completely why Arthur had said his cousin was having a difficult time setting up a law practice in England. What the bloody hell was he?!

 

Gideon was aggressively not prejudiced, as in he actively tried to find areas he was prejudiced in and put in the work to get past that and be better. Before this very moment, he would have sworn on his magic that he had no inherent bias against any magical creature…except for dementors, and he wasn’t sure he really needed to work on his prejudice there…that was still in question. Anyway, that was also before he met Steve Weasley.

 

Whatever this man was, caused some kind of visceral reaction in him that he had to shove down and put in a mental trunk and basically sit on it. He took in a deep breath of ‘this man is family’ and let out a calming breath of ‘you are not prejudiced’ and basically just wrestle his instincts down and make them be ignored.

 

“So, my brother-in-law tells me you’ve moved here recently and are staring a law practice?” He faked a smile at the man who was now sitting across from him in a suit that Fabian would have swooned over. “How is it going?” He finished, already knowing the answer to the question.

 

“Wonderful!” Steve said to his surprise, a beaming and excited smile on his face. Arthur had said it wasn’t going well. “I already have two clients, Harry and Bill. And, of course, this interview.”

 

Gideon blinked and now couldn’t help his smile and chuckle. His instincts relaxed some from where he was shoving them down. The man was just…so very sincere. Right, so Arthur had also mentioned that side of his family was a lot more well-off than Arthur and Molly, so maybe this guy was independently wealthy and just didn’t see the need for a lot of clients. Maybe this was more a hobby than a career.

 

Actually, Gideon found he didn’t care. If he could put this man in an interview room or, if he had barrister experience, as a prosecutor in the courtroom, well…the suspect would probably just immediately confess even before a question was asked. Experience or qualifications or not, he kind of just wanted the man to sit across the table from Greyback or whatever other monster was in the holding cells and just smile at them.

 

Right, so the more important part of this interview then. “You have listed Shell Cottage for your floo address on your CV,” Gideon picked up the parchment he’d already glanced over before the man arrived. It was perfect, everything anyone would wish to see though lacking any major experience.

 

Steve nodded with another smile though. “Yes, I am still getting settled here, and don’t currently have a permanent place of residence, so Harry and Bill have been good enough to allow me to use their address for communication. They know how to reach me when I’m needed.”

 

“You spend a lot of time with my nephew?” Gideon prompted nonchalantly.

 

Steve crossed his legs and waved a taloned hand dismissively. “Harry makes crepes on Fridays, and Ash is my godson, so yes, I am there quite often.”

 

That didn’t quite answer his question, but Gideon couldn’t poke further right there without giving himself away. “You don’t have much experience actually practicing law,” he picked up the resume again. “Do you feel you are up to the task of learning quickly on the job?”

 

Steve chuckled as if that were a foregone conclusion. “I am well versed in all areas of the law, current and historical,” he said in a tone that made it sound like a plain fact over bragging. “I assure you, my lack of practical experience will in no way hinder my ability to accomplish any task you set before me.”

 

Gideon looked at the man’s almost white eyes. It wasn’t legal to ask what he was in an interview, but Gideon did need to know about anything that was relevant to the position. “I do need to know, Mr. Weasley…”

 

“Steve, please,” the man smiled.

 

“Steve…are there any accommodations or anything I should be aware of that may impact your position here at the ministry?” He asked as carefully as possible. For instance, he was certain the man wasn’t a werewolf, but werewolves would need a few days off around the full moon every month. Or vampires, needed offices without windows. But this guy…Gideon had absolutely no clue what he was or if there was anything he would need.

 

Steve laughed, and Gideon felt his spine crawl like someone had walked over his grave or something. “None at all…though I do sometimes make people a little uncomfortable,” he said in the understatement of the century. “Bill says exposure helps. He stopped being afraid of me after about a week I think.”

 

“Ah…” Gideon didn’t know what to say about that. “Well…I don’t see any problems with having you start immediately on a case by case basis then. You would be an outside contractor instead of directly employed by the ministry so that you can keep your own practice.”

 

“I would like that,” Steve nodded firmly. “I assured Harry I would keep him as a client, and I will not go back on my word. My first priority is Harry Potter."

 

Gideon wanted to ask a hell of a lot more questions about that but wasn’t sure what he could legally ask there since Harry was this man's client. “Right, so any questions about the job for me? We will pay your current hourly rate, and we do have some limited benefits even for contractors.”

 

Steve sat up and leaned forward in what looked like excitement. “Do you have benefits for domestic partners?”

 

Gideon was taken aback once more. “You are married? Or well, have a partner?” He asked, wondering who would be in a romantic relationship with this terrifying man and if they were the same kind of creature.

 

Steve laughed. “No, but having some incentives for Severus to want to date me may help in my wooing. I hear benefits are very important for most of you humans.”

 

Right, so what did a person say to that? The whole ‘humans’ thing was both expected and still shocking that Steve just admitted it…so he wasn’t a magical creature who was basically human but with a magical infection like werewolves or vampires, he was completely another creature. Huh…Gideon still didn’t have a clue.

 

Then… “Severus Snape? The potion master?” He asked, another impressed raise of his eyebrow. Merlin, but he wanted that man to brew for the ministry! He’d lobby to put Steve on the Wizengamot if that helped entice Snape away from Potter Potion Solutions! Actually, Gideon would absolutely love to see those stuffy lords and ladies deal with whatever this overly excited puppy of a terrifying man was on a daily basis.

 

Steve nodded firmly with a look that Gideon would have called besotted on anyone else’s face in all existence, but which just looked like another kind of horrifying on his. “Severus also loves Harry’s crepes, and Arthur has invited us both to family dinner on Sunday,” Steve said as if that explained everything. It absolutely did not, but Gideon was here for it. If he got both this man who could make a suspect piss his pants with a look and the foremost potion master in all of Britain in one fell swoop…well then…

 

“Yes, yes, we will absolutely offer you domestic partner benefits, whatever Snape may want, including a lab here at the ministry to be closer to you while you both work,” Gideon slid in that last bit there with a smile. As expected, the eldritch horror, golden retriever smiled widely and actually clapped his hands.

 

Tom was going to be over the moon if they could get an actually competent potion master working in the building. Maybe Gideon could help this whole wooing process some. “Actually, how about you and Snape come to my house for dinner sometime too? I would love to host you both, or how about a quidditch game? My nephew is playing his first game with Puddlemere United in a couple weeks, and I could get us all tickets?”

 

Steve seemed to think it over for a second before nodding. “Yes, the quidditch game would be a wonderful outing. Severus likes the sport though he usually doesn’t seem to take the time to go to games. Maybe it is a finances issue? If you take us, he would have to say ‘yes’ though, wouldn’t he?”

 

Gideon wondered how much trouble he was going to be in with Severus Snape...or Lily Potter for that matter since she was his employer. Whatever though, he could even get box seats for this game if he twisted Tom’s arm into going since the minister had a personal box at that stadium which he rarely used. “Tell him it’s in the minister’s personal box,” Gideon offered for Tom, knowing he’d say yes if it helped in getting them a potion master. “I think Snape will have to say yes then.”

 

“Brilliant!” Steve jumped up. “Is that all then? Is there a current case you want me to look into?”

 

Gideon picked up Greyback’s file and promptly handed it over. “Look over this and let me know what you think. The interrogation is still ongoing, but the trial has yet to even be scheduled.”

 

“With pleasure,” Steve took the file with a dangerous smile. “I will owl with Severus’s answer.”

 

“I look forward to it,” Gideon chuckled when the man left. Gideon stood and cracked his back. It was almost lunch, or close enough anyway. He hadn’t had lunch with his brother-in-law in a few weeks anyway, and Arthur owed him for not giving him a heads up about his terrifying cousin. This family drama was too good not to immediately get the gossip on though, and Arthur was holding out on him.

 

---

 

“I love my family, but sometimes, I really do think they are ridiculous,” Bill sighed from where he was laying on the couch with his head in Harry’s lap and reading through his mail.

 

They both had the day off and were all alone since Dobby had taken Ash to visit Lily Potter. Harry had taken to biting his nails all morning, so Bill kept swatting his partner’s hand away from his mouth and had finally made him sit down instead of stress cleaning the kitchen again. “What did the twins do this time?” Harry asked from where he was writing Emily. They were going to the cinema in muggle London in a few days since it was getting close to time for Emily to return to school, and they had been owling each other almost constantly to iron out the details.

 

“I understand your question, but I think you are asking about the wrong twins,” Bill snorted a laugh. “Fred and George accidentally turned themselves blue a week ago at work and haven’t turned back yet, but they weren’t the ones I was talking about. Apparently, Uncle Gideon and Mum have created some kind of coalition which is concerning in itself, but as soon as Uncle Fabian gets involved, we may need to move to France.”

 

“Oh really, I’m interested,” Harry put down his pen and smiled at Bill, running a hand through his hair and almost making Bill purr in comfort. “And why isn’t your Uncle Fabian involved before I ask what they are doing?”

 

Bill just blinked up and shrugged one shoulder. “I only suspect this, mind you, so don’t go spreading any more rumors with my family, but based on Aunt Agatha ordering herbal tea when I met her in Diagon Alley a few days ago instead of her usual double espresso with a splash of whiskey…I’m thinking I might be getting a cousin shortly…just a guess though.”

 

“Wow…a baby Prewett,” Harry shook his head as if trying to file that information away, which Bill supposed people existing in this world that didn’t in Harry’s was always going to be a little surprising to his partner no matter how long he was here. “Well, Ash could use some friends close to his age, and they would only be a year or so off from each other.”

 

“So, yeah, Uncle Fabian and Aunt Agatha haven’t been quite as involved in some things recently, so we’ll see if there are any announcements coming up,” Bill grinned, hoping his guess was correct. They had been trying for a baby for ages, so he hoped they were finally going to have one.

 

“Well, wonderful, so…what are your mum and her brother into then?” Harry asked the expected question.

 

“You know how Death and Snape went to Sunday dinner last week?” Bill asked, picking the letter up off his stomach.

 

Harry winced. “Yeah, I’m sorry again I couldn’t make it.”

 

“No worries, you had to work,” Bill sat up finally and moved closer to put an arm around Harry.

 

Ever since the aurors had approved Harry’s training to be accelerated, Bill's partner had been working more erratic hours. He wasn’t working more hours, but they weren’t as consistent now, so their schedules were having to be more flexible with each other and Ash. Dobby had been trying to take on more, but Bill had convinced him to let Bill’s mum keep Ash some, and maybe if this worked out with Lily, she could take Ash for an hour or two if it was ever needed. Dobby was wonderful, but he wasn’t a nanny, he was Uncle Dobby, and Bill and Harry both didn’t want him to forget that. They were all parenting Ash together and they didn’t want all the responsibilities to fall on any one of them alone for Ash’s sake and for their own as well.

 

When Harry hadn’t been able to make family dinner, Bill had decided to take Ash to go visit some of his friends though. While he wanted to see the drama of Death and Snape at a family dinner, he also didn’t want to be the only one responsible for answering questions about their relationship with the two men. So, he left that up to Death and Snape and instead, Bill and Ash went to Ramhorn’s house for dinner. The goblin and his wife had been inviting him for ages, most likely to be nosey about Harry and Ash since Ramhorn still seemed concerned about the two after seeing the state of them that first night. After an evening with Bill and a very healthy and happy Ash, Ramhorn seemed less concerned overall, and they’d had a wondering dinner and Bill was thoroughly trounced at wizard’s chess while Ramhorn’s wife, Annich, doted on Ash.

 

“Well, it seems that Mum has completely taken in Death as a Weasley now…you know my parents, but still, this is even a little extra for Mum and Dad in how much they’ve claimed Death. I mean, I knew they'd just accept they had another cousin that they may not have ever met, but wow, they really went with it,” Bill shook his head and traced what he hoped was soothing patterns on Harry’s arm.

 

Harry chuckled. “No, it makes perfect sense to me as someone else who was once upon a time folded into the family. Once you get past all the…well, death-ness about him, the guy is kind of a clueless mess who thinks he’s all-knowing, but really just screams ‘I’m lonely’ save me from myself. So, yeah, your mum was always going to claim him.”

 

“Plus, there is Snape…” Bill trailed off with a laugh. “Mum always was a cat person, and I don’t think I’ve met a more cat-like human in my life.”

 

Harry choked on air and had to cough. “Oh my God! You didn’t just say that!”

 

“Where’s the lie?” Bill just raised an eyebrow challengingly.

 

Harry shook his head and laughed, leaning back into Bill’s side. “Right…well, moving past that…so, your mum and Uncle Gideon have claimed them then? What are they doing to be all ridiculous about it?”

 

“Well, you know Ron’s first game is this weekend? You still want to go?” Bill asked yet again because he wasn’t sure if this was traumatic or not.

 

Harry didn’t seem traumatized though. “Yeah, sure, it’ll be nice to see Ron play again. Maybe this version of him plays differently, so I’m interested. I already asked for the day off, and I think Ash will think it’s fun being around all the people.”

 

Bill just nodded and gave it up again. If Harry said it was fine, then he was going to believe him. “Right, well, I think Uncle Gideon and Mum are trying to help Death woo Snape or something. Uncle Gideon is taking them as his personal guests and Mum is apparently taking Death shopping in Diagon Alley today for casual clothes to wear. I don’t think I’ve seen Death outside of that black suit, so we definitely need to run into them at the game and see if Mum convinces him into a pink polo shirt or something.”

 

“We have got to bring the camera!” Harry burst out, not able to hold his laugh in.

 

With a chuckle, Bill opened his next letter, this one from Charlie about visiting again in a few weeks. “Hey…erm, there’s something I need to talk with you about…something you might not like,” Harry turned on the couch and winced even though he looked steadily at Bill.

 

Right…So, Bill immediately put down the letter to better focus on Harry. The last time Harry had been this serious it hadn’t been anything concerning in the slightest, but one never really could tell with Harry who didn’t seem able to quite gauge how concerning something was or not. For instance, this dimension’s original Harry hitting on Bill’s straight brother while high did not warrant all the stress and anxiety of that conversation Harry had started. However, when Harry broke his arm in a training exercise the week before but didn’t even mention it, that was concerning. Thankfully, it had been healed before he even left work, but Bill had heard about it from Death of all things! That just wasn’t right.

 

So, it was anyone’s guess where this conversation was going. “All right, hit me with it,” Bill gave his partner an encouraging smile. “We can’t figure out if I’ll like it or not if you don’t tell me.”

 

Harry looked off and then took in a deep breath. “I’ve been investigating where Harry might have gotten his drugs. Someone is selling seriously dangerous drugs to kids,” he finally looked back up again. “I don’t have a lot of leads, and I don’t know who to talk to in Harry’s life. I asked Anthony and Parvati, but neither of them knew anything about it. Vaguely they knew there were drugs at the school, but neither of them had any interactions with them.”

 

“You want to talk to Percy about it?” Bill asked with a frown. Percy seemed to be doing well these days, but he was a little concerned. Bill trusted his brother would tell Harry if he wasn’t up to talking about it though.

 

Harry was already shaking his head though. “No, or at least not yet. I know people have been buying my amnesia story, but asking about where I got drugs is a little concerning. Trying to track down my old dealer will maybe lead people to asking if I’m relapsing or something. Plus, I don’t want to have to ask that of your brother unless it’s necessary.”

 

“Ok, so what’s the plan then?” Bill asked, knowing Harry wasn’t going to let it go. Frankly, he’d been surprised that Harry hadn’t been digging into this already. Harry seemed to take it very personally everything that had happened to this dimension’s Harry, and he just took on everything himself, so Bill knew he wasn’t going to let his go.  

 

Harry looked a little taken about. “That’s it, just…what’s the plan? You aren’t like…I don’t know, mad that I’m digging into this?”

 

Well, that was just ridiculous. “Why would I be mad?” Bill frowned. “This Harry might not have been you, but he was a version of you, and this person basically killed you on some level. Plus, they’re putting other people in danger like my brother and everyone else who get caught up in this. If you want to look into this, I’m not going to ask you to stop, just…be careful.”

 

Harry winced again, ok, so this was the concerning part. “About that…well, I keep hitting dead ends. I was thinking, and I looked into old arrests, and I think I know what areas around Diagon is most likely to find dealers. If I go…and just walk around…”

 

“You’re going to use yourself as bait,” Bill ran a hand over his face. This had the potential to bite them in the arse. “Have you talked to James about this…as both your father and boss? I’m not saying I like the plan, but we’ve been doing everything to keep the Potters from having any ammunition if they want to take Ash, and well, it’s probably a good idea to not get caught with a drugs dealer without giving James a heads up first.”

 

“I haven’t yet, but I’ll have to go with back-up if this is all going to be legal. I’ll have to go with one of the older aurors,” Harry let out a breath of relief. Harry mostly still worked with Moody, but he’d been rotating through the other aurors to get more experience, which was why his hours had become more erratic.

 

Bill nodded slowly. “I know you don’t actually have a drugs problem, but please be safe. Though, I guess that’s just my standard advice for whenever you go to work these days,” Bill ended up adding since he was resigned to always worrying about Harry now it seemed. Bill’s job wasn’t exactly safe either, but he hadn’t ever been on the other end of having someone to worry about. It all boiled down to that he trusted Harry to look after himself though, so he had to not let that worry rule their lives or their relationship.

 

“I’ll probably just end up wandering around Diagon Alley for a few days,” Harry smiled and shrugged. “It’s worth giving it a try though. With Greyback being connected to the Deathly Hallows, as well as that other guy that was arrested, I need to clear something off my worry list.”

 

“Hmm, is there anything I can do to help with that list?” Bill asked, knowing Harry wasn’t good at asking for help if it wasn’t for Ash, but he wanted to help if he could.

 

In the space of a breath, Bill found himself with a lap-full of his partner who was kissing a line up his neck. “I know one way to de-stress…plus, we have another hour before Dobby and Ash are back,” Harry reminded him.

 

Well, it wasn’t what Bill had been suggesting, but Harry wasn’t wrong. Bill help onto Harry tighter and stood, getting a yelp out of Harry who clung onto him to keep from falling. “If we’re doing to do this, we’re doing it in the bedroom. Way too many people have access to just walk into this house.”

 

“That one’s not my fault,” Harry kissed him with a grin. “I don’t even have access to the wards, so that’s all on you.”

 

Bill paused in where he was about to carry Harry up the stairs. “Oh, I hadn’t even thought about that…we should change that.”

 

Harry chuckled and clung a little tighter. “Bill, you’re so much better at wards than I am. I’m fine with you being the one in charge of them.”

 

“No, no,” Bill shook his head and started walking again, hefting up Harry slightly to get a better grip under his partner’s arse. “You brought it up, and all this can’t only be my fault. We’ll do it later today, but you’re going to hold the wards too, so I can blame you when Sirius walks in on us doing things we don't want him to see.”

 

“Yeah, yeah, he still doesn’t have access.”

 

“For now,” Bill rolled his eyes before throwing Harry onto the bed and dramatically falling down on top of him.

 

---

 

Dear Mr. Dobby,

 

I am writing for your help and advice on an important matter. I have been drafting legislation for the protection and rights of house elves. However, I have had very little success in actually finding a house elf willing to have an open and frank conversation with me without their master’s undue influence. I spoke with Mr. Weasley and Mr. Potter recently, and they mentioned your unique situation of being in employment and independent of a master.

 

Would you be willing to chat with me over tea? I would be happy to host you in the ministry, at your café of choice, or I can come to you at your residence if you would prefer. I also understand you care for young Ash Potter when his fathers are at work, so I want to be clear you are welcome to bring Mr. Ash with you to the meeting if that is more convenient to your schedule.

 

Please owl me at your earliest convenience. I await your response.

 

Minister Tom Riddle

 

X

x

x

 

Har,

 

Can I stay the night at Shell Cottage after the movie? Mum said I can go to the Puddlemere game with you the next day, and I don’t want to have to wake up at the arse-crack of dawn after a late night to get ready to meet you and Bill. Are we still taking the underground to Leichester Square or did you want to apparate?

 

Emily

 

X

x

x

 

Em,

 

I’ll apparate us to the nearest station, but we’re definitely taking the underground, that was one of the best parts of the trip! And duh, you’re definitely welcome to stay anytime. We’ll transfigure you a bed in the nursery since Ash sleeps in our room anyway. See you tomorrow night!

 

Har

 

X

x

x

 

Potion Master Snape,

 

You and your partner, Mr. Steve Weasley esq., are cordially invited to the Minister’s private box at this Saturday’s Puddlemere United vs. Holyhead Harpies quidditch match. Please present this invitation to the security wizard at the gates fifteen minutes before the match where you will be led to your seats. We hope you enjoy the match and stand at your service.

 

Myrtle Warren-Maxwell

Events Secretary

Ministry of Magic

 

X

x

x

 

Dear Harry,

 

I really enjoyed spending the afternoon with Ash and your wonderful Dobby the other day. Dobby and Mimsy seemed to get along well, and Ash seemed to love the hippogriff plushie Emily got for him. I hope we are able to do this again sometime soon. Would you like to join us next time? I know things have been tense, but I’d like us to try again, if you are willing to give it a go. James tells me that things at work are going smoothly. I would like to have a chance to actually listen to you this time.

 

Lily

 

X

x

x

 

Lily,

 

Yes, we’ll make it happen. How about dinner after Emily catches the train to school? I was hoping to go and see her off then anyway, so we should all be there together.

 

Harry

 

X

x

x

 

Harry,

 

I love that idea! I’ll make something special for dinner, and I promise we will listen this time.

 

Lily

 

X

x

x

 

Harry,

 

We need to talk about this operation request you submitted. Come to my office after lunch today. We need to be strategic about this, and I can’t have you partner with just anyone. Grab Sirius on your way to my office, I think you two will have to be partnered together on this one. Don’t tell Moody or he’ll throw a fit.

 

James

 

X

x

x

 

Tom,

 

Indian take-away tonight? I got a new bottle of that scotch you like. My place?

 

Gideon

 

X

x

x

 

Gideon,

 

I’m teaching you how to make paella. Please tell me you at least have pans and cooking utensils. I’ll bring the ingredients. You are hopeless.

 

Tom

Notes:

Up Next: A very Weasley quidditch game...