Chapter 12: Other Son!

"And your other son," continued Kingsley, this time with just a hint of annoyance. That revelation would bother a lot of people, as well. Harry Potter has a twin, one of the aurors had whispered as James passed.

If everything had gone to plan, they'd be saying that James Potter was the one with a twin, James senior thought. He shook himself from his thoughts - no use regretting how things had played out now.

To Kingsley, James merely shrugged. "It's a very long story, I'm afraid."

Now Shacklebolt was the one chuckling. "Well," he said, standing up. "You'll have a chance to tell it. Dumbledore has summoned the Order."

James, too, stood up. "Finally," he said. "It will be good to get back to it."

He did not see the look Shacklebolt gave him at those words. "Indeed, fifteen years in hiding must have been difficult."

"You have no idea," said James, as he walked to the door.

Shacklebolt brought himself up short. However hard you had it, James Potter, it was nothing compared to what Harry's gone through. He shook his head, sadly. This will not go well.

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"So."

James Junior watched his Uncle Padfoot. "So."

"So did they make you someone else's godson when they took my memories of you?" Sirius Black asked.

"No," Jamie replied. "My godfather is… was Frank Longbottom."

"Ah," said Sirius. "And you're the boy who lived."

A nod. "That's what they tell me, yes sir."

"None of that," snapped Sirius. "You call me sir, and I look around for my grandfather."

A grin crossed Jamie's face, and he relaxed a bit. "Of course, Lord Black." He leaned forward in his chair, mockingly attempting a bow while seated. That got a laugh from Sirius, and broke the tension a bit.

After a moment, Sirius spoke again. "Where have you been living? Abroad?"

Jamie shook his head. "I can't say, Sirius. Not with the enchantments that surround the property."

"Ah," he replied. "Didn't think your dad would trust a Fidelius again, even if it worked out better than we thought last time."

"It's not that," replied Jamie. "I mean, it is, but there's more to it." He paused. "Have you ever heard of a Faraday enchantment?" Sirius shook his head. "Well, it's like a ward scheme, only it makes the wards impenetrable to all magic. Nothing gets in or out."

Sirius nodded, now, seeing the value. But then he realized exactly what James Junior had said. "Ah, that explains it." he said, nodding.

"Explains what?" asked Jamie.

"The goblins," was the reply. "They have magic that can tell if someone is alive or not. To them, your parents were both dead." He whistled. "That's powerful magic, kid."

"It's all mom," replied Jamie.

Sirius laughed, and more tension left the room. "That does sound like Lily, all right."

They sat quietly for a few minutes. James Junior didn't know quite what to say to one of his father's oldest friends, the man who was supposed to have been his uncle in all but blood - and who had literally spent twelve years in hell because he didn't know that the Potters had survived.

Of all the reunions the Potters would have to endure now that they were back in the Wizarding World, it was the one between Prongs and Padfoot that worried James Senior the most.

Both of them looked up as the door opened. They saw James and Lily Potter walk into the room. Then James Junior saw Sirius Black stand up, his expression unreadable. Slowly, Sirius walked towards his old friend, who wisely stood still.

A hand went to James' shoulder. Their eyes met, and both men were surprised that the other seemed to be moments away from weeping. Then the dam broke.

Sirius embraced his brother, letting the sobs come. He ignored the sobs he got in return.

"Prongs, Merlin, it's really you!"

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Lily spoke quietly with her son as the Marauders reunited.

"How's Moony, Sirius?" asked James.

"He's good, drinking his potions and taking care of himself." Sirius grinned, then, as their prank came to mind. "I hired him as the Steward for House Black, actually."

James laughed at that. "Old Walburga would come back from the dead if she found out that a werewolf was the steward of her house."

"Oh, her portrait gave me a stern talking to," replied Sirius. "The old bat only shut up when I threatened to burn the house down."

"Still in the same old townhouse?" James asked.

A nod. "Turns out it's a perfect location for bird-watching." James and Lily both chuckled at Sirius' nickname for the Order of the Phoenix. "Ah, that reminds me." Sirius handed James a slip of parchment. "You'll need that for the meeting tonight."

James looked at the writing, before handing it to his wife. When it got to James Junior, the boy looked at it closely.

The Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix is at 12 Grimmauld Place.

As if a switch had been thrown, Jamie realized that he now knew the secret. He had studied the Fidelius, and knew how it worked - but the only secret he had ever known was that of his home, and growing up under a Fidelius had made it hard to think of the secret as a secret.

He knew the secret, in his heart, but could not articulate it. The secret home of the Potters is at Falcon's Rest. Such a simple thought, and yet he could not even speak the words.

He realized that he couldn't even tell his brother where their family's home was, where it had been for fifteen years. Where he learned to fly, where he had learned dueling and studied from the Master Auror's Manual itself.

His father had told him stories of Hogwarts, of Potter Manor, and even of Godric's Hollow.

As much as he had loved growing up on the coast, secluded from nearly everyone, he had to admit that part of him longed to see where his parents had met, where his father had grown up.

Those places were a part of his history, just as Falcon's Rest would always be.

I wonder what Harry will think of Potter Manor? Jamie wondered to himself.