Chapter 4

Harry let out a long suffering sigh before picking up another vile of disgusting healing draught. The young nurse, who had introduced herself as Anna, laughed good naturedly at the look on his face as the potion hit his tongue.

"That's just foul!" Harry grumbled as he placed the empty vile back on the tray and took a sip of water trying to disperse the lingering taste.

"Now, now Mr. Potter, it really is for the best." Anna replied with a smirk, Harry had became her new favorite patient, and tormenting him brought her great amusement.

Harry shot her a playful glare, "Sure, torture the poor boy by shoving foul liquids down his throat; I'm sure he'll appreciate it."

At his words Anna paled a bit.

Seeing this Harry immediately tried to put the young woman at ease, "Honestly Anna I was joking. I'm fine; it'll take more than a little potion to kill me. I've heard that I am rather resilient."

The nurse gave a small smile before turning and taking the tray. On her way out the door she paused and turned her head, "By the way you will be leaving this evening."

Before Harry could question her she quickly slipped out of the room leaving an annoyed ten-year-old behind.

"Dad may I please go with you to pick him up?" A thirteen-year-old James Potter pleaded with his father.

Now, most thirteen-year-old boys would usually avoid their parents like the plague, like any normal teenager, and this was usually the case with James, but today was not a normal day. Of course the day had started off perfectly normal, he had been exploring Potter Castle, got stuck in a small passage (something he would not be mentioning to his friends), and had the normal lunch. What was not normal was his father charging in half way through the meal exclaiming about long lost cousins. As far as James knew he had no Potter cousins, so this came as quite the shock.

The plot only thickened from there. His dad wouldn't go into details about why his cousin was coming to live with them; all he said was that the boy's guardians had recently died. James had a feeling that his parents waited until he went to his room to really start discussing the boy.

Harold looked over at his son who was shifting on his feet in apprehension. He didn't see in the point in not allowing his son to accompany him, so he gave a slight nod and James broke out in a wide grin.

After a few minutes Harold motioned for James to follow him to the fireplace, "Well come on, we'll pick him up by floo."

Still grinning James followed his father.

Harry nervously played with his sheet as he waited for his grandfather to arrive and pick him up.

After many hours of torturing Harry, Anna finally gave in and told him who he was going to live with. He had hoped when he gave his story that it would yield these results, but as long as he was able to go some where decent he wasn't going to complain. After all he had been given a unique opportunity to set history right, and what better place to start than at Hogwarts, with his parents?

Perhaps he could even save his grandparents in this time as well, for they were supposed to die at the beginning of James' seventh year at school, as for Lily's parent's both of them died in sort of freak boating accident when she was a year out of Hogwarts.

Harry sighed; just thinking about it gave him a headache.

He closed his eyes and placed his face in his hands rubbing his eyes wearily trying to relieve the tension in his head; he would have continued to do so, but heard a quiet shuffle from the door way.

Harry quickly jerked his head up and squinted in the direction of the doorway. He could just make out a man in his late thirties to early forties standing at the door. From the distance Harry couldn't really make out any of the man's features, but from what he could tell was that the man seemed to be in a state of shock.

Harry cleared his throat after what seemed to be an eternity.

"Something I can help you with sir?"

At his words the man seemed to snap out of his daze and moved closer to the bed where Harry could get his first good look at his grandfather.

The man had dark black hair that was mildly untamed, with dark blue eyes. He was also fairly tall, with a slim build, and slightly graying hair. His features resembled Harry's greatly, but looked more refined and aristocratic.

"Hello there, my name is Harold Potter. In light of resent events, I've been named your guardian." Harold said looking a bit uncomfortable and nervous.

The bluntness of his words may have shocked and offended some children, but Harry was no child, and he could tell that his grandfather was extremely uneasy, therefore let his lack of tact go for the moment.

"Pleasure to meet you Mr. Potter. Thank you for taking me in." Harry bowed his head shyly and twiddled with his sheet again.

"Think nothing of it, Harry. I'll just step out while you get ready." Harold said with a small smile and made his way back out of the room.

Once he was gone Harry quickly got out of bed and transfigured his bed robes to something decent looking, and transfigured the glass of water by his bed into a pair of glasses. Once he put them on, he fixed them to his prescription, by concentrating until everything came into sharp focus. Once that was done he quickly moved towards the door and opened it looking for his grandfather.

However, instead of finding the older man, a face that looked almost identical to his came in view. Both boys gasped and jumped back in shock at the other's appearance.

The other boy was clearly a few years older and about five inches taller than Harry who immediately knew who the other boy had to be. People didn't tell him he looked like his father for nothing.

As both of them were eyeing the other curiously Harold rounded the corner heading back to Harry's room, and saw both boys just standing there. He had to admit the likeness between them was even more pronounced when they were side by side. Harry could easily pass as James' brother, uncannily so.

The young boy had wild black hair that stuck up in odd angles; the black locks surrounded a slightly pale face with sparkling green eyes that were framed by the ever popular Potter glasses. For being nearly eleven Harry was short for his age, small and wiry, but from what Harold had seen of the boy so far he expected that he was quick like James.

The young boy didn't look nearly as bad as he thought he would, from the reports Harold expected the boy to still be in bed recovering, but here he was up walking around like nothing had happened. Faint lines and bruises still lined Harry's body however, and some of the lashes on his back were sure to become scars.

He sighed and quickly made his way over to the boys who were still staring in shock.

"Harry, I'd like you to meet my son James. James, this is your cousin Harry." Harold said placing a protective hand on James shoulder.

The hand seemed to nock James out of his stupor and he stuck out a hand towards Harry, who reluctantly took it.

"Pleasure to meet you." Harry muttered shyly.

James just grinned a little uneasily back at him.

"Well let's get going boys. Dinner should be ready by the time we get home." Harold said a bit more cheerfully than he felt. It wasn't that he wasn't happy to have Harry with them, just that everything was happening so quickly. One minute he and his family were the only known Potters, the next he had a long lost cousin that appeared out of nowhere nearly tortured to death, with no family left.

But before they could move Anna walked around the corner quickly towards them and enveloped the young boy in a bone crushing hug.

Harry about choked as the air was forced from his lungs at the strength of the hug.

"Anna…let go…I need air!" He finally was able to gasp out.

The young nurse blushed crimson and let go of the boy, a bit embarrassed at her familiarity with Harry, in front of what was obviously his family.

Once Harry had gotten his breathing back under control he gave Anna a wide grin and a wink, that made Harold laugh.

"Well Anna, I'm certainly going to miss you too, but that doesn't mean you have to injury me to keep me here awhile longer. I'm sure there are many other patients you just love to torture with your foul tasting potions." Harry said half playfully, half seriously.

Anna just raised an eyebrow in threat at his statement. Harry grinned nervously and took off down the hall, hoping to avoid another bout with anything she would try to force on him.

Harold and James quickly followed their new family member to the floo point wondering how he knew the way.

Mary Potter glanced at the newest occupant of the house through the corner of her eyes. She didn't want to appear rude and out right stare at him, but she felt almost drawn to the boy that resembled her son so much. True, James looked very much like his father, but Harry looked almost identical to James, almost as if he was his actual blood brother.

She frowned for a moment thinking in a line of thought she hoped she would never even consider. What if Harry was James' brother?

Impossible!

Harold was too much of a gentlemen to even consider another women. However…there is a first time for everything.

Mary looked sharply at her husband, studying him to see how he would behave around the boy. True he was nervous, as was she, but was it because the circumstances surrounding the boy, or was it because this was his son?

She turned back to the boy, as she was doing so he glanced up at her and their eyes locked. Green clashed with blue and time seemed to stand still to Mary. He had such beautiful eyes…eyes you could easily lose yourself in. The dark haired boy blinked and quickly looked away from her a bit uneasily.

Mary had paused as she brought her glass to her mouth.

Those precious emeralds had held such emotion in their sparkling depths; sorrow, pain, love, joy…great sadness and perhaps a touch of hope.

Just the emotions that the eyes displayed nearly made her to break down in tears, for she knew why those eyes could be so sad. Hold such pain and misery.

She made up her mind in those few short seconds. It did not matter whose son Harry was/had been, he was now her SON and she would love him as such, for every child deserved their mother.

"So Harry, have you received your Hogwarts letter yet?" James asked trying to make conversation in the unusually quiet room. Dinners at the Potters were usually quite talkative with lively conversations and tales of their daily coming and goings.

"No, I don't believe I have…mum and dad may have had it though. If they did they would usually save it for my birthday, you know try to keep it as a surprise and all." Harry said with a smile fond smile that had a touch of sadness and bitterness to it.

James shifted in seat uncomfortably.

"Well I think I can arrange for you to get your letter soon. I'll make it a point to talk to Albus tomorrow after lunch." Harold replied with a comforting smile.

Harry nodded his head in acceptance of this, and turned back to his father.

"So do you like Quidditch?"

James' face immediately perked up and his eyes took on an edge usually seen when he was up to some mischief.

"Of course, I love Quidditch! I'm trying out for the house team this year."

The boys talked animatedly about their favorite sport as both Mary and Harold watched the two in quiet relief.

Harry's room was beside of James'.

Since he had no possessions with him, Mary demanded that he let her take him shopping the next day before lunch. That way they could pick up everything he would need for Hogwarts this year except for his books, since they didn't know which ones to pick up.

Mentally Harry groaned as he realized that with absolutely no clothing, it would take forever in Madam Malkins tomorrow.

He had to admit that his room was very nice. Actually, he wouldn't have expected to find such a causal room in the Potters' residence. Not that he thought them stuck up or anything of the sort, but they were much more formal in the rest of their décor.

Harry had just sat down at his large desk, when there was a nock from outside his door.

"Come in." He called out.

The door quietly opened and a head of messy black hair moved through the doorway.

Both boys openly stared at the other, not caring in the least that many would consider it rude.

"Do you need something James?" Harry finally asked, pulling his gaze away from his father.

James quickly looked away as well.

"Well not really, I just wanted to get to know you a bit, since you are my cousin." The statement even sounded a bit fake to James who shuffled his feet a bit.

"Okay, what would you like to know?"

James looked as if he was about to say something but decided to change his mind at the last moment.

"Um what house do you hope to be sorted in?"

Harry smiled softly at the question wondering what James would do if he was told Slytherin. That would sure put a hitch in their relationship right off.

"I'm not sure all of the houses have aspects that I like. So I would have to say all of them, but I know that is not possible, so I'll have to accept whichever house I am chosen for."

James nodded at the statement, with a small frown on his face as he studied the form of his cousin once again.

"How did you get those bruises?"

"A present from my god parents' killers." Harry said shortly, not caring to elaborate, especially to a thirteen-year-old boy, even if he was his father.

James paled a bit, but did not push for a more complete answer than that.

Mary watched her husband as he sat poring over a paper file, she could see a frown of anger and sadness pulling at his handsome features.

"Harold?"

"Yes dear?" Harold looked up from Harry's file once more, physically cringing at some of the tortures he had been put through.

"What do you know of Harry's heritage?"

She made sure to phrase in such a way that it could not be taken as an accusation.

Harold paused in remembrance of something before sighing and rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"As you know my father had a younger sister? Actually she was only ten years my elder.

Cassandra was like a sister to me, I don't really remember that much about her except for flashes, but I remembered I loved her." Here he paused in thought.

"Harry…has her eyes…her brilliant green eyes. Cassandra and Harry are the only people I've ever known to have that shade of green." The end of the sentence trailed off slightly.

"She disappeared right out of Hogwarts in 45. Many people said she ran off with her lover who was muggle born, but nothing was ever found out. That's all I knew…until I read this report. It would seem the rumors were true and she did leave the country with her lover." Harold closed his eyes in frustration and anger.

"Harold what is it?" Mary asked concerned.

"He died not knowing what happened to her! She left with no warning! We thought she was killed by Grindelwald's forces!" He yelled with anger.

"Father never forgave himself for her disappearance, and he died thinking that he had failed her, when she had left of her own free will."

"I had a cousin, her son, that I never met, who died when he was nineteen! A nephew for my father that he was never allowed to treat as a second son." When Harold was finished his eyes were wet from unshed tears.

"She abandoned us, and now look what's happened…my cousin who could easily pass as my son was nearly tortured to death…he had to watch the only parents he remembered brutally killed. If she had only stayed everything would have been alright." He trailed off towards the end and placed his head in his hands.

Mary quickly enveloped her husband in a tight embrace. She heard one last soft murmur in a choked voice, "If only…"