Graceland
James seemed very happy. He walked off the Hogwarts express arms around two other boys. One was lanky, blushing bashfully, covered in scars. The other was handsome, pure blood obviously, based on his pedigreed look and confident walk. Another boy scurried behind them.
Euphemia waved her son and his friends over.
“Hiya mum!” James said with a grin, his face was tanned by the early summer sun.
“These I imagine are…” she looked around at the three other boys, “Mr. Lupin,” she pointed at the lanky boy. He flushed under her gaze but gave a soft nod.
“Mr. Black,” she said, pointing at the pure blood boy.
“You can just call me Sirius ma’am.” the boy black haired boy said, giving a little salute with a suave smirk. She nodded at that.
“And finally Mr. Pettigrew,” the short round boy waved.
“Quite the little troup James,” Fleamont said as he approached, holding Harry and James’s bags.
Upon seeing his brother Harry’s eyes lit up like bulbs, he tackled James making him lose his balance, nearly landing them both on the floor.
They hadn’t seen each other since James’s winter break. He had been sending consistent letters though, regaling his family with stories of his new friends and their adventures.
Harry looked up at James, his arms still wrapped tight around the older boy's waist. “You aren't leaving again right?”
James laughed, “not for a while!”
“Is this your little brother James?” Sirius said, looking at the little thing that was clutching onto James like a baby sloth onto its mother.
“He does look just like you,” Peter stated Remus nodded in agreement. James and Harry could really pass as biological brothers, it was shocking they weren’t based on the look of them.
“I know we look just alike,” Sirius said, grabbing little Harry from James’s arms.
“You know I wasn’t referring to you,” Peter rolled
his eyes.
“Technically Harry is closer related to me than to James,” Sirius said in a matter of fact sort of way.
Harry tore himself from Sirius’s arms, “no you aren't! James is my only brother.” He pouted, latching onto James again.
“No! Dear Harry! Another brother that dislikes me,” Sirius said dramatically, dropping to the floor reaching out to Harry.
“I don’t dislike you, I guess,” Harry said. Interpreting Sirius’s distress as genuine he patted the older boys back attempting to comfort him.
Sirius lifted his head, grabbing Harry’s robes, “so you consider me a brother too?”
Harry glanced away, perturbed, “I guess… honorary brother.”
“Yes!” Sirius shot up, lifting Harry off his feet and spinning him around. “Haha Jameson! I have stolen your sibling,” Sirius laughed loudly, still holding Harry in the air.
Hearing this Harry began to panic, “what! No! James help I didn’t know this would happen!”
James and his posse doubled over laughing at their silly exchange.
Sirius and Peter visited during the summer, Sirius’s mother was rather opposed though. The only reason she allowed him to go was the fact that James was also pure blooded.
Remus only managed to join them once, but the time he did was good for Euphemia and Fleamont, slightly less chaotic than usual.
Harry got on well with the boys, though he often came crying to his parents about being excluded from the boys' more zany activities.
Generally it was happy.
The election came and passed, Mr. Riddle was not elected to the chagrin of many.
That summer was particularly hot.
Remus shown the other boys muggle music, which they all adored. Whenever the boys were over the Potter house would sing with loud noises of Bob Dylan, David Bowie, and the like.
As much as Fleamont and Euphemia disliked taking the boys to the muggle record stores they did it. Simply to see the smiles on their sons face.
Eventually the summer passed and James was sent off to his second year of school.
This time Harry didn’t cry.
—
“You ready for first year little guy,” James said happily wrapping his arm around his little brother as they strolled down diagon alley.
“Yes I am, and I’m not little,” Harry said with a bit of bite leading his way through the crowd to their first shop. Ollivanders of course, to get what Harry was most excited for, his wand.
“You are shorter than James was in his first year,” Peter said beside them.
“He’s taller than you in first year,” James said laughing at Peter.
“Oh shut up both of you,” Remus put the argument to rest with that.
“Hey Harebear,”
“Don’t call me that,” Harry huffed but James continued as if he hadn’t heard him, “why don’t we pop into the quidditch shop before ollivanders, I need some new gloves.”
“Absolutely not, wand first,” he said determinedly, grabbing his brother's arm and pulling him along a bit faster. Remus and Peter sped up behind them to keep up.
Eventually they reached their destination, Harry placed his hands on the door, breathing deeply, before opening it and walking in.
“Hello,” Ollivander said, popping his head up from under the desk at the sound of customers.
“11’ inch mahogany pliable, 10 and a quarter cypress with unicorn hair, and finally 9’ inches chestnut with dragon heartstring. A mighty fine batch of wands. And who might you be?” Ollivander looked down at Harry.
“Harry Potter sir, I’d like a wand.”
“Well, you are in luck Mr.Potter, this place is full of wands, let’s see which one speaks to you.”
They were there for about 40 minutes before James was genuinely over it. “Please I can’t stand this moony,” James said leaning on Remus who would have pushed him off if he was also not so incredibly tired of this.
“This is kinda crazy,” Remus said, watching Harry explode another cabinet. “It can’t be a sustainable business practice for customers to blow things up, this’ll take ages to clean.”
Peter had long since gone, it took him only 14 minutes to decide he needed to get other things done with or without them.
They had also long since missed the time they were supposed to meet with Sirius.
“I’m really sorry guys, I don’t know what’s wrong with me.” Harry said quietly as Ollivander rummaged through the back of the shop.
“It’s ok,” James waved off his brother's concern. Inside he was sobbing wishing this would end, at least watching Harry blow things up was entertaining.
“Well, this one is good, supple, 11 inches, with a phoenix feather core.” He presented Harry with the wand.
The second he grabbed it the light in the room seemed to glow a bit brighter. He held it in his hands feeling the vibrations of his magic flowing through it.
“Well, give it a wave,” James prompted, he had a good feeling about this one.
When Harry waved it a swish of comforting warm air flowed through the room. He was sure this was it.
They paid for the wand and as they approached the exit Ollivander spoke, “young man, just so you are aware. That wand… it has a brother, you might wish to investigate the matter.”
Harry nodded before turning around and leaving.
Once outside he turned to the two older boys, “any clue what that meant?”
They both shrugged in response.
They headed to Flourish and Blotts where they were meant to meet Sirius a good 20 minutes prior. They were shocked to see him standing there still waiting for them, albeit angrily tapping his foot.
Upon seeing them he pointed and yelled “you assholes!” His foul language landed him a few looks of disapproval from the shopping parents around them.
“I looked like an absolute idiot sitting here waiting for you all,” he shoved Remus who was laughing at him.
“I’m sorry Siri, it was my fault really, it took ages to get my wand.” Harry said, looking up and pouting at his brother's best friend.
Sirius’s angry expression melted off his face, “oh sweet Harebear I could never be angry at you.” He nuzzled Harry’s face, Harry pushed Sirius off of himself giggling at the boy's antics.
They proceeded to buy their necessary school items, Sirius spent his time complaining about his parents. Harry had never met them but he understood they were quite dark people.
Harry was aware from the stories and scars that his own biological parents, who were closely related to Sirius, were also quite bad parents. Though he didn’t remember any of that.
Sirius also complained about his own younger brother, who was apparently going into the same year as Harry.
Harry would have been excited about this but Sirius had told him his brother was quite indoctrinated by their parents.
The four of them stopped for lunch before they had to go back home, it reminded Harry so of when he had come with James and their parents before James’s first year.
“So Harebear, what house do you think you’ll be in?” Remus inquired politely.
Harry took a moment to think, he hadn’t thought of it before then. Potters whent to Gryffindor, it seemed too obvious. But he was a bit abnormal.
“I’m not sure… I want to be with you all though.” Harry said fiddling with the paper napkins, folding them into small squares.
“Hmmmm,” Sirius glanced him over, lifting his head, turning it to the side, looking into his eyes. He then shifted back into his seat, closing his eyes and contemplating for a moment.
They waited with bated breath.
“I’ve decided,” Sirius said, opening his eyes, “he will be a puff,” Sirius declared.
“I guess I can see it,” Remus supported his decision.
“Hmm ya,” James glanced, “but he is a potter, and potters are gryffindors through and through.”
“I guess we’ll just have to wait and see,” Remus said. Sensing Harry’s anxiousness and the concept of all of them focusing so hard on his house he added, “no pressure of course. We’ll hang out with you no matter what.”
Harry smiled at Remus, grateful for the reassurance.