Chapter 1
Regulus was in hiding, as he had been for the past 7 years. Hidden in a remote, abandoned muggle village, far away from the wizarding world in a little brick cottage covered in ivy and overgrown plant life. He had exactly one goal; destroy all of Voldemort’s horcruxes. He did not think about James and Lily Potter, the people who had shown him unbearable kindness in the precious few years between his defection and their deaths, the people who had managed to make him fall in love in record time. He did not think of their child, who had somehow slain Voldemort at barely 1 year old, the child that was taken by Dumbledore and hidden among muggles. He only thought about the horcruxes.
The horcruxes, and his brother. His big brother, Sirius, who had done everything in his power to protect Regulus after years of hatred and resentment between the two of them. Sirius, who welcomed him back with open arms after swearing he would never care for Regulus again. Sirius, who was in Azkaban because of a rat Regulus didn’t sniff out fast enough.
It was one of those increasingly common days where Regulus’s mind was consumed with worry.
Is he okay? Is he going to find a way out? Is he disappointed in me?
They were foolish thoughts, Regulus knew, but he thought them nonetheless. He thought until his head felt like it was going to explode. He never realized just how maddening solitude was. In childhood and in hiding, he had his brother. In school, he had his friends. And even in the year of spying, he had Narcissa, the only cousin who he liked and the only one who understood the burden he carried.
He left the small cottage in favor of walking through the village. It was early december, the sun just barely peaked through the clouds, offering no warmth. It was quiet, no signs of life save for the occasional snuffle of a stray cat looking for shelter.
“FUCK!”
Regulus paused, confused. The mysterious profanity had come from a young sounding voice. He looked around but saw nothing save for crumbling old buildings. He shook his head, clearly he was hearing things. And yet,
“HELP! PLEASE! ANYONE?”
There the voice was again, screeching for help. It sounded like it was coming from the two story house close by. Well, calling it a two story was rather generous, considering the second story had crumbled into the first. Regulus knew he should’ve left it, it could very easily be a trap, after all. He waited a second, then two. The shouting stopped. In its place, loud wails. Whoever this was, they were clearly in pain. And really, what kind of person leaves a child like that?
Cautiously, Regulus approached the remains of the building, wand in hand. The rotted oak door was already open, and just beyond it, he could see the outline of a figure.
“Lumos,” he whispered, approaching the stranger. They turned when they heard Regulus. He held his wand out, shining it into the boy’s face.
“James?!”
The boy certainly looked like James Potter. The same brown skin and wild black hair, complete with large, wire-rimmed round glasses. But this boy was young, he couldn’t have been much older than 5, with light freckles over his cheeks. There was a jagged scar on his forehead, cutting through his eyebrow. And, most notably, his eyes were green, so bright they seemed to glow in the dim light.
“Um, if I was James, would you stop pointing a stick at my face?” he asked, sniffling. His face was wet with tears.
Regulus narrowed his eyes. “No. What happened? Why are you here? Who are you?”
The boy started crying again as he spoke.
“I’m Harry Potter, and my aunt and uncle and cousin are mean so I left and I walked for a real long time and then I was cold so I went in here but this place doesn’t like me so the building dropped on my leg and it hurts really bad and then you came in and pointed your glowy stick at me and I want to go home!”
“Harry Potter? You can’t be- who are your parents?” Regulus asked, growing more suspicious by the second. The boy continued to cry.
“I don’t know! I just want to go home!” he wailed.
“Alright, alright just… just close your eyes, okay?” Regulus did his best to speak gently. The boy sniffled and nodded, trying to stifle his tears.
Regulus nodded back, lifting his wand and surveying the damage. It wasn’t that bad, just a chunk of ceiling on the boy’s foot. He lifted it with a flick of his wand. As soon as there was enough room, the boy wriggled his foot out and scrambled to Regulus’s side.
“I thought I told you to close your eyes,” Regulus pointed out with a lift of his eyebrow. Harry frowned up at him.
“I don’t know you, you could’ve been trying to kill me,” the boy reasoned.
“Fair enough.” He held out his hand. “C’mon, we should get out of here.”
Harry took it, leaning on Regulus as they made their way out of the building. As soon as they were out, the boy plopped onto the ground and kept crying. It was quiet, like he was trying to hide. In the light of day, Regulus got a much better look at the kid. He was short and way too skinny, his collar bone jutting out of his skin. The oversized clothes didn’t help, making him look even smaller than he already was.
Regulus sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. This is what I get for leaving the house, he thought. He debated leaving the kid there. The resemblance and surname could be a coincidence after all. Except, Regulus didn’t believe in coincidences, which is why Harry showing up here on one of the few days he chose to wander was all the more unnerving.
“Let me see your foot.” Regulus sat down with much more grace than the boy. Harry obliged, pulling off his busted trainers after scrubbing his face with his shirt. His foot was bleeding and bruised, but it was an easy fix with a few healing spells. “There. Now let’s-”
“How did you do that?” the boy asked, his eyes wide with awe.
“With magic, of course,” Regulus answered with another raise of his eyebrow. Harry blinked, then he started laughing, clutching his sides as he hiccups through his giggles.
“What?” Regulus demanded. “What is so funny?”
“Magic isn’t real! You’re silly,” Harry answered.
“If magic isn’t real, then how did I lift the roof off your foot? And how did I heal said foot in seconds?”
“I don’t know, you told me to close my eyes.” Harry flexed his foot in wonder, as if he were seeing it for the first time.
“You didn’t!” Regulus insisted. “You even admitted to it!”
Harry just shrugged and he shoved his trainers back on. He stood up far too quickly, stumbling forward a few times. Regulus sighed once again.
“Let’s just get you home.” Regulus stood, brushing dirt off his robes and pulling out his wand. The sooner this boy was gone and safe, the sooner Regulus wouldn’t have to think about him. It was much easier when Harry was stuck in Lily’s stomach or off with muggles, no endearing face or tragic frame, just a concept. Harry turned back to him, grinning sheepishly.
“I don’t have a home, that’s why I’m here.” Regulus’s chest suddenly felt tight with sympathy. No, No! I have a job to do, I do NOT have the time, skill, or resources for a child! He mentally scolded himself.
“Well then, where do your aunt and uncle live?” This was clearly not a good question, because new tears formed in Harry's eyes as he whispered,
“I’m not going back there. You can’t make me.”
“You need to go somewhere, and they are your family,” Regulus reasoned.
“They are not my family. Family is supposed to love you,” Harry shot back, with much more intensity than a child should’ve been able to muster. The words sent Regulus stumbling back, drawing up one of the many memories he had done his best to bury.
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Lily and Regulus both sat on the couch at the Potter’s cottage, while James made tea in the kitchen. Regulus had just finished telling him about his defection.
“Can I ask something?”
“Of course,” Regulus said, staring pointedly at the coffee table to avoid her bright green eyes that always saw far too much.
“Why did it take you so long?” She said as James walked back in, setting mugs in front of them before taking his seat on Regulus’s other side. He said nothing, just placed a hand on Regulus’s shoulder.
“They’re my family.”
“They’re not your family,” Lily insisted. “Your family are the people who love you.”
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“Are you okay?”
Regulus blinked, willing himself to stay in the present.
“Yes I’m fine. Can I ask, where did you plan to go?” Regulus needed this kid gone, now. Unfortunately, Harry wasn’t complying.
“I’m gonna go all around the world and then I’m gonna find my parents and tell them how much I did and then they’ll take me back.” He nodded his head, confirming his plan to himself. Regulus frowned, confused.
“What do you-” Regulus paused, his eyes widening with realization. “You don’t know, do you?”
“Know what?”
“What exactly did your aunt and uncle tell you about your parents?”
“They told me my parents didn’t want me so they burdened my aunt and uncle with me and I should be grateful they keep my useless arse around,” Harry recited.
Regulus drew in a sharp breath, trying to remain calm. It didn’t work, because how dare those people talk about James and Lily like they were shallow and hateful and how dare they speak like that to this child who should be in a warm home surrounded by the most overbearing, loving, beautiful people Regulus had ever met. He kneeled down in front of Harry, looking him dead in the eye.
“You listen to me, Harry. That is not at all what happened. Your parent’s loved you very much.”
“How would you know?” Harry asked defensively, crossing his arms.
“Because I knew your parents,” Regulus answered simply, though he hadn’t meant to. He had meant to say that parents always loved their kids, but that would be a lie even he couldn’t make sound true.
“You knew my parent’s? You have to tell me about them!” Harry’s eyes glittered with a million unanswered questions.
“I don’t have to do anything,” Regulus replied with a sneer. “Mind your manners.”
“Sorry,” Harry mumbled, bowing his head in shame, before looking back up at Regulus again with the biggest puppy-dog eyes. Regulus didn’t budge. “But I don’t know anything about them! Please tell me? Please? Please? Please? Please? Ple-”
“Oh my Merlin, fine! I will tell you but you have to be quiet. And after I tell you, we are going to find a place for you to stay. You can try travelling the world again when you’re older.”
“But-”
“No buts, that’s the deal; take it or leave it.” Regulus stood once again, staring Harry down. The boy stared back for a few moments, before a grin slowly spread on his face.
“Will you tell me everything?” He asked.
“Everything I know,” Regulus promised.