Chapter 1
Fifteen-year-old Harry was looking at the house where he and his godfather would live.
"It's not much, but it's home."
Harry nodded at Sirius, who had just opened the door to the room where Harry had stopped.
"We should let Moony know that we have found the house and then ask him to join us. Today you will meet the new neighbors and all your new future classmates. I need to speak to the Sheriff of this city to sort out some paperwork about our arrival. "
Harry nodded, before looking across the lawn and thinking about the discussion he had with Sirius and Remus when he learned all the truth.
As soon as he arrived at Grimmauld Place, after yelling at his friends for leaving him cut out all summer and receiving shreds of information at dinner at night, Harry was ready to call the day over and go to sleep.
Unfortunately, his godfather and former professor had different ideas.
Indeed, as soon as Harry had set foot on the stairs to reach the room that had been assigned to him, as alway shared with Ron, Sirius had taken his arm and led him into the room where Buckbeak slept.
"Uh, what's going on?" The boy asked confused, looking first at the hippogriff in the corner, then at the former professor busy reading some sheets of paper, and finally at his godfather, who was still holding his arm.
"We need to talk about something very important." Sirius answered.
Remus looked up from the papers, grinning wearily at Harry.
Harry knew it was because of the full moon.
"We thought it was important for you to be aware of some things."
Harry nodded in confusion.
Remus sighed and Sirius stepped forward. "Did you hear at dinner today? Voldemort is looking for something he didn't have last time."
"What? Some kind of weapon?"
Sirius and Remus shook their heads and Remus answered. "A Prophecy. Concerning him, in particular."
"A Prophecy? But... divination is very vague...."
Sirius nodded in agreement as Remus said. "Stupid or not, Voldemort believes in it. It's because of the Prophecy that he decided to attack your house that Halloween, and it's also because of the Prophecy that he wants to kill you."
"For a Prophecy? He ruined my life for a Prophecy?" Then Harry stopped, confused. "But if he attacked me for a Prophecy... then, that means he's already in possession of him, doesn't it?"
Remus shook his head and Sirius explained. "He hasn't heard the whole Prophecy. Just a few lines, enough to identify you. Lily and James knew it all and they had considered talking to Dumbledore and making a public announcement about something very important. Remus had set out to clarify if that was possible, but on his returnal. .. Peter had already betrayed them."
Harry blinked. "What thing? Would that have stopped Voldemort?"
Remus stepped forward. "You see, the Prophecy outlines someone with the power to defeat the dark lord. Born on the dying out of the seventh month, to those who thrice defied him."
"And that boy is me?"
"You were born at the end of July, yes. But, really, it can't be you."
"Why not? Mom and dad didn't challenge him?"
Sirius answered, seeing Remus struggling and guilty. "No, they did. But it can't be you because your real parents never challenged or knew Voldemort at all. That's what Lily and James meant. They wanted to admit that they never had a biological child, but adopted one. They would have wanted to do a blood adoption, but that would have made you their blood child."
Harry jumped.
The one thing that had always kept him going was knowing that he was James and Lily Potter's son, that he was Harry Potter.
But apparently, that wasn't the truth.
"What...? I'm not a Potter?"
“They loved you like their own child. But, no. An old friend of mine asked me for help with her problem. You see, in the city where she lived, her family was in danger. And she couldn't have protected all of her children. She gave me you to protect, but here I could never adopt you. So, I told her that friends of mine, who knew about me and her, would raise her son as their own. I would be his uncle."
Harry stopped.
He had read some things, but he didn't think they were true.
Until Quirrel had tried to kill him and things had gotten significantly worse.
"The reason they asked me, Harry, is that..."
"They were werewolves. The kind that's especially prevalent in America. You could understand me, if I became one. Help me hide it, too, if that becomes necessary."
Remus nodded, and Sirius asked hesitantly. "How do you know?"
"When I was eleven, at the end of the year, my DADA professor tried to kill me. It was either him or me. And he was going to bring Voldemort back. I don't know how I did it, Dumbledore thinks it was my magic and the protection of my mother in it, but all the parts of his skin that came into contact with me burned. So, I took advantage of that and killed him. The next full moon I transformed."
Remus and Sirius exchanged a look.
Remus knew that these particular werewolves could have teeth and claws even without a full moon, if in the throes of strong emotions.
"How did you control yourself?"
"When I ran away from the Dursleys before my third year it was difficult. But otherwise, I was used to not saying anything. To control myself."
Harry was thinking.
"If I'm not the son of the…Potters, how can I have magic?"
Sirius replied. "You are a Muggle-born."
Remus continued. "That's exactly why you were entrusted. You could have passed for a cursed wolf."
"Okay...."
After a moment of silence, Harry asked. "So what happens now? Can I know my real parents?"
Sirius and Remus looked at each other sadly.
"Unfortunately it is not possible." Remus said sadly.
"Why not?" Harry insisted and Sirius sighed, before saying. "They're dead, puppy. A family of hunters set fire to the house with them still in. Most of them are dead."
"Most of? Is anyone still alive?"
"Your uncle. Only him survived."
Harry nodded. "I want to meet him."
Remus sighed. "Pup, he wouldn't even recognize you. And I can assure you he won't be able to talk to you."
"Why not?"
"He's in an almost vegetative state. He eats, drinks, but doesn't interact with others. He just exists." Sirius explained.
Harry shook his head. "It doesn't matter. I still want to keep him company."
Remus and Sirius looked at each other and the werewolf nodded. "Very well. Then we need to set our plan in motion right now."
"What is it about?" Harry asked and Sirius smiled. "The three of us, pup, we're going to America. I'll get a trial there and my name will be cleared here too. Werewolves are treated better in America than in England, they have better rights. So Remus would have a better chance there than here. And American schools allow students that study from home, unlike England, which forces you to go to Hogwarts if you really want to make it. So, you could be home-schooled and give OWL and NEWT when you're ready."
Harry grimaced.
"Dumbledore wouldn't let me leave like this."
Before knowing that he would gladly leave a child, who had just seen a friend die, alone in an abusive family, Harry would never have thought such a thing, but he knew now that the Headmaster was old enough to realize that one's suffering it was important if it served to improve the condition of many.
Sirius smiled, shaking his head. "Dumbledore knows the Prophecy can't be about you. And Augusta is too smart to let anyone near Neville, the chance that would remain. I made it public to Voldemort's followers that you weren't related to Lily and James, not by blood. I am their heir, and you are mine."
"But I'm not even related to you."
"I think that's why you have magic, to. The ceremony of becoming godfather and godson is ancient. We did it at Gringotts. It includes a blood oath and that made us related. If we go to Gringotts, we can formalize our link again and you would be my son at everyone's eyes. And when I'm free, even the newspapers will be talking about it."
"So neither Voldemort nor Dumbledore could force me to fight in their role."
Sirius and Remus nods in agreement.
"Okay, sounds like a good plan. When do we do it?"
The two Marauders smiled.
"Right now. You'll be back at your home tomorrow night."
Harry nodded, preparing to leave.
Then, at the door, he asked. "What is the name of the city where we have to go?"
"Beacon Hills."
Harry sat outside Sheriff Stilinski's office while Sirius and Remus inside talked to the man.
Then, two boys of his age approached to overhear the conversation.
"What do you think it is about, Scott?"
"I don't know, Stiles, they don't look American, though."
"No, we're English, actually."
Harry smiled as they both jumped and stared at the boy.
"Oh, we, we were just...." the one who must have been called Stiles was stammering and Harry took pity on him.
Harry himself had overheard a lot of conversations.
"I thought you were listening without the other knowing you were listening."
Stiles smiled and Scott asked. "Aren't you angry?"
"Honestly? I'd be doing the same thing if I didn't already know what it is all about."
Harry smiled at their surprised and stunned expressions.
"To save you the trouble, we just moved here. They're sorting out the last few paperwork before we can claim to be upstanding Beacon Hills citizens."
Stiles and Scott smiled and the latter held out his hand, confirming Harry's suspicion.
"Hello, Scott McCall, welcome to Beacon Hills."
"Harry Black, pleasure."
Harry squeezed the boy's hand and Stiles extended his. "Stiles Stilinski, nice to meet you."
"Like the Sheriff?"
"He is my father." Stiles nodded and Harry nodded in understanding. "Ah, that's why you knew everything."
Stiles smiled, showing no remorse. "Yes, interesting things happen when your father is sheriff."
"I understand perfectly. And I'm a little curious."
Scott and Stiles smiled at him and Stiles said. "What year do you have to do?"
"The third."
"The same as us!" Stiles cheered and Scott gestured towards the office. "If you need permission, we can wait until they're done and then we'll show you around Beacon Hills."
Harry grimaced. "Permission? Scott, the only reason rules are given is to know what to break."
Stiles laughs and looks at his childhood friend. "This guy is amazing."
Scott smiled and Harry got up following the trio.
"So..... where do we go now?"
"Oh, Harry dear, we'll have a lot of fun together."