Part 14
The Unspoken Truth
“What the hell do you mean he's a Potter?”
“During the Sorting, the Quill of Acceptance clearly wrote Harry Potter for–”
“I didn't ask how you knew, Severus, I deduced that for myself. I'm asking how in the world Harry could be an unknown Potter!”
“I don't know.”
“Don't lie to me, Severus. We both know that if you were swayed by McGonagall, you reported straight to Dumbledore. If the Headmaster is involved, then you must know something.”
The words were muffled in Harry's ears, their voices swimming by as his mind raced.
Was this some kind of a sick joke? Did Death mean this as a kindness or a damnation? They said Harry would find a family here - if that meant the Potters, Death was very wrong. They didn't want him, and his name and blood wouldn't change that one bit. He still wasn't Hadrian, which is what they really wanted.
It was ironic. All Harry wanted before now was to be a Potter, to be accepted and loved by the parents he never knew. But as the truth settled in and the situation crashed down on him, Harry couldn't help but hate his name. The same way he'd hated it when Hagrid first told him he was famous for it - Harry suddenly wished he wasn't a Potter. He would've accepted any other name. Anything but the one connected to the family that he had lost just the day prior.
The tiny ray of sunshine in it all was how excited Hadrian would be to know they shared more than just a face. They shared blood too, which meant they really were connected. Unfortunately, that break in the cloud of his mood wasn't enough to smother the growing feeling in his chest.
Why did it hurt so much?
Harry felt as though he couldn't breathe, head spinning, as he cringed in on himself as if he could escape the world; As if he could escape his name, tainted by the rejection he had yet to fully process or move past; As if he could leave the pain behind if he just made himself small enough to disappear.
He grabbed fistfuls of his shirt, shutting his eyes against the harsh pulsing in his head that mirrored the beat of his heart, blood whooshing in his ears.
“Harry–” He inhaled sharply as fingers brushed his shoulder. Harry jerked backwards and his eyes sprang open. His vision only blurred, spots flashing in his eyes. He couldn't process anything he was seeing but smudges of colour that made no sense.
Harry stumbled backwards. He then gagged as he twisted, his stomach rolling and head spinning. He was yanked sharply off his feet, then dumped back onto the ground hard enough to bruise his backside where he fell a moment later. Harry didn't bother getting up, gasping for breath.
Slowly, Harry processed it wasn't hardwood beneath him. His palms were scraped from rocks and uneven ground. It was pavement he found himself on. That didn't make sense. There wasn't any concrete in Tom's Manor, or anywhere on the square mile of rolling hill around it that Tom owned. Harry opened his eyes, blinking away spots of dizziness, and stared.
He wasn't at the Manor anymore. Upon realising that, two other realisations hit him immediately thereafter. The first that he was somewhere in downtown London, the second being he had absolutely no idea where he was aside from that. Not a fucking clue.
That meant Harry Apparated - by himself! Harry didn't know he could do, he'd never properly learned. And he hadn't even done it on purpose! Harry buried his face in his hands. What was wrong with him?
That's when the anger kicked in.
How could Death possibly think this was what Harry needed? How would they look at the situation and go ‘ah, yes, this is good.’ like??? Harry didn't understand so many things, and yet again because of that he fucked up royally. He didn't know how to get back to the Manor, or anywhere familiar at all! He also couldn't very well go around asking people where The Leaky Cauldron was, Muggles literally couldn't see it!
Harry took a deep breath and tried to smother both the anger and the devastated confusion. He didn't have time to worry about what it meant to be a Potter in this world - his first priority had to be finding a way back into the Wizarding World and out of the unfamiliar Muggle London.
Well, he was sitting outside a random storefront, people walking by without a glance. Not that surprising. Harry was wearing nice clothing and looked well taken care of, and plus he was a teenager. There wasn't any reason they'd stop to see why he was alone and sprawled across the pavement.
Harry sighed. He'd really screwed up this time. Tom was probably worried out of his mind, but Harry didn't have any way to let him know he was alright.
“Hello.” Harry looked up in surprise to meet strangely familiar grey eyes. He looked like Sirius, which meant this man was Sirius’ brother. Regulus Black.
Regulus had the same grey eyes and high cheekbones, but his face was sharper than Sirius’. While Sirius was more stereotypically handsome, Regulus might be considered more pretty. He knelt in front of Harry with a soft expression, offering him a smile.
He was wearing the oddest robes - a shimmering black fabric cloaked him, shifting with flashes of silver that mimicked stars in the night sky. The more Harry tried to examine it, the harder it was to focus and see. It was almost like an illusion; meant to hide, and to throw off close inspection.
“Uhhh.” Harry had no idea what to do with Sirius’ little brother in front of him. Harry never met him before, but he knew Regulus gave his life trying to destroy the Locket Horcrux. Sirius didn't live long enough to know the truth - he died thinking his brother was nothing more than a Death Eater and a traitor.
“You must be Harry Potter.” Regulus said, surprising him. “I'm Regulus. It's nice to finally meet you.”
“Huh?” Harry blinked stupidly. Regulus laughed.
“I'm sorry, this must be rather confusing for you.” Regulus stood, offering Harry a hand. “Here, come with me.” Harry hesitated. “Don't worry, I just want to help.”
“Help how?”
“I have the answers you've been searching for.” Regulus told him, “And I think you've been left in the dark long enough.”
“Can you tell me where I came from?” Harry asked, though he knew there was no way Regulus knew the real truth. “Can you tell me who I'm supposed to be?”
“I can't predict the future, or know who you're meant to be.” Regulus said, “But I can tell you where you came from, why you lived the way you did, and how you got so lost in this world.” Harry looked at the offered hand again, thinking.
The more time Harry spent in this alternate world, the more he realised that he wasn't just randomly plopped into existence as he'd first thought - he was genuinely a different person with a different life. Morbidly, Harry wondered if he'd taken over the body of whoever ‘Harry Potter’ was in the world. He felt a twinge of guilt, but at the same time he was so confused and so angry it was quickly swallowed up. Death screwed up so much in his life, Harry just wanted to understand.
Harry reached up and took his hand.
“Where are we going?” Harry followed as Regulus slowly started navigating the streets of London.
“The Ministry of Magic.” Regulus said, “There's an entrance every mile, disguised as a telephone booth. It will take us to where we need to go.”
“Why are we going to the Ministry?” Harry frowned.
“Because we have something to do there.” Regulus said, vague and unhelpful.
Harry followed in silence for a moment, thinking, before he hesitantly asked, “How did you know my name?”
“My brother Sirius, whom I know you've met many times, told me about a boy called Harry that looked just like Hadrian showing up one day over the Summer. He likes you.” Regulus hummed, “He also said the Potters would be looking after you, though I knew it was unlikely to last.”
“Well, you were right about that.” Harry muttered. “But I meant how you know my last name. How'd you know I was a Potter?”
“That's a much harder question.” Regulus said, “To put it simply as possible, we've known your name since you were barely a year old.” Harry's heart twisted in his chest at the familiarity of that statement.
“How?”
“We were looking for your family.” Regulus smiled at Harry, though it was sad. “Unfortunately, it did not go the way we had hoped.”
“Who's ‘we’?” Harry asked. “I don't understand.”
“You will.” Regulus said, “I promise to explain everything. And ah, here we are.” He paused upon spotting a rusted telephone booth in a ghastly shade of purple, gesturing for Harry to step in first.
Harry remembered when he and Arthur Weasley entered the Ministry in 1995 for his hearing, though they'd used a different telephone booth. He expected Regulus to punch in the code, a set of numbers that corresponded to letters that spelled ‘Magic’, but he didn't.
Regulus pulled a silver coin from his robes and slid it into the coin slot smoothly. A moment later they were moving, sinking into the underground depths without any declaration or anything. As soon as they were below the surface the windows went dark, the glass suddenly and starkly opaque. That'd hadn't happened before.
“What's happening?” Harry blurted, “What was that coin?”
“It was an Unspeakable Token.” Regulus said with a little smile. “Think of it like a pass that will get us into whatever we want, whenever we want, without having to ask permission or offer any form of explanation.”
“Unspeakable?” Harry remembered hearing about them. They were part of the Department of Mysteries, though he had absolutely no idea what they did there.
“Unspeakables reside in the Department of Mysteries, enacting their own research and investigations into large projects that span decades. Everything we do is kept very secret.” Regulus turned to meet Harry's eyes, calm and calculative. “You were one of those projects, you know. You and your family.”
“What?”
The telephone boost paused its descent, clicking into place and slowing to a stop. The door then opened, and the windows cleared to show off their destination. Regulus stepped out, silently beckoning Harry to follow.
They were in the Ministry all right, but Harry had no idea where they were or even what Level they were on. It had to be one of the higher ones, maybe Level 1 or 2, because they hadn't been in the telephone booth for very long.
They stepped out into a large hall, stately and extravagant. The floors were covered in thick purple carpeting, the wall panelling sleek and smooth, ceilings so high they reminded Harry of Hogwarts. Doors of beautifully carved mahogany lined the hall, each marked by a small plague that probably declared what each door led to. But Harry was a bit too distracted to pay much attention to his surroundings beyond those basic observations.
“Why was I being investigated by the Unspeakables?” Harry asked hurriedly, following Regulus. “What happened? Did my family do something?”
“Not exactly.” Regulus said vaguely, “It's complicated. But, Harry, I promise I will explain everything.”
“When?”
“As soon as we meet the others.” Regulus told him, “You're not the only one who needs answers.”
“What others?” Harry asked, “Where are we going?”
Regulus didn't answer in lieu of reaching for a door, gently pulling it open. Harry caught a flash of the plague and was confused to see it labelled Minister for Magic's Personal Office. Why were they at Tom's office?
He stepped inside, freezing in place as he found a whole flock of adults waiting inside. Tom was there, as well as Snape, which made sense; they had probably panicked when Harry disappeared, ergo Regulus contacted them saying he was safe. That made sense. But what didn't make sense was the presence of Lily, James, and Sirius.
“Harry.” Tom relaxed a little from his tense stance, stepping forward with clear relief on his face. “I'm so glad you're alright. I didn't know you could Apparate, your disappearance worried me.”
“I didn't know I could either.” Harry said awkwardly.
“Why am I not surprised to hear that.” Tom's mouth twitched into a half smile. “I'm just glad you're alright. Though, it's strange I had to hear of your well-being from an Unspeakable.” Harry blinked, turning to Regulus as he stepped inside and shut the door.
“I apologise for the sudden summons, but I felt it necessary considering the circumstances.” Regulus said, smiling at the room. “Thank you for coming.”
“It was kind of you to locate Harry and inform us of his well-being.” Snape said blandly, “But what I want to know is why you've contacted so many of us.” He gestured to the others. “Why did you come?”
“Because we want answers.” Lily said quietly.
“You said you had information that involved Harry's family.” James said tightly, getting straight to business. “Is that true?”
“It is.” Regulus said, nodding. “I figured you all have been kept out of things for too long. What with that frankly ridiculous Daily Prophet article released this morning, I thought it was time to explain the truth of Harry Potter.”
“You mean you knew this whole time?” James exclaimed, “Why the fuck didn't you say something!?”
“Because it was not my place to do so.” Regulus said coolly. “Harry was being treated amicably as far as I knew, and as an Unspeakable the knowledge we have is meant to remain unspoken.”
“I had the right to know!” James shouted, “How dare you keep this from me! I thought I was the only remaining Potter line, how could you keep this from me!?”
“The same way I kept the fact that Harry is also a Gaunt from the literal Minister of Magic.”
Silence.
“... What do you mean Harry is also a Gaunt?” Tom's voice was calm, but it was scary calm. The kind of calm that came from unrest beneath the surface and barely controlled rage. Regulus did not bend under Tom's stare.
“Are you all going to let me explain, or are we going to bicker instead?” Regulus looked around the room, eyes sharp. Nobody spoke. “Very well. As I was saying, this is not my place to speak about an issue like this. Even so, I'm doing it because of the circumstances revolving around Harry's current residence with Tom and the public's skewed view of the situation. We'll start with Harry's Potter side, if that's alright.” Regulus looked to James. “Do you remember your uncle, Charlus Potter?”
“Yes.” James said, impatient. “He was my dad's older brother. Died before I was born.”
“No, he didn't.” Regulus told him, “He married Dorea Black, and they ran away together in 1944.”
“Wait, our great aunt Dorea??” Sirius cut in, confusion blatant. “The one who was blasted off the family tree?”
“The very same.” Regulus confirmed. “Charlus and Dorea were both cast out of their families for their marriage, for it was seen poorly by both lines. In any case, they eloped and spent years travelling around different countries in central Europe. They then had a son in 1947, Wren.”
“He didn't attend Hogwarts.” James frowned.
“He went to Beauxbatons. His parents wanted to avoid Hogwarts and the UK entirely, seeing as their families didn't approve of their union.” Regulus said, “It was at Beauxbatons that he met Felicity Gaunt.” Regulus then turned to Tom. “What do you know about the Gaunts, Tom?”
“My mother was the second child of Marvolo Gaunt, my grandfather.” Tom said, blank-faced. “Other than that, I know next to nothing.”
“Marvolo Gaunt had four siblings - one older, three younger. Those five Gaunts were the last of the line.” Regulus told him, “Garrick, Marvolo, Iris, and Ominis. Out of the five, only two had children: Marvolo and Iris. Marvolo had Morfin and Merope, and Iris had a son named Alaric.”
“There were other Gaunts.” Tom whispered. The others in the room were too engaged in Regulus’ speech to notice, but Harry saw the pain that flashed across his features as that sunk in.
“Alaric Gaunt ended up joining the Global Wizarding World on Grindelwald’s side, and he was part of the movement in Sweden.” Regulus continued, “He met a witch named Astrid there, also part of Grindelwald’s growing influence, and they had a daughter named Felicity in 1944. Alaric died in 1945 when Grindelwald fell, but Astrid and Felicity fled and survived. Astrid went into hiding, hoping to avoid the Aurors in Sweden and the surrounding countries, and didn't tell Felicity anything about her and Alaric's involvement in the war.”
“Felicity, after graduating Beauxbatons in 1963, went on to become a Healer in the Swedish Wizarding Hospital. Wren, after graduating in 1965, became a nurse at the same Hospital. They knew each other from school, and hit it off from there.” Regulus paused, and sighed. “They were happy until Astrid was found by the Swedish Aurors. She went to warn Felicity and Wren, but the Aurors thought her presence near them meant they were both also followers of Grindelwald’s beliefs. Astrid gave her life so they could escape.”
“Felicity and Wren ended up in Britain, and they melted into the Muggle World with just a few subtle, well-placed spells that got them jobs as a Muggle doctor and nurse.” Regulus said, “The British Unspeakables had been tracking them for years already at this point. We keep tabs on Wizarding lineages that seem close to dying out, and both the Gaunts and Potters were, and still remain, in that category. The acting Unspeakables lost track of Charlus and Dorea when they left Britain, but occasionally heard rumours that confirmed the lines hadn't yet ended. As for the Gaunts, they lost track of Alaric when he joined Grindelwald.”
“When they heard word that Wren Potter and Felicity Gaunt were together and on the run, the Unspeakables took notice.” Regulus looked to Harry, a sad sort of smile on his face. “Felicity and Wren lived as Muggles until 1979 when Harry came along. They'd given up magic when they went into hiding, but then they started using magic again to ensure Harry grew up knowing of the Wizarding World. That was what caught the Unspeakables’ attention. The Unspeakables weren't going to attack, they just wanted to assess how dangerous they might be and if they truly followed Grindelwald’s beliefs. But they ran, disappearing. For the next few months it was a bit of a chase, the Unspeakables tracking them down every time they tried to settle down again. We think it was around then that they left Harry behind.”
“But I don't think they did it out of anything but love.” Regulus said to Harry, honest and open. “Felicity and Wren then fled to the United States, where they were swiftly found and executed by American Aurors. The Unspeakables believed they took Harry with them, which we now believe was exactly Felicity and Wren's intention. The Unspeakables didn't consider at all that they might've left Harry behind. So in doing so, they protected him from the Wizarding World completely.”
“They left Harry with Muggles.” Tom cut in coolly, still expressionless. “Ones that promptly dumped him on the steps of an orphanage.”
“I know.” Regulus acknowledged. “But Wren and Felicity could not have known that would happen. They had the forethought to thoroughly modify the Muggle family's memories, adding Harry as a nephew they were in charge of caring for. It seems to me they really meant for Harry to grow up loved and cared for, and safe from what they perceived as a genuine threat in the Wizarding World. But that is pure speculation.”
“In any case, the Unspeakables lost track of Harry completely. He faded into the Muggle world seamlessly, and even more so when he reached Wool's Orphanage. Not only was Harry lost in the Muggle world, but he was placed where children were meant to be forgotten.” Regulus continued, “I joined the Department of Mysteries in 1982, when I was twenty. I learned of Harry's existence early on, mostly because losing track of him was a great failure of the Department. Yes, James, I knew all along that there was another living Potter, but I had no right to speak of it. I genuinely might've lost my career, especially considering how new I was.”
“The only reason I'm telling any of you now is because Harry's been found, and now is the perfect time to introduce him to the Wizarding World. Thus far Harry and his family have been a well-kept secret, but it doesn't have to be anymore.” Regulus told them all, “My supervisor gave me permission to inform relevant parties of the situation, so here we are.” He then blew out a breath and fell silent, plunging the room into uneasy, emotional silence.
“I know this pales in comparison to everything else, but I just realised Harry is our second cousin.” Sirius spoke up, looking at Regulus and Harry. “Our great aunt Dorea's grandson? We're literally second cousins.” He shot Harry a wide grin. “That's awesome!”
“Yeah, we are.” Regulus huffed, smiling a little. “Tom and James are both Harry's second cousins once removed. That means Hadrian is Harry's third cousin. Harry is connected not only to the Potters and Gaunts, but the Blacks as well.” Regulus turned to Harry, offering him a tentative smile. “You've lived a hard life, I know, but I hope you understand now that you're not alone anymore. You have more family than you know.”
Harry was so lost, and so so confused. He didn't understand - he had a history in this world, a real history and a whole bucket load of backstory he couldn't’ve made up on his own in a million years. Seriously, how had Death made this happen?? What kind of world was this? But suddenly it made sense that Death said he'd find family; he had family in spades now. Though, Harry wasn't too sure how much of that family actually wanted that connection.
“I'm sorry for the shock, I really am.” Regulus said when no one else spoke, “But you deserve the whole truth, whether you want to hear it or not.”
“... Why does he look like that?” Lily finally spoke up, her voice quiet and weak. “If he's from some other line of Potters, why does he look like Hadrian?”
“Genetics.” Regulus shrugged a little. “I can't give you a better explanation than that. But from the pictures I've seen, Felicity Gaunt had her mother's green eyes and blonde hair. Perhaps Harry ended up with Potter features and his mother's eyes. Same as Hadrian did.” Harry's chest tightened painfully at the statement - how ironically true that was.
“Harry's a Parselmouth.” Tom said then, “He got that from the Gaunt line, then.”
“He did.” Regulus confirmed, “Parseltongue is an autosomal recessive gene, much like colour blindness. The majority of Parselmouths are male, like you and Harry.”
“Fascinating.” Tom murmured. “I never knew there were others…” Harry was probably the only one who could hear the tiny ache of pain in his voice. He remembered Tom saying he was relieved he didn't discover he had a bunch of family he had to adjust to having, but Harry also knew Tom at the same time was still disappointed when he first discovered he didn't.
“This seems cruel.” James declared, staring Regulus down. “You tell us Harry is my flesh and blood only after I supported Lily in her decision to relocate him. If I had known, I never would have let that happen!”
“Then consider, you shouldn't have supported her in the first place.” Regulus said coolly. “From what I've heard, you take after your father, James.”
“Don't go there.” James snapped, “This is different, you know it is!”
“Perhaps I don't.” Regulus replied, “From where I'm standing, you separated Harry and Hadrian. Plain and simple.”
“Harry and Hadrian aren't brothers.” James seethed, hands balled into fists. “This isn't like what happened with you and Sirius - I'm not my father!”
“The facts would disagree.” Regulus merely scoffed. “Fleamont took Sirius in, but when I sought the same he refused me. Is that not what you planned to do? Hand Harry off to Dumbledore because you couldn't be bothered, same as I was?”
“Reg.” Sirius stepped forward and put a hand on his arm. “Don't. I already snapped at him over this.”
“You did?” Regulus blinked.
“Yeah, a bit harshly, if I'm honest.” Sirius laughed, “But, really. This isn't the time or the place to bring it up.”
“I suppose you're right.” Regulus said. He took a deep breath and straightened, nodding firmly to the room. “Well then. That's all I wanted to say to you guys, so I'll be going.” He smiled briefly at Sirius before heading for the door. He was halfway through turning the smooth silver handle when he paused, turning back to smile at Harry too. “Tom is more than capable of caring for and supporting you, so I hope you know you're in good hands. But if you ever need an alternative ear, I will be there.” With one last nod, Regulus disappeared out the door.
Harry was left looking after him in complete confusion. It seemed Regulus had a very different life in this world, better than the one Harry knew but perhaps just as hard. He seemed… kind. Kind and honest. And if Regulus was Unspeakable, he was probably powerful as well. Sort of like Tom, in a way. But also Sirius.
“I have to go.” Lily sounded choked as she spoke. Her hands were balled into fists, and her voice shook.
“Lily–”
“Leave me alone, James.” Lily ignored her husband's soft worry. “I just… I need some time.” She strode from the room and disappeared, the door falling shut harshly behind her.
"I'll go talk to her." Snape said quietly, offering James a tired look. "She's just overwhelmed. She'll be alright." So Snape followed, the door falling shut behind him.
Harry looked between Sirius, James, and Tom, wondering which would be next to storm out. James looked so defeated, Sirius looked a bit resigned, and Tom seemed deep in thought. It was Sirius who broke first in the silence.
“I've got to get home.” Sirius said, but he grinned brightly. “Good seeing you again Harry, don't be a stranger.” He headed for the door, throwing Harry a wink. “Any brother of Hadrian's is welcome at my door anytime.” For some reason, that filled Harry with warmth as Sirius left.
This time there wasn't any accompanying pain with the fond warmth, to his surprise. Harry found it easier every day to separate his godfather from this new Sirius, and he really was starting to like this Sirius more with every visit. They weren't the same person, and that was okay.
But since Sirius left, Harry was alone with two very tense men that were completely at odds. Tom looked at James, James looked right back. Harry looked between them, chewing his lip nervously.
“Would you have taken in him, if you'd known?” Tom asked quietly. “Would you have cared for him?” It held no accusation - just honest curiosity.
“I would've taken him either way, if it were up to me.” James said softly. He turned to Harry, defeated and exhausted. “I'm sorry I can't be the family you deserve, but I'm glad you found that in Tom. You'll always be welcome at Potter Manor. It may not be home, but it will be a safe space for you, if you need one. I can promise you that.” Then James left without looking back.
Tom took a deep breath, blew it out, and faced Harry with a smile. “Are you alright?”
“I'm…” Harry trailed off, trying and failing to understand what was going on inside his head. “I don't know.”
“That's okay.” Tom said gently, “Would you like to go back to the Manor?”
“Yeah.” Harry sighed. “Yeah, let's go. Sorry for disappearing. I didn't mean to.”
“I'm just glad you're safe.” Tom said, “That's what matters. We can talk about everything else later, once you've had a chance to settle a bit.” Harry just nodded.
He didn't know what to think. Now that he knew he was supposedly a Potter-Gaunt, this world made even less sense than it had before. How much of it was real? How much of it overlapped with his world, and how much was changed? Harry hesitantly met Tom's eyes, then looked away.
“It's going to be alright.” Tom assured him, “For now, let's go home.”
Even as Tom Apparated them away back to the Manor, Harry couldn't help the nagging feeling of impending turmoil ahead. Somehow, it felt as thought it was only the beginning.