AN: Sorry it took so long to update!
I've been feeling ill and very tired, so I took a small break. Don't worry, the sickness wasn't what you are most likely thinking, and I'm feeling better now.
Chapters, hopefully, won't take this long in the future!
Harry felt oddly exposed as he walked with the prefect towards Dumbledore's office. It was a similar feeling to which he'd had in Diagon Alley seven years ago.
The prefect walked him briskly up a set of stairs towards a golden gargoyle. Standing next to it was a nervous short wizard who looked remarkably like a rat.
"Mr Pettigrew, I've brought the other Potter twin," said the prefect sounding very smug.
"What?" the man, who Harry always knew as Peter, jumped, seemingly snapping out of his own world.
"The other Potter twin."
"Pardon me?"
"The other Potter twin. I've brought the other Potter twin at Dumbledore's request. Not Colin Potter, the other Potter twin." Harry was beginning to wish this idiot would stop being so patronising. Either that or learn some new words.
"Oh yes. Thank you... umm..."
"Percy Weasley, sir."
"Yes, thank you Percy. I'll make sure to let Professor Dumbledore know."
Percy the prefect walked away with his head held high with a proud smile, clearly satisfied.
Harry resisted the urge to gulp as he felt his... whatever he was to him, staring at him, as if inspecting him.
"You look like your father, just like James at your age.... more than Colin does. But you have... Lily's eyes." Peter informed him.
"Can we just get this over with please, sir? I need to be on time for my first class," Harry decided against saying he had no interest in reminiscing about his parents' past.
"Of course," Peter seemed a little more confident than he had been seven years ago.
Peter whispered the password to the gargoyle, which moved aside and revealed a staircase. He ushered Harry up the stairs and to a door, which Peter knocked on.
"Come in!" called a voice from the inside.
Peter opened the door and they both entered.
Inside the office Harry saw Colin was already there, sat on a stool facing Harry and screaming nonsense. Also there, and also screaming, was Lily and James Potter, both of whom were red in the face. Sirius and Remus, who were also there, both had their backs to Harry and seemed to have their faces buried in their hands as they sat on the edge of Dumbledore's desk. Dumbledore was stood up behind his desk and in front of his chair staring at the screaming child, he was also holding the sorting hat.
"I BELONG IN GRYFFINDOR!" screamed Colin so loud Harry thought it would probably wake the dead.
"MY SON DOESN'T BELONG IN RAVENCLAW!" for the first time in forever, Harry agreed with Lily Potter. Colin deserved to be told he couldn't be sorted due to the fact the hat couldn't fit over his fat head.
"It is an unfortunate situation," is Dumbledore's report. "But there isn't anything that can be done."
"Professor, can't an exception be made? As he is the Boy Who Lived?" asked James.
Dumbledore shook his head. "I'm sorry, James. But it is for the best. Maybe this is his destiny. After all, this is the house of wisdom."
Colin began to yell at the top of his lungs, he jumped onto the chair and jumped up and down like a toddler and screamed and screamed and screamed and screamed. And then suddenly stopped.
And stared straight at a calm Harry.
Lily and James, who had been stood either side of Colin trying to calm him down, turned to stare at him as well.
Remus and Sirius, aware of the sudden silence, turned around and saw Harry. Sirius' face lit up at the sight of his godson.
"Harry..." he stage-whispered in delight.
Harry didn't respond, opting instead to look at his shoes.
"Take a seat, Harry. I'm sure we all have some questions that need answering," said Dumbledore, pointing at a stool in front of his desk that Harry was sure hadn't been there earlier.
Harry walked over, aware all eyes were on him as he took a seat.
"So," Dumbledore began as he placed the sorting hat on the desk.
James looked flustered. "Your mother and me-"
"Your mother and I," Harry corrected him with a smile.
"Quite right," Dumbledore dismissed before James could respond. "Harry, where have you been for the last seven years?"
Harry nearly scoffed. According to the Daily Prophet, Dumbledore is the the most powerful wizard in the world, and he's asking him this?!
Harry shrugged, trying to hold back his anger.
Lily Potter, however, didn't share the same restraint. "You just left! How could you?! Do you know how stressful it was for us to hide that from the press!?"
Harry had to restrain himself from rolling his eyes.
Dumbledore cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. "Well, Harry, where have you disappeared to?"
"Disappeared? Headmaster, I wasn't on another planet! I was in Yorkshire!" he left out: 'which you should know from the letters!'
"And why, may I ask were you there?"he asked.
"Professor, can we just get to the point? The situation of his school house?" James interrupted.
"If that's what you want to do, James, then yes," he answered with a smile. "Harry, you will be resorted-"
"Why?" Harry asked, a little panicked. "You're not resorting Colin!"
"We can handle Colin being in Ravenclaw!" James snapped. "But a Potter in Slytherin? No. If that gets out to the press then the whole family would be put through so much same!"
Harry couldn't take it anymore. He was not that little four-year-old crying in his room because of his parents now. He refused to be their little punching bag.
"Family?! Ha! That's a joke! I stopped being apart of...whatever this-" he gestured everyone in the room. "-is the day you called me a selfish brat who didn't deserve that birthday party!"
James looked a little taken aback. Harry supposed he didn't think Harry would remember that. But he did.
A child doesn't just forget the cruel things a parent tells them, even in anger and even if they apologise.
And then Colin spoke.
"Well, of course you didn't! I'm the Boy Who Lived-"
"And a complete self-centred brat!"Harry yelled before he could stop himself.
Oh no, should he have said that?
"How dare you!?" Lily yelled dramatically, as she wrapped her arms around her 'baby'. "This is exactly why you are a Slytherin! You have no respect for-"
"Not all Slytherins are bad! Or in any way disrespectful to people who deserve respect!" Harry said with pride.
"Name one good Slytherin," James sneered.
Harry saw Sirius shift in a similar way to how Theo had done on the train.
"Merlin," Harry answered quickly and with a smile.
James huffed a laugh and looked over at the Headmaster, who nodded that Harry's answer was true.
James' smile dropped in shock.
"Well, if that's it," Harry got up from his seat and started to walk towards the door.
"Wait," Dumbledore called. "There is still certain things that we need to discuss, you returning to your parents care is the main thing."
Harry shot back around. But he wasn't panicked.
"I'm not going back with them," he said in a matter-of-fact tone and a smile.
That would be a nightmare!
"Why not?" Dumbledore asked kindly. "Your family have missed you dreadfully and really want you home."
"So why are they making you do all the talking for them?" he asked curiously.
"I assure you, no one is making me talk," Dumbledore smiled pleasantly.
"Of course we want you back!" James cried out. "You're our son!"
"No, I'm not..." Harry muttered.
Harry wasn't sure if his so-called 'family' actually wanted him back because he was their son or because it would look bad for them it word spread to the press.
Then he thought about his Mum.
His kind and loving Mum. The one who wiped away his tears when he cried, the one who bought him his toys, the one who threw him birthday parties, who helped him make friends, taught him to be good.
The one who wanted him for him, not the press.
"They are your family," said Dumbledore, who seemed to interrupt Sirius who had looked like he was about to say something. "That is what all this is about."
No it's not.
It's about being a toddler and being taught how to speak by the house-elves because Mummy and Daddy are busy with your brother.
It's about being three and crying hungry and alone because your family forgot to give you dinner.
It's about being three and a half and having to calm yourself down from the nightmare with the green flashing light because your family don't care.
It's about just turning four and crying alone and begging for love.
He had it now. He has a Mum, an Auntie and a cousin who all love him. And he now has his best friend back, as well as three new friends. That's what matters.
"I'm not going back with them," Harry stated.
"Yes, you are," James said back. "We have rights-"
"No, you don't," Harry grinned.
Remus, who had been quietly watching, now spoke up. "Of course they do, they're your parents-"
"No, they don't. They didn't oppose the guardianship, therefore my guardian has all the rights."
"Who is this guardian then?"Lily snarled. Clearly she never read those letters.
"Allyssa Rose," Harry answered proudly.
"Oh! That explains why she was at the station!" Sirius said in wonder, almost to himself. "I did wonder why she, of all people, would be there... I never thought she would have moved-"
"Well, we'll oppose the guardianship now!" declared James. "Then you will have to-"
Harry continued to grin. "You're too late! The guardianship was just apart of the seven year process for wardship! Which she now has! And because you two-" he pointed at Lily and James, "-never opposed the process in those seven years means she now has more rights than you! So I won't be going back with you!"
"Why wouldn't you want to go back with your parents? You can see they love-"
"The only things those people love is that brat-" he pointed at Colin, who was scowling at him, "-and their fame. That's it. I've never been on their loving agenda. Not like my real Mum. My real Mum loves me for me, not fame or reputation. For me! She is a million times a better parent than these two will ever be! So, I'm not being resorted and I'm not going back to them! So just leave me alone!"
Harry ran out of the office, leaving everyone inside baffled.
But, as soon as he was in the hall, he sobbed into his sleeve.
He was not crying because he wanted them! Not in the slightest!
He was sobbing for the little boy who had needed love all those years ago.
And had started a new life which had lots of people who loved him in it.
While in that offices, Harry felt like that little boy again. Stronger? Yes. But he still had that feeling of being that little boy again. He hated feeling that way! He'd worked so hard to stop feeling that way, and now it had come back...
"Are you alright?" came a pair of concerned voices.
Harry opened his eyes to see the tear-blurry faces of the red-haired twins he had seen at the feast last night.