Watching

Watching

Chapter 24

He was an entirely different person. Looks, attitude, his overall way of life had changed. This was not the brother I had known.

Hermione was right--he did look like me. We could pass for twins, we looked so alike. He no longer had his trademark hair--it was manageable now. No longer going in every direction possible. It looked longer than it had before, but that was probably because it was different hair. He didn't even need glasses any more.

He was now my father's son.

So what was our next stop? Hogwarts, to show my--our--father his son.

Hermione beamed at him. Obviously she approved of his new look. I had watched him for so long, his appearance now seemed to fit him better, it seemed to become him, so much more than the 'James' appearance did.

Dumbledore was passing through the foyer when we walked in. He acknowledged us with a nod before stopping and staring at Harry's forehead, where his scar still shown under his very different hair.

"Harry?" he asked disbelieving. "What happened to you?"

"Where's my father?" he asked.

"Your father is dead Harry."

"Not James," he clarified. "My real father. Where's Snape?"

"In the dungeons. His office."

"Thank you," he said walking off towards the place he used to avoid at all costs, Hermione's hand in his.

"He knows everything then?" Dumbledore asked me. "You've told him all?"

"I knew what my mother told me after being in a coma for three weeks. I met her, she informed me, I passed the message along. After I told him, he talked to our father, and then we went to the Weasleys. They took off the charm they cast on him 17 years ago, and he's been furious with them ever since.

"Turns out they're ashamed of what they did, Molly was telling us that she couldn't believe what she had done to James. I find it rather hard to believe that they did it just for my mother's pleading.

"Or that they did it so that she and James could focus while in battle, because if memory serves me, there were no major battles where they would have been harmed if they had lost their focus. In fact, if memory serves me, they--my parents and James--had defied the Dark Lord three times before Harry was even conceived."

"Miss Snape--"

"Malfoy," I corrected sharply.

"Malfoy," he acknowledged. "Your knowledge of the first war serves you well, however, your knowledge of the Weasley family does not. Fewer and fewer in this world, it seems, know that family, and for all the good they do, that is quite a shame. I suggest you 'watch' them, as you do, for a while, and you will find the reason for their decision to help your father and mother in their time of need. I personally am surprised that they went to the Weasleys. Lillian didn't much like them during the war, yet after they helped her, she seemed to warm up to them considerably. Now I know the full reason why. I thank you for helping me understand your parents fully, Athena, and I hope you will be an asset to me in the fight against Voldemort."

"Don't worry. As long as I like the way things are going, you'll have me on your side until I die."

I followed the familiar path to my father's office and found the door open and my father staring at Harry in shock. As if he'd heard my footsteps, he looked up at me, then back at Harry. We were identical, almost.

Harry's face was more like his was, but we had the same black as pitch hair, the same emerald green eyes that were darker than our mother's, but only because of the black of my father's. We were the same height, the same pale, the same calculating look was worn on both of our faces. Harry was a different person, now, and soon the whole world would know.

"They took it off?" he whispered. "When did they take it off?"

"About an hour ago," Hermione answered.

"You two are like twins," our father continued, still extremely shocked.

I looked at Harry and smiled. "He looks just like me, doesn't he?" I asked happily. "All Slytheriny and everything."

He blushed slightly and looked away. Still a bit of the old Harry Potter in there I see. Good, that means he's still my brother. I wouldn't want him to undergo a complete change on the world.

"Oh, look at him blush!" I laughed, causing him to go redder. I couldn't resist. He is my little brother after all.

"Stop," he mumbled.

"What?" I asked innocently.