Tattered and Torn

Three days later, moved into the house and settled, James came out to where his daughters were on the porch, Erin and Jamie playing catch and Virginia reading as usual. "Girls, there's a park down the street. How would you like to go?"

"Yes!" Virginia said eagerly, snapping her book shut and leaping to her feet.

"What're you reading, Virginia?" James asked as his family set off.

"The Last Battle. It's really good."

James nodded. "I've read that one. The ending's a bit like walking through a meadow on a fine summer's day and getting hit in the face with a fish, but it's a good book."

Jamie and Virginia giggled. Erin was distracted by the fact that she'd just dropped her ball. She let go of Jamie's hand and darted after it.

"Erin! Stop!" Jamie scolded. Erin evidently didn't hear and instead kept going, following the basketball into the street. A car suddenly swept around the corner, going so fast it would be unable to stop before it hit Erin, who had just squatted to pick the ball up.

"Erin!" James bellowed, seeing the danger to his youngest.

Erin saw the car and screamed. Jamie ran to help her sister, but her father pulled her back. Just before the car hit Erin, someone grabbed the small girl and pulled her to the sidewalk. The car whizzed harmlessly by.

Trembling, Erin looked up and saw the pale boy with glasses who had caught her ball before. He knelt down on her level again. "Are you okay?" he asked anxiously. He seemed genuinely concerned.

Erin nodded, her eyes still wide with fright. "Uh-huh. Thanks for saving me."

"Don't run out in the streets like that, okay?" the boy told her seriously. "Especially not around here. That driver--I know him--he's in a bad mood and he doesn't pay attention when he's driving in a bad mood."

"I promise," Erin said, crossing her heart. She suddenly remembered something. "Oh! My sister says the stories about the morhodel came from ex-morhodel who came to the good side."
"Oh," the boy nodded. "That makes sense...I think."

Jamie flew to Erin's side, Virginia only half a step behind her. "Erin!" she cried in relief, sweeping her little sister up into her arms and hugging her tightly. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

Erin shook her head. "I'm okay. This boy saved me." She pointed to the boy, who had straightened up and was watching them with a sad and slightly wistful expression in his emerald eyes.

Jamie gave him a thankful look. "Thank you so much. You have no idea...or maybe you do..."

"I don't. But I can imagine," the boy said quietly. "I don't have any siblings myself, but my friend Ron thought his sister had died a couple years ago and he was inconsolable."

"Had she?" Erin asked, her eyes wide.

"No, she was fine, but it was a pretty near miss." The boy looked like he wanted to say more, but he didn't. Virginia frowned slightly but didn't comment.

James hurried across the street and joined the group. "Erin, you know to look both ways before you run across the street," he scolded.

Erin hung her head. "I thought I did. Sorry, Daddy."

The boy spoke up. "In all fairness, sir, my uncle did kind of come barrelling around the corner. He's in a bad mood and he's not really the best driver when he's upset. It isn't really your daughter's fau..." He trailed off unexpectedly. What little colour there was in his face left it.

"What's wrong?" Virginia asked in concern.

James, too, was worried. "Is there something the matter? You look like you've seen a..." But he trailed off as well. The boy's glasses, round black ones, covered a pair of emerald eyes--eyes James knew, eyes he remembered--and his jet-black hair was sticking up in a million and one directions.

Swallowing, James asked the boy, "I...is that a new hairstyle?" Unconsciously, his hand went to his own unruly hair.

"It grows that way," the boy murmured softly. He looked almost frightened.

James couldn't blame him. He was frightened too...but he had to ask. "H-Harry?"

The boy swallowed. "Dad?" he whispered hoarsely.

The two held their pose for a split second. Then, without even thinking, James practically sprang forward and hugged the boy, who hugged him back just as tightly.

Jamie stared from one to the other. "Huh?"

James stepped back, his hazel eyes shining, and put his hand on his oldest daughter's shoulder. "Girls...this is Harry. He's your half-brother. Harry, this is Jamesina, Virginia, and Erin. My girls and your half-sisters."

Harry almost smiled--almost. "Nice to meet you."

James smiled, a real, full, genuine smile. "This is a little hard for me to take," he told Harry, his voice heavy with emotion. "I thought you were dead...all these years..."

"I thought you were dead, too," Harry said honestly. "But it's a little easier for me to take...I found out you were still alive a couple days ago."

"How did you know?"

"Dumbledore" was the simple reply. "He's been tracking you for years--he's had these gadgets tracking you and Mum--but there were so many things crammed into his office he was getting interference."

"What stopped that?" James asked curiously.

Harry looked down at his shoes. "I...I sort of went into a rage last month and smashed a lot of them."

"Well, you haven't been well brought-up," Virginia observed.

"Virginia!" James scolded.

Harry shook his head. "You can't fault my upbringing for that one. It's entirely my own fault...I was upset and angry and I let my emotions get the better of me."

"Oh."

Harry glanced down at his watch and his eyes widened. "Shoot. I was supposed to be home ten minutes ago."

"Ten minutes can't matter much," James pointed out.

"You don't understand. I'm supposed to check in at home on a strict schedule so everyone can make sure I'm still alive." There was no bitterness in Harry's voice; it was a simple, quiet statement of facts.

"We'll walk you," Erin offered, wriggling out of Jamie's arms and taking Harry's hand. "Right, Daddy?"

"Of course." James fell into step with Harry. "You live with Sirius, right?"

Harry shook his head. "I live with my aunt and uncle."

"Why?"

"Dumbledore thought it would be better for me, in the long run, to be raised in a Muggle family. Besides, Aunt Petunia is Mum's sister...there's some sort of protection involving her. I don't really understand it, but I'm going to trust Dumbledore."

James hesitated. "You have met Sirius, haven't you? You know he's your godfather?"

"Of course," Harry answered. But he didn't quite meet James's eyes.

"Did he at least look in on you?" James pressed. "Make sure you were okay?"

Harry shook his head. "That's kind of hard to do from Azkaban."

"He's in Azkaban? What for?"

"No one knew you'd changed the plan. They all thought he'd turned you over to Voldemort. And he isn't there anymore."

"He isn't? They let him out?"

"He escaped--about three years ago now. Tried to find Pettigrew at Hogwarts and kill him... nearly succeeded a couple of times. The first time Ron woke up and yelled...it scared him off. The second time I stopped him...I said that I didn't think you'd have wanted your two best friends to turn into murderers just for him."

"I wouldn't have." James did a double take. "You've met Remus too?"

Harry nodded. "In fact, that's part of why I had to be home...he's supposed to meet me there." He glanced at his watch and started walking a little faster.

James chuckled. "If he's anything like he was when we were fifteen, he'll ream you out big time for being late."

"If you're anything like you were when you were fifteen, you flip people upside down for the heck of it," Harry countered.

"You used to do that, Daddy?" Virginia said with wide eyes.

James chuckled. "Point taken. How'd you know about that anyway?"

"I...sort of fell into Snape's Pensieve last year," Harry said apologetically. "I was being nosy...it's one of my worst faults. One of many."

"I don't believe that," Jamie protested. "You can't be that bad."

Harry almost smiled again. "Thanks, Jamesina, but you don't know the half of it."

"Just Jamie. Please. And what did you do that's so bad?" She looked around and lowered her voice. "It's not like you've used an Unforgivable on anyone or anything like that."

Harry shook his head. "I tried, but it didn't work...you have to really want to create whatever effect it is, you have to enjoy it, and righteous anger doesn't work for long..."

"What did you try?" Jamie asked in a whisper. Virginia took James's hand and looked with wide eyes at Harry; Erin let go of Harry's hand and grabbed James's other one. "And how many times did you try?"

Harry sighed. "The Cruciatus Curse...only once, and never again."

"What were you so angry about?" Jamie continued. "I mean, you said righteous anger wouldn't have worked for long...what made you try?"

Harry looked down at his shoes. James noticed a glimmer of tears in those emerald eyes. "I...I made a bad judgement, nearly got my best friends killed in a situation I shouldn't have been in...older wizards turned up to help us and one of them died. To make matters worse, he was the man we'd originally...thought was in danger and...gone to save..." He broke off, his voice trembling slightly.

James swallowed and quickly changed the subject. "So, Harry...where do you live?"

"Two houses over," Harry answered, sounding grateful for the change of subject. "Right down there...Number Four, Privet Drive."

As the small group approached the house, James noticed two people standing on the porch, deep in conversation. Snatches of it floated towards them. "...this late...getting really worried...anything could've...in broad daylight?...often don't care...could he be?"

"Sorry I'm late," Harry called, hurrying up to the porch. James and his daughters hung back. "I got a little hung up..."

"Harry!" the woman said, sounding relieved. "There you are!"

"We've been worried about you," the man said slowly. Relief and concern was evident at once in his tones. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," Harry assured the man. James suddenly stiffened with recognition. Harry was talking to Remus Lupin.

"I was afraid you might have been run over," the woman told Harry, giving him a small hug. "Vernon was in a rage again and went driving out of here..."

"I know. That's part of what held me up...he almost ran over a little girl and I was talking to her family." James wondered vaguely why Harry didn't mention that he'd saved Erin by pulling her out of the way.

Remus looked surprised. "Is the girl okay?"

Harry nodded, but before he could say anything Erin spoke up. "I'm okay. Harry pulled me out of the way."

"Erin," James sighed wearily. "What did I tell you just this morning?"

"If you can't be part of the solution, there's good money to be made in prolonging the problem."

"Before that."

"Little ships must keep to the shore, larger ships may venture more."

"About other people's conversations."

Erin looked sheepish. "Don't interrupt other people when they aren't talking to you. Sorry."

Remus smiled a tired sort of smile at Erin. It suddenly struck James how old and tired Remus looked. Oh, Remus, what have you done to yourself? "No, it's all right. I'm glad you're okay, Miss..."

"Erin," Erin supplied. "Just Erin. This is my big sister Virginia, and this is my bigger sister Jamie, and...mmmph!"

Jamie had clapped a hand over Erin's mouth. "Sorry about her," she apologised to Remus. "She babbles sometimes."

"No, it's okay," Remus assured them. "I..." He suddenly noticed James and froze. "J-James?"

James grinned. "Remus, old friend!"

Remus may have looked old and tired, but he moved as quickly as James did. The two embraced on the sidewalk, both laughing and crying all at once.

The woman gripped Harry's shoulder and looked pale. "J--James? James Potter?"

James grinned up at the porch. "Penny, right? Priscilla? Pernella?"

"Petunia," the woman supplied. "Lily's sister, remember?"

"Of course I do," James assured her. He beckoned his daughters forward and introduced them, then had to explain to Remus about Leanne.

"You mean..." Petunia trailed off, looking at the three girls and James in an expression of surprise and incredulity.

"He doesn't know any more than we did, Aunt Petunia," Harry said quietly.

"Know what?" James asked in bemusement.

Jamie blurted out, "Harry, your mother's still alive, isn't she?" She looked up at her father sheepishly. "Sorry, Dad, I forgot."

But Harry and Remus were both nodding. "She's in a little village south of here," the latter told James. "She's been living with the preacher's family and teaching piano...they've been calling her Tizzy."

James swallowed. "Do...do you think she'd like to see me?"

"I'm sure she would, but not today," Remus said slowly. "She's looking forward to seeing Harry--that's why I'm here, to pick him up--but I think it'd be better to wait for you. At least until tomorrow."

"I'll try and visit her tomorrow, then," James said thoughtfully.

Remus smiled and nodded. "Coming, Harry?"

"I'm coming." Harry turned to his aunt. "See you later, Aunt Petunia." He followed Remus up the sidewalk. James shepherded his children towards the park.