Harry Potter And The Prince Of Darkness

"What" - Dialogue

'What' - Thoughts

Daniel sat swaddled tightly in his mother's arm. He had been confused as hell when he saw Lily Potter looking at him. He wanted to be in the story and help Harry, but being reborn as his brother, was something he couldn't believe was possible. His existence has probably thrown the entire canon story out of whack. This was bad. He had valuable knowledge of a future that was doomed to never exist. He almost wanted to cry, as his grand plan to help Harry stick it to Dumbledore went up in smoke before he could even start. Harry would not be sent to the Dursleys because they would have to send him too. Dumbledore wouldn't be able to raise a martyr because he would have family still alive that would give him a reason to live. He didn't think Death would be so cruel as to drop into the Potterverse and then kill him early on.

His thinking had been interrupted as giant people filed into the room. Alright, maybe giant wasn't correct, but relative to him they could very well be called that. The first man to enter the room had grey eyes, refined features, and long black hair. James had taken Harry and handed it to him, saying that Harry was his godson. That had to mean the man was Sirius Black. He wiggled around, trying to get a better look at the scene playing out in front of him. Lily felt it and settled him back facing her, so he eventually gave up. He could hear their conversation as they spouted the same canon description of Harry repeated many times throughout the series. A carbon copy of his father with his mother's eyes.

He felt a hand snake under him as he was lifted through the air. It was an odd feeling, to say the least. He had been lifted several times by the nurses for different reasons, but none of those times felt like this. He felt weightless as he was handed off to James and settled into the crook of his arm. Turning around, he seemed to be walking towards an older looking gentleman. The man looked a lot like James, but more rugged. James started talking to the man about wanting to make his middle name "Charlus". Given the elder man's stunned reaction, it must have been his name. 'Charlus? Was there any character in the books called Charlus?' From the similarities between him and James, that meant that he was most likely James' father. 'Wait! That means he's my grandfather!' The books had never referenced Harry's grandparents as it was just assumed that they died before he was born. If this man was truly his grandfather, then he was in an alternate universe of Harry Potter. Hopefully, one where his grandparents would survive the war.

Charlus rejected the notion by saying that names had power and as twins, they should share their middle and family names. Daniel didn't know what to think about that because he honestly felt Charlus was a cool sounding middle name. He would've been more than happy to honor his grandfather at the same time. James then offered to allow Charlus to give him a name. This was when a sliver of doubt came into his mind. He liked the name Daniel, but it was associated with nothing but the sickness and suffering of his past life. With this, he would be effectively starting with a clean slate. While his memories still mattered, he wanted to experience a new world without any baggage. He hoped that he would get a decent name. God knows what would happen if he got stuck with some ridiculous name for the rest of his new life. He looked at his grandfather with a pleading look in his eyes as the tension built up. Charlus was hemming and hawing before he got a look on his face. It was like he had received enlightenment as he whispered Daniel's new name. "Alexander. His name will be Alexander James Potter."

Daniel, now Alexander, was elated with his new name. It sounded absolutely badass. He made his happiness known with a smile as he gurgled. He heard a voice compliment his grandfather's choice as he was lifted yet again by another person in the room. This time, it was an elderly lady who had a regal bearing to her. Thin but strong arms supported him as her grey eyes stared down at him. "Oh dear, aren't you such a cute little boy. With your big grey eyes and hair just like your handsome father." 'Wait, what?! Grey eyes?! Wasn't he twins with Harry? Wouldn't that mean his eyes were green?' His confusion was increased by James saying he had brown eyes. To which Lily countered that he had green eyes. The situation became even more complicated when Charlus backed up James' assertion. At this point, he didn't know what to think as everyone was offering conflicting judgments.

Through the commotion, he heard a slightly hoarse, elderly voice call out to Dorea and ask for him. The figure, who wore purple robes with shooting stars on them gently took him from his grandmother. He stared up curiously, only to find himself face to face with the hypocritical, lemon-drop s.u.c.k.i.n.g Wizard of Oz himself. The man behind the curtain that manipulated all of Wizarding Britain into thinking of him as the second coming of Merlin. One of the most knowledgable, secretive and skilled wizards to ever live. Albus Dumbledore. The person who manipulated Harry all his life and influenced him to martyr himself against Voldemort.

Before he even had time to react, Dumbledore smiled at him with that wretched twinkle in his eyes. He walked forward while giving instructions to James, Sirius, and Lily. Something about letting him see all of them laying down. He had no idea why they were doing it but went along with it anyway to not garner their suspicion. Lily had taken him from Dumbledore and laid him down on his back. The other a.d.u.l.ts started surrounding the bed and he looked up at them, wondering what exactly they were all looking at. As he was looking at the various faces, he heard a lady gasp and say: "By Merlin, he's a Metamorphmagus!" This was something he recognized instantly. 'I'm a Metamorphmagus like Tonks?! That is so cool!' The movies had done an amazing job at showcasing Nymphadora Tonks' shapeshifting powers. As thoughts raced through his head, he found himself getting drowsy. It looked like he was able to change his eye color, which was kinda cool but limited. Seeing as he couldn't change his hair or face, it looked like he wasn't a full Metamorphmagus. Still, it could be a cool party trick, so he wasn't gonna complain.

Dumbledore started talking about how Harry didn't have the gift but it might manifest it later on in his life. The most interesting part he heard was that his talent could potentially evolve. Meaning, he might just be able to change his facial features and hair in the future. 'Here's to hoping.' he thought as he listened to a.d.u.l.ts drone on about him and Harry. The boring talk started to lull him to sleep as he felt his eyelids getting heavy. It must have been some sort of signal because all the a.d.u.l.ts started congratulating James and Lily before quietly filing out of the room. He found himself in Lily's arms again as she walked towards the crib. She lowered him onto the soft mattress as James came over and set Harry down next to him. With that, Dumbledore went downstairs with James, Lily, and Sirius following him. He turned his head to the side looking at Harry. He found him looking back at him with a curious look in his big, green eyes. If this was what being a baby was like, the next couple of years were going to suck.

After an unknown amount of time, he heard the stairs creaking as footsteps drew closer to the room. Lily was the first through the door, walking to their crib and fussing over them. James followed closely behind and put his arm around Lily as he looked down upon him and Harry. He stared back with a blank look on his face. James' wand shot out of his sleeve and he gave it a flick. A stuffed animal that looked like a stag materialized out of thin air and James caught it as it fell. He brought the stuffed stag close to them as he muttered an incantation while tapping the toy. He set it down in between them and Alexander stared wide-eyed as the toy stood up on its own and started walking around. Harry found it exceptionally entertaining as he gurgled happily while the stag lightly prodding his cheek with its fuzzy antlers. Not finished with his impromptu performance, James chanted "Bublio" and a small stream of clear bubbles erupted out of the tip of his wand. The stag started to prance around the crib, popping the bubbles as they fell. Both of them were excited by the display of magic before them as they wriggled around.

Lily, who had been watching from the side with a smile on her face stepped in. "James, they're tired. They need to be calmed down, not excited. Otherwise, we won't get any sleep." She gently remonstrated him in a loving tone. James had cracked a half-smirk as he looped his hand around Lily's waist and brought her in for a kiss. "Don't worry Lily-flower. It's not like we have jobs to get to. We're stuck in the cottage until the Dark Bastard is taken care of. Might as well have a bit of fun now that these two little imps are going to keep us company." Lily had lightly slapped James' c.h.e.s.t as she replied. "James Potter! No swearing in front of my babies. I do not want them picking up any foul language." James had grinned as he riposted. "Look at that, Lils! You've truly embraced your motherhood already. Okay then, I promise to keep my language clean when around the boys. I'll save the dirty talk for the bedroom." He finished with a mischievous wink. Lily looked aghast as she slapped his c.h.e.s.t a bit harder than the last time. "James! Manners!" His only reply was to tighten his grip around her and pull her in for a searing kiss that lasted a while.

Alexander was kind of weirded out by what was going on in front of him. Oh, he understood the reason, as he had experienced the same intense d.e.s.i.r.e for Agatha. However, seeing his new parents making out in front of him was nothing but awkward. He blamed his memories and internal maturity as Harry was minding his own business, enamored with the animated stag. After what seemed like an eternity of awkwardly avoiding looking at them, they finally broke apart and started to coo at him and Harry. Harry seemed to have spent whatever energy he had playing with the stag, and was struggling to keep his eyes open. He, on the other hand, was seemingly filled with boundless energy. It didn't look like he would be asleep for a while.

He could see the tiredness in Lily and James' eyes though, so he pretended to be sleepy. Both of them, especially Lily, deserved a long night of rest. He would figure out something to keep him entertained while he tried to go to sleep. James had picked up the stag and deactivated the animation charm. Lily bent down and softly kissed them both on the forehead. "Good night my sweet babies." James followed up with a soft "Good night. Harry. Alex." He reacted to the nickname. 'Alex, huh? Sounds cool.' They tiptoed out of the room, shutting off the light while leaving the door open. A couple of minutes later, Alex glanced at Harry. The little tyke was out like a light. All that excitement must've tuckered him out. It had been less than five minutes since James and Lily had left. Sighing, he looked up at the mobile with the Marauder's Animagus forms slowly revolving around and tried to fall asleep.

Alex didn't know how much time had passed, but he couldn't take it anymore. He had tried everything he knew to help him relax and start his trip to the realm of Morpheus. Meditation, breathing techniques, even attempting to remember his boring med school lectures. Some of them had put him straight to sleep, even with his enthusiasm for medicine. None of them had been effective, as he could feel the energy, bubbling underneath his skin. He started to get curious as to what exactly it was. It felt natural like it belonged, but the only thing he could compare it to was a form of runner's high. He felt on top of the world and didn't seem to be coming down anytime soon. It was frustrating because of how little he had to go on.

'Could it possibly be my magic that I'm feeling?' It would make sense because magic is a type of energy and children could unintentionally use it in small bursts. J. K. Rowling never went into detail about the mechanics of magic in small children. The most she ever described was accidental magic and its various forms. Harry turned his teacher's hair blue, Apparated onto the school roof and most likely healed all his injuries from the Dursleys. In most cases, it manifested in a time of stress and responded to the child's will. This was an important point as it demonstrated that wandless magic was not as out of reach as magicals believed. If they could do it as children, why couldn't they do it as a.d.u.l.ts?

He could deduce from his prior reading that there were two basic components to wandless magic that he knew of. Emotions and will. Magic seemed to be closely intertwined with emotions. Otherwise, accidental magic wouldn't consistently be able to be traced back to times of emotional turmoil. Will was the second element and also the most difficult to understand. It could be something simple, like desiring an item enough to summon it into your hands. It could also be as complex as demanding something and Magic reacting to fulfill the demand.

When Harry was searching for a place to hide from Dudley's gang and accidentally Apparated, he ended up on the roof. The roof was an odd choice as a hiding place. Completely inaccessible to students and staff, which was why the fire department had to respond and get him down. Wouldn't Harry's safest place be his cupboard, which was his sanctuary? Was Magic possibly be sentient? Could it have reacted to Harry's demand for a safe place in the context of the situation? The event had occurred during a lunch break if he remembered correctly. Harry would not have been allowed to leave school grounds for home, as the school hadn't let them out yet. Had Magic transported Harry onto the roof with these constraints in mind? It was something he would have to investigate later on.

He was brought out his thoughts by a low whimper sounding next to him. Turning his head, he saw Harry, now wide awake, looking towards him. His eyes had tears pooling in them as he let out another whimper. 'Oh, no. Please don't cry. Please don't cry.' Alex mentally pleaded as he attempted to move to calm Harry. 'This blanket is so damn restricting I can barely move a finger!' Let me out, damn you!' The moment the thought had appeared in his mind, the blanket had loosened considerably. It was enough for him to free his chubby little arms and hug Harry. As he dr.a.p.ed his arm around him, Harry instantly quieted as his sniffling ceased. 'That's it. Good boy! Everything's going to be fine.' Harry had gurgled as his eyes stared into his.

Alex had felt something strange as he looked at Harry. It was a foreign feeling that he couldn't quite place. He felt a hodgepodge of different emotions, some of which he couldn't categorize. Love was there, and a good deal of it. Calm, comfort and curiosity were all present, along with something that didn't make sense to him. It took him a few seconds to figure out that he was feeling Harry's emotions.

'Oh, man! It happened when I looked into his eyes! Could I be a natural Legilimens?!' To test his hypothesis, he had broken eye contact and snuggled into the right side of Harry's neck. Oddly, he still felt Harry's emotions, but something else had come to the forefront. Possessiveness? Protectiveness? Whatever it was, Harry was feeling it acutely. Before he could notice, his blanket, the one he had shed, wrapped back around his figure. This time, it worked in concert with Harry's blanket to form a double swaddle...thing. He wasn't sure what it was called, or if it even had a name. Needless to say, it wrapped around both of them like a double burrito, encasing them in plush, wooly warmth. Alex marveled at how relaxed he felt. Hearing Harry's soft breathing as his c.h.e.s.t rose and fell was something that brought a lot of comfort to him. He was slowly lulled by the sensation as his eyelids grew heavy and then, the world dissolved into black.

Lily Potter woke up at her regular time of eight in the morning. She gingerly extended her foot out of the warm embrace of the blanket and onto the carpeted floor. Getting up slowly so she didn't wake James, she crept out of the room, making her way towards the twins' room. As she was walking, she couldn't help but be amazed at the convenience afforded by magic. Roughly ten hours ago, she had given birth twice and now, she only felt a mild soreness. She remembered Petunia's experience with childbirth and it had made her nervous when she was expecting. Petunia had been bedridden for almost a week after giving birth to Dudley. After both Harry and Alex were born, Dorea had handed her a couple of potions that fixed her right up. She had handed her a potions regimen schedule that would have her back to normal within two days. Sighing in wonder, she walked over to the crib and gasped at the sight before her.

The twins, who were individually swaddled yesterday, were now joined together under the blankets. A bright smile blossomed on her face as she walked quickly back into the master bedroom. "James. Wake up!" she whispered as she shook her husband. Being an Auror, James' reaction was swift as he flicked his wand into his hand as he whipped off the blanket and got out of bed. Seeing Lily in front of him, he protectively embraced her while keeping his wand pointed at the door. "What is it, Lily?! Is it the wards?! The boys?!" his mind raced as he tried to figure out what was happening. Lily was touched by his protectiveness and smiled as she pecked his cheek and explained what she had seen. "You have to see the boys, James. I think one of them may have done some accidental magic! They look so adorable all bundled up together. Get the camera. We need to save this moment."

Exhaling in relief, James affectionately ruffled her head as he made his way to the c.h.e.s.t of drawers opposite the bed. He opened the top drawer and retrieved the camera, and quickly loaded a fresh roll of film. They made their way to the room and James also gasped at how cute his boys looked as they slept. Positioning himself directly above them, he framed the shot and clicked the shutter release. The camera flashed brightly as a click sounded. Not satisfied with one photo, James repositioned himself and took another one. This process repeated four more times as he endeavored to get every possible angle. It was a good thing they had been deep asleep and weren't disturbed by the constant flashes of light. Lily sidled up next to him and leaned her head onto his shoulder. Looping his arm around her, they stood in silence, just admiring the angelic scene in front of them.

After several minutes of silence, they exited the room and went down to start their morning routines. James always started preparing coffee while Lily went to the bathroom first. By the time she was finished, he would have two piping hot mugs on the table. Ever since Lily had introduced him to coffee and all the different methods of making it, James had been hooked. He routinely switched up his method of preparation and what coffee he used. Lily loved to try exotic blends from different parts of the world, so they always had various bags from different brands in their cupboard. Today he felt like he needed something a bit stronger, so he chose a dark roasted Sumatran coffee. He took his time as he ground the beans using a hand grinder. Waiting until he had the perfect medium grind texture. It was a ritual he enjoyed every morning. He loved the feeling of using his hands to get the consistency he d.e.s.i.r.ed and make a delicious cup of coffee for Lily. Of course, using magic would be easy, but he felt more satisfaction when he saw her smile as she took her first sip. Knowing he was responsible for it made it all the better.

These small daily habits were what kept both of them sane as they hid from a Dark Lord hell-bent on murdering them and their children. The pressure had been building for a while as they learned about the chaos outside of their little haven. Entire families being wiped out by the Death Eaters, ending ancient lines that existed since the time of the Four Founders themselves. Most of the pressure had been released upon the birth of their children. The adorable little scamps would become a big part of their lives from today onwards and he couldn't wait to witness them grow up into fine young wizards. However, James was aware that despite a lot of pressure being released, their continued concealment would mean the pressure would build up yet again. They would eventually go stir crazy, as they couldn't hide forever.

He prayed every day for the end of the war, but it didn't look like it was going to end soon. It had dragged on through his seven years at Hogwarts and beyond. It was at times like these where he questioned his decision to stay in England. His father had been adamant they leave the country with Sirius, but his stubbornness had caused the biggest argument they had ever had. He had been foolhardy to think that he could fight while keeping his family safe. Lily's pregnancy had changed everything. Suddenly, James worried day and night about his safety. If he died, then how would it affect Lily and his children. It was what caused him to resign from being an Auror and take a break from the Order. Dumbledore had been understanding when Moody hadn't. They both approached warfare from varying perspectives. While Moody saw a good wand being taken away from the fight, Dumbledore saw an expecting father worried about not being there to raise his children.

They had gone under the Fidelius under Dumbledore's recommendation and waited for the arrival of their children. It had started well enough, but slowly, they started constantly being on edge. Lily's hormones ensured she was on a hair-trigger and James' irritation was at its peak. Until the day before, they were feeling stressed beyond belief with nothing but bad news from all fronts. Several Order members had been killed and they had wept for every single one of them. He got to the point where he started thinking if it was all worth it. That question was answered when he held his sons for the first time. A wave of clarity had passed through him as he saw their inquisitive eyes looking up at him. Every sacrifice they had made had been worth it. He would hide for the rest of his life to keep his boys safe if he needed to.

Despite their argument, James had wanted Charlus and Dorea to be there for the children's arrival. He wanted to use that to reconnect with his father as most of their correspondence had been frosty and impersonal. His parents had arrived and the tension between him and his father was palpable. He had welcomed and hugged him to break the ice. His mother had been ecstatic that they had begun the process to mend their relationship. He had wanted to honor his father by having his name be his second son's middle name. Even though his father had rejected, giving him the chance to name his second son had been an effective peace offering. His father had gifted his son with an amazing name and they had reconciled over it. They had left filled with joy after meeting their grandchildren. He hoped he could have them over more often, so his children could get to know their grandparents.

As Lily came down the stairs, he had finished pouring the coffee into their mugs. They sat down at the table in silence, sipping their coffee and enjoying each other's company. Gazing into his wife's brilliant, emerald eyes, he had a feeling they were going to make it.