49 Chapter 49: Mistrust

Disclaimer: 

Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

I own nothing but the original characters I make.

"Dialogue"

'Thoughts'

$Parseltongue$

Chapter 49: Mistrust

A team of aurors, along with James Potter arrived at Hogwarts, followed by Dumbledor, just a few minutes later.

It was almost midnight when things finally calmed down a bit.

Daphne did a good job of avoiding any details that would contradict his story of how the teacher ran away after being found out.

The auror team got all the information they could from the two eyewitnesses before leaving.

Snape then escorted Daphne to her dorm, leaving Harry alone with his father and Dumbledore.

The Headmaster did not seem satisfied with Harry's explanation and had tried to use the legilimency twice on him. 

Harry avoided eye contact with the Headmaster but still felt a familiar sensation of an intrusion attempt.

Luckily, Dumbledore was only trying to feel his surface thoughts and was not trying to dig deeper, otherwise, the existence of his occlumency shield would be revealed to the old man.

What Harry found surprising was the fact that the Headmaster dared to do this much in front of his father. 

"I'm taking him home for a few days." Said James.

"I this really necessary? Harry is completely fine. And we don't need this to gain more attention among the students." Dumbledore was very insistent with Daphne and Harry that today's events must be kept a secret for now.

Harry could agree on that. There was no need to cause mass panic. And they will never be able to connect Nayar with Lucius Maloy anyway.

'I'll have to do something about that…myself.'

"I'm sorry Albus but this is not negotiable. Do you have any idea how difficult was to convince Lily to stay at home and wait?" Answered James.

"He'll come back in a few days after things calm down a bit."

Dumbledore sighed and looked at Harry again.

"Very well James. Have him back in a few days. I'll come up with some excuse for his absence." 

James glanced at Harry and this one noticed something odd on his father's eyes. It was only there for a moment before disappearing.

"Let's go home, son. Your mother can't wait to see you."

Harry took his father's hand and let himself be guided to the fireplace.

"You remember how to use floo powder, right?. The code is 'Potter Manor'

Harry nodded and took some of the floo powder in his hands.

"Potter Manor."

Harry disappeared in a burst of green fire.

When he came out of the fireplace, he found himself in an unfamiliar place. He was expecting to arrive at the main hall of the manor, but instead, he was in a spacious but empty room, surrounded by brick walls and only a handful of candles to serve as illumination. 

He heard the fireplace ignite behind him.

"What is this room?" Harry asked.

"Potter Manor is a fake entry that leads to an underground security room beneath the manor. The real entry is 'Marauders nest'. My real son has never traveled by floo powder, so he had no way of knowing it. Who are you?" 

Harry turned around and saw his father pointing a wand at him.

"Was my story that bad?" He said, keeping his calm despite the situation.

"No…it was believable. But I found evidence of a fight in a nearby room. There was residual magic corresponding with a cast of the killing curse and also signs of a recent reparo charm being used on the furniture. "

Harry knitted his eyebrows. He didn't know about these detection methods. Moody never explained them to him, they mostly focused on fighting and survival magic.

He had wanted to join the aurors in the past, but the war started again before he had the chance.

Now he had to think about what to do next. If it came to it, he was fairly confident in defeating his father. But he would lose his family if he did that…what would be the point of this second chance then?

'Can I trust him with the truth?...or at least some of it?.'

But if he couldn't trust his family, who could he trust then?

It has become quite evident that hiding his abilities and intentions is going to backfire.

He was sure that his father was not the only one suspicious about him. But Albus Dumbledore is going to be more subtle about it than James Potter.

"What happened to my son," James asked. As much as he wanted to hide his emotions, his eyes betrayed him.

"Answer me!"

"I am your son…" Said Harry.

"My son…would never have survived a fight with a veteran hit-wizard. I never gave him any training either. I did try, but he hated to study any form of magic…he couldn't even…" There was something else James wanted to add but decided not to.

"You are right…I am not the son you remember or the son you raised in this house. But I am who I claim to be. I can prove it." Offered Harry.

James frowned and kept his wand in place.

"So you claim to be my son…but not the one I raised. Since I am sure I only had one son, what are you claiming to be, a time traveler or something ridiculous like that?" James said.

'No, is even more ridiculous than that…' Harry thought.

"Why don't I start by proving my identity? May I take my wand out?." 

"A magical oath?" James guessed his intentions.

"Fine, but no sudden moves…"

Harry did as told. He removed his ebony wand from his robes, leaving the other one inside his holster.

He held the wand out for James to see.

His father nodded.

"Go on." 

Harry made a smooth wave with his wand.

"I swear on my life and magic that I am Harry James Potter, son of James Potter and Lily Potter nee Evans, so motte be."

James's eyes opened like plates as he saw a flash of light, confirming the oath was complete.

"Impossible!"

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