Chapter 20

"So I have siblings?" Harry asked, late in the afternoon.

"Oh, yes. Two sisters, one of whom is your twin. You'll be meeting them soon. That is, if you come home with us."

She leaned back, staring in his eyes with hope and trepidation. "You'll come home with us, won't you, Harry? Dumbledore said you might not want to, and to give you space. But what does that senile goat know. He probably wants you to stay under his vision. As if I'll ever let him anywhere near you again."

He ignored Lily's question. From everything they'd informed him till now, Harry would be foolish to not take advantage of the Potter library. If what Lily said was true, then it was one of the biggest magical libraries in Britain, trailing Hogwarts library.

Another thing of interest was the vigilante group that the then-headmaster Dumbledore had formed in the 1986 wizarding war. The group was now legitimized under their minister, and was recognized as a special combat force for Magical Britain.

"And you said you too were part of this...order of spandex?" He asked, his nose wrinkling in distaste.

There was moment of silence before Lily broke out in delighted laughter.

"Oh love, N-No!" The woman stuttered between giggles. "Phoenix, Honey. Order of Phoenix. I swear to Morgana, if the order starts issuing skintight uniforms for us, I'll leave the group in a heartbeat."

"Wait, Why? What's a spandex, Lily?" James looked at them bewildered.

Harry smiled at his clueless father. "Nothing to worry about. Now, Can you explain to me about... Hogwarts, please?"

"Of course, Love. Ask away."

"Why is it named as such?" He asked the most troubling thing.

The woman grimaced.

"Is this school some...animals medication academy? Where we learn about different magical skin diseases that happens to a pig?"

There was another moment of silence as his parents digested his speculation.

"Blood hell, I never thought about it that way." James muttered. "Gee, thanks for the image kid. Just what I needed after a long and stressful day."

Harry frowned. "Why else would that be any school's name? If anything, blame your school's founders. What kind of educational hub names itself Hogwarts?"

"The magical kind." Lily answered, her grimace now marred with exasperation. "You will soon find that people in here have a horrible naming sense, Harry. You need a special kind of patience to live in magical Britain."

"What's that supposed to mean?" A frowning James asked.

"I see." Harry said with a nod, ignoring the plebian in front of them.

"Since no one wants to tell me anything, I will go and prepare for our departure." The man said, standing up with a groan.

"James, No!" Lily yelled out. "Don't go to that bastard alone."

Her face was tense, and he got the feeling that she was suppressing her more colourful words due to his presence.

"I'll be quick, promise. You go take Harry back to Godrick's hollow. Sirius will be–"

Harry's magic leapt out towards the man, dragging him down to his seat again.

He wasn't quite done with his questions yet. As much as he trusted his system's judgement, there were things that he wished to make abundantly clear to the Potters.

And he will need Gamer's Mind to properly go through each of the scenarios.

[Gamer's Mind: Activated]

Calm logic washed away his passive lust and lowered guard.

"Be seated." Harry ordered coolly. "I will need assurances before I agree to join your...family."

The two seemed to realize that they were still seated with a cold-blooded killer, though neither even twitched.

Lily did grumble slightly when he unwrapped himself away from her grasp.

"Of course, Harry." James was the one to answer this time, amicably spreading his arms wide. "We understand. But please, I would appreciate it if you could count yourself in our family as well."

Harry hummed, his mind gathering the politest words to describe his feelings.

Independence was one thing he valued the most. Right below magic and above internet. Even Shield hadn't forced him to do anything that he wasn't willing to do. And no one else will. Not even his family.

And he intended to let them know it right away.

"Let me make one thing clear between us then, something that is very important to me. I am not, and will never be, under any authority that I do not trust. Neither the government, nor yours. I've lived the past six, almost seven years, on my own, without any kind of authoritarian figure, so I hope you'll understand if I'm...unwilling to listen to your every word. Like every parent expects their child to do."

Did he want a family in the first place? No. He did not wished to be tied down to a group of people that he may not fully trust.

The world was too large and mysterious to limit himself to such a thing. His main goal will always remain to experience his life, and everything it has to offer, in full. While strengthening himself to survive that experience as well.

Everything else was simply a side quest.

"We understand." Lily nodded somberly, looking not even a little upset. "You've been through too much to follow our words without any questions. You have every right to your freedom."

She slowly got up, cautiously removing her wand with one hand raised in a sign of peace. Of course, he still prepared to defend himself, even knowing how helpless he'd be against two wizards.

A good thing she never pointed her wand at him. Though he did feel a light wave of magic suppressing the sound around the medical room.

"Just an extra precaution." She answered the unasked question, once again taking a seat beside him.

Her face was decidedly more grim and serious than it had been the entire day. "Now, I want you to believe me when I say this Harry, as long as you don't intend to slaughter your siblings in their sleep, your father and I are fine with anything you do. The many years that we'd spent in St. Mungo's had convinced us of one thing very clearly; There is nothing more important in this world than family. We were young and foolish when we risked our children in that war. Now? Now neither of us give one flying galleon about this country, or it's people. So you truly don't need to fear any judgement from us. We may not know what you went through, but we've experienced a hell of our own."

James approached him as well, laying a hand on his shoulder. "Family comes first, Harry. Whatever you may have done, whatever you will do in the future...neither of us care. As long as we are all together, safe and sound, we will be happy."

The honesty and intensity behind their words convinced him to drop the Gamer's Mind. A strange unfamiliar warmth once again spread through his chest as he mulled over their words. He felt a strange...kinship with them. His parents may not know what he really was, but they'd faced their own share of suffering and pain. They understood him, to a certain degree.

'What an unusual family...it will indeed be a shame to not complete it.'

Truly, there was no reason not to atleast give them a chance.

He should never have doubted his system. His fellow Potters were trust worthy, and Harry was ready to give his new family a try.

"Alright, but do know that staying with someone like you will be a new experience for me. So I have some conditions..."

---------------------------------------

Have you ever imagined, what it would be like if you were that last speck of toothpaste stuck inside, and someone squeezed you out of the tube with all their might? Him neither. It just wasn't the sort of thing a person imagines on a daily basis.

So it came as a right shock when he experienced it first hand. The feeling of your being stretching out to impossible limits before completely breaking down...it was horrible.

He wasn't a fan of Apparating. But as he looked around at the change of scenery and realized they've actually teleported a massive distance, he knew he was going to learn it anyway. It was too vital a skill to let go due to some discomfort.

Of course, he fully intended to make his own changes to the spell...when he learns how to.

"Welcome, Honey." Lily whispered softly beside him, and Harry had to catch his breath as he took in the absolute monstrosity in front of him.

It was a castle. A mini-castle that had a modern look to it, making it similar to an enormous manor...but Harry still considered it a castle.

"It's massive." He uselessly commented.

"This, my dear son, is our ancestral home, The Potter Manor." James proudly stated. "Every generation of Potter has lived in here. Though we do have other properties, and a cottage in Godric's Hollow that I'm dying to show you. You spent your first birthday there you know."

Harry absently nodded, his eyes still taking the enormous 'Manor'. Huge pillars supported the entire manor, glinting bright gold under the sun. Gold and red seemed to be a thing in his new family because even the massive gates that guarded the manor was golden, and so were the walls.

He couldn't take in the entire manor due to it being too big and them standing too close to it. But from what he could see, it was extravagant. Made for dastardly rich family. Something he would've never dreamt about.

"Come on, Darling. There are people waiting to meet you." Lily said, taking ahold of his arm gently.

Harry let himself be guided inside, all the while his eyes shifted from one thing to another. They passed through a giant set of red doors as they entered the manor, and he came upon another shocking site.

Flying clothes. James casually dropped his cloak to the ground, but instead of falling they simply levitated to the racks and hung themselves. And then he removed his shoes in the middle of the doorway, and they quickly snapped towards a shoe rack, rearranging themselves.

What.

"This might be a lot to take in, but remember, we are here for you, okay?" Lily softly murmured at his side.

He gave her a tiny nod before proceeding to follow James' example. And sure enough, his pair of torn sandals quickly flew towards the rack, looking quite out of place with the other stylish and polished footwears.

Magic, he realized, was so much more than he'd first imagined. What a shame that the only thing he'd learned to do with it was fighting and killing.

James didn't wait for them, excitedly going deeper down the hallway before cupping his hands in front of his mouth. "Come on, people! Guess who's here!"

Only silence greeted them.

"Girls!" He yelled again. "Look's who come home!"

Silence maintained its dominance.

James looked back, confusedly scratching his head. "Did they get bored and leave?"

And then it happened, with the sound of an avalanche, the entire manor shook beneath their feet, and the doors at the end of the hallway suddenly opened with a bang.

"Welcome home, Harry!" Chorused a multitude of people that Harry couldn't see due to the massive storm in front of him.

Colours flew everywhere, red and gold glitters raining down the sky with banging firecrackers erupting in front of his eyes. Mini rockets burst with a satisfying pop, and the coloured glitters started rearranging themselves into a huge 'WELCOME HOME' right above them.

It was loud, it was flashy, and it was irritating.

"That's enough!" James bellowed, his wand swishing in air, and all of a sudden the mixture of sounds stopped completely and the firecrackers vanished from site, though the glittering red and gold 'WELCOME HOME' remained.

And as the entire commotion finally came to a stop, Harry could make out the figures of over half a dozen people standing at the opened doorway.

Instantly, three people separated themselves from the group as James loomed over them. One of them was a stern looking woman who folded her hands.

"I tried to tell him it's a bad idea but...well, you know Sirius." The woman said with a sigh.

One of the three on the other side fell to his knees, his hands clutching his head.

"I planned that for so long! Why, why prongsei...how could you do this to me?" The man sniffed.

"Sirius, stop being a nuisance." The stern witch snapped. "You are leaving a bad impression on your godson."

"Yes, dear." The man meekly nodded, standing back up.

An instant later he seemed to forget the reprimand and began smiling widely at Harry, bowing deeply with a flourish. "Sirius Black, the best prankster in the continent and your personal dogfather, at your service."

Harry nodded, concealing his grimace. "A pleasure, I'm sure."

"Now now, that won't do. No one should be this tense. But I have just the thing that'll make you relax. Let's go and celebrate this auspicious day with some fun!"

The other two that stood behind him cheered. One was a little girl, around his age perhaps, the other was a grown woman who was jumping like a little girl, so not much difference really.

The rest of the adults stared at the three in exasperation.

"Please honey, not now." The man who separated from the group muttered at the cheering woman, pulling her back by her arm.

He was a tall but unkept man, with a shabby robe and wrinkled pants, looking as exhausted as a marathon runner who'd just finished the race.

"Hello Harry." The man politely greeted, extending his hand. "My name is Remus Lupin, an old friend of your parents."

Harry stared at the hand for a quick second before shaking it. "Good to meet you, Mr. Lupin."

"Please, call me Remus."

Harry gave him a nod. "Very well, Remus."

The rest of the group introduced themselves, and he quickly sorted them into groups. The clown was Sirius black and the stern woman was his wife, Amelia Black. The exhausted looking man was Remus lupin, and the excitable woman was his wife, Sara Lupin.

The last two were Rosalia Potter, his twin sister, also the other culprit in Sirius' gang along with Sara.

And Dorea potter who looked a little moody, quickly leaving for her room after introducing herself.

Harry couldn't careless.

"Oh, just you wait till I bring the kids over for dinner party." Sirius snickered, rubbing his hands together. "It's gonna be so great! Everyone finally together. Prongs, you have to allow this mate. You can't just ignore it. Five of our kids will be attending Hogwarts this year. Wait...you are going to Hogwarts right?"

The last one was directed at harry.

He shrugged it off. "Maybe. We'll see."

Hogwarts...he hadn't put much thought in it. Magic was something that he definitely intended to learn. But joining a school would mean letting himself be under someone else's authority, something he was loathe to do. What if Hydra has already infiltrated the school? Harry would be a sitting duck, ready to roast and carve.

While he must definitely find a way to complete the Hogwart's quest, he would've to be cautious and careful.

"What's there to see? Hogwarts is the best in the whole world! C'mon prongslet, you can't rea–"

"Sirius." Lily interrupted the man. "We will talk about it later. Harry's had a tough day and needs all the rest he can get. Come, Harry. I will show you your room."

Harry gladly followed the woman, leaving the large group of adults behind.

Finally getting a chance, he started looking around the manor again. They climbed up to the next floor using a wide spherical staircase from the main hall that they were just in. The corridors were wide and luxurious, decorated with moving posters and pictures. The setting of the manor was incredibly open, with bright walls reflecting off light and keeping the rooms warm. He hadn't expected such a huge manor to have this level of natural light.

"So? What you do you think, Love?" Lily prompted, looking worried like he was about to deliver a verdict. "How do you feel?"

"Uncertain." He stated, before quickly following at her disappointed face. "But it's home. I'll get used to it."

She gave him a wide smile. "And we will all help you in it. There is a lot this world has to offer, Harry. Believe me, you will enjoy it."

She closed the distance between them, once again taking him in a tight embrace, and he had to consciously stop himself from jerking away.

He will definitely need to get used to casual physical contact. Kara and Steve were never this physical, so he never got a chance.

They restarted their journey through the corridors, with Lily maintaining her closeness by wrapping a hand around his shoulder.

"We are here." She announced as they arrived at the end of the corridor, a dark red door guarding the last room of this floor. "Will you remember the way?"

"Of course."

"The whole room is yours ...oh, what am I saying," She shook her head, looking almost as exhausted as the Lupin guy. "I mean the whole house is yours so you can go anywhere you want really. Though there are still places that could get dangerous so if you find yourself in any trouble, just give a shout to Misty. She is our house elf and will be more than happy to accommodate you."

Harry nodded. "Thank you."

The woman looked hesitant to leave, shifting her weight from left to right. "Well...if you need anything you can send me anytime alright? It doesn't matter what time it is, I'll always be available, so don't hesitate."

"Of course."

She gave another smile, and a very smothering hug, before turning around to leave.

Harry entered his new room, very much eager to explore. Why? Because the room was enormous. Bigger than any place he'd lived in. It would be better to call it an apartment really, what with inbuilt toilet and bathroom. There was also a massive king sized water bed that he jumped upon with a satisfied sigh, letting his body loosen.

It has been a long and tiring day, even though he hadn't done much physically. Mentally? He was completely drained. This was another reason why he didn't like using gamer's mind too much.

Guess he could shift the exploration part for later. Now was the time for some rest.

------------------------------------

AN: That's the end! Hope you all enjoyed the chapters.

Harry's school life is going to start soon, and damn am I excited for this. His real path to power will start in Hogwarts, and I have some grand things planned for him.

Now some big news...I've created a fourth tier! You can now read more than a month in advance, i.e my next 9 (18 for Webnovel) chapters! (3 stories combined)

For $20, you'll get the next three (six for WN) chapters of all of my currently on-going fics. So basically, you'll get Mortal God of Olympus Ch. 20, 21, 21. (Next 6 chapters of Mortal God), Mystique Soldier chapter 10, 11, 12 (Next 6 for MS) and Strange world Ch. 8, 9, 10 (Next 6 for Strange World).

Plus 1 feb is on us now, so this is the best moment to join!

So pls consider becoming a pat reon! It'll help a lot.

Once again, visit www. Pat reon/ Robs511

That'll be all for today.

Have a good day, and as always, See ya!

P.S: So, I don't know if I ever explained this, but I basically divide a chapter in two when posting on Webnovel. That's why I have to write those brackets. Let me know If I should continue, or do you guys want a single large chapter (5-6k words) going ahead.