NOVPUB
Chapter 180 - 80
Harry stepped out of the courtroom alongside Ted Tonks, his heart pounding but finally light. When he looked up, he saw a scene that warmed his soul: Remus Lupin and Sirius Black laughing heartily like two old friends reunited after years of war. Both turned immediately upon noticing his presence, their smiles widening, eyes lighting up.
Harry walked toward them with confident steps, a warm and sincere smile on his face.
"Hi, Sirius. Looks like... I'll be living with you for a while," he said, with a mix of relief and excitement.
Sirius froze for a second, staring at him as if he were seeing a ghost. Then, he stepped forward and grabbed Harry by the shoulders firmly, struggling to hold back tears.
"Harry... You're the spitting image of your father, but with Lily's eyes. I'm so proud of you... You've done more than I could've ever dreamed of. I swear, by the name I bear and the friendship I had with your parents, that as long as I breathe, you'll never lack a thing," he said in a trembling voice, heavy with pure emotion.
"Haha... Of course, Sirius," Harry replied with a smile. For the first time in a long while, he felt like he had a family. And that gave him strength to keep going.
Ted Tonks approached with his characteristic professional smile, though respect shone in his eyes.
"I'm glad I could be of help. Though honestly, I feel like everything resolved more easily than I expected... thanks to you."
"Don't say that, Mr. Tonks. If I hadn't trusted your integrity, I wouldn't have hired you. You're a great lawyer," Harry replied in a friendly tone. "And if you're interested, I'd like to talk later about a contract... as the Potter family lawyer. Maybe even for the Black family too, if Sirius agrees."
"Of course I do!" said Sirius without hesitation. "The lawyer who got me out of Azkaban deserves to work with us."
"That makes me very happy. I'll leave you to enjoy your reunion, then. You know how to reach me if you need anything," Ted said with a slight bow before leaving.
The three of them began walking through the Ministry corridors, heading toward St. Mungo's for check-ups and treatment, when a voice stopped them.
"Mr. Potter, may I have a word with you? If your godfather allows it, of course," said Dumbledore, stepping out of the courtroom with his characteristic calm, almost fatherly smile.
Sirius stood still. He trusted Dumbledore... or at least, he used to. But after everything he had heard, a storm of conflict burned inside him. Part of him wanted to believe the old man had only acted to protect Harry. But another part"a clearer, more bitter part"reminded him that this very man hadn't lifted a finger when he knew Sirius was innocent.
"It's fine," said Harry calmly. "You can speak. You're still my headmaster, after all."
Dumbledore nodded gravely.
"First of all... perhaps I should apologize..."
"No 'perhaps'," Harry cut him off firmly. "You should. And since you've started, I'd like to hear a sincere apology."
Dumbledore's brow furrowed slightly. But if he wanted to retain Harry's respect, he had no choice. He took a deep breath.
"I apologize, Mr. Potter. For not being up to the task of protecting you and looking after your well-being. You and your parents saved the wizarding world, and still... I failed. Even as Headmaster of Hogwarts, I acknowledge my mistake."
Harry looked at him silently for a few seconds before speaking, his tone calm but sharp as a blade.
"It's good to hear that. Because honestly, I was considering transferring to Beauxbatons. I still have friends at Hogwarts, and that makes it a hard decision."
"I'm glad to hear you'll be staying with us," said Dumbledore with a tense smile. "Hogwarts remains the safest school in the wizarding world."
Harry almost laughed, but held it back. In his mind, Dumbledore's words rang like cruel irony.
"The safest? Haha... I hope so," he replied with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. He knew that if he wanted real safety, he'd have to build it himself. And perhaps... removing Dumbledore was the first step. Though he still needed outside help. First and second year would be preparation. By the third... Hogwarts would have a new Headmaster.
"Then we're off... Headmaster," said Harry, his tone laced with a hint of coldness.
"May I ask... where did you learn that spell?" Dumbledore inquired suddenly, urgency creeping into his voice.
Harry turned slowly, a mysterious smile lighting up his face.
"From one of my brothers. One who, I'm sure, is wiser and more powerful than you."
And without another word, he turned and walked away.
Dumbledore remained frozen. Brothers? Who was he talking about? He had no knowledge of Harry having siblings... A hidden wizard? A secret mentor? Ally? Enemy? He had to find out.
.....
Over the following month, Harry accompanied Sirius to every medical check-up, potion regimen, and recovery routine. He made him exercise, train in hand-to-hand combat like Natasha had taught him"even though a twinge of sadness struck him every time. In his world, Sirius had learned directly from her... here, Natasha didn't exist.
He also learned that Arcturus Black, his grandfather, had died that very year. Another blow. Another difference. Another broken bond.
Day by day, Harry wrote letters to his grandparents, Nicolas and Perenelle Flamel. He hesitated to send them. What if they weren't the same? What if, without Stephen, they were cold, distant, different?
He wrote hundreds. Some were confessions. Others, memories. Shared stories. Alchemical secrets"even one of his greatest secrets: how to create the Philosopher's Stone. One letter was written in a ciphered language, one Nicolas had invented to communicate when they were hunted around the world. Letters only they and their brothers would understand.
But all of them remained in the wardrobe, unsent.
One night, as he stared at a particular letter, Sirius entered after knocking and receiving no answer.
"Still clinging to those unsent letters?" he asked, spotting Harry at his desk.
"Did you finish your nutrition potions?" Harry asked with a strained smile, slipping the letter away.
"Ugh! Don't remind me, they taste awful," Sirius replied theatrically. "By the way, you never told me... who are they addressed to?"
Harry was silent for a few seconds.
"To Nicolas and Perenelle Flamel," he finally said, a glimmer of melancholy in his eyes.
"The Flamels? The legendary alchemist? You know them?"
"Yes... but I doubt they know me now," Harry replied, forcing a smile. "I'm going to the meditation room."
Sirius watched him leave... then turned to look at the wardrobe full of letters.
"-------
Far away... in France, obviously.
"Are you sure, Nico?" Perenelle asked, her voice weary.
"Yes. We've hidden this for far too long. It's time for Dumbledore to use it... or destroy it. Unless you wish to keep on living."
"No. Seven hundred years... is enough."
"I'll leave potions for a few more years. Just to tie up all the loose ends. Then we'll rest... at last," Nicolas said, gently caressing her face.
An alarm rang in the house. An owl was trying to deliver something.
"Looks like a letter from Dumbledore. I'm sure he's coming for the Stone."
Nicolas deactivated part of the protections with a flick of his wand, and the owl dropped its letter. He walked with stiff, almost mechanical steps to pick it up. But when he opened it, his brow arched slightly... and he smiled.
Seconds later, another alarm rang. Several owls were approaching, carrying entire bundles of letters.
The first one read:
"--------------
Dear Mr. and Mrs. Flamel,
This is Sirius Black writing from England, concerning a small matter related to my godson...
...to mark the beginning of a new Chapter in his life. I know it's a lot to ask, but if you can find it in your hearts to take a moment to read his words, I'm convinced you'll see just how special that boy is.
With all my respect and affection,
Sirius Orion Black
P.S.: If any of the letters are written in a strange language, I suppose it's one of those pranks children come up with... though he insists it's an "alchemist's language."
"-------------
Nicolas and Perenelle remained silent as the air between them grew thick and heavy with nostalgia. Nicolas let the parchment fall onto the table with trembling hands, his gaze lost in the thousands of words across the letters filled with memories from a time that seemed to belong to another universe.
"Do you think...?" Perenelle began, but her voice broke.
Nicolas nodded slowly.
"It's possible. Even if he doesn't remember. Even if this world is different... only someone who lived with us could know so much."
Perenelle reached out and took the first of the many letters. She opened it carefully, as if afraid to damage something sacred, and began to read. As her eyes followed Harry's handwriting, her expression changed: first surprise, then disbelief... and finally, tears.
"Dear grandparents..." she read quietly. "...I miss your bedtime stories, the scent of the mandrake garden at dusk, Grandpa Nico's arguments with Stephen when they debated potions in the library... though, honestly, both were terrible at it, even if Grandpa was a legendary alchemist.
I'm sorry... I lost the locket you gave me... or maybe it doesn't exist here. Grandma... even if you're not my grandmother in this world, you'll always be in my heart..."
Her lips trembled. Nicolas gently took the letter from her hands and hugged her"firmly but softly, as if trying to anchor her to the present.
"He lived with us. No matter how... or when..." he whispered.
"And he loved us... like a grandson loves his grandparents. You can see it in every letter, every word stained by his tears," she added, pointing to a few slightly blurred phrases.
"'Alternate universes,' he used to say," murmured Nicolas, as if those words had been etched into his memory.
"Muggle scientists...?" he repeated, frowning as he recalled where he had heard the idea.
Suddenly, as if struck by lightning, he stood up. His bones creaked in protest, but he didn't stop. He walked as quickly as he could to his desk and, with renewed energy, began writing a letter.
In it, he urgently requested all available information on the concept of parallel universes in the Muggle world. He needed to understand. Because now he knew...
....
Dumbledore received a peculiar letter from his former master, Nicolas Flamel. In it, he explained that he could not destroy the Philosopher's Stone, but that he had sent him an almost undetectable replica, which he could use for any plans he had in mind. He also warned that he would be unavailable for some time, so reaching him would be difficult.
......
Meanwhile, Harry was training with two golden swords. Around him, alchemical dummies he had created himself were sliced apart like butter whenever they tried to attack him.
Training seemed to be his only way of not thinking about his siblings, about his family. And at the same time, it reminded him of what he had lost... what he had to live again"this time without Stephen's support.
As he continued meditating, his magical power increased steadily. A stark contrast to his original world, where magic only grew with physical development.
It was a good thing, considering that in this new world he no longer had a body recognized by magic or even by the universe itself. Here, he was just an ordinary wizard. His blood was no longer special.
If he wanted to use the spells he had learned from his siblings, he would have to grow stronger through his own effort. Although he had trained tirelessly in the other world too, here he had to start from scratch.
With a fluid motion, Harry threw both swords forward, and two glowing chains shot out to catch them. He then spun into a whirlwind, wielding them with precision until he finished off the last remaining dummies.
He wiped off the sweat, took a quick shower, and headed to his room to study alchemy.
He wrote down all the runes he remembered learning from his siblings: Asgardian magic, Eldritch magic... even some knowledge Wanda had secretly taught him, since it involved dark arts.
He also noted down electronic circuits he remembered from Tony, and information on computing and hacking that Natasha had taught him. Though those two areas weren't useful yet, he knew Tony had developed a method for generating electricity within the magical world.
"Harry, you have visitors," said Sirius, poking his head in with a grin full of anticipation, eager to see his godson's reaction.
"Coming," Harry replied, as he finished jotting down his notes.
