"You're dead" Harry whispered making James freeze with a horrified expression on his face. "How?" he asked weakly after a few moments.
"You were murdered when I was a baby" Harry explained emotionally. "It's one of the reasons I came back, to stop that happening to you and my mum" he elaborated.
James turned to look at his parent's and then at Dumbledore who was looking on in concern.
"Is this real?" he asked the headmaster. "You're not trying to get me back for all the pranks?"
"I'm afraid so Mr. Potter, both myself and your parent's have verified it", Dumbledore answered seriously.
James turned once again to look at his Mother and Father and they both nodded in confirmation.
"But I'm only sixteen" he said weakly. "I'm not ready to be a Dad" he pointed out.
"And we don't expect you to, neither does Harry", Charlus replied. "I don't need a Dad" Harry cut in quietly. "I've never had one and I don't need one now" he sighed sadly.
"Then why are we here? He doesn't need me, he said it himself" James asked his parent's.
"This has been sprung on him as it has with us James, he only came to enroll at school and Dumbledore contacted us" Charlus explained. "The boy did not even want to tell you, he was going to just leave" he added with a shake of his head.
"Why would he do that?' James questioned, looking towards Harry.
"Because he didn't want to cause any problems, but we couldn't just let him walk away, he's our family" Dorea answered.
James nodded his understanding. His mother had always drilled into him the importance of family. "This really isn't a joke?" he asked again.
"No son, it's not a joke", Charlus answered firmly.
James sighed and dragged his hand through his hair and approached Harry.
"You're not trying to pull something are you?" he questioned the other boy sternly.
Harry shook his head.
"I don't want anything from any of you, all I wanted was to get to know you and maybe be your friend", Harry answered sincerely. "I have my own money and everything else I need" he added with a shrug.
James nodded though Harry wasn't convinced. "Why don't we perform a blood verification charm, that will show you" he suggested. James looked at his parent's who both shrugged. "Ok" he agreed.
"Would you like me to do it?" Dumbledore offered.
James nodded and the two boy's approached the desk.
"I just need a sample of your blood in these vials" he instructed.
Harry nodded, drew his wand and conjured two intricate silver daggers.
"How did you do that?" James asked in awe as he took one of the knives offered to him.
"Harry is a very gifted wizard" Charlus explained, saving Harry from having to answer. "I won't divulge any of his secret's they're his to tell, but he is very special" he added firmly.
James just shook his head and turned his attention back to Dumbledore and the other boy. He watched as Harry casually cut across his palm and filled the vial he had been given without even a grimace, quickly sealing the cut when he was done.
James mimicked the actions of the other boy and couldn't help the hiss of pain that escaped him as the blade sliced into his flesh.
When he was done Harry took his hand sealed the wound causing James to notice his wand for the first time.
"That's a strange wand", he pointed out with a frown.
"I had to have it made, I outgrew my old one", he explained sadly, not wanting to discuss the fate of his old wand and the connection to Voldemort it had.
""It's nice", James praised with a nod.
Dumbledore coughed to get the two boy's attention. "If you are indeed father and son the blood will turn gold, if you are related in any lower form it will turn silver", he explained as he drew his wand and began casting the spell with a Latin chant.
Harry did not even look to know that the blood would turn gold but James watched the two samples intently and unblinkingly.
Unsurprisingly, after only a moment, the two vials of blood were full of a now brightly gold coloured liquid and James took a deep breath before resuming his seat, not saying a word.
"Who was your mum?", he suddenly asked curiously.
Harry swallowed deeply, unsure if he should say, but he didn't want to hide anything from him.
"See for yourself", Harry answered, stepped closer to his father and pointed to his eyes. James frowned and looked at where the other boy was pointing, his eyes widening when the realisation hit him.
"Lily", he whispered as he recognized the eyes looking back at him.
Harry nodded.
"You can't say anything to her", Harry pleaded. James shook his head.
"She wouldn't believe me anyway, she thinks I'm an idiot", he mumbled.
"Yeah, Sirius said as much", Harry chuckled. "You knew Sirius?", James asked excitedly. "He was my godfather", Harry answered. "I knew Remus too", he added.
"What about Peter?", James questioned. "That's enough questions for now", Charlus cut in. "You don't want to say too much Harry, it might change more than you want it to", he said warningly.
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