Harry was looking out of the window of his room as the snow fell... he liked the snow; it was so pretty and pure. Also, as Brian, his five-year-old brother, considered it boring, he never bothered him while he watched.
Harry was a six-year-old boy, the eldest son of the Potters, although the vast majority of people believed they had only one son: Brian Leonard Potter. The reason for this belief was due to the fact that his parents used to forget about him... To tell the truth, practically everyone used to forget about him; only Uncle Remus seemed to realise his existence. The rest usually weren't even aware of his presence in the room, much less in the rest of the house.
To the child, it was true that he was sad when that happened, but the truth is that he was already used to it because, after all, it had been like this all his life. When he was littler, he didn't understand why his parents did that, but now it didn't matter to him; he had learned that he would receive no answer, and his brother would have the perfect excuse to torment him however he wanted.
Brian was also the reason why Harry spent so much time alone of his own volition; their parents adored Brian. For them, there was no better child, and from their point of view, he would never do something wrong. Far from their beliefs, Brian enjoyed hurting his older brother. Whenever he had Harry nearby, he would mess with him, and if not, Harry would suffer some kind of "accident." A couple of days ago, the eldest of the Potter brothers had fallen down some of the stairs of the house, and his parents' reaction had been to pamper Brian just in case he had hurt himself.
That day had been Christmas, and Harry hadn't even left his room... for what? He had never had a single Christmas gift from his parents or his "godfather," Uncle Sirius. Every year, the only thing that came down was Brian's teasing, because he didn't have any gift and they didn't want him... Although, of course, his Uncle Remus always brought him a gift when he came to eat; Uncle Remus liked him, he always remembered him, and if he came home, he preferred to hang out with Harry instead of with Brian, and that made his brother furious.
Thanks to Remus, Harry had a library more typical of a boy of fifteen or sixteen years than a six-year-old boy, and he enjoyed it with all his might... books had become his refuge. When he felt sad, he only had to take one to feel better. He had read them all and a large part of his parents' library; he liked narratives, but also the magic books... they were so interesting!
A knock on his door made him look away from the window and fix it on the door... After a few seconds concentrating, he smiled.
"Come in, Uncle Remus!"
The door opened, revealing a young man with light brown hair and amber eyes who smiled while shaking his head in amusement.
"Harry, Harry... You'd have to be careful, what if Uncle Padfoot had been with me? How would you have explained?"
"Uncle Padfoot never comes to see me in my room... besides, I would have noticed that he was by your side; his aura is unmistakable, just like yours."
The man smiled as he ruffled his messy black hair and caught him in his arms. He would never understand why his friends, or rather, no one, realised what an incredible boy he had... but since the prophecy, no one had noticed Harry, missing the opportunity to meet such a wonder.
"How come you haven't gone downstairs? Don't you get bored here?"
"It's snowing, and I like to see it snow, you know... besides, nobody cares if I stay here all day cooped up... nor would they notice."
"I would notice." The man looked at the fond child before smiling and taking out a package. "Here, it's your Christmas gift."
"For me? Thank you, Uncle Remus!" the child exclaimed.
Well in advance, the boy took the gift that was offered to him, and very carefully, he began to unwrap the wrapping to reveal its content: a book, as usual. The boy looked at him with attention and smiled when he saw the title "Elemental Magic: Fact or Fiction?"
"Thank you very much, Uncle Remus!" exclaimed the boy when he hugged him.
"You like it?"
"A lot!"
"I thought you'd like it... As I saw that lately you've been interested in elemental magic, I thought you would appreciate it."
"Really, thank you very much, Uncle Remus."
The boy seemed to be itching to start reading it, but instead, he left it on his desk so that it would be hidden from the door; it was not a plan for his brother to see it and decide to take it away. After that, they went down to eat.
The meal turned out as every year: on the one hand, his parents forgot about him, so it was Harry himself who had to put on his plate and cutlery; then, while his parents talked to the others about Brian, the man in question spent his meal tormenting his brother with insults and comments made with all his bad intentions.
When the meal was over, the adults began to talk about the political situation, including the situation with Voldemort. Over the years, things were degenerating more and more, and in spite of the opposition he received, Voldemort continued to carry out his policy of terror.
Brian, bored at the conversation of his elders, approached his brother, who, unlike him, was hanging on every word.
"I want to go outside," he demanded.
"You know we can't do it without Mum or Dad's permission," Harry replied very seriously.
"But I'm bored! And I want to go outside."
"But..."
"If we don't go out, I'll make sure Mum and Dad get angry with you and punish you."
Harry looked at his brother and ended up nodding; he knew from previous experience that his parents would believe what Brian said and that his younger brother wouldn't hesitate to carry out his threat. He also knew that they would be equally angry if they were not asked for permission, so when his brother ran out to get Merlin knew what, he approached his parents and told them that he was going out. As his father was so immersed in the conversation and never used to pay attention to him, he nodded absent-mindedly.
When he arrived outside with his coat, he discovered that the object Brian had gone to get had been a Muggle ball that he had been given for Christmas, and which he was too impatient to use for the first time. Harry, for his part, had brought one of his books, not the one that Remus had just given him, and he prepared to read in a little clearing that Remus had bewitched so that it always maintained a spring temperature. Letting his brother have fun with his ball, he began to read and learn.
As his parents never paid attention, they did not notice the great capacities he had for magic. It was very easy for him to perform spells that, in themselves, should be impossible for a six-year-old child to do... Even for a sixteen or seventeen-year-old boy. Any advanced spell that he could study thoroughly, he could do it shortly afterwards perfectly and without a wand... but since Brian was always their centre of attention, his parents had never noticed the incredible capacity and power that resided in his eldest son.
"Harry!" His brother's angry shout made him leave his refuge, leaving his book there.
"What's going on?"
"My ball!" he exclaimed angrily as he pointed towards the lake. "Go and look!"
Harry looked at the lake and he could certainly see his brother's ball in the middle of the frozen surface. The boy looked at his younger brother, scared; he must have been joking, right?
"Brian, there's not enough thickness to walk safely. The ice could break... It is best to ask an adult to make us a summoning spell to recover it."
"I want my ball, now! Go get it!"
"But Brian..."
"I don't care! I want it now!"
Harry sighed and stepped hesitantly, he began to make his way across the icy surface; incredibly scared, but aware that if he was looking for an adult, unless it was Remus, Brian would tell them that he had thrown it right there with intention.
Once he had it in his hands, he turned around to return to the shore and thus be able to be quiet again, but when he was about to start the journey, a slight sound at his feet made him freeze and look at the ice, scared. Knowing his brother, he threw the ball to him just before the creak that he had heard a few moments ago repeated again and the ice broke, falling into the frozen waters with a scream.
The only thing he felt was pain, from all the nerve points of his skin, his chest burning, and before he could close his mouth, he began to swallow water... He was going to drown, and no one could do anything to stop it. Just before he lost consciousness, it seemed to him that he was grabbed by one arm.
When he recovered consciousness, his whole body ached, although his lungs burned especially. It felt strange, almost as if he were lying on a strange bed... a bed that was not his... moreover, he had the feeling that something was stuck through his nose, and his arm hurt a lot...
With a lot of effort, he opened his eyes and discovered that he was in a white room, a strange ward. There was a strange beep to his right, and when he turned his head a little, he discovered a machine; that meant he was in a Muggle place. Also, next to him, he discovered Remus sleeping in a chair.
"Remus..." he tried to call him, but as soon as he spoke, he gave a coughing fit.
"Merlin, thank you... You've had me very worried."
"W... Where am I?"
"In a Muggle hospital," the werewolf answered. "What happened after you fell into the water?" The child's refusal to answer made him continue. "Apparently, when you fell, a Muggle was passing near the lake... When he saw that you fell, he ran to help you and pulled you out of the water. Then he called a Muggle ambulance, and they brought you here; you've been unconscious for two days."
"Dad and Mum?"
"They're at home, with Brian," Remus replied with a sigh. "They were here on the first day, but then they left." Before the sad look of the child, he added, "Brian gave his side of the story, making you the culprit of everything."
Harry did not respond for a while, staring at the ceiling; as always, their parents had believed Brian faithfully, and since his brother wasn't hurt, that meant his parents didn't even bother to worry about him.
"How long do I have to stay here?"
"Until you are cured."
"Won't they even let a Healer cure me?"
"James was so angry that you put Brian 'in danger' that he decided that Muggle healing would be your punishment," Remus said with a sigh.
A new coughing fit caused Remus to get up, frightened, and go to look for a nurse, but the child's hand stopped him and made him sit down again.
"What's wrong with me, Uncle Remus?"
"You were submerged in the water for a long time," the man explained. "Too much. A Muggle would have died, but your magic saved you... but, there was damage to your lungs..."
"Damage?"
"Yes... they still have to see what repercussions it will have, but there was permanent damage."
"But... A Healer will be able to cure it, right?"
"I don't know, Harry... if I had treated you instantly... perhaps... but I don't know what happened?"
Harry explained in as much detail as he could what had happened two days before: how his brother had demanded to leave, how he had sent the ball into the lake, and how he had demanded that he go and get it. It was a long and slow explanation, since on more than one occasion he had to stop because of a coughing fit. When it was over, he looked at the silent werewolf.
"It's a very different version than the one Brian told your parents."
Harry was silent; it was not necessary for him to say anything, after all, he knew the truth... His parents didn't care, and he knew the reason too. He had heard them one night commenting on it, and he knew that to them, he was just someone who represented a burden... how was he going to compare with his younger brother, prophesied to destroy Voldemort? He was sure that if he didn't come home, they wouldn't notice it either; only Brian and Uncle Remus would notice that he was gone and, obviously, for different reasons.
"Uncle Remus, you'll be tired... It will be better that you come home and rest... I'm fine, don't worry."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"I'll be back tomorrow, okay?"
"Okay."
Remus left the room and after telling the doctor that the child had woken up, went to his friend's house so as to have a few words with him; James had to know that his behaviour with his son was inadmissible. Surely not even Snape behaved like that.
As soon as he was able to do so, he appeared in front of James Potter's house and knocked on the door with determination and anger. Lily was the one who opened the door for him, smiling.
"Remus! Come in, come in... You're just in time for dinner. Tea, want some?"
"Thank you, Lily... but I've come mostly to talk to James and with you," he said as he entered.
"Talk to us?" James Potter said from the dining room. "And about what?"
"Harry, perhaps?"
"Ahhh... about him."
"What's going on, Remus?"
"I hope you are aware of the damage you have done to him by denying him the right to see a Healer."
"He is already receiving medical assistance, and the Muggle cure is the least he deserves for endangering his brother," James was furious. "Forcing him to leave the house... And without permission! What if he had been attacked by the Death Eaters? What would have happened, if something had happened to Brian?"
"In case you haven't noticed, Brian's fine! It's Harry who isn't! Harry asked your permission to go outside when he did it, and you told him he could... And if you knew anything about your eldest son, you'd know he'd never force someone to do something he doesn't want, unlike Brian." Remus continued, "Harry was almost ten minutes immersed in water with a temperature of almost twenty degrees below zero... It's a miracle that he is still alive... The consequences will be too few compared to what could have happened to him... you better keep that in mind."
After that, Remus left the house, without bothering to say anything else; everything was already said.