When they arrived at the coast town, Harry hung his head. They had been flying most of the day in silence. His dad's mood, however, did seem to improve. He wasn't scowling anymore at least. They quickly headed inside the hotel with his dad requesting an owl almost instantly. Without even waiting for the concierge's answer, Harry and his dad headed to their room.

"Go to Albus Dumbledore straight away and give him this. Wait for his reply and then return at once," his dad growled to the small owl as he tied the small note to its leg after the owl appeared. "GO!" He turned around and frowned at Harry. "Are you hungry?"

"Why are you writing Professor Dumbledore?" Harry asked instead of answering.

"Two of the men that were following us were former associates of the Dark Lord."

"Oh," Harry said, glancing down. "Do you think the guy that attacked me was one of them?"

"Did he attack you right away?"

"No. Not until he saw you coming, I suppose."

"When you walked in, where was he standing?"

"By the window, I think," Harry replied. "Why?"

"Did you ever see the shopkeeper?"

"Well, I'm guessing that he wasn't the shopkeeper, so no. Why?" Harry then noticed his dad nod slowly before he glanced out the window of their room to think some more. "Dad, he did, well, he said that he knew my grandmum. That I have her eyes." Harry watched his dad's head snap back.

"He said what?"

"That I have my grandmum's eyes," Harry repeated quietly. "Would any of the bad wizards know that?"

"They would not. What else did he say to you?"

"Um, well, he knew about my scar, and I could be wrong but I think he knew that you're my dad. I mean, he called you my dad, but he also said your name." Harry then winced. "Um, he also got pretty mad at me when I, um, said something disrespectful about Mum."

"Was there anything else?"

"Um, well, I sort of, um, told him you had a girlfriend."

"You did what?"

"I don't know. He wanted to know why I was looking at Mrs. Weasley's bracelet, and I didn't want to say it was for my best mate's mum. So, well, I sort of said it was for your girlfriend."

"Please tell me you didn't say Aurora's name."

"I didn't. I swear," Harry replied instantly.

"Good," his dad said, sighing. "How did the man react to that? Was he surprised?"

"Um, well, actually, he sort of said you were a little old for a girlfriend. But I said that you loved her and that you thought she was the perfect woman. He seemed fine after that."

"What did this man look like, Harry?"

"Um, well, brown hair, bluish eyes I think, um . . . sort of pale, I guess."

"How'd he talk?"

"Well, he was, um, kind gruff," Harry answered. "He was moody too. To tell you the truth, Dad, he was a world-class git." He then noticed his dad start to pace back and forth. "Dad, is everything all right?" He was starting to worry.

"His nose, Harry, what did it look like?" His dad looked as if he had seen a ghost.

"I don't know. Sort of like a regular nose, I guess. Why?"

"You're certain?"

"Yeah, I think," Harry replied with a shrug. "Then again, he did have a wand."

"A wand?" his dad repeated.

"Yeah, it was light brown. It looked like it had been buried or something. It had dirt on it." Harry then narrowed his eyes on his dad when the older man tapped his ebony wand against his face. He watched his dad's features transform, wondering what was going on.

"Did he look like this, Harry?"

"Um, the nose is off, but yeah, he did. Why? Do you know him, Dad?"

"Fuck," his father stated, shaking his head angrily as he ended the spell.

"Dad, what's wrong?" Harry could feel his insides clenching as his dad only became angrier and angrier. "Dad, please. What is it? Who was that man?"

"You've got to be joking!"

"Dad!" shouted Harry. "What's wrong? Who is he?"

"I killed him!" his dad snarled, shouting at himself it seemed. "There is no goddamn way that bastard managed to survive. No goddamn way!"

Harry swallowed, wrapping his arms around himself. He had already assumed that his dad had done bad things while in the bad wizard's ranks, but to hear him state so clearly, it was unsettling. His father had killed someone who seemed to be alive now.

"Dad, please," Harry begged, his voice cracking slightly.

"He didn't hit you or anything, did he?"

"No. He only picked me up and yelled at me for being mean to Mum."

"That man you met, he's my father. I thought—dammit. He should be dead, Harry."

"He's your dad?" Harry inhaled slowly. He could hear the hatred for the man in his dad's voice. "He hurt you, didn't he? That's why you had to kill him. So he'd stop hurting you." His dad didn't reply, but he knew it was true. "But you said that he hurt your mum, too, though."

"He did. He likely was the reason for her injuries."

"Is she alive, your mum, I mean?"

"I don't know, Harry. I haven't seen her since my second year."

"Oh," he replied, glancing down. "Maybe he's changed, though, Dad. I mean, he really got angry when I called Mum a . . . witch. He said that she was my mum and that I should respect her."

"Respect her?" His dad seemed genuinely confused now.

"Yeah," Harry said. "He didn't seem to know Mum, though. He said he only knew Grandmum."

"That's impossible, though. Tobias knew Lily. He used to call her quite a number of colorful words in fact." His dad then pressed a finger to his lips, contemplating something. "You said he had a wand. Did he do any magic with it?"

"Yeah, actually, he added a stone to Mrs. Weasley's bracelet. Why?"

"My father was a Muggle, Harry."

"Well, it can't be your father then, can it? Because this man can do some serious magic," he said.

"Did he say anything else to you?"

"Only that the guys were following us since we came into town. So, I guess he's been watching us for awhile now." Harry watched his father nod slowly. "Do you still think he's your dad?"

"I don't know, Harry. The man I killed was my father. I know it was, and he was a Muggle." His dad shook his head. "But the man you saw looked exactly like him." His dad's dark eyes then narrowed as he frowned. "Polyjuice potion would fit," he mumbled under his breath. "But the person would have to continue administering it, and I rarely saw him drinking anything that wasn't out of a . . ." His voice then trailed off before he growled.

"Polyjuice potion?" asked Harry, his ears perking up. "What's that?"

"It's a rather complex potion that alters one's appearance," his dad answered offhandedly.

"Wicked," Harry replied, already envisioning several future uses.

"Yes, it is, but it typically is misused." His dad then sighed, shaking his head. "The man you met, he didn't seem threatening to you?"

"No. I just thought he was mental to be honest."

"Then I guess we'll just have to wait and see if he reappears to know the truth." His dad then walked over to the bed across from him, sitting down on the edge. "Thank you for following my orders earlier, Harry. I'm aware that it was likely difficult for you to do so, considering my . . . harshness."

"You were protecting me, weren't you?"

"Always," his dad replied with a sigh. "Now, I believe you didn't answer me earlier. Are you hungry, Harry?"

"Yeah, sort of," the twelve-year-old answered with a shrug. He watched his dad nod before he walked towards an old telephone and ordered them dinner. Was life ever going to be normal for them?

~FTT~

Harry groaned as light shone on his face. It was too early. However, he owlishly opened his eyes as he heard his dad moving about their room. His lips then quirked upwards as he caught the series of various notes spread out on the tabletop. His father had been busy already it seemed.

Tossing the covers aside, Harry slowly rolled out of the comfy bed. He flashed a soft smile at his father as he walked past to head into the loo. A shower was beckoning him.

Nearly ten minutes later, he stepped out of the shower, feeling squeaky clean. He wrapped the towel around himself, glancing at his reflection in the mirror. He wasn't so scrawny anymore. He actually looked healthy. Then again, he had been commenting on that for awhile now. It still was pretty amazing to him, though.

Laughing softly, he flexed his arm as if he was bodybuilder. He wasn't ripped by any means, but there were definite muscles there. He then scowled at his reflection before laughing again. He didn't have his dad's famous glare down yet, but he was getting there.

"Mr. Potter," he said, doing his best impression of his father's voice. He snorted. His voice was still too high. He then stood up on the edge of the bathtub, crossing his arms as he guessed he was the same height as his dad now. "Ah, yes, Mr. Potter, our new celebrity," he whispered, glaring at his reflection. Nailed it, he thought gleefully. He couldn't wait to get back to Hogwarts.

"If you've finished imitating me," his dad called out from behind the closed door, "perhaps you could join me out here, Mr. Potter."

Not expecting his dad's voice, Harry slipped, falling backwards off the tub surround. He just barely managed to catch himself in time. Well, that could have gone better. He inhaled slowly, pushing himself up off the wall, and quickly dressed.

"How did you know I was doing that, Dad?" the young boy asked as he sat at the breakfast table.

"I know all," his dad replied quietly before he took a sip of coffee.

"No. Really, Dad, how did you know?" He sighed when his dad only raised an eyebrow. "Fine, don't tell me." Harry reached across the table and grabbed the Daily Prophet. His eyes narrowed on the headline, though. In big bold type were the words 'wizards murdered in Birmingham.' He felt a chill sweep down his spine as he stared at the headline. He then read the article.

Evening Prophet that this comes on the heels of the Aurors finding the body of Garrett Clarion (56), a shopkeeper in the Jewellery Quarter, inside his shop Jewels and More in an apparent robbery. Again, Aurors state they have no leads on any suspects.

"You . . . you killed them?"

"What?"

"The guys that followed us," Harry said, his voice shaking. "You killed them?"

"I assure you that they were alive when I left them, Harry."

"Then why are they dead now?" He watched his father offer no explanation. "How many people have you killed?"

"Many," his father replied quietly. "However, I was expected to do so while I was in the ranks." His dad drew in a slow, calming breath. "I tend not to kill, though, Harry, unless I am absolutely certain there is no other option."

"So, you didn't kill them?"

"I did not."

Harry nodded slowly. He hoped his father wasn't lying to him. However, he glanced back towards the article. Had his dad's father killed them then? After all, the man hadn't seemed at all concerned with the shopkeeper's body behind the counter. His eyes then widened.

"Dad, he charged the bracelet to your card. The Aurors are going to know."

"I already informed Albus that we were in the area, Harry. He took care of it."

"Wait, you mean, the Aurors know?"

"I'm certain a few of them likely do. However, you don't need to concern yourself. Everything has been taken care of. It is as if we were never there." His dad inhaled slowly, frowning. "May I see Molly's bracelet?" He held a hand out towards Harry. He inclined his head when Harry gave it to him. A moment later, he tapped his wand against the bracelet, altering the seven stones' colors. "She will enjoy it I'd imagine. It is rather beautiful."

"Thanks." Harry frowned as he took it back. "Do you think I should still give it to her?"

"She does not need to know the details of where you purchased it, Harry." His father then finished his cup of coffee before rising. "You are likely wondering why we are here, yes?" His dad waited for him to nod before he answered. "This resort offers a wide variety of activities that I'm told children your age enjoy."

"Like what?"

"Well, I was told that you might enjoy paintballing."

"Paintballing?" repeated Harry with wide green eyes. "Are you serious?" He then laughed, shaking his head. "Dudley had been begging for years to go paintballing. His older friends' parents took their kids, but he couldn't go. Really, though, we can go paintballing?" It was odd how quickly he had forgotten about the article, but he was a kid after all.

"I take it that you enjoy this idea?"

"Well, I, um, yeah, Dad," Harry said with a wide smile.

"It will not be like the Muggle version of paintballing, however. We use our wands instead of their monstrosities. I'm told that there is a Ministry official that will temporarily lift the Trace on you."

"So I could do magic?"

"I suppose one could call it that."

"Wicked," Harry exclaimed, smiling widely. "What are you waiting for, Dad? We should go . . . now." He stood up a moment later, ignoring the little voice in his head that told him not to tug on his dad's arm. He, however, grabbed his dad and yanked him up as best as he could. "Come on, Dad," he said, not noticing the whine in his voice. "Let's go." His dad only chuckled before nodding.

~FTT~

Walking up to their hotel room after a day of horseback riding, rock climbing, and finally paintballing, they were pretty much exhausted. However, Harry was still grinning. He had asked his dad not to remove the globs of color, which he was surprised his father chose then not to remove his own either. So, together, they walked in completely covered head to toe in a range of colors.

"I so wish I could take a picture of you, Dad."

"Why?"

"You look like Ron got a hold of the red paint and dumped it on you."

"Lovely," his father drawled, snorting a moment later.

"Do you think Professor Dumbledore would let us do this at Hogwarts?"

"I think if you even suggest it, you'll be grounded until you're eighty."

"Fine," Harry said with a huff. He'd tell Ron all about it then. He smiled when he saw the owl sitting on the edge of a chair, seemingly waiting for them. "I think it's for you, Dad." He laughed as his dad held his hand out and grabbed the letter from it before shooing it away. "What's it say?"

"I didn't receive the Defense post. How . . . unfortunate," he said.

"You mean that it's true?" When his dad glanced at him, he swallowed. "You really do apply every year to be the Defense professor?"

"I do."

"Why? I thought you loved teaching Potions."

"You mean being in a room with students who likely could kill us all if they are not paying attention? Oh, yes, Harry, I just love teaching that," his dad drawled. "I love brewing. Teaching it, however, tries my patience more than you'd ever know."

"But you don't think it'd be that way if you taught Defense, though?"

"The most your little cohorts could do is break an arm or two, since the majority of you don't know curses or hexes yet. And the ones who do are well aware that if they do, they will find themselves in serious trouble with me."

"Oh." Harry guessed he could understand that. There were probably loads of Slytherins who knew loads of dark spells. He then frowned. From what he had seen of his dad's casting so far, the man was amazing at it. He could be a wonderful DADA professor. "Have you ever asked Professor Dumbledore why you don't get it?"

"Why on earth would I do that?"

"Well, maybe he could give you some pointers or something on what you're doing wrong. Maybe there's something specific that he's looking for and you're just not hitting on it yet." Harry frowned when he noticed the pinched look on his father's face. "I was just trying to help, Dad."

"I'm aware, Harry." His dad then started to chuckle before shaking his head in amusement. "Allow me to worry about the Defense position, and you just concentrate on your studies."

"Fine," Harry groaned. "I'm going to take a shower. Need the loo?"

"No. Go."

Harry nodded, turning around and walking into the loo. His whole body was sore, but he wasn't quite sure which activity made it worse. He turned the taps on and undressed before walking into the shower. He sighed contently the moment the warm jets of water cascaded on him. Now, this he could get used to.

He had loved everything about today. The horseback riding was fun and relaxing. He and his dad actually led their horses through the gentle waves crashing against the beach, which made the horses kick up water on them. The water was so refreshing. Then they went rock climbing. At first, Harry nearly backed out. It was a really high up, almost as high if not higher than the Astronomy tower at Hogwarts. However, his dad was there with him, and after awhile, they harnessed up and started their ascent. It was harder than it looked, but Harry was really glad he did it, though. He couldn't wait to tell his friends about it. And then the paintball war happened. Never before would he have thought that his dad could wear so many different colors and make them work. They were to capture the flag, Harry on one team with his dad on the other. They, however, never actually went after the flag. Instead, they flicked their wands at one another, sending another glob of color against the other. It was awesome.

~FTT~

Two days later, they were finally at Bodmin Moor. Harry was practically bouncing with joy. He had talked his father's ear off and then some about the famous Quidditch match that had occurred there. He knew all of the players' names, where they were from, etc. His dad at one point had actually cast a Silencing charm on him, sighing at the peace.

"Ron is going to be so jealous when he hears about this," Harry exclaimed, still bouncing around. He was ecstatic to say the least. "Did you know that they lost the Snitch here?"

"Yes, Harry, I believe you told me that—say—three hundred or so times."

"The game was like one of the longest ever. It went on for six months before the officials had to cancel it. Isn't that wicked, Dad?"

"Dear Merlin, kill me now," his dad muttered under his breath.

"Do you think we could find the Snitch? Oh! We should find it. Do you think we could?"

"Harry, enough!" His dad pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing. "I understand that you are quite . . . enthused to be here, but please attempt to contain yourself."

"Dad, what do you think the chances are of us finding the Snitch?" Harry noticed his dad glance up at the skies and mouth something before he sighed. "I mean, wouldn't that be amazing if we found it? I'm a pretty good Seeker. All of my friends think so."

"Harry, go fly," his dad ordered, pointing towards the field. At the look on Harry's face, he sighed. "Please, just go fly."

"Aren't you going to fly with me?"

"Unfortunately, I believe I might have strained a muscle yesterday, so no. Go on, though. I'll just remain down here, watching you."

"Always?" asked Harry.

"Always," his dad reaffirmed. "Now, go."

Harry smiled before he launched himself towards his dad, wrapping his arms around his midsection. "Thank you, Dad. Love you." And with that, Harry took off for the skies.

~FTT~

Harry walked towards the lit fireplace, shaking terribly. This was going to be so bad. He could see it now. He'd end up with third-degree burns over his entire body. Taking a huge gulp of air, he walked in and tossed down the Floo powder.

"Diagonally," he shouted, feeling a whoosh a moment later. He couldn't help it. He opened his mouth and screamed.

A moment later, he reappeared, flying out onto a horribly warped floor. He groaned loudly, massaging his jaw as he lay flat on the ground. Well, at least he wasn't on fire or in too much pain. He then glanced towards the fireplace, waiting for his dad to reappear. However, no one appeared.

"Great, now I'm lost," he grumbled, standing up and brushing himself off. He stopped when he saw a familiar blond glance into the creepy shop. "Malfoy," he hissed, reaching for his wand. He stood there, watching the Slytherin walk in alone. "What do you want, Malfoy?" He caught the blonde's surprise almost immediately.

"Do I know you?"

"Of course you know me," he growled, drawing his wand. He truthfully didn't know why he had, though. The blond hadn't made any inclination that he was a threat for once.

"Look, I don't know who you are so kindly remove your wand from my face."

"You don't know who I am? I'll give you a hint then, Malfoy." Harry pushed his fringe to the side to show off the familiar lightning bolt scar.

"Potter!" exclaimed the blond. "But you don't look anything . . . what did you do?"

"Dad broke my mum's spell over the summer."

"Well, you look better," he stated, staring nervously at the wand pointed in his direction. "How about you lower the wand now? I'm no threat to you."

"Funny how you're not so brave without your friends, Malfoy."

"I was there that night, Potter. Or have you forgotten that?" He then glanced down, frowning. "I'm no threat to you. Hell, I don't even hate you."

"Then why—?"

"Draco," a slow voice drawled behind the boys. "I was beginning to wonder where you were." The man's eyes then narrowed on Harry. "And who is this?"

"One of my schoolmates, Father," Draco coolly replied, raising his head up. "He just informed me of his summer. Unfortunately, he has to leave. He's late meeting his father, aren't you, Daniel?"

"Yes, I'll, um, see you later, Draco?" He inclined his head towards Draco's father before quickly walking out of the shop. Why had Draco just lied like that? He frowned, continuing to walk in the general direction of people. He pulled his robes closer to him as he walked past a couple staring at him with horrible smirks.

"There you are. Are you all right?"

"Yeah, fine," Harry replied, inhaling slowly as his dad walked towards him. "Can we go, Dad?"

"Why?"

"Malfoy's around." He noticed his dad tense up instantly. "Is something wrong?"

"Everything's fine. Let's head to the Leaky Cauldron and get settled into our room."

Harry nodded, following his dad. He felt a bit better when he recognized Diagon Alley. Wherever he just was, well, creepy didn't even begin to describe it. He drew in a slow breath, glancing into the shops as they walked past. Malfoy had lied for him. Could he be wrong about the Slytherin? After all, he had seen the soon to be second-year's demeanor change within a second after his father had appeared. Perhaps it was all just an act. But why would he do that?

They continued past the little shops without a word. Harry felt safe beside his father. He then noticed his dad pause in his step before looking at something. Harry glanced up ahead but saw nothing except loads of people shopping.

"Is something wrong, Dad?" His dad, however, shook his head before he motioned for him to go into the nearest shop. Harry frowned but said nothing. His eyes then widened as he recognized the shop. "Dad?" he asked quietly. His father only walked towards the counter where a blue-haired witch stood.

"Let me guess, sir. You want a snake drawn on your ass?"