Harry looked out the window of his room as the snow fell... he liked the snow, it was so pretty and pure. Also, since Brian, his five-year-old brother, considered him boring, he never bothered him while he watched him.
Harry was a six-year-old boy, the eldest son of the Potters, although the vast majority of people believed that they only had one son, Brian Leonard Potter. The reason for that belief was because his parents tended to forget about him... well to tell the truth, practically everyone tended to forget about him, only Uncle Remus seemed to realize his existence, the rest usually didn't even take notice of his presence in the room, much less in the rest of the house.
The boy didn't care about that, it was true that he got sad when that happened, but the truth is that he was already used to it because, after all, he had been like that all his life. When he was younger he didn't understand why his parents did that, but now he didn't care. He had learned that even if he asked, he would not receive any answer, and also his brother would have the perfect excuse to torment him as much as he wanted.
Brian was also the reason Harry spent so much time alone of his own free will. His parents adored Brian, for them, there was no better child and from their point of view, he would never do anything wrong. Far from his beliefs, Brian enjoyed hurting his older brother, whenever he was around 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 one of the stairs in the house, and his parents' reaction had been to pamper Brian in case he had gotten hurt.
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, when he went down the only thing he received was ridicule from Brian, because he didn't have any gifts and they didn't want him... Although of course, his uncle Remus always brought him a gift when he came to eat. He liked Uncle Remus, he always remembered him and if he came home, he preferred to spend time with Harry instead of Brian, and that made his brother furious.
Thanks to Remus, he had a library more typical of a boy of fifteen or sixteen than a child of six and he enjoyed it with all his might... the books had become his refuge, when he felt sad he just had to take one to feel better. He had read them all and much of his parents' library. He liked narratives, but also 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 of concentrating, he smiled.
"Go ahead, Uncle Remus!"
The door opened revealing a young man with light brown hair and amber eyes who was smiling while shaking his head in amusement.
"Harry, Harry... you would have to be careful, what if Uncle Padfood had been with me? How would you have explained it?"
"Uncle Padfood never comes to see me in my room... besides, I would have noticed that he was next to you, his aura is unmistakable, just like yours."
The man smiled as he ruffled his messy black hair and picked him up in his arms. He would never understand why his friends, or rather, no one realized what an incredible boy they had... but since the prophecy, no one had paid attention to Harry, missing the opportunity to meet such a wonder.
"How come you haven't come down below? Aren't you bored here?"
"It's snowing, and I like to watch it snow, you know... besides, no one cares if I stay locked up here all day... they wouldn't even notice."
"I would have noticed." The man looked at the boy fondly before smiling and taking out a package. "Here, it's your Christmas gift."
"For me? Thank you, Uncle Remus!" The boy fussed.
With much anticipation, the boy took the gift that was offered to him and very carefully began to undo the packaging to reveal its contents, a book, as was usual. The boy looked at it carefully and smiled when he saw the title "Elemental Magic, Fact or Fiction?
"Thank you very much, Uncle Remus!" The boy exclaimed as he hugged him.
"Do you like it?"
"A lot!"
"I thought you would like it... since I saw that you have been interested in elemental magic lately, 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 what he did was leave it on his desk so that it would be hidden from the door. It was to prevent his brother from seeing it and deciding to take it away. After that, they went down to eat.
The meal turned out like every year, on the one hand, his parents forgot about him, so it was Harry himself who had to put on the plate and cutlery. Then while his parents were talking to the others about Brian, the aforementioned spent the 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 current political situation, including the situation with Voldemort. Over the years, things increasingly degenerated and despite the opposition he received, Voldemort continued to carry out his policy of terror.
Brian, getting bored with 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 without Mom or Dad's permission," Harry answered very seriously.
"But I get bored! And I want to go outside."
"But…"
"If we don't go outside, I'll make sure Mom and Dad get angry with you and punish you."
[T/N, Little C*nt]
Harry looked at his brother and ended up nodding, he knew from previous experience that his parents would believe whatever Brian said and that his younger brother would not hesitate to carry out his threat. He also knew that they would be equally angry if he didn't ask their permission, so when his brother ran out to get him, Merlin knew that if he approached his parents and told them that he was going outside, his father would be so immersed in the answer and would never pay attention to him. He nodded absently.
When he arrived outside with his coat, he discovered that the object Brian had gone to get had been a Muggle ball he had been given for Christmas and that he was too eager to play with. Harry, for his part, had brought one of his books, not the one Remus had just given him, and was ready to read in a small clearing that Remus had enchanted to always maintain a spring temperature, and let his brother have fun with his ball, he began to read and learn.
Since his parents never paid attention to him, they did not realize the great abilities he had for magic. It was very easy for him to perform spells that, in themselves, would have been impossible for a six-year-old child to do... Even for a sixteen- or seventeen-year-old kid. Any advanced spell he could study thoroughly, he could soon do it perfectly and without a wand... but since Brian was always the center of their attention, his parents had never noticed the incredible ability and power that resided in their eldest son.
"Harry!" His brother's angry shout made him leave his shelter, leaving his book there.
"What's happening?"
"My ball!" He exclaimed angrily while pointing towards the lake. "Go look!"
Harry looked out over the lake and 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 is not enough thickness to walk safely. The ice could break... It is best to ask an adult to cast a summoning spell to get it back."
"I want my ball, now! Go find it!"
"But Brian..."
"I do not care! I want it now!"
Harry sighed and with an indecisive step he began to make his way across the icy surface, incredibly scared, but aware that if he looked for an adult, unless it was Remus, Brian would tell them that he had screwed him right there on purpose.
Once he had it in his hands, he turned around to return to the shore and that way he could be calm again, but when he was about to start the path a slight sound at his feet made him stop short and look at the ice. Scared. Knowing his brother, he threw the ball at him with all his might, just before the crack he had heard a few moments ago was repeated again and the ice broke, falling into the frozen waters with a scream.
The only thing he felt was pain, pricks through all the nerve points of his skin, his chest was 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 prevent it. Just before he lost consciousness, it seemed to him that he was grabbed by one arm.
When he regained consciousness his whole body hurt, although his lungs especially burned. He felt strange, almost as if he were lying in a strange bed... a bed that wasn't his... plus, he had the feeling that something was stuck up his nose and his arm hurt a lot...
With much difficulty, he opened his eyes and discovered that he was in a white room, a strange room. There was a strange beeping noise 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.
"Uncle..." he tried to call him, but as soon as he spoke he started coughing. "Merlin, thank you... you've had me very worried."
"W... Where am I?"
"In a Muggle hospital." The werewolf answered. "Do you remember what happened after you fell into the water?" Faced with the child's refusal, he continued. "Apparently, when you fell, a Muggle was passing near the lake... When he saw that you were falling, 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."
"Mom and Dad?"
"They are at home, with Brian," Remus answered sadly. "They were here the first day, but then they left." At the boy's sad look, he added. "Brian gave them his version of the events, making you the culprit of everything."
Harry didn't respond for a while, just staring at the ceiling, as always his parents had believed Brian faithfully, and since his brother was not injured, that made his parents not even bother to worry about him.
"How long do I have to stay here?"
"Until you heal."
"They won't even let a healer heal me?"
"James was so angry that you put Brian 'in danger' that he decided that curing you in a muggle way would be your punishment," Remus said with a sigh.
A new coughing fit made Remus get up scared, and he went to find a nurse, but the boy's hand stopped him and made him sit back down.
"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 can cure me, right?"
"I don't know, Harry... if I had treated you instantly... maybe... 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 go out, how he had sent the ball into the lake, and how he had demanded that he go get it for him. It was a long and slow explanation since on more than one occasion he had to stop because of a coughing fit. When he finished, he looked at the silent werewolf.
"It's a very different version than the one Brian told your parents."
Harry remained silent, he didn't need to say anything, after all, he knew the truth... his parents did not care and he also knew the reason, he had heard them talking about it one night and he knew that for them, he was just someone who only represented a burden... how could he compare to his younger brother, prophesied to destroy Voldemort? He was sure that if he didn't come home, they wouldn't notice either, only Brian and Uncle Remus would notice that he was gone, and obviously, for different reasons.
"Uncle Remus, you'll be tired... you better go home and rest... I'm fine, don't worry."
"You're sure?"
"Yeah."
"I'll come back tomorrow, okay?"
"OK."
Remus left the room and after telling the doctor that the boy had woken up, he headed to his friend's house to have a few words with him. James had to know that his behavior towards his son was unacceptable. He was sure that not even Snape behaved like that.
As soon as he could do so, he appeared in front of James Potter's house and knocked on the door decisively and angrily. Lily was the one who opened the door smiling at him.
"Remus! Come in, come in... You're just in time for dinner. Would you like to join us?"
"Thank you Lily... but I came more than anything to talk to James and you." He said as he entered.
"Talk to us?" James Potter said as they entered the dining room. "And about what?"
"From Harry, perhaps?"
"Ahhh... from him."
"What's going on, Remus?"
"I hope you are aware of the damage you have done to him, denying him the right to see a healer."
"He is already receiving medical assistance, and being cured in a Muggle way 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 Death Eaters? What would have happened, if something had happened to Brian?"
"In case you haven't noticed, Brian is fine! It's Harry who isn't! Harry asked your permission to go outside, I was there when he did it, and you told him he could... And if you knew your eldest son at all, you would know that he would never force someone to do something they didn't want to do, unlike Brian." Remus turned ready to leave. "Harry was submerged for almost ten minutes in water with a temperature of almost twenty degrees below zero... It's a miracle that he's still alive... The consequences will be too few compared to what could have happened to him... you should take this into account."
After that, Remus left the house, not bothering to say anything else, after all, everything had already been said.
[T/N, Haha! I got it done today! Hope you all are enjoying it as much as I am, man I hope that little c*nt gets his teeth kicked in. If you enjoyed the chapter please drop some stones and if you are interested all credits are in the synopsis. I'll try to drop another chapter tomorrow early.]