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Matthew hadn't been a fully fledged auror for more than half a year, yet the stupid title of Boy-Who-Lived guaranteed that he got into more skirmishes with Death Eaters than he could count on both hands. It drove his mother crazy; both James and now Matthew in the front lines of the war with Voldemort.
Harry seemed almost sensible in comparison. Out of Hogwarts he immediately got accepted into a Defence Mastery program that took up most his time. It meant he was rarely at home, preferring to stay with the other students, always keeping quiet about his studies.
Perhaps Matthew should've pressed more to make Harry talk. He realised that far too late.
At some point Harry was sent home for a month.
"It's to get a break, work on some of my research alone before I start on the new specialisation," he explained.
"Which is?" Matthew asked.
"Runecraft and rituals!" Harry beamed. It wasn't exactly a defence area, but Matthew could see how useful that would be.
Matthew let it go then, as he had little interest in that area. Well, he tried to remember where he had heard it before, maybe one of his law classes? Not being able to recall it, Matthew shrugged it off.
But two weeks he wished he could remember it. What they had been even talking about? Probably nothing important.
There was something wrong about Harry. He was certain of it and yet when trying to remember what it was he only found fog and abyss.
As if he was made to forget.
It happened all the time. Like Harry becoming a vague concept in his mind instead of the real man in front of him, that slept in the room next to Matthew's.
He was certain he had caught Harry sneaking out several times, but he couldn't remember it. No matter how hard he tried. He had to learn rudimentary Occlumency during his Auror training, but even his usual exercises yielded no results.
Only fog.
At dinner that night Matthew planned asking Harry head on, in front of their parents. That plan went out the window when Matthew actually saw Harry. He had been out of the house for the entire day, Matthew knew, it was his day off duty, and returned rattled. Now, holding his utensils or his glass, his hands were visibly shaking, even as he pretended it was no bother.
"Are you okay, Harry?" James asked. So Matthew hadn't been the one who noticed.
Harry's entire arm seized for a second and he dropped his fork with a loud clank.
"Overdid it while duelling with a friend," Harry shrugged. "He's just as bad off as I am, if not worse."
His tone was light, as if there was nothing so visibly wrong with him.
"Harry, we all know what Cruciatus damage looks like," Lily pointed out.
"It's not… we were testing legal spells on each other, this one has similar after effects," Harry explained. He picked up his fork again, so careful not to drop it again.
"Harry, you are still injured!" James protested. "Legal or not, you shouldn't do this."
"I'll be fine, I've already treated most of my injuries."
"But you still have to explain why you've been sneaking out," Matthew said sweetly.
Harry froze, paling slightly, before his act kicked in again. "Sleepless wanderings mostly. Or gathering things for my research. What did you think I was doing?"
Matthew abruptly stood up, hands slamming onto the table.
"Matthew!" James reprimanded him.
"So you admit it!" Matthew bellowed, "but I can't remember more than a faint impression of it happening."
They all turned to Harry.
He gave Matthew a condescending smile. "It is not my problem you cannot remember things. Accurate statements are crucial in your work, are you sure you are fit to be an auror, brother?"
Matthew spluttered something incoherent.
Harry stood up as well.
"I have another engagement tonight that I need to attend," he announced. "I'll see you in the morning."
They watched him stride out of the dining room. Lily called after him, but all Harry said was "In the morning!"
Matthew waited up for him, watching the entrance door, sitting a pillow he had conjured on the ground. Harry returned late, exhaustion weighting down his shoulders, slight limp to his step, his heavy black cloak smelling of smoke.
"Matt," Harry said, voice flat.
"Hi Harry," Matthew said. "You look like shit."
"Nothing a night's sleep can't fix. I'll be fine," Harry dismissed him.
"Will you?"
"And will you?" Harry snapped back. "You have a shift tomorrow, you should've been asleep by now."
"I am on office duty, Harry, I will be just fine with a pepper up," Matthew said.
"Excellent, now good night, brother," Harry snapped and strode off.
Matthew was supposed to be on an office duty. That was until a report of a large Death Eater attack south of London came in and Matthew's unit was designated as the reinforcements.
The arrived at the scene to fire, smoke and spells flying all around.
Matthew heard an oddly familiar voice cast "Sectumsempra!" and he instinctively ducked. The auror behind him fell down, head barely attached still by a few flaps of skin and tendons. Matthew felt sick at the stench of blood as it sprayed everywhere. Ron by his side swore out loud.
There was no time for him to ponder the fallen comrade. Others have already subdued the caster, wrapping them in spell-made chains; the chains glowed as they struggled to contains the Death Eater's magic.
Matthew drew his wand jumping into the fight casting left and right. He locked into a duel with another Death Eater, trading curses and hexes. At some point a spell hit and his shoulder burned with even the smallest movement.
A large explosion sent him flying forward, right into the Death Eater's arms. At least it confused the Death Eater enough not block Matthew's stunner.
Only then he turned around to see the first Death Eater broke the magical confines and currently duelled three of the reinforcements and another auror already covered in layers of grime. And the Death Eater not only seemed to hold their ground, but winning.
Matthew watched in utter horror as Ron, his best mate for as long as he could remember, fell under a flash of bright green light, George Davids screamed as his wand arm was cleanly sliced off at his elbow.
Four other members of Matthew's unit were held up elsewhere and so he bound his fallen Death Eater, summoned their wand and ran into the fight. Matthew had engaged Voldemort before in a battle, when he had been fourteen and fighting for his life in a botched Triwizard Tournament. He remembered what it had been like, the overwhelming power and casting cadence, as he had eventually fled to save his life. It was hard to believe this Death Eater was so eerily similar.
Matthew barely withstood the incoming barrage of spells, barely holding his ground by casting a shield after shield. The Death Eater's mask was covered in blood; Matthew hoped it was their own.
He noticed them tiring, strikes faltering and the bright shield circling them flickering.
Then Matthew managed to sneak a spell through the Death Eater's defences. It was just a bludgeoning hex, but it was enough. Their shield fell.
Matthew disarmed them at the same time as one of his comrades started binding the Death Eater anew, weaving the spells much stronger to take their magic and freeze their limbs. When Matthew pulled their mask off, he didn't recognise the man, but Matthew was certain he was someone important in Voldemort's ranks.
There were a few skirmishes going around, fights being finished and Death Eaters captured. Another response team, the healers, showed up.
Matthew moved slowly as adrenaline left his body and he once again found Ron's body sprawled maybe ten metres away. He should be the one to tell Mrs Weasley her son wouldn't come home.
That night the atmosphere at dinner is grim. Many lives were lost and Harry had not enough decency to show up or tell him he'd be elsewhere that evening. His seat was all set up, unoccupied.
"Someone come find me if Harry shows up," Matthew said finally. He stood up, leaving his half-eaten dinner behind.
Matthew stood in front of the holding cell C39-Y, arms crossed, as he observed the prisoner from the attack that had killed Ron. Other aurors managed to identify and interrogate all others, but this individual had been resisting. His face was unknown and somehow even Veritaserum couldn't pull his secrets out of him. Matthew had read the report, how the man had a seizure shortly after administering the potion that stopped only with the antidote.
There was something off about the man, Matthew was sure. There was a challenge in his stance, self-assured smirk adorning his face.
Gears grinding in his head, Matthew raises his wand, disregarding his colleagues' alarm.
"Finite Incantatem."
The man's smile widened as his face blurred and faded.
"Hello, brother," Harry greeted Matthew from within the cell. "Sorry about missing dinner last night, I was… inconvenienced."
"Harry?" Matthew whispered. "What… You killed Ron! I thought you were friends! And… you tried to kill me."
He remembered how the Death Eater, Harry, had fired a lethal curse at Matthew and taking another auror instead.
"I was planning to bring my lover your head as a courting gift," Harry drawled. "You've managed to avoid him for far too long, brother dearest."
Harry leaned into the bars. "You weren't meant to find out. Not yet and it has taken me far too many memory charms to keep your annoying nose out of my things."
Harry stepped back, shrugging off the Death Eater persona like he'd take off a cloak. "Can you let me out now? I'm sure mum and dad are worried sick by now."
Matthew moved like he was under a spell, reaching for the lock to let his brother out as he was asked.
A stinging hex struck his hand. Johnson was scowling at Harry. "Don't try this or we'll sedate you, Potter!" She aimed her wand right into Harry's face. "Arden already went to fetch the Head Auror."
"Oh! Didn't think dad would be fine with being pulled away from work. He's always hated that, Matt, remember?"
He did remember it, how he and Harry had used to sneak around his study to see who can make the most sound without dad scolding them. He hated it now, the memory soured by Harry's betrayal.
James showed up. He strode into the cell block head held high, seemingly unaware what exactly had been happening there.
"Hi dad!" Harry said, his voice filled with hope. "So glad you're here, Matt keeps refusing to let me out, I…"
He yelped in pain as Johnson hit him with a strong stinging curse.
"Don't listen to him, boss, his voice carries power. Tiny Potter almost let him out," Johnson explained.
"I am merely trying to prevent further loss of magical life when I set myself free, eventually," Harry drawled, the previous mask replaced by the cold Death Eater. "We all know it's only a matter of time before I break free again."
James looked like he wanted to say something.
"We should let Moody or someone else handle this, dad. Conflict of interests and all," Matthew proposed. It would also get him away from his brother before he did anything stupid.
"Fuck you," James spat at Harry before he turned away and fled from the cell block. Harry laughed.
Matthew found James sobbing in his office. James' wand was in his face the moment he stepped in.
"Your sleeves, Matthew," James demanded.
"Dad, I'd never…"
"Harry said the exact same thing to me years ago, standing in the exact same spot as you are!" James screamed at him.
Matthew moved slowly, not doing any sudden movements as to not startle his dad. He took off his red auror coat and folded it over a chair, so it wouldn't get into the way. Pulling his right sleeve up he revealed his wand holster and a broom tattoo. Ron had had a matching one; they had got them just after graduating Hogwarts. Matthew's left arm was covered in scars, just like his right one, from years of quidditch, battle training and minor squabbles he had gotten into with Harry.
He couldn't exactly remember when Harry had started carrying a blade with him.
A bit of weight seemed to fall off from James' shoulders when he saw no Dark Mark on his other son's arm.
"Did you know?" James asked brokenly.
"I think so? I must've found out something, because Harry all but admitted to messing with my memory. I was certain something was wrong, but couldn't figure out what."
James stared into a corner. Matthew sat down on one of the empty chairs across his dad's desk.
"What now?" Matthew asked.
James let out a weary sign and blinked a few times to keep more tears away. "I'll tell your mother, unless whomever will be in charge of Harry's case tells us not to. I will go meet with Director Bones to discuss the next steps. You should come too, Matt."
He didn't want to come too. If anything, Matthew hoped to be sent out into the field and do something instead of running around the offices and dealing with the fact that his brother was a traitor. Or he would go home, take a bottle from their cellar and went get drunk with Ginny over Ron's memory.
But he couldn't. Instead, he had to trail after his dad through the DMLE offices to meet Director Bones.
Amelia Bones was a pleasant woman, a strict leader and an absolute terror with a wand. Matthew liked her at most times, but now he was positively terrified; he could not even begin to guess what would her reaction to Harry's actions be.
Director Bones seemed to be expecting then.
"Your family is nothing but trouble, James," Bones stated when they sat down in her office. "First there's a Dark Lord after you, then your toddler becomes a celebrity requiring protection and now your other son joined said Dark Lord and killed several aurors."
"I will resign from my position as a Head Auror," James told her.
"Dad!"
"James, I was merely planning to suspend you during the time of investigation or until a clear lines were drawn to keep you and Matthew from interfering. You don't need to resign," Director Bones protested.
"I had a Death Eater living under my roof, Amelia, and I had no idea. I don't deserve that position," James argued.
"That's enough, James!" Bones snapped. "I am sending you both on a leave for the next week effective immediately. Do not leave the British Isles as you will be summoned for interviewing, same goes for Lily."
She handed them both two scrolls. "Already signed off on it. Afterwards we'll discuss the timeline of Matthew's return to active duty and whether you will be still do adamant at relinquishing your station, James Potter."
Matthew carefully reached for the scroll with his name on it and read it. It was truly a leave approval, that had been signed of that morning.
"Thanks, Director," Matthew said before his dad could say anything, and dragged James out of the office and towards the nearest Floo access point.
Lily heard the news in silence, unmoving until James was done talking. Matthew reached to touch her shoulder and that as if broke something in her. She collapsed into James' arms, sobbing uncontrollably.
"Oh James," she choked out, "what did we do wrong?"
Matthew only saw his dad slowly stroking Lily's back before he left the room to hide in his bedroom. He planned to wait until Ginny's practice was over before they would go drinking over Ron's death and his glory. He would've gone already, but Ginny had sent him Patronus that she wouldn't skip a practise. Matthew knew she was keeping herself occupied, distracted.
The first summons by the DMLE came the next day for James and Lily, two cream envelopes written by the script used by most dicta-quills.
They were taken into one of the interrogation rooms James was si painfully familiar with. The last time he hadn't been the interviewer had been during his training, when he underwent a simulated interrogation. He knew Matthew had gone through the same not so long before.
James found it reassuring to see Alastor Moody enter shortly after with Martin Carell. Alastor was a friend; Carell had always been civil with James but their relationship remained strictly professional over the years and James was certain Carell hadn't met Lily beyond official functions.
Carell pulled out a scroll and a dicta-quill.
"If you both are ready?" Alastor asked.
"Let's get over with this," Lily sighed.
"Very well," Carell began, "let's begin. Interview of James Fleamont Potter and Lily Maria Evans-Potter on the 6th of February two thousand, lead by Martin Carell and Alastor Moody."
The dicta-quill wrote it all dutifully down, scratching loudly on the parchment.
"On the third of February two thousand, Harry James Potter was apprehended along side a group of Death Eaters during an attack in Muggle Brixton, London and further investigation revealed a presence of the Dark Mark, which has been reported can only be taken willingly."
Carell paused to let them process the information.
"Did you have any suspicion of his inclinations?"
"Of course not!" James denied vehemently.
"No! We'd never let him, if we knew," Lily said at the same time.
"What has Harry been doing since he graduated Hogwarts?" Carell inquired.
"He started a defence mastery, at least that's what he has been telling us the whole time," Lily replied.
"Ah, yes," Carell drawled, "the mastery."
Moody threw a dossier on the desk between them. "When we went through the records at the Education Department, we found that his apprenticeship is legitimate and headed by an accredited tutor, named Tom Riddle. But deeper search revealed the man appears to have strong ties to You-Know-Who and the Death Eaters, but with no apparent crimes and absence of a Dark Mark we cannot prove anything."
"Does that mean he's been indoctrinated there? Manipulated to join them?" Lily asked.
"We can only guess. He remains stubbornly silent during interrogations and appears to have some sort of allergy to Veritaserum," Carell explained. "But it's possible he's has applied for apprenticeship specifically under Riddle, if he had been exposed before to their influence."
"I've told him to ditch those… friends," James seethed. "But no, he just had to find his confidants in a group of Slytherins and Death Eater children."
"He's always tended to do things we told him are wrong," Lily added.
"I still remember some of his letters from first year. 'If even a pretence to be the same as your favourite son cannot win your affections…' We've always loved them the same, I was merely telling him his choice to remain friends with the Slytherins was unwise, even after he sorted Gryffindor," James continued.
"We kept telling him we don't approve, to try and make friends with more Gryffindors, but clearly that was for nothing." Lily seemed to close more into herself. "We should've been more insistent."
James touched Lily's arm. "What else do you need to know?" he asked, resigned.
"That is all for today, thank you for your cooperation," Carell said formally.
"Want to see him before you leave?" Alastor offered.
Lily froze.
"You don't have to do it," James said gently, stroking Lily's lower back.
"I… I think I need to," Lily whispered.
Alastor lead them into the cell block. At the entrance, once of the aurors on guard duty confiscated their wands as was the policy with visiting family members.
Harry sat on the floor of his cell, sleeves of his robes pushed up revealing scars and runes covering his arms. At least he had his arms crossed on his chest, hiding the Dark Mark.
"Hi mum!" Harry greeted her cheerfully before slowly standing up. "Are you here to let me out? Dad's been telling me I have to stay here, but the cot makes my back hurt and the food is awful… I so miss home."
Lily didn't have her own wand, but she reached for Alastor's before a binding spell hit her. Another spell took Harry's voice.
"He's been trying it on everyone that comes here," Alastor growled. "We have to keep renewing the silencing spell, but it appears it wore of sooner that expected."
Lily, horrified, looked between them.
"James, take me home," she told her husband, before turning away from her son. Harry was laughing, soundlessly.
Matthew arrived early. He had received his summons by the DMLE two days after his parents, and decided he should see Harry first. Because maybe before Harry hasn't been truly himself, maybe he had been under a spell…
James was somewhere at the department too, requested to help with compiling Harry's file. Matthew probably should've asked his dad to come along, but it was just for a quick visit, Matthew would be fine.
He walked past the guards, left his wand with Fawley and headed for Harry's cell.
"Matthew Potter just entered the cell block," said the sparrow Patronus in Nina Fawley's voice.
"He's supposed to keep away from there," James hissed, standing up from his work. He strode out of Moody's office with Moody in tow.
They heard what was happening before they saw it. Sound of spell fire, shouted casting, screams of panic and terror. A blast tore the door right in front of them; James conjured a shield to deflect it off to the wall where it crashed with a painting of Pamela Weasley.
And there was Harry.
He was locked in a fight with three aurors, one of them Matthew. There were other Death Eaters too that Harry must've freed. Someone was yelling at James, he ignored it. He couldn't look away as Harry took down one of his opponents with a well aimed killing curse.
James moved forward, wand aimed at Harry. His mouth moved without sound, he cast no spell. His body collided with a solid barrier; Rodolphus Lestrange grinned him.
The world as if moved in slow motion. Harry turned his wand towards Matthew who was still trying to subdue Harry's cursed flames.
James screamed in anguish as Harry's spell struck Matthew in the chest and throat, blood spraying onto Harry's bare face. Then Harry struck again and Matthew's severed head rolled on the ground. The other Death Eaters seemed to form a protective circle around him as he picked the head up into a conjured wooden box.
Harry looked up and gave James one last wicked smile, before all the Death Eaters headed for the exit.
"You're late," Voldemort sneered.
"Sorry, love, got held up by my family. But I brought you a gift," Harry grinned and held out the box. He had conjured a ribbon on it just as he apparated to their home.
Voldemort took it, wary, testing its weight. "What is it?"
"Open it! I promise you'll like it."
Voldemort carefully opened it. He kept staring at the contents of the box, blinking a few times.
"So?" Harry pressed.
"Is this your brother's head, Harry?" Voldemort asked, pride and fondness apparent in his voice.
"Daddy dearest was so horrified when he saw me do it!" Harry laughed. "But please, do not display it in our bedroom."
"I was thinking the drawing room mantelpiece…" Voldemort mused and pulled Harry into a kiss.