"I think I'm hard of hearing," James slowly sounded out. "Did you say your name is Harry Potter?"

The being, 'Harry Potter', only frowned. "Hm, yes? Is that a problem?"

James closed his eyes and slowly breathed out. The death eater deaths, a summoning circle, and now someone claiming to be his son. His son was already at Hogwarts, in his fifth year, learning to become a proper man. If this was a threat against his family... it wasn't particularly a very good one.

"Where do you think you are, right now? What do you last remember?"

Harry hummed thoughtfully, inhaling into the stick. "Hmm, the last thing I remember was staying at the Clarence hotel in France. Hmm, I suppose I have been somehow kidnapped and placed here. How strange..."

"Right. I'm assuming it's that hotel in Dordogne, right?" James nodded slowly. "And how did you afford something like that?"

Clarence hotel... as in, the hotel in France, was one of the most exotic, most expensive hotels in the known magical world? Just a night would be amount to a thousand galleons. Per person. Only the richest noble houses, business tycoons, mobsters, foreign dignitaries, and ministers stay there. And being kidnapped from that place? Nearly an impossibility. That place was so heavily warded it might have given Hogwarts a run for its money in a few centuries.

James, of course, didn't believe him.

Harry Potter frowned. "That, I'm afraid, is none of your business."

"I see," James mirrored his expression. "And, do you realize who you've been speaking with, this whole time?"

"I don't particularly care. Probably some incompetent ministry official." Harry smirked.

James' brow twitched in annoyance. "My name is James Charles Potter, father of Harry James Potter. And while impersonating people, even as a prank, is frowned upon, is not a criminal offense, but lying to ministry Aurors, and the suspicious nature of the deaths of several numbers of dark wizards, you are a suspect in an on-going investigation. I'm afraid we would have to take you in. Do you understand your right?"

Finally. Finally, surprise flashed across this supposed 'Harry'. He could feel his gaze upon the hard countenance of James'. Not that he cared. The boy might look a little like his son, but this one was older, with confidence tap dancing into arrogance despite being surrounded by Aurors, and far different than what his son actually looked like.

"...Interesting. Not what I expected, but interesting," Harry drawled, chuckling. "Very well, I shall place myself in your custody."

This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

James nodded to Shacklebolt, who took four of his own and entered into the circle and said, "Please put your hands up, and away from your wand."

Harry, the stick still in his mouth, held his hands up. One of the junior Aurors bound his hands behind his back, and another checked his pockets and patted him down. One of them said, "A wand, nothing else."

"Okay, we're going to apparate to the station and process you, and then provide you with a lawyer," James said, then apparated.

James went back to his office instead and promptly crashed into his leather high-backed chair. He saw the moving photos of his family. His wife held by him, his son, and his younger twin daughters. Harry looked annoyed by the whole thing in the photo, the twins were all smiles, scheming probably, and Lily seemed to be trying to get everyone to behave. He himself on the photo was stupidly grinning.

His thoughts drifted back to the imposter son, groaning. "This is going to be a headache."

Voldemort was good as gone after marking Neville Longbottom as the Boy-Who-Lived. The only tragedy that night was the death of Augusta Longbottom, and it was only luck that Alice and Frank were out for one of their emergency Order meetings. Neville was a truly lucky boy to still have his parents. Merlin, James was lucky to still have his friends among the living.

Still, just because Voldemort was gone, didn't mean he was dead. Dumbledore suspects otherwise, and if the old man has worries, then James had better prepare the ministry for the inevitable reemergence of the dark lord. Especially with the likes of Lucious and his ilk free and open.

James sighed, did more paperwork, and absentmindedly glanced at his clock. When he looked out the window, the moonlit night cast silver shadows in his office. There was peace in the darkness of his office, allowing him to think, to plan.

Eventually, his secretary and most of his Aurors had already left for home once their shift ended, leaving the night shift Aurors to take over. It was a quiet night, and fewer dark wizards were operating in their country. The Hit Wizards were doing splendidly on their own, keeping order or investigating crimes of regular nature.

The floo fireplace flared green, startling James out of his thoughts. "Lily?"

Lily smiled. "Hello, love. Just calling to say I'm going to be a little late. Probably won't make it until tomorrow morning."

James snorted. "Ugh, more research? You know, there are more important things in life..."

"Uh-huh, is that why you're still at work?"

He snickered. "Empty house, just the two of us..."

Lily rolled her eyes, and said, "I think we have to see other people."

"Oh, was it that skinny bugger in the archives department? Is that who you've been seeing?" James pouted. "How could you!"

"Yes, yes. Save the drama until we're home. Anyway, Impy can cook you something good before you go to sleep," Lily replied, before hanging up the fire call.

James snorted, then frowned.

The house has been empty and lonely without their kids. Their only focus has been on each other and their work. The kids are only home the few months of the year, besides the holidays, and once they graduate from Hogwarts, they would move on to find their own things. Harry was a bright kid, with good grades and a bright future ahead of him. It's the sisters he would have to worry about. They were bright, too bright. Whatever they did, they would succeed... even if they ended up being of dubious nature.

James sighed. "Maybe we should have more kids..."

It wasn't as if they were old... Most wizarding couples have children when they were into their seventies, at the prime of their youth. They and their friends had children at an impossibly young age, in the middle of a deadly war.

It took another two hours before James went home, and another hour before he fell to Somnus' arms.