Daddy Dearest - (No Update, Edit)

Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to JKR. All situations are mine. No $$$ is being made from this fanfic.
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Chapter 30 ~ An Awakening

James had been thrilled to find a new broom waiting for him Christmas morning. James was as adept a flyer as Harry had been, and was a shoo-in to become a Seeker for his house. Despite the cold weather, he wrapped up and took the broom through his paces, accompanied by his father. James loved the one-on-one attention.

When Mathias came to spend the night the following week, James discovered Harry had also bought the young wizard a broom, which suddenly made his own gift seem less meaningful. How could his father give Mathias the same present? James felt cheated again.

When Harry, Ron, Mathias and James practiced a few Quidditch moves, James ran into Mathias so hard, he fell from his broom, hitting the ground hard. Harry yelled at him but James maintained it had been an accident. Later that night, he and Mathias got into a fight and both wizards came to breakfast with shiners. Mathias asked to go home. He left the broom at Harry's.

Hermione had been livid when her son returned from Harry's house with a black eye. She had hesitated when Harry asked for Mathias to come over, saying he had a gift for him and wanted him to stay the night. The witch remembered James running up to Mathias at Hogwarts followed by almost the entire Gryffindor house. She had hoped it was a fluke, something that would pass. Apparently, it hadn't.

"Boys fight, Hermione," Harry had said.

"Mathias doesn't fight unless he's pushed into it," Hermione replied evenly. "I'm sure your son started it, Harry. I witnessed James try to attack Mathias at Hogwarts."

"What? You have to be mistaken, Hermione. James wouldn't attack Mathias. He grew up with him for gods' sakes," the green-eyed wizard responded.

"Harry, I think James was one of four wizards who attacked Mathias by the lake at Hogwarts. They took his clothes and his wand and left him there naked. He wouldn't say who it was, but I think James was part of it," she said scowling, with her hands on her hips.

"James would never do that!" Harry declared, "He's not that kind of boy, Hermione. I didn't raise him to be mean or to gang up on other wizards."

Hermione stared at him.

"Your father was a bully, Harry," she said evenly, "You weren't, but your father was. Maybe James is like your father."

"No. No he's not, Hermione. You are blowing one incident all out of proportion. You're…you're just being overprotective," Harry declared.

"It's been more than one incident, Harry. Just think over the years, even before they went to Hogwarts. How Mathias would refuse to play with James, but never said why, and how anytime they did play together, someone would always end up hurt. They don't get along, Harry. And Mathias is disciplined. You know how disciplined he is. He doesn't like fighting though he is good at it. Something is very wrong here," she said.

Harry looked at her.

"Maybe Mathias shouldn't come over any more," he said darkly, "If you think my son is such a bloody bully, Hermione."

"Maybe he shouldn't," Hermione agreed. "Then I'd know for sure he wouldn't be returning injured."

The two friends glared at each other.

"I don't appreciate you making James out to be a bully, Hermione. He's not like that at all," Harry said.

"Ask him, then. Ask him about how he feels about Mathias then Harry," Hermione said. "If I'm wrong, then I'll apologize to both of you. But I don't think I'm wrong. Mathias has this kind of code of honor where he doesn't tell on people, Harry. I could ask him all day and he won't say a word. He tries to handle things himself. So it would be a waste of time trying to get the truth out of him. He wouldn't tell on James no matter how much he torments him."

Harry thought about this. Mathias really was closed-mouth. A Snape trait. He also showed the ability to take punishment without complaining. Another trait of his father. Harry's father James had targeted Snape for humiliation when they were students at Hogwarts. Could history be repeating itself? Was his son following in his grandfather's footsteps?

It troubled Harry when he found out how his father had been in school. He actually felt sorry for Snape, being set upon by several wizards at once and having no one to help him. Could it be his own son was doing the same thing?

"All right, Hermione. I'll find out. If he is targeting Mathias, then I'll put a stop to it. But if he isn't…." Harry said, frowning at the witch, "Then I want a full apology. This is my son you're accusing."

"Just ask him, Harry," Hermione said, frowning back at him.

"I will," Harry said, opening the door and stalking out. This was the first time in years Hermione and Harry didn't embrace each other on parting.

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Harry returned home and wasted no time finding his son James, who was out flying. The wizard waved the boy in.

James zoomed toward the ground and pulled up at the last minute, stopping neatly in front of his father. He dismounted and smiled up at Harry.

"Hi dad. Did you see me? I'm getting better and better every day," the young wizard said.

"Yes, I saw James. You are really getting good," Harry replied, ruffling James' hair. "But I want you to come in the house. I need to talk to you about something."

"Okay dad. I'll put away my broom and will be right in," James said, walking toward the broom shed.

Harry walked into the house. Ginny met him at the door and gave him a peck on the lips. She looked at him.

"What's wrong, Harry?" she asked him.

Harry turned his green eyes on Ginny.

"Hermione thinks James has it in for Mathias," Harry said.

Ginny nodded and didn't say anything.

"You don't seem surprised by this," Harry said to her, frowning slightly.

"I'm not. I grew up in a house full of sibling rivalry," the witch said.

"Sibling rivalry?" Harry responded, raising his eyebrows as he looked at his wife.

Ginny sighed.

"Harry, you wear glasses but sometimes you don't see what's in front of you. Remember me telling you that you needed to spend more quality time with James, and you said he was fine?" she asked him, "Well, he wasn't fine. You said I was reading things into him that weren't there. I dropped it because I knew sooner or later it would come to this. James despises Mathias because he had to share you with him. And Mathias is not your son."

Harry was about to reply to Ginny when James walked into the house.

"I'm here dad. You said you wanted to talk to me?" the boy said.

Harry looked down at him, then at Ginny.

"Yes, I do. Come into my study, James," Harry said, walking toward the room, James following him. Ginny watched them go, her brown eyes troubled.

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Harry and James entered the study.

"Sit down over here, James," Harry said to his son, pointing to an armchair.

James sat down and Harry drew up another armchair directly opposite him and sat down. The wizard had decided to skip the questions and go directly to the source.

"James, you know what legilimency is, don't you?" Harry asked his son.

"Yes, it's when you go into someone's mind and look at their memories," James replied, looking a bit nervous.

"I am going to perform it on you. Once I do, depending on what I see there, we are going to have a talk. Understand?" Harry asked him.

James swallowed and nodded. What kind of memories was his father going to be looking for? The boy had done quite a few naughty things.

"Okay, relax," Harry said, "Don't think about anything specific. I will find what I'm looking for, if it's there."

James sat very still and tried to relax as he looked at his father. Harry didn't look happy.

"Legilimens," Harry breathed, and was drawn into James' mind.

He sifted through the boy's memories, his face contorting as he witnessed a couple of conversations where James was tormenting Mathias.

"You know what a person who's mother wasn't married when she had him is called? A bastard. That's what you are Mathias. A dirty bastard. You have no dad. Even if he was alive you'd still be a bastard," James gloated at the silent, dark-haired wizard.

Frowning, Harry witnessed a few more conversations.

"I wish you'd stop coming over here trying to steal my dad. He's my dad, not yours!"

"Mathias, I hate you! I really hate you!"

Harry, his stomach feeling like lead, forwarded to his son's going to Hogwarts. He witnessed James throw a roll at Mathias and call him a bastard in front of all of Gryffindor house. Mathias had just been walking by.

Then he watched, feeling nauseous as James and three other boys followed Mathias down to the lake. It was easy to see James was the ringleader. He told the other boy to hex Mathias, and he was the one who threw a helpless Mathias' wand into the lake. James didn't want to stop tormenting him, but the others wanted to return to the castle. They put Mathias' clothes high in a tree and left him naked and wandless. They laughed as they returned to the castle. Harry pulled out of James' mind.

"I can't believe you would do something so cowardly, James," he hissed at his son. "I didn't raise you to gang up on others. I didn't know you were a bully."

James stared at his father.

"I'm not a bully. I only go for Mathias, and he deserves it. He does stuff to me too," James declared.

"You've teased him almost all his life, James. Called him names. Hated him. Why?" Harry asked the boy.

James looked at his father, his green eyes filling

"Because…because you loved him more than you loved me when we were coming up, and I'm your son!" he blurted out. "You used to always go over to his house and spend time with him…and any time he came over here, you paid more attention to him than to me. You always said he was good at everything, and hardly noticed when I did anything great. Yes, I hate him, because he took my dad," James said, tears rolling down his face now.

"James, I was always here for you," Harry said to his son.

"No. No you weren't. When I did my first broom solo, mum was here with me, not you. You were at Mathias'. And when I cast my first spell, it was only mum too. You were too busy trying to be Mathias' father. It's wasn't fair. I told him to tell you to leave him alone, but he wouldn't," James said. "He wanted you to be his dad, even if it were only pretend."

Harry remembered when Mathias came to him one day and told him that he didn't want to take up so much of his time anymore. He was eight years old. Harry had just laughed it off and told him he wasn't taking up too much of his time. Then Mathias became distant, and remained that way from that day to this. He participated grudgingly in games and outings, saying he would rather be in the basement studying than out running about. Mathias was trying to back him off then, but Harry just didn't see it. Finally, the boy's sullenness sunk in and Harry left him to his books for the most part. But he did it too late, it seemed. James had already developed a deep hatred for Mathias for the time lost.

Harry looked at his son.

"I'm sorry, James. I truly am. I didn't know how you felt…if I had known, I could have done something. You're my son. I don't love anyone more than I love you. Mathias didn't have a dad, James. I know what that's like, how sad it makes you inside. I just didn't want him to feel left out, son. That's why I spent so much time with him. Young wizards need older wizards in their lives. He didn't have anybody," Harry explained.

"But why you? Uncle Ron doesn't have any kids. He could have spent more time with Mathias. Why did it have to be you?" James asked him.

"I guess I'm just closer to Hermione than Ron is, James. I've always felt responsible for her, since we were in school. When she had Mathias and was all alone, I felt I had to help her. That's what friends do," Harry said.

"But you had me too, dad. I should have been more important than Mathias. I know aunt Hermione is your friend, but I'm your son, dad. And you weren't there for me," James said. "It was always Mathias this, and Mathias that. Mathias did a really amazing spell. Mathias said something that was outrageous. You always talked about him. Always. It wasn't fair. You married and stayed with mum. His dad didn't marry his mother, even if he did die. You tried to have two families, dad. But you really only had one. You tried make up for what his father did to him. But all you did was leave me behind," James said.

Harry blinked at his son. He hadn't known he felt like this. Harry blinked back the tears threatening to fill his own eyes. He had made James hate Mathias. Made him into a bully.

"James, I'm going to do my best to make it up to you, son. I promise you. But I want you to stop what you're doing to Mathias. It is cowardly and wrong, and makes me ashamed of you," Harry said.

James looked as if Harry had struck him.

"I told Hermione you couldn't possibly be bullying Mathias, then I find out it's true. Now I have to go back and apologize to her and to him. How do you think it makes me feel, to have to admit I don't know my own son?" Harry asked him rather bitterly.

"That's not my fault dad. It's yours," James replied, his green eyes somber.

Harry started a bit at the truth in his son's reply. James was right. Harry had no one to blame but himself. He had been so determined to be there for Hermione's son, that he had neglected his own. He made his boy resentful and bitter, giving him the impetus to be vengeful, jealous and cruel. As much as he hated to admit it, Harry had made James the way he was. He didn't know if it were too late to change him.

"Go to your room, James. You're grounded for the rest of holiday," Harry said.

James rose without a word and left the study. Harry let his head drop into his hands and sat there in the chair, feeling numb.

Presently, Ginny entered the study and walked up to the armchair, placing her hand gently on Harry's shoulder.

"A hard thing to realize that you've neglected your child, isn't it Harry?" she asked him gently.

Harry nodded, his head still in his hands. Ginny walked around the chair and knelt, pulling her husband's hands away from his face.

"But Harry, now you know how he feels. You can work on fixing it. James is still young. You can turn him around. Don't give up. He loves you," she said softly. "And so do I. It will be all right. You'll see."

Harry looked at Ginny and remembered just why he loved her. She was always there for him, always supportive, even when he made errors in judgment. She had tried to warn him about James, but she didn't bring it up again when he vehemently said she was wrong. The witch let him follow his own heart. Now she was here to mend it. Harry reached out and pulled his wife to him for comfort.

"It will be all right, Harry," she whispered, running her hand through his unruly black hair. "Don't worry, love. It will be all right."

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A/N: Had to deal with the issue of James and Mathias in this chapter. Harry didn't have a clue and it was time for him to see his son clearly, not as he imagined him to be. It had to have hurt. Ginny Weasley knew how headstrong her husband was when he believed he was doing the right thing…so rather than constantly fight with Harry, she stepped back and supported James as much as she could, waiting for Harry to come around. Not the approach every mother would have taken, but obviously it was hers. Hopefully James can be brought around. Please review.