September First was fast approaching. Harry had been spending plenty of time with his fathers, and had been wondering about removing the blood adoption when a letter came from the ministry.
Harry was sitting downstairs watching TV with Sirius when Remus came in with the letter.
It has come to our attention that Mr. Harry James Potter has returned to live with his birth parents and no longer resides at Number 4, Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey. If it is Mr. Lupin's, Mr. Black's and Mr. Potter's wishes that Mr. Potter remain with his birth parents, the blood adoption must be removed before September the First. Mr. Potter may also make any changes to his name that he and his birth parents wish, at the time of the adoption removal.
Sincerely,
Lourdes Lange
Ministry of Magic
Department of Children and Families
Harry smiled as Remus read the letter out loud. Sirius looked nervously at Harry, and Remus' face was unreadable. "Why are you smiling so much cub?" Sirius asked carefully, unsure of Harry's reaction.
"I've been wondering for several days about how to bring up removing the blood adoption to you guys. And I've always wondered if you ever thought of a name for me, even though you knew you couldn't keep me." Harry explained.
Remus and Sirius both visibly relaxed and Remus spoke again. "We never picked out a name, but in my head I always thought of you as David. We would never ask you to change your name though."
"Whose last name would I have been given?" Harry asked, contemplating who he could have been, and the things that would have been different.
"Mine," Sirius said. "When we used to dream of being married, we knew that Remus would take my name. The power that comes with being a Black is great."
"Did you ever have a name for me...Dad?" Harry asked, a bit timidly. He'd never called either of the men by anything but their given names before.
Sirius' head snapped up. He sat there, looking at Harry for a moment before he answered, "I always thought of David too, probably for the same reason as Moony. David means beloved in Hebrew."
The two men sat with their son, in silence, just considering what could have been, what should have been, before Remus once again broke the silence. "Do you want to remove the blood adoption Harry?"
"Are you mental? Of course I do. Even before the letter from the ministry came, I had been wondering about how to bring it up. I wanted to do it before term started again. I want to go back to school as me, the real me."
Sirius and Remus were both over the moon, happy. "We can go to the ministry and get it done whenever you want." Sirius said.
"Can we go tomorrow?" Harry asked. "And can Hermione come with us, if her parents don't mind?" He added as an afterthought.
"Of course, and yes, Hermione can come, but can I ask why?" Remus said.
"Yeah, I always feel a little bravery when Hermione's around, and I'm a little nervous about changing my looks and my name." Harry admitted.
"You don't have to change your name, Harry. Like Remus said, that is entirely up to you. You don't even have to change your last name if you don't want to. We understand that Harry James Potter has been your name for the last 16 years, and James and Lily died protecting you. We'd never take that from you." Sirius assured his son.
"Oh I know. But I'd like to. Being Harry Potter hasn't been the best experience of my life. My Uncle liked to snarl 'Potter' at me like it was a curse word, and that's what all the people at school who don't like me, call me too." Harry explained.
Both of his fathers nodded. "We'll support whatever decision you make son," Remus reminded Harry yet again.
Sirius nodded in agreement. "Tomorrow afternoon we'll have Hermione floo over and we can all floo to the Ministry together."
Harry went up to his room to send an owl to Hermione, explaining everything and making sure that she could get permission from her parents to spend the day with him and his fathers.
Hermione's response came quickly. Her parents agreed for her to floo to Harry's house and then spend the afternoon with them. They didn't quite understand the entire process, but were very happy for Harry that he had found his family, and were glad that he trusted Hermione enough to want to share the experience with her.
Harry got the floo password from his fathers, and owled it back to Hermione.
It was settled that she would come over about eleven, the foursome would go out to lunch and after lunch they would head for the Department of Children and Families at the Ministry. Harry would have his adoption removed, and change his name to whatever he decided.
Harry's father's spent the rest of the afternoon nervously watching TV, wondering what their son's choice would be the next day.
Their teenage son spent most of the afternoon in his bedroom, thinking, and writing in a journal that he had picked up in Diagon Alley the day before. He was trying to sort out his thoughts and feelings, and figure out who he wanted to be after his adoption was removed the next day.
Harry had gotten so lost in his thoughts, that he was slightly startled when Remus called up the stairs to tell him that Sirius was grilling steaks in the backyard, and that he should come out and join them.
He flipped his journal closed and grabbed his new trainers and headed downstairs to spend his last night as Harry James Potter, with his newly found fathers.