Disclaimer: I do not own anything you recognize.
I hope you enjoy the story!
People milled around the house, moving from room to room, stopping to chat here or there. Laughter floated around the house, interspersed with the sounds of friendly arguments and thoughtful discussions.
A loud knock on the door interrupted those towards the front of the house. A young redheaded girl ran to find her honorary aunt and uncle, the owners of the house. She ran past many people she knew, all part of her extended family in some way or another. Weasleys, Potters, and Longbottoms were all relaxing pleasantly in various places around the house. She knew Teddy Lupin, her sister Victoire's fiancé, was around somewhere. She also passed the Scamander twins, Lorcan and Lysander, who were entertaining Scorpius Malfoy with a tale of their travels.
"Aunt Luna!" Dominique called as she ran.
She found her aunt in a dark room towards the back of the house, showing off the new creature she had found on her latest travels. Next to her stood her husband, Rolf Scamander.
"Aunt Luna! Uncle Rolf! There's some-" she stopped abruptly, caught off guard by the strange creature glowing eerily in a tank. "What's that?"
"I don't know." Luna said dreamily. "I've only just discovered it. We haven't thought of a name, but it is quite fascinating. It glows in the dark and is invisible when there is light."
"Oh… Right…" Dominique trailed off then shook her head, almost as though coming out of a trance. "Anyways, I came to tell you there's someone at the door."
Rolf frowned. "They didn't ring the bell."
Those in the small room followed Luna's dreamy gait towards the front door.
The knocking had stopped, but Luna and Rolf still opened the door. Standing behind it on the front steps was a tan, silvery-haired women, her skin wrinkled and leathery with age.
"Hello, Luna." Her voice was rough and she gave a painful looking half-smile that seemed unnatural on her face. "I hope you don't mind my intrusion." Her voice had a certain quality that made the words sound sarcastic and sharp, almost taunting, though on the surface they were polite.
"Of course not," Luna said. "It's always lovely speaking with you."
Rolf moved out of the way of the door. "Do come in, Catalina. It must be cold out."
Dominique peered around her uncle, watching as the old woman hobbled through the door.
"Luna," Catalina asked, "Today's your birthday, isn't it?"
She watched closely as Luna nodded serenely.
"Good, good," she mumbled to herself. Louder, she continued, "I'd like to see Harry Potter."
"Harry?" Luna tilted her head to the side ever so slightly. "Why?"
"Because I've got something to tell him, that's why."
"Well, come on then." Rolf motioned for her to follow him. "Harry's somewhere back here."
She followed, mumbling unintelligibly under her breath.
By the time they reached Harry, quite a few people had become interested in the mad-looking old lady. She gathered more attention as she stood in front of Harry, waiting until the entire room stood silent, watching her.
Finally, she spoke. "Hello, Harry Potter."
Harry stood there bemusedly for a moment before responding. "Er. Hello. Is there… something I can help you with?"
Amusement could be seen on her wizened face for just a moment before it was lost. "No. I need no help at the moment. However, I have come here to make you an offer."
Everyone stood silently for another moment, waiting for her to say more. She, however, began to look around at the various decorations the Scamanders had put in their living room.
Harry looked around at his family and friends. "I don't think you've said exactly what this offer is."
Her eyes flashed up to meet his. "No, no I haven't."
"Well… what is it?"
"It is not curiosity that killed the cat, Harry Potter, but the cat's own impatience." She turned back to look at an intricately designed copy of the Sword of Gryffindor.
"Catalina," Rolf called disapprovingly. "Stop messing with his head. Make your 'offer' and be done with it."
Catalina rolled her eyes and made a small noise of displeasure. "Fine, fine. I will make my offer." She turned back towards Harry. "Once, long ago, I met some… interesting… people. It was a different world, then, back when I was young."
James, Harry's eldest son, snorted and muttered something to his cousin Fred about dinosaurs. Catalina turned swiftly to glare at him.
"Do you wish to hear this story, boy?" she asked, her voice dangerously low as she regarded him coolly.
James' surprise at being called out did not last long. He smirked arrogantly, holding up his higher before responding just as coolly. "Depends. You still haven't managed to tell us what it's about."
Catalina's eyes narrowed, but she answered him. "It's about your namesakes, boy. Both of them."
Harry raised an eyebrow and leaned forward in interest. "You knew my father?"
Catalina ignored the question and instead asked one of her own. "Do you want to hear my story?"
Harry hesitated for just one moment, making eye contact briefly with his wife. "Yes."
"Fine." She moved to the couch, motioning for everyone else to sit down as well. "I will tell the story. But remember this, boy," she said as she fixed Harry with her penetrating stare. "Do not weep for the past. The dead are dead and nothing you can do will change that."
Everyone eyed her curiously as they settled down on chair or on the floor.
When each person had fallen silent, Catalina began to speak. "This story begins many years ago with two eleven year olds, cousins. They had just recently received their Hogwarts letters and were planning on going to Diagon Alley with their family to shop for school supplies…"
"James! James, wake up!"
A young boy groaned and rolled over in a bed much too large for him as a girl ran into his room, throwing the doors wide open. He buried his face in his pillow before mumbling, "Go 'way, Rhea. 'm sleeping."
The girl sighed before an idea struck her and a mischievous grin made its way across her face. She clambered onto the bed and began to jump up and down enthusiastically.
The boy sat up and glared. He crossed his arms and attempted to look intimidating, but could not quite pull it off as his usually messy brown hair was even more tousled than normal and his deep brown eyes were still heavy with sleep. The girl, his cousin, merely smiled innocently at him. She bounced over to him and sat down, hugging him and affectionately ruffling his hair. He looked at her pleadingly, silently begging for a little more sleep. She simply shook her head, smiling fondly at him.
"It's time to get up, James. Today, we're going to Diagon Alley!"
"O.K., now, you two. We have to go over the rules before we can floo anywhere."
The two children glanced at each other, smirking, before turning to pay rapt attention to Charles Potters' speech. He smiled knowingly at them before glancing at his wife. She looked older than usual, her face set in harsh lines as she attempted to look stern and impress upon the children the importance of following the rules. However, this façade broke down as she peeked to her left and caught the eye of her sister-in-law, who was smiling indulgently at her daughter and nephew.
Charles clapped his hands, rubbing them together in a conspiratorial fashion before beginning, "First off, you are not to leave Diagon Alley. That means no Knockturn Alley, and I don't care whether you leave Diagon on purpose or by accident. Both are equally punishable. 'I got lost,'" he said, making quotation marks with his fingers, "is no longer a valid excuse. Nor is 'I was just following Rhea,' understand?"
James nodded sheepishly while Rhea smiled innocently at her uncle.
"Good," Charles continued. "Next thing is you need to stay within two meters of one of us at all times. And by 'one of us' I mean one of the adults in this room right now. You two don't count, o.k.? And don't disturb the shopkeepers. No running around in the stores, or knocking things over, or even fighting with each other. Be polite to other shoppers and whatever else you may do, do notantagonize the Gringotts goblins. I think you both remember what happened last time."
He tried to look strict as the children hung their heads ashamedly. They did not look up right away and therefore did not notice the grins that adorned their mothers' faces.
"Alright, those are all the rules I can think of," Charles finished. He stepped back and gestured to his wife and sister before saying, "Do you two have anything to add?"
His wife merely shook her head while his sister, Leean, looked pensive.
"Well, let's see," she said thoughtfully. "You said about the goblins and Knockturn Alley. . . No, I think you got everything."
"Good," Charles said. He turned to his son and niece. "You remember how to work the floo, right? I wouldn't want either of you to get lost."
Both children nodded eagerly, their faces showing their excitement.
"Alright, then, let's go!" Charles said enthusiastically.
The women laughed at the delight on James' and Rhea's faces as they ran towards the fireplace. They followed the children slowly, pulling down the pot of floo powder from its spot above the fireplace.
As Emma held the pot out to her husband, she instructed, "Charles, you and Lee will go first. Then James and Rhea. I'll come last."
They each grabbed a handful of powder and one by one threw it into the fire, disappearing to the Leaky Cauldron in a swirl of green light and ashes…
Catalina paused, clearing her throat and gauging the reactions of her audience.
"Wait," Ron said, his confusion showing on his face as he took the short gap to ask his question. "Who's Rhea? I've never heard of her."
Rose Weasley, his daughter, rolled her eyes but smiled fondly. "There's probably plenty of people you've never heard of, Dad."
Ron raised an eyebrow, challenging her. "Oh, so you know who she is?"
"Of course. She's James Potter's cousin."
Albus laughed, leaning around Scorpius, his best friend, to look at Rose. "You just know that from the story Rosie."
She pouted slightly. "I'm not dignifying that with a response."
Ginny rolled her eyes at the younger generation. "I've never heard of her either. Did James Potter really have a cousin?"
Molly, looking much older than usual with a frown upon her face, answered. "Yes, she did. I met her a few times. She was killed before Harry was born." Her voice shook a little. "About a year before Fabian and Gideon…"
"Ah, yes." Catalina murmured. "Fabian and Gideon Prewitt. We'll be getting to them eventually, we will."
Everyone was quiet for a moment, waiting for someone to say something.
"Well, now." Catalina looked at each listener individually. "On with the story! And I don't want no more interruptions, understand?"
Author's Note: So, this is Chapter One. I'd appreciate it if you would review and tell me what you think, whether it is positive or negative. Even if you don't, thanks for reading!