Chapter 1 – The Pensieve
Harry was on standby awaiting further instruction from his department on which dark wizard had recently been sighted so that he may continue his duties as an Auror, which was why he was at home. His sons Albus and James were both attending Hogwarts, James in his third year and Albus in his second. His daughter on the other hand, Lily Luna Potter, was attending a regular primary school not too far away from home and she was in her final year. His wife, Ginny was at home with him, sitting with him at the kitchen table as they ate breakfast.
Harry was reading a copy of the Daily Prophet propped up against a milk jug as he sat opposite Ginny, scanning for anything unusual that may grab his attention such as even a few jinxes occurring in London. After Voldemort and his followers had been obliterated, it appeared that every year got harder for an Auror to get along, which was a good thing, but at the same time, Harry was struggling to find much work which was gradually becoming a bad thing.
'Nothing,' Harry muttered to Ginny as he folded the newspaper and laid it on the chair beside him. Ginny frowned and looked down at her plate of bacon, beans, egg and sausages.
Harry finished his breakfast and checked his watch. 'I better go get Lily up, she's got school in about an hour,' Harry said as he got to his feet from the table, as he done so, somebody rapped on their door rather loudly making Ginny drop her fork onto her plate.
'I'll get Lily ready Harry; get the door though would you?' Ginny said as he put her fork back neatly on the side of her plate and got to her feet to head for the stairs to Lily's bedroom.
Harry followed her out of the kitchen to the corridor where they parted; Ginny creaked up the stairs with her fluffy red slippers as Harry went down the carpeted hallway to answer the front door which had been rapped again impatiently as he approached it. Through the semi-circle glass, Harry could make out the disfigured silhouette of what looked like a large item.
His hand met the handle and he swung the door open, one hand on his wand in his back pocket.
(You never know)
Upon opening the door to let the early spring sunlight embrace his jeans and some of the hallway behind him, his eyes fell down upon a hunched man who was staring down at the welcome carpet at his feet. The man was looking extremely exhausted, his cheeks were puffy and red, his breathing was heavy and fast and it was probably because of the huge, oddly shaped brown wrapped package he was heaving on his back.
'Ha-Harry Pot-Potter?' the man asked Harry with great difficulty without looking up at him.
'Er,' Harry began.
'Never mind that, help me with this,' the man breathed as he bent lower and Harry helped the man carefully carry the package off his back and to ground level in his hallway.
'Phew!' the man said in a very relieved voice as he fell with one arm out onto Harry's hallway wall.
Harry took the time to examine the odd shape of the package the man and he had just brought into the hallway. There was no note and the package was shaped like a small fountain, it was certainly heavy enough to be one. Though, something gave Harry the idea that it was not a fountain due to the oddly shaped tower protruding from the back of it about the size of a small mirror which was also carefully wrapped in brown packaging.
The man let out one last puff of air and leant against the wall looking at Harry with his beady black eyes. Harry noticed the man's eyes scan his forehead before he spoke. 'Yes, you're Harry alright,' he muttered almost to himself.
There was a small moment of silence with sound only coming from upstairs with Lily's wild yawning. 'Er, sorry – what is this?' Harry asked the man as he glanced at the item.
'Pensieve Mr Potter,' the man said rather proudly as he bounced back on fourth on the balls of his feet.
'A Pensieve?' Harry asked in mild disbelief as his fingertips felt the corners of the packaging that crinkled upon his touch. He knew what a Pensieve was; he had come across one during his time at Hogwarts, where he had once discovered the dark memories of Professor Snape and the sentencing of Barty Crouch Jr. Harry turned his eyes back to the man who was back to leaning on the wall, but looking much more composed. 'But who would send me a Pensieve?'
The man frowned and set his eyes down at the Pensieve. 'I was not told,' he said. His eyes brightened and he looked back up at Harry smiling. 'Anyway, absolute pleasure to meet you Mr Potter,' he said, taking Harry's hand and shaking it energetically, beaming at Harry's scar.