Henry and Nora Allen were a perfectly normal young couple. Well, no. Not really. Henry was a wizard and Nora was a witch, but other than that, they were perfectly normal. They had good friends and a good life.
That was until everything changed.
On a street corner, a black man stood nervously. The night sky was dark and overcast. There was nothing unusual about it. The man, however, was wearing long robes, dress boots and a tall pointed black hat and carried himself as if he were waiting for somebody.
Eventually, someone else did arrive. A taller, older man walked down the street. He had silver hair that was also covered by a tall pointed hat and was also wearing long robes, only his were a shade of purple, rather than dark blue as the other man's was, as well as a dark blue cloak. He was carrying a small child, a baby, wrapped in a blanket.
The black man turned and looked to the older man.
"Joe. Fancy seeing you here." The older man smiled warmly.
"Martin. Hagrid told me that you'd be here. So I had to ask some questions."
"Go ahead, Joseph." Martin gave a nod.
"You-Know-Who?"
"Gone. Or so it seems." Martin said. "Though I would have thought that with all this You-Know-Who nonsense that you of all people would be the one calling him by his proper name, Zoom."
"I'm not afraid of the name." Joe said with a slight wince.
"But that is not what you wanted to know, is it?" Martin raised an eyebrow.
"Is it true, Martin?" He asked. "About Henry, I have to know."
"I'm afraid it is." Martin replied. "He was working for Zoom and killed several muggles before his wife. Then Zoom showed up to kill him and little Barry here, but... Couldn't. Have you any idea why?"
Joe, in shock, shook his head. "No. No I have no idea. But after all he's done and all the people he's killed, he couldn't kill a little boy? How on earth did Barry survive? Well, it's probably one of these things that we can speculate, but we'll never know."
"I am sorry, Joseph." Martin said sympathetically.
"Nora Allen, dead. I just still refuse to believe that my best friend worked for him." Joe said with a shake of his head. "I mean, I knew Henry better than most."
"I understand how you must feel. But there is cause for celebration as Zoom is gone and Henry-as hard as it is to accept-helped him along the way." Martin looked at the other man sympathetically.
"I can only imagine what Harry and Quentin are feeling." Joe said. "You think you know a guy." He shook his head.
"Indeed." Martin muttered. "Young Bartholomew Allen must be raised by his aunt and uncle now. They are the only family he has left."
Joe let out a strangled noise. "Yeah." He agreed.
"Incidentally, how are your own children? Losing Francine must have been tough..."
"Not as tough as having to come to terms with the fact that my best friend murdered his wife and several muggles on You-Know-Who's orders."
"I can understand that, also." Martin said. "I never expected Maria of all people to make an accurate prophecy."
"That's unrelated."
"Actually, she predicted this whole terrible mess."
"Terrible." Joe scoffed and shook his head. "You got that right."
"Indeed. Henry is probably being taken to Azkaban as we speak." Martin said. "If he is not there already."
Joe winced. "But do you think it's wise, leaving Barry with these muggles?"
"I do indeed. As does David." Martin replied. "They are the only family that he has left. Yes, I am aware of what you are to him, but I believe David put it best. That he will be famous for something he will not remember. Every kid in our world is going to grow up knowing his name."
"Including my own two." Joe added.
"And that he's better off growing up away from all that." Martin finished.
Joe sighed. "I know. You're right, I know."
Martin handed baby Barry to Joe and took out his wand, aiming it at a recycling bin. The recycling bin then turned into a baby basket, which Martin placed on the doorstep of the house.
"I know you want what's best for Barry. But this is it. It is best that he grows up among his family in ignorance of what he is famous for and what his father is infamous for."
"Yeah. You and Singh, you're right." Joe knelt down to place Barry carefully in the basket. He brushed his fingers on the baby's forehead, moving away some hair to reveal a small, lightning bolt shaped cut.
"Is there nothing you can do about it, Joseph?" Martin asked, referring to the scar.
"I'm afraid not." Joe answered. "He'll have that scar forever, Martin. Always-as the mark of an Unforgivable Curse."
"Have you got the letter?" Martin asked.
"Uh, yeah." Joe said, taking a letter from his robes. "I have the letter." He placed it gently in the basket next to Barry.
"There is one more thing." Martin took a small locket from his pocket. "Clarissa insisted upon it. Inside is a photo of Barry's mother, so he can remember her always." He slowly dropped it into the basket before standing up again.
"Well. That's that done." Joe sighed and watched the little baby.
Both he and Martin watched him for a full minute or maybe longer.
"We have no business staying here now, Joseph. Come. There is much celebrating to be done." Martin said, breaking the silence.
"I should go and spend some time with my children." Joe replied.
"I trust I shall be seeing you soon, Professor West?"
"Yes. I'll see you soon, Professor Stein."
Martin nodded walking away and disappearing with a crack and a flick of his cloak.
Joe lingered and went up to baby Barry, giving him a quick kiss on the head. "Good luck, Barry." He whispered before standing up and walking down the street. He passed the corner that he had lingered, before also disappearing with a crack.
A/N: So this is the new thing I've been working on. I'll post more after I'm done with uni exams. I've already written up until Half Blood Prince. I don't care if anyone else doesn't like this, I'm writing it for me.
