Chapter one: Now watch

Angels are said to be void of emotion, completely neutral. Unable to feel love, anger, sorrow, or happiness. Even the angels themselves think this until they prove themselves wrong. Even I thought so. But I was wrong.

I didn't realize how wrong I was until I met my child. I say my child, but angels do not reproduce. We just are. Some, very few who are said to have a special destiny, are paired to guide children of equal importance. This was very rare. I was chosen. He was mine from the time he was born.

Our first year together was blissful. I was happy for the family I had and this was strange. I had always known that angels were incapable of such things. Then my Harry opened his eyes for the first time and I, along with his parents, fell in love. I would protect him with my life. With my wings. With my Grace.

I watched from my home in Heaven, Harry's first Halloween. His parents, James and Lily, had dressed him up in a red and gold uniform like a Gryffindor Seeker and had their friends over. I liked the Marauders save for Peter as much as I thought an angel could like anyone- despite the fact that the more I watched my boy the more I felt the emotions humans were known for expressing and writing such beautiful poetry about. Harry's first Christmas brought him a new broom and an army of Marauder themed stuffed animals. Then his first birthday came. Through this first year, I watched his surroundings- the waging war on both sides as well as the internal conflict within. I knew it was only a matter of time.

Angels, the few who become Guardians, watch their charges from Heaven. Always. But when I watched Lily Potter give her life to save her son's, I wept. I had loved that family as wholly as I love my boy. I had laughed at the antics, worried over my Harry when he chased Piewhackit the cat on his broom, and wept when I watched the poor, misguided Severus Snape clasp the fallen lily to him. I broke tradition and for the first time in my life, experienced the wonder my Father created that was Earth.

"Boy! Get up! Now!"

I nudged Harry and he jerked awake, calming down at the familiar sight of me. I smiled at him and ruffled his hair.

"The horse wants you," I told him.

"Don't they always want something?"

I gave him his glasses to put on and watched him blink back the remnants of sleep, of the dream he had had. "You had the dream again," I said.

"Same one," he grumbled. "Flying motorcycle."

I wanted to tell him about the truth, that that was the sweet Hagrid bringing him to his relatives, and I use that term loosely. That he was a wizard, destined for amazing things. I didn't, not sure how to breach the topic much less how to do so without upsetting him. No, it was best to wait until he was retrieved to go to Hogwarts.

I ran my fingers through his hair, trying vainly to tame it. I sighed at his grin. I could feel the change coming. The winds were changing again.

"Alethea." My head snapped up to where he waited at the door, ready to go make breakfast. "You coming?"

I smiled at him, my boy. "Right behind you."

I followed him into the kitchen, past the whalish Vernon Dursley, and watched him cook breakfast that I knew he wouldn't be able to eat. I always made sure he ate though. By the time he was done, the Dursley's equally whalish son and the willowy Petunia were sitting at the table as well. They ignored him as he laid the food out on the table like he was the hired help, only minus the hired bit.

"How many are there?" I heard Dudley ask.

"Thirty-six," Vernon boasted. "Counted them myself."

I snorted and rolled my eyes, leaning against the door frame with crossed arms. I was surprised he could count that high. Dudley counted silently on his fingers, mouthing the numbers as he went, before going red in the face.

"Thirty-six? But last year-last year I had thirty-seven."

"Well some of them are quite a bit bigger than last year," Vernon tried to pacify.

I rolled my eyes again, you pick things up from man as the years pass by,and made a face with Harry. He grinned at me, looking so much like his father.

"What are you smiling about, freak?"

His face froze at his aunt's question and I glared in her direction, despite her not being able to see me. She turned back to her son.

"We'll get you two new presents when we go out. How's that, popkin?"

Dudley frowned, but nodded, and began stuffing his face. I had my own gift, to Harry for the day. They were taking Dudley to the zoo for his birthday and I had a plan to get Harry in the car with them too. When the call came through, Harry glanced to me and I nodded with a grin. They discussed who else he could stay with. Marge hated him too much, Yvonne was vacationing in Majorca, the car was too new for him to sit in outside of the zoo. They had no choice that they saw but to take him.

I met them there, not having enough room to ride with him and walked behind as we went through the animal sections. Harry's favorite were the lions. When we entered the reptile house, I felt a shiver of something go down my spine. As if to say, it's time. Be ready.

Harry and I watched Dudley and his friend go tank to tank, terrorizing the inhabitants with us behind to look at the animals. There was a larger tank that drew them and that feeling of dread grew as Dudley banged hard on it and whined.

"Make it move."

Vernon knocked smartly on the glass. "Move."

Dudley slammed against it too. "Move!"

But the snake slept on. Dudley and the Dursley's moved on to the other exhibits and the snake looked up- winking at Harry and then looking straight at me. My stomach churned.

"Can you see her?" Harry asked aloud.

The snake nodded.

"She's my angel. Alethea."

"Harry, don't." I breathed, nervous around this of my Father's creations. "He's a snake."

"So?"

I swallowed, knowing how ridiculous it was to fear every snake. Condemn them for one. That wasn't what I wanted to teach Harry. He needed to know before we went to Hogwarts that things weren't always what they seemed. Not to base his opinion based on others.

"Hello," I said hesitantly.

The snake seemed to frown in confusion, but its form never changed. Mostly just an overtone. Harry nodded approvingly.

That was when Dudley and Piers came over, shoving Harry to the ground hard- making his glasses fallen and crack again. I got down to help him find his glasses before they were stepped on. He pulled them on and glared at the boys and I watched with glee as the glass vanished. The snake slithered out and I kept still as he slithered by.

"Thankss... amigo... do not fear my kind, Graced."

I breathed out slowly and nodded.

"Alethea," he said seriously. "What's wrong with me?"

I looked up and frowned at his tone. This was after Vernon dragged Harry in by his hair and threw him into the cupboard. He'd been silent on his bed and staring at the ceiling. I'd left for an hour to see Sirius, as I did in spare time when Harry was sleeping-making the cell as bearable as I could for just a little bit. I could never stay long, having to go back to my Harry. I always showed myself so he could see me, but most of the time he was too out of it and the other times I'm sure he just thought I was a figment of his imagination. He was slowly getting better.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"I know you know why I can do things like that. Tell me what's wrong with me."

I sighed and moved to sit beside him. "Harry, there's nothing wrong with you. You're special. You're a wizard."

He frowned. "I'm a what?"

I began to get excited. "A wizard. I watched over your parents too when you were born. James was a wizard and Lily a witch. When you turn eleven you'll go to Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. Your parents and their friends went there. I go to visit one of them when I can. You asked where I go when I'm not here. You can do amazing things. You will do amazing things. It's why I'm here with you."

He had been listening aptly with a hopeful look in his eyes. "My parents. Tell me more..."

"Sirius?" I whispered, stepping lightly closer to his form. I had seen wonderful things in my time on Earth. Love, undying love that made me believe in them. I had also seen terrible things. War, but beauty in war. When one man on one side helped another for the other. But there was no beauty in this cold, dusty cell on an island surrounded by Dementors without even a limp cot on the floor.

The form groaned and I moved just beside him. He moved his head and tried to sit up. I placed a hand on his back and he jerked away from me.

"Sirius, calm down. I'm here to help."

"Wh-wh-wh-who are you?" His voice was hoarse and in a whisper from no use.

I blew softly and the room warmed up as best as I could do. He still shivered, but less so than he was originally. He calmed down and looked up at me in a state of awe. "Are you an angel?"

I blushed and thought about it. Ironic, yes, but not necessarily shocking. I suppose I did look fairly cliché; long almost white blonde hair, one ocean blue eye and one bright green like Harry's, and bare feet. I smiled at him. "Yes, I am."

He pulled his brows together and leaned his head back in a confused manner. "Really?"

I smoothed his hair back. "My name is Alethea. I'm Harry's Guardian. I watched over you and James and Lily and Remus."

"Harry? Where is he? How is he?"

"He's amazing. He's going to be a great wizard. He lives with Lily's sister."

He suddenly looked horrified. "No! She-she never wanted him there! Where's Remus? Or Alice and Frank?"

"Alice and Frank were tortured by Bellatrix and aren't really in their right minds. Remus- it isn't his fault. He's been trying but Dumbledore keeps him away. He even tried to come see him once and he was stopped. Harry doesn't remember. I look after him though."

"Dumbledore?"

"He thinks more on the scale of saving Wizarding Britain rather than saving Harry. I don't think he really cares about him as more than the savior."

Sirius looked heartbroken. "Is he happy?"

"As happy as he can be. I only told him about his parents and Hogwarts today after a bout of accidental magic."

"What did he do?" He asked with an excited face.

"He's a Parselmouth. He accidentally let a snake out at the zoo."

He frowned. "You can't let him tell anyone about that. They'll condemn him for life."

"I know. I'll take care of him. I always have."

Sirius grasped at my hand tightly and pulled me nearer. "Are you real? I've seen you before."

I cupped his face. "Very real. I come here when Harry sleeps. I check on you."

"Alethea."

"Alethea," I confirmed. "You were always my favorite Marauder."

He didn't smile like at one point he might have. He hugged me.

"That letter. What was it for?"

I grinned, bouncing in excitement. "That was your Hogwart's letter. They'll come for you. Remember what I told you about being the Boy-Who-Lived?"

He nodded. "So, you'll come to Hogwarts with me?"

"Of course I'm coming with you. I have to keep you out of trouble don't I? But I'll still be secret. You know that. Only you and Sirius know about me."

Harry swallowed- I had told him about Sirius- and nodded again. "Right. Do you think I'll make friends?"

"I'm positive you will."

I looked back and forth between Hagrid and Harry. He was doing a really good job of pretending to be ignorant of his heritage. I was kind of proud. He kept glancing back at me for support.

"You can always trust Hagrid," I told him. "With anything but a secret. Terrible loose lips."

We watched the Dursley's and Hagrid shout at each other until Vernon decided to insult Dumbledore. I groaned, laying a hand over my face in frustration.

"Now he's done it." I pulled Harry away from them. "Hagrid is extremely protective of Dumbledore and vice versa."

"I thought we didn't like Dumbledore?"

"Dumbledore is fine. He's a good leader for the many, I just think we should steer clear of him. He wants to turn you into a hero."

"I don't want to be a hero," Harry said, looking terrified.

I held my hands on his shoulders. "I don't think he would give you the choice. Now, watch."

A/N: I know! I'm sorry. I promise I will not start another fanfic until I finish another. What would you like me to update next? Not Belonging to Fairytales, I'm still thinking on that one. Keep in mind I hate recapping the whole "You're a wizard" discussion. I find it bland after the first thousand times you read it in a fic. So I more or less skipped it. Next chapter won't be so jumping around. I am not religious, but I hope I do okay with this story. It will not be a full out bashing story. More, I accept Dumbledore did bad in hopes of doing good sort of thing. Idk. Also a romance. It was going to be an Alethea and Severus story, but I'm still thinking about it. We'll see. Love always, Skye.