T. K.: I'm back!

Neko: You never left.

T. K.: Why am I cursed with you?

Tsuki: The Powers That Be hate you?

T. K.: You're supposed to be on my side!

Neko: We're muses, we're on no ones side.

T. K.: I don't own Harry Potter, this will be the only time a write a disclaimer for this story because I hate writing these stupid things. Enjoy!

~~~~~~

Something was wrong at Four Privet Drive; Harry Potter could feel it in his aching bones. He sat up in his bed and winced slightly. He reached for his glasses and looked into his mirror, lightening flashed and lit up his little room, he could see the marks on his skin. Gods, I look worse than I did yesterday, Harry thought running his fingers lightly over his face and thin chest, which were both a mass bruise. Harry didn't know what he had done to set off his Uncle Vernon this time, but these days he normally just had to breathe.

Harry looked at the clock; he'd been seventeen for ten minutes. Peachy, just bleeding peachy. Harry opened his window and laid back down, unaware of the black dog and white steed in his backyard.

~~~~~~

The dog and what was actually a unicorn stood in the back yard for hours, waiting for something. Several owls came and went, but the pair waited. Finally, Sirius Black changed back into his human form with a pop and turned to the unicorn and suddenly there was a woman standing in her place. She was tall, about 5'7" with long, unruly, black hair, chocolate colored eyes, and black oval framed glasses.

"Where the hell is Albus?" she asked straightening out her wizarding robes. Lightening flashed again followed shortly by a peal of thunder.

Sirius smiled at her. "Still impatient, Moonstone?"

She gave a start, only Remus Lupin had known her nickname. She quickly smiled at Sirius and said, "Yes, Padfoot; but then again, you've known me twenty-some years, when haven't I been impatient?"

Sirius thought for a second. "When you came to see me in Azkaban."

"No one should be impatient at Christmas," she said. "Frankly, I was surprised you remembered me."

Sirius smiled again. "How on Earth could I forget you, Crystal? You were James' little sister."

Crystal Potter smiled. "Moony almost didn't remember me," she said.

"Yes, but you weren't dropping in to see him like you were me," Sirius said. "How'd you get Charlie, Bill, and Percy to keep quiet about you being Harry's aunt?"

Crystal smiled. "I told Percy that the Ministry thought it would be a good idea if he didn't know about me."

Sirius's jaw dropped. "You lied to a Ministry member?"

"Two of them, I lied to Arthur Weasley as well," Crystal said as if it were nothing. "I told Bill and Charlie the truth, that Albus didn't want Harry living with me yet, that I was too much of a hazard."

"A hazard?" Sirius asked.

Crystal shrugged. "You have to admit that with Voldemort after me, I wouldn't have had much of a stable life. But now that I'm teaching at Hogwarts it won't be nearly as hazardous." Silence covered the pair.

"I have a question, out of all the Marauders, you thought I was the sexiest, didn't you?"

Crystal rolled her eyes. "I didn't look at my brother's friends like that; I was two when I met you." Sirius pouted, but Crystal knew it wasn't real... it was impossible for Sirius to pout. Crystal decided to get off the subject of sexiness, she didn't want to say anything embarrassing. "Do you think he'll like me? I mean, from what I've heard he's had a rotten time with his other aunt."

"You're a witch, you work for Albus, you hate Snape," Sirius said, "he'll love you." Crystal smiled and nodded. Not to mention you're just like James, he added mentally. Something wet fell on his cheek, followed by another drop on his nose.

Crystal looked around the garden. "Ah, there we go," she said walking over to a small tree. She drew her wand and with a small swish-flick motion, turned it into a large umbrella stuck in the ground. She smiled at Sirius again and motioned him over, she sat on the ground and wrapped her arms around her legs.

"Can you say lightening rod?" he asked as if he were a kindergarten teacher.

Crystal arched an eyebrow. "No, but I can say plastic."

Sirius looked at the umbrella... sure enough, the top was plastic. "Well, that makes it a bit safer," he said joining her as the rain started to pour.

"Where the bloody hell is Albus?" Crystal asked, bringing them back to the start of their conversation. Then Albus Dumbledore was there. Crystal and Sirius gave a jump before laughing at themselves.

"Sirius, Crystal," he said with a nod. "Are you ready?"

Sirius and Crystal nodded and edged out from beneath the umbrella. Crystal flicked her wand and changed the umbrella back into a tree.

"You're finally going to meet him," Sirius said as a wave of apprehension hit her.

~~~~~~

Crystal silently opened the door after picking the lock, she couldn't use magic out of fear of the Ministry coming to investigate. Crystal walked lightly across the kitchen floor in case of squeaky floor boards, Dumbledore led them up the stairs, also walking lightly in case of squeaks.

Sirius counted the steps and stopped Dumbledore. "That stair squeaks no matter how lightly you step on it," he said. "Harry told me in a letter."

Crystal hopped the stair and continued on her way. Dumbledore pointed to the door with a dent in it. "What happened to the door?" Crystal asked, fearing the answer.

"I don't know," Dumbledore said, "but I have a feeling we won't like finding out."

Sirius growled at the thought of it. "I'll kill them if they've hurt Harry," he whispered through clenched teeth.

"And go to Azkaban for a crime you actually did commit," Crystal said.

"Children," Dumbledore said lightly.

Both Sirius and Crystal bowed their heads and mumbled apologies.

Dumbledore reached for the door and tried to open it. "Locked. Ms. Potter, if would," he said stepping back. Crystal nodded and kneeled in front of the door. She pulled her handy-dandy lock picking set out and set to work on the knob. Twenty seconds later the lock clicked.

~~~~~~

Harry sat huddled in a corner listening to the door unlock. It was his Uncle Vernon, he just knew it; the owls had made too much noise and his Uncle would be pissed. The door opened slowly and a woman stood there. Harry watched her walk into the room followed by...

"Professor!" Harry called hoarsely as he launched himself at the Headmaster.

Dumbledore wrapped his arms around Harry in shock. "Harry, my boy," he said feeling the boy's body shake.

Sirius walked in to see Harry clinging to Dumbledore like a lifeline.

"Harry," Dumbledore started, "look at me." Harry wouldn't look at him, he wouldn't let Dumbledore see him in this state. Dumbledore put a weathered hand under Harry's chin and lifted his face.

Harry flinched as he met Dumbledore's eyes. Crystal gasped at the marks on her nephew's face. Sirius snarled, emitting a low growl from his throat.

"Who did this to you?" Dumbledore asked in a whisper his face set in hard lines.

"Uncle Vernon," Harry told him quietly.

"I'll kill him," Crystal and Sirius said at the same time.

Harry looked at the woman first then at Sirius.

Dumbledore looked at Crystal. "Would you so kind as to go retrieve Harry's trunk from the closet down stairs?"

Crystal's face went blank as she said, "Yes, Albus."

"Sirius, go rouse the Dursleys from their beds and gather them in the living room," Dumbledore ordered. Dumbledore then looked back to Harry. "Anything you need to get before we go?"

"My homework," Harry said absently, "oh, no, it's still in my trunk..."

"Harry, are you---" Dumbledore didn't even finish the question before Harry passed out in his arms. Down the hallway he heard Sirius bellowing and two people screaming. "Sirius," he mumbled shaking his head. Crystal bounded up the stairs and down to where the yelling was. "CRYSTAL!" Dumbledore called. Crystal turned around and came back.

"Sir?" she started but stopped as she saw Harry. She instantly conjured a stretcher for Harry and Dumbledore laid him down. "Merdé," she cursed, "the Ministry will be here at any time now."

Dumbledore started say something when the sound of someone being hit reached his ears. "Don't say his name," Dumbledore said.

"I may have been born in the dark, Albus," Crystal said, "but it wasn't a troll's cave." Crystal and Dumbledore headed down the hall with Harry floating behind them. "STOP!" Crystal yelled as Sirius reared back for another punch. "Don't hit him again. The Ministry is on their way, they'll take care of the bastard."

Sirius let Vernon Dursley's shirt go and walked out of the room. Crystal barely heard the *pop* of him disapparating. Dumbledore turned back to leave the room when Mr. Dursley jumped up and lunged for him.

"Stupefy!" Crystal yelled pointing her wand and Mr. Dursley hit the floor. Mrs. Dursley knelt beside her husband, weeping.

Dumbledore watched the two and disdain practically rolled off him. Crystal wanted to yell and scream at the two but figured it do no good; she walked out of the room and opened the middle door of the hallway. A stench washed over her and she gagged.

"This must be their son's room," Dumbledore said.

Crystal closed the door. "What'd he do? Die in there?"

"Not that I'm aware of. I believe he left with a friend today," Dumbledore told her.

"Dumbledore!"

Crystal turned and saw three Aurors standing at the top of the stairs with their wands drawn. "We got a report of magic in use here, then we heard screaming," one said.

Another was staring at the stretcher. "Bloody hell... what happened to him?" he asked.

Crystal jerked a thumb at the Dursleys' room. "They happened. The magic was us," Crystal told them. "I would like to get my nephew medical treatment if you don't mind."

"Go ahead," the third Auror told her.

"Thank you," Crystal said and looked at Dumbledore. "I'll take him to Pomfrey."

"I'm going to stay and help clean this up," Dumbledore told her. "Don't forget his trunk."

"Albus," she started.

Dumbledore waved the coming comment off. "It wasn't a troll's cave."

~~~~~~