Author's Note: I do not own any characters in this story other than Normandy, and well, she's an owl. I am not making any money off of this work; it's just for the sheer pleasure of writing. Woo! Thanks to Crumple-Horned Snorkack Hunter for inspiring me to write this fic. Check out her story Demystifying Lily Evans!
Chapter Two: Decisions
"Kreacher, some mulled mead is in order." Sirius called to the air.
Seconds later, the house elf appeared with a tray of two large mugs and an enormous pitcher of mead.
"Thank you, Kreacher," Albus kindly said to the squatty old elf.
"The half-blood thanks me…" Kreacher mumbled
"Kreacher, that's quite enough of that!" Sirius bellowed, waking Harry and causing him to cry. "Damn it all- get me that bottle for Harry!"
"Yes, Master, of course…" Kreacher bowed low to his master before disapparating to the kitchen. He returned shortly with a warm bottle.
"May I hold the young boy?" Dumbledore asked Sirius after Kreacher had made his exit, his bright blue eyes glancing over his half-moon spectacles.
"If it's alright with you, I'd prefer to hold him right now… he's my last connection to his mother and father," Sirius nearly whispered the last part.
Of course Dumbledore understood. Instead of contesting Sirius' response or prodding him for more information on the deaths of James and Lily Potter, Albus pulled a lever on the side of his chair, reclining it back to an even more comfortable position for the time being.
It was a few minutes before Sirius could hold back the stinging, hot tears enough to tell Dumbledore of his findings without a thick throat.
"Albus. They're dead. James and Lily…"
"And I am to assume that since you were secret keeper, it was a slip of your own that caused such a mess?"
"NO!" Sirius yelled before continuing at a lower volume. "No, Albus, I was not secret keeper. Peter Pettigrew was, but it was our intention to mislead anyone who might try to get the secret keeper to share their secret by telling everyone that I was secret keeper."
"Ah," Dumbledore sighed. "So it was Peter who brought this terrible fate upon his friends. How do I know you aren't lying?"
"Albus, I have a feeling that you would know if I were lying. Aren't you an accomplished Legilimens?"
"That I am, but a skilled Occlumens could thwart me," Dumbledore responded.
"Which I am not," Sirius divulged.
"You all are so young to be dealing with such tragedy and Darkness," Dumbledore sighed.
"James and Lily weren't too young to escape Voldemort three times before. And they would have again, if they hadn't trusted in a filthy traitor to keep their family safe. It should have been me! I should have been secret keeper! No Death Eater would have cracked me, gotten me to tell! No-" Albus interrupted his self berating.
"Although I am in agreement that you would have been better suited to this particular situation, I do not believe that a mere Death Eater caused this mayhem. James Potter and Lily Evans were two of the most accomplished wizards I have ever had the fortune to teach. It is my understanding that Voldemort, himself, was the culprit of these murders.
I took the liberty of stopping by my old neighborhood tonight after your owl reached me, and all I can assess from what magic remains in the house that Voldemort was there tonight. He did kill the Potters, James first who I can only assume stood his ground to give Lily a chance to get away, and then Lily when she would not give up her son.
I am unsure of how it happened right now, but I think that the killing curse Voldemort attempted on Harry backfired for some reason."
Sirius was silent for a moment, processing the information Dumbledore had just divulged.
"So, Lord Voldemort is… dead?" he finally managed to mumble.
"No," Dumbledore sighed, "unfortunately I do not think he was human enough to die. To put your soul through so much evil, it changes you, as we have been able to see by Tom Riddle's transformation. He is becoming less and less human with every death he is behind, every act of evil he oversees or commits. I do, however, believe that he was severely weakened when his curse shot back at him."
"So what now?" Sirius wondered aloud.
"Well, I am to assume that Grimmauld Place will be yours and Harry's residence for at least the time being?" Albus questioned.
"Yes, for now," Sirius agreed. "Although, this is certainly no place for a small child to live."
"Well, then I suggest we renovate!" Dumbledore quickly summoned some large pieces of parchment and a drafting quill and got right down to business. "The kitchen would need to be updated, although I dare say that Kreacher would be pleased with such an undertaking, so that is entirely up to you. I do feel that you might like to cook for Harry yourself sometime and a fireplace is arguably difficult to make meals with…
The banisters and railings on the staircases will need to be sanded and re-stained, Harry will need a bedroom… and oh! A library would be wonderful for the both of you, you could read to him and teach him all about the magical world before he leaves for Hogwarts.
Do you remember Molly Weasley? She has a son just about Harry's age, I'm sure I could set up a play date.
Oh, and while we're at it, we'll just go ahead and renovate your room as well, if you'd like. The whole thing should take a week, two at the most."
Dumbledore's blue eyes were alight with the possibilities. Sirius wondered how he could switch from somber to excited so quickly and asked him as much.
"Do not get me wrong, Sirius, I am deeply upset by the events of the evening, but I also know that one little miracle survived," Albus gave Harry a once-over before continuing, "practically unscathed, although I know not what he'll remember of this night when he is older. Lily and James Potter would want you, as Harry's godfather and one of their closest friends, to keep life as normal for Harry as possible. They gave you your title, trusting that you would keep going despite their deaths. That is, after all, what godparents are for- the child."
"But what about Pettigrew?" Sirius couldn't just let go of the fact that his school friend had sold Lily and James out to the Dark forces.
"Peter Pettigrew will serve his time. Kingsley Shacklebolt and Alastor Moody are picking him up and transporting him to Azkaban as we speak."
"It all seems too easy," Sirius sounded resigned. "The darkest, most terrible wizard in a century gone, James and Lily's murderer off to Azkaban, you've already figured out how to make this grubby old place livable…"
"Ah, yes, it does seem easy…" Dumbledore acquiesced. "But the real trick here, will be raising dear Harry, and I doubt that that will come easily. Children are, as you know, difficult at times." He chuckled then, knowing all too well what Sirius, James and Remus Lupin did in school while Peter Pettigrew tagged along, longingly trying to fit in.
"We'll need to make funeral arrangements, Albus." The weight of the night was evident in Sirius' voice.
"Yes," was all the headmaster could say in response. After a few beats of silence and a slurp of mulled mead, Dumbledore spoke again. "Tonight, however, we need to rest. I assure you, an energetic one year old can be very exhausting."
"You're more than welcome to stay here, Albus," Sirius offered. "In fact, I insist incase anyone comes calling for my godson."
"Very well. Until tomorrow, then."
Sirius slept fitfully. Harry, in Sirius' own baby bassinet, slept slightly better than his godfather. Albus Dumbledore wrote owls to the Potters' dearest friends through half the night, informing them of the next day's funeral in Godric's Hollow.
The next morning was somber. Sirius dressed Harry in a black jumper and tried to tame the untidy head of hair he had inherited from his father. Lily's almost shockingly green eyes stared up at Sirius from Harry's face where, above his right eyebrow, a thin, lightning bolt-shaped scar had already formed from the cut he received yesterday.
Sirius dressed himself in a black button down shirt with pearl buttons, and a black overcoat and slacks. He met Albus, who was dressed in black wizarding robes, at the front door at precisely eight thirty with a gurgling Harry in his arms. Together, the trio stepped out to the landing stoop and apparated- Dumbledore first, then Sirius, who had Harry on his hip- to Godric's Hollow.
When they arrived at Godric's Hollow, friends of Lily and James soon met up with them. Some arrived by apparition, some by port key, still others by broomstick. Remus Lupin was there before even Sirius and Albus; he had made all of the arrangements.
The group of mourners traveled by the Potters' dormant, broken house on the way to the small graveyard. There, in front of no more than twenty or thirty of their closest friends, James and Lily Potter were put to rest beside each other. Remus, Sirius and Albus spoke about the couple and about Harry, and then the quiet ceremony was over. The small group of mourners turned to chat and say somber hellos to each other, each making their way to where Sirius and Harry sat in the shade of an oak tree to give their condolences.
After the mourners had dispersed, Sirius and Remus went to the fresh graves to carve some last words into the blank headstones. They started with James', their best friend's tombstone:
James Potter
March 27, 1960 - October 31, 1981
Age 21
Beloved husband and father
Fierce friend
He died defending his family from evil
He will always be missed
Next, they carved out Lily's tombstone:
Lily Evans Potter
January 30, 1960 - October 31, 1981
Age 21
Loving wife and mother
She died to save her son
She will forever be missed
"Remus," Sirius said as they walked back towards the mangled cottage. "You'll help me raise Harry? I can't do this alone, I don't know how."
"Of course I will… but… what about my 'furry little problem?'" They chuckled, remembering James' old pet name for Lupin's lycanthropy.
"You'll be fine. I promise. Hell, I'll even keep a dog bed in the guest room if you'd like."
"For you or for me, Padfoot?" Lupin questioned.
"Very funny, Moony."
The pair met up with Dumbledore at the gate of the disparate house where Sirius handed Harry off to him.
"We'll just be a moment, Albus. I don't want Harry to see his house like this, could you please hold him while we collect what's salvageable from the house?" Sirius asked.
"Of course, Sirius." Dumbledore responded. "Come here Harry, I believe I may have some Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans in my cloak."
Sirius and Remus opened the gate, which was only attached to its post by one hinge now, and walked down the small path that led through the front yard Harry would never get to play in again. Their feet crunched out a somber tune as they made their way to the empty house.
Once inside, Remus pulled a large sack out from his cloak that was bewitched to hold more than it appeared. The duo started out in the small living room off the now empty foyer. Sirius placed all of Harry's toys- his muggle blocks, the small broomstick Sirius had given him for his birthday, as well as a small toy wand and various other toys- in the bag while Remus grabbed photos of the once happy family from the fireplace mantle. Sirius stood over the wooden coffee table where James' Mahogany wand still lay. He picked it up with reverence- the possibility that Harry my use his father's wand when his time came was overwhelming.
They moved throughout the house in the same fashion, finally ending in Harry's room, where almost nothing could be saved. In the small bubble of unharmed space where Sirius found Lily's body and her son the night before, he found her ten and a quarter inch, willow wand under the crib next to a singed photograph of Harry snuggled between both of his parents. Sirius picked up the photograph- his best friend waving up at him- before exiting the mostly destroyed room.
On his way out of the cottage, Sirius paused in the foyer. For some unexplainable reason, he felt the urge to rescan the library as though he missed something. Sure enough, a black, leather bound portfolio caught his eye, although he swore it wasn't there before. He picked it up and examined it. At first it seemed to be an ordinary old muggle portfolio, but he kept staring at the front where a large 'P' was embossed on the front in a dark emerald green. At the bottom appeared a gold script.
Last Will and Testament of James I. Potter and Lily Evans Potter
The lettering quickly faded away and all that was left on the front of the folder was the embossed 'P.' Sirius tucked it away in an inside pocket of his traveling cloak before turning to walk out the reattached front door.
Taking Harry back from his old headmaster, Sirius took one last look at the place that held the final moments of his best friend.
"I feel like the rest of today should be one of rest," he said to no one in particular.
"Quite right," Albus agreed. "We have renovations to attend to tomorrow."
"I'll just stay at Grimmauld Place if that's alright with you," Remus suggested. "The funding for my rental apartment has run out as of late, and I suspect the landlord knows of my condition."
"As always, you are welcome in my home," Sirius acknowledged.
With a pop, the three men and baby apparated out of Godric's Hollow to rest before the real work began.
Author's Note Part Deux:
Please let me know what you think of this chapter by dropping me a review. Seriously, it only takes a minute and is 1) the only kind of compensation I get for my efforts, and 2) the only way I can improve my writing through your constructive criticisms.
The 'I' for James middle initial is Ignotus, as in Ignotus Peverell, one of the original owners of the Hallows and a distant relative of James Potter. Since he has no recorded middle name, I took the liberty of giving him one, and since his family had passed down the invisibility cloak, I feel it's safe to assume that they knew who their ancestors were.
Fort those of you who have story alerted or favorited The Godfather, I'd really like to know what you're thinking! At last count I had 81 people stop by my little story and only three reviews. Even if it's just to tell me you like what I'm doing and to keep going, I really appreciate your input. Let me know how to make this better! Wow. Longest note ever.
