A/N: PLEASE READ THIS NOTE! THIS CHAPTER WILL COVER SERIOUS AND CONTROVERSIAL TOPICS. THERE WILL BE MENTIONS OF RAPE AND ALCOHOLISM. IF THIS BOTHERS YOU THEN I AM SORRY, YOU ARE FREE TO NOT READ THIS CHAPTER OR STORY. Other than that, this is the last chapter not from Harry's perspective (finally!) and I hope things will go more smoothly from there. Sirius and Snape were unexpectedly difficult to write, I think it'll be easier from Harry's perspective. Also, I hope no one thinks I'm bashing the Weasleys from the one comment made about them in this chapter, that is not my intention. Lastly, I feel I should point out it is also not my intention for Harry to be a 'Lord' of some sort. That's Sirius' job, Harry's an...accomplice? Henchman? Facilitator? Regardless, his heritage won't play any political role. History of the Potters next chapter!

A/N 2: Other than that, this is the last chapter not from Harry's perspective (finally!) and I hope things will go more smoothly from there. Sirius and Snape were unexpectedly difficult to write, I think it'll be easier from Harry's perspective. Also, I hope no one thinks I'm bashing the Weasleys from the one comment made about them in this chapter, that is not my intention. Lastly, I feel I should point out it is also not my intention for Harry to be a 'Lord' of some sort. That's Sirius' job, Harry's an...accomplice? Henchman? Facilitator? Regardless, his heritage won't play any political role. History of the Potters next chapter!

A/N 3: Not J.K. Rowling or Warner Bros. Don't own anything you recognize. Quite poor, honestly.

Pertinent Prophecy Presentiments

Chapter 3: Growing Pains

Nymphadora Tonks was bewildered as she did one last check to make sure everything she would need for her first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was packed away in her trunk. She needn't have worried though, her mum who was a whole lot neater than her had packed everything except her wand, 14 inches of exceptionally springy dogwood with a unicorn hair core. She was thrilled to be starting her magical education, with new places to explore and friends to make and most importantly she didn't have to hide her metamorphic abilities. Having to use muggle hair dye every two weeks and wearing charmed glasses simply so she could attend muggle primary school was a hassle. On the other hand, leaving her family behind would be a bitter pill to swallow. Her parents who always encouraged her to work hard and have fun, Harry was quickly growing up and this year would be attending his second and final year of preschool for magicals and squibs preparing them to attend muggle primary school and finally Sirius, who was more than glad to help out her parents by watching the kids or pick her up from school and always knew how to make people laugh.

Sirius cornered Dora when he offered to help get her trunk, while Andromeda and Ted were making sure Harry was ready to head to King's Cross Station to see her off on the Hogwarts Express. There was a bone he had to pick with Filch the Hogwarts caretaker, and he knew Dora would be up for the job. "So Dora, you know of the Marauders' awesomeness, but there was a secret to our success. Especially in pulling off some of our most divine performances, I mean the Toad Incident of 1976 was the first of many and we both know how hilarious that was."

Dora looked up at Sirius with wide eyes, "What do you mean? Is it something I need to know for Hogwarts?"

Sirius laughed, "Hahaha no, but it'll make your time there more exciting. There is a condition though, you must earn it. The rest is up to you."

"What do I need to do?! I can do it! I'll make my friends help too!" Dora was practically bouncing with excitement, the stories of the Marauders' pranks were her favourite, the ones that made people laugh and smile were food for her soul.

"There's a story here and it goes something like, I was sneaking back into the castle from Hogsmeade after Gryffindor won the Quidditch Cup in seventh year and didn't look before exiting a secret passage and was caught by Filch. I was stuffed to the gills with everything a good party needs; fireworks, firewhiskey, butterbeer, the whole works and caught red handed. Filch searched me down and literally confiscated everything but my wand and the clothes on my back! There was a valuable parchment in that stuff, he thought it was some joke product. In fact, it was the Marauder's Map. A map of Hogwarts and everyone in it, every passage and every being, even Mrs. Norris the cat! Use it well and like us, you'll be unstoppable!"

"Whoa, that is so wicked! So I have to get it?"

"Definitely. It's probably in his office somewhere, which is on the second floor. From my abundant visits to it I know there's a cabinet named 'Confiscated and Highly Dangerous', I'd wager it will be in there. All you have to do is find some way to get him out of his office long enough to find it. And what is the Marauder motto?"

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good, and mischief managed," Dora replied.

"Good, that's all you need to know. Come on, let's not keep the rest waiting." With that, he hauled Dora's trunk into the hall and proceeded to levitate it down the stairs, followed by a jubilant Dora.

Upon arriving in the front room, the two of them saw everyone else ready to floo off to the station, everyone dressed in casual muggle clothes except her. Her mother, looking impeccable as ever came over to fuss over her robes and hair, which was purposefully black and messy like Harry's and that she enjoyed matching with the colour of green eyes his were, it was like they actually were siblings! "Mum, it's just going to get messed up in the floo anyway. Don't see why you bother," she mumbled.

"It's the principle of the matter, Nymphadora."

Dora, who hated her full name, groaned while Sirius snickered and Harry smiled. "Muuuummm."

Not even phased Andromeda continued, "Now do you have your wand? Didn't take anything out of your trunk?"

"Of course Mum, and a pack of self-shuffling playing cards for the train," Dora replied.

"Alright, give your trunk to your father so he can floo with it. Sirius, you floo first so you can help Ted with it. Nymphadora after, and Harry and I will follow last," Andromeda directed.

"Why can't I floo with my godson? I didn't get to go last time!" Sirius exclaimed, only to be given a glowering venomous look from Andromeda with some unannounced meaning. He pouted, "Fine," and proceeded to the fireplace to floo to the station.

After that things went as planned and everyone arrived in the receiving room, though Dora tripped on her way out of the floo and Harry looked woozy, neither of them used to the feeling of being sucked down a giant drain and spinning fast while there was a deafening roar in their ears. By the time Dora and Harry were recovered from the trip, Dora's trunk was on a trolley courtesy of Sirius and Ted and she was ready to push it through the muggle part of the station to Platform 93/4. They all knew where the entrance was, but the idea of running into a seemingly solid brick wall was daunting to anyone their first time. Fortunately, Ted Tonks noticed his daughter's hesitation, "Why don't I go with you, Dora?" He took one side of the trolley while Dora took the other and walked at a quick speed at the wall. The two of them disappeared right into the wall, shortly followed by Sirius, Harry and Andy.

On the platform Andromeda suggested that Harry go with Ted and Dora while they found a compartment for her and her trunk. "Now Sirius," she said in a voice that brokered no argument once they were out of hearing range, "Magic knows you have been an alcoholic for years now. While I don't like your shortcomings, and I have no power over you to stop them, I do have the ability to keep your drinking, smoking and womanising away from Harry and Nymphadora as per our earlier agreement. I have no problem with you doing things with Harry, but I know you have already drank this morning. While you may be extremely functional, anything could happen and neither of them should chance a magical accident from the floo or apparating. Understood?"

"Bloody hell Andy, it's nothing. Not even 3 shots, I'm damn near sober and I've flooed a million times, it would have been fine."

"I. Don't. Care. Sirius," she growled at him quietly, as the others were coming back to say final goodbyes with fifteen minutes before the train left.

Tearful goodbyes and hugs, a promise to write tonight with what house she was sorted into, wishes of good luck over the school year, a promise to her mother to stay out of trouble but while she hugged Sirius she promised to not get caught and a promise to be home for Winter Break followed Dora as she had to run in order to make it onto the train before it left. Once in her compartment, which had another first year girl she had met when finding a place for her trunk, she leant out of the window to wave at her family as the train pulled away.

Standing on the platform, Harry turned to Sirius once the train was out of sight and asked, "Sirius, what's 'mudblood'?" At this the man next to them, who looked worn and had bright orange hair, turned and glared at Sirius before stalking off.

Sirius sighed and muttered, "Just had to be next to Weasley. They already have enough reasons to hate our family." He squatted down next to Harry and looked him in the eyes wondering how to answer. "Look, Harry, you know what bullies are?"

Harry nodded, "They're mean and bad."

"Right, well people who say mudblood are bullies being mean. It's not a nice word," Sirius responded.

"But what is it?"

"It's people like Ted, with non-magical parents. Now don't worry about it until you're older, it's an adult word. Let's go get some lunch with Remus while Ted and Andy go to whatever appointment they have and won't tell me about," Sirius finished a little louder so the people mentioned would hear.

"I'm not really sure myself, Dromeda's keeping it top secret," Ted added.

"I'm sure if you knew, Sirius, you wouldn't want to be involved, but I will tell you later. Remember what we talked about earlier, we'll see you in two hours," Andromeda concluded before taking Ted's arm and heading to the barrier between the magical and muggle worlds.

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The fireplace in the front room of the Tonks' residence roared with green flames briefly before dying down to reveal an average height man with unusually pale skin, in stark contrast to his black hair and flowing black robes. He had a sneer on his face, looking as if he would rather be anywhere else. He cast a surveying glance around the room before speaking, "The mutt and brat are not present?"

"No, Mister Snape. It is as you requested, we have two hours for what you wish to speak to us about. You said this was about Lily, but I have no idea other than that," Andromeda said acerbically.

Ted continued, "Professor Severus Snape, welcome. Let's sit before proceeding. Can I get you anything for refreshment?"

Severus replied in the negative, and rather than sitting in one of the home's chairs conjured a stiff wooden chair with a motion of his wand. "May I put up eavesdropping prevention charms?" To which Ted motioned for him to continue. "The Headmaster does not know of either my presence here today nor what we are about to discuss. You will do best to keep it that way, there will be...consequences where the aforementioned man is concerned otherwise."

Andromeda raised an eyebrow, "Indeed? Very well."

Severus stood and began pacing, after several cycles he stopped and asked, "What do you know of Lily Evans' magical abilities?"

Neither of the other people in the room replied instantly, knowing it would be better to think before answering, which Ted did. "Well she was a charms prodigy, very strong in potions and a highly proficient dueller excelling in Defense, mainly. Although I remember there really wasn't an area of magic she couldn't perform skillfully. Maybe Magical Creatures?"

"Essentially, but very limited. That is within the perspective of a Hogwarts education. She was much more. But most importantly, her control of magic was nearly unprecedented and she was naturally able in the mind arts, despite never developing or employing her abilities to her benefit," Severus said reverently, and continued his pacing. A minute later he asked, "who recently has been known for what you have just told me and I have informed you?"

Andromeda thought she understood but the thought occurring to her made no sense, "But Lily was a muggleborn. What does she have to do with the Dark Lord? Surely he would not have trained her." She looked over to her husband, who only shrugged.

Severus returned to his conjured chair and looked Andromeda in the eyes before speaking, "Magical affinities are often passed down through bloodlines. The man who raised Lily with her mother was not her father."

Ted let out a gasp, "what?" While Andromeda stared at Severus.

Severus simply continued, "Before our first year I told Lily to partake a bloodline test, if she was from a squibed line of heritage there may have been money in Gringotts. It showed her father as a 'Tom Riddle.' The Dark Lord had just begun his reign of terror then, but from the goblin's reaction that is when we first knew. Only I am in possession of this information, and now you. I implore you to not be foolish with it. It is why I inquired about your occlumency ability."

A few moments of silence before Andromeda said the pertinent word, "Rape? I cannot imagine anything less from the Dark Lord." Rape in the wizarding world was as harsh a crime as murder, something definitely unforgivable.

"We assumed so. Lily never attempted to legilimize her mother in search of obliviations, and never mentioned a word of it to her." Here Severus paused, apparently gathering his thoughts.

Andromeda asked the question on her mind, "did the Dark Lord know?"

"I do not believe so. Further, Lily actively and furiously fought anything to do with the Dark Arts, myself included," he allowed a grim smile to show itself on his face. "Potter, the arrogant bully, may have sullied any influence from her but your influence may be to his benefit. I have made this trip to ensure you found out now, rather than the mutt discovering him speaking parseltongue and doing something idiotic and rash, it would be in character no doubt. I will be off now." Severus ended the conversation and left via the floo. It had only been a hair past half an hour since his arrival, but the Tonks were sure they would need the remainder of the two hours in order to assort their thoughts on the subject, feelings for a boy as good as their son and plans on how to proceed.

Ted was the first to speak, "a very brusque man, but it seems his intentions are in the right place. Regardless of how unexpected this is, I don't see how it should change anything in regards to Harry."

Andromeda let out a slight sigh, "It does make things more difficult for us, though no more than Nymphadora's metamorphmagi talents. If people were to find out though the boy would be victimised like none other. The main question though, is do we tell Sirius? Somehow I doubt he would take it well."

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Two hours after Andromeda and Ted's departure from King's Cross Station Sirius and Harry, along with their friend Remus Lupin, returned there after an extended lunch and park visit. Sirius and Remus had discussed what they would be doing in the near future. Remus was going off to India to learn some native magic in the hope of controlling his werewolf transformations after tutoring several Hogwarts students over the summer, including Dora. Sirius was staying as a Hit-Wizard but his grandfather Arcturus was attempting to bring him back into the fold of the Black family, in a move to repair the damage to the family's reputation his father and mother as well as his Uncle Cygnus and Aunt Druella generated supporting Voldemort, Sirius assumed. Andromeda and Remus both were of the opinion that he should carefully consider it, especially with the seat on the Wizengamot that would be available to him eventually. He could be a positive force for change if he could moderate himself while dealing with stuffy politicians, and didn't he always complain how the Ministry needed a streamlining reorganisation? But Sirius was hesitant, the Black family had done him no favours, and while he was pretty sure his grandfather disagreed with his parents on certain political ideas there were some things he couldn't support, and his grandfather would want him to.

They were met warmly by Ted Tonks and he inquired how lunch went to which Harry exclaimed, "it was so cool! Sirius got hit by a girl! Then she called him funny names and hit him again!"

"Bloody Veronica Smethley, hoped I would never see her again," Sirius lamented.

"You did deserve it though, after what happened," Remus inserted. "Regardless, it was nice to be able to do this before leaving for my trip, I doubt I will return before next summer. Good luck in school Harry," he said before walking off towards the apparition point.

"I know you're curious who Dromeda and I met just now Sirius, come over and let's talk about it," Ted invited as they walked towards the floo. When the adults, including Andromeda, were situated in the lounge with a silencing ward put up and Harry was sent away, a tense discussion took place. "Your occlumency skills are acceptable, correct Sirius?" To which Sirius nodded.

Andromeda continued, "We were visited by an old friend of Lily's today with-"

"Who?" Sirius broke in.

"Thanks for interrupting Sirius, it doesn't matter though. What matters is what we were told. But first drink this," Andromeda handed him a light purple coloured potion. "You'll want it, honestly."

"How can I trust what you're telling me if it's so shocking that I need a Calming Draught and I don't know where it's coming from?"

"Because I said so, you dolt," Andromeda insisted. Sirius shot her a betrayed look before downing the potion. "For starters, Lily was not actually a muggleborn," she said easing Sirius into things while the potion took effect.

"Was she adopted? I met her sister once, no way they're related she looks like a horse. Lily looked a lot like her mum though. Maybe she was a niece? I dunno," Sirius puzzled.

"Well no," Ted answered. "Best those who knew could tell, her parents thought she was their daughter and treated her as such."

"So was there an affair? I wouldn't expect it from them, you never know though," Sirius acknowledged.

Andromeda composed herself before confessing, "no. No, it was much worse. It seems her mother was raped and obliviated by a wizard."

"What?! Merlin, that's horrible. I figure since we're not doing anything about it, he's dead now?" Sirius asked.

"Yes, very fortunately. His death was at the end of the Blood War. We think he had no idea there was a child involved, and that is also very fortunate. Lily would have probably been killed if he knew," Andromeda informed Sirius.

"Why would it have been so bad? Couldn't he have attempted to bribe them or something to keep quiet?" Sirius questioned.

Ted answered, "well it's more about who her biological father was than anything else. He was...not a reasonable person."

"Who?"

"Tom Riddle. He was-"

Sirius cut him off, "no way! No fucking way! Fuck." He collapsed back into the armchair he was in and reached into the inside pocket of his windbreaker to withdraw a liquor flask saying, "see Andy this is why I'm an alcoholic. Life as Sirius Black is never boring. Crazy every damn day, it's a damn dangerzone," and took a significant drink. "So what now? Lily was a good soul, obviously Harry won't automatically turn dark. We tell him not to talk to snakes? That people will be mean to him if they find out? Make sure he's a good little Gryffindor?" He then palpably shuddered and muttered, "Lily as a Dark Lady would've been so very scary."

Ted responded, "I think what house he's in shouldn't matter as long as he isn't doing things that are wrong. He should know beforehand, and if he ends up in Slytherin he'll know what he is getting into."

"Bah, there's no way Harry's going to be in Slytherin. He's definitely going to be either Gryffindor or Hufflepuff," Sirius replied.

Andromeda spoke up, "just don't rule it out Sirius, plenty of Slytherins are exceptional people. For the time being though, Ted and I agree with you, tell him talking to snakes is a secret he should keep otherwise people will be mean to him. Sometime before Hogwarts we'll explain the rest. He sees his parents as role models already, we'll keep telling him their stories and he'll turn out just fine."

"I know Lily kept a diary through school, James would always try to steal it. I think they're in the Gringotts vault with the stuff from Godric's Hollow, maybe the year before Hogwarts we give him the one from first year, and keep giving him one per year. It might not paint the best picture of James, but as long as he knows that it'll probably be ok. Keep him ahead in his studies too, Lily would want that," Sirius added. "If Harry's accidental magic was anything like Voldemorts, that would make a lot of sense. He has a helluva lot of control. It's a wonder Lily didn't break the Statute of Secrecy somehow. Alright, if I'm going to get a full night's rest in I need to go say goodbye to Harry, I'm working the early shift tomorrow. I should be available afternoons if you want me to watch him during the week by the way, and let me know what house Dora got into!" Sirius said as he dismissed himself from the room.

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A/N: Feel free to PM/review with any questions, concerns, discrepancies or opinions. In fact, I would love to hear some criticism. Especially constructive criticism because, you know, that's the most helpful kind.