Amelia was quite beside herself. She had listened to Moody and Snape tell about the little boy and then had gone to see for herself just what he was going through. Seeing the boy smacked by his uncle, punched by his cousin and hit with his aunt's frying pan had left her in a state.
"How did you find out and how long have you known?" she asked Snape with a fierce growl when she returned.
"I found out in little bits over the last year." He explained, "But I wasn't in a position to tell you until now."
"Why not?" she hissed, "I could have you arrested for child endangerment."
"He couldn't." Moody explained, "He came back in time to stop it."
"Time travel is illegal." She frowned at the two of them, "Give me one reason why I shouldn't throw your carcass into Azkaban."
"I asked him the same thing under Veritaserum." Moody offered, "Between the abuse at the Dursleys and the… training Dumbledore provides later Potter cracks. Every person who ever hurt him in any way is paying the price. Evidentially it is most of our world."
"He's fine until after he takes out Voldemort." Snape offered, "Dumbledore gets all his school mates to lie and say he's hurt them or seen him hurting someone. Then just before they ship him off Dumbledore explains why he's doing it."
"Why?" she asks.
"Because he became what Dumbledore wanted him to be." Snape explained, "He became the perfect weapon so now he can't live with normal people because he might become dark. He honestly thought the boy would just go quietly because he told him to."
"Dumbledore has lost his mind then." She sighed, "Who all did he kill?"
"He had killed or broken everyone who had actively stood against him." Snape replied with a shiver, "There weren't many left. Next he was going to start on those that knew and didn't do anything to stop it and those that didn't activity hurt him but aided those who did."
"Did he break you?" she asked.
"Yes." Snape drooped, "I am terrified of him. Most of those who were broken ended up in St. Mungo's. I was not so lucky. He kept me around to watch what he was doing and patch people up. He'd let them heal then torture them again. Only doing to others what was done to him."
"How long did Dumbledore stand up against him?" she wondered.
"Not that long." Snape gave a half grin, "He lasted until just after the meeting with the werewolf. He wasn't fast enough to avoid being bitten and died during his first transformation. That was of course fourteen years from now. He made it only to Harry's third year but was begging to die well before then."
"What did he do to Voldemort?" she asked.
"That was actually an accident." Snape answered, "He sent a cutting curse at his wand arm and Dumbledore hit him with another spell making him fall and Harry's spell took off his head."
"Why can't we kill him then?" Amelia looked alarmed.
"Two things are keeping him alive. A book in the possession of Lucius Malfoy and a cup in the possession of Bellatrix LeStrange." He answered and then clarified, "They are Horcruxes."
"He made two?" she gasped.
"He wanted to make seven." Snape informed her, "He was planning the third one with Harry's death. He wasn't sure if Harry did something to stop him or if trying to make another Horcrux did it. Either way he refused to make another."
"How do you know?" Moody asked.
"Harry told me." He answered, "Dumbledore said only Harry could destroy them and Voldemort. There is a prophecy, I heard part of it several years ago and told Voldemort. But when the Dark Lord started after Lily I became a spy for Dumbledore. They both believe Harry is the prophesied one and won't let anything change their minds. Dumbledore made Harry kill a basilisk when he was twelve, they used the venom from it to kill the Horcruxes in my time."
"First things first." She said, "We get Sirius out quietly and set the two of them up in a safe house. Then we find the two Horcruxes. Once we have them we'll see about securing the wraith of Voldemort and then kill all three of them. We will not leave this for a child to do."
"I will help in any way I can, except for dealing directly with Potter." Snape offered.
"I'm going to need someone to bring Sirius up to health." Amelia told him, "Someone who can fix him fast."
"I have some potions that can help." Snape agreed, "But I doubt he'll take them from my hand. It's possible his cousin Andromeda might help."
***Memory ***
"Well Dumby let's see if you're in shape to play." Harry pulled the door open and stepped into the cell.
Severus gave him a checkup, "He's recovered from the basilisk poison."
"Good." Harry grinned, "Wake him."
"Severus you've come to save me." Dumbledore sighed.
"Not really." Harry stepped out from behind, "He's not in any shape to save you."
"What?" Dumbledore asked as Harry pulled him to his feet.
"I can't." Severus whispered.
"How could you hurt him so badly Harry?" Dumbledore tried to bring back his disappointed grandfatherly role.
"He got the same as you old man." Harry shook his head and drug him from the room, "He's had seventeen broken bones. However, he understands where I'm coming from. He knows this is your fault. He's seen what you made me become."
"I'm so sorry Severus." He looked contrite, "I didn't mean for him to go dark."
"Save it." Severus managed, "You brought this on yourself. Actually you brought this on the rest of us. Besides, he's crazy not dark.
"Finally." Harry grinned.
"I did it for the greater good." Dumbledore implored the two men.
"Who is the greater getting good out of this?" Harry asked, "How do you qualify to decide what is good or bad? "
"Harry, I am older and wiser…" he began.
"Older yes, wiser… not in this life." Harry chuckled, they had reached the first floor by this time, "You are the one that made me a weapon. You pointed at the target and said to get him. After that you expected me to let you ship me off to Azkaban. What part of, I'm not an idiot, are you not getting? Stay here Snape."
"Why?" he asked though he didn't follow him through the door.
"You were put through this once in your youth. I don't want to bring up unpleasant memories." Harry nodded at him and moved on.
"What unpleasant memories?" Dumbledore asked.
"Can't you guess?" Harry asked with a small laugh, "First there was a troll, then the snake then what happened?"
"Dementors." Dumbledore shuddered.
"You would be so lucky." Harry grinned, "No before the mass of dementors I had to out run a werewolf. I'm not blaming you for the train or even the quidditch match, just the end of the year excitement."
"No, I didn't." he balked but Harry pushed him on, "But I am so old, too old to be running like that. I have no wand."
"You have your wandless magic." Harry grinned, "I'd say you can do most third year spells without a wand. I was, after all, only thirteen far too young to hear the prophecy. And I had the added weight of Hermione who is basically useless when faced with danger."
"She's smart." Dumbledore admitted, "Surely she was a help."
"Nope, her mind blanks out." Harry grinned, "You know she still hasn't figured out that you hate her for being smarter than you are. She still thinks you'll help her move up in the ministry. She expects to be minister, can you believe it? She has no idea that you plan to convict her for lying on the stand. Of course that isn't until I'm dead."
"Now Harry." Dumbledore began.
"Right, sorry, I got off subject." Harry held up his hands in surrender, "Now for your test. Outrun the werewolf and I'll let you rest."
"If I can't?" he asked.
"Well then you'll be subjected to your own werewolf laws." Harry grinned. A howl disrupted the conversation. Harry jumped on his broom and said, "You better start running."
***End Memory***
Andromeda dropped into her chair as she took in the information from Amelia Bones. Not only was the woman bringing her an injured three year old to fix up but she also was bringing her cousin Sirius.
"What?" she gasped, "When did you decide to reinvestigate his case?"
"When I was presented with the true secret keeper." She offered, "I had no idea he never received a trial. When I returned after Edward's death it was already done."
"Albus told me his trial had to be fast and quiet." Andromeda whispered, "I assumed he had proven his guilt."
"Albus told you he had a trial?" Amelia asked.
"He did." Andromeda nodded, "It was the day I asked for custody of Harry Potter. After I found out about Sirius I told him I was the only magical relative that wasn't going to kill him. He insisted that Lily had relatives better suited to Harry's needs."
"Well his ideas of what Harry needs and mine differ greatly." Amelia huffed, "He's the three year old you're getting."
"Then I need better wards." She sighed.
"I have a better idea." Amelia smiled at her longtime friend, "I used the case to force their will to be opened. Sirius, Remus and you are their top selections for guardian."
Andromeda gasped but was unable to articulate anything.
"There was also a clause of where he should be raised." She had waited several moments for any reply before she continued, "You'll all be staying in a safe house that was being prepared for them. Peter was only to be the secret keeper for two weeks until the new place was done. James was going to be the new secret keeper. It takes too much energy to participate in that charm too often."
"Who will be our secret keeper?" she asked, the decision already made, she knew Ted wouldn't argue.
"I will offer my services but you may choose someone of your own." She answered.
"Ted then." She grimaced, "No offence, but you're around too many…"
"I understand." Amelia waved her off, "I am a possible risk because of my position. I was going to warn you of that if you chose me."
"When do we go?" she asked.
"Let me give you a bit of background." Amelia took a deep breath, "I'll need an unbreakable vow on this next bit of information."
***Memory***
"Wake up Remus." Harry shook the werewolf lightly.
"What? Harry!" Remus sat up quickly, "You can't be here they're watching me in case you come find me!"
"No worries Moony." Harry stood up and pulled him to his feet, "We're safe, I moved you while you were asleep after your change. So what do you know about what's happening?"
"I'm not sure. After the Department of Mysteries Albus sent me on a mission." Remus began, "I had left the ministry before the aurors showed up so I didn't know Dumbledore had already killed You Know Who."
"Voldemort Moony." Harry corrected him, "He's dead and gone and nothing is going to happen if you say his name."
"I didn't know V…Voldemort was already dead but I would have gone on the mission regardless." Remus settled in the chair near the bed, "I never did find what he sent me after, I now have the feeling it was a wild goose chase to get me out of the way until they had you in Azkaban."
"Did you believe them?" Harry asked, "About the charges?"
"No but I don't understand why Ron, Ginny and Hermione joined in." he looked confused, "I guess it was another betrayal, another Peter."
"Did he tell you why?" Harry asked.
"He said you were going dark." Remus frowned, "I told them you weren't. I was already trying to figure how to get you out when he told me you had already escaped and killed seventeen people. You haven't though, have you?"
"Not seventeen." Harry waved off his concern, "Fourteen are recovering and three are dead. However, I do plan on killing a lot more of them."
"But why?" Remus was confused, "Just prove your innocence and we can disappear."
"I had a trial." Harry said, "I was silenced during the whole thing. Not one bit of proof was given. It was all rumors and flat out lies."
"Did they drive you to the dark?" Remus asked concerned for his pup.
"No, I'm not dark. I'm crazy." Harry smiled, "I'm going to see if anyone else can live through what I did and stay as sane as I did before the trial."
"Why did they do it Harry?" Remus pulled Harry into a hug, "What did they think they were doing?"
"They thought they were getting my inheritance." Harry grinned, "None of them know you and Sirius slipped me off to Gringotts last summer. They went to retrieve all the stuff out of the Potter vaults and found them bare. Gringotts even emptied Sirius' into my new one before anyone could get there."
"Good thing Sirius was paranoid." Remus ruffled his hair, "I'm sorry I wasn't here for you."
"What did they send you after?" Harry asked from his spot still on the werewolf's lap. He wondered what could get the wolf away from him at that critical moment.
"He said there was a book that had the combination of the veil." Remus sighed, "If I could retrieve the book before two months were up we would be able to get Sirius back from the veil."
"I don't blame you for hoping." Harry sighed, "I'm also glad you didn't help them."
"Of course not." Remus pulled back, "I love you like a son Harry. Nothing they can say or do will ever change that."
"Here open up." Harry pulled a vial from his pocket.
"What's that?" he asked.
"The antidote to the veritaserum I gave you before I woke you up." He grinned innocently.
"You should have been in Slytherin." Remus huffed, "I had no idea you'd given it to me."
"That's because you never tried to lie." Harry dripped it into his mouth, "I'm glad. Oh and Remus, I killed Voldemort not Dumbledore."
***End Memory***