Plotting Alan's escape was harder than I thought it would be for some reason. I've also realized that I'm starting to like the characters in this universe, particularly Harry, Lily, and the Marauders.

THIS IS BAD. THIS IS VERY BAD. BAD THINGS HAPPEN WHEN I LIKE PEOPLE.

Chapter 3: Escape the Ministry of Magic

"Now here's the plan," James began once Alan's things had been swiftly packed into the trunk and the trunk itself shrunk and placed in James' pocket. "First of all, I'm lending - remember that Alan, lending - you my invisibility cloak. We're going to tuck you under it and have you follow along behind Scott. I'll be in the front, pretending to be giving him a tour of the manor if we happen to see anyone, and Sirius will be bringing up the rear behind you to make sure that no one steps on you by accident."

"That's not as funny as it sounds, trust me," Sirius promised him. "Happens more than you'd think, too."

"We're going to have to floo to the Ministry of Magic because that's the only way out of this place. Now this is where it starts getting tricky," James warned. "Before we leave here, I'm going to charm you to look like my son Harry. When we get to the ministry, you're going to slip out from under the cloak and meet up with my wife Lily. She works at the Ministry. She knows what's happening and she'll be waiting for you just inside the main passageway to the elevator. Then Lily's going to bring you back to us, pretending you're Harry and that I'd just dropped you off for lunch and now she's returning you."

"Wouldn't someone have seen us if we were having lunch together?" Alan interjected, frowning.

James grinned at him. "Ah, but they did!" he corrected, lifting a finger. "I did drop Harry off to have lunch with his mother. What they don't know is that while we're getting you out of here, Lily will be charming Harry to look like he's one of Scott's younger brothers. Scott will pick up Harry, and the five of us will be slipping off to the Leaky Cauldron and Diagon Alley so that we can get your wand. After that, we'll Apparate to Godric's Hollow, where you'll spend the night with the family and we'll get you onboard the Hogwarts Express in the morning."

Alan looked at him skeptically for several minutes. There were so many holes in this plan he didn't know where to begin. "How are we going to keep the Ministry from just taking me back?" he sked finally. "They'll only send some Aurors to the school to pick me up and arrest the lot of you for kidnapping."

Scott's expression tightened. "I'd like to see them try," he muttered darkly, earning an odd glance from Alan.

"Ah, now you see, that would be what took us so long to come back for you," James confessed, looking sheepish. "Finding legal council who doesn't cower in the face of the Ministry is rather tricky."

"The bottom line," Sirius interjected, "Is that James has claimed rights as your guardian through his relationship to your mother."

Alan stared blankly at James. "You did?"

James nodded, embarrassed. "We'll still need to do a blood ritual to prove it legally binding, but I've got the paperwork signed and ready. Once it's completed, we're going to have it announced to the papers." He winced. "I wish we could have avoided that one, but we need to be sure that everyone knows I'm responsible for you. That way if the Ministry tries anything, they'll have the whole of the wizarding world in an uproar."

After a moment, Alan nodded slowly. It was no less than he'd expected, really. "What happens if someone comes forward to contest it?" he asked finally.

James shrugged, seeming uncomfortable. "Well, the way we've done it, only someone with a closer blood relation to you could. Someone from your father's family would have to step up, and right now, that's really not an option."

Alan frowned. "Of course not. My father's dead," he dismissed.

"What?!"

He jumped, staring at Scott in wide-eyed surprise.

The young man was quite literally fuming, fists clenched in rage. "Who told you that?" he demanded, seething.

" ... Everyone," Alan offered uncertainly. "I mean, everyone knows that both of my parents were killed when You-Know-Who died. And as far as I was told, I had no other family. And even if I did," he added practically, "Why didn't they ever come forward to claim me?"

There was a long silence.

At last James cleared his throat. He hesitated briefly before crouching down in front of Alan, reaching up to place one hand on his shoulder. "Alan," he began softly. "I ... " He paused, bringing one hand up to push up his glasses and at his eyes. "Alan, you do have family," he said at last. "On your mother's side, you have me and my family. As for your father ... " He hesitated again.

Alan's eyes narrowed. "What about my father?"

"He's not dead, for one," Sirius spoke up, his voice uncharacteristically soft. There was something sympathetic in his eyes as he gazed at Alan, and it seemed out of place on his face.

Alan stiffened slightly. For a moment, he let the words wash over him, jaw working silently. " ... He's not?" he asked eventually.

It was impossible. How could his father not be dead? And if he wasn't, why hadn't he ever come to get him? He ... didn't he want him?

A thousand possibilities ran through his mind in an instant, and Alan had to fight to keep his emotions in check again. Had his father blamed him for his mother's death? Had he somehow been hurt in Voldemort's attack as well, something that prevented him from raising a child? Had he sold him to the Ministry, washing his hands of his son in favor of wealth or some other great prize?

Another hand squeezed his shoulder, a thumb coming up to rub the back of his neck soothingly. "Breathe, Alan," Scott murmured. "Calm down. It wasn't like that, I promise."

"How do you know?" he forced out, trying to keep from trembling.

"Because I know your father," Scott said calmly, his thumb moving in slow circles that for some reason, was beginning to make Alan feel rather sleepy. "And I know that he never willingly gave you up. He tried to fight them when they took you, and they Obliviated him." He paused, and there was an odd quality to his voice that Alan couldn't place. "He hasn't come for you because he doesn't remember that you're his son."

The words were like a punch to the gut. Of all the possible scenarios that could have happened, that was ... Was ...

Doesn't remember ... doesn't remember ...

"I think," Alan said carefully, fighting the sudden prickling of tears, "I preferred believing he was dead."

He broke free from the hands on his shoulders, moving to check outside the door for anyone in the hall and discreetly wipe at his eyes. By the time he turned around James was shaking out a piece of strange, shiny fabric, Sirius was finishing off the last of his breakfast, and Scott was waiting patiently. His eyes flickered to Alan's, and the boy fought down a shiver. What was it about this man that seemed so familiar?

He did say he knows your father, he tried to remind himself, but that train of thought was so painful he immediately pushed it away to focus on the present. "Well?" he asked expectantly.

James smiled at him, drawing his wand and leveling it at Alan's face. "Hold still," he cautioned.


The escape from Davinshire Manor itself was surprisingly anti-climactic. Other than the back of someone's head and footsteps behind them moving in another direction, they saw no one on their way to the floo. Scott managed to snag Alan's hand under the cloak, tugging him into the fireplace beside him and holding fast as he cast the floo powder. "Ministry of Magic!"

Floo Travel, Alan decided shortly after he stumbled into the Ministry and nearly face-planted on the floor, was still a terrible method of travel.

The Ministry was crowded, which would work in their favor, but he couldn't help a sudden surge of nerves as he tried to locate the hall to the main elevator, and Lily Potter.

"Gordon!" he heard Scott call suddenly, and jumped.

To his utter relief, Scott was hurrying to meet with a red-headed boy just outside what looked to be the very hall he was searching for. As he passed them, he heard Scott lecturing about something to do with 'dangerous experiments' and 'could have killed yourself with a stunt like this!' The red-headed boy, who he assumed was actually Harry, looked appropriately cowed.

Mr. Tracy must take his brotherly duties very seriously, Alan mused.

He recognized Lily Potter vaguely from the Ministry functions he'd seen her at, though she looked vastly different in casual robes and no makeup. Somehow he thought she looked even better than he'd ever seen her in heels and dress robes, with her hair carefully styled. She was leaning against the wall just outside the elevator, her eyes carefully scanning the empty hall with perfectly measured lack of interest.

Taking one last glance to make sure there was no one else coming, Alan quickly slipped off the cloak and stuffed it into a pocket as best he could.

Lily's eyes lit up the moment she saw him, coming forward to greet him with a warm smile. "There you are!" she said gently, pulling him into a careful hug. "I was beginning to worry."

"I'm all right," he murmured, feeling awkward.

She stepped back to survey him critically and sighed. "Well, they're not starving you, at least. I suppose we can be grateful for small favors." Then her expression melted into another smile, and she wrapped an arm around Alan's shoulders, ignoring the way he stiffened. "Come on, then. I'm sure you'll be ecstatic to see the back of this place, hmm?"

That's putting it mildly. "Yes, Ma'am," he said dutifully.

She laughed softly, a gentle sound that sounded like bells. "None of that now. We're family. You can call me Aunt Lily. It sounds a lot friendlier than 'Ma'am'."

She did have a point, he decided, eyeing her. And the friendlier he seemed with these people, the longer they'd be willing to protect him from the Ministry. He offered a slight, shy smile. "Thanks, Aunt Lily."

She winked at him, squeezing his shoulders. "That's better. Now then, we'd better catch up with James and Sirius."

She hustled him out of the hall, making a great show of lecturing James for being late and ignoring his sputtering that he'd done no such thing. Then she rounded on Sirius, insisting he was supposed to help keep James on track. Sirius blinked at her uncomprehendingly, and at last she huffed, throwing her hands on her hips. "Honestly. Why do I even bother," she muttered.

"No idea, Lily-Love," Sirius returned brightly. "To be honest, I've often wondered the same thing."

She scowled at him, then at James when he fought to hide a smile.

"James," Scott greeted as he joined them, one hand firmly wrapped around Harry's arm. "Much as I hate to cut this short, we need to hurry and get the last of Harry's things so I can get this menace home before he hurts himself."

Sirius frowned down at Harry. "Gordon, did you shrink?" he asked, sounding puzzled. "I could have sworn you were taller than that."

Harry coughed, looking guilty. "Potions misstep." He flashed an innocent look.

"I see," Sirius returned, clearly fighting a smile.

Lily elbowed him sharply. "Don't encourage him," she hissed. "You're a terrible influence."

Alan tried not to frown at how casual they all were with each other. Just how well did Mr. Tracy's family know the Potters, anyway?

"Well, we'd better get on then," James said quickly. "See you tonight at home, dear." He leaned in to give Lily a quick kiss.

Harry made a face, and Alan immediately copied it.

"All right, then. Move along now boys, move along. Nothing to see here," Sirius declared, putting a hand on Alan and Harry's shoulders and ushering them to the fireplaces.

Behind them, Alan could hear Lily laughing. But all he could focus on was the fireplace in front of him. The last door to freedom.

Heart pounding as he accepted the floo powder, he watched Sirius leave. Glancing briefly at Harry, who offered him a secret, encouraging smile, he threw his powder at his feet. "The Leaky Cauldron!"

Luckily for Alan, this time Sirius caught him when he came flying out of the fireplace. "All right there, Harry?" he asked, looking concerned.

"Tripped," Alan mumbled, looking embarrassed. Harry had an issue with looking incapable of doing anything. Draco loved to poke fun at him for it, despite the fact that he was the same.

"I see," Sirius returned, trying not to smile.

He looked up as Harry came through, and Alan used the moment of inattention to survey his very first sight of the world outside the Ministry of Magic.

It left a lot to be desired.

For such a famous place, the Leaky Cauldron was dark and shabby. A few old women were sitting in a corner, drinking from tiny glasses. One of them was smoking a long pipe. A little man in a top hat was talking to the old bartender, who was quite bald and looked like a toothless walnut. The low buzz of chatter stopped briefly to survey the group as they arrived before dismissing them and returning to their own business.

He was startled out of his disappointment by a hand on his shoulder, and looked up to see James smiling down at him. "Come on, son. Let's get this done quickly and head home. Heavens know what your siblings have gotten up to while we're gone."

"Can't be anything good," Alan offered, giving one of Harry's trademark lopsided smiles. A glimmer of amusement in his eyes made it the one Harry usually used when thinking of his younger brother and sister.

"We can only hope!" Harry said brightly, giving a brilliant grin. He caught sight of Scott scowling at him and ducked, looking down at his shoes as if trying to pretend he was ashamed of himself.

In spite of himself, Alan wondered just what this brother of Scott's was like. He seemed to get into trouble a lot. More than that, he seemed to enjoy it, judging by Harry's intrepretation. Which wasn't much different than Harry himself, now that he thought about it ...

"Come on, you," Scott growled, looking irritated as he grabbed Harry's arm and hustled him along again.

James wrapped an arm around Alan's shoulders, walking beside him as Scott and Harry led the way outside, Sirius bringing up the rear once again. They made their way through the bar and out into a small, walled courtyard where there was nothing but a trash can and a few weeds.

Scott went straight up to the wall behind the trash can, pulling out his wand. He stared at it for a moment, working his way up, then tapped the wall three times with the tip of his wand.

The brick he had touched quivered, wriggled, and slowly began to move. The entire wall of bricks began to carefully restack themselves, creating a large archway. Through the arch, Alan could see a cobbled street that twisted and turned out of sight.
"Welcome to Diagon Alley, Alan," Harry said softly, turning to grin at the look on Alan's face.

Alan took a deep breath, steeled himself, and stepped through the archway, ready to taste the sweet smell of freedom.