Chapter 4

With a sigh, Godric sat back so that he was leaning against the arm of the couch.

"And that's both the end, and the beginning of my story. I suppose I can sum up the rest. I did eventually tell Albus who I was, but not until after a few people found out. The first to know was Sirius Black. He and Remus Lupin had quickly become my two best friends.

As soon as Sirius found out, he begged me to let him tell Remus. I did, and we have been the best of friends ever since. After them came Albus, and then Minerva.

Minnie was, and still is, the transfiguration professor and deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts, as well as Albus's wife. And before you say anything, yes, I know that they have different last names. That is because they wish to hide their true relationship. It's just easier that way.

Anyways, where was I...oh yes, after Minnie was your mother. You should probably learn this now, son; your mother is the smartest woman in the world. You see; Sirius had followed me one night as I snuck off to reapply the glamour. After that, Sirius made me tell Remus; then the both of them ganged up on me to tell Albus, who in turn asked to be able to tell Minnie.

Your mother, who I was already madly in love with, figured it out all on her own. And she STILL wouldn't go out with me!" Godric groused good naturedly, causing Harry to laugh and look back at his mother, who rolled her eyes at her husband's antics.

"By the end of the third year, they all knew, and I had a tight nit family in the making. However, there were still two missing members.

From first through third year; Sirius, Remus and I had an outstanding prank war with a Slytherin by the name of Severus Snape. It was great; neither of us could ever keep the upper hand for long. Then, at the beginning of fourth year a new teacher arrived at Hogwarts to teach potions.

Horus Slughorn was a small, selfish, self-serving man, who knew his potions, as well as his rich and famous. And suddenly; Snape and I had a common enemy. It started with little things, such as not getting in the way of each other's pranks, then brainstorming ideas on how we could combine our pranks in order to make them legendary. I could say that that was the beginning of the Marauders, but it wasn't until Severus met Narcissa Black, Sirius's cousin, and Lily's best friend, that our group was truly complete.

Narcissa and Lily were truly the brains of the Marauders. Where Lily knew how to work the spells and what should be used for what, Cissa was always coming up with ways to explain how it wasn't us pulling the pranks, when really it was.

I remember this one time; Padfoot, Mooney, BlackFeather and I had been pulled into the Headmasters office for staining the bathroom sink water blue, so you could see who washed their hands after using the washroom, and who didn't. Well, we were all positive that this was it. We had been caught; it would be detentions for the rest of our Hogwarts careers. When suddenly Cissa came flying through the door announcing that we couldn't have been the ones who did it because over a dozen other students swore that they had seen all four of us out on the Quidditch pitch when that prank was thought to have taken place.

That doubt was enough to ensure that nothing could be pinned on us, and that we got off, once again, scot free. Of course, we got the tongue lashing of our lives all the way back to the apartment for nearly getting caught, and getting her Severus in trouble. He said that he got yelled at after they had gotten back to their common room, but none of us believed him. Narcissa never even raised her voice to 'her Severus'." Godric finished by rolling his eyes.

Harry was confused, and looked it.

"Wait a minute, I don't understand; if aunt Narcissa and uncle BlackFeather were in love, why aren't they together? Mum said that aunt Narcissa married someone else, and that she wasn't allowed to see you anymore." Harry asked innocently.

Godric nodded gravely.

"Yes Harry, I'm afraid that's all true. You see, in wizarding families the father is regarded as the head of the house, and by law, the father or husband for all intents and purposes owns his family. Now, although that line of thought is technically law, not very many families follow such a barbaric way of life. However, Narcissa's father was one of the few who did. As was the family he sold her too.

You see, Severus Snape, your uncle BlackFeather, was not what Narcissa's father was looking for when in the market for a husband for his daughter. Severus wasn't a pureblood, someone with wizarding parents, nor was he very well off, nor did he have much pull in the government or society as a whole. The only thing Severus had going for him was that Narcissa was in love with him; a fact that didn't matter at all to Narcissa's father. In the end, Mr. Black chose a man by the name of Lucious Malfoy; a man that held all of the money and prestige that Mr. Black was looking for in a suitor. Severus didn't stand a chance. The last time any of us ever saw Narcissa was at out graduation from Hogwarts."

Godric lowered his head sadly.

"They have a son," Lily decided to finish the story, "His name is Draco we've been told, and he's about the same age as you are. Severus has never forgiven himself for allowing her to be taken from us."

The room was engulfed in silence, and the small family of three continued to simply sit and think, and absorb all that had been dug up over the hours of their story telling.

***

The following years showed happy times of all occasions. Harry spent days on end recapturing the childhood he had only ever dreamed about. He spent time getting to know his new found family.

From bonding with his uncles over potions, fetch, and learning about different magical creatures.

To spending time listening to the many stories his grandfather would tell him, and letting his grandmother coddle him, and help him get away with stuff when he thought no one was looking.

In essence, Harry now had the kind of childhood most kids could only dream about.