Author's Note: I noticed in reviews for the last chapter you are questioning Harry's appearance, well, you'll find out when Harry explains it to James, Lily, etc.
Disclaimer: Don't own Harry Potter
Dear Regulus Black,
You have not been completely cleared of a deatheater related offenses, though I believe I have proved you did more enough to help. I regret to say Kreacher could not destroy the first of the seven horcruxes, but he helped it be found. The ministry has allowed letting you and several other double agent wizards go through a rehab like program to ensure you are safe for the public, your group includes Grindelwald, Severus Snape and a few others. It starts 3 July at the Hog's Head in Hogsmeade, either go by floo, or be dragged to Azkaban, your choice.
By the way I want to ask a favor of you. I am the one who did your file work today and has probably annoyed your brother and his friends. Please keep my identity a secret.
Harry James Potter,
Head of Aurors and DE Rehabilitation
Regulus had briefly read it, barely absorbing the content, but the second paragraph caught his attention strangely. Blocking everything out of his mind he read the letter three more times with meticulous care. The man who cleared his name was hiding from his family? And after forcing me back to mine, the nerve! Not only this but he trusted him to keep his secret from everyone he currently lived with. Without even thinking he blurted out, "You're kidding me."
It was only when he heard them all look at him he realized what he'd done. He hurried to find some other excuse why he would be upset with the letter and lied about his fellow group members. He was obviously lying, he had never been talented at it, but they left him alone about it. You better thank me for this Potter he thought as he threw the proof of Harry's identity into the fire to avoid further mistake.
The Marauders had hoped to get a long letter from Harry, but received few short lines, an article, and several pictures instead. The letter read:
Dear Moony, Padfoot, Prongs, Lily and Dora,
Thank you for the letter, and I didn't really mind the graffiti.
You wanted to know more about me, here's some pictures that might help.
Sorry none of the pictures are recent, but I'm in hiding. It's complicated.
Harry Potter
"Gets right to the point, doesn't he?" Lily said softly.
"Four sentences, and after we send him five paragraphs and an argument." Dora said exasperated. They all moved on to the article that had a picture attached, they passed around the picture as Remus read the article aloud,
"'On 2 April 2000, Ginevra Weasley, better known as Ginny, broke a record, she was the youngest witch in thirty-nine years to be on a professional team. At the age of just barely nineteen she tried out for and successfully made it on to the Holyhead Harpies team in the position of seeker. Of coarse, she was not surprised by this, she had been on the team starting her second year as a chaser and substitute seeker. Substitute to Harry Potter, a year older.'"
"'But now, Mid November, Ginny has resigned. When asked how long she would be gone she just smiled saying, "About nine months if I choose to return." She refused to mention anything on the whereabouts of her husband, Harry Potter, the Chosen One. So will this young witch return to the quidditch pitch, the Prophet will be watching for her.'"
Remus finally got a good look at the picture. It was the Ginny he remembered, only this time she was wearing quidditch robes and looked happier than he ever remembered seeing her. Lily reached over James to point at something in the picture, a small ring with a small stone on it, her wedding ring, " So that's his wife,"
Tonks and Remus nodded saying they had been going out his sixth year, but hadn't been able to his seventh because of the war. They picked up the first picture that was full of people. It was magical and everyone was swaying and looked as if they were singing, overall they were happy.
Remus, Sirius and Tonks were able to point out almost everyone in the picture, Harry and Ginny were in the front wearing what looked like wedding clothes. Next to Harry was Ron, and by Ginny stood Hermione. Behind and near Ginny were five redheads, and positioned similarly behind Harry was a blonde woman with a pudgy boy that resembled her, Lily called the woman petunia and assumed the boy to be Dudley. Behind the bride and groom was Fluer, Victoire and Hagrid. On the back was a few lines of writing, but it wasn't Harry's.
Harry and Ginny's wedding, 23 June 2001
And we're singing "Lean on Me" if you want to know.
"Moony, is that Ginny's handwriting?" Sirius asked looking at the picture.
"Why are you asking me?" Remus asked glaring at him.
"You taught her, so is it?"
"Yes." He replied getting the next picture. This one had a lot more people in it, all of them very young, probably none over twenty. No one was smiling, though a few tried without avail. Harry was in the middle looking pale as a ghost, his best friends standing close to him. Unlike the first, this picture was black and white. There was writing on the back of this one too.
This is the morning after the Second War ended, and are of the remains of the D.A.
Taken as a color picture, color never developed, coincident? We think not.
"What do they mean the color never developed?" James asked as they got the next picture.
"Who knows, they probably think it's fitting seeing as how many people died." Was Dora's soft reply.
The next picture was similar to the first, but with a few more people in it. And it was taken in a large room, not outside like the previous one. Another difference, everyone looked happy, just like the Marauders after a prank Lily thought.
Dumbledore's Army, a secret organization for Dark Arts Defense in a school ruled by Deloris Jane Umbridge, a.k.a. Toadface.
We are responsible for her uncanny fear of centaurs.
Lily, James and Sirius watched the other two burst out laughing, they had to explain she had been found the day after Sirius' death tied to a tree in the dark forest and shuddered at the mere mention of centaurs. They moved on to the last picture.
It was the man they knew as Ron holding a very small baby. The baby was asleep and had black hair on his head. The writing on the back of this one was Harry's.
Our son Jay, (Ginny had scribbled next to it) Jameson!
(Harry's) Anyway, he's being held by Ron, his Godfather, his first birthday will be in July on the sixteenth.
"I can't tell, would they have done that on their own, or are they copying us." Lily said thought fully.
"On what?" Remus asked.
"Arguing in writing." Lily said, Remus shrugged.
James' eyes were transfixed on the photo, but he hadn't said anything since they looked at it, but he now spoke, "I feel old."
"What?" Dora seemed surprised, he looked the same as he had when he had died.
"When I died, my son was one, now his son is one-"
"In two weeks." Sirius interrupted as if he was helping.
"Not helping Padfoot." James glared at him.
"It does bring up an interesting point," Lily said now looking confused, "How old are we, twenty-two or forty-six?"
This didn't seem to have occurred to any of them, but Regulus started laughing. Sirius looked at him curiously, "What's so funny, Reggie?"
Reggie calmed down enough to talk and said, "If you're twenty-two, that means your son is almost three years older than you."
The Potters paled, and Sirius looked at him angrily and told him to shut up. And like a good older brother, included a death threat.
The five Marauders (they had decided Lily and Dora counted and listed several things Peter could be called instead.) arrived in the Ministry Lobby at precisely nine forty-three a.m. on the third of July. They saw two men standing in black auror robes with small pins on them. The two men walked over to casually greet them, one was Ron and the other, much to their chagrin, was the Man. James muttered under his breath, "Man, I hope he isn't our probation advisor.."
Even though James was barely audible the Man seemed to hear, "Come on, Ron isn't that bad. And we will be your probation advisors."
Seeing their disappointment Ron added, "For the next six months."
The Maruaders stared at them a moment, Sirius was flinching. Remus finally broke the silence, "Peachy…"
"Don't worry," Ron said with dry humor, "Today we explore the vast realm of paperwork associated with being an auror." This was met with more groans.
"But first we're going to get your wands." The Man said smiling, but Ron made a few hand motions, and finished pointing to Sirius.
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
(the meaning of they're hand motions)
(Ron) We can't give the wand back to him
(Man/Harry) It's taken care of
(Ron) Did you do anything illegal?
(Man/Harry) Do you always expect the worst of me?
(Ron) Yes
(Man/Harry) It wasn't that illegal. Besides, he's innocent
(Ron) Kingsley won't look at it that way
(Man/Harry) Well that's his problem, not mine
(Ron) He'll fire you
(Man/Harry) If and when he finds me
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"Uuuuuh… is there a problem?" Remus asked as the two men rapidly flashed hand signals at each other.
"No!" They both said loudly startling the Marauders, the Man continued on a more peaceful tone, "Come on, let's go get your wands."
The Man walked briskly away, Ron followed after rolling his eyes, and they went after him. Dora was intrigued about how they had communicated, and with a look over at Sirius, who looked as if he had been accused of killing Peter again, she decided to ask Ron, "Excuse me, What were you talking about and how were you doing it?"
Ron cast a glance at the man in front who shook his head slightly and gave another signal with his left hand, "Sorry, but I can't tell you what we were discussing, but we were talking using shadowhand. Shadowhand is very similar to sign language, and only the top Aurors are taught to use it."
Ron jumped when James grabbed his arm, then he realized while he was looking back to talk he had nearly run into the Man who was at a small desk with hundreds of boxes scrambled on the surface. The Man looked flustered and muttered, "You'd think this would be somewhat organized."
"I don't see why you're complaining, I've seen your desk." Rom mused looking over his shoulder.
"Yes, but I know where things are in my mess, with other people's messes I'm hopeless, I think I found one of them." He said opening the box he had in his hand, he smiled, "Lily's wand." He handed it to her softly.
"Well that's just bloody great," Ron said annoyed, "None of them are labeled. How did you find that one?"
"You aren't going to like my answer," The Man said softly, "but I know them."
Ron glared at him, "You know them… and that helps you how?"
The man shrugged and touched more boxes experimentally, and finally picked three. He opened them and handed the wands to their respective owners, James, Dora and Remus. Sirius looked confused, "What about mine?"
"Oh, nearly forgot." He pulled three wands out of his pocket, quickly returning two of them and handing the third to Sirius who looked it over suspisciously.
"May I ask why you had my wand?" He said looking at the Man.
"It was a bit more.. complicated to get yours, but an Auror can't go weaponless," He looked around, "And it would probably be best for all of us if you didn't say where you got your wand, several people never really believed everything about Peter."
"Not to mention you might get in trouble." Sirius said in an understanding voice. Ron snorted making signs with his hands.
The Man didn't bother to respond in shadowhand, "I do too care about rules, I just prefer to think of them as guidelines." He said defensively, Lily was now laughing looking at James who looked generally perturbed by his wife's laughter.
"Are you ever going to let me forget saying that fifth year?"
"No." She continued to laugh.
"We should really be getting to the paperwork." Ron said.
"Yeah, we have to bore you to death," The Man said and when he was glared at added, "No pun intended.
Seven hours later the Marauders returned having been thoroughly bored to death by the nine different forms you had to fill out for various situations, a general report, a special case report which included magical creatures, vampires and werewolves, a death form for Aurors, a death form for criminals, a death form for innocent bystanders, etc. The most interesting part of the day was seeing the Man's office, a wall held a map of the world with multi colored push pins that covered the world. The Man had stared at the map angrily.
"What's all the push pins for?" Remus asked.
"It's a case I'm working on with a couple others, and from what I've heard it could grow to Voldemorti-ish proportions, but no one believes me." He replied.
"Does Harry?" James asked.
The Man was confused for half a second before answering, "Oh, yeah, Harry believes me, he usually does. And no I am not Ron." He added as Ron began shadowhanding.
A/N: Yes, I know that The Man being Harry is obvious, almost too obvious, but I don't care. For all questions, comments and complaints, please review. I read all of them and do take suggestions into account. Next chapter should be in a few days. Lemonbober out, yo!
