Chapter 6
Harry smiled friendly as they approached the house. They were in Texas, in the barren south of Texas. Dust kicked up around their feet as they walked. Weeds came up to their waist off to the side of the road. They had apparated at the beginning of the driveway and had been walking 15 minutes since. Off in the distance, there was a small lake and small trees. These were not the forests one saw typically in England. They were shorter and thinner; they let you see the sky.
"Sir, is this where I'm going to stay?"
Severus looked down at the boy, who was no longer wearing the cloak. He looked tired.
"Yet, this is where you will be staying."
Harry nodded, remembering their meeting with that strange man earlier that day. They had given them the name of their estranged Uncles, and told them to demand they take Harry in.
'"They will be the best for him. Trust me."' The man had said. So, here they were; in Texas, about to encroach on these mens' privacy.
"You arent' staying with me, are you?"
Severus shook his head, and Harry sighed. Everyone leaves.
XxX
"No, damnit! Leave us alone!" Harry flinched as one of the gruff old men yelled these worlds. Severus had told Harry to wait outside while they discussed things. The men didn't want to raise a child.
"The kid's a damn weenie! The last thing we need is some sissy boy to be hanging around us for the next ten years!"
"Listen," came Severus' cold voice, "I don't want to hear what this boy is or isn't. You have no idea what he has been through or what he has had to do. What his family has done to him would be enough to make him skiddish. He is not a sissy boy."
There was silence and Harry was idly petting the dogs that had surrounded him on the front porch. Harry tried to concentrate on the sun setting against the desert landscape.
"He has no where else to go. Please, help me save him."
There were more murmured words, but Harry couldn't hear the meaning. Soon, Severus stepped into the open air, looking down at the boy. He stepped forward, gruffly saying goodbye, and handed the boy his satchel.
"WAIT! Sir…Will I ever see you again?"
Severus thought before saying, "Just maybe, Potter. Just maybe," And then he was gone.
XxX
They handed him a lantern at the bottom of the stairs, and smiled shortly.
"You sleep up the stairs there, in the attic."
Harry didn't respond.
"Hey," Harry looked at them. The men stood together just behind him, holding a lanter of their own. They were in their mid 50's, Hub was slightly shorter than Garth. They both had wrinkled faces and graying hair, but Grant had a kinder look to his face. Glasses framed his eyes and he seemed to smile. Hub never seemed to show any emotion, and his mustache made him appear disappointed.
Grant looked at him, "We don't know anything about kids. So, if you need anything, get it yourself."
"Or, better yet, just go without." Hub cut in. "We're getting old here, kid."
"Yeah, ready to breathe our last, at any time." Grant supplemented.
"So, if we kick off in the middle of the night, you are on your own." Hub nodded.
Harry stared at them, his mouth open slightly, and his eyes were wide in disbelief. He nodded before going up the stairs.
Hub stared at Garth, "He is a skiddish fellow."
Garth nodded, "Quiet though." Hub grunted in agreement.
XxX
"It's good to finally meet you, Remus." Harry said softly, looking into the older man's smiling face. Remus was holding Harry at arms length, taking in the boy's appearance.
"You look just like your father. Except your eyes. You have your mothers' eyes." Harry's eyes sparked at this, making Remus smile. "You always liked listening about them."
"You made them real to me, for the first time in my life. How could I not love that?" Harry replied with a smile. Remus smiled gently, realizing that they had an audience. He turned around to observe the others in the room, noticing mixtures of happiness and shock on their faces.
Barty clapped Remus on the shoulder, "So, you're the one that told him about his father? And the pranks they pulled?" Remus nodded, smiling nervously. "Well, I guess I should thank you for indirectly putting ideas in my childrens' heads?"
Remus smiled with Barty, "Yes, I guess you should." Barty stepped back and bowed, "You prolly will have to explain yourself to my wife though. She's been on the receiving end of those very pranks many times."
"Good Lord."
"Exactly."
President Kerry cleared his through, "So, now that we are all aquanted, shall we get down to business?"
Harry nodded, and sat down in one of the charis opposite of the man. The others folllwed suit and soon they were discussing the finer details.
"How soon will you be able to come?"
Barty turned his head toward the Auror, smiling carefully. "This evening. There are a few…things that need to be taken care of."
Dumbledore's eyes were twinkling; he had noticed the wedding bands on both men. "Of course."
"And, will …Leander … be accompanying you?" Kerry questioned, his eyebrows raised.
"Should it matter whether he did or not?" Harry questioned.
"I need to inform Parliament if…"
Harry became stern, "No, I will not have his privacy violated-"
"I must inform them when someone dangerous-"
"Leander is no more dangerous than you or I and the very idea-"
"-is warranted, Mr. Potter."
Harry sat, seething. "Then I do not know if he is going. You know how he values his privacy."
Moody eyed them suspiciously, "Who exactly is this Leander?"
"A friend of Harrys', a questionable –"
Barty stood, "Enough. We are here to help our sister country, not to argue about Harry's friends. Yes, I'll agree that he's not the type you would normally bring home to meet your mother, but he is a bunch of reasons why Harry is even alive at the moment. So, let's leave the decision to Leander and Harry, shall we?"
Silence met their ears, before Dumbledore cleared his throat. "Reporting your friend to the government may not be to our advantage since they seem to be corrupt beyond belief. Mr. Crouch, you may sit down."
Barty looked around, slightly red in the face, but did as he was told. Harry had his hands clasped in his lap, his eyes were focused past President Kerry and out of the window.
"I have some last minute things to sort out and then I'll be ready. Would that be amniable?" Barty looked at Harry as he asked this question, and Harry nodded.
"Of course. Say hello to the girls for me."
Barty's eyes shot up, "I thought you were coming to…" Harry only shook his head, and Barty dropped the subject. He'll tell me later…
The rest of the short meeting was spent in tense moments of silence and sparratic conversations.
XxX
Jamie didn't smile. His father was standing in front of him, looking into the dessert. Jamie kicked up some dust with his foot, exhaling shortly. That got Harry's attention.
"I'll be back for Christmas." He said softly.
"Yeah," That's what you always say.
"I will."
"Sure."
Harry sighed, "Listen, I wouldn't do this if … if it weren't for the fact that it feels like … I had to. You understand that, right? These people knew my parents…"
Jamie snorted, "Yeah, those amazing people that left you with your Aunt and Uncle. Yeah, that's just great."
Harrys' gaze snapped to his son, and stopped walking abruptly. "If you got a chance to know someone to know your dead parents, you'd do it too."
Jamie kept walking down the long driveway, "Funny. I thought you'd take time to get to know your son."
It broke Harry's heart, and he was sure that when he apparated away, he left half of it behind.
XxX
Barty opened the door to his office to find Harry standing there in Muggle clothes, a bag slung over his shoulder.
"Where'd you take Jamie?"
Harry smiled sickly, "To Texas, with my Uncles and his grandfather."
Barty's mouth hung open, "But your Uncles hate his grandfather!" Harry smiled.
"They'd do anything for that boy, and you know it."
Harry was now in Barty's apartment, sitting on the chair. "Leander is going to meet us in London in a weeks' time. He said he had to talk to some people, and he said he'd check on Jamie for me."
"You think that Jamie would do anything?"
"I don't know, but I'm not taking any chances. He was pretty angry. More so than I've ever seen him."
"He's a good boy, he'll come around. It's just adolescence."
Harry snorted and took the can of soda that Barty handed him. "I was never like that."
"No offense, Harry, but you two are completely different." Harry smiled.
"Let's leave. The faster we get this over with, the sooner I get home to my kid."
XxX
"Alright Gentlemen. Read the piece of paper and step through the fire."
Harry accepted the paper, and read 'Number 12, Grimmauld Place," and stepped through.
XxX
"Sirius, calm down."
"But, Harry's coming here. Tonight."
Remus nodded, looking amused as his friend paced about the living room.
"What if he doesn't like me?"
"I doubt that it'll happen, Padfoot. Just don't act like a nutt, okay?"
Sirius stopped pacing, "This is the first time seeing my godson since he was a year old. I'm nervous, alright?"
Remus sighed, "It'll be fine."
At that moment, the fireplace flared green, and the two men paused in anticipation.
Xxx
Harry had his wand clenched in his hand, holding his bag with the other. He stepped through the fireplace, and looked at the men standing in front of him. Remus held a soft smile on his face, while the other stared at him in wonder.
In this light, Harry could see Remus' graying hair and hard scares on his face. His cloths were horribly patched and he looked sore. Harry wondered if he was still ill.
The other man was slightly taller than himself, with shoulder length black hair. With only a small grey streak. His grey eyes were storming with unidentifiable emotions. Harry was perturbed by it.
Remus smiled broader, "Well, Harry. I'm glad your made it." Harry dipped his head slightly.
"Barty should be here in a bit. If he hasn't hopped into the wrong grate again."
Remus raised an eyebrow, "Again?"
"He's something of a klutz," Harry smiled some more in remembrance, before fowning. "I don't know how to find him though. He could be in any country."
There was an angry flare behind him and Barty tumbled into the room. He ended up on his back, covered in ashes.
"I can't imagine why I take you anywhere."
Barty smiled, "Only because you love me."
"Remus, I trust you remember Barty?" Harry asked, ignoring Barty entirely. Remus replied that he had. Remus turned to Sirius, who he discovered was looking at Harry with a strange look in his eyes.
"Err…Harry. This is Sirius, a friend of mine and your fathers' at school. He's …well, he's your godfather as well." Remus watched as the information sunk in, and Harry's face turned from shock to anger.
"Nice to meet you." The words fell from his lips, short and cold. He didn't offer a hand shake. Remus blinked in surprise, but was too soon thrown into a conversation by Barty, to notice Sirius' hurt.
"Well, uh, if you'll follow me, I'll show you where you'll be staying." Sirius cut through, and Harry and Barty followed the ex-convict up the stephs and into the new sleeping arrangements.
"So, here you are. Your rooms are on the right Harry, and yours on the left Barty." Harry nodded curtly and stepped inside his room without another word. Barty nodded to Sirius before in turn doing the same, and leaving Sirius alone in the empty walk.
XxX
There was a knock on the door and Barty entered Harry's room. One look at the young man said he wasn't doing well.
"Thinking about home?" Harry only nodded.
"We have been summoned downstairs. For our introduction to their little club." Barty smiled, "These people are strange."
Harry got up from his bed and walked to Barty, "What do you expect? They're British."
