DISCLAIMER THE FIRST: It is by JKR's writing alone I set my mind in motion. It is by the grace of coffee that thoughts acquire speed, the back acquires pains, the pains become a warning. The warning is that I make no money from this. It is by JKR's writing alone I set my mind in motion.

PITHY STATEMENT RELATING TO THIS CHAPTER: "The power of the lawyer is in the uncertainty of the law." – Jeremy Bentham (British philosopher and apparent idol of Albus Dumbledore & Gellert Grindelwald – 1748-1832)

Last Update: 08-26-2013

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CHAPTER ELEVEN – LAWYER UP!

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Dr. BELL'S OFFICE, YORK – JUNE 14th 2010 – AFTERNOON

"I am guessing your father was a tad upset as things played out," Luna said mildly.

Katie snorted, "Oh he was in a right state. Worse was when he found out that in England what happened to him wasn't even considered a crime. Finding out that his rights or those of any Brit were considered not worth considering if they were a Muggle made his blood boil. Of course with him being an American citizen made all the difference."

Luna nodded, "Yes, my father found this out quite early in our trips abroad. He almost had an extended stay in a Swedish prison for casually obliviating a Muggle. As knowledgeable as my father is, at the time he did not realize how the rest of the world sees obliviation as a last resort. Moreover it is seen as a failure on the Magical for putting the Muggle in the position in the first place. It shocked him how most of the rest of the world realized Muggle or not, people had rights."

Katie scowled, "Such a shocking and liberal concept! Call the Daily Prophet! The Muggle lovers are at it again with the notion that people are people regardless of magic!"

Luna smirked, "I know. Even with the War and all the changes, Goddess forefend we treat Muggles, to say nothing of other sentient races as we would each other!"

Katie shrugged, "Give it a generation or two and I'm sure we'll see some change. Plus with people like Hermione, Su and Colin and their work, more and more Magicals here are going to be connected to the larger world. Even the Purebloods can't hide under their pillows anymore."

"Not that that does not stop the Dumbledore apologists from trying," Luna said with a slight tinge of disgust in her voice.

Katie nodded, "Yes well those apologists almost didn't have much to work with. I'm telling you if old Bumbles had been anywhere near my Dad back in the day...well I guess we'd have found out what was more powerful: Dumbledore or double-aught buckshot.

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FROM THE PAGES OF THE POWER HE KNEW NOT – DAVID BELL

To say I was livid is an understatement. It is like saying an 8.0 earthquake is a merely a passing tremor. Not a day had passed since I worried how being around Harry Potter might affect my daughter that I had the Supreme Mugwump of the ECMS obliviate me and my daughter!

However the last laugh was on Dumbledore. Regardless of how much his supporters like to say he was a supporter of Mundane rights, he was a product of his upbringing and environment. He may have used legilimency on Harry, Katie, Hermione and Sally-Anne to see who they talked to and what they talked about, all of us adults were merely obliviated with a cover-story inserted into our memories. Thus the Headmaster completely missed the fact I had met with Agent Harris, especially since I had told all the kids he was a fellow pilot so what they didn't know they could not reveal.

It was fortunate, however, that Agent Harris got back with me two days after I was obliviated. Apparently the obliviation spell sort of works like erasing files on a computer drive. The files aren't actually erased but made to where the brain can't access them. A Magical trained in the Mind Arts can recover these memories if they aren't 'over-written' over time. It also helps that there were so many people who shared the same memories. That way a person who hasn't been obliviated can watch a pensieve version of the event they were there for from the other person's perspective. This makes their own anti-obliviation therapy much more effective. So after a clandestine meeting of all parties, it was a rather simple matter to get our memories back.

Dealing with three sets of angry parents who wanted blood was a lot harder for Agent Harris.

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CONFERENCE ROOM, HEATHROW INT'L AIRPORT, LONDON, AUGUST 8th – MORNING

David watched Agent Harris valiantly try to calm down the Grangers. While he was in complete agreement with them, his time in the military made him a bit more aware how the wheels of the government often ground down their own citizens under the guise of helping them. Finally he figured the poor agent could use a hand.

"Dan...Emma, please calm down. I'm just as mad as you are but there are a lot of issues involved here. As much as I hate it, we need to step back and forget about what Dumbledore did to us and our children and look at the bigger picture. I don't know what Hermione has told you but a lot happened last year at Hogwarts and much of it relates to things going back to before Hermione was even born. Come on Dan, you did military time. You know how policy can look totally different from up at the top in contrast to down in the weeds." David said firmly.

Emma looked like she was going to continue to rant but David cut her off with a gesture, "You're right David. However as true as that is, it is one thing when some policy wonk orders something and some underling misinterprets the order. In this case it's like having the Prime Minister show up to serve a warrant."

Agent Harris nodded, "Yes. Dumbledore personally intervening in this case changes everything. This is why I'm asking you all not to immediately head to your lawyers or the DMLE. While I'm not privy to the inner workings of the Ministry or the Wizengamot, on the face of it what Dumbledore did was legal to an extent under Ministry laws. Sadly how this applies to Mundanes is something between you and the British Government. All I can say is we in the Union and other countries have often wondered how much Her Majesty's government knows what goes on under the Statute of Secrecy."

The American stood and began to pace, "However, in regards to Harry, it seems very clear that something is going on of dubious legality. Even if it is somehow covered by secret orders by the Ministry, I'm sure we all can agree it isn't right. However contacting the Prophet and suing Dumbledore is not the answer."

"So what do you recommend," Esther Perks asked.

Agent Harris frowned, "For right now I would ask you do nothing. Sadly for you and the Grangers there is little you could accomplish except get re-obliviated. That being said the Union will be working this case from our end due to David and his daughter being American citizens. Hopefully we can expose what is happening and in doing so can get your problems fixed. In the mean time I would suggest pretending you now nothing. I have already been told our office will check up on you regularly to see if you have been obliviated again. In the face of the power Albus Dumbledore has at his command, this is probably your best option."

"What about Harry? You saw how badly his relatives treated him. It is bad enough that it seems the Headmaster is covering up that abuse from the proper authorities," Emma Granger asked.

Agent Harris smiled, "Well actually your daughter came up with a possible solution there. You see the house elf that was keeping correspondence away from Harry struck again on his birthday and made it look like Harry did some magic. This prompted a warning from the Misuse of Magic office. Harry asked if there was something he could do about it and I mentioned it would be easy if had access to an auror or lawyer. Your daughter, Mrs. Granger, remembered how Harry's cousin Nymphadora Tonk's father is a lawyer. A look at the files we have on that family, I think arranging a meeting with Mr. Tonks will end up benefiting Harry in the short term and be best for you all in the long term by building a case for later."

"I thought you said there wasn't much to be done since obliviating us normal people wasn't a crime?" Dan Granger asked.

"That is true but there are procedures which need to be followed and I'm betting there is no official documentation for the obliviations on you. As blasé as the British Magicals are on the use of obliviations, there are rules and regulations in place to prevent abuse even if they aren't enforced very well. Best to have Mr. Tonks look this over so if things change, your case needn't start from scratch." Agent Harris explained.

"So this solicitor will contact us if he needs our story?" Mark Perks asked.

Agent Harris nodded, "Yes and I'll be sure to have everything routed through the Embassy to keep anyone in your Ministry from finding out. Again I know it is a lot to ask but I do feel with all things considered, this is your best option."

David shook his head, "I just can't fucking understand how someone as dangerous a Voldemort could possibly be still around and all we see in response is what looks like a cover-up by Dumbledore. For Christ's sake, they won't even say the bastard's name and he's supposedly been dead for a decade."

"I agree with David on this. I don't like how the supposed high and mighty Dumbledore allowed children, our children, to fend off this Voldemort chap. Even if Harry is right and it was all some test on the Headmasters part, a test for what and why? I mean they've got those magical Bobbies right? Why the secrecy?" Dan Granger said.

Agent Harris rocked back and forth on his heels for a moment before answer, "The answer to that question is why the Union is so willing to help you all out. There are many possible answers we at the Embassy and some of analyst back across the pond have come up with. The problem is most of those answers lead down some dark paths. Right now the official policy is to find out more before making a move. Voldemort threatened the Statute before and if he manages to somehow come back, well the current actions of the British Ministry doesn't give the Union much confidence in their skills."

"Got that right! Bloody balls up action if you ask me!" Mark Perks said angrily.

Esther Perks laid a hand on her husband's leg to calm him down, "So you'll keep in touch with us in regards to this Mr. Tonks?"

Agent Harris nodded, "Yes. In fact after this meeting, I'll be taking Harry to see him."

"Also I intend to keep in touch with you guys as well," David said. "I figure regular mail sent to your work address or an email is probably pretty safe."

Emma Granger laughed, "If the wizards I've met are typical you could send messages via sky-writer planes and get away with it."

XxXxX

FROM THE PAGES OF THE POWER HE KNEW NOT – THEODORE TONKS

I've had many interesting cases over the years but I knew the minute Harry Potter walked into my home accompanied by a Union agent from the Embassy that I was in for a wild ride. Many other solicitors at the time probably would have suddenly remembered they had a vacation planned in Majorca but I always relished a good fight. My wife Andromeda says this is my best trait and who am I to argue with a lovely and talented lady such as she?

Granted I knew by taking this case was putting myself and my family in danger. This was something I was well aware of but didn't give much thought to. I was in danger the moment Andromeda and I got serious in our relationship. I had dealt with overt and subtle attacks from House Black till the Voldemort War left Andromeda and Narcissa the only Blacks left outside of prison. Plus my daughter had always been a scrapper and with her training to be an auror meant I knew she'd be able to look after herself.

I must say I was intrigued when Agent Harris first contacted me regarding Harry. While I had never been in a position to do much, I had read all of Xenophilius articles after the war and up until the death of his wife. Many wrote off Xeno as a barmy, conspiracy nut but I could tell there were forces at work, and not just at the Daily Prophet, trying to discredit the man because of his questioning the entire Boy-Who-Lived story.

To this day I wonder if the tragedy surrounding Selene Lovegood's death had some help from the Ministry. Unlike myself, Xenophilius did not believe in 'constant vigilance' and sadly there would have been so many ways where a potion here, a charm there could have unbalanced the poor man to push him down the dark road which ended with the death of his wife.

So as Harry Potter's story started to unfold, I was more than willing to accept that the great and lauded Albus Dumbledore might not be the kindly grandfather most remembered from their time at Hogwarts. In my line of work I had long ago learned how the kindly smile was a lie and the helping hand was to distract you from the knife held in the other hand. Even if it was for the best, Harry Potter sadly had to learn this hard lesson early.

XxXxX

33 HAMPSTEAD HILL GARDENS, CAMDEN TOWN – AUGUST 8th – AFTERNOON

Harry sat quietly with Katie while Agent Harris and Mr. Bell spoke to Mr. Tonks. The adults had asked him to let them do the talking first. They assured him that Mr. Tonks would want to talk to him and Harry's side of the story would get told.

Harry was grateful for the break. His mind was still reeling from all that had happened. The incident with Dobby followed closely by the Grangers, Perks and Bells all showing up and then having all of their memories restored. While he missed her, Harry was glad the Grangers weren't here since Hermione had been livid and loud in regards to what had happened. He marveled at the near God-like powers Mrs. Granger must possess since she was able to not only calm her daughter down but get her to be quiet!

Harry was also dealing with some nagging questions which unfortunately had no answers. Harry knew of a few instances where he had done accidental magic. Where those the only times? All things considered, Harry wondered if he hadn't discovered Mrs. Figg was a Squib quite a few times over the years only to be obliviated. Sadly the Obliviator from the Embassy had explained to him that his old memories had probably been over-written long ago so were lost. Only the person who could have cast those spells would know now.

Harry gritted his teeth; he wondered how much of his life was now only known to Albus Dumbledore. Even if the man felt he was trying to help him, Harry was angry that anyone would steal his very thoughts from him and his friends!

At Katie's nudge, Harry realized that the adults were all looking at him, "Uhm, I'm sorry…have a lot on my mind."

Mr. Tonks smiled, "I'm sure you do. Even if you didn't have a head full of memories you only now can recall, I'm sure you have many question. First things first, though. Agent Harris, Mr. Bell could I trouble you to leave us for a moment? I need to summon an auror and I'd rather not have you seen. Likewise, Ms. Bell if you could join them? This won't take long."

"Why do you need an auror? Is Harry in trouble?" Katie asked. Harry was wondering the same thing.

Mr. Tonks laughed, "Far from it, Ms. Bell. I just need to clean up this misuse of magic complaint against Harry. It will be as simple as having an auror check Harry's wand. However with all that is going on, I'd rather not have anyone know anything more than Harry was here."

Katie nodded in comprehension and then whispered to Harry, "I'll see if I can score us some cookies!"

Harry smiled at the blonde as she followed Andromeda Tonks to the parlor. Harry saw where his cousin Nymphadora got her good looks from!

After the door closed, Mr. Tonks picked up a phone and dialed a number from memory, "Hello? Yes, this is Solicitor Tonks and I was wondering if I could have an auror sent to my office straight away? I have a quick misuse of magic issue which needs to be cleaned up. Yes, the client is here right now. Splendid!"

Mr. Tonks hung up the phone and motioned Harry to take the seat Agent Harris had been using closer to the desk, "It should just be a moment, Harry. Luckily they just had shift change and one of the aurors going off duty volunteered to come."

Harry noticed a stone begin to glow red on Mr. Tonks' desk which he tapped his wand to. Seeing Harry's look, Mr. Tonks smiled, "Alerts me of an apparition request. Only someone with the twin stone can call me so they can get past my wards. It is safer than having to drop your wards ever time you want to let someone apparate in."

With a crack, a middle-aged man in auror robes appeared, "Ah good day Auror Dawlish, so good of you to come. This will not take but a moment of your time." Mr. Tonks said in way of greeting. He gestured towards Harry.

The auror's eyebrows shot up in surprise when he saw Harry, "Following in your father's troubled footsteps, Mr. Potter?" Dawlish said not unkindly. Seeing that Harry didn't understand the auror laughed, "Obviously no one told you your father had quite a few brushes with the law when he and his mates were out of school. They felt a good prank shouldn't be confined to just Hogwarts."

Harry shrugged, "No, I just have to deal with a crazy house elf who is trying to keep me from going to Hogwarts. He's the one who did the magic which got me in trouble."

Auror Dawlish frowned, "Hmm, not that's an excuse you don't normally hear from a Muggle-raised! Well I'm not a judge and it doesn't matter to me since your wand will tell the tale. Could you present your wand for me, Mr. Potter?"

Harry pulled out his wand and Auror Dawlish did the same with his, "So Mr. Potter do you remember what the last spell you cast was?"

Harry thought a moment, "I'm pretty sure it was a feather light charm I used on my truck getting it off the Hogwarts Express."

The auror nodded, "Yes, most students do so. Alright hold you wand steady for a second. Prior Incantato!" From Harry's wand rose a ghostly image of a feather with wings.

"Well that's that," the auror concluded. He turned to Mr. Tonks, "Do you have the paperwork…ah I see you do. Let me just sign this and I'll be on my way. Oh and Mr. Potter, have Mr. Tonks give you the Auror Hotline number. If something like this should happen again, you don't have to involve a solicitor since any auror can take care of it."

"Thank you John! I appreciate coming after duty hours," Mr. Tonks said as he signed his own name to the document.

The auror shrugged, "Never hurts to have a solicitor happy with you. You never know when someone like a Malfoy or Crabbe will want to sue you for just doing your duty." With a nod to Harry, the auror vanished with a loud pop.

Harry watched as Mr. Tonks took the paper and placed it in a box labeled Out – Ministry which then promptly vanished He then tapped the stone to reestablish the house wards. "Well now, that takes care of that. Now onto more important business. I have questions."

Harry was suddenly nervous as the well-dressed man stared at him intently, "I'll do my best, sir."

Mr. Tonks laughed warmly, "Call me Ted, Harry. I save all the formality for the court and the Ministry. As much as the phrase is misused, I am here to help you."

Harry felt better but then frowned, "Uhm Mr. Tonks…I mean Ted…well how am I going to pay you? I know I have money in my trust vault but…"

Ted made a dismissive gesture, "No worries Harry. There is plenty of money in your Family Vault. I can easily petition the Goblins to have my fee drawn from there since legal expenses are allowed. My legal fees won't even make a dent in a month's interest on your family's fortune."

Harry looked at him blankly, "What family fortune?"

Ted eyed Harry critically. "The fortune that goes along with the Ancient and Most Noble House of Potter. As much as I am finding it hard to believe, I take it you are unaware of this?"

Harry squirmed nervously, "Well Neville has been teaching me stuff but mostly he's focused on Wizarding customs since I'm so far behind. Haven't really had time for much else with all the weirdness at school and Quidditch."

Ted's eyes seemed to bore into Harry's, "You've never gotten a letter of account from Gringotts?"

Harry shrugged, "Prior to my Hogwarts letter, I've never gotten anything from anyone. As for Gringotts the only thing I know about is my key to my Trust Vault. Hagrid had me give it back to him. I'm not sure who has it now."

Harry was becoming a bit worried as he saw Ted pale a bit. Even though it was just past lunch, the man poured himself a shot of brandy and drank it down in one quick gulp.

"So, even though you're a hero to Magical Britain, you've never gotten any birthday wishes, Yule cards or even a tin of fudge from the nice old witches from the Daughters of the Order of Merlin?" Ted asked after a moment.

Harry shook his head, "No. Should I? I'm sort of glad no one did since my relatives probably would have beaten me to death if they had."

Ted sighed, "Yes well that is another kettle of fish altogether. Well Mr. Potter, it seems your case keeps getting worse and worse. Already I can tell a lot of work has been done to keep you in the dark. Most of it is either illegal or requires the highest level of Ministry and Wizengamot authority to do. As your friend's father correctly surmised, your life is being meddled with directly from the top of our government."

Harry's eyes narrowed dangerously, "Dumbledore!"

Ted nodded, "Just so."

OoOoO

"I tell you Andrey, I really am at a lost for what to do. I'm sure Dumbledore has Harry's house warded and spelled especially after Harry's last outing. While I understand Agent Harris took precautions, I still half expect the old man to be banging against the wards any minute now."

Andromeda smiled tolerantly as she watched her husband pace. He was so distracted he had put his pajama bottoms on backwards before noticing and then put on the top before realizing it was inside-out. Normally her husband missed nothing. His mind and instincts were as sharp as they were when she fell in love with him back in Hogwarts. That mind and instincts help keep both of them alive in the face of the anger of House Black. She knew that Walpurga Black schemed to kill them right up to the moment she died.

She understood why he was so flummoxed. After listening to Harry's story along with what she got out of the Bell's made Andromeda angrier than she had been in a long time. She certainly wished she could have a few choice words with the Headmaster. Again she cursed the political maneuvers which kept even the goblins from even admitting if the Potters had a will registered with them as everyone knew was almost as certain as the bedrock underneath Hogwarts.

While she doubted she and Ted were on the list of people to take Harry in, disgraced or not she still was enough of a Black to fill in for Harry's imprisoned godfather under the law. However no matter how much she, her husband and Lovegoods had tried, they couldn't crack the web of secrecy Albus Dumbledore had woven around the boy.

However there were more ways to skin a kneazle. Cast out or not, Andromeda was a Black and Blacks were the masters of the feint and surprise attack. If Albus Dumbledore thought he had built up an impregnable fortress to keep the world from finding out about Harry just meant he was blinded by his own supposed cleverness.

"Theodore, while Albus Dumbledore is a foe to be concerned about, attacking us here would require him to step out of the shadows. Breaking through the defenses we have created over the years which kept us safe from my family would garner attention he can ill afford to come to light." Andromeda paused and then chuckled, "It is amusing how the so called Leader of the Light seems to walk so much in the shadows."

Ted stopped pacing and looked glum, "You're right Andrey. He doesn't need to make a move because there is little nothing we can do. After the Bells took Harry back to Lily's evil sister, I did some quick checking. Without an Unbreakable Oath from a majority of the Wizengamot, I wouldn't even think to try to challenge Dumbledore on this. He's got so much defense-in-depth to say nothing of Fudge being a sock-puppet that does what Albus tells him to do."

Andromeda chuckled again, "Unless he's being paid by Lucius to do the opposite."

Ted nodded, "Your sister plays the game well. It cannot be denied. It is a good thing Lucius is too arrogant to truly realize how brilliant your sister is. Otherwise he'd listen to her more and things would be worse. Not that I can see things being any worse. I feel so helpless! James and Lily's son deserves so much better than this!"

"Calm yourself, my husband. You're thinking like a Magical and not using the very tools you have used so well in the past from your Muggle upbringing," Andromeda said calmly.

Ted glanced up to see his wife looking at him serenely with the quirky smirk she had when she had a plan. "What do you mean? Harry might as well be in the dungeons of Hogwarts and I just don't have the tools to storm those gates." Ted snorted, "I don't even have a wheelbarrow!"

"Exactly my dear which is why you need to go through the Ardennes. Let the great Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore think he is safe behind his Maginot Line. All we need to do is strike at his soft, white underbelly."

Ted's eyes narrowed, "I'm sorry my dear, I must be thick tonight. While I'm impressed you're making such a Muggle historical metaphor, I can't see where you're going with it."

"Really? Come husband, what did Harry say about his relatives?" Andromeda asked.

Ted shrugged, "They hate him. I'm betting Dumbledore has either bribed them or threatened them to have taken Harry in in the first place. He probably had to do both from the amount of animosity they show towards the boy."

Andromeda smiled, "Exactly! They do not want him. But I'm sure Dumbledore has told Petunia that since she and Harry share blood, it is the only place Harry can go. Petunia is the weak link because she is the only family Harry has. While untrue, it is where we can strike."

Ted eyes grew wide, "You mean...?"

"Yes, we give Harry a new family by Muggle means. A few papers properly signed, a few Muggle officials bribed to expedite matters and then through adoption we become the legal, Muggle family responsible for Harry."

"Of course! It's so simple! Dumbledore has kept people like us or the Greengrasses from taking Harry in due to our ties of magical blood. Therefore everything hinges on the Dursleys being his only family. Take them out of the equation and his entire plan folds like a house of cards!" Ted exclaimed.

"Which shows that even the high and mighty Dumbledore, champion of Muggles and Muggleborn alike, still refuses to see the Muggle world as something worth thinking about," Andromeda said with more than a hint of scorn in her voice.

Ted began to pace again, "It's going to take some time to set it up right. I know for a fact we won't be able to make it happen before Harry goes back to Hogwarts. I think we could, however, have him here by Yule."

Andromeda laughed, "Having a 'baby' brother will make a fine present for Nymphadora!"

Ted laughed as well before turning serious. "I'm concerned about Harry's safety, though."

Andromeda shrugged, "I doubt the Dursleys will harm Harry again soon. While they are his agents, I cannot see Albus allowing them to hurt his pawn that badly again. Harry should be safe enough till he gets to Hogwarts."

"Safe being a relative term considering we have no idea what the Malfoys are up to," Ted said thoughtfully.

"You mean what Lucius is up to. Narcissa knows abusing your house elves is as stupid as it is unwise. There is no way my sister would do something which would cause Dobby to betray her. Lucius and his brat seem to glory in hurting their elves from what I've been able to gather. Luckily for us, Lucius' plans are rarely well thought out."

Ted frowned, "Which may make them all the more dangerous, Andrey." Ted shrugged and got into bed and kissed his wife, "I hope I can gift you with a 'son' by Yule, my dear."

Andromeda smiled, "Yes, I did not think Nymphadora leaving was going to hurt so. As much as she and I fought, you'd think I would be glad for the peace and quiet but the house no longer feels like a home."

Ted fluffed his pillow and chuckled, "I'm sure Harry will be a better pupil to pass on the skills of House Black. Dora seems wedded to the direct approach. I can't see where she gets it from. I'm amazed she wasn't sorted into Gryffindor."

Andromeda shrugged, "She takes after Sirius. If I didn't know better I would swear he had fathered her while polyjuiced as you."

Ted smirked, "Yes, subtlety for Sirius was a whoopee cushion. Of course if he had accepted more of his heritage he probably wouldn't be in Azkaban. Just another thing to unravel in regards to Harry. There is no way Sirius Black would have betrayed James Potter."

Andromeda looked grim, "With what is facing Harry, I certainly hope you are right about him being a better apprentice to House Black. Harry needs every weapon at his disposal if he is to defeat the Dark Lord again and escape whatever path the Headmaster has planned for him."

XxXxX

Dr. BELL'S OFFICE, YORK – JUNE 14th 2010 – AFTERNOON

"Tell me Luna; in your visions of what could have been how often did Harry get any help from people like the Tonks?" Katie asked as she looked at some of the transcripts from people Luna had already interviewed. Katie had wanted a bit of a break as she wasn't used to speaking for long periods of time. So while she took some time to water her throat, Luna had suggested looking over some of the work she already had.

Luna cocked her head to the side as she was wont to do while thinking, "Not very often at all, Katie. In most time-lines where Harry gets any sort of substantial help it is either from the goblins or the Grangers. Oh there are lines where the Bones or Greengrasses become involved but interestingly enough the Tonks are rarely a big part of Harry's life. In fact, in most time-lines I have seen, Harry does not meet them until his Seventh Year and Theodore dies in almost all of these lines."

"How odd. I wonder why so few people moved to help Harry. It seems weird when you consider how popular the Potters were and the connections that still existed even after the purges of the first Voldemort War." Katie said.

Luna smiled, "The answer is simple. In most time-lines Harry is immersed in the Weasley family. With that family under Dumbledore's thumb meant Harry was rarely around anyone who could tell him anything other than the approved story the Headmaster wanted Harry told. Dark families probably felt it in their best interest to let this continue as it would weaken Harry considering their low opinion of the Weasleys. On the other hand, the Light families had no reason to go against Dumbledore's choice of family for him."

"Well if Ronald Weasley ended up being Harry's best mate, I can see why everything went so bad. Fay told me she arrested him again last week on a drunk and disorderly. With the Brown family finally putting their collective foot down in regard to Lavender means all he has left is the people on the Cannon's staff to rein him in. I'm betting unless something drastic happens he won't be able to hang on to assistant coaching job."

Luna shook her head, "Normally I would agree with you. On the face of it, one would think Ronald has kept his job merely because the Cannons are such a joke to begin with. I am becoming convinced the Cannons are similar to those horrid Muggle wrestling events. They are completely fake and all the so called drama is all planned. Ronald is allowed to be the drunken arse he is because it creates publicity for the Cannons. Chudley fans aren't there to see the Cannons win; they are there to see a disaster in the making. Ronald's drunken antics are just part of that theater of the absurd."

Katie laughed, "Bad publicity is still publicity. I think you are onto something, Luna. It does explain a lot especially when you consider how tawdry the scandals Ron falls into are. In fact it makes you wonder how many are manufactured and he's just maneuvered into them?"

Luna shrugged, "I refuse to feel sorry for him. His sloth and bigotry has brought him to the bed he finds himself in. In almost every time-line, Ronald was cruel to me even when those echoes of me somehow end up with him. After my mother's death, his 'emotional range of a teaspoon' often led me to run home in tears when I would be visiting Ginny. Then there is the fact he acted as an enabler for many bad events in Harry's life as he almost did here. Thankfully it was I and not Ronald who met up with Harry before Second Year."

XxXxX

FROM THE PAGES OF THE POWER HE KNEW NOT – LUNA LOVEGOOD

While my childhood life was a paradise compared to what Harry grew up with, I had my own demons and they stemmed from my mother. Selene Lovegood née Ollivander was a beautiful woman, passionate in her quest for knowledge, a wonderful mother and a powerful witch. She was also an unrepentant lesbian. At least that was what many have thought over the years. I myself believed this 'official version' till an unlikely event revealed that the truth was much more bizarre.

Regardless of my mother's supposed sexual orientation, she loved my father dearly and from reading her diaries I learned she enjoyed sharing their marriage bed with him. My mother, however, refused to let society dictate who she could love or have sex with. She was the fiery horse who might accept the bridle but never would truly be tamed.

My father accepted this but sadly it ate at him. Xenophilius had grown up in the shadow of his older brother Neoptolemus who had been one of the most famous aurors of his day. Dark followers feared him almost as much as they feared Alastor Moody. Regardless of the many awards and critically received papers my father had published, he couldn't quite shake the feeling of being the 'lesser' Lovegood. Neoptolemus never failed to credit much of his successes against Death Eaters in the war came from intelligence his brother had analyzed. Even so, Xenophilius felt totally eclipsed by his brother.

So the fact his beloved wife wanted sex with women was just another thing I believe my father felt he had failed at. Instead of accepting her and the fact she had needs he could not fulfill, my father self-loathing grew because he wasn't 'man enough to cure her' of her tendencies. My father knew intellectually there was nothing to actually cure but it is hard to shake off one's cultural biases one grows up with. These feelings were not helped by the fact my mother made a great deal of money crafting special spells for the Unspeakables while the newly minted Quibbler struggled.

So after a day of being rejected by investors and a lonely dinner at the Leaky Cauldron where some acquaintances happened to make some nasty pointed comments, my father decided not to go back to the office and finish the latest edition as he had planned to. A black mood was upon him and he did not want to sleep there as he always did when working late. So my father went home only to find my mother in bed with Adrienne Peasegood, wife to the head of the DMLE.

It did not matter my mother and Adrienne's relationship went back to Hogwarts. A relationship (and lack of boyfriends) which prompted House Ollivander to send my mother to Beauxbatons for her NEWTs to see if a change of venue might 'cure' her. It did not matter this relationship was supposedly due to complementary auras which no wizard or witch has control over. It did not matter my mother was a doting wife and loved my father dearly and enjoyed sex with him when sex with men was repugnant to her. No, all of the feelings bottled up in my father came out and my mother was sadly the available target for those feelings.

It was unfortunate I was such a curious child. I had noticed my mother would resort to tricks and spells to put me to bed early on odd nights for no apparent reason. I conspired to avoid this so I could find out what was going on. Was my mother having pudding and did not want to share? So innocent were the conspiracies my younger self came up with to explain what might be going on.

So with the use of the many interesting magical artifacts available to me, I was able to successfully keep from being spelled asleep and further able to sneak into where my mother was 'entertaining' her lover. Other children might have panicked and made a scene or fled but I just watched enraptured. I was amazed watching my mother make love to another woman. It was so outside of what I knew of 'proper' behavior was that I could not tear my eyes away. It was beautiful to me.

This beauty came to a horrifying stop when my father killed my mother in his self-loathing filled rage. Again this was story everyone was told but it was not the full story, but I get ahead of the story.

Regardless of what people thought happened that night, neither I or my father left that night unscathed. Almost instantly my father realized what he had done and it destroyed him. While his killing of my mother was ruled an honor killing, what Muggles would call a justifiable homicide, it left my father a broken man. His previously sharp mind was now shattered. Where once he ferreted out subtle plots and plans of the elite, he now was paranoid and seeing creatures which existed in his own mind. He became more and more eccentric to the point where he had to be committed by my Seventh Year in Hogwarts. Thankfully due to Katie's help he is doing much better and is back working on the Quibbler.

For my part I was in my own bad place. I loved both my mother and father dearly. I was my father's 'little snowflake' and I was a dutiful daddy's girl. My deep love for my father thus conflicted terribly with what he had done. I loved him but I hated him. I loved my mother but I secretly hated her for cheating on my father; I was not mature enough to know she really wasn't cheating in her heart. In addition, like children of divorce, I felt much of it was my fault somehow. If I had been a better daughter than Daddy would not have been sad all the time and Mommy wouldn't be in bed with another witch.

So in my own way I slowly went insane. With my father as a guide, I followed him into his own brand of madness. Cut off as we were from the larger magical community, there were few to intervene. The closest families, the Weasleys, were little help. Initially Molly Weasley tried to act as a surrogate mother for me but my oddities quickly made her forbid my childhood friend Ginny from playing with me anymore.

So when I finally turned eleven, I was a disaster waiting to happen. How could it not end badly being separated from the only link (no matter how tenuous) to reality by being cast into a sea of children who traditionally treat those who are different with pettiness and cruelty? Yet my salvation came from an unexpected path. While my father and I were 'functionally' neurotic, we were very comfortable in the Muggle world. So instead of flooing directly to the Platform 9¾, we would floo to the Leaky Cauldron and then have a bit of an outing before going to Kings Crossing.

By doing this enabled me to meet the boy who, after my father, has had the biggest impact on my life. The boy who later would become the man who would save me from what many saw as inevitable insanity and despair. The man I grew to love so very deeply that mere words are but echoes of the symphony of the love I have for him.

XxXxX

FROM THE PAGES OF THE POWER HE KNEW NOT – HARRY POTTER

While being taken back to Privet Drive, I marveled at how weird my summer had been. Little did I know it was going to get a lot weirder. Vernon putting bars on the window of my room was practically business as usual compared to the Weasley Twins and Ron coming to rescue me from my relatives in a flying car.

Under normal circumstances I would have been overjoyed at the jailbreak but I spent the entire trip to the Burrow pondering dark thoughts. Dobby had been keeping my mail from going anywhere or for me to receive anything. The Headmaster had obliviated everyone who knew about my weekend trip to the Grangers. So how did Ron know that I needed rescuing? His explanation was he was worried that I didn't reply to any of his letters. So he convinced the Twins to help save me since my relatives had obviously done something bad to me.

On the face of it, this explanation made perfect sense…as long as you didn't know Ron Weasley. After spending so much time with him, I had learned Ron rarely wrote letters. Every time his mother or sister would take him to task for not writing, he would respond that the Twins and Percy's own letters covered everything he might say. When he did write (when the pressures go too much for even him to ignore) it was a hastily jotted down note.

Then there was the fact that as I had drifted away from him during the latter half of term, Ron had become rather chummy with Seamus. They both like to argue with Dean over his passion for football and neither tired of talking Quidditch. Actually neither one of them seemed to tire over arguing about most anything. Ron had told me that Seamus would be coming over to the Burrow prior to school starting and Ron was plainly happy about it. In all of this, Ron would make comments like, "Wouldn't it be brilliant if you could come too?" These comments felt faked to me, like Ron was saying them only because he had been told too.

Of course I did know that to Ron, my being there made for more people to play Quidditch with. In looking back now, there were many things Ron said or did which might be taken as evidence he was a willing pawn to the schemes of Albus Dumbledore. Yet Ron's passion for Quidditch and his enormous appetite made him easy to manipulate. There were days where I wondered if Lucius Malfoy had offered Ron a choice between lifetime tickets to the Cannons, an inexhaustible supply of pork chops or saving my life from Voldemort that Ron would have been hard pressed to choose between the food and the tickets. He would probably figured since I was the Boy-Who-Lived, I'd be able to save myself. While often capable of being petty and vindictive, Ron during his Hogwarts years just wasn't cut out for the role of potential villain certain historians want to make him.

Even if Ron was not in the know of what was going on, I was left feeling manipulated. That I had just been illegally obliviated only a few days prior to my 'rescue' only made this feeling more intense. However, I figured being at the Burrow was safer than Privet Drive; I got better food and even a chance to fly. Yes I was right where the Headmaster wanted me but I figured it might allow me to see what path or lesson I was supposed to be learning.

By the time September 1st rolled around I wasn't sure what I had learned other than it seemed I was just as cut off from the greater magical world as I had been in Little Whinging. As we all piled into Arthur Weasley's illegally charmed car, all I had was perhaps the Weasleys were Good Cops to the Dursley's Bad Cop. I certainly noticed a great deal of 'Dumbledore's a great wizard' just like I had heard from Hagrid. Even Seamus contributed by loudly going on about how great it was that the Headmaster had helped convince his mother to allow him to come to the Burrow for two weeks prior to school.

Knowing what I knew, I played my part. Growing up at the Dursleys had certainly taught me how to adapt to whatever expectations people had in me. If people like Molly Weasley seemed to think I was a poor orphan abused by my evil Muggle relatives then I would put on my Oliver Twist mask and be as pathetic as I could. Luckily I had an ace up my sleeve courtesy of Agent Harris. While the chance of any of the Weasleys being a legilimens was small, I had been given an item which would help protect my mind. Disguised as a silver chain with an image of the Virgin Mary, it was the perfect hiding place.

Magicals were notoriously lax in religion and tended to shy away from any confrontations with those Muggleborn or raised on the issue. Some have remarked how odd it was that I had been raised Catholic given how status conscious the Dursleys were in a Protestant country. Yet Petunia had converted when she met Vernon and was a very devoted convert. Vernon acted as if someday the true Catholic king would return and England would be great again.

While I never felt any great connection to the Church (hard to accept a benevolent God when you are abused) it did give me the perfect way to hide in plain sight since no one would think it odd I always wore such a thing. So while I was worried about going to Hogwarts, this mind shield gave me hope I wouldn't find myself looking down the Headmaster's wand any time soon.

XxXxX

PLATFORM 9¾, KINGS CROSS, LONDON – SEPTEMBER 1st 1992 – MORNING

Harry watched as Ron and Seamus disappeared into the crowd. He shook his head at the idea of stealing an illegal magical car and then trying to fly it to Scotland! Getting expelled wasn't high on Harry's list of things to do and he was worried his fellow Gryffindors were on a crash course towards just that.

Harry looked at his watch and tried the barrier again. Again his trolley smacked into the wall causing Hedwig to hoot in an irritated way. Harry knew he didn't have too much time before the train left.

"Hello there lad. Problems with the portal?"

Harry turned to find a tall man with long blond hair looking down at him. While not dressed as poorly as most Magicals, his choice of Muggle clothing was striking. If Mr. Bell had thought the Headmaster was a reject from the '70's, this man seemed to have stepped out of '60's. While stylish, the clothing reminded him of pictures of the Beetles he had seen in a Life magazine article he once read at the library.

"Oh! Do you think Umgubular Slashkilters have jammed the portal, Daddy?"

This was from a lithe blonde girl who was obviously the man's daughter. Harry figured she was a Firstie. She had an inviting face even though she didn't seem to blink very often. She had her wand stuck behind her ear. She also had an enormous sunflower woven into her pale hair. It was a striking contrast. Her voice had an oddly lilting, sing-song quality to it.

Her father walked past Harry towards the portal. Before Harry could say anything, the man bounced off the wall just as Harry's trolley had.

"How curious!" The man said with a frown.

The girl came up and surprisingly took Harry's hand. She leaned in to where their noses were almost touching. She seemed to be looking for something in his eyes. "You don't seem to be afflicted with Nargles, Harry Potter."

"Nargles? I'm not sure what they...hey, how did you know who I am?" Harry asked.

The father and daughter both laughed. Harry noted the girl's laugh had a pleasing, musical quality to it.

"My dear boy, I am Xenophilius Lovegood and I am the editor of the Quibbler. As a journalist, I know many things. Why after your parents were killed, I wrote many articles about how you had disappeared. Quite a mystery! Sadly so few people seemed to care about the obvious Ministry cover-up."

"Just like the Rotfang Conspiracy cover-up!" the girl excitedly.

The man nodded sagely, "Yes, as my daughter Luna is correct in pointing out, there is so much going on today where one cries to the crowds for them to wake up but they refuse to listen. Alas, we live in dark times. Perhaps things are worse than I thought if things like this portal have been allowed to break."

Harry was getting more confused by the moment but here at least was something he could relate to. "Actually, sir, I think it is my fault. All summer a house elf named Dobby has been trying to prevent me from going to Hogwarts. I wouldn't be surprised if this isn't his doing."

"A house elf? Dobby you say?" the elder Lovegood asked. "Why would Lucius Malfoy's elf want to keep you from Hogwarts?"

Before Harry could reply, the girl tugged on her father's hand, "Daddy, I am going to miss going to Hogwarts if we do not hurry!"

Xenophilius blinked and nodded, "Yes! Yes! Time for questions later!" Harry watched as the man turned to the wall and hunched over to keep from being seen as he cast a few spells. "That will keep anyone from noticing. Now I need the two of you to hold tight to your trolleys with one hand and take my arms with the others. This will not feel very pleasant."

Harry wasn't sure he liked the sound of that but since he didn't want to miss the Express any more than Luna did, so he complied. After a gut-wrenching feeling of being squeezed through a tube, Harry found they were now on the other side of the barrier.

"I do so hate side-along apparition," Luna said mildly even though it was obvious she looked as close to losing her breakfast as Harry felt he was.

Xenophilius leaned down and kissed his daughter on the head, "Now little snowflake, you be good at school and be sure to accept any invitations for tea from Professor Flitwick. I will miss you." The man turned to Harry. "I would like to hear about your summer, Mr. Potter. Since you have your own owl, I do not see that as much of an imposition, yes? Always best to get the news straight from the source!"

Harry just blinked at the odd man and his forward ways. It was just sinking in that Dobby was a Malfoy elf. He had just seen Draco's parents during that fiasco at Flourish and Blott's and that ponce Lockhart. He was about to ask the man about it when he heard his name called.

"Harry! Move your ass! The train is about to leave! Come on! We've saved some seats!"

He looked over and saw Katie leaning out the window of one of the nearest cars. It looked like Hermione and Sally-Anne were in the cabin as well. He turned to the young girl who had finished giving her father a good-bye hug, "Here let me help you with that; Wingardium Leviosa!"

Luna beamed as her trunk float off the ground. She began to push it towards the nearest car.

"Hey why don't you come with me, Luna? The train fills up pretty fast. I'm sure there's room for you with my friends." Harry called out.

Luna turned with an odd look and a frown, "You want me to sit with you and your friends?"

Harry spelled his own trunk before replying, "Of course! Your dad helped me so I can return the favor. Come on, I'll introduce you. They're all good people."

Harry motioned for the girl to follow. As he worked his floating trunk up the stairs, he missed how Luna's face had changed to a look of adoration while a sliver of hope danced in her cerulean eyes.

End of Harry's First Sumer

Chapter Twelve Preview: Harry's 2nd year at Hogwarts. Harry begins to hear things even as he reaches across House barriers to begin making alliances.

XxXxX

A/N: Dear readers, so many of you need to remember the Galactic Hitchhiker maxim: Don't Panic. So many reviewers were in an uproar about the obliviations. As Dr. Finklestein said, "You just need to be patient" - Don't be like Sally; all will be revealed in due time. Besides, this isn't a Scooby Doo mystery like HP & the Rejected Path is. I'm not going to string things along or hide them...well maybe not as much.

Can You Find the Fish? Bonus points for anyone who can spot the old-timer, musical in-joke in this chapter! Of course the title of this blurb is an in-joke as well. In fact, I've littered this chapter with them!