AN: To Haleygur7, I want to take a moment to shout you out for consistently reviewing every chapter. I see every single comment and I just want to let you know it's appreciated and does not go unnoticed.
After his initial surprise at seeing a werewolf Patronus and hearing Remus' tell him to pack his bags and be ready to leave, Harry had been quite restless. Quietly packing what he could, he wondered what this all could mean…where he was going.
A noise downstairs startled him and stood up slowly in the dark, feeling uneasy as it didn't sound like the normal noises of his aunt and uncle and cousin, who were away on holiday.
Movement on the stairs and the slow turning of the lock on his door prompted him to raise his wand in defense as the door clicked open.
Harry peered out of his bedroom doorway as figures appeared, wands illuminated. His sister stood in the forefront, a cheeky smile on her face. Her hair was sheared much shorter, barely brushing against the tops of her shoulders, the familiar scarring left by the dragons in the first task still peeking out from her hairline. She looked a little better since the last time he had saw her.
"Little brother, it's been too long since we've been together," she smiled warmly at him. Tucked behind her was her father, Kingsley, a woman with bright pink hair, Remus, and Bill and Charlie Weasley.
"Jamie…what are you doing here?"
"There are some things we need to discuss, Harry," she smiled comfortingly at him. She motioned him to follow her downstairs, Kingsley and Remus accompanying her, as Bill and Charlie and the woman with the pink hair gathered up his things.
"What's going?" Harry asked as Jamie made them a pot of tea on his aunt's stove. Harry supposed it was her aunt too, though Jamie had never met her. Lucky girl.
"Harry, what we are asking of you…well, it's going to be a bit shocking for people and it may cause some drama," Jamie said as she handed him a cup. "But I want you to understand this is entirely your choice and it's only being suggested because we think it would keep you safe."
"What is it?"
"Remus and I want to take over as your legal guardians," Jamie sat at the table across from him. She reached out and covered his hand with her own. "It's not a good living situation here for you, and frankly…Harry things are going to be changing and there aren't a lot of systems set up to protect you. By us doing this, it would ensure someone is there, so you have the choice to say no to things."
"Who—who would be upset?"
"Professor Dumbledore is not the enemy, Harry," Remus jumped in, sitting beside Jamie. "However, he believes this is what is best for you, and he also…well he has ideas of involving both you and Jamie in things that may be, upsetting or dangerous at times. Jamie is protected, and will be even more so shortly, as an independent adult. You however, you could be manipulated with even the best of intentions."
"Let me understand this right—if the two of you take over as my legal guardians, I don't have to live here anymore and you both would help make sure I'm safe and no one is taking advantage of me," Harry said slowly, feeling a thrill of excitement inside of him.
"Precisely," Remus nodded.
"Harry, like we said, there are things happening that we still need to explain, but our intent of this is to give you a layer of protection so you also are able to live your life as a teenager and have a little less to worry about," Jamie squeezed his hand. "All I want is for you to be safe."
"I'll do it, whatever needs to be done, I'll do it right now," Harry sat up eagerly, squeezing his sister's hand back.
"It's a matter of paperwork," Kingsley said in his deep, soothing voice. From his robes he pulled out a scroll of paper. It was a guardianship contract, and once their names were filled into the appropriate places, it insured Remus and Jamie would be responsible for the decision making of his wellbeing until he turned seventeen.
"Harry, Jamie, Remus, you would just need to sign your names here and then we would prick your fingers…and you would press here to making it legally binding, as will my signature as a Ministry Official."
It all seemed anticlimactic, yet he was ecstatic beyond words. A quick signature and a pinprick of his finger and he felt his throat tighten and eyes sting as Kingsley pronounced Jamie and Remus as Harry's legal guardians. The scroll disappeared with a pop, magically filing itself in the proper department at the Ministry.
It was a blur of movement as Jamie clasped his hand tightly in hers, Remus patting him on the shoulder, and everyone shrunk and gathered up Harry's school things. Jamie placed a letter on Aunt Petunia's kitchen counter, explaining Harry would never be returning to their home again.
The woman with the pink hair released Hedwig and instructed her to fly to their next location.
"But where exactly are we going," Harry asked as they led him outside.
"You haven't been there before, not yet," Kingsley said. "Bill, you take point."
The rescue team was pulling out broomsticks, Jamie handing Harry's his. She sent him a reassuring smile.
"Everything is about to be so, so good, don't worry Harry," she promised him.
"But—"
"We can't tell you where it is, we can only take you there," Kingsley told him as he moved toward the front of the formation, squeezing his daughters' brother's shoulder affectionately.
"Don't worry, we'll explain everything when we get back to headquarters," the pink haired woman, who they were calling Tonks, told him as Jamie nodded, securing her hair into a headband to keep her bangs from her face.
"Stay in formation everyone, remember, the faster we get there the better," Kingsley called out to them as they prepared to take off. They took off, barreling through the night sky and speeding into Muggle London, dodging buses and metros, careening between narrow alleyways.
It seemed like only seconds until they were standing on a narrow street in a dingy neighborhood, staring at a line of brick homes. As they watched, the houses seemed be moving, a new house sprouting up between homes 11 and 13.
"I know it's not much to look at now, but it will be home, Harry," Jamie assured him as they led him up the steps of the front porch and inside.
"Harry, dear, so happy to have you here!" Guin and Molly were waiting for them, Xolia coming down the hallway as well. There were hugs all around as Molly and Guin squeezed the life from him.
"There he is!" Sirius appeared behind Xolia, a beaming smile on his face as he held out his arms for his godfather.
"This is Sirius' home, Harry," Jamie told her brother. "You'll be staying here when you aren't at school, Remus lives here as well."
"Brilliant, just brilliant," Harry mumbled as he hugged his godfather tightly, no one mentioning the tears streaking down his face.
It was very late; Harry was given a snack and a cup of hot chocolate before Molly and Guin sent him up to bed. They had readied a room for him while the others were off collecting him, planning out renovations and cleaning of the home for the rest of the summer. Jamie had owled Severus earlier in the evening to let him know she would likely be returning tomorrow evening and she would explain later.
Bill and Charlie left for home, as did Tonks and Xolia, while everyone else seemed to be holding their breath, waiting for Dumbledore to leap through the floo and rip them a new one.
"Are you sure you don't want to just stay here with us?" Guin asked Jamie as they cuddled together on a sofa in the parlor. Kingsley would be busy away between his regular work as an Auror and his missions for The Order, so Guin was coming to stay with Molly and the younger kids at Grimmauld Place for the summer, renovating it and helping Sirius out.
"I'll be in and out almost daily, I'm sure," Jamie yawned. "But I don't want to leave Severus, it's been good for him having someone to take care of things and fatten him up, and I hate to admit it—I'm learning a lot."
"Of course, dear, and Remus and the rest of us will look out for Harry when you aren't around," Guin squeezed her. Sirius and Remus were fast asleep on the other couch, and Arthur and Kingsley had propped themselves up in armchairs. Molly had gone home to the rest of the cousins.
Somewhere in the meantime of waiting for Dumbledore to show up madder than all get out, they had all fallen asleep.
It was a great whoosh and a thump that startled Jamie awake. Sunlight was filtering through the dusty curtains and grimy windows, but she could clearly see Dumbledore glaring down at her, spitting mad, as he dropped the Daily Prophet down loudly on the coffee table.
"Anything you want to explain, Miss Shacklebolt," his voice was disturbingly calm. Jamie sat up as the others awoke. She opened the paper where the main headlines boasted Jamie and Remus as Harry's new legal guardians. Photos of Jamie and Harry during the tournament and an old grainy photo of Remus ran alongside it.
"I have nothing to explain or apologize for, sir," she said, closing the newspaper. "I stand by my decision. I respect your opinion sir, I truly do, but I think this is the best interest for everyone."
"There are things you do not understand," Dumbledore ground out.
"I'm sure there are," Jamie nodded, surprisingly calm and collected. "I understand your frustration. I'm asking you to trust me, just as I have mostly trusted you. We can work together for the common good, as long as you respect my terms regarding Harry and myself."
"Show me your terms," Dumbledore sighed. She pulled out the contract they had worked on and he read it over. She could see the wheels turning in his head.
"If I agree to this, you'll help The Order?"
"If you agree to this, I'll be your damn poster girl for The Order, I'll hang the signs and banners myself," Jamie assured him.
"Good, because your first big public appearance starts today," Dumbledore signed her contract with a flourish. "I hope you brought another dress."