I own nothing. J.K.R Owns everything :(
Chapter 24: The Greetings
10th, August, 1998...
Upon everyone's arrival at Hogwarts, Minerva was sitting at her desk waiting.
"Is that everyone?" she asked when Ginny came through with Amber, the other witch not having much experience with Floo before.
"Yes that's it." Ginny nodded after doing a quick head count.
"Ah! Hello everyone." the portrait of Albus Dumbledore said cheerfully. "Welcome back to the returnees."
"Hello Professor." James grinned. "Long time, no see."
"Indeed. I have missed you all terribly." Dumbledore said, "Even you Mr Black." he said looking at Regulus who flushed. "Though I am curious to who this young woman with you is." he admitted looking at Amber.
"Oh sorry. This is Amber Dursley, she's Dudley's wife, and this is their daughter Cecelia." Harry introduced them.
"Harry remember I told you? We got married under Amber's name." Dudley said. "It's Dudley Moon now." he told Dumbledore.
"I thought the 'Moon' line had died out." said a voice from across the room.
"Hello Unce Sev." Draco smirked.
Severus Snape was casually leaning against the frame of his portrait, "Good evening." he greeted. "Now what was this about the 'Moon' family not being completely dead?"
Remus explained about Amber and hesitantly about his birth parent's.
"Well... You learn something new everyday." said Phineas Nigellus Black from across the room. "I must admit it is nice to see my two Great-Great-Grandson's alive and well again." Sirius and Regulus nodded politely to him.
"Well I'd imagine you are all learning something." Dumbelore smiled, "Showing them your memories Harry?"
"How did... wait, never mind. You knew they had returned and you know I have borrowed the Pensive." Harry smiled.
"What happened to you Potter? You look different. So do a few of you come to think about it." Snape said looking at them all suspiciously.
"I told you about them being Lycan's, Severus." Minerva sighed.
"It was part of the change." Harry explained, "After being a wolf for the first time there was a few changes. Can you spot the obvious ones?" he grinned.
"I'm not 5 years old Potter." he snapped back.
"Be nice Severus." Regulus told him, "What's he ever done to you? We've all seen the memories and you acted horribly to Harry and the rest of Gryffindor. Why?"
"We understand the being horrible to Gryfindor's bit but you were especially horrible to Harry and Neville." Dora added shifting Teddy's weight to her other hip.
"Why should I answer you?" he challenged. Before anyone could answer he left his portrait.
Minerva frowned, "He's been doing that alot lately." she said.
"It will be because the Marauders are back. And especially Lily." James sighed. Harry looked at him shocked. "Oh I knew he loved her."
"I knew it too." Lily nodded, "That's why I never forgave him. I knew we couldn't just be friends if he loved me and I didn't feel the same."
"Oh good. It won't come as a shock when I find out in the memories then." Harry chuckled.
There was a knock on the door.
"Who is it?" Minerva called.
"It's Pomona Sprout and Fillius Flitwick." came the reply from a feminine voice, obviously Sprout.
Minerva went to the door and stepped out to explain. The three walked in after a moment.
Flitwick and Sprout were greeted with many 'It's nice to see you's.' and 'We missed you so much, welcome back.' messages exchanged.
"I must admit, it was a shock when we saw the papers this evening." Flitwick admitted.
"It would shock anyone." Kingsley agreed, "I wasn't told immediately so you can imagine my shock when Harry told me what happened."
"It was even more of a shock for us." Petunia said quietly, when Sprout asked who she was, she quickly introduced herself, Dudley, Amber and Cecelia.
"If you aren't magical how can you see the castle?" inquired a portrait of a powerful looking witch. "I know for a fact you and Mr Moon are muggles." she explained.
"Latent magic." Ginny told her, "They were Werewolves and the attack brought Dudley and Petunia's magic out. Amber has always been a witch, she was home-schooled."
"Ah! Excellent!" Dumbledore clapped his hands, "Not that you were bitten of course. I imagine your here to transform?" he asked.
"They are. Me and Ginny changed a few people already." Harry explained. "Want to see?" he asked. Dumbledore nodded looking interested so Harry changed into Shadow.
"As you can see Professor, there is a few differences between Lycan's and werewolves." Ginny smiled while scratching Shadow's ear.
"Indeed." Dumbledore looked shocked.
"Shadow, I think you broke him." Ron chuckled. "No one has ever seen Professor Dumbledore this shocked before."
"Where did that beast come from?" Snape had returned to his portrait.
"That 'Beast' is my son." Lily frowned, "I'd thank you to be nicer to him."
"Sorry." he muttered, "I didn't know he could do that did I? I suppose it's part of being a 'Lycan'?"
Shadow nodded with a soft 'whuff'. The wolf walked over and sat next to Lily, staring up at the portrait.
Snape ignored him and looked at Minerva, "I returned to tell you the elf-lets have run away from their mother and are currently messing up a classroom in the dungeon's."
"Winky's three?" Hermione asked. Snape nodded. "Dose she know?"
"She does not."
"Winky!" Minerva called, the house-elf appeared with a 'CRACK', "Your children have escaped again. They're in a classroom in the dungeons according to Severus."
"Oh no. Winky is sorry miss. Winky will fetch them." WInky disappeared again with a loud 'CRACK'.
"Those elf-lets are always escaping." Dumbledore chuckled.
"It's only the second time this week." Flitwick pointed out, "They'll get better at doing what they're told."
"They are still young." Sprout agreed.
"I don't know... Look at James and Sirius. They didn't listen when they were younger and they still don't listen without being hexed." Lily commented.
"We do listen!" the two protested.
"Only when you want to." Remus muttered making most people laugh and those who didn't laugh, lips twitched slightly. Shadow, unable to do either, let out a small howl in amusement.
"No. We listen most of the time." Sirius pouted.
"And we don't always need to be hexed." James huffed.
"Give us an example of one time you listened." Minerva challenged, "Without bending or stretching the rules and without being hexed." she added.
Sirius and James looked at each other.
"There was the time... No that was stretching rules..."
"There was the time when I was told to stay put in the 'Horrible House of Hell'." Sirius said. He looked at Dumbledore with resentment. "I managed that for a while..."
"Sirius I am sorry about that." Dumbledore sighed, "I thought it was for your own safety."
"Safety?! Safety my a***! You knew I hated being locked up like a prisoner. Especially in that bloody house!" he shouted. Shadow walked over to him and changed back into Harry.
"He's right Professor. I did tell you on the night of his death that people don't like being in the dark or locked away. You did it to me that summer and all of that year and I hated it."
Dumbledore hung his head in shame, "I know you did. Both of you. I made a mistake and there was nothing I could do to change that. I am sorry."
"Sorry didn't bring me back to life." Sirius sighed, "I think it might take a while for me to totally forgive you Professor Dumbledore."
Dumbledore nodded, "I understand. But please, everyone, I believe you are all old enough to call me by my first name. Even those who are returning to school in September." he smiled.
"You told him then?" Draco asked Minerva.
She nodded, "As well as about you and Astoria and Bill and Fleur's news. I hope you don't mind."
"Not at all." Bill smiled.
"Congratulations by the way." Albus beamed. "It's always nice to know when my old student's start their own families."
"Thank you Prof - Albus." Astoria blushed, correcting herself after a moment.
"Minerva, here's the reports you wanted, we must be off." Flitwick smiled, he and Sprout said their goodbyes and left.
"Do you know about what me and Ginny plan to do?" Harry asked Albus.
The old wizard looked confused.
"He doesnt. I never told him because I wasn't exactly sure what happened." Minerva explained.
Ginny quickly explained to Albus about the twins and about how she and Harry were going to adopt them.
"Tom had kids?" he asked looking shocked after she had explained, Cissy explained about Voldemort's habit of raping women. "That's horrible." he winced, "I had no idea he was doing that. Did you Severus?"
"Not at all." Snape frowned, "How did you know Narcissa?"
"Draco told me." she replied.
"Draco?"
"I was told by my Father." Draco said. "And a few of the higher up Death Eaters when a girl a year or two younger than me from Durmstrang disappeared." he explained.
"And that was around the time I discovered that potion Lucius had used on you." Cissy commented.
"What potion?" Snape asked.
"Loyalty. It was mixed with a weak love potion." Draco admitted. "Keyed to Pansy Parkinson." he shuddered.
"If I were alive I'd kill your father." Snape scowled. "That could have been dangerous. It would have killed you eventually. Those two potions should never mix because they can poison the body and kill the nerves before killing the person."
"Which is exactly why I dealt with it myself. You remember the month Lucius couldn't attend meeting's because he was 'sick'?" Cissy asked, Snape nodded hesitantly. "No one knew it was because he couldn't walk through a potion that made one's muscles cease up for a certain length of time."
"Ah. Good way to get revenge." Snape nodded.
"No permanent damage done but still painful for the victim." Cissy smirked.
"So that's what happened!" Draco exclaimed.
"Apparently." Astoria shrugged.
"How come you weren't caught giving him the potion?" Harry asked.
"Oh that's an easy one. The house-elves done it for me. I got them to slip the potion into his evening drink. He was ill by the next morning." Cissy explained. "Serves him right for using a potion on my son."
"He wasn't as bad as our father though. Right?" Sirius asked pointing at Regulus then himself.
"That I can't answer, because I don't know. But I don't think so. Draco? Come here a minute." Draco went to his mother's side slowly.
"Yes Mother?"
Cissy whispered something to him. When she stopped whispering Draco frowned in concentration before a horrified look crossed his face.
He nodded quickly, "Yes he did, only once and not as bad as those two had it, especially not as bad as Sirius." he said, confusing many in the room as Andy, Regulus and Sirius looked ready to kill.
"Kingsley. I think we have some more to add to Lucius's file." Cissy growled. "But later."
"Of course." he agreed, he still looked confused.
"I'll explain later." Draco sighed, "It's almost moonrise by the way." he added looking at his watch that read 7.45.
"Right. We should go warn Hagrid we will be in the forest." Harry said.
"He's in the Hospital Wing." Minerva said looking at a note on her desk, "He got a few deep scratches from an animal he was trying to help. He told Poppy it was a Bowtruckle according to this note."
"Ouch. That's got to hurt." James winced.
"He know's about your return as well." she added gesturing the note, "Poppy mentioned he asked."
"Odd. Hagrid doesn't usually get hurt off the creatures he handles." Hermione frowned.
"He was either ambushed by Bowtruckles or he's hiding something." Harry chuckled, "It could have been Grawp and Hagrid just doesn't want to get him in trouble."
"True." Ron agreed.
"Who's Grawp?" Lily asked curiously.
"Hagrid's little brother, well, half-brother." Hermione explained.
"There's nothing little about him though. Grawp's 16 foot tall." Ron chuckled.
Sirius, Regulus, James and Lily gasped.
"He's a full-blooded giant?" Sirius asked.
"There's nothing wrong with Grawp." Remus told him, "But yes, he is a full giant."
"He's a bit of a runt though. You can't tell unless he's next to another giant but he really is small for a giant." Harry added. "And he speaks a bit of english now."
"Hagrid taught him." Hermione nodded. "We helped a little."
"So there's an actual giant here?" Regulus asked.
"Hagrid's set up a home on the edge of the forest for him." Minerva said nodding, "I allowed it as long as Grawp isn't left alone at any time."
"What about when Hagrid's in the castle? Or teaching?" Lily asked.
Minerva shrugged, "Grawp's in the forest most of the day hunting, until after dinner time. When he's not he's helping Hagrid with the ground's."
"Which is an improvement over pulling the trees in the forest down. Or digging holes." Albus chuckled.
"The only thing about Grawp is that he doesn't know his own strength. Like Hagrid." Draco smiled, "Hagrid can forget his own strength, so can Grawp."
"Problem is if Hagrid does it you get a bruise or maybe a cracked rib but if it's Grawp..."
"It's worse." Ginny finished for Harry. He nodded in thanks.
"You have to be firm with him. We'll probably meet him tomorrow." Harry said, he noticed Petunia and Dudley looked pale, "What's wrong?"
"Giant's are real?" Dudley asked hesitantly.
"Most Muggle fairytale creatures are real." Lily smiled, "Remember the diagram I had on my wall when I was 14 Tuney? It was..."
"How to recognise a V-vampire I think." she replied. "I know you had one of how to recognise something, I forgot what."
"Your right. It was how to recognise a Vampire." Lily grinned, "I was doing a project for DADA over Christmas of our fourth year." she explained to James who had looked curious. "Tuney don't you remember half the stuff that I had in my room?"
Petunia frowned, "Not really, I was hardly ever in your room after you started coming here. It was only when Mum told me to come get you." she sighed.
"Aunt Petunia? You would have seen a few thing's in my room if you had been in there to look at book's." Harry pointed out. "When you were looking up Werewolves." he added for the other's benefit.
"Only things like vampires and fairies." she admitted. "Not giant's."
"Giant's would have been in a different book." Remus said, "Or near the back of the book depending on which one it was."
"It was Dark Creatures Revealed." Dudley told them.
"That's an advanced book, giant's would have been in the back." Hermione nodded.
"Giant's are hardly even in the book's on dark creatures, they come under dangerous but not dark because they can't use magic themselves." Lily added.
"There's a few that are just on giant's though." Luna smiled, "Newt Scamander wrote one I think."
"He did. It was quite interesting." Remus grinned, "That man is never prejudice if he can help it. He done one just on werewolves and he seemed friendly enough."
"Good. The world needs more people like that." Dora chuckled. "Less git's and more 'You may be classed as dark, but I like you anyway' people." this comment made everyone laugh or smile.
"Too true. I tried to have a few laws and stereotypes removed." Albus explained, "I managed a few of the werewolf stereotypes for a few people but not much else."
"I'm just glad you got the Order to see sense." Remus grimaced, "If they hadn't I probably would have been killed or seriously injured."
"Most of the Order was at school with us though." Sirius pointed out, "They knew you weren't dangerous except on full moon's."
Dora nodded, "Not even then with Wolfsbane." she shifted Teddy again as he woke up and started squirming.
"Uh oh." Harry said noticing this. "He's gonna scream." As soon as he said this, Teddy done exactly that.
Andy went straight to Teddy and took him off Dora, who immediately covered her ears like most of the room and portraits already had, the Lycan's were almost crippled with the noise due to their excellent hearing.
"Harry! Little help please!" Andy shouted over the screaming boy in her arms. Harry went over when James nudged him, having not heard Andy, and touched Teddy's head gently. Amazingly the boy went quiet immediately and reached for Harry who took him.
"What was that all about?" Remus asked, rubbing his ears.
"He always does it on full moon night's." Draco said, wincing. "Usually Harry is the only one who can get him to calm down if he's just woken up, though sometimes he just screams more if Harry's near him and Aunt Andy has to calm him down then."
"We don't actually know why." Harry commented letting Teddy suck on his hand. "He just goes quiet when I touch his head." he shrugged then chuckled slightly, "I swear this kid screams louder everyday." Teddy was squirming again so Harry put him down and he crawled over to Remus and curled up at his father's feet. "And probably he won't talk at all tonight so don't get worried." he added to Dora, she would be with him after all.
"And he won't sleep either." Ginny added. "We've had him a few times on full moon's. He refuses to sleep until dawn then he sleeps for about three hours and act's like nothing happened." she explained.
"It's odd, it's like he's sleeps all night when he's really only had a few hour's." Hermione chuckled, "We have never figured out how he does it and he's too young to tell us."
"En'gy." a little voice said.
Harry looked at his godson in shock, "That's the first time he's spoke or made any noise except screaming on full moons. At least you have an answer Hermione. Energy is how he does it." Hermione nodded.
"Unca Har? Hun'gy."
"I'll get it." Minerva said, "Bobo!" she called. A male house elf appeared with a quiet 'Pop'.
"Yes Mistress Kitty?" he squeaked.
"Can you get something for young Teddy to eat please?" she asked smiling.
"What kind of thing?" the elf asked.
"Mashed bananas and a bottle of chocolate milk will keep him happy." Andy smiled.
The elf nodded and disappeared with the same 'Pop' as when he had arrived.
"Banana's and chocolate milk?" Dora asked looking amused.
"It's all he'll eat." Hermione told her.
"Another full moon thing?" Remus guessed.
"He usually doesn't eat at all. Kind of like what I was like, but I slept all night." Bill chuckled. "Basically it's what it was like for me but with a few additions."
Remus and Dora nodded as Bobo appeared with a tray of the requested food and handed it to Andy before disappearing again.
Andy put the tray on the floor and Teddy crawled over to it and started picking up bit's of mashed banana and eating it happily.
"I have a feeling someone will need a bath tonight." Ron commented as Teddy dropped banana down his front and some chocolate milk when he took a drink.
"Oh well. We can only wipe him clean tonight." Harry sighed, "He's terrified of water..."
"On full moons?" Dora guessed, Harry nodded smirking.
"Kind of like a wolf. Wolves don't like water either." Remus chuckled, "Well... Werewolves don't." he sighed, "And Teddy is part werewolf. Whether I like it or not."
"Oh shut it you. It doesn't change who he is, just a few things about him like being fussy around the full moon." Dora smiled, "Nothing we can't handle." she added as Teddy squashed his mashed banana in his hand.
"Remus, Teddy isn't going to be the only child that's part werewolf." Fleur pointed out gently, she placed a hand on her still flat stomach, "Our children, these two at least, will be part werewolf too. Even if Bill didn't transform, it still count's." Bill nodded in agreement.
"He wont be alone. And he's fine just the way he is." Cissy smiled, "He can make people smile with his little habits and quirks. All being part werewolf does is make him the child we all adore." everyone else was nodding in agreement.
"Beside's, normal's over-rated." Harry smirked, he had cleaned up Teddy, who had clearly had enough banana since he was just playing with it after he'd just finished drinking, with a wave of his wand and had picked him up. "Let's go see Hagrid then."
They said their goodbyes to the portraits, Kingsley and Minerva before leaving the office and heading to the hospital wing.
"Wait here." Harry told them once they got there, "I'll have to explain to Hagrid before he see's you." the all nodded and watched as he entered the hospital wing.
Five minutes later Poppy Pomfrey walked out and told them all to enter after saying hello and welcome back.
Hagrid was sitting in an enlarged, reinforced, bed. He grinned at the sight of the returnees'.
"So it was true!" he yelled happily, "Welcome back you lot. I woul' hug ya but Poppy's not letting me get up." he frowned.
"Hagrid you know why." Poppy said popping her head out of her office.
"Don't mean I like it." he muttered back.
"So what happened to you Hagrid?" Lily asked.
"Nothin', jus' a few scratche's on my back. It was a big group of Bowtruckle's ma brother upset by acciden'. He knocked their nest down when he was in the fores' by acciden'." he replied, "D'ya know abou' Grawp?" he asked suddenly.
"We told them before we came down." Harry smiled, "Oh yeah. D'you remember my cousin Dudley and Aunt Petunia?" Hagrid nodded, "This is them. This is Amber, Dudley's wife and their daughter Cecelia."
"Hello Hagrid." Dudley said hesitantly.
"Dursley." Hagrid nodded to him and Petunia but gave Amber and Cecelia a smile.
"It's Moon now actually." Amber smiled, "We got married under my name."
Dudley quickly explained what had happened with his father and how he had changed.
"What time is it?" Ginny asked suddenly.
"Um... 8.30." Harry gulped, "The Lycan's have to go, we need to get into the forest before moonrise." he told Hagrid, "We'll be back in the morning. Have a good night everyone."
Goodbyes were exchanged and all the Lycan's left leaving the hospital wing looking empty.
"I hope they're alright." Lily commented, she looked worried.
"They'll be fine. Remus has been a wolf for longer than them all, sure a different kind of wolf but he know's what he's doing." James soothed her.
"Besides we'll know if something goes wrong. I'll hear them unless their more than a mile out." Sirius said. "They wouldn't do that. Moony knows it's dangerous so they'll probably stay closer to the edge but not enough that the could be stumbled upon accidentally."
"Even if they were stumbled on or had a run in with a human, they're not dangerous to humans according to Death." Molly smiled. "I think Harry only suggested the forest because he want's to make sure Death was telling the truth."
"That and the hunting possibilities." Arthur chuckled, "Death said they'd want to hunt." he shrugged.
"Unca Hag'gy." Teddy smiled.
"'Ello little one." Hagrid smiled, "'Ave you started naming people now?"
"He started doing it the day we returned." Dora grinned.
"Yeh I remember he could on'y name Harry, Andy, Cissy and Draco." Hagrid nodded as Dora put Teddy on the bed beside him. The little boy decided Hagrid was good to climb on and started crawling all over him. "Oi! That tickles." he laughed.
Andy picked Teddy up again, "Teddy are you sleepy?" she asked.
"En'gy." he replied bouncing in her arms.
"That's a no then. Oh well, worth a shot." she shrugged giving him his wolf that had been in her overnight bag. "Here drink this for Grandma." she held a little vial full of a pale blue potion and he drank obediently. A minute later he slumped in her arm's, fast asleep. "Mild sleeping potion." she explained, "I think it's for the best. It will keep him asleep until sunrise, won't harm him at all and allows us to get a sleep." she told her daughter who nodded, smiling slightly.
The group sat and talked to Hagrid for a while until a house-elf showed them to their room's for the night.
As each person was going to sleep, each would swear they heard wolves howling in the distance.