All characters and events that you recognise from the Harry Potter books belong to J.K Rowling, any others belong to me.
Enjoy :)
With the knowledge of a hearing on the horizon, Harry became very preoccupied over the next few days.
Mrs Weasley got them all to clean out the final bedroom after Harry learned of his hearing. He knew that she probably just wanted to take his mind off of it.
The following day, Harry's parents surprised him with a load of new clothes (which Molly went out and bought). He had never had new clothes before, a fact which earned him some sympathetic stares and his parents to become very angry. He spent the rest of the day attempting to beat Ron at Wizarding chest. Of course, he didn't succeed.
On the third day, Hermione suggested that they do some research in preparation for his hearing after noticing how troubled he was. So Hermione, Harry and (reluctantly) Ron, sat down in front of a load of books in the study. Harry recounted the story of the night.
"Okay so that definitely sounds like self Defense. I mean you were almost kissed. They can't ignore that." Hermione concluded.
"Do you know if the ministry have the power to expel Hogwarts students?" Harry asked, feeling drained after retelling the story.
"They do," Ron said, "But not without good reason. I think you actually have to be found guilty. Which is why they've set up the hearing."
Harry groaned and lay his head on the book in front of him. "Brilliant." He said sarcastically.
"Hey it'll be okay." Hermione patted his shoulder.
"The ministry have it out for me, I have a feeling that this won't be very simple."
"You're probably right." Ron admitted. Hermione rolled her eyes at him, "But no matter how much they hate you, they can't ignore their own laws."
Hermione nodded.
"Come on. Let's get out of here."
The three of them stepped out of the study, and walked downstairs.
They reached the kitchen, and Harry pushed open the door. The adults immediately stopped talking as they saw them, and Harry lifted an eyebrow.
Molly stood up and ushered them all in, where she proceeded to pile food onto their plates. Harry turned to his parents.
"What were you all talking about?"
They hesitated, not wanting to lie to their son.
"We we're talking about your hearing," James conceded after deciding to be honest.
Harry gulped down his food and nodded.
"To be honest, we're a bit concerned. We're fairly certain that they will be prejudiced against you and we've heard a rumour that you will be tried by the full Wizengamot." James continued
Ron and Hermione winced, and Harry looked confused.
Lily, noticing her son's expression, explained: "they usually hold the full wizengamot for criminal trials. Which doesn't exactly fill us with confidence."
"It's probably a bit of an intimidation tactic," Remus offered. "They can't throw you in jail for a bit of underage magic, but they can make you scared that they will."
Harry sighed.
"But, on another note. Your father and I are going back to Potter manor today. We're going to see if it's in good shape still and we intend on moving in before September. And well, I mean, if you want you can.."
"Come and live with you?" Harry interjected
"Well yeah.. but only if you want to-"
"Of course I do!"
James and Lily beamed. Molly wiped a tear away from her eye, causing her husband to snigger.
"Of course we'll have to research a load of defensive enchantments to place around it before we do move in, but that shouldn't take too long."
"We can help with that!" Hermione interjecting, beaming. Clearly thrilled at an opportunity to read and research.
James laughed. "Well, then it's settled. Lily and I will go there today and grab a load of books. We'll come back and then get to work."
With a plan laid down, Lily and James began transfiguring their appearances until they were unrecognisable. They then said their goodbyes, and Flooed into the manor.
Potter manor was a beautiful, ornate house, passed through generations of Potters for over 10 centuries. It was a traditional, red bricked mansion with roses and flowers climbing the walls. The gardens surrounding it were well kept and stunning, and the entire property was fenced in with a brick wall. There was acres and acres of land, completed with three orchards, a medium-sized lake and a small forest.
The Wiltshire home was situated in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by rolling fields and dense woods. The nearest village was miles away and no-one apart from farmers ever ventured anywhere near. The house had been empty for 15 years, since Fleamont and Euphemia Potter had been killed by Death Eaters, a week before their son and daughter-in-law had discovered her pregnancy with their first grand-child.
James had not returned to his old home since he had lost his parents, but he knew that they would be glad that he and his wife had decided to move in with their son. When Lily had announced the pregnancy, the moment was bittersweet. He knew that his parents would have loved to meet their grandchild and that they would've spoiled him or her rotten.
Lily and James exited the fireplace in a large entrance hall. The wooden floors and stairs were polished and dusted, and light streamed through the large windows.
"It's so... clean." Lily commented, awestruck. "You don't think-"
"No, I do. Definitely." James responded. "Nortin? Eleahia?"
Two little house elves came running. They both squealed and shrieked at the sight of Lily and James, and ran to hug their legs, sobbing.
James chuckled and Lily looked bewildered.
"Master! Mistress! You're alive!" Eleahia squeaked in between sobs.
"We has always kept the manor clean in the hope that Master Harry would come and live here! But we never imagined that Master James and Mistress Lily would ever come back here!" Nortin gushed.
"Well, you've both done an incredible job. And, you're in luck. We are going to move in here and so is Harry."
If James' intention was to make them stop crying, he failed miserably. They sobbed even harder, blowing their noses on their attires. Eleahia and Nortin were twins that had begun serving the Potter family about 40 years ago. They had been devastated when Fleamont and Euphemia had died, and even more so when word of James and Lily's death reached their bat-like ears.
Eventually, they calmed themselves down. "When is Mistress Lily and Masters James and Harry wanting to move in?" Eleahia squeaked.
"We need to place protective enchantments around the property first, and we also have to research them, but shortly after that." Lily explained.
"Has there been any trouble?" James asked.
"After yous both died some Death Eaters came here because they thought that Harry would be here but we used our elf magic to fight them and they left. So then we placed some protection around the house and there's been no trouble since." Eleahia beamed.
"Thank you both, so much."
"It is our pleasure" they chorused and bowed.
The house elves showed Lily and James around the house. Nothing had changed since James had last been there. When they got to the library, James and Lily summoned all the books on Defense, shrunk them, bid the two elves good day and left.
Back at Grimmauld place, Ron, Harry, Ginny, Fred, George and Hermione we're participating in an epic Exploding Snap game.
Fred and George had sound-proofed the room so that they could be as loud as they wanted. Harry couldn't remember a time where he laughed so hard . The twins were great and always knew how to cheer him up, even if they had spent his second year parading him round as Slytherin's heir. It was a mark of their hilarity that they had even managed to persuade Hermione to drop her book and join in for an "unforgettable experience."
For the first time in over a month, Harry wasn't worrying about Voldemort or his parents or his hearing, he was simply living. Doing what he should have been doing from the start: laughing and smiling and making happy memories with his favourite people.
That evening, Harry, Lily, James, Sirius, Remus, Tonks, Hermione and the Weasleys sat eating dinner in the kitchen. Harry and Ron laughed and joked, and for the first time, Lily and James saw a new side of Harry. Not the brave, daring and powerful side, no, the innocent, sweet and funny side. They looked at each other and smiled at the sight of their son being so happy.
They knew that he had been through a lot - too much. And that it probably wasn't over yet, but the sight of him laughing and living was one that they would treasure and remember forever.
After dinner, Lily and James passed Harry a wrapped up item.
"What's this?" He asked as he took it.
"This, Harry, is called a present. The general idea is that you don't know what's inside until you open it." James winked sarcastically. Lily shook her head and elbowed him in the ribs.
"Open it sweetheart."
Harry ripped off the wrapping paper to reveal a mirror.
"Its part of a 4-way mirror set." Lily explained, "you have one, your father and I share one, Sirius has one, and Remus has one. We thought it'd be a good way to keep in touch when you go back to Hogwarts without using letters."
"You mean if I go back to Hogwarts. But thank you, this is great."
"Don't worry too much, Harry. It will be fine." James said.
Harry nodded and smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. Hermione, noticing this, pulled out a large book from under the table.
"While we're here, Harry. This was a birthday present for you from myself and Ronald that was too heavy for the owls to take." She passed him the book.
"Guys you really didn't have to.."
"Oh shut up and accept it." Ron snorted.
Harry let out a soft chuckle and opened it. It was filled with photos of the three of them. Harry's face softened and he smiled. This time, it did meet his eyes.
"This is so great, thank you. When did you even take half of these?" He laughed.
"Well we got some of them from Colin Creevey before school ended." Ron explained.
"Who's Colin Creevey?" James asked, slightly bemused.
"He's this fourth year who practically worships the ground Harry walks on." Fred began
"He's obsessed. It's a bit creepy really, but he means well." George finished.
"Oh look, he did get a photo of you vomiting slugs Ron, isn't that nice?" Ginny teased, peering over Harry's shoulder.
"Wait what?! Hermione! How could you put that in there?!" Ron exclaimed.
Hermione laughed. "Sorry Ronald. Too good of an opportunity to pass up."
Everyone laughed at the disgusted look on Ron's face.
Eventually, the 9th of August arrived. The Potters, Ron and Hermione had spent the last few days researching defensive enchantments, but Harry was too scared to concentrate on the dreary afternoon before his hearing.
"Oh you know what, screw it." Hermione snapped up the book, much to the room's general astonishment. "Is there anything we can do to take your mind off it, Harry?"
Harry sighed, also closing his book. "I don't think so. It's just one of those things."
James' face lit up. "Hey, here's an idea. Let's go to Potter Manor and play quidditch!"
"That's a great idea!" Ron and Harry chorused.
"I don't know, James. Isn't it a bit risky? I mean we haven't put the enchantments up yet."
"You seem to forget how much land we own. If we go in the middle of it then no-one will be able to see us. Come on. And who would even be around to see? It's in the middle of nowhere. There is no one to see."
"Okay. Screw it. Why don't you go and get the other Weasley kids?"
"What about brooms?" Ron asked.
"I think I have a couple in a store room. Old models, but they'll work all the same." James gushed.
"Let's do it."
An hour later, after a quick tour of the manor, James, Lily, Sirius, Harry, Ron, Ginny, Hermione, the twins and Remus walked through the gardens into an open space. The Weasleys and Hermione roared with laughter when two house elves tackled Harry to the ground, sobbing with delight. After James, laughing, had asked them to help him grab the old brooms, the party walked outside.
James, Ginny, Sirius, George and Lily formed a team, while Remus, Harry, Hermione, Ron and Fred formed the other.
They played for hours, until the sun began to set in the sky. They left red-faced and in good spirits.
If only they had been more careful. Then, a spy acting on a hunch wouldn't have been presented with priceless information.
If only. Then, things might have transpired differently.
If only, then one of the Marauders may not have died.
If only.
Thank you for reading. Bit of a sweeter chapter this time, hope you liked it.
As always, leave me any thoughts or comments in the review section x