Chapter 45 – I Was Lightning

Note: Chapter Title from Imagine Dragon's song 'Thunder'

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of its characters.

Now that that's out of the way, let's begin…

Last time,

Someone in the crowd starts clapping, and then everyone does. Harry smiles.

And in that moment, Harry realises he was wrong. Because it might be rare, but every now and then, the world is kind.

Now,

Harry hears the floo activating in Potter Mansion, many times.

"Okay, we're here, what's the big surprise?" Mary asks as she, Severus, the Lupins, the kids, the Weasleys, the Polkas, the Pettigrews, Tonks, all of Harry's parents, and Phia move to stand around the living room.

Sirius turns around, holding Delphini.

"You…baby."

"Now, Remus, we're in the middle of a fight, the pet names need to take a break," Sirius tells him in a mocking tone of voice.

Remus huffs, "No, arsehole, I clearly meant baby," He says, flinging his hands in Delphini's direction.

"Asssss-hooooole," Delphini says.

Harry sighs, "My guess of five minutes was far too generous."

"Heh, erm, oops," Remus comments with a wince.

"Right, everyone, this is Delphini Riddle-Potter-Black," Harry introduces, "She's my daughter. I didn't want her to get caught up in the war, so I didn't tell anyone about her. Figured the daughter of 'The Boy Who Lived' probably wasn't a safe thing to be."

Silence is in the room until Severus nods, "You're probably right about that." Harry had warned Severus what he was going to do and, given that the last thing Lucius ever asked Severus to do what to make sure Delphini is safe, he figured this probably was the best way to do it.

"I'M AN AUNT!" Hermione squeals, running over. "Hi there sweetie, oh my gosh you are so cute. I'm Auntie Mio, oh you are the cutest," Hermione declares, taking the baby's hand and jiggling it causing Delphini to let out a giggle.

"You knew about this?" Del asks Sirius who nods.

"Yeah, I've been checking in on her to make sure she's doing okay. The house-elves have been looking out for her."

Harry takes a fortifying breath as he looks at Del, "Want to meet your Grandma?" Harry asks Delphini, "Yeah?" He prompts when she stares at him blankly.

"Yeah!" She parrots with enthusiasm. Harry takes Delphini from Sirius and walks over to Del.

Del strokes the baby's head before she takes her from Harry. "Oh, Auntie Mio's right, you are cute."

"How old is she?" Remus asks as everyone takes seats around the place or leans against walls, chairs pulled in from the dining-room.

"Eight months," Harry replies. The house-elves had made an estimate and Harry had just decided on a birthday to use based on that estimate. According to Severus, Remus had done something similar to Jamie, counting back the months and picking a number from there.

Del looks up, tears in her eyes. "I'm a Grandma," She states.

"Yes, and I have been christened 'Grandpads'," Sirius declares. Remus laughs at that. Sirius looks to Harry. "See? Told you he'd laugh."

"Uncle Remus would laugh at you for anything," Harry points out.

Sirius nods, "Yeah, it's part of why I love him." With that, Sirius goes over, taking Remus' hand. Remus seems to just melt in relief at that, the rest of the room being glad too.

Harry hesitates on the next point for a moment before clearing his throat, "I…I was thinking, I mean, well, if you wanted, how would you feel about being Delphi's God-parents?" Harry asks Molly and Arthur.

Arthur smiles, Molly's eyes filling with tears as she nods.

"We'd be honoured, dear."

"Who's her moth-" Blaise starts asking, but the rest comes out muffled when Draco's hand comes over his mouth, pretty much telling the others quite clearly that Harry isn't going to talk about that.

"Oh that's why you took forever to make this official," Pansy realises, looking between Draco and Harry. "We assumed it was Inimicus related, but it was because Dray didn't know about your kid," She says. Then nods, "Which is why you asked him to come over that time, you introduced them."

"Yes, she dribbled on me, but I'm told that's a sign of affection in infants," Draco replies. Harry snickers at him.

"Yep, that's babies," Peter agrees, then his eyes widen, "Oh, Rema and Delphi, they're only a few months apart, they'll grow up together."

Harry smiles, "Oh yeah, they will!"

Everyone talks, taking turns holding and cooing over the baby. It's when Harry sits with Delphini on the floor, sitting her in front of him, Bridget and Rema in front of them so that the two babies are sat facing each other, that Jamie moves to sit beside her Dad.

"Hey Dad?" Jamie asks. Remus looks at her questioningly with a smile. "What was Mum like?" She asks.

Those that hear look over in concern, but Remus smiles, not exactly sadly but there's a wealth of emotion in his eyes as he takes her hand. "A pain in the ass," Remus replies. Many snickers from those who knew her are heard throughout the room. "Trixie was headstrong and stubborn, but so damned caring. A lot like you." Jamie smiles, snuggling into his side. "She loves you, you know."

Jamie nods, "I know." Then she snickers, "So, Fred's been trying to teach Aunt Phia magic."

"Oh dear God, the horror!" Remus exclaims dramatically.

"Hey, I haven't set anything on fire!" Phia shoots back. Naturally this turns into yet another sibling argument that has everyone laughing at the two.

"Oh, also, I found something I thought you might like to see," Benni says when the argument dies down, walking over to the middle of the group. "The set reading list for first year, is it different for Charms than it has been before?"

"No, it's the same stuff, first year basic charms don't change much," Hermione tells her.

"Then I think I know where you knew Merek and Ayleth's names from," Benni informs them, opening her charms textbook and pointing to the title page where it says 'adapted from the ancient works of Merek and Ayleth Slytherin'.

"Huh," Ron states, "Sort of disappointed you didn't know that Hermione, I mean aren't books your thing? I mean if it was a chess move, I would've known it immediately."

Hermione throws a cushion at him, "It's a title page! Not the content of the book!"

By the end of the day, it's been decided that Del, Tom, and Sirius are going to move into Potter Mansion, their various children and Remus will as well, of course, but they still have to finish their year in Hogwarts first.

"Dannie coming back to school?" Harry asks Benni who shakes her head.

"No, she's going to come back next year, not quite ready to face it all again after everything that's happened."

"Well if she's looking for a friend during that time," Lillie tells Benni, "I'd be happy to wolf-talk with her."

Benni smiles, "That would actually be really great."

"Oh, speaking of things that would be great!" Bridget suddenly exclaims excitably, almost knocking her child over in the process. Remus and Peter let out identical sighs at that. "Well, actually two things. Number one, Del, Re tells me you're good with wands." Del nods. "How would you like a job? I'm opening up a wand section to my store."

"Yeah, definitely."

Bridget grins, "Great. Also, a few of you already know but we haven't actually made an announcement as such. But Pete and I are getting married."

"Oh, Merlin!" Pansy comments, a wide smile on her face. Many congratulations are given.

"Oh, and Dad got offered a job at the Ministry!" Hermione remembers, Sirius smiling and nodding happily.

"And we…we get to go back to school," Ron adds, earning a groan from several students.

"Hey, you've only got a year left," George reminds them.

Harry sighs, holding Delphini's hand. "A year is a long time."

"I can bring her to Hogsmeade to see you on Hogsmeade weekends?" Tom offers to Harry who smiles blindingly at him.

"Thank you, Father." Tom smiles back and nods.

"Father would have been proud of this world," Draco says. Hermione takes her brother's hand comfortingly.

"Yes, yes he would have been," Severus agrees, a moment of silence following his words.

"That reminds me," Sirius begins, looking to Draco, "I never did thank you for your help back when I first escaped."

Draco smiles, "There was no need."

"Because the only reason you did it is because you owed me?" Jamie asks, Draco rolls his eyes and throws a pillow at her.

"Yes, how did you owe her a favour of 'similar magnitude'?" Harry asks him curiously.

Jamie fidgets slightly, Draco picking at the carpet. Remus narrows his eyes at both of them.

"So I kinda knew about Uncle Lu's plans after Aunt Cissa died," Jamie admits.

"What plans?" Remus asks her.

Draco winces, "Father tried to kill a bunch of people, it's a long story."

Remus isn't quite sure how to react to that and just shakes his head. Then he looks over to Severus, "We stopped your visions, of the battle and of the duel between Sirius and Moony," Remus realises.

Severus smiles, nodding and looking relieved, "I've never been more glad to be wrong."


Harry knocks at the door of a seemingly ordinary house, Lillie by his side. There's one more thing that Harry needs to take care of before he can put all of this to rest and move on with his life.

The door opens to reveal Albus Dumbledore, looking really damned weird in Muggle Clothing.

"Harry…this is a surprise," Albus tells him.

"No it isn't," Harry replies.

Albus chuckles, "No, it isn't." He moves aside, gesturing for Harry and Lillie to come in. "How did they react when you told them who you are?"

"I made the front page, again," Harry answers, looking around the room. Harry sighs, "I had intended to kill you. The world was supposed to reject you so they wouldn't care when you died."

"Have you come to do so, then?" Albus asks him.

Harry shakes his head. "No, the others were right. The point of this was to stop pointless death, I won't add to it." He looks to Dumbledore, "Actually, I've come to save your life."

Albus looks to him in confusion, Harry nods to the arm the curse from the ring is growing on. "How do you intend to do that?" Albus asks. He'd accepted his fate when Moony died, knowing no other Werewolf who would be willing to help.

"That would be where I come in to things," Lillie explains, giving a wolfish grin. She steps forward, "May I?" Albus nods, holding out his hand. Lillie takes it, pulling on the power of the wolf within her and using the primal magic it creates. She directs it to the curse, "Heal" She whispers. Blue sparks start at Dumbledore's finger tips, moving up the hand, cleansing him of the curse as it goes before fading away.

"Thank you," He tells her, she nods and steps away. Albus looks back to Harry, "I must admit, I'm surprised you would bother to do so, all things considered."

"I don't think you're a bad person," Harry tells him, "But bad things happened because of you and that still requires action."

Albus nods, "I'm not entirely sure that I disagree with you. As I told your mother many years ago, Hogwarts has always been a place where people can get help. I do hope it will continue to be."

"They put Professor McGonagall in charge, I'm not worried," Harry replies dryly.

Albus chuckles nodding. "Why did you do it, Harry? Why go through all of this?"

Harry frowns at that. "Pansy asked me what I intended to do with my life once all this is over, and the answer was that I want to live it. You were never going to give me that option."

Once more, Albus nods. "I hope you find the life you wanted, Harry."

Harry smiles, "I already have."


After heading back to school, being shocked at the change in houses (well, Harry not so much but it was still weird), clapping and cheering so much everyone's hands hurt when Remus' re-appointment was announced, getting used to the new Transfiguration Professor who Harry has never heard of before, and finally finishing the year, the students are back on the train home.

"Well, Dumbledore's gone, year's over. So…is that just it?" Ron asks his friends.

Harry smiles as he looks out the window.

"Yeah, it's over."


24th December 2001

Sirius sits reading the paper at his kitchen island, drinking coffee. It's quiet in the house, Remus and Benni out shopping for last minute Christmas Presents.

As Sirius reads the headline for that day, he starts to wonder why it is this world can never catch a damned break.

Crazed Teenager Escapes Azkaban

Sirius looks at the picture of said teenager and his eyes widen. He may never have seen this kid before. But he knows his twin. And he knows that this is Sevrin Lupin.

"Oh, shit."


Notes:

Holy fuck. 4 years. 4 damned years, two prequels, and several side stories. And it's finally written.

Thank you so much to everyone who has read this series. Yes, there is another, though it won't take 4 years to write, I'm 100%. I have just started Uni this year though and I hear it only gets harder as time goes on, I've certainly found it difficult so far to find time to write. Never-the-less I will finish this series if it kills me and I've been planning the sequel to this story since I first started writing it in 2016.

Anyways, enough of my jabber. Just, honestly, I really hope you enjoyed it and that anyone who loved The Boy Who Never Cried Wolf wasn't too let down by this continuation.

Thank you :)