Disclaimer: A really short chapter. I am not fully happy with how it came out but I didn't want to wait any longer since I want to get into how there lives change and the rest of the story so its just a short reaction chapter.
Harry wasn't stupid. She knew her friends would not be overly supportive of the strange course her life was taking. Sure, maybe they could accept her taking in Sirius. But to take in the Lestrange's as well, was not going to go over well. She knew that, but she still really wanted their support. After everything they had been through together, she did not want to lose her friends over her decision. But there was a reason she did not bring it up before she agreed. She knew they wouldn't support her.
"You wanted a meeting deary," Molly asked as Harry arrived at the Weasley's home.
Harry nodded, "um, yeah, I wanted to talk to you all about something," Harry admitted. "So, I know I haven't been around a lot these last few weeks, but I wanted to discuss something with everyone."
"Alright," Hermione said.
Harry explained the program where they de-aged people and since it was not being heavily publicized, it seemed they had not known much about it. It also was apparent there was a lot of anger over it. That anger just got worse and worse when Harry explained what she had done.
Harry went home exhausted, the yelling and fighting taking a lot out of her. Their words echoing in her ears.
"You cannot change evil."
"You are ruining your life."
"You cannot take care of children you're a child yourself."
"It was a waste of everyone's time and letting those monsters back into society was criminal."
"Of course, Sirius was selfish enough to force you to clean up his mess."
That last part hurt. She had move past letting Sirius go. But he was not responsible for the failure of justice that was to be the death of him. Sure, he had acted rashly but he had just lost most of his friends. He had not expected the ministry to fail to give him the basic rights everyone deserved.
She went to where the children were sleeping, she had them all in one room for the moment, all resting on a large bed that fit each of them.
Bella, she was such a dark-haired angel like this. She slept with her thumb in her mouth. A childish gesture that should be completely foreign on the monster she became.
The Lestrange brothers. Even in sleep, they had a hold of each other tightly, Rudulphus holding his younger brother protectively, as if he could save him from the world. The young Rabastan sleeping happily where he was, safe in his brother's arms.
And Sirius, her Sirius, he looked so peaceful. In a way she never got to see him before. Content, young, innocent and unbroken by the world around him.
How could those children, become who they were? Were they born evil? Sirius had not thought so. Yet she had not had a good childhood. How could she change theirs enough they never became the monsters that they had once been. Could she save them?
"A second chance, they deserve to die for what they had done." Those had been Hermione's words. A part of her understood but seeing them as children, were they at fault or was the world at fault for what they made them. Could she give them a chance? Did they deserve it? It was too late to question that now because looking at them, they weren't the evil death eaters they had been. They were children and Harry truly saw them as innocent of any crimes they had committed as adults.
Perhaps her friends, when the surprise had faded would understand. A part of her doubted it. But looking at them, she knew she couldn't regret it. They were getting a second chance, if they deserved it or not. And she would do everything in her power to make sure that it wasn't a mistake. She did not think they were born evil. Some didn't survive the change so surely, that meant they had a chance.
She just really hoped that she was not making a mistake. Too much was at stake to mess this up and if they were truly, born evil, she would be at fault for rereleasing the Lestranges on the world and the havoc they would create. But no pressure.