* ~ The Eighth Year Universe Series ~ *

PART FOUR

Brave New World

Chapter 57: Family Affair

Daphne didn't say anything to Harry the following morning. She got up, dressed and readied herself for the day silently, then let him lead her through the ministry to the Auror department.

When they reached a small room at the back, Harry asked Rachel, "Is Finch in yet?"

"Yep, over by the coffee," Rachel said offhandedly.

Harry led Daphne over to the older, greying man. He smiled sympathetically at them, "I was starting to think that you wouldn't come in, and I didn't want to be the guy that had to arrest Harry Potter and his girl."

Harry shook his head, "Like I said, there were some things to sort out first, but we have all of the evidence here."

"Come in here," Finch said. He opened a door and led them into an empty office.

"Letters," Daphne said as she threw a pile on the desk, "From my father to his cousin talking about my mother's affair and how he feared for his life."

"And you have the floo transcripts," Harry added.

Finch nodded, "It will be enough to arrest them and do a Legilimency test. From there…well, if we find anything, it will go to a court case. You will have to testify, Miss Greengrass."

"I understand that," Daphne said calmly.

"Even if she did do what you think she did, she is still your mother," Finch said gently.

"As far as I'm concerned, I have no mother," Daphne said coolly, "I will testify against her. I can supply any memories you might require as well. Whatever you need, Auror."

Finch nodded, "I appreciate that; thank you, Miss Greengrass. Would you mind if I had a word with Harry alone?"

Daphne left the room wordlessly, and once she had, Finch put up a silencing charm, "Is she really that cold?"

Harry shook his head, "She's shutting herself off. It's what she does in a painful situation. She is telling the truth about testifying though, her mother made her hate her father, and now she's found out that her father loved her and her mother was a twisted bitch, so she's bitter."

Finch sighed, "It's a messed up case, but if we can prove that they killed Cygnus Greengrass…it's life in Azkaban for whoever did it and 25 years for the abettor."

"As far as Daphne's concerned, they deserve it," Harry admitted, "She has a pretty black and white view of justice, to be honest with you."

Finch shrugged, "She's a Slytherin. We're all a bit like that. You need to learn to shake it when you become an Auror though; there are a lot of grey areas whether we like it or not."

Harry hummed thoughtfully, "So what happens now?"

"Well, I'll get my partner in on this. Once we've reviewed the evidence, we'll arrest Lareina and Phineas," Finch said, "Then we will get permission to do a Legilimency test. Once that's done, we will know whether there's going to be a trial or not, so either way, things will be well and truly moving by the end of the week."

"Thanks, Finch," Harry said. He shook the man's hand, "Keep me in the loop."

"You got it, Harry."

When they left the office that day, Daphne said she was fine, then she kissed Harry and went to work. When Bill asked about her stony face, she said that she was okay. When she nearly burst into tears over a death in their curse case that afternoon, she said she was fine. When she popped over to Sadie's with bagels to try and force her friend to eat, she assured Sadie that she was okay.

But the truth of it was that she was far from okay. Despite her complicated relationships with her mother and father, she had always had a constant confidant in Astoria, and now she feared she would lose that. She had lied to her sister, and she had betrayed both her mother and her uncle. Daphne knew that would not go down well with her sister.

Despite everything else going on, it was that thought of losing Astoria forever that kept tugging at her heartstrings.

All the same, when Harry came home from work that night and asked how she was, she told him that she was fine. He knew that she wasn't, but he also knew that she would shut down if he pushed the issue, so he accepted her answer.

They made small talk over dinner and spent the evening in the living room perusing their own books; Harry read one of his Auror training textbooks, and Daphne read up on ancient Egyptian curses. Around 10 pm, Daphne asked Harry if he wanted a cuppa and, just like every night, Harry replied that a coffee would be lovely.

When Daphne had not returned from the kitchen 15 minutes later, Harry got up to go and check on her. He stepped into the kitchen and saw her sobbing over the kitchen counter.

"What's wrong?" He asked in alarm.

"I made tea instead of coffee," Daphne replied tearfully.

Harry, being Harry, was utterly baffled by why this had upset her because Hermione had hit the nail on the head a long time ago. He, like Ron, had the emotional range of a teaspoon compared to her.

"Baby, it's fine. Just pour it down the sink and start again."

"Just pour it down the sink and start again?" Daphne asked, enraged, "How can I just start again? I'll never get back what I lost. It will never be the same again."

Harry's frown deepened, "Well, it won't be because it will be coffee instead of tea."

"For Merlin's sake, Harry, I'm not talking about the fucking coffee!"

Harry scratched his head, "Daphne, I'm really not following. What are you talking about?"

"My sister," Daphne said as she flung herself into a chair, "She hates me, and she has every right to. I'm the reason our mother will rot in jail and probably her father too. But I can't just ignore the fact that they killed my father."

Harry nodded dumbly.

"But we've always been close, and this sets us apart now because she's not really my sister-"

"She's your half-sister, but she's still your sister," Harry cut in, "You've known that for a while."

"But she hasn't," Daphne exclaimed, "And now that she does, she's going to see things differently."

"Look, Daphne, she's upset right now and shocked," Harry assured her, "You know she's going to calm down."

"I don't know that actually, Harry!" Daphne exclaimed, "I really don't! I don't know what any of this will do to her, and that terrifies me! I have no remorse for my mother. She deserves everything that she gets, and Phineas deserves it too for doing her bidding like a lovesick fool, but Astoria is innocent; she doesn't deserve any of this!"

Whatever she said after that was incoherent through her crying, but Harry held her until she calmed down and stopped shaking, then he took her upstairs and put her to bed.

Knock. Knock.

"Harry! What are you doing here? Is Daphne okay?"

Harry sighed, "Can I come in?"

Astoria nodded and took a step back. Once Harry had shut the door behind himself, he replied, "Not really."

"Is this about her visit here the other day?" Astoria asked quietly.

Harry nodded, "I know you are upset, Astoria, and I don't blame you. I don't blame you for being angry either, but you know that Daphne loves you. She loves you regardless of the fact you don't share the same father and not knowing if you are ever going to speak to her again…it's killing her."

Astoria sighed, "Of course I'm going to speak to her again, Harry. I just needed some time to come to terms with everything. The truth is, the more I think about it, the more it makes sense of everything that has happened in my life. I am angry at her for keeping it from me, but I know why she did it."

"She was just trying to protect you," Harry said.

"It's all she has ever done, my whole life," Astoria admitted. She sat down on the edge of an armchair, "When the house went on fire that night, my mother panicked. It was Daphne who screamed at her and brought her back to her senses. It's thanks to her that we all got out. It was Daphne who picked me up and fixed me up every time I fell off a broom. It was Daphne who let me cry on her shoulder when my heart got broken. I could never sacrifice that relationship just because I'm angry right now."

"She didn't want to hurt you, Astoria, but she couldn't have lived with herself if she hadn't handed the evidence into the ministry. I've seen it too; she isn't delusional. Your mother really did conspire with Phineas to murder Cygnus."

"I noticed that you used names instead of titles," Astoria said quietly, "Because you don't know how to refer to them now that I know the truth-"

"I-" Harry began sheepishly.

Astoria shook her head, "It's okay because I don't know either. All I know is that Daphne is still my sister despite everything else, and she always will be. I'm sorry that she had to make you come over here for me to admit that."

Harry shook his head, "She didn't make me come round. I did it of my own accord when I saw how upset she was. You know, as much as I love your sister, I don't think I will ever understand her."

Astoria frowned and looked up, "How do you mean?"

"She told me all day that she was fine, then she had a full-blown mental breakdown over the fact she had made tea when I asked for coffee," Harry explained.

Astoria laughed, "Daphne bottles things up until the point that she can't anymore. Then everything comes spilling out, and it's always the silliest things that trigger it. You will just have to get used to it, I guess, imagine how much worse she will be when she's pregnant."

Harry grimaced, "Don't even go there. We're just adopting Teddy, so I think we'll wait a few years before we get to that point."

Astoria smiled, "You're good for her, you know? I hope things never change between you two."

"I hope so too," Harry said with a smile, "Thanks, Astoria, see you around."

"See you around, Harry."

When Daphne came downstairs the following morning, she wasn't feeling particularly talkative.

"Look, Daphne, I need to tell you something and-"

"Did you just put a shield charm up?"

"What? No!" Harry lied badly.

Daphne raised an eyebrow at him, "If you want to be a good Auror, you're going to have to learn to do that more discreetly and to lie better. What the hell do you need to tell me that requires a bloody shield charm?"

"I went to your sister's place last night."

Daphne's eyes darkened, "You meddling bastard!"

A stunning charm was shot his way, and it bounced off his shield charm.

"Hence the shield charm," Harry muttered under his breath, "She is angry at you, but she won't be forever. She just needs a little time, like I said she would."

"It wasn't your place to go over there, Harry," Daphne fumed.

"I know, but I was worried about you-"

"You're always worried about me, you and your damn hero complex!" Daphne exclaimed, "I should have listened to Hermione when she warned me about that! You need to save me all the time, don't you? Is that what drew you to me? How broken and fucked up I was? Well, I've had enough of it. I'm not a damsel in distress like Ginny bloody Weasley or Cho fucking Chang! I can deal with my problems by myself without you swooping in to save the day because you're Harry fucking chosen arsehole Potter!"

Before Harry could defend himself or fight back, she had stalked out of the room and slammed the front door shut behind her.

"I swear to Merlin, I can't do anything right!" Harry fumed when he walked into the locker room that morning.

"Trouble in paradise?" Draco joked.

Harry rolled his eyes, "Daphne's latest one is to bang on about how I fell in love with her because she was an ideal damsel in distress or some shit like that. She kept going on about the hero complex that I apparently have."

Draco snorted, "Apparently?"

"Hate to break it to you, mate, but there's no apparently about that," Neville said. He slapped on the back.

"You definitely have a hero complex," Theo agreed, "You literally jumped in front of a killing curse for Nev and Lil a couple of weeks ago."

Harry rolled his eyes.

"And you are partial to a damsel in distress," Neville added, "Saving Ginny from the basilisk then falling in love with her-"

"Years later!" Harry objected.

"Then comforting Cho over the death of her boyfriend and falling in love with her," Neville pointed out.

"Okay, so first of all, I liked Cho before that. She chose Cedric over me, then he died, which was just complicated and messy because despite what Hermione thinks, I do not have the emotional range of a teaspoon."

Draco sniggered loudly at that.

"And secondly, I never fell in love with Cho," Harry finished, "So that point was…pointless."

"Well said," Theo teased.

Harry rolled his eyes, "So I tried to help Daphne, and all I got was a heap of bloody abuse anyway. I don't know why I bother."

"What's going on with her anyway?" Draco asked, "I noticed that she'd been a bit off."

"Since she's already pissed off at me, and it's all going to come out soon anyway, I guess I can tell you," Harry reasoned, "Her mother is a murderer."

"What?"

"Her mother and her Uncle Phineas plotted to kill her father during the war. They made it look like a Death Eater attack. Really, they wanted him dead so that they could be together," Harry explained, "Daphne's mother gave her a box of stuff from her dad's study, and she found these letters he wrote to his cousin about how he was paranoid that they were going to kill him. So I decided to dig a little deeper, and I spoke to an Auror about getting access to the floo records for Greengrass house around that time. Anyway, the floo records were pretty solid proof, so it's going to court very soon."

"Fucking hell," Draco said, he sat down heavily, "I spent loads of time with them as a kid. I always liked Daphne's dad; he didn't treat me like some stupid kid like my dad did. Her mother was snooty, but so was mine, so I figured that was just normal, but for her to be a murderer…."

Theo nodded, "But I guess some people are just really good at hiding their true nature. Look at Voldemort; he had everyone fooled when he was young."

Harry sighed and nodded his agreement, "So the whole thing has messed her up, and she's fighting with Astoria about it too, which has her upset. I want to be the bigger person and ignore what she said because of everything she has going on, but-"

"Uh-uh," Theo said with a shake of his head, "Even in the heat of the moment, everything said in an argument is said because it has a semblance of truth to it. You need to talk about what she said before it becomes a big issue."

"I agree with Theo on this one," Neville said.

"Personally, I wouldn't mention it until she did, but that's just me," Draco shrugged, "Then again, if Hermione called me a Death Eater in an argument, I wouldn't be able just to drop something like that."

Harry sighed heavily, "I really hope I get an excuse to work late tonight," he admitted.

"Just piss Sumner off, and you'll be here all night!" Theo joked.

Lilly was on her lunch break when the mirror she carried around in her pocket buzzed. She looked down at it and smiled when she saw Daphne's face, "Hey."

"Oh, you're on your lunch, good," Daphne said in relief, "I really need to talk to you."

"What's up?" Lilly asked as she took another bite out of her sandwich.

"I think I might have said something really stupid and hurtful to Harry," Daphne admitted.

Lilly snorted, "What did you say?"

"I said that he had a hero complex," Daphne admitted sheepishly.

"Which he does," Lilly cut in, "This is the heroic idiot who jumped in front of a killing curse for Neville and me not that long ago."

"I know, but I also implied that he only fell in love with me because I needed fixing, and I'm pretty sure I called him Harry fucking chosen arsehole Potter," Daphne added.

Lilly sniggered, "Original, I like it. How royally did he fuck up then?"

"Pretty royally," Daphne sighed, "You know these letters that we found? The ones between my father and his cousin?"

"Uh-huh."

"He went into the ministry and asked about floo records. He got a couple of transcripts which implemented my mother and Uncle Phineas in the murder, so the Auror gave him two weeks to get the bloody evidence in," Daphne ranted, "We handed it in the other day, and now, they are both going to get arrested."

"Well," Lilly frowned, "They do deserve it."

"I know," Daphne admitted, "But that's not the worst bit. Because it's going to trial, I had to tell Astoria that her father is actually Uncle Phineas. Obviously, she didn't take the fact that I had lied to her for years very well."

Lilly's eyes widened, "Holy fuck."

Daphne nodded, "So I was upset, and Harry went to Astoria's place to talk to her on my behalf, which pissed me off because I'm not a damsel in distress! I don't need him to do my bidding for me."

"I really don't think that Harry has ever thought of you as a damsel in distress," Lilly pointed out, "You're a badass bitch, and he loves it. That's why you two can't stop shagging."

Daphne sighed, "Underneath that, I'm just human, Lil."

"I know," Lilly said.

"Do you think I was overly harsh?" Daphne asked as she bit her lip.

Lilly thought about this for a second, "I think you are projecting. That's a posh psychology word, huh?"

Daphne smiled slightly, "What do you mean?"

"You're frustrated that your sister isn't talking to you and you're angry at your mother," Lilly explained, "And you are taking that out on Harry, which is kind of fair since he did land you in the whole mess by going to the ministry like an idiot."

"Exactly! He should have consulted with me first, right?"

"He should have," Lilly agreed, "But he didn't so as hard as it is for you to do; maybe on this one occasion, just drop it and admit that you've both kind of been arseholes?"

Daphne smiled properly at that, "I love you, Lil, and I'm so glad you're home."

"I'm so glad to be home," Lilly admitted, "If you need me at all throughout all of this, just say the word, and I'll be there, okay?"

Daphne nodded.

"When is this all kicking off?" Lilly asked.

"Soon," Daphne answered, "We handed the evidence in yesterday, so as soon as they make an arrest, we'll hear about it."

"I'm sorry, Daph," Lilly said sympathetically, "This is probably the last thing you need right now with the adoption and the wedding and everything else."

Daphne cracked a genuine smile, "No, Teddy's the bright spark in all of this, actually. I'm happy he's in our life right now."

Lilly smiled too, "And is the wedding still going to be on?"

"Of course it is. I'm just a drama queen," Daphne said with a flick of her hair, "Speaking of weddings, can you come over one night this week to talk ice sculptures?"

Lilly snorted, "You pureblood, you."

"You love me," Daphne grinned.

"I do," Lilly agreed, "But right now I've got to go and deal with a green trainee Auror who failed his 'what magical plants are safe to eat' test this morning."

Daphne snorted, "Is it, Theo?"

"Surprisingly not!" Lilly answered, "See you later!"

When Harry walked in that evening, Daphne actually felt nervous.

"Hey," She said with a weak smile when he stepped into the kitchen.

"Hey," Harry replied coolly.

"I wanted to apologise for what I said this morning," Daphne began tentatively.

"You only need to apologise if it was a lie," Harry said sharply, "Was it? Or was it the truth?"

Daphne opened her mouth to reply, but before she had a chance, Harry continued, "Because honestly, Daphne, it hurt like hell to hear you say that. Is that really all that you think of me? Do you think so lowly of me? I didn't fall in love with you because you were a damsel in distress that needed fixing, and if you really think I did, then maybe we shouldn't be getting married or adopting Teddy or any of it!"

"No," Daphne cut in sharply, "I didn't mean it, Harry. I was angry, and it just…it came out. Maybe there's a part of me that wonders what drew you to me but-"

"Really?" Harry asked in disbelief, "I can't believe I actually have to tell you this, Daphne, because I thought you already knew. I can't tell you why I fell in love with you, but I can tell you when I did."

Daphne looked up at him, "When did you fall in love with me?"

"The minute we started speaking when we came back to school," Harry said, he caught her eye, "It's an old cliché, but it's true. I just knew that you were going to either make me or break me, and I wanted you enough to risk it being the latter."

Daphne didn't know what to say to that. Harry didn't often let his feelings come spilling out, and to be honest, they didn't usually fight.

"I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you when I first saw you with Teddy," Harry continued, "So there has never been a shadow of a doubt for me about whether this was what I wanted, or about whether you were what I wanted. I'm with you because I chose to be with you, and you were the first thing in my life that I got to choose. All my life, people decided what I would do, where I could stay, where I would go, what I would lose for the sake of the bloody war! But then it was all over, and everyone wanted me to be with Ginny, but I wanted to be with you then, and I've wanted to be with you every day since. My whole life, I've done what other people wanted but being with you was the first thing that I did for myself."

Daphne stared at him for a moment, then threw herself into his arms, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry for what I said, and I'm sorry that I didn't realise how much I meant to you."

"I'm sorry I don't say it often enough," Harry murmured as he held her close, "When I say that you're the love of my life, I mean it."

Daphne smiled into his chest, "Yeah?"

"Yeah," Harry said softly, "Why? Am I not yours?"

Daphne smirked mischievously at him, "Oh, I don't know…it's pretty close between you and Draco."

"You had better be joking," Harry chuckled.

Daphne grinned, "Of course I'm joking. As much as I hate to admit it, you Harry Potter, oh golden, chosen lord of greatness, are the love of my life."

Harry grinned back and pulled her into a kiss.

"Theo, why do you look like you're going to pass out?"

"I'm just nervous," Theo muttered.

"You're nervous? Why are you nervous? Should I be nervous?" Sadie asked in a panicked whisper.

"No, no, it's going to be fine," Theo assured her, "It's just a little scary, don't you think? Now we're at this point. It suddenly feels…."

"Real," Sadie replied, looking around the room at all the pregnant women, "Scarily real."

Theo nodded, but before he could say any more, a Maternity Healer stepped out of a room and called out, "Sadie Nott!"

Sadie and Theo followed her nervously into the room. She smiled warmly at them, "There's no need to look so nervous. I don't bite!"

Sadie laughed weakly, "Sorry, we're just a little nervous. This is our first baby."

"Don't worry, I will walk you through how everything works," She said, "My name is Halina, and I'm going to be the Healer looking after you throughout your whole pregnancy and during your birth. Now, after this appointment, I will come out to your home and see you there if you wish, to save you traipsing in here all the time."

Sadie nodded.

"So I just need some basic information from you two to start with," Halina continued, "What's your address?"

"11 Grimmauld Place, London."

"And do you know roughly when that house was built?" Halina asked.

Theo frowned as he thought about this, "Around 1930, I would guess?"

Halina nodded as she jotted down their answers, "Do you know if it was ever painted with lead paint?"

Theo and Sadie looked at each other in surprise.

Halina looked up at their response, "Sorry, it's a new question."

"Is that being implemented already?" Sadie asked in surprise.

Halina frowned, "Yes, it was just brought in this year. Do you already know the reasoning behind it?"

Theo smiled proudly, "Yes, it was our close friend Neville who discovered it while we were all researching our N.E.W.T potions projects."

Halina smiled too, "Was it really? Well, your friend Neville would be delighted to hear that it is changing lives. We can identify problems early, which means we can keep an eye on potential problems with the foetus. The higher-ups think that this knowledge is going to reduce birth complications and stillbirths by at least 50%."

"Wow," Sadie voiced.

Theo nodded, "And in answer to the question, we tested for lead paint and found no traces. We think it was a muggle house before we took it on."

"Perfect," Halina said, "So I need to know some things about you guys too. Were you both born in the UK?"

Sadie and Theo both nodded.

"And do you have any close relatives who weren't born here?" Halina asked.

"I don't," Theo said.

"Neither do I," Sadie added.

"Textbook answers," Halina said cheerfully, "Okay, then let me tell you how today is going to go. I need to do a whole series of tests to check that your little one is doing okay, and then you will be free to go."

The appointment went well. Sadie's blood test showed that her iron levels were still a little low, but her blood pressure was so much better. All of the other tests came up fine, and when the Healer listened to the babies heartbeat, she was happy with it.

At the end of the appointment, they left feeling much calmer.

The morning after his conversation with Daphne, Harry received an early morning floo call. He slipped out of bed and left Daphne sleeping as he took the call in the kitchen.

"Morning, Potter."

"Finch," Harry said with a sleepy nod.

"I have an update for you. Can we meet in St. James Park in 10 minutes?" Finch asked.

"Yeah, sure, where in the park?"

"On a bench by the lake," Finch replied before ending the floo call.

As Harry transfigured himself into some clothes, he couldn't help but think that the meeting place was a little cliché. There was, after all, a bridge in St. James Park nicknamed "The Bridge of Spies" because it had been alleged that spies met there. Then again, maybe it was just a meeting place for wizards that had been misinterpreted by Muggles.

He left the house quietly and apparated to the park. He walked along the lake and saw Finch sitting on a bench feeding the ducks; he shook his head in amusement and sat down next to him.

"On a bench in St. James Park feeding the ducks," Harry joked, "Could you get any more cliched for a private meeting?"

"What do you mean?" Finch asked with a frown, "St. James Park has been the meeting place of Aurors for years."

Harry chuckled to himself, well, that confirmed a suspicion, "You said you had an update?"

Finch nodded, "We arrested Lareina and Phineas last night. We asked them a few questions while they were under the influence of mild truth serum, and that interview threw up enough question marks that we were able to push through a Legilimency test."

"Doesn't that usually take 24 hours to process?" Harry questioned.

"Usually, but we took a shortcut," Finch said, "The Legilimency test proved beyond a doubt that it was them. So there are two ways that we can do this; we either do it the usual way, or we can do it through the backchannels and prosecute them without a trial."

"No," Harry said instantly, "I know that this is a different situation since we're sure that they are guilty, but my godfather Sirius Black was prosecuted without a fair trial, and he spent 12 years in Azkaban for a crime he didn't commit. If we're doing this, Finch, we're doing it right. It goes to trial, and justice comes to them the way it should, not through corrupt backchannels."

Finch nodded and smiled slightly, "You'll make a good Auror one day, Potter."

Harry turned to thank Finch, but he did a double-take when he saw Sumner sitting next to him, "What the hell! I mean, what the hell, sir?"

Sumner chuckled, "Sorry to alarm you, Potter, but it had to be done. When we saw that you had been sneaking around, handing in evidence and talking to dirty Aurors, we had to step in. It didn't look good; we had to make sure that you were doing it for the right reason."

Harry frowned, "Oh shit…Finch is a dirty Auror?"

"About as dirty as they get," Sumner said darkly.

"How did I not realise that?" Harry muttered.

"Because they hide it well," Sumner admitted, "That's why without mandatory veritaserum testing, it's almost impossible to oust them all. We train recruits how to lie, close themselves off, make decisions without emotion coming into it. So it's unsurprising that they can use those skills to our disadvantage."

Harry nodded, "True," he said.

"Finch never had any intention of arresting you if you didn't bring him that evidence. He blackmailed you into giving him what he needed," Sumner continued, "And he did use backchannels to push through that Legilimency test. You should never have taken that information into the ministry in the first place; you should have just come to us; that's what we're here for."

"Sorry," Harry said sheepishly, "But how did you even know?"

"We make it our business to know everything about our trainees, especially when it looks like they are up to no good," Sumner said with a reproving look, "I understand why you did it, and I understand why you felt you couldn't come to us. It was personal, and you were protecting your family. We can understand that."

Harry nodded numbly.

"You did the right thing, Potter, but you didn't quite do it in the right way," Sumner said, "Hence this little test."

"Did you make it St. James Park for a laugh?" Harry asked curiously, "Because of the whole Muggle suspicion that spies meet here?"

"No, it genuinely is the spot that Aurors have been meeting in since the first war with Voldemort," Sumner replied, "Maybe that's why Muggles associate it with spies. We do dress a little like them when we're in Muggle clothing."

Harry glanced over at Sumner in his black suit and nodded in agreement, "True. Sir, I understand if you aren't allowed to answer, but if you've seen the memories…which one of them killed Daphne's father?"

Sumner sighed, "Phineas did, but he was egged on by Lareina. The way it looks right now, and I really should not be telling you this, Potter, is that Lareina will get life in Azkaban for planning the whole thing and forcing her lover into it, and Phineas will get 25 years for helping her."

Harry nodded and let out a sigh, "Thank you for letting me know, sir, and I'm sorry for not coming straight to you."

"You need to understand that we all want the same thing," Sumner told him, "We didn't all become trainers because we wanted to. For some people, like Weir, it was a quieter life once they had families, but for others, like myself and Sheppard, it was hard to step down from active duty."

"Why did you do it then?" Harry asked curiously.

"We were chosen," Sumner replied, "All of us at the base were chosen to train the next generation of post-war Aurors because we have good principles. Kingsley wanted us to make you the best you could be and to instil good morals and good values into you. We all want the same thing, to end corruption within the justice department, which has to start with you guys. If we keep putting good Aurors in, we will gradually weed out the bad ones. Now I'm not saying that this is going to happen instantly, you will probably be on the job for five years before you weed every single one out, but in time, things will change."

Harry nodded thoughtfully.

"Truthfully, Potter, and don't share this with your classmates; there hasn't been a class this large and with this much promise since I graduated with the class of 1981."

Harry's head shot up at that, "That was the year my parents died."

Sumner nodded sincerely, "I had the honour of spending three years as your fathers Auror partner while we trained together. We graduated in May, and your father died in October of the same year."

Harry's eyes widened, "You were his Auror partner? And you trained with him and Sirius?"

"And Longbottom's parents," Sumner said with another nod, "They were damn good Aurors, all of them. James had the potential to be Head Auror one day. Sirius was a bit too headstrong, and he flew off the handle too easily, which would have gotten him in trouble eventually. As for Frank and Alice, the first time I saw a trainee with the potential to be as powerful as them was when I first saw their son in my class. That was the terrifying thing about the first war, the fact that Voldemort had been able to kill those three when they were as good as they were. It really took an extraordinary wizard like Dumbledore to challenge his power back then."

Harry didn't know what to say to that. On the one hand, he had so many questions, and on the other, he was stunned into silence.

"What was he like as an Auror, my Dad?" Harry asked.

"He was just like you," Sumner said quietly, "Calm when the situation required it and hot-headed when it came to defending his family. He was powerful, but he never let it get to his head. He was smart but never smug about it. Just like you, he balanced his family and his work-life in a way that I was never able to. Going through Auror training with a pregnant wife and in his last year, the most intense one, with a newborn baby….truthfully, Potter, I admired him a hell of a lot."

Harry was stunned, if he was honest, "I don't really know what to say…apart from thank you, sir. Whenever someone talks about my parents, I feel like I get to know them a little bit more. Did you know my mother too?"

"Not that well," Sumner admitted, "Lily loved James with all of her heart, and because of that, she found his chosen profession hard to deal with. She didn't exactly shun us, but socialising with us reminded her of what James did every day, and that was hard for her."

"That's why you weren't in the wedding photographs," Harry realised.

"I was there, but I was in the background," Sumner said, "And truth be told, Potter, seeing you walk into my class was very surreal. The last time I saw you was when you were christened."

"I was christened?" Harry asked in surprise.

Sumner nodded, "When you were three months old, at the little church your parents attended in Godric's Hollow. James was so proud that Lily had decided to give you his name as a middle name; he banged on about it for weeks at the training centre."

Harry smiled at that. Every story he heard helped him to feel closer to the parents that he had never known.

"So now you know," Sumner said with a note of finality, "And if you ever wonder why I seem to push you and Longbottom harder than I push the others, that's why. I know what you have the potential to be."

Harry nodded. He was stunned by this entire revelation, "Thank you, sir."

Sumner just bowed his head in a nod and walked briskly along the lake, out of sight.

Before he left the locker room that morning, Harry sent Daphne a Patronus to let her know that her Mother and Phineas had been arrested and that the trial would begin on Monday. He could fill her in on the rest of it in person that night, but he didn't want her to find out from someone else. He also let her know that he would be late home because he had an assignment he needed to complete, but that was a lie. In truth, he wanted to talk to Neville that night, but he couldn't explain that over an open floo channel.

Once he had sent the message, he grabbed Neville and asked if he could come over to Longbottom House after they finished training for the day.

"What's wrong?" Neville asked in an undertone in response.

"Nothing really," Harry replied, "There's just something I want to talk to you about."

Before he could elaborate, they were called outside for training to begin.

When training finished that night, Harry apparated with Neville back to Longbottom House. They migrated to the kitchen, as they often did when they spent time together in each other's homes.

"Coffee?"

Harry nodded, "Where's Lil?"

"She never gets home on time," Neville said with an amused smile, "Someone always gets hurt in a duel at the end of the day, and Keller tells her to go home, but she always says no."

"She's dedicated," Harry said with a smile.

"She's brilliant," Neville agreed, "So what did you want to talk about?"

"You know how I've been seeing an Auror about everything going on with Daphne's parents?" Harry asked his best friend.

Neville nodded and put a cup of coffee down in front of him, "Finch, you said he was called?"

Harry nodded, "He asked me to meet him this morning at St James Park."

"Right," Neville said.

"So I went, and he told me that they had been arrested and that there were two ways things could go down, either the usual way or through back channels," Harry said.

"So he's a dirty Auror," Neville realised.

"Yep," Harry said, "Only he wasn't, because it was actually Sumner in disguise testing me. He had found out that I had gone behind his back, and because Finch was a dirty Auror, he had to be sure that I was clean."

"Okay, so how much shit are you in?"

"None," Harry answered, "Sumner said he understood. Then he told me that the trainers had been selected. He talked about how they all wanted a less corrupt ministry and how no class had been as large or had as much promise as ours since his graduating class of 1981."

"Holy shit," Neville realised, "So he trained with my parents, your dad and Sirius?"

Harry nodded, "You think that's big, wait for the next bombshell. I always figured with my dad and Sirius being best friends, like you and me, that they must have been Auror partners, but they weren't…Sumner was my dads Auror partner."

"Well, I knew that Sirius wasn't your dads Auror partner because he was my dads Auror partner," Neville admitted.

Harry frowned, "This is all getting a tad confusing now. Why have you never told me that?"

"You never asked."

"But that's huge! I mean, how do you even know about it?" Harry asked.

"My grandmother told me in third year when Sirius was on the run," Neville replied, "She said he always had been a hothead, and that was why he had been made Auror partners with my dad. She said that my dad was the stabilising influence on him."

"I feel like my whole life was a lie."

Neville raised an eyebrow at him, "Don't you think you're being a tad melodramatic? It's not like you just found out that Snape was actually your dad."

Harry grimaced, "That is disgusting, Neville."

"But yeah, Sumner as your Dads Auror partner…that is a bombshell. Maybe that's why he's so hard on you," Neville mused.

"He did pretty much say that if he was harder on you and me, it was because he knew what our potential was," Harry said, "He also told me not to tell anyone about any of this, but he knows the rules of Auror partners, so I figure that means don't tell anyone apart from Neville."

"True," Neville mused, "So he thinks I have potential?"

"Do you want to know what he said about you?" Harry asked.

"Yes," Neville replied instantly.

"As long as you promise not to let it show when we go in tomorrow," Harry added.

"Harry, I'm the one who isn't useless at lying in this partnership," Neville reminded him.

"True," Harry admitted sheepishly, "He said that he hadn't seen anyone with the potential to be as powerful as your parents until you walked into his class."

Neville's eyes widened, "Seriously?"

"Seriously."

"What did he say about you?" Neville asked curiously.

"That I'm smart but not smug about it, powerful but that I don't let it go to my head and that he admires how I can balance my work and family life," Harry reeled off.

"So let me get this straight…." Neville said, "Harry Potter is the nice, stable family man, and I'm the badass, powerful Auror? You know what that translates to, right? I'm totally going to be the senior Auror!"

"No, because you're going to need the level-headed, calm, family man to keep you under control, or your power might get too much for you," Harry challenged.

"I bet I'll be able to level forests."

"What's the point of levelling forests if you can't stay calm in a hostage situation?"

"Well, …Uhm…okay, you make a good point," Neville admitted reluctantly.

Harry smirked, "Anyway, having lots of raw power is great, but you need the finesse to be able to harness it, and that's where I come in."

Neville scoffed, "Oh, get away! And Sumner said you weren't smug?"

Harry grinned at him and got to his feet, "I better get home, but before I go…Sumner said, 'you'll make a great Auror one day, Potter'. That totally means I'm going to be the Senior Auror Nev!"

"You're totally not Harry!"

"Totally am!" Harry called from the hallway before the front door snapped shut.

Neville just shook his head in amusement and grinned when he heard the floo roar to life.

"Honey, I'm home!"

Neville pulled Lilly into a hug, "I'm still not used to it."

"The novelty will wear off soon enough," Lilly said, "Can you cook dinner? And make sure it's not red or tomatoey?" she asked as she left the kitchen, "Cause I just had to re-attach four fingers, so I'm gonna shower!"

Neville shook his head in amusement as she disappeared upstairs. It was so good to have her home.

* ~ TBC ~ *