Chapter 1 - The Long Night
Dorea Annabelle Potter nee Black stood alone in her kitchen at Potter Manor waiting for water to boil for some tea, many thought said building had been destroyed this was intentional. Dorea was a true Black not trusting anyone outside her immediate family, which in this day an age had dwindled down to her son, her daughter-in-law, her neice, her neice's husband. their daughter, her nephew, and her two closest friends. It was a both a pragmatic and paranoid view, however it's only paranoia if there wasn't someone out to get you. One was an individual she considered a weapon and the other was the person indirectly controlling that weapon and pointing it at her family. She scowled one moment before it dropped into morose grief the next. Her life had been saved because of a brief bout with food poisoning, she and her husband were going on one of their week long vacations to Glasco, Charles would partake in one of his fun and quiet muggle activities namely fishing, it was a truly peaceful activity one they often done together. Usually by that evening they would pitch a tent and enjoy each others company in a more intimate fashion. However her bout of food poisoning saw her husband going by himself only to be caught flat footed by over two dozens Death Eaters. Charles though did take down all twenty Death Eaters before dying of extreme magical exhaustion. Following week afterward Dumbledore had tried to vilify Charles for his actions killing twenty men, only for herself and her voting block to shout him down for his soft stance on those terrorists. This sowed Dorea's complete distrust for the supposed 'Leader of the Light', so much so she began urging James to not put any of his trust in the man.
Barely a month later rumors of a prophecy began to surface, attacks on both the Potters and the Longbottoms had increased by Death Eaters. Dumbledore had begun to constantly urge both families to go into hidng which was basically trying to corner them. Dorea and Augusta specifically warned their son's to keeping moving use their own resources and to keep ahead of the Death Eaters also to completely ignore Dumbledore's words. For a time it worked, both families stuck and moved, attacked and killed Death Eaters when they showed up then quickly apparate out. But Lily had fallen into a second pregnancy and on August 6th she was moved to St. Mungos to give birth taking the precautions of hiding in a room under the Fidelus Charm only instead of asking her to cast it they had asked Dumbledore.
She sighed sadly her son had flooed her barely nine hours later in tears telling her that her granddaughter had been still born. This was what started a downward spiral, her child and his wife started making mistakes, nearly getting killed on numerous occasions until they had indeed cornered themselves under another Fidelus Charm with Dumbledore as the caster, so she had no idea who the secret keeper was.
She finished making her tea and pouring herself a cup when Tizzy her primary house-elf appeared before her. "Tizzy?"
"M-Master James told me to give you this in the event he and Mistress was in grave danger or dead, Lady Dorea," the elf handed a her a fold piece of parchment. She quickly snatched it and opened it.
Our Home is at number 10 Godric's Hollow, Potter Cottage.
Mum, if your reading this Lily and I are gone or incapcitated betrayed by Peter. Please quickly go to the address and get to Harry before Dumbledore can, you were right I shouldn't have trusted him. So I can't trust him to bring him to either you, Sirius, or Alice.
Love,
James and Lily
Dorea let a single sob slip before grabbed her wand cane, brought her Occulumency shields up to full. On a whim she moved into a high ceiling room checking one of the walls. Scanning the wall she found what she was looking for giving a grim smile, spun on her foot and apparated out having control of the Potter Manor wards. However she missed out some on important information by not thoroughly checking said wall. A second later she appeared on the street leading to the Cottage. Spotting two figures in the street arguing, one she easily recognized as Rubeus Hagrid not many would have such a large shadowed profile. As she walked closer she quickly recognized the second figure, her nephew, "The two of you tone it down, honestly," she scowled both jumped turning to her. "Tell me Sirius can you see the Cottage?"
"No," Sirius stated sadly.
"That means the charm is still in affect, you'd still be floundring about," she snapped. She glanced at Hagrid noticing he had a bundle in his arms. "Now where were you thinking of taking my grandson Rubeus?"
"Um, Professor Dumbledore wanted 'im, told to take 'im to Surrey," Hagrid not thinking that Dumbledore wanted keep it a possible secret had stated.
Dorea's face seemed to darkened. "Allow me to educate you in the very short list of possible guardians that are to look after Harry in the event," the middle-aged woman paused gathering her mental strength," of my son and daughter-in-law's deaths or incapcitation. First he goes to me, being his paternal grandmother it is only natural, next he goes to Alice as his sworn godmother, then Sirius as his sworn godfather, are you following Rubeus?"
"Yes, 'adam Potter," Hagrid winced he hadn't been dressed down like this since he was a child. He noted Sirius was practically at attention the entire time, Dorea was as formidable as she was beautiful, very rarely were there anyone who make you feel so small if you angered her, but on the flip side she was an absolute joy to be around when she was happy.
"Good, next on this very short list is Andromeda and Ted Tonks, Harry happens to be betrothed to their four year old daughter. Next and last is Amelia Bones, James's Auror partner and personal friend to both he and Lily. Nowhere does it say that Harry is to go his magic hating vindictive bitch aunt in blood only Petunia Dursley. If Dumbledore wants to contest this he can meet me in the Wizengamot and I'll publically slap him down even for trying," Dorea was livid glancing at Sirius handing him the note James gave her. "Come Sirius we need to pull James and Lily out of the house so they can be transported to St. Mungos for inspection and possibly burial." She reached up and plucked Harry out of Hagrid's arms. "You stay until everything is accomplished then you can happily take a message to Dumbledore for me."
Hagrid nodded watching Sirius and Dorea vanished into the Cottage, looking unsure on what to do. Dorea had to reinforce her Occulumency when she spotted James, she walked up to her son and frowned, his eyes should be wide open if he had been killed using the Killing Curse, she bent down using her nursing training which she picked up in the muggle world shortly after graduating Hogwarts checking for a pulse. It was faint but it was there, she was partially relieved. Glancing at Sirius, "he's still alive, I'll check Lily you start scanning the house I want to know how many people actually know the bloody secret."
"What do you mean Auntie?" Sirius asked.
"Use your brain Sirius, Hagrid was able to enter the house therefore he was told where the house was, Dumbledore no doubt. I want to know how secret this secret truly was," Dorea snorts.
"Uh, right," Sirius winced rubbing his forehead. "Haven't been myself all day."
"We'll get you checked out when we get to St. Mungos," Dorea ascended the stairs finding Harry's room spotting Lily on the floor, checking her pulse and finding it. Only then did she drop her Occulumency shields to their default setting. She began to visually scan the room she spotted four Rune stones placed in the four corners of the room and saw a faint outline of strange summoning circle underneath the crib. A magical guardian was summoned temporarily, Harry was the focal point preventing all three from dying from the Killing Curse. Ingenius Lily, simply ingenius, kneeling down Dorea kissed her daughter-in-law on the forehead standing up conjuring a stretcher underneath Lily and levitating her out of the room. Walking down the stairs keeping Lily level slowly moving her out into front lawn and setting her down. Sirius already had James out his eyes looking stormy. "Well, what did you find?"
"Aside from Hagrid and Voldemort, Peter and Snivilous were in the house. What was that overgrown bat doing here!?" Sirius growled.
"Not such a secret, secret," Dorea snorted in contempt. "Peter must have told him, and he followed them to the house. My bet is he would have used the Imperious on Lily to kidnap her, then potion her up so she'd never even remember James or Harry."
Sirius's scowl darkened for a moment before rubbing his face and taking a few deep breaths to calm down. "Thank Merlin that plan failed. Um, what's next?"
"Next," the thirty-nine year old woman snapped her hand out drawing her wand from her cane. "Expecto Petronum!" a corporeal patronus appeared in the shape of an Eagle swooped around and landed on her shoulder, "I need two Healer's to come to number 10 Godric's Hollow, I have two unconcious patients ready for transport to St. Mungos, please come with all haste." With a wordless signal the patronus took off.
"And now we wait," Sirius slumped to the porch looking over at his unconcious friend burying his face in his arms finally allowing himself a few tears of relief, "H-how did they survive?"
"Some obscure summoning ritual, it summoned a temporary guardian of some kind. It shielded all three of them, the ritual's focal point was underneath Harry's crib," Dorea explained gently rocking Harry's sleeping form in her arms. "Looks like Lily either discovered a new form of magic or its magic so old it was likely forgotten over time."
Sirius chortled looking up at Lily's unconcious form, "So typical Lily." This earned a small smile from Dorea, "that girl should have been a Ravenclaw."
"Oh no, I believe magic placed her in Gryffindor so she could look out for idiots like you and James," Dorea smirked.
"Oi, we're not the bad," Sirius stated with mock indignation.
"Ah, so Charles and I didn't get called to Minerva's office about the now infamous Hufflepuff Panty Raid of 76," Dorea looking down at her nephew with a raised eyebrow.
Hagrid chuckled while Sirius gave a decent blush, "right well walked into that one."
XXX
The healers arrived three minutes later with two cracks a block away both moving quickly to greet them. "Healer Walters and Healer McKinnson, where are the patients?" asked a surprisingly tall, slight man, with silver and red hair cropped close. His partner was everything his opposite a short, long blonde hair woman with the hair tied into a tight bun, with one blue eye and one grey eye.
"Lily," the woman whispered moving quickly taking her wand out scanning the proned red-head. "Magical exhaustion and something I've never seen before, what the bloody devil?"
"Later Marlene, is she stable?" Walters looked up from his own scan getting a nod. "We'll portkey them to the Recovery Spell ward aside from the Magical exhaustion and whatever mystery we've scanned nothing is truly wrong with them they should be fully recovered by tomorrow evening."
Dorea finally let the last bit of tension leave her shoulders nearly collapsing to the ground it was only Hagrid and Sirius quick action that saved her and Harry from some nasty bruises. The two men helped ease her to a bench as she fought sobs of relief before giving both men a nod in gratitude. She composed herself and rubbing tears out of her eyes, "Lily stumbled on a some kind of ritual that protected her and her family from the Killing Curse."
Marlene snorted shaking her head looking down at Lily Potter, "Sounds like Lily, right well," she pulled out leather glove muttering, "Portus," taking Lily's hand and portkey'd out. Walters did same wiht James only using a discarded stick.
"We'll meet you there," Dorea explained getting a nod from Walters before he left, she then turned to Hagrid. "I seem to recall asking you to stay to happily give a message to Albus. Now I know how to spin that message," she paused standing back up kissing Harry's forehead and shifting positions slightly. "Now remember Rubeus big smile when you tell him this, James, Lily, and Harry are perfectly fine, the idiot Dark Lord is dead, however I'm sure the old goat will ask where my son, daughter-in-law, and grandson are so tell him they will be placed under a proper Fidelius Charm and not one where the secret is handed out like a Christmas present or candy."
Hagrid winced he knew Dorea Potter had lost a lot of respect and trust for Dumbledore after her husband was killed but to hear her say such things, showed there was zero respect or trust in her now for Albus Dumbledore. "Un'erstood, M'dam Potter good evening."
Dorea watched the half giant walk off to the public floo at the end of the block between number 2 and number 3 Godric's Hollow. As soon as he was out of ear shot she turned to Sirius, "We best hurry, Albus will be on our tails the moment my little message is given."
"Right," Sirius paused. "Is it a good idea to apparate with Harry?"
"No certainly not, you apparate to St. Mungos and wait for me in the lobby. I'll ask old Batty Bagshot to use her floo. Before I get there, you contact Alastor and Amelia, no doubt the old goat is going to try to manipulate things to get you shucked off to Azkaban somehow, knowing Barty Crouch's paranoia the way I do it'll likely involve him," Dorea snorts in disgust. "However I'm going to imploy what I told you, James, and Frank to do when avoiding the Death munchers, stick and move. Dumbledore wants Harry for whatever reason and he wants Harry with Petunia. So while he is focused on me and Harry you manuver to get Alastor and Amelia to put you in a cell to await a trial."
"Why I haven't done anything to warant getting arrested?" Sirius looked confused.
"You publically degreed that you were James and Lily's secret keeper to play a decoy correct," Dorea stated seeing the realization dawning in her nephew's eyes. "See, go to Saint Mungos I'll be there shortly, if timed right Alastor and Amelia will get there at the same time. You need publically state that you want to be placed in a holding cell and be given a fair trial. This removes Crouch entirely from the picture and places things in an arena I can help you win."
Sirius gave her a look of absolute awe, "Aunt Dorea you are bloody brilliant."
Dorea smirked, "No I'm just a Slytherin through and through, cunning, guile, my allies they are."
Snorting a bit Sirius raised an eyebrow, "Yoda?'
Quirking her lips upward slightly, "Lily all but insisted that James and I go with her to watch the Empire Strikes Back that May. Now quit stalling and go," Sirius nodded and apparated, Dorea quickly moved up the street heading for number 15 Godric's Hollow knocking Batilda Bagshots door. A few minutes later the supremely elderly woman opened the door.
"Dorea Potter?" Batilda looked confused. "What are you doing here at this time of night?"
Dorea muttered the tempus charm and scowled slightly at what it said. "Bugger my arse," she whispered. "It's only been an hour, thought it was longer," she gave the older woman an apologetic smile. "Sorry for the late night intrusion Batty, my son and daughter-in-law were attacked not but an hour ago by You-Know-Who, he's dead, the dork lord is finally gone."
Batilda took a deep sigh and a huge smile blossomed on the old woman's face for a moment before looking concerned. "James, Lily, Harry?"
"All okay James and Lily were taken to St. Mungos, I have little Harry here," Dorea gestured to the bundle in her arms getting a smile, "I came to ask to use your floo, just need to time it perfectly. Albus will no doubt show up looking for me, I want him to trace my magical signature."
Batilda smirked, "You floo out and I run interference, bet he asks me where you went."
Getting a nod with a sly smirk of her own Dorea glanced out the window. "Bloody old goat is trying to kidnap Harry to send to Lily's magic hating bitchy sister."
The elderly woman sighed shaking her head, "the tricks maybe different but he's still trying to accomplish what he and Gellert set out to do."
"Then he's an even bigger idiot than I thought," Dorea grunted then she felt it. "And he finally showed up. Are we still on for tea, Friday?"
"Wouldn't miss it, and bring your daughter-in-law this time. I'd loved to update my history writings," Batilda smiled.
"Agreed," Dorea quickly grabbed some floo powder, "St. Mungos reception lobby!"
XXX
Albus Dumbledore's evening had started fairily good, thanks to monitoring wards he secretly placed on the Potter Cottage. He was happy to say that Lord Voldemort formally known as Tom Marvolo Riddle had been defeated and driven off. Now he thought his plans could begin in earnest, first was to place young Harry Potter in with his Aunt Petunia. Granted the boy had a living paternal Grandmother, but for the Greater Good he must be placed with Petunia to ensure the proper thinking.
However his world and plans would hit a major snag when Hagrid walked down the street towards him and McGongall. Dumbledore half expected Hagrid to be coming on Sirius's enchanted motorbike, instead he had just walked out of the for sale abandon house at number 8 Privet drive. While slightly unepxected but it was the contingency plan encase Sirius had been a bit obstinate. Later Dumbledore plan to have Arabella Figg take up residence in number 8 for her to keep tabs on the Dursley's to see if they were molding young Harry for the Greater Good.
Hagrid approached both he and Minerva with a surprising gleeful expression, one that did not make him feel confident. "Professor Dumbeldore, Professor McGongall," Hagrid greeted.
"Ah, Hagrid where is young Harry?" Dumbledore asked.
"Uh, 'bout that, see I went to pick up 'arry like ya wanted got into 'it of an argument with young Sirius. 'ust 'bout to convince 'im 'et me go, 'adam Potter showed," Hagrid explained the last bit caused Dumbledore use every bit of his strength to keep from reacting. Hagrid's features darkened somewhat. "She 'old me that 'ittle Ha'rry was never 'uppose to go to 'etunia."
Taking a few deep breaths Dumbledore focused his thoughts but before he could speak, "Dorea has Harry then?" Minerva spoke up sounding releaved.
"Too right, also James and Lily 're still alive, healers 'adam Potter summoned confirmed it," Hagrid sounding estatic however Dumbledore's felt a stone had taken a permnament place in his stomach.
How is Harry suppose to willingly die for the Greater Good if his parents are still alive. How was this even possible, how did that infernal woman find out where James and Lily were? His dislike for the elder Potter while hidden was great. Simply put she and her late husband never listen him to more so after Fleamont and Euphemia Potter had been murdered, they stopped trying to stun or disarm Death Eaters in the aftermath, they openly started killing or maiming them. So with a few choice pieces of information that had been carelessly left on the table after a particular intense Order of the Phoenix meeting where Charles and Dorea openly resigned from said Order. Barely a day later Charles Fleamont Potter had been found dead on the shore of a nearby stream the only grim news for Dumbledore had been that surrounding Charles had been twenty Death Eaters had been killed as well. Instead of seeing the error of her ways Dorea cast a Fidelius Charm on Potter Manor made someone Dumbledore didn't know the Secret Keeper, then she retaliated with a vengence obliterating the entire Rookwood family and their manor in fiendfyre as sign of her displeasure. Since then Voldemort had avoided her like the plague, also since then the Potters and their family allies, the Longbottoms, Bones, Greengrasses, and Tonks, had become increasingly more obstinate and vocal.
Dumbledore shook his head mentally as Hagrid spoke up. "Dorea had James and Lily sent to St. Mungos, she asked me to 'ell you this Professor Dumbledore seemed to take great delight innit I might add. 'I'm to place them under a proper Fidelius Charm, where the secret actually stays a secret.' She also asked me to be cheerful about it."
Minerva snorted, "everyone believed James got his ability to pull pranks from his father, Dorea was ten times the prankster at Hogwarts."
"I don't find this remotely entertaining," Dumbledore stated softly.
"Well when I 'eft she had Harry in her arms talkin' to Sirius," Hargid provided.
Dumbledore moved to head to a shadow to apparate, "Albus what are you doing?" Minerva asked.
"To talk to Dorea, try to convince her that Harry should be brought here, to be truly safe," Dumbledore stated.
"You have a better chance teaching Dragons to tango, Albus," Minerva replied. "She stopped trusting you five years ago and she's openly defied you since. All your going to get chasing her is magical exhaustion and a dressing down when you finally catch her."
"I will do what I must," Dumbledore explained before apparating out.
"Thinkin' she going to give him the run 'round?" Hagrid asked.
"Hagrid, she and Charles used the technique on Death Eaters to great affect, apparate, floo, portkey, using bare minimum of their magic as possible while allowing her opponents to waste their magic firing spells at her just so she can turn around and take them out with bare minimum effort. It was the same thing she had James, Lily, Alice, and Frank doing before Rose's death," Minerva's eyes softened sadly thinking how Lily must of felt.
"Be seein' ya back at Hogwarts then, Professor," Hagrid said his voice a bit choked up.
"Hagrid," McGongall replied moving back to the empty home, locking it gathering up the floo powder pot. "Hogwarts, Transfiguration office!"
XXX
Author's Note: This is mostly a fic dedicated to trashing the Prophecy, bashing Dumbledore, giving Harry a much needed family and allies way before he hits Hogwarts. In so doing Voldemort is not the main antagonist, in this story heck Dumbledore isn't even an antagonist he's just a barrier that will get moved aside down the road. Haven't really thought if there will be any antagonist. Safe to say Voldemort is already dead and his horcruxes already nullified, in fact timeline wise he was dead before the events in the fic start. Now there will be a very minor fusion from an anime in this mostly a plot point to move things on the anime in question will be left up in the air. It's a Honks fic, which is why I deaged Tonks by three years putting her at age four instead of seven. Also I know that Fleamont and Euphamia Potter are James's parents with Charlus and Dorea being his grandparents but like many I simply flipped it because my fic and the idea that Dorea Potter nee Black was Harry's grandmother just has more appeal than being his great grandmother, nothing really changes she's still family. Also the age timeline should be spelt out more, I'm going on assumptions that like James and Lily , Charles (Yes, change the spelling on purpose) and Dorea married young right out of Hogwarts and had James young, had him at eighteen. Lily and James have Harry young my best estimate they graduated in 1978, James doing Auror training and Lily going for her Mastery's in Charms and Potions which took up most of their time in 79, Harry was born on July 31, 1980 so it's reasonable to tell he was concieved in Ocotober of 79. Also in this story James and Lily have a baby girl full name is Rosalin (Rose) Dorea Potter (Ginny essentially), who was concieved in November of 1980 and born August 6, 1981 the chapters coming will show what happened to her, you get three guesses first two don't count. As for Dorea and her personality in this fic, kind of a tribute to my mom really.
This is also a three arc fic the first arc is essentially done by this point, the arcs themselves are labled differently. This first arc is called the Long Night, those who've played Halo 3: ODST would appreciate.