Chapter 10

As Harry looked around the ruined cottage, he saw a small figure lying beneath an overturned table. Hurrying over, Harry lifted the table revealing a Redcap lying there.

The redcap coughed, blood running down his chin. He dragged in a deep breath and rasped out three words.

"Burn the cabin."

"What?" Harry asked.

"They know you live here. Leave the animals in Aurora inside. Find the heads of the swan and hound and place them beneath the legs of the animals before you set the blaze."

"Wait, I need to know What happened. Hold on, I can save you." It was too late. The redcap's eyes had already turned dull and glassy.

Feeling like he was in a dream, Harry walked over and found the body of the hound and swan. Tears ran down his cheeks as he placed the heads beneath the legs of his faithful pets. Why did he have to do this? Why not bury them. Surely his family deserved that?

Lastly, he walked over to Aurora. More tears ran down his cheeks as he examined her wounds. He could smell the cold iron in her body. Several deep wounds covered her chest and stomach. Should he disobey the Redcap? What if someone desecrated their graves? No, it'd be better if there were no bodies for anyone to use in any dark rituals.

He took one last look around the cabin. This had been his home since he was five and now it was ruined. There was nothing here to be saved. Everything was covered in blood. Stepping outside, Harry walked several yards from the cabin. Turning to face the only home he'd ever known, he drew his wand. Concentrating on the image of flames, Harry pointed it at the cabin. There was no flash of light, no ball of flame struck the cabin. It simply burst into flames.

As his home burned, Harry sat down in the clearing, trying to drown out the roar of the fire. Where was he supposed to go now? Sure, he could go to Hogwarts, but then what? Where was he to live? Who was he supposed to turn to for guidance?

Harry lay down on his back and stared up at the stars. He would not return to Hogwarts this night. Tonight, he would mourn the deaths of everyone he'd ever called family. As he lay there, his mind drifted back to the day after he was taken from the Dursleys, to the first time he'd met Aurora and the animals.

**C**

Five-year-old Harry awoke in a soft bed. As he moved, his eyes widened. He felt no pain from the beating he'd received. This was bad. Every time he healed from beatings like that, his uncle was very angry. The following beating was usually worse than the last one. As his breathing increased, a beautiful swan with golden feathers and green eyes landed beside him. The swan rubbed it's head against his cheek, making him giggle.

"Hello," he said. "Where'd you come from?"

He looked around the room. He was lying in a small but comfortable bed. There was a desk against one wall and a chest of drawers against the other. Harry turned to look at the swan. "Where am I?"

"You're in your new home," a gentle voice said. Harry turned to see a pretty young woman with blond hair and grey eyes walking into the room. Harry shrank back at the sight of her. "Who are you?"

"My name is Aurora," the woman said softly. "I'll be taking care of you from now on."

"You won't hit me?" Harry asked.

"No love," Aurora said. "No one will ever hurt you again."

The swan cooed and nuzzled him again as if to say, "She's telling the truth.'

A large hound with glowing amber eyes jumped on the bed licking Harry in the face. Harry wiped the slobber from his cheek, laughing.

Aurora rolled her eyes. "Really?" she asked staring at the hound. The hound promptly leapt on Aurora, covering her face with long licks.

Aurora shoved him off sputtering. "Just because you look like a dog doesn't mean you have to act like one."

Harry, still giggling, watched Aurora try to wipe her dripping face. That was how he'd met his Godmother.

**C**

As Harry came back to the present, he realized he'd been crying again. Wiping his eyes on his sleeve, he rolled over onto his side. He would sleep here tonight. It would be his way of saying good-bye to everyone he'd loved.

If he didn't sleep, well then he would just lie here until the sun came up and then try and figure out what to do next. With those thoughts, suffering from shock and loss, consciousness fled from him.

**C**

Hadrian lowered his hand. He may have to kill the imposter some day, but he could give him some rest to aid in dealing with his loss. A pang of guilt rose inside him. Was this boy really an imposter? After all, he was from this world whereas Hadrian was not. Why should the boy be made to suffer for taking the name Potter?"

He shook his head. No, Ariana had warned him about feeling pity for his enemy. He would kill Harry James Potter, but not yet. Turning on the spot, Hadrian vanished into the night.

**C**

Ariana looked up from a pile of parchment as Hadrian entered the room. "It is done," he said solemnly.

"Good," Ariana said. "Are you injured?"

"no Mother, the woman didn't even hear me coming."

"And the animals?" Ariana asked.

"Dead as well. I also found the Redcap who calls himself Red there. He apparently was trying to aid the woman in some way."

"I see. "What happened to him?"

"He has been dealt with."

"Good," Ariana said. "Go to your quarters. I will see you in the morning."

As she watched him leave the room, Ariana smiled to herself. The heir was alone now. It was very fortunate that her husband and sister wife had gone to save their son and fallen prey to Merlin's curse. Had they not done so, they would've been much harder to deal with. Still, something was bothering her.

Redcaps lacked the power to break curses, but they did have knowledge of curses and could usually identify their weak point if they saw the afflicted. She knew that Red had gone to find the missing king. Could he have found a way to break the curse, but that was a useless worry now, wasn't it? After all her husband and sister wife were dead. So long as she was careful, she would be able to continue her rule for as long as she wanted.

If that were true, why did she feel so uneasy? Maybe she should go to sleep as well. Things would surely look better in the morning.

**C**

Harry sat in a chair on a beach overlooking the ocean. He blinked. Where was he? Why was he here?

"So this is the mental representation of Underhill you created," a voice said from beside him.

Harry turned to see Aurora sitting in a chair looking at him calmly. Seeing the shocked expression on his face, she grinned. "What?"

"I'm so sorry," Harry burst out his voice quavering. "I should've been there."

"Hey, hey," Aurora said pulling him into a hug. "If you would've been there, he would've killed you to."

"He?" Harry asked. "Who did this to you? I'll…"

Aurora placed a slender finger on his lips silencing him. "You will do no such thing. Listen to me, you need to live your life. Grow up, become the man I know you can be. Find a girl and have little Harry's okay?"

Harry hugged her tighter. "I can't do this alone. What will I do without you?"

"You're not alone," Aurora said. "We'll see each other again. Death is not the end. It's just a change. I'll be waiting for you to get here, just not too quickly, okay?"

Harry sniffled. "Okay. You never answered my question about who did this to you."

It was a man," Aurora said sobering. He looked similar to you, but his hair is messier and his eyes are the wrong shade of green. You need to be careful. Whoever this guy is, he's not adverse to using mundane technology. He killed me with a gun with frangible iron rounds. You need to work on shields that can block projectiles. You won't learn that at Hogwarts until fourth year."

"I don't know that I should return to Hogwarts. Once the wizards discover that I'm without a guardian, they will assign me one."

"You won't need to worry about that. If Red was correct, your guardian will be there when you wake up."

"Red?" Harry asked.

"The Redcap," Aurora explained. "He thinks he has found a way to release your parents."

"Release them?" Harry asked.

"I'll let them explain. Suffice to say that you won't be alone and no one will be taking you anywhere."

Harry glanced at the ocean. "I don't know how to feel about them showing up. How am I supposed to react? I don't really know them."

Aurora placed an arm around his shoulders. "That is why I never allowed you to call me Mother or Mum. I know your Mum and the one thing you can be sure of is that she loved you more than anything or anyone in this world. She's always been with you." Aurora grinned. "She even followed you to Hogwarts."

"She did?" Harry asked, "but I never saw her."

Aurora giggled. "Yes you did, but that's enough of that. Our time is up."

Harry hugged her tighter. "I'm going to miss you so much."

Aurora kissed his forehead. "You may not be of my blood, but you are my son in every way that matters. To that end, I've left a vault at Gringotts for you. It doesn't have much. A few thousand gold and some jewels, but I think it'll be useful for you in the future. I did not have it transferred into the Potter Vault and I ask you to leave it where it is. Do not go and claim it until the time is right."

"The time is right?" Harry asked. "What do you mean?"

"I don't know," Aurora said. "That's the thing about intuition. I just have a feeling that you're going to need that vault. Ask your Mum to put any finances she may have in the Wizarding world into that vault. Do not merge the vaults. Keep the vaults either in mine or your parents names. Do not associate them in any way with the Potter vaults.'

Harry frowned. "What do you know?"

"I don't know anything,' Aurora said. "I just have a feeling."

Harry looked deep into Aurora's eyes. "Thank you for everything."

Aurora smiled. "You don't have to thank me. It was all my pleasure. Remember, I don't want to see you again for a long long time."

With those words, the beach around them dissolved and Harry woke.

**C**

The first thing Harry was aware of was that his head lay on something soft. Gentle fingers combed through his hair. He blinked his eyes open and stared up into a pair of sea green eyes."

"Oh good you're awake," a soft voice said. "I was worried."

Harry blinked up at her. "Swan?" he asked. He wasn't sure, but the eyes were the exact same color as his swan's.

The woman smiled. "I'd prefer you call me Mum, but you may call me Swan if you wish."

Harry blinked up at her. "Mum?" he asked, "but how? Why were you a swan?"

Niamh hugged him closer to her. "Merlin's curse," she hissed. "Should've killed the old man a lot sooner. When we came to save you from the Dursley's we looked at you. Because parents are not allowed to see their child until seven years after the switch, we were turned into animals."

"But you stayed with me?" Harry asked.

"Of course," Niamh said. "We may not have had our own shape, but we weren't going to abandon you."

Harry looked around. "Speaking of which, where is my Father? I'd like to meet him."

Niamh frowned. He went back to his court once he was done insuring you could say good-bye to Aurora. He said he had some things to take care of. You'll meet him soon enough I'm sure."

"What do we do now?"

"Well," Niamh said. "I think we need to return to Hogwarts."

"We?" Harry asked. "Are you going to take your swan form?"

"Not this time," Niamh said. "You and I need to get to know each other and rebuild our relationship. To that end, I need to be able to speak to you. I'll be taking a job at Hogwarts."

"A job?" Harry asked. "Are you going to be a professor?"

Niamh shook her head, grinning. "No all the positions I could teach are already filled with mostly competent instructors. While I wish I could, I can't take over history of magic because I didn't stay in the Wizarding world long enough to learn their culture."

"So what will you be doing?"

Niamh pulled Harry to his feet. "Come on," she said. "You'll see what I'm planning." As a circle of light materialized around them, Niamh glanced at Harry. "By the way, do you have any special attachment to the caretaker, Argus Filch?"

A/n Here is the next chapter. Sorry it's late, I've been working on my outline.

I'll post in the New year. I hope you all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy new year. To anyone who doesn't celebrate Christmas, Happy Holidays.