"We are gathered here today on this fourth day of November in the year nineteen-eighty-one for the reading of the last will and testament of James and Lily Potter written 1st October of the same year. Summoned here are those directly mentioned in the will: Minerva Isobel McGonagall, Petunia Jane Evans, Sirius Orion Black, Remus John Lupin, and Harry James Potter. Others mentioned in the will who, regrettably, could not be here today are Peter Arnold Pettigrew, Albus Percival Wulfric Bryan Dumbledore, Franklin James Longbottom, and Alice Morell Longbottom."
The goblin with the suitcase, Brenhook, peered over his glasses nastily at the lot of them, as if he had much better things to be doing with his day while his partner, Parsuk, cracked the seal on the scroll in his hands and finished what he was saying.
Sirius and Remus were seated now and Harry had not seemed to want to let go now that he'd seen a familiar face. The other baby, whom they'd learned was Petunia's son, Dudley, kept fidgeting in his mother's arms as he watched Harry playing with Sirius and Remus. He felt left out.
"I'm sorry, Parsuk, sir, but why on earth are the Longbottoms mentioned in this will?" McGonagall asked curiously. "The attack against them happened in September!"
Brenhook cleared his throat irritably. "If you would allow us to proceed, Professor, you might find the answer to your question."
Sirius felt a heavy weight settle in his stomach as Harry continued his baby gurgling, oblivious to the world around him. He felt Remus's hand snake through his and felt it squeeze softly.
"Now, I will allow the will to be read. As you know, there is an option to create a verbal will that is transcribed. Mr. and Mrs. Potter opted for that choice. As such, when I unfurl this scroll, you will hear their voices reading the will." Parsuk explained.
Petunia felt her blood run cold and knew her face had probably gone pale. She hadn't heard Lily's voice since their argument on the day of her wedding to James. It had been the last time Petunia had physically seen her or spoken to her. The thought of hearing her dead sister's voice made her want to be sick.
Meanwhile, Sirius had started shaking slightly. Harry stared up at him in confusion. "Ok, Siri?" He asked, his emerald eyes huge with all the worry a toddler could muster.
"Yeah," Sirius breathed out shakily. "Of course, pup."
"We are, of course, ready whenever you are." Parsuk stated impatiently.
When he was certain there would be no further interjections, Parsuk unfurled the long scroll in his hands and placed in the center of the table before tapping it three times. Brenhook unlocked the beat-up briefcase on the table and pushed up the lid so that no one but him could see what was inside it.
"We shouldn't have to write a will, Lily. We're too young!"
Sirius and Remus went as still as stone and Harry turned his head curiously, his eyes wandering the room as he searched for the source of his father's voice. "Daddy?" Petunia held Dudley tighter as she heard Harry call out for his father. The older woman who had escorted her to the bank, McGonagall, let out a quiet sob as she covered her mouth.
"We're too young for a lot of things, James. Now, shut up and start talking! We need to get this done before Harry wakes up." Lily's stern and exasperated voice came next.
Harry began squirming in Sirius's arms and started crying uncertainly. "Mama!"
"Harry, if you're hearing this your mother and I are...dead. I'm so sorry, son. I hope you know that we love you so much, far beyond your own comprehension, and that we never wanted to leave you. Everything in my vault at Gringotts and your mother's is yours, okay? Your Uncle Sirius and Uncle Remus will help you through this. They'll take care of you if we can't." James said.
Sirius closed his eyes tightly as he felt a stabbing sensation in his chest. How on earth was he supposed to get through the rest of this? It felt like his entire world was crumbling and just wouldn't stop. Harry had gotten out of his arms and was crawling on the table toward the scroll, staring at it in confusion.
Lily's voice came next again. "Sirius, for Merlin's sake, please don't feed Harry sweets for breakfast and do not let him anywhere near a broom until he's ten. If anything happens to him, I'll haunt you for the rest of your days, I swear! Remus, keep him on the right track, won't you? We know you'll raise Harry like he's your own."
"He is," Sirius murmured to himself. "Of course he is."
The distant sound of a baby crying in the background could be heard along with Lily cursing to herself. "Fuck, he's awake. He's probably hungry. James, keep going. I'm going to go feed him."
"Right, yeah. Anyway, I know you hate Grimmauld Place and I figured if anything happens to me...to us...you should have Potter Manor, Sirius. You and Remus both. The house-elves kept it up even after Mom and Dad passed. It's all yours, I swear. Remus, that basement is still charmed for your special time of the month. And I should say this while Lily's away but...don't let Harry become an Animagus until after he's gone to Hogwarts. I mean, if he has to learn before then-"
"If he has to learn what?" Lily was back. "Are you talking about-James, I'll kill you myself. Sirius and Remus, do not teach him how to become an Animagus or I will haunt you for the rest of your days! Again!"
The room erupted in soft laughter from everyone except Brenhook and Parsuk. Even the new goblin, Normhook, cracked a smile. Sirius was wiping tears from his eyes.
"Remus, along with Potter Manor, I'm giving you all of my books. You're the only one I know would appreciate it just as much as I do. Peter, if you're hearing this, please be safe. We hardly see you anymore. But if something happens to us you can have the house in Godric's Hollow. For if you ever need a safe place to go." Lily stated eventually.
Sirius stood up from his chair and left the room, getting up so fast that his chair fell to the floor. The goblins looked up curiously and Parsuk tapped the scroll so that the talking would stop. "Shall we continue?"
Remus was torn. He looked from Harry who'd decided to lay down on the table right next to the scroll to the now open door. He could see Sirius in the hallway sitting on the floor looking positively broken. "Perhaps it might be best if we stop for today."
"I think that would be best." Petunia was standing now, looking positively ashen, and was clutching her son so close to her that he looked uncomfortable. "And, if it's all the same to you, I would rather not be present for the rest of...this."
"Mrs. Evans-Dursley, your sister left you something. Perhaps you would like to hear exactly what before you depart." Brenhook replied.
"No, I should think not," Petunia replied firmly. "Whatever it is, deliver it to my house. Madame McGonagall, I would appreciate it if you could kindly bring me back to my home. Mr. Black, my address is 51 South Spring Drive in Manchester if you'd like to drop by."
Remus scooped a now sleeping Harry up in his arms and looked over at Parsuk. "My apologies, sir. This is a difficult time for all of us. Would you mind owling us to draw up the official paperwork for the things mentioned in the will?"
"As you wish, Mr. Lupin. I shall send Normhook himself in two days' time."
Sirius still sat in the hallway with his face buried in his hands as he cried to himself. How stupid had he been to tell James and Lily to trust Peter? How could he have ever been so arrogant? It burned his insides to think that James and Lily had been worried about Peter's safety when he hadn't bothered to give a damn about theirs. He had already given Voldemort their location by then.
"Sirius, we need to go home. Harry needs us now."
He heard Remus's soft voice from above him and looked up. There was heartbreak and sadness and fatigue in the other man's eyes too. He was just as broken as Sirius was about all this. But he wasn't allowing himself to show it just yet.
"Yeah, home. Okay."