A/N: I want to thank all of the new follows and reviews. I really didn't think this story would resonate with people as much as it has. I appreciate you all! I hope you enjoy this one. Someone wrote a review and wonders about what will happen with Dumbledore and the will reading... well, that is being revealed next chapter. -Lux
Chapter 10: Family is Everything
The Grangers had too many questions. The problem was that their questions begot more and more questions. It seemed like an endless loop. After they had drunk half the tea, Emma cleared her throat demurely for Dan to talk.
"Okay… I'll start. Who the bloody hell is that Dumbledore person and who died and made him King of Wizardkind?" Dan asked with crossed arms. Her wife admonished him immediately, saying, "Language!"
Sirius smirked. Emma could have given Lily a run for her money.
"Well, that is a complicated question. But simply put, Albus Dumbledore is the Headmaster of Hogwarts, which is a wizarding boarding school. He is also the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, which is wizarding Britain's High Court of Law. Additionally, he is the Supreme Mugwump, meaning the head of the International Confederation of Wizards, which is a wizarding intergovernmental organization, roughly equivalent to the United Nations in the non-magical world." Sharptooth said this in a very serious tone and was startled when Emma began laughing.
"Forgive me, but you can't be serious. One person can't do all those things simultaneously. You communicate by owls. I have not seen one telephone since we entered Diagon Alley. There are no computers, no printers, no cars, no electricity! How are we supposed to believe that one person holds all of those time-consuming bureaucratic jobs when you have no technology to help you? You write with feather pens like it's the 1800s for crying out loud!" and as she said this, she began laughing and Dan chuckled.
"She is right, you know," Dan said with a smile.
"What is a fellytone?" asked the puzzled goblin. This made the Grangers laugh even harder. Sirius tried to explain.
"It's like a box thingy that people talk into and people in a faraway place can listen to in their own box thingy and reply through it. It all happens instantaneously. They don't need to wait to get the audio," Sirius shrugged. Dan laughed. Sharptooth looked completely incredulous.
"It's a bit more complex than that. A telephone-" he was cut off by his pager buzzing.
The goblin jumped off his chair. "What was that?!"
Emma clapped happily, "I was wondering if there would be any reception!"
Dan took off the pager and read. "I have an appointment with a patient tomorrow at 10 am."
"How do you know that?" the goblin was stunned.
Daniel showed him and Sirius the pager. They were astonished.
"Who wrote you this?" asked Sirius with a confused frown.
"Probably someone at the nurses' station." Dan shrugged, putting the pager back in his pocket.
"A nurse is like a Healer's assistant, Sharptooth," Sirius explained. "Daniel and Emma are Healers"
"You mean females are allowed to be Healers?" Sharptooth lifted a curious brow. Emma was about to complain when he continued, "That is wonderful! Stupid Wizarding Laws want to keep holding women back."
"I haven't seen any female goblins either," Emma replied with a smirk.
Touché, Dan thought. Sirius chuckled.
"We do not hold our females back. They are free to pursue what they want. Most of them are particularly talented goldsmiths, teachers, healers, cooks, even warriors if they choose to do so. However, we prefer -as males- to protect our future as a race. That future depends on our females. We have had a few female tellers, but they grew bored of the repetitiveness of the tasks and left."
"That is nice to know," replied Emma with a smile.
"In any case, you are right, Mrs. Granger. It concerns many of us that he holds too much power. We think that he can't do everything equally right with so many responsibilities. There are only 24 hours in a day for him just like for everyone else."
"He is, as we say, biting more than he can chew," Daniel agreed. The goblin chuckled, or at least they perceived what he did as a chuckle.
"Exactly."
Sharptooth and Sirius told the Grangers the story of who Albus was, what he did, how he defeated Grindelwald and became a hero, how everyone thought he was unbeatable and infallible, and how he had gone too power-thirsty and dark. The Grangers were of the same mind, wizards and witches are too naïve if they disregard his megalomaniac nature and see him as a kind, perfect, grandfather figure. Non-magicals had short memories, but apparently, wizards had the attention span of fish. The tale took around two hours. Sirius' barrister was brought in while Sirius went to check on the kids.
"Manager Sharptooth," the man bowed. "Edward Tonks at your servi-"
The man could not finish his sentence because he was tackled by an impressive hug and a joyous yell from Sirius. "Teddy!"
Ted Tonks could barely believe his eyes. He pushed Sirius at arm's length. "What the-? Let go of me! Sirius?! What is the meaning of this?"
"Mr. Tonks, please have a seat. Lord Black is innocent. We need your help proving it. We have opened the Potter's will" Sharptooth explained, pointing at the box. Edward's irises flashed with silvery light, and he collapsed in his chair as a barrage of memories someone had locked away came to him in one second.
"Ted! Are you alright? Teddy?"
"Get me my gun! I need to put a bullet through Dumbledork's brain!" Ted said, slowly sitting up and shaking his head.
"He obliviated you!" Sirius realized with a frown.
"That bastard! I will bury him in so many lawsuits and Feuds that he will never see the light of day again!" the man yelled, hitting the top of the desk. He suddenly realized there were people there he didn't know. He looked a bit ashamed. He extended his hand to Daniel and Emma, who shook it. "My apologies. Edward Tonks, barrister."
"Daniel Granger, pediatrician; this is my wife Emma who is also a pediatrician," he said, shaking Ted's hand.
"A pleasure to meet you, Doctor and Doctor Granger, it is always nice to meet muggles like me. I am usually outnumbered," he said with a smile. "Pardon my outburst, but when Sharptooth said the will had been opened, I found many memories I didn't have before…"
"It is alright. We all seem to have reasons to want to shoot the bastard."
"What do you mean? What did he do to you?" Ted asked puzzled and interested. He looked at Sirius questioningly. Maybe a class action would be just the right thing for the old fool.
"He placed Harry with the Dursleys" Sirius said expecting Tonks to explode, which he did.
"He. Did. What?!"
"And it gets worse… They abused him from the start. He was treated worse than a Malfoy house-elf. I will tell you everything in detail over Firewhiskey soon. He spent a month in a hospital under the care of the Grangers who took him in like a son," Sirius explained. Tonks face went through many different expressions at this but settled on a small smile for the Grangers. "He's doing much better and is right there with Hermione, Dan and Emma's daughter. The child adores Harry, and he adores her. They are inseparable," Sirius winked and pointed at the sofa.
Ted walked over and kissed Harry's forehead. He noticed the boy was holding the girl's hand. He whispered with a smile, "Potter men always find them young. But this might be a record."
"How's Andy?"
"She's doing well. She misses you Padfoot. Dora misses you even more. You know how she dotes on you."
Sirius smiled, "I miss them too. All the letters you three sent me helped keep me sane in that hell-hole… Mr. and Mrs. Granger, perhaps you want to see some more of Diagon Alley. Just avoid Knockturn Alley, it is a dangerous place. We recommend you get some ice cream. Florean's is the best. We need to talk about my case and trial or lack thereof. We might be a while."
Dan looked at Emma. Both nodded. "If someone could wake up the kids, that would be great."
Harry shook his head after the goblin woke them up. He looked at Sirius. "A-Are we l-leaving?"
"Not yet, honey. Would you like to have some ice cream?"
Hermione, who had been yawning, looked immediately awake. Ice cream was not common for the Grangers. "Mommy, is something wrong? Who is that man?"
Emma smiled. Nothing got past her daughter. "No, everything is okay. The man is Sirius' barrister."
"What's a barrister?" ever-curious Hermione inquired.
Harry looked at the man. The boy's eyes seemed distant and unfocused. Suddenly, his irises flashed silver and he said, "U-Uncle E-Ed?"
Ted gave him a bright smile. Only Harry and his wife called him Ed. "Yes, kiddo."
Harry ran and stopped himself from hugging the man at the last minute. He offered his small hand instead.
"A-Are you a-and P-Padfoot c-coming for i-ice cream too?"
"Not today, kiddo. We need to have a very boring meeting, but you should go enjoy some with the Grangers," Ted smiled while shaking Harry's hand.
Harry looked at the family with fearful eyes. "D-Do you p-promise we will c-come back f-for S-Sirius?"
"Of course!"
"We promise, Harry."
"It's okay, Prongslet. I'll see you in a while. If I finish early, I'll go find you" Sirius crouched and ruffled Harry's hair. The boy smiled and gave Sirius a quick hug.
Sharptooth quickly converted a few pounds for Dan, and the Grangers left with Harry. How unpractical! Carrying actual gold coins was bulky and dangerous. Daniel thought he should probably write down the conversion rates so people can't take advantage of them.
The Grangers were shocked to see, upon arrival, the number of flavors available at the ice cream parlor. What on earth was Elven Wine? Emma was game for wine in general after all the information they were given. She approached the counter.
"Hello, there," Emma said, smiling to a middle-aged witch of gorgeous auburn hair styled into glamorous Old-Hollywood waves.
"Hi, darlings. What can I get you?" she asked, waving a colorful wooden stick. A wand, Emma thought, perhaps you can charm hair to look like that.
"What do you recommend? It is our first time here," Daniel admitted, sheepishly.
"For the youngsters, a sundae. They can choose the toppings they want over there," she said, pointing at a toppings bar. Out of thin air, two sundaes materialized in a tray the woman passed to Emma. Dan really wanted to know how they could do that. The kids went to the bar and started excitedly adding toppings. Hermione was helping Harry out, explaining what some toppings were. "For you, we have adult ice cream or regular ice cream with adult toppings."
"I am going to go basic, vanilla with Elven Wine syrup," Emma said in a questioning tone.
"Excellent choice. I suggest chocolate fudge and raspberries too."
"Sure," Emma jumped when her order appeared in front of her.
"I think I want triple chocolate with mint liquor," said Dan chuckling at his wife.
"Marvelous. How about we put in some crushed candy canes and white chocolate syrup?"
"Sounds good"
"Next time you come, just touch the menu on the table and say what you want."
Sharptooth was pleasantly surprised by Ted Tonks efficiency. Goblins liked productivity. Perhaps he could convince the man to advise Gringotts. In under an hour, he had sent a copy of the will to the Director of the DMLE, he had Sirius send a howler to the Wizengamot, and they both wrote a strongly worded letter to the ICW. The replies were flying in. Sharptooth was barking orders all around. Sirius wanted the Grangers under the protection of the goblin nation.
Ted threw up his fist in joy. "Yes! I knew it! Amelia is royally pissed. You will have a trial this week. Until then, you are under the protection of the DMLE and House of Bones. She wants you to know that she will not rest until whoever is responsible for your lack of trial is brought to justice and punished to the fullest extent of the law."
"We need to get you out of here. My best soldiers are already in the Granger's address. They will make sure it is unplottable and fully protected," Sharptooth said, smiling. Sirius blanched. "Don't worry about the statute. They are my most discreet."
"If you say so."
"Do you think the Grangers can come here tomorrow? Since you say that they are Harry's guardians in the non-magical world, they should be present to meet all the others named in the will. Clearly, the Potters intended for Harry to grew up surrounded by their chosen guardians. We are honor-bound to make it happen."
"I hope so. Can we come at any time?"
"I will summon everyone involved in the will and let them know we will start the reading at 3 pm sharp," Griphook stated in a no-nonsense will be accepted type of voice. "If they are not here ten minutes before that time, a goblin guard will go to where they are and escort them. I just don't want to inconvenience the Grangers too much. Mr. Granger does have a patient at 10 am, and I don't know how long those things take…"
"Well, unless it's surgery, around an hour," Ted answered with a smile. He really liked that goblins were respectful of things they didn't know. Most wizards looked down on anything non-magical. Goblins did not. They were more open to learning about or at least interacting with non-magical things and people.
"Mr. Tonks, do you think I could persuade the Grangers to tell us about this felly- no, the telephone that they use? The idea of instant communication seems like it would be helpful and profitable for our business."
Therein lies the issue, Ted thought. Goblins had very clear priorities. If non-magical things had the potential of helping increase their revenue, they wanted in. "I am sure they would not mind. They seem to be great people."
"They do."
Padfoot nodded at Ted and left to see if he could get some ice cream. The Grangers were chatting with empty ice cream cups in front of them. They seemed happy. Harry and Hermione were laughing while Mr. Granger seemed to be reading a book. He was making exaggerated facial expressions and funny voices for different characters. Even Emma was enjoying the show. Padfoot knew that dogs weren't welcome in the parlor, so he sat outside and willed Harry to look at him. The kid suddenly looked outside and bolted towards him and opened the door.
"Padfoot!" Harry exclaimed hugging the dog. "I m-missed you!"
"Woof!" Padfoot replied, licking Harry's cheek. Sirius looked up at the brunette behind the counter. Was that Fortescue's daughter? Wife? She was looking at him strangely. Harry noticed the looks and told Sirius to stay put. He approached the counter and motioned for the lady to bend down so he could whisper in her ear. The lady made a surprised face but went over to Sirius.
"Hello there! Welcome to Fortescue's! What would you like?"
Sirius' tail went mad. She put the menu in front of him at an angle where he could put his paw on top of his choice: firewhiskey ice-cream with hot caramel fudge syrup.
"Wonderful choice. Go join your family at their table," she said with a smile. His order was already on the table. He looked up at her with questioning eyes. He had just realized he had no money on his doggie form. "It's on the house, sir."
Sirius stood in his hind legs and licked the lady's hand demurely. She laughed and scratched behind his ears. He would be back for sure. He loved their ice cream! At Azkaban, they barely had anything resembling a meal. They were usually fed porridge and water. Sometimes the porridge was rancid. Hermione took a fabric napkin and wrapped it around his neck to minimize the mess that was sure to happen.
Once he was done with his ice cream, he barked at Dan who was finishing the story.
"Ready?" Dan asked, closing the book. Tales of Beedle the Bard, Sirius read.
"Woof!" Sirius replied nodding. Hermione removed the napkin, cleaned Padfoot's muzzle, and they walked to the entrance point of Diagon Alley.
Once they had picked up the car, Emma suggested they got pizza for dinner. Sirius was in heaven. He loved pizza. Lily used to make it from scratch. They stopped for it at an Italian place and went to the Grangers' home. Sirius transformed inside the garage.
"Sharptooth wanted you to know that he had the house warded. Wards are invisible protections to keep danger at bay. No one who wishes you or your family harm can come within the barriers. They surround your entire property," Sirius explained.
"Is that the glowing little lights?" Hermione asked.
"Yes, you can see them because you are a witch," Sirius replied.
"T-They are p-pretty," said Harry. Sirius smiled. The child was so much like Lily.
The next hours passed calmly. They had dinner, and the adults made plans for the following day. Harry and Hermione were practicing Harry's reading. They would need to try to keep calm and to conceal Harry, the muggle way. Daniel really wanted to take his gun with him. Sirius advised against it. They settled on concealed knives. Goblins would appreciate that. Also, as Emma pointed out, they could supply a lot of pain without any weapons. She wanted to see how the old man would fare with one of her vicious Kin Geri. [A/N: kick to the groin]
Dan and Emma agreed that they wanted the goblins to make them invisible after Sirius told them that was apparently a thing. Therefore, Dan, Emma, Sirius, Hermione, and Harry would remain unseen and unheard by all those present at the reading of the will. They wanted to be able to see the reactions and responses of those mentioned within it. The Grangers and Sirius shared a belief: Family is Everything. Whether your family shared a bond thicker than water, or you chose and built your own was irrelevant. They needed to make sure the people who the Potters wanted to have in Harry's life actually cared about him. He had already been hurt enough.
Sirius knew that sometimes your closest family had no blood nor a last name in common with you. The Potters had embraced him like the Grangers embraced his godson. Sirius himself felt part of their family. They had been so kind to Harry and him. He decided he would make sure no harm would come to any of them. Merlin, he was tired! As he was about to walk upstairs, he realized he would have to transform to fit into his doggie bed. He jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder.
"Sirius?" she said. "Um, since you are a person and all… Dan and I want to know if you would rather sleep in your dog form or if you would prefer a bed…"
"I don't want to be a bother, Emma. I can sleep on my dog bed, no worries," he said, looking away. How he wished he could sleep stretched out! In Azkaban, he slept in a tight ball. He missed laying down flat on a comfy bed.
"That is not what I asked. Follow me," Emma commanded softly. Dan was helping the kids get ready for bed. Upstairs, there was a small television room that was rarely used. However, it was as clean as the rest of the house. She went into her bedroom and came out with linens and pillows. She handed them over to Sirius. Then, she removed the seat cushions on the sofa and pulled out a bed! Sirius couldn't believe his eyes! How ingenious! He realized at that moment that Lily had always been right. Muggles had their own type of magic. It was founded in creativity and intellect.
Emma put the bedding on the sofa-bed and placed the pillows, blanket, and comforter on top of the made bed. "There you go, now you can go to sleep in your true form. Wait," she said, walking back to her room. She came back with a set of PJs. Sirius smiled. "You know what? You should really go get some clothes tomorrow. You need to make your come-back to the Wizarding World in style. I'm thinking a three-piece suit… And a barber visit."
"You are right. Are you going to work in the morning?" he asked blushing. His appearance was wanting.
"No, Dan and I agreed that I should take the day off to help you and the kids prepare for tomorrow's meeting. Why?"
"Well, I would really appreciate it if you could help me choose some decent clothes. My fashion sense is not that good. I usually go for all black everything," he said shrugging. "You saw how old magical clothing is… I'd like to look my age."
"Of course, those hideous robes! And the hats!" she laughed. "I thought I had gone back in time!"
"Yes, so… Can you help me?" Sirius asked. He then realized that perhaps he should have asked Dan instead. When he told Emma this, she laughed harder. "Don't let him hear you! He will be angry at you for A. Thinking I can't decide on my own, and b. Asking him for permission like he's my dad! Sirius, Dan and I -I'm sure you can tell by now- we don't really have a traditional patriarchal way of life. I am independent, so is he. We believe in sharing responsibilities and equality. Living in our world will do you good."
"I noticed. I think it is great that you are both so involved with the kids. In the Wizarding World, usually, fathers are as little involved with the kids as possible. I think my father never knew me at all… and the little he knew, he hated"
Emma hugged him tightly. "I am really sorry to hear that. Are your parents alive?"
"No."
"Do you have any siblings?"
"I had a brother. He was killed during the war," he said, looking down.
"I am sorry for your losses… Sirius, this has been a wild ride, to say the least, but we consider you one of us now. You are welcome to stay and figure things out with us."
Dan approached them and said, "Truly, you were an awesome pet! And we know you will be a great friend… We understand that you are going to be busy with the trial and handling your financial situation until the Potter funds get deposited in your vault. However, we want you to stay here, and we will not take a sickle from you, although I still need to figure out those conversion rates! Harry needs you, and we will need you to understand the Wizarding World. We love and accept the kids unconditionally, but we are a bit lost."
"Don't listen to him! We are completely lost! We want to be able to help Hermione, but we are at a loss," Emma said with a frown. They were not prepared for this scenario.
"It seems like we will be teaching each other," Sirius said with a smile.
"Well, that is what co-parenting is all about," Dan said patting Sirius' back.
"Co-parenting… I like the sound of that."
Sirius sat on his bed, the Grangers turned to leave. "Goodnight, Padfoot."
"Woof!" He exclaimed jokingly. They chuckled.
When he heard the Granger's door shut, he sneaked out to Harry's bedroom. The boy was sleeping in a fetal position, holding his favorite plushie, a beautiful stag. Sirius sat next to him carefully. Harry opened his eyes.
"Shh… It's okay, go back to sleep."
"Are you o-ok?"
"Yes, I just wanted to say goodnight," Sirius said kissing Harry's head.
"Goodnight," the boy replied sleepily. He then whispered, "I l-l-love you..."
Sirius's heart swelled. "I love you too, son."
The next day, Daniel left for the hospital at 6.30 am. Emma had everyone up, fed, bathed, comfortably dressed, and ready by 10 am. She loved fashion, and having a living mannequin try out all her ideas was going to be a lot of fun. After a while stuck in traffic, they were standing in front of the first store they would visit in Harrods. Sirius looked at Emma with uncertainty.
"I converted quite a few galleons but are you sure I can afford it?" he whispered.
"How much did you convert?"
"Five thousand galleons…" he replied.
"I can work with that!"
"How much is that in pounds?" he asked, interested in her tone.
"If I remember correctly, enough for a shopping spree!" she said excitedly. She could absolutely work with getting rid of around £15 000. Sirius swallowed but nodded. If him enduring this was her idea of fun, he would zip it and take it. Emma and Dan had been wonderful to him and Harry. If she wanted to spend all the money that he had on him at the moment, she was welcome to it. In any case, they would go to Gringotts later. He had gotten to see her fashion sense as Padfoot, and he knew he was in good hands.
"Alright, Emma. Where to first?" he asked, offering her his arm.
"Tom Ford. I meant what I said about a three-piece suit. Harry, Hermione, you need to vote to help us choose, okay?"
"Okay!" they replied in unison.
At lunchtime, Sirius was tired but happy. He had his suit, several shirts, pants, and jeans. He also bought underwear, pajamas, toiletries, and shoes. Harry and Hermione had indeed voted to help them narrow down the options. Emma took him to Nomad Barber right after lunch, and a much better-looking Sirius Black was revealed. His hair was shorter now, in a masculine style that flattered his features. His beard was shaved off completely, and he looked significantly younger. Emma had taken the kids to a nearby park, Chicksand Street Park, while he was transformed. His new version was sitting down reading the newspaper when she came back.
"Excuse me, sir?" she asked the man at the entrance. "My friend was getting a trim here, he was supposed to wait for us here, but I don't see him."
"I'm right here," Sirius said, lowering the newspaper.
Emma's eyes went wide. The kids ran to him to touch his hairless face.
"Who are you and what did you do to Sirius?" Emma asked with a smile. "You look great! Much younger and healthier!"
"Thank you. I feel great, Emma," he admitted.
"Are you looking to impress a certain someone?" Emma said, knowingly.
Sirius blushed. He wasn't doing this for anyone. If he happened to see a certain someone, he would just be happy to be looking his best. Emma extended her arm at him and offered him a small gift bag. He smiled in embarrassment. Her taking time off to help him was already enough. He reached inside and felt glass. He pulled it out. He read Yves Saint Laurent: La Nuit De L'Homme Eau de Toilette. Cologne! He totally forgot he needed that!
"Emma! You shouldn't have! I forgot I needed to get this!"
"It's from all of us. This way, you will look and smell good. We hope you like it," she smiled and patted his upper arm. He opened the cap and smelled. Wow! Emma knew him well.
"I love it. It's perfect. Thank you," Sirius said, ruffling both kids' hairs. He pulled Emma's hand and kissed the back of it chastely.
"Let's go. Remember, they are picking us up. We don't want to upset them by being late. Dan is probably already home."
At 2.45 pm, a goblin teller knocked on the Grangers' back door. Everyone was dressed formally. An excited Hermione skipped in her dress to open the door while her parents and Sirius came downstairs. Harry was brushing his teeth. The girl remembered what Sirius taught them, but the words escaped her. She did her best to be welcoming and respectful.
"Good afternoon, sir. Welcome to our home," she bowed and smiled.
The goblin chuckled at being called sir. However, he appreciated the kid's attempt at etiquette. "Good afternoon, Ms. Granger. Thank you. I am here to pick you up."
She nodded. After everyone else greeted the goblin, he explained what they needed to do. All the humans held on to his briefcase and disappeared.
