A/N: Howdy! Welcome back to Harry Potter and Destiny's Last Chance! I am so, so, so, so, so, sooooo sorry for the unbelievably long absence! My life has been crazy between personal angst, looking for a fulltime job while juggling an almost 70 hour work week between my part-time jobs, and illness. Migraines have NOT been my friends, and I've also been through flu, bronchitis, pink eye, and several respiratory infections. I have also had a friend decide that I no longer met her needs, had one aunt undergo surgery to remove cancer, buried another aunt that lost her battle with cancer, and said good-bye to my next door neighbor of almost 20 years as she lost her battle with cancer. I've been tied up with trying to find a new primary care doctor so I can undergo testing for possible Hashimoto's disease and possible fibromyalgia, both of which run in my family. I also underwent a neuro-psych evaluation, and the results were both overwhelming and relieving. I was diagnosed with ADHD, severe anxiety, severe depression, and low-spectrum autism, so I am now waiting for my appointment with my new psychiatrist to begin therapy and medication. Interwoven in all of this is persistent insomnia that has me down to just 4-6 hours of sleep a night, but with everything else going on with me right now, it's impossible to pinpoint just yet what's causing it, so there is therapy for this and more testing in the near future as well once my ADHD and moods are better stabilized. I'm sorry for the longer intro, but I felt that I owed you all an explanation for my MUCH longer than anticipated absence; I realize that it's now been a year since the last update, and I feel awful! I thank you all for your patience and all of the love you've shown this little story so far! Thank you so very much!
Thank you so much for all of your reviews and feedback throughout the story so far! I try to respond to each one, but I've not been able to answer the reviews for Chapters 9-11 yet. If you left a review and I didn't answer you yet, I do apologize; I read your review, and I very much appreciate you taking the time to leave me your thoughts! I will sit down and answer them, I promise! Also, Chapter 11 was slightly edited, as I forgot to include Sirius's letter to Harry and gifting of Pigwidgeon to Ron on the Hogwarts Express last chapter. -_- As for the identity of Harry's possible new ally, almost everyone guessed Draco Malfoy. While that was a good guess, and I do have some big plans for our favorite Slytherin, he is not our ally. Fear not; you'll learn the identity of Harry's new ally in the next chapter, which ended up a lot longer than I intended, as did this one. Sometimes the characters give me more dialogue than I originally planned once I start typing!
Quick legal reminder:
J.K. Rowling owns all canon Harry Potter people, places, and things
Yana Toboso owns all canon Black Butler people, places, and things
Reptilia28 owns the "Don't Fear the Reaper" challenge and rules
I own everything else
Onward we go!
Chapter 12-Building the Case
For the first summer morning that he could remember, Harry woke up feeling happy and looking forward to what the day had in store for him. The Boy-Who-Lived sat up and looked around, still marveling over the fact that he had a room that was his, given to him by people who loved him becausethey loved him, a room embellished in Gryffindor scarlet and gold because that's what Emily thought he would like, a room that was his to decorate as he pleased. Hedwig, too, was free to come in and out of the house as she pleased because it would make him happy and because Emily wasn't going to punish an innocent owl to satiate her own feelings, unlike the Dursleys. For the first time, Harry could do his homework whenever he wanted without hiding it, could be who he was without being called a "freak" and sneered at, or worse, beaten. For the first time, he could look forward to spending time with his friends that didn't involve schoolwork or defeating Voldemort (for the most part). And, for the first time, as Harry entered the dining room, he was greeted by two smiling faces and warm, "Good morning, Harry!"s, as well as a hot breakfast that he wasn't forced to cook for everybody else but forbidden to eat himself. Indeed, Mariska sat a huge stack of blueberry waffles smothered in butter and maple syrup in front of him, watching to make sure he ate every bite and reminding him that he was allowed to eat until he was truly no longer hungry.
"Did you sleep well?" Emily asked as Harry dug into Mariska's excellent cooking.
"Yes, thank you! My bed is very comfortable. I really love my room, Emily. Thank you!"
Emily beamed happily at her charge. "You're very welcome! Now, I was thinking that maybe after breakfast, we could go and get you your clothes? That is, if you didn't have something else you wanted to do?"
"No, that sounds like a plan! If you don't mind, I'd have to get some money from my vault at Gringott's. Would they convert some Galleons to pounds?" Harry asked.
"Absolutely not, Harry! I won't have you buying your own clothes! I'm paying for them," said Emily.
"I can't ask you to buy me a whole new wardrobe!" Harry argued.
"You're not asking me to; I'm giving them to you. Also, I can buy you a whole new wardrobe. I'm the guardian around here, and I intend to make sure that you have everything that you need and as much as you want as I can possibly do!" Emily promised.
Harry felt tears prick the corners of his eyes. The boy still couldn't believe that there were actually people that loved him like this! Sure, this was probably what it was like when his parents were still alive, but he was just a baby then and couldn't remember it at all. The only other adults he'd every had were Sirius and Remus, but Sirius was absent for 12 years, on the run for another year, and then the short time he got to live with him was with the entire Order of the Phoenix there as well and Sirius feeling like a prisoner in his own home, and then Sirius was gone. Remus was there even less, constantly going different places either seeking work from a very small job market open to hiring a werewolf or off on some sort of mission for Dumbledore or the Order, and then he too was gone, taken from his own son.
"Oh, Harry, don't cry!" Emily exclaimed, alarmed.
"I'm alright!" he reassured, wiping his eyes hastily. "I'm still just getting used to people caring about me is all."
"That's all, he says," Mariska murmured darkly to herself. "What a thing for a thirteen year old to have to say at all!"
"I know, Mum, but we're taking care of it. Expect to see Madame Bones and Remus quite frequently. Harry's friend, Hermione, the one who'll most likely be the one who visits the most often, her parents are dentists, and they were there yesterday. They're the ones I told you about. They'll probably be here, too. Our boy's going to be taken care of!" said Emily, squeezing Harry's shoulder.
"Thank you!"
The rest of the meal passed in cheerful chit chat. After cleaning up the breakfast dishes, the new family piled into the red pickup and headed out to get Harry some clothes of his own. As promised, Emily refused to let Harry pay for any of it. When they returned home, Harry eagerly piled his old clothes in a rubbish bag and put his new clothes in the closet and the dresser. He also pulled his trunk out of the closet and unpacked, putting his books on the bookcase and quills, ink, and parchment on the desk. He decided to leave his telescope in his trunk as he doubted he'd need it except for his Astronomy homework. His cauldron and Potions supplies also stayed in his trunk for the time being, and he smirked at how he was, for once, not dreading his summer Potions work. His Firebolt was left in the closet for now, though he planned on asking Emily about installing a wall-mounted broom display for it. His holly and phoenix feather wand was placed on his nightstand, as was his photo album from Hagrid containing his only photographs of his parents. He wondered if Emily or Remus might have photos of them that they might be willing to either give him or copy for him. He also placed his letters from Sirius and his contact information for Hermione, Ron, and Neville on the desk, which reminded him that he needed to catch Hermione up to speed about his conversation with Madame Bones, and he needed to write to Sirius. Harry felt a rush of joy come over him as he sat down at his desk to begin his letter to Sirius. His godfather was alive again, and if Harry had his way, Sirius would be surviving Voldemort's defeat this time! Dipping his quill in the inkwell, Harry began to write.
Dear Sirius,
I'm glad you and Buckbeak are safe! I was really happy to get your letter. Ron says thanks for the owl. Thank you for the Hogsmeade slip as well; it'll be nice to go without having to sneak in with the Map and Dad's cloak next year. My plans for the summer have taken a turn for the better: Emily got guardianship, so I'm living with her now! I can't tell you how happy I am to be out of Aunt Petunia's house! Madame Bones is working on your case and is currently trying to get the "Kiss on Sight" order off your head. Please stay safe and keep in touch as best you can! I hope we can meet again in person soon!
Love,
Harry
The raven-haired wizard sealed the letter and was pulling out another parchment to begin his letter to Hermione when there was a knock on his door.
"Harry? May I come in?" Emily asked from the other side.
"Yeah, come on in."
The witch stepped into her charge's room and looked around. "Wow! You got all your stuff unpacked! It looks really good, Harry!"
"Thanks! I did want to ask you if I could install a wall mount for my Firebolt, if that's ok with you."
"Of course! It's your room, and you can do whatever you'd like to it. We'll have to stop in Quality Quidditch Supplies when we go to Diagon Alley and see what they have. Oh? Getting a jump on homework already?" Emily asked, looking at the quill in Harry's hand.
"No, not yet, though I do plan to start soon. I was answering Sirius's letter and was going to write Hermione a letter. I promised to catch her up on what Madame Bones told me before I got on the Hogwarts Express," answered he.
"Oh. Hey, if you haven't sent your response to Sirius yet, do you mind waiting for just a few minutes? I meant to send him a letter as well, and if you don't mind, I'll just send my letter with yours."
"Yeah, that's fine."
"Ok. I'll be back in a minute."
Harry wrote his letter to Hermione and sealed it just as Emily returned with her letter for Sirius. The witch handed her letter over, and Harry gave all three letters to Hedwig. "This one's for Hermione, and these two are for Sirius. Do you mind?"
Hedwig gave a brief hoot of confirmation and nipped Harry's finger affectionately before taking off out the window with the letters.
As promised, Harry started his summer work a few days later. Having lived this time before made completing the work easier, and it still amazed him that he could actually enjoy Potions for the first time now that he and Professor Snape were on good terms now. He and Hermione kept in touch almost daily through Hedwig, and Emily had arranged for the Grangers, Madame Bones, and Remus to come over for dinner with the idea in mind that the adults could discuss what to do about the Dursleys while Harry and Hermione spent some time hanging out afterwards. Sirius, however, had been suspiciously quiet, which had Harry worried. Had something happened to his godfather? He expressed his concerns to Emily, who told him not to worry and reasoned that Sirius would probably leave some delays between messages because he didn't want to draw too much attention to wherever he was hiding. The young Potter did his best to trust that Sirius was ok, but the night before everyone was to arrive, as he was lying in bed, he kept fretting about his godfather and praying for him to be safe. The next morning, Harry received a strange, wet wake-up call. "Hmm?" Harry groaned, yawning and reaching for his glasses. Upon putting them on and looking for the source of the wetness, Harry was very happily surprised! Sitting next to his bed with his tongue lolling out was none other than Padfoot! The big black dog was panting with joy and barked when he saw that his godson was awake. "Sirius!" Harry exclaimed jubilantly, wrapping his arms around the dog's neck in a hug. The dog morphed into his godfather, who was much cleaner than he'd been when he escaped from Hogwarts on Buckbeak. The Prisoner of Azkaban was also wearing clean but threadbare robes that reminded Harry of Moony's. Harry was also glad to see happiness in the Black lord's eyes.
"Surprise, pup!" Sirius greeted with a grin.
"When did you get here? How did you get here?"
"Last night on Buckbeak, of course. He's in the barn getting some shut-eye under some glamour charms so he looks like a horse. Emily wrote to me and gave me her address and an invitation to come live here. Her house is far enough into the country that it'll be hard for anyone to find me, and I can always morph if anyone does come looking. I'm not registered as an Animagus, after all, and the only people that know aren't going to tell anyone else. So, how have you been, Harry? Do you like it here?"
"I'm brilliant, now that I know you're safe! I was really worried when I didn't hear from you. Emily tried to reason with me, but…"
"Sorry for worrying you, Harry. Don't fret: I'm not going anywhere anytime soon! I'll be staying here with you lot until I'm cleared, and then we'll see from there. After breaking out of Azkaban and going on the run, the most excitement I'll need for a while is just being able to go out without worrying about Aurors arresting me or Dementors feasting on my soul."
"Sounds like a plan!"
"Well, let me let you get dressed, and I'll see you in a few minutes at the breakfast table." Sirius gave his godson a big hug before leaving his room to give him privacy. It was an ecstatic Harry Potter that sat down to a big breakfast, where another surprise was waiting: Remus Lupin was sitting at the table beside Sirius, and the two old friends looked like they were catching up. The werewolf smiled when he saw Harry take a seat directly across from his godfather.
"Good morning, Harry!"
"Morning, Moony! Good to see you!"
"Alright, family! Breakfast!" Mariska announced as she and Emily began laying out a spread of eggs, bacon, sausage, toast, and hash browns.
"I hope everyone's hungry!" said Emily as she laid down the last dish.
"I expect all three of you gentlemen to eat until you're no longer hungry. There will be no denial of anything in this house!" Mariska informed the males seated at the table. Sirius and Remus appeared taken aback, but Harry laughed.
"She means it! If she even suspects that you're still hungry, she'll make sure keep eating."
The two Marauders decided to heed the young Potter's warning and piled their plates with food. Mariska nodded her head in approval.
"That's it. Tuck in, everybody!"
Once breakfast was finished (and Sirius and Remus had eaten thirds under Mariska's watchful eye), Emily insisted on getting robes for both Sirius and Remus, much to their protests.
"I don't want to hear it," Emily interrupted them. "Remus, consider them as birthday presents, as I've missed the past several. Sirius, you're living in my home now and I insist on you having clothes that aren't prison garbs or borrowed."
"You'd better listen to her, too," Harry advised. "We had this exact argument when I first got here, and she won."
Reluctantly, Sirius and Remus surrendered, and Emily Apparated away a few minutes later after getting their sizes. While she was away, Harry caught up with Sirius and Remus.
"Are you enjoying your summer so far, Harry?" the werewolf inquired.
"Yeah, it's been brilliant! This is the first place besides Hogwarts to feel like home. I mean, I'm sure I felt at home with Mum and Dad, but this is the first that I can remember."
At this comment, both men frowned.
"I'm so sorry, pup. This is all my fault!" Sirius claimed guiltily.
"Your fault?!" Harry challenged. "Tell me, Sirius: did you beat me and starve me?"
The Prisoner of Azkaban flinched at this information. "No! Merlin's beard, Harry! Beatings? Starvation? What the bloody hell happened to you?!"
"I really don't want to get into it until Madame Bones and Hermione's parents get here, but 'bloody hell' is a pretty accurate summary," the sole living Potter replied. Mariska's eyes narrowed.
"Those people are going to pay dearly! We're going to make sure of it!"
"Thanks," said Harry gratefully. "Now, if everyone doesn't mind, can we not talk about this anymore until later?"
"Of course! How are you doing on your homework?" Mariska asked, dropping the subject.
"Great! I'm sure if Hermione looks it over that she'll have a different opinion, but I think I'm doing pretty well. It's the first summer that I haven't dreaded my Potions homework."
"I'm sure it'll also be the first September that Severus doesn't dread looking at your homework as well," Remus commented.
"This is still weird, not being at Sniv- er, Severus's throat," said Sirius.
"You'll get used to it," said Emily as she reappeared. "It took me a while, too."
"Will he be meeting with us at all this summer?" Remus asked.
"If he does, it probably won't be very often," the witch answered. "Severus wants to help, of course, but he's also trying to make sure he doesn't tip Dumbledore off. He believes-and I agree- that the old coot won't give out any information we can use if he thinks that Sev will relay it back to us, especially since he's the one who completely ignored James and Lily's will and custody order."
"Can't besmirch that precious reputation, can we?" Sirius pondered sarcastically.
"What's your favorite subject so far, Harry?" Mariska asked loudly, attempting to keep the conversation lighthearted.
"Defense Against the Dark Arts," Harry answered, grinning at Remus as he spoke. "It's such a fascinating subject, especially when you have a teacher that's not sharing his body with Voldemort or a narcissistic fraud."
"I'm glad you enjoyed the class so much, cub," said Remus with a fond smile. Then, to Sirius, he asked, "Did you know that he can cast a corporeal Patronus?"
"You were so proud when he mastered it," Emily recalled with a smile of her own.
"A corporeal Patronus? That's impressive, Harry! What form does it take?" Sirius asked eagerly.
"A stag," Harry replied softly.
"It looks just like Prongs," Remus added.
"That's incredible, pup!"
"We're all so proud of you, Harry," said Emily warmly.
Harry smiled as he took in the feeling of being in a room full of adults who loved him and were so encouraging of him. "Thank you, all of you!"
"You're welcome, dear," answered Mariska. "Now, how about we finish Luke Skywalker's journey?"
"Who's Luke Skywalker?" Sirius puzzled.
"C'mon; we'll show you!" said Emily, steering her old friend towards the living room.
"Remember those Star Wars movies I was telling you and James about?" Remus asked as he, Harry, and Mariska followed.
"Vaguely."
"Well, this is one of them."
"I'll be along momentarily," said Mariska. "I need to soak the ham for tonight in ginger ale and put it in the oven so it's ready in time."
"You're really gonna like the movie, Sirius!" Harry promised eagerly.
Indeed, Sirius did enjoy Return of the Jedi very much! "That was bloody awesome! There are others?"
"Yes; there are two more movies," Remus confirmed.
"We are definitely watching them!"
"Of course," Emily agreed as she looked at the clock on the wall, "but they'll have to wait. We need to get some groceries for dinner, and Madame Bones and the Grangers will be arriving soon afterwards."
"What's on the menu?" Harry asked curiously.
"I was thinking ham, broccoli casserole, and a Greek tortellini salad," Mariska responded.
"That sounds delicious!" Sirius commented.
"I don't believe I've ever had the opportunity to taste a broccoli casserole. What's in it?" asked Remus.
"Broccoli, Velveeta cheese, Ritz crackers, and butter."
"I can't wait to eat that!" Harry enthused.
"Well, would you like to help make it? It takes some time to prepare it, and then it has to bake for 45 minutes," said Mariska.
"Yes, I'll help!"
"I'll help, too. I won't be able to help fetch the rest of the groceries, so I'm happy to help with whatever I can here at the house," added Sirius.
"Thank you, gentlemen! Emily dear, would you fetch the ingredients for the Greek salad, please? That can be prepared closer to dinner time."
"Sure, Mum," her daughter replied.
"I'll go along with you, Emily. It won't take as long with two of us shopping," Remus offered.
"Thanks, Remy!"
Soon, the duo left for the supermarket, leaving Mariska with Harry and Sirius.
"Ok, gentlemen, roll up your sleeves and let's get this casserole ready. Sirius, can you dump the broccoli florets into this glass dish, please? They have to cook before we can use them. Here, drizzle a little water on them, then cover the dish with plastic wrap. Yes, just like that! Ok, now it'll cook in the microwave for 7 minutes. In the meantime, the casserole dish needs to be buttered and the crackers need to be crushed up…"
Sirius turned out to be pretty good in the kitchen, as was Harry, and they had the ham done and casserole nearly done in the oven when Emily and Remus returned from the store with the groceries.
"It smells great in here!" Remus complimented as he and Emily came into the kitchen with the grocery bags.
"These two gentlemen are quite good at cooking," said Mariska with a grin as she glanced at the clock on the wall. "Em, would you get the Greek salad ready? The Grangers and Madame Bones will be arriving very shortly."
Indeed, the Grangers arrived at 6:00 sharp, with Hermione tackling Harry in a bear hug.
"Harry! How are you? I've missed you!"
Laughing, Harry returned the hug. "I'm great, Hermione. And you? I've missed you, too!"
While the teens caught up, Emily introduced Charlotte and Jacob to the other adults, and Charlotte gave Emily the Battenberg cake they brought as a dessert.
"Thank you, Charlotte! That looks divine!"
"Thank you!"
Another knock came from the front door, and Mariska returned from opening it with Madame Bones in tow.
"Good evening," she greeted as she entered the dining room.
"Hello, Amelia! So good to see you again!" said Emily.
The Head of the DMLE greeted each of them, shaking Jacob and Charlotte's hands as she introduced herself.
Dinner itself was an almost silent affair as everyone enjoyed Mariska's masterpiece of a meal with just idol chit chat like, "How's your summer been?" and "How's your homework so far?" The conversation picked up as they indulged in Charlotte's cake, which was just as delicious as it looked.
"So," Jacob began, "I'd like to get to know you all a little better. Well, most of you. Hermione has spoken so much of you, Harry, that I feel like I already know you."
Both teens went pink at this comment, and Mr. Granger continued, "I'd also like to figure out how that unpleasant brute at King's Cross figures into this when there is a room full of adults sitting here who clearly love this young man."
Harry frowned at the mention of Uncle Vernon, and Hermione began to object. "Daddy, maybe we could not talk about this now?"
"No, it's ok," said Harry with a resigned sigh. "We might as well get it done and over with. I'd like to enjoy the rest of your visit without the impending conversation about the Dursleys hanging over my head, Hermione."
The young witch squeezed her best friend's hand. "Alright, Harry."
"Where should we begin?" asked Mariska.
"From the beginning. We are dreadfully uninformed except for the highlights, I'm afraid," said Charlotte with a kind, albeit small, smile.
Sirius and Remus took turns explaining the highlights of their childhoods and what they knew of James and Peter's, of how they had become best friends and formed the Marauders, and, after guilty looks at a smirking Amelia Bones, how Sirius, James, and Peter had become Animagi.
"Like Professor McGonagall," Hermione supplied to her parents. "Remember when she turned into a cat when she told us that I was a witch?"
"Of course!" her father exclaimed. "When you see a woman transform into a cat before your very eyes, you're not likely to forget it anytime soon!"
"I was deeply touched that my friends not only hadn't abandoned me when they found out what I was, but they had illegally become Animagi so that they might make my transformations more bearable, even fun," said Remus, still glancing guiltily at Amelia, who was shaking her head and laughing.
"Why was it illegal?" asked Charlotte curiously.
"Well, we were underage, and we didn't register as Animagi like we were supposed to. What we were doing was considered incredibly dangerous, and if we told the Ministry of Magic that we were becoming Animagi so we could hang out with a werewolf on the full moon, it would never have been allowed," Sirius explained.
"Wasn't it dangerous?" asked Jacob.
"Not for Sirius, James, and Peter," said Remus. "A werewolf is only a danger to humans. It cannot harm animals."
"Once we'd all managed the transformation, we would slip down to the Whomping Willow under James's Invisibility Cloak-"
"Invisibility Cloak?" asked both adult Grangers curiously.
Harry grinned. "I'll be right back." He got up from his seat and dashed to his room, returning with a silky material folding in his arms. He shook it out like a beach towel and held it up for Jacob and Charlotte to see. "This is my dad's Invisibility Cloak." He then wrapped it around himself, and Charlotte let out a small scream of surprise as Harry completely disappeared except for his grinning head.
"Where did the rest of you go?!"
Hermione stood, laughing at the look on her parents' faces. "He's still all there; you just can't see him. Look!" She reached out and gripped one of Harry's arms, and her parents saw as she was able to pull his arm up so his hand slid from under the Cloak and became visible again.
The other adults save Mariska and Madame Bones looked nostalgic at the sight of Harry and the Cloak.
"It's almost like being back in time and watching James," said Sirius with a shake of his head.
Harry and Hermione exchanged looks at the "back in time" comment as the former Prisoner of Azkaban continued, "So, we would sneak down to the Whomping Willow on the night of the full moon. Peter, who could turn into a rat, would slip between the branches and hit the knot that froze the tree's movements, and then James and I would transform as well and head inside to meet Moony."
Jacob questioned, "Moony?" as Charlotte asked, "What were your animal forms?"
"We liked to pull pranks in school. We called ourselves the Marauders and fashioned nicknames after our transformed selves. As a werewolf, I was Moony. Peter was Wormtail. James was a stag that we called Prongs. And Sirius-"
Sirius interrupted Remus's explanation by standing and transforming into his Animagus form.
"-was Padfoot," Remus finished with a chuckle.
Sirius was laughing too when he reappeared and sat back down. Then he picked back up the story. "We would go on grand adventures across the grounds in our animal forms. It was dangerous, but we were pretty stupid as kids. I was extra stupid. As I said, we had a bitter rivalry with Snape, and I took it too far one day. He was, of course, very interested in where Remus went every month, so I, er, thought it would be funny to tell him how to freeze the Whomping Willow. He did, but thankfully James found out and stopped him from going through the tunnel. Had he gone through, Remus would have attacked him and it would have been all my fault."
"Why did you hate each other so much?" Jacob asked, brows knit together as he tried to figure the story out.
"It's a long story," said Emily. "Severus was one of Lily's best friends when she came to Hogwarts. They had met as young children, and he was actually the first to tell her that she was a witch and that she wasn't going crazy when she accidentally turned Petunia's hair green during an argument. Petunia was actually really jealous of the fact that Lily was a witch and she wasn't. She also hated Severus for this reason, although he didn't endear himself to her too well either by making it clear that he considered himself better than Petunia because she's a Muggle. Severus was also very interested in the Dark Arts, which was what started the rivalry between Severus and James and his friends."
"Well, that and James was super jealous that Snape was hanging out with Lily," Sirius added.
"Well, Lily and I became friends right away. We were both sorted into Gryffindor and both had Muggle upbringings, so we bonded immediately. We became like sisters after a while. Lily was broken-hearted by Petunia's complete rejection of her; Lily wrote her tons of letters every year for all seven years that we were at Hogwarts, and Petunia never answered a single one. We did everything together. She tried to maintain her friendship with Severus too, despite him being sorted into Slytherin, and it worked until our fifth year. She'd defended him tirelessly every time he got into a fight with the Marauders, and she often told James that he was an arrogant bully. James ended up being right about Severus, though. She intervened during a particularly nasty fight that had become physical between James and Severus, but Severus turned on her and snarled that he didn't need the protection of a Mudblood."
There was no need to explain the cruel word, for Charlotte gasped and Jacob's eyes narrowed as he growled, "Whoever came up with such a disgusting term?"
"I'm sorry that you're familiar with it," said Emily sadly. "How did you hear about it?"
"Draco Malfoy called Hermione a Mudblood in our second year because she made a fool of him during a Quidditch practice when he was showing off the brooms his father bought for the Slytherin team," said Harry, expression mirroring Mr. Granger's.
"Of course it was a Malfoy," Sirius commented darkly.
Emily continued, "Lily was devastated by this, and she cut Severus out of her life completely. It was around this time that James began to mature as well, and it wasn't too long before Lily began to be friendlier towards him. In fact, in our seventh year, she and I became Animagi, too. Much to everyone's amusement, Lily was a doe, and we called her Firefawn. I was called Songfeather because, well-" There was a pop, and Emily became a mockingbird with electric blue feathers on her left wing. She flew in a circle a few times chirping a short melody before reappearing as her normal self.
"It was also during our seventh year that Lily finally accepted James's offer for a date. I know the rest of us were celebrating, too!"
"We'd been calling them getting together since our first year," Remus commented with a smirk.
"Indeed," Amelia agreed, speaking for the first time since the conversation started. "I've never seen a couple so suited for each other like Lily Evans and James Potter!"
"They were married not too long after graduating from Hogwarts," said Sirius, a sad, wistful smile on his face.
Harry's smiled and told his godfather, "Mum and Dad's wedding photo is one of my favorites. They both look so happy. It's also the only photo I have of you."
Sirius's smile became more cheerful. "That was one of the happiest days of their lives, besides the day you were born."
"That was the happiest day of Padfoot's life, too" said Remus thoughtfully. "He cried when James asked him to be your godfather."
"They were so proud to be your parents," said Emily.
"I swear, James said, 'I'm a father!' every day for three weeks when he came to the office," said Amelia.
Harry felt the corner of his eyes sting with unshed tears, and Hermione wrapped an arm around his shoulders in a side hug.
"So, how did all that joy turn into those horrible people at the train station?" asked Jacob.
"Voldemort," said Sirius gravely.
"The most evil wizard in our history. Those were very dark times. You never knew if you were going to find the Dark Mark hovering over your home and your family murdered. You didn't know who you could trust anymore. Voldemort's Death Eaters were just as cold-hearted and brutal as he was, and they took great pleasure in torturing and murdering Muggles or Muggleborns, or anyone else they felt like killing," said Amelia.
"There was no such thing as defying Voldemort and living to tell the tale," Emily continued, "This is where our failure of Harry starts. My father refused to serve Voldemort, and he fought with the Aurors to stop him. Walden McNair tortured my father to death and left his body in what was left of our living room after he blew up the house and conjured the Dark Mark."
Charlotte clasped her hands over her mouth. "Oh! Oh, I'm so sorry!"
Jacob shuddered before asking, "What is this Dark Mark you keep mentioning, and how does this affect Harry?"
"The Dark Mark is Voldemort's calling card," Remus explained. "It looks like a green firework in the shape of a snake wrapped through a skull."
"If you were part of Magic Britain during Voldemort's reign of terror, then the Dark Mark was one of the most terrifying sights there was," said Sirius with a shudder of his own.
"After my husband's murder, I completely shut down," Mariska recalled. "We were childhood friends, and we were married and had Emily by the time we were 20. I had no idea how to live without Shane, and I was terrified that those demons would take my daughter away from me, too. Emily had to take care of me for a while; I had a complete nervous breakdown and wasn't mentally capable of doing anything. She took us to Munich, where my family is from. They're all gone now, but we both speak German and we'd been to visit my aunts many times. It was a good decision, because the familiar environment definitely made my recovery easier."
"We were in Munich for 12 years," said Emily. "I lost contact with Lily and James when Harry was about 4 months old. I was so focused on my mother's mental health and recovery that I hadn't bothered keeping up with any news, and I didn't know any Magic people in Germany. When Mum was finally ready to return to Britain, I was so excited to find Lily and James and surprise them with the news that we were returning. I was devastated upon our return to learn that Lily and James had died!"
"We're getting a little out of order, Em," said Sirius gently. When the witch nodded, the wizard continued, "Lily and James were exactly like Shane Tarleton: very vocal of their opposition to Voldemort, and three times they defied him. Then, Dumbledore made them aware that they were in danger and convinced them to go into hiding. They used something called a Fidelius charm, which allows you to hide something or someone where it cannot be found by anyone except those that are given the Secret. Say, for example, I wanted to hide this cake plate and I used the Fidelius charm. No one would able to see it, even though we're all sitting here staring at it. Only I would know it was there. Now, you also have a Secret Keeper…let's say I make Harry my Secret Keeper. I've told him that the cake plate is in the middle of the table. Now he can see it, too. As long as he keeps my secret, no one will find the plate except the two of us."
"So they used this charm to go into hiding, and they had a Secret Keeper," Jacob summarized. Charlotte's face paled as she connected to dots in her mind.
"Whoever their Secret Keeper was told Voldemort where to find them!"
"Yes, I'm afraid so," Remus confirmed heavily. "Our other friend, Peter Pettigrew, was Lily and James's Secret Keeper."
"That's my fault," Sirius muttered darkly. "James wanted to use me as Secret Keeper, but I thought that we could fool Voldemort. I let everyone think that I was the Secret Keeper so I could be a decoy. Peter was known for not being as talented as the rest of us and for being something of a wimp, so I suggested that James make him the Secret Keeper with the idea in mind that no one would ever suspect that a weakling like him would be given such an important task. None of us counted on Peter's cowardice leading him to join the Death Eaters. Indeed, he told Voldemort the Secret just a week after they went into hiding."
Both Dr. Grangers stared in horror. Harry clenched his fists angrily and willed himself to remain composed. Even though he already knew most of the details, it still enraged him to hear the story of Pettigrew selling his mother and father out to Voldemort.
Sirius swallowed thickly a few times before continuing, "They didn't stand a chance. Voldemort murdered Lily and James and attempted to kill Harry as well. We still don't know why, but when he tried to kill Harry, the curse rebounded onto himself and destroyed his body. I had gone to check on Peter that night, but when I saw signs of a hasty retreat, I knew something was wrong. When I arrived at Godric's Hollow to check on Lily and James, I found them dead and Harry bleeding and crying for his mother. Devastated as I was about Lily and James, there aren't words to describe my immense joy at finding Harry alive! As I prepared to take Harry home, Hagrid arrived and said he had orders from Dumbledore to take Harry to him for safety. I argued that I would take care of Harry's safety as I'm his godfather and was now responsible for raising him. Hagrid refused and kept telling me that Dumbledore wanted Harry brought to him to ensure his safety. At the time, even though I was loathe to follow along, I believed that no one would dare try to harm Harry while he was in Dumbledore's care. I let Hagrid take him and then made the stupid decision to hunt Peter down. I wanted to make him pay for his treachery. I cornered him on a street in London, but the rat was cleverer than I ever gave him credit for. When he saw me, he yelled for the whole street to hear, 'Lily and James, Sirius! How could you?' When I raised my wand to attack him, he blew the street apart with a blasting hex, killing 12 Muggles. Then he cut off his finger, transformed into his Animagus form, and disappeared into the hole he'd created. I never really understood what temporary insanity was until that day, but now I do. I'd failed to protect Lily and James. I'd failed to secure custody of Harry. Now, I'd failed to apprehend the man responsible for making the tragedy possible. I started laughing, and I'm sure I looked like a lunatic. Minister Bagnold, the previous Minister of Magic, had me sent to Azkaban without a trial on the advice of Barty Crouch Sr., Amelia's predecessor."
"No trial?!" Hermione's parents looked outraged.
"No trial. They wanted a swift resolution to the matter, and it was chaotic in the aftermath of Voldemort's downfall, so they could basically do whatever they wanted."
Remus took over again. "Lily and James included a custody order in their will. As godfather, Sirius was at the very top of the list of guardians. When he went to Azkaban, guardianship was supposed to go to either Emily, me, or to Frank and Alice Longbottom, friends of theirs with a son Harry's age. I don't consider myself a suitable guardian for a child since I turn into a dangerous monster once a month. Emily was laying low in Germany, and poor Frank and Alice are lifetime residents of the mental ward at St. Mungo's Hospital."
"Neville's parents?" Hermione asked in surprise. "What happened? I knew that he'd been raised by his grandmother and he never talks about his parents, so I assumed they'd passed away."
"That would've been kinder than what happened to them," said Sirius with a sigh. "They were both tortured into insanity with the Cruciatus Curse by a group of Death Eaters. They have absolutely no memories and have very limited cognitive and physical abilities." Hermione gasped.
"Oh, poor Neville!"
Harry shook his head sympathetically, remembering that he wasn't supposed to know this information yet.
"Part of what we're trying to figure out is why neither of us was contacted about guardianship of Harry," said Remus. "For reasons I don't understand, Dumbledore decided to leave Harry in the care (Sirius and Harry both snorted bitterly) of Petunia, Lily's sister. Petunia and her husband, Vernon, were not in consideration for guardianship. Lily and Petunia hadn't spoken in a long time when she died, and Petunia hated magic. She wouldn't let Lily be a bridesmaid in her wedding and didn't even come to Lily's wedding. No, Lily and James never considered Petunia as a guardian for Harry."
"The old coot's excuse for placing Harry with Petunia was some sort of convoluted nonsense about Harry having protective magic around him because Lily sacrificed her life protecting him and Petunia being able to continue said magic because she and Harry are both Lily's family," said Emily with a roll of her green eyes.
"Is that even possible?" asked Jacob dubiously.
"No," said Sirius.
"Even if it was, Mum should've been protected, too," said Harry as he had a sudden epiphany.
"How so?" asked Charlotte as Emily, Hermione, and Sirius looked at him inquisitively.
"Well, there's this Dark creature called a Dementor. It feeds on your happiness and forces you to relive your worst moments," Harry explained. "When I'm too close to a Dementor, I relive the night my parents were murdered. I can hear my father calling to my mother to take me and run because Voldemort is breaking in, then my mum screams as my dad dies. Then I can hear Voldemort telling my mother to step aside so he can kill me and Mum crying and begging him to spare me before he kills her. The last thing I hear before I pass out is my mother screaming my name as she dies. Dad died first, so if you can protect someone by sacrificing yourself for them, then Voldemort shouldn't have been able to kill my mother, either."
Sirius and Emily exchanged melancholy looks at this information while Madame Bones exhaled sharply. "So Albus Dumbledore decided that he knew the law better than the Ministry of Magic, that he knew what was best for Harry better than his own mother and father! It's not like it was a secret that Lily wasn't close to her sister or that Petunia hated magic. That man is going to have a lot to answer for when I'm through with him!"
"We haven't even gotten to the fun part yet," Harry snarked darkly, and Remus growled.
"Unfortunately, this is the part where I have to ask you some uncomfortable questions, Harry," said Madame Bones apologetically.
"Let's get this over with," the boy wizard sighed.
"I'll have to take notes as part of my investigation," the head of the DMLE informed him.
"As long as you don't use a Quick Quotes Quill."
Amelia snorted. "I'll leave that nonsense to Rita Skeeter." Indeed, the quill she pulled out of her clutch was an eagle feather quill in a most ordinary shade of brown. "Could you please describe your living conditions at 4 Privet Drive and your treatment at the hands of your guardians, Vernon and Petunia Dursley?"
"My bedroom from the day I arrived at my aunt's house until I began receiving my Hogwarts letters was the cupboard under the stairs, and I was often locked in the cupboard for punishment, as well. My aunt told me from as early as I can remember that my parents were unemployed drunks who were killed in a car accident that my father caused, and not to ask questions. I wasn't sure what my name was until I started Muggle primary school, because up until that point, I had only been called 'boy' or 'freak'. My uncle made it very clear that I was only living in their house because I had to and that he resented every second of my coexistence with them. I received the first hug that I can remember from Hermione at the end of our first year at Hogwarts. My birthday was always ignored, and I was never included in any holiday celebrations. My aunt and uncle were both quite happy to find excuses to punish me for the smallest mistake, especially if it was due to accidental magic."
"Can you describe these punishments?"
"I was punched and beaten quite often by my uncle. He used his hands or his fists mostly, but he wasn't opposed to using objects either, like a bungee cord or a golf club. He drilled my knuckles once for hitting Dudley, even though the only reason I hit him was because he'd punched me in the face and broken my glasses for the first time. Aunt Petunia made me crawl through the rose bushes when I was about 7 because I had tracked mud into the house on a rainy day. She also made me strip starkers outside so I wouldn't drag anything else in or drip water on her carpet. I was responsible for most of the cooking by the time I was 6, but I wasn't allowed to eat any of it. My food was the scraps off Aunt Petunia's plate and any extras that Dudley or Uncle Vernon didn't eat. I was often made to go without food as a punishment. Uncle Vernon made sure that I didn't eat for a week shortly before I started getting my Hogwarts letters because I'd had an episode of accidental magic and had somehow made the glass of a snake exhibit disappear at the zoo while my cousin was looking through the glass. Aunt Petunia bashed me in the head with a frying pan because I teased Dudley and said I was going to use my wand to light a bush on fire. Dudley was encouraged to use me as a punching bag and beat me up. His favorite childhood activity was Harry Hunting, when he and his friends would chase me down and beat me up."
The entire table was silent except for the frenzied scratching of Amelia's quill, the hiccups and sniffles of Hermione, her mother, and the Tarleton women, and snarls from Remus. Harry glanced at his godfather and saw that his bony hands were balled up in shaking fists. Jacob Granger looked as murderous as the two Marauders did, and Amelia's jaw was so clenched so tightly that Harry was surprised her teeth didn't shatter. Harry remembered that Moony and Mr. Weasley had threatened Uncle Vernon after Sirius died in the old timeline, but the werewolf certainly didn't display the level of rage that he was showing right now. It then dawned on him that Remus hadn't known the full extent of his abuse at the hands of his aunt and uncle in the previous timeline. I wonder how much I could've changed for the better if I'd spoken up more often before?
"I'LL KILL THEM!" Sirius roared, pounding his still shaking fist on the table and startling everyone else.
"Sirius, you're already wanted for murder," Remus reminded him calmly. Then, he growled, "Allow me to make them pay!"
"Make no mistake: Vernon and Petunia Dursley will pay dearly for what they've done!" Amelia vowed. "However, you two gentlemen would do well to remember that this thirst for revenge is why you're a fugitive right now, Sirius, and part of why Harry ended up with these demons in the first place!"
This effectively shut the two Marauders down, and both looked shame-faced down at their empty plates.
"Now," continued Amelia in a more serene tone, "Emily, you and I need to set up an appointment at St. Mungo's to evaluate Harry's health and get some physical proof to take to the Muggle police as well as before the Wizengamot for a hearing on our side of the law. I will also be sending some Aurors out to investigate why, exactly, the Potters' will was ignored and how Albus bloody Dumbledore was able to get away with taking control of Harry's life. I'll have you sign off on what you told me tonight, Harry, to serve as your sworn statement. Let me know if there's anything you'd like to add." Turning to Remus and Emily, she continued, "I'll be taking statements from to two of you as well."
"I want to give a statement," Sirius insisted.
"Yes, as would we," Charlotte asserted.
"Of course," Amelia reassured. "Unfortunately, Sirius, yours will have to be off the record until I've made more headway in clearing your name, but I'll be happy to accept your statement in the meantime."
"I'm sure Severus will be happy to cooperate," said Remus thoughtfully. "He was apoplectic with rage when he found out what happened to Harry."
"I will indeed be taking statements from Professor Snape, as well as the rest of the Hogwarts staff. I've already told Kingsley Shacklebolt and Nymphadora Tonks to be ready to go at a moment's notice and to expect that they'll be knee-deep in this investigation until we've taken it to trial. I'm going to take as much time as I need to in order to have such a strong case that even Albus Dumbledore won't be able to wriggle out of this travesty!"