Silence fell upon the kitchen of Grimmauld Place when Dumbledore finished his explanation about what had happened to the Sorcerer's Stone, and who he believed to be behind it.
"What is the use of your pet Death Eater if he cannot even notice when his Dark Mark burns?" Moody spat glaring at Snape. "We could have known what was going to happen earlier. You knew, didn't you, Snape? I think you even helped your master to-"
"Now, now, Alastor, Severus already explained that he didn't feel anything." Albus tried to pacify the gruff man.
"But Longbottom had a reaction with his scar, certainly the Death Eaters would have felt it too!" the old auror retorted.
"Perhaps we should just set a killing curse on a toddler, and, if they survive, research how cursed scars react when they are not caused by the Dark Lord," Snape said silkily. "A cursed scar is entirely different from the Dark Mark. You all have such an abysmal knowledge of magic that I cannot understand how you call yourselves wizards and witches."
"Shut up, Snivellus!" Sirius said standing up.
"Or what?" Snape asked, his hand gripping his wand, "Are you going to curse me? You will be cursed into oblivion before you can utter a single spell, Black;" a smirk "And you know it."
Black went to draw his wand, but before he could do anything Dumbledore raised his open hand, which was enough to placate Sirius into halting his action.
"Sirius, Severus, please calm yourselves. You are on the same side, please refrain yourselves from acting in this childish way!"
"I don't trust him, Albus!" Sirius said exasperated. "How can you trust a Death Eater?"
"You say that like you've never put your faith in the wrong person." Snape trailed off. "Are you a master legilimens, Black? Oh my, what an obvious question! With your lack of capacity of course you are not. I wonder what makes you think you can judge people better than the Headmaster." He pointed to the bearded man before giving a deep, long sigh. "Although, with your arrogance you would obviously think yourself better and able to read my mind, no problem."
"You will never insinuate anything about James and Lily again, Snape!" Sirius practically growled out.
"And again I ask you what you are going to do if I refuse to follow your... Advice. Tell me to leave? You'd be doing me a favour. I bet that even Lily, now escaped from Azkaban, has more resolve than you."
"Severus!" Dumbledore called briskly. "You are not helping."
"Forgive me, Albus, but it wasn't me who started this stunt."
"But you keep arguing with Sirius..." Molly started but was silenced by Snape's glare.
"I already told you, we are not here to discuss Severus' loyalties. Leave it to me, I assure you that I trust him. Now, we must talk about how we will proceed from now on should my suspicions be proven true."
"Poor Neville, to have a link with that... Monster." Molly cried.
"Yes, not all have willingly been marked by Him!" Sirius muttered but this time Severus ignored him.
"My grandson is NOT marked!" Augusta protested.
Dumbledore pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. Ignoring the others in the kitchen he continued to talk.
"We must decide our course of action. If Voldemort is really coming back we need to find out how it is possible that he seems to be immortal," Dumbledore said raising his voice. At the word 'immortal' the other occupants of the place looked disgusted. "If we don't find this out, I fear we will never be able to defeat him."
"Don't you know anything about it, Severus?" asked Kingsley in a neutral tone. He wasn't accusing Snape.
"Of course I know. Obviously the Dark Lord shares with his Death Eaters the method to become immortal!" Snape sarcastically replied.
"For Merlin's sake, can't you be polite, Snape?" Molly spoke annoyed.
Albus spoke up before Snape could focus his ire on the redhead woman. "Do you think that he discussed immortality with any of the Death Eaters, Severus?"
"I don't know... The closest Death Eaters were Bellatrix and Lucius," He gave a long pause "and Potter in the end. But if I had to guess he would talk about it with Bellatrix; her knowledge about the Dark Arts was the biggest among the Death Eaters. Lucius and Potter were great duellists, but they were not so keenly interested in the deepest secrets of magic, or the borderline Black Magic."
Inwardly, Snape didn't believe that the Dark Lord had talked about his immortality with anyone, and that's why he provided that information. To be precise, he was almost certain that Voldemort's way to reach immortality was a secret very well hidden.
"What do you mean, Black Magic?" Arthur asked with curiosity and disgust.
Severus let a sigh out, a sigh that questioned how almost all present could be so ignorant. "Black Magic involves Necromancy and Soul Magic. It taints you, marks your soul. Very few ever tried to dabble with it. I cannot say for sure, but if there is a way to make oneself immortal, I believe it is by using Black Magic."
Snape did not even worry because he was volunteering that information. Books about Black Magic were almost non-existent, and the rare ones were in possession of ancient families that practiced it. He also did not say that he had brewed potions used in black rituals for the Dark Lord, of course. Severus's knowledge about Black Magic's rituals was quite vast - in the theory only, of course - but he wasn't in a position to reveal anything else, like the fact that Soul Magic was composed by two opposite branches: Life Magic and Death Magic.
"Do you have any more information about this, Snape?" Black asked.
"No. I am not so crazy as to dabble with such a thing. Books about this are very rare. Don't bother to look for them in Knockturn Alley, you will find nothing." he answered in a clipped tone.
Dumbledore didn't seem surprised by Severus's suspicions. "Sirius, it is probably useless, but Severus will look for books about the subject in your family's library." Albus informed and Sirius reluctantly nodded.
"And what are you going to do about my grandson and his damned scar?" Augusta spoke dryly.
"I am researching cursed scars, Augusta, but Neville's one is quite unique. There is no previous information about a scar caused by the killing curse."
The meeting ended soon after that. One by one the invited left Grimmauld Place, leaving only Sirius and Snape, who headed right to the library.
--/--
Harry observed as his godfather and Professor Snape walked in the library. They were clearly looking for something, and fortunately didn't notice him in a corner, near the curses section. Both men seemed to be arguing and speaking offensively to each other. The boy frowned, if Snape was there for the same meeting why didn't he and Sirius seem to get along?
He had already found the book about heritage potions that Cassiopeia had asked for. He would have to ask her why they couldn't just find it in the Hogwarts' library.
Choosing a book on curses, Harry got out of the library. One thing he really didn't need was to hear Black lecturing him about how dangerous these books were. Stupid cowardice, he thought; a wizard afraid of magic.
That was something Harry really did not comprehend. He was raised in the muggle world without knowing that what he could do was magic, yet he exhibited much more courage and curiosity about the wizarding world and magic in general than half the people raised in it. Pathetic.
He considered his mother and her muggle ancestry. It was said that Harry should have been living with her muggle sister instead of shipped off to an orphanage. As the way things happened one could only guess that Lily's sister wasn't exactly fond of his mother... Perhaps the feelings were mutual? There must be some bad blood between both sisters, or Lily would never join Voldemort, a man who despised, tortured and killed muggles, right?
Yes, his mother knew muggles, unlike many purebloods did. She knew them and was aware of what they were capable of.
Obviously Harry knew that one witch or wizard could kill ten muggles in less than thirty seconds, but wizards did not have weapons of mass destruction, nor ways to defend themselves against the ways the muggles had. So yes, it was a huge risk to blend both worlds. While wizards were powerful, the muggles were numerous; in an open war between them Harry was almost sure who would win.
That didn't mean, however, that he wanted to kill every muggle on the surface of the Earth. Which also didn't mean that he would bat an eye because some muggles were killed in the war, or tortured for that matter. He wasn't fond of them by any means. Killing all muggles was also too great a nuisance, if only because there were so many of them. It would be much easier to simply take muggleborns away from their families, obliviate said families, and raise them in the wizarding world as they should be.
While killing all the muggles was an overwhelming task, mixing with them was a ridiculous and dangerous idea. He wondered how Dumbledore, supposedly the wisest wizard in the world, supported such suggestions.
Shaking his head out of his reverie, Harry took a parchment and quill and began to write letters to his friends, thanking them for their gifts and letters. He wrote Cassiopeia's last.
Dear Cassiopeia
Thank you for the owl, I appreciated it very much. I've decided to name him Hades, he seems to like it.
I've already found a book with that potion you wanted. May I ask why we couldn't wait to find it at Hogwarts?
House elves are odd creatures, are you sure this Dobby is not just being himself?
Speaking of house elves, we have one here at Grimmauld Place. Kreacher, his name is, he hates Sirius, and doesn't always obey him. It is comical. He likes me, though, because Walburga told him that I am welcome here. He obeys me always. Black probably wants to kill the poor creature, I wouldn't be surprised. Tell your aunt that Walburga is a rather pleasant company.
Earlier there was a meeting here, but I don't know what it was about. Professor Snape, Professor McGonagall, Dumbledore, Augusta Longbottom, the Weasleys and people whose identities are unknown to me were there. Do you have any idea of what this group could be?
Snape and Black don't seem to get along. They were trading insults while looking for something in the library. Rather curious.
Nothing about my mother. It is rather frustrating. Couldn't she send a letter, at least? I know she can't come here. Black would probably denounce her. The bastard.
Do you think that my mother might seek your uncle or aunt? Or any other Death Eater? Please keep an eye on people that go to Malfoy Manor when you can.
I almost forgot to mention. Septimus sent me chocolates and I offered one to Black. When he had eaten it I told him who gave me the sweet. You had to see his face! Hilarious!
Harry
Harry finished the letter wearing the same grin he wore when he pranked Sirius. He sealed the letter along the others and gave them to Hades. The learned bird would deliver the letters throughout the night and would no doubt return while Harry was sleeping. When Hades was out of sight Harry readied himself for bed.
--/--
Spinner's End was a quiet neighbourhood. It was already late and almost nobody was outside. A figure dressed in black walked quickly and with grace in his steps.
Severus Snape was coming back from the annoying Order meeting. He was silently cursing Longbottom and his scar. It wasn't supposed to be the whole Order that know about the Dark Lord's impending return. He would need to speak with Lucius and some other Death Eaters, explaining the situation about the Brat-Who-Lived.
Sometimes he wondered if it wouldn't have been better if he had kept the Prophecy from the Dark Lord. At least the boy would not be such a nuisance, and the Dark Lord wouldn't have been vanquished the way he was
The Gryffindors hated the potions professor so much, and there were times when he wanted to shout in their faces that he was the very reason why their beloved golden boy was an orphan. Well... Him and Trelawney... And the Dark Lord, obviously. They would hate him even more, and yell, and try to hex him; and he would take away all the points.
His thoughts reverted back to the Order. He needed to pass information to his Lord somehow.
Severus looked up and down the street to confirm that no muggles were near and waved his wand, lowering the wards that didn't permit anyone to come near his home when he was out.
It was five minutes after he had settled in that there was a knock on his door. Snape frowned. Who would visit him nearing midnight? He sighed and walked to open the door, cursing mentally and promising that if it was a drunk who got lost on the way home he would hex and obliviate the pitiful person. He opened the door to have quite a shock.
The face was gaunt, pale and haunted. But the hair and the eyes were unmistakable. Eyes slightly widened, Severus whispered.
"Lily?"
She smiled slightly, but the smile was different from how he remembered it. It wasn't a light, warm and carefree smile, but a jaded and tired one. Her hand was holding a wand, and Severus could only wonder how she got possession of it.
"Come in," he said and stepped aside to clear the way.
Lily walked in cautiously, as if expecting to be attacked at any moment.
"So you are still living here, Severus..." she commented
He almost gave her a retort, but caught himself before the words could be said. Snape didn't know what state Lily's mental health was in, and a hostile reply could very well cause her to hex him...
"I've always thought that you would want to leave the muggle world for good, since you are not really fond of them," she said while looking over every detail of the room "but you were always full of surprises."
Snape thought it wise to keep his distance. "I wanted to leave, but not many know about this place, and should another war begin I would use the Fidelius for safety."
"I'm glad you kept the place, or else I don't know how I would find someone who can help me," Lily said as she sat on the floor, Severus frowned but said nothing. "Don't worry, I wont force myself in your house, Severus, I know how much you appreciate your privacy. I merely want to know how things are going."
Seeing that Lily had come here as a friend and not a foe, Severus cautiously relaxed into a chair, one that was facing her directly. "How did you manage all these months out of Azkaban?"
Lily laughed aloud before speaking. "Caught a wizard that was exiting the Leaky Cauldron late one night. I hit him with a rock, and stole his wand. Lucky me, the core was the same as my own. Applied a glamour, you know how gifted I am with charms." They shared a smug smile "Went to Gringotts; it is so fortunate that the goblins don't care about wizard's matters, don't you think? They don't care if the Dark Lord himself shows up there. Anyway, I bought a new wand in Knockturn and I've been living in the muggle world for the last month."
Severus nodded, his lips almost twitching in a smile after hearing Lily's tale. "I am glad you got out of there," he said carefully.
"Me too," Lily whispered, and her eyes unfocused, as though she was lost in a dream, or a memory. Snape only observed the episode that lasted nothing more than a few seconds. Recovered, Lily asked one of the things she was there to know about. "I felt something, before I escaped. The Dark Mark, it burned. He is rising, isn't he?"
"It wasn't weeks before you escaped Lily, but months."
Her eyes widened, but she nodded. Azkaban stole the sense of time.
"But yes, I believe he is."
Lily sighed deeply. The two old friends sat in silence for a few moments, Lily's mind travelling back to what she did when she officially escaped
"I cursed people, Severus." she said. "I didn't know what else to do. I wanted to feel better, but I couldn't see a way to do so. And then I cursed people, innocent people. I wanted them to... to feel as miserable as I felt..." her voice had no emotion, it was cold, as if she was describing killing a few insects.
Snape wasn't surprised by that. Even the most kindest of souls would be unstable after undergoing a few years in Azkaban. Lily had always had a temper, and Lily post-Azkaban would be terrifying when provoked. She was feeling wronged, probably powerless too, and cursing people would give her that sense of control she needed.
"What did you use?"
"Bone breaking, blood boiling and cutting curses. I have never... Before everything happened... I have never gone in raids with the other Death Eaters. I didn't really like this sort of thing."
"Do you like it now?" Severus asked. It wasn't really the question he wanted to ask, but he was almost sure that no matter how unstable Lily was, she would not reveal why she joined the Death Eaters.
"I liked it, and I feel bad because I did," Lily replied, looking at her nails. "But when I was cursing them it felt good, it made me feel... Warm."
"I have never been someone who enjoyed meaningless torture," Snape stated calmly, "I rarely participated in the raids myself. My main work had always been to brew potions... But when a prisoner was someone that I disliked, I won't lie, I enjoyed the torture... Although I mostly liked to watch it rather than undertake it." he paused, choosing his words carefully. "I think that it is only natural for you to do this now. Besides, when you joined the Dark Lord you knew you would have to eventually participate in these acts."
"No, I wouldn't have," Was her simple reply. Severus looked at her puzzled, and she explained. "We had a deal. At first James hesitated in participating too, but then he started to like it. He was never a saint, never pretended to be. Perhaps he just didn't care anymore... But, now I, I think... I think that I would want to participate too."
Snape was taken aback. The Dark Lord never made deals with anyone, not unless he knew that the deal would be useless for the other participant. If he wanted something he would make a deal and later break it.
"Do you feel bad for enjoying the torture?"
"Yes, and no;" she put her elbow to her knee and rested her head on her hand. "I know my parents would be disgusted with me... How can I be a mother now? What would I say to my son? I... I saw him today, and he looked so innocent, so clean..."
Snape stiffened in his seat. "You saw your son today? How?"
"I have my ways." she replied dryly.
"You should know that there was an informal meeting of the Order in Grimmauld Place tonight. You shouldn't be anywhere near there." He warned her. "And how did you know where to look for the child in the first place?"
Lily stared at him, as though that was the stupidest question ever.
"Well, Sirius is Harry's godfather, so it was obvious where Harry would be. I just hope that he wasn't educated to hate me and James."
Severus gulped and discreetly reached the wand in his pocket before delivering the bad news. "Black did not raise your son, Lily."
Lily's smile fell.
"Harry was left with Petunia."
"Dear Merlin!" She gasped.
"But she didn't want him, so she left him in a muggle orphanage."
Lily exhaled sharply and closed her eyes, counting to ten and trying to calm herself.
"So... Sirius left my son with Petunia?" she asked rhetorically and full of disbelief. "He knows what kind of person she is." Her tone began to darken with every word she spoke. "He knows she was jealous of me for being a witch, and that she hates magic. And he left, my Harry, with HER!?"
Glasses broke in the room, Severus' favourite whiskey's bottle included. Lily stood up and paced on the carpet.
"And that idiot sister left my son in an orphanage... I don't know who I want to kill the most right now... I guess it is Black; Petunia at least is ignorant, she is dead to me now..." but then she turned to Severus, and he really did not like the rage he saw, as it was directed at him. "AND WHERE THE HELL WERE YOU!?" she shouted and cursed him, the potions professor only putting a shield up to absorb the curse.
She resumed pacing, whispering something that Severus didn't understand promptly. "And Malfoy... He knew. He knew and yet did nothing,"
Snape frowned. What did Lucius know?
Lily focused on him again. "Why didn't you take care of my son?" She asked coldly.
"I couldn't. Dumbledore had just convinced the Order that I was loyal... Raising the Potters' son would only raise suspicions... Besides, do you really think that I would be fit to raise a child, Lily?"
"COWARD!" she shouted and cursed him again, but Snape raised another shield. "The lot of you! You are all COWARDS! I suppose Malfoy was trembling with fear too?" then she laughed. "But when the time comes, someone will not be happy with him, and I am not talking about James." she finished grinning and started walking towards the door.
Severus stood when she walked past him. "Where are you going?" He asked, but felt he already knew the answer.
"I do believe I have a marauder to curse into oblivion." she said, opening the door, exiting the anti-apparition wards and disapparating before Severus could say another word.
Severus sat back on his sofa and began to think about the things Lily told him. The fact that Lily and James had a deal with the Dark Lord was disturbing. Why would he make a deal with a muggleborn Light witch and a blood traitor? Why? There had to be something paramount to the fact that the Potters joined the Death Eaters, and Lucius probably knew the reason why they did too.
He cast a reparo on the glasses that were broken thanks to Lily's magic, and summoned from the kitchen a bottle of whiskey. Severus smirked thinking about what was going to happen to Black. Pity he wouldn't be there to see it.
--/--
Harry woke with a start when he heard a tapping at his bedroom window. He quickly grabbed his glasses and saw the dark shape of a raven tapping on his window incessantly. He frowned, wondering if he should let it in or not. Why would this animal annoy him in the middle of the night? He heard Hades hoot happily, as though he were encouraging Harry to let the raven in.
Never one to disagree with the opinions of an owl, the boy opened the window and the bird flew inside. Once it was in the middle of the room, it quickly transformed into the visage a woman with red hair that fell to her waist. Harry immediately drew his wand and pointed it at her; but before he could say anything she turned to face him.
Harry's eyes widened like saucers when he saw her face, and he felt his heart swell as he put his wand down. "Mother?"
She smiled and nodded, tears falling from her eyes. "Yes, my boy, it's me."
Harry had a knot in his throat and was breathing heavily. He didn't know exactly what to do, but the confusion lasted mere seconds, because Lily opened her arms, offering an embrace. He threw himself at her arms, and both stood there, hanging onto each other and crying silently.
"I am so sorry I didn't come sooner, but I didn't want to reveal myself," she said and caressed his cheek.
"Harry!" called Sirius' voice from outside the door. "The wards were triggered, there is someone in the house!"
The door opened and before Sirius could react Lily shouted.
"Expelliarmus!"
"Kreacher!" Harry called at the same time.
"Yes, master Harry, what you's is wanting?" the elf said after popping in the room.
"Lock the floo. If someone comes here tell them to wait downstairs." Harry instructed the house-elf.
"You will do no such thing, Kreacher. Call Dumbledore!" Sirius tried to command him.
"Kreacher is not wanting to obey master Sirius," the elf said and punched himself. "Kreacher is not calling Dumbledore. Bad elf, bad elf! Mistress told Kreacher to obey young master Harry, and Kreacher is doing this." the elf popped out of the room. Harry grinned.
"Do you know what I found out today, Sirius Black?" Lily asked, walking towards the man. "I've been informed that you left my son to be raised by Petunia. Incarcerous!" She shouted, summoning binds that kept Sirius bound tight. "And I know that you were aware of how lovely Petunia is. I think you should be grateful that she left Harry in an orphanage, I guess it would have been much worse if she raised him. And if that were the case, you would be dead right now."
Sirius swallowed loudly. The blasted elf was his last hope and the creature refused to obey him.
"Lily I—" Sirius began but didn't finish. Instead he screamed when a bone breaking curse hit his right arm.
"I want to hear what your excuse is, Sirius."
"You are crazy, Li—"
"OF COURSE I AM CRAZY! I JUST GOT OUT OF AZKABAN YOU IMBECILE!" she shouted and sent a cutting hex on his right leg. He screamed again. "Now start talking, because I don't know how long my patience will last. Why did you leave my son with my magic hating sister?"
Sirius wasn't sure if his answer would help him, but seeing that his situation was already really bad, he decided to talk.
"I didn't know what to tell him. I... Even after what you did, after what you and James did I still had some consideration for you, for the old times, you know? And I couldn't raise him to hate you both, it would be despicable... I left him to be raised away from magic, away from prejudice, because I thought that then he would not want to follow in your footsteps!"
Harry laughed soundly.
Lily, still facing Sirius, raised one eyebrow.
"You are an irresponsible, inconsequential, cowardly man, Black!" she spat. "You are all pitiful excuses of wizards. You, Malfoy, and Severus! I can't believe all of you are giving me such laughable excuses because you abandoned my son. I trusted you and Severus, you know..."
"Don't compare me to Snivellus!" The man said, feeling disgusted.
"I trusted him, yes, and he failed me too. However... The responsibility was yours. Ignis sensatus!"
Sirius felt as if his whole body was in flames, but the curse only caused the sensation, it didn't really burn; which didn't mean that there weren't after effects.
Harry, for his part, wasn't understanding most of what his mother was saying. What did his head of house and Malfoy - Lucius? - have to do with him?
"And tell me, Black, why is Harry living with you now?"
"Because, mother," Harry spoke up before Sirius could answer "He thought that your presence would be endangering to me, according to him. Though I would believe that he also just plain wanted me to be away from you."
Lily looked directly at Sirius and shook her head. "Bad decision, Sirius. But, at the same time I am glad that my son is not living in an orphanage anymore. Tell me, Harry, is he treating you rightly?" She asked her son over her shoulder.
"He is decent, but he doesn't allow my friends to come here, and neither does he allow me to visit them."
"And why, Sirius, don't you allow Harry's friends to come here?"
"They aren't fit to be his friends."
"Oh, shut up!" Harry shouted. "You don't want them here because they are all children of Death Eaters!"
"Is that so?" Lily said frowning. "You offend me, Sirius. I am, after all, a Death Eater too. You allow Harry, the son of Death Eaters to LIVE here, but you don't allow the children of other Death Eaters to merely VISIT? What kind of backwards hypocritical thinking is that?"
"Now, I'm done with talking with you. I'm going to stun you Sirius, and when you wake up I will be gone. I want you to treat Harry in a better manner. I don't want you to spoil him, Merlin forbid! But you have to agree that forbidding his friends to visit is very unreasonable. Goodbye, Black. I would pray to every god you know, because James might not be so forgiving as I am. Stupefy!"
Harry was amazed. His mother was sweet and scary at the same time. And she didn't even think about harming him. Dumbledore and Sirius were wrong. Dead wrong.
Having closed the door to the stunned Sirius, Harry and Lily were now alone, and they spent a great deal of time talking. She revealed to him how she escaped Azkaban - using her animagus form of a raven when the wards were weakened for some reason that was unknown to her. The boy told her that he was in Slytherin and all the things that happened in Hogwarts - including Snape's little talk with Quirrellmort - and about his friends.
Harry also explained that he already knew about the Potter fortune and that he hasn't taken too much money from his trust vault, even if the amount of gold in there was huge.
Lily, in the middle of the conversation, remembered that the prior day had been Harry's birthday and was mortified to think that she had almost forgotten it - she blamed Azkaban for that. She promised him that she would send him something, and that he would know it was from her.
Harry became frustrated when his mother refused to tell him why his father and her joined the Dark Lord. She said it was too soon, but that one day he would know. Harry tried to insist, but she gave him a glare that meant he would not have his answer. Not that night.
"Sirius is waking, I should go," she said and walked towards the window.
"We could just stupefy him again." Harry suggested.
"No, I shouldn't have stayed so long anyway." She looked out the window to see the coast was clear. She turned back to Harry and bent a little to his eye level, a hand on his shoulder as she continued speaking. "Don't look for me, son, but keep an open eye, because I might seek you. Don't tell anybody about my animagus form, not even your best friends; only your father and a few Death Eaters know about it." She brought her other hand up and the two embraced in another hug. "Goodbye Harry, I love you, don't ever doubt that everything I did was for you."
She stepped away and transformed into the raven and flew out the open window. Harry was smiling the whole time.
He had finally met his mother! And she loved him! She was powerful and strong and was resolute in his safety and happiness. She couldn't take him with her, he understood why, but having met her he already knew that living in a home with his mother would be like living a dream.
Too bad he would have to deal with Black.
A/N: I imagine some of my readers will think the "Harry heard Hades hoot happily" line was intentional. Well, it mostly wasn't. Just a happy little accident I decided to keep.
Also, as most of you will know, I don't have a full grasp on where theresnomeaning planned on taking this story beyond what they wrote and I don't know the reason they had in mind as to why James and Lily joined Voldemort, so it is a bit of guess work and my own interpretation for how I personally would want to see it happen. Hope everyone will appreciate that fact and not hate the choices I make with the story's future. :)