"Who was it?" Chase asked quietly.
"On'y fave people. Madeline Jordan, Brody and Jenny Fife, firsters, Cailin Max and Apacia Malfoy."
Elisabeth stuffed her fist into her mouth to keep from screaming.
"Oh god." Moira said. "Oh god oh god oh god. Oh. My. God."
Chase wrapped his arms around Elisabeth to keep her from falling off the seat.
"Are they going to send us home?" Daniel asked numbly.
Liam shook his head. "Why? We'd 'ave a bunch a uneducated wizards runnin' 'round the country. B'sides, 'taint no place safer than Hogwarts."
"Why did they do it?" Elisabeth whispered.
Chase and Liam seemed to be communicating through their eyes for a moment. Liam looked at Elisabeth carefully. "They were lookin' fer you."
Elisabeth's throat went dry.
"Why?" She asked, finding her voice.
"Payback." Liam said softly.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The school, which had seemed so safe and secure when they left it at the baginning of summer suddenly seemed to loom above them, a sign of the changing times.
Hermione looked at the group of seven, her honorary children. But they did not look at her. They sat at their table, McGonagall's words passing over their heads. No one stopped them all from sitting at the same table and no one stopped them from leaving early.
"I should send a letter to Draco." Elisabeth said dully as they left the Great Hall.
"I should write my dad, let him know I'm safe." Caroline said.
"Don't bother, he's here already." Liam, who had graduated two years before and was a guard at Azkaban, had been summoned as a guard at Hogwarts, came up behind them.
"I thought they only let parents in if they were summoned by teachers,"
"I have acceptional pull. As does Professor Lupin. Elisabeth, you'll find your father in Lupin's office. Caroline, the headmistress' office."
They said good bye to the others and Elisabeth followed Liam to Lupin's office.
"When did Lupin start working here?" Elisabeth asked, trying to sound normal.
"Three an' a half hours ago." Liam replied. "'E's workin' as a Defence 'Gainst the Dark Arts Professor. Snape's gone to the Ministry to 'elp with the round-up."
Elisabeth nodded. "Do you need a tissue?" Liam asked.
"I need my dad." Elisabeth said.
"I know. I know."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Harry sat in a chair, idly twirling his wand through his fingers. He frenquently mentioned to Marit the many ways that he would use to kill the Death-Eaters responsible for the attacks.
"They were children Marit! Children!"
"I know Harry, I know they were children. But killing a child is the best way to destroy a parent."
Harry glanced up as two more people walked into the small office. Lupin and Draco.
Harry stood up and hugged Draco, then he stood back and looked into his eyes. Draco's face was paler than Harry had ever seen it, but his eyes were rimmed red.
"How are you?" he asked.
"How would you be?
"Jesus Harry, they were children."
Harry nodded. "I know, I know it."
"Who would kill a baby?" Draco asked sadly. "Who would kill my baby?"
"I don't know." Harry said. He didn't know what else he could say. There really isn't anything acceptable to say to someone who just lost their child. He would check, Hermione probably had a book, One Hundred and One Things To Say To A Person Whose Child Was Murdered. He instantly hated himself for having such a thought.
"What are you going to do?" he asked.
"Help them search for the rest of the Army."
"No."
"What?"
"No. Don't do that, you'll work yourself to death and you'll become just like them."
Draco nearly jumped on Harry before realising that he probably knew what he was talking about. Harry glanced at Lupin and Marit and they left.
"What do you want me to do?"
Harry took a deep breath and thought of all the things he should have done after Susan died. "You should go out, go to Quidditch games, go to bad plays and shout hints at the actors. You should travel and learn a new language so you can swear at people without them getting mad at you. Toilet paper someone's house and buy a big snake and set it loose in an old woman's yard." Rosco had given Harry a book called 101 things for a widowers heart. Harry had added his own suggestions and changed it's name to "So your wife's dead, what now?"
Draco looked at him closely and Harry nodded. "People kill kids because when they kill the kid they're almost guaranteed to kill the parent too, and then there's no legacy to come after them. Don't let yourself die.
"Do you want to crash at my place tonight?"
Draco shook his head. "I need to go home, get things settled. Thanks anyway. I'll come around though, if that's alright." His voice cracked and he knuckled his eyes.
"You're always welcome."
Draco smiled weakly and left the office quietly, nodding at Marit and Lupin as he left.
"How are you doing?" Lupin asked, shuting the office door behind him.
"Better, knowing that you're here with Elisabeth."
"The students are here." Marit said, looking out the window.
"Who's with Elisabeth?" Harry asked.
"Liam O'Brenian. He's an Azkaban guard. He knows what he's doing, he probably told her they were after her but he wouldn't have told her why."
Harry nodded. "I wish he would have because I don't want to tell her myself."
"You should have told her years ago."
"There are lots of things I should have done years ago. Any suggestions on how to tell her oh wise one?"
"Not if you're going to be cocky like that."
Harry looked at Lupin. "I'll give you a pass to take her out of school without Liam, I suggest you take her to Godric's Hollow where your parents are buried. That's the only thing for it."
Harry nodded and looked up as the door creaked open.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Elisabeth pushed the door open, and almost collapsed when she saw her dad. She ran into his arms and burst into tears. Her entire body ached and she sobbed and wept until her father's robes were soaked and her sobs had been reduced to dry heaves.
"Why were they looking for me daddy? What did I do?"
"Come on." Harry said. "I have something we need to talk about."
Liam got up to follow them but Lupin stopped him.
"Isn't Marit coming?" Elisabeth whispered.
"What's that baby? You have to speak up."
"Marit? Is she coming?"
Harry shook his head. "Just you and me."
Elisabeth nodded and followed him out.
They ended up in a small town that Elisabeth had never seen before. "This is Godric's Hollow. I was born here and lived here until my parents were killed. Our house would have been right here. I don't remember it though."
They walked over to a small graveyard where Harry showed Elisabeth his parents' graves. He told her why she was so badly wanted and why Liam would be two steps behind her at all times.
"Where did you go after your parents died?" Elisabeth asked curiously.
"My mum's sisters."
"Are they still alive?"
"Only the good die young." Harry said dryly.
"Can we go see them?" Elisabeth asked.
"No."
"You're blocking."
"Elisabeth, I do not want to see them again."
"Daddy please. I really want to see them. Please."
"Why?"
Elisabeth stood still for a moment. Why did she want to see them? "Because dad. I don't know anything about you. I don't know anything about what went on in your life before me. I don't know about the people in your life before me. Please dad?"
"It never used to be important."
"It is now dad. I don't want you to die before I find out about you."
Harry nodded. "Okay."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Harry looked up at number 4 Privet Drive. He had collected Marit before coming. He had wanted to have a reason for their arrival.
He pushed open the low gate and walked up to the door. The light in the front room was on and he banged on the door.
A small, thin yellow haired girl opened the door. "Yes?"
"Whatever it is we don't want any!" Harry heard his uncle's voice bellow from the sitting room.
The girl looked up at them. "Would you like to come in?" she asked in a small voice.
"No." Harry said sourly.
"Yes. We would like that very much." Marit said, glaring at Harry.
The little girl stepped back. "They're guests Grampa. Not peddlers."
The girl led the three of them into the sitting room and Harry stood there in the doorway, looking at three generations of Dursleys sitting in a room he had vowed to never again enter.
"Harry!" Dudley crowed. "I told you mother! I told you it wouldn't be long till he was on the street, begging for shelter."
"Is that why you're here?" Aunt Petunia asked, eyeing the three of them beadily.
"No. I wanted to let you know that I'm getting married. I wanted to invite you in person, let you know I'm thinking of you and, and such."
Harry swallowed and looked at his aunt.
"Is that it?" Petunia asked softly.
"Yes. That's it. But I can see that I'm not welcome here, as I wasn't years ago, so I'll take my family and leave, we've had a rough day. Good night Dudley, Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon."
He turned and led his daughter and fiancée out of the house.
"Harry!" Petunia called.
"Yes Aunt Petunia?"
He turned and faced the old woman.
"I'm getting on in years and I'm not sure I'll be able to make it to your wedding but I'll send a gift I'm not sure what you wizards need or anything but I'm sure I could find something nice and practical and a gift for the little one too my she's getting big." Harry looked at his aunt. All the words fell out of her mouth in a flood, more kindness than she had ever shown to Harry in her entire lifetime.
He nodded curtly. "Thank you, that would be greatly appreciated."
"On'y fave people. Madeline Jordan, Brody and Jenny Fife, firsters, Cailin Max and Apacia Malfoy."
Elisabeth stuffed her fist into her mouth to keep from screaming.
"Oh god." Moira said. "Oh god oh god oh god. Oh. My. God."
Chase wrapped his arms around Elisabeth to keep her from falling off the seat.
"Are they going to send us home?" Daniel asked numbly.
Liam shook his head. "Why? We'd 'ave a bunch a uneducated wizards runnin' 'round the country. B'sides, 'taint no place safer than Hogwarts."
"Why did they do it?" Elisabeth whispered.
Chase and Liam seemed to be communicating through their eyes for a moment. Liam looked at Elisabeth carefully. "They were lookin' fer you."
Elisabeth's throat went dry.
"Why?" She asked, finding her voice.
"Payback." Liam said softly.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The school, which had seemed so safe and secure when they left it at the baginning of summer suddenly seemed to loom above them, a sign of the changing times.
Hermione looked at the group of seven, her honorary children. But they did not look at her. They sat at their table, McGonagall's words passing over their heads. No one stopped them all from sitting at the same table and no one stopped them from leaving early.
"I should send a letter to Draco." Elisabeth said dully as they left the Great Hall.
"I should write my dad, let him know I'm safe." Caroline said.
"Don't bother, he's here already." Liam, who had graduated two years before and was a guard at Azkaban, had been summoned as a guard at Hogwarts, came up behind them.
"I thought they only let parents in if they were summoned by teachers,"
"I have acceptional pull. As does Professor Lupin. Elisabeth, you'll find your father in Lupin's office. Caroline, the headmistress' office."
They said good bye to the others and Elisabeth followed Liam to Lupin's office.
"When did Lupin start working here?" Elisabeth asked, trying to sound normal.
"Three an' a half hours ago." Liam replied. "'E's workin' as a Defence 'Gainst the Dark Arts Professor. Snape's gone to the Ministry to 'elp with the round-up."
Elisabeth nodded. "Do you need a tissue?" Liam asked.
"I need my dad." Elisabeth said.
"I know. I know."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Harry sat in a chair, idly twirling his wand through his fingers. He frenquently mentioned to Marit the many ways that he would use to kill the Death-Eaters responsible for the attacks.
"They were children Marit! Children!"
"I know Harry, I know they were children. But killing a child is the best way to destroy a parent."
Harry glanced up as two more people walked into the small office. Lupin and Draco.
Harry stood up and hugged Draco, then he stood back and looked into his eyes. Draco's face was paler than Harry had ever seen it, but his eyes were rimmed red.
"How are you?" he asked.
"How would you be?
"Jesus Harry, they were children."
Harry nodded. "I know, I know it."
"Who would kill a baby?" Draco asked sadly. "Who would kill my baby?"
"I don't know." Harry said. He didn't know what else he could say. There really isn't anything acceptable to say to someone who just lost their child. He would check, Hermione probably had a book, One Hundred and One Things To Say To A Person Whose Child Was Murdered. He instantly hated himself for having such a thought.
"What are you going to do?" he asked.
"Help them search for the rest of the Army."
"No."
"What?"
"No. Don't do that, you'll work yourself to death and you'll become just like them."
Draco nearly jumped on Harry before realising that he probably knew what he was talking about. Harry glanced at Lupin and Marit and they left.
"What do you want me to do?"
Harry took a deep breath and thought of all the things he should have done after Susan died. "You should go out, go to Quidditch games, go to bad plays and shout hints at the actors. You should travel and learn a new language so you can swear at people without them getting mad at you. Toilet paper someone's house and buy a big snake and set it loose in an old woman's yard." Rosco had given Harry a book called 101 things for a widowers heart. Harry had added his own suggestions and changed it's name to "So your wife's dead, what now?"
Draco looked at him closely and Harry nodded. "People kill kids because when they kill the kid they're almost guaranteed to kill the parent too, and then there's no legacy to come after them. Don't let yourself die.
"Do you want to crash at my place tonight?"
Draco shook his head. "I need to go home, get things settled. Thanks anyway. I'll come around though, if that's alright." His voice cracked and he knuckled his eyes.
"You're always welcome."
Draco smiled weakly and left the office quietly, nodding at Marit and Lupin as he left.
"How are you doing?" Lupin asked, shuting the office door behind him.
"Better, knowing that you're here with Elisabeth."
"The students are here." Marit said, looking out the window.
"Who's with Elisabeth?" Harry asked.
"Liam O'Brenian. He's an Azkaban guard. He knows what he's doing, he probably told her they were after her but he wouldn't have told her why."
Harry nodded. "I wish he would have because I don't want to tell her myself."
"You should have told her years ago."
"There are lots of things I should have done years ago. Any suggestions on how to tell her oh wise one?"
"Not if you're going to be cocky like that."
Harry looked at Lupin. "I'll give you a pass to take her out of school without Liam, I suggest you take her to Godric's Hollow where your parents are buried. That's the only thing for it."
Harry nodded and looked up as the door creaked open.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Elisabeth pushed the door open, and almost collapsed when she saw her dad. She ran into his arms and burst into tears. Her entire body ached and she sobbed and wept until her father's robes were soaked and her sobs had been reduced to dry heaves.
"Why were they looking for me daddy? What did I do?"
"Come on." Harry said. "I have something we need to talk about."
Liam got up to follow them but Lupin stopped him.
"Isn't Marit coming?" Elisabeth whispered.
"What's that baby? You have to speak up."
"Marit? Is she coming?"
Harry shook his head. "Just you and me."
Elisabeth nodded and followed him out.
They ended up in a small town that Elisabeth had never seen before. "This is Godric's Hollow. I was born here and lived here until my parents were killed. Our house would have been right here. I don't remember it though."
They walked over to a small graveyard where Harry showed Elisabeth his parents' graves. He told her why she was so badly wanted and why Liam would be two steps behind her at all times.
"Where did you go after your parents died?" Elisabeth asked curiously.
"My mum's sisters."
"Are they still alive?"
"Only the good die young." Harry said dryly.
"Can we go see them?" Elisabeth asked.
"No."
"You're blocking."
"Elisabeth, I do not want to see them again."
"Daddy please. I really want to see them. Please."
"Why?"
Elisabeth stood still for a moment. Why did she want to see them? "Because dad. I don't know anything about you. I don't know anything about what went on in your life before me. I don't know about the people in your life before me. Please dad?"
"It never used to be important."
"It is now dad. I don't want you to die before I find out about you."
Harry nodded. "Okay."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Harry looked up at number 4 Privet Drive. He had collected Marit before coming. He had wanted to have a reason for their arrival.
He pushed open the low gate and walked up to the door. The light in the front room was on and he banged on the door.
A small, thin yellow haired girl opened the door. "Yes?"
"Whatever it is we don't want any!" Harry heard his uncle's voice bellow from the sitting room.
The girl looked up at them. "Would you like to come in?" she asked in a small voice.
"No." Harry said sourly.
"Yes. We would like that very much." Marit said, glaring at Harry.
The little girl stepped back. "They're guests Grampa. Not peddlers."
The girl led the three of them into the sitting room and Harry stood there in the doorway, looking at three generations of Dursleys sitting in a room he had vowed to never again enter.
"Harry!" Dudley crowed. "I told you mother! I told you it wouldn't be long till he was on the street, begging for shelter."
"Is that why you're here?" Aunt Petunia asked, eyeing the three of them beadily.
"No. I wanted to let you know that I'm getting married. I wanted to invite you in person, let you know I'm thinking of you and, and such."
Harry swallowed and looked at his aunt.
"Is that it?" Petunia asked softly.
"Yes. That's it. But I can see that I'm not welcome here, as I wasn't years ago, so I'll take my family and leave, we've had a rough day. Good night Dudley, Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon."
He turned and led his daughter and fiancée out of the house.
"Harry!" Petunia called.
"Yes Aunt Petunia?"
He turned and faced the old woman.
"I'm getting on in years and I'm not sure I'll be able to make it to your wedding but I'll send a gift I'm not sure what you wizards need or anything but I'm sure I could find something nice and practical and a gift for the little one too my she's getting big." Harry looked at his aunt. All the words fell out of her mouth in a flood, more kindness than she had ever shown to Harry in her entire lifetime.
He nodded curtly. "Thank you, that would be greatly appreciated."