Some of these characters are copyrighted to JK Rowling (as I'm sure most of
us already know). However, the characters (so far added) that are mine
are: The McDowall family of Alyson, Gregor and son Drew; the MacGregor
family of Merllynn (Llynn), cousin Duncan, Duncan's niece Delaney, and
stepbrother Iiann. Thank you for your attention and feedback.
Days after Alyson left Hogwarts with her son, Snape came flying down the
stairs. When he was halfway across to the Great Hall, he made the front
doors of Hogwarts fly open with a loud slam for him to pass through.
Everyone just stopped and stared. Snape hastened across the grounds of
Hogwarts. At the edge, he disapperated.
Snape apperated at the grave of Lily and James Potter. He slowly crouched down and just stayed there. He was there for quite some time before a big black dog barreled down on him, barking ferociously.
Snape stood up and yelled at the dog. The dog transformed back into human form and yelled back. The two stood there exchanging nasty jibes for about an half hour when someone else apperated and intervened.
He walked between them, bent down to the marker and retorted, "See all these years later and nothing's changed after all!" Remus looked up at the two men. "Can't we just sit quietly together for a little while?"
"He shouldn't even be here. You know the only reason James saved you that day from Remus was because he knew Lily would not be happy with that outcome. No one else cared."
"Well I would! I wouldn't want to eat him," Remus thought.
"I have no right to be her! You're right but if I have no right to be here than either do either of you!"
"Excuse me! I'm the one who was TRUSTED by them BOTH. You're family obviously doesn't know how to take care of anything which is why I am the one who's supposed to be taking care of Harry."
"You can have the kid for all I care. I never wanted anything to do with him. He was always better suited with Petunia than me."
"What! Think back, Snivellus! Just how thin was he when h e first arrived at Hogwarts? She kept him as a slave, locked in a cupboard under the stairs as a bedroom! She takes care of him all right. And for Christmas, she sends him a Muggle 50p coin."
"50p." Snape trailed off as he remembered how Harry had looked back then.
"The only reason he looks the way he does now is because of the food and exercise he gets at Hogwarts."
"Exercise, yes! All the sneaking around he does, just like the lot of you did back then. And no one gives a damn, they all turn their head to it."
"Snivellus!."
"Just what do you want, Sirius? What do you want" Snape overpowered Sirius in the conversation.
"The box." Sirius finally stood down and softly said, "It's about time Harry get that. He's owed that much. Your sister won't give it to him so you're the only one left who can get it and give it to him. He needs that box."
"Why? What's in it?"
"I don't know but he's old enough now. Whatever they left for him, he should have, and not just the money."
Snape pondered the thought, turned to look at his sister's grave. "All right. I'll go to Petunia to talk to her."
"I've got to go. I'm supposed to see Harry today in Gryffindor." Sirius growled at him, transformed back into his canine form, howled pitifully once at the grave then turned and padded off.
"How does he get into Hogwarts?" Snape turned on Remus.
"Let's just leave it, Severus. You wanted quiet here and that's all I want as well."
Snape crouched down once more. Remus continued to stand next to him. The two kep quiet company for a little while until Remus disapperated.
Hours later, after dark, Snape stood up. "I'll get the box for him. But only for you. You'd want him to have it." With that he disapperated. Snape apperated directly into the kitchen of number four Privet Drive. He stood behind Petunia who was busily checking her roast dinner. As she turned around, seeing her younger brother, she screamed.
"Ah! Severus! What? How?"
"Who are you? How did you get into my house? What do you want? Vernon Dursely jumped up from the table where he was reading the Daily Mail.
Snape momentarily looked at Dursely but kept his sister trapped her the oven. "Where is the box?"
"What box?" Petunia looked at him bewildered.
"You know what box I mean. Get it. It's time he had it. She'd want him to have it by now."
"I don't care what she would want! She wanted to go off to the school and then she got herself killed! That boy is."
"She didn't get herself killed. She wasn't the target. You have no right to say any of this." Snape stepped towards his older sister making her sit up on the range. "Just get me the box and I'll leave, Petunia."
"A.a.a.all right. Let me get it."
Snape backed away for her to slip out of the kitchen. When he heard her returning downstairs, he went into the corridor for the box. The ornate wooden box was no bigger than a shoebox, but he took it with a heavy heart, which weighed him down.
"You had no right to use him like a slave or keep him in a cupboard." He glared at his sister.
"He doesn't live under the stairs." Dursely impotently said, "He has his own bedroom."
"Because you were afraid of wizards coming to do something about it." Snape snarled at his brother-in-law one last time and disapperated. Two weeks later, Alyson returned her son to Hogwarts but she came with an entourage of MacGregor men. Dumbledore met them at the front door.
"Hello Llynn, Duncan, Iiann. I was wondering when I'd be seeing you. I thought for sure you'd be up here long ago for your children to attend Hogwarts."
"Well it's a little late for some of them but we still want that for all of them." Llynn smiled at the Headmaster.
"Shall we take this to my office, then?" Dumbledore gestured everyone inside and led the way. "It's nice to have you back, Mr. McDowall, I take it you know the way to your own house?"
"Yes, sir." Drew gave is mother a kiss before heading up another staircase.
"Why are they with your mother?" Snape caught up with Drew moments later. "What do they want with her?"
"They showed up after we saw my dad. They're going to 'protect' her from now on, they said."
"Protect her! Where the hell have they all been the last 17 years?" Snape snarled and swooped up a staircase.
Turning around just in time to address Drew once more, "This weekend will be a Hogsmeade outing, by the way. Malfoy will probably stick with you as Crabbe and Goyle have been expelled while you were away." Early Saturday morning, Harry received an owl at breakfast.
Young Mr. Potter You are enjoined to meet me at the location you usually meet Sirius Black, later today just outside Hogsmeade. Be there a quarter after one.
"Who sent it, Harry?" Ron asked after Harry read it aloud to the two.
"It isn't signed."
"Should we go?" Hermione asked. "It sounds dodgy."
"Well we'll go since we'll be in Hogsmeade anyway and see what it's about. But we better be on our guard. Maybe one of us should be in the town while the other two of us go, just in case."
"That sounds good. Ron, you stay behind, as you're the weaker wizards."
"Hermione!"
"Well he is and if there's trouble, you'll need my help while Ron runs for a professor."
"She's right, Harry. I'll stay behind." Ron looked dejected but was nodding his assent.
"All right. Well let's go get ready for Hogsmeade!" The trio hurried back to Gryffindor house to get their cloaks and money ready for mead, magic tricks and candy galore. Hermione and Harry made their way to the cave outside Hogsmeade at 1 PM as they were told and made it there slightly early. Inside the cave they found Sirius in his canine form of Snuffles.
"Sirius! It was you! WE left Ron in town thinking it might be a trick." Harry gasped and Hermione started towards the entrance of the cave to call after Ron only to bump into Snape.
"Ugh! Professor! What are you doing here?" Hermione cried, thanking the stars that Sirius was still in his canine form.
"I owled Mr. Potter, Sirius here and Remus Lupin for this charade." Remus apperated behind Snape.
"Hello Sirius, old boy!" Remus went into the cave to pet his friend before he transformed into his human form for the meeting.
"Let's get on with this, Snape." Sirius growled once fully transformed.
"Here." Snape shoved the box he was holding into Harry's hands. "It's about time you get this.Well, open it." Snape became impatient at Harry's reluctance.
Harry looked at Sirius, who nodded. "Open it, it's from your parents."
Harry looked down at the box and slowly lifted the latch, then the lid. He laughed as he saw the picture stuck on the inside of the lid, one of him laughing as his parent's tickled him. He took it out and showed everyone.
"There must be other things in there besides photographs. What else is there?" Snape was tapping his booted foot by this time.
"'Sirius, I think you might need this at a later date to control Snape. Enjoy.'" Harry read the cover of an envelope and after looking at both men, handed it to Sirius. Snape's eyes followed the envelope's movements and then Sirius' eyes as he read the letter within.
"What's this? Here Hermione, you read this fully and determine if it's a recipe or a potion." Harry handed a piece of parchment to his friend.
"You should know that by now!" Snape momentarily looked away from Sirius and the letter to glare at Harry.
Harry continued to dig through the box and found another letter addressed to Dumbledore. This Harry pocketed for later.
"Ha. Well for once James got it wrong." Sirius showed Remus the letter.
"What's in it?" Snape demanded.
"It says you're a father. That's a laughable idea. You and what woman?" Sirius rolled around he was laughing so hard as Remus handed the letter to Snape.
"Well what woman would be stupid enough to have your child, Sirius? Oh, excuse me, Scarlet MacGregor. How could I forget!"
"What are you talking about?" Sirius demanded as he jumped to his feet to challenge Snape.
"First I want to know what you know about the MacGregors suddenly 'protecting' Alyson McDowall? Why the sudden interest in her state of mind or physical well-being?"
"I wouldn't have a clue. I haven't kept up with them as I'm a fugitive."
Snape's glare turned to Remus. "I don't keep up with anyone but Sirius, Severus. There's no one else to care at this point." Remus got up and walked to the entrance of the cave for some fresh air.
"Boo hoo." Snape mimicked a baby crying.
"What child!" Sirius demanded.
"Didn't she write you?" Snape taunted Sirius. "Scarlet had your child after you were sent to Azkaban. Your daughter's at Hogwarts right now. She's the youngest Weasely's best friend and a Gryffindor."
"Delaney!" Harry and Hermione cried in unison.
"What's her name? How old is she?" Sirius demanded.
"Delaney Cassiopeia MacGregor-Black is in the fifth year." Remus remembered from when he was professor of defense against the dark arts a few years prior.
"Well she and Ginny, Ron's sister, are best friends. I never realized who she was but she looks like you." Hermione told Sirius while Harry continued to look through the contents of the box. He found Lily and James' Head Boy and Head Girl badges, some notes and more pictures.
Sirius was stunned. Scarlet had never written and certainly no about something like that. He'd have to go further north soon to see her about this. No, he couldn't. They'd be watching her for him. He'd get Remus to go up.
"Remus." They all looked towards the entrance of the cave to see how dark it had become. "Go to her for me. Find out everything and owl me."
"Sirius."
"Just take the money from my account, Remus."
Sighing, Remus relented.
"Time to get back to Hogwarts. Let's go."
On their way back down, they met up with Ron who looked at Snape, passing, then Harry and Hermione.
"I didn't go up after you because I saw Remus go up and figured you'd be okay."
"Yeah, Sirius was already there as well. See. There he goes." Harry waved to his godfather. Later that night as lights were about to be out, Harry jumped up, suddenly remembering the note for Dumbledore. He grabbed his invisibility cloak, Ron and then went after Hermione to go with them.
Finding Dumbledore's office was easy but it took Harry a little while to remember the password. He finally remember Dumbledore's talk of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans at the end of his first year when he'd been in the hospital wing.
"Ear wax!"
The three let the cloak fall off of them as they ran up the stairs and banged on his office door.
"Sir, we need to speak to you." Harry said once Dumbledore opened the door.
"All right, Harry." Dumbledore moved aside to let them in.
The four settled into chairs as Harry dug out the envelope. "I got a box today that was from my parents. It had stuff in it like pictures, their head badges."
"And a potion that I think may cure Remus Lupin's monthly tranformations!" Hermione interrupted excitedly.
"You didn't tell me that!"
"Cool!"
"Yeah, it's in your mum's handwriting or it must be since it's so nice. Here." Hermione handed it back to harry who passed it onto Dumbledore for inspection.
"There was also a letter from my dad to Sirius. It said it was to control Snape, um, Professor Snape, and my dad wrote that Snape has a child."
"Well, it's been a full and interesting day, I see. Now, let's see what's in here." Dumbledore opened the envelope to find another letter by James' hand.
Professor Dumbledore I am writing to inform you that we have decided to change who our secret keeper will be. We all agree that Sirius will be the likely target as he is my best friend. However, we don't believe that anyone would guess that we've the secret of our house's whereabouts in Peter Pettigrew's hands. I have bid farewell to Sirius until a day we can meet again. James Potter
"This clears Sirius!" Harry jumped up and grabbed the note from Dumbledore. He was ecstatic.
"Now hold on Harry. I will need that to take to the Ministry to see if they agree. They will do tests on the age of the ink and parchment and make sure it's James' handwriting. If all goes well, Sirius will be cleared. Let's hope for the best."
"How long will it all take?" Hermione asked the crucial question.
"I'm not sure. But I will leave immediately for the Ministry so that they have it to start on in the morning."
Snape apperated at the grave of Lily and James Potter. He slowly crouched down and just stayed there. He was there for quite some time before a big black dog barreled down on him, barking ferociously.
Snape stood up and yelled at the dog. The dog transformed back into human form and yelled back. The two stood there exchanging nasty jibes for about an half hour when someone else apperated and intervened.
He walked between them, bent down to the marker and retorted, "See all these years later and nothing's changed after all!" Remus looked up at the two men. "Can't we just sit quietly together for a little while?"
"He shouldn't even be here. You know the only reason James saved you that day from Remus was because he knew Lily would not be happy with that outcome. No one else cared."
"Well I would! I wouldn't want to eat him," Remus thought.
"I have no right to be her! You're right but if I have no right to be here than either do either of you!"
"Excuse me! I'm the one who was TRUSTED by them BOTH. You're family obviously doesn't know how to take care of anything which is why I am the one who's supposed to be taking care of Harry."
"You can have the kid for all I care. I never wanted anything to do with him. He was always better suited with Petunia than me."
"What! Think back, Snivellus! Just how thin was he when h e first arrived at Hogwarts? She kept him as a slave, locked in a cupboard under the stairs as a bedroom! She takes care of him all right. And for Christmas, she sends him a Muggle 50p coin."
"50p." Snape trailed off as he remembered how Harry had looked back then.
"The only reason he looks the way he does now is because of the food and exercise he gets at Hogwarts."
"Exercise, yes! All the sneaking around he does, just like the lot of you did back then. And no one gives a damn, they all turn their head to it."
"Snivellus!."
"Just what do you want, Sirius? What do you want" Snape overpowered Sirius in the conversation.
"The box." Sirius finally stood down and softly said, "It's about time Harry get that. He's owed that much. Your sister won't give it to him so you're the only one left who can get it and give it to him. He needs that box."
"Why? What's in it?"
"I don't know but he's old enough now. Whatever they left for him, he should have, and not just the money."
Snape pondered the thought, turned to look at his sister's grave. "All right. I'll go to Petunia to talk to her."
"I've got to go. I'm supposed to see Harry today in Gryffindor." Sirius growled at him, transformed back into his canine form, howled pitifully once at the grave then turned and padded off.
"How does he get into Hogwarts?" Snape turned on Remus.
"Let's just leave it, Severus. You wanted quiet here and that's all I want as well."
Snape crouched down once more. Remus continued to stand next to him. The two kep quiet company for a little while until Remus disapperated.
Hours later, after dark, Snape stood up. "I'll get the box for him. But only for you. You'd want him to have it." With that he disapperated. Snape apperated directly into the kitchen of number four Privet Drive. He stood behind Petunia who was busily checking her roast dinner. As she turned around, seeing her younger brother, she screamed.
"Ah! Severus! What? How?"
"Who are you? How did you get into my house? What do you want? Vernon Dursely jumped up from the table where he was reading the Daily Mail.
Snape momentarily looked at Dursely but kept his sister trapped her the oven. "Where is the box?"
"What box?" Petunia looked at him bewildered.
"You know what box I mean. Get it. It's time he had it. She'd want him to have it by now."
"I don't care what she would want! She wanted to go off to the school and then she got herself killed! That boy is."
"She didn't get herself killed. She wasn't the target. You have no right to say any of this." Snape stepped towards his older sister making her sit up on the range. "Just get me the box and I'll leave, Petunia."
"A.a.a.all right. Let me get it."
Snape backed away for her to slip out of the kitchen. When he heard her returning downstairs, he went into the corridor for the box. The ornate wooden box was no bigger than a shoebox, but he took it with a heavy heart, which weighed him down.
"You had no right to use him like a slave or keep him in a cupboard." He glared at his sister.
"He doesn't live under the stairs." Dursely impotently said, "He has his own bedroom."
"Because you were afraid of wizards coming to do something about it." Snape snarled at his brother-in-law one last time and disapperated. Two weeks later, Alyson returned her son to Hogwarts but she came with an entourage of MacGregor men. Dumbledore met them at the front door.
"Hello Llynn, Duncan, Iiann. I was wondering when I'd be seeing you. I thought for sure you'd be up here long ago for your children to attend Hogwarts."
"Well it's a little late for some of them but we still want that for all of them." Llynn smiled at the Headmaster.
"Shall we take this to my office, then?" Dumbledore gestured everyone inside and led the way. "It's nice to have you back, Mr. McDowall, I take it you know the way to your own house?"
"Yes, sir." Drew gave is mother a kiss before heading up another staircase.
"Why are they with your mother?" Snape caught up with Drew moments later. "What do they want with her?"
"They showed up after we saw my dad. They're going to 'protect' her from now on, they said."
"Protect her! Where the hell have they all been the last 17 years?" Snape snarled and swooped up a staircase.
Turning around just in time to address Drew once more, "This weekend will be a Hogsmeade outing, by the way. Malfoy will probably stick with you as Crabbe and Goyle have been expelled while you were away." Early Saturday morning, Harry received an owl at breakfast.
Young Mr. Potter You are enjoined to meet me at the location you usually meet Sirius Black, later today just outside Hogsmeade. Be there a quarter after one.
"Who sent it, Harry?" Ron asked after Harry read it aloud to the two.
"It isn't signed."
"Should we go?" Hermione asked. "It sounds dodgy."
"Well we'll go since we'll be in Hogsmeade anyway and see what it's about. But we better be on our guard. Maybe one of us should be in the town while the other two of us go, just in case."
"That sounds good. Ron, you stay behind, as you're the weaker wizards."
"Hermione!"
"Well he is and if there's trouble, you'll need my help while Ron runs for a professor."
"She's right, Harry. I'll stay behind." Ron looked dejected but was nodding his assent.
"All right. Well let's go get ready for Hogsmeade!" The trio hurried back to Gryffindor house to get their cloaks and money ready for mead, magic tricks and candy galore. Hermione and Harry made their way to the cave outside Hogsmeade at 1 PM as they were told and made it there slightly early. Inside the cave they found Sirius in his canine form of Snuffles.
"Sirius! It was you! WE left Ron in town thinking it might be a trick." Harry gasped and Hermione started towards the entrance of the cave to call after Ron only to bump into Snape.
"Ugh! Professor! What are you doing here?" Hermione cried, thanking the stars that Sirius was still in his canine form.
"I owled Mr. Potter, Sirius here and Remus Lupin for this charade." Remus apperated behind Snape.
"Hello Sirius, old boy!" Remus went into the cave to pet his friend before he transformed into his human form for the meeting.
"Let's get on with this, Snape." Sirius growled once fully transformed.
"Here." Snape shoved the box he was holding into Harry's hands. "It's about time you get this.Well, open it." Snape became impatient at Harry's reluctance.
Harry looked at Sirius, who nodded. "Open it, it's from your parents."
Harry looked down at the box and slowly lifted the latch, then the lid. He laughed as he saw the picture stuck on the inside of the lid, one of him laughing as his parent's tickled him. He took it out and showed everyone.
"There must be other things in there besides photographs. What else is there?" Snape was tapping his booted foot by this time.
"'Sirius, I think you might need this at a later date to control Snape. Enjoy.'" Harry read the cover of an envelope and after looking at both men, handed it to Sirius. Snape's eyes followed the envelope's movements and then Sirius' eyes as he read the letter within.
"What's this? Here Hermione, you read this fully and determine if it's a recipe or a potion." Harry handed a piece of parchment to his friend.
"You should know that by now!" Snape momentarily looked away from Sirius and the letter to glare at Harry.
Harry continued to dig through the box and found another letter addressed to Dumbledore. This Harry pocketed for later.
"Ha. Well for once James got it wrong." Sirius showed Remus the letter.
"What's in it?" Snape demanded.
"It says you're a father. That's a laughable idea. You and what woman?" Sirius rolled around he was laughing so hard as Remus handed the letter to Snape.
"Well what woman would be stupid enough to have your child, Sirius? Oh, excuse me, Scarlet MacGregor. How could I forget!"
"What are you talking about?" Sirius demanded as he jumped to his feet to challenge Snape.
"First I want to know what you know about the MacGregors suddenly 'protecting' Alyson McDowall? Why the sudden interest in her state of mind or physical well-being?"
"I wouldn't have a clue. I haven't kept up with them as I'm a fugitive."
Snape's glare turned to Remus. "I don't keep up with anyone but Sirius, Severus. There's no one else to care at this point." Remus got up and walked to the entrance of the cave for some fresh air.
"Boo hoo." Snape mimicked a baby crying.
"What child!" Sirius demanded.
"Didn't she write you?" Snape taunted Sirius. "Scarlet had your child after you were sent to Azkaban. Your daughter's at Hogwarts right now. She's the youngest Weasely's best friend and a Gryffindor."
"Delaney!" Harry and Hermione cried in unison.
"What's her name? How old is she?" Sirius demanded.
"Delaney Cassiopeia MacGregor-Black is in the fifth year." Remus remembered from when he was professor of defense against the dark arts a few years prior.
"Well she and Ginny, Ron's sister, are best friends. I never realized who she was but she looks like you." Hermione told Sirius while Harry continued to look through the contents of the box. He found Lily and James' Head Boy and Head Girl badges, some notes and more pictures.
Sirius was stunned. Scarlet had never written and certainly no about something like that. He'd have to go further north soon to see her about this. No, he couldn't. They'd be watching her for him. He'd get Remus to go up.
"Remus." They all looked towards the entrance of the cave to see how dark it had become. "Go to her for me. Find out everything and owl me."
"Sirius."
"Just take the money from my account, Remus."
Sighing, Remus relented.
"Time to get back to Hogwarts. Let's go."
On their way back down, they met up with Ron who looked at Snape, passing, then Harry and Hermione.
"I didn't go up after you because I saw Remus go up and figured you'd be okay."
"Yeah, Sirius was already there as well. See. There he goes." Harry waved to his godfather. Later that night as lights were about to be out, Harry jumped up, suddenly remembering the note for Dumbledore. He grabbed his invisibility cloak, Ron and then went after Hermione to go with them.
Finding Dumbledore's office was easy but it took Harry a little while to remember the password. He finally remember Dumbledore's talk of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans at the end of his first year when he'd been in the hospital wing.
"Ear wax!"
The three let the cloak fall off of them as they ran up the stairs and banged on his office door.
"Sir, we need to speak to you." Harry said once Dumbledore opened the door.
"All right, Harry." Dumbledore moved aside to let them in.
The four settled into chairs as Harry dug out the envelope. "I got a box today that was from my parents. It had stuff in it like pictures, their head badges."
"And a potion that I think may cure Remus Lupin's monthly tranformations!" Hermione interrupted excitedly.
"You didn't tell me that!"
"Cool!"
"Yeah, it's in your mum's handwriting or it must be since it's so nice. Here." Hermione handed it back to harry who passed it onto Dumbledore for inspection.
"There was also a letter from my dad to Sirius. It said it was to control Snape, um, Professor Snape, and my dad wrote that Snape has a child."
"Well, it's been a full and interesting day, I see. Now, let's see what's in here." Dumbledore opened the envelope to find another letter by James' hand.
Professor Dumbledore I am writing to inform you that we have decided to change who our secret keeper will be. We all agree that Sirius will be the likely target as he is my best friend. However, we don't believe that anyone would guess that we've the secret of our house's whereabouts in Peter Pettigrew's hands. I have bid farewell to Sirius until a day we can meet again. James Potter
"This clears Sirius!" Harry jumped up and grabbed the note from Dumbledore. He was ecstatic.
"Now hold on Harry. I will need that to take to the Ministry to see if they agree. They will do tests on the age of the ink and parchment and make sure it's James' handwriting. If all goes well, Sirius will be cleared. Let's hope for the best."
"How long will it all take?" Hermione asked the crucial question.
"I'm not sure. But I will leave immediately for the Ministry so that they have it to start on in the morning."