Disclaimer: Same as always. You recognize it then I dont own it.

STORY NOTES: So this chapter is mostly dialogue. I dont want to ignore how difficult things involving the 'deaging death eaters' and being stuck raising children who had the potential to do horrible things as their previous adult selves did. Harry is still a teenager who has been traumatised stuck dealing with adult situations and so I hope this reflects some of that.

YYY

Harry had asked Neville to come over. She needed another opinion and to talk to someone who might understand. Especially as from what Kingsley said, she felt that the two of them would end up as sort of the spokes people of the program. She was exhausted over the idea and terrified of it so she hoped to talk to someone who might feel the same. The floo flared up and she was relieved to see he had chosen to come and the group of them stepped through. Frank reminded Harry a fair bit of a younger Neville though he was lean. But even with the change in gender, Alice reminded her more of him as she stumbled out of the floo needing to be caught. She also had the same eyes as Neville, bright and shinning. "Neville," harry said grinning seeing her friend for the first time in weeks. "Hello, you are Alice and Frank right?" She crouched slightly having hated people talking over her growing up. "I'm Harry, I'm Neville's friend."

They said quiet greetings but looked more interested in the kids who were off to the side. "Hey Harry," Neville said grinning. "Thanks for having us over. I think I've forgotten what grown up conversation was about."

"I'm just grateful you came on such short notice, I'm not sure if you remember everyone," Harry said. "This is Bella, Rabastan, Rodolphus and Sirius."

He tensed slightly looking at the kids. She could understand why even as the kids gave shy waves. Sometimes it was hard to reconcile the fact that these sweet innocent adorable children became adults who were feared across the wizarding world. Neville who had lost both his parents to them, though granted regained them in a unique way, would likely have a harder time then she did. "Why don't you guys go play," She suggested as they went to the living room while Harry got them some tea. She could see Neville watching them hesitantly. Especially tensing as Frank approached Rodolphus. "So how is raising your parents going."

Neville snorted glancing away from the kids, "Horridly," he admitted surprising her. "Franks a little terror, I swear he is why gran had grey hair, honestly no wonder she thought something was wrong with me for being so calm...he is a terror."

Harry grinned not expecting that. She couldn't help but laugh though. Neville, she knew would have been a very calm and polite child just from how he was at eleven. A terror was not a word she'd consider using so it was interesting to hear the comparison. "And Alice?"

"She's a princess and she knows it, spoiled rotten." He admitted before getting serious. "I mean I thought I understood what I was getting in for but I had no idea."

She understood the feeling but wondered how it related to his situation in comparison. It was near impossible to judge what to expect because their situation was so outlandish. "How so?"

"Both are still looking for their parents," Neville said getting a flinch from Harry. Her kids rarely asked after their parents for good reason. It had been something she had worried about but considering how horrible of people they were she could understand why. It was even worse for Neville since he knew the parents the kids were asking for. Harry had never met the elder Lestrange's nor a living Walburga or Orion Black. She had no point of reference. "Alice cries for her mom a lot and it breaks my heart a bit because Grandmothers been dead before I was even born and Gran died in an attack on Diagon Alley so Frank can't go to his mom either." That had nearly killed Neville when he found out his gran was killed. Considering she was the one who raised him losing her hit him very hard. The reminder of it would not be good. "Not that they would have recognized her...I really wish Gran was there to help."

Harry gave his hand a squeeze, "It's okay to miss her. She was more your parent then a gran. You've hardly had time to mourn and now this was placed on your shoulders. I can't even imagine Nev."

"Yeah," Neville said shaking it off for the moment. "If not for the Longbottom elves, I'd be completely crazy. How is it going for you?"

"We don't have elves Kreacher kicked the bucket," Harry admitted, he wasn't a big loss. He was downright batty for an elf but she would probably need some just because she had too much going on the help would be nice, but she just didn't feel overly comfortable with the strange beings and didn't like the idea of slavery. "Sirius's magic back lash when he was still an adult. Nasty thing anyways, I'd not let him near the kids even if he was alive. I'm trying to avoid them learning words like mudblood."

"Fair. Does the Potter family have any?"

"No idea," She admitted. She should probably look into that. She had planned to get a better understanding of the Potter estates this summer, but it fell apart with Kingsley's request. "I've got the estate books but I've been too busy to go over them yet. I'm sure I do but...I don't know."

"How behaved are they?" Neville stopped himself trying to find the words. "I've been trying to think of how the Lestrange's would be as children."

"They are well behaved. Polite. Normal kids," Harry admitted. "I don't know its hard to think about. I'm trying not to think about them as THE Lestrange's you know." She was careful not to let them overhear. "They aren't at all what I pictured. There is nothing evil about them. I mean beyond being hesitant about muggle things, which disappeared pretty quickly they are just kids."

Neville didn't look completely sure causing her to cringe. She put up a charm to ensure that they couldn't overhear the conversation. Somethings they should never know. "Are we okay Nev. You seemed…okay with this. Me taking them in."

"I am," Neville said. "Just hard to wrap your head around it. Wasn't sure what I'd think actually seeing them you know."

Harry glanced over to where the kids were playing happily. "I was so afraid I'd hate them," Harry admitted. "Or even hurt them." Neville looked shocked at the admittance. "Bellatrix and the Lestrange Brothers attacked me a number of times. Hurt people I cared about. Tortured me," Harry shuttered at the reminder. I was afraid I'd see only monsters when I saw them, or I'd treat them all differently. My aunt treated my cousin like he could do no wrong but me like I was a demon child. I was afraid I would do the same to them. Because I loved my Sirius so much and hated them."

"I can't see you ever hurting a child," Neville said.

"Nev, they are so badly abused it makes me sick. The way their parents treated them is criminal. But they were pretty much just tossed at me, no oversight, no questions. I have family connections, clearly don't support death eaters so here, take these kids. Kingsley came here, and never asked to see their rooms or asked how they were doing. Checked on them. Not really. He came here to ask another favor but as one of the people involved in placing them, he didn't check."

"But clearly you are treating them right," Neville said.

It didn't matter that she was. It showed the same amount of care they gave her as an orphan. Tossed into a stranger's house no one ever checking on her. "But what if I didn't," Harry asked him. "Look I'm not saying I would ever abuse a child. I wouldn't. I couldn't. But they tortured me. They did horrible things. What if I took this chance now that they are vulnerable to get revenge. Its like no one even thought or cared about that."

Neville cringed at the fact. He didn't think about that. "You're not wrong."

"There are 32 rebirths," Harry said. "And the only prevision that seems to be made is not given to spouses for the most part and not given to people with the dark mark or known supporters. But…these are death eaters, right? So, if they aren't going to people on their side of things, they are potentially going to someone who they hurt or tortured, or someone related to someone they killed. That friggen scares me. Like they are kids. Even if adult them did horrible things, they didn't do it. Not really. They don't remember doing it. Don't remember what led up to it. Hell Rabastan can't even talk yet and Bella can barely speak. They clearly can't at this moment hurt anyone. And I mean, its hard to understand or think about. Evil Death eaters once being innocent kids, but they are. And hopefully with being raised right and not abused and forced to take a dark mark and essentially enslaved to a psychopath before they are out of Hogwarts, they can be good people. But doesn't it scare you at all, having so much power over a person with no oversight."

It took a few minutes for Neville to even try to speak. Finally, he just looked at her and said, "Damn it Harry. I did not need to be thinking about this."

"Its all I can think about," Harry admitted. "Kingsley came by about the committee or a panel and that stupid meeting with Dumbledore. I've been thinking about it ever since. Like why have a friggen sixteen year involved. Titled or not. Clearly, I'm probably going to be some show piece. Of course, this is okay, the girl who lived is part of the panel but like once he mentioned it, all I've been thinking about is how this program could go so wrong."

"Do you regret agreeing to it," Neville asked.

Harry glanced again at the happy giggling children. "No," she said. "Because the idea of never knowing these kids makes me sicker. They trust me and care and I love taking care of them. Even if its overwhelming and crazy. I think maybe this program could do some good. But I think it's so damn dangerous. I don't know if its enough though. How much is upbringing, how much is dark magic being toxic and screwing with there minds, how much is the dark mark and how much is just them. They turned into awful adults. I probably won't know for another bloody decade if it's worth it. Which is frustrating."

"Are they...well death eatery?"

"They aren't in the least, Bella is a cuddly little princess, Rabastan's got the brightest smile you'll ever see, Rodolphus is a little heart breaker. Frig that kid is cute and he's such a good big brother. I think he is more Gryffindor and Hufflepuff then Slytherin. So sweet. Sirius, he's so love able and he's just so full of life," Harry said. "I know reasons they became who they were as adults. I know most of those reasons won't be repeated but I don't know how these sweet children became the awful horrible adults who killed and tortured people. And the idea that they could again makes me sick but they are innocent now. Innocent children who technically have never wronged anyone. But will the world view them as monsters? Will if they go to Hogwarts they be treated like other kids or harassed and outright attacked because of things other versions did."

Neville sighed. "Damn it Potter," he said not really annoyed but now that it was said out loud, it couldn't be unsaid. He couldn't pretend these issues didn't exist. They weren't the same ones as he faced. His parents…his kids never did horrible things. Sure, they did do some things like fighting and he knew they had likely killed death eaters, but they had never hurt innocent people. But in the same breath, those kids were now innocent. It was hard to compare. But it did bring out some of his worries about the program and now more that he never thought about. "Now I've got to think about this."

"Kingsley mentioned he wanted both of us on the panel," Harry said.

That had been a surprise too. "Why me though? You I get. You are the girl who lived. The women who conquered," Neville said. It made sense he wanted her involved. "Me, I'm just Neville."

"Lord Neville Longbottom," Harry corrected.

"Yeah, but there are many lords and ladies who could be chosen."

"Not that are involved in this," Harry said. "Not that would be a strong supporter or have a lot to say." She had thought the same thing. "He mentioned that it had something to do with the fact you are raising war heroes who had been granted the change based on medical needs."

It was never that easy and Neville frankly figured there must be another reason. "Why do you think I was asked?"

Harry hesitated at this part. Because it was pure conjecture, but she couldn't help but think it might have something to do with it. "You're a war hero, son of war hero's, a lord of a powerful, well known light family, but have all the reasons in the world to disagree with this program and fight to have the Lestrange's sent back to azkaban but instead chose a less revenge-oriented approach. I think laid out like that you'd be someone who would be a good face for the program. Possibly even better than me."

Neville needed to think about what she said, and she didn't interrupt his silence. She understood how he felt. "That's devious," Neville admitted finally.

"Kingsley was a Slytherin and I'm sure he's not the only Slytherin involved."

"Yet you thought of the reasons."

She shrugged. "Paranoia and I probably would have done well in the house except for the fact most of the kids were raised hating me and my parents because they were brainwashed from early childhood in Voldemorts greatness."

"I'll hear them out about the Panel," Neville decided. "I'm not sure if I want to take part though. I don't want to have to think of all the twisted reasons this program could use but I think you've made very good points on why it needs to be controlled and have oversight. But I'm 16. We still have Hogwarts…maybe. Are you going back? I mean we have that meeting with the minister and Dumbledore. They can't really stop us. Not with everything that happened but its going to be a lot. Going there. With kids. Then us being wizenmagot members. Now this panel. Seems too much."

"Doesn't everything," Harry returned. "Sad thing that I don't feel we can trust adults with decades more experience than us to actually think things through and make sure things are done properly."

This was another thing he could not deny as he gave a bitter laugh. "You're not wrong."

"Sadly, I'm rarely wrong," Harry returned. "Are you ready for the meeting."

Neville gave her an annoyed look. "I was until this talk. Now I have no idea what I've got to think about things. Are you taking the kids?"

"Fred and George are watching them. I really don't want them exposed to this crap. I mean I know we can't always hide the truth from them, but they are so young."

"Not Ron and Hermione." He was in full agreement on why they should keep them away but he was fairly surprised at who was watching the kids. She was fairly close to the twins but closer to Ron and Hermione.

"Apparently I am stupid for Raising death eaters and I need to stop with this nonsense, I've not spoken with them in almost three weeks," Harry admitted. "But they sure as hell have tried. I've gotten twenty letters saying that I was making the worst decisions possible. And I get it. Mostly but they are just as angry at me taking in Sirius."

"Shit."

"Yeah," Harry said. "Fred and George came over though and are a huge help. The kids love them which isn't a surprise, They're really good with kids."

"So, we are going in this meeting together," Neville said. "I have your back."

"Thank you," Harry said gratefully. "You know I have yours too, right? If things become too much." He nodded agreeing.