Vincent St John had not been having a good day. For the first time he was beginning to regret selling his nephew to those freaks who were after him. He had been promised that he would not have anything more to do with magic, yet a couple of hours ago there had been two wizards in his house and several more on his lawn. Worst of all those on his lawn appeared to be trying to kill his family. It now appeared that the security system salesman who had called a few months before to install their alarm system had actually been a wizard too. His wife had recognised one of the wizards, said he was a friend of her sister. The man had been surprised to see them, no wonder since they were supposed to be dead. It was probably only a matter of time before the freakiest one of them all Albus Dumbledore turned up. Vincent knew there was no point in running but that other wizard who had turned up had protected them; hopefully he would continue to do so.
Vincent was therefore angry but resigned when he answered the door to find their old neighbour Mrs Figg accompanied by the wizards from earlier, an old man with an extremely long white beard and another unknown man.
"You're looking very healthy for someone who died, Vernon," said Mrs Figg. "Perhaps you would invite us in so we can discuss your remarkable recovery?"
Vincent sighed. "If we answer your questions will you then leave us alone?" he asked.
It was the wizard-salesman who answered, "That entirely depends on your answers; it would appear your actions in the past were not what I thought they were."
Vernon sighed again; there was not much he could do about it anyway. He no longer had his nephew as a bargaining tool. He led the unwelcome visitors into a sitting room calling for his wife to join them.
"I should have known you were one of them," said Petunia to Mrs Figg when she entered the room. "Why else would you agree to babysit the boy?" Vernon shot her a warning look; aggravating their nephew's friends was not a good idea.
The man with the long beard introduced himself as Albus Dumbledore and that his companions were Mrs Figg who they already knew, the wizards from the morning were David and Remus Lupin, although they did not look like brothers, and the last member of the group was Kingsley Shacklebolt.
"Mr and Mrs Dursley please tell us what happened to make us believe you were dead and how you ended up here in Majorca?"
It was clear his wife was not going to speak so Vernon told them the story. "Before the boy returned from school for the summer you sent us that letter. So we knew the man who'd murdered his parents was going to come after him. We never wanted to get involved in your world and then we had a murderer after us. Then I met this man at work who said he could solve our problem. He'd take the boy away and give us the money to leave England and start a new life, sort of compensation for taking care of the boy for all those years.
"So we made a deal. He gave us some books to put in the boy's bedroom and told us to pack up the boy's things and give them to him and then drug the boy to make him more amenable. They sent someone to pick him up. The boy called the man 'Professor,' so I think he thought it was one of his teachers. We were given passports for our new identities and the details of the bank account with the money in it. We left, came here and bought the house and lived here happily until today when those two showed up."
"So knowing that your nephew was in danger you sold him to the people who wanted him dead?" asked Remus appalled.
"Well," said Vernon shifting uncomfortably, "the person I met might have been one of you finally taking responsibility for him." The looks on their faces showed that they were not buying that he had believed this.
"You thought one of us would ask you to drug him?" asked Kingsley.
"The man said that it was just to help the boy so that he didn't feel distraught by the idea of leaving all his family behind. He said the boy was not going to be killed," said Vernon defensively. "He said they were going to lock him up somewhere to keep him safe. You told us to keep him safe."
"Did he tell you anything else about what was going to happen to him?" asked Albus.
Vernon and Petunia thought about it. Finally Vernon said, "He said the place they had for the boy was on an island, so it would be harder for anyone to get to him I suppose, and that the people who would look after him were very friendly."
"Could you tell us how you know David?" asked Kingsley gesturing towards the man, only to find that he was no longer there. "Where'd he go?"
"I expect he'll be back," said Albus. "Mr and Mrs Dursley could you tell us how you know the man who was sitting there?"
It was Petunia who answered this time. "We met him a few months ago; he claimed we had won a new security system in a draw which was part of his company's advertisement campaign. He installed the system and showed us how to use it and talked to us about security. He turned up again today when the people in masks were trying to get in to the house. We didn't know until today that he was one of you."
"Kingsley if you would?" asked Albus. Kingsley explained to the Dursleys that they needed to make sure that they were who they said they were and had not had their memories changed or anything. Their protests were vocal but after it was pointed out that they did not really have a choice they gave in. As Kingsley was finishing his spells David walked back in. He sat where he had been sitting before and ignored the questioning look Remus sent him.
A little while later having got as much information as they could out of the Dursleys the group portkeyed back to Hogwarts, except for David who apparated claiming he disliked portkeys. David did not apparate directly into Hogwarts since that would show that it was possible; instead he walked up from the edge of the wards. When he arrived in Albus's office everyone was waiting for him, discussing the implication of the Dursleys being alive.
"David," said Albus as soon as he was seated, "we need to know how you found out about the Dursleys and what exactly you have been doing with them."
David had been thinking about what to tell them during his walk through the castle. This conversation was going to be tricky and he needed all his wits about him. "I found out pretty much by accident that they were alive," he started, "and I came to the conclusion that they could be in danger and so took steps to protect them."
"Why didn't you inform anyone about the Dursleys?"
"When Harry was on trial there were several people who were very keen that he was convicted. I believed that those people would want to get rid of the Dursleys. Now that I know what they actually did though I no longer have any wish to protect them, beyond using them to clear Harry's name. They are just as guilty of sending an innocent to Azkaban as certain other people are."
"Harry was in Azkaban?" asked Remus shocked. "You told me he went to St Mungo's Albus!"
"Yes, Harry was in Azkaban," confirmed Kingsley, "And I want to know how you knew that David, that information is restricted."
"I would rather not incriminate my source," said David as though the matter were of little importance. "He believed he was talking to Harry's ghost when he mentioned it."
"You believe Harry was innocent then," said Albus moving the subject on before Remus could lay into him for lying. Neither he nor Kingsley was satisfied by David's answer but he appeared truthful, and if Harry was innocent the truth would come out at some point anyway. "Is there anything else you know about Harry that we should be looking in to?"
"I would bet his 'Dark Mark' was a muggle tattoo, which whoever buried his body should have realised since had it been the 'Dark Mark' it would have faded after Voldemort's 'death.'"
"I've been seeing his arm in my dreams for months trying to work out the significance. You're right, it was still as dark as ever," said Albus.
"Well that's all I can think of; although if you come up with a specific question I can try to help."
David was not very surprised to find Remus following him as he left Albus's office. "It's a lot to take in isn't it? I never believed them capable of selling him out like that." he asked wearily.
"You couldn't have known. You're involved with the Dursleys and with Sirius, so what I want to know is why you befriended me, why you got me this job, is that all because of Harry?"
David appeared a bit taken aback. "It was Fawkes who told me to visit the muggle library and a school friend of yours, James Potter insisted that I get to know you. I think he was trying to set us up."
"You never said you knew James. And he certainly never mentioned you."
"What would you have had me say? Hello, a friend of yours who has been dead for years wanted me to marry you? How d'you think you would have reacted?"
"I don't know, but since it's you I hope I would have asked you out, perhaps kissed you?" he suited the action to the words spinning David round and pressing their lips together. Remus was not sure what had come into him to give him the courage to do that, but he instantly regretted it when David froze against him. He felt himself being thrown against the wall of the corridor and his vision clouded.
The sound made when Remus hit the wall echoed down the corridor and soon running footsteps could be heard. As Severus and Minerva came into view David came to his senses and realised what he had done. Minerva drew her wand and stunned David.