The new Neighbor

Chapter 2

The next day, Harry woke to Hedwig's soft hooting beside his ear. The hooting which at first was soothing soon became impatient as his familiar tried to wake him but failed. Annoyed, she pecked his ear, not too softly either which resulted in him being startled awake.

"Wha...Hedwig!" He stated in an annoyed tone.

The amber eyes just looked back at him reproachfully before holding out her leg onto which a roll of parchment was attached.

Confused as he was, he took the roll before opening it. Upon which his confusion just mounted. He flipped the roll in his hands, inspecting both sides.

"Who gave this to you girl? It's just a spare bit of parchment." And just like that, his memory jogged. This was the same thing he had told Fred and George when they had given him the marauder's map. Almost on a whim, he picked up his wand from his half-unpacked trunk before pointing it at the parchment and saying the magic words, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." His heart beating fast in anticipation he watched as writing slowly became visible on the parchment.

Messers Moony and Padfoot wish messer Prongslet a very good morning.

Padfoot would like to tell Prongslet to chin-up as there is going to be a very excitable surprise today.

Moony would like to add that Prongslet shouldn't show any surprise at any events that might happen today.

Padfoot would say some surprise should be present or it would not seem natural.

Moony would like to say that he concedes to this point.

Messers Moony and Padfoot would like to end by saying that Prongslet is in for a very good surprise and to officially invite him to his very first prank as the Marauder's Legacy.

Harry's eyebrows had continued to rise as the conversation had etched itself onto the parchment. Though he was still very skeptical of what had just happened, his optimism of this holiday had risen as had his curiosity. What did they mean by surprise? He wondered if he would be able to meet his Godfather and Professor Lupin anytime soon, maybe even spend time with them to find out more about his family. His little fantasy was ruined however by the sharp raps on his door by Aunt Petunia's bony fingers.

"Get up boy! You need to go weed the garden! Up!" Her shrill voice made its way into the room. Wincing slightly at her high pitched voice, he sighed as he got out of bed.

"I'm up! I'm up!" He called out as he rolled out of bed. His stomach groaned at the lack of food and he wondered how he would be able to sneak some food before the surely endless list of tasks that were ahead of him.

He pulled on old clothes of Dudley's before making his way down to the stairs and out to the garden, being sure to avoid the Dursley's. The sun was just poking out as he set down to the menial work of pulling the weeds from the garden. After a while, he felt like eyes were watching him, his body tensed as he wondered who it was, his gaze traveled around him as he wished he had his wand on him, but just as soon as feeling emerged, it vanished. Shaking himself slightly Harry carried on for another few hours before his Aunt called him in to make tea and sandwiches for her and her guest.

Harry's eyebrows shot up, both at the request and at the fact that she was calling him in when there were guests.

Still, he made his way in quietly and set about making tea and sandwiches before balancing both trays on his hands and walking into the sitting room to see his aunt and cousin sitting opposite a short blonde woman with plain brown eyes, eyes that were scrutinizing him closely. Her nostrils flared slightly and her eyes narrowed as he placed the tray on the table and backed away slowly.

"Yes, I see what you mean Petunia, dear, it was so kind of you to take the boy in after his mother died, in a car accident was it?"

Harry wondered if he was the only one who heard the thinly veiled sarcasm under her words. His aunt certainly hadn't with the way she began simpering and neither had Dudley by his huge stupid grin on his face.

"Thank you, Violetta." His aunt her horse-like face stretching into a grin.

The woman, Violetta, gave a small tight smile before picking up the teacup again before speaking again.

"Now, I did have an ulterior motive in coming over dear. You see Mrs. Proker told me about your nephew and that he goes off to , and how generous you are in trying to get him back into line, by keeping him on a strict regime of chores. I must say that is very admirable, most people would just leave him in an orphanage rather than try to get the kid back in line."

His aunt and cousin's smiles became, even more, stupider if possible.

"Well, we do try to be upstanding citizens Violetta, we have to you know? How else would our society progress otherwise?"

"Very true my dear, very true. Now as for the reason for my visit, I was wondering if I could borrow your nephew for a bit of help, you see, I and Herb have been trying to conceive for so long now and we have finally succeeded and my dear husband, bless his soul, has become rather protective over me telling me to try and find some help and to not do any work at all. I wonder if you would be so kind as to send him over every day, you know just to help me make lunch, build the library, place the furniture in place, paint the walls that kind of stuff, now it's completely up to you, do no feel pressured just because my husband is your husband's boss of course." She finished with a delicate laugh, but it seemed even his aunt wasn't thick enough to miss that insinuation.

Petunia Dursley's mind was in a whirl. This was such a good opportunity. She could get rid of that- that freak and get in good with Vernon's boss, but, what if his freakishness made an appearance?

As she silently weighed the pros and cons of the situation, the woman before her kept a small smile on her face as she let her eyes roam over the room, she moved her hand to move a piece of hair behind her ear and the sunlight streaming in from the windows caught on the diamond earrings in Violetta's ears. Finally, greed won over her worries as she made up her mind. If she got in good with her, then that would be a promotion for her husband and maybe some new earrings for her.

Plastering a smile onto her face she spoke, "Oh! Congratulations dear! your husband is right, pregnancy is such a wonderful time but you should be careful, of course, he would help in any way he can, won't you bo-Harry?" Petunia said in a voice that brokered no argument.

Harry knew he had no choice, if he refused it would just anger his aunt and uncle, so mutely he just nodded his head, agreeing to be a slave to another Petunia for the rest of his summer.

"Oh, how wonderful! And since he will be spending most of the time with me, don't worry about his meals, I'm sure we can manage, he doesn't look like he eats much as it is." Violetta said clapping her hands lightly.

She stood up to take her handbag before speaking again.

"If it's alright, I would like him to start right away Petunia."

"I- oh, I was hoping to speak to him before I let him over, you know just to make sure he knows to not cause any trouble as he does at home and school." She replied glaring at Harry like it was all his fault that the woman wanted to take him with her right away.

"Nonsense, I'm sure you have ingrained that in him and if he causes any problem I shall let you know right away, I promise."

Almost as if soothed by her words, his aunt nodded and let him go with her. The woman smiled pleasantly at him as he followed her over to her house. She opened the door and stood aside to let him in, he walked in and almost fell over himself at the sight in front of him.

Standing in front of him, grinning madly were his godfather and his former professor.

The door slamming shut behind him spurred him out of his state of shock as the woman- Violetta walked past him.

"God that woman can chatter, going on and on and on about her dear handsome Vernon and her dear Dudley. Ugh," She shuddered.

"What-how-who..." Harry was at a loss for words.

"Surprise!" Sirius and Remus said enthusiastically.

"Aw come now prongslet, doesn't your godfather get a hug for getting you out of that hell hole?" Sirius asked with a grin.

"Hey! If anyone got him out of that hell hole it's me!" Violetta interjected, except in her place now stood a striking young woman with rich brown hair and startling violet eyes.

"Perhaps a few explanations before you start your bickering again?" Remus suggested with a slight smile.

"Oh! Right of course! Harry, this is a distant cousin of mine, Astrid Elladora Black. That's who I went to after I left Hogwarts, and since I can't exactly claim legal guardianship over you yet, Astrid came up with this solution."

Harry's brain was slowly catching up to him now.

"Wait but how did you set this up so soon? You just left Hogwarts a few days back and according to my aunt, this house was sold a while back. "

"Ah, that I think I should explain," Astrid said.

"You see Harry since I was born, I've always had these, well shall we say instincts? Yes, instincts that have never steered me wrong and after a while, I've begun to just do as they say. So when a couple of months ago, I had this sudden urge to find and acquire a drilling company in Surrey, I thought hey why not, might be the reason for me to shift back to England, and then I wanted this beautiful white picket house just beside one of the people who work in Gurnings."

"Wait, if you did have these instincts, they didn't they tell you that Sirius was innocent and why didn't you try to do something?" Harry demanded.

Remorse plagued her violet eyes and they darkened with sadness.

"I did know he was innocent, and despite feeling, I shouldn't do anything I did try to get him an appeal or find out what truly happened, but I was laughed out of the wizgamont, those were desperate times, the light side had won, and the dark families were doing everything to keep their heads down. And as a Black, even if I was disassociated with my family, no one listened to me."

Harry could almost feel the sadness emanating from her and he suspected as did Remus and Sirius, for Remus had put his arm around her shoulder and Sirius had slipped his into hers.

Shaking herself slightly, Astrid gave a small smile, almost like she was shaking off the sadness enveloping her.

"Anyways, Astrid told me that we could spend time here as much as we want, and the best part? You can do magic and no one will even notice." Sirius stated grinning, trying to divert everyone's attention.

Harry's eyes lit up at this news before he visibly deflated again.

"I don't have my wand or anything on me." Sirius, Remus, and Astrid shared a grin before Astrid called out.

"Topsy!"

A small elf materialized in front of her wearing a black tea towel with some crest embroidered in silver. Bowing a little she spoke in a squeaky voice.

"Mistress called?"

"Yes Topsy, could you please gather Harry's school belongings and wand from his relatives' house and replace them with fakes so they don't notice them missing?"

"Of course Mistress." The elf bowed before disappearing with a crack and reappearing almost instantly.

"Young Master Harry's belongings be in his room ma'am, and here is young Master's wand." The elf said handing the wand to Harry.

"Thank you, Topsy." Astrid said with a kind smile.

"Great! Now Moony and I can teach you defensive magic and help you out with your studies kid!" Sirius replied almost bouncing on his feet.

Harry could feel the excitement bubbling in him, at the thought of learning magic and spending time with his godfather and his honorary uncle.

"Not so fast pads. The check-ups first." Remus added in a stern voice with a look at Sirius.

Distaste colored his features and Sirius pulled a face at the thought of check-ups.

"Can't we skip today? It's Harry's first day of holidays and the first day that he's spending with us."

Astrid snorted from where she was leaning against the wall.

"Not a chance, you need to be in tip-top shape for our plan to work and you want Harry to be alright don't you? After spending so many years in that hell hole as you so eloquently put it?"

Immediately Sirius's eyes darkened.

"Right, of course. Harry first, I want to know every single thing they did to him so that I can return it to them tenfold."

Harry's heart warmed at the protectiveness in his godfather's voice, even as his apprehension mounted at the words check-up.

"uh...that's not necessary you know? I'm mean, I'm completely fine." He said unsurely.

All three pairs of eyes narrowed at him.

"Your severely underfed." Remus started.

"You have dark circles from lack of nutrition." Astrid continued.

"And you are at least a stone less than what you need to be considered borderline healthy." Sirius ended.

A lump formed in Harry's throat at the fact that these three adults had noticed what was wrong with him at just a glance and resigned himself to be thoroughly checked over, besides if three adults who did so much more for him than anyone else asked him to be healthy how could he say no?