Chapter 19
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June 12th 1992
It has been about two hours since Remus, Hermione, Neville and Augusta watched Harry walk away with his relatives and since then Remus and Hermione have gotten home and Neville and Augusta flooed home.
After Neville and Augusta flooed home Hermione went upstairs to put her stuff away and after putting her stuff that needs to be washed in the laundry room Hermione heads to the living room where her father is.
"So, how mad are you about everything I did this year?" Hermione asks curious as she sits down next to her father.
"I'm still trying to digest everything." Remus admits, as he is still trying to figure out what he feels about everything his daughter has done as is feeling a lot of conflicting emotions, "You and Harry being on the Astronomy Tower at midnight, was that because of the Stone?" Remus asks his daughter.
"Kind of." Hermione answers, "It might be better if you don't know the real reason we were up there." Hermione answers as she honestly doesn't think her father will react well to what they were really doing, and it could put him in a very awkward position.
"I want to know." Remus tells his daughter, "I want you to be able to talk to me Hermione, always, without fear of judgement."
"I know you won't judge me." Hermione tells her father, "It's that I'm worried that you'll be disappointed and it could put you in an awkward position." Hermione explains to her father.
"It's okay, Hermione, I promise you that you can tell me anything and we'll talk about it properly and I promise I will do my best to understand." Remus explains to his daughter.
"Okay." Hermione says with a deep breath, "For a little while Hagrid had a baby dragon that he attempted to raise in his Hut." Hermione explains to her father.
"Hagrid had a dragon?" Remus asks shocked, "How'd Hagrid get a dragon?" he asks as he knows that Hagrid has wanted a dragon for a long time, he just didn't think he'd ever get one.
"Unknown to him, from Voldemort." Hermione answers.
"From Voldemort?" Remus asks, his voice faint, and Hermione nods, "That's when he found out how to get past Fluffy, isn't it?" he asks and Hermione nods, "How'd Hagrid having a dragon cause you and Harry to be on the Astronomy tower at midnight?" he asks his daughter, trying not to think about how worrying that is.
"Well for weeks Harry, Neville, Ron and I spent time with Hagrid, trying to help him with the Dragon, that he called Norbert, and we were trying to get him to give the dragon up, I thought about writing you but I didn't think there was anything you could do." Hermione admits, "Harry eventually got the idea to write to Ron's brother Charlie who works with Dragons in Romania and after a little bit of convincing we managed to get Hagrid to agree to send Norbert away." Hermione explains, "When we got a response back from Charlie Ron had gotten bitten by Norbert so he had to go to the Hospital Wing and while there Malfoy came to visit him and the letter from Charlie was in a letter that Malfoy borrowed." She explains to her father, "Finally the night to get rid of Norbert came and Harry and I went down to Hagrid's under Uncle James's cloak and Neville volunteered to try and help by distracting Malfoy." Hermione explains, "By some miracle Harry and I, under the cloak, while carrying Norbert managed to get up to the Astronomy Tower and Charlie's friends took Norbert. Harry and I were so happy about Norbert being gone and Malfoy getting detention that we headed downstairs, without putting the cloak back on." Hermione explains to Remus, "We wouldn't have gotten caught if we had remembered the cloak."
"No, you wouldn't have." Remus confirms, "I can't believe I am going to say this but in the future, if you're using it, make sure you are always completely covered by the cloak." Remus says, not being able to believe that he is basically giving his daughter advice about how to sneak around.
"Yes, Papa." Hermione says, trying not to look amused.
"Now, after all the times I did it at school I can't tell you off for walking around the school at night. I would like you to do better than me and not, but if you do I just ask that you be careful." Remus tells his daughter, knowing that if he lectured her then he'd just be a hypocrite, "Wanting to help Hagrid is noble, but the four of you didn't have to do it alone. If you went to Albus Hagrid wouldn't have been in trouble." Remus tells Hermione, who nods, wishing she knew that at the time, "Now, that brings me to something else I wanted to talk to you about." Remus says and Hermione tenses, not sure what to expect, "I am very proud Hermione, about the way you handled everything, I am proud, don't get me wrong, but what you did was dangerous and I told you not get involved." Remus explains to Hermione, "I know you went to Minnie for help and she didn't believe you, but I also knew that that wasn't until weeks after you figured things out." Remus tells Hermione, "I want you, and Neville and Harry, to be safe, so while I hope it doesn't, if anything like this happens again I want you to go to Albus right away, and I want you to stay out of it." Remus tells his daughter as what he wants is for is daughter, and the two boys he's known since they were babies, to be safe.
"I'll try." Hermione answers, knowing that it is the best she can do.
"Good." Remus responds, "Why were you so upset when you got off the train, Mione?"
"I told Ron about me, about Dad." Hermione reveals, "He wants nothing to do with me, called me Death Eater Spawn." Hermione explains, looking upset.
"Oh, Hermione, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." Remus says, moving towards his daughter and hugging her, "I'm so sorry, Mione." Remus says as he hugs her, "You don't deserve that." Remus says as he hugs his daughter, wishing that there was something he could do to help her.
Later that night, hours after she got home, Hermione is sneaking down to her father's study. As she double checked to make sure that her father was asleep, Hermione feels pretty confident in what she is doing but at the same time she is being as careful as possible.
Once Hermione is in the study she heads over to the desk and open the draws. For a few minutes Hermione searches through the draws until she finally finds what she is looking for, a file full of papers about the Wolfsbane potion.
Once she has the file Hermione does her best to make it seem like she hasn't been going through the draws before heading back up to her room.
Once she is in her room Hermione puts the file on her bed and then she pulls several books out of her trunk and carries them over to her bed too.
"Okay, Wolfsbane potion." Hermione says to herself, "What do I need and how do I make you?" Hermione asks herself as she starts to read, planning on doing whatever she has to to make the potion that will help her father so much.
June 17th 1992
It has been five days since Hermione returned home from Hogwarts and in that time Remus has experienced his full moon since Hermione was home and, while being worried for her father, Hermione used that as an opportunity to send an owl order off to get the ingredients she needs to try and make Wolfsbane potion.
It is about one am and even though he is still recovering from the Full moon Remus is awake, waiting for a visitor. As he feels his eyes start to drift open and close the fire bursts to life and the second it does Remus feels himself being wide awake as Albus steps out.
"Remus." Albus greats.
"Albus."
"How are you feeling?" Albus asks, as he knows that Remus is still recovering.
"Better than I was." Remus answers as Albus walks over and sits down across from Remus, "Have you figured out a way for Harry to be safe and not live with his relatives?" he asks, needing the answer to be yes.
"I believe I might have." Albus admits, "Lily was with you when you gave birth to Hermione, wasn't she?" Albus asks as he needs a bit more information before he can know for sure that his theory is right.
"Yes, but she was more than with me." Remus answers, being confused about why Albus would be asking that, but he knows Albus well enough to know that it will make sense eventually, "She and Alice delivered Hermione and I started to lose a lot of blood." Remus explains, remembering that the last thing he saw before he passed out from blood lost was Sirius, James and Frank bursting into the room, "We didn't have any blood replenishing potion and there was enough time to get some so Lily gave me a blood transfusion." Remus says, remembering back, to a time when, unknown to all of them, Lily would have been about ten days pregnant with Harry, "Lily called me her brother for the first time once I woke up. It was part of the reason we gave Hermione the middle name Jean, because that was hers too." Remus explains with a sad smile, very much wishing that he had a drink right now, as he and Lily were always close, they had been friends since they began Hogwarts, but that was the first time she called him brother, "Why do you ask, Albus?" Remus asks, wanting to know what is going on.
"Harry told me that he never considered his aunt's house home and that his aunt has made it clear that her house isn't his home, which means the blood protection shouldn't have heled, but it has." Albus tells Remus, "He's been protected by it."
"What are you saying?" Remus asks.
"I'm saying that I should have listened to you all those times you said that Lily wouldn't want Harry to live with Petunia." Albus admits and Remus feels a little bit of anger at that, "I believe that when Lily died and activated the ancient blood protection it wasn't applied to her sister, but the person who she considered her brother, the person who is, by magical laws, married to Harry's godfather the man that her husband considered his brother, the person who has been willing to take in her son, and has been fighting for him, for ten years." Albus reveals, "I been looking into it ever since Harry told me that he doesn't consider his Aunt's house home, and you saying that Lily gave you a blood transfusion has confirmed what I have come to suspect."
"Are you saying that Harry could have been safe with me all these years?" Remus asks, sounding angry, "Are you saying that he could have grown up with Hermione and I, feeling loved, rather than unloved at Petunia's?" Remus asks, sounding very angry.
"Yes, I am sorry, Remus." Albus says, doing what he doesn't do often and actually apologising, "I thought I was protecting you both from pain, but I was wrong, and you were right." Albus says, actually looking apologetic about it.
"When can Harry come home?" Remus asks, not saying whether he accepts Albus's apology as he isn't sure whether he does.
"I told Harry to expect to spend a week at his relatives' house, which means Saturday." Albus says, "On Saturday you and I will go to Harry's relatives house, talk to us and bring him back with us." Albus tells Remus, "That should give you enough time to recover from the full moon, get your spare room ready for Harry, and talk to Hermione." Albus tells Remus.
"Yes, it should." Remus confirms.
"Also as they wouldn't approve, and it would be safer for you Harry and Hermione if they didn't know, I believe it would be best if the Ministry didn't know about the change of Harry's living situation." Albus tells Remus.
"It probably would be." Remus admits, knowing that it is something that the ministry would actively try to stop.
"I best be going." Albus says, standing up, "I will see you at nine am on Saturday." He reveals, "And I am sorry, Remus." Albus says before leaving.
After Albus leaves Remus just sits in his chair, trying to digest everything. For almost even years he has been trying to get Albus to allow him to have custody and now he finally has, and while he is thrilled about that Remus can't help his anger when he realises that if Albus had listened to him just once over the last eleven years then it would have already happened, Harry would have been living with them a long time ago, he wouldn't have had to grow up the way he did.
Hours after Albus and Remus had their conversation about Harry, though she doesn't know that, Hermione is walking into the kitchen for breakfast where she sees her father making breakfast and a large package on the table.
Hoping that it isn't what she expects as it's going to be hard to explain, Hermione walks rather quickly over to the package and checks, and just like she was dreading Hermione sees that it is her owl order.
Wondering if she can do it without her Papa noticing Hermione picks up the package and attempts to take a step away.
"Don't even try it." Remus says, still looking at what he is doing rather than his daughter.
"Morning Papa." Hermione says, putting on an innocent voice.
"That's all you have to say, morning?" Remus asks, turning around and taking the food off the stove, "I didn't open the package, but the inventory was attached to the outside." Remus tells his daughter, "Those ingredients costed you a lot, what are you planning on making?" Remus asks as he puts the food he took of the stove on the table and as he does Hermione avoids looking at her father, "Hermione?" Remus asks as he knows what those ingredients can make and he wants to see whether his daughter is going to be honest with him.
"I'm going to make you the Wolfsbane potion." Hermione answers, after a minute of hesitation, "You should get to keep your mind when you transform and using this potion you can, I want to do that for you." Hermione explains to her father.
"Hermione, sit down." Remus tells her and Hermione sits down at the table and once she is sitting down Remus sits down next to her, "Hermione, you wanting to do that means so much to me, and I am touched that you want to do that." Remus explains to his daughter, feeling amazed that she was going to try to do that for him.
"I sense a but coming." Hermione comments with a frown.
"I believe that you are capable of anything once you set your mind to it, you've proven that more times than I can count and that makes me incredible proud." Remus tells his daughter, telling the truth, as he believes that, "The Wolfsbane potion is an incredibly complex potion, it is beyond anything that is even taught at Hogwarts, there are even some potion masters that have struggled with making it."
"You think I can't make it." Hermione says, looking disappointed.
"Hermione I believe you could, one day, probably sooner than anyone else would think, but right now you are only twelve years old and have only been at Hogwarts a year." Remus explains to his daughter, not wanting to destroy her confidence, "Making this potion is dangerous and if created wrong it could be catastrophic." Remus tells his daughter as he would try the potion if his daughter made it, no matter what, but he knows that if something happened to him because of that then she would never forgive herself.
"What if I research everything to do with the Wolfsbane potion? What if I don't even start trying to make it until I understand everything about the potion and everything that could go wrong?" Hermione asks, "And what if when I try to make it I only do so under Albus's supervision, or even Professor Snape." Hermione offers, it being clear how important this is to her because she is willing to subject herself to more time with Snape, "Please Papa, let me try." She begs.
"You can do the research, do your studies but you're not to make the potion, not until you have supervision from someone who is much better at potions than me." Remus tells his daughter as he doesn't want her to get hurt trying to make the potion for him and he knows he won't be able to tell if doing something is a bad idea when making potion.
"That's probably fair." Hermione admits, though she doesn't seem to too happy.
"I'm going to hold onto the ingredients until you talk to Albus or Professor Snape about the potion. So that you don't get any ideas." Remus tells his daughter, as he is pretty sure that she would try to make it anyway.
"Okay." Hermione says, trying not to frown as she was intending to make the potion anyway.
"Good." Remus says, "Now, grab some food because there is something else I have to talk to you about." Remus explains to Hermione.
"Okay." Hermione says and he and Remus both grab food and start to eat.
For a few minutes there is silence as Hermione and Remus both eat their breakfast.
"What else did you want to talk about?" Hermione asks her father after she has a little bit of food.
"Albus was here this morning." Remus informs Hermione, "The reason he sent Harry to his Uncle and Aunts is that he thought the Blood protection that Lily's sacrifice implemented meant that that would be the safest house, but Albus has come to realise that the blood protection didn't bind to Petunia, but to me." Remus explains.
"How would that have happened?" Hermione asks, being very interested.
"Your Aunt Lily and Neville's Mum delivered you, have I told you that?" Remus asks his daughter.
"No." Hermione says, her eyes widening, as she knew that one of her middle names is Jean because that was Lily's middle name, but she didn't know that Lily and Neville's Mum delivered her.
"They did, your Dad, Uncle James and Neville's Dad were on a mission for Dumbledore, and you were early." Remus reveals and Hermione can't help but smile at that, "Your Aunt Lily and Alice delivered you, but I began to lose a lot of blood, your Dad, Uncle James and Frank arrived just as I lost consciousness." Remus reveals.
"You almost died giving birth to me?" Hermione asks, worry in her voice as she realises just how big of a price her Papa paid to have her.
"It was close, but from the moment your Dad and I started to talk about having kids I knew that there was danger and I was willing to risk it and I wouldn't have changed that because you are the best thing in my life." Remus tells his daughter who gives a nod but is still thinking about what Remus said, "Your Aunt Lily gave me a blood transfusion and when I woke up she called me her brother for the first time. Albus thinks that because of that, the fact that Lily wouldn't have wanted Harry to go with Petunia, and the fact that I've been fighting and wanting Harry for the past ten years means that the blood protection was applied to me rather than Petunia." Remus explains to his daughter.
"Wait, does that mean Harry could have lived with us all this time?" Hermione asks, not sure how she feels about that.
"Yes." Remus confirms, "Albus said we'll go get Harry on Saturday, and how do you feel about that?" he asks curious.
"That it about time." Hermione says, saying words without even thinking about it, "Harry should have always been here with us, he should have never been there. He belongs here, with us." Hermione tells her Papa, "He always has, and I'm glad that he's finally going to be." She tells her father.
"So am I." Remus admits, "I was thinking that later today, once we get back from the bookshop, we can make the room suitable for Harry and then when he comes he can personalize it, and we can get whatever he needs." Remus tells his daughter, honestly not expecting Harry to have much from his relative's house as from what Hermione told him it doesn't seem likely.
"Sounds good." Hermione admits, "But I actually have an idea about something he might like." Hermione reveals.
"Oh?" Remus asks curious and Hermione begins to explain he idea to her father and as she does Remus finds himself smiling, thinking that it is an incredible idea.
June 20th 1992
Three days later the day to collect Harry has come and Remus and Hermione, both in their normal muggle clothes, are waiting for Albus.
"From what Harry told you how do you think his relatives are going to react?" Remus asks Hermione curious.
"I'm not really sure." Hermione admits, "From what Harry's said it could go different ways." Hermione reveals as the fire springs to life and Albus steps out.
"Remus, Hermione." Albus greats.
"Albus." Hermione and Remus responds as Albus climbs out of the fireplace.
"I borrowed Dan and Emma's car like you asked." Remus informs Albus.
"Good. I believe that considering we want it would be best that we don't use magic unless it is necessary." Albus informs Remus, who nods, knowing enough about Petunia to know that them using magic will just cause her to react badly.
"I'm coming, right?" Hermione asks and Albus and Remus exchange a brief look.
"Yes, you are." Remus says as he would rather not leave Hermione alone even though she is old enough to look after herself for short times.
"Good." Hermione says, sounding glad.
"We should go." Remus says and Albus quickly transfigures his robes into Muggle clothes and the then three of them walk out of the house.
About half an hour later Remus pulls up in front of Number Four Privet Drive.
"Is this the place?" Remus asks Albus who is sitting in the front seat.
"Yes." Albus answers and as he does Remus turns off the car and the three of them get out of the car and walk up the path towards the house; Hermione walking between Albus and Remus.
When they reach the front door Albus reaches out, knocks and a few seconds later the door opens to reveal a woman,
"Hello Petunia, it's been a long time." Remus greats, keeping his voice pleasant.
"VERNON" Petunia yells, sounding worried as she recognizes Remus and Albus seem semi familiar, and a few seconds later Vernon walks into the hallway.
"NO, we don't want any of you here, leave now!" Vernon says angrily.
"We are here to collect Harry; he will be leaving with us." Albus informs Vernon.
"There's no one by that name here." Vernon says, attempting to close the door on Albus and Remus, but they both stick out their hands and stop him and they push themselves in.
"This is my house! I DO NOT WANT YOU PEOPLE IN MY HOUSE." Vernon yells.
"HARRY." Hermione yells, ignoring Vernon, as she ducks between her Papa and Albus.
"What have you done with him?" Remus asks angrily and as he does Hermione thinks she hears something.
"Harry." Hermione says again, walking towards the stairs.
"Hermione." Harry's voice says and as she hears it Hermione hears exactly where it came from.
"PAPA, ALBUS." Hermione yells as she heads over to the cupboard under the stairs.
Both looking furious Albus and Remus run over to the cupboard and open it to reveal Harry sitting, with his knees against his chest with Hedwig and his trunk.
"Harry." Remus says shocked, "Can you stand?" Remus ask.
"Yeah." Harry answers and Remus sticks out his hand for Harry to grab and he does so with his left hand as when his Uncle forced him into the cupboard he landed awkwardly on his right arm, "Thank you for actually coming." Harry says gratefully as he's been counting the days and honestly he was expecting Remus not to show up.
"You don't have to thank me for that." Remus assures Harry, "Are you hurt?" he asks worried as Albus walks over to Petunia and Vernon.
"My arm is." Harry answers as Hermione carefully hugs him.
"You were supposed to treat him as if he was his own. You were supposed to look after him." Albus says, there being fury at the Dursley's in his voice as well as guilt.
"The boys a freak, he deserves what he got." Vernon says.
"Mum? Dad?" Dudley asks walking out into the entry way, "What is going on?"
"If you're here to take him, then take him!" Petunia says, "I don't want him to be here anymore, I never wanted him." She says, it being clear that she means everything she is saying.
"Albus." Remus calls and with an angry disappointed look at Vernon and Petunia Albus walks over to Remus, Harry and Hermione, and as he does Dudley hurries over to his parents, "I think Harry's wrist is broken and you're better at healing charms than I am." Remus as he doesn't want to try the charm and do it wrong.
"Yes, let me see." Albus says and he carefully reaches out and inspects Harry's arm, "Yes, I believe it is broken." He realises, feeling anger at the Dursley's grow, and being glad that his magical signature will overwhelms the trace that is on Harry so the ministry won't be able to detect the magic, he pulls out his wand and casts a non-verbal healing charm, "Is that better?" Albus asks as Hermione pulls Harry's trunk and Hedwig out of the cupboard.
"Much, thanks." Harry says, sounding grateful, and as he does Albus senses something else.
"Someone's put a block on your mail; odd." Albus says with a frown and he quickly removes that.
"The ministry?" Remus asks Albus as Harry frowns.
"No, I don't believe so." Albus admits, finding that odd, "Do you have anything other than your trunk and Hedwig? Anything else you want?" Albus asks Harry.
"No." Harry answers.
"Then I ask that you and Hermione head to the car. Remus and I have to have a few words with your relatives." Albus informs Hermione and Harry, there being no room for questioning in his voice.
"Okay, come on Harry." Hermione says and she starts to drag his trunk.
"I can get it." Harry says, referring to his trunk.
"Take Hedwig instead." Hermione says and Harry does that the two off them head out of the house, Hermione getting the car keys from Remus as they past.
As they watch Hermione and Harry walk out of the house both Albus and Remus are silent, and then once the front door closes Albus and Remus approach Vernon, Dudley and Petunia, and all three of them are looking quiet afraid.
"How could you Petunia? To your own nephew, Lily's son." Remus says angrily as he noticed a sign saying 'Harry's Room' when he helped Harry.
"He's no family of mine. He's just a freak that was dropped on my doorstep." Petunia says angrily and as she does Albus watches Remus out of the corner of his eye to make sure that Remus is okay, but apart from a flash of amber in his eyes he looks calm.
"He is not a freak; he is an incredible boy who deserved so much better than you." Remus informs Petunia, trying to keep his voice calm.
"When I left Harry in your care I believed that it was what was best for him, I believed that you would be able to get past your prejudice and raise Harry in the way he deserved, I've never been more sorry to be wrong." Albus says, "Now, Harry will be leaving with us and he will never be returning here."
"Good." Vernon says, being very glad about that.
"Did you ever make him feel welcome? Did you ever even treat him like a human being?" Remus asks, pain in his voice as he hates that Harry grew up like that.
"Why would we?" Petunia asks, "You gave us no choice you made us take him in, I never wanted him." Petunia says, "I'm glad that he'll be gone, I'm glad to forget about him."
"Then you'll get your wish." Albus says, "It will be safer for everyone involved if you have no memory of Harry ever living with you, but you'll still be protected." Albus informs them.
"What are you going to do?" Dudley asks, fear in his voice.
"More than you deserve." Remus says, as considering what they have done to Harry altering their memories seems to be them getting of easily though Remus understands why Albus has chosen to do that, and Albus raises his wand once more.
Out in the street Harry and Hermione have loaded Harry's trunk into the boot of the car and they are getting in the back seat with Hedwig.
"What are you Papa and Professor Dumbledore doing in there?" Harry asks Hermione curious.
"I'm not exactly sure." Hermione admits, "This wasn't the first time they hurt you was it?" Hermione asks, looking worriedly at Harry.
"No." Harry admits.
"I'm sorry, Harry, I'm so sorry." Hermione tells her friend, hating that he was hurt by the people who were meant to care for him.
"It's okay, Hermione." Harry answers, "So um, what's going to happen to me now?" he asks, "Am I going to be living with you and your Papa or somewhere else?" he asks, being very curious as he would like to know what is going to happen to him.
"You're coming home with us, I'm sure Papa and Albus will explain everything." Hermione explains to Harry.
"Good." Harry says, finding himself smiling and about a minute later the two front doors open and Remus and Albus climb in.
"Are you both alright?" Remus asks Harry and Hermione.
"Yes."
"Good." Albus says as Remus starts the car, and starts to drive away. As they go Harry turns and looks at Number four, feeling an overwhelming joy at the knowledge that he'll never have to go back there and as they drive away Harry feels that he is finally going to the one place, other than Hogwarts, where he truly belongs.
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