Title: Retrograde
Author: Knife Hand
Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated
Spoilers: Nothing Specific, general for first few books.
Rating: M
Disclaimer: I do not own Hermione, or Luna, or Ginny, or Cho, or... I would buy them all but I am broke.
Summary: Harry's trial before fifth year goes differently because someone knows more than they should about Harry. Time Travel Fic.
Amelia walked up to Hogwarts main doors, surrounded by Kingsley Shacklebolt and a dozen Aurors. They were met at the door by Harry, or officially Professor Tenor.
"Professor Tenor, this is Senior Auror Shacklebolt." Amelia introduced.
"A pleasure." Harry commented. "I heard your press conference on the Wireless this morning. Very well done. If you will all follow me, the students are currently in the Great Hall finishing lunch."
They followed Harry through the main doors and she took up position off to the side of the main doors to the Great Hall with Harry standing beside him. The Aurors stood in a small group a little distance from Harry and Amelia while Kingsley walked up to the front of the Hall. Amelia could see the recognition of what was going on in the eyes of several of the Professors. All eyes were on Kingsley, and in this moment of anonymity Amelia felt Harry slip his hand into hers and she gave it a squeeze. She turned out the speech Kingsley gave, having heard and given it so many times she knew it by heart. She tuned it out because she had to, or she would break down and cry.
At the end of the speech, the Aurors split up with each going to a specific student. Most of the students were in Slytherin, but there were several in each of the other Houses. Only three were in Sixth and Seventh Years, but only one of them was the child of a 'known' Death Eater, the other two were younger siblings of new Death Eaters. The rest of the students getting a visit from Aurors were First and Second Years, mostly children of new Death Eaters.
For each student approached it was variations on the same routine. Denial, horror and then finally breaking down crying before being escorted out by the assigned Auror. Amelia did not meet any of the escorted student's eyes as they moved past, but did not make it obvious. The thing that really tore at Amelia was the fact that every single one of those students was feeling at that moment exactly what she had felt the day her parents were murdered. And the day Edgar and his entire family were killed. And the day Edwin and Samantha were killed. She knew the pain they were feeling and she knew that, for some of them at least, she was the direct cause of the pain.
For her parent's death, only Harry had kept her sane and on the right path. For the others it was his memory that kept her going. Now he was standing next to her as a fixed point for her to cling to.
While both Harry and Amelia left the Great Hall with the Aurors and the grieving students, she did not leave Hogwarts grounds with them. Officially Amelia was under suspension while the AIA (Aurora Internal Affairs) was investigating the 'Auror Involved Incident'. Even though the AIA investigation team had cleared Amelia before Shacklebolt's press conference, the regulations required three days suspension for any Auror involved in a death, with one or two rare exceptions. Even as the Director of the DMLE, Amelia came up through the Aurors instead of the Prosecution Office, and as such still officially held the rank of Master Auror.
Harry escorted Amelia up to his office next to the DADA classroom. With a wave of his wand, Harry conjured a bed in the corner of the office and guided Amelia to lay on it, joining her as she curled up against his side. He had an hour and a half before he had the one remaining DADA class for the day, Second Year Slytherins and Ravenclaws. Emotionally exhausted, Amelia fell asleep almost instantly.
The dreams overtook Amelia, dreams of the lonely years.
Curled up alone in the corner of the apartment, crying uncontrollably as the letter from Harry crumpled in her clenched hand on the night he disappeared.
A screaming match with Edgar in Bones Manor, where her brother tried to get her to admit that Harry was dead while she maintained he was still alive. She would not return to Bones Manor until years later, well after Edgar was dead.
Faking a smile at the promotion ceremony when she was elevated to Auror First Class, the one rank below Master Auror, and one of the youngest to reach the rank of Auror First Class. Heading home that night alone and sitting silently in the dark, wishing beyond all else that Harry would show up but knowing he wouldn't, occasionally glaring at the empty tumbler and mostly full bottle of Firewhisky, resisting the urge to burry her sorrow in the bottom of the glass but knowing it would only be temporary forgetfulness but no real relief from the ache.
Yet another Christmas alone, sitting in the dark apartment with just a single candle lit on the table, the rest of the lights out, looking up out the window from her position on the floor, a single tear running down her cheek as she stared up at the stars, wishing for just a minute to be with Harry, even if just to stare into his brilliant green eyes.
Stumbling down an alleyway, blood dripping from a deep cut in her arm, the result of a simple cutting curse not some form of dark magic. The dark wizard was dead, his one chance missed Amelia did not give him another. Not a Death Eater this time, so there would be an AIA investigation and a three day suspension. Another one. Recognised Death Eater Attacks, through either the Regalia or the use of the Dark Mark were exempt from the AIA investigations and suspensions as a recognised threat to the Magical World. The exemption was a result of Amelia having seven suspensions in three weeks. No sooner had she come back from suspension, another Death Eater attack, another death or six and another suspension. The exemption would be rescinded on the first of November 1981. In a moment of depression, Amelia just wanted to lie down and let herself bleed out as a way to join Harry.
One night a year Amelia allowed herself to drink the Firewhisky. Usually only a single glass, but tonight she had already had three and would probably have at least one more. The night was the 30th of July, Harry birthday. But tonight was something both more special and more painful. It was not just his birthday, it was the day of his birth. Maybe even right at this moment Lily Potter was giving birth to Harry. It hurt to know that Harry was now in the world but it was not HER Harry.
Amelia walked from the Morgue at St Mungos, having just identified the bodies of Edwin and his wife Samantha. Her baby brother was gone. The medi-witch led her into a room where two year old Susan was waiting. Susan was sitting with her best friend Hannah and Hannah's mother, Katlyn Abbott. Katlyn had been watching Susan when Edwin and Samantha had been killed. Susan's confused eyes looked up at Amelia and Amelia's heart melted. It hurt Amelia that Susan only recognised her from the photos around Bones Manor, but Amelia promised Susan that she would look after her from now on.
Seven year old Susan was chattering excitedly across the table from Amelia at the restaurant where they were celebrating Amelia's promotion to Director of the DMLE. Half way through the meal, Susan noticed there was something up with Amelia so, in the directness of children, she asked. Amelia slowly and carefully explained how she had lost the love of her life and was just sad that he could not be there to share the celebration. Susan had stood, walked around the table and hugged Amelia, saying that her aunt had her.
Hugging Susan just before her niece boarded the Hogwarts Express for the first time, and watching as the younger Bones embarked the train. Walking slowly down the platform in hopes of seeing Harry if only for a moment. She was hovering near the portal to Muggle Kings Cross. There he was, with the Weasleys. Her heart almost exploded in her chest. It was exquisite torture. Before she could make a fool of herself, she apparated away.
Amelia was annoyed as she sat in the Wizengamont session. It was a supposed Criminal Trail of a malicious breach of the Statue of Secrecy. That raised her suspicions immediate, on top of making her angry, as she was supposed to both be the head of investigations and chief prosecutor in any Trail but for this Trial, she knew nothing, and the idiot Fudge was taking the lead. When the accused was brought in, Amelia almost had an apoplectic fit. It was Harry. She almost went into a rage, but stamped down on her emotion and remembered something Harry had once told her. That she had been fair and used her authority to face down corrupt officials, so she took control of the situation.
Amelia awoke to see Harry sitting on a chair watching her sleep.
"I had to go to a class." Harry explained as to why he was not sleeping beside her as he had been when she had gone to sleep. "You looked pensive."
"I was dreaming of the years you weren't there." Amelia said softly.
Harry just moved over to her, lay down and hugged her.
TBC…