Elizabeth Grace was a woman who was very proud of her heritage. Not because she thought she was better than others, but because she knew that they were the ones who led the way to where she now stood. Of course, she wished that she wasn't standing there now, for she stood outside the home of the most pretentious family she had ever met. The Dursleys of number four Privet drive were very proud of being normal, and anything they deemed unnatural or abnormal was shunned. In fact people just like Elizabeth.
Now if Elizabeth had a choice she most definitely wouldn't be here right now, or rather her cousin Harry wouldn't. The little three year old boy who had his father's dark locks and his mothers pure eyes was clearly being mistreated by this toxic family.
Vernon Dursley, the head of this family looked like an anthropomorphic walrus, while his wife Petuna resembled a horse, both of which now wore a very sour look upon their faces while little Dudley was throwing blocks.
"Thank you for allowing me to talk to you. I know how much you dislike my community," Elizabeth said. "But as I said when I knocked I'm here to make a mutually beneficial deal for you and for young Harry."
"Well spit it out we haven't got all day," muttered the man, clearly turning a darker shade of red in anger at the hinting of the magical community.
"I wish to take in Harry, and take him off your hands."
This statement put a spark in the Dursley's eyes/
"I will raise him, keep him away from your family so that you won't have to worry about him exhibiting characteristics similar to that of his parents. I will pay to get the legal papers through, and I will ensure that none from my community approach your family. You will be able to go about your normal lives," Elizabeth stated, putting heavy emphasis on the word normal. "If you find that agreeable I will gladly get the paperwork started."
The look of glee in the couple's eyes made her both relieved and sad. What kind of person would willingly hurt, mistreat, or neglect their own family? She was doing this boy a great service removing him from this place.
"Send us the paperwork as soon as you have it," said Vernon with a gleeful smile.
"Of course. If it's alright with you I'd like to take young Harry here to my home for the weekend so that I can start to get him accustomed to living with me."
"Just for the weekend? Why not just take his things and leave now?" muttered Petuna.
"Because I'm not legally his guardian, until the paperwork is filed properly I cannot keep him for longer than a few days at most," Elizabeth said, her storm grey eyes showing a spark of disgust at the way this family would treat one of their own. "Now I will return on Friday to pick him up. You won't need to pack a bag for the boy as I plan on making sure he has all he needs at my home. Until then."
She didn't even bother to shake their hands, not that she thought they would offer that basic courtesy. It was clear to her that they thought of magic folks as less than human and not something they'd want touching their lives more than absolutely necessary.
With that settled Elizabeth took her bike, one she'd enchanted to be able to fly and left number four Privet drive in as mundane a way as possible, knowing any misstep could potentially hurt young Harry.
Elizabeth rode her bike to downtown London, to the small magical pub known as the Leaky Cauldron. Looking both ways to ensure no one was watching she shrunk her bicycle and pocketed it before entering the pub.
The place was loud and full of activity, Wizards and witches enjoying food, drink and company.
"Hello Liz!" called Tom, the owner and bar keep of the establishment.
"Good afternoon Tom, you behaving yourself?" Elizabeth asked cheekily.
"But of course!" Tom laughed heartily.
"I'll come back later but right now I gotta go to Gringotts, need to make a withdrawal," she said over the crowded pub.
"Don't ya worry bout it Liz, I'll still be here when you get done," Tom said with a smile.
Walking to the back wall where the entrance to Diagon Alley was she waved to Tom and tapped the stones with her wand.
Just as busy if not more so than the Leaky Cauldron, Diagon Alley was the market of wizarding London.
With a goal in mind, and a well defined plan Elizabeth headed to Gringotts to make her withdrawal. The large marble looking building with lopsided pillars stood before her, as she steadied herself. Goblins were not her favorite of magical creatures, largely due to a prank one of her classmates had pulled on her when she was younger, but that fear was also strongly laced with a great and healthy amount of respect for them.
She approached one of the tellers, key in hand, when called up. In her experience things went smoother for her and whichever goblin was helping her if she had her key at the ready before they asked.
"I'd like to make a withdrawal and I would also like the money exchanged into muggle currency," she said in a rushed voice, setting her key on the counter between her and the goblin.
"Very well Miss Grace, follow me."
After the ride down into the vaults where she removed the amount she would need, she handed the coins to the goblin, Harnik, to exchange for pound notes. Once her transaction at the bank was done and her key returned to her, she set out to go to muggle London, to find an adoption agency.
Elizabeth was exhausted after going to the only adoption agency she could find that worked with both Muggle and Wizarding adoptions. Since she knew that the Durselys would much prefer to deal with someone they assumed was "normal" like them, while she would also need to ensure it was done legally in both muggle and wizarding worlds. Realistically she knew she'd need people who would vouch for her, in both the wizarding courts and the muggle ones. Andromeda seemed like a good person to ask. They had been quite a few years apart in Hogwarts and her husband was a muggle-born, so surely they would have a better understanding of how to interact with muggles. That left the need to get at least one other person to vouch for her. She contemplated asking her favorite professor from Hogwarts, McGonagall, but she feared that would lead to the Headmaster finding out, and while he would need to know, she did not want him involved. The man was well known for being a warrior of the light, fighting for the greater good and what not, but in Elizabeth's own opinion, sometimes he couldn't see the trees for looking at the forest. It would have to be an upstanding citizen, who was not thought to be a death eater, or imperiused by the man known as "Voldemort," as she didn't want to risk any of them sharing his distorted ideals of blood purity and supremacy. Maybe her muggle neighbor Mr. Kirke might be willing to vouch for her on the muggle side of things, after all she had helped him when he had his four grandchildren stay over.
Shaking her head she decided that she would plan out the rest later, she needed sleep. In the morning she could devise a suitable list of references, preferably while shopping for things for young Harry.
Elizabeth sat down with Petunia while Vernon was at work holding Harry on her lap while Petunia was doing everything in her power to keep Dudley away from him.
"I've started looking into the paperwork needed, and I've been told that in order for me to be allowed to get custody of Harry, he has to live with me for at least ten weeks. I've started setting up his room," Elizabeth said, bouncing little Harry on her knee.
"Wonderful, the sooner that little freak is gone the better," sniped Petunia.
"He is your nephew Petunia, the only bit of your sister you have left, I don't understand how you could be so cruel to him," Elizabeth said sadly, shaking her head. "I will take Harry today, and we will start the process of adoption."
"Wonderful, the sooner he's gone the better," muttered Petunia.
"I couldn't agree more, the sooner he's gone from this house the better," Elizabeth thought. Pulling young Harry close they left the house. She walked a few blocks away, in the opposite direction of the residence of one Arabella Figg, who Elizabeth suspected of being in Dumbledore's pocket. Once far enough she looked both ways down the muggle street checking to be sure she was alone and pulled out her wand to call for the Knight Bus. Once on board ignoring the conductor's welcome she paid the fare for her and Harry, while cutting off the driver's request of where they were headed with a quick, "Leaky Cauldron."
She carefully walked the center aisle of the bus to an empty bed and sat down.
"Hello little friend," Elizabeth whispered to Harry, bouncing him on her leg.
"Your son is adorable," an elder witch sitting not far away said.
"He is, isn't he?" smiled Elizabeth, making certain to hide his scar.
Before any more small talk could be made the driver announced their arrival at the Leaky Cauldron, standing swiftly while also balancing Harry and hiding his little forehead she disembarked from the Knight Bus and headed into the Leaky Cauldron.
"Hey Tom!" called Elizabeth over the sound of the bar.
"Liz good to see ya, heading to the Alley I'm guessin," laughed Tom looking at the bundle in her arms.
"Yep, see ya next time" she called as she walked to the back. Just before she went to open the way to Diagon Alley she cast a small disillusionment charm on Harry's scar to help him blend in. "Alright Harry, we're gonna go get you some robes," she whispered planting a kiss on his forehead.
She stepped through the opening to Diagon Alley and headed towards Madam Malkins.
"Welcome, how can I help you," Madam Malkin said as Elizabeth walked in.
"Hello Winnie, I need your help and I need confidentiality," said Elizabeth with a smile.
"Of course Liz darling," Madam Malkin said with a smile and a wave of her wand, closing the curtains and flipping the store sign to close.
"The young boy with me, he needs clothes. I rescued him from a pretty poor situation, the less you know the better, but you're the only one I'd trust with this task," said Elizabeth with a smile at the older woman.
"Of course, and what's your name little one," Winnie cooed at Harry.
"That's part of the confidentiality, can't tell you his name," laughed Elizabeth.
"I see," said Winnie with a wry smile. "Alright Liz, I'll help you."
"Wonderful, do you have anything pre-made that might blend in better with the muggle world? I need to be able to raise him in a muggle community," asked Elizabeth with a smile
"I might, let me take his measurements first before we set out looking, hm?" Winnie laughed
"I definitely plan to bring him back, he will attend Hogwarts after all," said Elizabeth with a smirk.
After Harry's measurements were taken and new robes for the small boy were bought Elizabeth and Harry went back to Elizabeth's home.
"Welcome home Harry," Elizabeth said, setting young Harry on the floor.
