Author's Note: Well it's been an overwhelming week and I'm finding the time to write is becoming an issue. As many of you know, I work for a church in the technology/design area and with Advent looming, my work load is doubled. I also have a deadline for my next novel and I still work my administration job. As such, please be patient between now and the end of the year. I will have a weekly posting, but they're liable to only be between 3-4 K. That said, welcome to all the new readers. It's been a decade since I have had a 1K+ day, let alone five in a row. It really perked me up. MNF

Chapter 5:

When Amelia was done looking into the Pensive at the memory of Harry's experiences in the cemetery in Little Hangleton, she was drained, and mystified, and impressed. "What did he do?" She opened her desk drawer and took out two glasses, a bottle of Firewhisky, and poured them each a glass. Yes, it was early to begin drinking, as it was only half-ten, but the way she saw it, it was more like hour thirty-four of yesterday.

"The boy only cast a Disarming Charm," Moody answered after taking a long pull on the glass. "I suspect that the trauma of the day released some sort of binding within him. I'd ask Albus, but he's dead. I think we should keep that bit of information in our hats for a few days. Minerva hasn't told the students."

"I know; I spoke with her already today. I believe she's sending the children home today or tomorrow; she was just trying to figure out how," Amelia confided. "You know when people find out that it was Harry who caused this, there is going to be an outcry for his head."

"That is why I think this information needs to remain between the few people who know it. There are four at Hogwarts - Minerva, Poppy Pomfrey, Filius Flitwick, and Pomona Sprout. The last has a mouth that leaks like a sieve, so I'm going to ask her to take a vow to not share what she knows with anyone. Then there are Harry's de facto guardians, Remus Lupin and Sirius Black, and you and me. Oh, and his friend, the Granger girl, lives in the Muggle world when she isn't at Hogwarts, so I'm not worried about her. She'd probably only tell her parents."

"No one else?"

"Not from our lips," Moody answered. "Maybe Tonks, as I want to put an Auror guard on him for a while, and she'd fit in with her cousin and Lupin. Oh, and Black is innocent and swore it to me under Veritaserum. Can you put an end to the Kill-On-Sight order for him?"

"I need to review the transcripts from his trial, and I will probably need to talk with him myself, but if you are telling me he is innocent, then I'm going to believe it," she said with determination. "Where did they take Harry?"

"Lupin has been living in a cottage near Avebury and working at a bookstore there. I suspect they're going to hold up there and stick to the Muggle side of things. He's on the opposite side of the stones from the magical community, and the Granger girl's family live in the area too."

"So, tell me why you're looking like shite?" Amelia asked, and Moody laughed and went on to tell her his tale. Ten minutes later, she poured them another glass. "That's twice now that a Death Eater has been the defence teacher. What was wrong with Dumbledore?"

"The job is cursed, and I couldn't break it. I could probably bring a goblin in to do it, but if neither Filius nor I could even do it together, it's going to require a professional curse-breaker."

"I need to inform our esteemed Minister that Voldemort returned and was killed along with several of his followers. Do we know if there are any left?" she asked. "Azkaban reported in this morning that all the ones housed there were gone this morning, only their clothing left behind. So I'll be able to assure them it wasn't a break-out, but rather they are all deceased."

"I would suspect that it was those who bore the mark," Moody said after a moment's consideration. "The only ones left would be those he didn't deem worthy of it. So I would keep Potter out of your conversion."

"Had already planned to do that," she said. "Come on, you know you'll find this enjoyable." Amelia opened her door and was accosted by the bustle and noise of the bullpen. She shut it again hastily. "You do not know this is here." She then went to her bookshelf and pulled out a hefty, red leather-covered tome halfway. The bookcase slid aside to reveal a private lift. "I don't like to use it often, as it sometimes gets stuck. Let's hope today is a good day, or we'll have a real problem." They entered, and the runes kicked in. After her last day spent between floors, she'd had maintenance re-carve the enchantments, and it worked much better after. Today was a good day, and they arrived at the end of the Minister's office hallway. There was no one in the outer office, and Fudge's receptionist wasn't at her desk either. Amelia knocked on Fudge's door, and when they heard a faint murmuring inside, she opened the door.

Cornelius Fudge was found cowering under his desk.

Moody let out a loud guffaw, and Amelia pushed him inside and shut the door.

An hour later, an utterly befuddled Minister for Magic was quietly taken away to St Mungos for evaluation. From what Moody and Amelia saw, the prognosis wouldn't be good. Someone had either scrambled his brains on purpose, or Cornelius Fudge had a complete break with reality.

"We are without a Chief Warlock and a Minister for Magic," Moody said. "The only one left with the authority to call a meeting of the Wizengamot is you." Amelia looked crestfallen.

"Are the owls still able to deliver mail?" she asked him.

"I suggest we find out. Also, we need to stock up on Floo powder. Order it from wherever you can, because without the ability to Disapparate or create Portkeys, we're going to have a population that can't leave their homes if we lose the Floos," Moody said without any sense of the funny wording of his sentence. Amelia groaned and shook her head.

That evening Minerva stared at a bill from the goblins and was shocked at what was being charged to send the students home. She looked up at Filius in disbelief.

"This is taking into account not every single student needs their own Portkey? We do have families here."

"It does, Minerva, and they gave us a discount, seeing as I was the one who you sent to make the request. I think if it had been anyone else, we would have seen something far higher," Filius answered.

"Well, the school administration account can cover this expense. We are supposed to have a half-million Galleons in the account for such emergencies," she stated. One of the things she'd been doing was reading over the school financials.

"Minerva, the gold isn't there. We don't even have enough gold in the coffers to pay the staff their usual summer stipend. They're willing to wait for thirty days for payment, but we are going to need to ask families to pitch in with the expense of bringing their children home." Minerva slumped in her chair and put her hand to her face.

"What the hell did Albus get us into financially?" Filius remained still and silent to her rhetorical question. "Go, I'll start preparing a mailing for the families. Hopefully, we can raise funds before the thirty days is up."

The car ride back to Remus's cottage was quiet, mainly because the men were exhausted. However, once Sirius and Remus had explained the conversation to Hermione's parents, they were thankful for Harry getting their daughter home. They agreed to help the trio of men settle into Muggle life, at least for the time being, and promised that Hermione would visit often.

It took several trips to get all the parcels in from their shopping trip, and it was decided that they would do the unpacking and sorting in the morning. Harry also said he wanted to have a bonfire and burn every hand-me-down he had. Remus agreed that he could use the fire ring he had in the garden to do it.

"Would anyone like some tea?" Remus asked shortly after they arrived home. Sirius took up his offer, but Harry shook him off.

"All I want is to go to bed," he said softly. "I'm thoroughly knackered."

"Go on then, Pup, I'll be up shortly," Sirius said, and Harry nodded. Before he could make his way to the stairs, Sirius pulled Harry into a tight hug. "You're never going to be alone again. I promise."

"Thanks, Sirius," he said, pulling away from his clinging godfather. "Thanks for everything, Remus."

"You're more than welcome, Harry." The boy left the two men in the kitchen. When they heard the bedroom door close, they simultaneously sat down at the table. Remus pulled out a sleeve of chocolate digestives they'd bought that day. It took a few minutes before either of them spoke.

"Emma Granger pulled me aside earlier and suggested we find a counsellor for Harry to talk with," Remus said. "She's afraid the trauma he's been through is more than he can bear."

"We should be able to do that," Sirius said softly. "Perhaps she'll have the name of someone. The hard part might be convincing Harry of the merit of it."

"I expected more push-back from you," Remus said.

"I know, but talking with someone about what my parents did to me helped me immensely. Perhaps if I tell Harry my story, he'll accept it easier," Sirius answered. Remus looked at him gape jawed. "It was Fee Potter's idea, and I was against it in the beginning, but she said it would help, and it did. She had a cousin who was a mind-healer, and it wasn't anything like I expected. But, he listened to me, challenged me on some of my thinking, and helped me to stop feeling bad about how I was different from my family. If it hadn't been for that man, I probably would have become a surly drunk."

"Okay then," Remus said quietly. "I think we also need to take him to a physician since no healer will be able to do diagnostic tests on him. He's too thin and almost as sickly looking as I am. Molly Weasley has complained for years that he doesn't look right and he's too small; she would know having raised six boys."

"I somehow doubt Petunia took him for any check-ups, and there are immunizations he will need in the Muggle world. I wonder if he's had his magical ones? Dragon Pox is an awful disease," Sirius said. "Watching Fee and Monty die from it was horrific." Both men thought back to James's parents, two people who accepted them as they were at a time when they needed someone to.

When their tea was finished, Sirius decided to head up to bed as well. Sleeping on a mattress was a treat, even if Remus apologized for the quality of it. As sleep claimed Sirius, he promised that he would start putting together a new life for Harry tomorrow. He would make sure he was the centre of it.

Two hours later, Sirius was shocked out of his slumber by screaming from the bed next to him. Harry was thrashing wildly in his bed, begging someone not to hit him.

"Please, I'll be a good boy," he said in a small voice. "I didn't mean to get a good grade." Sirius was shocked at what he heard. Whatever was going on, it didn't have anything to do with Voldemort.

"Uncle Vernon, not the belt, not again, Aaa-hhh," Harry yelled, and Sirius was out of his bed and sitting on the edge of Harry's.

"Harry," he said softly. "Come on, pup, wake up. It's just a bad dream." Sirius ran his hand through Harry's sweat-drenched hair. The touch awoke Harry, and he slid away from his godfather, unable to discern this was not his uncle with him but his beloved godfather. When Harry realized Sirius was next to him, Harry threw himself into his godfather's arms. "Ssh, whatever happened, it was only in your dreams."

Remus, too had been awakened and was currently standing in the doorway in his pyjama pants, reaching over his head to hold the head jamb. He watched the pair and thought about how Harry looked when he'd first seen Harry in September of the boy's third year. The first thing which came to the former professor's mind was a wounded animal. Of course, Sirius wasn't going to like asking Harry questions, but they would need to discuss his life with the Dursleys in the morning.

"Harry, did your Uncle Vernon often take a belt to you?" Sirius asked softly. Remus had planned to wait until morning but now was good too. For his part, Harry looked away from the men and fiddled with the hem of his pyjama shirt.

"Yes," Harry reluctantly answered.

"Frequently?" Sirius continued to probe.

"Yes," his godson said in a smaller voice. "When he was old enough, my cousin joined in beating me." Both men had tight knots forming in their stomachs as Harry was speaking. For his part, Harry was mortified he had to share these memories with anyone, especially not the godfather he barely knew.

"Harry, there is nothing to be embarrassed about," Sirius said. "When I was a child, my home life was horrible too. My family was as dark as pitch, and I didn't want to be like them. Because of that, they tried to beat the 'good' and 'honourable' parts out of me. The night I showed up at your dad's, my father had hexed me repeatedly. I had welts over most of my body. He'd used a conjured whip on my back, and some of the skin was flayed. My mother used the Cruciatus Curse on me. I took everything I owned out of that house the summer between my fifth and sixth years. The only place I knew to go was your dad's, and your grandmum, Fee, welcomed me."

"I never knew about that," Harry said quietly. "I'm sorry you had to go through all that."

"I'm sorry too, but had I not left, I wouldn't have become a Hit Wizard and helped to stop Voldemort. I never would have been in a place to help get your Mum and Dad to their safehouse. I never would have been your godfather. Fee helped me a great deal. First, she tended to my wounds and brought Poppy Pomfrey over to heal what she couldn't. Then she ensured I got all the help I needed…including seeing someone to talk with about who wouldn't judge me or make me feel ashamed. I want the same for you. The women in your family were exceedingly kind to me, and I want to show you just what that felt like."

"Where was your aunt when all this happened?" Remus asked. Lily was such a gentle soul; surely her sister would be similar.

"She watched," Harry said, his voice gaining more strength. "She would egg them on. She called me a freak."

"She what?!" Sirius exploded off the bed. "Lily never had much to say about her sister, and was hurt beyond measure that Petunia neither asked her to stand with her when she got married nor told her when she'd had her spawn, but I didn't think the animosity on your aunt's side was that bad. Did you know that Petunia was supposed to stand up with your Mum when she married your Dad? She never showed, so one of her roommates ended up standing up with her. Petunia never even called or sent a letter telling Lily why she wasn't there."

"I can believe that," Harry said. "She hated magic. She told me my parents died in a car accident because my father was drunk. They never wanted me there, and every day of their lives, they made sure I knew how they felt." As Harry spoke, his voice became louder, and he stood up. "Do you know where they made me sleep? I was a baby, but I didn't get a crib - I got a mattress in the cupboard under the stairs! I had no toys of my own growing up; I resorted to taking Dudley's broken ones from the rubbish bin. They fed me bread and water if they fed me at all. Then, at the age of five, I had to start cooking and cleaning. Dobby, the house-elf, and I have a lot in common."

"Harry, I don't know what to say," Remus said with a sigh.

"Why didn't you come to get me?" Harry asked through teary eyes. "At least with you, I would have been loved." Remus entered the room fully and went to sit on Harry's bed.

"Pup, if I'd known how bad things were...the ministry was never going to give custody to me."

"Harry, there are others who could have raised you," Sirius said gently. "If I didn't have you with me, then there would have been Alice and Frank Longbottom. Did you know Alice is your godmother?"

"Neville's parents?" Harry asked, and Sirius nodded.

"Sirius, they were attacked the night after James and Lily," Remus said.

"No, they're dead too?" the Animagus asked, looking crestfallen.

"They're alive, but residents at St. Mungos. They were both held under the Cruciatus Curse for too long."

"Bollocks," Sirius exclaimed. "After Alice, Frank, and I was Emmeline Vance, who is still around, and then there was Minerva McGonagall. Surely someone should have been available to take care of you. Even the Weasleys would have been happy to have you."

"Dumbledore said I had to stay with the Dursleys. Something about a blood protection my mother put on me. After my first year, the Weasley twins and Ron took their father's car, broke me out of my bedroom, and took me there. Last year was wretched though, as they were in Egypt for most of the summer and Hermione was on holiday with her parents."

"Harry, I think I need to know everything that happened," Sirius said.

"Just at the Dursleys, or do you want to know about my first two years at Hogwarts too?"

"Everything."

The trio talked well into the night, all three being in tears at one point or another. Sirius had always respected Dumbledore but listening to Harry's tale, he began questioning his unfailing loyalties. By three, they were exhausted, and each fell into a fitful sleep.

The students had now been home for a few days, but Ron wasn't enjoying being at the Burrow any more than he'd enjoyed being at Hogwarts since the final task. Ginny was moping because she didn't know what had happened to Harry and Ron wondered why Hermione was allowed to go wherever he was and not him. He was Harry's best friend.

"What's got you down, Ronniekins?" Fred asked.

"Couldn't be the cold shower since you haven't taken one. We could smell you as soon as we hit the first floor," George said. They were at the kitchen table, having toast and jam with tea for breakfast. This was not a usual Weasley family breakfast, but their mum had stated how everyone was going to eat a bit less so they could stretch the food budget. Ron had already eaten half a loaf of bread by himself.

"I'm wondering why Hermione was able to go away with Harry and not me. I'm his best friend!" he said, repeating the exact words he'd been pondering before his brothers showed.

"Are you, though?" George asked.

"A friend doesn't question someone after they've told you the truth," Fred added.

"Harry knows I didn't mean what I said. Anyway, that was last fall, and I told him about the dragons," Ron countered.

"From where we sit -"

"It seems to us -"

"You're only his friend -"

"When it's easy to be his friend." Ron was used to his brothers' version of 'twin speak, but that didn't mean it didn't confuse him sometimes.

"I'm always Harry's friend, even if he's a right git!" Ron was turning a horrible red which clashed with his hair.

"Harry hasn't been a git, Ronnie," Fred said with a sigh.

"It seems to us that you've been the git."

The conversation ended abruptly when Ginny came running into the room with a letter. "Hermione wrote to me," she said, "but it was Hedwig who delivered it. Harry is with Sirius and Remus at his cottage, and they live very close to Hermione in Avebury. They're both okay, although Harry is his usual brooding self. They're hoping to visit soon, but Remus will need to drive his car since his Floo isn't connected to ours and the Floo offices at the Ministry had no one available to help him make the connection."

"Dad should be able to add Remus's cottage," Ron spoke up. "Then we could spend the summer with Harry instead of these two," he said, throwing his thumb at the twins.

"Actually, Harry is going to have some things to do this summer, and we might not be able to see him for a few weeks. He's going to some Muggle healer, and he's seeing a mind healer," Ginny explained. "Whatever happened to him when he and Cedric disappeared was pretty awful, at least that's what Hermione said."

"Well, what happened?"

"She didn't exactly say, probably to respect Harry's privacy. Whatever it was, though, it has Sirius and Remus worried."

"How come she gets to know, and I don't? I deserve to know!" The other three Weasley children looked at their brother before Ginny rolled her eyes and scoffed.

"I think you just demonstrated why you might not know," she said dismissively. "I probably had something to do with You-Know-Who. When it comes to Tom, the fewer people who know, the better." Ginny never spoke about what happened with her brothers, save Bill, who had always been her favourite.

"Why are you talking about You-Know-Who?" Molly asked as she bustled in from the back garden with an armload of peas and three baskets of strawberries.

"Hermione wrote to me this morning. She's with Harry, who will be seeing a Muggle healer and having some mind healing too. I think it's because of his bizarre relationship with Tom," Ginny explained.

"Is he back at his Aunt's house? Molly asked, setting everything down on the drainboard.

"No, he's at Remus's cottage, and Sirius is with him," Ginny said.

"That boy should be nowhere near that mass murderer!" the matriarch screeched.

"Mum, he's innocent. He was framed, and we almost had the real culprit, but he changed into a rat and ran away," Ron explained. "I told you all of this last year."

"Well, I think Dumbledore should know about this. He will put the boy where he belongs. I'll send him a letter right now."

"Don't bother, Molly," Arthur said. No one had realized he'd come through the front door. Instead of the jovial man who always was happy and kind, he looked grey and as if he'd been weeping. "Dumbledore died in the night after the third task. It looks as if his heart just gave out. I'm home because all departments except for the Hit Wizards and the Aurors are now on sabbatical."

"What?" she asked. "Dumbledore is dead?" Arthur nodded before coming to take his place next to her.

"There's more," he began. "Cornelius Fudge is now a resident at the Sunny Meadows Sanatorium. He's had a mental break of some sort. The Wizengamot held an emergency meeting late last night and voted Amelia Bones as the interim Minister for Magic, and Augusta Longbottom is the interim Chief Witch of the Wizengamot. It was Amelia who sent us home. There just isn't the money in the coffers to pay everyone. I'll get my full salary for the next two weeks, but after that, she said we will all be receiving only half pay."

"What are we going to do?" Molly said, tears running down her cheeks.

"We will figure it out, Mollywobbles, I promise."