A/N From Scorpiodragonfly: As we've stated before we do not own the magical world of Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling does but allows all of us to play in her world. Just a few answers to some questions:

happylady-your answer is in the prologue,also we absolutely love a good Harry/Hermione as well

dennisud-It wouldn't be a proper Harry/Hermione story without Luna,

Carolyn12-I prefer Good Malfoys and Snape. Just wait for the surprise character that is to come.

Thank you for the awesome reviews!

Change the Fate's Design

Chapter 3: Dawning Realities

James, Sirius and Remus returned from their trip to Gringotts laughing and joking as they entered the house. Hiding in the muggle world meant they had to drive into London and enter the magical world through Diagon Alley disillusioned until they entered Gringotts special clients' room. The Goblins knew enough to protect their V.I.P. vault holder's privacy.

"Jemma," James called. With a pop Jemma appeared to James.

"Yes, Master James?" Jemma asked quietly. "What can I's do for you?"

"Where is Lily?" he asked.

"Shes in the solarium with the babies and other Mistresses," she answered. "Shes asking me to tell her when yous returned."

"Thank you Jemma," he said.

"Uh-oh, I think something is up," he said to the other two Marauders as they nodded their heads in agreement. They headed to the solarium.

"I have an idea as to how to help your sister and nephew," Cissy said. "When the boys join us I'll put it out for discussion."

The Marauders entered the solarium to see the children playing on the floor with some kind of educational toys. Padfoot slipped into dog form to play with the kids. Hermione squealed with delight while Jackie nearly had a heart attack.

"Whoa!" Jackie exclaimed. "I didn't know you had a dog. Is he safe around the kids?"

Lily and Cissy burst out laughing, "Padfoot you had better show yourself!" Lily said still chuckling.

Right before her eyes the big black dog morphed into Sirius. "Wow!" Jackie said with surprise. "It's going to take a bit to get used to magic I guess."

"Right now that you three have returned, would one of you go and get Luc and Sev please," Cissy said. "Ladies, let's go put the children in the playroom so we can have our conversation." James left the room in search of Luc and Sev.

With a joint nod between them, they each picked up the nearest child and left the room. As they were leaving, Lily said to Remus and Sirius, "Would one of you ask Jemma for tea and biscuits in the study please?"

When the ladies entered the study all of the guys had assembled and were talking about the recent Quidditch match between Puddlemere United and the Holyhead Harpies. Sirius was teasing James that Puddlemere was beaten by an all-female team.

"Guys can we get your minds off Quidditch for a bit?" Lily asked. Understanding it wasn't really a question but more of a statement they turned their attention to the ladies.

"What's up Lily-bug?" James asked.

"We have a bit of a situation that needs be discussed and resolved," Lily said getting their full attention.

"What kind of situation?" Lucius asked.

"I had a phone call earlier," Lily said. "To make a long story short, my sister called and is in an extremely time sensitive situation. Dudley has had a bout of accidental magic and Tuney is terrified that he is going to do that in front of Vernon and we all know what could happen if he does."

"Wow, really!?" Sirius exclaimed.

"Well, Lily, what would you like to do? She is your sister and I know how much you still love her regardless of how she treated you," Severus said.

"I think we should help her but I'm not sure how," Lily said. "James this affects you as well, what do you think?"

James, always helping those in need, said, "I think we should first get her to a safe place. We will still have to deal with Dursley and he won't give up easily."

"Well, you and Sirius are technically still Aurors, how about a minor memory charm?" Remus suggested. "You could make it that he never got married."

"What about Tuney and Dudley?" Lily asked.

"We need to get her out before Vernon gets home today. I have a suggestion, but it would have to be agreed upon by all of us." Lucius said.

At this point Jackie spoke up, "Should I leave, as this is a family decision and I'm not..." Jackie started to say before Cissy interrupted her.

"No Jackie, as Lily said earlier you are now family and it will ultimately affect you, Hermione and Robert as well," Cissy stated. Everyone in the room nodded in agreement with Cissy's statement.

"She's right Jackie, we would like your input as well. I think I would like to hear Lucius' suggestion," James said.

Everyone looked at Lucius, "Well, We have two houses out back..." He started to say.

"Wait, what? You have two houses out back? Where? I've never seen them," Jackie said.

Lucius chuckled but continued, "You'll see them now as I'm the secret keeper for them. As to my suggestion, we could put them in one of them. I was actually thinking to put them up in the house Severus is staying in. He could move into ours if he's uncomfortable staying there with her. I think that she will need the protection and help that we can offer her. Severus, what do you think?"

"Well," Severus started. "I think offering her the house is a good idea but let's leave the choice up to Petunia if she wants to share the house or if she wants to be in there alone. I'd be willing to stay if she wanted me to as she knows me better than anyone, other than Lily of course, here," He finished.

"I think the memory charm would be a good idea for Vernon, though I'd like to obliviate him into a drooling idiot," Sirius said.

James stood, "Okay, time for a family vote. All in favor of moving Petunia into one of the back houses," Everyone nodded. "All in favor of memory charming Dursley into believing he never married?" Again everyone nodded.

Jackie spoke up, "Don't they own a house together?"

Lily said, "No, the last conversation we had before we moved into Godric's Hollow. She told me the deed and mortgage was solely in his name."

"Okay, that was the only thing I had to ask," Jackie said.

"Alright, I'm going to call her back, be prepared to apparate over there to get them and then James and Sirius can stay until Vernon gets home and they can adjust his memories," Lily said as she got up and walked to the phone on the desk. "Hey, Tuney, it's me... yes... what? Oh my, he did that? Okay, calm down we're coming to get you both. Pack what you need we'll be there within the hour."

An hour later, Lily, Cissy, James and Sirius were standing in the living room at number 4 Privet Drive. Lily said to her sister, "Tuney, we're going to take you and Dudley to our house."

"What about Vernon?" Petunia asked with growing hysteria. "He's going to be angry that his dinner won't be on the table! He's going to come looking for me and Dudley!"

"Don't worry; James is going to make sure that Vernon will never come looking for you ever," Lily said in a calm, reassuring voice.

"What is he going to do? He's not going to kill him is he?" Petunia asked anxiously.

"No, he is not going to kill him, all he is going to do is tweak his memory a little so he has no memory of you or Dudley. You'll be completely safe," Cissy reassured her.

Lily side-along apparated Petunia to their house while Cissy brought Dudley with her... James and Sirius however, sat in the living room on Privet Drive waiting for Vernon, chatting.

"Padfoot, I've been thinking, I think we need to get Lucius and Severus in to see Amelia Bones in the DMLE. I just don't know if we should show up there or have her over to the house," James said. "What do you think?"

"Prongsie, I think for their safety and for the safety of Cissy and Draco it needs to happen. I think that Madam Bones should come to the house. There are still Death Eaters that would love to take them out. I would like to ask Frank first though; he's got two years as an Auror more than we have. They heard a car pull up outside, a door slammed and the front door thrown open slamming against the small decorative table behind the door causing the vase of flowers on it to fall to the floor with a crash.

"Petunia! Where are you? You stupid bint! You are supposed to be at the door waiting to take my things! PETUNIA!" the man bellowed.

Sirius looked at James and said, "It's showtime," with a mischievous smirk.

Vernon Dursley was a man who was used to the finer things in life, a dutiful, subservient wife, a son to call his heir and complete and total respect from all those who knew him, though he didn't have total respect anywhere but at home. He walked into the hallway, looking into the living room, expecting to see that stupid bint watching her dailies instead he saw two men standing there who looked vaguely familiar. All of a sudden recognition was apparent in his eyes followed by righteous indignation. "Get out! Get out of my house you freaks! Petunia you ignorant bint, why did you let these freaks into MY house!? PETUNIA!" He practically screamed his face contorted in anger, and turning nearly purple with rage. He heard nothing; he felt, however, a cool, calm feeling cover his entire body.

When he was calm and glassy-eyed James said, "He's ready Padfoot."

"I really don't like this git Prongs," Sirius said, "I want so badly to prank this pile of waste, one that will stay with him even after I adjust his memory."

"Padfoot, I think you're on to something," James said smirking. "I have an idea, but do the memory charm first."

Sirius started the intricate wand movements then removed anything that has to do with either Petunia or Dudley, while Vernon was still under the effects of the first spell used to calm him down, James moved his wand in another pattern placing him in a never ending spell known only to the Potter family.

James chuckled when he was finished, "Come on Padfoot, time to go."

"What did you do?" Sirius asked.

"We've got to go before he comes out of the first spell," James said and then apparated out. Sirius followed him a second before Dursley's head cleared. They landed in the yard with a quiet pop.

"Alright Prongs, out with it," Sirius said while James was grinning like a loon.

"It's an old Potter family spell, one that will cause him to lose his temper with any female who think they are better than him and it will only trigger the first time some woman doesn't cower in his presence like he thinks they should," James said. "It won't matter if it's a stranger, co-worker, female relative or even female authority figure."

"Prongs that's sheer genius," Sirius said. They walked in the back door to the sounds of children playing and laughing.

"Now that's a sound I will never tire of hearing," James said to Sirius, who couldn't help but agree with him.

~o~0~o~

In an elaborately decorated office in the Scottish Highlands a man, with long flowing white hair and beard, wearing blues robes with hippogriffs flying around his body, was sitting at the desk holding his head in his hands wondering how his carefully designed plan went so wrong. It was the perfect plan. He had told both couples about the prophesy, making them all fear for their sons lives. He convinced them to go into hiding using the Fidelis charm for their protection. He then convinced one of the couples to change their secret keeper while encouraging the other couple to use him as their secret keeper by using an old, obscure charm that made them think it was their idea.

Albus Dumbledore had had his game plan figured out. James and Lily would die, leaving young Harry an orphan, and completely in his control. He would also tell the Longbottoms that it was safe to return knowing full well that Death Eaters were still looking for them. This way he would have control over both boys, that is, if they lived.

Albus was many things, but confused and dumbfounded he never was either, until now. Where were the bodies of James and Lily? Where was Harry? Where were the Longbottoms, they had disappeared from their safe house before he could contact them to set that part of the plan in action. Sirius was supposed to be dead, or at the very least, in Azkaban, if Peter had done his job right. 'Bloody hell,' he thought to himself, 'I should have used someone more capable of handling such a simple task.' Hisplan was perfectly orchestrated, if he did say so himself, and he did because no one else could say it until Voldemort was gone forever. He couldn't for the life of him figure out how it fell apart so quickly. Hagrid had come back two nights ago, empty handed, without the child who was supposed to be under his control. Harry would weaken Voldemort before the boy died, leaving it up to him to swoop down and save the entire magical world.

He would be revered, putting him right up there with Merlin and the Founders of Hogwarts. Stories about him would be told to children, books would be written, and he would go down history beloved by all. Now, though, if he didn't get things back on the course he had planned, he'd be lucky if he got remembered as the Headmaster of Hogwarts. If things spiraled out of control his portrait as headmaster would be on the wall of shame gracing the same bathroom inhabited by Moaning Myrtle and that could not be allowed to happen. Albus shuddered at that thought. 'No I cannot let that happen, I have to find them and fix this' he thought. He decided it was due time to have a discussion with both of their favorite teachers, Minerva and Filius. 'They must know something and I will find out what by any means necessary' he thought. He decided to try Legilimency on them.

Minerva was walking down the corridor making her rounds making sure no one was out after curfew. She saw her Gryffindor prefects coming towards her. "Is everything ok?" she asked of them.

"So far everyone seems to be settled for the night Professor. Professor Dumbledore was looking for you on the 7th floor near the Gryffindor Tower. He told me if I saw you to let you know he wanted to speak to you," said the Prefect.

"Thank you for the message. I think you can go back to your dorm to work on homework. Everything is quiet tonight," Professor McGonagall said. 'It has been too quiet since The Marauder's graduated' She thought as she watched them walk away feeling a bit of pride of her cubs. She decided that Albus could wait until she had time; right now she had Transfiguration essays to grade, and of course the duties of the Deputy Headmistress. 'I canna' condone what I overheard from Albus yesterday. I thought it was odd that he sent Hagrid to Godric's Hollow in anticipation of James and Lily's deaths. How on earth did he KNOW what was going on?' Minerva mused. Now is not the time to face Albus alone, or with other people around. Her Scottish ire was up and until she calmed down, Albus would have to wait for his own good. All she could think of, was her favorite cubs had disappeared, she just hoped they were alright.

~o~0~o~

James and Sirius walked into the living room where all the giggles from the children were coming from. Sirius went over and sat down on the floor with the foursome and started playing with them. Remus was sitting in a comfortable soft leather chair with a very thick book. Lucius and Severus were playing Wizard's Chess and Cissy was relaxing, thoroughly enjoying watching Draco laughing and chattering with the other toddlers. He was the happiest she had ever seen him. Lily caught her eye and nodded. James and Lily went to the guest room where Petunia was lying down. Lily knocked on her door when Petunia responded she opened the door and they went in.

Inside Lily said, "Why don't we sit over by the windows and have some tea? Jemma!" The one house elf that they brought with them from Potter Manor popped in.

"I's is here Mistress Lily, what can I's do for yous?" she asked.

Lily smiled at Jemma, "would please you bring us some tea?"

"Yes Mistress Lily, I's would be happy to," Jemma said cheerily and popped out. She popped back in minutes later with tea and biscuits.

It was a good thing Petunia had already sat down on the love seat when Jemma popped in, out, in and out again as she looked like she was going to faint.

"Tuney," Lily began, "Are you alright? Here have some tea." Petunia took the cup with her shaking hands.

Sipping her tea Petunia decided what she needed to do. "Lily, James, I owe you an apology for how I treated you. I was so wrong about those awful things I said to you, about you both. I understand how scary it is to have such a big secret and no one to be able turn to. I will also apologize to Severus. I also wanted to say thank you for all that you are doing for my Dudley and me. She hung her head feeling the shame of her actions.

James reached over and touched her arm, "Hey there, we accept your apology, but you are family and we would never leave you alone to deal with this."

Petunia felt the need to continue though, "I need to say this to you both. I was particularly mean and cold to both of you and well... it was out of jealousy, I knew that then, but I couldn't stop myself. I... I knew it was wrong and petty of me, and that's not the way our parents raised us. Then I met Vernon and he use to talk about how he was going to be this bigwig at Grunnings, it would be only a matter of time when he would be up in the big offices with management. I was drawn into his talk believing; well I wanted to believe that if I married him and he became this corporate bigwig then I would get all of the attention you had received from them. Then they died right after Vernon and I married and everything I... I didn't want to see in him became clear finally, and too late.

"I found I was pregnant with Dudley right after Mum and Dad's deaths, and that's when he became vile and vicious in words while I was pregnant. After Dudley was born I thought I gave him a boy he's going to be so pleased and treat me like a queen. Well, I'm sure you know by now how that turned out and he demanded to know why you were so different from me, I felt obligated to tell him. I'm not making excuses for my behavior, it was deplorable, I was living in fear and I am completely ashamed about the way I treated my baby sister. Mum and Dad would be so disappointed in me," she purged. "So what do I do now?" she asked looking first to her sister then to James.

James gave Lily a long look that spoke volumes, Lily knew she had to start this part, "We have a plan, if and only if you are agreeable," watching her sister's body language and saw hope for the first time in a long time. "We have a place to live, with plenty of people around to help with Dudley both magical and muggle, other mothers to talk to and even one who is going through the same thing as you are." Lily kicked off the answer to her question.

A/N 2: So Lahote's Girl here… College still chaotic, and midterms are next week, but at least I can be Scorpio's Beta if nothing else. Would you guys please help me out here… *stage whispers* She thinks she's bad at writing, that she's nowhere near as good as me… Now our faithful readers, who seem to cling to her every word… Please tell her otherwise… She is not listening to me and I'm her flesh and blood… Can you believe that? Everything I know, she taught me… Grr… Okay I seem to be rambling a lot today…

For those of you who are following me as an author and have read my new piece from the Charmed fandom, please note the next chapter will be up…

Just as soon as I type it up….

I've got it handwritten…. All 3,812 words of it… Does that count?

So back on track… Look forward to our next installment of Change the Fates Design… Chapter still unknown… Until next time! Read and Review.

~Lahote's Girl & Scorpiodragonfly~

P.S. I think Scorpio may flip when she reads this... I'm entertaining the idea of going to hide under a rock...