A/N: There's only one chapter to go after this one, I'm choosing a convenient place to stop (it won't feel like a proper ending, but there's a certain amount of closure) but one I can pick up from later if I want to do fifth year.
Chapter 34
On Saturday morning Harry had all his things packed. He was packed by 8am and Mr Weasley wasn't coming to collect him until 9am. Time ticked by slowly. He'd arranged to have breakfast at the Burrow, and on the weekend the Weasleys generally weren't early risers.
Finally there was a knock on the door. Harry thought it rather brave of Dudley to be answering the door knowing that there was a wizard on the other side of it and knowing how terrified Dudley was of Snape.
"Dudley, nice to see you," said Arthur, stepping in. Mr Weasley was in a plain suit. It was the easiest thing to wear as an adult if you weren't good at muggle dress.
Harry came downstairs with his things.
"All set?" asked Arthur.
"Yes, Mr Weasley," said Harry. Arthur pointed his wand at Harry's trunk and empty owl cage and made them smaller.
"Hedwig arrived early this morning," said Arthur.
"Thanks," said Harry, pocketing his now small things.
Harry turned to Petunia and Dudley. Vernon was nowhere in sight.
"Bye, Harry," said Dudley, awkwardly and quietly.
"Bye, Dudley," said Harry, "See you next year."
Petunia merely nodded. Arthur pursed his lips into a thin line but refrained from saying anything. Clearly Harry staying at his house was an indication that things weren't sweetness and light here, but Harry wouldn't see his relatives until next year, yet this was all the leavetaking there was.
Arthur looked at Harry. Harry turned to the door. Harry didn't notice the look of relief on Petunia's face. Arthur did. The pair of them left.
Harry was so excited to be at the Burrow for a whole month. He'd been put in Ron's room. Nearly the first thing they'd all done was grab their brooms and the five of them went out to practise quidditch.
The best surprise for Harry was that Arthur had invited Sirius and Remus over for lunch that first day. If this was how every day at the Burrow was going to be, Harry was going to love every minute of it.
Harry had been at the Burrow a week when the Daily Prophet carried the news that the Wizengamot had passed a law proclaiming equal employment rights for werewolves.
The day after came the news that the Hogwarts Board of Governors had rehired Remus Lupin as Defence Against the Dark Arts professor.
Harry was ecstatic, as was everyone else in the Burrow.
The day after that the paper announced a major shake up in the upper echelons of the Ministry. Delores Umbridge had been tipped to be the new Undersecretary to the Minister, but instead, remained at her position as Head of Improper Use of Magic Office, the werewolf legislation clearly making a dent in her ambitions.
Rufus Scrimgeour became Undersecretary having led the Auror Corps to the successful capture of both Crouch and Pettigrew earlier in the year.
Harry had been at the Burrow for two weeks when Severus went to visit Albus in his office.
"What can I do for you, Severus?" asked Albus, putting down his quill, "You seem pensieve of late."
"Healer Jones is likely to declare Black fit, and with him sharing a house with a Hogwarts professor, there seems no reason why Potter shouldn't stay with his godfather, as much as I am loath to call the man a suitable guardian."
"Somewhere in there was a compliment, I'm sure," said Albus, "What's the problem?"
"Neither of them know."
Albus didn't need to ask what Severus meant. The thought had crossed his mind already.
"Do they need to know?" he asked. "Don't get me wrong, it's completely deceptive to keep it from them, but like you, I can see a really big 'but' in front of this."
"I believe they do need to know. Something as simple as Potter having a nightmare, or making an unguarded comment. If I were Potter, the worst thing would be to have to explain that to two angry wizards."
"Fair point. Now would you like to put them in a full body bind while we tell them or should I?" asked Albus facetiously.
"And that's the problem. They are going to go spare, and both of them know the location of Privet Drive. I was thinking that the Dursley situation needs solving first."
"And how do you propose that?" asked Albus.
"Like any other wizarding child abuse case. Arrest them, charge them and imprison them. Potter has already been removed."
"I need them as a back up. Blood wards. We had a memorable argument about that."
"One year in Azkaban will be an eternity for them. I know the sentence for adult child abusers."
"And the boy?"
"The chief physical abuser?!" asked Severus. "Fine, yes, I accept he's different. He's remorseful. Perhaps the Wizengamot could show some mercy. The Wizengamot has just finished with the werewolf laws, some simple justice is a change of pace."
"I will have to call in some favours to keep Harry's anonymity."
"Perhaps you need not use the whole Wizengamot. Perhaps a select subset of members?" suggested Severus.
"I think it may be something to look into next week. The wheels of justice can move quite swiftly when needed," agreed Albus.
One week before Harry was to go to Sirius', Albus summoned him to Hogwarts, purportedly to make sure he was completely happy with staying with Sirius and that he had no reservations.
Instead, Harry found Snape and Arthur Weasley with Albus in his office.
"Er…" he started eloquently, on seeing who was here.
"Sit down, Harry, there's something we want to talk to you about," said Albus. Harry sat.
"I know you don't think us naive, Harry," said Dumbledore, getting straight to the point. "You must have realised that we had more than suspicions about your life at Privet Drive to move so many obstacles to get you to your godfather's for some of the summer holidays."
"Um," acknowledged Harry, unwilling to say more.
"Now that there is essentially no chance of you ever returning to Privet Drive, I turned my attention in that direction," continued Albus.
"Uh huh," said Harry, still unsure what to admit or deny.
"After some initial evidence gathering, I, as Chief Wizard of the Wizengamot, put together a select subset of the Wizengamot to investigate the case. A very carefully crafted, and most importantly, anonymous case. We investigated your childhood at Privet Drive, Harry."
Harry remained calm by a hair's breadth. He looked very carefully at Mr Weasley's face. The one thing he was desperate to not find was pity. He couldn't stand it if he were pitied for his childhood by his best friend's father. It was mortifying enough that these three people in the room must now know absolutely everything, there was no way he was here and for them not to know, but he would hate it if he saw pity.
Thankfully Mr Weasley had his official face on. His impartial Wizengamot face. Not the face of a father, but the face of a man who has impartially looked at the evidence. Harry was grateful.
"I want to reiterate that your anonymity is assured. As is theirs because of it," said Albus, "The court used Veritaserum on your aunt and uncle. They were hostile to even the authority of the Wizengamot."
"What about Dudley?" Harry remembered the first fortnight of the holidays. Someone, Snape presumably, had terrified Dudley into being a different person. Vernon and Petunia had been forced into some semblance of civil, but Dudley had seemed more scared, as if he regretted the many, many things he'd done.
"He was remorseful," said Arthur. "Your aunt and uncle pleaded not guilty. Your cousin pleaded guilty. He was genuinely terrified. He threw himself on the mercy of the court. Your aunt and uncle were found guilty. They were sentenced to a year in Azkaban. They..."
Albus interrupted him with a cough.
"Your cousin received a non-custodial sentence," continued Arthur.
"Where will Dudley go for the year if they're not at home for the rest of the holidays and Christmas?" asked Harry.
"That's your f…" started Snape before getting a grip. "That's your question?! Given your relatives have been found guilty of child abuse, the detail you focus on is who's going to look after the one who caused a chunk of the damage?!"
"I have a lot of questions," said Harry defensively, "That one just happened to be top of my dunderhead mind, sir," replied Harry with a certain tone. Arthur bit his lip and avoided looking at Snape. Albus' eye twinkled.
"Fine," grouched Snape, "Where do you want to start? Your cousin will unfortunately stay with your uncle's sister until he returns to his boarding school in a month or so. For the rest of the year he will stay at the school, even during the holidays. A few international students do the same. He will be under the care of one of the House Masters, and joint guardianship of him has been given to the school's headmaster. Your aunt and uncle will be released in time for him to return home at the end of the year."
"What didn't you want Mr Weasley to tell me about Vernon and Petunia?" Harry asked of Albus.
"Muggles are rarely placed in Azkaban. They will be in solitary confinement for the year, essentially for their own protection to keep the Dementors away from them," replied Albus calmly.
"That wasn't it," countered Harry. "There's something else. What aren't you telling me? They're my relatives. Tell me."
"The wizarding world is very protective over its children, Mr Potter," said Snape, ignoring Albus' glare. "The Wizengamot is harsh with child abuse crimes. Moreover, your Aunt and Uncle did not seem remorseful, unlike your cousin." Harry waited. "Do you remember when you had a check up for the third task? Magic can detect old injuries. And you recall that you can analyse memories in a pensieve?" asked Snape. Harry nodded. "Imagine where both these ideas meet. Magic is powerful. There is a charm that can analyse someone's whole memory to find instances where they have caused pain. Now imagine you can replicate that and mirror it back, a turnabout charm," Snape said quietly.
Harry thought about that. He thought about what that meant. "So, all those times Vernon bruised my arm and threw me in…" Snape nodded. "For a year, he'll feel that?"
"Yes, Mr Potter."
"But Petunia once hit me with a frying pan," he said quietly, almost to himself.
"I know."
Harry was silent for a while. They let him think. "Tell me you didn't do that to Dudley." There was some desperation in his voice. He wanted to know the wizarding world wasn't that harsh. Dudley was very childish even for his age in certain ways, but the boy had done so much.
"We did not sentence your cousin to that, no," confirmed Arthur, "Although one of the judges was supportive of a lesser amount of it, and that remains an option." Harry shuddered and absently massaged his little finger where Dudley had dislocated it when they were nine."
"What did the Wizengamot decide?" asked Harry, not entirely sure he wanted to know.
"We took into account his age, his upbringing, and his genuine remorse, and weighed it against his crime," said Albus. "While normally a version of the turnabout charm is used, it was deemed too cruel. Given his remorse, his sentence was commuted to a suspended sentence. He was informed he's on parole for the next ten years. One hint of violence towards others, muggle or not, and he will feel the turnabout charm in full. The Wizengamot will be able to receive reports from his school. Dudley is aware of this. The main reason was his genuine remorse. We believed that away from the influence of your aunt and uncle he can be different."
Harry nodded slowly.
"Harry," said Albus, "There's one last thing we wanted to discuss with you. We, and that includes Healer Jones, think it would be best, seeing as you'll be living with them, if Sirius and Remus find out the truth about your relatives."
"NO!" panicked Harry, with a shout.
"Potter!" snapped Snape.
"You can't! They'll go spare! They'll do something! They'll end up in Azkaban!"
"Is that your only reservation?" asked Snape curiously. If he'd been Potter his main reservation would have been them actually finding out.
"I don't exactly want them to know, no, but," said Harry. "I don't mind in principle them finding out, well I do, but I get it, I'll be living with them, and I know a lot about them, we've spent a lot of time talking. In a way it'll be better, I wouldn't have to guard what I say. But, if they find out, they'll do something stupid, I know they will, they're like that, I don't want them to know."
"Your relatives have been charged, convicted and sentenced. They will both understand the harshness of the sentences," said Albus, "They understand how the wizarding world works."
"But also, they'll know. What if they treat me differently?" said Harry.
"I don't think they're totally without a clue, Harry," replied Albus. "It must at least raise a flag that you want to come and live with them at the drop of a hat. Remus has other concerns too. I will be honest and say that he has already been to see me about whether it's weird as a professor for him to live in Sirius's house while you're there and still a student here. I assured him it was perfectly fine. He is happy to move into the castle during the holidays if things get odd. He will move into the castle for the two full-on nights anyway. But first and foremost, he is a friend of your parents, he wants to help help you. You must remember that they know Petunia isn't the nicest person, they were after all, friends with your mother for years. Believe me, it will shock them, but won't come as a total surprise."
"You want to tell them before I go stay at the end of the week?"
Arthur spoke. "I can invite them round to see you for the evening the day Albus tells them. That way you can see as much or as little of them as you want, as in, I will just tell them to leave if you want me to. I appreciate the awkwardness of the situation."
"And you all promise you won't let them do anything stupid?"
"Mr Potter," said Snape, quite happily, "It will be my pleasure to hex them if either of them makes any suggestion of illegal retribution."
Harry looked at Snape. He was trying to decipher the man's expression. He gave up.
"Thanks. I think."
"Thank you both for coming," said Albus. Albus, Severus and Arthur were in Albus' office when Sirius and Remus sat themselves down.
"Call me suspicious," said Sirius, "But this isn't the right mix of people for the news to be good."
"Well that saves tiptoeing around at any rate," muttered Severus. Severus was deliberately standing to the side of the room. Albus was behind his desk, Arthur was to the left of the desk, and the two newcomers were sitting in front of the desk. It put Severus in a prime position to see everyone, but really it put him in a prime position to stun either of them. He hadn't been joking when he'd said to Potter he'd hex them. Severus knew they were both going to go spare, and keeping them in the room was important. Thank Merlin for anti apparition wards.
Only Severus heard the faint click of the lock in the door. Clearly Albus wasn't taking any chances either. Severus' wand was up his sleeve, very much instantly to hand. When this went wrong it was going to go really wrong.
"In three days, Harry is going to come to live with you, Sirius. I want to be clear now there is no issue with that. Remus is currently living with you too. Apart from the two nights he'll be at the castle, there's no issue there either. I asked you to come here so that you could learn some pertinent information."
"That isn't improving the mood in here, Albus," said Sirius.
"I have some details about Harry that I need to share with you."
"Is he OK?" Asked Remus, looking quickly at Arthur. Arthur nodded.
"He's fine, Remus," said Albus. "This is more historical information."
"Not that bloody historical if you ask me," growled Severus quietly.
"It's about why he's coming to live with you," said Albus.
"There's an issue with his relatives, isn't there?" asked Remus, "They were acting odd when I collected him."
"Yes, there's an issue," agreed Albus, "Although that's an understatement."
Sirius' eyes darkened. "My mind goes somewhere very specific when you say 'issues with his relatives', Albus, but I don't hope you mean that, do you?"
Albus didn't answer immediately.
"What have they done to him?!" demanded Sirius angrily, standing up.
Severus slid his wand into his hand without appearing to move.
"Please sit down, Sirius," said Albus.
"Fuck that, what did they do?"
"Sit down, Mr Black, before I stick you to the chair," said Albus slowly, allowing some of his magic to crackle. Sirius glared, but sat. Severus didn't relax his hold on his wand.
"Three week ago, the Dursleys were all arrested," said Albus. "They were found guilty of mistreating Harry as a child. The aunt and uncle have been sentenced to a year in Azkaban."
"You haven't answered his question," said Lupin, on the face of it quite calm, but anyone could see he was holding in his anger by a hair. "What did they do?"
"A large amount of the abuse from his aunt and uncle came in the form of neglect and emotional abuse. Harry was never welcome in their house, and was never treated as a second child. The comment one of the members of the Wizengamot made was 'house-elf'. He was the only person in the house to do any chores the moment he was old enough."
Albus took a mental deep breath. "He did not have his own room. He lived in the cupboard under the stairs. If he ever did anything wrong he was locked in it without food, sometimes for days, excepting trips to the bathroom, and a glass of water."
Sirius stood back up, too quickly for a sticking charm to be cast. "I can make my way back to Azkaban, there's some people I wish to visit."
Severus's full body bind hit him between his shoulder blades.
Lupin made to get up, but Albus had stuck him to the chair and the chair to the floor.
Severus levitated Black back to his chair.
"I will continue, but you will remain as you are," said Albus calmly. "Most of the physical abuse was carried out by Harry's cousin, at the tacit say so, or sometimes at the suggestion of, his parents. This amounted to hundreds of bruises, cuts and nicks, some instances of concussion and two broken bones."
Sirius looked like he wanted to speak. "Release the body bind, Severus," said Albus, "He's stuck to the chair."
Severus released the man.
"I know the Wizengamot's punishment for child abuse," said Sirius, "You know it was only the name that kept my family out of court for similar. Did they escape punishment because they're muggles?"
"I told you, they are in Azkaban. The aunt and uncle are in solitary confinement and the turnabout charm is being used to its fullest."
"And the boy?" asked Lupin, "There's no way either of you agreed to that sentence for a minor."
"His remorse is genuine. He is on parole for ten years under threat of the turnabout charm."
"Does Harry know you're telling us this?" Lupin asked.
Arthur nodded. "He knows, and knows it's today. Come round to the Burrow after dinner. I will make sure the other kids don't get in the way if he wants to talk to you about you knowing."
Sirius nodded. "Thanks."
"Harry is regularly seeing a Mind Healer, Healer Jones, in fact," said Albus.
"That's how Jones knew, isn't it?" said Sirius, "That I'm his godfather. That's why he started to insist I get more talkative. He knew Harry needed to stay with me. A place for him to stay away from his relatives."
"We've all been working on this for a while, Sirius," said Albus.
"Does he only want to stay with me because I'm not his relatives, or does he actually want to stay with me?" Sirius asked, dismayed.
Severus coughed. "I believe he genuinely likes your company. Both of you. But I'm not a psychiatrist. You'd have to ask Mr Potter if for want of a better analogy the pull is bigger than the push." Severus continued. "You need to realise however that Mr Potter is the same person now that you know about his relatives, as he was before you knew. Don't treat him any differently. He won't like it."
"That's going to be hard," admitted Remus.
"Learn quickly then, because he's not fragile. He's in fact very resilient, and is likely to tell you where you to shove your more obvious sentimentality," replied Severus.
"Do you want to come round about 8?" asked Arthur, "If Harry doesn't want you to stay long, I'll encourage you to leave, otherwise you're welcome to stay for the evening."
"Yes, please, that's very kind," said Remus "Can you unstick us now please, Albus."
"Only if you promise to never, ever go near the Dursleys," replied the Headmaster.
"As much as it pains me to say it, Azkaban is doing my retribution for me, that much I do know," said Sirius. "Yes, I promise."
"Same here," agreed Remus.
"Because if you do anything precipitous to the Dursleys, or permanent, Harry will once again be without a long-term place to be."
"We understand," said Sirius.
"I hope you do," growled Severus, "Because if you get this wrong in any way I will pay you both a visit, and it won't go well for you. I swore to protect Lily's child a long time ago. I mistakenly thought he was being looked after. I don't make the same mistake twice."
"I said, 'Make yourself scarce', Ronald," said Arthur firmly. "After dinner Sirius and Remus are visiting just to see Harry and you will stay upstairs out of earshot. Go upstairs after dinner with Harry and start to play a game. Then stay up there when Harry comes down to talk to Sirius."
Ron looked sulky about this.
Arthur turned to the twins. "I know you're inventive about finding things out, and I don't threaten lightly. The following is not a threat, it's a consequence. If you even try to eavesdrop on their conversation you won't be eating sitting down for the entirety of tomorrow. I will make the last time Dumbledore sent you home look like a picnic in comparison. Are we clear?"
George's cheeky grin slid off his face. That wasn't a pleasant prospect and dad wasn't in any way joking.
"Yes, dad," said the twins.
"Ron?" asked Arthur.
"Yes, dad."
"Thank you, now try not to act too suspiciously around Harry for the rest of the afternoon."
The boys heard voices downstairs. Sirius and Remus were here. Harry didn't move, even though they all heard people downstairs. The voices were quiet, you couldn't make out the words, but they were there. After five minutes Arthur called up the stairs.
"Harry, Sirius and Remus are here, come say 'Hi'."
Harry looked at the other boys and read the atmosphere in the room . "Who told you what?"
"Dad said you wanted a private chat with Sirius this evening and we are to stay up here," said Ron.
"But if you want to tell us about it afterwards, because we're really nosey, that'd be great," said Fred brightly.
Harry got up and went to the door. "Maybe sometime," he replied.
Harry heard Arthur and Molly in the kitchen, but Sirius and Remus were in the living room. That was nice of Mr Weasley, he thought. Harry took a breath and went to face his godfather.
"Hi, Harry," said Sirius, automatically getting and receiving his usual hug. Well at least that's still normal, thought Harry.
"Er," said Sirius after that.
"Yeah, that," agreed Harry.
"I suppose what I meant is, you can tell us anything and we won't be surprised or go off the deep end," said Sirius. He'd already done that at various points that afternoon.
Albus had shared the Wizengamot transcript with them both while they were in his office. Apart from Severus threatening to hex him if he didn't calm down, it hadn't gone too badly. But some of the details hadn't made good reading. She hit him with a frying pan for Merlin's sake, and the cousin had broken his finger. Sirius had got more than a bit angry at reading that and had asked Albus as Chief Wizard of the Wizengamot if Albus were quite convinced he had the sentence correct.
"I just want us to be normal," said Harry.
Remus chuckled.
"What, Mooney?" asked Sirius.
"I'm a werewolf, you've been exonerated from being a mass murderer, Harry is the Boy-Who-Lived. Yep. Normal."
"Point taken," said Harry, "But like the day when we went for a walk in Wales, that was a great day, we just got on. I want that."
"Then we won't mention the Dursleys if you don't want us to," said Remus, "Look, we know about you talking to Healer Jones, Sirius is still doing the same thing. We aren't psychiatrists. You're best off talking to Jones anyway. But we're saying you can talk to us if you like, yes?"
"That'd be nice, yeah," agreed Harry.
"So, what does the Burrow do for entertainment?" asked Sirius.
"Welcome to Wisteria Cottage, Harry, your home for as long as you want it to be," said Sirius. Yours and Remus' rooms are at the back of the house, and mine's the one at the front. Take your trunk and stuff upstairs."
"And leave the window for Hedwig, I'm sure she'll appreciate it when she gets here," said Remus as Harry went upstairs. It was nice that he didn't need the guided tour having been here before. His room was plain, but well-lit and airy. He abandoned his trunk and owl cage and went back downstairs.
"You know no-one is going to detect underage magic in Hogsmeade, right?" said Sirius, "So you can do anything you want. If there's anything about the room you want to change, we can, I left it so that you can see it as a blank canvas, it's yours to do with what you will."
"Thanks, that's nice," said Harry.
"Come on, let's have some lunch and then see where we're at," said Remus.
Three days later Harry met with Healer Jones for what had been a regular weekly appointment since leaving Privet Drive.
"How's settling in going?" asked Jones.
"It's fine, but odd," said Harry, "It's great living with them, I mean, why wouldn't it be? But I can't quite put my finger on something," replied Harry.
"Well let's see if I can help," said Jones. "If I asked you for one word to tell me what it's like, what's the word?"
Harry thought for a bit. "Weird. Sorry, that's not helpful."
"No, no. Let's start simple with some easy stuff. Is it weird that you're living with a Hogwarts professor?"
"Not really, I mean we all live in the castle together most of the year, and Remus was always a friendly professor."
"Is it weird living with a werewolf?"
"He's only one for a night a month, and he's going up to the castle, so no."
"OK, so Sirius then, he's your godfather. Is he a stranger? Do you feel awkward around him?"
"No, the three of us have talked about all sorts of stuff, although I've not said much about Privet Drive, but it's not exactly awkward, it's just… weird," finished Harry lamely.
"Do you feel more like a family being with Sirius and Remus?"
"I… Maybe… um, I'm not sure. The Dursleys were a family with each other, and sort of put up with me, so kind of. But I suppose Sirius and Remus don't feel like family because they aren't."
"Perhaps uncles?"asked Jones, "Not like Vernon, but a typical uncle that you might read about or watch on television?"
"It's… It's like I'm visiting relatives at Christmas like you get in movies," replied Harry. "You know about movies, right?"
Jones nodded, "I've spent a lot of years listening to muggle-borns, Harry, so you can assume I know a lot about muggle society."
"It's like I'm a guest, or I'm visiting, or I imagine it's like if I were staying with a penfriend's family. It's not like I'm not welcome, it's not like I don't belong, but it really is kinda like I don't belong. But I mean, it's waaaaaay better than Privet Drive, no comparison there."
"What about if you compared it to the Burrow?"
"The Burrow is kinda the same, I mean, I'm definitely a guest, not family. There's no way you can be family in their house unless you've grown up there, it's totally bonkers. Who's in the shower when, the number of people at dinner, the constant noise of people interactions, it's an experience. I love it, but it's not home."
"Where is home to you, Harry?" asked Jones.
"I suppose the word 'home' is still sort of Privet Drive, because as a kid when I learnt my address, that's home. That's where I live, but I feel at home at Hogwarts, but that's school, not a home."
"But you feel safe at Hogwarts? You feel people there, your friends are your family?"
"You know about stuff that's happened to me? Quirrel, for example?" asked Harry. Jones nodded.
"Well, weirdly, yeah, I feel safe there, because my friends are there, whatever mad stuff goes on. I mean I love Christmas holidays there, that's time with friends. They've been the best Christmasses."
Harry frowned and went quiet.
"What's up, Harry?"
"Do you know about the cursed egg?" asked Harry.
"No, what egg?"
"So you don't know if they know about it?" asked Harry.
"Sirius and Remus?" asked Jones, "I don't know anything about what you're talking about, but you could tell me."
"I'd rather not, well, I'd rather talk to Professor Snape first," replied Harry.
Jones nodded. "So Christmasses at Hogwarts?"
"Is it weird that I think of Hogwarts as more of my home, given Sirius has just given me one?"
"No, you've spent 9 months a year at Hogwarts for the past four years. You've had more positive experiences there than anywhere else, and despite certain incidents you feel safe there. That's normal."
"There are only six weeks left of the holidays," said Harry. "I really look forward to going back to school. Do you think next summer could be like this one, going to the Burrow so that I won't spend all the time at Sirius's?"
"Why is that?"
"Well, I don't want to not like it. We're in a good place."
"Harry, do you want to continue living with them?"
"Yes, I like being with them, but I also know I have nowhere else to go," replied Harry.
"There's a subject I'd like you to think about that I don't want you to answer immediately, because there isn't an immediate rush," said Jones. "When your relatives were found guilty of child abuse towards you, the Wizengamot gave joint custody of you to Albus Dumbledore, partially because they are in prison, and partially because fully removing custody is hard. Joint custody of your cousin was given to the Headmaster of his school. He has signed a muggle non-disclosure form about your relatives being in prison. The Wizengamot acknowledges that this is a short term measure for you. It would like to know who you want your guardian or guardians to be. Your aunt and uncle remain co-guardians at the moment due to privacy issues, it is hard to remove someone entirely, but the Wizengamot will transfer Albus' guardianship when you name a preferred, viable guardian, and have your relatives fully removed. I need to tell you that person cannot be Remus. But anyone else is a possibility. Sirius, your Head of House, Professor Snape, any of your other teachers. There are also possibilities for the Weasleys, or the Grangers, or another wizarding family."
"If you cannot make a decision, guardianship will remain with Albus, but any major decision about you would be scrutinised by the Wizengamot while he is your guardian. He cannot run your life so to speak. Do you have any initial ideas?"
"I want to spend the rest of summer with Sirius, because it's nice," said Harry, "But I can't see him being guardian material. He's not had kids, I like him, and Remus, because they're nice, but either he's too teenager, or I'm a friendly adult lodger. Does that make sense?"
Jones smiled. "Yes, it does, you analyse people well, Harry."
"Er, you don't repeat what I say to you to anyone, do you?" asked Harry.
"Your guardian, currently Albus, could ask me about you, but I would give generalisations, not details," replied Jones. "Why?"
"Well, Professor McGonagall is great, but I kind of think of her as more of a strict auntie, not a guardian."
"I won't repeat that, no," laughed Jones. "What about Sirius?"
"Do you think he can properly be serious, or give good advice?" asked Harry.
"Serious, yes, when it's required, but currently, I think he hasn't had enough real world experience to always give good advice, but Remus can, and they kind of come as a pair," replied Jones. "You've missed a person out."
"Yeah, I have no idea what to think there," said Harry. "Do you know where he lives during the holidays?"
"Yes, he spends some time in the castle, some time abroad dealing with Potions related things, and some time in a house in a muggle town. Summer is his Potions time. He sees it as time off for good behaviour."
"He wouldn't want a teenager hanging on then," replied Harry.
"He might. For all you know, holiday Severus is very different from term time Severus. What if he wears other colours? Purple? Bright red?"
Harry laughed.
"Harry, in all seriousness, I don't know if Severus would consider being your guardian. There is also the matter of your age. Given you're going to stay with Sirius for the next month, there is only next summer to arrange essentially, and there is no reason why you can't have a holiday at the Burrow, a holiday with Sirius, and go stay with the Grangers for a week or so. It can be arranged that to avoid awkwardness you aren't staying with people for too long if you feel that is weird."
"Oh, I hadn't thought that."
"So let me ask a question that's very much a guardian question. You're going to tell me about each person you're considering. Ready?"
Harry nodded.
"Imagine if you'd taken them, you got half of your exam results as only Acceptable and the other half either Troll or Poor. So, Albus."
"He'd be disappointed. He'd have some phrase containing 'my boy' and be a disappointed grandfather."
"The Weasleys."
"Mrs Weasley would either do that loud yelling thing or because I'm me and not actually one of her kids she'd just say 'Try to do better next time'. Mr Weasley might not actually say much at all."
"And Professor McGonagall?"
"Is it possible to lose house points over the holidays? She would so confiscate my broom."
"Is that a bad thing?"
"Well I suppose not, but it'd be like being taught by a teacher in school, but then parented by a teacher at home."
"Sirius?"
"He'd want to know what I'd been up to when I was supposed to be revising, and he might actually not mind. Remus would likely be the disappointed one, but I don't think he'd say much about it."
"And does Sirius' reaction bother you?"
"Yeah, I think. I wasn't allowed to get good grades in primary school, Dudley had to beat me, so I want good grades. Although I'm not like Hermione to get them, I'd just rather they were good grades, like a couple of Os, mostly As and some Es."
"And what about Severus?"
Harry was silent. His ears went red.
"Harry?"
"Oh, I think I'd be as dead as a doornail. He'd go spare."
"You're sure?"
"Oh, yes, very sure," said Harry.
"Is that a bad thing?"
"It probably would be for my arse," muttered Harry under his breath. "Well it'd be predictable," he said out loud.
"Well, think about it Harry. There is no hurry whatsoever. Think about where you want to be. It can be arranged. Do you want me to broach any concerns about awkwardness or anything else with Sirius and Remus seeing as you are staying there for six weeks?"
"Don't mention it, it'll just be awkward. Look, there's only six weeks left of the holidays, and Hogwarts will start back soon enough, and then my friends come back. That's the best bit, that's home."
"But if Sirius mentions any long term ideas I curb his expectations?"
"Yes, please," replied Harry, "It's like I'm staying there, not living there. I do need to decide. I don't want him to expect guardianship of me."
Jones nodded in understanding.