Those artless, lean-witted joltheads! Hermione could hardly believe that after the antiquated village of Diagon Alley that she would be riding in a train to reach Hogwarts. Why would they have updated the train to at least nearly modern standards but left the shopping center as it was? Nothing made sense. Wizards just had no logic it seemed, and logic was the most important thing there was.
Her parents were back on the muggle side of the platform waiting until eleven to leave when the Express did, 'just in case she came back out' they had told her. She had said her goodbyes ages ago and made her way onto Platform 9 ¾ with plenty of time to explore and find a compartment. Maybe she'd even make a friend or two! Hermione hoped more than anything that she could find a friend who truly liked her in the wizarding world since it was quite useless trying any longer in the muggle world. None of her classmates had appreciated her love of books or of finding lost knowledge.
But there was hope to be had at Hogwarts. When Professor McGonagall had visited the Grangers early this summer she had told Hermione about the famous Boy-Who-Lived, Harry Potter, who would be in the same year as her. Once they had visited the Alley, Hermione had found every book she could on the boy hero. Some seemed too fantastical to be true but Hermione was sure that was just the feeling she would get from any wizarding tale until she became accustomed to them.
He had to know so many spells! Maybe he would teach her some, or even just lend her the books he used so she could learn on her own if he was too busy. His training must have been extensive for a 9-year-old boy to defeat that chimera and save the village. Lockhart was a great author for Harry Potter to choose to tell his adventures, he even gave helpful tips throughout the book on everything from fashion trends in deuling to hair care in tropical lands.
…
The platform was starting to get crowded with the arrivals of the early birds. Cedric and his parents always arrived early so he could arrange a compartment with friends worry-free, no need to stress before the classes even start. This year Cedric was worrying though. Finally, after 10 years apart he would be able to see his betrothed. Sure they might not end up in happily wedded bliss but he hoped they could at least end up lifelong friends.
When Cedric was still just a toddler his parents and his betrotheds' parents had signed the contract after seeing just how well the two children's magic seemed to respond to each other. Of course, the two were quite young at the time so there were caveats in the case of the discovery of a soulmate, or if one of the boys was just not interested in boys.
The late Lily Potter née Evans had been a constant study partner and friend of Carolyn Diggory née Ainsworth throughout their time at Hogwarts, while James Potter and Amos Diggory were both purebloods with influential parents so they had known each other since early childhood. The parents had all known that having children in wartime was a risk but planned for the occasion in case either set of parents was killed. With the contract for betrothal, the surviving set would be given guardianship of the other child if he became orphaned. Granted, none of them planned for an instance where Albus Dumbledore would interfere.
Despite all attempts by the Diggory's after the Halloween of 1981, Dumbledore circumvented their claims and declared himself the magical guardian of Harry Potter. Although they searched for the child, they failed. Every tracking spell would spin them in circles but never grant solace.
Cedric had grown up on stories of the little boy he would protect. Harry had saved them all the night he destroyed Voldemort but he would need someone to watch his back, not all of the Death Eaters were imprisoned after the war and some people took umbrage with a half-blood being the hero. And now he would meet Harry, he would have the whole train ride to get to know him and make sure he knew that Cedric was always on his side.
…
The Malfoy's entered the platform sedately, they were not part of the rabble and would not run around uncouthly. They were above such peasantry. Draco was sneering at the open-faced awe upon some of the faces. Mudbloods! No decorum whatsoever. Luckily he wouldn't have to deal with them any more than necessary, not like they had any chance of being sorted into the illustrious Slytherin like himself.
But among these peons should be his target; the Boy-Who-Lived. The most famous and politically powerful of his future peers would be his ally. His father had always preached that power calls to power, those who had it found each other, and he had power himself. Albeit it was mostly his father's power and his future power as Lord Malfoy when his father stepped down. But still, it was his.
And Potter had plenty of power himself. Both as the Potter heir and as the nation's hero for his defeat of the Dark Lord. Together they would be able to rule the school and the Ministry once they had graduated. No one could stop them. His father would be so proud of him for taking his lessons to heart, he would brag to his fellow Lords about his success in leading his heir on his path to greatness.
And maybe, just maybe, he could even be friends with Harry. He had always wanted a friend, just one. He had followers in Crabbe and Goyle but that was because their fathers supported his father. He had allies in Parkinson, Zabini, and Nott, but each one had their own agenda and motives. Draco couldn't trust any of them with his true self because they would talk or hold it over him for blackmail. But Harry Potter would understand his need for a mask since he had one himself with the name Boy-Who-Lived.
…
This would be HIS year to shine! The Quidditch Cup was theirs for the taking, no one would be able to beat them. Oliver had spent the whole summer studying and taking notes. On quidditch training manuals and technique drills of course. Who needed to study anything else? Well, maybe he'd study after the Quidditch Cup, he did have his O.W.L.s this year but there were more important things in life than tests.
This year Gryffindor would have the great advantage of Harry Potter. Sure he was a first year but that could be worked around. He just knew that the boy would be amazing once he was on a broom, he had been when he was on a toy broom. Oliver's mentor, Charlie Weasley, had told him stories for years that had been told to him by Bill, who had seen the toddler on a toy broom. Apparently, during '81 James Potter had brought little Harry with him when he taught flying lessons as Madam Hooch's assistant.
Now, he would be able to ride a regular broom, maybe he had even invested in a Nimbus 2000. Oliver bet he had. Potter would have the money to make that kind of purchase. Maybe he could get Potter to let him ride his Nimbus, he only had a Cleansweep Seven and no matter how much he polished it or trimmed the twigs to keep it in peak condition, it would never be as fast as a new Nimbus. But still it was perfectly serviceable and good at short bursts of movement which is exactly what he needed so he couldn't get his parents to let him upgrade. Once he was a pro he could buy his own, or maybe as a graduation present from his parents so he had it for tryouts.
Now he just needed to stop fantasizing and find Potter to interrogate him. He would need to know how much practice he had on his broom and how much experience he had as Seeker since that was the only open position. He could work with Potter if he preferred Chaser, maybe even train him as a reserve Chaser in addition to Seeker.
…
He could not believe the twins! They were running around The Burrow claiming they forgot this or that and naming off ridiculous things they couldn't possibly need for school like Mum's second best crock or one of Dad's rubber ducks. At this rate they were going to miss the train and Ron would have to stay here forever and never do anything fun at all. Not that going to school would be fun, but leaving their tiny section of the country where the only fun was tossing gnomes to go to school made it a wondrous thing.
Once, they had all walked down to the muggle village near the house but the twins were 10 and crazy, and Ginny was spinning in circles everywhere like that Looney girl down the road had showed her, and Dad was stopping muggles on the street to ask them about that ekeltrickery thing so Mum had turned them right back around after only 10 minutes. The biggest adventure of his whole life and it was shorter than a bath and bracketed by long walks full of lectures and scolding from Mum.
School should have some kind of fun and adventure to it this year since the Boy-Who-Lived was going to be starting with him. They'd probably be great friends since they were both definitely going to be in Gryffindor. He had all sorts of adventures all the time. Mum had told them all about it for bedtimes for years. They couldn't afford those expensive books but she would read a bit at a time in the store like she was just browsing while they shopped for school stuff then she'd have a new bedtime story for them that night.
And Harry Potter would be his friend. Not any of his brothers! They wouldn't be in his dorm or his classes. They could make fun of the professors together and skive off homework to go fly. Harry would even buy him a broom of his own since they would be best friends. He just had to make it onto the train on time once the twins finally stopped their shenanigans and all his dreams would come true.
…
"Attention. Attention, please. Our final staff meeting of the summer will now commence. Are there any last minute issues to bring forth?" Albus Dumbledore spoke gravely, his wise and powerful grandfather demeanor false, but necessary for him to maintain.
"I do have one issue actually," piped up Filius, "One of my prefect nominees has withdrawn. I just received the letter this morning, Alfonso Corwin wishes to more fully concentrate on his research into runes and their applications in the study of spell creation. He is one of my most dedicated students but I thought the prefect duty would be of great interest to him.
"I would like to nominate my second choice, Simon Lykke is just behind Corwin in the class rankings and has no in depth research that I am aware of," he chuckled.
"That is a fine choice Filius, could you prepare a letter for him to receive on the train? That way he can still attend the initial prefect meeting and orientation?"
"It is already written Albus, and I told my owl to come during the meeting so I could send it if he was approved."
"Good, good. Any other issues?"
"Just the one I have brought to you before Albus, I still have yet to receive a confirmation letter from Mr. Potter," said an exasperated Minerva. She had made mention of this twice before and had nothing to show for her efforts, Albus only stated that Harry was quite well and enjoying his holiday with his family.
"The boy is going to be a menace. Worse than his father and the Weasley twins combined if he can't even find the time to write a letter," sneered Severus. He had been fearing this year for the last 10 years. From this point forward he would have to endure Lily's kind eyes on Potter's smug, arrogant face.
"Now, Severus, the boy is not his father. He is surely just caught up in the fun of the holiday," Albus demurred.
The Dursleys would be making sure Harry was enjoying the holiday just like he had spelled them to, back-breaking work and hunger would make the boy meek. Pliable to his wishes and willing to do whatever he was told to for The Greater Good. Sure he had to spell the couple heavily, Lily and Petunia had bonded so strongly over their fertility issues and the chit would have treasured her baby sister's sprog. Some people just don't understand the vision, the bigger picture. If he said hatred and suffering are for The Greater Good, then they are.
"I can't wait to see the boy again! While Lily finished her Mastery with me I would play with him as she studied and practiced, I get to gambol about with so few children. By the time they come here it's not so fun anymore to tumble on the grass or chase colored bubbles around," Filius seemed lost in his reminiscences.
"I just hope the lad isn't as bad a prankster as his father was. I have enough trouble trying to reign in those Weasley twins. How those two ended up so wild after the first 3 I will never understand, wouldn't they have perfected the process to get well-behaved boys by then?"
"Ah, the twins are just marvelous! So inventive with their charms, even time-delayed ones so they can build an alibi for themselves." The rest of the professors looked to Albus as though he had lost his lemon drop-loving mind in a haze of sugar as they left the room to enjoy the quiet of the halls and grounds one last time before the train arrived.
…
The assembled first years were quiet as they gazed up at the stool with the hat upon it. It had sang a most odd song, but maybe that was a normal song for hats that can sing, and now they had to put on the hat and find out where they belonged. Everything seemed to be going fine to the first years, some students waited longer while the hat deliberated but others were so swift they hardly even sat down. But all would not remain calm.
"Harry Potter!" The students turned to look around at their fellows for the famous hero, but saw no hint of the boy.
"Harry Potter!" Came again, this time almost a growl from Professor McGonagall who was calling the students forward for their sorting. When still there was no reply she looked to the Headmaster nervously, then continued on with the next name at the nod she received.
But even with the continuation of the sorting, the whispers and speculation did not die down among the students. Nor did the professors quiet the students as they were also wondering what had caused Mr. Potter to miss the train. Even when Headmaster Dumbledore stood after the last child had been sorted and Professor McGonagall had moved back to her seat, the whispers did not cease completely.
"Welcome," he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Alas, young Mr. Potter must have missed the departure of the Hogwarts Express, but I am sure all is well and he will be returned to the castle presently. Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!" *
With that settled, the Headmaster relaxed into his throne, "Minerva, Severus, once you have eaten, could you please retrieve young Harry? I am certain there was a family emergency or some such that prevented his arrival. You do remember the address Minerva?"
"Quite, though I am loathe to return to such a place. The uniformity was appalling when we visited last." Neither of the two professors looked pleased with their new errand for the night but ate quickly. The quicker they could pick up the child, the sooner they could retire to their quarters. Once the children were all sent off to their dormitories, with the assigned professors ready to start their rounds and gather up any stragglers; McGonagall and Snape readied themselves for a jaunt in the cold night to find their wayward student-to-be.
…
Night had fallen in Privet Drive hours ago. The homes lining the street were quiet, children were already tucked into warm beds, students were toiling away with no end in sight, parents were resting for the first time since they awoke that morning; the whole of the street was peaceful. Until a bang rocked through the air like a car had backfired. Yet those who peeked from their windows saw no car or anything else that looked amiss on their slice of suburban bliss.
One house stood out among the rest to the two newly arrived Hogwarts professors. The garden looked like a forest meadow with grass overgrown so high they almost missed the 'For Sale' sign. The paint on the ewes and siding was cracked and peeling, large swathes revealing the underlying wood, like the house had baked in the summer heat with no reprieve from the sun.
Roofing tiles had lost their luster and strength in the years since their placement leaving a drab adornment on the house. The surrounding houses all seemed to be maintained religiously with their perfectly matching lawns, the houses all painted in neutral tones creating a bland miasma of nothingness. Without the numbers and street signs one could wander this area for days, lost in a labyrinth with no points of reference to find the way home.
With no other immediate option the two headed to 6 Privet Drive, who seemed to be in the front parlor based on the lights, though it still took knocking twice to get someone to the door.
"Do you realize what time it is? What kind of salespeople come calling at this hour? Half the street is probably asleep already," exclaimed a haggard elderly woman. Her hair was limp and her face had lines of weariness etched into it. "Well, what do you have to say for yourselves?" She was tired and wanted to get back to her recliner so she could doze off like she had before.
"We are sorry to disturb your evening madam," began McGonagall slowly, "but we were wondering if you could tell us anything about your former neighbors, the Dursley's? Their nephew was set to come to the academy we work at for the start of term today but did not arrive. We last had record of their address as 4 Privet Drive and came here to retrieve him but found the house empty."
"Oh, dearie. You will need to walk east down Privet Drive about three blocks if you wish to find the boy but you will probably have more luck if you wait until morning. Someone should be available to help you then. As for the Dursley's, last I heard they were all in London. No one here has seen them in five years, we don't associate with such horrid people."
"Thank you for the assistance madam, have a good evening," said McGonagall appreciatively. The two embarked on a shorter journey to their new destination deep in thought.
"Whatever do you suppose she meant by that Severus? And why would the Dursleys leave little Harry here when they moved to London, he would have only been 6 at the time."
"I haven't the foggiest. Perhaps the boy wanted to stay here and his family let him do as he wished."
"Alone at six? Unlikely," she scoffed. They had now come upon a small church abutted by a darkened field on the far side, as they reached the sign at the edge of the field they both gasped.
St. Jude's Chapel and Cemetery
For those who are lost in life and in death
"But… He couldn't be… Severus… We need to see if he's here." McGonagall was holding her chest and had paled dramatically, she sat down on the dirt to catch her breath and comport herself. She could grieve in private once she, eventually, returned to her chambers.
"A point-me should be the quickest method." Snape cast silently and moved swiftly through the headstones until he reached a small stone set into the ground.
Harry Potter
July 31, 1980 - March 10, 1986
Moonlight drowns out all but the brightest stars.*
He stopped short upon reaching the stone, almost causing a crash as McGonagall had been following close behind. The two held back tears after reading the headstone; the final loss in the Potter family hit them when they were wholly unprepared, even with the preceding trek through the cemetery. They had not wanted to believe the young boy was truly dead and so the confirmation was that much more rough.
"We must return to the house, can you send a patronus, Minerva? Or should one of us visit the Ministry in person? The aurors should come to investigate, he shouldn't have died so young but if it was an illness the whole family wouldn't have left town. Something wicked has happened." Snape spoke as he moved, barely taking time to breathe in his fervor.
"I can go to the Ministry, this should be done in person I believe. I know Amelia quite well and she would come with aurors if I asked, even if I don't disclose everything in the Ministry halls. There are still so many unsavoury characters who would eavesdrop."
"I can wait for you inside the house, there may be… evidence that has lasted five years. If not I can conjure a chair to rest in while you make your trip. We will need to check with the neighbors again in the morning since someone should know where the Dursley's moved to."
By this time they had reached number 4 and Snape spelled the door open for them to enter.
"This place is so dusty, do muggles not understand cleaning? Or has it been abandoned for half a year or more? What do you suppose Severus?"
"I would be inclined to think the property has been vacant for quite some months, by the garden I would infer since spring at the least."
The two professors had entered the front hall, with the parlor to their left and the stairs ascending into the dark upper landing on their right. The hallway continued forward but in the darkness they could not discern what lay ahead of them for more than a metre or two. Suddenly they saw a white blur from the area below the stairs and screamed out. The house was abandoned, there should be nothing here that could move other than each other. Still, both had lived through the middle of war and brandished their wands whilst moving into their dueling stances.
…
The house was quiet and still, like it usually was these days. The only real noise was what he made since no people came by to see the house anymore. The house seller people kept trying to get new families to move in with Harry but when he tried to play they all ended up leaving. Maybe he wasn't allowed to play and when they left it was like when Uncle Vernon would put him in the cupboard after he did freaky stuff.
The new families always acted like he wasn't there, so rude. You're supposed to say hello and good morning and sorry when you run into, or through, someone. But no one did now. They didn't much before though either.
The quiet was nice. He could pretend to be a spy like James Bond, but better! He could walk through walls but James Bond had to use a door and those got locked all the time. Harry played spy a lot since the house was empty. He could make it a place with diamonds people wanted to steal or a bank and get to be the hero and save the day. James Bond was his hero 'cause he always saved the day.
Kreen.
"What was that," Harry whispered to himself, taken from his thinking time. He thought he heard the door open but no one should be here to see the house. It was night time! People should be in bed. Maybe it was a burglar! Not that there was anything to steal here but they didn't know that. All that spy training would be super helpful now. But now he could hear talking so there were people here.
"This place is so dusty, do muggles not understand cleaning? Or has it been abandoned for half a year or more? What do you suppose Severus?"
"Well sorry. I can't really keep the place up like I used to. You try dusting when you can't pick up a duster." Harry had tried, he thought maybe if he helped the family first like he did with the Dursleys he could get to play with the kids but it never worked and then they left.
"I would be inclined to think the property has been vacant for quite some months, by the garden I would infer since spring at the least."
"That man sounds scary. He has a deep voice like Uncle Vernon used to talk in when I did freaky stuff and got in trouble." Harry continued to speak to himself in a whisper, like in his spy game. And spies needed to know who the villain was so Harry decided to peek through the cupboard door. He could see them but they wouldn't see him!
But as soon as he saw them, they screamed and he jumped back. Had they seen him? But no one could see him. But why else would they scream? Maybe he should try again to see if they still screamed, like the thing they talked about in science class where you test stuff to see what happens.
This time Harry stepped through the door, if they really saw him maybe they could help and if they didn't they couldn't hurt him any. As soon as he was out they shot lasers at him but he dodged them. Spies must stay away from lasers, they could cut you in half.
"You can see me? Like really see me?" Harry asked, they had aimed their lasers right at him so they must be able to see him.
…
The two professors stared in shock at the miniscule ghost standing in front of them. They were quite accustomed to ghosts and their many oddities but had never seen one quite so small and fragile looking. Hogwarts has the largest concentration of ghosts in the United Kingdom but even there, Myrtle is the youngest ghost they know and she was fifteen when she died. The rest were into their thirties at the least with Cuthbert just past his 117th birthday when he passed on. And the headstone indicated Harry was six when he died, almost seven. He shouldn't be this small, if this is Harry that is.
"Are you Harry, little one?" Minerva started off, her voice soft. "We came here to find Harry Potter. We work for a special school, Hogwarts, for kids who can do magic, and we wanted to bring Harry there with us."
"Magic is real? Really real? But Aunt and Uncle always said magic wasn't real. Just crackpots and fools. I'm Harry but can I still come to school? I haven't been to school in years since they couldn't see me anymore! I'd be so good if I can go, I promise!"
"Magic is completely real, little one. Of course you can still come with us to Hogwarts, we even have quite a few people who are like you Harry so you'll fit right in. But could we bring some people to come talk to you before we go? Like police officers, only magical."
"Erm, sure, I don't have any chairs or anything for guests though…" Harry trailed off, embarrassed now looking at the house with the comments from earlier in mind.
"I can stay with you and solve that problem, child," stated Severus, trying to modulate his voice into something kinder and softer. Even when he spoke with his godson Draco he used his normal voice only changing the words to be more child appropriate.
"I'll be right back with some nice people Harry," promised Minerva as she stepped outside to apparate.
"Now then, let's remove this dust, then we can conjure some seating."
And so the room was swiftly transformed into a fairly clean sitting room littered with multiple kinds of chairs with a low table in the middle stocked with plenty of tea and cups. Harry had decided to float above one of the chairs sitting cross legged like he learned in school.
"My name is Severus, Harry, and my friend's name was Minerva. She should be back in just a moment with a few magical police officers. You seemed to be concerned about your schooling. You need not worry about your years without school here since magical school covers a completely different plan and you won't be behind at all. However as a ghost, many practical applications of magic will be out of your reach, but you could still attend the classes if you wished."
…
Minerva McGonagall stalked through the halls of the Ministry on a mission. She needed to find Amelia quickly, before she got waylaid by some Ministry sod wanting to reminisce or get her recommendation for students interested in Ministry jobs. She had no time for foolishness.
Amelia Bones was right where Minerva had expected, in her office working on a pile of paperwork so high it must have a few stabilizing spells applied to it. She entered the room quickly and spelled the door closed and locked behind her.
"Mel I need your help. I need you and a few aurors to come to a muggle house to investigate something but I can't tell you more than the location here. There are always ears listening that should not in this building, much like the school actually. Would you do that for me?"
"I know you don't ask favors lightly so yes I will. Write me the address and I will gather up my best. It's been a slow week so I have everyone here for this shift instead of half the force laid up in Mungo's," the two witches had been best friends since their first year so their trust was stong in each other.
They met on the train and that bond couldn't be broken hours later when they were split up by their sorting. Minerva was too principled to ask her for a blind mission with her best for no good reason. This was not some trap. Though she had no clue what kind of problem could draw the witch away from Hogwarts after the Opening Feast; that night was always an early one to prepare for the chaos the first day brought from every student being in the castle.
The two moved quickly through the Auror Department to gather all but the two who would stay behind in case an emergency happened. Alexandre Rousseau, a French Auror on loan to Britain to share techniques across borders; Kingsley Shacklebolt, one of the strongest investigators on the force; and Ailsa Sheach, a Scottish born tri-athlete who joined a few years before and was the toughest on suspects in interrogation. Amelia passed out the apparition target and they popped out and into a sitting room with a ghost child playing spy with the irascible Severus Snape.
…
The police officers look funny, Harry decided. They all had on long dresses and they made a weird face with their mouths open when they saw him totally beating Sev at spying. He was super quiet but Harry could hide in furniture and jump out at him.
"Amelia, Kingsley, Alexandre, Ailsa, you all know Severus. And this… is Harry Potter." Minerva wanted to be blunt, they needed to know and now they did. She could not ease them into the fact that the Boy-Who-Lived no longer lived. Who would believe her if she said it? She almost didn't believe it herself despite the fact she had seen the proof.
"Harry, this is my best friend Amelia. She is in charge of the whole magical police department. And these are some of the people who work for her. They will have a few questions for you once they sit down and have some tea, okay?" The aurors all moved to take a seat, they needed the tea and rest after the shock.
"Sure! Can I keep playing with Sev until they need to ask me stuff?"
"Of course, if Severus would like to keep playing. I think you were winning when we got here so he might need to get you back."
"NEVER! I play spy all the time, Sev can't beat me when he just learned it!"
Harry and Sev kept playing until all the tea was gone and Sev still hadn't won. Harry knew all his practice would pay off, he just didn't think he'd get to play spy with other people ever.
"Harry," called Amelia, "I think we're ready to ask you a few things if you'll come back over here." She waited a minute while he got comfy floating above his chair again, luckily none of the police people took his chair. "Do you think you could tell us about how you came to be a ghost Harry? How you got the way you are now?"
"Oh, you want the cruddiest story I know." Harry was really glad he hadn't had to tell the story before but he still got sad thinking of it. "It was spring, since it was almost to the Easter holidays, and I was at school. Dudley and his friends were chasing me 'cause they liked to play 'Harry Hunting' and I was running away. I tried to jump behind some bins to hide but when I opened my eyes again I was up on the school roof and Dudley was still on the ground looking for me.
"He didn't find me and break was over so they went back inside but I couldn't. I didn't know how I got up there and I couldn't figure out how to get back down. Eventually they had to call a fire truck to get a tall enough ladder to get me and everyone in Little Whinging heard from the teachers about how I snuck up onto the roof to get out of going to class.
"Uncle Vernon got called away from work once they realized I was up there so he was really mad before he even saw me. He punished me for doing freaky stuff then when he was done he put me in my cupboard but he was even more angry since he had to carry me there. My leg was broken and I couldn't pick it up to walk.
"Uncle Vernon was closing my cupboard door to lock it and Aunt Petunia walked up to him, and she said that they should have drowned me when they found me on the doorstep since they knew I'd be a freak like my parents and they would be better off with me dead.
"I tried everything I could to make them love me. I did whatever chores they asked me and even got in trouble once for doing chores they didn't ask me to do 'cause I was wasting time. I did really well the first bit of school to make them proud but then we got our cards and mine was better than Dudley so I got into trouble for that.
"Since my family didn't really want me to start with and really didn't want me now I thought I'd go away. But I didn't have anywhere to go to and they said orphanages were really bad and scary so I didn't want to go there. And I couldn't go anywhere on my own with my leg broken.
"I thought maybe, if I was really good and didn't get in the way, my parents might want me back. I mean, if they were freaks too they might not be so mad that I was. So I stopped fighting so hard to stay awake like I usually did when Uncle Vernon hit my head really hard. I laid in my cupboard and cried until I fell asleep. I got really cold that night, then I was really hot when I woke up and everything was kinda fuzzy for awhile then I fell asleep again. The Dursleys tried to take me away and hide me somewhere but some neighbors saw them acting spicious and called the police.
"I just know I woke back up. Like this. So it didn't work. My parents still didn't want me. They said they didn't, Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon said they tried to kill us all in that car crash and I just didn't die but I guess I hoped they would want me if I was dead too."
…
Every person in the room was crying at this point. Harry was trying not to since he had so much before, just thinking about this story, but the rest were not prepared for the level of melancholy in this small ghosts story. The aurors had to go over it all again as they composed themselves because at some point all of them had stopped taking notes.
"Why don't we all take a little break, okay Harry? We can finish the police questions in a little bit. Can you tell me what your favorite color is? I'd really like to know," Amelia tried to draw his focus away from the past and onto inconsequential things.
The group continued on that vein, asking Harry about his favorite stories and games, which animal he liked the most and his favorite things to do as a ghost. After every person in the room had gathered themselves they started asking Harry the serious questions they had left.
"What happened to the Dursleys Harry? Your neighbor in Number 6 said they were all in London now," Minerva started off with this hoping it wouldn't be quite as bad as the first question.
"Well the regular police people looked at me I guess, the old me, and saw all the marks I had. I had lots of dark bruises on my skin and shiny scars too, they didn't stay with me after I woke up which was nice. I'm still small though, I think they said that was from not eating enough. I always had to finish my chores to get food but usually the list was too long to finish in time.
"So the police came and took them all away! Even Dudley. I followed them, since no one could see me, 'cause I wanted to find out what was going on. They talked to Dudley a lot first, he told them everything about my chores and my cupboard and how I would walk really slow after punishments 'cause I was so hurt. He even talked about 'Harry Hunting' and how no one on Privet Drive cared if I got hurt since I was just the freak.
"They tried to find out what made me a freak but only got that my parents were, so I was too. The police just thought my parents must have been hippies or something, different from the stodgy Privet Drive type and that made my parents freaks.
"Dudley ended up going to a group home with a bunch of other kids who had bad parents. Like an orphanage where they re-teach you stuff your parents did wrong the first time. He got adopted by a nice family last year and he wants to help kids like I should have been helped when he grows up.
"They made Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon wait until they had finished with Dudley so they were really mad once the police came to get them since they don't like waiting. Aunt Petunia was first 'cause they thought she'd be faster than Uncle Vernon, they said she wouldn't be in as much trouble if she just told them everything and didn't make the police force her so she did. I think she was too scared to make them make her talk, instead of actually wanting to talk.
"She told them about finding me half frozen on the doorstep in November, it had rained I guess while I was waiting there and with the temperature dropping in the night I got way too cold. There was a letter tucked into my blanket, she found it when she unwrapped me to see if I was still alive. She said she thought some teeenager or poor woman left me there but the letter was from some old guy threatening her family if she didn't take me in. I guess he'd come and check on me and if I wasn't here he'd hurt the Dursleys or something. But no one has come here to check on me that I know about.
"Aunt Petunia said she didn't want anything to do with me and made sure to keep Dudley away too until he was big enough to hurt me. She let Uncle Vernon and Aunt Marge do whatever they wanted to make me earn my keep so she didn't have to be near me at all. The police said that was neglect and dangerment and she got arrested. She's in jail for 30 years.
"Aunt Marge was called in at first to see if she could take Dudley but the police talked to her after Aunt Petunia instead. She used to let her dogs chase me and bite me and always threatened to take me home with her and make me take care of the big dogs. Dogs bigger than me and trained to be really mean and really fast so they could chase me and catch me.
"The littler ones she could bring here were too slow and I could get up a tree away from them most of the time. Ripper did bite me really bad once, he got me while I was climbing and held onto my ankle so bad it looked like minced meat after. She had lots of dogs at her house though and the police said she was a bad trainer. She's in jail for 10 years for raising mean dogs and for dangerment like Aunt Petunia.
"Finally, they talked to Uncle Vernon but he was really mad by then so he started yelling and fighting with the police people, he even hit one of them right in the face and knocked him down. They were really not happy with him after that and they kept talking to him for hours. They asked him lots of questions and then just watched while he ranted and his face turned purple. Some of the police even had doctor people come and watch but they said Uncle Vernon wasn't crazy, just mean and angry.
"He was really mad 'cause I caused all this trouble when I wasn't worth anything but then the police people yelled! No one yelled at Uncle Vernon, he yelled and you said sorry but they got mad for me. Not at me like everyone else did. Even that one substitute teacher that had never met me started yelling at me and blaming me when her hair turned blue during class but I didn't do anything. I was trying to figure out the answer to a maths problem on the board when I started hearing giggles then she turned around and saw me looking at her.
"I think… I think that's when I figured out that the Dursleys were wrong. That they shouldn't have hurt me so much or treated me so bad. I guess it just seemed normal when no one cared and everyone hated me. No other kids were treated like me but they all lived with their parents so I thought maybe that's just how it is when it's not your own kid. But then Cassie moved into the neighborhood and she had two dads that found her at an orphanage. So she wasn't really theirs but they picked her so maybe that made it different. But no one should be hurt like that, like I was.
"But I was still pretty happy to still be here. Especially 'cause I got to see Uncle Vernon's face when they said he'd be in jail for the rest of his life. My parents were drunks and never wanted me and stuff but that's okay. I don't need parents. I just want friends.
"I keep trying to play with the kids when new people move in my house but they don't play. Sev said there's kids at the school, who can see me and might wanna play with me! Not all of them but who needs that many friends, I just want one or two maybe," Harry was grinning now thinking about the new fun he'd have with friends in a big castle. He had never gone on any of the Dursleys' holidays and had never really left Little Whinging even after becoming a ghost since he didn't know where to go.
"Well there will definitely be kids you can play with at Hogwarts, but I do need to tell you something pretty important," Minerva began gently, "your parents were not drunks. They were very nice people who loved you, your mother was so pleased when she told me she was pregnant with you and your father showed you off every chance he got. You were at the castle quite a bit as a baby so I saw you a lot and you were always giggling and playing.
"But there was a bad man who wanted to take over the world. He didn't like your parents and they went into hiding so they could keep you safe because they loved you. He found out where you were living despite their plans and he killed them, then tried to kill you Harry. Something happened and he failed and disappeared. No one has seen him in almost 10 years. I'm absolutely sure that if they could they would have taken you away from here when you died. Nothing would keep them from coming to you."
Amelia had motioned to the aurors and Severus once Minerva had begun, this was a private conversation and they had work to get done. Someone royally messed up here.
"Severus, what can you tell me about Mr. Potter's placement here?"
"Albus, Minerva, and Hagrid were the ones to place Harry here, as far as I know it was a day or two after that Halloween because they brought him to the castle first and had Poppy check him over. Albus claimed they were very loving towards Harry.
"I was…disinclined to participate in discussions of Mr. Potter because of my relationship with his father. When I did, I made comments believing Harry to be arrogant and cruel to less fortunate children, like his father, from growing up being fawned over and catered to. Albus was always present for those comments and never disputed them with the truth.
"He did not seem concerned at all this evening when Mr. Potter did not arrive with the first years. He sent Minerva and I to retrieve him under the impression there had been a family emergency that kept them from the train. I do not believe he knew anything about Harry's death but he should have. He had to have monitored Harry's life here somehow and should have known about the neglect with enough time to prevent his long-term abuse and death!"
Severus was trying to catch his breath, the grief just now fully hitting him. He had sworn to protect that child with his life and he failed. The last piece of Lily in the world was the incorporeal form of a malnourished and severely abused child. She was going to kill him once he died and saw her again. Could one die after death?
"Do you know where the Dursleys are?"
"A neighbor said London and Harry said jail but I don't know any more than that."
"Why don't you sit down, we can take it from here. You have a ghost to bring to Hogwarts, I haven't heard of a new ghost there since Myrtle. I hope the boy fits in well, with the ghosts and the children. I'll notify Minerva once we find something and I'm sure she will share it with you. Thank you, for calling our attention to this."
…
Amelia collapsed into her tiny twin bed. It was a spare, fold-out bed she used during long cases when she couldn't leave the Ministry long enough to actually go to bed at home, but needed to get a few hours so she could continue to function. Luckily, as department head she had a large enough office to set it up in between her regular furniture and not block the door. Someone might need to come in and wake her up for an emergency but she hoped not.
This case was just going uphill and she could not keep going at it without some rest. Petunia and Vernon Dursley had plenty of unwelcome answers for Ailsa and Kingsley. From the claims that they only did what was necessary and normal in regards to Harry to finding compulsion webs around them dictating everything they did. Like little marionettes. Or not so little for Vernon, but still, someone had turned them into puppets and killed a little boy in doing so.
Alexandre had worked with the healer to remove everything and note down what it had influenced and when it had been placed but it was a long process. Each spell had to be removed separately and the person would remember the feelings and actions they had while under the web as if it was their own. Whoever had done this was going to be footing a large mind healing bill for these two.
Luckily it was just the two that had been spelled. The boy, Dudley, had only been following his parents example apparently and had changed his views once he was out of their influence. Marjorie Dursley however, was unstable. It seemed she had always been quite violent and quick-tempered from childhood, often having fits of rage that resulted in broken bones for those at its focus.
It was why her brother had supported her in a career with little to no human interaction. While horrible, she would not be arrested if a few of her dogs were killed when no one knew how many she had in the first place. However, if a coworker or client said something upsetting in an office she could have torn through the building in a murderous rampage. Lovely. Amelia drifted off to sleep then, hopeful for more answers than questions when she awoke.
…
Harry was flying around the room excitedly, the castle was so cool. Even just Severus's rooms. There were so many paintings and they moved! They could talk or just walk away to go visit some friends on a different floor. Magic was awesome. He had to wait a bit to really explore though, Severus brought him here last night and then went to sleep. And this morning Minerva would be going to talk to the Headmaster of the school and then they could tell everyone about him. He couldn't explore until they did so he didn't scare people.
How he could scare them when there were other ghosts here he didn't understand, he was so little. Maybe Severus would play with him while they waited, it was a Monday but Severus said they always gave the students a day to get used to the castle before classes started. It didn't make sense to him really but he could move through all the walls and floors so he could get everywhere pretty quick. He could get lost but he moved faster too so he could get unlost faster.
Harry almost couldn't stand the waiting. He could have friends today! He'd never had one before, what if he messed up? And they were all 11 and he was 6, what if they thought he was a baby and no fun? He'd show them fun, he could fly, and do backflips, and scare people by following them really quietly.
…
Minerva reached the top of the stairs quickly this morning, there was no time to waste letting the stairs do the work for her. She raised her hand to knock, but was foiled as usual.
"Come in Minerva!" Albus called through the door, he always did that just as she raised her hand to knock. She opened the door and was hit with nerves as she entered the office. This was horrid news to tell and she would have to do it twice today, for Albus and the children.
"Albus, I have some news for you regarding the trip yesterday evening."
"How is the boy Minerva? Did you take him straight to Gryffindor then? I expected to see you for a private sorting when you returned but I must have already retired for the night."
He was so cheerful, she hated to disappoint her mentor but needs must. "No Albus. Harry is with Severus for the moment, we brought him here very early today after a long talk. I had to call in a favor with Amelia and she had plenty of questions. Albus, Harry died. When he was just 6 years old.
"They abused him terribly, which Amelia is investigating to make sure they are properly punished, though the muggles have done their part already. It all came out quite quickly after Harry died what had happened to him and who had done it. He won't be sorted into Gryffindor or attending classes at all I believe. I think his place is with Severus for now, he has that calmness about him I think Harry will benefit from."
"What do you mean? You said he is dead but here, with Severus? Whatever are you talking about Minerva?"
"Oh my, it must have slipped my mind to say it. Harry is a ghost now."
"A ghost? A ghost Boy-Who-Lived? A DEAD Boy-Who-Lived?!" Those damned Dursleys! They were never meant to go this far, light abuse and neglect only was what he specified in the spells. The spells! Bones was sure to find those. Would his signature have degraded enough over the years or would it still be identifiable as his? "Why did you go to Amelia, Minerva? You should know I could handle this."
"Yes, of course. But the untimely death of a wizard is something the DMLE has to investigate. It's law, especially for the heir of a Most Ancient and Noble House. And you are so busy with the start of the school year, plus it was quite late by the time we found out last night. Come Albus, we need to notify the students. And the ghosts need to know of their new comrade."
The walk down to the Great Hall was quiet, both lost in their thoughts. Minerva was thinking about the students; how would they react to this news, did she need to have Poppy bring in a mind healer? Meanwhile, Albus was trying to discern the ramifications of an investigation by the aurors; they couldn't possibly find his spells could they, it was so long ago they had probably worn off. The Hall became silent as the two came to stand in front of the Head Table, notices were always at dinner or in the common rooms so this was an uncharacteristic act to all the upper years.
"Students," began Minerva sternly, "I have some dreadful news to give to you this morning. Last night, as you all saw, I called for Harry Potter to be sorted and he did not appear. I was sent with Professor Snape to bring Mr. Potter to Hogwarts and find out why he had not come on the train. What we found was that in March of 1986, Harry Potter died. He is still here, as a ghost, but will not be attending school at Hogwarts. He will always be welcome of course, as all of the ghosts are, to roam the castle and interact with the students freely.
"I will ask that all questions about his death be withheld for the time being. Mr. Potter has already been questioned by the aurors and their investigation into his death will quite suffice. I am sure the results of the investigation will reach the Daily Prophet and therefore everyone in the United Kingdom so you will have answers then. The boy is only six and has been almost entirely isolated, his last 5 years were spent in the muggle world and muggles cannot see ghosts. Give him time to adjust to the castle and the magnitude of people here and do not crowd him."
She had expected whispers like last night's during the sorting, not this eerie silence as the whole Hall seemed in shock. The whispers began slowly though, like a tide washing in, crashing higher and higher on shore as it proceeded, gaining both speed and thunderous resonance until it seemed to her that the din overtook everything.
…
Alexandre Rousseau strode into the Ministry Archives determinedly. He had the magical signature of the person who had spelled the Dursleys and now he needed to wade through the archived data from the Welcome Desk in the Atrium. Every single time any person comes to the Ministry they must check in at the desk with their wand and their magical signature. It was how the hours worked were determined for the payroll and it ensured that any person who came in was who they said. The wrong wand with a person not mentioning a new wand, or the wrong signature even though it looks like the right person? No access except to a holding cell and an interrogation room.
But every entrance was recorded, every time in a day, every day, for months, for years, for decades. And it was all kept neatly organized in the Archives. But each record would need to be checked one by one against his sample until he found a match. Hopefully his target was an adult who frequented the British Ministry or he would be wasting days digging through files for nothing.
Luckily it was not days, only hours. Alexandre had started off with the most recent files, marking off records that didn't match then marking all other records with that name. This at least greatly reduced the redundancy since a few days worth caught almost every Ministry employee who was currently employed. There had been a large group left unmarked from one day in the summer and as he started those records he recognized the names as members of the Wizengamot and realised it must have been from the last day they convened.
It was in this group of records that he found his target, the signatures matched and when he looked at the name he almost laughed. Something must have gone wrong since this could not be true. Alexandre triple-checked the two signatures and they were definitely the same and he was sure he had gathered the signature from the compulsion web correctly. Amelia needed to see this immediately, arresting the Chief Warlock was far above his pay grade.
…
The doors to the Great Hall slammed open, so hard they bounced back from the stone wall in the Entrance Hall, but the bevy of aurors in the opening prevented them from closing again. Were they raiding the castle, Minerva wondered. Why would they need so many to come here? Amelia and the others from last night are here, but they're investigating the Dursleys and Harry's death and they wouldn't need that many to question him some more. These thoughts were fleeting, coming and going before the company had reached the Head Table.
"Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, you are hereby under arrest for the use of magic on two muggles resulting in the death of a wizard. Come with us calmly or we will be forced to apprehend you." Amelia's voice resonated clearly in the cavernous room, every person there could understand her words, and many connected the aurors investigating Harry Potter's death to the death of a wizard and stared at the Headmaster in horror. Aurors moved around the table to surround him as she spoke to ensure he could not escape custody.
"Amelia, my girl, there is no need for that. I'll come to the Ministry to answer any questions you have freely."
"You will come in magical suppression cuffs and answer our questions under Veritaserum, Mr. Dumbledore, not freely. Come forward slowly and hold your hands to the sides, palms forward."
He did, they had nothing against him and this would all be cleared up quickly. He did not consider that for this arrest to be approved they needed fool-proof evidence to go against such a revered figure in their society. Anything less would have been setting themselves up for ruin if he was innocent.
Hours later the questioning actually began. Amelia had wanted to arrest Dumbledore publicly and had needed to work quickly to get everything set up, so she had taken another nap to refresh herself for the interrogation of her career. Kingsley would be going in with her at first, he was great at deducing and making intuitive leaps. Ailsa would be back-up, she could word questions so right, criminals would turn on their own mother. One to make sure the breadth of Dumbledore's crimes was covered and the other to make sure every crumb of information was dragged out and laid bare before them.
"Amelia Bones, Head of the Auror Department, supervising Kingsley Shacklebolt, Senior Auror, in the questioning of Albus Dumbledore in relation to the death of Harry Potter," the dictation quill would now record everything said in this room until she declared the questioning complete. Dumbledore was under a body-bind and would not be released until the Veritaserum had taken effect, she dosed out the three drops precisely and dropped them into his open mouth before waiting a moment to release the spell.
"State your name for the record."
"Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore."
"Go ahead, Kingsley, I will observe," she waved him forward and took a seat next to the Ever-Expanding Parchment with the transcript appearing on it.
"What was the purpose behind the spells you placed on the Dursleys?"
"I wanted to make sure they treated the boy correctly."
"Then why did you spell them to hate the child?" Kingsley asked, more confused than when he had started.
"He needed to be meek, controllable. Making them hate him and degrade his self worth was necessary."
"Necessary for what?"
"For Harry to sacrifice himself for the Greater Good when I told him to."
"You intended for the child to die?"
"I intended for him to weaken Voldemort in battle, then die, destroying the horcrux tethering Voldemort to life so that I could kill Voldemort and be the wizarding world's hero once more."
"So you did not intend for the boy to die with the Dursleys?"
"No."
"Did you provide any precautions to prevent his death with the Dursleys?"
"I placed Arabella Figg in the neighborhood to watch over him. I erected blood wards on the Dursley home and tethered Harry Potter's magical core to them so that he would power the wards. I tied the ward to a device in my office to monitor their strength but it never seemed to take so I could not monitor their strength from the castle."
"Why did you place Harry with the Dursleys?"
"Because they were the most easily controlled of the guardian options for Harry."
"Who were the other options?"
"Sirius Black, Frank and Alice Longbottom, Carolyn and Amos Diggory."
"Why were each of these disregarded from guardianship by you?"
"Sirius was wild, reckless. He chased after Pettigrew to avenge the Potters and he never would have let Harry grow up to sacrifice himself. Frank and Alice were too soft, they wouldn't be able to toughen up a hero. Carolyn and Amos were too far from my reach, neither listened to me implicitly."
"And how did you keep them from taking guardianship after you placed Harry with the Dursleys?"
"Sirius fell into Pettigrew's trap, I just left him to rot in Azkaban without a trial. I left a trail to the Longbottom's hideout to lead the Lestrange's there, they took over from that point. I had no opening to attack Carolyn and Amos so I used my place in the Wizengamot to take Harry's magical guardianship for myself after sealing the wills, they had no recourse after that."
The two aurors stared at each other, stunned. "Go. Tell Ailsa to come in. Get to Azkaban and bring Sirius Black to Saint Mungo's, we can question him later. Start an investigation as soon as he's settled with the healers."
"Yes Boss," Kingsley barked as he moved to leave. Black had been there for almost ten years, most didn't last one before insanity set in. Ailsa entered the room just a minute later, intrigued by the swiftness of her summoning, she had expected an hour at least before she was called in.
"A new line of investigation is being started by Kingsley, we'll finish here," Amelia informed her.
"Alright then, can I review the transcript? I'll start after that."
"Here, it is… unexpected."
"Well," Ailsa stated, "Have you sacrificed anyone else for the Greater Good?"
"Arianna, Gellert, Severus, Lily, James, Abigail Taylor, Todd Murphy, Breanne Ellis, Duncan Harris, Joel Scott, Barrett Walker…"
"That's enough for now. Who is Arianna and what happened to her?"
"Arianna Dumbledore, my younger sister. Aberforth confronted me after Mother's death, he knew I was planning to travel with Gellert, a grand world tour. He said he couldn't support Arianna on his own and I needed to stay. Gellert was there and was baiting Aberforth, trying to get a rise from him. All three of us had our wands out and spells started flying but Arianna tried to stop us. She got in the middle and was hit with something, she died there before we could get help. Aberforth never forgave me."
"And who is Gellert? How did you sacrifice him?"
"Gellert Grindelwald, my love. I tried to stay away from him once he started campaigning in Europe, to leave him be. But he came after Britain, after me. I defeated him but could not kill him. I locked him in his own prison, Nurmengard, so he could never oppose me and I never loved again."
"How did you sacrifice Severus Snape?"
"I knew how horrible his home life was and I knew how tormented he was by the Marauders and the older Slytherins and let it continue. I had hoped that he would go dark and I could save him somehow, gaining a spy in Voldemort's camp. It wasn't working very fast so I allowed him to almost be killed by a werewolf then punished him for it which cemented his decision to go dark."
Amelia took notes on a separate sheet as they continued. Each new line of investigation would need to be followed and with this many, the whole Auror Force would be needed. Dumbledore was a chessmaster and had decades of moving various players to where he wanted them, many of which were still alive for them to question and help free from his manipulations.
…
Kingsley shuddered as he paced in the halls of Saint Mungo's, he had left the prison almost an hour ago and had 2 chocolate bars since but the chill of the dementors had seeped into his bones. Sirius Black had been unresponsive when he had found him in his cell, not screaming incoherently or raving like some of his neighbors, so he was hopeful. The malnutrition was severe and the mental damage from the dementors was strong after extended exposure but they should be able to question him and find out the truth about that night.
Dumbledore's statement made it sound like Black had tracked Pettigrew down after finding out Pettigrew had betrayed the Potters, then fell for a trap Pettigrew set up and got arrested. So it was entirely possible an innocent man had been locked in the worst prison he could imagine, for no other reason than being in Dumbledore's way and being disposable.
The healers were in and out of Black's room constantly; had been since he had arrived. Like they had to consult more experienced healers to solve some problem but there shouldn't be anything new. They had people come in regularly that had visited the prison or had been incarcerated for a shorter period of time and needed healing after. Black should be just like them, maybe worse off but he had seemed better than the rest in there.
"Auror Shacklebolt?" Probed Healer Roberts, who he had worked with multiple times before on cases, "You brought in the patient in room 417 correct?"
"Yes, Sirius Black. Evidence has come to light that he never received a trial and may actually be innocent of his supposed crimes. Will he recover?"
"I'm afraid not. There seems to have been a magical backlash over 5 years ago that shattered his magical core with the force it hit him at. His magic tried to hold itself together but I believe the mental strain from the dementors and the malnutrition common on Azkaban meant that his magic was fighting on too many fronts trying to keep him alive. He only survived until now because his magic used itself to sustain his body instead of maintaining his mind. He is as much a shell of a person as if he had been Kissed."
"Five years ago? Maybe March?"
"Yes, how did you know?"
"His godson died then. They must have used the caecus amor prolis ritual when they named Black godfather and the magic snapped like an overexcited Whomping Willow branch when Harry Potter's end abruptly disappeared." *
"Well, Mr. Black will need to stay here, in the Janus Thickney Ward, for the remainder of his life."
"I will let Auror Bones know, she is the one in charge of this investigation and his medical charges will be added to the ones already accrued by the one responsible."
…
Harry moved through the ward slowly, he was nervous. This was the first time he would be visiting his godfather, Sirius Black, since he had learned of him. Sev had told him stories, mostly about him being mean like Dudley, but also about the friendship he saw between Sirius and his Dad. Sirius was mean, but he was a good friend, and Dumbledore might have messed with him like he did the Dursleys but there was no way to tell now.
Sirius was a bit like him. Alive, but not. Harry was a ghost but could move and talk; Sirius was still breathing but had lost everything in his mind that made him Sirius. Harry still wasn't sure what he would say, maybe an introduction? What do you say when you know they can't hear? A ding chimed behind him and the elevator opened, who else would be coming here the day Hogwarts let out for the winter holidays?
A boy stepped out that he recognised, he had seen the boy around the castle he was sure. Maybe a Gryffindor? Harry had not talked with them that much, most were loud and rambunctious so he didn't enjoy their company. Hufflepuffs were a very nice bunch, he was having a lot of fun getting to know Cedric who acted a bit like a big brother Harry thought.
"Hi, are you here to visit someone too?" Harry decided to ask the boy, he would be nice unless the boy started yelling like those twins in Gryffindor did when he talked to them once.
"Oh, erm, hi. Yes, I'm visiting my parents. They have been here since I was a baby, Gran doesn't think anything will ever change so she doesn't come by too much but I try to visit when I can. And you?"
"My godfather, apparently the magic from the bond between us snapped really hard when I died and he never recovered. This is the first time I'll get to see him so I'm pretty nervous about it. Silly really. He can't yell at me or get mad that it's taken me so long to come here. But I hope he would have liked me if he really knew me."
"I'm sure he would, that's just how good parents are, even godparents, they love you no matter what. And if you're still here to visit even though you're worried you must think he would have been a good parent."
"Yeah, I think he would have been a great parent, the kind who plays with you a lot, and can teach you how to be better than you used to be, 'cause he did too."
The End
*Excerpts from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, J.K. Rowling.
*J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings.
*Latin for 'Love for a child is blind.'