Happy New Year to all of you, thank you for the reviews, here's a new chapter!
Celosia hadn't spoken to Severus at all since her visit to the Dursleys, and took down the wards that were connecting their houses together. She fixed them so they were both separate, and removed the flowers from the front of her home. She kept her curtains at the front of the house closed, not ever taking glances at the house across the street. She didn't need to see the man who took her heart and lied to her face.
It was a great surprise when she found out that he had killed Albus Dumbledore. Celosia heard from Remus, and immediately felt strong resentment towards him. Of course she knew of his loyalties but at the moment, she wanted nothing to do with him.
Harry and the other students left Hogwarts a few days early, Celosia willing to stay with him at Grimmauld before she dropped him off at the Dursleys. She would also have to assist with her sister's family getting transported to a new Muggle location safely, and Celosia was most likely part of the protection plan.
Sitting in the living room of Grimmauld, Celosia had a large fire in the fireplace, the lights dimmed. She had a mug of hot chocolate in her fingers, a black silk robe wrapped around her as her hair fell down around her shoulders. Harry sat beside her, dressed in his sleeping attire and staring at the flames, sipping his own drink occasionally.
"I can't believe Dumbledore trusted him." Harry muttered.
Celosia leaned back on the sofa, her arm slung over the back of the furniture where Harry's head was. She knew she couldn't tell him where his loyalties lied, and decided to play along. "Neither can I." She murmured, setting her cup down. "Let's get your mind off it. When was the last time you practice Occlumency?"
"Not for a year, more than that." Harry answered, looking at his aunt. She sat straight, taking his hand and holding it between hers.
"I think it would be good if we practiced some." She said and Harry raised a brow.
"You know Occlumency?"
"Not well, but I do know a thing or two about Legilimency." She smiled and looked at him. "Now I want you to close your eyes, and think about nothing. Mentally visualize that all your memories are behind a brick wall, and you need to keep that wall up to block forces from coming in. I'm going to try to start off soft, I don't expect you to get it right away."
Harry nodded, closing his eyes and letting out a breath. Celosia gave him a few seconds to relax, before looking at him intently. "Legilimens."
Harry felt a pressure at the back of his mind, but not as harsh as Voldemort or Snape had ever been. Celosia wasn't lying when she said she was going to start easy. With no trouble at all, he kept the force out, Celosia stopping. "Very good."
"Give me something harder." He said immediately and she smiled.
"Alright. Legilimens."
The pressure was harder, like Snape had usually done in his lessons. Harry felt himself try to concentrate on keeping the force out, thinking that the force was the Dark Lord. All his memories of his friends and family had to be kept safe and Harry kept his wall up, determination fueling his energy.
Celosia pulled out, obviously impressed. "That was very well done. You're getting good at this."
"Took an effort though." The boy admitted, panting slightly. "Let's do it again. Harder."
"You're sure?"
A nod of approval was all Celosia needed. She looked at him and then let out a breath, pushing into his mind with a force that she imagined the Dark Lord would use. Harry let out a grunt, clamping his eyes shut as he gritted his teeth.
There was a slight barrier that Celosia was impressed about before Harry completely let go, his thoughts and memories pouring out to her. She saw the kiss he shared with Ginny Weasley in the Room of Requirement, followed by Severus' old copy of Advanced Potions. The letters "Property of the Half-Blood Prince" was in small messy handwriting in the corner of the page before a small flash of Severus' worst memory popped up. That triggered memories of Harry embracing Ron and Hermione, then in turn hugging Sirius and Celosia. An image of Lily and James dancing in a magical photograph filled the scene and it quickly turned to Lily being hit by the Killing Curse. A flash of Harry at eleven years old appeared, the boy crawling out of a cupboard under the stairs, his belongings and an old mattress inside before Petunia screeched at him from the kitchen.
Celosia pulled away, looking at Harry in shock. He was panting, drops of sweat forming at his forehead before he looked up at her. The look on her face was absolutely terrifying, and Celosia let go of his hands, glaring at the fire. "She kept you in a cupboard?" She hissed through clenched teeth.
"For about eleven or twelve years." Harry answered casually, taking a sip of his now cold beverage. "It wasn't so bad."
"Wasn't so bad?" Celosia repeated in a harsh tone. "That bloody woman, how dare she!"
"Celosia, the Dursleys have treated me like shit for my entire life, I'm completely fine by it!"
"No!" She jumped to her feet. "You've been robbed of the childhood you should have had, Harry. Lily and I were confident in her that she would be the family you never had."
"Well, that didn't work out too well." He muttered then looked at her. "Besides, that's what you're for. I've never known what it's like to have a family until you and Sirius came along. You two were like my parents already, and you were so close to them."
Celosia calmed down, controlling her breathing. Her hands were clenched into fists and she opened and closed her fingers slowly. "Believe me, Petunia will not get away with this."
Four days before Harry's seventeenth birthday, the boy was organizing his things, separating the essentials from his school things. Several books were lined against the walls on his bed and he had his Hogwarts uniform folded and placed carefully on the worn out bed sheets.
He had just tried, yet again, to convince his uncle to allow them to accept the protection from the Order, and although Harry wasn't close to the Dursleys, he didn't want them dead, or releasing information about him. There was nothing they could say but something deep down in him didn't want them gone for good. They were his only family besides Celosia. She was going to fight, and if by chance she died, Harry wouldn't have anyone else besides the Dursleys.
Lugging his trunk and owl cage down the stairs, Harry waited, Hedwig looking glum as he tried to cheer the owl up. The entire house was emptied and the Dursleys were ready and packed, having put everything in the car and only awaiting their transportation.
A ringing of the doorbell made Harry jump up and before he could reach over, Vernon walked over from the living room, ordering Harry to stay behind. The boy rolled his eyes, walking into the living room where his aunt and cousin were waiting.
A few voices were heard and soon Vernon came back, followed by two figures. Dedalus Diggle was the first to stride in, catching a glimpse of Harry and immediately grinning. "Harry Potter!" He exclaimed, taking his hand in his and shaking it. "Such an honour, as always!"
"Hellow, Dedalus." Harry smiled back and the female figure in the room made him shocked. "Celosia?"
"Hi love." She smiled softly at him, dressed in a long leather cloak and tight black pants, leather boots laced up to her knees as she wore a simple dark purple shirt underneath.
"I thought Hestia Jones was going to come?" Harry asked.
"She ran into a spot of trouble." Dedalus answered. "She'll be joining us when we place your family. Celosia will be staying as well."
Petunia looked over to her sister, who was staring back at her with an emotionless look. Her eyes were glaring daggers at her and she set an arm around Dudley. "Harry, we have a change of plans for you." Celosia said, looking at her nephew. "Mad-Eye will explain when he comes here."
Vernon walked over to his wife and son, all three of them staring at the wizards in their empty living room. Celosia had her wand out and a loud voice from Dedalus' pocket made them jump. He took out his pocket watch, checking the time as the constant shouts of 'Hurry up!' were ceased. "Yes, well, we ought to get going soon."
"Good." Vernon swung his arms around, obviously feeling awkward as he knew the final family goodbyes were coming soon.
"So, we'll be driving about ten miles or so until we do Side-Along Apparition, where we will reach our destination. Hestia, Celosia and I will remain as protection and keep wards up, then remain living with your relatives until the battle is, hopefully, over." Dedalus explained.
"How long will that take?" Petunia asked and Celosia glared at her.
"You have better things to worry about than how long you're going to be staying in a safe house." She sneered and her sister looked taken aback. "I didn't know it at the time, but it has just come to my realization that you kept Harry in a cupboard under the stairs for over ten years."
"So?" Petunia asked. "There weren't enough rooms."
"Dudley has a second bedroom, and there is an additional guest room upstairs." Celosia snapped, silencing her sister. "This is the last straw Petunia. You've tortured my nephew for too long."
"Celosia, it's fine, really." Harry insisted, not wanting this argument to be their way of goodbye. He just wanted everyone to get out so they could be safe.
"No." She interrupted him and raised her wand, making Petunia jump and wrap her arms around Dudley, Vernon letting out a yelp. "Listen here, I gave you so many warnings and it does not seem like a fit enough punishment. The safe house we are all going to is far from Muggle communication and requires over a half an hour drive to the nearest town. You were required to stay there for at least a year or two, maybe more, depending on how long it takes Harry to be successful."
A smirk slipped its way onto her lips and Petunia was genuinely afraid. "I am the safe keeper of the house you will be living in. I have protective charms and other spells around it that will require you to remain living in there at least five years after Harry is victorious, which he will be."
"Five?" Vernon exclaimed. "What about our jobs? Schooling for Dudley? What about our friends, and food!"
"I did say you'll require a half an hour ride to the nearest town." She shrugged. "Better save up on gas money. Now, I have special charms around the home so after Harry is victorious, Dedalus, Hestia and I will leave. You three will remain there, and you will not be able to physically leave the house completely, sell it, sign it off to someone else, burn it, destroy it or hide from it until five years after the war is over. In the meantime, a family full of wizards and witches will be staying in this home, and once the required time has passed, you will have to buy this home back."
"That's insane!" Petunia exclaimed.
"So has what you've been doing to our nephew for his entire life." Celosia snapped. "What would Lily say if she could see you now?"
Petunia remained silent and Dedalus' watch yelled yet again. "Alright, we need to leave now."
"Well, I guess this is goodbye, boy." Vernon said, walking over to Harry and about to shake his hand, before visibly wincing and going back to swinging his arms. Harry had to fight back the urge to roll his eyes as Vernon walked towards the door.
Harry looked over at Petunia, and Celosia moved to where Dedalus was at the side of the room. "Goodbye then." Petunia said and walked towards her husband before she noticed Dudley hadn't moved.
"I never thought you were a waste of space, you know." He muttered, staring at the floor before looking at his cousin in the eyes. "I'll see you, Harry."
"Yeah, hopefully." Harry nodded, smirking slightly as he shook his hand. "Take care of yourself, Big D. Get to know our Aunt Celosia, she's actually an amazing person."
Dudley merely nodded before following his family out the door. Dedalus and Celosia followed them, Harry walking them all out the door. He stopped at the doorstep, Dedalus handing instructions to Vernon as he got into the driver's seat, Petunia and Dudley at the back and Dedalus opening the passenger seat. The man froze, and looked up. "Good luck to you, Mr. Potter. The entire wizarding world's fate rests on your shoulders."
"Yeah." Harry nodded, feeling the pressure in his chest. Vernon had rolled down all the windows, checking to make sure he had a full tank of gas and that all his credit cards and other supplies were in his pocket.
Celosia turned to Harry, looking him in the eyes. "You're almost as tall as me now."
"Getting there." He smirked, reaching her chin.
"I advise you keep your mind open once you destroy a Horcrux, Harry." Celosia warned. "Once you destroy a piece of his soul, his mind will be vulnerable as well. He might accidentally slip where his next Horcrux is."
"I'll keep that in mind." Harry nodded and Celosia had him in her arms. She hugged him tightly, and he returned it, grabbing onto her as if it would be the last time. It just might be. "Keep them safe."
"I will." She muttered and pulled away, pressing a kiss to his forehead. "Keep yourself safe. Stay smart, remember your Gryffindor bravery."
Harry nodded and watched as Celosia walked towards the car, holding out her hand. As she passed over the protective charms, she felt the force of it brush against her palm. "Quite magnificent charms around this home." She announced and turned back to Harry once she got to the backseat door. The Boy Who Lived made eye contact with his aunt, Lily's eyes looking at each other.
"I love you, Harry." Celosia announced and Harry felt the warmest sensation in his chest. Not once had anyone ever told him that. He couldn't even remember his parents telling him they loved him.
"I love you too, Aunt Celosia."