Chapter 17: Another Supposed Dead Person

It was the first Hogmeade weekend of the school year. The homeless wizard from Diangon Alley was looking for someone.

"I don't EVER want to hear of this AGAIN! DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!" Draco Malfoy yelled at his goons.

"Ferretta." He spatted as he passed the older wizard. "More like possessed demon ferret. Potter has something to do with this."

"Where would Potter get a possessed demon ferret?" Crabbe as cluelessly.

"A possessed demon ferret?" the wizard asked himself

He went to go check it out.

0000

When he got to the Shrieking Shack, he heard the sound of a group of kids laughing.

"That…was…perfect." Ron laughed.

"Did you see his face?!" Neville asked.

"What did you tell him?" Ginny asked Harry.

"You don't want to know, and I don't want to remember." Harry told her. "What I will tell you is that I got some of the lines from Aunt Petunia's soap operas, Mum and Dad, and Ron and Hermione when they think they're alone after I give them some candy with a love potion in it."

"You WHAT?!" Ron and Hermione yelled at him.

"Don't worry. It was AFTER you got together."

Everyone laughed.

"What's going on here?" the wizard asked.

The kids stopped laughing and saw their visitor.

"Hey!" Ron exclaimed. "You're the homeless guy we saw in Diagon Alley that Harry helped."

The man looked confused as everyone glared at Ron.

"We were in disguise." Harry exclaimed.

"That was you lot?" the man asked. "Which of you gave me this cloak?"

Everyone except Neville and Luna pointed at Harry.

"Thank you." The man told Harry as he started to give him the cloak back. "That had been the first act of kindness I had received in almost 20 years."

"Keep it. I have more than enough at home." Harry told him.

He noticed the man was looking at him as if he recognized him.

"Yes." Harry said lifting his bangs. "I am Harry Potter."

"I need to speak to you."

0000

"So let me get this straight," Ron said inside the Shrieking Shack. "YOU are an ex-death eater who left Voldemort after you were told to kill your older brother and now want to help with the defeat of You…Vol…Voldemort?"

"That is correct." The homeless ex-death eater said.

"What do you want in exchange for your help?" Ginny asked.

"The Dark Lord's death." The man said. "My brother's forgiveness would be nice, but I'm not holding my breath."

"DID you kill him?" Neville asked.

"No." the man told the kids. "Wormtail did worse. Sent him to Azkaban."

"Azka…Is Sirius Black your brother?" Harry asked.

"Yes. I am Regulus Arcturus Black."

"YOU'RE the spoiled rotten brat that Sirius' parents doted on?" Ron asked.

Regulus laughed.

"Yes. That's how Sirius would describe me."

"I'm confused." Neville said.

"Huddle!" Luna announced.

The Golden Group huddled on the bed.

"Should we let him?" Neville asked.

"He's telling the truth." Harry said.

"Don't you remember what Sirius said?" Ron asked. "Once a death eater, ALWAYS a death eater."

"Look at Snape." Hermione told her boyfriend to argue.

"My point exactly." Ron said.

"Guys." Harry said. "I read his mind. He's clean."

When they pulled out,

"After much deliberation," Harry said. "We decided that we'll team up with you."

"Excellent." Regulus said pulling out a green locket. "Harry? What do you know about horcruxes?"

"Enough to know to ask if that is one of Voldemort's." Harry told him.

"It is." Regulus said.

"Perfect." Harry said. "We can have him mortal by the first of February."

"You know a way?" Regulus asked.

"Yes." Harry said. "It's a long story."

0000

A few minutes later,

"Hey." Lily said to her husband back at the school.

"Hey yourself." James said.

"Are you okay, Love?" she asked.

"I was just thinking." He told her. "Remember the day we came back?"

"Yes. When I saw your grave…"

"I recently remembered what day it was." James interrupted. "It had been the day of your sister's wedding."

"I remember." Lily said. "You were there because of…"

"The attack." James said. "Remember when you found me in your kitchen?"

"Of course. My friends and I were at my house and my Dad brought you home that night. The next morning at breakfast, I think we spent half an hour starring at each other until Spica snapped us out of it."

"Yeah." He said with a small laugh. "Remember what she said?"

" 'Ah. Look Mel. They're gazing into each other's eyes. I hear wedding bells.'" Lily quoted "She spent the rest of the day with a major headache thanks to me."

"About three years later, wedding bells rang." James told her with a smile before frowning. "WHY couldn't Voldemort attack a few weeks later? Then I would have been of age and my mother wouldn't have sent me out of the house, and…"

"She still would have." She told him. "Put yourself in their shoes. If Harry was seventeen and we were attacked, wouldn't you send him away?"

James thought. The truth was that he would love to, but Harry wouldn't allow it.

"I should have been more stubborn." James said as he watched his son and his friends return.

"But then you would have been killed." Lily said. "And then we wouldn't have gotten married, or have Harry,…."

"Hey guys!" Harry called

"Hello." Lily said to her son. "Do you know why Mr. Malfoy was ranting about a possessed demon ferret?"

"No." all six kids said a little too quickly.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked sensing the mood his father had been in before.

"Nothing." James said with a sigh.

"Your father was just missing your grandparents."

"Well," Harry said. "Maybe they'll come back. You two and Sirius did."

"Maybe." James said.

TBC

A/N: Not in this series