Chapter Summary (Part II): Remus and Sirius find that not all things have changed for the better for everyone.

Remus thought he was hearing things, but he knew it was risky to ask more information. So he said solemnly, "Yeah, that's right," and looked out the window, biting his lip. What exactly did James mean? That all the Muggle-born wizards and witches who weren't in hiding were shoved in Azkaban until they died? What Bastet in Azkaban now?

James didn't seem to notice Remus' discomfort. "Sometimes, you know, I wish we could all just fly away from here," he said woefully. "You and Sirius are rather lucky Voldemort isn't after you."

"Oh?" Remus asked. Lily filled a tea kettle with water and placed it on the stove to boil a bit. She then looked through the other kitchen window that looked into the living room. From what Remus saw, Harry and Vivienne were goofing around like siblings. Vivienne was casting trick spells with her wand. Harry didn't appear to even HAVE a wand, so he just swatted her away as she buzzed around him. Sirius was talking with Morgause sitting on his lap.

"Poor Harry," Lily moped. "He's a 15 year old boy. He deserved to have a wand and go to Hogwarts like Vivienne and Morgause, and all the other children with magic in their blood other than their own."

So, Harry hadn't even gone off to school? Lily continued. "Sometimes, I lie awake in bed, and James and I discuss turning ourselves in and sending Harry off to school like he needs."

Remus shook his head. "You can't do that."

"I'd die for my son," Lily insisted. "Besides, Bastet's in Azkaban, maybe we could give each other a little hope…if she'd even still alive in there. I don't know how long a small little witch like her could last."

"You can't say that," James said. "Bastet may be small, but she's sturdy as a horse, right Moony?" James said, looking hopefully at Remus.

Remus recalled seeing the Quidditch game, and how Bastet managed to hang on to the center hoop and still use a hand to summon her broomstick. She was indeed sturdy. James just nodded.

"But we have been stuck inside this house, with only a few small windows open for fresh air for 14 years straight, and having owls bring our grocery packages. Other than you, Sirius, and Sirius' girls, we talks to nobody. We see nobody with used to know. Harry doesn't have any friends because he can't get out to make any friends."

"If Harry ever wanted a wife or a family of his own, he'd have no choice but Vivienne, really," said Lily.

James continued. "And because he never went to school, Harry doesn't even have a wand!" James said, mumbling most of his words.

"But Harry really is a talented boy. He insisted to us that because he doesn't have a wand of his own, he will practice wandless magic, and boy can he do wandless magic! Just last week he conjured a fire that nearly set the roof on fire!"

"No kidding?" asked Remus. He really didn't need James and Lily to tell him how much potential Harry hand within him.

James looked proud. "I have no doubt he'd be the star of his class…if he HAD a class…only purebloods and at LEAST half-bloods are allowed to attend school anymore."

"Harry is a growing boy, and yet he's confined to the house because of me, and because of the prophesy and Voldemort's choice against him," Lily moaned.

Remus hadn't thought of that. They may have shoved Pettigrew out of the picture, but that wouldn't have affected the prophesy being made, nor Voldemort's choice to anoint Harry his enemy. The only thing that affected was the betrayal…so the Potters were condemned to hide until Voldemort was defeated…but without school, Harry had no chance! So basically, that mean Voldemort would never be defeated! The Potters would be condemned to be kept in this small cottage until they died!

"I know it keeps us safe," said James. "But as Lily just said, I would die just to have Harry attend school and to just…just live life, you know?"

Remus nodded and bit his lip. He knew something was off about their plan. He knew it all along.

Meanwhile, Sirius was still trying to figure out where Bastet had gotten off to. Both Vivienne and Morgause seemed to want to avoid the subject and always changed the conversation when Sirius asked where their mother was. Sirius' heart grew heavy every time Vivienne changed the subject, or whenever Morgause didn't answer him back. Did they divorce? Or did Bastet die anyways? Or was she an Auror that was always away on duty? Sirius needed answers, but he also needed to be careful about how he posed the question. Because, and this was the most complicated part, he KNEW already, but he didn't know.

"Morgause Igraine?" asked Sirius. What odd names, Morgause Igraine and Vivienne Andromeda. He did know where the Andromeda came form, of course, but the other names must have been Bastet's doing.

"Yes, Daddy?"

"Why won't you tell me where Mummy is?" asked Sirius. Vivienne and Harry looked up from the chair where Harry was curled up with his book.

"Because…you don't like to talk about it," Harry said. "You've told me several times."

Sirius bit his lip. Crap, this WAS hard. Vivienne saw his distress.

"We think about her every day too, locked up in that terrible—"

"—Vivienne!" hissed Harry. "Shut up!"

Sirius held up a hand. "I'd like to hear what Vivienne has to say," he insisted with a tone of authority in his voice.

"Daddy, did you put a Memory charm on yourself?" asked Vivienne. "Because you know what happened and where Mummy is, don't you?"

"I'm ill," said Sirius. "That's why I'm here early. My minds gone batty," he said. "Please, tell me where Bast—I mean, Mummy went."

Vivienne's eyes went sad as she sighed and sat down on the sofa next to her father and sister. Harry closed his book and looked as if Vivienne was about to tell him a story.

"Daddy, Mummy's in Azkaban," says Vivienne. Sirius gave a look of horror and surprise.

"How…why…um…?" was all Sirius could choke out.

"Maybe I should tell the whole story, to jog your memory again, daddy,' said Vivienne. Morgause squirmed in her seat.

"Vivienne, no!" Morgause whined. "I hate it! I hate the story!"

"Then go in with Uncle James and Uncle Remus in the kitchen," said Vivienne. Morgause hopped off Sirius' lap and ran into the kitchen, slamming the door behind her. Vivienne looked after Morgause, flipped her think dark hair over her shoulder and brought her knees up to her chest.

"Go on, Vivienne," said Sirius.

Vivienne nodded. "14 years ago, after You-Know-Who took over, Harry and his parents got some bad news about Harry and went into hiding here. You're the only one they told. But then, even more bad news came out a few years later. You-Know-Who had made a decree that all Muggle-born wizards were to register with the Ministry, which he controlled and still does," Vivienne explained. "Lucky for Aunt Lily, she didn't have to register because she was already hiding. Some Muggle-borns DID hide, but most had to register. A year after Morgause was born, Mummy was forced to register. Don't you remember, Daddy? That big office and that long line that took us four hours to stand in? Mummy had to register herself as a Muggle-born, and you had to register as being married to a Muggle-born. Morgause and I had to be registered too, as half-bloods, but of course, we were too young to write then, so you did it…"

"Go on," Sirius said. Harry gave Vivienne a look of concern, and Vivienne gave him a nod.

"And then, remember how Mummy lost her job only a little while later as a Auror? And how she had to produce an ID everywhere she went, even restaurants and movie theaters? People who knew us before began to ignore us, and all my friends told me my mother was a mud….a mud…"

Sirius nodded. "You can say it, 'mudblood'" Sirius nearly had to spit out the word himself, it felt dirty coming off his tongue.

"Yeah, "Vivienne said uncomfortably. "And then, three years ago, remember how You-Know-Who began having trials for the Muggle-borns and sent them all off to Azkaban for life sentences? There were even a few Mass trials where 400 or so Muggle-borns were tried at once and sentenced at the same time. No one was ever found innocent, and Azkaban got so full they had to expand it by four times its normal size and the dementors had to double in size and population to control it all," Vivienne shuddered.

Sirius had a feeling he knew what was coming up next.

Vivienne continued, her voice getting increasingly shaky. "I still remember that very scary night. Don't you remember, Daddy? Some hooded Death Eater soldiers knocked on our door looking for Mummy? I remember because Uncle Remus snuck Morgause and me out the back window and took us to his apartment, but when we returned home, you were there, crying and sad because they'd taken Mummy away. She's in jail, Daddy. She's never coming out again. We haven't seen her in four years," Vivienne nearly cried. But she maintained composure. Sirius held out an arm, and Vivienne fell into it, sobbing.

"I'm sorry I made you say all that," Sirius said. "I remember it all now."

Harry got up from his seat and hugged Vivienne from the other end of the sofa. "Uncle Sirius, I was thinking a lot about that lately. Have you ever considered visiting her?"

"Visiting her? You can visit the prisoners in Azkaban?" asked Sirius. As he recalled, when he was there, no one was allowed to visit, other than those goddamned dementors.

"Well, not exactly," said Harry. "But I heard an advertisement on the radio. They've started doing Azkaban tours for pure-blooded tourists from abroad. I was thinking, maybe you could 'get lost,' and…"

Sirius began to laugh a little bit. "You've got the mischievous soul in you, just like your father," he noted. Harry gave him an odd look.

"My father a trouble maker? Very funny, Uncle Sirius," Harry said. Sirius snorted.

"You know, Harry. I think you've really got an idea. A really good idea."