Disclaimer: All recognizable characters and settings belong to J.K. Rowling.
The adults were in Dumbledore's office, deciding what step to take next in their search for Harry and Regulus.
"They could have taken Harry and Regulus anywhere," James said as he paced the office. "Is there any other family they would go to?"
"Just Bellatrix and she's still in Azkaban," Sirius said, running a hand through his hair. "Friends of theirs perhaps but where to start?"
"Maybe we should -" Dumbledore began when suddenly there was a loud popping sound that practically shook the castle.
"What the -" Remus started to say when his eyes focused on the three people who appeared on the floor in the middle of the room.
"Harry!" James exclaimed in shock, staring at the house-elf with his son and Reg.
"Regulus!" Sirius cried out in relief.
James and Lily rushed to their son, who was unconscious on the floor as Sirius knelt beside Reg.
"Reggie?" Sirius pulled his brother up to where he was sitting, hugging him tight. "Merlin, Reg." He muttered. "I've been so worried."
"I'm okay," Regulus said hoarsely, hugging his brother back.
"You've been under the Cruciatus," Sirius said grimly, feeling the residual shakes as he held his brother.
"So has Harry," Regulus said in a pained voice. "They wanted to kill us. Kreacher got us out."
Kreacher was pulling on his ears. "Kreacher disobeyed Master and Mistress!" He began hitting his head against the wall.
When Regulus noticed a murderous look enter Sirius's eyes, he quickly assured him, "Kreacher went against our parents and saved us." He gazed at the house elf who was still slamming his head against the wall. "Siri, stop him. Stun him so he'll stop." He pleaded. He knew Sirius had always hated Kreacher but the house-elf had just saved their lives.
Sirius sighed but did as he asked and took out his wand. "Stupefy!" Kreacher fell over unconscious.
"What happened exactly?" Snape asked as he knelt down to Harry, running a diagnostic.
"They were going to kill us and leave our bodies for you to find. Bellatrix had just started the killing curse on Harry," Regulus told them.
Lily gasped and she hugged Harry tightly. James's face darkened. "Bellatrix is supposed to be in Azkaban."
Regulus was still shaking from the curse. "Somehow they got her out. Peter was also with them."
"Pettigrew," Remus growled. To think they had once been friends with that rat.
Dumbledore frowned. "I know Peter was released from Azkaban years ago but I had not heard anything about Bellatrix escaping. And she certainly wouldn't have been released."
"Perhaps her escape just happened?" Snape suggested with a worried frown on his face.
"Perhaps," Dumbledore didn't sound convinced.
"We should have killed them both when we had the chance," Sirius exploded.
"Mum? Dad?" Harry spoke up in a small voice.
"Hey, Pronglet," James said soothingly, looking down at his son and running his hand through his hair. "You're safe now."
"Is Reg okay?" Harry asked anxiously.
"I'm fine, pup," Reg assured him as he tried to stand. He scowled when Sirius kept him down.
"No standing until you've been checked over by Poppy," Sirius said firmly.
James scooped up Harry into his arms. "Let's get them to the infirmary," He said.
"I'll meet you there in a bit, I want to check in with the ministry and see what they know of Bellatrix's escape," Dumbledore spoke up.
Sirius nodded as he stood and then bent down to his brother.
"Sirius, don't you dare – Sirius!" Regulus moaned in mortification as his brother picked him up. "Can someone spell me unconscious? Please?" He pleaded with Snape and Remus, both of whom just chuckled as they followed. He felt himself turn red from embarrassment. "Sirius!"
"Hush," Sirius said, not even slowing down.
HP
In the infirmary, Poppy didn't hesitate to check them over. "Merlin," She shook her head as she ran diagnostics on both Harry and Regulus. "I can't believe this has happened." She summoned vials from her pantry. "Both need to take an Anti-Crutucias potion, a pain reliever, and a calming draught."
Harry wrinkled his nose as three vials were set on a tray. "Ew."
"Come on, love." Lily held the first vial up to his lips.
With a sigh, Harry swallowed the first vial, face grimacing in disgust although he immediately stopped with the after-shakes from the unforgivable.
"Just two more," Lily said. Once he had swallowed the other two vials, practically gagging from the taste, she handed him a cup of water. "Good boy."
"How are you feeling, pronglet?" James asked.
"Better," Harry admitted with a yawn.
James glanced over to the cot where Regulus lay, Sirius hovering over him as Poppy administered his own potions.
"I don't need a calming draught," Regulus protested. "I'm fine now."
"Take it," Sirius growled.
"Harry took his potions like a good boy. You can too," Poppy said huffily.
Regulus scowled but his gaze softened when Harry giggled. He accepted the vial and swallowed it. "Happy?" He asked his brother sarcastically.
"Yes," Sirius smirked.
"I think a nap is in order," Lily said, running her hand through Harry's hair as he yawned again. She was so relieved her baby was okay. If they had lost him...
Harry's eyes widened. "I'm too old for naps!" He protested, hiding another yawn.
"A nap for you too, Reg," Sirius spoke up.
"I'm definitely too old for naps," Reg gave a tired grin.
"I could spell you asleep," Sirius threatened.
"I hate being treated like a child, don't you?" Reg grumbled to Harry as he lay back down on his cot.
Harry nodded and yawned. "Yeah, it's not like we are babies." He mumbled before drifting off.
"That was too close," Sirius said quietly once both Harry and Regulus were asleep. "We almost lost both of them."
"I know," James ran his hand over his face.
"What do we do now?" Lily asked with worried eyes on her son.
"At least we know who is behind everything," Remus said after a moment. "Quirrell obviously won't come back, but the threat is still out there."
"The Aurors will know who to go after now," Sirius said. "I plan to stay at the castle though, keep an eye out for Harry. And Reg." He frowned. "He's a target too. They didn't have any plans for me, even when I was little I was never interested in the dark arts so they put all their hopes onto Regulus." He looked pained. "They wouldn't feel as betrayed when I turned away from them but Reggie, they'll want to make him pay."
"So we need to protect them both," Lily said. "But we thought we had Harry protected and Quirrell was still able to get him. Maybe we should leave Hogwarts and stay at home until they are caught," She suggested. "Regulus can stay with us too."
"I always thought Hogwarts was the safest place," Sirius sighed.
James snorted. "Not with what Harry went through in his other reality. He was in danger every year at Hogwarts."
"Hogwarts wards are powerful though," Sirius said. "And with Dumbledore in the castle..."
"Quirrell was able to fool everybody," James said shortly.
"There have to be more precautions we can take," Snape said. "Bellatrix and the others, they will have to regroup. They know we'll be looking for them and watching Harry and Regulus closely. Kreacher going against them will have completely thrown them for a loop."
Sirius glowered at the house-elf, who was still unconscious on a cot. He still hated that elf, he always had. But Kreacher had saved his brother and godson and he knew how devoted the elf was to his parents so it must have been an incredibly hard thing for him to do. But then again, Reg had always been Kreacher's favorite. He shook his head and turned back to watch his brother sleep. He'd worry about Kreacher later.
Dumbledore entered the infirmary, smiling softly at the sight of Harry and Regulus asleep. "Are they okay?"
"They are fine, just need to rest," Poppy said.
"Did you find anything out?" Snape asked.
"Yes." Dumbledore's eyes darkened. "Bellatrix escaped Azkaban two days ago."
"What? Why didn't we know? Reg and I are Aurors, Moody would have told us immediately." Sirius said in shock.
"Cornelius insisted on keeping it quiet," Dumbledore shook his head. "He was afraid of the bad press. He even kept it from Alastor."
"I bet Moody is furious," James remarked.
"Oh yes, he is," Dumbledore nodded. "So am I. But now the truth is out, and the Aurors are on the lookout for her, as well as Walburga, Orion, and Peter."
"Hopefully they find them soon," Sirius said. "Before they can try anything else."
HP
The next morning Harry was visiting with his friends in his parents' quarters while the adults were once again meeting in Dumbledore's office.
"I'll need a new Defence teacher," Dumbledore said, tapping his finger on his desk. "Regulus? How about it?"
Regulus blinked. "Me?"
"Yes, you. You are qualified plus then you would be in the castle and protected," Dumbledore said.
"I don't know. I should be working with the other Aurors. I would need to talk to Moody." Regulus said slowly.
"I already have," Dumbledore said cheerfully. "He agrees that here at the castle would be safest for you."
Regulus sighed and nodded. "All right."
"Aw, my little brother a Professor," Sirius grinned.
Remus began chuckling. "I can't believe we're all working here. Who would have thought?"
"Merlin, the poor kids will get away with nothing," Sirius chuckled.
"Good. We can keep them out of trouble and protect Harry." James said. "I want him to stay in our quarters." He told Lily.
"He just moved back to the Tower after being grounded," Lily bit her lip.
"He'll just have to understand," James shook his head. Harry's safety was too important.
"I have a suggestion," Snape said. "We could also place a tracking charm on Harry and Regulus."
"What? I don't think so," Reg protested.
"Hush," Sirius said absently. He nodded at Snape. "It's a good idea. We should have done it earlier."
"Those kinds of spells are what parents put on their toddlers," Regulus complained. He was an adult, for Merlin's sake! He was an Auror! Not some little kid who needed to be looked after.
"Well, I'm your parent," Sirius shrugged.
"You're only two years older than me!" Regulus threw his hands up in exasperation.
Sirius just shrugged again, clearly dismissing that fact. He'd always felt more like a parent to Reg, two years difference or not.
"Don't tell Harry about it, he'll whine like Regulus is," Snape said dryly.
"I'm not whining!" Regulus huffed.
"Next he'll stomp his foot," Remus whispered loudly, laughter in his eyes.
Regulus sighed. Apparently, he really didn't have a say. "Fine. Put a tracker on me. Why don't you just tether me to you, too?" He asked his brother sarcastically. His eyes widened when Sirius seemed to be considering it. "I was kidding!"
Dumbledore chuckled. "Nothing wrong with some extra precautions."
"Now we need to go tell Harry about his extra precautions," James said with a sigh.
HP
"Oh, Harry. I'm so glad you're okay!" Hermione threw her arms around him. She, Ron, and Draco were sitting in the sitting room, having just listened to Harry tell them what had happened the evening before.
"We were really scared for you, mate," Ron admitted.
Harry hugged Hermione back. "I'm okay."
Draco shook his head. "I can't believe Quirrell turned out to be a bad guy. He seemed to be a decent professor."
"He never liked me," Harry gave a rueful smile. "Now I know why."
"And poor Reg," Hermione said. "To think his own parents would try and kill him."
"They turned their backs on Sirius and Reg years ago," Harry said. "They're horrible people."
"Like my father was," Draco said quietly. "He would have been on their side, ready to kill you and Reggie."
Harry looked at Draco sympathetically. It was true, Lucius Malfoy had followed the same beliefs as Voldemort. He had looked down at half-bloods and muggle-borns and he remembered once running into Lucius in diagon alley and the man had looked at him with such hate in his eyes. "At least you have an awesome dad now."
Draco's eyes brightened and he nodded. "Yeah, he's great. He's on a major protective streak though, especially now that he knows Bellatrix escaped Azkaban. This morning before breakfast, he told me I needed to be on guard and follow all the rules and also not leave the castle without him, except for flying class. And my mum flooed in too, when I left he was trying to convince her to stay here at the castle."
"She must be scared, her crazy sister is out there somewhere," Ron said.
"Bellatrix is really insane." Draco agreed.
Harry bit his lip, wondering just overprotective his parents were now going to be.
HP
He didn't have to wonder long, as soon as his parents returned and his friends left, they told him they needed to talk to him.
"Is Prim in her room?" James asked as Lily handed Harry a cup of hot chocolate.
"Thank you," Harry said, taking a sip of the delicious drink.
"Yes," Lily said.
Harry looked up from his drink. "So what did you want to see me about?"
Lily sat down next to him, glancing at James who stood in front of them. "We wanted to talk about what happened."
"I'm okay," Harry assured them.
"We know, Pronglet. You were very brave and we're proud of you." James said. "But now that we know who is after you, we need to take some precautions."
Harry slowly lowered his mug. He had a feeling he wasn't going to like this. "What kind of precautions?"
"Well, we don't want you going anywhere alone," Lily said. "Someone will escort you to your classes, the Great Hall, and the library."
"I'm pretty much always with my friends," Harry shrugged.
"We know, but we'll have a professor or a prefect with you."
"How will I know it's really them?" Harry asked. "I mean, I thought Quirrell was Percy."
"We thought of that," James handed him a clear, small stone. "This will light up if someone who means you harm is near. You'll also keep Sirius's two-way mirror with you, just in case."
"Okay," Harry said. So far it didn't sound bad.
James cleared his throat. "Right after dinner, you'll come here. If you need books from the library during the evenings, one of us with get them for you."
Harry frowned in confusion. "You want me to spend every evening here?"
"Actually, you'll be moving back in," Lily said.
Harry's mouth dropped open. "What? But I just moved back into the dorms! It's not my fault I got kidnapped, why am I grounded again?"
"You're not grounded, Harry -"
"Oh really? I can't be alone, I can't be in the dorms, I have to come here right after dinner. Sure sounds like I'm grounded," Harry said with a huff.
"Watch your tone," James warned. "This isn't a punishment but it can turn into one if you can't speak to us respectfully."
"Sorry," Harry mumbled.
"We understand you're upset about this," Lily said. "But we won't risk you getting taken again. You almost died, Harry. If we lost you…" Her eyes filled with tears. "We just want to keep you safe."
Harry felt bad for his outburst and he hugged his mother.
"If it makes you feel better, Sirius is keeping Regulus on a pretty short leash as well," James grinned.
Harry laughed. "Really?"
"Yup. Instead of getting his own quarters, Sirius moved him into his own, in the guest room. When he's not teaching a flying lesson, he's going to be standing in the back of Regulus's classes," James chuckled.
Harry snickered. He doubted Reg would put up with that for long.
"It won't be so bad being here," Lily said. "Your friends can visit in the evenings, you can still study together."
"Okay," Harry sighed. It's not like he had a choice anyway. Complaining would only get his parents upset at him. "Wait, can I still play Quidditch?"
"Yes," Lily said. "You'll just have some of us out there with you. And no leaving the castle without one of us."
Harry relaxed. At least he could still play. Suddenly he had another thought. "Hey, what's going on with Kreacher?"
"Poppy is still keeping him sedated," James said. "Sirius doesn't want him here, but Reg is insistent he stay. However, as he is still bound to their parents so he may try to return."
"They'd kill him, wouldn't they?" Harry asked in alarm.
"Most likely," James said. "That's why Poppy is keeping sedated and spelling nutrients into him."
Harry nodded. "That's good." Kreacher deserved to be protected after helping them.
"It should go without saying, that we will be very strict with all the rules for your safety," James said, a slight warning in his tone. "So please don't go breaking any of them. The consequences won't be pleasant, I assure you."
"Harry won't break any of them, right?" Lily looked at Harry expectantly.
"I'll be good," Harry assured them. I hope, he thought as he remembered all the trouble he had been in so far this year.
TBC: