Harriet Potter Year 1: Life, Death, and Rebirth
"Because things are the way they are, things will not stay the way they are".
~Bertolt Brecht
Wisteria Walk, Little Whinging, Surrey- June 30, 1991
Harriet blinked at the bright sunlight as she emerged from the house. It had been awhile since she had been outside the house-unless, of course, you counted earlier this morning when she had gone to take out the trash, before the sun had fully risen.
"Come on, Harriet," said her father, holding his hand out to her. She took it and he lead her forward down the driveway.
"Where are we going," she questioned, looking up at her father and mother, who was standing on her other side.
"We are going to see an old friend of ours, Prongslette," said James, grinning, "I think you might know her. Then, we are going to Hogwarts."
"The place in my letter," Harriet prodded. Her mother nodded at her, before looking at Sirius and Remus, both of whom were currently bickering with each other and walking just a bit ahead of them.
"You can't call her 'Figgy' anymore, Sirius," snapped an exasperated Remus.
"Why not?" demanded Sirius, "I did when I was younger...it was cute!"
"It might have been considered 'cute'-to use your words- when you were younger," retorted Remus, "But not its just plain rude! You're a fully grown man!"
"That is debatable," said James loudly, butting in on the discussion.
"No, it isn't!" cried Sirius. James, seeing his friend's distraught expression, turned to wink at his now giggling daughter.
Harriet was so busy laughing at her father and godfather that she failed to notice that they had now arrived at their destination. The door in front of them swung open, startling Harriet out of her reverie and revealing-
"Mrs. Figg," she cried astonished. The old woman smiled at her, although looking supremely agitated, fixing the cap on her hair as she did so. Isaura, already smelling all the cats which were on the other side of the door, quickly hid herself in the sleeve of Harriet's oversized grey sweatshirt.
"Hello, dearie," said Mrs. Figg, before turning to her parents. "It took you long enough," she snapped, now fussing with her shawl. "Come in! Quickly, now. Before the neighbors see!"
The group entered the house, Mrs. Figg closing the door behind them. Harriet took in the familiar living room: tan walls, musty smell, old couches that were surprisingly soft...and the cats, of course.
"Mrs. Figg," asked Harriet cautiously, once the elder woman seemed to have settled down a bit, "Are you a witch, too?" That seemed to be the only explanation that made sense, especially since her parents had referred to her as an "old friend."
"A witch!" laughed Mrs. Figg, "Good heavens, no! I'm a squib."
"A what?" Wizards have some funny sounding words, Harriet thought to herself.
"A squib, Harriet," said Remus, choosing to answer, "is a person who was born from a magical family, but possesses no powers of their own."
"Oh," said Harriet. After thinking for a moment, Harriet asked, "Is that why you always asked to babysit me for Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon?"
"Sharp as a tack, that one," said Mrs. Figg to Harriet's parents, who beamed proudly at her. Turning back to Harriet, she said "Yes, dear. Dumbledore assigned me here so I could watch over you."
"Dumbledore?" frowned Harriet, trying to remember where she had heard the name before.
"He's the headmaster of Hogwarts, love," said Lily, gently. "and an old friend of ours."
"Exactly," nodded Mrs. Figg, "However, he bade me only observe, never interfere. Unless, of course, the Dursleys' ill treatment of you grew...excessive."
"I think," said Lily, barely keeping her temper in check, "that we might have passed the point of "excessive" when Harriet was forced to live in a cupboard under the stairs."
Mrs. Figg looked winded.
"Lily! James!" she gasped, slowly setting herself down on the couch, hand to her heart. "I assure you that I had no idea!"
"We know," assured James, although he did not sound as happy about the idea of Harriet living in a cupboard any more than his wife did. "and we don't blame you. We know that you would have notified Dumbledore had you any idea of what was going on in that house."
Harriet frowned, confused at to what she was overhearing. What was wrong with her cupboard? Besides the fact that it did grow a bit small at times, she liked it, as it provided her a safe haven where the Dursleys were not able to bother her.
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Figg," offered Lily, knowing that it must not have been easy for her to stand by and watch, but to do nothing. "Its been a difficult few hours. Do you think we could get on our way to Hogwarts?"
"Of course, Lily," said Mrs. Figg, "The Floo Powder is on the mantle. But before you go!" Mrs. Figg rushed quickly out of the room (almost tripping on her calico, Miss Pickles) and Harriet heard her rummaging around in the closet down the hall. She came back a minute later, holding out a leather-bound book to Harriet's father. He took it from her, confused.
"Its a photo-album," she explained as he opened it, revealing the several different pictures on the first page. "I always knew that when you woke up, you would want to see what you missed, so I made sure to take plenty of pictures of Harriet growing up!"
Harriet's father closed the book. "Thank you," he told Mrs. Figg, before reaching over and giving her a hug. She seemed surprised, but did her best to cover it, patting him awkwardly on the back and then pushing him lightly away.
"Well, then," she sniffed, clearing her throat, "you best be going now, or Dumbledore will have my head!"
Shooting the older woman a smile Harriet's mum walked over to the fireplace and took a small bag from the mantle. Reaching inside, she was able to pull out a handful of fine, powder. Harriet was curious, but decided that it wasn't worth the risk of getting her mother angry by asking her a questions. In the course of the morning, Harriet had already asked her mother more questions than she ever had in her entire life with the Dursleys. Harriet saw no absolutely need to push her luck.
Her mum, however, seemed to know what she was thinking and turned to her.
"Now," she said, smiling, "it is safe to assume that you have never traveled by Floo before, have you, Harriet?" Harriet shook her head 'no.'
"Well, wizards and witches travel using the Floo Network. The Floo network connects most wizarding homes and buildings and can be accessed by using a fireplace." Here, Harriet looked doubtful, so her mother elaborate further. "You take some Floo Powder," she gestured to the glittery powder in her hand, "And throw it into the fireplace. The fire will begin to burn bright green, meaning that you will be able to enter the fireplace without being burned. Then, all you have to do is clearly state your destination."
"Simple, really," laughed Sirius. Seeing his goddaughters hesitant expression, Sirius said "Maybe I should demonstrate, Lils. Just to calm her down?"
"Sure," said Lily, handing a handful of the powder to her friend. Sirius took it and threw it into the fireplace. At once, the flames burst into a brilliant shade of green, causing Harriet to jump backwards in shock.
"Easy there," said her father, placing a steadying hand around her waist. Harriet thought nothing else could have surprised her that day, but was proven wrong when Sirius walked into the flames, as easily as if that sort of thing happened everyday.
"Bye, Figgy!" He proclaimed, with a large wave to the now fuming woman.
"Don't call me that, Sirius Black!" she shrieked, but it was doubtful that he even heard her because, with a cheerful "Dumbledore's Office" and a rush of bright green light, he had disappeared.
Harriet was left speechless.
"Harriet," said her mother, "Why don't you Floo with me, the first time? Would that make you feel more comfortable?"
Hesitantly, Harriet nodded, walking towards her mother. Her mum took a handful of Floo Powder, before handing the rest to her husband. Saying goodbye to Mrs. Figg, she threw it into the fireplace and the pair walked into the flames. Harriet was surprised that the fire didn't feel warm at all. Instead, it provided a rather pleasant tickling sensation.
"Hold on tight," warned her mother, so Harriet around and tightly hugged her mother, practically pinning herself to her side. Her mother placed a hand on her back and said, firmly, "Dumbledore's Office!"
The green light was suddenly blinding. Harriet found herself spinning around and around and around, the only real thing in her mind was the hand her mother still had on her back. The air was whooshing around her and she was getting so dizzy-
It stopped.
Dumbledore's Office, Hogwarts-June 30, 1991
Harriet tumbled out of the fireplace, the sudden stop having caused her mother to lose her grip, and straight into the firm body of somebody else, who reached out and steadied her.
"Woah, Prongslette," and Harriet was reassured with the sound of Sirius's voice, "You okay, there?"
Harriet nodded, looking over her shoulder just in time to see her father step through the fireplace. Sirius's voice, once again, made her look back at him.
"Takes a bit of getting used to, doesn't it?" Harriet nodded emphatically, making Sirius laugh again, and Isaura, on par with Harriet's feelings about the new mode of transportation, had Harriet's wrist currently in a death grip, just as Remus appeared through the Floo.
"So this," a soft voice came from the other side of the room, forcing Harriet to whip her head around and finally examine the odd room she was in, "is Harriet."
Harriet was left facing an old man of questionable age, but, despite that, his eyes twinkled and Harriet couldn't help but feel a great energy about him. This might have had something to do with his opulent dark blue robes, which seemed to have actual stars dancing across them. They would have seemed out of place anywhere else, but they fit in well with the richly adorned room Harriet was now in.
The man moved from behind his desk walking up to Harriet. Harriet gave him a small smile, unsure of what she should do. She needn't have worried, though, for the man did nothing but place a weathered hand on the top of her head and sigh.
"Its been almost ten years since I saw you last, Harriet." It was here that his blue eyes began to twinkle, "My, how you've grown." He removed his hand and gestured to the couches, urging the quintet to sit down.
"Sir," Harriet questioned as she sat down, "you knew me when I was a baby?"
"Oh, yes," answered the man, standing in front of them "In fact, it seems like just yesterday that you five were sitting on those very couches." Harriet thought she saw the twinkle in his eye vanish for a moment, but she must have imagined it for it was back, full force, a few seconds later. "But that, is for another time." He smiled at her, before turning around suddenly and taking something from his dest: a small bowl.
"Lemon-drop?"
Harriet was so surprised that she visibly gaped at the man, before snapping out of it. She cautiously reached into the bowl and pulled out one of the candies, waiting to be reprimanded, as she would've been back at the Dursleys' house. When he didn't say anything however, Harriet whispered "Thank-you."
None of the adults took the candy, so Dumbledore placed the bowl on his desk (but not before taking one for himself). He took a seat on the couch opposite them.
"Now, Harriet," he began, "I am sure you are wondering who I am." Harriet looked up at him from the lemon drop she was currently unwrapping because, as it turned out, that had been exactly what she had been wondering.
"I," he continued, "am Professor Albus Dumbledore. I am the headmaster here, at Hogwarts."
"Oh," Harriet wasn't sure what else to say to this. Of all things she was expecting Professor Dumbledore to be, she was not expecting him to be an eccentric-looking old man. "Its nice to meet you, sir."
"I will not waste your time with pleasantries," said Dumbledore, speaking not only to Harriet, who was now sucking happily on her candy, but the entire room, "I am sure you would all like to be on your way home."
"Actually, sir," requested James, in a tone that offered no room for argument,"We were hoping to have Madam Pomfrey have a look at her before we leave. Is she here?"
"I believe she is," answered Dumbledore, peering at them over his half-moon glasses, "However, I can't help but wonder if there is any specific reason as to why you wish to see her?"
"The Dursleys," said Lily, "were not nearly as kind to Harriet as you imagined."
"I see," Dumbledore sighed, regret darkening the twinkle in his piercing blue eyes, "Perhaps, another time, we could have a longer discussion and see what actions might be taken against them. But, for now, I am sure Madam Pomfrey would be more than happy to help you. Before you go, however, there are several things we much discuss. Your living arrangements-"
"All taken care of," interrupted Remus, just a bit impatiently. "Potter Manor has been cleaned, newly furnished, and, thanks to the help of several of the other Professors here, heavily warded. They can move in anytime they wish."
"Good, good," said Dumbledore, nodding towards his former student, "You have done an excellent job in preparing their home. Then again, I expected nothing less when I first assigned you the task." He paused here, letting his eyes rove over the group, before pausing on Sirius. "My concern now is where Sirius shall live." Sirius frowned, realizing that he had yet to consider that, himself. "You spent the night at the hospital wing in the care of Madam Pomfrey, did you not, Sirius? Am I right in assuming that you do not want to spend the rest of your life living there?"
"Yes," laughed Sirius, then he waggled his eyebrows in a suggestive manner, "the Hogwarts hospital wing is not exactly an appropriate place to bring the ladies home to-" he stopped short, remembering Harriet's presence and, feeling Lily's glare on him, finished, quite pathetically, "converse with."
Harriet's mother glared, her father tried not to laugh, and her "Uncle" Remus snorted. Remus walked up and placed his hand on friend's shoulder.
"Well I hope that my flat is a place you consider conducive to "conversation,"" he smirked, "with the ladies, because I insist you move in with me."
"Moony, I couldn't possibly-" Sirius went to protest, but Remus waved it away.
"Shush, Sirius. As luck would have it, I have an extra room and my flat has been feeling quite empty, as of late."
"Thank you," Sirius said, sincerely, after a moment.
"No thanks necessary. For ten years I have been deprived of your company. Thats a lot of time to make up!" Remus gave his friend a mock wary look. "Not to mention, of course, the service I would be doing to society." Sirius raised an eyebrow.
"What do you mean?
"I mean," Remus said solemnly, "I shudder to think of the dire consequences that would occur if you attempted to cook."
Even Harriet's mother was unable to hide her laughter at this, although she tried desperately to cover it with a fake cough.
"I'm sure," said Dumbledore chuckling, "that the wizarding world appreciates your sacrifice, Remus. As will Madam Pomfrey."
"Whose Madam Pomfrey?" interrupted Harriet, worriedly looking at her parents. Professor Dumbledore seemed nice enough (and he was a friend of her parents, it seemed, which was important), but she had not yet heard enough of this 'Madam Pomfrey.'
"She's the healer who runs the hospital wing," assured her mother, running a hand through Harriet's perpetually messy hair, doing nothing to tame it whatsoever, "Don't worry. She's very nice."
Harriet nodded, still not completely convinced, but deciding to take her mother's word on it for now. Seeing both of her parents stand, she quickly followed suit, although she wasn't sure of where they were going.
"It was nice meeting you, Professor," Harriet repeated, slightly embarrassed and unsure of what else to say. If the professor noticed, he didn't act like it. Dumbledore merely gave her a small smile, looking utterly calm from his seat.
"It was a pleasure seeing you again, Harriet. I will be see you at the start of the year feast at Hogwarts, if not sooner." He held out his hand to her and Harriet reached out with hers to shake it. Isaura chose that moment to stick her head out of Harriet's sleeve, thoroughly confused as to what was going on. Dumbledore's hand jerked back, but, to his credit, he quickly calmed himself down.
"This is Isaura," Harriet told him awkwardly, not sure of what else to say, "my friend."
"Harriet," said Lily softly to her old professor, who was looking at the snake with surprise (an emotion Harriet got the sense that he didn't feel often), "can speak Parseltongue."
"I see," Dumbledore muttered, cautiously reaching forward and stroking Isaura's head with a gnarled finger. She hissed in pleasure, loosing her grip on Harriet's wrist. "You, Harriet, have given me much to think about."
Taking that as a dismissal, the group began to head for the door. Harriet gave him one last small wave, before following her parents out the archway and down the steps.
Harriet Potter, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry-June 30, 1981
Once she reached the bottom, she found herself in a large corridor. She blinked, taken by surprise. The stone walls and floor were both dark grey, but the flaming torches lining the walls kept it from looking ominous. Even from the one hallway where they were, Harriet could tell that Hogwarts was huge. Harriet's father chuckled, seeing her face.
"Yea," he said, "that was my reaction, too."
"Welcome to Hogwarts, Harriet," grinned Remus. Her mother took her hand (the one without Isaura) once again and lead her down the halls, the others following behind them. The passageways were numerous and confusing, winding and twisting in all different directions. They passed by several different staircases (one of which, Harriet would have sworn moved) and too many doors to count.
At one point, they passed a large window. Harriet stopped, stunned. Walking over to it, she looked down at the land below: green fields, rolling hills, and a vast lake.
"Wow," she grinned. Isaura once again poked her head out of her sleeve and, seeing the landscape, gave a soft hiss in agreement. Harriet grinned at her, knowing Isaura would be very happy hunting on Hogwarts's grounds.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" smiled Lily. Harriet nodded at her, then turned to continue walking. Despite the intricacy of the corridors, her parents and their friends obviously knew it well and navigated it easily.
"Don't worry, Harriet," said Sirius breezily, when she brought up the point, "Once you start, you will get to know this place like the back of your hand." He smirked, "We might even be able to get you a map." Remus and her dad chuckled a bit, although Harriet's mum looked a bit confused. For once, Harriet wasn't the only one not in the joke.
"Did that picture just move?" gaped Harriet, eyeing a portrait of an old man in a large, purple bow-tie, who then proceeded to tip his hat to her.
"Sure," laughed James, "Why? You didn't expect it to hang around doing nothing all day, did you?" Harriet didn't say anything, not sure what to expect anymore. This day was, so far, nothing at all like she would have guessed. A part of her still thought it might be some sort of elaborate prank by the Dursleys, to teach her a lesson.
Harriet was so busy looking at everything (she had actually wandered quite a bit ahead of her parents, although she was careful not to go the wrong way or wander so far that she couldn't see them) that she did not pay attention to where she was going and found herself bumping into somebody.
"Oh," she cried, as she fell on the floor. Picking herself up to sit on her knees, she looked up through her crooked glasses to see a tall man sneering at her. He had greasy hair, a hooked nose, and sallow skin. She opened her mouth to apologize, but somebody called her name.
"Harriet? Are you okay?" Standing up completely, she looked over her shoulder to see her mum, dad, Remus, and Sirius walking quickly towards her. She gave them a small smile to show that she was okay, only to once again face the pale man, who was now glaring at her fiercely.
"I'm sorry, sir," said Harriet, unsurely, "I wasn't watching where I was going. Are you alright?"
"Harriet Potter," the man sneered, as an answer, "Not even a first year and already strutting about the school like you own it. Why am I not surprised?"
"I'm sorry, sir," repeated Harriet, this time more confusedly and slightly angry, "But do we know each other?"
The man opened his mouth to answer, but he was interrupted.
"Snape." Harriet felt her father's hand on her shoulder, "I'd say it was a pleasure to see you again, Snivellus, but I'd be lying." Harriet had never heard her father's voice sound the way it did, except, maybe for the time he talked to the Dursleys. Then again, Harriet hadn't known her father for very long.
"Potter, Black," sneered Snape, who had paled at the sound of the name her father had called him, but in anger, not fear. "Lupin, I-" he stopped abruptly, his voice taking on a different tone. "Lily!"
Harriet's mother had arrived on the scene and Harriet watched curiously as her mother looked at Snape with an odd expression.
"Severus," she said, quietly.
"I thought you were-," Snape was quiet, unable to finish his sentence.
"Never going to wake up?" asked Lily softly, green eyes never wavering from her old friend.
"I heard the rumors," he said abruptly, "but I never thought that they were-" Again, he seemed unable to finish. Lily didn't say anything, waiting patiently for him to gather his thoughts. She felt her daughter's worried eyes on her and gave her a small smile. Next them, Sirius watched, tense, as if waiting to pounce if Snape did anything. All he did was sigh, though.
"Can we talk?" he pressed, "Privately?"
"I don't know-" Lily began.
"Please?" beseeched Snape, though his expression never changed, "It will only take a few minutes." Lily sighed and nodded. When her husband went to protest she quieted him.
"Its fine, James. Why don't you and Sirius and Remus take Harriet down to Madam Pomfrey and get started without me? I'll be there soon." James nodded sharply and, fixing Snape with a hard glare, he and his two friends carefully lead Harriet towards the hospital wing, once again. Harriet turned around, giving her mother a small wave, which was returned, before they turned a corner and were gone.
Snape opened the door to an empty classroom. "We can talk in here." Nodding, Lily walked inside, followed by Snape as he closed the door behind them.
Lily Potter and Severus Snape, Empty Classroom, Hogwarts-June 30, 1981
The pair stood in the dusty classroom, an awkward silence permeating the air, which neither of them wished to break. Lily, being the Gryffindor, went to speak first, but Snape beat her to it.
"I'm sorry," Snape interrupted the beginning of her speech, knowing that if he didn't get it out now, he never would, "for calling you a you-know-what, becoming a Death Eater...all of it!"
"Severus," sighed Lily.
"No!" interrupted Snape, "I know what you are going to say! But Lily," here, he walked towards her and looked her straight in the eye, "I thought you were gone. For the past ten years, every mistake I've every made has come back to haunt me every second of everyday. You have no idea what it was like, knowing you were almost dead because of me-"
"Because of you?" Lily's eyes narrowed, "You were the one in the pub that night-"
"I tried," said Snape desperately, as Lily moved away from him, "I tried to stop him, as soon as I realized it was you-"
"But you would have left my husband and daughter to die?" retorted Lily. She expected him to argue against the accusation, but instead, he simply bowed his head.
"I won't deny it."
"Severus," repeated Lily and this time he did not interrupt, "You were my best friend for so long. You taught me about magic and wizardry and Hogwarts. You were there for me when Petunia began to shun me." Lily took a shuddering breathe, "But you became a Death Eater-"
"As soon as I realized what I had done," interjected Snape, "I went to Dumbledore! I began working as a spy for the Light!-" Lily continued over him.
"You betrayed my family to Voldemort," she shook her head at his objections. "You have no idea," she said slowly, "How much I want to forgive you. But, after everything, I don't think I can." She turned away and made to leave, but was stopped by a hand on her arm.
"But I love you, Lily," pleaded Snape, reaching out to grab her. She shook him off.
"I'm sorry, Severus." She spoke softly, knowing that any louder and she might start crying, "But I just can't believe that. Not anymore." Snape, in a fit of sheer desperation, pulled out his wand and pointed it to the door.
"Expecto Patronum!"
Lily was brought up short by the silvery-figure that now stood between her and the door: a doe, almost identical to her own patronus, was looking back at her. Lily took a trembling hand and reached out, as if to touch it. When she did, the doe shimmered for a moment, then dissolved into the air.
"Its you, Lily," said Snape quietly, looking everywhere but her. "Its always been you."
"Severus," said Lily slowly, turning around in order to face him, "I never meant to hurt you, believe me."
"Then forgive me, please!" said Snape, sounding far more weak and pleading than he had in years, something he would do only for the red-haired witch in front of him. "Give me a second chance to have you in my life!"
"No, Severus!" Lily snapped, perhaps a bit too harshly. She saw the hurt on the face of the man in front of her (the same man who used to be her best friend) and she softened. "There was a time when I could've felt the same way, but things have changed. I have a family, now- a daughter and a husband, both of whom I love with all my heart." A combination of hurt and anger seeped into her voice. "There is no way I could possibly do what you are suggesting-"
"I'm not suggesting," interjected Snape, "that you be anything more than my friend, again. I rather have you as my friend than not be in my life at all!" Snape had imagined this conversation many times in his head before, when he had imagined Lily finally waking up from that blasted "sleep." He had known, from the start, that there was no possibility of Lily leaving her family for him. She wouldn't be the Lily he loved if she did that. It had taken time, but he had eventually come to terms with the fact that, if Lily ever woke up, he would rather take her friendship over nothing.
Lily walked up to him and took one of his hands in hers, looking him directly in the eye. Neither spoke for a few minutes, as Lily seemed to search for something in his expression, which was just as inscrutable as ever. Whatever it was, she apparently found it, for she gave his hands a brief squeeze.
"I forgive you, Severus," she said, choosing her words carefully, "but be warned. You have one chance. Thats it."
"Thats all I'll need," said Snape quickly. "I'll prove it to you, Lily. I've changed." Lily nodded slowly, a small smile coming to her lips for the first time since she had entered the classroom.
"I'll hold you to that," she said. She let go of his hand and he let it drop to his side. "I would love," she told him, "to stay and talk to you, but my daughter is currently in the hospital wing and I need to be there with her, right now." Snape nodded.
"I understand," he said, truthfully. It was, after all, such a "Lily" type thing to do, so he tried to keep the hurt out of his voice, even though she was leaving to go be with Potter and his spawn. She heard it though, and smiled knowingly, slightly proud of his attempt.
"Its been ten years though," she smiled, "and I'm sure I have missed a lot. Perhaps, one of these days, we could get together for lunch? Maybe you could catch me up?"
Snape nodded, trying to keep the smile off his face, although even he couldn't keep the corners of his lips from twitching traitorously upwards.
"Until then," he told her. She gave him one last smile (Oh! How he had missed that smile!) before retreating quickly out of the classroom. Snape, however, could do nothing but fall into one of the chairs, placing his head in his hands.
He was more exhausted than he had ever been.
Hospital Wing, Hogwarts-June 30, 1981
Lily opened the doors to the hospital wing and blinked. She had forgotten how white it was. Glancing around, she finally saw Remus, Sirius, and her husband huddled near a bed, around which the curtains were drawn. Sirius currently held Isaura in his hands, just a bit cautiously, but the snake seemed to be on her best behavior. As Lily walked quickly over to them, she idly wondered if that was something that her daughter had requested. Remus was the firs to notice her.
"Lily," he greeted. James whipped around, almost falling over backwards when he realized how close his wife was to him.
"Lily," he exclaimed, much more loudly than Remus, only to be 'shush'-ed by the werewolf. "Are you alright?" he asked at a lower volume.
"I'm fine," she assured him, "Where is Harriet?"
"She's behind the curtain," answered James, looking over his wife carefully, clearly not believing her. "Poppy gave her a a pair of pajamas to try on. Are you sure you are alright?"
Lily cupped her husband's cheeks in her hands and laughed slightly. She smiled at him.
"I am fantastic," before he could protest, she was quick to assure him, "I'll explain everything later. For now, lets just focus on our daughter." James nodded and, after Lily gave him a quick kiss, the couple turned to Remus and Sirius, both of whom were doing a horrible job at pretending not to be eavesdropping.
"I'm fine, you two," said a still smiling Lily, assuring them both, "No need to listen in- and you call yourself Marauders!" She teased. The two men visibly relaxed and gave her a sheepish grin, ashamed at being caught.
"I'm done!" A tiny voice interrupted the adults and a small hand shot out of the curtains, holding a small pile of clothing out. Lily took them from Harriet, while James and Remus worked on opening the curtains up. Harriet sat on top of the sheets, clothed in the regulation Hospital pajamas, waiting patiently. The pajamas, which fit much better than her other clothes, only served to highlight how thin she was, and as she finished pulling the shirt down, the adults were able to get a glimpse of several bruises they had yet to see before.
"Are you okay?" Harriet asked, worried. The four wizards (her mother having returned a few minutes earlier) were looking angry at something and Harriet couldn't help but wonder if it was something that she had done (as was usually the case at the Dursleys').
"Just fine, Harriet," smiled her father, seemingly calmer than the others. He slowly reached over to the bed where she was sitting and pulled the sheets back for her. "Get underneath the sheets. That way, you won't get cold while you wait for the Madam Pomfrey to look you over."
Harriet goggled at him for a moment, unable to comprehend the fact that somebody actually cared about her enough to worry if she got cold, before quickly wiggling underneath the warm sheets, feeling instant relief at the comfort they provided. She let out a relaxed sigh as her mother made sure she was all tucked in.
"Relax, Harriet," she said gently, "Madam Pomfrey should be back in a few minutes."
"Where did she go?" questioned Harriet, having taken an immediate liking to the stern, yet nice, healer.
"She went to go check her stores for some salves and potions," explained Remus. Harriet looked up at him, eyes alight with curiosity.
"Potions?"
"Yes, dear," said Lily, "In the wizarding world, potions can work similar to Muggle medicines. Of course, they can do plenty of other things, too. You know my friend, Severus, the man you just bumped into?" The Marauders blanched at hearing Lily call Snape a friend, but Harriet nodded, remembering him.
"He didn't seem to like me" she informed her mother, who just smiled gently at her, eyes guarded.
"Its not that he didn't like you, love," her mother informed her slowly, seeming to think for a moment, "he just had a lot on his mind when you bumped into him." Harriet recognized when information was being kept from her, but decided not to press the point just yet. " You see, he works as the Potions professor, here at Hogwarts."
"Really?" asked Harriet, trying to sit up, only to be forced down by her father, who tutted softly at her. "Can he teach me?"
"Well," laughed Lily, "thats his job."
"You'll learn loads of other stuff, too," said James, quick to try to move onto a topic where he would be able to employ language suitable for ten year olds. "Like Charms and Transfiguration-my best subject- and Care of Magical Creatures and Quidditch-"
"Quidditch isn't a class, James," admonished Lily, although her lips twitching gave away her amusement.
"Lily is right," agreed Sirius, who had, at this point, given Isaura back to her rightful owner. Harriet and her mum and dad and Remus all stared at him, astonished that he was actually agreeing with the red-haired witch. "Quidditch is so much more than a class!" Her mother rolled her eyes, so Harriet took the chance to ask, rather hesitantly, "What is Quidditch?"
Both Sirius and her father looked as if they had never heard anything more awful in their entire lives, something that Harriet found both funny and worrisome. Their eyes widened and they looked as if they were in danger of fainting.
"What is Quidditch?" her father gasped out, over dramatically, placing his hand to his forward and making a huge show of almost falling over backwards in shock. "Its only the best sport in the world!"
"Then how come I've never heard of it?" asked Harriet. Remus chuckled.
"Its a wizarding sport only, Harriet," he informed her. She nodded in realization, feeling a bit stupid for asking a question when the answer seemed so obvious. Maybe the Dursleys were right and she shouldn't ask questions. Then she realized that the Dursleys were all a bit stupid and they had never really been right about anything before and her parents had not once admonished her for asking questions today. Thus, she decided to take advantage of it and asked the next question that popped into her head.
"How do you play?"
"Well," began Sirius, eager to explain it to her, only to be interrupted by a stern voice.
"Don't you dare, Mr. Black!" Madam Pomfrey had entered the hospital wing, walking purposefully towards them. She had in her hand a piece of parchment, along with several different vials, each containing some sort of oddly colored liquid. "I need to examine Harriet and I can't have you prattling away about Quaffles or Beaters or that oh-so-amazing-stunt you pulled in your sixth year or some other such nonsense while I do it!"
"It was my seventh year," he mumbled, looking highly put out. Harriet giggled at him as the nurse placed her items on the table next to the bed. She stopped short at the sight of the snake that Harriet was currently stroking, but, at the pointed look from both Lily and James, the nurse quickly regained her professionalism. She gestured for Harriet to come up from under the sheets and began to talk as Harriet sat up, handing her snake over to her startled father. Her godfather snickered at her dad's startled face, gleeful at how karma often worked, since James had been laughing at him earlier for his fear of the small reptile.
"Alright," said Madam Pomfrey, "am I right in guessing that you have never been examined by a healer in a wizarding fashion?" Harriet shook her head 'no,' so Madam Pomfrey explained, "Well, its simple really. I won't even have to touch you-just scan you. I'll wave my wand over you," she gestured to the wand in her hand, "and the results appear on the parchment." She pointed to the parchment on the table. "I give you potions and anything else you might need based on the results."
Harriet, nodded, not really sure what was about to happen, but trusting her parents enough to know that if they had brought her to Madam Pomfrey, then they must have really needed her to do this and that Harriet should sit still. Harriet gave another nod, more firm, and Madam Pomfrey took her wand and pointed it at her. A soft blue light shot out of out and covered her, making Harriet gasp. She felt a hand grab hers and shot a grateful smile at her father, before looking again at Madam Pomfrey, who was working to direct the light up and down her entire body.
"Done," she announced to a relieved Harriet. The blue light vanished and Madam Pomfrey placed her wand back in her robes. She picked up her parchment and began to read it, her smile getting smaller and smaller with each passing minute. She tutted softly and sighed, giving Harriet a sad look, which Harriet recognized immediately as pity, which made her squirm.
"Is everything all right?" asked her mum, worried, while Sirius helped Harriet back under the covers. The young witch reached over and took back her snake, wanting to feel the familiar comfort of having the smooth body in her hands. Madam Pomfrey seemed to think of the best way to answer her mother.
"The scans show quite a few...problems. Severe malnutrition, several cuts and bruises,-but those can be fixed easily enough- breaks that never healed properly, bruises, cuts, a few burns. There are signs of a concussion, she's behind on all her vaccinations...honestly!" cried a distraught Poppy, "Did those Muggles ever even take her to a doctor?"
"I doubt it," said Harriet's father grimly, while her mother began running her hand through Harriet's hair (a sensation that Harriet found she rather liked).
"Well," sighed the witch, "as I said earlier, I can fix up her cuts and bruises before she leaves here today and make sure that all of breaks are properly set. I can also make sure that she isn't suffering any ill effects from the concussion."
"What can we do?" demanded Remus.
"Well, she'll need to be started on a regimen of nutrient potions, which I can set up for you to give her every time she eats. Make sure to give her good, healthy, meals, along with plenty of rest." The nurse paused, adding, as an afterthought, "And love. As corny as it sounds, love does wonders for children in cases like this."
"I can assure you," her mother said, "that one won't be a problem."
On the bed, Harriet followed the proceedings only half-heartedly. Her chest had an odd feeling in it: as if it was filled by a large, warm balloon. She had honestly never been this happy in her entire life. Never-not once!- had the Dursleys had a conversation like this about her, where her needs and her problems were discussed, instead of Dudley's. Nobody had cared enough. Her hands gripped the blankets of the bed and Harriet was surprised to note that the reason her vision had gone so blurry was because tears had welled up in her eyes.
Isaura, seeing her young mistress's distress, urgently hissed, "Isss eeverythiing allriight, pequenina?" Harriet quickly nodded, trying to discreetly wipe her tears from her eyes, but her father noticed.
"Harriet," he questioned anxiously, "are you okay? Are you in pain?" All eyes were on her as she shook her head rapidly.
"Do you mean it?" she asked, with hope so raw that it almost hurt. "Do I really get to come stay with you?"
"Oh, Harriet," sighed her mum, sitting on one side of the bed and pulling her close to her, "of course you do."
"We are sorry," her father told her, moving to the other side of the bed, "that you had to live with those gits"-
"James!" scolded her mother, giving her father a sharp look. Her dad rolled his eyes at her, but amended his statement nonetheless, although he made sure to shoot a smirk at Harriet when her mum's back was turned.
"We're sorry that you had to go live with them," he repeated, "but I promise," and here, his tone became fiercer than Harriet had ever heard it, "that you will never have to go live with them again." Then, for the second time that day, Harriet felt herself being swept up into a tight hug from both her parents, Isaura hissing her protest at being caught in the middle, as her godfather and "uncle" watched on, grins on their faces.
Potter Manor - June 30, 1991
Harriet blinked as she stepped out of the fireplace once again, this time, her father's arm holding her tight against his side. After their impromptu bonding moment in the hospital wing, Madam Pomfrey had finished her examination and prescribed Harriet several different potions regimens, some nutritive and and others not. The kind nurse then allowed the group to Floo to their new home using the fireplace in her private quarters. Harriet wasn't thrilled about the new means of transportation, but suspected that it would have been much worse had her father not volunteered to go with her.
One dizzying moment later, Harriet found herself standing in one of the most nicely furnished living rooms she had ever had the pleasure of being in. The room was large, but the combination of dark wood furniture, plush couches, and soft carpets made it look much more cozy than it could have been.
"Moony did a good job, didn't he?" Her father asked her, leading her away from the fireplace so that the others wouldn't run them over. Harriet simply nodded, taking in the large house. She could see that a large doorway led from the living room into what looked to be the main hallway of the house, which, from what Harriet could see, lead to the front door, kitchen, and a staircase to the second floor, where the bedrooms most likely were. Isaura, curled around Harriet's neck this time, eyed the large windows greedily, no doubt imagining the lazy afternoons she could spend curled up under them, sunning herself.
"Oh, Remus," came her mum's voice from behind her, "you did such a fantastic job!"
"Thank you, Lily," responded Remus, "I hoped that you would like it."
"'Like it?'" questioned Harriet's father in a tone that clearly meant he worried for his friend's mental health, "You've restored Potter Manor to its original glory!"
"It almost makes me expect to see Andrew and Elizabeth offering to make us a snack," Sirius said with a melancholy smile, "like they used to when we were home from Hogwarts for the holidays."
"My parents would be proud," James reported, to his now sincerely touched best friend.
"Why don't we take a look around the rest of the place?" suggested Lily. "Then, we could eat some lunch." Turning to her, Harriet's mum said, "How's that sound, love?"
Harriet nodded, "If you show me where the kitchen is, I can get started on cooking while you look around."
"You-?" Lily stared at her daughter before shaking her head rapidly. "No! You misunderstood! I'm not asking you to cook lunch for us! I was wondering if you would like me to cook some lunch for you!"
"But, why?" started Harriet. The Dursleys always made her cook for them. She saw no reason for it to be any different here, even though her parents had shown more kindness to her in a few hours than the Dursleys did in their entire lives.
"Harriet," her dad said in a tone that indicated that he wanted her to listen very carefully, "we are your parents. That means we take care of you, not the other way around." Harriet went to protest again, but her father shook his head. "No buts. You will have chores, of course, but none that are not appropriate for your age. Do you understand?"
Harriet nodded slowly, as if she did understand. Although she didn't..not really.
"Well," her dad said, clapping his hands together in an attempt to redraw everybody's attention and break the awkward silence that had befallen them. "Why don't we give you a tour of the rest of the house?" He added, jokingly, "I haven't been here in over nine years, though, so forgive me if I get us lost."
Her mother rolled her eyes, "Then maybe we should let Remus lead?" she pointed out. "He was, after all, the one who furnished it. I think he should do the honors." Remus went to protest, but Sirius shut him up by giving him a good hard nudge towards the main hall.
"Alright," he said with an exasperated sigh, shooting a glare at his friend, although it was clear that he didn't really mean it. "This is the living room," he began unsurely.
"I never would have guessed," Harriet quipped, before realizing what she had said, and clapping her hands over her mouth, horrorstruck. Before she could apologize to Remus, though, she realized that the adults were laughing, not angry.
"Your cheek," said her father in a proud voice, looking affectionately at his wife, who gave him a small smile.
"Fair enough, Harriet," chuckled Remus, redirecting her attention. "Perhaps we should move onto the rest of the house?" From that point, Remus was much more confident, Harriet's joke having broken the ice. She was lead through the first floor of the house, shown a spacious and well equipped, kitchen, an elegant formal dining room, and a more casual (but just as nice) dining room meant for the family. The extensive library was also on the tour and, upon seeing it, Harriet couldn't help but smile wistfully, imaging how many hours she would have spent reading there, if she were allowed.
"Something tells me you will be spending a lot of time here, Harriet," Remus said, seeing her face. Harriet blanched.
"You mean I'm allowed?"
"Of course you're allowed," her father informed her cheerfully, although something darkened in his eyes. Harriet gave him a huge smile, which he returned.
"Not now, though," said Sirius, gently. "We still have to tour the rest of the house." Harriet let herself be lead away from the library, giving it one last wistful glance before turning the corner into the foyer.
"Upstairs," Remus explained to the group, as he began climbing the steps, "Are four bedrooms, two of which are yours, the other two are guest bedrooms. There are bathrooms adjoining each room, along with the separate partial bathroom downstairs-"
"Yes, Moony," sighed Sirius, as they reached the landing. "We all know that."
"Harriet doesn't," Remus retorted, as the young witch in question waited patiently for Remus to continue. They walked down the hall, ignoring the first two doors, as Remus explained. "The first two bedrooms are the guest bedrooms," he stopped at the end of the hall, where two doors were located across the hall from each other, "and the two bedrooms at the end of the hall belong to you and your parents. I thought you might like to be close to each other, especially after all these years."
Her mum and dad reached for the larger door, indicating the master bedroom, and opened it. Peering inside, Harriet couldn't help but be impressed even further with Remus's taste. Unlike the living room, the furniture, including a wardrobe, dresser, and desk, was a carmel colored wood, and the lightly patterned bedding on the four-poster bed and the similarly colored carpets, along with several different windows and lights and lightly tanned walls, served to make it open and airy.
Both of the eldest Potters smiled at their friend in the hall and closed the door.
"Its lovely, Remus," Harriet's mother told him, giving him a kiss on the cheek as a thanks.
"It is," nodded her father, then, adding, more seriously, "but I'm not kissing you."
"Noted," smirked Remus, before turning to Harriet.
Harriet glanced hesitantly up at the door labeled Harriet's Room, unsure if she should open it. At the encouraging faces of the adults around her, she reached for the doorknob and turned it slowly, unsure of what she would see.
She had to bite back a gasp.
The room was larger than even Dudley's first room at the Dursleys' and at least twice as nice. The walls were a blue so dark that were almost grey, contrasting greatly with the cream curtains surrounding two large windows, located in a nook at the opposite end of the room. The large windows in question were equipped with a lovely pair of window seats, cushioned with bright floral pillows, making it perfect for sitting and looking out at the grounds surrounding the house. Opposite one of the window seats, in a small section of wall in the nook, was a large mirror, the exact height needed for a girl to stand in front of to choose her outfit for the day. Also in the nook were white-shelves, originally a bookshelf, but which Remus had transformed into shelves holding more toys than Harriet had ever seen.
If the small nook was lovely, then the rest of the bedroom had to be the most wonderful place Harriet had ever seen. The bed was soft and inviting, with its soft white-bedding (trimmed with grey) and large, plush pillows. On the side of the bed closest to the door was a small bedside table, equipped with a lamp and a small drawer. Against the wall of the opposite side of the bed (closer to The Nook, as Harriet had begun to call it in her mind) was another bookshelf, black, this time, crammed tightly with a mixture of books ranging from reference to textbooks to pleasure reading.
A small desk sat near the wall in front of the foot of the bed, along with a matching chair. There was a small beanbag chair stored underneath it, within Harriet's easy reach. Remus had apparently had the forethought to stock it with pens and pencils and paper, which Harriet was familiar with, but he had also added different size pieces of parchment and what looked like an old feather quill and an ink-well. A small tree was placed beside the desk for decoration. Above the desk, mounted on the wall, there was a group of white picture frames, most of which were empty and waiting to be filled, but one of them had a picture of both her parents, Sirius, and Remus, that Harriet recognized to be from their wedding day.
"This is mine," she gasped, taking a few hesitant steps into the room, letting her look more closely at the tree next to the desk. It took Harriet a minute to realize that it was real, littered with several blooming flowers and what looked to be butterflies.
"Yes. I wasn't sure what you'd like," Remus said quietly, misinterpreting her expression. "If you don't like it, we could change-"
Harriet shook her head rapidly. She had no plans to change the bedroom anytime soon. Her mum giggled at her enthusiasm.
"Well, Moony," Sirius smiled, "I think you did well." Remus rolled his eyes and watched Harriet for a moment. She had taken Isaura and placed her the base of the tree. The snake quickly wound herself around it and climbed up to one of the branches, a small butterfly flitting to another perch, and and let out a his of pleasure, just as pleased as her mistress was with their newfound home.
"III thhiiink, pequenina," she hissed, "thhaat we wiiill beee verrry happpy heere."
Looking at the picture of her newfound family smiling on her parent's wedding day, Harriet couldn't stop the smile that over took her face.
"Yes," agreed Harriet to herself, as her picture mother blew her kisses and her father waved to her, unaware of the rabbit-ears Sirius was making behind his back as Remus tried to stop him, "I think we will."
AN: Okay, so there is that chapter. I hope you enjoy it. Just a quick note on Snape-some people might think that he is a bit OOC here, and he sort of is. But keep in mind that Lily (his best friend, the girl he loves, and whose "death" was partially his fault) is alive. How would you react? Snape might be an idiot about some things, but he is not stupid. I always thought that, if given the chance to do everything over, Snape would take advantage of the opportunity, regardless of the fact that he could only be friends with her and would have to watch her be married to his mortal enemy. But he'll still be Snape: grouchiness and sarcasm and all. Don't expect for him to start handing out teddy-bears anytime soon.
Anyways.
Thanks, as always, for your positive responses!
Please review!
tinyrose65