The Unbreakable Vow 29
by
Ash Darklighter
It all belongs to JK Rowling and I thank her for her inspiration – There are no galleons to be made from me or by me. This little story is my first Harry Potter fic. It is AU and of course comments are welcome. I am also grateful for all the people who have read and reviewed this story. I am quite stunned by all the positive comments.
As always my thanks to Tad and Mona for their help.
Harry only had an hour and a half for lunch and even then it was doubtful that he'd get away from the conference at all but the chance to visit the tiny wizarding district in Old Aberdeen and a properly working floo was too good to miss. Babble's Books had closed down and the shop front left dark and dusty. An alohamora to get inside the vacant premises was too risky in the centre of a Muggle town with security cameras everywhere. He also didn't want to draw attention to himself magically by using a Disillusionment charm. So visiting Elphinstone's Wynd, where there were bound to be plenty of wizarding folk, was definitely in his plans. If he could do that - and the twins assured him that they would make certain Remus was alone in Grimmauld Place - there was a good chance he could contact the last of the Marauders without Dumbledore, the Ministry and the Death Eaters finding out. Moony was the wizard that Harry felt the most regret for abandoning – the one he missed the most.
He could feel the call of the wizarding world – the magic in him grew stronger every day. The strange thing was, he'd never felt it like this before he'd known he was a wizard. Perhaps Dumbledore would have the answer when Harry finally forgave him – and he knew that he would forgive the old man...eventually.
Harry managed to lose his colleague at lunchtime by wanting urgently to visit the University bookshop for an accountancy text he needed for his next exam. He had a pretty good idea that he would lose his colleague after that excuse. Predictably, the colleague had shaken his head in disbelief and headed back to the buffet table for another couple of sausage rolls. "Eat your heart out, Sibyll Trelawney," Harry muttered. Divination had not been one of his best subjects at school but he could still predict when a good excuse would get rid of an unwanted hanger-on.
The High Street was quiet, it being a Saturday and the end of the University term. Harry strode briskly up the cobbled road and crossed where the Muggle world briefly intervened at the traffic lights into the tree-lined quiet of the Chanonry. He remembered the directions from the 'Guide Book to Magical Places in Wizarding Britain' by Ethel Bradbury that Hermione had forced him to read. If he reached the cathedral then he'd gone too far. The gateway into the Magical world had to be around here somewhere.
Suddenly, the shimmer of magic caught and held his senses. Harry could feel the sweetness of the art calling to him, thrumming through his very soul. Magic, how he'd missed the experience of having it around him. He guessed that the gateway would be charmed with anti-Muggle charms but then he wasn't a Muggle. Elphinstone's Wynd was no Diagon Alley but there were half-a-dozen shops doing brisk Christmas business and he had a list from his wife to complete.
Twenty minutes later, Harry patted his coat pocket containing the shrunken items from the apothecary. It was time to go and see if he could reconnect with his next family member. He knew there would be some awkwardness because he knew he had hurt Remus by leaving. But he'd truly had no choice.
The shop he entered sold a variety of items including quills and inks but it was primarily a bookstore. Harry knew that he didn't really have time to browse but he was drawn as usual to the small but comprehensive defence section, his fingers already reaching for the books that called so clearly to him. It was the sensation of eyes boring into the back of his head that finally reminded Harry to look at his watch. He was going to take some of these books home, he thought with satisfaction. He turned his head to look at the wizards behind the counter. He was sure that one of them had been staring at him with unusual intensity.
"I'll take these," he murmured, laying the books on the counter. "Need to brush up on some of my defensive skills."
"We all will if anyone like You-know-who ever turns up again," said the sales clerk with a shudder. "You've got a good selection there, lad. Could I recommend the Willowspur? It's considered to be the best book on defence at the moment and has recently been updated. It's on the Auror training reading list."
"Thank you, I will. Add it to the pile," Harry said smiling, looking at the glossy leather-bound tome with interest.
"That'll be twenty galleons, young sir," the clerk said politely. "Would you like them shrink wrapped?"
"Please," replied Harry.
"I'll get the wrapping parchment," murmured the second wizard reaching below the counter. "Oh, there's none left in the drawer. Excuse me, I'll just get some more from the back. Go and finish restocking the shelves, Bertram. I'll finish off the customer's order."
"Are you sure, Duncan?"
"Aye." He held out a slim tome bound in red. "This book on phoenixes was in the wrong place."
Bertram took the proffered volume and disappeared up a flight of stairs.
The older wizard looked at Harry and murmured, "excuse me, I won't be long." He was as good as his words, returning a few minutes later. "I'm Anderson," the wizard said as he shrank Harry's purchases.
"Peters," he responded quietly. He was certain that 'Duncan Anderson' was the one showing such an interest in him but could only think of two reasons why. One, he had recognised Harry and was a Death Eater and two, he had recognised Harry and had a connection with Dumbledore. He hoped it was the second reason. It was not a ridiculous notion. The headmaster had more tentacles than the giant squid but at least Dumbledore wanted Harry alive.
When the wizard had stressed the word 'Order' followed by all that stuff about the book on Phoenixes, Harry thought that it could be reason number two. He could feel the reassuring weight of his wand in its holster against his arm. A quick flick and it would be in his hand.
"I've never seen you here before," Anderson said quietly, trying to draw out the young man dressed in the Muggle suit. There was something extremely familiar about him and he'd hastened to send word to the right party. "The wizarding community up in this part of the world is quite small and I know nearly all the families."
Harry gave an impersonal smile, resisting the urge to ask about the whereabouts of other local wizarding families. "I've never been here before," he admitted. "We only moved north recently." Harry made a play of looking at his watch. "I'll have to get going. My lunch hour is nearly over."
"Oh, what is it you do?" The wizard tried to keep the young man talking a bit longer. If this was Harry Potter then he needed to give Dumbledore's people time to arrive.
"I work for Muggles," Harry said with another smile, giving nothing away.
"But you're a wizard, aren't you?" asked Anderson.
"Oh, yes. I'd hardly be able to walk in here if I wasn't. You have very strong Muggle repelling charms in place. I could sense them at the door. But I don't work for wizards. Tried it and it didn't work out." Harry gathered up his small pile of shrunken books and put them in his pocket. His eyes went to the fireplace. It didn't look as if he had the time on this visit to go to Grimmauld Place unless... "Do you have a working floo...?" he asked politely
"Aye. In fact, it's recently been cleaned and updated." Anderson nodded as a sudden rumble was heard from the grate and a figure stepped through.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Remus Lupin rubbed his eyes tiredly as he stared at the book propped up on the well-scrubbed kitchen table. He'd read the same page three times now and its meaning still hadn't worked itself into his brain.
A piece of coal shifted in the grate and the fire began to glow. Remus sat up and looked at the fireplace. It appeared that a message was coming through.
"Hello...Hello... Anyone at home?" The soft Scottish lilt in the voice was familiar.
Remus moved to the fireplace.
"Albus?" A head appeared in the flames.
"No, it's Remus Lupin."
"Ah, Remus." There was relief in the wizard's voice. "I have to be quick and it could be nothing but didn't you ask me to keep a look out for Harry Potter?"
Remus blinked in surprise. Anderson, a quietly spoken wizard who had been at Hogwarts with Remus's father, owned a small bookshop cum general store in...Aberdeen. The Order had thought that Harry might be in that area. This sounded promising. "I did."
"This may seem like a daft question but wouldn't he be with you on a regular basis?" Anderson didn't quite understand why he was looking out for someone the Order should know the whereabouts of. Unless, the Scot thought in surprise, they didn't know where the boy was and were trying to find him. There'd been no hint of that in The Daily Prophet. In fact, the Prophet had been very quiet lately on the subject of the Potter boy
"He's been training in a top-secret location." It was a feeble excuse and Remus knew it but he maintained the official storyline. He didn't know what else to say. All his years of backing up the wilder schemes of James and Sirius with plausible explanations seemed to desert him. "Dumbledore wouldn't tell me where it was but damn it, Anderson, Harry is James and Lily's son. I was close friends with his parents and wanted to see him... He's all I have left and as much as I admire the headmaster, Albus has no right to keep me from Harry. I should have done this a long time ago."
He'd left Harry alone until the boy was in his third year at Hogwarts at the request of the headmaster. When he finally did meet Harry, he couldn't even admit to having known James Potter, let alone having been a friend of his. He could have been there for the boy throughout his childhood all along and he bitterly regretted that he wasn't. "Yes, I should have done this a long time ago," he repeated softly.
"Well, Albus must have let him loose for the day because there's a young man currently in my shop with his head deep in amongst the defence material who is the absolute spitting image of James Potter without the glasses."
"Without glasses?" Remus frowned. "Harry's eyesight isn't good enough to go without his specs but that doesn't prove anything. Maybe he has contact lenses." He thought quickly. "Scar?" he asked. "Not easy to hide."
"His hair is covering his forehead so I can't see if it's there." Anderson's head turned away. "Sorry, Remus, just checking to see if he's still in the defence section."
"Is he?
"Yes."
"What about his eyes," Remus asked urgently. "He has Lily's green eyes – if it's Harry? I've never seen anything so vivid before or since."
"I'm sorry, Remus. I just can't see those details from here. He has his head buried in a book. But he's the absolute double of James Potter – dressed smartly in a Muggle suit. He's heading towards the counter. I'll go and see what I can find out by speaking to him. I'll check eyes and forehead while I'm at it."
Remus thought quickly. Could it really be Harry? It was all a little too easy – too sudden. Suppose it was him and they lost the opportunity? "Delay him if you can. I'm coming through."
"It was the full moon the other night. Are you well enough?" Anderson knew all about Remus's furry little roblem. It was a shame such a thing had happened to such a kind wizard.
"I've been worse," was all that the werewolf said.
"Be quick then, lad," Anderson said, his head disappearing from the Grimmauld Place fireplace.
Remus grabbed his wand and his walking stick from the table and dug his hand into the pot of floo powder on the mantelpiece. "Anderson's Artefacts," he enunciated clearly as he stepped into the flames. He emerged on the other side, brushing the soot off of his tweed jacket and his gaze immediately focused on the figure at the counter.
The young man's eyes went from casually unconcerned to watchful in an instant and he adjusted his weight to rest on the balls of his feet. Harry was surprised that his dilemma had worked itself out so fortuitously. He hadn't had to go to Grimmauld Place after all. Remus had miraculously come to him. He stifled a snort of sardonic laughter and relaxed...a little.
He was getting soft now that his magic was back. This was a magical shop and, of course, Dumbledore would have someone in place watching in case he appeared.
His father's old friend looked tired but well. Harry knew that the full moon had just passed and Remus would be weak, recovering from the effects of his transformation.
Remus took one look at the young man standing at the counter and went pale with a combination of rage and relief. This Harry was an almost carbon copy of his father right down to the hazel eyes. His hair was longer and perhaps a shade or two lighter than it should be and the famous scar wasn't visible beneath the fringe but it was there. It was the cub right enough. "Harry!" he said, his fingers gripping the shaft of his wand so tightly that they turned white. His temper flared. "Harry James Potter!" he growled. "Where the hell have you been?"
In the blink of an eye, Harry's wand was held loosely between his fingers. "Moony," he drawled dryly, his unspoken question answered at the sight of the angry wizard. The last of the Marauders was not going to forgive him on sight. "Do you want me to answer a security question to prove my identity?"
"No." The werewolf's amber eyes narrowed. "I know exactly who you are even with brown eyes and longer hair. Why you thought that disguise would fool anyone I'll never understand." He exhaled an angry breath. "What I do want to know is where you've been."
"Can't say," returned Harry blithely. "Modified Fidelius charm."
"Why?"
"Why can't I say or why did I go away?" He shrugged. "It's difficult to find me with a Fidelius charm in place and to be honest I didn't want to be found," he replied stiffly. "I had good reasons for what I did."
Remus returned his wand to his pocket. "Please, Harry!" he pleaded. "Tell me those reasons. Why did you leave?"
"I'd had enough, perhaps?" Harry returned flippantly, twirling his wand between his fingers. "So many people wanted to kill me and many still do. I decided that I didn't want to tamely roll over and oblige them so I voluntarily removed myself from the picture for a while.
Remus growled quietly, finding it difficult to curb his feelings of anger towards the boy. Didn't he realise what he'd put them all through? "Stop this, Harry. This isn't you."
"Oh, but it is." Harry lifted his head, his altered eyes boring into Remus. "If you want the truth, I actually gave it to you. I'd had enough and I couldn't trust Dumbledore not to twist me into knots of his devising. He's behind many of my so-called problems. Even better than that, Sirius agreed with me."
Remus stifled a curse. Sirius had warned all of them to watch how they treated his godson. He'd always believed that one day Dumbledore would go too far in his treatment of Harry and Harry obviously shared that view. "What made you come back now?"
Harry looked at his watch, the gold ring on his finger catching the light. "I haven't come back. You just caught me doing some shopping. Look, Remus, there's no time for this right now. I have to get back to work."
"Work..." Remus stuttered to a halt. "You work?"
"Of course, I work," Harry said. "I live a normal life which includes working for a living. Did you think I could remain idle all these years? I've never been allowed such a luxury even though I have enough galleons to permit it."
Lupin opened and closed his mouth before saying tiredly, "Maybe I need a security question after all."
"Maybe you do." Harry gave a little nod as if he'd made a decision. "Will you tell Dumbledore that you saw me? I'd rather you didn't and he already knows why I left."
"I don't need to tell him, Harry. You're coming with me." Remus was ready to move quickly if he had to. He couldn't assume that Harry had little or no magic despite Dumbledore's views on the hex Voldemort had flattened Harry with. This was the boy that had produced a corporeal Patronus at fourteen and had portkeyed a gravely injured Snape back to Hogwarts. Harry was rolling his wand loosely between his fingers in a casually confident manner that indicated a quiet power and a willingness to use it if necessary.
"No, not today. I'm not going anywhere but home. I have a life that, for the moment, I need to return to." His eyes glowed at the thought of his family before becoming serious again. "I do not want Dumbledore aware of my location. He'll lock me up somewhere and forbid me from making my own decisions. I'm not a child anymore..."
"But Harry..."
"No, to Dumbledore. Look, Moony, you may think that the sun shines out the old man's arse but I can assure you that I do not."
The situation was worse than he'd thought. Remus had to start repairing things between Harry and Albus. It was vital to the future of the wizarding world that he did so. "He's more than sorry, Harry. Not telling you about your magic being cursed away was wrong."
Harry scowled. "So he told you?" Harry muttered something uncomplimentary about the headmaster under his breath. "He was told to keep it quiet. The fewer people who knew about it the better."
"He told the Order only recently, Harry," Remus remonstrated gently. "And only a select few of the Order at that."
"That won't help me. It doesn't matter what you say about Order business being private; someone usually finds out about such things and blabs it to the Daily Prophet. Then my life and character are dissected with no thought to me and my feelings. The supposed saviour of the wizarding world without magic - what a hideous joke."
"We're not treating it as a joke, Harry," Remus said quietly. "You would be assigned round-the-clock auror protection. There are numerous wards and enchantments which could be used in protecting you."
"Not when I'm sent back to Privet drive and my unloving relatives with a pat on the head from Dumbledore and told to wait until it's too late to do anything. My enemies could meet me in the street and have me killed because I'm unable to defend myself. Wizards can exist quite happily in the Muggle world and many do. Perhaps you don't remember that Dementors were set upon me in the Muggle world and my cousin and I were lucky to escape the kiss. I was under 'protection' then. My answer to you about the way I feel about Dumbledore is easy to explain. He used me, Remus, and will continue to do so until I'm spent."
"Harry..."
"I'm not going to tamely return to Privet Drive or Order headquarters to be locked up until Voldemort comes to kill me. Sorry." His insincere apology was patently an untruth. "I have a life of my own now and I'm not giving it up. If he thinks I would then he's more stupid than Crabbe and Goyle put together. You and I both know what the prophecy says."
"But Harry..." Remus moved closer. "Your magic... You said it yourself: 'unable to defend yourself'. You need to be protected."
"I've been far safer away from the wizarding world than I was when in it and my magic is recovering." Harry dug into his pocket and produced a small piece of white paper. "Remus..."
The werewolf gripped his wand tightly. He didn't want to do this but they'd been looking for Harry for over five years and now that he'd found the boy, he wasn't letting him get away. Remus formed the word on his tongue. "Stupefy..."
Harry flicked his wand and the spell ricocheted off a silent block. He smirked coldly at the werewolf. "Not a good idea, Remus. You didn't think I would just tamely come with you?"
"What...!"
There was an odd beeping sound coming from somewhere close. Startled at the sound, Remus failed to utter his intended spell and watched as Harry began digging in his pocket and fished out a small, flat, rectangular object and placed it against his ear. "I need to take a call," he explained to the slightly bemused wizards in front of him. "Hello."
"Thank Merlin!" an annoyed female voice exclaimed frantically. "Why do you never answer your phone? I've been trying to get you for the last ten minutes. Harry, there are Death Eaters..."
"I'm not sure how good the reception is around here." Harry said stiffly, casting an anxious glance at Remus and Anderson, both of whom could easily hear the conversation and Remus looked as if he wanted to use his wand on Harry again. He lowered his voice. "Where exactly?"
"In the centre of town. They blew up the Christmas market or tried to."
"Are you okay?" Harry was moving towards the door of the shop in the hope of getting a better reception.
"Of course, I'm okay but I've been better," the voice replied irritably. "Could you get that behind of yours here? I could do with some help – Death Eaters."
"And what about..." Harry asked worriedly.
"That's covered. Caroline and Helen are dealing with it. I'm sure everything's fine – it has to be. I'm in that bookshop."
Harry relaxed a little. "You told them to take cover."
"Yes. Hide under a table and not come out until they're sure that it's safe. There are wizards everywhere...well, there's about half-a-dozen. But that's half-a-dozen too many..."
"You broke into it?"
"I had to. It has a working floo." The female on the other end lowered her voice. "They don't seem to be after us. I heard them discussing it. It's all about Snape. They can't find him and decided to cause trouble for the Muggles instead. They don't think that he's really dead."
"Well, he isn't...is he? I'm on my way." He shoved the phone in his jacket pocket. Harry looked at a confused Remus and Anderson. He didn't want to help them find his family's location but he couldn't allow innocent people to be hurt. He reassured himself that he wasn't telling them everything His family's safety was his main priority but the wizarding world was drawing ever closer and one day would collide with the Potters' safe little haven.
"What's happening?" demanded Remus, a horrible feeling rising in his stomach.
Harry pulled his backpack over his shoulders. "You might want to tell the Order that someone is not convinced Severus Snape is dead and is attacking a small town about sixty miles away. It's called Elgin. That would be the most helpful thing you could do for me right now - not stunning me and dragging me back to Dumbledore." He brought up his wand. "Muffliato." He quickly walked over to the Floo and quietly stated his destination: "Babble's Books."
Remus and Anderson were left looking at Harry as he disappeared from the floo in a flash of silent green flames.
"Finite Incantatem," shouted Remus. "Harry!" But he was too late. The floo was empty, the green flames dying away with a suddenly audible crackle. "Did you get the name of his destination?"
"No." The bookshop owner shook his head.
"Damn!" Remus swore. "I should have just stunned him on sight."
"He was ready for you and put up a shield spell - a silent one, too. That muffliato spell obscured his destination."
"That's a spell of Snape's devising," said Remus. "If I had any doubt that it was Harry – which I don't – that clinched it for me. I remember Harry using that spell in his later years at school."
Anderson vanished the soot left on the floor. "Who do you think he was speaking to?"
"I don't know for certain. The voice sounded familiar..." Remus paused. If he had to make a guess, the voice on the other end of the phone belonged to Ginny Weasley. "Oh, Harry," he almost groaned.
"You do have an idea, don't you?" asked Anderson.
Remus sighed heavily. "I think so, but it's going to cause a lot of grief for a lot of people and Harry doesn't need any more problems than he's already got."
Anderson gave a rueful chuckle. "If he's everything Albus says he is, then he's in enough trouble with You-know-who on his tail "
"It's no laughing matter but Harry's always been more independent than most – he's had to be." Remus had suspected Harry of being involved in Ginny's disappearance all along. They'd just never been able to prove it and, by Circe, certain parties in the Ministry had tried.
"Would you really have stunned him?" asked Anderson, eyeing the werewolf shrewdly. "Because he wasn't going to go anywhere with you willingly. That was a load of Thestral dung you were feeding me earlier, wasn't it? None of you have any idea where Harry Potter's been for the last five years, have you?"
Remus' shoulders slumped wearily. "We've been looking for him for that length of time. He just walked away from Diagon Alley under his father's invisibility cloak without a word. Albus placed too much pressure on the boy's shoulders and Harry finally had enough one day and left."
Anderson considered the werewolf's words. "Albus Dumbledore is a great wizard and I personally have a great deal of time for him but he can sometimes lose sight of an individual's needs."
Remus held up his hand. "Albus has a lot to think about – he's dealing with the entire fate of the wizarding world and this hasn't been easy for him either. He genuinely loves Harry."
The Scot shrugged. "I'm not saying that he doesn't. But the young lad obviously can't see it. Would you have done it...fought to take him back?"
Remus froze. Could he have done it? He would have found it difficult to actually harm the boy - no, Harry wasn't a boy, he was a man now. Harry would not have forgiven him for doing such a thing. "I set out to do it," he admitted, "but... no, I don't think I could have continued with an attack. My attempt to stun him was a complete failure. I would have tried to reason with him further if given the chance but I doubt that he wouldn't have listened." He looked up at the other man, his face pained. "It would never have worked. Harry's too good at defence. All I want is for him to be safe..."
Anderson flicked his wand at the shop door and the door locked and the blinds closed. "Can you trace where he's gone, Remus?"
"I don't think so." The werewolf flicked his wand in some diagnostic manoeuvres before shaking his head in defeat. "Albus or the Ministry of Magic could probably manage to find that out but we can't waste time if there's trouble elsewhere. By the time we try to find Harry, he'll be long away and meanwhile, people are probably getting hurt."
"But he's given us some hard facts." Anderson said quietly. "You know more than you did - things that will help you trace his whereabouts."
"Yes. That's if we can get round the Fidelius charm." Remus flicked his wand and his silvery dog Patronus rose before them. "To Albus Dumbledore," he instructed the shaggy silver spectre. "If he doesn't already know, please convey the message that there are problems in a place called Elgin. Death Eaters are beginning to suspect that Snape isn't as dead as they thought he was. And Albus, this information came from Harry. I'll explain when I see you."
Anderson finished putting a couple of books back on a shelf. "You're not fit enough to go, are you?"
Remus shook his head. "Unfortunately not. I am well aware of my limitations during this phase of the moon. I would be a liability."
"But you can still think. So work out what you did find out. Use that clever mind of yours, lad. The boy gave you a lot of clues, you know." The older wizard murmured. "Even just by looking at him. I don't have a Pensieve but I daresay you could borrow the one that Albus has in his office."
Remus began to pace. "We're in the right area – we can even narrow it a little. He must live in or around this place called Elgin. That could be near where they found Severus."
"Found Severus?" repeated Anderson.
"Severus was brutally attacked somewhere around this area and he was found by a wizard who sent him to Hogwarts," explained Remus.
"Severus was attacked!" Anderson exclaimed. "Is he okay? I'm not saying that I liked the man but he's another wizard that's done a difficult job over the years." Anderson shook his head. "His mother, Eileen Prince, was just as difficult when she was young. I was at Hogwarts with Eileen as well as your father."
"I had forgotten that," murmured Remus.
"We'd be a lot worse off without some of the information Severus has been able to provide," Anderson stated. "His courage can't be ignored."
"I agree, though Severus is not an easy man to like." Remus and Anderson shared a rueful smile. "But this time someone found him out and now he's lucky to be alive. He won't be spying against You-know-who any more for the Order. The Death Eaters will make certain of his demise if they get their hands on him again."
"So he was badly hurt?"
Remus grimaced. "Left for dead. It was sheer luck that he was found at all. I don't envy Poppy Pomfrey her job in ensuring his recovery because it will be slow and he is sure to be ill-tempered."
Anderson produced a long thin wand of a dark wood and waved it at a kettle. "Poppy will have her hands full then but she'll manage – she always does. Tea?"
The two men shared another laugh and Remus nodded at the offer. "Sounds good."
"Come and have a seat, lad, and we'll consider our evidence like a couple of good detectives. I like a good mystery like that Warlock Holmes." Anderson chuckled to himself. "Come on, lad, this way. You're still looking a bit peaky."
Remus followed Anderson through to the back and plonked himself down onto a lumpy looking couch, watching as the Scotsman waved his wand again at a couple of mugs hanging on hooks while the ancient looking kettle obligingly started to whistle loudly. Two teabags flew into the mugs and Anderson poured a small amount of milk from his wand into the steaming liquid. "Harry Potter works for Muggles." Anderson handed the werewolf a large mug. "He said so."
Remus nodded. "I assumed that much. He did say that he had to get back to work. Indulge my curiosity, Anderson. What else did you notice?""
"He gave me a name but it was Peters, not Potter. A name can be traced, Remus."
Remus' face filled with hope. "That's even better."
Anderson picked up his own mug and sat himself in a beat-up armchair opposite Remus. "Now, what else did I notice?" He took a sip of his tea. "Well," he said slowly. "He's well for a start. The Muggle suit is in good condition and indicates that he works in a white collar occupation – possibly an office. He's very thin..."
"His father was the same," Remus put in. "No matter how much he ate, James was as skinny as a broomstick. Harry's taller than he was, I think, but still wears that anxious expression. Harry always had the weight of the world on his shoulders. Anything else?"
"He was wearing a wedding ring," commented Anderson, waving a stubby finger. "So he must have a wife. Perhaps the woman that spoke to him from the little flat box is his wife?"
"Harry! No! He's just a boy," Remus protested as his mind worked around what Anderson was saying. If Harry was married, then he'd married a Muggle girl or, his heart sank. Harry had either married a Muggle girl who would not be able to cope with the dangers in which being close to Harry would place her, or, he'd married Ginny Weasley, the affianced, contracted bride of the Malfoy family. He didn't know which one was worse.
"He's what...twenty?"
"Twenty-three."
Anderson sat back on his chair and folded his arms. "Wizards often pair up early. James and Lily married just out of Hogwarts. My parents and yours did the same. That's no boy and he was wearing a wedding ring. He walked away from all his friends and the world he knew. It makes perfect sense that he would form replacement attachments, emotional or otherwise. No one can live in total isolation, Remus lad. Not even you. You don't have anything of that nature to share with me? It's time you settled down and had a family of your own."
The werewolf flushed. "There is a witch," he admitted huskily, thinking of Nymphadora Tonks and his own reluctance to commit. He was sure that he was in love with her but there were far too many risks involved. He pushed the thoughts of the young Metamorphmagus from his mind. It wasn't the time. "But..."
"That's the best news I've heard about you for a long time," interrupted Anderson. "Don't pass up the chance of love. My wife and I have been married for nearly fifty years. Bring the lassie with you the next time you're up this way."
"Keep this to yourself for now, Anderson." Remus threw the rest of his tea down his throat and headed for the fireplace. He needed to speak to Albus. The idea of a married Harry was spinning around in his brain.
"Who would I tell?" asked the Scot.
"There are a number of people I can think of," Remus answered gravely. "And it might not be by choice."
"You can obliviate me if you like," the Scotsman said genially.
Remus gave the man a fond smile. "I think I can trust you."
"Aye, that you can but perhaps you shouldn't trust others so easily. Albus would prefer it if the information was protected. If it got out that I'd seen your missing boy wonder, I wouldn't be safe here and neither would he."
"Are you sure?" Remus didn't like doing this but the Scotsman had a point. "Okay, I'll do it and then I'd better get back to headquarters."
"Aye, ma loon. I suppose you'd better. Dumbledore will want to know the details." Anderson agreed. He stopped and then picked up a piece of white card. "Young Mr. Potter dropped this. I think it was meant for you," he said, handing it to the werewolf. "I canna read it."
"What!" Remus glanced at the small piece of cardboard.
"Just what I said. There's nothing on it."
Remus frowned. "It's blank."
"Then you'll know what to do, won't you?" Anderson pushed the pot containing the floo powder towards him. "Dumbledore will be waiting."
Remus shook his head and pocketed the card. "I suspect the headmaster will have already garnered the Order members available to check out Death Eaters appearing in...Elgin or wherever the place was. I have some time."
Anderson's face brightened. "I have a book on the history of witch drownings in Elgin – it's somewhere around here..." He glanced around him. "Ah, I remember. It's in the Scottish interest section. No one ever wanted to buy it for some reason and it's quite a good read. I should put it in the half price section."
"Maybe you should," Remus agreed. He had no desire to read it either but he wasn't going to tell Anderson that. "Are you ready?" He held out his wand and Anderson nodded.
"Aye, it's for the best. Get on with it, Remus. I have a shop to run."
"Thanks, my friend." Remus took a deep breath and said firmly, "Obliviate!"
Anderson blinked a couple of times and then looked at the werewolf in surprise. "Hello, Remus. What are you doing here? I haven't seen you in a long time. Your father's funeral, wasn't it? A sad business for a wizard to go so young." He looked at his watch. "Have you time to stay for lunch?"
Remus smiled apologetically. "No, I'm sorry but I can't. I was visiting a friend and decided to use the nearest floo to get back to Hogwarts. I have a meeting with Dumbledore."
"Dumbledore's well?" asked the older wizard.
"He's busy," said Remus. "I'd better get going..." He headed towards the fireplace.
Anderson frowned and looked at the empty room. "Odd, I didn't realise that I'd closed the shop."
Remus paused, his hand in the jar of floo powder. "Don't you usually do that at lunchtime?"
"Sometimes I do if things are really quiet. Anyway, Remus, I'll not keep you. Pop up north again and see me some time. I've a good bottle of single malt fire whisky to share. We can reminisce about your father."
"I'll keep that in mind." Remus threw the powder into the fireplace and stepped amongst the flames declaring clearly, "Hogwarts! Professor Dumbledore's office."
He emerged in Dumbledore's deserted office, the walls hung with portraits of sleeping witches and wizards. One of them let out a long, loud snore.
Hopefully the headmaster had acted upon his Patronus. There was no point in him staying, he thought. Dumbledore would contact him as soon as he'd dealt with the problems of the latest Death Eater attack. "Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place," he intoned solemnly, as he once again followed a handful of floo powder into the fireplace.
xxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Did you say 'wizards'?" Caroline asked faintly, as Ginny pushed them towards the back of the cafe.
"Yes, I did but..." Ginny fiddled with a stray dark brown curl. "I'll explain as much as I can later...and no, I'm not mad..."
There was a sudden scream followed by a loud bang and the happy Christmas scene turned into chaos. Ginny pushed her way out of the crowded building and, gritting her teeth, inched forward, her wand appearing. She slipped around a large white refrigerated van and surveyed the scene. The wizards standing in front of the Christmas tree were shooting the baubles from the branches and making the coloured electric lights explode. They were blasting spells at the stall owners and the shoppers had scarpered as soon as the wizards began their swathe of malicious destruction.
"He won't be here, I tell you," shouted a wizard. "There's no trace of him."
Ginny's heart thumped loudly inside her chest. They were looking for someone. She dropped to her knees and crawled across the cobblestones, finally slipping beneath a stall table covered with a long checked cloth. Peeping through a tear in the fabric, Ginny gazed out at several pairs of dragonhide boots.
"Then the slimy bastard's alive!" declared another voice.
"He managed to fool us all..." snarled the first.
"Not all of us. Bella always suspected him." This voice was familiar. Ginny was certain that she'd heard it before.
"Bella's insane and suspects everyone apart from our Master," the first voice complained in a nasal tone.
"He has to be dead." The nearest pair of boots moved closer to Ginny's hiding place. "Muggles," the voice sneered.
"The Dark Lord expects to see a body and he expects it to belong to Severus," said the familiar voice.
""He's dead, I tell you. No one's looking for him - not even the Ministry. Surely the old fool in the castle would report a missing teacher? Snape, the traitor, was Dumbledore's man."
"Then we get Wormtail..."
There was a smug cackle. "The rat's dead, remember?"
The familiar voice returned and Ginny had the feeling that he was in charge. "This town is the most Muggle place I've seen in a long time. Perhaps we should show these inferior beings how real wizards celebrate the festive season. Let them know that they should fear us."
"Do what you want. If someone around here is hiding Snape, then we want him to get the message that we're onto him and he'd better watch out. Confringo!"
Ginny began moving as quickly as she could. They weren't looking for her and Harry at all. They were searching for Snape. "Ow!" she stifled her exclamation of pain as part of the stall disintegrated above her. "Merlin!" she hissed as she scrambled from her impromptu observation station. Abandoning all attempts to overhear anything more, Ginny crawled on aching knees to the next stall. It had been selling smoked sausages and salami. The vendors had given up defending their produce and had moved to safety.
The large bulk of St. Giles Church loomed before her. Maybe she could use the pillars as cover while she worked her way across the street. She had to get to the bookshop...Babble's... whatever it was called. It still had a working floo. Taking a deep breath, she took her chance and sprinted from her cover up the steps and scuttled behind the first of the four stone columns guarding the enormous church doors.
Pulling out her phone, she swiftly dialled her husband. "Harry!" she breathed. "Answer me." There was another loud bang as something exploded only feet away from her hiding place.
"You have reached the voicemail of..."
"Bugger!" She snapped the phone closed and pushed it into her jeans pocket. She sneaked a glance at the scene on front of the church. The once proud Christmas tree lay flat and broken across the Plainstones, the lights smashed beyond repair. The local brass band had been amongst the first to flee. But then, they'd been one of the first targets.
In their anger and frustration, the Death Eaters hadn't even bothered with their usual masks and cloaks. Ginny wasn't certain but she thought that one of them was a friend of Lucius Malfoy's by the name of Mulciber. He appeared to be the one in charge. She'd heard her Dad mention him a few times. The familiar pain at the thought of her gentle father washed over her. She still missed him more than the rest of her family because he was the one she would never see again.
She pulled out her phone and pressed the number to redial Harry. "Come on, come on," she whispered.
"Well, what do we have here?" an oily voice asked and a hand gripped one arm tightly. "A pretty Muggle."
Ginny stiffened, keeping her face averted and slowly, carefully pushed her phone into her pocket and her wand from her arm holster. "Get your hands off me," she ground out.
"Or what!" the sneering voice challenged.
Ginny gave a hard laugh. "I'll hex you." And before the wizard could react, Ginny's wand was fully visible and the words for her favourite hex tumbled from her lips. He let go of her arm, clawing at his face as the attacking bat bogies erupted from his nose. "Oh, and before I forget, Stupefy!" she said coldly.
The wizard fell to the floor with a thud. "Locomotor corpus!" she intoned clearly, moving the body until it was tucked right against the enormous wooden church door. With a flick of her wand she cast a notice-me-not charm on the unconscious wizard and legged it down the steps and into the nearest alley, running towards where she remembered the now empty bookshop to be. The sound of police and ambulance sirens were ringing in her ears.
Babble's Books appeared even more dilapidated than it had before, its empty dirty windows staring at her. Ginny pointed her wand at the padlock and said "Alohamora!" The padlock clicked open, falling to the ground and the door swung ajar. With a swift glance about her, she slipped inside and closed the door.
The inside of the shop was as dirty and forlorn as the outside with the bare shelves and shop counter the only evidence that there had been a business there at all. She pulled out her phone again and punched in the number. "Harry..." she grumbled, her voice beginning to rise with irritation. "You'd better answer me or, by Merlin, I'll..."
"Hello!"
"Thank Merlin!" she muttered through stiff lips "Why do you never answer your phone? I've been trying to get you for the last ten minutes. Harry, there are Death Eaters..."
"I'm not sure how good the reception is around here," Harry said and Ginny could tell by the sound of his voice that something was happening at his end of the line, too. "Where are you?" he asked.
Ginny sank onto the floor. "In the centre of town. They blew up the Christmas market or tried to."
"Are you okay?" Harry asked. She could hear the concern in his voice.
"Of course, I'm okay but I've been better," she replied irritably. "Could you get that behind of yours here? I could do with some help – Death Eaters." She was good at defence but Harry was better and they had Jamie to think about.
"And what about..." Harry asked worriedly.
Ginny bit her lip before answering softly, "That's covered. Caroline and Helen are dealing with it. I'm sure everything's fine – it has to be."
"You told them to take cover." His voice was anxious, the beat of fear only she could tell was there.
"Yes. Hide under a table and not come out until they're sure that it's safe," she whispered. "There are wizards everywhere...well, there's about half-a-dozen. But that's half-a-dozen too many." Especially if they were Death Eaters. "I'm in that bookshop."
"You broke into it?" Harry's voice was incredulous.
"I had to. It has a working floo!" she exclaimed. Sometimes she could bat bogey hex him, too. He sounded as if he was shocked at her actions - like he hadn't ever done anything illegal?. "They don't seem to be after us. I heard them discussing it. It's all about Snape. They can't find him and decided to cause trouble for the Muggles instead. They don't think that he's really dead."
Harry's reply was to the point. "Well, he isn't...is he? I'm on my way."
"Harry...!" But he'd hung up. She moved through to the back room with the fireplace and only had to wait a matter of seconds as Harry stumbled through the floo into her waiting arms.
"Are you sure that you're okay, sweetheart?" Harry asked as he found his feet, steadied himself and relaxed into her embrace.
"I'm fine. What was happening at your end? I could tell just by your voice that something was up."
His bent his head and kissed her. "A more hostile Remus Lupin than I'd imagined but I'll tell you about it later. We'd better go and see if we can do anything."
They slipped from the shop past the vacant windows and into the empty alleyway. Ginny swiftly brought Harry up-to-date. "There's not many of them – the Death Eaters," she said.
"But enough to do a lot of damage," Harry put in. "Evil sods."
"It doesn't take that many," she said thoughtfully. "They are down one. I hexed him."
"Bat-bogey?"
Ginny nodded. "Of course."
Harry shot her a look of appreciation. "That's my girl."
"I'm sure one of them used to follow old Lucius around the Ministry," Ginny muttered as they neared the end of the alley.
Harry stopped. "Malfoy is here?" His voice rose.
"Ssh!" Ginny said sharply. "I haven't seen him, so I don't think so."
The Potters crouched down behind a large cast iron rubbish bin as a police car rattled past them over the cobbled street. A tall wizard in a dark frock coat was lining up his wand pointing it at the police car.
"Stupefy," said Harry softly.
"Petrificus Totalis," chimed Ginny at exactly the same time. The Death Eater stiffened and dropped like a lead weight where he stood.
Ginny and Harry ducked back into the alley as pounding feet ran towards the downed wizard. "Ennervate, Ennervate!"
"Stupefy, stupefy," declared Harry, with a malicious chuckle and a deft flick of his wand. Both men collapsed.
"What's happening?" the wizard Ginny recognised shouted furiously.
A dumpy little man in a puce cloak was inspecting the downed wizards. "Either the Aurors must have arrived or the bloody Order. They've been hexed."
"Wake both of them up and then let's get out of here." He turned and aimed his wand towards a stall selling wooden Christmas ornaments and shouted, "Incendio."
"Aguamenti," returned Harry immediately and a stream of water shot out of his wand. The wizard stopped and turned his attention to Ginny and Harry's hiding place sending several blasting curses their way.
But Ginny was ready with a swiftly uttered, "Protego!"
"Shit!" he muttered to Ginny. "You were right about one of Malfoy's cronies being there. That's Mulciber – he fought at the Department of Mysteries." Harry eased forward, his wand outstretched and suddenly, there was a series of loud popping noises. Harry retracted his wand sharply. "Get back to the bookshop, Gin."
"I'm not leaving you on your own," she snapped, her eyes fiery. "Don't tell me..."
"I'm coming with you," Harry retorted. "Dumbledore and the Order have just arrived with some of the Auror corps."
As they scooted back into the alley Harry and Ginny heard Mulciber throw a few more incendio's around and then shout for the Death Eaters to leave.
"Dumbledore's here!" Ginny said incredulously.
"I kind of told Remus to get help," Harry admitted.
"Then they were a bit late coming." Ginny eased herself away from the wall she had pressed herself against.
Harry snorted. "They probably had to convince the Ministry to send some Aurors."
Ginny nodded. "Can you see who they've sent?"
Harry peered out of the alley into the street. "Kingsley," he said. "He sort of sticks out. I can't see anyone else. Wait, that looks like Tonks and another guy I've never seen before."
Ginny's pretty face was solemn. "Dumbledore will be looking for you."
"That's why I need to get out of here but I don't want to go until I know that Jamie's alright." His face took on a stubborn look.
Ginny dropped a kiss on Harry's lips. "You get out of here and I'll wait in the bookshop until everything's clear. Believe me, I'm not going anywhere without Jamie. I can phone Caroline or Helen and tell them to meet me here. I would expect that everyone will be obliviated and most of the damage repaired before they tell everyone it was a gas explosion or something similar."
"But Dumbledore..." protested Harry. "And Jamie is magical. He'll surely sense him."
Worry crept into Ginny's eyes. "I never thought about that."
"It'll be alright." Harry tried to be positive but inside he was worried. "Hopefully Poppy's charm will hold for a bit longer. Dumbledore doesn't know that he's ours. He can have no way of knowing and that will keep Jamie safe."
"You need to go," Ginny told him, her mind churning at the thought of the headmaster being near Jamie.
"But you and Jamie..."
"Will be fine," she soothed. "Go."
Harry risked one last look at the activity taking place in the town centre. The tree had been righted and the coloured lights repaired and Dumbledore was staring around him as if he was looking for something or someone.
Harry and Ginny hurried to Babble's Books and closed the door. "Coloportus," she said. The door sealed itself with an odd squelching sound.
"I'll apparate back to the conference. You will phone me if anything goes wrong. Hell, if anything goes wrong send a Patronus. It'll be too late by then with the town crawling with aurors and Order members. Be careful."
Ginny nodded and lifted her face for a kiss. Harry wanted to let his lips linger but knew that he could not and with a faint pop he disappeared. She sighed and slid down the wall to sit on the floor, prepared to wait out whatever was happening, her mind on the well-being of her son. A couple of minutes went by and then a couple more. It wasn't in her nature any more than it was Harry's to wait and not do something. The only time she'd ever waited for anything was for Harry. The Aurors had arrived, the Death Eaters had already started to make tracks to leave and she was sitting doing nothing. Jamie wasn't with his mother and only she or Harry could truly protect him. "Call yourself a Gryffindor," she muttered. Her mind made up, Ginny pulled her phone out of her pocket.
"Caroline, it's Jenny."
"Jenny! " The relief could almost be felt all the way across the street. "We've been so worried..."
"I'm fine," she said reassuringly. "I want you to stay put and keep hold of Jamie. He's okay, isn't he?"
Caroline's voice relaxed. "Yes, he's fine. He's still sleeping. It's amazing how children can just sleep through everything..."
"Don't let anyone take him from you, even for a moment."
"But..."
Ginny interrupted her friend. "Don't let him out of your sight and when the police say you can leave, cross the street to the lane at the side of the chemist's. I'll meet you there."
"Got it. Helen and I will look after him and we'll see you soon. But we'll want an explanation about all this,"Caroline warned.
"I know and you'll get one. Thank you." Ginny doubted that she'd need to. The obliviators would do the job for her.
xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Dumbledore nodded to the Order members who were beginning to help the Aurors with the cleanup and obliviation of the Muggles. He had been astounded to hear that Harry had contacted Remus and warned him of the attack on the town. The boy had to be familiar with this little place. It was too much to hope that Harry would have been here but there had been no sign of him. "Point me Harry Potter," he intoned quietly. His wand twitched in his grasp but did not react as he would have hoped. He had no way of knowing that at that exact moment Harry had just apparated out of Babble's Books empty premises.
"Oh, Harry!" the old wizard murmured softly. Harry was close but his magic was either not yet strong enough or being hidden. Who would hide him? It was something to ponder on.
"We're just about finished here, Professor," Nymphadora Tonks called quietly. "They're loading the last of the injured into the ambulances. The hospital is very close and is expecting the last of the minor casualties."
"Anyone...?"
"No. They were lucky this time and we've managed to arrest Bletchly Flipkin."
Dumbledore looked surprised. "Indeed?"
"Found him lying up the steps right in front of the church door. We don't think that he's one of You-know-who's trusted inner circle but he's still useful with a wand. He'd been stunned, hexed and placed under a notice-me-not charm."
Dumbledore lifted a silver eyebrow. "One of the Order?"
"Possibly," she answered guardedly, oddly reluctant to tell him exactly which curse had been used. The Bat-bogey curse was a Weasley speciality but none of the Weasleys had been present on this occasion and she would swear after a pint of Veritaserum that he'd been left that way for a while. There was another witch or wizard in the town and she was sure that it was Ginny Weasley. If Ginny was there, Harry wouldn't be far behind. "Director Bones asked if you would help with the obliviations because...?"
"Time is running out," he finished for her. "Gas explosion?" It was a standard excuse against Death Eater attacks.
Tonks shook her head. "No, not this time."
Dumbledore raised an eyebrow.
"Disaffected youth running amok – throwing fireworks and homemade explosives. There was an incident a couple of months ago not far out of town according to the police files. I've got the information all about it, Professor, and I think you'll find it interesting reading."
"Ah!" Dumbledore understood what she was inferring. "Where would Amelia like me to help?"
Tonks pointed towards a series of shops and cafes where frightened faces could be seen peering through the windows. "There were quite a number of witnesses. They need to be dealt with before they start making a run for it."
"Harvey and Blowfield have begun the obliviations?" Dumbledore asked mildly.
"Yes. They've started at the other end of the High Street and are working their way towards the town centre."
Dumbledore smiled. "Good, good. I will speak to you when you come off duty, Nymphadora."
The metamorphmagus gritted her teeth. "It's Tonks," she growled but the headmaster had already begun walking to the nearest establishment, a crowded cafe, where anxious faces peered warily through the large windows.
"Is it over?" a shaking elderly voice quavered from beneath a white plastic tablecloth as Dumbledore entered the building.
Dumbledore infused as many calming notes into his voice as he could. "Yes, dear lady. Everything is fine." His eyes swept the cafe taking in the frightened Muggles cowering behind chairs and under tables. The visual sweep travelled across an attractive blonde woman holding a child in her arms and moved on. The old wizard paused and back-tracked to the blonde woman, his eyebrows rising in surprise. The child sleeping in her arms was giving off an extremely strong magical signal and he couldn't recall a magical child of that age being present in this area of Scotland. This little one was going to be a very powerful wizard one day.
"Some of today's youth..." Dumbledore let his words tail off, his eyes taking in the sight of the dark-haired child, thick dark lashes resting on flushed cheeks. He began again. "Some of today's youth have no consideration for others and decided to run rampant through your Christmas market."
"But it wasn't..." Caroline began indignantly. "The man that started doing...stuff," she continued awkwardly, "was older than I am." It had been hard enough to understand exactly what had been happening, let alone having to explain it to someone else without sounding stupid. Caroline's only explanation was that it was like magic.
And Jenny was somehow involved. Caroline caught Helen's anxious expression and knew that she too was remembering the floating toy.
"I will inform the police," Dumbledore said with a smile.
"Who are you?" asked Helen, staring suspiciously at the colourful robes Dumbledore was wearing. "You don't look like a policeman." She thought that he looked like something from a fantasy film.
"I'm not exactly a policeman but I am heavily involved in security matters as a sort of outside consultant. Everything is being dealt with. We will catch the perpetrators, don't you worry."
"It was like magic." Helen echoed her friend's words. "Like nothing I've ever seen before. It reminded me of special effects in films." Policeman or not, it was something of a relief to be able to describe the unsettling events that they had witnessed and the strangely garbed man exuded a calming energy that made her feel he understood what she was trying to say."
"Ah, yes, it might have resembled that," the wizard reassured Helen. His attention returned to the sleeping child cradled protectively in his mother's arms. "What is your baby's name?" he asked Caroline gently.
"He's not... Ow!" Caroline stopped speaking as Helen stomped none too gently on her foot. "He's not a baby," she muttered. "He's almost two and he's called Jamie."
"When he's a little older, he and I will meet again. Until that day, I'm afraid that you are not ready to know of the magical world." The old man gave a small wave of his hand murmuring "Obliviate" and the last few frightening hours just faded away.
Albus smiled and disillusioned himself before apparating away to the sound of a phone ringing.
"It's Jenny!" said Helen. "She got stuck in the chemist's when those yobs started throwing things around."
Caroline frowned. "Was that what happened?"
Helen listened to the voice on the other end. "Jenny's going to come across and meet us and collect Jamie...Okay, we'll start walking slowly...yes. You want to get home before it gets really dark." She put the phone back in her pocket. "I think she was frantic, if you ask me. She's very protective of that wee boy."
Caroline placed Jamie back into the pushchair. "Aww...look at him. He never even moved."
They walked past the fountain pushing the chair and watching for Jenny's slight figure. "There she is," said Helen.
Halfway down the street, someone else was carefully watching the small group with interest.
31