Author's Note: I don't own Harry Potter. JK Rowling does.

xxxx

Runes

After Madame Bell finished painting for the day, Inus went to his room, took his runes from his drawer and threw them. They didn't say, "You're dead." The message was too long for that. Inus didn't gather the runes to read them, but fled the room. A long message couldn't be good. He wanted to have his mum present.

After managing the stairs, which was getting a little easier, he found his mum in the kitchen. "I did my runes again. I would like you to help me read them."

"You told me that you remember," she said looking up at him. "You took runes in Hogwarts. Is something wrong?"

"My memories aren't perfect. I wanted you to confirm what the runes say," he explained. Alright, he wanted a witness comfirming that his runes has really changed and no longer said he was dead.

"Of course." After watching him hop up the stairs, using the crutches on one side and the banister on the other side as support, she said, "I could have carried you with a feather-weight charm."

"I rather do it myself." Inus smiled. "I appreciate the thought. Severus suggested levitating myself up the stairs. I manage stairs just dandy. I'll be a pro by September."

His mum nodded. "Let's look at your runes."

Inus, sitting beside his mum, started reading the runes. "Repair past mistakes."

"Are you doing that?" she asked.

"I'm trying. I wrote a letter to Petunia Dursley apologising for my part in her nephew's death and I went to Headmaster Dumbledore's office and told him that he could press charges against me since I remembered."

"And what did he do?"

Inus collected the runes and put them back in his bag. "He told me that I suffered enough, sending me to prison wouldn't help matters and gave me my job back."

"Sounds reasonable."

"He suggested I write the letter to Harry's aunt. I also apologised to Mrs. Flitwick for not remembering her. I've asked the gods to forgive me."

"You also need to forgive yourself."

Inus swallowed the saliva forming in his mouth. "That's harder."

"It is," agreed his mother. "You aren't living in the tower next year."

"I'm staying in the dungeon and my classroom is on the first floor. That is two flights every morning, but I can manage it."

"You managed more floors as a child."

"Some days I didn't manage." Inus reflected on the times that he went through the house parents' room to avoid the distance up or down the tower. Inus pulled himself to his feet putting most of his weight on his right foot then sat on the edge of the bed.

"I can bring your dinner to your room."

"I'll come down to eat." Inus smiled at his mum.

"Many times, our wrongs are little things like being impolite to a neighbour."

"I carried Lord Voldemort from Albania to England. That's a little bigger than forgetting to say thank you."

"You shouldn't forget the little things. A little kindness goes a long way."

"Thanks, Mum."

"I want to see Dad before returning to school. Are you going to live at Dumstrang if he's paroled?"

"I lived without him for so long. To go to a foreign country to live with a practical stranger."

"Mum, he needs you. I have my bloke and my friends."

"You're serious about Severus."

"He had the house elves alter his rooms so everything was accessible from a wheelchair. You should have seen the bath." Inus laughed. "I doubt Dad will want to meet him. He turned state evidence so he wouldn't be imprisoned with his fellow Death Eaters."

"That could be an issue."

"An issue? Crouch tried to kill us," Inus said. "Karkaroff has a major grudge against me. He enjoyed seeing me in a wheelchair. He was thinking that it was a shame that I didn't die or at least lose the limb."

"He spoke to the parole board and offered your father a situation."

"It wasn't for my benefit," Inus said. Karkaroff was thinking that since his father would be working in Germany, he wouldn't be able to travel to England without being arrested.

"I'm still glad that you spoke to Headmaster Karkaroff. It's good to see you conquering your fears."

"Mum, go to Germany. You'll make new friends there and Dad will teach you the language."

"I should. Son, if you need me, I'm an owl away."

"I should show Sibyll my runes because it didn't say I'm dead, meaning my destiny isn't set." Inus giggled.

"Son, we create our own destiny. Capturing Crouch, winning the Triwizard Tournament. Do you know how proud I am of you?"

Inus blushed. "Mum, you only tell me all the time."

"When Sirius said he was Harry Potter's guardian, I thought I lost my little boy forever."

"You're my mum. Nothing is going to change that."

Mrs. Quirrell walked to the door of the bedroom. "Do you know where Sibyll lives during the summer?"

"She lives at the castle all year long."

Mrs. Quirrell frowned. "Doesn't she have family?"

"I don't know. We went to two dances together, but we didn't talk much. When we do talk, it's about me. She's rather shy."