The Londontown Bounce

Author's Note: Sorry about missing last Thursday. Life got in the way and I was far too busy to do an update. On a nicer note, I'll be going on holiday soon, though that means it will be a couple of weeks before my next update.

BOY-WHO-LIVED, VANISHED!

"You know," Melissa contemplated over some toast, "this is somehow less worrying than yesterday's article."

Harry peered curiously at the headline. "What does it say?"

Melissa skimmed over the article, catching the important bits of information. "Well, your aunt and uncle have been arrested on suspicion of neglect and abuse, aurors are at Privet Drive collecting evidence; oh, and apparently death eaters kidnapped you five days ago."

Despite the situation, Harry gave her a cheeky smile. "I mean, I did get taken away by a Slytherin. That has to count for something, right?"

"Oh, hush, you!" Melissa knocked her foot against his leg.

They sat in silence for another two bites. "So what will happen to my aunt and uncle, now?"

"Well, if this is anything to go by, they'll have to defend themselves in court." Melissa explained as she continued to skim the article. "It says here that, once that's done, they'll go straight into…

"into...

"...

"...

"ARE THEY FUCKING SERIOUS?"

Friday. The court dates were both set to Friday. As in tomorrow, Friday. As in Way Too Fucking Early to be Having a Court Date, Friday. What were they thinking? Scratch that, they clearly aren't thinking at all! This is… moronic. Insane. Only a step above what Sirius had to deal with because they're at least getting some kind of court hearing at all. But, seriously, Friday? Who has time to get everything ready for a custody hearing in only a day?"

"Dear, you're thinking out loud, again." Her mother chided from the driver's seat.

As soon as they had heard the news, the three of them had piled into the car and sped off across the city in search of 12 Grimmauld Place.

Concerned as they all were, Melissa was down right fuming. "Ugh! I can't help it! It's so stupid! You agree, right, Harry?"

She turned to Harry. The boy seemed to be lost in thought and looking unusually pale. "Harry?"

The second call broke him out of it. "Sorry. What were you saying?"

Melissa gave an exasperated sigh. "Just pointing out how stupid this is and we don't have time to be ready for court."

"Oh, right." Harry blinked. "It's a lot sooner than I had hoped."

"Don't worry, you two." Mary assured. "I know this seems sudden, but the six of us have been looking into your adoption for some time now. I'm sure it will all be alright."

Both children seemed unsure of that claim, but neither had much to say in response. They spent the next few minutes in silence. Creeping fears in their minds.

"So…" Harry seemed at a loss of words, only to nudge his foot against Melissa's bag. "I guess you'll be spending the day going through all of this, right?

Melissa looked down at the bag. Half-filled with a lock box, the other half filled with letters she had received this morning from classmates who had not attended her birthday.

"Nope. That's a landmine I don't plan on dealing with unless I have absolutely nothing to do." She turned to look out the window.

"Might be something important..." Harry attempted to encourage.

"Heh. Doubtful." Melissa muttered. "If anything it will be the same as Corin and Adrian's letters."

"Probably. But it's not like you have to answer them all today. Just see what they have to say."

Melissa pouted as she considered his reasoning. "Ugh, fine. But you're helping me go through it, and only if we have nothing else to do!"

The idea of nothing else to do didn't happen for a long time. First, there came Grimmauld Place. When they arrived, Sirius and Salvatore had been waiting for them. Apparently they had apparated to the Bennett home, earlier, only to find it empty aside from a quick note stating "Seeing Padfoot". Unfortunately, they didn't even have time to step into the old Black home. After a quick confirmation of identities, there came an agreement that Mary would return home and gather the muggle troops, so to speak, while the other two would host the children through some preparations for the trial.

Which, for them, meant a trip to St. Mungos.

"I don't see how a hospital is meant to help." Harry argued nervously. He sat in the lobby with Salvatore and Melissa, fidgeting nervously, while Sirius was out talking with one of the staff. Melissa couldn't quite understand his confusion, though perhaps the occasional glance and whispers from strangers was making him nervous?

"It's not a bad idea." Melissa assured in a hushed tone. "I mean, all things considered, it could make a big difference as evidence."

Harry made a grunting noise that she couldn't determine if it was an assent or disagreement. He just seemed to be jittering his knee even stronger now.

"Harry?" She put a hand on his shoulder, only for him to nearly jump out of his skin.

"What?" He shouted harshly.

Melissa flinched back, surprised by the outburst. "Harry…" She hesitated. "If you're nervous, we can talk about it, you know?"

Despite the offer, Harry shrunk back in guilt. "It's nothing." He tried to assure her. "It's just… I'm not comfortable in hospitals. That's all."

That admission seemed odd to the young witch. Why would Harry not like being in a hospital? It's not like he's ever been to one. Well, aside from when Vernon had… "Oh." She blinked dumbly. "Sorry, I didn't think about that."

"It's alright." He answered dismissively. "It's nothing. I'll get over it."

"...Right." She leaned back into her seat, trying to wrap her mind around the unusual reaction from her friend.

Shortly after, Sirius walked back to the little group. "Alright, the healer is ready to see us. It's just down the hall on the left." He went over to put a hand on Harry's shoulder, only for the boy to jump out and head down the hall before he could say anything else. Sirius looked to the other two, bewildered; but they, too, seemed lost at the boy's aloof behaviour.

The healer they saw, Hitchin was her name, was a taut middle-aged woman with greying, strawberry blonde hair. Her demeanour through the entire physical exam seemed to welcome the greys, in Melissa's mind, than any sense of strawberry cheer.

"A history of bruises, malnutrition, a badly healed cracked rib, a broken arm, atrocious vision; honestly, boy, I see what the aurors are in a hullabaloo about." The woman chastised. Harry seemed bashful about the entire ordeal. Even Melissa wanted to shrink under her penetrating gaze.

"Though you see, now, why we needed to see you." Sirius diverted. "And why we need you to sign that form."

The woman seemed to half glare at Sirius, then flashed her eyes across Harry's figure. "Yes, I do." The woman huffed a sigh and gave the boy a considerate look. "You realize you are safe under healer-patient confidentiality. You don't have to sign that form if you don't want to."

Harry's eyes flicked from the healer's, to Sirius, then to Melissa -as Salvatore was outside guarding the door- and each offered an encouraging nod. "I still should. If you tell everyone at the hearing it will help, right?"

The woman gave a curt nod. "Yes. With everything I've seen today, I can't see any reason why a judge would keep you with your guardians."

Harry nodded in turn. "Then I'm fine with signing the form."

"Well, glad that's settled then." Sirius rose from his seat, breaking into a grin. "Now it's a shoe-in that you'll be out of there!" He gave Harry a celebratory clap on the shoulder. Harry, in turn, flinched hard at that.

"Um, right." The boy answered.

There was an awkward pause in the room, and the healer eyed the three occupants appraisingly. "Mister Black, before I sign, I would like a word in private with Mister Potter."

The request threw Sirius off. Even Melissa felt a small mix of confusion about it. "Oh, alright." He shrugged. "Come on, Bennett. We'll see you outside, pup. Give us a shout if you need anything."

Harry nodded in affirmation. Then Sirius and Melissa took their leave of the healer's office.

It was another few minutes before Harry left the room. His brow stitched together in thought, but seemed otherwise the same as he had been the rest of that morning.

"Everything alright, Harry?"

The boy's expression changed into something more relaxed. "Oh, I'm alright. She just wanted to ask me some more questions. I have the form right here." He offered the paper to Sirius and walked on. The other three gave each other curious glances, but dropped the matter as they moved on to the next appointment.

After lunch, the rest of the workday afternoon was spent at a law wizard office. There, the wizard group met up with John, who had hastily cleared his schedule to make it to this appointment, and Sirius' law wizard, Edward Tonks.

Melissa didn't have much to go on with Edward Tonks. His name was familiar, for sure. He's the father of Nymphadora Tonks, future auror and lifelong metamorphmagus. She was also vaguely aware that he was a relative of Sirius' through his wife, though the former Black wasn't there to make a comparison. Mister Tonks, though, didn't hold any noble Black features. With brown hair, medium build, and average height, he seemed like any average looking bloke. That said, the man was kind upon meeting them, and possessed a charismatic intelligence that reminded Melissa very much of her uncle.

After an initial gathering of information and description of the court time, Melissa and Harry didn't spend much time with the adults. They had been shifted off to a private sitting room. This allowed the adults to go for a plan of action. The children, meanwhile, end up going through Melissa's letters.

"Well this is dull." Melissa sighed. She tossed aside a letter from a Gryffindor girl whose name she barely recognized, let alone was willing to tolerate her strange accusations that she was 'slythering up to the Boy-Who-Lived'. Honestly, some people are just ridiculous.

Harry didn't bother responding to the complaint. He was reading the letter from Egalitaire with mild interest. He passed off the letter with a shrug. "She seems nice. Asked if I was alright instead wanting you to introduce me."

"I'm not surprised." Melissa shrugged. "She's really good at diplomacy and all that."

"Mmm."

They read through another stack set of letters in silence.

"I've been thinking." Harry considered in a hushed tone. "Maybe we can convince the court to let me stay at your house?"

Melissa looked up from the letter and fixed him with a confused look. Harry bit his lip but kept eye contact. "We have those wards up now. That ought to make a difference, right?"

"I suppose. ...but don't you want to move in with Sirius?"

Harry faltered for a moment. "Well… sure, but I like your house. And Sirius' flat isn't ready yet. Maybe I could stay with you until Hogwarts and move in afterwards?"

"Uh… I suppose?" Honestly, she had no idea at all if that would work in court. It didn't make much sense, to be honest. "Though saying that in the hearing probably wouldn't go well. Maybe we can arrange it for after?"

"Oh." Harry looked disappointed at the idea. "I suppose we can. I don't know if Sirius will like that, though." He turned back to the pile to open up another letter.

"Well he did just spend the last ten years in prison. He'll want that time to catch up with you before Hogwarts."

Harry nodded lightly, but didn't meet her eye. "Right. I guess that's a good point." They sat in silence a moment longer before Harry spoke up again. "Hey, Melly?"

"Yeah, Harry?"

"What are the Malfoys like?"

The question had her breaking out of her half-distracted thoughts. She looked at him with confusion, though Harry still wasn't looking at her. His eyes were remaining on the next letter.

"Um… Well, they're rich purebloods who think muggleborns and half bloods like us shouldn't exist."

Harry pursed his lips at that answer. He turned his letter sideways towards her. "If that's true, why would they want to adopt me?"

"WHAT?" She snatched the letter out of his hand, and looked over the elegant script with a coming sense of dread.

Dear Melissa,

By this time I am sure you are aware of this morning's Prophet. What you may not know, though it may be announced in tomorrow's paper, is that there will be a trial for Harry Potter on Friday. I don't know how close you are to the Boy-Who-Lived, but you should know that my father was visited by Lucius Malfoy today. He plans to adopt Potter as his ward and is currying favour to those who will vote on the case. Knowing their recent history, I am sure you will agree that this is a worrying proposition. If you have any knowledge on the matter that can sway my father, please write back as soon as possible.

Best regards,

Garrick Orpington

"That sneaking, slimy son of a bitch!" Sirius cursed under his breath. He threw the letter on Mister Tonks' desk with a snarl. "How dare he try to take Harry! He's a Death Eater! He has no right!"

"A Death Eater with a convenient cover story." Mister Tonks corrected. "Right after You-Know-Who's death he claimed he had been imperiused."

Sirius scoffed at that. "Oh, sure, that's believable!"

"Whether you believe it or not, it doesn't change the fact that he's been excused for his crimes during the war. Coupled with his wealth and Narcissa's blood connection, they could make a reasonable case to the court."

"I still don't see why they would want to adopt me." Harry stressed. The adults looked to him, unsure of how to answer. Nevertheless, Harry continued. "If they don't like half bloods, it doesn't make sense that they would want to adopt me."

"It's politics." Melissa groaned. Harry looked at her in confusion over that answer. "You're famous. The Boy-Who-Lived. They'll try to influence you to be like them; or, if some death eaters want revenge they'll use you as a bargaining chip."

"I doubt they would actually try to kill him, Melissa." John stressed, reasonably uncomfortable at how his niece was addressing the situation to the ten year old.

The girl merely shrugged. "It's the truth. He deserves to know that."

"Anyways," Mister Tonks segued, "what matters is that we know what to expect now, and we may already have a member of the Wizengamot on our side at the hearing. I can write a letter to Lord Orpington through his son and convince him to vote in our favour. Sirius, I'm sure you can use the Black name to your advantage and reach out to other members of the court. Perhaps even your grandfather can be of some help?"

Sirius grimaced at the thought. "Doubtful. But I suppose it's better than nothing."

"Excellent. Harry, Melissa, thank you for letting us know about Lucius Malfoy. Don't worry, we'll make sure Sirius wins the case."