Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the intellectual property associated with Harry Potter.
Hi all,
Here's the next chapter. Charlus and Minerva track down their grandson and take him to safety.
All Patrons get access to chapters early.
Pokemon: Way of Life has four chapters ahead of fanfiction.
Harry Potter: A Mage's Path has six chapters ahead of fanfiction.
Harry Potter: The Artisan's Path has two chapters ahead of fanfiction.
If you want to become a patron, head over to Pat re on and add a /GamerFiction after the com.
Chapter 5
Charlus and Minerva approached the street where the junk shop was located according to Violet Rosier. As they were about to leave the apartment, he stopped as the thought that they might be heading for a trap occurred to him. Charlus, Violet and Minerva had a history between them from their Hogwarts days, and there was no love lost between the two women.
In the past, Violet pursued Charlus as a marriage partner. The two families had even discussed the possibility of creating a marriage contract between them. However, Charlus fell in love with Minerva the same year, and he wasn't interested in marrying anyone else. Violet was upset, and to vent her anger, she turned her wrath towards Minerva. She and a bunch of her friends tried to bully her, but she messed with the wrong girl. Minerva was already Dumbledore's apprentice, and her Transfiguration ability was already leagues above her peers. She sent the entire group of bullies to the hospital wing with some of their limbs transfigured into interesting animal parts.
Charlus thought Violet may still harbour a grudge against Minerva, but his wife had put that idea to bed. They had buried the hatchet long ago, and Violet was no longer the impetuous woman of her youth. Besides, why would she wait all this time to get revenge for something that happened so long ago?
Since neither of them had been in the neighbourhood before, they had to floo travel to a local magical shop and then walk a few kilometres to reach the street.
"Wait," Minerva said to Charlus.
"What is it?" Charlus said impatiently.
Minerva reached into her handbag and pulled out a cloak made of a fluid-like silky, silvery material. Charlus recognised it instantly as the Potter family's invisibility cloak.
"Do you always keep it with you?" Charlus raised an eyebrow.
"Yes," Minerva sniffed. "It has some of my fondest memories associated with it."
"Good times," Charlus smirked.
Minerva handed him the cloak, ignoring his comment. "I was thinking about storing it in the family vault, as Dumbledore has been pestering me for quite some time to let him study it for himself."
"The old goat fucker," Charlus growled. "He still hasn't got over his obsession with the Deathly Hallows."
Minerva nodded, "In any case, I grabbed it because you need to hide yourself. The spell you are using to disguise your real identity will not work as effectively as the cloak."
Charlus wrapped the cloak around him and raised the hood over his head, and he vanished from sight. While it wouldn't work against Dumbledore if they encountered him, it would fool most witches and wizards.
"You need to scope the place out first, just in case Dumbledore arrived before us. If he hasn't already caught Harry, he may have the place watched. Either that or there is always the possibility that you are right and Violet is trying to lead me into a trap."
"That's a good point," Charlus said. "Alright, wait here."
He cast a silencing charm on himself before heading down the street. As soon as he spotted the junk shop, he decided not to approach it. Instead, he turned his attention to finding potential lookouts. He expected it would take some time to find any, but it actually turned out to be laughably easy. On the other side of the road from the junk shop was a small parking lot that had been abandoned. Nature had already begun to reclaim the land for itself.
Charlus approached silently and spotted someone immediately. An unkempt man snored away under a bush with an empty alcohol bottle beside him. He was partially concealed by an invisible cloak, which must have slipped off when the man fell asleep. Definitely a violation of the Statute of Secrecy. Charlus cast a sleeping charm on him so he wouldn't wake up anytime soon and searched him quickly. The man had a wand secured in a holster on his arm, so he was definitely a wizard. Covering the man back up, he left him there for the moment.
Unfortunately, it looked like Dumbledore arrived here before them. However, since he was using a lookout, he hadn't found Harry yet. Retreating back to the end of the street, he cancelled the silencing charm and made some noise to avoid startling his wife.
"Did you find anyone?" Minerva asked quietly.
"Yes," Charlus said. "He was not a very effective lookout. He drank himself into a stupor, so I encouraged him to sleep longer. Come and see if you recognise him."
"I think I know who you are talking about," Minerva said as she followed him down the street and into the parking lot. As soon as Charlus removed the invisibility cloak from the man, she hissed.
"That's Mundungus Fletcher," Minerva said angrily. "He is a thief and a member of the Order of the Phoenix. Dumbledore uses him as a spy to gather information on criminal elements in the magical world."
"So, it's confirmed," Charlus said with a nod. "Harry must live here. Come on, let's get inside and search for him."
Crossing the street, they looked at the run-down brick building in front of them. In the front yard, there was a lot of junk, mostly old car parts and appliances that looked like they had been accumulating for years. In addition, the windows were caked with dust, and the lettering on the shop sign was incomplete, as some had faded beyond recognition. It was not a place that showed a lot of care for its image. However, in rough neighbourhoods like this, these kinds of businesses were very common.
"Is this the place?" Minerva peered through the window, but the building was shrouded in darkness.
"Yes," Charlus said, looking around before summoning his wand. He cast some detection charms on the door before entering. There was one alert ward, so he removed it before opening the door. Surprisingly, the door was unlocked. Maybe Dumbledore left it like that in case Harry returned. He stepped inside with Minerva following behind him.
Their eyes caught sight of an armoire in the middle of the floor. It looked like someone had been living there, and they appeared to be dismantling stuff, judging by the mess. The floor was covered with piles of materials and stripped-down objects.
After a quick search of the shop, they stepped behind the counter and through the doorway. They immediately spotted a blanket on the ground, where it looked like someone had been sleeping.
Minerva searched the kitchen area and found the cupboards and fridge stocked with food. Charlus looked briefly into the bathroom, but there was nothing there.
They met in the middle of the room and looked around in frustration.
"There is nothing here to clue us into his current whereabouts," Charlus said. "He must have been scared of Dumbledore and left in a hurry."
"I have an idea," Minerva said before shifting into her Animagus form. The cat began sniffing around the area, looking for her grandson's scent. While cats weren't as good as dogs at tracking people, they were still far superior to humans.
Charlus watched as the cat paused as if she had found something. She padded into the bathroom and sniffed around. Half a minute later, she retreated out of the bathroom and shifted back into her human form.
"Charlus," Minerva said excitedly. "I could smell a boy's scent all over the place, but that's not the most important part."
"What is it?" Charlus asked. His wife looked the most animated she had ever been since they had reunited a few days ago.
"Somehow the boy has already become an Animagus," Minerva said. "I don't know what it is, maybe some kind of primate. But it explains why he got away so easily. His scent trail leads me to believe he jumped through the bathroom window. I imagine he is a small Animagus like me."
"Really?" Charlus breathed. "Can you follow his scent from the outside?"
"Maybe," she replied. "The trail is not old, so it must have happened a few hours ago at most."
"Then what are we waiting for?" Charlus said, marching towards the back door. He unlocked it with a wave of his wand after removing another alert ward. They stepped outside and Minerva shifted back into a cat and searched the surroundings.
Minerva led him down the alley and onto another street. In front of them, there was a culvert that ran parallel to the street. Minerva sniffed around the area for a while before leading him down into the concrete expanse. It seemed like Harry noticed the culvert in his rush and decided it was the best option to escape. The culvert was not the cleanest of places, as it looked like it was used as a dumping ground for people's trash. It would be a dirty job searching for a small animal in this mess.
Harry, in his Animagus form, peered out from under a pile of rusty corrugated iron sheets. After escaping through the alleyway, he spotted the culvert and determined it was the right direction to head in. He gained some distance and when he felt safe enough to stop, he huddled under the iron and watched for any pursuers.
Looking down for the first time, Harry noticed that he had somehow become invisible. He waved his arm around in front of his face, but nothing was in sight. The experience was surreal. It was as if he was experiencing phantom sensations from a limb that had been severed. Could this be a side effect of his transformation into an animal? In light of his current situation, the ability seemed really useful, but he hoped he would not be stuck like this forever. Speaking of being stuck, how did he return to his human form? He might have been too hasty in drinking the Animagus potion if he hadn't taken that issue into consideration.
Although the animal seemed to have another ability that alerted him to danger heading his way, so he couldn't say it was a mistake per se. If he had stayed in the junk shop, he would have been captured by the old wizard. He didn't know what the vision was about. However, the feeling of danger was so overwhelming that he did not doubt for a second that the old man would have shown up shortly after. Considering the words the man had said in his vision, it was likely that it was Dumbledore who was responsible for putting him in the orphanage.
For the next couple of hours, Harry kept an eye out for pursuers. When nobody showed up, he relaxed slightly, and his invisibility disappeared, revealing his form again. How did he do that?
Ten minutes later, just as he was about to head out, a meow caught his attention. Tensed, he peered out and came face to face with a tabby cat, who bumped his head with her own. Curious, he poked his head out further, but that was a mistake. Before Harry could react, someone grabbed his neck and lifted him out from under the iron. Squealing, he squirmed, trying to escape the invisible grip that held him.
"Harry, relax," a man said, and a floating head appeared out of nowhere. "I'm not here to hurt you. My name is Charlus Potter, your grandfather."
Harry stopped squirming and stared at the man suspiciously. Had he heard that right? Wasn't his grandfather dead? Out of the corner of his eye, he witnessed the cat transforming into a woman. Was she an Animagus as well?
"Hello, Harry," the woman spoke. "My name is Minerva McGonagall. I am your grandmother."
Harry turned his head and stared at the woman incredulously. This couldn't be real, right?
"It is surprising that you already have an Animagus form, and that it is a magical creature. But it is incredibly dangerous to do it on your own. I bet you cannot shift back into a human?"
Harry nodded his head, his golden eyes watching her closely. His grandfather placed him on the ground and held him as Minerva pointed a wand at him. Before he could panic, she spoke again.
"Relax," Minerva soothed. "I am just casting the Animagus Reversal Spell on you to turn you back into a human. It won't hurt at all."
A blue light emerged from her wand and struck Harry. Immediately, he could feel his body shifting and growing, but there was no pain like when he changed for the first time. His grandfather let him go, and his human head emerged, followed by his limbs and torso. Within no time at all, he was back in his real body, sprawled on the ground and staring up at his grandparents. Sitting up and patting himself down, he checked for any abnormalities on his body.
Charlus had removed the invisibility cloak, and Harry focused on him first. He pointed at the man accusingly. "You are supposed to be dead."
"Rumors of my demise were greatly exaggerated," Charlus said dryly. "Although I was indisposed until I woke up a few days ago."
"How did you find me? Was it Violet?" Harry asked, and they nodded.
Harry stiffened as Minerva crouched down and hugged him tightly. How was he supposed to react? As he was squeezed tightly, he noticed the scent of perfume on her body, something that smelled like lavender. It took him a short while to realise that she was crying as he felt wetness dripping down his neck and soaking his shirt. He looked at his grandfather helplessly, who shrugged and muttered that sounded something like 'man up'. Harry glared at the man but didn't move from the spot. Eventually, she let him go and pulled out a handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes.
"So, what now?" Harry asked, standing up and looking around.
"We need to get out of here," Charlus said. "Dumbledore has someone watching the shop. It is not safe to return there."
"Hey, my stuff is still there," Harry protested.
"You mean all of your arts and crafts?" Charlus asked with a frown.
His arms crossed and he glared at the man. "They are of importance to me. I'm not leaving them behind."
"Perhaps I can take him home while you collect his belongings," Minerva suggested.
"I suppose so," Charlus sighed, before brightening. "Besides, there is still that Dungus fella I need to talk to, to see if he knows anything."
"Mundungus," Minerva corrected, looking at her husband in concern. "I hope you are not going to torture him?"
"If need be," Charlus said with a hardened expression. "I suspect it won't take much for him to talk. He looks like a squirrely fellow."
Harry watched the interaction with interest. His grandfather, who had an old soldier's uniform on, looked like he had stepped out of a movie set based on World War Two. In spite of the fact that he appeared eccentric, this did not mean that he was not capable. In fact, there was a dangerous aura about him, like he was a leashed tiger who was one moment away from tearing your throat out.
"Grab my arm, Harry," Minerva said.
He reached out and gripped her arm, looking at her questionably.
"I'm taking you home with something called Apparation," Minerva said. "It is a form of magical travel that transports you from one location to another. Although, it can feel overwhelming with your first time, especially since I am taking you through Side-Apparation."
"Okay," Harry said dumbly, not understanding anything she said.
Minerva twisted and Harry almost screamed when he felt the sensation of being squeezed through a tube. It stopped almost immediately, and he landed on a solid surface, collapsing to the ground. He rose on all fours, feeling the urge to vomit, but suppressed it.
"Sorry," Minerva rubbed his back gently. "It is an easy sensation to explain properly. You just have to experience it yourself."
Harry stood with unsteady legs and said, "Apparation is stupid, we should be able to find an easier way to travel."
"There are other methods," Minerva smirked. "However, they are not much better, and Apparation is the quickest way of getting around."
Harry looked around. He was in a living room with a distinctive Victorian style. The walls were painted in a golden, almost bronze-like colour, and the bare wood floors were stained in dark walnut. The furniture was large, intricate, and heavy looking. They were built out of mahogany wood with intricate carvings of various animals and were dressed in velvet fabric upholstery. The place was certainly beautiful to look at, but it also made him feel uncomfortable as if he was too uncouth to be in such a luxurious place.
Harry sat in one of the high-back chairs and stared at his grandmother. Where did they go from here? Watching her as she sat down, he made some initial impressions of her.
There is no doubt that his grandmother was Scottish, as is evident by the fact that she wore a tartan skirt and she spoke with a distinctive accent. She seemed to be in her early fifties, although she must be older, knowing that wizards and witches lived longer than ordinary people. A pair of spectacles were affixed to her face, and her hair was tightly tucked into a bun. As far as he could tell, his grandmother was strict but caring. Her attention had not strayed from his face since he met her, and it made him feel awkward. To distract himself from that feeling, he looked for a topic of conversation.
"You said I was a magical Animagus? What kind?" Harry asked.
"You are a Demiguise. Frankly, I am amazed that you can turn into a magical Animagus. To the best of my knowledge, no witch or wizard has ever had the ability to assume a magical form before. Also, you couldn't have picked a more useful animal. The Demiguise has two abilities that make it very special. The first thing it can do is turn itself invisible because its hair is endowed with a special property. The second ability is even more useful. It has been said that these creatures have precognition, or the ability to predict something that will happen in the near future, which is why they tend to be elusive and difficult to capture."
"Is that what happened?" Harry said. "Just before I escaped from the shop, I had a vision of an old man coming through the front door and capturing me with some sort of spell. It scared me so much that I ran away without questioning it."
"Really?" Minerva clasped her hands together in surprise. "Would you be able to describe his appearance to me? Did he say anything to you?"
Harry recalled all he had seen and heard in the vision, and Minerva muttered something under her breath. He figured it wasn't a word worth repeating.
"That was Dumbledore. I don't know what he was thinking. Has he always been this way, hiding his true nature from everyone or is this just a recent development? How could I have missed it?"
Seeing that Minerva was drifting off in contemplation, he decided to let her be for now. It gave him time to ponder his own future, and what it holds for him. How could he have a future with an evil old man after him? Would he be able to attend Hogwarts if Dumbledore was still Headmaster? Since Violet first mentioned the school, he was excited to attend and learn all kinds of magic.
At least he had the Source if that avenue was closed off to him. With the help of the book, he could look forward to a bright future. He even developed the ability to transform into a magical animal. Since the book seemed to be primarily focused on crafting skills, he was quite surprised that it gave him such an ability. Would he get more in the future?
"How did you become an Animagus?" Minerva asked, breaking him out of his thoughts. "Is that something Mrs Rosier taught you?"
"Violet?" Harry blinked. "No, we didn't spend enough time together for her to teach me magic. She only gave me the basic rundown on the magical world."
"I see. How did you manage it?"
Harry took a moment to consider his response. It had not occurred to him to tell them about his ability yet, or if he should tell them about it at all. Despite the existence of magic, the Source seemed like such an impossible thing that should not exist. Therefore, if they knew about it, they might treat him differently. In light of the fact that they had just met, and that a tentative relationship was forming between them, he did not want to ruin it.
"I don't know," Harry said. "I could not sleep last night, so I took a nap during the day. When I woke up, I had already changed into a Demiguise. Before I had even had a chance to consider the matter, I saw the vision that made me run away from the shop."
"A natural Animagus," Minerva leaned forward with interest. "They are incredibly rare. Normally, it is a discipline that takes years of practice to master, but there are some individuals who can spontaneously acquire the ability."
Harry was about to reply when his grandfather appeared, startling him. Charlus had a grim expression on his face, and he sat heavily in a chair opposite him.
"What happened?" Minerva demanded.
"Well, he proved surprisingly uncooperative," Charlus sighed. "It meant that I had to resort to some unpleasant methods in order to find any information. Unfortunately, he didn't know anything of importance. He was told to watch the place and inform Dumbledore if any kids entered the shop."
"It's no surprise," Minerva sniffed. "Dumbledore has always been secretive. During the war, he kept a lot of things to himself, even to our own detriment."
"Where are my things?" Harry asked, seeing that his grandfather had nothing on him.
"I shrank them down and put them in my pockets," Charlus replied before wrinkling his nose and turning to his wife. "Love, are you planning to have the boy clean up? He stinks."
"Hey," Harry protested. "I am sitting right here, you know. It's not like I have been living in the lap of luxury. Why don't you travel back in time and return the soldier's uniform, you old fossil."
Charlus glared at his grandson, causing Minerva to laugh softly. They turned in unison with the same outraged expression, which caused her to laugh even harder.
"Are you okay, love?" Charlus asked.
"It's striking how similar you two look right now," Minerva said before composing herself. "Harry, there is a bath and a shower that you can use. Just leave your clothes by the door and I will clean and transfigure them into something more suitable for you to wear. It will have to do until I can purchase you some new clothes."
"I got some money," Harry said. "I don't need handouts."
"Nonsense," Charlus said gruffly. "You are our grandson. Providing you with clothes is the least we can do. Now, go clean up. I need to talk to your grandmother alone."
Harry almost resisted the order, not used to being ordered around. Then he looked at his grandmother and decided to follow along for the time being. He entered the hallway and began searching for the bathroom.
Back in the living room, Charlus watched him go with an unsettled expression. "He is just like James. I get the feeling he will only listen to you, and completely ignore me."
"You're speaking nonsense," Minerva replied bluntly. "You have only just met the boy. I suspect he resists anything you say because you word it like a command. Harry seems very independent, and I suspect it is due to how he was raised. He will not let anyone take control of his life so easily. Especially in light of what Dumbledore did to him."
"You're probably right," Charlus sighed. "He is nearly thirteen after all. I can't believe I've missed so much. James is probably rolling around in his grave, knowing I am now looking after his son."
"To be fair," Minerva stood up and approached him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You were not the only one responsible for your strained relationship. Dumbledore insinuated his large crooked nose into his life to undermine your relationship. When we thought you had died, James seemed to undergo a transformation. He seemed more considerate and measured. Part of the reason is Lily's influence on him and his own natural maturation. Now I look back, it may also have been in part because he lost the family magic."
"James never said anything?" Charlus asked incredulously. "He must have experienced the same pain as I did when family magic was ripped away from me."
"No," Minerva squeezed his shoulder. "He must have known what had happened, but he didn't say anything."
There was a period of silence as they were lost in their own thoughts. Charlus once again felt the weight of his choices weigh heavily on him. At least not all was lost, and their grandson was alive. He was determined to do better with him than he did with his son.
"So, where do we go from here?" Minerva asked, sitting back down. "We cannot stay here forever."
"Especially with Harry's fascination with building things," Charlus smiled wryly. "We need a place with more space. I don't think we should look at any of the other Potter properties. Dumbledore may know about them."
"Then we will purchase another house in the Muggle world," Minerva said.
"Do you want Harry to attend another school?" Charlus asked.
"We have to consider the possibility as long as Dumbledore remains Headmaster of Hogwarts."
"Then we need to find a way of removing him," Charlus said firmly. "I am not willing to flee with my tail tucked between my legs. The Potters have attended Hogwarts ever since they first arrived on these shores almost a millenia ago."
"How are you going to achieve that?" Minerva asked sceptically. "Dumbledore is very entrenched in his position. He will not be removed easily."
"I need allies," Charlus stood up. "But not with the Light families. They have proven to be stupendously disloyal and sheep-like in their worship of Dumbledore. No, we will find the most appropriate place to position our family in the Grey faction."
"You speak as if that would be easy. Which family are you planning to approach first?"
"The Greengrass family. I have to return Isiah's body to them, explain what happened, and see if we can forge an alliance," Charlus said before an idea occurred to him. "Do they have daughters?"
"I know what you are thinking," Minerva stood up and poked him in the chest. "It just so happens that they have two daughters, one of Harry's age. But if you ever lock him into a marriage contract without his consent, I will transfigure you so your insides are on the outside. Then I will string you up somewhere so vultures can pick your body clean until there is nothing left. Do I make myself clear?"
"Crystal," Charlus nodded, before emptying his pockets of Harry's possessions. "Make sure that kid doesn't get into mischief while I am away. Something tells me he is going to be more of a handful than James."
"Indeed," Minerva smiled. "I'm getting too old for this. But I wouldn't have it any other way."
Later that evening, Harry settled into his bed in the spare bedroom. He felt better after taking a shower and eating a proper meal. His grandmother had given him some books to read that would give him a broader understanding of magic. Unfortunately, there wasn't anything on Ancient Runes, the subject he was most interested in. Another subject he liked was Transfiguration, but for a very specific reason.
Since he didn't have access to many tools that would make crafting easier, he thought that transfiguring his own tools sounded very useful. If his grandmother ever heard his reasoning, she would probably smack him, considering she was the Transfiguration teacher at Hogwarts.
When he asked for his own wand, she said he would have to wait until his thirteenth birthday, since kids were not allowed wands until then, which he felt was massively unfair.
Some of his junk shop items were scattered on the floor. He asked his grandmother to unshrink them, but she limited him to only the items he would use since there wasn't much space. It seemed like Charlus had taken the entire shop's contents instead of bothering to sort through them. He hoped Lewis wouldn't return anytime soon thinking Harry had robbed him.
Harry padded to the door and engaged the lock before settling back into bed and summoning the book. He checked on his progress and grimaced at the experience he needed to reach level six. The reward was a Runic language book, which is exactly what he needed to get started on Ancient Runes. This branch of magic's possibilities seemed endless, and it fit his interests to a tee.
Harry decided to continue levelling his Calligraphy skill for now. He took out the quill, ink and parchment from his inventory. Half an hour later, he heard a knock on the door, and Harry scrambled off the bed to open it. Standing outside were his grandparents.
"Harry, you will stay with a friend of ours tomorrow while we look for a property to purchase. Something with more space than this apartment. Is there anything you want specifically?"
Harry hesitated for a moment. While they were his grandparents, he didn't want to demand something excessive.
His grandmother seemed to understand what he felt. "Harry, the Potter family is very wealthy, even after taking a huge financial hit during the last war. So even if you ask for a theme park in the backyard, we could easily accommodate you. Tell us what you want."
"I would like my own workshop," Harry said after a moment of thought. "But I want to construct the building myself, so I would need building materials and tools to do it."
He may as well construct the building himself. Just think of the experience he would receive from it.
"Then we will do that," Charlus said firmly. "Get some sleep because tomorrow will be a busy day."
So, what do you think? Next chapter, Harry meets the Greengrass family.
Thanks for reading.