Chapter 5:
Harry sat in the meeting room with the other aurors. One of their own had been spying on the muggle military and had gathered disturbing information. The muggles were planning an attack on Hogwarts. Unfortunately, the spy had yet to gain knowledge on the when and how, but the warning gave them time to prepare for any attack. They also could assume that the muggle Prime Minister was trying to attack before the upcoming election.
Harry listened as the positions they would take and the rotation that would be set. The head auror, Agnes Flint, called out names and their given positions. Harry's head snapped up as he heard his name.
"Potter, Blackwell and Pointant, you three will rotate from the Astronomy Tower." Remus' face flashed before Harry. The Astronomy tower was where Remus and Tonks had been killed during the Battle of Hogwarts. Agnes continued with the assignments, not noticing the turmoil rising in Harry.
"No." Harry shook his head, not fully realizing he had spoken out loud. Harry shook his head again, trying to shake away the image of Remus lying dead on the floor.
"No?" Agnes said, facing Harry, who snapped his head up. Harry gapped like a fish out of water.
"I'll switch with Potter." Harry turned to see Michael Savage speak with his hand in the air. Harry was grateful as Agnes nodded and continued.
"Savage, Blackwell and Pointant on Astronomy Tower. Potter, Weasley and Goldstein at the Entrance Tower." By the end of the meeting, Harry, Ron and Andy Goldstein had created their rotation schedule. As the aurors left for the day, Harry walked towards Michael. Michael was finishing packing his bag when Harry approached.
"What's up Potter?"
"Thank you for switching." Michael nodded as he swung his bag on his shoulder.
"No worries…If I ever get stationed in the courtyard, will you switch with me?" Harry nodded, before the two made their way out. Michael was a few years older than Harry so the two didn't see much of each other at Hogwarts. Harry did know Michael's younger brother, Ethan and knew the two had a younger brother, but he could not remember the name. Harry did know that Michael and Ethan had fought at the Battle of Hogwarts and with the younger brother being in fifth year, it was possible he had too. Perhaps Michael understood Harry's feelings. Perhaps he didn't want to be stationed in the courtyard, because that's where his youngest brother had died. Harry knew he could always look it up, but he had a feeling the information would not make him feel any better. For now, he was relieved that he could continue to avoid the Astronomy Tower.
After a long day at work, Harry wasn't greeted the way any father hoped for as he flooed to his new family home, Grimmauld Place. Instead, he was greeted with the screeching of Walburga Black's portrait.
"How dare you! You filthy blood traitor!" Harry turned to the portrait and couldn't help but smile. His wife, was banging the portrait with a house broom.
"Shut up!"
"Filthy Weasley!"
"Potter!" Ginny lifted the house broom and slammed it across Walburga's portrait.
"Blood traitors the lot of you! Euphemia Fawley married a blood traitor and made children of filth!" Harry took out his wand and flicked the curtains around the portrait close. Unfortunately, for some unknown reason, the curtains would only close for him. He and Ginny wondered if it was because his name was solely on the deed of the house, but had yet to test the theory. Until now, it had never been an issue and the two had forgotten about the deed.
"Hi." Ginny turned to face Harry. She stood, broom in hand as if she was about to take flight into one of her Quidditch matches. Since Albus' birth she had taken time off, and always planned to return once he turned five months.
"Rough day?" Ginny placed the broom against the wall, before turning towards the kitchen.
"I need a firewhiskey." Harry chuckled as Ginny let the door swing behind her. Harry walked up the stairs to his and Ginny's room, Sirius' parents' old room. Inside he found Kreacher carefully pulling things from the desk draws. He had asked Kreacher to empty and clean the desk. He had assumed Kreacher would finish the task quickly, but the old house elf was truly getting up there in years.
"Master Harry." Kreacher croaked, dipping his head low and causing his ears to flop over.
"Hello Kreacher." Harry hung his clock and changed into more comfortable clothes.
"Kreacher has organized the Black family belongings into three groups." Kreacher motioned towards the three piles of papers and little trinkets. "These are important Black family documents." Kreacher pointed to the largest pile, which Harry doubted truly had importance. "This is what Kreacher thought would interest you." Kreacher pointed to the smallest pile. "And this can be removed." Kreacher pointed to the medium size pile, which looked like mostly old check copies and note reminders.
"Thank you Kreacher. Could you bring the documents to the shelves downstairs, find a spot for the interesting stuff and-" Harry turned to the pile Kreacher had painfully said could be 'removed'. "and you can keep one item from that pile if you want." Harry went to leave, but Kreacher stopped him.
"Two?" Harry sighed before turning back to the sentimental house elf.
"You can take two, but the rest goes in the rubbish bin." Kreacher bowed low again.
"Thank you, Master Harry." Harry took off for the old study down the hallway. He could hear voices coming from the study, which was the first room to be transferred into a bedroom for the boys.
"Daddy!" James dropped the broom he was moving back and forth in a most unhelpful way. He ran over to give Harry a big hug.
"Hi Uncle Harry!" Teddy held up the cleaning cloth he had been using on the cabinet.
"Harry, good to see you." Mrs. Weasley smiled from the corner where she pulled the wallpaper down. "It's coming along nicely, I think. We were discussing what color to make the walls once everything is clean."
"Yea, I said blue, because Aunt Ginny said eventually this will be Albus' room since it's the smallest and his old room was going to be blue, but James –"
"Red." James interrupted. Harry chuckled looking around the still dirty room.
"I think we have time to decide. Why don't we take a break. Teddy why don't you go take a bath first, and we'll have dinner soon." Teddy nodded, making Harry notice a streak of dirt crossing his nose. Teddy hugged Grandma Molly before leaving the room.
"You want to stay for dinner tonight?" Harry asked as he picked up James.
"That's alright. Arthur will be wondering where I am. I will be back tomorrow though." Harry walked Mrs. Weasley out, who did not miss the whiskey glass in her daughter's hand as she flooed home for the night.
Harry silently cursed himself as he paced the Entrance Tower. He had forgotten the warming spell and had not even considered planning ahead and looking up the spell or asking Hermione. As he paced, he could picture the perfect little fires in jars she had made in the past.
"Stupid, stupid." Harry muttered to himself. Almost on que, the winter wind ripped through the tower openings. Harry felt chilled as the wind whipped around him.
As the wind died down, Harry turned back to one of the empty windows. He could not see anything in the black sky and nothing on the grounds looked suspicious.
"I win." A joking voice said behind Harry. Harry rolled his eyes before turning to Ron.
"Won what?" Harry immediately noticed Ron was holding one of Hermione's infamous fires.
"Hermione said that you would have been smart and prepared. Would have something to keep yourself warm." Harry rolled his eyes as he approached the fire. He immediately began to feel warmer. "But I said nah, he'll totally forget."
"You would have forgotten if it wasn't for Hermione."
"Very true. We both know she's the reason we're both still alive." Harry chuckled, knowing how right Ron was.
"Yea, yea. You think she'd make me one." Harry pointed at the jar holding the fire.
"What this? Nope just for her husband." Ron smirked as he held the jar higher. "It's a day one." Harry's brows knitted together.
"Meaning?"
"Meaning it'll last for twenty-four hours." Ron smiled as he placed the jar on an empty statue pillar.
"Brilliant!" Harry smiled as the two looked back out the windows.
"Yep, I married the clever one."
A few days later, Harry was jumping up and down trying to keep himself awake. Nothing had been out of the ordinary for the last few days. The aurors were starting to wonder if the threat had passed. As Harry looked towards the Great Lake, the Entrance Tower darkened. Harry sighed as the chill in the air began to return. The good thing about the fire going out meant he'd be able to go home soon. The bad thing was he'd be freezing for the next twenty minutes before Ron came for his shift with the new Hermione made fire. Harry pulled his new knitted hat farther down. He could see his breath clearly.
Author's Note: Sorry for the long wait between chapters, I've had some writers block. Let me know what you think of this chapter.