Ten years ago, Regulus Black and Marlene McKinnon fled the wizarding world and were presumed dead. Now they've returned in time for their adopted son, Harry Potter, to start at Hogwarts. The potion left by Voldemort in the cave had long lasting consequences, however, and Regulus begins to teach at Hogwarts while Severus Snape works on a cure. Can they save him in time, while also hunting down horcruxes and destroying them before Voldemort can return?
"Harry? Why are you still awake?" Because it was nearing midnight by the time Marlene made it home, she'd expected the boys to all be in their rooms, asleep. But Harry was waiting for her in the living room, a book flipped upside down on the arn of the couch.
"I couldn't sleep. I was worried about dad." Harry fidgeted, and Marlene sensed something was wrong. After a minute of indecision, Harry told her. "Leo and Archer found the newspaper the other day. They know dad's a death eater. They asked me about it, and I told them what you said - about how he had to and everything - but I don't think they understood. They think dad's gonna be locked away." Seeing Marlene glance at their bedroom door, he added, "They're awake too."
Marlene groaned, covering her face with her hands. She was too tired to deal with this. "Harry, go to bed," she instructed, and with a quick goodnight, he was off, leaving her alone. Remus came out of the kitchen.
"I've sent Harry to bed three different times tonight," he said, with a half smile. "Just as stubborn as James." He must've seen her face then. "What's going on?" She told him everything that had gone on that day, and was startled when he started to laugh. "What they're worried about is the press going around saying the boy-who-lived's been with a death eater. Anyone with two brain cells could see if Regulus really was a death eater, Harry wouldn't still be alive. It's only the Prophet going crazy about it all. The Quibbler actually ran quite a nice piece on the pair of you. Course, the Quibbler isn't the most - reliable - of newspapers." He shook his head, still chuckling to himself as he grabbed his coat and stepped toward the fire. "I'll be there for his trial, and I'm sure there's a few other people I can get to be there for Reg." With that, he went home, and Marlene was left to go talk to her younger boys.
She stood outside their bedroom door for a minute, gazing at the wood as her mind traveled. Talking to Harry about Reg, and seeing his little face drop when he realized his dad wasn't who he'd thought had broken her heart. She recalled that morning, when Kingsley and Dawlish had shown up. What had Leo said? That "the paper said he was a death eater"? How hadn't she caught it then?
Well, she had been quite rattled at the time, and his words hadn't sunken in. All she'd really been able to focus on were the aurors. With a small exhale, she knocked. A quiet "come in," came from inside, and she opened the door to find both boys sitting on the same bed, identical frowns on their faces. She sat on Leo's bed and looked at them for a minute.
"Harry told me you found the newspaper with your dad's article on it." Two grim nods, and she bit her inner cheek, finding words hard. "I wish you were older. But you have a right to know, and it's true. Your dad was a death eater. That's what the tattoo on his arm means." In ten years, their house had never been this silent as Marlene struggled to find the right thing to say. "Do you know what a death eater is?"
"They're someone who's bad," Leo said. "Who followed Voldemort and did whatever he told them to do."
"Yes, they followed Voldemort, but when Voldemort first showed up, nobody knew he was bad. He hadn't hurt anyone yet, and a lot of families - your dad's included - thought what he was saying was a good idea. They thought, like a bunch of people thought, that people who were born to muggles didn't belong with the rest of them."
"But why?" Leo blurted. "Muggles are cool, they have airplanes and tvs!"
She thought of the fit Walburga would've had if she'd heard her grandson say that, and Marlene laughed as Archer nodded his agreement. "Yes, muggles are cool, but before witches and wizards went into hiding, they were scared of us and would try and hurt us. That's why these families think we should hurt muggles in return."
"Dad likes muggles too," Archer protested.
"He does now, but he didn't know much about them, and when Voldemort became stronger, your grandparents insisted your dad join him. He did, and as soon as he realized what Voldemort really wanted, he ran away. We both ran away, and went to America."
"So dad didn't hurt anyone?" Leo asked, voice so small Marlene nearly didn't hear him. Her heart sank.
"Honey, it was a war and people were fighting. When you're older, your dad will tell you everything he can. I promise. Okay? You're still too young to understand everything. Your dad loves you, all three of you, and he would never let anyone hurt us."
"Is he in jail? Is that why he's not here?" Leo's lip was trembling. Marlene moved so that she was in between them, and pulled them both to her.
"He's at Hogwarts for a couple days. Madame Pomfrey is taking care of him, and then we'll find out if he can come home or not." She felt Leo shake with sobs, and she held him a little closer. "Headmaster Dumbledore and Mr Remus are going to help us, okay? I'm sure he'll be home in no time."
Please, she thought. Let him come home.
Monday morning started in a rush. Marlene stayed overnight with the boys in the hospital wing, so she, Regulus and Dumbledore could head to the ministry first thing in the morning. But Regulus woke with a fever, and a floo call to Wainwright indicated that unless the fever increased, no pepper up was to be used. Therefore, getting everyone to the floo point took longer than it should have.
They got to the Ministry ten minutes before the trial time, rushing to the courtroom and making it just as the clock struck nine.