AN: Hey guys! Here's the next chapter. I don't imagine we have an awful lot left of the first year, so we can hopefully start closing in on my favorite year, which is Year 4. This story will be making a big change starting from this chapter, as I try to move fully over to using past tense writing, as opposed to the present tense I had been using up to this point. I'd received a few complaints about it, and I hope this will be a bit better for comprehension purposes. At some point I'll probably go back and rewrite the first 11 chapters in past tense, but that's something for later. This is the longest chapter by far, and was pretty difficult to write. So apologies for any issues you may find, I quite literally just finished it a few minutes before it went live.
Content Warning For This Chapter: This chapter contains references and explicit content relating to adoption and Child Protective Services. Adoption is a very complicated process that is far beyond the scope of this story to talk about. Many people have poor experiences with CPS and this story is not meant to be an accurate representation of the process. This is a highly condensed and highly fantasized version of the process, and should not be used as any guideline or realistic expectation. I spoke with a few people who have been with the process on both sides, both as an adopter and an adoptee and while I wish I could be more accurate to their struggles, this is meant to be a fantasy story, and the adoption is not meant to be the focus thereof. Apologies for any poor memories this may bring up for any readers.
There had been some interesting developments in the Sphinx Club since returning from the Winter holidays. After a lovely reunion, where everyone talked about what they did over the holidays and what they got for Christmas. Harry got the chance to thank everyone for their gifts, and set up the Wizarding Wireless in the Sphinx Club room. The group collectively agreed that some music to listen to during study sessions was something beneficial. After they spent some time studying, Harry, without thinking, began to prepare for his workouts that he had started during the break, getting out his nutrition potions and taking off his bulky robes.
"What are you doing Harry?" Lavender asked, looking at the boy. She hadn't noticed it because of his robes, but Harry's body had undergone some minor changes over break. Where before the best word to describe Harry was skinny, now he was much closer to simply being 'lean' with muscles clearly visible on his arms and legs, even if they weren't very large.
"Oh, sorry. Got into the routine of doing my exercises just after finishing studying while you guys were gone. I'd do a half-hour session now, and I do a fifteen minute session in the morning before breakfast." Harry said, doing some stretches.
"What for?" Hermione asked, curious.
"Professor Flitwick needs me to be in top physical shape for my dueling practice, so I need to work my body as well as my spell work." Harry said, dipping low in a side to side leg stretch. "For Christmas he gave me some scarves with warming charms on them for me to wear so I can run around the lake in the winter. They're great, I barely feel cold at all when I'm wearing them."
"Ooh! Those sound so cool. I wonder if I could get him to get me some. I hate the cold." Padma said, looking at Harry. "Maybe if I offer to be your running partner he'll get me one."
"Oh! Like I'm going to let you be all alone with the Trollslayer over here. Besides, we'll need to do some exercise if we want to keep our figures. I need the boys eating out of my plans by third year for my plans to work!" Parvati said, looking to Lavender. "You too! It's critical!"
"What are these plans?" Daphne asked, looking at the Gryffindor twin. Padma was the planner of the two sisters, with Parvati being more impulsive so a plan that was to take shape over the course of a few years was out of left field.
"Oh, it's simple. The girls of the Sphinx Club are going to be the smartest, prettiest, most desirable girls in all of Hogwarts. We'll use that status to leverage into the upper echelon of graduates, and get super high paying jobs when we leave Hogwarts. Then we'll get married to the best guys around and have the best kids, who will do the same thing when they go to Hogwarts. Rinse and repeat until eventually our descendants take over the world." Parvati said, her tone so matter of fact as though it was a foregone conclusion.
"What if I want to take over the world?" Daphne asked, her eyebrow raised.
"Moves the timescale up a bit, but doesn't change anything in the grand scheme of things." Parvati said nonchalantly.
"Where do Neville and I fit into this?" Harry asked, looking at the mastermind behind the scheme.
"Well, you two probably marry one of us, because we are and will be the best choices for girls in our age group, and if you don't then whatever girl you do marry has to live up to our standards." Parvati said. "You aren't getting away from us that easy though! You'll be mine Trollslayer!" Parvati's faux-maniacal laughter was the loudest thing in the room, the second was the solid thud that sounded out when Harry passed out on the floor.
"Harry!" Hermione, Padma, and Susan all gasped out as they looked to his fallen form.
"Too much?" Parvati asked, looking sheepish.
The following day, Professor Flitwick had informed Harry of a specific appointment that the pair had coming up. On Saturday, January 18th, Harry would meet with Amelia Bones, Edward and Andromeda Tonks, and Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy, and he would be required to decide who he would accept as his new foster family. To say Harry was nervous was an understatement. When he wasn't directly focused on a specific task he was nearly unreachable, giving only half-hearted responses to questions, and barely eating during meals. When Hermione and Padma approached Madam Pomfrey about what they could do to help him, she simply said to be there for him, and she would give him a calming potion on the day of. When asked why she couldn't give him a calming potion now, she explained that extended use of the calming potion could cause severe damage to his ability to feel any emotion.
The day of the meetings had arrived, and Harry took the potion that Madam Pomfrey had provided for him. His nerves were calmed, although he was still somewhat on edge. He knew he should be more nervous than he was, but accepted that this was likely for the best. With a sigh he made his way to Professor Flitwick's office to start this day.
"Good morning Harry! It's good to see you. I understand that Madam Pomfrey provided you with a calming potion. You've been very nervous about this haven't you?" Professor Flitwick asked.
"Yessir. It's been… difficult. I know that this is a good thing, but… what if they decide they don't want to keep me? Or if they end up being like the Dursleys?" Harry managed to sputter out.
"Harry my boy, know that if anything were to happen with this family, I would be more than willing to take you into my home. I hadn't put my name in for consideration this time simply because I believed that it would be better to have a more standard family environment. I alone cannot provide that to you, although all of the candidates you will speak to today can offer you something more than I can. Amelia may be acting as a single parent, but with her niece Susan, you would have another child in the house with you, someone you already trust to help support you. With Edward and Andromeda, you would have a stand-in for both a mother and a father, as well as their daughter who graduated just last year. You have a very real chance to be a part of a family today, all of them are here because they want you to come live with them. They want to see you find happiness, with or without them. Just take a moment and breathe. You're a good kid Harry Potter, any family would be lucky to have you." Flitwick said, putting his wrinkled hand on Harry's shoulder.
Flitwick outlined their schedule for the day. They would be meeting with in order: Amelia Bones, then the Malfoys, then the Tonks. Flitwick did say that unfortunately due to scheduling issues, Nymphadora Tonks would be unable to attend, but given that her presence in the household may be lessening in the coming years due to her new adult status, the Young Wizard Protective Services did not believe that her presence would be required for this meeting.
"Does that mean Susan and Draco will be in their respective meetings?" Harry asked.
"Yes, they would be part of the family as well, and it is important for you to be able to integrate with them in whatever way is best for you. Be it as a friend, or a sibling, or something else. You are to be joining their family in all ways but blood Harry, they have a right to meet their new 'brother' as it were." Flitwick said, getting up out of his chair. "We'll be using a meeting room on this floor, where they will be flooing directly from the Young Wizard Protective Services office."
Harry and Flitwick walked silently to the meeting room, where he was to meet with his prospective guardians, and half an hour later, Amelia Bones stepped through the floo connection, and Susan Bones walked through the door to the room. They took their seats on the opposite side of a medium sized table from Harry and Flitwick, and Professor Flitwick took to starting the conversation. "Hello Madam Bones, and to you as well Miss Bones. It is very good to see you. As you know, we are here today to discuss your potential acceptance of the guardianship of one Harry James Potter. This meeting is to allow young Harry here to get to know you a bit, and try to see if he feels your family is right for him."
"Thank you Mr. Flitwick, and Hello Mr. Potter." Amelia said, her tone very firm and professional. Harry thought Madam Bones was a very stern woman, her face lacked much of the emotion that her niece Susan freely displayed, although the resemblance was very apparent. While Madam Bones hair had certainly grayed somewhat with her age, it still showed some of a prior red coloration. They had similarly round faces, although Amelia's was somewhat more narrowed, likely a product of maturation, and a sign of what was possible for Susan to look like in the future.
"So, I believe it would be a good idea to explain to Harry why you believe you would be a good fit to be his guardian." Professor Flitwick said, looking at Amelia.
She took a moment to gather her thoughts before speaking. "I believe I am a capable guardian for Harry due to my specific experience with his situation. As everyone in this room is aware, I took in Susan after she lost her parents to You-Know-Who and his followers, and while I have never thought of Susan as anything less than my own daughter, she did still lose her parents then, and I was able to pick up the pieces and build a family for us. My experience as a head of government has also prepared me to assist Harry in the attention of the public eye. As you know Harry, you are rather famous in our world, and while when you were being hidden away in the muggle world you were insulated from that you will see what that means first hand. You likely won't be able to go to Diagon Alley without someone specifically recognizing you, and you may find unscrupulous individuals looking to use your fame for devious ends. I don't want that for you, and am in a position to limit that as much as possible. My position requires that I have a security detail at almost all times that I am out of the house, and you would also be extended that. I also know that you have a positive relationship with my niece. She speaks very highly of you, and considers you her best friend outside of Hannah Abbot, which is no small feat as those two have been all but inseparable since they were babies." Amelia stated, Susan flushed somewhat at the mention of her.
"What do you think about this Susan?" Flitwick asked the younger Bones woman.
"Well, I want Harry to be happy, and have a safe place to grow up. I know what his old family did to him, he told me a bit about it, and I know that we have a lot in common since we both lost our parents in the war. We've gotten along great as members of the Sphinx Club, and I would have had him over for Christmas had I been able to." Susan said, sheepishly.
"Do you have any questions you want to ask Harry? This is your decision at the end of the day, and you should know everything you want to know about it." Flitwick asked looking at the boy who had thus far remained silent in the meeting.
The soft gazes of Amelia and Susan landed upon him, and Harry asked, "Why do you think I might not fit in your family? There has to be some struggle in my coming to live with you, what do you think they will be?" Hermione had helped him prepare this question. While Harry had been nervous about these meetings, Hermione had been proactive in learning everything she could about the wizarding adoption process, and found many pieces of literature on difficulties that families have had in accepting new members into their home. Padma and Parvati had assisted as well, while Lavender went to the rumor mill and her mother to learn everything she could about the possible adopters, Daphne and Tracey being particularly useful in learning about the Malfoys and the Blacks.
"That's a question I'll admit I wasn't prepared for. Please grant me a moment." Amelia said, thinking. "Well, I suppose for starters, I am a single parent. I can't take the place of both a proper mother and father in a household, because I can only be one of them. I love Susan with all my heart, and while I could maybe fill her mother's shoes fully, her father's I couldn't. There are things that a father can do that I simply can't, and the same would be true for Harry as well. I couldn't do the small things like teaching you how to shave, or how to tie a tie, or other normal bonding moments between a father and son, simply because I don't have that experience. I would struggle somewhat to relate to your muggle upbringing. I know more about muggles than the average wizard, but it's definitely not very much. Then there's the biggest thing I suppose… I work a lot, it's required by my being the head of the DMLE, I don't get to spend as much time at home with Susan as I wish I could. While you would have supervision, and wouldn't need to worry about being alone, I wouldn't be there for the emotional support you may need." Amelia sighed. She was obviously aware of the shortcomings that would come with her status, but her honesty about them made her look all the better in Harry's eyes.
"Thank you for being honest about that. I know it must be hard to speak openly about your shortcomings, especially in this context." Flitwick said. Susan looked on the verge of tears, and was holding her legs to her chest.
Harry got up and gave her a hug. "You gave me one when I felt bad before. Now it's your turn."
"B-but… what if we aren't good enough?" Susan asked, tears welling in her eyes.
"What your aunt said does show some problems, but we could work through them. No family is going to be perfect just accepting me into their home. We'll have to work through them. I have to meet with the others as well today, and I might choose to go with them, or I might choose to go with you. That doesn't mean I like you any less, that doesn't mean I didn't think you were good enough, it just means that I thought I might be a better fit somewhere else. Think about what Tracey told us with Neville's wand, sometimes a perfectly good wand won't work with someone. We'll just see if this is what's good. Okay?" Harry asked. Susan simply leaned into his hug and cried some more. Amelia looked to the pair with soft eyes.
The group managed to calm down a bit after a while, and some other less meaningful conversations were had about what joining the Bones household would mean. Harry appreciated everything Amelia was doing for him, and how safe she was trying to make him.
After an hour, the Bones' time was up, and they had to leave while Harry and Flitwick had a moment to catch their breath, and regain their composure.
"Who's next on the schedule again?" Harry asked, the last hour more fresh on his brain than today's schedule.
"Lucius, Narcissa, and Draco Malfoy." Flitwick said, a subtle tone of distaste in his voice. Professor Flitwick was not one to speak ill of anyone, even referring to his least favorite students, the ones who did poorly and disrupted class for everyone merely as misguided. For him to have felt so strongly about anyone was staggering.
"I don't think I would like them very much." Harry said, looking to his professor.
"I also doubt in your happiness in their care, if only for your relationship with young Draco." Professor Flitwick spoke, his words heavy. "They however are among the few still alive who can lay any claim to shared blood with you."
"You've mentioned that, can you elaborate?" Harry asked, his mind racing. His mother was muggleborn, so they certainly weren't related to her in anyway, so it'd have to be something through his father who was still quite a mystery to young Harry.
"I'm sure Mr. Malfoy will bring it up. It would be wise to ask him." Professor Flitwick said, as the floo roared to life.
Through the fire stepped Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy, and shortly thereafter Professor Snape arrived to drop off Draco Malfoy, who took to the seats opposite Flitwick and Harry.
"Hello Misters and Miss Malfoy, it is nice to see you today. As you are aware, we are here to discuss your potential guardianship of Harry James Potter. This meeting is for you to meet with him, and for him to decide if he feels comfortable with you being his new guardians." Flitwick said, his voice cordial, even if Harry knew he would likely rather not have this meeting.
"Charmed, we are quite excited to have the chance to take in a young boy who needs a family." Lucius said. Harry disliked the way the words came off his tongue in such a pre-rehearsed way. With Amelia, such sentiment would have sounded very genuine, from Lucius it almost sounded like an actor reading a script.
"Excellent, well, we will begin with a nice starting question, why do you believe you would be the best guardians for Mr. Potter?" Flitwick asked. Amelia had been openly nervous when this question was asked, Lucius seemed calm as could be.
"Ah, yes. You see we Malfoys are a very prestigious family, one very well suited to take care of one such status as the great Harry Potter. He is also already family, if distantly to my dearest Narcissa here. Her great aunt Dorea Black married Charlus Potter, who was James Potter's Great Uncle." Lucius said, his tone even.
"It has come to my attention that there is quite a rivalry between young Draco and Harry here. How do you intend to handle that if Mr. Potter were to join your household?" Flitwick asked. Harry certainly appreciated how much of the lead the diminutive professor was taking on this interview, as he was uncertain he could challenge Mr. Malfoy so directly.
"Well, while I was an only child myself, I understand it is quite common for there to be some rivalry amongst siblings, perhaps young Draco and Harry are already on the path to see themselves as true brothers." Lucius said, taking hold of the situation immediately. Harry was shocked at the man's ability to take something so negative and trying to spin it in a more positive light. "After all, my dearest friend, Severus Snape and I were much the same way in our early years, always trying to one up each other, now we're as close as can be, he's even the godfather of my son."
It surprised Harry little that Lucius and Snape would be close, their similarity in age meant they were likely students together, and it was no secret that Malfoy's father had been a Slytherin as well.
"Assuming that this went beyond friendly sibling rivalry then?" Flitwick pressed, an offensive move that Harry could appreciate. Discipline is something important in raising kids, Harry had seen first hand how lack thereof could create horrible children, his cousin Dudley being a prime example.
"Why, that would be a matter for the family to discuss, the four of us together trying to find the root of the issue. Perhaps a great bonding experience for us all." Lucius said his even tone continued to drive Harry insane. Draco looked livid in his seat at all of this, but stayed surprisingly quiet, as much as Draco hated Harry, he must fear his father's reprisal more.
Harry noticed how Narcissa has not said a word throughout this entire exchange, even though she occasionally made faces that looked as though she may wish to.
"Harry, do you have a question you would like to ask?" Flitwick prompted, leading Harry into his question.
"What do you think would make you a bad fit for me to live with you?" Harry asked.
"I can't think of a single issue that would arise from your staying with us. We have raised young Draco into a fine young boy, and are more than capable of extending our family to include you as well." Lucius said, his tone even.
Harry noted that no mention was made of his muggle upbringing, which is something he found relatively important, he decided that bringing it up might be a way to put Lucius on the back foot for a change.
"You're a purely wizarding family correct? You don't spend any time in the muggle world at all?" Harry asked, a softball question.
"Not at all, there would be no chance of you being forced to interact with muggles at all." Lucius said, attempting to ascertain Harry's line of thinking.
"I was raised in the muggle world, and while my muggle relatives weren't very nice to me, the world as a whole is something I would want to keep in touch with. I would also like the family that I am with to also interact with that world, since it is important to me. Is this something you would be comfortable with?" Harry asked, innocence in his voice. Everything he knew about Draco made him think that he thought anything muggle wasn't worth the dirt beneath his feet. The look of rage on his face backed up this thought.
"While I will admit it isn't something I have much experience with, I suppose we could attempt to do so if it is so important to you." Lucius said, his cool demeanor breaking for a fraction of a second to reveal frustration.
Harry for a brief moment had felt bad about judging the Malfoys before truly meeting them all, but between how Draco and Lucius act, Harry knew he wouldn't be very happy there. Well provided for likely, but not happy. There was some more formal, and at this point superfluous conversation about what else would be involved with living with the Malfoy family, but Harry had already made his mind up that he wouldn't be living with them. The Malfoys left at the end of their allotted time, and a small snack and drinks appeared in front of Flitwick and Harry.
"I don't think I'll be going with them Professor Flitwick." Harry said, before getting a drink of the pumpkin juice that had been provided for him.
"I thought not, but it was important for you to at least give them a chance." Professor Flitwick said, nibbling on one of the small sandwiches that had appeared before the pair.
Their brief rest was interrupted when the floo roared to life once more, and through the green flames stepped Edward and Andromeda Tonks. Edward was a taller man, roughly six foot, and very thin, which gave him a somewhat gangly appearance. He had a well groomed, if somewhat bushy mustache on his face, and well combed blonde hair that was starting to gray at the temples. Andromeda was a shorter woman, with very curly black hair she wore somewhat long. In her hands she held a muggle three-ringed binder, which shocked Harry somewhat at seeing it.
"Hello Mr. and Ms. Tonks, it's a pleasure to see you again." Flitwick said, his demeanor much more amiable than it had been with the Malfoys.
"And to you Professor Flitwick." The pair said, before Andromeda spoke up, "We're sorry that Nymphadora couldn't join us with this, she couldn't get time off from Auror training."
"Well, now that pleasantries are out of the way, let's begin this meeting in earnest." Professor Flitwick said, regathering himself.
"One thing before we start, I don't want this to be viewed as a bribe, but even if you don't choose us, I do want you to have this Harry." Andromeda says, putting the binder on the table. "Professor, if you would please check it for any charms before I hand it to him, just for posterity."
"No issue." Flitwick says, before pulling his wand from his sleeve and waving it over the binder. "No charms or other magics found." He said, before pushing the binder to Harry.
Upon opening the binder, Harry nearly shed a tear as he saw, truly, for the first time the faces he had only seen in his dreams before. Standing in a white dress, surrounded by a few women, one of which he recognized as a younger Andromeda, was his mother, her red hair and green eyes looking to the photographer with a big smile. The page opposite had what appeared to be an older, larger version of himself with brown eyes surrounded by men who were making silly faces at the camera. James and Lily Potter on their wedding day.
"I'm sorry I don't have more pictures of them, there was a war going on when we were adults, and cameras were somewhat difficult to come by in our world. Muggle cameras available at the time were also becoming too advanced to properly work in magical environments. Your parents had the foresight to have their wedding in a muggle area, so a muggle photographer could take photos." Andromeda said, giving Harry a sad smile. "We have our own copies, so you can have the originals, you will find them much more meaningful than we would after all."
"Thank you for this, truly." Harry said, tears welling up in his eyes, even through the calming potion he was being overwhelmed with emotion. They were here, even as still images. He knew what they looked like. Not the instinctive images of them, not his vague memories from infancy, but real images of his parents, indisputable proof that they were real.
"Are you good to continue Harry?" Flitwick asked. Harry nodded, closing the binder, but leaving it on the table in front of him.
"Well, for starters, why do you believe you are a good fit to raise Harry?" Flitwick asked, getting back into his standard tone for the interviews thus far. Harry sat up straighter, trying to recompose himself.
"I was very close with James and Lily, as my cousin, Sirius Black was James' best friend in life. Sirius was the family member I felt closest to, as he didn't share the same anti-muggle sentiment that most of our family did. Through him, I became very good friends with James and Lily both, although I admit I was closer with your mother than your father. Beyond that, we have recently had our own daughter Nymphadora begin taking her steps into leaving our home as she begins her adult life, and in some ways Ted and I have begun to miss having a child at home. Ted and I also are perhaps in a unique situation in regards to Harry's specific heritage. Ted is a muggleborn, and therefore spent his childhood in the muggle world like Harry did, and we still spend a good deal of time in that world. I also came from an old pureblood family, and while I was removed from it when I married Ted, I was still raised with the knowledge of what was expected of me as a member of that house, and as such can teach Harry what he needs to know as the new head of House Potter." Andromeda said. She was taking the lead on this, but Harry didn't get the feeling she wasn't allowing Ted to talk like Lucius wouldn't let Narcissa or Draco.
"Can you think of any issues that may arise from taking in young Harry?" Flitwick asked after a pause. Harry supposed that he should have asked this question, but he was still trying to recover from the binder.
"Well, as you are aware Professor Flitwick, and I feel it is important for Harry to know if he doesn't. Sirius Black betrayed the Potters and is responsible for their deaths. My association as his cousin certainly may paint me in a bad light, and it is a stigma that myself and Narcissa have had some level of difficulty dealing with. I am appalled that he would do so, especially to someone who loved him so dearly as James and Lily did." Andromeda said solemnly.
That was another gut punch to Harry that he didn't know about. The person who betrayed his parents was known? And this was his cousin? "Is he in these pictures?" Harry asked, reopening the binder.
"Yes, to the left of James, the one with the curly black hair. That's Sirius Black. He and your father had been friends since they were your age. Sirius had even run away from home and lived with the Potters like a second son for a time. The fact that he would betray them is so bizarre and unheard of for him, but I suppose there was something about him that we didn't see." Andromeda said sadly.
"I understand if hearing about this may make you not want to live with us Harry, I do truly get it. I'm sure you know as well as I do that you don't get to chose your family, and sometimes just because they share blood with you doesn't mean that they love you. Just know that if you choose to live with us, we will love you no less than if you had been one of our own. James and Lily were good friends, and I miss them dearly. I owe a lot to their memory, and the least I could do is make sure you are raised correctly." Andromeda said, giving Harry a heartwarming smile.
The rest of the meeting was pleasant, going over some particulars of what living with the Tonks would be like. Ted spoke up a few times, but was content to let Andromeda take the lead. Ted mentioned his job as a healer, where he worked at St. Mungos and was slowly attempting to integrate modern muggle medicinal treatments alongside long standing magical ones. Andromeda was a charms mistress, and did consulting work on charm creation for magical items, such as the warming scarves that Harry had. Their time ended and they left through the floo.
"Well Harry, what do you think?" Professor Flitwick asked.
"I think… I think it might be best if I go with the Tonks. They knew my parents after all, and they probably know of other people who did as well." Harry said,
"I thought that might be the outcome. We'll get the paperwork started for that over the coming months. When school lets out, you should be moving in to a new safer home." Professor Flitwick said, a beaming smile on his face.
Harry turned his attention back to the binder in front of him, flipping open to the pictures he had seen earlier.
Internally, Harry spoke, "I'm glad to see you mom and dad. I hope Andromeda and Ted are as nice as you thought they were."
For the first time in his life, Harry truly believed he may have a family.