Note: You're not dreaming. It is an early update!

I have to say that this week hasn't been easy because I got the worst flu ever. But in the end it worked out for you guys becaaaaaaause I tucked myself under a few blankets and started writing like crazy (while sneezing and coughing and cursing). So, you might not even have to wait until next Tuesday or Wednesday for the next update!

This one picks up just where the previous chapter ended.

The front page holds the name:

Potters' Persecution

(1977 - 1981)

Four years. Four years of this damned Persecution. Four years of lies and misinformation.

He turns the page:

1977

Minister Edward Smith, advised by his counselor Tom Riddle, took notice of a prohibited relationship between a Pureblood Wizard and a Muggleborn witch. As stated on the newly drafted law, no kind of relationship between Purebloods and other lowly wizards or witches (Half-Bloods and Muggleborns) are to be accepted. The sentence for perpetrating such crime can vary from a warning to years in Azkaban, depending on the kind of relationship and its duration.

Counselor Riddle, alerted by an anonymous source, declared that James Potter, heir of the Potter Bloodline is indulging in a romantic relationship with Lily Evans, a Muggleborn.

Minister Smith, aware of the situation, decided that no measures are to be taken at the moment since no concrete proof has been presented, however he notes that James Potter is to be put under heavy surveillance for the foreseeable future.

Minister Smith also assigned one Auror to handle this information: Antonin Dolohov.

The Auror's mission is to report James Potter's each and every step in search of condemning proofs.

Harry's eyes go over the next few lines. There's no new informations there, just a few reports of Dolohov following James and his encounters with Lily Evans in Muggle London.

Harry turns the page and at the bottom:

A meeting between the Minister, his counselor, the Head of the Law Enforcement and Auror Dolohov was held to assess the situation.

Minister Smith, taking into consideration the young age of James Potter and the apparently harmless encounters he had with the Muggleborn, decided that just a warning must be issued regarding this relationship he maintains.

No drastic measure is to be taken at the moment.

Harry turns the page and sees Dolohov's reports written on his own handwriting. And with each description there's a few photographs of James and Lily. Harry stops at that, his eyes lingering on their young faces and smiles while they walk with their hands clasped together in Muggle London.

Dolohov registered twenty encounters.

If he thinks about it, Minister Smith - whoever he was - was merciful. Harry knows that Tom Riddle would never accept the reports of twenty encounters and consider them harmless. Even with the new law, Minister Smith decided it would stir the community to sentence practically teenagers to Azkaban. Harry knows they never considered Lily part of the Wizarding society, but she would surely be punished just as if.

There's not much else regarding this first year and he knows that this started as just a silly investigation.

He wonders when things changed drastically.

1978

After the warning was issued to James Potter, his encounters with the Muggleborn stopped.

There are no new reports from Auror Dolohov.

Minister Smith chooses to close the file.

Harry frowns. He had no idea this had happened. If the file was closed, then-

New elected Minister Tom Riddle reopened the file.

Auror Dolohov was reinstated in the position along with Auror Bartemius Crouch Junior.

Reports regarding James Potter and Lily Evans are to be delivered weekly.

Harry stops reading for a moment. Riddle. It was Riddle who caused it all. He was the one who started it and then reinstated the buried investigation. He grits his teeth.

This atrocious man.

He deserves to die. He deserves to have everything he holds dear taken from him. He deserves to suffer. Deserves to burn in his own hell.

Taking a deep breath he scans through the next pages. Pages of reports from the Aurors. Dolohov resumed his stalking on James Potter, and Crouch - a newly graduated Auror - was responsible for tracking Lily Evans' steps. For a while there's nothing of much importance. If they were meeting, they kept it well hidden, until-

On this day, Sirius Black's statement was collected in the interrogation room. See on attached page.

Auror Karkaroff: Mr Black, are you aware that we're recording this statement?

Sirius Black: Yes.

AK: And you give us your permission?

SB: Yes.

AK: Very well, then, you're here because you claim to have informations regarding a friend of yours. Please state your friend's name and what you want us to know.

SB: I'm here to tell you about James Potter. He's having a relationship with a Muggleborn.

AK: In what circumstances do you present this information?

SB: I saw with my own eyes. They're engaged in a serious romantic relationship. James wants to marry Lily.

AK: Mr Black, you do realize you're claiming that your friend is committing a serious crime, don't you?

SB: I do. But I'm sure that Minister Riddle can find in him a fitted sentence. Love is blind after all, and I don't hold it against my friend. He was bewitched by Lily Evans.

AK: Do you believe the Muggleborn forced James into this relationship?

SB: Yes. She has the knowledge and she could have slipped him a love potion.

AK: Is that so?

SB: James can't be held accountable for a crime that isn't his.

AK: Very well. We'll take your informations into consideration, then.

Harry is holding the air inside his lungs. He thinks that he barely breathed while reading this. Fucking Sirius Black. He's a traitor. Just as Harry imagined at first. Just as he should have not stopped imagining even after that whole show of James and Lily being his friends.

How could he? His statement was a clear green flag for them to hunt down Lily. Harry swears under his breath. His wish is to bolt to Grimmauld right now and demand answers, or just hex the living shit out of Sirius.

But he stops himself and turns the pages, more photographs of James and Lily are there, in most of them they're separated. They obviously avoided being spotted together.

And then he reaches his father's interrogation.

Minister Tom Riddle: I'm here with James Potter, conducting this interrogation regarding his forbidden relationship with Muggleborn Lily Evans. Mr Potter, are you aware that you're being recorded?

James Potter: Yes.

MR: Good. So, we shall begin. I took matters into my hands because we have visual confirmation and a statement from a close friend of yours that you're involved with a Muggleborn. Do you deny it?

JP: What friend?

MR: That's not what's being discussed here, Mr Potter. Do you deny you have a relationship with a Muggleborn?

JP: I deny.

MR: Would you answer the same under Veritaserum?

JP: You can't give me Veritaserum. I know my rights as Wizard. This is against the law, Minister.

MR: Maybe if you were a Wizard who followed the law you would be able to raise such prerogative. As I said we have proof. Do you still deny it?

JP: I do. I have nothing with Lily Evans. We're just acquaintances, nothing more. I'm breaking no laws here, Minister.

MR: Interesting. If we brought Miss Evans here for interrogation-

JP: Why?

MR: Well, to hear what she has to say, of course.

JP: If a Muggleborn is not considered part of our Wizarding Society, she shouldn't be investigated by it either.

MR: Are you defending Miss Evans?

JP: I'm stating the obvious.

MR: You said you two were acquaintances, is that right?

JP: Yes.

MR: So, tell me, Mr Potter, where did you meet?

JP: At Muggle London.

MR: What were you doing in Muggle London, Mr Potter?

JP: Shopping.

MR: Did you know from the first moment that Lily Evans had magic? That she was a Muggleborn?

JP: No.

MR: Would be possible that she slipped you some love potion, Mr Potter?

JP: It wouldn't because we don't have a romantic relationship.

MR: Mr Potter, are you aware of the penalties for a crime like that?

JP: There is no crime.

MR: Are you sure, Mr Potter? By now we know everything there is to know about Lily Evans. About her parents and her sister.

Harry stops.

Sister. Her sister.

He opens and closes his mouth like a fish out of the water.

It's the first time he's hearing about Lily having a sister.

"An aunt." He whispers to himself.

Harry raises from the couch, running a hand through his hair and heading to the kitchen. He drinks some water and tries to put his thoughts back together.

As if knowing that Sirius betrayed them wasn't enough, now he discovers he might have an aunt. And he wonders what might have happened with his grandparents. From the little information he got, they were already dead when Harry was born, but can he trust this?

Can he trust anything? Anyone?

Is this sister still alive? Was she younger or older?

He's boiling with questions and doubts.

Returning to the couch, he resumes the reading:

JP: I don't see what importance a Muggle family might have to you, Minister.

MR: And you're right, Mr Potter, but that's exactly the point. They don't matter. They're just Muggles.

JP: Are you threatening them?

MR: Are you sure you want to keep denying your involvement with this Muggleborn, Mr Potter?

JP: If you have proof against me, then use them, if you don't, I think this interrogation is over, Minister. I have nothing else to say.

MR: Mr Potter, I would never mistreat a Pureblood Wizard. Especially a Potter. We're doing this for your own good. Lily Evans is dangerous. Muggleborns are dangerous. They taint our lineage. But very well, then, if you have nothing else to say, you may go. But do keep that in mind.

Harry lifts his eyes, then he turns the pages. Nothing major happens after the interrogation, only a few reports on their daily routines and many photographs.

Riddle threatened to interrogate Lily but he never did. There's no report regarding her Muggle family.

Gulping he notices that a Prophet's article is the last thing attached to 1978.

JAMES POTTER AND ALLEGEDLY MUGGLEBORN WIFE MISSING

The article goes on for pages.

First a brief explanation of the investigation that started the previous year and how suspicions were brought by a close source just after the new law was enacted. The article was thorough, even with some pictures that Harry saw attached to the file. The tone is also very clear, from the very start the relationship is condemned. From the start, the mere thought of a Pureblood getting involved with a Muggleborn is something that appalls the society, something that shouldn't be considered normal, regardless their feelings.

Then there's a huge research done by Wizards and Witches from the Ministry that states how harmful and dangerous to society and magic the union between Purebloods and Muggleborns or Muggles might be. It's a lot of rubbish. But they claim the informations are trustworthy, from an extensive study. Harry is sure the numbers are fabricated just simply by how absurd they are. It goes on saying how perpetuating this mixture of bloods might be the recipe to end magic, since the further the mixture occurs, the chances of squibs get higher and higher, threatening entire bloodlines.

And just after this, there's an interview with recently elected Minister of Magic, Tom Riddle.

Harry grits his teeth at the photograph of a younger Riddle. His eyes are the same as now, cunning and menacing, and his smile, dangerous.

He talks about how he tried alerting James Potter, how he tried bringing justice to this case without taking drastic measures and how Potter ungratefully fled after an amicable interrogation. Then, he proceeds to explain how such disobedience can't go unpunished. Riddle, in nice and difficult words, shows how worried he is for the Wizarding Society, how his main goal in life is to provide a better world for those who wield magic. And inevitably he proclaims that anyone who might go against him shall be the enemy.

He ends the interview declaring that James Potter is now a traitor. An enemy. The same goes for Lily Evans. And whoever tried to help them would be punished just the same.

Harry clicks his tongue and turns the page. Of course the punishment for a traitor is way worse. And Riddle was well aware of what he was doing, of what kind of nest he was poking.

The next few pages show how this interview was received by Wizards and Witches. Many agreed with Riddle, others not so much. Harry sees two names there that he recognizes: Dumbledore. Longbottom. And as he goes, he sees that they were interrogated. Practically threatened by Riddle. But things were resolved when they showed no indication of helping James or Lily.

And then…

1979

James Potter and his Muggleborn wife continue on the run. There was no report of them being seen throughout Wizarding or Muggle London.

Minister Riddle decided to create a team to focus exclusively on this investigation:

Auror Antonin Dolohov

Auror Bartemius Crouch Junior

Auror Danthon Goyle

Auror Fenrir Greyback

Auror Igor Karkaroff

Auror Rodolphus Lestrange

There are files on each Auror. It doesn't go unnoticed to Harry how young they all were, as if Riddle wanted to keep them on a leash, under strict orders without taking the risk of them rebelling against him. A more experienced Auror might have caused trouble.

Minister Riddle also instated that the investigation shall be confidential from now on. All reports must be direct to him, being the Minister the only one capable of filling out the file for record.

Harry opens his mouth. Bastard.

Of course the next pages are mostly blank with very few informations. There's nothing regarding missions to search for the Potters, nothing about Riddle's suspicions or next steps. Just phrases like:

No new lead.

Still missing.

No accomplices found.

Just this and a few articles that were clearly published to satisfy Riddle's wishes.

Harry turns the pages with rage. Where are his answers? Where is the whole thing?

Then he reaches:

1981

Peter Pettigrew came into the Ministry stating that he knows the exact location of James and Lily Potter. Traitor James Potter was spotted close to the location given. In a few days a mission will be led by Auror Dolohov to imprison both.

Dolohov. He was the leader. The one who might have the answers. Harry sets his jaw. It's protocol for the Aurors to give a full statement of what happened at whichever mission, but there's nothing regarding that terrible Halloween night. No statement, no clues of what happened.

Just:

James and Lily Potter attacked the Aurors and no other outcome was possible. The traitor and his Muggleborn wife are now dead and the threat they posed for Society is gone.

The case is closed. The Persecution over.

Minister of Magic,

Tom Riddle.

Harry shuts the file and throws it on the floor, seeing red. He screams.

He should have known that the file wouldn't hold the answers. He should have known that something controlled by Riddle wouldn't easily show all his violent and cruel actions. Nothing about the uprisings that took over London. Nothing about the dissonant voices. Nothing about how he muffled all of them.

Nothing about the tracking spell he placed on James.

What else is missing?

Harry stops screaming, his throat dry, his cheeks wet from angry tears. He bites hard on his lower lip, his face contorting into an expression of pain.

Most of what he read he already knew, just two new things came out of it: Sirius' betrayal and the fact that he might have a living aunt.

He gasps, reaching for the file. Where are the Aurors' whereabouts? Harry gulps while he flips the pages, his eyes going over everything he read. Then, after Riddle's final entry, on a different kind of paper, he sees:

Aurors who had any involvement with the case are being dismissed with a life salary. They're never to come back or comment on what happened.

And below it, the addresses. Their locations. Just in case. Places they were prohibited to leave.

Harry lets out a strange and wicked laugh. Riddle practically imprisoned all of them, making it easy for him to keep an eye on them, to track every step of these Aurors. Of course he wouldn't kill them. Regardless everything, they were Pureblood Aurors.

He stands from the couch, he wants to invade Dolohov's house right now. But he stops when he takes a few steps.

He needs to think this through. Riddle is already on his tail, watching him. Hermione is capable of making these 'visits' happening without having someone on their necks. Maybe he should wait. Maybe now is not the time to be reactive. He already has the informations, he knows where to find them, knows who the leader was…

Harry takes a deep breath and puts the file on top of the table. Then he turns to his wall and begins writing away what he just discovered. He crosses his arms when he's done.

His eyes stop at the things he wants:

- Punch Pettigrew's face.

- Destroy the lives of everyone remotely involved in what happened to my parents.

- Help the rebels and their uprisings.

- Stop the hate discourse against Muggles and Muggleborns.

- Kill Tom Riddle's family.

He already punched Pettigrew several times, but maybe he'll never get enough of it.

When it comes to destroying lives… a flash of what he did to Lestrange comes to him and he closes his eyes, trying to send it away. But he can't deny that if given the chance he'll do the same with the four remaining Aurors.

To help the rebels and their uprisings he needs to know who's behind all of this, needs to talk with… Sirius.

Sirius. He purses his lips. He betrayed his parents. He went there and gave a statement. Sirius made Riddle look at things again, made him call James in.

Harry sees two options before him. He could pretend he never saw this file, pretend everything is alright and wait for the right moment to strike, the right moment to make Sirius pay. Or he could go to Grimmauld right now and talk about this. Because… what if things aren't what they seem to be? Sirius didn't seem fazed by the fact that Hermione might have stolen the file. He actually was sure of it and knew that she would share it with Harry.

Clicking his tongue, Harry crosses his arms. The minutes tick by, waiting for his decision.

And after pacing the living room, he decides.

In a beat he's inside Grimmauld.

"Harry?" Eleonora states with wide eyes, surprised by his presence. She's sitting alone at the living room, reading. "Didn't know you were coming. Are you-"

"Where's Sirius?" He sounds… dangerous.

She presses her lips together. He can see the distress in her features, as if she can sense his intentions. She opens and closes her mouth, a bit unsure.

"Where is he?" Harry presses, taking a step to her.

He knows how it looks. He's probably with red eyes from all the crying. His hair a mess from running his hands through it. His clothes crumpled.

"TELL ME!" He finally loses it, screaming at her face.

He rather feels it than hear, but a spell comes his way from behind and Harry is fast enough to raise a shield.

Sirius is at the top of the stairs, his face angry.

Harry grits his teeth. And in a swift motion he binds Eleonora to the couch, making it impossible for her to surprise him while he faces Sirius. The man snarls at the way his wife lets out a grunt of pain. Harry doesn't care.

He sends a hex towards Sirius. One capable of hurting. But it misses the target when Sirius apparates away at the exact moment, the power of the spell hitting the wall, leaving a mark. Harry turns on his heels and sends another hex at the point where Sirius appears. This time is a counter spell which stops him.

Harry is seeing red. Even his Auror training slips from his mind while his only objective is to hit Sirius. Hit him in any way. He sends spell after spell, the rage inside him getting a hold of all his other emotions. Sirius never strikes back. He only defends himself the best he can, deflecting all of Harry's attempts.

He has no idea how many spells he performs, how many hexes, how many charms. But he starts sweating. He starts to feel a weakness taking over his limbs. His arm feels heavy. His head is throbbing. There are tears running down his face.

But Harry keeps going. He doesn't stop. He can't stop.

And the calmness in Sirius' face, the way he looks at Harry with pity, it angers him even more. Harry grunts, at last shouting a curse.

This time Sirius grits his teeth and Eleonora screams when the Cruciatus misses for a few inches.

But Harry kneels right after.

He crumbles down.

With his head hanging low and his arms resting on his thighs, he lets himself cry some more. He lets himself cry with abandon. He barely notices the strong arms around him or the tight embrace from the man he was just attacking. It's impossible to form a coherent thought, impossible to grasp reality, to know in what he should believe, in who to trust.

But Sirius lifts him from the floor, Eleonora helping him. And they sit Harry on the couch, one at each side, their arms around him in an attempt of comfort, of stopping his pain, his tears.

"Let it out, Harry." Sirius says. "Let it out."

Harry is sure he never cried like this. He's not only crying for his parents. He's crying for the family he never had, the aunt he never met, the grandparents who died before he even knew they existed. He's crying for the sheer cruelty of the Persecution, the clear intent of ruining their lives for no reason at all. He's crying because Tom Riddle still walks freely, crying because he won. Riddle won. And he's crying because he loves Hermione. He loves her to a point of pain. To a point where if she asked him to forget about this revenge, he would. This wrecks him. The guilt of it. The weight of not being allowed to let this go. Because he can't. He can't let this go.

He needs to choose. And he doesn't want to.

Harry only stops when there are no more tears for him to shed. His sobs fill the room. Eleonora and Sirius still there, by his side. He swallows hard, trying to slow down his racing heart. Then he runs his hands through his hair and whispers:

"Sorry. I'm sorry." He shakes his head.

Sirius pats his back. "I know."

Harry finally looks at the man by his side, into his eyes. "Why?" Is the only thing he dares asking.

And he can see that Sirius knows exactly what he's talking about. The man tilts his head, sorrow written all over his face.

"I wanted to tell you sooner, but you weren't ready to talk about your parents or anything related to them, remember?" He does. Sirius tried that day… "I did it because they asked me to, Harry. It was their plan."

He sets his jaw. "Plan? To put a target on my mother's back?"

"What if… I show you?"

Harry stands from the couch. A memory. Sirius wants to show him a memory of him and his parents. He closes his eyes, pondering. He's not prepared. But he needs to know. So, he only nods and follows Sirius to a study.

It's the first time Harry is entering the room, but he doesn't try looking for clues or anything of the sort, he's barely aware of his surroundings. There's no reason to fear Sirius or to believe that this is a trap. But he holds his breath when the pensive appears at the corner of the room. Sirius silently summons a vial to his hand. Harry has no idea where it came from. He doesn't care either.

In small steps, timid steps, he goes to the pensive, his hands inside his pockets.

It's been a crazy day. Since morning when Riddle tried giving him Veritaserum until now.

"Ready?" Sirius asks and he nods. He'll never be truly ready.

But in a blink the memory is sucking him into it.

August, 1978

Sirius knocks on the metal door four times. Swift knocks, one after the other. Two knocks answer. And he knocks again four times. Then the door finally opens outward.

It's a bunker in the middle of nowhere. So, with one final look over his shoulders and at the trees around, he descends the stairs, closing the door behind him. There's music inside and a lit fireplace, the place way bigger than expected because of a spell.

A few bottles are resting atop a table and Remus is there with Lily and James, the three smiling and talking about amenities while Sirius approaches the couch where Lily is sitting on James' lap. They all greet him with enthusiasm.

Taking a bottle of beer, Sirius sits and sighs, exhausted. It's been a long day and he wants to rest, chill a bit.

"What's new with you, mate?" James asks him directly.

Sirius blinks. "I met someone today." He says with some flair, making a scene out of it.

"Who is she?" Lily asks, excited.

"Her name is Eleonora." He shrugs. "But I don't think it will last, she plans on studying abroad for a few years." He takes a sip. "But to be honest, maybe we should talk about what Bellatrix told me earlier."

Lily and James stiffen, their smiles fading. "What?" James asks in a thin voice.

"She said Riddle reopened the file, James. And there are two Aurors on it now. It's been like this for a while, since he was elected in May."

James and Lily share a look. Worry in their eyes, fear. She stands from his lap and starts pacing. Remus is watching with thin eyes, distaste on his face at the news.

"Shit." Is James' only reaction.

"I don't even know how Riddle shared this information with her, she was fretting when she told me about it, though. She doesn't like this obsession either." Sirius clicks his tongue. "Now that he's Minister I don't think he's letting this go."

"What do we do now?" Lily whispers to herself, her eyes on the floor while she bites on one of her nails. "Sirius is right. Riddle started this. Since the first draft of the law. And he was the one who told Minister Smith about us, wasn't he? That's what Bellatrix said."

"Indeed." Remus says in a low voice.

"We need to find a way to protect Lily-"

But Lily cuts James with a snort. "Please, he doesn't care about me. Not really. He doesn't even consider me a part of society and we all know it." She points to James. "It's you who's being targeted here."

"I highly doubt that." James says, crossing his arms. "He wouldn't dare touching me, Lil. My Bloodline is too important."

She scoffs, shaking her head. "Nonsense. You're not looking at the bigger picture. As always."

They share a moment where they stare at each other stubbornly. It's James who looks away first with a grunt. "Fine. If that's what you think…" He raises both arms. "Let's put a target on your back, then." He's being ironic, but Lily actually makes a face, thinking, pondering. "I'm joking." James says, but she's already pressing her lips together, her eyes bright with an idea.

Sirius shakes his head. "No." He says before she even voices her idea. "I don't know what you're thinking but no."

"Come on." She says in a low voice. "Maybe we should put a target on my back… test the waters, see what he would do." James is also shaking his head now, thinking her idea absurd, but she keeps talking, "What do you prefer, James? To sit here and do nothing? To wait for the moment when he's coming after us, after what we-"

She stops. James tenses immediately. Sirius and Remus make strange faces, not following her train of thought, having no clue what's silently passing between the couple.

"It's unintelligent to put ourselves in this situation, Lil. He's already tracking our steps-"

"Then we should do it for them." She says and Sirius lifts his head, understanding she's talking about him and Remus.

"For us?" He asks, not getting her point.

"If this…" She trails and takes a deep breath, "Riddle is Minister now. He can do whatever he wants. He can be the law. The executioner. He needs to show how he's going to rule. I think he'll make an example out of us."

"That's a bit-" James begins but she raises a hand for him to listen. He does.

"This won't stop. He won't stop." She presses her lips together and her chin wobbles. "Or we end things between us right now, James, or we try finding ways of escaping this. But we shouldn't sit idly. We can't keep waiting for his move. We need to take this into our hands and play it the way we want."

Sirius clicks his tongue, sipping. "She's right." He whispers to no one in particular.

A heavy silence settles. James and Lily are staring at each other, unspoken words only a couple can understand passing between them. Remus looks at Sirius and they know the moment is of decision. Something important is about to unfold.

James finally stands from the couch and goes to her, his brow on her own. "The possibility of ending things with you doesn't even exist, love." He says and she sighs, a tear running down her face. "We're in this together." He smiles to her, brushing her tear away. "What do you suggest we do, then?"

"We need to flee, James." Her expression is of pain. "He's never going to let this go until we're rotting in Azkaban or worse."

Sighing, Remus stands from his seat and pockets his hands. "I'll help you however I can."

"Me too." Sirius says, stepping closer to them, patting James' back.

Lily nods, thanking them. "I trust you two the most for this." Her voice is strained, weak. "One of you should go to the Ministry. Give a deposition. Blame me for this relationship. Tell him I'm giving James some love potion or whatever. Maybe take the focus from James for him to be able to prepare our escape."

"What?" James widens his eyes, shaking his head.

"This is too dangerous, Lily." Sirius says.

"I know. But this is…" She turns to Remus and Sirius, "This is our thing, our problem." She motions between her and James. "You shouldn't pay for it. Go and show that you're on Riddle's side. It will make things easier for you, easier for you to help us when we do flee."

Remus grunts. "I hate how right you are."

"You can't agree to this." James says fast. "What if he takes you into custody, Lil? What am I supposed to do, then?" He sounds a bit angry.

"I have a feeling that he won't." She gives James a pointed look and he refrains himself from arguing. "It takes the blame off your back, James, and it shows that your friends are not on our side, they don't agree with what you're doing or with the way you're throwing your life away. I have a hunch this will be important in the future."

"It's too risky." James is still disagreeing with her plan.

"It's necessary." She states firmly. "Will you do it?" She asks Remus and Sirius.

Sirius gulps. "I'll do it."

The memory fades away.

Harry is staring at nothing in particular. Before he can even think about everything he heard, he needs to come to terms with seeing his parents in such a young age without him. He wasn't even a thought back then.

He feels numb. Sirius doesn't say a thing, letting Harry take his time to absorb the memory they just saw.

But when Harry sighs and closes his eyes, brushing away a few tears, Sirius says:

"Lily was thinking ten steps ahead." His voice is low.

"How did she know Riddle wouldn't come after her?" Harry makes a face at his strange voice. Exhausted. He's exhausted. "It feels like-"

"Like there's something we don't know, right?"

He turns to look at Sirius. "Exactly."

"Do you wanna know what I think about it?" Harry nods. "I think Riddle wasn't after them because of their relationship."

Harry frowns. "What?" He can barely register the words. "He killed them because of it."

Sirius makes a face and tilts his head. "Did he, Harry?" He shrugs and sighs. "It's just too strange. You read the file, didn't you? I suspect that from the very start he knew James and Lily were in a relationship."

Harry nods. "Yes. There are photos and detailed encounters." He stops breathing for a moment, his mind coming back to life, his body tingling away from the numbness. "And you gave your deposition."

"I did. I explicitly said I saw with my own eyes that they were together."

"And Riddle did nothing."

"He did nothing." Sirius confirms with his head.

Harry puts a hand over his chest. Breathing is a difficult thing at the moment. It seems like everything he ever believed or thought right is crumbling down before his eyes.

"He called my father for interrogation just for the show. And… Lestrange. Lestrange said Riddle knew since then where they were-"

"He was monitoring them."

Harry stops at that. "Do you think Riddle knows who I am, then?"

Sirius shakes his head. "No. However he monitored them, he never found out about you. I'm positive you would be dead, Harry."

"But why? Why monitor them?"

"I don't know. But I think the reason behind this is what really killed them, Harry. And we'll only know when an Auror that was there that night gives us the answer."

Harry holds his head with both hands. This is… a lot. "What they could possibly have that was so important?"

"I don't know." Sirius says again with sorrow. "But whatever it was… I don't think Riddle got it."

Harry tuns to look at the man. "The Persecution was a success according to the file." He states.

"Nah." Sirius dismisses his words. "We were at the Ministry the next day, Harry. Riddle was behaving anything but satisfied. In a way, he didn't get what he wanted."

"Fuck." He whispers. "Did you… go to the house?"

Sirius shakes his head. "No. We- it would be too much. And we know that if James and Lily had something to hide it would be pretty difficult to find clues inside an abandoned house."

"I… I went there." Harry's voice cracks. "And while I was in Italy I went through a few memories… I need to go back to the house. With time. Without having my emotions getting in the way. I think I might find some lost clues."

"Do you want me to go with you?"

"No. I- I want to do it alone."

Sirius nods, understanding. For long minutes they say nothing, until, "Sirius, do I have an aunt?"

The man opens a tight smile. "In fact, Harry, you do." Harry blinks, surprised. He asked but he was not expecting the confirmation. "And she's someone that's been dying to meet you."

A sudden hotness takes over him. Excitement mixed with exhaustion. "Yeah?" He gulps. "I- I would like to meet her too. You told her? About me? You made a Vow-"

"We only said we suspected. Even before you confirmed. But she said that if we doubted then it was true."

"She's a Muggle, right?"

"Yes."

"What's her name?"

"Petunia. Petunia Snape."

Harry opens and closes his mouth, his eyes wide. "As in… wife of Severus Snape?"

"Do you know about Severus?" Sirius blinks, surprised.

"I- Hermione-" He shakes his head. "Dumbledore gave her Snape's contact or whatever. She got in touch with him years ago, asking about the Persecution. Who is he?"

"He's an ally, Harry. Someone who seeks justice. He grew up in a house near the Evans. He knew your mother since they were children. They were good friends. Snape is a wizard, but he's a Half-Blood and he kept himself under the radar. Since he never caused any trouble, no kind of punishment was imposed on him. You know that Riddle exiled Half-Bloods from society. Muggleborns, he doesn't even acknowledge." Sirius shrugs. "We can go see your aunt if you want to. Snape will be there with her and you'll be able to talk. They're the leaders of the resistance, Harry."

Harry clicks his tongue. "A Muggle and a Half-Blood?" He opens a smile.

"Fitting, right? And perfect. They unite Muggles, Muggleborns and Half-Bloods in one cause."

"All of Tom Riddle's favorite people."

Sirius chuckles. "Exactly. So, wanna meet her?"

"Yes." He takes a deep breath. Sirius nods. Harry feels calmer now, his thoughts more coherent. "What exactly do they do, Sirius? This resistance? I mean, they're not responsible for the attack at the Fair. Not responsible for invading Riddle Manor and surely not responsible for rescuing a squib… do they just protest at Halloween and proclaim that what happened with my parents was unfair?"

"Harry… they act behind the curtains. You have no idea everything they've done and keep doing. Every day they rescue Muggleborns and Half-Bloods. Every day they train those who can't attend Hogwarts. They've created their own society, their own community. It's a network of support." Sirius grips his shoulder, forcing Harry to look at him, "Making a difference is not about acts of war, Harry. It's about kindness. Caring. And we support them the best way we can. We teach whenever we're able to slip through Riddle's grasp on us." Harry gulps, looking down, ashamed.

"I-" He sighs. "You're right. I'm just- so focused on taking Riddle down that sometimes my judgment is compromised. When I left Rome I wanted to make a difference, Sirius, wanted to help Muggleborns, everyone. I wanted to do it to honor my parents. But since I got here things have been a mess. Such a fucking mess that sometimes I… I even lose myself in it." He looks up and back at Sirius. "I want to participate. I want to help. I want to know everything about the resistance and do my best for these people."

Sirius opens a bright smile. "Of course. Petunia will be ecstatic about it. And your parents would be proud of you, Harry. Very proud."

Harry opens a tight smile and accepts the half hug Sirius is giving him. "Even if the file didn't help much, at least now I know where the other Aurors are." Sirius pulls back to pay attention to his words. "Hermione wants to visit one Auror a month." He states and leaves a question in the air.

"She's being careful. I think it's a good thing." Sirius says, his eyes narrow. "What do you want to do?"

Harry snorts. "If it was up to me and my recklessness I would be flying to their houses right now."

"I know four months may seem a long time, Harry, but maybe laying low is the best tactic here. I'm sure Riddle controls these Aurors in a way and if he notices something strange he might move them-"

"Exactly, shouldn't we act fast, then?"

Sirius ponders. "I'm not sure. Maybe one strike after the other might alert Riddle and end in direct confrontation… Hermione knows her father, if she's suggesting one a month…" He shrugs, implying the obvious. That Hermione is right.

Harry sighs, letting out a grunt. "I'm so tired, Sirius. Sometimes I just- want to go back to Rome. Leave all of this behind." He voices what's been bugging him since he came back. "Sometimes I feel that I can't make a difference, that I'm just one man against Riddle and years of Blood Supremacy. One man that-" He stops talking, biting his tongue. Sirius is listening, gentleness in his eyes. And Harry says it because he can't hold it any longer- "I'm in love with my enemy's daughter."

Sirius exhales. Then he clicks his tongue. "Have you talked about it with her?" He doesn't judge Harry's feelings. At all.

Harry shakes his head. "She's marrying Pettigrew." He winces, as if the truth can hurt him. In a way, it can.

"Regardless, Harry. If there's the slightest chance that she loves you back… go for it."

Harry widens his eyes, chewing the insides of his cheeks. "Maybe… maybe after this whole thing with the Aurors?" He tilts his head. "I mean, I want to focus on this now and I don't think talking to her and being rejected is the best option to go through with this."

Sirius chuckles softly. "What if she doesn't reject you?"

Harry cracks his knuckles. "Truth is, Sirius, even if she feels the same… even if she loves me back… I don't think I know what to do next." He makes a face. "How can we be together? How can I tell her the whole truth? What would it do to our relationship?" He gulps.

"Well… these are all fair questions, Harry… give it time, then. Focus on the Aurors as you said. And be sure of what you feel, be sure of what you want. If her feelings are the same, you'll find a way. Just like your parents did." Sirius winks at him. And since Harry stays silent, the man continues, "But if I can say something, Harry… Eleonora and I also had the Perfect Harmony when we danced the Traditional. And in my opinion, it's not wise to treat this lightly." He gives Harry a pointed look.

Harry frowns. "What do you mean?"

"The Traditional only shows what already exists, Harry, a strong and special affinity. You were already involved with each other when you danced, already feeling something. This is not one sided. She feels for you too."

Harry purses his lips, trying not to get his hopes too high. "Was it like this with you and Eleonora?"

"Yes." Sirius opens a smile. "We met that day you saw on the memory. By accident, actually. She fell on the street and I helped her up. And you know, I'm not an idiot or anything, so I asked her to grab some tea with me. And I have no idea why but she said yes. Talking with her was easy, Harry. Carefree and fun. Merlin, we do have fun together." His smile gets wider. "But as I said she was thinking about traveling abroad to study for three years. It was odd, you know? We've just met and when she told me this I felt… sad. But even so, we kept in touch the months before her departure. We made no promises to each other, I mean, a lot can happen in three years and stuff, but I felt like there was no one else I'd rather be with. I'm not saying I didn't date for the years that she was abroad, and I know she also dated…" He makes a face. "When she came back, I was single. And we met again at a Ball thrown by the Weasleys. That day I was sure. So sure. I looked at her and I knew. I asked if she would give me the honor to dance the Traditional together." Sirius stops for a second. "I don't know what you and Hermione felt, but it still gives me goosebumps when I remember that night." Harry exhales, remembering his dance with Hermione. It was something from another world, another reality. It was as if life only made sense in that moment. "I proposed to her when we stopped waltzing." Sirius chuckles. "A bit dramatic, but, well…" He shrugs. "The connection we felt was too strong to ignore. And we weren't wrong, Harry. We've been married for almost twenty-six years. And now I love her even more." He lets out an enamored sigh. "Don't ask me how that's possible, but it is. There's no one else in this world that completes me the way she does."

Harry looks down, thinking, pondering… "Can I ask you something?" Sirius nods. "When you and Eleonora touch your left hands… do you feel a tingle? A powerful sensation? Anything?"

Sirius makes a face that's enough for Harry to know the answer. "No. Why?"

Harry bites his lower lip, not sure if he should share this particular thing with anyone. If feels like something unique between him and Hermione and he doesn't want to turn this into a big deal.

"I think I read in a book that this could happen when the Perfect Harmony exists." A believable lie.

"Did it happen with you and Hermione?"

"No."

Sirius narrows his eyes. But then he takes a deep breath and changes the subject, "So, when do you wanna meet your aunt?"

He opens a small smile. "As soon as possible."

Sirius smiles in return and pats his shoulder. "Great. You can come with us the next time we visit, then. And Harry, don't be too harsh on yourself. Things aren't always the way we want or expect them to be, and that's okay. That's normal. That's life." Harry nods, gulping. "Was there anything else worth sharing on that file?"

"No. Riddle kept everything to himself. Fucking bastard."

As Sirius also calls Riddle names, he stands and Harry follows him out and into the living room. Sally is there, her face a mask of suspicion towards Harry. He lifts his hands.

"Is everything alright?" She asks her father.

"It is." Sirius says and she relaxes. "Harry, you can stay here if you-"

"No." Even with a negative response, his tone is friendly, "it's fine, Sirius. I want to… reread it and think about a few things. But we'll see each other soon, yeah?" Sirius nods.

Harry takes a deep breath and hugs the man. Sirius seems at a loss of action or words.

"Thank you, for everything. And again," Harry says when he steps back, "I'm sorry about the way I-"

"Doesn't matter. It's fine, Harry. It's fine."

And Harry can hear all the affection on his tone. He can feel that this man is ready to do anything to help him in a way he wasn't able to help his two best friends.

Also hugging Sally goodbye - because he's feeling like a hugger - Harry apparates back to his flat.

The next four months won't be easy.

But he's ready.

Note: No Harry and Hermione on this chapter, but worry not! They're back next chapter.

And Petunia and Snape. I mean, I know Snape is a fan favorite because of the whole thing with Lily, but honestly, I wanted the man to be happy, you know? Him and Petunia. And next chapter we get to see them.