Chapter 9

Families and friends waited patiently on the platform for the scarlet steamer to arrive. On the end closest to the front, the pureblood elite mingled politely while awaiting their offspring. Of course, this section of the platform was far smaller in this year than in those past, given the resent… depletions in the pureblood elite's population. The center of the platform was inhabited by the general folk. However, unlike years past, the crowd at the back of the platform was far less dense. There were a number of reasons for this.

One was the presence of Amelia Bones. Although well regarded, the woman was known as no-nonsense. And while there was debate about whether the 'special prisoner' kept in the cells of the Ministry was actually You-Know-Who or not, the fact was she accomplished what light wizards wanted for a decade. Amelia Bones, with the help of aurors Mad-eye Moody, Shacklebolt, Dawlish, Scrimgeour, Savage, Wood, Proudfoot and Abbott, had finally found proof of what everybody already knew. That the Dark Mark required a willing murder to be placed. Death Eaters were being arrested left and right, and each arrest gave up more evidence of corruption, which was in turn used to make more arrests. The corruption of the Ministry was being dragged kicking and screaming into the light, and the general populace had faith in their government (or at least, a single department of it) for the first time since '75. And all of this was due to the brave work of Madam Bones.

Another reason that end was avoided was the presence of one Sirius Black. Released from Azkaban less than two months prior, St. Mungo's had turned into something of a verbal battleground for a solid week, a situation that was only resolved by a visit from the third and fourth figures. With Black acquitted, his former peers had taken to regaling the public with stories of the 'marauders' and their exploits. And while many small children enjoyed the stories, Black's reputation as an evil Death Eater was replaced with a reputation of 'crazy prankster that doesn't know where to quit and has no regard for privacy, dignity or personal space'. Many of the general populace knew Black at one point or another, the wizarding population being rather small. And none of them wanted to draw attention and be his first pranking target out of Azkaban.

The third figure was known to be Black's co-conspirator and friend of the late Potters, Remus Lupin. A rather private person, who had taken various public jobs at various times, but by far the least threatening of the quartet.

The fourth figure was, of course, Alastor Moody. Known to hex you as soon as look at you, the man was implicated in some of the most violent Death Eater take-downs, both during the war and over the last several months. If Bones was the General, Moody was her attack dog. There was speculation, of course. Word had gotten out years ago about Moody's illegitimate grandchild. Moody's presence at the start of term was noted, and rumors that the grandson was in first year made their way through the Ministry, but as the boy clearly did not share Moody's name, the speculation was left until a greater opportunity presented itself.

An opportunity such as today. After all, the large number of home-witches with newly empty or depleted nests needed something to twitter about at holiday parties.

So, the group was given a wide berth, both out of fear and for observational purposes.

It was no surprise, then, to the husbands of these busy house-witches, that extensive goodbyes were allowed to the children, particularly when it allowed the women (and handful of gentlemen who preferred a good gossip) a good position to observe.

They were surprised that it was not Susan Bones and the brown-skinned boy a few had glimpsed before who ran for the odd quartet, but Susan and Harry Potter. But, explanations quickly circulated. Black was Moody's former apprentice after all, and the senior auror reportedly took the betrayal rather hard. Black's few public outings since his releasee were often in Mad-eye's company, the elder likely taking the younger back under his wing for the recovery. (And if a few snide remarks about Narcissa Malfoy not defending her cousin got slipped between the lines, well, the Malfoys weren't exactly in a political position to retaliate.) And Potter, having missed his godfather for most of his childhood, would naturally petition to join him for the holiday.

This theory was supported by the large, boisterous greeting Potter gave both of his parents' old friends, filled with hugs, copious hair ruffling, and exclamations on the boy's height. Potter seemed perfectly happy, even greeting the intimidating Bones and downright terrifying Moody with hugs as well. The fact that Mad-eye tolerated the contact was noted as unusual, but then dismissed, as Moody and the child clearly knew each other. Besides, who could be suspicious of a face that cute? Maybe Mad-eye had been part of Potter's security detail at one point. The handful of gossipers with connections in the auror office noted that Moody did stop spending so much time in the office for several years around Potter's disappearance and subsequent move to a new guardian, so the explanation was taken up happily.

The missing grandson was reasoned away as at home, especially after the only unknown dark-skinned first year, a Dean Tomas, was ushered home by his parents and sisters. Perhaps Moody was just one of the aurors assigned to secure the platform, and had taken the time to catch up with Bones during the previous and current sendoff.

All prominent sources of speculation explained, the various gossipers gathered up their families, ignoring the group of six that made their way out of the station.

--

Nymphadora Tonks opened the door on Christmas eve to find the most garish Christmas sweater she had ever seen (and her own was particularly outrageous to start with).

"Cousin Siri!" she squealed like the child she was when she'd last seen him.

"Cousin Nymphy!" he squealed back.

Tonks hit him. In the shoulder. Hard.

"My. Name. Is. Tonks!" she commanded, as her cousin pulled himself off of Remus, who he'd fallen into and taken down with him at the assault.

"Well, I see old Mad-eye has been teaching you well." The man muttered as he pulled himself up.

"Nymphadora?" Tonks' mother called from the kitchen. "Who is that?"

"Just Cousin Siri and Remus!" the auror trainee shouted back, as she made way for the two to enter.

The Tonks' house was decked out in festive evergreen boughs, with a small tree in the corner near the telly. The smells of cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger wafted from the kitchen, where Mum was well at work on the deserts (the dinner being already finished and tucked in a cabinet under preserving and warming charms).

Tonks and her father entertained the two guests with trivial small-talk, before Tonks found an opening to ask, "So, where is Harry anyway? Scuttlebutt at the office is he's staying with you over the holiday?"

Sirius and Remus glanced at each other.

"We just picked him up." the werewolf explained (auror training, she knew the signs). "He spent the day with us before he went back to his gr-"

Sirius cut his friend off with a pillow to the face (subtle much?) before continuing over him, "guardian's house for most of the hols. Moony and I are over there regularly though."

"Oh." Tonks replied. She had wanted to meet her new little cousin, as she never had the chance when he was a baby because people were in hiding, and not when he grew up for obvious reasons.

"But," Sirius said, with all the inflection of a man dangling a carrot, "Your mum said we could invite him and his guardian. They should be here soon."

That made more sense (as did the extra place setting Mum had her put out).

"Oh. Well, it's good that his guardians let you spend so much time with him."

"You have no idea." Remus muttered into the cup of tea he reclaimed from the tray.

Niceties continued for several more minutes, consisting mostly of stories from Tonks' Hogwarts days and training mishaps, interspersed with tales from the age of the Marauders.

Eventually, a knock came at the door, and Mum left only to return with a shocked look on her face.

"Sirius Orion Black." The witch scolded.

"Yes?" the man in question responded with a smile.

"You couldn't be bothered to tell me who the boy's guardian was?" Andromeda bit out.

"Well, you see, would you honestly have believed me if I had?"

Tonks, who had looked away from the hall in order to observe the byplay, fell off the back of the couch at a shout of "CONSTANT VIGILANCE" right by her ear.

"Moody? What the hell Mad-eye! I'm off the clock damn it…"

Moody snarled back. "So? No excuse to let your guard down girl! Didn't even bother to check if your mother was in her right mind when she came back. I could have been anyone!"

"I think she gets the point Gramps." A quiet voice interrupted her mentor's tirade. Moody sniffed but silenced himself, moving to claim a chair and bringing into view the firstie attached to his robes.

"You're… wait… Mum, why is he?" Tonks stammered, pointing back and forth between child and grandparent.

"He's cousin Harry's guardian, dear." Tonks' mum answered as Ted helped his daughter to her feet.

"He… what? Moody, raising a kid?"

Sirius, the smug bastard, smirked away.

--

As families made their final preparations for the return trip to Hogwarts, the man made his move. Seeing a young mudblood with an open bag by her side, he quickly slipped the disguised gift between two books. There, the child would think it a late present, and that was one less piece of evidence of his hands.

Five more arrests the past week alone. The community was getting smaller and smaller, and he was quickly running out of money to cover himself. It was less a matter of staying out of prison, and more a matter of making sure his wife didn't join him.

The man regretted the things he'd done in his youth, but regret meant little in wizarding law. But his son, his beloved son, needed a parent around.

The man just prayed he'd have enough time to shield his wife before Moody came for him.