My Child

Chapter 11

Dorea padded quietly over to the large ornate wardrobe, and got herself comfortable on the floor. Following the examples she'd seem Severus and Thorfinn adopt when dealing with Harry. Dealing was the wrong word really, sounded like something rotten or deplorable. Easing perhaps may be the right word, her poor little child, she pondered as she opened the wardrobe door, if there was even a therapist or mind healer in the magical world that were qualified to help Harry as a matter of fact.

There Harry was, wrapped in his throw, curled up, he'd allowed himself no pillow or any other comfort. She swallowed thickly, staring at the child who was staring back at her with wide luminous eyes. She couldn't quite tell what he was feeling at that moment, cautious? Afraid? Wary? Hopeful? Would it make things more difficult if she moved him out of the cupboard? Should she let him find comfort here? Was there a reason he was afraid of the bed as he'd been afraid of the bath? She felt everything she did tripped some sort of invisible trap.

She had been so hopeful when the news reached her that he'd been found, thinking of all the ways they could go on outings as a family. The introduction of magic, and all the other little nuances that came with having a magical family. She had been determined to have him despite her husband's words. She didn't want to share him, refused to, not with a muggle anyway, or whoever Dumbledore trusted with her great-nephew.

Oh, he had been hurt so horrendously, it made her heart feel like it was going to fail just thinking on what he'd been put through. To stop on a child's hand? What sort of monster would do that? To torment and torture them for years? He was just a little boy! Just such a tiny little boy, where was their hearts? Their empathy? Even Voldemort had only sought to kill him, in a painless manner. Oh, she'd never truly tolerated muggles, she was a Black, she'd grown up knowing they were beneath her. Now though she wished she could kill every single one of them, none deserved to live if they did such despicable things to a child.

Smiling at the child, it was really more like a grimace though, "The bed in here is for you, my child." She murmured soft and soothingly, making no move to touch him, at least not yet. "But it's okay if you don't want to use it yet." Realizing perhaps trying to force his hand may do more harm than good.

Then an idea struck her, well, why not?

"Would you like to see the night sky?" Dorea asked, shifting closer, so she could see the empty cupboard top, Harry didn't answer but his green eyes lit up in curiosity that just hadn't been dimmed out of him. Which she was relieved to see, it meant that the detestable Dursley's hadn't broken him. They'd tried their best but her resilient boy had persevered.

"Nox caelum!" Dorea cast pointing her wand up to the wardrobe, and light begun to flicker all over as shiny stars began to take shape, blue, green and purple muddled together, the nebula.

Harry's breathing hitched, "Beautiful," he whispered, overawed, his hand reaching out as if to touch it, green eyes mesmerised.

Dorea smiled, "It was my favourite spell as a child, I learned it from my father," she told him delighting in the ability to do so. "I was so disappointed that I wasn't named after a star or constellation. You see my family had a tradition of naming their children after stars or constellations. I had asked my father where my star was expecting there to be one, but my father said I was unique in the fact I didn't get named after a star but her favourite person in the whole world."

Harry scoots closer, listening, drawn to her soft words. "My names Harry," he whispered, "I learned that at school."

Dorea summoned pillows from the bed, putting two in the cupboard beside Harry, and using one to sit herself. Spelling a thin mattress under Harry, and the size of the cupboard. It took all of her to stop herself sobbing, he hadn't even known his own name. "Do you mean your last name or just Harry?" it was difficult to make it such a blasé statement and not make more of it. She didn't want to scare Harry off, but she also didn't wish for him to think it was okay. Where did you level out? Was there even a way to do so?

"Both!" he said quietly, he really liked it here, "Is…is this an orphanage? Is everyone here not got a mummy and daddy?" bracing himself for any punishment for daring to ask a question. There hadn't been any other children his age, but maybe an orphanage was for everyone who didn't have a mummy and daddy.

"No, my child, this isn't an orphanage, there are no orphanages open anymore, people who don't have mummy's and daddies go into group homes or families to be fostered." Dorea explained to him, her heart breaking all over again, "And you aren't being fostered here. I am your great-aunt Dorea and my husband is your great-uncle Charlus, remember?" they had explained it to him, hadn't they? Was he forgetting or had it been just too stressful for it to sink in? Was it normal for children to forget things? Something else she'd need to inform Thorfinn about.

Harry remained quiet, just staring up at the night sky exhausted, not just physically but mentally.

"What did you think your name was if not Harry Potter?" Dorea asked, if they called their son Dudley Dursley Merlin only knows what atrocity they'd forced on Harry.

Harry turned to stare at her, his eyes shimmering, "Freak,"

Dorea swallowed thickly, feeling like she'd just been gutted. Narrowing her gaze, she crouched down closer to him, whispering, "You know you don't ever have to worry about them again?"

Harry's face just screwed up in a childish way, confused by her comment, even Harry didn't understand death or it's permanence. Or even underlying messages in words, especially since he was a child just learning them to begin with.

"Vernon and Petunia Dursley are both dead," Dorea explained to him, "They cannot hurt anyone, especially not you, ever again. They can't come and hurt you, they can't hurt us, you are safe." Repeating herself so that it might sink in, she'd keep telling him until he believed her. Of this she vowed to herself. Until it was ingrained in his unconsciousness so that he never feared them ever again.

"Promise?" came the shaky ask.

"I swear," she replied, "I made sure." She added, wrapping the conversation up in the family magic, so that Harry would only be able to discuss it if they gave him permission. She wasn't foolish enough to trust a child with such damning information, no matter who they were or how much she was coming to care. Children could be tricked, were blabbermouths, and just all around unable to keep secrets.

"Oh," Harry murmured, feeling the magic twisting, confused but it didn't hurt so he accepted it, it wasn't just anyone's magic either, it was Dorea's. His Great-Aunt Dorea. He had more family than he'd known about. Maybe here he'd be loved like Dudley! Could he be so lucky? "Do I have a star?"

"You are a Potter, not a Black, I was born into the Black family and became a Potter by marriage. You were named after your mothers father I believe, and your father as is tradition. Harry James Potter. Your name will remain the same even when you are eventually adopted by us." She teased, "How often does that happen?"

"You mean you'll be my mummy?" such a hopeful tone, staring at her sleepily, refusing to sleep until he heard her answer.

Dorea felt her heart clench in pain, yearning desperately for a child to call her own, but at the same time mourning that it wasn't her little boy. She still didn't understand why her little boy was taking from her, she had so much love to give, yet children were out their being harmed by their own relatives, it broke her heart and made hate stir within her. She refused to let the hatred bring her down, sometimes it was difficult but she persevered. "Nothing would bring me more joy." She confessed quietly, into the silence of the night.

Harry's green eyes lit up in such hopeful delight, this was a dream come true, to have a family to love him, who rescued him from the Dursley's. He'd known even as he dreamed, that it wouldn't really happen. That his parents were dead, and his aunt and uncle were the only family he had left. Petunia told him so often enough, with adding that even they hadn't wanted him but took him in anyway. He never really expected his dreams to come true.

"Good night my sweet boy," Dorea murmured quietly, as she spelled the wardrobe bigger on the inside so that Harry may be comfortable. With that she eased herself up, not quite as nimble as she used to be, but far from needing aid as yet. She wasn't that old. She made sure the throw was over Harry properly, leaving the doors open a little. Brushing back his hair, she banished the pillow back to the bed, they'd go at his pace, one day he'd feel safe enough to sleep on his bed. Although, the fact he slept in the cupboard did alarm her a lot.

She was just about to step outside when Harry's voice spoke again.

"Leo says goodnight, and mummy Lily says thank you."

Dorea felt a shiver run down her spine, as she straightened in the shock of the words. She was half convinced she had misheard what he'd said. It couldn't be…surely it was just words a child said in jest? Rubbing her arms, the goosebumps making an appearance. Her sons name though…a trembling breath left her, as she opened the door and closed it quietly behind her dazed and disorientated over what had just happened.

"Dorea?" Charlus straightened up as if he'd just been electrocuted. Mildly alarmed by the look on his wife's face and her pale demeanour, she looked a second away from fainting. Given who his wife was and how strong a constitution she had, he had a right to be alarmed by her unusual display. Standing up, moving towards her, clasping onto her wrist to give her some stability.

"Dorea?" Charlus asked, "Please, talk to me." moving them both to the couch, sitting them both down.

Dorea huffed out an incredulous snort, as the fire in the fireplace warmed them up. "I'm not sure you'd believe me." she confessed.

Charlus laughed, the very idea strained credulity, they'd been married for decades! "Now I find that hard to believe."

Dorea merely stared at her husband, completely serious about her aforementioned statement. She honestly didn't think that he would believe her, she could scarcely believe what she'd heard herself.

"Dorea, just tell me," Charlus stated firmly, brow furrowed as he stared at his wife in complete and utter bafflement.

"Harry just said 'Leo says goodnight and mummy Lily says thank you'," Dorea repeated what Harry had said, with a challenging look on her face, there, see how quickly he is to believe that.

Charlus' breathing hitched, staring at his wife, you could have knocked him over with a feather.

"How can this be?" Charlus whispered in the dead of the night, the only sound was the crackling of the fireplace, as everyone except them both were sleeping, recovering from illnesses and easily fatigued.

"Charlus…are you sure there are no gifts in the Potter family that might give us answers?" Dorea questioned, "Have you ever even read the Potters grimoire's?"

Charlus blinked, "That's for the heir only," he pointed out.

"Your brother never let you read it?" Dorea was aghast. "Did you ever see it?"

Charlus gazed at his wife amused, "I have seen it, but no, I've never read it, my brother was gifted it on his seventeenth birthday."

Dorea shook her head, in disbelief, "And you were never curious? Did you ask?" she knew Fleamont and Charlus had a good relationship, so it couldn't have been out of spite, unless she was missing something.

"I did ask," Charlus confessed, a faraway look on his face, "It was a month after his birthday, just before I left for Hogwarts, I spent most of my time when I finally left school travelling. It makes sense that he wouldn't gift it and let it go abroad, especially with my penchant for losing things."

"The Black grimoire's are…something else," Dorea confessed quietly, "It goes all the way back to the middle ages, just seeing the way the change in writing and the different names for the ingredients…centuries worth of tradition written down and recorded. Now we're nearly all but extinct in the male line." a hint of sadness coating her voice, Regulus gone, Sirius in prison, and there was no way Arcturus and Melania would have a child, Melania was likely passed her child rearing abilities.

Charlus grimaced, "It's not as dire as the Potter name," only them and his nephew, at least he was young though and would have a family, it was a duty that not everyone liked, but nonetheless it would be required, perhaps he may have two or three if they were lucky to preserve the bloodline a little more.

"Please, the Black family is far worse off," Dorea murmured, "We really do need to find out what gifts belong to your family, if he can commune with the dead…" a shudder wracked her frame, Merlin, she couldn't even begin to imagine how terrified Harry must be not understanding anything. Was this the reason for his preference for being in a cupboard? Did he find safety in small spaces?

"You believe that it was genuine? Not something clobbered together by a frightened child?" Charlus questioned, hand rubbing over his face tiredly, not sure what to think to be entirely honest.

"I do, I've not mentioned our son to anyone," Dorea murmured quietly, least of all around Harry. She never wished for him to think he was replacing a child she'd lost, and also did not wish for Leo to think he was being replaced either.

"But dealing with spirits not ghosts is the darkest of arts, necromancy magic, death magic." Charlus whispered, his lips barely moving.

Dorea nodded, "And Thorfinn stated Harry had already come to his magical inheritance." Speaking just as lowly, both of them worried.

Charlus flinched, "Of course, I had forgotten…" swallowing thickly, "We might be panicking over nothing." He actually did pray that was the case, his mind was going to dreadful places, and he was a grown adult, Harry was just a child, a little boy. No, he'd likely heard someone mention Leo and had thought to give her comfort in his childish imagining and what child didn't imagine their own parents?

He rather hoped they were panicking over nothing.

"Could Arcturus know more? I know my grandparents were close to he and Melania for a time," Charlus mused, when they were young, they'd been good friends apparently. They'd had the same belief's, in blood purity, between the Potter's, Black's and a few other pureblood families, they believed themselves akin to royalty in the magical world. His parents had believed the same thing, but weren't quite so zealous about it.

"He may," Dorea indelicately shrugging her shoulders, he wasn't in any condition for a long conversation, and likely wouldn't be for a few more days perhaps a week. His voice was rusty with disuse, weakened, it hurt him to talk even with soothers. "We really should get to Godric's Hollow and search through the cottage again, but I'm too exhausted to move." She confessed.

"Me too," Charlus sighed, stressing out about money constant was wearing him down, with the return of Melania and Arcturus he could only hope they could help ease the burden of trying to take care of so many people. If only until they found that damnable will and had an income. "Which one of us is going to go?" they had a child to care for now, they couldn't just both leave whenever they pleased. At least not until he was a little bit older and more confident in his place in the family, leaving a House-elf to watch over him.

"I'll go, I'll set my alarm for five, head out before anyone gets up," Dorea explained, as she leaned against her husband, just enjoying the downtime together before bed. "I'll only be checking through the books; I wish we had thought to check them all before."

"Remember to try the ones in Harry's nursery, perhaps you should bring them here? Give him something to remember his parents by? Some photos perhaps? Maybe his baby clothes to make a chest for him? My parents did the same for me and Fleamont." Charlus murmured quietly, usually they'd have a cup of tea but tonight neither could be bothered with any of that. They'd had so many guests and cups that they couldn't think to drink more.

Dorea smiled, "Similar to my hope chest," she replied, "That's a very fine idea," she murmured kissing her husband in silent gratitude for his forethought.

"Let us retire to bed, we've got a long day ahead of us tomorrow." Charlus stated, "I am heading over to Marius' first thing to pick up the rest of the paperwork on Harry." Not to mention Marius had actually bought all newspapers that covered Surrey, how he had managed that he really didn't know. Never mind how he accomplished it so soon. Then again, lawyers, they were very good at accomplishing whatever task they had put before them and Marius had a group of lawyers on retainer. Black's didn't waste any time when it came to revenge or getting what they wanted.

Dorea nodded her full agreement, "Sounds perfect actually, while you're there, head to that restaurant and bring home some breakfast."

Charlus laughed, as he pulled his wife to her feet, "You ended up liking it then." Amused.

"It was delicious," she confessed, "Bring enough for everyone."

Charlus nodded, despite the fact he really should be tightening the purse strings significantly. He'd never been very good with saying no, anyways, with a little luck between the both of them his wife's new prospective career and his investments, they would be alright, it wouldn't hurt to splurge a little, especially since he hadn't had to pay for any of Harry's potion treatements. Severus was all but Harry's godfather, well, unofficial godfather and he'd take full advantage of it.

With quiet goodnights, they slid into bed, feeling more at ease knowing Thorfinn was nearby to take care of anything Arcturus, Melania and Harry (if the need occurs) may need. Remembering in the nick of time, to cast an alarm for the morning, before they succumbed to sleep.

Dorea groaned blearily at the alarm clock that buzzed incessantly, wakening her up from a rather unsettled sleep. Reaching blindly for her wand, before flicking it aimlessly, easing in relief at the silence. Forcing herself to sit up, knowing if she remained in bed, she'd doze for a few more hours and it wasn't a pleasure she could allow herself today.

"Can we not just cancel today and sleep in?" Charlus rasped out, sleepily. "I feel like I just came to bed."

Dorea inclined her head in silent agreement, she was still exhausted herself, but there was work to be done. Dorea picked out a pretty medium sized dress in seafoam blue using magic to zip it up at the back.

"You're stunning, wife," Charlus said, staring at her with a hunger that had never abated, only the locations changed when they were travelling. "Did that not have some tulle in it? Or is it a similar dress?" wondering if his mind was playing tricks on him. He honestly remembered it with tulle fabric on the sleeves, shoulders, and naturally the bottom half, a skirt under a skirt.

"I removed it all, it's far better without it." Dorea explained, easy enough to do, just a few spells and voila. She had been right, of course, it was far prettier without all that damn added fabric, netting type material always looked awful, it took some extremely good dresses to make even the small amount work. She altered a lot of her outfits; it just happened that Charlus had been there the day she picked this one. Quite recently too, a month ago if she could recall.

It wasn't a dress at the height of its fashion, it was mass produced by the muggle world, but she still liked it. It didn't fit as well as tailor made dresses did, but she couldn't complain overly much.

Charlus stared inquisitively at his wife, wondering how many times she'd done such a thing. Wondering how he had never noticed until it was shoved in his face. Why had she never confessed to the desire to create her own clothing line? He would have seen her with the very best of everything. Without a shadow of a doubt. He never asked, fearing that it was the desire to start a family more than create that stayed his wife's hand. However, she could have done both. Could have. If their son had lived, to their everlasting grief he didn't. "Remember to check each book just in case it's been magically concealed or secured." Lily had been very intelligent, especially for a muggle born child entering only at the age of eleven.

"And ask Arcturus about any Potter abilities if he's cognizant." Dorea pointed out, taking out a cardigan, pondering if she should use a jacket, it was colder now. Shaking her head, the cottage would be absolutely freezing, with the roof and doors caved in, it was only thanks to magic that it hadn't been flooded numerous times. She'd need both.

"Hopefully Thorfinn has good news for us," Charlus agreed, as he got ready at a more sedate pace. "Are you having a coffee before you go? Perhaps one to go?"

"Yes, please, it's going to be chilly in the cottage." Dorea said, sitting down and opening her jewellery box, regardless of what she was doing that day, it was important to always look your best.

"I'll see to it," Charlus promised, as he left the bedroom to give the house-elves orders.

She put her pearl set on before finishing her morning routine, she prayed to Merlin that they were successful. For too long things had been going wrong, she just hoped that things may be going in their favour now. If it was only Harry that goes right, she would be content with that though. Slipping into comfortable footwear that would both suit the dress and keep her feet warm.

"I'll be back as soon as possible," Dorea murmured quietly, not wishing to wake anyone up, it was much too early. "Hopefully before Harry wakes up." She did not want repeats of his first morning there, so they made sure someone was always awake. It wasn't going to be an easy thing to get Harry into a new different routine.

"Good luck dear," Charlus commented, handing over the to-go goblet as he kissed her goodbye.

"Bye," with that Dorea popped away, appearing in the eerily empty graveyard of Godric's hollow.

Dorea looked around cautiously, watching to see if anyone had noticed her appearance. She was pleased to see that most of all the windows had curtains still pulled cross them. All was quiet and still, most families were still abed and asleep, except the occasional nightshift worker in the area. People would soon begin rousing, to get to their work, to take the children to school, and hopefully she'd be long gone by then.

Her heart broke every time she stared up at the cottage, knowing the devastation that happened within. Or rather what they deduced had happened. She never failed to check for any spells that might have been put up. He doubted Dumbledore cared very much about it, other than what it represented.

Represented whatever he wanted to turn Harry into.

Inhaling sharply, hugging herself for warmth, even with the jacket she still felt the chill in the air. She missed the warmer climates, missed visiting other countries with Charlus. Perhaps they could visit other places again with Harry, it would be good education for him. It would allow Harry to bond with them, and with them not in Britian, it would make them safer as well. In fact, the more she thought about it, the more she liked the idea.

They just needed to find a copy of this will, truth be told, they'd lost hope years ago of finding one. This was really just a fool's errand, more than likely. Severus may have known Lily well, as children, yes, but surely as an adult, she wouldn't stuff copies of wills into books and forget about them, would she? She was far too intelligent for that. However, even for the smallest possibility of it being there, they had to check.

Dorea begun by checking the books on the bookcase in the living room, it was just three small shelves in the corner. Nothing big, or extravagant, most of them were Transfiguration books with Charms being close to second. She brushed her own magic against them as she did so, just to make sure there was nothing hidden. There were two children's books, one for numbers and the other for colours and shapes. She contemplated taking them as she drank her coffee, but ultimately decided against it, Harry didn't need them and they were a dime a dozen. Nothing, just as expected.

Pursing her lips, she set the to-go goblet aside, having finished it, she nosed around the kitchen but found no books, no wills, no parchment except the ripped pieces in the kitchen which were all blank. Sighing softly, as she caressed the piece of parchment on the fridge with a dozen food items scrawled on it. The house, frozen in time, before a family was destroyed. Although, many items had been stolen after it happened, people were disgusting.

With no luck, she moved upstairs, the cottage was small, there were only two bedrooms, and Dorea knew she'd likely have more luck searching through James and Lily's room. This room still had its roof, dozens of soft toys strewn around with 'wife' and 'husband' and 'mum' on them. She checked the books on the nightstand, Lily was clearly an avid reader, but none of the books held anything other than the stories within.

Dorea sighed resignedly, replacing the last book back into James' trunk, an hour of her time wasted. Just as she had suspected, there was nothing there. They'd gone over everywhere they thought Lily and James would put a copy of their will since they didn't get one. It had clearly been on purpose, she really despaired over James' complete trust in Dumbledore. It had led Harry to a life of abuse. She hoped…for the first time in her life, that there was no afterlife, so that James and Lily didn't see what had become of their son.

Knowing you were responsible for it…it would destroy James, utterly destroy him.

Tutting to herself, disappointed despite her low expectations, she stood up and left the bedroom, time to head home. Staring in at the destroyed bedroom, she wondered, could she have put it in there? It was as unlikely as anything else thus far really. It was destroyed, at the mercy of the elements, even if not the actual rain. "Oh, I'm here, I might as well try everything." Dorea murmured to herself, as she stepped into Harry's nursery.

Swallowing thickly, staring down at the dark patch where Voldemort had died. Or rather where he'd lost a portion of his soul, she all but jumped over the area. This was where Lily had been found, she thought feeling sick to her stomach. They'd gotten a copy of the files, they had many connections and many people owing them, which came in handy sometimes.

Dorea dug into shifting the broken pieces of the roof to the corner of the nursery. It wasn't easy, but she didn't want to risk using too much magic just to be on the safe side. At least until they had a foolproof plan to keep Harry safe from Dumbledore's influence. Luckily, the bookcase was mostly untouched, she noticed, at the wrong side of the nursery and didn't get any damage other than dust from the initial backlash.

She checked through the books half-heartedly, and it confirmed her earlier thoughts, there was nothing there.

Easing herself to her feet, wobbling a little, she caught herself before she could fall, that was what caused her to see the red book just under the broken crib. Was that a book? Reaching down she snatched the item and brought it up, oh, it was a photo album, Harry might like it, and it stopped this being a complete waste of her time.

Holding it loosely, she was just about to turn around and leave when she felt something flutter on her leg. She glanced down, eyes widening, heart stuttering, the words 'LAST WI' and she didn't think, she snatched it up, and found there were five pieces of thick parchment. Four were Lily and James' wills, the other was a letter in purple ink, Lily's preferred ink for personal letters, it was even scented.

Shaky fingers traced the 'For Harry' in Lily's handwriting, she owed Severus everything.

Holding the photo album and the letters and will close, she turned around swiftly and left the house as quickly as possible.

She rushed to the end of the wards before apparating back home.

They'd actually found the wills!

A/N – so will it be the updated wills or will Sirius be destined to suffer further harm with the believed 'proof' that Sirius was the secret keeper (since he was at the beginning) or were James and Lily quick to change it once more after Peter became the secret keeper? What do you want to see done to Dumbledore? Will the Black's take care of him from the shadows? Killing him for vengeance? Or will they proceed with caution and use the legal system to their benefit? Knowing that he could get away with it after all he could claim he had no idea about the abuse and depending on how its worded…he could very well get away with it too! R&R please