That night, Elise tossed and turned with many questions. With the bassinet sitting just at the edge of her own small bed she was ready in case he needed anything.

She thought of Lily's words to her. "That old meddling fool" she'd mentioned. Elise knew she was talking about Dumbledore, but something was strange, wasn't Dumbledore supposed to be the symbol of light and all things good or something? She'd never much cared for ancient wizard when she was in school, the headmaster was eccentric and uninformed at best. He didn't care to worry about the problems within the school or make any moves to modernize the learning.

She found that left most magicals of Britain wildly unprepared for the real world, and often lost when it came to anything muggle. She sighed, Albus Dumbledore was not someone she wanted to make an enemy out of, but this inexplicable protectiveness she felt for baby Harry told her she would deal with him if she had to. Lily Potter was a bright young woman, Elise was confident she deserved to live a long life, so she would do her best to honor her by taking care of her son.

As she considered Lily some more, she couldn't help but be confused at their circumstance. The Lily and James she knew of were not weak or stupid, in fact, they were the best of the best. And, not to mention, the cruel looking scar on the baby's forehead. Elise knew something dark had happened there, but what? She knew the goblins were excellent when it came to identifying and treating curses, tomorrow she would ask them about Harry's scar.

—

The next morning, Harry woke up at around 7:30, babbling softly in his bassinet. Elise sat up, shaking the confusion from her head. Right, she had a baby to take care of. Breakfast and a change of clothes for the both of them saw her ready for her appointment at Gringotts. She picked up the boy and decided they would do some shopping beforehand.

Diagon Alley was quiet at this time, but still, as she walked she could see people's stares. Their focus on the young boy in her arms worried her, could they recognize him for some reason? Not wanting to be accused of kidnapping the child of two very influential people, she ducked into a small alleyway and held him up to get a good look at him. His hair was unfortunately an exact replica of his father's, and the scar was just worrisome to see on such a small infant. Deciding to play it safe, she quickly changed the appearance of his hair with a few spells.

Though still quite unruly, its color now matched the cinnamon brown of her own. His eyes were green, but then again, so were hers, so she decided to leave them be. With that, she decided he could definitely pass as her son, and confidently strutted back onto the street.

She quickly purchased a stroller and two extra sets of clothes, as well as a blanket and a few toys. Half the items were sent back to the flat, leaving her with the stroller, blanket and one of the small toys. Baby Harry clutched the stuffed dragon happily, babbling softly all the way to the bank.

By now it was 8:27, three minutes before her agreed-upon appointment time. She fumbled around in her pockets for her vault key and made her way inside. A clerk waved her over.

"Good morning, I am here for an appointment with Ironmalice, my vault manager." She made sure her tone was as polite as possible, the goblins could be a fickle bunch.

The clerk waved her over to a door, telling her to wait inside. She pushed the stroller in and sat in one of the chairs. Two minutes passed and another goblin appeared down the hall.

"Ironmalice will see you now, miss Clarke." It said, signaling for her to enter the room he had just come from.

She nodded politely and headed inside.

"Miss Clarke. Take a seat." Ironmalice sat at a desk overlooking a stack of documents. "I understand you have obtained guardianship of the young Potter boy."

"Yes. Well, I have him. Lily Potter requested that I take him, seeing as whoever left him at his aunt and uncle's house failed to realize they were unfit to raise him." She answered truthfully, there was no point in lying.

"We will need you to sign this document that will ensure your legal guardianship. Right now, the magical guardian of Harry Potter is Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore." Elise fought off a laugh at the mention of the headmaster's entire name. "By signing this you are stripping him of all his rights of being the Potter boy's guardian and transferring them to yourself. The goblin places a parchment in front of her.

She skimmed it over, everything he just said was on the document, along with some other benefits. She took a quill and signed it. Her signature glowed gold and she felt her magic link to Harry's. With this document, as far as anyone was concerned, she was Harry's mother. A smile framed her face, she patted the top of his head once, noticing his bright eyes trained on her.

"Excellent. As you know, the Potters own quite a fortune. Harry will be entitled to it all when he takes Lordship, which he can do as early as seventeen. As his guardian, you may decide if he is ready then. For now, he is entitled to his trust fund, and you will receive monthly deposits for any supplies you might need." Ironmalice slid over another document, tapping the parts he had just discussed.

Once again, Elise looked it over briefly. Her jaw dropped. The "monthly deposits" were easily double what she would have made in a year's salary as a teacher. Her head was swimming with the idea of having so much money. Suddenly, purchasing things for the baby didn't seem like such a daunting task.

"The wills of Lily Potter nee Evans and James Potter have been sealed and are unreadable at this time. Albus Dumbledore directly defied what was read around 24 hours ago. I am not allowed to disclose anything inside, but we are glad you were able to step in and set things back to a better solution. The Potter magic accepts you, so they must think you an adequate selection for Harry's guardian." Ironmalice gave her what she assumed was a smile, so she returned her own.

"I see. Are you allowed to give me any more information of what is expected of me?" Elise asked the goblin.

They spoke for about an hour more on the expectation of being the magical guardian of a young Lord-to-be. Though it seemed daunting, she was certain she could manage with practice and determination. As their discussion came to a close, she suddenly remembered her question from the night before.

"Ironmalice, before I go, is it possible to get someone to look at Harry's scar?"

"Ahh, from the Dark Lord." Ironmalice said, getting down from his desk and walking to the stroller.

"Dark Lord?" Elise couldn't hide the fear in her voice. "What do you mean Dark Lord?"

Ironmalice looked at her quizzically. "You mean…you don't know what happened?"

Her blank stare was enough of an answer.

"James and Lily Potter were murdered in their home on October 31st. The Dark Lord appeared and cast the killing curse on young Harry. By some miracle, it rebounded off of him and left this scar." Ironmalice bowed his head respectfully. "Young Harry defeated the Dark Lord and is the only known wizard to survive the killing curse."

Elise collapsed back into her chair. Murdered? Harry was hit with a killing curse? This was all too much, no wonder people had been looking at her strangely, Harry Potter was sure to be a name of legend. She would have to keep him hidden for a long time if she hoped to give him a semi-normal childhood.

"I'll set up a group of our researchers to see what can be done. As soon as I find anything I will send word." With that, Elise was promptly ushered out of the office and back into the main hall of the bank.

She sat on a bench and held baby Harry close, running her hand through his messy hair as she did. The thought that this sweet boy had been hit by a killing curse, and no doubt watched his parents die just before haunted her. She fought back the wave of sadness, knowing she needed to focus on the next best thing to do for him.

On the list of necessities, a room for him was of the utmost importance. Her one-bedroom flat was not going to cut it for very long. She knew nothing she ever needed to buy in terms of supplies for a baby would come close to the sheer amount of gold currently sitting in both of their vaults. She considered the steps needed to buy a magical stand-alone property. Of course, a boy such as himself deserved to live in a luxurious manor, but she couldn't see him needing that quite yet. Then she thought of the looks she'd received just by walking to the shops. Harry would never be able to hide from the attention he would receive in magical London. Elise knew no child should have to worry about reporters and stalkers or anything of the sort. No, it was better that they stay somewhere with less magical business.

She thought of her parent's home in Hampstead. The quaint three-bedroom home was perfect in her opinion. A good build with lovely furnishings and good surroundings. It was in a safe neighborhood and had a few different schooling options nearby. Yes, a muggle neighborhood would definitely be best for now. There was no need to risk anything until absolutely necessary. Plus, the further from here the less likely it would be for her to run into Dumbledore or anyone working for him.

With that decided, she decided to call her mum, a visit was in order. She apparated them both to her flat, setting him down in the bassinet and reaching for the telephone, she knew her mum would be home.

"Hello?" Her mother's voice came through the speaker in her normal cheerful tone.

"Hi mum, is daddy home?"

"Yes he is! We've got the day off. Everything alright?"

"Yes, yes everything's alright. Do you mind if I pop over for a bit? Stay for lunch perhaps?"

"Not at all dear, come whenever you like."

"Great. Um, mum…I have a bit of news for the both of you when I get there, try not to be too shocked." Elise knew this was definitely not the best approach, but she didn't know how else to break it to them.

"...Alright? See you in a bit, dear."

The click of the phone sent her packing up a bag for Harry. She could feel the headache already, knowing her parents, the questions would be endless. In a matter of minutes she was steeling herself to make the apparation. She knew it would all be fine, but still. Harry had her hair bunched into his little fist, calm as ever. She smiled at his chubby little face, how could they not love him? It was all going to be fine.

Crack.

Her parents kitchen came into view. She stumbled for a minute before throwing an arm out for support. It turns out apparating while holding a baby is a tad harder than it sounds.

"Elise, my dear-" Her mother's greeting was quickly cut off when she noticed the bundle in her arms.

She stared at her daughter blankly, trying to make sense of the situation. Elise mumbled a curse under her breath, with the spell still in place, she knew Harry looked exactly like her. This situation was incredibly suspicious.

"Eric! Come say hi to your daughter…" Her mother said finally, staying put in the doorway of the kitchen.

Her father made his way over with a brilliant smile, his words dying on the tip of his tongue as he saw them.

"What…is the meaning of this?" He asked in a low voice.

"This isn't my baby!" She started, before doubling back. "Well, I adopted him, so he is mine I suppose…but I didn't have a baby!"

"What in the world possessed you to adopt a baby?" Her mother said, an exasperated look telling Elise all she needed to know about her thoughts on the situation. "Did Tyler-?"

"Tyler and I are through. He was seeing someone else." She cut her off, a look of disgust crossing her face as she remembered the day before.

"Then…who-? Why-? Oh, for heaven's sake why don't we all sit down…" Her mother huffed leading them to the dining room table.

Elise conjured drink for all of them, knowing this would be quite the tale. She held Harry against her chest, he was fast asleep.

"This is Harry. I adopted him this morning." She said finally, smiling at the sleeping boy in her arms.

"This morning-? Elise, start from the beginning, there is definitely more to this story." Her father took a swig of his drink, setting it on the table with a thud.

"There is actually quite a bit to the story, but I will start from the beginning." She took a deep breath before continuing. "Yesterday evening, I came back from a trip to surprise Tyler. I found him at home with someone else, and he got angry and…well, it's not important, just know that he and I will not be speaking."

Her father jumped in. "I will be speaking to him."

"Eric, let her talk." Her mother cut her eyes at him.

"Do as you like dad. Anyway, I was walking down the street, trying to calm myself down when I heard what I thought was a baby. It turns out it was a baby, left on a doorstep in the cold. The people's house he was at were his aunt and uncle, they are the worst sort of people you can find. Rude, arrogant, and they hate magicals." She sighed. "I picked him up and read the letter attached to the basket he was left in. Apparently an old wizard had bent some rules for some unknown reason and taken Harry to them, leaving them on their doorstep like a parcel and leaving without a second thought."

"How cruel." Her mother said.

"That's what I thought. So, I took him home and got him warmed and fed, and this morning I legally adopted him through our bank. The Potter's, his family, had all of the documents for guardianship and whatnot there, so it was a relatively simple procedure. Legally speaking, Harry Potter is my son, and I am his magical guardian as well."

"Elise why didn't you take him to an orphanage or give him to any other relatives more suitable?" Her mother's eyes were full of concern. "You don't have the funds to raise a child on your own, or the space!"

"That is a good point, and believe me, I considered all of that. You see his mother, Lily Potter, and I went to school together. I'm not sure how, but she spoke to me last night. She begged me to take him in, to raise him as she would have. I…I couldn't say no. Lily and her husband James were murdered." Her parent's faces were almost as shocked as her own had been at Gringotts. "He only barely survived…"

"How did she speak to you if she was dead?" Her father wondered.

"I don't know that either. Powerful magic was at work, that's for sure. I spoke to her spirit."

"Magic is so intriguing…" Her mother mumbled. "So, what is your plan?"

"I'm moving into a house."

"Elise, darling, you can't afford a house." Her father sighed.

"Actually, I can." She smiled. "The Potters are a wealthy family. The Potter name dates back centuries in the wizarding world, they are incredibly influential in our society. When I signed the document to become his guardian, I was given a monthly allowance to spend on him. However, I don't think they know what "monthly allowance" means, since I currently have several year's worth of my salary currently sitting in my vault."

"Wait, so you were given money to spend on him, and it's enough that you can buy an entire house?" Her father looked at her incredulously.

"I'm almost positive I could buy a manor if I wished."

Her parents sat back in their chairs. She could tell this was a lot all at once. Part of her knew she would feel guilty about this for quite some time.

"So, what is it you need from us then?" Her mother asked, finally breaking from her shock.

"I'm thinking of moving somewhere around here. Do you know of any houses on the market?"

At that, her parent's eyes seemed to sparkle. She figured this would make them happy. She hadn't lived near them since she was eleven, she knew they missed her. Her mother stood up immediately, grabbing a note[ad and some pens.

"I've seen a few properties for sale, what did you have in mind?" Her mother was all smiles now, Elise could only giggle.

"Definitely a backyard for the young lad to run about." Her father suggested, motioning for his wife to write it down.

"Ooh, yes. I was thinking three bedrooms, just in case you two wanted to stay sometime." She said, tapping a finger to her chin in thought.

"You'll need a safe area, I'll not have my daughter living in any dangerous neighborhoods." Her mother noted that down as well.

"Perhaps one near a few different schools, I want to ensure he gets the best education available to him." Elise said.

"Yes, of course."

With that, they discussed homes for several minutes before her mother folded up the paper and pocketed it, announcing that she would be on the search.

"Now, let me meet my new grandson." Her father shook his head, walking over to them.

Elise handed him over gently, watching as Harry awoke with the sudden movement. Her father held him up then, examining him at arms length. Harry giggled, reaching his arms out to him. Elise watched her father melt in that moment, drawing the boy close once more.

"He's brilliant." He mumbled, letting Harry play and tug at his shirt.

"Move over, I want to see him!" Her mother hurried to them, reaching out her hand. "Oh, Elise, he's beautiful, look at his gorgeous little eyes!"

Elise laughed some more. Watching her parents fawn over Harry was no surprise, she knew they were suckers for babies. She had half a mind to remind them that they were going to have to return him as they carried him off to play in the living room, showing him around the house and talking to him.

Elise decided to take that time to do some digging, taking her parent's car and driving around some nearby neighborhoods, looking for houses. Her parents were just delighted to keep Harry, and though she had no luck in her search that day, she knew she had the greatest luck when it came to her parents. They were truly wonderful through and through.