Chapter 8:

One week. It had been one week since he had been forced to leave the Ministry in shame. Tagged like a common criminal. He, Albus Dumbledore, Defeater of Grindelwald, forced to follow instead of leading. If the wasn't bad enough, he had received one scrap of information since his 'house arrest'. No one sent a message. Any message went unanswered except to say, 'the information you have request is not available for public knowledge'. His office had borne the brunt of that. The whole thing was maddening. How was he to save the common wizard if he was displaced as he was? He needed to find a way to get out and fix the problem, meaning finding out who was impersonating James Potter.

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It had been a very long week for James Potter. Yes, Remus was now on board. But the situation with Augusta Longbottom was horrible and sad. The woman was so set in her ways that she had practically destroyed her grandson, Neville, who was also James' godson. If Harry's placement with Petunia was bad, Neville being forced to stay with the old witch was almost worse. Croaker had helped by supplying an archaic law that saw James removing the boy from his Grandmother's 'care' to himself. It wasn't that fact he now had the boy that had the old dragon spitting fire, No it was the fact he now had the Longbottom regency, which gave him their voting right. She fought that with every fiber of her being. The fact that she cared more about the voting right then her own flesh and blood had not endeared her to many within the Wizengament. She had been forced to leave the building and banned from entering unless in emergency.

But that was only the tip of the iceberg. Sirius' 'trial' wasn't going to happen. From what could be discovered was that when the guards of Azkaban had removed him from his cell, Sirius, not knowing he was basically free, tried to make a break for it. The guards tried to call after him and stop him, but the man didn't stop and fell to his death from one of the upper levels of the prison. The Wizengament posthumously gave him his freedom. Harry's trust vault was given the compensation as he was Sirius' godson and heir. Lucius Malfoy was not pleased with that. He had tried to get his own son named heir the Black family, as his wife was a Black. James had to remind the vain man that he also was a Black, through his mother, meaning that his son as well. Besides Gringotts had already stated that Harry was heir to the Black title. The blonde wizard was not pleased and needed watching.

As he sat at his desk, he read the missive that Amelia Bones sent agreeing to let her niece Susan to join the boys in the new Potter Academy. She would be a day student, which made Amelia happier than she thought she would be. A knock at his door interrupted his reading.

"Come."

The door opened and two small boys raced in. Harry scampered onto his lap, while Neville, hung back, a look of longing on his little face. Harry giggled as his Da stood, grabbed the other boy, and placed him on his other leg. The boy let out a sigh that both adults heard.

James looked at his friend. He could tell that something had happened on their outing.

Looking at Harry he asked, "Did you and Neville have a good time?"

"It was GREAT Da! We went on the swings and the slide and the roundabout and…." rambled the little boy.

James chucked. "What about you Neville?"

The shy boy looked up at him and said "It was fun. But the trees and flowers were really great." The little boy then tried to make himself small as if that was the wrong thing to say.

"I'm glad that both boys enjoyed the park. I know that the equipment is great and the trees and flowers are good to help people calm down and think. Both are good for small boys."

"We even made a fried Da."

Turning his attention back to Harry, he enquired "You did?"

His little boy nodded then let out a huge yawn. He snuggled into James side and fell asleep almost at once. A look to his left saw that Neville was already gone and was clutching his shirt. A click drew his attention back to Remus who had snapped a photo on them. Then Moony got a serious look on his face.

"What happened?"

"The boys were playing when another child, a slightly older girl, arrived. Her mother tried to get her to play but the child kept shaking her head no and was gesturing at a book that was in her hand."

"And?"

"Harry noticed her and went over to ask if she wanted to play."

"Harry did?"

"Yep. Shocked me too."

James chuckled and gestured his friend to continue.

"The girl was surprised as well but eventually agreed when Harry gave her that grin you used to give Lily."

James looked at his friend. He had tried many different facial expressions when he was trying to woo Lily. Most failed but one. The one that showed Lily that she was the only one for him. His father had told him that it was a Potter trait when finding your life partner. He glance at his son rather surprised that he had found her so early in life.

"As they were playing the girl's father arrived." continued Remus.

"Something happened, didn't it?"

"Oh yeah."

"Don't hold back Moony."

"As I said the father arrived. He threw the book onto the ground and sat down next to his wife. Then the little girl let out a cry. Next thing I know the book is in her hands and she's shaking from head to toe."

"Did one of the boys…"

"Nope. It was the girl."

James' eyebrows shot up.

"As surprising as that was it was the father's reaction that made me act."

James knew his friend. Moony was a pacifist. Because he condition, the man went out of his way to avoid a fight, so for him to act, something big happened.

"I watched as he grabbed the girl and spanked right there in front of God and everybody. The mother was shaking in fear as well. Harry was getting scared and Neville went hiding behind a tree. The girl as crying and trying to apologize but the man wasn't having it. From what I could hear he was stating that there would be no 'witch' in his family. Before I realized it, I had my wand out and had a crying little girl in my arms."

"Good."

"The mother came running over to grab the girl but I pushed her behind me as the father also started towards me."

"And?"

"Long story short, I brought mother and daughter back with me."

"And the father?"

"Can rot for all I care."

James let out a small sigh. No doubt he would have done the same if not more.

"And these damsels in destress have names?"

"Emma and Hermione Granger."