Protecting Harry

by MmSempere

Summary:

Eleven-year-old Harry Potter has parents who are alive, a dotting godfather, and the Head of House who are there to protect and defend him. All with different takes on the matter, but giving him all the love he deserves.
Also, this is a tribute to Hogwart's best teacher and the family that Harry should have grown up with!

Notes:

These are just a bunch of random ideas after a lazy day on holiday. I hope it at least incites giggles.
And I apologize for any mistakes. English is not my first language!

Chapter 1

Minerva was concentrating on keeping her respiration slow and calm. As an educator, she had learned that it was of imperial necessity to keep her emotions in check. Especially in dealing with matters of such challenge. Especially in dealing with her most brilliant, yet rule-breaking students. Especially dealing with a Potter.

Such Potter was far from being an ordinary child. Not only because of the ordeals that marked his early years, but because of his parents. Her former students. She knew that was wrong, and always berated herself for doing it, but she had developed a special preference for James and Lily. Her Head Students, pride of their House, and prime examples of courage and kindness.

Nevertheless, it was wrong to go beyond the professional care of her actual and former students. Developing any further feelings would taint and command her actions...

For instance, if Severus kept marching into this office and uttering such stupid affirmations, she might find herself obligated to find the sharpest object in Albus’ office and throw it at his bloody nose.

"He is a menace! A few days in school, the Potter boy and his friends disrespect the school rules and threaten the safety of all!"

"Now, now, Severus," interrupted Filius. "The Potter boy was not responsible for the appearance of the troll. He was rather brave and a valuable presence in this altercation. He and the littlest Weasley saved their colleague."

That’s right. Filius was as insightful and gave accurate inputs.

Following his lead, Pomona, also a fantastic colleague, added:

"Indeed, Potter and Weasley showed courage beyond their years. They should be recognized!"

"This is outrageous! How Potter keeps getting privileged with his impulsive and spoiled actions..."

Albus looked at her and raised his eyebrows, prompting her to speak. It made sense, after all, that Severus had demanded this reunion after the rushed events of last night to discuss the privileged treatment given to certain students of certain houses...

It was unprecedented. Never in their professional relationship had he dared to accuse her of such. Despite his prejudice against her house, which she frequently confronted behind closed doors — the students should never suspect the conflicts between their teachers! — he always showed respect and a certain tolerance to her.

Alas, that was not important. It was not about her, or the points given yesterday, or the exception to allow a first year on the Quidditch team getting him so riled up. It was a vendetta. A stupid and juvenile vendetta. And she must end this soon; it was nearly lunchtime, for Merlin’s sake.

"Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley defeated a troll last night while defending another student. The majority of us recognize this, right?" Her gaze rounded on her colleagues from Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, then to the Headmaster, receiving nods, before facing again her youngest colleague. "Awarding points is a standard procedure in these situations. Or do you wish to discuss any further actions on my part?"

That’s it. Let’s see if he has the courage to repeat the accusations he shouted to Albus after Potter’s admission to Gryffindor’s team.

He sputtered, but before being able to compose an answer, a loud hurricane stormed through the office.

"A TROLL? YOU LET MY SON FACE A TROLL?!"

Oh, Lily Potter was always a force of nature. Especially combined with her husband.

"You promised, Dumbledore, you promised our son would be safe in this school!" hissed an aggravated James.

"As your son's safety should be above everyone else, Potter. You are always disregarding everyone else!" shouted Snape.

Despite being initially bewildered by Lily’s arrival, he perked at the sight of James. Severus would never get past his jealousy...

"Don’t you fucking dare, Snape! You, better than anyone, know how my son’s security has been compromised since his birth. You certainly contributed to it," spat James.

Snape was about to reply when Lily touched James and spoke:

"James, my love, please don’t respond to the provocation of certain individuals." The redhead sent a disdainful look to Snape that made him cower, and then turned to the Headmaster with a stony look. "Despite the choice of certain staff members complicating our ability to trust in the safety of Hogwarts, this event is truly concerning, Professor Dumbledore. How do you explain it?!"

Albus remained calm, even with a special twinkle in his eyes.

Snape became suddenly entranced by his shoes, as their other colleagues controlled their breaths, like enthusiastic listeners of a soap opera on the wireless. Minerva suspected that Filius and Pomona had reached some sort of telepathic deal to go unnoticed so they would be able to appreciate the show.

Meanwhile, Albus had not spoken yet, and she was preparing to respond in his place to avoid an explosion from the Potters. As she was about to open her mouth, another student erupted through the room like a jumping dog smelling a tasty picnic in the park.

"Sorry, sorry, I am late. ‘Traffic’ was a bitch," Sirius Black said, rolling his eyes at James. "But I am here, finaaaaally!" He then reached for Lily’s hand and swiftly kissed it.

However dramatic the interruption was, Minerva had to recognize that it softened the Potters. Lily rolled her eyes but sagged against James, showing signs of calming down. James became softer, more confident as his brother-in-arms had his back. As he always had.

But, not to be detained, Black continued with the theatrics:

"Minnie, how lovely you are to my sore eyes!" he said, bowing his head to her. Turning to her colleagues: "It is also great to reencounter other fine professors of this brilliant school, even if accompanied by some... parasites." He waved to Snape before finally turning to... "Headmaster, care to explain what happened last night with my beloved godson?"

Now, Minerva was sure: the twinkle in Albus’ eye was there. Nevertheless, his voice was calm and collected, not betraying his façade and posture.

"I am sorry that the moment to reconnect with former students is marked with such preoccupations, but I must assure you that Mister Potter's safety is well preserved."

"Potter’s safety!" scoffed Snape, awakening from his stupor (how unfortunate!). "As there are no more pressing matters and this invasion is certainly..."

Albus raised his hand to stop him. While showing himself frustrated with this action, Minerva thought Snape should appreciate it. In the moments he chose to speak, James and Sirius balled their fists, and Lily, always more conscientious of the three, wrapped her hand around her wand.

(In the darkest and most secret places of her mind, Minerva tried to guess which hex Lily would throw at Snape... She had a few suggestions.)

"However, if we are to proceed with this abrupt visit, perhaps we can free most of my staff since the students might need attendance," continued Albus. "Professor McGonagall may assist me in the retelling, but the professors should continue with their daily functions."

This was not what her colleagues hoped to hear, and their reaction was instant. Filius jumped, Pomona moaned disappointedly, and Snape opened his mouth — dear Merlin, not again!

"Yes, I am sure I can assist you and help you to provide all the necessary information, Headmaster. Unless any of my colleagues has any doubt about my competency as Head of House or my actions in this role?!"

She looked directly at Snape, challenging him to confront her.

Her former students were not oblivious to this interaction and were quick to intervene as well:

"Professor, believe me when I say that your presence is one of the most contributing factors to my son's attendance at school. My husband and I trust you and your integrity." Lily may have been talking to her, but she was directly glaring at Snape again. "Other new additions to staff, in recent years, made us question the value we once attributed to the school."

Ah, always sharp-minded! Lily was quick to sense the previous debates.

"I must add, in the role of Most Dedicated Godfather of Britain, I agree!"

"For fuck’s sake, Padfoot! That is not a thing!"

Of course, Potter and Black started derailing the conversation...

"So, we might proceed?" jumped Minerva, hoping to advance the discussion.

"Yes, please, Professor. We are concerned about this issue," shared James, with a calm tone.

The boy had grown into the role of a father. He met her eyes and showed confidence. But not before adding:

"We trust you."

Hmm. If this was directed just at Snape, or if it also related to Albus, she was unsure.

Albus made a sign to the others to leave the room. All with disappointed faces, trying to prolong the moment — Filius fidgeted, Pomona whispered for a promise to hear more later, and Snape tried to catch Lily's eyes again. But once more, Lily and James leaned on each other, isolating themselves from the world, drawing strength to protect their child.

When only the five remained, Sirius made another move to dissipate the tension:

"So, before we start, is this a situation of buying the kid a new gift or re-teaching him ways of marauding? And is it true he stuck his wand up the troll's nose?!"

Always the dramatic. Others might interpret this as immaturity, but Minerva knew better.

And she was proud. Because she knew that what he approached with lightness and theatrics was, in reality, what was needed: the Potters needed support and help to keep calm and light, even if this was achieved through distraction. And Minerva and Albus needed reassurance that there remained some trust in this school.

Because they were talking about Harry Potter — one of the most endangered children of all time. But also a child who was the most loved, and whom they all wished to protect and keep happy.

There would be many talks during his school years, many questions of the best course of action to protect him... but Minerva knew, with every fiber of her being, that she and his family would protect Harry or die trying.

So they talked. More easily than expected. Because if it was on her watch, Harry Potter and his family — her students — would be safe.

Chapter 2

The chilling air of November was, surprisingly, a gift to calm her nerves. Lily felt she was making an extreme effort not to throw up. She could not ruin her son's first game day; Harry was the priority. Harry was always the priority. How could she bring any distractions from her boy?

It was bad enough the stress she put James on... Her husband was holding her hand tight, guiding her through the Hogwarts gates, his body barely restrained what he was feeling: excitement and pride for his son's game, fear for the outcome, anxiety from...

No, no, she would not go there. She promised to put a hold on her concerns; it was foolish to share them with James. She must focus on her surroundings and the events of the day!

"Hey, YOU — oh Poooootters, wait up!"

The scream came from behind them, and Lily turned to see her brother-in-law in a rather distinct outfit... and running to catch them!

"Merlin, I THOUGHT WE AGREED ON MEETING IN HOGSMEADE! AND YOU," he said, pointing the finger at both of them, "STOOD ME UP!!!"

"Padfoot! Calm down!" sighed James. "We have a lot to think about today—"

Lily tightened the grip on his hand, prompting him to add:

"I mean, it is Harry's first game! We have been thinking about it!"

Sirius looked at him skeptically. Damn it, he was too wise. Then he smelled the air and turned his head sharply at her.

"Why the hell did you change your perfume? You have been wearing the same scent since the 6th year."

Because, besides being too perceptive, he also had a canine scent sense. And she needed to distract him, which, speaking of it, she now had the perfect card to divert the conversation:

"You want to talk about changing appearances and presentation, Black? Care to explain your outfit?"

Rather than his usual black ensemble, Sirius was head-to-toe in Gryffindor Red. A giant top hat with red and gold stripes, a red leather jacket and pants, and the team jersey. Never had he shown so much house pride or such an appealing outfit. After all, Sirius's behavior was sufficient as it was to gather people's attention.

"I have to support my godson, after all, his so-called parents are too busy to try it!"

James rolled his eyes and answered him:

"We both have the team jersey on and the house scarf. And we promised to be discreet, as the Hogwarts games are usually not attended by parents, and just last month we told Snivellus to suck it up and stop calling our son out for some privilege he thinks he has."

"As if I am living my life influenced by Snivellus!"

Well, as unpleasant as it always was to speak of Severus, this theme was sufficient to distract Sirius, and they made their way to the pitch, eventually changing the subject to James' predictions of the game.

How gorgeous her husband was, how excited he could become with this sport, and the fact his son shared his passion. He was such a good dad, such a good husband. He did not deserve to have to lie awake every night in fear for their son, to always be looking over his shoulder and being frustrated because he wanted Harry to live freely and happily as he had lived in his childhood.

When they got married Lily remembered that she thought she wanted to give him all he wanted in the world, that she would do everything she could for him. Lately, she believed she was failing him.

She was lost in these thoughts as they reached the stands and met their former Head of House.

"Good morning. Well, I must say it is rather touching to see your effort in supporting our team, Mister Black," said McGonagall in a slightly raised tone. Lily believed she was also fighting a smile.

Sirius, of course, took it in jest and twirled to their former professor and started to discourse on his godson's talent, who would certainly be a prodigy in every challenge he took.

Lily could not help herself from once more feeling a rush of love for their friend. Sirius would certainly be mad with her, but she thought many times he could be a Hufflepuff, because he was the most loyal person she had met and he was the most dedicated person to her son besides her and James. Sirius would never let Harry down, which is something she was not sure she could...

The professor guided them to the stands, where they were greeted with overwhelming enthusiasm by most of the teachers. Severus was already there and seemed eager to catch her eyes, which she could not bear today.

Her former friend certainly tested her nerves every time their paths crossed, but today she could not bear his presence because of all the damage and pain he caused her family, revealing the prophecy to his wretched master.

There was a time that Lily could forgive him, although their friendship would never return, but after what he did eleven years ago, Lily had to hold herself not to take her wand and finish him.

She could also find James rather tense by the Potions Master, and she sat rather close to him, glued to him. James was her rock, and she was his. And today they needed each other more than ever.

The game suddenly began and Lily became overwhelmed by the sight of her little boy so high in the sky. James was shouting suggestions as if Harry could hear him, Sirius was just as well shouting incentives, and the student commenting on the game was talking about so many other kids — Johnson, Spinnet, Pucey, Bletchey, Weasley...

Lily felt like she was stuck in a bell jar, where the sounds came magnified, and all she could do was look at her darling boy. It was suffocating because he was so far, in a spot so open to danger, and she was stuck, and all she wanted was to reach him and protect him.

As her thoughts had summoned a tragedy, Harry seemed to lose control of his broom and jerked up. Lily screamed, alongside James and Sirius, and was about to pass out when she smelled smoke and saw Harry dive towards the ground, clasping his hand to his mouth as if he was being violently sick the instant he landed.

As Lily started to run to get to the field she heard the announcement that Harry had caught the Snitch — with his mouth!

James, who was right beyond her, whooped and hugged her.

"He is brilliant! Our son, our son, Lil!"

He may not have noticed, but he used the same words as the very first moment they held Harry on the night he was born.

They eventually reached their son, who was astonished by everything that happened. Despite his teammates trying to hold on to him, Harry got free and jumped on his parents. And for the first time in the day, Lily felt she could breathe freely.

Soon they were joined by Sirius, Professor McGonagall, and many people who were discussing the game, and Snape's robes catching fire — what?! — and Lily once again retreated into herself and was only allowed to pay attention to Harry and James.

They shared the same expressions, they both scoffed the same way and had the same crooked smile. Lily always thought that she would love to have more babies with similarities to James.

Eventually, Sirius found a way to convince McGonagall to let them escort the team to the party in the Gryffindor Tower, and the four adults followed the children to the castle.

While James and Sirius formed a conversation with the Weasley twins, exchanging ideas on how to punish the Slytherin team for their lack of fair play — in whispers and sly looks to not be caught by McGonagall — Lily walked with her arm wrapped around Harry, who looked to her worried.

"What is it?" she whispered, sensing her son would be uncomfortable with the attention of others.

Harry looked worried at the other students, and then at his father, before whispering back:

"Do you think Dad will be very disappointed if he finds out I am not as good at Quidditch as he thinks?"

What? Her boy had just played a whole match at eleven!

"What are you talking about, darling? You were amazing!"

"It was an accident, Mum! I did not mean to catch the Snitch with my mouth," he whispered, very close to tears.

"Oh, my boy." She stroked a thumb on his face. "Even so, it was amazing. You are the youngest player of the century! Nevertheless, your father loves you more than everything. You could disdain Quidditch, and he certainly wouldn't mind."

"Oh no, Mum," gasped Harry, forgetting their whispering. "You are the person that Dad loves the most! And he would never accept anyone who didn't like Quidditch."

Lily laughed out loud, drawing James to their side and inquiring about what they were talking about.

As they reached the portrait of the Fat Lady, Lily fell behind, communicating with James through looks that she just needed a minute for herself. Her husband nodded and took their son, who looked much more relaxed and was joking with his two best friends about something she did not register.

"Well, we can say this was quite an eventful match," sighed McGonagall, startling Lily, who did not realize that the Professor was at her side.

"Yes, it was," replied Lily. "It had been a truly eventful match... and day."

The Professor looked at her quite intensely but with a reassuring and comforting face.

"You rather seem out of sorts today, Lily. I hope everything is okay."

At that moment, Lily needed to share once again with someone what was worrying her. She regretted passing on that weight to James, even though he deserved to know, but she felt that McGonagall could certainly have the answer she needed. She was her teacher, her mentor, and Lily truly held the most respect.

"I am pregnant. I took the test this morning."

McGonagall gasped and had her eyes filled with tears. She reached into Lily's hands and said:

"This is such wonderful news, my dear. You must be so happy!"

"Should I? My son has been threatened by a madman since he was born. Shouldn't I focus all my attention on him?!"

"Oh, Lily..."

"And James?!" interrupted Lily. "Could I do this to him? Make him once again pass through an unplanned pregnancy when we cannot assure the safety of a child."

A tear fell from Lily's eye, who was struggling to keep calm. "And he wanted to be a father to this child so much. But I had to remind him that we cannot do this to Harry. We cannot compromise his safety by being distracted."

"Compromise Harry? Being distracted?" McGonagall looked at her with a soft expression and smile. "The hormones must already be affecting you, dear. Don't you see the opportunity you have here? Your family can grow, Lily, and you can give your son a life companion. Someone to give him extra strength to pass on his trials. After all, it was love that saved him ten years ago, was it not? How could you not give him that chance?"

Her teacher spoke with such clarity that Lily felt like a student who had missed most of a class and was just now catching up.

"But what if we cannot protect them? What if we lose Harry or the new baby? How could we live with the loss?"

"And how could you live with the knowledge that you did not fight for your family? All your family? Don't get me wrong, many women do not want children, and they have their rights, but I know that you want this baby. Because it is half you and James, and that means the baby also has a lot of Harry. And you have fought so hard, wishing for the opportunity to be a normal family. The circumstances might not be favorable, but you can build something great."

Lily became entranced with her professor's words and kept repeating them until she was saying goodbye to Sirius in Hogsmeade, after letting her son commemorate with his colleagues in the castle.

"So you still have the energy for a date today, Pads?" asked James, smirking. "You dooog!"

"Jeez, Prongs, don't be a bore. Just because you have a lovely ball and are chained at home, it does not mean we all want the same. It is just a shag!"

"Thank you for the compliment, Pads," said Lily.

"Lily Flower, you know what I meant. Don't be dramatic. Nooo—" he raised a finger to James, who gasped and was ready to come to her defense, "she is not defenseless. She is rather capable of fighting for herself, and today she has been out of sorts. I was trying to shake her up."

"How generous you are, Pads. Thanks, but my wife is fine, and you wish you could find a woman a tenth what she is."

Sirius rolled his eyes, kissed her cheek while giving her praised affirmations, stuck his finger to James, and apparated, leaving her and her husband alone in the street.

"He is such a wanker," sighed James. He turned to her and asked her with concern: "Are you tired? Do you want to go home?"

"No," Lily shook her head and said tentatively, "I thought we could go to Diagon Alley? I would like to buy some books for Harry..."

"C'mon Lils, you cannot deal with our son's talent and Quidditch and you are planning to lure him out with books and turn him into a swot?" chuckled James.

"No, I was thinking we could buy him some books about being an older brother. I think it could help when we tell him at Christmas."

James looked at her with tears in his eyes.

"And we could also buy some paint, right? To convert the study to a nursery. We should also give a fresh coat of paint to the cr—" she was cut off by James' lips.

When they separated, James immediately hugged and kissed her hair.

"We can do whatever you want, Lily. We can do everything for our kids."

Chapter 3

Somedays, James missed his dad more than words could explain.

Even though, he was sure Fleamont would tell him that he was receiving back some of the worries he dared to impose on his parents… But he was sure his father would know what to do. He saw a lot of his mother in Lily, all that maternal force that could become rage when it came to protecting her child, the genius brilliance of always knowing how to answer with care, or with wit when necessary. He, otherwise, felt incompetent. Because, as much as he tried, he couldn’t keep Fleamont’s calm demeanor and assertive pose of protector.

He failed Harry so much already. He failed to choose the person who could protect them when he asked that damn rat to help them… He failed when he was warned by Regulus and did not believe him at first. He failed him when he did not have his wand with him when Voldemort showed up…

It seemed that his son was only alive with the help of others. Even now, Harry had fought that bastard with the help of two other eleven-year-olds… Not with his help.

When Fleamont was alive he was always James’ beacon of protection, however crazy the adventure was. His father had made him the potion to become Animagus and made him and Sirius study and plan all the ways to help Remus and protect themselves. Fleamont knew he could not stop James (as James knew he cannot stop Harry), but he made sure his sons were safe. James was failing to do that with Harry…

"Dad?"

His thoughts were interrupted by his son, who showed up in the kitchen, dressed in his pajamas adorned with snitches, and a worried face.

"Everything alright, Harry?" James could feel his heart quickening. Had he any injury unattended bothering him, or had Lily felt uncomfortable upstairs…

"Are you mad with me?" whispered Harry. "I am sorry, but we had to stop him from getting the stone, and…"

"Oh, Harry," interrupted James. How could he keep failing his son again and make him feel bad?! He got up and hugged him.

"I am not mad with you," he told his son while holding him. "I am mad with myself."

He stepped back, while still holding Harry, and met his son's eyes.

"You see, Harry, you and your friends should not have to pass through that. Much more alone… I should have been there."

"But how could you, Dad? I only sent an owl right before we went. And you saved me, you were the one to get me."

It was true. When James arrived at Hogwarts, and he went to find his son and his friends, he only arrived when Harry was unconscious. He had not let anyone else hold his son, and took him in his arms to the infirmary, having a terrible deja-vu of that night ten years ago.

"Harry, I only showed up after he hurt you! You should have felt comfortable asking me for help as soon as you started investigating this mess with Ron and Hermione," explained James with the calmest tone he could adopt. "You should have left this to me. My job is to protect you!"

"But Mom, and baby…" spluttered Harry. "They also need you! And… And… I am capable of… I should be. He wants me, Dad. He wants to hurt me, no one else should be hurt."

James held him with force and shook him while shouting:

"Don’t ever say that again! Don’t you dare, Harry! Don’t you…"

"James!" shouted Lily, who arrived at the kitchen holding her massive bump. "Calm down, please."

"Calm down? Calm down?! Did you hear him, Lil?" He let go of Harry and stepped back. He saw his son was scared. "Shit… I…"

He closed his eyes and turned to the table, needing to hold something.

He could hear Harry, now sniffling in his mother's arms, and he felt utter shit. What could he do? He needed his Dad, he needed Fleamont to tell him what to do, how to be a parent… How could he be a Dad when he still needed his so much?

He suddenly remembered the first time his parents met Harry, shortly before they died. His mother quickly swept Harry in her arms and was praising Lily, sitting near her bed, when Fleamont joined him in the corner of the room watching the two women and the baby, and whispered to him:

"How are you, son?"

Looking into his father's eyes, James felt like a bubble that was growing inside him finally burst and allowed him to speak:

"I am shitting myself, Dad," he whispered back with a shocked chuckle. "He is amazing, Lily is amazing and… I love them. I do! But, what if I… What if I fail? Two fucking minutes. Two fucking minutes and he would be born and August and he would be free, he… The prophecy, that shitting jibber Dumbledore was talking about last week. There are people of the Order outside, Dad. They think Voldemort will try to hurt him. My son, Harry, and… How can I protect him?"

He looked at his dad, who despite looking old and frail, held his gaze and told him:

"You are his dad. You love him. Be there for him; watch him, teach him, don’t let him be swallowed by fear… We cannot control the world, James. But we can fight. And we can fight for those we love, but that is not enough… We fathers have to teach our children to fight for what is worth. You will want to protect him from everything, but someday, challenges will come, and you cannot lock Harry away and fight for him. You must empower him and trust him. If he feels you trust him, he will trust you back and ask for help when needed."

His father gave him a watery smile.

"We can only love what is free, that goes for fathers as for sons. Don’t hold Harry when he starts fighting; have his back, because there may not be any other way if that monster is not stopped. You may work to defeat Voldemort, and I hope you do. But if the prophecy is right, there may not be any other way than Harry facing him; and you cannot let him be alone and unprepared."

That day was one of the few times that James hadn’t felt reassured by his father; he nearly burst out of the room, but Sirius had shown up and started joking around… Lily had noticed James was not alright when everyone laughed but James and Fleamont, and James joined her in bed when the others left. She and James held each other and made a list of all the things they wanted to show Harry… James desperately tried to forget his father's words at the same time.

But now, it seemed that his dad had told him that knowing he would be needing them now. James still did not know if he could do it… imagining his son fighting Voldemort was ripping him apart. But he could not hold Harry now. Voldemort was trying to come back, and Merlin help them, if he succeeds… Harry could not be left defenseless.

James turned to his wife and son and gently approached them. He knelt to be eye-level with Harry — damn, the kid was so small still — and told him gently:

"I am not mad at you, Harry. I just wanted to protect you."

His son looked like he was about to interrupt him, so James quickly followed up:

"It is not because I think you are incapable, it is because I love you. And all I want is for you to be happy… But if we cannot get rid of Voldemort alone, we will do it together. Don’t try to do it on your own. We are the Potters; we are a family, and we face everything together. And you can only protect me, Mom, and your baby sibling if you let us help and we deal with everything together, ok?"

Harry slowly nodded, but then quickly jumped in his arms. James held his son in one arm and reached Lily with the other. The four of them, together.

It was the only way. He could only hope he could be half to them as his father had been to him.

Chapter 4

Notes:

It should be Sirius' chapter, but this is my way of honoring Maggie Smith. Our McGonagall.
Next chapter, I will reveal all about Sirius and who he visits at Azkaban. If anyone is reading this, feel free to drop some guesses.

The sun was blazing, and Minerva felt tired. Many people thought the time of school break was like heaven to teachers, but she knew that she could not relax during the break. Many things must be done to prepare for the next year, to accommodate the new students, to organize her House, the lessons, and the extracurricular activities and their schedule. Of course, she had to do this to herself and to supervise her colleagues, since Albus was very busy with other tasks...

But, alas, today she took a break. Because today was an extraordinary day, and she was on her way to a crucial meeting. She was meeting someone for the first time, and she felt hope like she had not felt in many years. When she told Pomona this, her friend jumped to the conclusion that she was going on a sort of romantic date. What a ridiculous notion! Minerva had far more important things on her plate, and time for that had passed in her life... Now, her hope was tied to her students. Past, current, and future students.

And she was here. She knocked twice on the door before a tired, yet overjoyed, James Potter opened it.

"Minnie, you are here!" Potter took no time to reach her and overstepped the former dynamic of teacher-student, as he hugged and then dragged her, with an arm on her shoulders, to the living room. "We were just talking about your visit. Haz, Lil, Minnie is here!"

On any other day, she would pretend she was uncomfortable with this shower of affection, but again, today was a special day, and she allowed herself a break. When Lily showed up in front of her, she reached and hugged her dear student.

"How are you feeling, my dear? I hope you are recuperating well."

"Yes," laughed Lily. "My army of sweet men are not letting me do almost anything! I almost have to fight them to get to her. Come meet her, come," she told Minerva, while grabbing her and turning her to the middle of the room.

There, in the middle of the floor, sleeping in her blanket and holding her brother's finger, lay the one person Minerva came to meet.

"Isn't she the cutest babe you ever saw, Professor?" whispered nearly twelve-year-old Harry Potter, who could not focus on Minerva long, because he was so enthralled with his little sister.

Minerva kneeled near the boy and whispered back:

"She is just as lovely as you were, Mister Potter."

"They look alike, right? The same hair and lips, although I think her nose is just like Lily's," whispered James, who had a smile ear to ear, and looked just as euphoric as when he won the Seventh Year Cup. "Though, it will be funny to see how the Potter hair nest will work on a girl. I was a little disappointed she did not have red hair, but she is gorgeous anyway, isn't she?"

Lily laughed from the couch and added:

"I never thought that I would compete for James' attention, but in the last few days, Mia has taken all the compliments. From both my boys."

The Potter boys quickly looked up, worried, and made their excuses:

"Mum, Mia is tiny, and we have to look after her with attention!"

"Lily, my beloved, you know you are the most beautiful of flowers, and now you have the achievement of generating another flower as beautiful as you!"

They spoke simultaneously, getting laughs from the women. Minerva felt her heart full. The Potters were prevailing, no matter what destiny or what that bastard threw at them. They regaled her with tales of the birth and the first experiences of being a family of four, and she felt lighter. The last time she saw them, at the end of the school term, she became very worried about how they were dealing with the recent events. Now they were happily delirious with the baby.

After a while, they were joined by Sirius, who let himself into the house as little Mia woke with hunger from a nap. James and Harry did not notice his arrival as they were discussing the shade of Mia's eyes, who would likely share her eye color with her brother and mother. Minerva watched Sirius observe — with relief? Sadness? What an odd expression he showed… as Lily calmed down the boys and told them it was time to feed the baby.

"Do you have a bottle? I can feed her," said Sirius calmly, turning all the Potters to look at him. How odd.

Harry leaped from the floor and went to hug his godfather while his parents looked at their friend with sympathetic eyes. How odd, indeed.

"That would be lovely, Pads. But we don't have a bottle. I will feed her," answered Lily, gently.

"You can help me burp her, Uncle Siri."

"Hey, I was going to burp her…" interrupted James, but he changed his mind as he looked up at his friend. "That would be great, Pads! It would be really helpful."

Sirius seemed to bite off some response while rolling his eyes. He probably noticed how everyone was treating him cautiously.

"Hey, guys, let's give some space to Lily and let her feed Mia. We can go prepare the tea and biscuits in the kitchen for Minnie," suggested James. "Sorry, Minnie, we are bonkers being hosts. We did not offer you anything until now."

Until James mentioned her, she felt Sirius was avoiding looking at her, but then he spoke:

"Good afternoon, Minnie. How are you?"

She cleared her throat, unsure how to answer. Since him being eleven, Minerva had not seen him act so subdued. She remembered the frightened little boy who greeted her shyly for the first time and then sat under the weight of the Sorting Hat while crossing his fingers behind his back...

"I am fine, thank you, Sirius. I hope you are ok."

He nodded but did not look at her.

Harry quickly jumped to his godfather's aid, and together with his father, they took him to the kitchen. Lily smiled dimly and, while latching the baby at her breast, explained in a low voice:

"It is visiting day on Azkaban today."

"Oh," gasped Minerva. "Did he..?"

"Yes, he goes every visit day. Without a miss. He always comes back feeling down, but usually, Harry can lift his spirits in a few hours," sighed Lily. "And then he starts pretending again… He is being and acting all overboard to hide what he feels."

"I suppose it is still hard. Even after all these years," answered Minerva. She could not hold her musing. "I wonder if going has any benefit for any of them."

"Sirius will not be demoted. And we feel bad. After all, he was the one who saved us these years ago. Telling Sirius not to visit him would be such an ungrateful attitude."

"I understand," answered Minerva. "It is a difficult situation. Sirius holds the situation with a terrible effort." She gave a dry chuckle and added, "With a lot of dramatics, too. But he is outstanding while prevailing."

"He does it for Harry. For me and James, too," answered Lily, while attempting to dry a few tears that left her eyes with the arm that was not holding her daughter. "Sorry, damn hormones! I am so emotional... I just really wish we could help him more."

"You do a lot. You are not responsible for this situation, and Sirius was already in a tough spot. But your family, his true family, gave him the purpose he needed. He passed all his trials and held his wits to protect Harry. To protect his friends. And now" — Minerva paused and gazed adoringly at the baby between them — "you gave him a new reason to keep on."

Lily smiled, and Minerva felt some relief, feeling able to calm her.

And when the boys came back, and she watched Sirius holding little Mia, she prayed to herself. Please, God, let them keep on, no matter what.

As if hearing her, Sirius lifted his eyes and, with a total shit-eating grin, told her:

"Now you are in trouble, Minnie. I think I found a girl I love even more than you. Our unrealized love and passion were overpowered by my adoration for this girl. I don't think even we two could do such an adorable baby."

The others laughed and gasped at his audacity. What a cheek! She schooled her face to pass a stern reproach. They would play their roles. Keep on, he would throw sass, and she would discipline as his teacher; they would play this scene to the Potters. She would not shush him and hug him because he was not her son and she could not let him know she saw through his facade... But she would play along with him. This she could do for now.

This is all they could do for now.

Chapter 5

Summary:

Sirius' POV

An elf. A fucking elf. Where did the blasted creature come from?

Sirius could remember the tremor in his godson's voice when he told him:

"An elf named Dobby… he was so scared, Uncle Padfoot. He did not want me to go to Hogwarts because of a plot. I don't know. He was so mental, it seemed hard to believe, but he was really scared."

The blasted creature appeared in the backyard at night, while Harry sneaked unnoticed to fly… The damn kid was just like his father, crazy about Quidditch. And on the slimmest of opportunities, danger followed the kid.

Sirius had promised not to tell Prongs about it. What a fucking nightmare! He hated to keep secrets from his brother, but he and Lily had so much on their plates, just with general worry for their firstborn and baby Mia.

No, this had to be Sirius's task. And he knew who he should ask for help.

The path to the prison was narrow and wet, with a strong stench of rotted fish. The gloomy grey sky looked upon the poor souls who went on a visit; Sirius knew by memory now the faces, which were the same every time, as was their contempt for seeing him. The rogue Black, the blood traitor, an ungrateful son and heir. Fuck them! As he could not start punching through the big prejudiced swots, Sirius held his fists in the pockets of his leather jacket and kept his head raised high, looking only to the front. He might have to hold his tongue to teach them a lesson, but he would never, never again let the bigots belittle him.

Finally, in the dark room, sitting at a round table with uncomfortable benches, he waited until he and the other prisoners came to the room.

Arriving with his hands and feet chained, as always, his brother sat in front of him. Only nodding; sometimes that was the only thing they did. Sirius never knew what to say or how to say it. Sometimes he traced the new scars, the traces of starvation, and just started raging and demanding to speak with the Aurors in charge until his brother finally spoke and asked him to calm down. Other times, he gave Regulus some letters and postcards from Andromeda, or Lily, who was still grateful. There was not much more than that. But today it had to be different.

Sirius cleared his throat, which prompted Regulus to look up and wait for him to speak.

"An elf named Dobby came to Harry. He spoke of a plot to happen this year at Hogwarts. Said that he works for an evil family that exploits dark magic. Do you know anything about it?"

Regulus raised an eyebrow; the gesture might have produced other effects a few years ago, perhaps a show of arrogance, but it was impossible to read arrogance on such a broken face. The effect now of this was only to accentuate how fucking destroyed he was.

"You, better than anybody, should know how dark families keep using their elves to do their dirty antics, brother," rasped Regulus. "It fails me to understand what you are specifically asking."

"I want to know if you know of any plot that could affect my godson and if you know this elf, Dobby, and who he works for," whispered Sirius furiously.

"Plots are easily made, reformulated, abandoned, and enacted… And, when it is related to the Potter boy, I would say many spend their time working on it," said Regulus, while his hollow eyes rounded the room until he fixed Sirius again. "But I do not know of any plot made before I was arrested that could be on the current works. Nor do I know any elf named Dobby, but again, what attention did we give to the elves that served other families? Some wizards don't even acknowledge their elves."

Alright, that subject again. Not the fucking time, Regulus, thought Sirius.

"Should I be worried?" spat Sirius. "I mean, what kind of elf endangers himself to help a child against his masters, or might that be part of the ruse?"

Regulus gave a shallow chuckle and answered:

"You are always determined to see the evil in elves? That would be prejudice, brother."

"Oh, spare me your jokes, Regulus."

"I am sorry, as you may see, I don't have many opportunities to stand on a moral high ground," Regulus seemed to be enjoying some twisted joke, glancing around the room before sobering up and looking again at Sirius. "You should always be worried. You know that some of the Death Eaters are free. Some of them might even have access to dangerous tools. Tools that could be used to bring the Dark Lord back… They won't hold for long, Sirius. Each year that passes, Harry Potter grows and becomes a stronger threat. The only threat that could defeat him."

"Are you talking about the… you know, those blasted things Voldemort created to keep him alive? Who can have access to that?" pressed Sirius.

"They were many of the Death Eaters who were dumber than bells. Only muscle strength or, frankly, just shields in a fight, and gold coin purses. But only a few of us were truly trusted… but we had to swear secrecy," Regulus gave him a yellow smile. "You see, we Death Eaters do not trust or particularly care for many others. After all, our main goal was to protect him and love him above all."

Now, Regulus seemed positively green. "Whoever it is, they will fight you for death."

"Good," chuckled Sirius. "I am feeling a certain fatal rage. And I am why anxious to get it out. Any suggestions for targets?"

"Besides Bella, who is being watched for every breath she takes, only two people come to mind… Lucius and Snape. And, as I knew, the last did not have an elf… Whereas, the Malfoys had an army of elves to support the luxurious lifestyle they liked to flaunt…"

"Should I visit our darling cousin?"

"No. You know that you cannot get anything from her unless you only want an opportunity to draw blood. And, even with all of our family history, would you be able to look yourself in the mirror if you hurt her? Or Andromeda?" asked Regulus, looking him straight in the eyes. A rarity.

Sirius huffed and turned his head to the ceiling. Again, what a fucking nightmare.

"Don't waste time, brother. Hold your strength and use it wisely. And choose your allies; don't hold on to prejudices. You should know how to get intel on elves…"

"Oh, fucking Merlin… don't even say it!"

"It is the only way. If you…"

The sound charm rang, and they knew that their time was up.

Regulus sighed and told him:

"Get on with it, Sirius."

"Alright, alright… it is infuriating," thought Sirius… He stopped short when the Auror came to open the door and signed for him to get out.

He looked once more at his brother and said:

"Goodbye, Regulus."

"Goodbye, Sirius. Please, give my regards to Kreacher. And be kind."

Again… What a Fucking Nightmare!

Chapter 6

Summary:

James' realizations...

War should be an affair of adults, not children. And everyone should be conscious of what entails and their part on it.
That is the main take on this chapter.

Notes:

If anyone keeps reading this... I am sorry for the wait and any errors you might find. I do not have a Beta and english is not my first language...

I have known that I wanted to take this story in this direction since Chapter 3, but I imagine many ways of this happening...

I have many ideas, and I think will keep writing them, but I cannot assure a steady rhythm of updates!

If James was completely honest, the second after separating Molly from his brother, his thought was: “The bastard deserved it.”

"Jesus Christ, a man tries to help, and he is attacked," whined Sirius, sitting with a hand over his black eye.

"You kidnapped her daughter and helped my son lie to me," thought James. "I think you got it light."

"Her daughter is possessed, Prongs. Malfoy targeted the girl. We need to help her."

"And you think that her parents don’t want it too? But they should be warned previously, not after you took their kid and brought her to this wretched place," said James, pointing to the dark walls. The screeches from the portrait could be heard, as well as the screams of little Ginny.

James paced in front of Sirius, clearly mad, until he broke the silence.

"Come on, finish it. Say what you have to say. How you are mad with me…"

"Of course I am fucking mad! You hid information from me about my son. You lied and omitted information when I sought you out because of that Slytherin Heir shit, you broke my trust, Sirius!" yelled James.

Sirius sighed but maintained an unapologetic face, like he was saying he did what he had to do. James was about to tell him to fuck himself when Kreacher appeared.

"The little bloodtraitor is already screaming her lungs off. May I suggest the master use a silencing charm?"

"I swear to fucking Merlin, I will cut your head off your body if you keep using that language, Kreacher," gritted Sirius.

James could no longer take their spats, so he intervened:

"How is she, Kreacher? Is Andromeda making any progress?"

"Miss Andromeda is divided. She needs to control the girl, but if she makes her unconscious, she won’t know if the girl is still under possession. And the girl’s mother keeps interrupting. They told Kreacher to leave because with the two women and the mud… muggleborn who married Miss Andromeda, the room is full."

"What about Arthur?" wondered James.

"The man left to the street."

Fuck. James and Sirius bolted to the door without looking at each other, exactly at the same time.

Finding Arthur was easy, catching him right before the apparition spot.

"Arthur, stop!" yelled James, turning him and holding his arm.

"Let me go, Potter," seethed Arthur. "He hurt my little girl. He must pay." The man was shaking and holding back tears.

"Of course he has, but the bastard is slimy. You cannot get him now," said Sirius.

Arthur shook his head violently.

"You don’t understand. I have to…"

"Get thrown into prison or get killed?!" continued Sirius. "Meanwhile, your child keeps hurting?"

"Shut up, Sirius," said James, without turning to look at him. He kept staring at Arthur. "You’re right, he does not understand. He doesn’t know how it kills a part of you as they hurt your child. You would take the pain and fear gladly if your kid got to be okay… I get it, Arthur. I get it. But this won’t help her. Not now."

"It is my fault," cried the redheaded man, "and I can’t help her, but I can make sure he suffers it. That he suffers it too!"

"But that won’t erase what she feels, and you will also be giving her the chance to have the support of her father. Will you do it? Will you take that from her? Don’t you think she’s already lost too much?"

The man crumbled while crying, which impelled Sirius and James to support him and drag him back to the house. What a fucking world—this kind of suffering… how had this become their lives? How did a bunch of bigots with narrow minds become such a violent force that ripped apart a society and their families, their children included, and this became an expected experience? Dragging a father who wanted to avenge his daughter, because Lucius Malfoy was protected by his scum and by law, but a decent man like Arthur Weasley—or his children—were not.

In that moment, James also felt the surge to get his wand and start a killing spree, but this was not a first-time experience, and he knew he could only give support to his family and those in need if he kept a straight head and played the long game. Because, one day, no matter how, he would get them, and destroy everything that they built, every mechanism of oppression, every stupid rule implanted, tear every criminal of power position… he could do it, could he not? He was a Potter, not that he valued his bloodline over any other, but he had a privileged position that could give him a head start…

For the first time in his life, James thought he may have been failing his family because he only focused on the smaller picture. Had he been wrong to step away from the Wizengamot and the Ministry? Could—or should—he start the change within? Had he relented power to others that he should have taken?!

Back at Grimmauld, they gave Arthur a draught. They were also not hearing Ginny’s screaming. Neither sounds from the adults, so he hoped everything was getting better.

James was staring at the fireplace, lost in thought, when Sirius approached him.

"Arthur is out. Sleeping with his head on the kitchen table. I may use Kreacher to take him to one of the rooms to rest properly. If we must deal with that monster, I may as well put him to use." He watched James, not responding, and noticed something had happened. "Prongs, what is in your mind? I can see you wrecking your brain out, and while I think you may want to kill me, I think you would waste your energy on a plot and just do it," he joked.

James sighed and turned to look at him with a straight face. He tried to speak, but his mind was reeling, and he felt like he was drowning in these new thoughts. Sirius seemed to understand and waited until he could speak.

"I had to demote Arthur from doing something that I had wished for many years. I knew exactly what he felt, but it was clear as day how wrong it would be… how it would be a mistake, not enough to change anything or end his family suffering. And that led me to think how we had to play this and change it…" He stopped, dragging his breath, before letting it out to test his last idea. Merlin, could he be right? Have I been wrong? Have I been sitting on my hands and moaning about everything, and lost the option to fight them?

He met his brother's eyes, and Sirius kept staring openly but made no move to speak, so James continued:

"I must do more, take them, hold their power. And the way to do this is to strike them where it hurts them more—their power, their control… Arthur could not face Malfoy because the whole fucking Ministry would stand behind a Sacred Family… The Malfoys, the Bulstrodes, the Lestranges, the Rosiers are holding every structure of power in our world, and we let them. We let them take everything and hold us prisoners! We need to break their façade, to start attacking more cleverly, take each of their resistance, and diminish their power to destroy it!"

"We may not like who we become, Prongs, well… in my case, actually… no, but ok," said Sirius. No major gestures or voice fluctuation. Like this was not an outraging idea.

"What the hell, Padfoot? How can you be so calm?"

"I was born on this shit. The power games… the corruption," Sirius gave a dark laugh and looked around the room. He met James’s stare again. "You grew with Monty and Mia, who were sharp as a wit and knew this game very well, but they also tried to shield you from it. Meanwhile, I was… I am a Black, and that made me always understand that you’re either a pawn, ready to be exploited by those who hold power, or you become yourself a player. The thing is, do you understand who is holding you and playing you at every step?"

James held his breath; all his life he thought he was independent and valued his strength to pursue his free will. He lived by whom he loved, by what he believed, and his values… how could he also be played?

"What do you mean?" he rasped.

"Who suggested you hide? Who keeps assuring you that the Wizengamot is within control, even with all the Death Eaters? Who got you to enroll your child with that wanker who hates you? And who do you think is letting these Slytherin Heir rumours spread to get close to your child and assume the big protector role?!" said Sirius without hesitation. These thoughts had crossed his mind hundreds of times.

"You think…"

"Even with little Ginny…" interrupted his brother. "Do you understand how he will use it? One of the most rightful and largest families of Britain affected by this will now gain the will to fight the Darkside and will join a war they had been trying to hide. The Order will be at its peak again… Dumbledore may as well take the Weasleys’ sons and Arthur’s knowledge within the Ministry to start plotting missions. The battles are starting again."

"Dumbledore fights for the light! He wants to end the war the same way we do!"

"No, he wants the same result as we do, not the same way! He sees us as pieces of chess, always did. He might have the best intentions at heart, but he does not stop to look at any means or to protect those on his side. Why do you think he let Death Eaters study and attack on Hogwarts grounds? Why did he take eighteen-year-olds and train them to fight in the dark, as a secret order?! Who did he let die, and while their killers became richer and more powerful in a fucking parliament he controls?! He is after Voldemort, but he will use anyone to get him, without looking at the costs. And you know who is his most precious piece—Harry."

"I promise you, James, I will protect him. Do as I say, and the Order will stand and protect your whole family," said Dumbledore, "but Voldemort still came to his door and attacked his son. If Regulus Black hadn’t come, James would be dead…"

"Hogwarts is the best place for him. He will get all the tools to fight for himself. But his son has been bullied so far, faced numerous monsters, and is still in constant danger…"

"Fuck!" screamed James, hurling the nearest lamp at the wall. What the fuck had he done?!

Andromeda and Ted, who rounded the corner and came to the living room at that time, shrieked and recoiled.

"James!" screamed Andromeda, in all fairness, in a tone that resembled McGonagall. "Are you out of your mind? The Weasleys are under a lot of stress, so we cannot aggravate them! Keep it under control or leave." She repeated the same instruction she had given when he arrived and found out that Sirius had kidnapped Ginny from Hogwarts.

"He will be fine, Andy," intervened Sirius. "Today… it is a day of realizations."

"Whatever it is, it is time, Sirius. The girl is strong and is fighting the Horcrux, but we need to destroy it to sever the link. There is only one way, and we need to get Dumbledore and ask…"

"No!" shouted James. "Not Dumbledore! What do you need?"

"Well, I see your realizations are leading you near my cousin's ideas, James," sighed Andromeda. "But we need something from Hogwarts, something rather complicated to get…"

"And it needs to be quick," intervened Ted for the first time. He stood in the corner wringing his hands. "If we want to save Ginny Weasley from danger, we can’t keep that thing near her; neither can we risk it being taken by someone else…"

James looked at Sirius, who had his head looking down.

"Sirius?"

Sirius looked up. No, he looked at him and gave a hollow and small smile. With his black eye and that smile, James thought he saw a broken man who decided he had nothing to lose.

"We can go to Dumbledore… or we could call Remus and see if he is okay with breaking the law and invading a school in the quiet of night…"

Ted and Andromeda protested, but neither of the present Marauders paid attention. A choice—that was what his brother was giving him. And support. Now he had to choose if he would fight for himself and his family or keep relenting power… The choice was obvious, was it not?

"Call Remus. I will call Lily and tell her not to worry, but not to wait up."

Chapter 7

Lily felt her head was going to explode. So many things had happened in the last few days… and she did not know how to process them all. But she knew, for certain, that some emotion akin to anger was boiling under her skin—and it was directed at her husband, which she hated. She and James were supposed to be a team.

He avoided meeting her eyes, focusing on their son as he recounted the tale. Truth be told, she should have been focusing on that story, but she was too disturbed to listen. She was analyzing James.

“…and then he said, ‘Let us hope that the Potters will always be around to save the day.’ Dad just told them that he could count on it. You should have seen his face, Mum! Mum?” Harry asked, seeing that his mother was so serious and not responding.

“That was an adventure, darling,” she finally responded, making an effort to look gentle.

“And then, with Dobby…”

“Harry, darling. I need to speak with your Dad alone. Could you please check on Mia? She is with the Weasleys, upstairs.”

Her son hesitated, probably sensing that something was amiss with his parents. He did not like it. He was a very sweet boy. Lily could see how conflicted he felt about leaving them, so she added:

“Please make sure your uncles aren’t trying to give her sweets. You know how Uncle Remus loves to try to corrupt you when we’re not looking. Poor Molly is quite busy controlling them.”

“Okay, Mum,” said Harry gingerly, but he did not get up from his seat until he looked at his father and received an approving nod.

As soon as Harry left the room, James looked at her. He seemed serious, but not abashed or embarrassed—which was seriously infuriating. He had left her behind to tend to their youngest child, speaking in vague words, and had not dignified himself to tell her about the invasion of Hogwarts, their son’s danger, or the possessed little girl. He looked resolute, confident—like being wrong was impossible, and keeping her in the dark was the right choice. What a nerve!

“How could you? You went to Hogwarts, invaded the school, rescued our son from a beast, confronted Malfoy, put your life and Harry’s life in danger, and the only thing you told me beforehand was that you’d be late and I should take Mia here using a fucking Patronus? You couldn’t bear to look me in the face and explain the danger our family was in, that you and Sirius had taken a little girl from school, and she was possessed?”

“I didn’t take her, Lily. I only found out after Sirius called me. The Weasleys were already here—it was a circus. But I knew Henry was in danger, that danger was at his school, so I left with Sirius and Remus. I had no idea Harry was already in the chamber. But thanks to Merlin, I was there when we confronted the Basilisk. The sword just showed up, and I used it… but it was a close call, Lily. Our son is alright, as is our daughter, because you kept her safe.”

“Don’t try to fool me, James!” spat Lily. “You kept me in the dark. We promised we’d never do that to each other. We would always fight together. We should always fight together.”

“Someone needs to be safe, Lily, to keep our children safe.”

“You absolute wanker! And that should be me, because I’m a woman? Is that what you’re saying? Do you have any idea how infuriating that is?”

“No, of course not! But I also need to know you’re safe, and truth be told… I should be the one paying the price. I think I screwed up, Lil,” said James, sitting down. “You were right. We should have left England. I trusted the wrong person, and letting Harry leave for Hogwarts was a mistake.”

“What are you saying?”

“Being there makes him an easier target… or gives others easier access to train him as a soldier. As a martyr.”

He looked straight into her eyes, and she felt chills all over her body.

“What? What are you saying, James?”

“The strongest wizard of his generation… and Dumbledore cannot control the school. Trolls, shady teachers who are secret Death Eaters? And now this Chamber mess… He was already a teacher at Hogwarts when Myrtle was murdered. How could we not connect the dots, like Sirius did? Maybe it was the perfect test for Harry… to confront another piece of Voldemort. See how he would deal with it?”

“And do not forget how useful it would be for him to join the Weasleys in his cause,” interrupted Sirius, entering the room followed by Arthur Weasley—two experienced, well-connected wizards, as well as seven young, strong wizards: new soldiers to his cause.

Arthur paled, and Lily noticed his hands started to shake.

“No… that is too… it’s impossible! Dumbledore is an honourable man and my children…”

“They are very powerful! A fully qualified Curser Breaker and top of his class, so I hear. A Dragon Tamer, recruited to the world’s largest reserve; two twins with an aptitude for spellwork and inventions; a capable politician… and, of course, the best strategist Hogwarts has ever seen, Harry Potter’s best friend, and probably the best witch to step on those grounds—capable of fighting a dark magic possession for months at eleven years old. Your daughter is breathing and responsive upstairs, probably making her one of the strongest of her generation and an active interest for either side of this war. Sides who will look at her as an asset, a means to exploit,” said Sirius, his calm tone carrying the weight of a coming storm.

“No, no, no!” sputtered Arthur. “They cannot… those are my children!”

Lily could not control her tears a second later. As the first tear fell, James got up and took her in his arms. With a heavy sigh, he turned to speak to Arthur.

“We know, Arthur. And trust us, we wish this were not the truth. We may be the most capable people in the world to relate to you,” James said, sighing again, holding Lily more strongly before letting her go and stepping in front of Arthur. “We are the parents, not the generals. Usually, there is no place for us in wars; we are bound to watch, watch our children being made soldiers. Because the other side… we need to defeat them, yes! But what we are proposing is to take this war into our hands. We will fight from the back. For once, we will move the pieces and make sure our kids are out of the front line.”

As he spoke, Lily saw movement by the door. A weary Molly Weasley stood there, accompanied by Remus. She looked straight at Lily as James spoke. It made sense: James related to Arthur as a father, and Molly expected Lily to relate to her. Lily had not fully understood everything that was happening—James had left her out. But Sirius nodded at her, and Remus looked at her seriously, aware of the plan. She was angry, but as James stopped talking and looked at her with a pleading expression, she knew she could trust him with her life… and her children’s lives.

She looked at Molly, who refrained from touching Arthur. The couple exchanged a painful glance, and Lily nodded: Trust us, Molly.

“But are you saying Dumbledore planned this? He could not have known Malfoy’s actions…”

“We are not saying Dumbledore is a villain, Molly,” interrupted Sirius. “We want his side to win, but his focus is on winning, whereas ours is on protecting who we love. Anyone could see our actions as morally… grey as Dumbledore’s.”

“And to answer your question,” added Remus, “while Dumbledore may not be aware of Malfoy’s actions, the involvement of your daughter will be used to his advantage. Your family is a gold mine in that regard.” He gave a dry chuckle before lifting his head. “Trust me, I know how Dumbledore can cultivate gratitude, protect you, but then use your weaknesses to his gain.”

Of course, thought Lily. She knew how Dumbledore kept Remus away from them and directed him to infiltrate the werewolves—a measure that always bent Remus toward someone he despised.

Molly looked at her husband. “I saw my brothers’ dead bodies, Arthur. I held their lifeless bodies. I will not support doing that to my children.”

The discussion had to continue later. Lily and James left the Weasleys and took a bedroom.

James opened his mouth to speak, but Lily held up her hand.

“Before you tell me everything, and I mean everything, James, you will listen. No more bullshit about one of us needing to keep the kids safe. Each of us is half a soul, remember? That’s what you told me when you proposed. There is no scenario in this world where I would be complete without you. In no scenario would I be able to take care of our children if we didn’t fight together. You owe me that. If you ever leave out something again and run off to make plots with your friends, I swear to God, Potter… I will blow your fucking arse.”

James laughed as he wiped his eyes, still teary.

“But your love, my arse, Evans!”

“Potter,” she corrected him, “and that’s why I would be mad at you.”

He kneeled in front of her. His face softened, and hers followed. They would be alright. No matter what followed.

“What if I tell you things aren’t going to get easier?” he said.

“Well,” she replied, “that just means we must fight harder—and do it together.”

A few hours later, Lily and James went downstairs for supper. Harry played with his sister and Dobby (who, of course, expected to be near her son). Hand in hand with her husband, Lily joined their children at the table, where their uncles were already making funny faces to amuse Mia. Life seemed normal again.

Soon, Ron arrived with his dad and sat beside Harry, as James took hold of Mia. Lily had thought they would be alone for dinner, but Molly guided a crestfallen Ginny to the kitchen. Everyone fell silent. Ginny seemed embarrassed and clung to her mother’s side.

Molly tried to speak cheerfully, thanking Kreacher for cooking. Her gaze faltered when she looked at Lily, reflecting the agony she must be feeling. Lily composed herself and spoke.

“We should play Exploding Snap after dinner,” said Harry suddenly. “I already found a strategy to beat you—mate!” He bumped elbows with Ron. “But I need a partner. Ginny, will you be on my team?”

Ginny looked up at her brother for the first time since entering the room, and Harry maintained his pretence that everything was alright.

“You know, I could ask Padfoot to join me, but he’s a terrible cheat and we’d get caught…”

Sirius, playing along, rose from his chair with a knife clenched in his fist.

“How dare you, godson of mine… Judas stabbing my back, exclaim such lies?!” he shouted, as if performing in a Shakespeare play.

Baby Mia’s laughter at his exuberance caught everyone off guard, and even Ginny laughed for the first time. The tension broke. Remus began recounting a story from a tournament in sixth year, James explained how Sirius had been caught cheating, Ron laughed, and Harry leaned over the table, trying to recruit Ginny to defeat Ron. Arthur shared stories of their children’s competitiveness and creativity during games.

Lily and Molly exchanged smiles throughout dinner. They would protect their kids and hope that, in time, this mess would be alright. Lily felt hope: despite everything, her son had passed a true test, and he remained a sweet boy who would reach those in need and help them.

Chapter 8: Chapter 8

Summary:

Sirius' POV

Gentle breathing.

That’s what he whispered over and over, as the man on his lap shook.

What a fucking stupid piece of advice. But what could he say? Fuck, he could not wrap his mind around the last few days. He could only follow the plan formed by his brother—Prongs. But was this really what the plan was?

Did he, on some level, want this? A chance to redeem himself… He had left Regulus alone once, maybe twice, but now he had the opportunity to help him. The last time, their captors had been their progenitors (Sirius refused to call them parents, even in his thoughts). Now, he had rescued his baby brother from prison.

James had come up with the plan. Ginny Weasley’s older brother, the Curse Breaker, had been more than happy to assist them with a scheme that could lead to Voldemort’s downfall. Arthur Weasley had helped his son, gathering intelligence from the Ministry. Remus was their main bait—just a werewolf howling on a boat could distract most of the guards. With the wards down, Sirius transforming into Padfoot, sneaking inside, and stealing the keys… it could have been a disaster. It could still be. But he was here, now, with his brother lying and moaning on his lap, while Andromeda worked spells to assess him.

When she finished, she caressed his hair, then looked up at Sirius.

“He’s suffering from starvation, tremors, and… honestly, the list is long, Siri…” Tears shone in her eyes as she lifted her hand from Regulus to hold Sirius’s. “But we can help him now.”

Someone cleared his throat at the door. Prongs.

“Everything alright?” he asked gently.

“It will be, with time,” said Andromeda.

“We need him to be responsive soon, Andy. We need to know everything he knows about Voldemort and how his Death Eaters may be operating now.”

“James, he just came through a big ordeal. After years in that prison! And you want to use him, not think of his health…”

“Yes,” James cut her off. “He was in prison because he was rightfully convicted. Because he was a member of a terrorist group. Because he and his mates tried to murder my child…”

“He didn’t,” interjected Sirius in a low voice, drawing both of their gazes promptly. “He did many wrongs, but he saved Harry. He came to me and insisted, even when I tried to throw him out. He told me about Peter’s betrayal, and we rushed to the cottage to save you three. He didn’t try to murder Harry, Prongs. He made many mistakes, but not that one. James, I know it’s complicated… but he will help us. Give him a little time. He’s too weak now, but I will make sure he stays on the right side, and he will help us.”

“Okay. I trust you, brother,” James said, nodding. He turned to leave, but looked back at Sirius, Andromeda, and the frozen Regulus.

“For what it’s worth,” he said, “if that wanker Snape has a chance to redeem himself, I think Regulus has a million more reasons why he deserves it.”

Regulus, frozen and shaking until that moment, suddenly gripped Sirius’s knee, as if he had heard and understood James.

“Yes. Regulus deserves this,” said Sirius, pretending to ignore his brother’s movement. “Now he has his chance. If he helps us protect Harry, all will be forgiven.”

And Sirius meant it.

Now, Regulus had a chance to redeem his wrongdoing as a Death Eater. And Sirius had a chance to redeem himself as a big brother.

Chapter 9: Chapter 9

Minnerva was running in circles in her mind. It was bad—she should be focusing on the reunion. Or perhaps it was good, since Severus was seriously testing her restraint.

“…inadmissible. They left in the middle of the year because their parents wanted to spoil and coddle them, and we are supposed to give them acceptable grades.”

“Technically, Miss Weasley left two weeks before the term to recover from a virus. I do hope she is doing better,” Filius said, turning to Minerva. “Do we have any news?”

Before she could answer, Severus barged in again.
“Oh, spare me! She could have stayed in the infirmary, but the Gryffindor group had to be different! Her parents sent Potter and Black to retrieve her, breaking the rules and showing no consideration! Being disrespectful as adults, as they were when they studied here.”

“Are they the only ones like that?” Minerva snapped, unable to hold it in. The room seemed to freeze at her intervention, but she pressed on. “You reveal yourself, Severus. And that is very disappointing in a Hogwarts professor. We are educators to all children, from all four houses, with no distinction. Yet you single out students from my House, especially if you have a history of conflict with their parents. Somehow, you still reveal your prejudices. You have quite a history with discriminating, seeking vengeance, and claiming superiority, don’t you?”

Severus paled. Pomona dropped her cup. Filius sighed in troubled disbelief. Dumbledore, as usual, said nothing, staring at the wall. Minerva turned to him, waiting. Waiting as she had since reporting Ginny Weasley’s disappearance, and being told she had been taken. Waiting since Molly Weasley refused to meet her eyes, and Arthur looked at her as if she had failed. Waiting since Sirius and James hadn’t responded to her letters.

Finally, Dumbledore spoke.
“We must show cohesion among peers and respect the roles we have to play. This discussion is pointless, and I am sure it comes from a place of extreme tiredness on both sides.” He turned to Severus with a calm smile. “I recommend that Miss Weasley be graded as she completed her year. We have sufficient reports for evaluation.”

Minerva slammed her fist on the table. She would not be ignored.
“And how can I be reassured that my student will be evaluated fairly? That is all my students—”

“Minerva, that is enough!” Dumbledore’s voice rose for the first time that morning.

She held her head high. “No. I don’t think it is enough. I also believe I am being denied the full rights and information to protect my students. If my role in this institution is to continue, this must change.”

Pomona gasped, reaching for her shoulder, but Minerva’s gaze remained fixed on Dumbledore. If it were another moment, she might have laughed at his rare incredulous expression, maybe even felt pride in causing it—but not today. Today, she questioned everything she had done and who she could trust.

There had been signs, not just recent events and secrecy. But she had diminished her doubts and deposited her trust in others, thinking it best to protect her students. She was sick of it. She vowed no student would meet war again; no one would be sent unprepared. Now it was time for adults to fight. She was a Gryffindor after all.

Ignoring everyone else, she turned to Severus.
“I am sorry if I failed you. I was also your teacher, Severus. I am deeply sorry, but I will not accept your behavior. I truly wish you a more fulfilling life. Let go of your past.”

She stood and addressed the room.
“If my position is not aligned with the school, I will go to the Board of Governors. I will not abandon my role without cause, but I also will not restrain my opinions or actions regarding the safety of all students at this school.”

She turned and left, ignoring Dumbledore’s shout. She knew the great Albus Dumbledore would not compromise more of his image by following her. It stung a little; she had once considered him a friend and mentor. But now, she felt she did not know him.

“I think you lost your ability to separate yourself and your interests, Minerva. Our students are not our children; they need to be prepared for the real world, and the real world is war,” Dumbledore had said after she recounted the visit to the Weasleys.

She knew it was not a virus that affected poor Ginny; she suspected Voldemort. She would not rest until she knew all of it.

Leaving Hogwarts, she arrived at Godric’s Hollow and knocked on the Potters’ door.

James opened it a crack, wand subtly in hand, ready. His eyes widened at her approach.

“Professor, are you okay? You seem…”

“I may not be a professor for much longer, James. I believe I caused quite a scene, and Dumbledore may be wary of me. But I cannot stand it anymore. I will not send students into war or remain in the dark. Please, James, I know something is going on, and I want to help.”

James closed his eyes, lost in turbulent thought.
“Dumbledore, I don’t…” he began, then tried again, opening his eyes. “I think it’s better to hold some information for now.”

“I agree. Let me in, please.”

“Minerva, you cannot tell—”

“Trust me. I promise.”

A delicate hand pressed the door open fully. Lily appeared, looking at her husband. After a moment, James nodded, then said,
“Come on in, Minerva.”

Chapter 10: Chapter 10

He could hear the whispers, feel the loathing glances. It made his skin crawl, but James finally accepted he had to play a game he despised. His grandfather had last done it, though James’s father, in his final days, confessed he regretted not seeking the role. James had scoffed—Fleamont had lived in different times. James was glad his father had devoted himself to his true passions: brewing and family.

James’s life, however, was different. He could delay his work—he did not need the money. His family’s fortune and magical engineering of brooms was more a hobby, a mask of normalcy. What James needed, what he wanted more than anything, was to protect his family. And if achieving that goal required theatrics, falsity, politics… then he would endure it.

The meeting with Fudge was surprisingly straightforward. James followed his script perfectly: feigned rage over Regulus’s escape (ironic, but the Ministry swots would never guess he had orchestrated it), planted doubt about the Wizengamot’s competence, and displayed motivation to participate. Fudge practically wet his pants: a Potter, with legacy and fortune, father of the child who had helped bring down Voldemort? He would want James as a poster boy. James played the part—but his days of being a pawn were over.

Step by step, he would gain influence. Focus on the Ministry, align Minerva with securing Hogwarts… the next steps were already moving.

He paused in front of the elevators, reviewing their plan for potential obstacles. The doors opened, revealing one.

“Potter.” Malfoy sneered as he stepped out. Did this twat think he was scary? Pathetic.

James kept his face stoic but couldn’t resist a jab.
“Lucy, how are you?”

“Lucius. Don’t play smart, Potter.” His eyes flared. “What is a lowlife like you doing in the Ministry?”

James laughed low.
“You’re about to find out, Malfoy. A lowlife like me sees the world differently with Death Eaters on the loose…” He could see the other man’s eyes widen but continued, unshaken. “…Regulus, I mean. I realized I’ve been failing my family’s legacy and thought it was time to reclaim the Potter seat on the Wizengamot.”

“You’ve failed your legacy… your family’s magic is diluted. Are you sure you’re fit for this role?”

James clenched his fist, willing himself not to break the bastard’s face. All in time. Malfoy’s days were numbered.

“That is your weakness, Malfoy. Narrow views. Fragility in the Minister’s eyes. He does not agree with you. And because of that, he offered me one of the open seats. You’re looking for a new member appointed directly by the Minister—the memo has gone out, to members and press alike.”

“Fudge couldn’t—”

“But he could! My family’s legacy and my Order of Merlin medal were enough to secure a seat. And I’m certain we’ll have… fun working together, Malfoy.” James’s cool voice interrupted the man’s fury.

“We’ll see, Potter,” Lucius seethed.

James smirked, turning toward the elevators.
“See you at the next meeting, colleague.”

Later, James sat on the steps outside his home, still processing the day. Meeting Malfoy, the Minister, suppressing his real feelings… it was a miracle he hadn’t broken someone’s nose. He hated being a phony, but he could not let these feelings seep into his family life.

“James?” Lily approached, gripping his shoulder before sitting beside him. “Did it go badly?”

He tried to smile, but it came out more grimace than grin.
“You’re looking at the newest Wizengamot member. It went… as planned.”

“I’m sorry,” she said, eyes locking on his. “I know how you hate these games.”

“No. Don’t apologize, Lils. It’s not your fault. I want to do this—for us.”

He took her hands, kissed them, leaning his forehead against hers.
“All the effort—for us—will be worth it,” he whispered, their secret.

“You don’t regret anything? Not marrying some pure-blood blonde, ready to be a housewife with a thousand elves?” she teased, staying close.

“Never.” He laughed. “You are my world, Lil. You and the kids—you gave them to me. I used to fantasize about all I could do for you—”

Her cheeks reddened, ready to interrupt, but he continued.
“You have a dirty mind, Evans. I meant making you laugh, giving you gifts, helping when you were exhausted with essays… and, of course, the other big thing.” He laughed, then grew serious. “But you—you gave me more than I ever dreamed. This family, this life… I’d do anything for each of you.”

She cupped his face, searching his eyes.
“You are the love of my life, James. You give me strength. I couldn’t bear you losing yourself to fight for us. Promise me—we fight together. Hold ourselves. Don’t hide your struggles from me.”

James kissed her, pouring his love into it. He hated seeing her cry, hated that he caused it, but knew she was his anchor.

He stepped back, stroked her face gently.
“Yes, Lily. Always together. Fighting side by side. I won’t hide anything from you. I promise.”

Chapter 11: Chapter 11

Remus had missed Hogwarts.

Even now, standing within its ancient stone walls, he could feel the castle breathing around him—alive with echoes of centuries past, yet welcoming him as if he had never truly left. After his first attack, this had been the one place he had felt whole. Here, he had found his brothers, his family. Being a Marauder had given him purpose, a sense of identity no ordinary friendships could ever match. But it had also brought some of his deepest pains.

When betrayal shattered them, Remus’s thoughts had turned dark, shameful even in memory. He had blamed himself—blamed his cursed condition for being unreliable, for being a distraction. Peter’s treachery had been unspeakable, yet he could not shake the conviction that he too had failed James and Lily, that he had not been there when their shadows grew darkest. James, who had saved his life countless times. James, to whom he owed everything. The thought that he had failed him when it mattered most still sat like iron in his chest.

And then there was Peter. The same man who had saved him, the same man who had later destroyed them all. In those cruel days after the truth came out, Remus’s mind had leapt to self-recrimination: had he failed Peter too? Was there something he could have said or done to halt his descent? At the time, it felt easier to catalogue his own flaws than face betrayal. Easier to wear another’s lies like chains around his neck.

It had taken him years to see that you cannot shoulder the blame for choices that are not yours. To do so is not love—it is the absence of it. And that absence can eat away at all the good in your life until nothing remains.

Thank Merlin, he had climbed out of that pit. Not completely—perhaps never fully—but enough. Enough to stand here now with a measure of peace. Enough to believe in the righteousness of his work, to allow himself to feel at home again within these walls.

“—Settling in well?”

The familiar voice startled him from his reverie. He turned to see Professor McGonagall in the doorway, a rare smile softening her usually sharp features.

“Yes, thank you, Professor. I was… lost in thought,” he admitted.

“I’ve told you already, Remus. Call me Minerva,” she said, stepping lightly into the classroom. “I remember my first empty classroom. There’s a weight to it, yes, but also a wonder, isn’t there?”

Remus gave a dry laugh, lowering himself into a chair.

“To be honest, I haven’t quite settled into the idea of being a teacher. I was just… reminiscing about the old days.”

“Oh, but you must accept it. You are here now—the next Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts. No one can take this from you. You deserve it.” Her lips twitched with irony. “And I made sure of it. After all, I’ve earned a reputation for a sharp temper. The staff lives in terror of my outbursts.”

Remus’s eyes softened.

“I wasn’t here, Minerva, but I doubt anyone could see you as anything less than respected, unshakable, Head of Gryffindor House.”

She sighed softly.

“Respect means little compared to the well-being of my students. That is what I guard most fiercely. So I must warn you: your students must see you as measured and strong. Don’t fall back on Marauder impulses, Remus. Earn their respect, and keep it.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he replied with a chuckle. “And in that spirit, I think I’ll spend my last night of freedom at dinner with a certain student I must remind to respect me.”

Her lips curved knowingly.

“Not dining with us?”

“No. Best to spare poor Severus the stroke. Merlin knows he holds his breath every time we share a room.”

She smiled, but her expression soon hardened.

“We must tread carefully with Severus. His bond with Dumbledore grows tighter each day. They speak in secrets, weave plans beyond our hearing. With every thread, he grows more intolerable. I will not stand it any longer, Remus, and neither should you. Remember our purpose: protect Harry, temper Dumbledore’s influence, and guard the other students. That means Severus’s excesses must end.”

Remus inclined his head solemnly.

“A noble mission. We’ll be busy. I only hope I can help.”

Her gaze softened, sharp eyes glinting with certainty.

“You will, Remus. I trust you. But for tonight, enjoy yourself. Tomorrow, our work begins.”

Chapter 12: Chapter 12

Lily had always loved Christmas. As a child, she delighted in helping her mother and Tuney decorate the tree and in making little drawings for Father Christmas. But after moving in with James, the celebrations had doubled in both chaos and joy. James insisted on starting carols as early as November, experimenting endlessly with eggnog recipes, and organizing gingerbread house contests.

Each year had grown wilder and merrier than the last, from Harry’s third Christmas up until the one before he left for Hogwarts. But after their firstborn went off to school, the holidays carried a bittersweet tinge. Christmas still meant joy, yet it also brought worry—Harry returned quieter, more secretive, as though already bracing for the adventures awaiting him in the next term.

This year, however, Lily was determined to restore the full magic of their Christmas Bonanzas, as James had always called them. The task fell entirely on her shoulders: James was swamped with Wizengamot duties, Harry was still at school, and little Mia… well, Mia was far too easily distracted by glitter to be of much help.

At that moment, Lily caught sight of her daughter toddling toward a box, stretching tiny arms to grab an ornament.

"Mia, no!" Lily warned, attempting a commanding tone, though laughter betrayed her. "Mummy will let you play later, but first we need to clean the dust."

The little girl turned wide-eyed, then let out a theatrical wail. Lily shook her head, smiling, and scooped her up.

"Come on, you silly goose," she said, lifting her daughter high into her lap. "Look what Mummy can do!" With a flick of her wand, she sent a charm over the stack of boxes. "Tchaaan! All clean. Now we can explore."

She bounced Mia gently on her lap, eliciting delighted giggles, before setting her down again. The girl immediately toddled back to the boxes, curiosity guiding her every step.

"Our challenge, Miss Mia," Lily said, tapping her daughter’s nose and earning another laugh, "will be to choose only the very best ornaments. What do you think?" She glanced at the overflowing boxes and grinned. "Yes, it’s completely bonkers. We must have a thousand decorations! Good thing we started in November."

Just as she was about to begin, an owl arrived with a message. Lily paused, quickly vanishing and disguising all the boxes, much to Mia’s dismay.

"Come on, Mia. We’re going to meet your godfather," she said, scooping the little girl up and summoning coats to dress them both warmly.

Moments later, they flooed into the Three Broomsticks. Despite it being a weekday, the inn buzzed with sound and laughter. The air smelled of butterbeer and polished wood, garlands of holly and evergreen hung from the beams, and Madam Rosmerta moved gracefully between tables, her smile as constant as the oak bar itself.

Lily bounced Mia on her lap to soothe her travel fuss, until a warm voice greeted them.

"Look who it is, Mrs. Potter," said Rosmerta, bending over to coo at the baby. "And this must be little Miss Potter. Oh, look at you, pretty thing. With those wild curls, you’re most certainly a Potter."

"Yes, she is. With a strong proclivity for chaos, like all the other Potters," Lily laughed as Mia gurgled happily in her arms.

"Oh, I don’t know about that. Your older one seemed like an angel. He even managed to calm his father and Sirius the last time they were here. That was your boy’s first visit to Hogsmeade, wasn’t it?"

"Yes, Harry is in his third year and was very excited about—"

Lily’s sentence was cut short by her daughter’s shriek.

"Moo, mooo!"

Turning, she saw Remus stepping into the bar, a warm smile spreading across his face at his goddaughter’s antics.

"Who’s there? Who’s there?" he chanted playfully, drawing giggles from Mia and nearby patrons.

"Well, if I’m guessing right, your company has just arrived, Mrs. Potter. Please, sit. I’ll serve you shortly. Butterbeer and hot chocolate?"

Lily and Remus nodded, laughing as they moved to a table. Lily handed Mia to Remus and watched the two play while taking a sip of her drink. Remus only noticed a moment later that he had been ignoring her.

"Sorry. Every time I see her, she just looks so much bigger! Thank you for coming. It’s easier here in the village to talk calmly," he added, more guardedly.

Lily raised an eyebrow. Calmer than home?

"You’re not about to ask me to keep a secret from James, are you, Remus?"

"No," he said with a dry chuckle. "But it’s better if you tell him. You can discuss, as parents, how to approach this with Harry."

"What subject? You wrote he seemed preoccupied, but James and Sirius both said he was happy. Did something happen at school?"

"No. He sneaked back into the village to fetch some chocolates Ron forgot for Ginny. Somehow, he overheard adults talking about Regulus… and how they thought he was still alive, lurking nearby, waiting to get to Harry."

Lily gasped, covering her mouth. Mia reached for her in worry.

"Ma!"

Remus gently returned Mia to Lily, who clutched her daughter close, whispering:

"Poor Harry… he must be so worried."

"His worries might ease with conversation," said Remus quietly, meeting her eyes.

She nodded, thinking of James. He would shield Harry, convinced ignorance was protection. But she could see Remus’s point.

"He must have been terrified, yet didn’t come to us. Do you think we make him hide things because he believes we do the same?"

"No," said Remus. "He simply doesn’t want you to worry. He wants to protect you."

"He’s thirteen, Moony. It’s our job to protect him. But I understand. Perhaps we should be more direct and open about the dangers and protections. Thank you."

Before she could speak more, the door burst open, letting a cold wind sweep in. Severus froze at the threshold, eyes locking on Lily.

"Just what I needed…" muttered Lily.

"I thought I’d lost him," Remus said. "He must have followed when he realized I wasn’t at school."

Lily narrowed her eyes. Severus was still intent on shadowing Remus.

At last, Severus moved toward them. Remus opened his mouth, but Severus was faster.

"Lily! Good to see you," he said, stopping by the table, deliberately turning his back on Remus.

"I wish I could say the same, but you’ve interrupted us. I was talking with my friend."

Severus’s gaze fell to Mia, as if noticing her for the first time.

"Hardly appropriate for a mother to bring a baby here," he said disdainfully.

"Funny. From what I hear of your teaching, I’d say you know nothing about children."

Remus laughed, stepping in.

"Anything you need, Severus? Otherwise, we’d like to continue our conversation."

Severus finally faced Remus, spitting:

"Shouldn’t you be at the school, doing your job?"

"I could say the same to you," Remus replied coolly, cup in hand, eyes locked.

Lily knew Severus wouldn’t leave them be. She decided it was time to go, hating to leave Remus but thinking quickly about how best to help him.

"Remus, I won’t take more of your free time. Thank you for meeting us!" she said, rising with Mia. She ignored Severus as she stepped past him. "Now, we must prepare a surprise for Daddy, mustn’t we, Mia?"

"DA!" Mia squealed.

Lily felt Severus’s cold stare, but kept walking.

"We’ll see you before Christmas Eve," she added. "Say bye-bye, Mia."

The little girl waved proudly, while Lily laid a gentle hand on Remus’s shoulder.

"Goodbye, Moony!"

"Goodbye, Lily. Goodbye, Mia!"

Out on the street, Lily chose to Apparate rather than face Severus again. She pondered how best to help Remus deal with him. Confrontation would only worsen matters.

As she walked along the cobbled street with Mia in her arms, the baby squealed, pointing.

"Ma!" she cried, finger pressed eagerly against a shop window where a tree glittered with ornaments.

"Yes, Mia, we’ll go home and decorate our tree."

Mia kicked and whined, insisting. Lily laughed softly.

"More ornaments, Mia? Oh, you are a Potter indeed!" she chuckled. "Let’s pick some special new ones."

She would speak with James about what Remus had told her. Together, they would help Harry. She would help Remus. And they would have their Christmas Bonanza. Lily would see to it.

Chapter 13: Chapter 13

When he was younger, before Harry was born, Sirius had experimented with hallucinogens and imagined all sorts of wild scenarios. Yet none of those feverish visions felt as surreal as the present moment.

James sat rigid on the couch, tension radiating from him, while Lily tried to keep him grounded with a steady hand on his knee. Opposite them, Regulus lounged with a poise Sirius hadn’t seen in months—an edge of arrogance, sharp and deliberate. On the floor between them, little Mia played quietly with her toys, blissfully unaware of the storm brewing above her head. The sight made Sirius all the more uneasy; he lingered at the side of the room, half-expecting to dive in if hexes began to fly.

"So let me get this straight: you want to risk my safety and freedom—as well as your own—just to soothe a thirteen-year-old boy?" Regulus sneered, every word dripping mockery.

James’s face darkened, his fury ready to spill over, but Lily’s hand pressed firmly against his knee. She leaned forward, voice calm but resolute.

"We understand it may seem like a risk to you, Regulus. But we’d be cautious, and we’d make sure Harry understood the need for secrecy. What matters is that this is vital for our child’s well-being."

Regulus’s eyes narrowed, the familiar mask of disdain firmly in place. But Sirius caught it—the faintest flicker of surprise and hesitation, a crack in the armor. Regulus was surprised by Lily’s calm manners and politeness.

"You’re all reckless," he said at last, his tone sharp, though not quite as certain as before. "Trusting a child with this… it’s madness."

He leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, gaze darting for a second toward Mia playing on the floor. The sight seemed to unsettle him, though he quickly straightened, as if the moment had never happened.

"And yet…" Regulus exhaled slowly, clicking his tongue again. "The chance of Dumbledore getting closer to our situation is daunting…"

James leaned forward, seizing the opening. "It is. And that’s why we need you to trust Harry as much as we do."

Regulus’s lips pressed into a thin line. His expression betrayed nothing, but his silence spoke volumes. For the first time, Sirius saw not the strategist or the cynic, but his brother, cornered by a choice he didn’t want to make.

The conversation rolled on—James’s urgency, Lily’s patience, Regulus’s disdain. Sirius only half-listened, too intent on the battlefield of his brother’s face. He knew those masks better than anyone, knew the precise moment a sneer turned brittle.

"I’ll consider it," Regulus muttered finally, his voice low, as though the words themselves cost him something.

Regulus’s words hung heavy in the room.

Sirius leaned forward from where he had been half-hidden in the shadows, a crooked smile tugging at his lips. He knew just how to push his brother further.

"That’s more than I ever expected to hear from you, little brother. And you know what? Considering is already choosing, deep down. You wouldn’t even weigh it if part of you didn’t want to stand with us."

His tone was light, but his eyes betrayed the plea beneath the jest. "Don’t take too long, Reg. Harry doesn’t have the luxury of waiting. We don’t have it."

James seized the moment, his expression sharp, calculating, showing he understood Sirius’s move.

"Sirius is right. Harry will be home for two weeks, starting at the end of the week. That’s our chance to talk with him. We won’t have the same privacy while he’s in school."

With a voice gentler but no less deliberate, Lily added:

"And it would give us the chance to introduce you properly. You could spend Christmas Eve with us. We would love that, Regulus."

Her words, once again, seemed to startle him. His carefully measured mask faltered for an instant—just as Mia toddled across the carpet and clutched at his leg, pulling herself up with a triumphant squeal.

The room went still. Every adult held their breath, waiting to see how Regulus would react.

Regulus froze, his usual composure cracking at the tiny hands gripping his robes. Mia looked up at him with wide, trusting eyes, her curls bouncing as she let out a soft giggle.

For a moment, Sirius thought his brother would recoil, the way he always did when something caught him off guard. But instead, Regulus stood utterly still, as though the smallest gesture might shatter the fragile weight of the child leaning on him.

"Mmm…" Mia babbled, pressing her cheek against his knee as if she had decided, without question, that he was safe. Then, pointing to his braided hair, she said, "Pretty."

Something flickered across Regulus’s face—confusion first, then a flash of panic, and finally, something Sirius couldn’t remember seeing there since they were boys: vulnerability.

Awkwardly, almost mechanically, Regulus bent down and placed a hand on Mia’s back. Not a proper embrace, not yet—but his touch was careful, hesitant, as though afraid she might break.

James’s jaw tightened. His whole body leaned forward slightly, as though ready to spring between them if needed. Lily’s hand pressed against his arm in warning, urging him silently to hold back, but his eyes never left Regulus’s hand on his daughter. To James, the proximity was far from harmless—it was a risk, and he couldn’t quite share the trust Mia offered so freely.

Sirius, however, was transfixed, almost breathless. To him, this was something he never thought he would see—his brother, softened, undone, even if just for a moment. But he could not look for long, so he had to look away, the image too much for him to bear. His brother, who had spent a lifetime armoured against every affection, was undone by a child’s touch.

Christmas Eve was agreed upon, though Regulus’s voice was rough and Lily’s thanks too gentle for him to withstand.

When Regulus finally straightened again, his mask was back in place—but thinner now, fragile. His voice, when he spoke, was lower, rougher than before:

"Christmas Eve, then. We’ll see."

"Thank you," said Lily.

James quickly scooped Mia into his arms, barely masking his intent to separate her from Regulus. Soon after, they left.

Sirius stepped near him, thinking how to approach him, but his brother seemed to get back from his wonders and spoke first, without turning to face him.

"I don’t think it’s a good idea, but if you want, tell the boy. I won’t play friends and family with the Potters. I know you probably missed them, so go. But I will stay."

"Oh, come on, Reg," he said quickly, reaching his side. "I want to be with you on Christmas. It’s our chance to spend a normal, non-stuffy holiday together. This could be good for you."

"I don’t see how you could fathom such an idea."

"You are free now, not in prison, and besides, you only know the stuffy and unbearable balls we grew up with… It would be good to spend the day with close people. Andy will probably…"

"I’ve had plenty of Christmas experiences already," he scoffed.

"Not like this!" pressed Sirius, hoping that the flicker of emotion he saw on his brother while interacting with Mia could bring him back from whatever dark pitch he was buried in. "You never celebrated the holiday because you were with people who care about each other, not with gifts or appearances…"

"I’ve celebrated Christmas once. I even fooled myself into believing I was…" He interrupted, but didn’t finish, closing his eyes.

"What? What were you saying?"

Regulus seemed to hesitate, but decided to speak again.

"I’ve had enough of fooling myself with stupid dates and promises of love. Leave it be, Sirius."

"What? Love?" thought Sirius.

Regulus turned to escape, but Sirius grabbed his shoulder, stopping him.

"There’s something I don’t know. Nobody would talk about love when referring to Walburga and Orion. Who was it? You can trust me."

Regulus shook off his hold, jumped away, and looked at him with fury.

"Leave it be. You would not…" He closed his eyes, trying to hide whatever plagued him.

"Reg, please. I just want to help, whatever it is."

Regulus opened his eyes and looked him coldly in the eyes.

"Grief. All I have is grief. And you know what, Sirius? You would jump to commemorate my grief. Don’t you dare try to understand it. And never speak of it again."

He left without looking back, and Sirius stayed rooted to the spot, the words seared into him.

Grief. Love.

For the first time in years, Sirius realized how little he truly knew his brother—not the mask, not the strategist, not the survivor. The man. The boy who had once whispered secrets in the dark, the boy who had once looked at him with trust instead of suspicion.

And now, as the door clicked shut behind Regulus, Sirius was left with the cruelest of truths: he had fought all his life to be free of the Black family, only to discover that the one piece of it he wanted to save—the only part that mattered—was a mystery he might never unravel.