Werewolves of London

by hinkypunx

Summary:

When James and Lily are killed, and Sirius Black is arrested, Remus Lupin does the right thing for once in his life, and rescues little Harry Potter from the Dursleys to raise as his own.

The thing is, not only is he a werewolf but he’s also an alcoholic and a mess. When a severe accident leaves Harry infected with Lycanthropy as well, Remus is completely overwhelmed and reaches out to Severus Snape for help.

This story is about parenthood, addiction/alcoholism, love lost and love found.

Chapter 1: The Beginning

October 31 1981

Remus Lupin felt like the floor had dropped out from under his feet. A silver phoenix flew in through the dusty window of the room he was renting at the Leaky Cauldron. It would be a picture of graceful beauty, had it not come with the voice of Albus Dumbledore gravely relaying “James and Lily are dead… Harry lives.”

Remus glared at the bottle of fire whiskey sat abandoned on the desk before him. He’d been several shots into what was supposed to be a night long bender, when he was interrupted by Albus’ patronus. Now the sudden heavy silence and his buzz left him in a state of shocked disbelief. This was just impossible. There’s no way this could be happening. He took another lengthy swig from the bottle and slammed it back down onto the desk, where it shattered with the impact.

Thoughts whirling, unsure what to do, Remus didn’t have much time to think on it when another patronus bounded into the shabby room. This time Remus’ heart sank in his chest, when he recognized it to be the silver shaggy dog patronus of Sirius Black.

“Don’t listen to Dumbledore.”

More unsettling than the message itself was Sirius’ tone of voice. He sounded truly panicked. Sirius had always been a bit emotionally unstable, the Black Madness was hardly a myth, but rarely had he ever heard the man express this level of fear and pain, and he’d been friends with Sirius since he was eleven years old. Remus stood, no longer allowing himself to hesitate. What did Sirius mean by his cryptic message? Could James and Lily be alive after all? Was Albus’ information somehow compromised? Maybe he sent the patronus under imperius? He stumbled to the liquor cabinet and retrieved a sobering potion and gulped it all down in one well practiced go, feeling the effects instantly. Without wasting another moment, Remus apparated to Godric's Hollow.

The scene he came upon was brutally grim. The Potter residence, once a quaint but comfortable home, now lay reduced to rubble. Smoke billowed out from the debris, and witches and wizards alike stood in the street, hungry for information, worried for what might befall the quiet town next. James and Lily Potter were two of the most powerful aurors in the Ministry. For them to be targeted and conquered so absolutely didn’t settle well in anyone’s stomachs.

Standing at what used to be the front doorway, was Albus Dumbledore and Rubeus Hagrid, Sirius’ motorbike parked behind them still running. Bundled in Hagrid's arms was a sleeping Harry. Remus had only met the baby once, a short while after he was born, and still the love he had for the boy was all consuming. He craned his neck to get a good look at Harry, and Albus stepped between them, intentionally blocking his view.

“Remus.” Albus greeted solemnly. Remus stared into the eyes of this man, who he had once respected as a mentor, and loved like family. Albus was one of the few people who treated him like a human being, rather than a monster. He had helped Remus a lot when he was a child, allowed him to receive an education despite the public’s negative opinion of werewolves, and fought to provide shelter and support for Remus during his monthly transformation. There had always been a certain twinkle in Dumbledore’s eye, and an open fondness for Remus he never shied away from showing. But now, the coldness and disdain radiating from the man was palpable. The negative shift in Albus’ opinion of him was unmistakable. Remus tried not to allow it to shake him. He had come to terms with the crushing loss of his few friendships over the past year, and he was dealing with it in his own way, though he couldn’t deny the rejection and the loneliness had hurt him deeply.

“What happened?” Remus breathed, forcing down his emotions to the best of his ability, trying to keep his tone respectful despite his growing inner turmoil.

“Voldemort. He found them, Remus. Young Harry was the only survivor. On our way here, Hagrid and I have already seen many celebrations starting over the vanquishing of the Dark Lord. James and Lily would be so honored to know that their sacrifice has helped save our world.” Albus declared, sounding every bit his age. His voice was thick with grief, but also pride.

“That’s impossible, nobody could have known their location, the house was under fidelus. Weren’t you Secret Keeper?” Remus stammered. His heart ached at the confirmation of the deaths of two of his once closest friends, as well as the shock of hearing that Voldemort was actually slain.

“About six months ago they switched Secret Keeper to Sirius Black. It seems he must have betrayed them. He was here only a short time before you arrived, barely able to control himself. He left his motorbike and apparated away. Now I must ask you to leave, Remus. Hagrid here still needs to deliver young Harry to his relatives. It’s been a long night for the boy, he needs his rest.” Albus said with a note of finality that screamed do not challenge me. Ordinarily Remus would heed that warning with his tail between his legs. But not now, not with Hagrid mounting the motorbike, ready to take the baby to Merlin knows where.

“This doesn’t make any sense, Albus. Sirius would never betray James, they were brothers. What relatives are you taking Harry to? Sirius and I are his godfathers. He belongs with either of us. James doesn’t even have any living relatives, and if you’re taking him to Lily’s sister, that would not be what they would have wanted. Lily never got along with that woman.” Remus all but shouted by the end. His blood boiled with a fiercely protective rage. He wanted to snatch Harry right out of Hagrid’s arms and apparate as far away as magic could take him, but Albus stood firmly in place, blocking his path.

“Remus, you’re drunk. I can smell the fire whiskey on your breath. You know very well where you have stood with the Potters since Harry was born. Have you ever even met the boy? You know that your condition, among other things, makes you far too dangerous to be entrusted with the life of an infant. And with the information I told you tonight, it’s obvious that Sirius cannot be trusted either. Lily’s sister recently had a boy of her own, it will be good for Harry to grow up with another child in the home to play with.” Albus said, as Hagrid revved the engine of the motorbike and took flight, quickly disappearing into the stars. Dumbledore looked at Remus with an expression of pity and disappointment. “I suggest you go, Remus. Find Sirius and pick up where you left off. Have some drinks, reminisce on old times with your friends, and honor their memory. That’s the best that either of you can do for them now.”

Dumbledore hesitated for only a moment before apparating away with a loud crack, leaving Remus standing there with whirling thoughts and a broken heart. James and Lily were gone. Harry was gone. If Dumbledore was right, Sirius had betrayed them and led them straight to their deaths tonight. And yet still as the grief and the rage and the loneliness threatened to consume him and swallow him whole, he found himself apparating to Sirius’ home, 12 Grimmauld Place. Seeking answers, seeking comfort, seeking fire whiskey and distraction.

Remus sauntered in through the front door, rather surprised that he was still keyed into the wards of Black Manor. It had been over a year since he’d spoken to Sirius, or really anyone for that matter, and he hadn't expected to still be able to just walk right in. He stumbled around the house shouting for Sirius but the house was empty. He made his way to the kitchen where he fixed himself a small something to eat, and raided the cabinets in search of liquor. He found a fifth of muggle vodka, and decided that would have to do. He sat at the table, eating Sirius’ food and drinking his booze while he thought back on the last year.

The rift between Remus and the rest of the Marauders began about halfway through Lily’s pregnancy. It started out subtly enough. The usual warm greetings of “Remus! Good to see you, how have you been?” had changed to “Really, Remus? You’re visiting so close to the full moon?” And within a short time invitations and expectations of him to see them at all ceased entirely. Not for lack of trying on Remus’ part. He would write to his best friends and wait for weeks to hear replies, if they ever bothered to reply at all. He would hear more about their lives and what they were up to from words on the street than from any of them. He kept his emotions in check and said nothing of it until he realized Lily’s baby shower had come and gone and nobody had even told him about it, much less invited him.

That’s when the drinking started. Those months were some of the most painful in Remus’ entire life. Realizing the friends- no, the family, he had so cherished, could just leave him, could stop caring just like that in the blink of an eye… it hurt Remus worse than anything else ever had. He could maybe understand Lily. She was a young, pregnant, first time mother and he knew she would do anything to keep her baby safe. But James and Sirius? They were his brothers. They had always been there for him. They’d all been through so much together. And now there he was on the outside looking in, missing out on the lives of his friends. Missing out on the birth of his godson. Living alone, always alone, moving from place to place, burying his thoughts in bottle after bottle.

He had reached out to James one last time, when Harry was about three months old. It had been weeks since Remus had last had a warm meal and a decent place to sleep. Whatever knuts and sickles he could rub together at that point was immediately spent on the strongest liquor he could find. He had spent the last three nights sleeping outside, and he was so cold and empty. His body was shaking from the withdrawal of what had been near constant alcohol consumption. He was out of money, out of hope, stuck at the darkest end of the tunnel with no light. He had come to Godric’s Hollow in a last ditch effort for refuge, help, company, anything but the hell he’d been living.

He had rapped lightly on the door, not necessarily aware of the time of night. James had answered the door, baby Harry sleeping in his arms.

“Rem? What’s going on, mate?” James asked quietly, concern and suspicion lacing his tone. Remus ran his fingers through his disheveled hair, and tried for a smile that hadn’t at all met his eyes.

“Can I see the baby? I just want to see his face once James. I know how you and Lily feel, but I’ve been in a really tough spot. I’ve lost everyone and everything.” Remus said, laying all of his emotions out on the table. He couldn’t help the tears that spilled from his bloodshot eyes. He’d been at the end of his ropes for a while, every day losing more and more sight of anything to carry him on.

James hesitated for a moment, debating on what he should do, when much to Remus’ surprise he smiled and handed the baby right over.

“Ah, what the hell. Full moons not for another two weeks. Just don’t tell Lily.” James said, as he placed Harry into Remus’ shaking arms. He stared down at the little baby, sleeping so peacefully that a warmth spread through his chest that had been unfamiliar to him for months. He smiled down at his godson, the first genuine smile he could remember having for a long time.

“Merlin, you’re precious. I love you so much Harry.” Remus whispered to the baby, unable to stop himself from placing a gentle kiss on his forehead, knowing this would probably be the only time he would ever see the child. He stood there, just staring in awe and letting the warmth and love soak into him. He ignored James’ fidgeting. He ignored his stomach growling for something more than the liquid diet he’d been on. He tuned out the whole world, until it was reduced to nothing but himself and the sleeping infant in his arms. For just that moment, everything felt like it would be okay. After a while he handed the baby back to James and apparated away without another word.

He wound up in London, and had decided to try to rent a room at the Leaky Cauldron. He’d been long time friends with the bar keep, Tom. Tom knew about his condition and had never said a word about it. Anyone or anything with money for a room and drinks was welcome at the Leaky Cauldron. The thing was, however, he didn’t have any money. With the public disdain for werewolves it was nearly impossible to find a job. Any work that he could find, he was quickly replaced when his secret inevitably came exposed. Remus walked up to the bar and sat at his usual stool front and center.

“Remus, good evening.” Tom greeted casually. Remus smiled and nodded as Tom handed him a shot of brandy without delay. He gulped it down before Tom could take it away once he found out Remus was dead broke.

“Tom, I need a room. I’m in a tough spot right now, I haven’t got a whole lot of money, but I’m willing to work for a place to stay. I’ll clean the bar, help clean the rooms upstairs. Hell, I’ll do anything to not have to sleep outside another night.” Remus confessed. He didn’t know whether it had been the best idea to sucker him out of a shot before pleading for shelter, but then Tom turned to him with a warm smile that helped ease some of Remus' tension

“That won’t be necessary, Remus. James Potter called me over the floo just before you arrived, he’s putting you up in a room til you can get back on your feet, mate.” Tom said, reaching over the bar to clap him jovially on the shoulder. Remus’ jaw dropped, and he shook his head in disbelief. He couldn’t help but feel a swell of adoration, only lightly tinged with sadness, as he thought about this gesture of kindness. He had never dared hope for anything more from his former friend after bothering him and his child in the middle of the night. And yet here it was, proof that Remus hadn’t left James’ heart completely.

“Well then… I think that’s cause for celebration. How about another shot on the house, Tom?”

“Sure thing, Rem. Coming right up.”

That had been over a year ago. Remus had never gotten back on his feet, and yet James’ money for rent never failed to come right on time, most often with a little extra.

Sometime during the night, Remus had passed out right at the kitchen table, the bottle of vodka emptied, as well as a bottle of wine he’d found after. He woke with a raging headache, his stomach rolling from the odd mix of alcohol and his left over emotions from the night before. He swept the house for signs of Sirius once more, in case the man had come home in the night unaware that Remus was there, but the house was still empty save for Kreature the house elf.

Remus left the Manor and wandered back to the Leaky Cauldron to collect his belongings. The place had been as much of a home to him the past year than anywhere ever had, but now was not the time to stay complacent. He had to find Sirius, and they needed to put their heads together and find Harry. He briskly started up the stairs, but stopped on the landing when he heard the whispers.

“Killed a whole dozen muggles.”

“Never pictured him going dark.”

“Well didn’t you hear he betrayed James and Lily?”

Remus’ heart skipped a beat when he heard their names. He stepped back into the pub and up to the bar where he picked up a copy of the morning’s Daily Profit

Black Family Heir Sentenced To Life In
Azkaban For Muggle Slayings

In the early morning hours of November 1, 1981, respected auror and heir to the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black, Sirius Orion Black, was sentenced to life imprisonment in Azkaban for the slayings of fellow auror Peter John Pettigrew, as well as a dozen unsuspecting muggles. The incident took place only shortly after the reported deaths of Lily and James Potter, once close friends with heir Black. Their deaths are allegedly caused by a direct betrayal from Black, also involving their infant son (see more on page 3 Harry Potter: The Boy Who Lived) …

Just above the article, was a picture of Sirius from their Hogwarts days, looking young, carefree and handsome with a warm smile on his lips. A stark contrast to the murderer the article claimed him to be. Remus was conflicted. He knew Sirius, intimately. There was a time where the man had been the closest person in Remus’ life, much more than friends. The distance of the past year didn’t erase his memories of those late nights he’d spent wrapped in Sirius’ arms.

And yet, here it was, evidence clear as day absolutely damning the man. He had not only betrayed James and Lily, but he killed Peter. Peter, who had always been a close friend of theirs, was never very strong or very bright, but quiet and kind and loyal as they came. And now Sirius was sentenced to life in Azkaban, the darkest, coldest, most depressing place on earth, devoid of anything but bleak despair. The thought of Sirius, so full of life, withering away in that place sent daggers through Remus’ heart, no matter what the man had done.

He sat there alone at the bar for quite a while, reading the article over and over again, and staring forlornly at Sirius’ face, unsure of how to proceed. The events of the last 24 hours weighed heavily on Remus’ mind. He didn’t necessarily know what to do, but he did know that it was time to act. He’d spent long enough wallowing in his depression, watching life and the people he loved pass by, sometimes without a second thought. That’s enough of that, he thought to himself as he ordered a butter beer and came up with a plan. It may be too late for Lily and James, too late for Sirius, hell, it was probably too late for Remus as well. But not Harry. He could still be there for Harry.

Chapter 2: Reconnaissance

May 8, 1982

It had taken Remus longer than expected to find the ‘relatives’ Hagrid had taken Harry to. He stalked what felt like the entirety of Britain for six months, gaining information, following leads to dead end after dead end. The place had been hidden under protective wards by Albus Dumbledore himself, but eventually Remus found the house. Number Four Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey. The home of Vernon and Petunia Dursley.

Remus had never personally met Petunia, but he had heard enough from Lily over the years to know that her sister was an absolutely vile woman. Quite literally one of the last people on Earth she would have ever wanted to raise her son. It didn’t take long for him to see it for himself.

The wards placed on the house prevented Remus from just waltzing in and taking his godson no questions asked. Much to his dismay, he uncovered a powerful charm against werewolves specifically that wouldn’t let him so much as knock on the door without being horrifically disfigured. The layers upon layers of intricate spells holding Harry hostage in this rat hole would prove to be rather difficult to get through, but Remus felt a determination like he’d never felt in his life.

Remus had found a townhouse for rent just around the corner, and placed a confundus charm on the muggle realtor. He moved in that same day. It didn’t take long to unpack his belongings, he only had his supply cabinet he had shrunk down to fit in his pocket and some clothes. He transfigured a rock he found outside into a lumpy mattress and prepared to settle in for the long haul. It would take some time to undo those wards, and he needed to do quite a bit of research on those types of spells before he could begin. He decided he would start in the morning by first checking the National Library for Wixen in London, and if he couldn’t find anything there he would go back to the Manor and scour the Black Library. In the meantime he decided to go for a walk, invisible under a disillusionment charm, and see if he couldn’t catch a glimpse of Harry.

It was only just after 4pm, but the street was deserted as he walked. The whole suburb was lifeless. It gave Remus the creeps being here, surrounded by the cookie-cutter houses, the lawns all without a single blade of grass out of place. The neighborhood looked like something out of a retirement home brochure, and the feel of the place was overwhelmingly cold and suffocating.

When he approached the dwelling he discovered the majority of the yard was warded, save for a sliver of a spot on the side of the house where there conveniently sat a rather large oak tree. He climbed the tree with ease, and listened in on the commotion going on inside. His hearing was superior to that of regular humans due to being a werewolf, but he wouldn’t have even needed heightened senses to hear the screaming baby inside.

“What the bloody hell is he blatting about?!” Vernon roared. Remus had watched the man waddle in, coming home from work, only moments ago and yet he was clearly already enraged and out of patience.

“Vernon! He has already started doing that freaky stuff! I caught him today making that teddy bear Marge sent him FLOAT, Vernon! And he was just LAUGHING at it! I’ve never seen anything so… devilish! I burnt the bear and he hasn’t stopped throwing a fit since! He’s back in the cupboard now, but he still won’t be quiet! The neighbors are going to hear, Vernon!” Petunia shrieked. Her tone and her words made Remus’ blood boil, but not nearly as much as Harry’s hoarse, broken voice screaming the words “want mommy” over and over again amongst his wails.

“Sweet Mother Mary, one would think you could give a boy a bear, but he isn’t a normal boy! He’s the Devil! He’s a freak! Don’t give him anything, Petunia. He will cry himself out, and you can check on him in the morning.” Vernon growled. Remus heard the sound of the television clicking on, and the volume turned up high to drown out Harry’s cries. Remus felt rage flare up through his guts like a ball of fire. How dare these people?! How dare they neglect his godson?! Just drown him out and ignore him as if he weren’t there screaming for help?!

Remus leapt from the tree, landing spryly on his feet, and he bounded toward the house with his wand drawn. Wards be damned, he thought to himself. He needed to get to Harry now! He quickly cast the most powerful protection charms he could on himself, mainly his hand, and he brazenly gripped the knob to the back door.

The force that flung him back could easily have blown off his hand had it not been for the protection he’d placed on himself. Even though he managed to keep all of his fingers, his hand was now badly burned, charred to the bone in some spots. Worse than that however, the door stayed firmly closed and locked, with Harry still screaming, trapped inside.

“FUCK!” He bellowed, gripping his arm, a fierce growl erupting from his chest as fury consumed him. He cast a blasting spell at the wall, which shimmered for a moment and seemed to simply absorb the spell, leaving the building unharmed. He cast again and again, imbuing more and more of his magic behind each spell, but to no avail. The house stood untouched. Remus tried casting an “accio Harry!” and nothing happened. He spotted Vernon through the window and tried to place him under Imperius, and the wards wouldn’t allow that either. He tried everything he could think of and nothing brought his godson any closer to him. He swore under his breath and apparated back to the town house, feeling completely drained, defeated and hopeless. His hand was curling in on itself from the nerve damage. There was nothing more he could do tonight apart from maybe saving his hand.

He unshrank his supply cabinet with a ferocious swish of his wand, and rummaged around for a nerve restorative, a pain relieving potion and more importantly, a bottle of emergency fire whiskey to chase it all down. He gulped the potions and the booze down and began generously applying burn salve to his hand. The relief was instant but not nearly strong enough to take the pain away completely. It was left with a dull, throbbing ache as he bandaged it up. It would be fine in a few days, the lycanthropy virus came with unnaturally quick healing times and Remus had been through much worse.

He crashed down onto the mattress on the floor and ran his good hand through his hair with an exasperated sigh. He was in way over his head, he knew. He had no connections, no friends or family he could write to for advice. His kind was ostracized from the world, he would never be able to find legal counsel. He wasn’t a very powerful or intelligent wizard, never having been able to fully dedicate himself to practicing magic when he was always recovering from his monthly transformation. The full moon was in three days, regardless of everything.

The fucking moon. The one constant in his life. Friends and family always left or died. Happiness was a foreign concept, something he would chase but would always be just out of reach. With the years came more and more unexpected challenges, most of them unpleasant. But the one thing that would never change, never budge, never give him a break even when his body, mind and soul begged for reprieve, was the full moon.

What would he do with Harry during the full moon? That was a question he honestly hadn’t considered, as ridiculous as that may be. He had just been so concerned with Harry’s safety that he never thought about how he would keep Harry safe from Remus himself. Maybe this is a mistake, that small voice in the back of his mind said. However, when he thought back to Harry’s incessant, desperate crying he knew this was no mistake. He couldn’t leave his precious godson with those horrible muggles. He would figure something out about the wolf, he always had before.

With resolve, Remus settled in and closed his eyes. He needed sleep. First thing in the morning, Remus would begin his research. He would find the information he needed if he had to hunt it down to the ends of the Earth. He would break down every one of those wards, and get Harry out of there if it killed him. And then he would make those monsters pay for daring to neglect his godson. There were perks to being a werewolf, and they would soon see them first hand. Remus, and by extension the people he cared about, were absolutely not the ones to be fucked with

~~~~~~~

August 2 1982

It was two days after Harry’s second birthday, which had come and gone with no acknowledgement from the Dursleys whatsoever. They hadn’t so much as wished him a happy birthday once. Remus had left a small teddy bear at the door with a note, but they chucked it in the bin without even letting Harry see it.

Research had taken up the majority of Remus’ time for the last three months, and nearly every other waking moment was spent sitting hidden in the oak tree, listening to his godson grow up just out of reach. Time ticked away and Remus was fearful of what kind of damage the extended time with these monsters could be doing to Harry. He hadn’t even seen the child since he’d started this hair brained stake out, they never brought him outside, but he had heard enough to know Harry was suffering more than neglect from the Dursleys.

They were extremely violent, overly religious zealots who had taken to beating Harry for every sign of accidental magic he displayed. Listening to these grown adults putting their hands on his precious godson day after day, week after week was killing him. He’d tried, unsuccessfully, three more times to bust through the wards with sheer power fueled by rage. The last time he had in fact lost a finger, the index finger of his wand hand, but nothing would deter him from getting Harry out of here.

Now, Remus sat in the oak tree barely daring to breathe as he listened intently. He hadn’t heard much at all from inside the house this morning, which troubled him greatly. The night before, Harry had turned their son Dudley’s hair pink with a small burst of accidental magic and Vernon had gone off on him for hours. The silence that followed the blows had been most unsettling, however. Harry hadn’t even really cried, even though Remus could hear the heavy handed smacks clear as day. He was broken out of his reverie by sudden voices finally coming from indoors.

“Vernon… he isn’t waking up.” Petunia cried out.

“Shake him.” Vernon answered uncaringly.

“I have been! He’s hurt badly, Vernon. You went too far last night. We’re gonna have to take him to the hospital.”

“Aw, bloody HELL, PETUNIA!” Vernon roared.

Remus’ breath hitched in his chest. What the fuck had they done? Was Harry even alive in there?! The shimmering of the protective wards still solidly in place told him that yes, Harry must still be alive, but for how long? Remus sprang into action, drawing his wand and funneling all of his magic into strengthening his disillusionment charm and waiting at the front steps. All they had to do was open the fucking door, and he could grab his godson and go.

But when they left the house, all of Remus’ resolve diminished when he looked at the pallid face of the unconscious child. Harry was very small, not too much bigger than he’d been when Remus had met him as a chunky newborn, though any chunkiness was long gone by now. Harry was skeletally thin. He was covered with bruises, most of them a sickly yellow, but the bruises on his face and neck were fresh and purple. His hair was matted and crusted with dried blood, and his clothes and diaper were very soiled, as if he’d been left to sit in his own filth for days. Seeing his godson like that, so hurt and broken and barely clinging to life, shocked Remus to his core. He wasn’t quick enough to stun the Dursleys and grab Harry before they threw him in the car and sped away.

It took a minute for Remus to compose himself. He wasn’t at all prepared for the sight of his godson, and he was now more than ever truly afraid for Harry’s life and well-being. This had all gone so beyond what Remus had expected, but his determination to save the child was stronger than anything Remus had ever felt. As if it were his sole life’s purpose to rescue Harry and give him the life that he deserved. Remus apparated to The London Hospital. He had no way of knowing where they had taken him, but starting with the largest and most popular hospital in London seemed like as good of a start as any.

Upon entering the hospital, Remus cast an imperius curse on the closest orderly he could find. Usually he wouldn’t use an Unforgivable, but this was a dire circumstance. Lucky for him, it appeared she was head nurse. She led him first to the emergency department, then pediatrics, and finally the morgue, where for the first time since he’d entered the hospital he was relieved not to find Harry.

“Shit!” Remus yelled as he ran his shaking hands through his hair. He let out a long suffering sigh and cast a “point me” spell. These kinds of spells were tedious, only ever pointing in the general direction of the object of your search, and the spell needed to be recast every few minutes, but Remus had no other option.

He followed the spell for nearly an hour, traveling aimlessly across London, fighting the magical exhaustion resulting from apparating so often in short succession as best as he could. Eventually he came upon a white building with an empty parking lot, save for the Dursley’s station wagon, and he felt relief wash over him. The building had a wooden cross on the roof and stained glass windows, looking very much like an overly large church, but the sign in front said “St. Gemma Galgani’s Infirmary of High Faith”

The point-me spell indicated that Harry was inside. Remus approached the building shocked to find it locked and… warded… as thoroughly as the Dursley’s home if not more. This was a wizard hospital. Remus felt his jaw drop in disbelief. This made no sense. How could a pair of muggles who detested magic as much as the Dursleys did, even find a wizard hospital? More importantly, why was a wixen medical building locked and warded against witches and wizards? Remus recast his heavy disillusionment charm and peered shamelessly through the windows, searching for answers. He saw two men wearing priests’ cassocks standing beside a cot where baby Harry slept. One was very old, short and plump with a bald head and a patchy grey beard. The other was young, probably only in his early twenties, and he was tall with curly brown hair and thick coke bottle glasses.

“His family is in the waiting room, Monsignor Clement. I told them we would be performing an exorcism on the child and it would be best for them to wait out there.” The younger of the two men said. Remus’ heart skipped a beat and he was ready to start trying to blast his way into the building when the older man let out a dry chuckle and clapped the other man on the back amusedly.

“Excellent, Father Ormond, I do love your sense of humor. Thank you as well for taking the liberty of warding the doors for now. It would be uncomfortable for them should our kind make a presence while they’re still here. They do so fear magic, after all. Look what it caused them to do to this poor child. No, it’s best not to frighten them further. They would likely defecate themselves and I would rather not deal with a mess.” Monsignor Clement stepped up to the bed and brushed a lock of hair from Harry’s forehead. Where his palm brushed his skin a white afterglow remained for a few seconds before the light faded away, deep down into Harry’s head.

“Of course… I pray that the Lord blesses them with the strength to overcome their fears. I have placed a kindness compulsion on them, it should help curb their sins of wrath for now, though it is unfortunately temporary. They could definitely do with a permanent boost of kindness, however I cannot perform miracles. Their hearts are shrunken and gripped tightly in the clutches of Lucifer, only the merciful Lord can deliver them. ” Father Ormond said as he wandlessly cast a long string of healing and protection charms on Harry.

“Amen, I pray the Lord shows them mercy, however He does not favor those who do harm unto children… they need to be taught a lesson. I’m sure He will deliver them justice and all but, just in case, I have also placed a monitoring charm on the child. The next time they strike him, they will feel the curse of the Lord’s Hand, and it will award them each 40 lashes right to the backside. It’s a satisfying bit of ancient magic I’ve grown rather fond of.” The Monsignor said with a mischievous smile.

“That sounds fitting. Well if we’re confessing to taking justice into our own hands Monsignor, I must admit I may have also placed a charm on them that will compel them to repent by kneeling on hot coals… I know that’s kind of barbaric, but the actual proverbs call for heaping the burning coals on their heads and I thought that may be a bit too gruesome.”

“That’s debatable my friend, but all the same, many blessings unto you for showing such mercy and restraint.”

“Don’t flatter me, Monsignor, my ego is already too inflated for my own good, and pride is a nasty sin.”

“Yes well, you’ll have to flagellate yourself on your own time… As well as 5 Our Fathers, and 6 Hail Mary’s. For now, we need to put a light confundus on the muggles and just apparate the lot of them back home. I don’t trust them not to drop the boy off in the woods somewhere, though he may fair better if we’re being honest, he needs his rest.”

“Of course, I’ll have one of the elves do it at once, I don’t trust myself to remain civil.”

“Amen to that.”

Remus watched the odd exchange in a state that was a mix of amusement, satisfaction and awe. The priests must be very powerful wizards in their own right to heal Harry’s many injuries so thoroughly and so completely. Looking at the sleeping toddler now compared to when the Dursleys first brought him out of that house of horrors was night and day. His skin that was deathly pale and ashen now had a warm and healthy pinkness to it. His bruises were gone, and his ribs were no longer protruding. Within only seconds Harry, the Dursleys and their vehicle all disappeared from the premises with a loud crack. With only a brief hesitation, Remus cancelled his disillusionment charm and knocked lightly on the door. The wards had been dropped the instant the others were apparated away, but Remus felt like knocking would be the more polite thing to do.

Monsignor Clement opened the door and greeted Remus with a welcoming smile.

“Yes, my child, how can I help you? Are you injured and in need of the infirmary?” He said, gesturing warmly to the interior of the building, inviting Remus inside.

“Hello, uh, no I’m not injured, thank you. I’m here because that boy you just treated is my godson, I’m trying to get him away from those muggles, they’re dangerous and abusive.” Remus said awkwardly, crossing his arms over his chest. The Monsignor nodded his head in agreement while the younger priest appeared by his side.

“The NHS requires us to protect our patient’s confidentiality, so we can’t legally give you any information regarding his injuries or recovery… But personally I can confirm the boy was rather severely injured, and, I guarantee you that now he has made a full recovery.” Father Ormond said with a warm smile as he placed a reassuring hand on Remus’ shoulder.

“Thank you. Both of you, seriously. I was watching and the healing magic you performed was mesmerizing, I’ve never seen healing spells cast so masterfully like that.” Remus said, still in disbelief over the whole situation.

“No need for thanks, child. We are but humble servants of the Lord. We only use our magic for healing, so it has become rather concentrated for that regard.” Monsignor Clement replied, waving his hand as if to brush off the compliment, though it looked to Remus that the man might be preening just a bit.

“I don’t know if I believe that. I heard you two talking about the compulsions and a hex you placed on the muggles. That sounds like something a bit more than healing magic… not that I’m complaining, they deserve much more.” Remus said coldly. His blood was still boiling from the state of his godson earlier in the day, and the helplessness he still felt about this entire situation.

“Ah, but justice and discipline are some of the best tools for healing!” Monsignor Clement cried indignantly, while Father Ormond nodded solemnly beside him.

“Yes. If you study the Bible, you will see the good Lord dishes out some pretty brutal punishments to even his most faithful disciples. Jesus Christ was His son, and he suffered more than anyone. Sometimes God loves with a firm hand, and God's love is the ultimate healing magic. Who are we to argue with God's methods?” Father Ormond ranted passionately, while the Monsignor agreed. Remus shook his head in amusement, but didn’t press the issue any further.

“So what is this place? Is it a wizarding hospital? How did the Dursleys even find you guys if they hate magic so much?” Remus asked the question that had been on his mind since he’d arrived here.

“This is a hospital, and a house of worship. All are welcome, wixen and muggles alike. We have mass on Sundays and Wednesdays. One of our most faithful parishioners is a friend of theirs, Arabella Figg. She is a squib and she keeps an eye on young Harry. She must have told them to take him here should they need help.” Monsignor responded softly. Remus inclined his head in acknowledgement and let the silence of the room soak around him for a moment.

“Well, thank you again for everything. I must go, I have to keep an eye on my godson and I don’t trust those muggles as far as I can throw them.” Remus said as he stepped out the door. The two priests followed him out, offering him strength and prayers before he apparated away back to Privet Drive.

Back in the tree, under disillusionment once more, Remus listened contently to the sounds of Vernon Dursley stoking the coals in the fireplace, preparing for his long night of repentance. Remus would resume his research in the morning, fueled by a new spark of motivation to end this nightmare once and for all. He would never let Harry suffer like that again, not as long as he lived.

Chapter 3: Rescue

October 15 1982

Today is the day, Remus thought to himself gleefully as he finally closed shut the heavy tome he had been pouring over for weeks. His research was complete, and he now knew precisely the spells he would need to break through almost any kind of magical ward; blood magic and dark magic included. He was confident that he would get Harry today.

He downed a pepper-up potion. Going on two days of no sleep, only a week after the full moon, the man was exhausted and yet wide awake fueled by adrenaline. He didn’t bother casting the disillusionment charm as he strolled casually to the Dursleys home, a definite pep in his step, whistling cheerfully.

He approached the house and brandished his wand confidently. Remus incanted dozens of spells, waving his wand in complex movements as he travelled across the property. A slight sheen of sweat beaded across his forehead despite the autumn chill of the morning, due to the magic he was expelling.

Finally he came to the front door and slashed the palm of his hand with the tip of his wand. He smeared his blood across the door, muttering in Latin, and he watched as a warm red light spread out and engulfed the building in the glow. It shone brightly for a few moments, eerily looking like the house was on fire, and then suddenly the light retracted and poured into Remus himself. He briefly felt an overwhelming burning sensation that faded into a heavy pressure in his chest. The magic within him seemed to fight the foreign presence for a few minutes, but ultimately conceded. Remus had successfully transferred Lily's sacrificial blood ward from the house, to himself directly. As long as Harry was with Remus, he would be safe from anyone and anything. He felt a fierce wave of triumph wash through him, and a primal force of protective instincts stemming from the wolf within. He rapped harshly on the door, ready to get his pup out of this dump.

Petunia opened the door and looked Remus up and down with a pinched expression on her face.

“Can I help you?” She asked curtly, her tone radiating displeasure.

“Yeah, I’m here for Harry.” Remus said plainly. Petunia’s eyes widened and she went to slam the door in his face, but he jutted his foot out and stopped the door, raising his wand to her horse-like face.

“Don’t even think about it. You will let me in, I am taking my godson out of this shit hole now.” Remus said forcefully through gritted teeth, pushing his way inside. He slammed the door behind him and Petunia scrambled back fearfully as magic crackled around Remus, matching the fury he was feeling.

“Take him!” Petunia cried, pointing her bony finger to the broom cupboard under the stairs, “he’s in there, just take him and go!”

“Oh I will be taking him and going, but don’t you dare tell me what to do! I ought to fucking kill you for how you’ve treated that baby. What the fuck is wrong with you people? You and that husband of yours are fucking sick in the head!” Remus shouted, aiming his wand with shaking hands right between her eyes. She raised her hands protectively in front of her face in surrender, muttering prayers to herself frantically under her breath.

Remus left her there shaking on the ground and marched to the cupboard. There was a padlock on the door, but he blasted it off with an alohamora. He refused to torture himself by looking too long or hard at the squalor Harry was sat in, as he bent down to pick him up. Remus expected the baby to be wary or scared, but much to his surprise, Harry looked up at him with eyes full of trust and reached his little hands up towards Remus expectantly, as if he knew with all his heart that he was being saved. Remus scooped up the boy who instantly nuzzled his face into Remus’ collar bone and gripped him around the neck tightly.

“It’s okay now, Harry, I’ve got you.” He cooed reassuringly into the baby’s ear, bouncing him slightly as he bounded back across the room and out the door, not wasting another look at Petunia. Later he would turn them both in to the authorities, contact child protective services and have their son removed from their ‘care’. For now though, he just wanted to get Harry away from here. He firmly embraced the baby and apparated back to the townhouse.

Apparation was a universally unpleasant experience, even for full grown witches and wizards. But Harry took it like a champ, he didn’t cry or throw up once. Remus placed Harry down on his lumpy mattress on the floor as he began transfiguring things for him. A wooden crate into a small child’s bed, and a tissue box into a teddy bear, which Harry snatched from him eagerly. Remus then dug through his wardrobe and pulled out a few old t-shirts and trousers that he shrunk down into a child’s size, small enough to fit Harry. The baby desperately needed a bath, but he needed something to eat first.

Remus flitted around the kitchen preparing some scrambled eggs and toast for Harry, unsure of what he liked to eat, but hoping this would be okay for now. He wasn’t a chef by any means, but he was a decent enough cook for simple things.

He sat the plate down on the mattress in front of Harry who dug into the food happily, much to Remus’ delight.

“Hi Harry! I hope you like eggs and toast!” Remus said to the boy, plopping down beside him.

“Yes, yes!” Harry exclaimed with a mouth full of eggs. Remus felt his heart warm, endeared by Harry’s contagious happiness.

“My name is Remus. You’re going to live with me now.” He said softly, nervous for Harry’s reaction, but the child looked up at him with an expression of absolute glee.

“Yay!!!” Harry cheered happily, clapping his little hands, the biggest smile Remus had ever seen lighting up Harry’s whole face.

“We’re going to have so much fun together, Harry! And I promise I will always take care of you, and keep you safe. After you eat, I will give you a bubble bath and then you can play with your new bear and take a nap. How does that sound?” Remus rambled. He knew the neglectful conditions Harry had been kept in, and that the Dursleys never spoke to him unless they were yelling. Remus wanted to talk to him as much as possible to help develop his speech, advice he had read in a book on child development, trying to prepare for Harry as much as possible in the days before Remus rescued him.

Harry nodded agreeably as he finished his toast, the smile never leaving his sweet face.

~~~~~~

After Remus finished giving Harry his bath, he changed him into the comfiest clothes he had for the boy and placed him on his new bed with his bear. Harry fell asleep within minutes, clutching the bear with all his might and sucking the thumb of his free hand.

When Remus was sure Harry was asleep, he cast a protective ward over his bed that he had learned throughout his research that would alert Remus as soon as he woke, but compel Harry to stay put in bed until Remus could come remove the ward. The Dursleys, Remus knew, would lock Harry away at all hours of the day and night, like a prisoner. Remus would never dream of doing something so horrible… but the fact of the matter was, he was now alone with a baby- a very famous baby, that he had kidnapped, that he couldn’t risk taking with him- and Remus had some business to attend to quickly while Harry was asleep. As impractical as it may be to leave a toddler unattended for any period of time, Remus had familiarized himself with the most powerful spells for protective warding known by wizard kind. He cast every last one of them on the townhouse, on Harry, and on himself before apparating away.

Remus had very few allies left alive after the war. Though he felt bad for all that he’d put the man through over the last few years, Remus found himself back at the Leaky Cauldron, begging Tom the bar keep for help.

“Hey Tom, long time no see.” Remus greeted warmly, plopping down on his familiar stool center the bar. Tom slid a shot of brandy to Remus who gulped it down in one go. He felt a surge of guilt, knowing he shouldn’t be drinking with a sleeping baby at home, but it was only one shot and old habits die hard.

“Remus, how can I help you?” Tom asked politely with his back to Remus as he restocked the liquor shelf.

“I hate to ask, but do you by chance have any work for me? I really need a job… I’m kind of a dad now.” Remus said, only half lying. He was certainly prepared to step up and be the father that Harry needed, even if it would never be true by blood or legality. Tom turned then to eye Remus up and down before he broke out into a shit eating grin.

“Remus, you dog! Congratulations! Why is this the first I’ve heard of this? Boy or girl? Who’s the mom?” Tom asked happily. Remus was touched by the man’s reaction. It was nice that he was happy for him. Remus knew most people would cringe at the notion of a werewolf raising a child, but Tom was a decent guy who didn’t share that kind of prejudice with others.

“Boy. His mom passed away unfortunately, so it’s just me and the baby. And with my condition it’s been a bitch trying to find work. Do you think you can help me out? I’ll do anything, clean the rooms upstairs, run the bar, landscaping. Anything.” Remus pleaded. Tom gave him a look of sympathy before reaching across the bar and clapping him on the shoulder.

“I’m so sorry to hear all that, may she rest in peace… As for the job, Rem I can do ya one better. You know that room you rented last year? Well, I meant to tell ya but I haven’t seen ya, but, James Potter's account has been paying rent faithfully every month, even after his passing. I reached out to Gringotts and apparently the rent agreement was in his will. I’ve been saving up the money for ya, wouldn’t be right for me to keep it when you haven’t even been staying in the room.” Tom reached under the bar and grabbed a wrinkled envelope and handed it over to Remus easily. It must have been charmed to be bigger on the inside, because the small envelope already carried a rather large fortune of galleons and sickles.

Remus felt his heart swell, both with love for his dear departed friend James and for Tom, who had proven himself to be a very trustworthy friend after all. The last two years of his life had been the absolute worst. He had found himself more miserable than ever, drowning his sorrows in alcohol, and until today watching his godson suffer for his failings. But today, everything was perfect. He felt like this was a turn around, a light at the end of a horrifically dark tunnel. He smiled and reached across the bar to wrap Tom in a loose embrace.

“You really have no idea what this means to me. Thank you so much, Tom. You’ve saved my arse once again. How can I ever repay you?” Remus said kindly. Tom shook his head and answered with a warm smile.

“Rem, your moneys no good here. You don’t owe me nothin. Just bring that kid of yours around sometime, I would love to meet him.” Tom said cheerfully. Remus swore he would before apparating back to the townhouse to his godson.

Chapter 4: London

October 31 1983

It was a little over a year since Remus had rescued Harry, two years since the fateful day that took James and Lily. Remus reflected on how much had changed in his life over the course of these two years and felt more like it had been a whole lifetime. He looked at Harry, who was sat at the kitchen table, scribbling happily in a coloring book, munching on some dry cereal with Looney Tunes blaring in the background, and felt a rush of love and adoration for the child flow through him.

They had moved from the townhouse in Little Whinging to a cozy two bedroom cottage in a secluded muggle village on the Irish coast. Remus’ research into warding and blood magic had expanded into near constant studying of ancient runes. Rune magic was powerful and specific. The allure of finding more ways for Remus to hide and protect himself and his godson drove him into an obsessive state. He poured over ancient tomes, scrolls and loose parchments he acquired from sketchy book stores and odd exchanges with questionable wizards. It seemed like this vastly underestimated and practically abandoned form of magic had endless potential, and Remus absorbed himself into it eagerly. It also provided him a distraction from the temptations of drinking, which he had only just begun to really understand how much of a problem he had let it become.

Remus had adopted a weekly ritual of tattooing long strings of ancient runes onto himself, heavily imbued with magic of all sorts. Runes for protection, runes for stealth, runes for power, runes for good health. Any of the strange symbols he could find to add to and strengthen his powerful mosaic of magic, he would stick-and-poke into himself during the late hours of the night, after tucking Harry into bed.

The runes tattooed onto himself offered an even more potent protection to Harry, who was tied to Remus in many ways now with blood magic. The child would be nearly indestructible. Remus currently had Harry under a particularly vicious ward that wouldn’t allow another living creature, besides Remus himself, to come within inches of the boy without bursting into flames. Of course he could remove the ward whenever he wanted with nothing more than a flick of his wand, but he wasn’t planning on doing that any time soon. Harry was too vulnerable, and much too precious. There could never be enough protection for him, but Remus dedicated his life to providing as much of it as he possibly could.

Harry was an exceptionally bright child, as well as the most tenderhearted being Remus had ever met, by a long shot. It was impossible not to love him. In many ways, it was truly Harry who saved Remus.

Today they were moving back to London. Remus had decided over the course of the past few weeks that the safest place for them would be Black Manor at Grimmauld Place. Remus was eager to scour the library for more books for his research, and the manor was more protected than the cottage they’d been staying at. He also wouldn’t have to shell out so much for rent. Winter was coming and it would cost him a fortune to heat the cottage. They barely scraped by last year.

“Finish up, Harry. As soon as we’re done with breakfast we’re gonna be leaving.” Remus said as he paced around, shrinking and packing things very haphazardly with no semblance of organization to be seen.

“Where goin Moony?” Harry asked, kicking his feet happily as he finished his cereal.

“We’re moving to London baby.”

“Why’re movin’a London Moony?” Harry was at that age where he asked a million questions per day, and Remus did his best to humor them all.

“Because.”

“‘Cause whyyyyy?”

“Because, because, because, because, becauuuuuse…” Remus sang theatrically, earning himself a fit of giggles from Harry, “because of the wonderful things he does!”

“We off to see da wizard! Da wunnaful wizard’a oz!” Harry sang back with much excitement, and Remus chuckled at the adorable little boy, packing away the last little bit of their belongings strewn across the living room.

“That’s right, baby. We’re going to Emerald City.”

~~~~~~

Grimmauld Place was more like Grimy-Creepy-Dark-Magic City, but there was more than enough emerald green Slytherin memorabilia around, so he supposed it was close enough. The unimpressed look on Harry’s face told Remus he didn’t agree.

“Dis Emwald City?” Harry asked in disbelief, wrinkling his nose in unbridled disgust as he looked around.

“Sure is.” Remus answered with a grin. He slashed his palm with the tip of his wand and smeared his blood across the front door, warding the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black to obey his own magic from now on. It was not an easy task. The portrait of Walburga Black hung up in the entryway began screaming bloody murder.

“WHAT DISGUSTING HALF BREED DARE DISGRACE MY PUREBLOOD HOME WITH HIS FILTH?! GET OUT NOW! REMOVE YOURSELF FROM MY PROPERTY AT ONCE, WOLF!”

It took a ridiculously long time to figure out how to shut the woman up, but eventually he was able to stop her raving by conjuring a curtain over the portrait and casting a silencing charm on it. He would have to see about permanently removing the portrait in the near future. Harry had never heard such foul language and Remus would be damned if he were exposed to that kind of vulgarity on the regular.

In the chaos, the Black family house elf- what was his name…Critter? Maybe?- scurried out from somewhere hidden in the depths of the old house, and was muttering under his breath about refusing to serve dark creatures and half bloods. Remus finished layering complicated ward after ward over the manor until it was protected to his satisfaction before squatting down to his level and addressing the decrepit little elf.

“I have bonded the manor to my magic and I am now officially the head of the house, elf, but you are in no way obligated to serve me or the baby. You can feel free to just roam about as you were.”

“Kreacher lives to serve the house of Black ONLY! Kreacher will never serve the likes of you, mangy wolf and half blood brat!” The elf spat.

“Harry is Sirius’ godson and so far his only heir, so you technically should serve him as equally as any other member of the House of Black, but as I’ve already said, you’re not required to serve either of us. Just go on and pretend we’re not even here and we will do the same.” Remus said cheerfully, and the elf eventually sauntered off to Merlin knew where without another word.

It would definitely be more difficult to clear away all of the years of grime and negligence that had accumulated in the place without the help of the house elf, but Remus never minded a little hard work. This could be a good home for Harry and himself. The manor was big enough that Remus could clear out just one floor for the two of them and it would still be nearly twice the size of the cottage they were living in.

Once they were sufficiently settled, and Remus had cleared out at least a bedroom and a bathroom to share for the time being, he scooped little Harry up in his arms and tossed a handful of powder into the fireplace, where green flames erupted around them and they floo’d to Diagon Alley. Over the course of the last year, they had gone through the majority of the money that Tom had saved for him from James Potter’s rent arrangement. Kids were expensive. Bills were expensive. Food, booze, clothes and toiletries were all expensive. He had come to the begrudging decision to inform the goblins at Gringotts that he was in possession of Harry Potter and needed access to the vaults on his behalf.

Remus knew it was risky. The goblins could laugh in his face, have him arrested for kidnapping and put him in Azkaban and they’d be perfectly within their rights to do so. But they really needed the money, and with his condition, Remus was having a hell of a time trying to find a steady job. Besides, goblins rarely interfered with the happenings of wizards, as long as they weren’t stealing from them, which was an offense all but punishable by death.

They walked to one of the counters, where Remus discreetly requested one of the clerks to speak in a more private setting. A rather fierce looking goblin named Griphook led him to a small room, where Remus could feel the magic humming in the air that silenced their conversations to the outside world.

“How may I help you?” Griphook snarled with a grimace. Harry was openly gawking at the goblin with his jaw dropped, and Remus bounced him slightly while whispering to the boy “it’s not polite to stare, Harry.” Not wanting to offend the goblin right off the bat, and Harry sheepishly looked away and turned his head into Remus’ collar.

“My name is Remus Lupin. This here is Harry Potter. I have current custody of him and we need access to the Potter vaults.” He said succinctly, and the goblin nodded after giving him a scrutinizing once-over.

“Albus Dumbledore is Harry Potter’s current magical guardian listed on record. How exactly is it that you’ve come into possession of the boy?”

“He was living with neglectful muggle relatives who physically and verbally abused him. Albus is the one who had sent him to live there in the first place, and then never once checked in on him or made sure he was alright. I worked at it for months and finally got him out of there. I knew Albus would just have me bring him right back, so we fled and have been in hiding for over a year now.” Remus answered honestly, and it was a long time before the goblin responded.

In goblin culture, magic was considered absolutely sacred. Any beings that possessed it were highly revered. This was part of the reason why goblins begrudgingly dealt with wizards. Although they had an infamously ill rapport with humans of any nature, their deep respect for magic allowed them to look past it enough to work side by side with wizards for centuries now. Goblins, mostly unbeknownst to the world at large, also had a soft spot for children. Griphook glanced up at Harry, as if he’d only just noticed the little boy’s presence, and his expression softened a bit.

“What proof do you have, and what makes you think that you are any more fit to care for him than those muggles were? I know what you are. One could argue that you’re no better a replacement.” The goblin said gruffly, and while Remus bristled internally at the comment, he kept his composure enough to answer politely.

“I have an entire year’s worth of memories, hearing the abuse that went on in that house, including a memory of when he was so injured and malnourished as an infant that he required medical attention. Along with that, I was written into James Potter’s will to receive a monetary allotment per month already, which has been in place since before he passed away. Not to mention the fact that I am one of two of the boy’s godfathers, registered with the ministry, before Harry was born.” Remus really hoped that was enough. Dumbledore had a lot of influence on wizarding society, and he truly had no idea how far that influence extended and whether or not the goblins would be loyal to the old wizard.

“We will require a blood test from you both, first and foremost, to ensure you really are who you say you are. Then we will require your memories. We will do an internal investigation into the matter, and if what you say is true, Albus Dumbledore will have his access to the vaults terminated, and they will be transferred to you. Come back this same time next Monday, and we will either have the account key available to you or aurors waiting on standby for your immediate arrest.” With that, Griphook led the two of them back into the bank lobby and hobbled away, getting back to his own business without another word or glance in their direction.

The following Monday, when Remus and Harry next stepped into the bank, Griphook was there waiting, vault key in hand. The fact that he handed it over to Remus without a preamble must have meant his evidence was more than sufficient.