Harry woke up slowly. He felt yesterday had been a dream. There was no way he had escaped the Dursleys, had met three people who knew him and wanted to help him. There was no way he ate more pizza in one sitting than he ever had his entire life and went to bed in his own room.
He blinked myopically, not recognizing his surroundings. When he slipped his glasses on, the world swam into focus and he smiled. It had not just been a dream, it had really happened. He had woken up somewhere clean and safe, warm and comfortable.
"Hedwig!" He sat up and reached out for the snowy owl that sat on the headboard. "You found me," he said happily as he scratched her chest.
She hooted lovingly, nibbling on his hair as she enjoyed his attention. After some nuzzling, she fluttered back to the headboard and plumped down, hooting softly.
Harry changed into the nicest clothes he had and walked down the hall slowly. Ted had taken him on a tour the night before and it was a very nice home. Andromeda and Ted's room was on the second floor with the guest room and Dora's on the main floor with the sitting room and kitchen. There was a cellar for storage and a small potions laboratory. It felt lived in and comforting, a huge difference compared to the falseness that was Number 4 Privet Drive.
After using the bathroom, Harry saw it was still a little early. He decided to poke around the kitchen and get breakfast started. He found himself wanting to make breakfast, another large difference from his times at Number 4. There he was forced to, berated no matter what he did. Never thanked for his efforts. He did not think that would happen here and he wanted to show his appreciation to the family that took him in.
Hopefully he could stay with them. He never got what he hoped for in the past but this time, for some reason, it felt more possible. That tiny fluttering feeling he felt yesterday was there and it was stronger.
It was nice to hope again.
-0-
Dora woke up, yawning and blinking. For a brief moment she felt herself slipping back to sleep. Waking up today was so much better than yesterday. She felt at ease, like a great weight had been removed from her shoulders, or a giant hole deep inside her heart had been filled. Despite seeing Harry in such a bad way, she felt so much better after finally seeing him again.
"Harry!" She sat up and jumped out of bed. Sliding down the hall she managed to grab the doorframe to his room, preventing herself from falling over entirely. She looked in and it was empty. Her heart stopped and she looked about wildly for him before realizing she could hear sounds from elsewhere in the house. It was still early, earlier than when she and her parents normally would wake, so she ran down the hall towards the kitchen.
She skidded to a stop, literally in this case by running into the counter. Harry turned swiftly, holding a spatula in one hand and his eyes wide at her sudden appearance. Hedwig was sitting on his head, munching on a rasher of bacon. "Dora! Is everything okay?" Harry asked.
With a blush, she realized how she must have seen. Wild eyed, her hair still mussed from her pillow, wearing a tank top and shorts. She was breathing heavily, both from running and worried about his sudden alleged disappearance. "What? Oh yeah no! I'm alright. Don't worry. Just uh, was looking for you." She blinked a few times. "You know how to cook?"
"Uhm yeah, I had to cook a lot where I was." Harry looked away for a moment. "I'm used to waking up early and making breakfast though."
"You don't have to do that," she said softly, not liking his body language or tone of voice.
"It's okay. I think it'll be a lot better cooking for you and your parents," he said sheepishly. "It's nothing too fancy."
Dora tried to smile. "It looks and smells great, way better than what I do." She looked up at Hedwig noisily enjoying her bacon. "Your owl is really smart. Right after you fell asleep, we felt someone trying to get through the wards. She was dropping things on the boundary, getting our attention."
"She's the best," Harry said proudly with Hedwig hooting smugly, her hoots a little muffled due to a full beak.
In short order Harry had fried eggs, scrambled eggs, bacon, toast, blistered tomatoes, and broiled mushrooms on the table. Dora looked at it all with open astonishment. "You used to cook like this all the time?" She looked at his nod. "What did you mean by it'll be a lot better cooking for us?"
He looked away, "I don't really want to talk about it right now, is that okay?"
She nodded, silently cursing herself. "No yeah, it's okay. Sorry, didn't mean to make you feel bad."
"You don't," he said honestly. "You've already done so much for me and I barely know you."
Her smile felt forced but he seemed to relax slightly. "Well, get used to it and we'll get to know each other. Here, I can make tea and coffee at least and let me get some juice out of the ice box. Go ahead and start eating."
"Shouldn't we wait for Mr. and Mrs. Tonks?" he asked worriedly.
"They'll be down soon. Whoever makes food here eats first, sort of our family. Go on, lemme get something for you to drink." She eyed him until he sat and served himself, watching her the whole time. Only when he took a bite did she bustle about, getting tea and coffee ready and filling a glass of orange juice for him. She sat and started to eat too. "This is really good!"
"Really?" he asked, cheeks pink from pleasure.
"Yeah! I always burn eggs no matter what I do. This is great."
"Where did this come from?" Andromeda asked as she walked in, eyes wide.
"Harry made it, it's so good," Dora said with her mouth full.
"It must have taken you ages. Surely you did not wake early just to do this," Andromeda asked.
He shrugged. "I'm used to waking early and making breakfast for others."
Andromeda narrowed her eyes. "Well, there will not be any of that here. You will sleep until you wish to rise usually and you do not have to cook."
"It's okay, really," he said hurriedly. "I don't mind cooking and this is how I can earn my keep."
Andromeda knelt in front of him. "Harry, you have no reason to 'earn your keep' here. Please understand that." She sighed at his worried nod. "You are here because we want you here. All of us."
"Thank you," he whispered.
She gently patted his hand. "That said, thank you so much for making all of this. It smells lovely." She sat and started eating. "Tastes even better! You could teach Dora a thing or two."
"Probably," Dora agreed. "I'll still ruin it somehow."
Ted arrived and after a third repeat of sincere wanting him to be there and he did not have to do anything he did not wish, he joined in eating and praising Harry's efforts.
Harry could not believe it. Never had he been thanked before for cooking. No one complained about something. They were all genuinely appreciative of his labors. He really liked how it felt, relaxing just a little bit more.
Andromeda wiped her lips daintily on a napkin. "Well, with a breakfast like that, I will be able to accomplish many good things, I have lots to do today. I will continue my investigations and return with hopefully less questions and more answers. Dora, you are busy until the afternoon?"
"Classes this morning and I can do the noon training session and be done early afternoon."
"Good. Then please come home when you are finished. You can help Harry get accommodated. Teddy?"
"I moved my schedule around. I'll take Harry to Diagon to get some new clothes and some things for his room this morning. Then will go see my patients this afternoon after Dora gets home. How does that sound?"
"I don't want to be a bother," Harry murmured.
"Good thing you're not being one," Ted said easily. "Not a bother at all. I need to pick up some things anyways. Trust me Harry, shopping with me will be a lot faster," he winked.
"Sounds nice," Harry said honestly.
"Splendid. Then let us be off," Andromeda said. "Oh before I forget, I will key your owl into the wards so she can enter and leave of her own volition."
"Thank you," he smiled gratefully.
Her face softened at his smile. "Of course dear."
-0-
Shopping with Ted was actually fun for Harry. It was nice to explore stores he never did the last times he visited Diagon. The older man asked Harry what he would like and did not try to force him to try on anything odd or outlandish. He also thankfully avoided the fancier looking places. When Harry asked hesitantly why, Ted laughed gently.
"I'm a Muggleborn," he said. "Don't get me wrong, robes can be nice but I'm used to wearing jeans and slacks most of the time. I have some robes for fancy Wizarding occasions but typically wear Muggle clothes when I can get away with it."
"My best friend is Muggleborn," Harry said. "My mum was too, right?"
"Yes she was. Lily and I got along great and that was one of the reasons why."
Harry felt his heart thump. He was not used to hearing his mother's name said so easily and fondly. Even though the professors at school mentioned her here and there, it was usually in regards to academics and when she was young. To hear someone talk about her like that as how they knew her, it was a wonderful and painful experience for him. "Really?"
"Whenever she got tired of James and Sirius talking about Wizarding things, she and I would talk about Muggle things. We shared same tastes in music and it was fun confusing the Purebloods like they confused us." He saw how wistful Harry looked. "We can dig out some records this weekend. It'll be fun."
"I'd like that a lot," Harry said eagerly. "Is Mrs. Tonks a Pureblood too?"
"She is. Oh, and feel free to call her Andromeda or Andi. You can call me Ted if you like."
"That doesn't feel very respectful," Harry said hesitantly.
Ted chuckled. "Well, how about Aunt Andi? She'd like that. You can call me Uncle Ted. Would that be okay?"
Harry shivered lightly. "I uh, sorry. I have issues with aunts and uncles," he said softly.
Ted felt his chest go tight, realizing he was going somewhere painful. "Let's cut the difference then. Mr. Ted and Mrs. Andi. Until you're comfortable with something else?"
Harry smiled with relief. "If that's okay for now Mr. Ted."
"Perfectly fine! But yes, Andi is a Pureblood, from one of the old families. Bit of a shock when she and I got together."
"I bet. My other best friend is from a big Pureblood family. It's odd trying to explain a few things."
"Mmhmm. It was a lot of fun introducing her to different Muggle cuisines. Food at Hogwarts is good but purely English. The first time Andromeda had a real burger was a treat to watch. One of her favorite foods now too."
Ted found himself feeling equal parts happy and sad while shopping with Harry. He looked a lot like James did but his personality was more like Lily's. He was polite and almost painfully shy but he could tell that Harry was opening up to him the more they talked. However, it was clear that Harry had gone through a lot. He was still reserved and had difficulty saying what he wanted. Every purchase they made for him was treated with wonder and shame, and he protested every single one.
He was very firm with Harry, saying it was the bare minimum of what Harry needed, much less deserved. The more time they spent together, the more convicted Ted felt about taking him in. He could still remember when they first found out what happened. How angry Andromeda felt, how powerless they both felt.
How upset Dora was.
He could only think about how Harry would be if they had managed to get him back then. How much better and healthier he would be. Happier.
No, not again, he swore to himself. We're not letting you go again. Andi will figure it out and we're fighting for you this time.
-0-
"Hey you got some proper clothes!" Dora smiled at Harry as she looked in his room.
"Oh hi Dora," he greeted happily.
"Mind if I come in?"
He blinked at her. "This is your home, you can just walk in."
She frowned. "This is your room, Harry. It's only polite for any of us to ask to come in unless it's an emergency."
"Oh. That's nice. Sure, come in."
She still wore her frown but hopped in eagerly. "Show me what you got!" She nodded approvingly at the new clothes he and Ted got as well as a few new things for the room. He liked the new desk and chair Ted picked out, feeling really bad about the price but Ted had insisted. They got Hedwig a nice roosting perch and food dishes, something the owl was using right now happily. Before leaving, Ted charmed a window to open and close for the owl.
"How are you feeling?" she asked him.
"Like I'm in a dream," he said. "I haven't felt this comfortable in…ever. I keep thinking I'm going to wake up and it'll all be gone."
Dora growled softly, her spiky hair turning black. "Don't worry. You're never going anywhere without us. This is your home too."
He looked at her. "I…I don't want to sound ungrateful, but I don't understand why you and your parents are doing so much for me."
Her hair turned dark blue and she sat down on the ground, looking up at him with him sitting on the bed. "Because you deserve it," she said simply.
He shook his head. "I don't think so. I'm just a…"
"Just a what?"
"…a freak," he said finally.
"Why do you think that?" she asked, trying to keep her temper in check. Her eyes began to turn orange.
"Where I grew up, that's what they called me forever. Said I was a burden." He looked down at his lap. "I'm worried that I'm going to be a burden for you and your family."
Despite them trembling slightly, she held out her hands to him. After a moment he rested his hands in hers. "Harry, you are not a freak," she said emphatically. "Whoever said that to you are freaks and I'd love nothing more than to visit them and prove that to them. You are someone that deserves kindness and help and we're going to make sure you get it. Both of it."
"Why?" he whispered.
"Because you do. Because our families were close. Because I care."
His eyes lit up and he let go off her hands, scrambling over the bed and hopping off the end, diving into his trunk. He threw things about before pulling out a large album book. He walked to her side and sat down beside her. "Hagrid gave me this book at the end of my first year. He said he got pictures from their classmates. Maybe…" he started flipping through pages.
"Oh!" Dora stopped him at one and they looked at the pictures secured there. Andromeda and Lily were laughing and James and Ted, smiles on all their faces. They stood in front of a grey couch and a small white cat slumbered on it. The next picture showed a baby Harry sitting in Dora's lap. They were both laughing, Dora reading from a big book and Harry sucking his thumb.
"Mum must have sent these pictures. She never said anything. She must not have known why Hagrid wanted them. She would have wanted to see you if she knew he was making a book for you," Dora said softly. "Mum and Dad look so young! Weird!"
"Your family really did know mine," Harry breathed. He never thought they were lying to him, but he did wonder exactly how close they were. Clearly they were really close. He remembered not focusing on the later pictures as much the first few times he paged through the book, choosing to focus more on ones with just James and Lily alone.
Dora sighed fondly at the second picture. "You were such a cute baby," she teased.
Harry blushed. "Well, you were a cute girl."
Dora laughed, her cheeks pink. "I'm not cute anymore?" She laughed harder at his deepening blush. "Just messing with you."
He grinned. "I should get used to that huh?"
"Hey, fast learner!"
He snorted. "Not according to my professors."
"Eh, what are you, a second year?"
"Third."
"You still have time. Honestly your O.W.L.s and your N.E.W.T.s really matter so as long as you score well on those then you're set. I'll help you with that of course. I did pretty good on both. You need to, to be an Auror."
They spent time going through the album together. The longer they sat together on the floor, the closer they got before eventually Harry was leaning against her. When he realized he was, he felt terribly shy, edging away slightly. Dora leaned into him more when he tried and he felt much better at the casual contact. He started to lean against her more, enjoying the warmth and touch.
They eventually finished going through the pictures, sitting in a comfortable silence. "Anything you want to do?" she asked.
He thought. "Mr. Ted said Mrs. Andi likes hamburgers right?"
Dora listened to his explanation of how he wanted to address her parents and accepted it. "Yeah, Mum loves burgers. She grew up eating everything with a fork and knife and burgers were the first thing she ate with her hands and loved it."
"Do we have stuff to make them? I'd like to make them for dinner. And I know I don't have to, but I want to."
"Okay, as long as you want to." Dora got up. "I don't think we have everything but there is a small grocery store just around the corner. The person that owns it is a Magical so we can get what we want there and come back." She smiled when she saw Harry reach up for her to help him stand. She eagerly pulled him up. "Do you know how to make chips?"
"Oven baked ones, sure," Harry said with a smile.
"Sounds delicious to me! Let's go!"
-0-
Andromeda apparated in front of the home, face pinched with thought. It had been a long day for her. She took care of her appointments early on and then spent the rest of the day at the Ministry going through the records.
What she learned disturbed her and infuriated her. The one positive thing was that she already developed her opening strategy and was confident it would work. It would require a little extra leg-work but that would be well worth it.
She opened the door and took a deep breath, surprised by the savory smell permeating the home. She set her bag down and took off her traveling cloak. Her lips creased in a smile as she heard happy chatter coming from the kitchen and followed both ear and nose to it.
"Hey Mum!" Dora greeted. She was arranging things on plates and setting the table. "Harry made us burgers!"
"They look and smell wonderful," Andromeda said. Her stomach growled audibly. "I skipped lunch and this looks quite the treat! Thank you dear." She hugged and kissed Dora and smiled warmly at Harry. "How did you know I love burgers?"
"Mr. Ted told me today and I wanted to make them to say thank you," Harry said. He put a big one in front of her. "We got lots of toppings and there's chips too. I made a salad too even though Dora said you don't eat salad."
"Dora does not eat salad," Andromeda corrected, shooting her daughter a look. "When she really should. There is nothing wrong with eating healthy."
"I eat healthy," she protested, "enough."
"Harry, be a dear and serve Dora some salad." Andromeda's eyes twinkled as Dora did not try to stop him even though she really wanted to. "Now, do not hurt his feelings and not eat it."
"That's not fair," she muttered but ate it all the same.
Ted arrived a little later and joined the others, piling his plate with chips and salad and crafting a large burger for himself. Harry lost himself in the happy atmosphere that was dinner at the Tonks'. At the Dursleys, it was usually Vernon tearing others down with Petunia, yelling at Harry, watching Vernon and Dudley make themselves sick from stuffing themselves. Then he would be forced to clean everything up and maybe given something for himself to eat.
Here Dora kept filling his plate with more chips before she ate more. Andromeda topped off his cup whenever it was barely half empty. Ted moved plates closer to him so he would not have to reach. They did not draw extra attention to it, they did not falsely praise themselves like the Dursleys when they 'gifted' him scraps to eat. They spoke and laughed, chided each other gently and lovingly. They included him as he felt comfortable, more than willing to let him eat in silence as long as he looked happy.
He could grow used to this.
Ted and Dora cleaned, saying Harry cooked so he should not have to, another novel experiences. They then gathered together in the sitting room where Harry showed Andromeda and Ted his precious photo album. He was shocked to see them tear up as they paged through the book. It meant a lot to him that they were emotional like he was.
"Ah, so Hagrid did get these two," Andromeda said softly, her hand caressing the two pictures of their families together. "Oh happier days. If I knew they were for you, I would have tried to do more."
"It's okay," Harry said. "They mean a lot and I'm here now. I should have realized to trust you sooner," he said with a red face.
"No, it is good that you did not. There are many who would take advantage of you," she said seriously. A small smile appeared. "The only advantage to be taken of you here is Dora stealing your chips."
"Hey, I put one back for every one I took," Dora said, aggrieved. They laughed.
"I do hate to ruin the good mood, but I wanted to keep you in the loop dear," Andromeda said to Harry. They all turned to look at her. "I spent the day investigating and well, it seems like your parents' will was never executed properly. You were supposed to be placed elsewhere in the event of…your parents' passing. You should not have been sent wherever you were."
Harry was floored. "I shouldn't have gone to the Dursleys?"
"Who're they?" Ted asked, seeing the fear and pain on his face.
"My mother's sister."
"Wait." Andromeda leaned forward, eyes piercing. "I remember Lily speaking of her. She is a Muggle yes? I thought they were estranged. They did not get along."
"I don't think they did," Harry said.
"Why were you sent there?" Ted asked.
"Professor Dumbledore sent me there as a baby."
"Dumbledore had no right to do that!" Andromeda's eyes blazed. "How dare he?! No! There was a clear procedure of what to do and he bypassed it all."
"Harry," Dora said looking closely at him, "did the Dursleys hurt you?"
Harry said nothing.
Ted cleared his throat gently, catching Dora's attention. His look confirmed her thoughts.
"I will fucking murder them," she said savagely.
Harry's eyes widened as he looked at her, surprised by her vehemence.
"You will do no such thing," Andromeda scolded. "First, murder is too good for them. Second, murder implies that they are not being punished for their many many crimes thus we should contemplate something more permanent. They should be punished for what they have done. Third, we should make their crimes well known so that all can know the depths of their depravities. Then we can consider final retribution.
Harry's eyes were still wide as he looked at Andromeda. "Uh…please don't murder them?"
"Whyever not? I am sure we can find a legal way to do it and you certainly cannot say they do not deserve it," Andromeda replied in a far too professional tone.
He gaped a little. "I mean, I don't want it done for me. I don't want to be the reason for that."
"But they deserve it for all they did to you," Dora insisted.
He flushed. He was not used to people being nice to him and providing for him. Being told that they want to murder others for him, or punish severely, made him flounder. "No I mean, not that I don't appreciate you wanting to, but I rather you not to get in trouble for me. Especially now that I'm here and…kinda like being here with you."
Andromeda and Dora smiled broadly at his words. "I am fairly certain we would not get into trouble-" Andromeda sighed at Ted's cough, "but we will come back to that topic later. In any case, this leads me to my next point. My cousin, Sirius Black, is your lawful godfather. However," her face twisted, "he is currently in Azkaban."
"Magical prison," Dora explained, "super nasty place."
"Why is he in prison?" Harry asked. He did not like the way they looked at each other.
"We should probably tell him," Ted said slowly.
"Wouldn't this be too much too soon?" Dora fretted.
"I have a feeling he is in his current state because he was told nothing," Andromeda said.
Harry looked between the three of them. A sense of mounting dread grew inside of him, coupled with the indignation of being talked about while sitting right there. "I would like to know," he said insistently.
Andromeda sighed. "Are you aware of what happened to your parents?"
"The Dursleys said they died in a car crash," Harry said and he saw the flash of anger cross all three of their faces. "Professor Dumbledore later told me that Voldemort killed them." He looked sheepish when they flinched. "Sorry."
"No problem dear," Andromeda shivered, patting his hand. "Yes, He did kill them himself. Your parents went into hiding with you and were protected by a very powerful charm called the Fidelis. It hides the location of a place and if you did not know the location's name, you would never find the place. A person named the Secret Keeper holds onto that secret and as long as they nor anyone else shared it, then no one would know."
"Your cousin was the Secret Keeper?" Harry asked quietly.
"He was, but the thing is, the Sirius I knew was fiercely loyal. He held your father to the highest esteem and he would sooner die than betray him. They were best friends." Andromeda frowned. "Now that coupled with the knowledge that he never had a trial is making me wonder more."
"He never had a trial?" Dora asked, astounded.
"I found no records of one. There is a chance that the records were sealed from the public but there would still be a record saying so. That will be another point of inquiry I want to investigate."
Harry's mind reeled at the information. He never knew he had a godfather, much less this other family that cared for his. Now learning that his godfather, his father's best friend, betrayed his parents to Voldemort was making him dizzy. As if sensing his discomfort, Dora offered her hand again and he grabbed it gratefully, using her touch to ground and center himself. "Is…is that why he went to Azkaban?"
"Well, apparently he was confronted by a third friend, Peter Pettigrew, who accused him of the betrayal. They fought and when the Aurors arrived, twelve Muggles were dead and Pettigrew was blown to bits." Andromeda's frown deepened.
Harry blinked a few times before squeezing Dora's hand. He felt a little better when she squeezed back. "I'm sorry for asking this, but do you think your cousin betrayed them and killed them?"
Andromeda leaned back in her chair. "No, that is a fair question to ask. I am…shocked that I never thought to question it before. That really is not the Sirius I knew and grew up with. Like I said, he loved your father and adored your mother and was quite attached to you. He bore Pettigrew no malice as far as I knew and unlike the majority of our family, Sirius liked Muggles. He liked their music and their riding contraptions."
She smiled gently when Ted sat next to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "I do not know now to be honest. I will continue to investigate the matter as well with your permission. It does not make much sense."
Silence fell over them as they thought.
"So you had a plan?" Ted asked gently.
Andromeda shook herself. "Yes, yes a plan. Harry, with your permission, I will go to the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Amelia Bones."
"She's my boss' boss. She's scary but fair," Dora said to him.
"I will open a line of inquiry regarding how you were improperly handled as well as provide paperwork to make Teddy and I your legal Magical Guardians. With her approval, none can remove you without your express consent. Any who thought they had a claim to your well-being or anything regarding you will be blocked completely and utterly. Then I will go and confront Mister Dumbledore about what you have gone through and make it quite clear to everyone that you are not to be harassed. Then I will investigate why Sirius never received a trial and if he truly did not, ensure he does."
She sighed and rubbed her eyes. "If…he is guilty of the crime, then we will have closure and we can cut ties completely." She sincerely hoped that was not the case. She loved Sirius growing up and when they were both cast out of the Blacks, she and he had bonded that much more. She had been horrified when she heard he had been sent to Azkaban but a part of her always thought he was not responsible for betraying the Potters. She did not want to entertain the thought that he possibly could be.
"If he is innocent however," her voice became a growl, "then I will take great pleasure in punishing those that let him stay in prison for so long as well as hunt down the one truly responsible. And then I will make them suffer."
Harry could get behind that sentiment. His complicated feelings about the Dursleys aside, he wanted to really know what happened that night. If someone did betray his parents, he wanted to know how. He did not know what he wanted to happen to them yet, but that was a decision for another day.
"Thank you," he said softly. "For all you're doing." He looked at the three Tonkses. "All of you."
"It really is my pleasure," Andromeda said warmly. "I always wish to see justice done and you have had precious little. It is about time you got what you deserved. The opportunity to make others pay for their sins and crimes is the cheese on top of the patty as it were for me."
"Seriously," Dora said in an undertone, "Mum loves raking people over the coals, especially if they deserve it." She snorted when Andromeda nudged her with her foot. "I'm happy you're here Harry and want to take good care of you."
"With what Andi says, what happened to you was literally criminal." Ted sighed. "If anything happened to us, your parents would have taken excellent care of Dora and we were really sad we couldn't for you. It might be a few years too late, but we can do that from now on. Don't worry lad, we want to."
Harry smiled, small but there. "I'm not used to people wanting to help me save for a couple friends."
"Well get used to it," Dora said. "Bugger anyone that tries to stop us."
"Language Dora," Andromeda sniffed. "Do I have your permission then, Harry?"
He nodded. "Please and thank you."
"Such good manners," Andromeda praised, winking at his blush. "Like I said, it will be my pleasure." Her smile turned feral and Harry suppressed a shiver. "As I told Teddy, I am rather vexed and today's discoveries did nothing to assuage it. Obtaining some retribution will help me feel better."
She saw his nervousness. "Do not worry dear. Before I do any sort of punishment, I will check in with you first. As I said, you will have final say."
That made him feel a little better.
"Just, for most promising results, allow me a little personal leeway in how I obtain my results."
That made him feel a little more concerned.
-0-
"Excuse me, Director? There's someone asking to see you."
Amelia Bones, Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement looked up from her desk. She looked at her secretary with a raised eyebrow. "I wasn't aware I had an appointment."
"You didn't, which is why I'm asking. Well, I'm asking because the person is insistent."
"Oh?"
The secretary gulped. "Very insistent."
The other eyebrow rose. Wilkins was usually made of sterner stuff and would even turn the Minister down if ordered to. Seeing him a little nervous was rare. "Alright then, I have a few moments."
Wilkins bobbed his head and left. After a moment, Andromeda walked in the room.
"Ah, that's why," Amelia said with a wry smile.
"That is why what?" Andromeda asked, sitting down.
"Not many can wig out Wilkins." She snorted at Andromeda's look of innocence. "What can I do for you Andi?" She looked at the box that Andromeda put on the table. "Hmm, my favorite pastries. Is this business or social?"
"More the former than the latter and it requires a lot of discretion."
Amelia waved her wand and the door closed firmly, locking it. A privacy charm and a silencing charm went up soon after. She leaned back in her chair, ignoring the baked treats for now. "Alright, let's get the business out of the way first then."
"Would you prefer the fun news, the bad news, or the worst news?"
Amelia sighed. "Let's start with the worst news."
Andromeda handed over a stack of parchment to Amelia. She sat and watched as Amelia read it. She hated upsetting a friend and she saw Amelia's face twist and contort as she read through the stack.
"He was abused," Amelia said finally.
"Yes."
"For years and years. Who the hell was he living with?"
"His Muggle relations, his mother's sister."
Amelia saw Andromeda's facial expression. "Are they still alive?"
"Unfortunately. And no, I have not Cursed nor Hexed them. Yet. Harry has not asked for it, or given me leave to act on it. Also yet."
Amelia sighed. "I knew he was at Hogwarts. My niece is there. Apparently there was some kind of problem this last year about someone touting themself as the Heir of Slytherin and the Chamber of Secrets. Students were petrified but I was assured that things were resolved by the end of the year."
"By Dumbledore?" Andromeda's lips curled into a hateful sneer.
Amelia felt shocked. "Yes…by the headmaster. Mind if I ask why the sudden change in opinion for him? I thought you two got along well enough."
"He is responsible for ignoring James and Lily's will. According to Harry, he was given to his terrible relations by Dumbledore himself. And, he was incredibly close to the Potters."
Amelia scowled. "Are you saying Dumbledore willingly put Harry into an abusive environment?"
"I would want more evidence before making that accusation. At the very least however, he flouted all legal procedure in illegally…absconding with Harry and put him where he should not have gone. Thus leading to this." She angrily slapped the medical report.
Amelia groaned. "I can't even argue against that. That's exactly how it looks." She felt her stomach sink as she realized Andromeda had more to say. "What else?"
"Which leads me to the bad news. Sirius never got a trial."
Amelia sat up straight. "What?!"
"I checked all the legal records and all the Wizengamot records for the time frame. He never received a trial. He never had a chance to explain himself or defend himself. Signed by Minister Bagnold, Bartemious Crouch, and Chief Warlock Gorsh, he was thrown into Azkaban with an indefinite sentence."
Amelia growled. "That…that's not right. Even if he was guilty, that doesn't mean he doesn't get a chance to defend himself!" She rubbed her eyes. "And you can't bring up the inquiry about Sirius because as his cousin, that raises conflicts of interest."
"Whereas you can as the Head of the DMLE."
She sighed. "I'm not exactly free of conflict either. We dated before."
"Some may argue that but it is still well within your remit as the Head to investigate past corruption and breaches in protocol. In fact, give me a day and I am sure I can find several more cases for you to investigate. You can say Sirius' case is part of an internal audit brought to you by a concerned citizen."
"That would work," Amelia mused. "What do you want out of this? Besides Sirius being free if he is innocent?"
"Harry," Andromeda said baldly. "I want to be Harry's rightful legal Magical Guardian. I want him out of the hands of Dumbledore. I want him to be somewhere safe and in a position where he can be supported. As Sirius' cousin and his legal executor of rights, I assumed his claim as godfather and therefore I have claim. At least, a claim far stronger than any Dumbledore has."
Amelia nodded. "So I sign off on the Guardianship, making it immune to any inquiry from the Wizengamot or others and you find me more cases for me to investigate. We both get what we want. Find justice where there wasn't any, and save a poor boy."
"Precisely. And I haven't even gotten to the fun news yet."
"Please," Amelia begged, "I could really use some fun news."
Andromeda's smile was like one a hungry wolf would have when finding prey. "We get to tear Dumbledore several new ones and we would be legally and morally in the right."
Amelia's smile matched hers. "You're right, that will be fun." She looked at a picture on her table, her eyes softened. "I never liked his love for secrets and his damned tolerance policy. Eddie did. I don't know if it's fair to blame Dumbledore for what happened to him…"
"Edward was a good man," Andromeda said softly, remembering the smiling man that was Amelia's brother.
Amelia sniffled and wiped her eyes. She then opened the box of treats and split one in half and handed it to Andromeda. "I'm in. I'll sign off on the forms, start the inquiry."
Andromeda accepted the treat and tapped it against Amelia's half. "Then let's go ruin Dumbledore's day."
The witches smiled savagely and toasted one another before taking very large bites.
-0-
Albus Dumbledore looked up in surprise as his door opened. In the Headmaster's office at Hogwarts, school of Witchcraft and Wizardry, he normally had an idea of visitors, even uninvited ones. His surprise increased as he saw who followed Minerva McGonagall, the Deputy Headmistress, and Poppy Pomfrey, the Matron and school Healer.
Andromeda walked in after them, barely hiding the contempt that she felt. Amelia followed her and in turn was followed by Dora and Kingsley Shacklebolt. Andromeda had suggested an Auror escort and Amelia agreed, not minding that Dora was still a trainee.
"Ah, to what do I owe the pleasure Andromeda?" Dumbledore asked pleasantly.
"It is Madam Tonks to you," Andromeda replied unpleasantly. She ignored the look of disapproval from McGonagall, shock from Pomfrey and Kingsley, and Amelia's barely concealed satisfaction.
Dumbledore blinked slowly. "Madam Tonks then. Have I…upset you in some way?"
"In many ways. However, this is not a social visit. I am here to inform you that your unlawful Guardianship over Harry James Potter is at an end. I am his rightful Guardian and he will be under the care of Ted and myself. And Nymphadora," she added at Dora's pointed look.
Dumbledore frowned. Before he could speak, McGonagall cut in. "Unlawful? But his godfather is in Azkaban."
"If Dumbledore did his duty, he would have found that I assumed Sirius' legal responsibilities upon his equally unlawful incarceration. I should have at the very least been consulted about Harry's placement. By refusing me that right, Albus Dumbledore essentially kidnapped a baby."
McGonagall and Pomfrey gasped and even Kingsley looked sickened.
"I resent that," Dumbledore said peevishly.
"Resent it all you like. Legally, that is what happened. And in kidnapping Harry, you have subjected him to an abusive environment." She handed Harry's medical record to the man.
He paged through it, unable to keep the frown from growing on his face. As he reached the end, McGonagall snatched it from him and she and Pomfrey went through it themselves.
"This…this can't be true…" Pomfrey said, her voice shaking.
"It is and I actually wonder about your competency," Andromeda said scathingly. She ignored Pomfrey's look of affront. "Have you not done a full exam on him in the two years he has been here? Has he not been injured considerably while here? Why did you not fully check him out at those times?" She glared until Pomfrey looked away in shame.
"I told you!" McGonagall shrieked at Dumbledore. "I told you that family could not be trusted to watch over Harry!"
"You knew and yet you did it anyways?" Amelia leaned forward, glaring at Dumbledore.
"I had hoped that Lily's sister would show her nephew familial love," Dumbledore said stubbornly. "There are other factors that necessitated Harry living with his family."
"And he certainly has thrived while living with them," Andromeda spat. "That is why Dora found him on Diagon Alley, unaccompanied, face beaten and bloody!"
"No!" McGonagall gasped.
"Yes," Dora growled, glaring at her.
"He is not going back to that poor excuse of a family," Andromeda declared. "I have the legal right and Harry has expressed a desire to live with our family. He will not return. We will care for him."
"I must protest-" Dumbledore began.
"Protest all you like, they will fall on deaf ears." Andromeda said.
"He needs to be with family."
"We will be his family, unlike the ones you abandoned him to."
His eyes narrowed. "We can't all choose our families," he said. Immediately he knew he had overstepped, judging the way his colleagues gasped, the look of censure on Amelia's face, and the sheer urge to murder on Andromeda's and Dora's faces.
"I am well aware of the reputation of my past family," Andromeda said coldly. "I need not you to remind me."
"My words were poorly-
"I tire of your words, poor or rich. However, this actually leads me to the second point. Sirius Black never received a trial and we are rectifying that."
"What do you mean he never received a trial?" McGonagall cried.
"Exactly as I said. Therefore, Chief Warlock, prepare to see a memo regarding a trial to be commenced soon. And spare me any of your lies about not being aware or what have you."
"I was not aware-"
"Then you should have been! When you accepted the post you should have checked! Or was that lip service you said to him about caring naught but empty wind?"
Dumbledore rose from the desk. "You have thrown many veiled accusations at me, Madam Tonks. I do not appreciate it."
"Pardon me, allow me to be more blunt." She pointed a finger at him and it was clear she wished to point her wand. "You have failed. You have failed Harry. Your machinations have caused this and you are to blame. You are responsible for every injury he has suffered and before you can claim ignorance and state you did not swing the hand, you placed him in the environment that allowed it. You did. No other."
He seemed to wilt under the weight of her words and she went in for the kill. "If I find out that you continue to meddle with him while he is here, I will remove him from Hogwarts and take him to Beauxbatons or even to Ilvermorny. If you act outside your remit as Headmaster and try to interfere with him and his life in any way, I will do it without hesitation. If he is placed into a situation that is of your devising that could have been avoided, I will rain fire on you and will not stop until you are nothing but ash." She looked at the two Hogwarts witches who stared at her with horror. "And I care not who stands in my way. Any that have been complicit will face my wrath."
She leaned over his desk and he took an involuntary step back. "Do I make myself one hundred percent clear, Albus Dumbledore?" She said his name as one would say a disgusting disease.
He coughed. "Yes."
She leaned back and her face glowed with a bright smile. "Splendid. Then all is well for now." She turned to Amelia who did not hide her smile. "Would you like to add anything, Director Bones?"
"Just that you should be ready for the memo regarding the trial, Chief Warlock," Amelia said with as much false politeness that she could muster.
"Good day," Andromeda said cheerily to McGonagall, Pomfrey, and Dumbledore. She turned and walked out, followed by Amelia. Dora shot the Hogwarts Professors and Matron a severe look before leaving. Kingsley, still looking shell-shocked, followed after, closing the door behind him.
"Albus, what have you done?" McGonagall whispered at last.
He had no answer, none that he wished to give.
-0-
"Oh I see we were successful today," Ted remarked. He smiled at Harry as they carried in groceries. "Whenever Andi wins a case, she buys her favorite cake to celebrate."
"We have two things to celebrate today," Andromeda said smugly with a beaming Dora. "Well two celebrations and a personal victory for me. First, the inquiry is official. Sirius will get his trial."
"That's great!" Ted kissed Andromeda on the cheek.
She blushed prettily. "Thank you love! Yes, it is and we will finally discover what happened." She gave Harry a warm look that he appreciated. "My personal victory was that I got to lambaste Dumbledore for his failures and threaten him thoroughly. He will do well to listen, if the old goat can."
Harry looked astounded, her words eliciting a shocked laugh.
"I do apologize if I ruin your view of him," Andromeda said with just a hint of contrition. "He can be a kind man and he is a good Wizard, but from what I have learned about your situation, I am more than a little upset with him."
"If he really did what we think he did," Harry looked sheepish, "I'm not too happy about it either. I'd be willing to listen to an explanation but you all have told me you'd help and have done it. He always says he's sorry for what happened but never tried to change things for me."
"And that is more than fair of you," Andromeda praised. "Harry, and do feel free to be completely honest, do you like being here with us?"
"Are you kidding? It's amazing here! You all are so kind and I feel safe here," Harry gushed.
The Tonks family smiled and teared up a little. "Then, would you be happy to know that this is your home permanently?" Andromeda asked softly.
"Really?" he whispered in disbelief.
"Really. I have it signed here." She showed him a very official looking piece of parchment. "We are now your official legal Magical Guardians. As long as you wish, this is your home. We are a part of your family, you are a part of ours."
He started to cry silently. "I don't have to go back to the Dursleys?"
"Never," Andromeda said. She wiped his tears away with a handkerchief. "If you do not wish to go to Hogwarts anymore, you do not have to. We would be more than happy to take you elsewhere."
He was floored. "I…I want to still go to Hogwarts. I like it there and I don't have a lot of friends but the ones I do are there. But I want to stay here, live with you."
Dora held her hands out. "Welcome home Harry!" she practically yelled.
He hesitated and shyly opened his arms.
Almost sobbing, Dora hugged him gently, squeezing him tight after he did first.
"I'm home," Harry whispered into her neck.
Andromeda and Ted hugged them gently, also crying. "Welcome home lad, " Ted said.
"Where you belong," Andromeda murmured.