Umbridge:
She thought that she had gotten away with it all. She had been careful, only spending extra time with the little mudbloods. Nobody important listened to mudbloods so she shouldn't be in this predictment right now. But one of the little brats squealed on her, she just knew it, otherwise she wouldn't be here. Dolores bet it was Potter or that nasty little mudblood of his, Granger.
How Dolores hated Hermione Granger. Pretty little Hermione, so smart and such a good student, the other teachers couldn't stop singing her praises. It was sickening, Dolores thought with a sneer.
The girl had tried to trick her but Dolores had survived her time in the Forbidden Forest. She would always survive. Those filthy creatures might have tried to kill her, but she was better than them. Dolores had been taught all her life that she might not be pretty but she was smart. Cunning. So she would always be better than those empty headed pretty little princesses.
Cornelius appreciated her. He counted on her advice and relied on her mind. She'd have gotten them through the latest disaster, if only Potter hadn't spoken the truth after all about the Dark Lord.
But then, who would have believed that You-Know-Who could have come back from the death? Still, she'd get through this. With or without Cornelius. After all, Dolores got what she wanted even if she had to break a few backs to do it.
But then it became clear that the Head of the DMLE was looking into her.
She had really thought that the little brats she'd taught had been too scared to snitch on her. But with the evidence collected it was to late for Dolores Umbridge. She couldn't destroy the evidence anymore, she couldn't run and the one person who could have saved her had gotten the Vote of No Confidence and was out of office. Her Cornelius had no power anymore.
Dolores even heard mutterings of Cornelius getting charged with some crime soon!
It all came to a head when she woke up bound to a chair in a dark room. A familiar room.
Affronted, she called sharply, "Croaker! What is the meaning of this?"
She was in an Unspeakable interrogation room in the Department of Mysteries. This was the place where the Unspeakables interrogated the worst of the criminals so they could find out how they did what they did. The lights flickered on and the cloaked man approached. He didn't say anything as he tilted her head back and pulled a clear vial out of his pocket. Veritaserum.
Dolores gulped nervously, this wasn't good.
Three drops fell in her mouth as Amelia Bones came into the room and Dolores knew it was over.
Amelia took a seat and started asking her questions.
When it was almost over Bones just looked her straight in the eyes and asked a simple, "Why?"
Dolores knew what she meant and sneered, "Those little pampered brats didn't deserve what they had. Strutting all over the place with their stolen magic, happy as what. I was just the one who did something about it."
Dolores could see the disgust clear on Amelia's face and continued, "Those little mudbloods got what they deserved, Potter got what he deserved. Arrogant brat that he is. Cornelius asked me to fix it for him and so I did. I did it, and you can't punish me for it, Amelia. The Lords of the Wizengamot will never sentence me for something they wished they could have done themselves."
Bones just raised an eyebrow, "Are you sure about that?"
And so was Dolores Umbridge, the most hated teacher to ever enter Hogwarts, at her trial sentenced to life in Azkaban for treason, the torture of children and corruption.
Good riddance.
Snape:
Dumbledore had been caught and with that, so was his only protection. He should have known he wouldn't be able to get away from this. Though he had really hoped that Dumbledore would have had a failsafe or two. The old man had been to arrogant to even consider it, it appeared. Honestly, if it wasn't so disturbing it would have been funny how similar his two masters were.
Severus woke up bound to a chair. Knowing what happened in the last moments before he lost consciousness, he assumed he was in a Ministry Interrorgation room.
A cloaked figure approached and Severus tensed up. A Unspeakable? That wasn't good. Normal Aurors he could handle but nobody knew what a Unspeakable could do. The Unspeakables operated under different rules
A distorted voice asked tersly, "Open your mouth, Mr. Snape."
Veritaserum. He was done for, Severus couldn't fight that particulair potion no matter his skills in Occlumency. His only hope now was that they wouldn't ask the right questions.
His apprehension only grew when after the three drops have landed in his mouth, Amelia Bones joined them.
Madam Bones had been there, Severus remembered, when he kidnapped Harry Potter. She was as professional as always yet Severus could see the dislike in her eyes for him, "Snape, I hope you know by now the big mistake you made by helping Albus Dumbledore."
He nodded and simply answered, "Yes."
It was all Potter's fault.
It always was. The younger or the elder, everything wrong in Severus life could be traced back to them. If only the elder Potter had left Lily alone then none of this would have happened. Severus knew that he'd have made Lily happy. She just never got the chance to make that choice. Then she had to die for Potter's spawn. So it was Potter's fault.
And then her son, who should have been his son by all rights and not Potter's spawn, turned out to be just like his bloody father. Always strutting around like he owned the place, no consideration for those the brat deemed lesser. So Severus did his best to humble the boy as much as possible at every chance he got, for Lily.
It was all for Lily. She wouldn't want her son to be like his father was, an arrogant toe-rag. Unfortunately the Potter blood ran deep and he wasn't able to make the boy any less arrogant. Still, he did his best to keep the boy alive. He had made a Vow to protect him for Lily and protect him he would, even though the stupid boy worked against him at every chance he got.
But now he himself was in trouble. Severus shouldn't have believed Albus when he told him his plan. Severus only saving grace was that he'd truly thought that Albus had a plan for the boy to come out of the ritual alive.
Bones and the Unspeakable he believed to be Croaker interrogated him. They asked about his Death Eater activities, about what he did for Dumbledore. They asked about Lily, about his time teaching at Hogwarts and about Harry Potter. About Albus's latest scheme.
Middle in he diatribe about his feelings for the male Potters and Lily he could hear Amelia scoff, "Lily Potter would never have loved you like you wanted. She was your friend and you ruined that. How could you ever think she would be willing to be more?"
To Severus's consternation, Croaker immediately agreed, "Did you really think that a woman like her would have forgiven you for getting her husband killed? Her son?"
Severus pressed his lips together and stayed silent. Deep down inside himself he knew they had a point, but he didn't want to believe that. It meant all he did, all he became, was for nothing.
The trial came and with it came his sentence. Five years in Azkaban wasn't so bad, but the life long community service chaffed. Once again he would be forced to make potions for ungrateful reciptiences.
Would he ever get to brew what he wanted to?
The part of his punishment that was the teaching ban was a gift. He'd never wanted to be a teacher anyway but Albus needed him to. Now he was never allowed to become a teacher again, never be around the snot-nosed brats again. That was perfectly fine by Severus.
Azkaban terrified him but he will take his sentence with dignity.
Though he was shocked to hear that it was only Potter's testemony that made the sentence go from ten years to five. Severus supposed he should be grateful to Potter. Azkaban was not a nice place after all.
Perhaps he was a bit grateful for Lily's son.
Grindelwald:
Gellert had been surprised when the Aurors came. He was even more surprised when they actually took him with them. It had been decades since he last had been outside. Breathing in the fresh air, feeling the sunshine on his skin was a sweet torture. He had been alone in his room in Nurmengard for decades now with only an occasional visit from Albus.
Albus Dumbledore. His best friend and lover. Gellert had loved that man once upon a time. Before, well, before everything.
Now he barely recognised his old friend. Albus had become such a good paragon of the light in the years of Gellert's imprisonment. The hypocrisy of his old friend disgusted Gellert.
The Aurors took him to Britain, to Azkaban. In his new cell, surrounded by people, it had taken Gellert a moment to realise who exactly was sitting in the cell next to him. But when he did, well Gellert had to give it his all not to start laughing incredulously.
"Well, well, well, who do we have here? How are you, my friend?" Gellert rasped out after a moment of staring at a very familiar back.
Albus turned around and Gellert had to hold back a cackle at the shocked that flitted across his face.
"Gellert?"
He smirked, "What? Surprised to see your old flame here?"
Sobering up he asked, "What happened, Albus? Why are you here? Why am I here?"
Albus eyes darkened and Gellert had to hold back a shiver at the familiar look. Angry Albus was Gellert's favorite Albus, which had started all the trouble to begin with. Ah well, Gellert always loved playing with fire.
"The boy ruined everything!" Albus exploded, "All my plans, gone! The brat just had to leave his family, make new allies and find out what I had hidden from the boy. Eveything went wrong when he got to Grimmauld Place before I could search it for anything the boy shouldn't see."
Ah, Gellert sighed mentally, the passion, the fire. How lovely to see it again. Raising an eyebrow he asked, "I take it your little lamb wasn't a little lamb after all?"
"No," Albus spit out, "No, he was not."
Moving carefully closer to the prison bars separating them, he asked, "So, what now?"
Then Albus did something Gellert thought he would never see, he gave up. His will to fight, that beautiful fire Gellert fell in love with all those years ago, just gone.
Lights dimming in his eyes, Albus said, "Nothing. I'm dying, Gellert. While hunting for the Horcruxes I foolishly took a curse. At best I've only a year left to live. It's over."
"That doesn't sound like the Albus I knew. Where is your fire, old friend?"
Albus made an dismissive sound, "I'm dying! They've bound my magic so tight I can barely breath! And now they've stuck me in here, with you. Just let me die in peace, Gellert."
Gellert cackled, "Let you die in peace? After all you've done for me? No, old friend, peace is the last thing you deserve. If you have only a year left, then a year we shall spent together. Don't you just love it, Albus? Together at last."
Albus paled. Cackling, Gellert went to lay on the cot in his new accommodations. Tomorrow he would begin his welcoming of his old friend. Albus deserved all of Gellerts attention so he'd take a nap to regain his energy. Tomorrow would be a big day for him and Albus both, Gellert would make sure of it.
Laying on his thin but hard new mattress he suddenly snorted, the great Albus Dumbledore, defeater of Grindelwald, bested by a boy not even out of Hogwarts.
Honestly, Gellert loved the irony. This was justice. Justice for the way his old friend betrayed him, how he treated him. Gellert knew he had lost his way, back when he was free, but he hadn't deserved Albus punishment.
To be completely alone in his little room in Nurmengard with only Albus as an occasional visitor.
It could drive a man mad.
Remus:
He was an idiot. A moron. A monster of the highest order. How could he do that to her? Why didn't he just say no when she came on to him?
He knew why. She was kind and pretty and she wanted him. No one had wanted him in so long and so, he eventually gave in. Bad, bad man that he was.
First he used Sirius all those years ago so he wouldn't feel so lonely anymore and now he repeated that mistake with Tonks. He'd felt guilty yes, but for a moment Remus'd thought that perhaps it had been for the best. Surely now she would stop pursuing him? But then she tracked him down and shared her news.
Tonks is pregnant from a werewolf and it will ruin her life. It would have been better if the baby was from a another man. It would have been so much better if she had cheated on him. Why couldn't she have done that?
That baby she was carrying was going to be a monster just like his father, Remus knew it.
He had never heard of a werewolf procreating but as soon as he saw her he knew she spoke the truth. Her scent had changed, she smelled more like him now. What kind of monster was that baby going to be? He feared for the worst.
Remus couldn't imagine that it would be a normal baby. What if the baby was a werewolf already? Would it turn on a full moon while still being in it's mother? Would it kill her?
The baby will be a monster, Remus was sure of that. How could it be anything else when he was the father? He needed to talk to Albus.
Albus would know what to do. Maybe he could convince Tonks that it would be better if she got rid of the baby. After all, she wouldn't want a werewolf baby either right? The baby will ruin her life like it did with Remus.
Albus would know what to do, Remus was sure of it.
But Albus wasn't there to fix it for him. He was busy with finding Harry. Harry. Another person he had let down.
Remus had promised Sirius that he would look after the boy, if anything happened to Sirius. Like he had promised James and Lily if that he would be there for their son if something happened to them. He had let all them down.
But he was a werewolf and he just couldn't be depended on. It was all Fenrir's fault.
Sirius never forgave him for never looking deeper when he was in Azkaban, for never checking up on Harry. And now Harry had ran away from his home. Without even telling somebody. He had thought that he had kept Sirius and Harry separate enough for Sirius immaturity not to rub of on Harry.
Sirius was way too irresponsible for a child as impressionable as Harry. It had been for the Greater Good as Albus liked to tell him. Just like it had been when Remus had asked Albus to visit Harry before he had reached Hogwarts age. Not that he tried very hard after the first no.
A werewolf had no business being around children.
The only reason he'd agreed to teach at Hogwarts was because Albus asked. Even then he got punished for his arrogance, for thinking he could actually do it. He almost killed three of his students, killed Harry, because he forgot to take his potion.
So much was going wrong lately. Remus was wondering if the world had gone crazy. How could people believe that Albus Dumbledore is going senile? Of course he wasn't. Albus Dumbledore could never get such a normal disease.
Then Albus had asked him for help.
Albus told him that Harry was going dark. Honestly, it wasn't that hard to believe after all the boy had been up to since this summer. But luckily, Albus knew a way to help James's boy. Remus just had to bring Harry to where Albus was staying, whenever he was willing to come with or not.
But it hadn't gone as plan. Harry had been prepared, brought his friends with him. Hermione holding him under shot was surprising but that she was actually willing to shoot him, well, Miss Granger had certainly changed.
And then that scam of a trial. Remus was very disappointed in Harry for helping in making the trial possible. He should have know better than to believe what the newspapers were telling him.
Eleven year. Those bloody idiots gave him eleven years in prison for trying to help Harry. For doing what Albus asked him to. They will be so embarrassed when Albus proves them wrong and gets him out of prison.
But Albus never came for him.
Inside of Azkaban he got little news of the outside world. A sadistic guard showed him the articles about Dumbledore and his trial. Remus still wasn't sure if it had actually been true what they said. Surely it wasn't? It couldn't be.
Another guard showed him a birth announcement which told the world that Nym Tonks had given birth to a healthy boy, Theodore Charlus Tonks. The moving picture showed a glowing Tonks holding a blue blanket and at her side, at her side, in the place of the father stood a beaming Charlie Weasley.
It hurt.
Tonks had moved on. The thing, the baby, well, he wasn't sure how he felt about it but he wasn't happy that Charlie was standing where Remus should have been. Tonks had been his.
Getting out after eleven years was shocking. He felt like he had been there forever, in that little cell.
Remus knew that he had to get out of Britain before it was to late. Clearly they had all gone mad.
He traveled by boat to France where he knew he could hide out for a while. He lived there for a few months without anyone finding him, even joined a pack.
But soon he started having doubts again. What was he doing there? He didn't belong here. Remus didn't belong anywhere. He was a coward. He abandoned those that depended on him, Sirius, Harry, Tonks. He was a monster and they were better off without him.
Tonks had a family of her own now, one of the wolves he lived with that year had taken the time to gleefully show him the wedding announcement of Nym and Charlie Weasley, the birth announcements of their two daughters.
Of Harry's wedding announcement and the birth of his first son. James. Harry named his boy James. There was a James Potter in the world once again.
It was then that Remus knew he had truly screwed up following Albus Dumbledore. So he did what he had always done, he ran.
And the little boy he fathered? He was as awesome as his mother. If only his biological father could have seen past his own issues. Not that he needed the man. Papa Charlie was awesome.
Tonks:
Tonks could never have imagined that her life would be like this. She was so happy, she could burst. She had a wonderful family, a job she loved and three awesome children.
Only a short while ago she had been pursuing a wonderful man, or so she had thought. Remus had seemed like a calm, kind and thoughtful man. Older than herself, yes but Tonks didn't care about that or that Remus was a werewolf. He was patient and kinda shy, something Tonks thought fit perfectly with her own outgoing personality.
But it wasn't meant to be. Remus didn't want her. He only wanted her when her cousin had passed away and they had been grieving. Honestly, that night was both the biggest and greatest mistake of her life. It showed her how much of an arse Remus Lupin actually was and it gave her her baby boy.
Teddy.
The birth had been awful but she did it. And now, holding her little boy in her arms, she would do it all over again.
"He's beautiful, Nym."
Tonks could only nod. She was so grateful that he was here with her. Her best friend, her lover and perhaps even the father of her child, one she choose. Charlie Weasley. Her mum came back inside for a quick scan and then left again with a subtle look at her daughter. Tonks rolled her eyes but turned to Charlie.
"Would you like to hold him?"
Charlie nodded eagerly, "Yes, please."
Soon he was holding her son and Tonks just about melted at the sight. Charlie was coe-ing at the baby, talking and cuddling. He was clearly used to holding babies but Tonks wasn't surprised at that with all the younger siblings he had. Charlie would be a great dad, Tonks just knew it.
Trying to sound casual, Tonks said, "I've decided on a name."
Charlie looked up from the baby, "Yeah?"
"Yeah. Theodore, after my dad. Theodore Charlus Tonks, after you."
Stunned and stuttering slightly he asked, "That's, that's beautiful but Nym, are you sure?"
Yes, she was sure. She had never been surer of anything in her life. Looking at the touched expression of Charlie only made her even more sure. This man deserved it. Deserved to be the dad her baby deserved. She said so to him and watched his eyes soften.
Charlie nodded resolutly as he turned his attention back to the newborn, "Hello, little Teddy. I'm your dad."
And so Charlie Weasley became the best dad that little boy could wish for, the best husband Tonks could want. It didn't take long before they were married after Teddy himself asked why they weren't yet when the boy was only two years old. Teddy got officially adopted by Charlie and soon after their first baby girl was born. Teddy couldn't be happier to get a little sister.
And a few years after their family grew with another girl. Teddy was the best big brother who loved to show his little sisters how to change their appearance. Their mothers pig nose was a family favorite and Charlie often joked he felt a bit left out. Of course, Tonks had a solution for that. With a wave of her wand, everyone had a pig nose of their own.
Charlie loved being a dad to his three kids but his bond with Teddy was something special from the moment he first held him in his arms. Teddy clearly loved his dad right back, if he wasn't turning his hair some bright color, then it was Weasley red.
Tonks couldn't be prouder.
George:
Katie was pregnant again. His beautiful and very much cranky wife was now more than two weeks over her due date and she looked just about ready to curse the kid out.
They tried everything but the baby just wasn't ready to come out yet. The Healers told them nothing was wrong and to just let it happen when the baby was ready.
Well, Katie was ready. George was ready. Now they just had to wait for their stubborn baby.
She was visiting Hermione today at Potter Manor with the twins. They had gotten quite close in the recent years since Hermione married Harry, their littlest team member and unofficial little brother to them all.
Fabian and Fredrick loved little James and clearly saw the boy as a little brother of their own. Hopefully they would like their new little sibling as much as they did Harry's kids.
George was taking advantage of his morning off work when the floo flared green and Harry's head appeared.
Harry was clearly relieved when he saw George, "George! Come quick, Katie's in labor!"
He disappeared again and George spang up. It seemed it was finally time to meet their baby.
Stepping in the recovery room the receptionist told George his wife was in, he first saw a very pale Harry sitting in a chair in the corner. He was holding his hand weirdly and George had a bad feeling as to what happened.
Laying in the bed was his wife, holding a pink blanket.
Katie smiled when she saw him, "My love, come meet your daughter."
George stepped closer and saw his daughter for the first time. A beautiful little girl with all her fingers and toes. Katie offered him the baby and he quickly put her in his arms, his daughter.
He had a daughter!
Whispering as not to disturp the little baby, "I'm am so sorry I missed it, Katie."
Katie shook her head with a fond smile to her husband and daugther, "You couldn't have known. She might have taken her sweet time to be ready to come out but when she was, well suddenly it was over all very quick."
"Still..."
Katie turned her smile towards Harry sitting quietly in the corner, "Poor Harry was here instead. We almost didn't make in to Saint Mungos on time but being the Boy-Who-Lived came in handy for once."
Harry nodded and stood up, "Glad I could help although I could have done without you breaking my hand."
"I said sorry!"
George smiled at his little brother and said, "She's strong for such a little woman, no? And you, little one, you are just like your mum." She had grabbed his finger with her little fist and was holding it will all of her strength.
"I should go give you guys some time to yourselves. Fabian and Fredrick are excited for their sleepover with James. Hermione and I will bring them by tomorrow to meet their little sister." Harry went to walk out of the room but Katie interupted him quickly.
"Actually Harry, we wanted to ask you something." Sharing a quick look with George, he took over for his wife.
"Harry, you are a brother to us both but we wanted to ask you if you and Hermione want to be our little girl's godparents?"
Harry looked surpised but pleased when he answered, "Of course we would! Thanks, mate. Katie, Hermione and I would be honored. Now, what is my new goddaugther's name?"
George looked at his wife and answered with a smile, "Fiona Katerina Weasley, welcome to the world little one."
Amelia:
She has been the Minister of Magic for over fifteen years now and she was thinking about stopping. Finally it felt like she had done enough. Amelia didn't enjoy the politicking she had to do for this job of hers but the changes she got to make, those were the days she lived for.
Kingsley Shacklebolt would be a good replacement, she thought. A honest man who was strong in his believes might just be the what Magical Britain needs. Amelia had worked her arse off in her years in office but now it was time for her to take a step back. She was getting older and she wanted to spent some time with her family.
She hadn't always been around when Susan had been growing up, hadn't quite know what to do at first with the baby, her orphaned niece. Her life had been her work and suddenly she was responsible for the most precious little girl. Amelia knew Susan had no complaints of how she had been raised and Amelia was so very grateful for that, but still, sometimes she wondered...
Susan had married a wonderful boy, an Auror just like Susan was. Her niece now occupied Amelia's former job, as the head of the DMLE. Daniel was exactly what her Susan needed in a partner and he had gladly taken their family name when he married Susan. Her niece, her daughter more really, had grown up beautifully. Her brother would have been so proud of his little girl.
Susan and Daniel had adopted their little boy last month. The one year old, who was now named Jasper, had been brought to Harry's orphanage some months before and had no family to take him in. He was blood-adopted into the Bones family and Amelia was so very happy to see how much the boy took after Edward, Susan's dad. She might have cried a little when holding the boy for the first time.
It had made the decision to retire even easily.
She wanted to see the boy grow up. She needed to be there as he said his first words, took his first steps. She had already missed the first time Jasper called Susan 'mama' and wanted to be there when he called her grandma for the first time. Daniel had told her how Susan was now trying to teach him to call Amelia 'Grandma'.
It was the right decision. It was time to pass on the job to a new Minister of Magic. Kingsley would do a good job and Amelia would make sure he was ready to be the Minister of Magic before she quit.
Amelia put on her coat and flooed to Susan's home to share her decision. She stepped out of the floo and heard her new favorite sound. Her grandson.
"Grama!"
Dudley:
The dementor attack changed everything for Dudley. It was like he suddenly saw everything clearer and let him tell you, it sucked. He had always been in his little world where he could do no wrong and now, well now he saw things he wished he could ignore.
His freak of a cousin saved him. His little cousin who he treated so very badly for as long as they both lived. Harry saved his life.
It changed everything. Suddenly he saw how his parents treated Harry, how he treated Harry. And he was ashamed. Horrified. How could he have ever thought that keeping a child in a freaking cupboard of all things was normal?! It wasn't. Neither was making a child do all the chores or all the nasty things they said to his cousin.
Abuse.
It was a word he hadn't thought of before but now he couldn't stop thinking about it. His parents abused Harry.
Then came the summer in which Harry escaped them. Honestly, while Dudley would have loved to make things right between them, he knew he wasn't ready yet. His parents were still ignoring everything that didn't fit in their little world, but Dudley hadn't expected anything different.
Still, he had hoped. He had hoped his parents would notice the changes he made and perhaps even start changing with him.
They moved to Australia where Dudley finished High School. He let the distance grow between his parents and him, because he kept seeing them in ways he hadn't before. How petty they were, how mean and selfish. How they obsessively they loved him. It was sickening when he thought of how they had treated his cousin.
The cupboard.
It haunted him.
When Dudley was eighteen, he went to a therapist. They talked a lot about his childhood and how he never wanted to be anything like his parents. It helped a lot, talking about it. He couldn't tell her about the magic, but the rest was fine. After all, the worst bits had nothing to do with magic.
He kept going to the therapist all the way through college. It was in college where he met Yuri. They were assigned to work together on a project and Dudley just about fell in love with her within an hour of knowing her. She was brilliant. Kind, pretty and so very smart that Dudley often felt like a bumbeling idiot next to her. But she was always willing to explain when he didn't understand.
Dudley told her about his parents, his cousin. He had been so surprised when she didn't dump him after hearing about it all. She had been shocked yes, but also understanding. He had been a child, she told him. His parents were the ones in the wrong. They should have known better, done things differently.
It mattered that he wanted to change, that he actually put the effort in to be different.
She understood why he didn't want her to meet his parents just yet. Honestly, Dudley was pretty sure it wouldn't go well. His parents had never been kind to people of other cultures and Yuri looked very much like her Japanese parents. Dudley thought she was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen and he would not tolerate his parents racisme.
Yuri came from a loving family. She'd introduced him quite quickly to her own parents and siblings when they started getting serious. Dudley loved going there. Her parents had taken him in as another child and it couldn't feel more different then with his own parents.
Yuri made him better. Smarter, kinder and he felt like a champion everytime she even just smiled at him.
His parents didn't understand him anymore, Dudley could see that. He hadn't told them about her until after their first year of dating. He didn't want their poison anywhere near Yuri. But his mother knew he had fallen in love and kept pushing to meet her. Eventually, Dudley gave in and brought Yuri to meet his parents.
It didn't go well.
It was the last time he saw them. The disgust on their faces when he introduced Yuri to them made him furious and Yuri lose her smile. Their sneers and their so called 'subtle' jipes made everything worse. It was in the middle of dinner that he had enough. Yuri was handling it remarkably calmly but enough was enough. They left.
Dudley and Yuri finished college. Dudley became a social worker and Yuri a psychologist. They married, and Dudley made the decision to leave the Dursley name behind. It was the right decision for him, for the family they wanted to create.
Yuri gave him two beautiful little girls, Hana and Nara. In a nod to his family traditions they named the girls in the way of his mothers side, flower names. The girls never met their grandparents on Dudley's side. But they did meet their cousins.
Harry and he had been writing occasionally and when the girls were around eight years old, he came to Australia with his family.
His little cousin had grown up. No longer the way too short boy of Dudley's memories. He looked healthy and had lost the gauntness he always had when living on Privet Drive from the lack of food. With him was his wife, a beautiful brunette called Hermione and their three kids.
James, Lyra and Leo were wonderful kids who got on well with Hana and Nara. Lyra and Nara immediately became friends and Hana took an immediate interest in toddler Leo.
Little Leo was a mischivous little rascal who, according to his cousin, took greatly after Harry's blood-adopted father, Sirius Black. He had Harry's wild black hair and shining silver eyes that Yuri and Hana immediately coeed over.
It was a nice visit. Harry and Dudley talked a lot and Yuri got on well with Hermione. There was a lot that needed to be said between Dudley and Harry. Dudley once again apologised for his treatment of Harry and Harry accepted. There might even been a hug.
After they went home again, Dudley stood on his porch looking out on the garden where his daughters played and smiled.
He was happy.
Sirius:
His Animagus form was a Grim. Grims, magical creatures that are connected to death according to the myths. Sirius had never really thought much about what it would mean to have a magical Animagus form but he has had a strange feeling for a while now and he couldn't ignore it anymore.
He felt death. His death.
How cruel. But he couldn't do anything about it, he couldn't even say anything to his loved ones. Believe him, he tried. So he had to stop being a Gryffindor for once in his life and make a plan. He needed to make sure that his godson would be alright if this feeling turned out to be right. He couldn't leave the boy alone again. His poor son. His boy would be alone again soon.
He had so much regrets but none more so than his advice to James to take the rat as Secret Keeper. It was his fault that Harry had grown up the way he did and Sirius would never forgive himself for it. He needed to make a plan for Harry in the event of his death. He owned the boy he loved more like anything that much.
He knew what he had to do.
Sirius'd wanted to ask Harry to become his son in blood the summer after his fifth year but he had the feeling he might not make it that far. Sirius loved Harry like he was his own but he wanted to do this right. He didn't want Harry to think he wanted to replace James. Sirius would never do that. James was his brother in all but blood and Lily had become a dear sister to him. He needed to do this right.
It'd give Harry a lot more options if he would chose to be his son by blood. The Wizarding World would never be able to ignore the Lord of House Black. He really hoped that his godson would be willing to do it.
First he should write a letter to the Black account manager telling them what he was planning to do. They needed to be ready to help his Heir and hopefully, his son.
Bloodaxe,
I, Sirius Orion Black, Lord of House Black declare that I am sound of mind and body. In the event of my death I leave everything to my Heir in magic, Hadrian James Potter. I will give him the option to become my son in blood so that he can claim The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black by blood as well as magic. This I declare, so mote it be.
These are difficult times ahead and I ask you to look out for my son after my death to the best of your ability.
Please Bloodaxe, from one father to another, look after my boy.
Respectfully,
Sirius Orion Black
Lord of House Black
Father of Harry
It was a difficult letter to write but he knew it was necessary. The goblins might hate adult Wizards but they loved children. Sirius knew that goblins had been almost hardwired to cherish children with their own difficulty to concieve. He knew there had been a goblin Healer that had almost kidnapped him in his childhood to safe him from his family. Luckily, that hadn't happened as that would have probably started another goblin war.
Though Sirius still thought he would have made a wicked goblin.
Sirius had gone back and thanked her for trying to help him after he'd found a home with the Potter family. She had been glad to hear he had made it out of that awful house. Sirius still thought fondly of warrior Bloodruby.
Now he had to write to Harry and he knew it'd be one of the most difficult thing he ever had to do. His poor boy would be all alone soon and there was nothing Sirius could do about it. He could feel his death coming closer and closer with every day passed by. It was a strange feeling but he wasn't scared. He was only worried for Harry. He needed to make sure that his godson was taken care of when he died. He couldn't repeat the mistakes from that horrible Halloween all those years ago.
If only he could have counted on Remus to be there for Harry but he knew that that was very unlikely. Sirius had loved Remus as a boy but the man Remus was now worried him. The time Sirus had spent in Azkaban had changed Moony and it was not for the better. There was something very wrong with his old friend.
Sirius wished he could do something to help his old friend but he had to focus on Harry now. Sirius could feel that his end was coming closer and he still had so much to do. He had to help Harry. Remus was an adult and he could hopefully help himself but Harry was still a child but even more than that, Harry was his child.
Still, he hoped that his old friend would be there to help the last of their pack after his death. Harry needed all the help he could get. A few years of Hogwarts classes weren't enough. He'd collect some books for Harry that he thought could help him. Hopefully Remus would be there to answer any questions the pup had.
Now for the first letter he had planned to write for Harry,
Dear Harry,
First of all, if you read this, I'm dead and I am so sorry for leaving you alone. I hope that at least my death was helpful to you, that I fell in battle protecting you from all that dared to try and harm you. Or in a stupid prank that made you laugh.
I am so sorry Harry that I can't be there for you anymore. Don't you dare feel guilty! You are my pup and I am responsible for my own choices Harry. Remember that please. Remember that you are loved and I had no regrets. I've loved you as my own since I held you for the first time and that only grew when we met again all those years later.
I am so proud of you, pup.
I hope that you are of age now and are able to get away from the Dursleys. But if it is as I feared, then this letter will hopefully be able to help you. Pup, I know this will be hard to hear but you need to know this. I hope we talked about this before my death but if not then listen closely.
As you know I am the last male Black. Since I'm dead now and have no children of my own I have made you, my godson in magic, my Heir. The Black title is a Lordship, Harry, and you need to claim it before somebody like Malfoy tries to. The Black Lordship has a lot of political and magical power and it should help you a lot. And you need all the help you can get.
I've made you my legal Heir already as I hopefully told you and that is enough for me but I also left you a vial of my blood. It is a vial for blood-adoption, Harry. If you want to you can drink it and I will be your third parent in blood. I wanted to give you the option when you would stay here in the summer after your fifth year but if you are reading this letter then it seems that something happend to me.
It would mean you will be truly a Black and all that would include. It means you can use the family grimoire Harry and that would be helpful against all that wish you harm. I want you to be safe Harry. No matter what you chose.
I trust that Remus is with you and that you can count on him and your friends after my death. But I know that nothing seems to go as it should lately. Trust your gut, pup and that beautiful heart you got from your mother.
Be careful, Pup, but don't forget to live your life. Play a prank, fall in love, start a family and I better not see you again till you are old and grey and have lived a full and truly happy life.
Talk to the portrait of Alphard Black if you need any advice on House Black. He was my favorite uncle growing up.
I love you Pup. Always.
Mischief Managed,
Padfoot
Ps. I left you some books in my room that should help you.
Alphard's portrait was his plan B in case Moony would fail to do his duty. He so hoped that his plan would succeed and that Harry would get the chance to grow up, fall in love and just live like Sirius and his parents wanted to give him the chance for.
He hoped that Harry would be willing to become his son in blood. Sirius was furious that he wouldn't be able to ask the boy in person.
Then for the second letter he'd place with the books he had put together for Harry,
Dear Pup,
I hope you got my first letter and decided to do the blood-adoption, but if not then that is fine too. Or if you need a little bit more time to decide. Do what makes you happy, Harry. That's all I care about. You are all we cared about. Me, James and Lily are so proud of you, love. So survive this war so you can live.
I collected these books for you because I think they could help you in this war. At least I hope they will help you. But do be careful with some of the books, Harry. They can be dangerous if you are not careful enough. You know how dangerous magic can be if used wrongly or carelessly.
The first book on the pile on my desk is a book that your father and I used back when we were looking for a way to help Moony. I think you can guess what it will be about. Harry, I don't have to tell you how handy it can be to change in a animal. Especially when no one knows you can do it. But be very careful. It is illegal to not register your form and that is not even mentioning the dangers of trying to transform without a Master of Transfiguration with you. So read the book and be very careful when you try it, Pup.
You dad and I left some helpful tips in it for future generations.
The Mandrake Leaf you will need is in the potion room. There are a few extra ones for the friends you are sure you can trust. Ask for an oath if you must- just don't make the mistakes we made.
The other books are books about Defense, Charms, Runes, Wizarding culture and some other handy stuff that could save you life. The last book is the Operations Manual of the Hit Wizards/Witches. It will tell you all you need to know about what to do while hunting a dangerous target.
I don't know if I even got a chance to tell you about it yet, but your dad and I were training to be Hit Wizards before everything happend and he had to go into hiding with your mum and you. I don't know if you knew that or not but we were going to be very good at our jobs for the short years we had to train.
Hit Wizards go after the worst of the worst criminals and who would fit that discription better then Voldemort? Your mum used to compare us to the muggle organisation FBI that were on telly shows or someone called Bond if she was feeling kind to our egos. Just add magic. I'm not sure about that but maybe it could help you understand the job a bit more.
In the book about our Wizarding culture is more information about The House of Black, House of Potter and a lot over blood-adoption you need to know before you decide to take the potion. If and after you do the blood-adoption, you need to get to Gringotts as soon as possible and claim the Head of House ring of House Black. It will offer you protection against mental attacks and harmful potions.
Be careful with who you trust but don't forget to live your life, Harry.
Study hard and know that your parents and I are proud of you.
Your loving [god]Father,
Siriusly Padfoot
Sirius knew that his godson had some very good friends around him but you never knew. The Marauders had thought that they could trust the rat and look how that turned out. So he hoped that Harry would be more careful but he had a feeling that Harry had chosen the right friends to trust.
He went down the basement to tell Uncle Alphard about his plan and then made the portrait sleep again. It was late and Sirius was exhausted. He changed in Padfoot and went upstairs to his bedroom so that he could sleep in his animal form. It was better for his nightmares this way.
His last thought before he fell asleep was as always for his godson and for James and Lily. He vowed he would do everything he could to make sure Harry would survive this war.
Mischief Managed.
Lily:
Being dead was strange. There was no city of death, or a town on the clouds where she and the other dead people lived. No, instead there was peace. Just peace. Most of the time she was with James, sometimes with her parents, friends or his but often she just felt at peace. Death wasn't like life, but sometimes she got a peak of those she left behind.
And what she saw made her furious.
Harry, her little baby was left on the doorstep of Number 4 Privet Drive by Albus Dumbledore.
Sirius, stuck in Azkaban.
Remus, working in a little bookshop without a care in the world.
Harry, locket up inside of a little cupboard where on the inside was written 'Harry's room' in childish handwriting.
Peter, in his rat from surrounded by red-haired children.
Harry, all alone and hungry, crying silent tears.
Alice, poor Alice, in Saint Mungos.
Harry, getting his Hogwarts letter without having any idea what's going on.
Lily was there for all her sons big moments. It was hard, to be only able to watch. James was often with her and he was as heartbroken as she was. Hand in hand they witnessed parts of their son's life. Harry was their little boy and the only thing they could do in death was watch him suffer. They were there when Harry got sorted, with the troll and the Stone. They were there when their son met with the brilliant muggleborn.
Lily could feel her husband's grin when they became friends.
They were there for every adventure their son had, for evey injury he got. They were there, watching when Sirius joined them.
"James! Lily! Oh Merlin, I'm so, so very sorry, Lils!"
A lot of hugging and tears ensued before Lily took charge and explained what they knew.
Then she told him, "Sirius, it wasn't your fault. We saw everything and we saw who was working agains you."
Sirius shook his head, "Prongs, Lils, I should have known better. Now Harry is all alone."
James clapped him on the shoulder, "You've given him the tools he needs to survive, Padfoot. It will be thanks to you that our boy survives."
And James was right, they witnessed Harry's summer, saw his grief, his realisation. They were there with Harry when he made his escape to Grimmauld Place, when he took the blood-adoption potion and became their boy in truth.
They were there to see their boy fall in love, make the allies he needed and when he got rid of his enemies. They were there when Harry played his first prank, and what a prank it was. James and Sirius were so proud, they never laughed harder in their afterlife. Lily might have tried to deny it but even she was proud, it was nice to see their son act his age.
James, Lily and Sirius saw the downfall of Albus Dumbledore and couldn't be happier to know the architect behind their deaths was getting his just desserts.
And when Albus joined them, well, Lily decided to have a little talk with him as the mother of the boy he so wronged.
"Hello Albus, how nice of you to join us." Lily was gratified to see the old man pale even more.
The ghost of Albus Dumbledore was never seen again.
Lily was watching her son when he married that little muggleborn girl he befriended all those years ago. She was there when their first child was born and when James heard that they named the baby after him.
She was there when Lyra Lily was born and when Leo Sirius joined their family. Sirius was so happy when he heard Harry named his son after him, he cried. Lily would always be there to watch her son but now she knew he was finally safe and happy, well, perhaps she could relax her watch a bit.
Harry was happy.
It's all she could have wished for.