Forging Alliances

Chapter 2

It was not until the sun was fully in the sky that Harry was awoken by pounding on the door. He did not imagine that the Dursley's would be back so soon nor would they knock to get into their own house and he did not know of anyone who would bang on any door that way. Grabbing his wand, he went to the entry way to peer out of the peak hole. He was a little surprised to see three red heads standing on the front porch, one of which was looking rather put out. Tentatively he opened the door.

"Bout time you got up you lazy bum! We've been out here knocking for the past quarter hour!"

"Don't exaggerate Ron it was ten minutes at the very most. Hiya Harry!"

"Ginny, Ron wha..."

"Bill thought you could use some company today so he convinced mum that it would be safe to visit you since the muggles are away."

"Thanks Bill! When Remus said I'd be having a big day I didn't count on this. Come in, have you had breakfast, can I get you something?"

"No we're good Harry. You get something if need to eat and we'll keep you company."

"Right Bill, let me just get dressed and I'll be right back. Kitchen's that way."

Harry only took little time getting into some of his new cloths and joined his friends downstairs in the kitchen. He pulled a bowl and cereal out of the cupboard before adding the milk and sitting down at the kitchen table.

"So this 4 Privet Drive minus the Dursley's." Harry smiled as the other three laughed. "Well what do you want to do today?"

"Just hanging out is good enough for us, maybe go for a walk or something, we've never really spent any time in a muggle neighbourhood," Ginny suggested.

"Well I think I can help you out there but you'll have to get some different clothes, ponchos and snow pants are not usually good muggle summer wear."

"Yeah mate sorry about that dad didn't have much else."

"Oh you don't need to apologize. Bill maybe you could transfigure there clothes into something a little more... muggle?"

"Sure thing Harry but it won't last very long, transfiguration was never my strong point. Charms and curses now those I can do." He laughed.

"Well it'll do for now, we can go to a local shopping centre and I'll buy you two something."

"No Harry you don't have to do that."

"You're right Ginny I don't have to but I want to and you two will not be comfortable in that stuff once the transfiguration wears off so no arguing."

"Harry..."

"No Ron you can just consider it your birthday or Christmas present, whatever you like."

"Fine," Ron grumbled.

"Well Bill what are you waiting for? Get to it so we can go." Harry smiled.

With that Bill transfigured their clothes into something more appropriate and since Harry was done with his cereal they set off. Tonks being the minder that day decided to go with them to avoid any slip ups like the day before. She spent the entire trip threatening Harry with some pretty horrific transfiguration accidents if he dared slip out of the house on her watch again. She also chastised him for going muggle shopping without thinking of her as the perfect fashion advisor although she did make the concession that Bill had done a spiffing job without her. However she would have to help Harry with some finishing touches to his new look.

Getting to the shopping centre was not a problem but keeping Ron and Ginny's mouths closed was. Their astonishment was complete. Even with a father who was obsessed with all things muggle and a brother who was quite comfortable in the muggle world they had never seen anything like it. They wondered at all the electronic gadgets and the concept of CD's and their players.

They also were astonished at some of the muggle clothes they saw. Ron could not grasp why anyone would wear a spiked dog collar and thought the guy with the blue Mohawk was taking styling tips from Tonks. She told him that when he was old enough she'd take him to a rave and that guy would look tame in comparison. Harry didn't think Ron was at all interested from the face he pulled behind her back.

"First stop is Ginny; get the hard part over with first."

"Hey I resent the insinuation that I am hard to shop for!" Ginny teased.

"Ginny I've never shopped for girl clothes so you will forgive me if the task seems a bit daunting."

"Fair enough Harry." Ginny laughed.

It didn't take long to find a yellow summer dress and sandals for Ginny. Harry thought she looked quite nice in muggle clothes and wondered when he had started thinking she looked pretty but that train of thought was suddenly derailed by the memory that Ron had written him to complain that she'd been using Pig to send love notes off to the now infamous Dean Thomas every day. Harry suspected was a gross exaggeration on Ron's part.

Ron was not too difficult to please as far as muggle attire went. He'd picked a pair of kaki board shorts and a very loud orange short sleeve button-up as well as some Dr. Martin sandals. They changed in bathroom cubicles and then headed back to Privet Drive.

Harry was surprised at how Ron and Ginny interacted. He knew they were close as they were the youngest two and had spent most of their time together while their older brothers were at Hogwarts. However, while the two were at school Harry had seen interaction between the two very rarely. He was amused to see Ron dote on her as if she were a little girl and her threaten him with her bat bogie hex despite the threat of expulsion. Ron rarely acted protective unless it was with Hermione and Harry was amused that he garnered the same type of reactions from his sister that he got from their best friend. Bill seemed to tune out the bickering as if it were normal background noise. Harry would have to ask him how he did it.

When they arrived at number four they packed a picnic and went to the park to enjoy the sun. Bill and Tonks followed at a safe distance behind them. Harry showed them how to swing. The children in the park thought it very peculiar that the criminal boy from number four seemed nice and that he had friends his age that didn't know how to swing. Everyone got a laugh when Ron thought it would be fun to jump off when he got really high in the air and landed on his back with the wind knocked out of him.

"What were you thinking Ron!" Harry laughed.

"Well I forgot how to stop and I thought it might be kind of like flying."

"Not quite Ron." Ginny looked exasperated but a little amused as well.

After the park they went back to the house and Harry introduced them to the telly which he himself rarely got to watch. They thought it was an ingenious invention and Harry had to practically wrestle Ron away from it to get him up to his bedroom. They spent some time playing Gobstones and Exploding Snap.

"Harry Dumbledore says you might be able to come and visit after your birthday. It's been so horrid without the twins. Mum has nothing to keep her distracted and we get all the trouble now. You being there might keep her mind off of finding chores for us to do."

"Come off it Ginny, it can't be as bad as all that."

"It is, at least with the twins around they got in enough trouble that we never had to de-gnome the garden and do the dishes," Ron lamented.

Harry showed them the books about the veil and they discussed ways to get into the Ministry while evading detection. Ginny spent some time examining Harry's new clothes and telling him what to wear with what and what colours looked best together. Harry and Ron thought their heads would never stop spinning from all the 'girl stuff' they were being exposed to.

"Ginny I honestly had no idea you were the fifth year equivalent of Lavender and Parvati."

"Harry that is just blasphemy! I will never be as bad as them! Just because I know what looks good does not mean I will ever stoop to their level. Do you see me dating any bloke in Hogwarts with the only requirement be that knows his own name like those two slags?"

Harry couldn't help laugh at Ron's reaction to his sister's language. He looked as if he was three shades darker then a tomato.

Harry put on a serious face and addressed Ginny. "Ginny you're right I'm a horrible git for even putting you in the same category as Lavender and Parvati. You have so much more class. Your minimum requirement for blokes is that they know their own name and that can at least say the alphabet." They both nearly cracked up at the look of fury on Ron's face.

"Hey! That's my sister you're talking about. She may not have the best taste in blokes if Corner and Thomas are any indication but she definitely has higher standards than that!"

At that point Harry and Ginny did burst with laughter.

"Oh come off it Ron! Harry was just taking the mickey. You know he thinks much better of me then all that!"

"Too right Gin. I'd never say something like that about her and mean it Ron," Harry said sincerely.

Once Ron realized they were having it on he did laugh but he still felt the need to defend his little sister. She would never lower herself to the level 'the Scarlet Women of Gryffindor' (as they were known).

Their conversation drifted towards the Weasley's and Harry asked how they were all doing.

"Well if you ask me Harry I think there's something going on between Bill and Tonks but I can't get a peep out of either one."

"Well Tonks is great Gin but I thought Bill was "giving Fleur help with her English'." Harry was puzzled.

"Oh Harry that is so yesterday's news they stopped seeing each other after Easter hols. He and Tonks are on any number of missions and she's over for family dinner at least twice a month after they do patrols."

"Hmmm who would've thought," Harry mused.

Shortly before dinner time Bill escorted his younger siblings to Mrs. Figg's house so they could floo home, Tonks had left after their picnic so Harry had no way of confirming Ginny's suspicions for himself, not that he was all that anxious to do so. He figured it was good for them that they were such good friends and assumed it was the type of friendship he shared with Hermione. Harry was halfway up the stairs when the bell rang. It was Remus, with a very grave look on his face.

"Remus..."

"May I come in Harry? I have some news that you might not be too happy to hear."

"Is it Sirius? We won't be able to get him back will we?" Harry asked, crestfallen.

"That's not it, I found the ritual that will bring him back, it's where I found it and the events that took place after that you won't be to happy about."

"What do you mean?" Harry looked at the werewolf critically.

"Dumbledore gave me permission to use his personal library anytime I please so I went there this afternoon after reading a bit more of O'Malley's research and I found exactly what we need but as I was leaving I overheard a conversation between Dumbledore and Snape."

"Remus what is it? You've never been so... I don't know... terse when speaking of either professor."

"Harry, they knew and they were intending on hiding the information from us. I didn't catch why exactly but their intent was clear so I did a duplicating charm on the pages and left as soon as I could get out undetected."

"Why! Why would he do something like that to me? Snape I could understand but Dumbledore? He knew how much Sirius meant to me and to you. Why would he let us suffer like that?"

"I have no clue as to why he would do this Harry but I took the liberty of contacting Keegan O'Malley. We have until tomorrow night to get everything together to perform the ritual. He will be there to assist us and I've sent an owl to Bill. He might be of use with his curse breaking skills."

"It's happening isn't it? Really happening, we're getting him back."

"Yes Harry we are but we need to come up with a plan for once he's back. We can't keep him cooped up the way he was. We need to get Peter so that we can free Sirius and get you out of the Dursley's."

"You mean I get to move out of here?"

"I think it best Harry. From what I know of the ritual Voldemort did, he has your blood thus weakening the wards here. It would be best to put you under the Fidelius charm or something like it anyway. You will be able to live like a normal teen but Voldemort won't be able to find you."

"I didn't know why someone didn't just do that sooner."

"Neither do I Harry, Neither do I."

"So do you have any ideas about how to get Pettigrew?"

"Yeah I do, in fact we'll do it tomorrow before we get Sirius so that his name is cleared before he gets back and there won't be a risk of him getting caught and arrested. I spoke with Tonks and she's in on it. We are going to go to the Ministry in the morning where she will set up a portkey in the form of a letter. When he opens it the portkey will automatically take him to a holding cell in the Ministry where Tonks and Kingsley will be waiting to administer Vieratiserum and question him. That will clear Sirius' name and we just have to wait until the offices close and meet O'Malley to do the ritual."

"It seems so simple. Do you really think it'll work?"

"Sometimes simple is best Harry and what could we lose?"

"I guess you're right."

"Well pup we have a big day tomorrow. How about I cook us dinner and I'll show you the ritual and what you'll need to do tomorrow. It'll be hectic but it can be done and then we'll have Padfoot back and you out of this hell hole."

Harry was still unsure as to whether the plan would work. Surely Pettigrew would never open a letter from Remus and would know it to be a forgery and what Death Eater would send him a letter? He hoped Pettigrew would be as stupid as that but he'd kept himself alive for this long so he had to have some brains or at least more then a run of the mill sewer rat.

Dinner with Remus was reminiscent to the extra lessons Harry received during his third year with the werewolf. It was also relaxed. Harry thought the ritual looked a bit dark with the use of blood and what not. He was glad, however, that no one had to cut off a hand or force someone else to give there blood. Everything was to be done willingly. It would include gifts from Sirius, given to him and Remus and a drop of their blood on the dais as well as them chanting a spell that he would have to memorize. Bill would be there to close up the opening that it would create and Keegan would use Remus' two way mirror to call to Sirius. Apparently Sirius had taken his with him that fateful night in hopes to contact Harry but never got the chance.

"All right there pup? It's a lot to take in I know but it'll be fine."

"I know I'm just worried that someone will try and stop us or Pettigrew won't fall for the trap. How do we know he'll open the letter, what if he never gets letters and becomes suspicious?"

"As mad as this sounds, it will be fine. I got Snape to draft the note; he won't be suspicious at that."

"You got Snape to help? How? I thought he was with Dumbledore in keeping us in the dark about the ritual? Besides he hated Sirius so why would he want to help catch the man who framed him? Won't he know we're up to something?"

"Just because he was listening to Dumbledore doesn't mean he doesn't want the rat captured too. It would mean one less Marauder, or ex-Marauder, to contend with as well as one less Death Eater for him to try and fool."

"Did you tell him why we needed the note?"

"Of course not! I lead him to believe it was a mission for the Order that was why we were doing all this."

"How'd you do that he's a Legilimens, he'd know you were lying."

"He and Dumbledore are not the only one who are experts in mind magic, I'm not one but I've picked up a few things along the way. He never suspected a thing nor did he have reason to really."

"If you say so Remus."

"I do say so. Now it's getting late and we will be up early tomorrow so why don't we go over the incantations again and the plan for tomorrow."

"Okay Remus, what gifts should we use?"

"Well you still have the two way mirror he gave you right, we can use that and I've got a first edition biography of Merlin he got me in first year for Christmas that I'll use."

"Do you have a map of the doors down there so we don't waste time?"

"Harry don't worry about that we have it all taken care of. Now we almost have the incantations down so let's work on that now."

They did just that. They spent another two hours working out the ritual. By the time they were done Harry had it memorized.

"Hey Remus what were my dad and Sirius like in school? I mean I saw Snape's memory in his pensive last year but I like to think that they were more then just bullies."

"They were Harry, they were. Snape has had a hard life which in the beginning had nothing to do with him really; it was more his father's doing. He was notorious for his pureblood prejudices and his predilection for strong drink. He had made some very poor financial decisions and lost the majority of the family fortune and blamed his wife and son for his failure. It was all over the news papers for a long time. He was a known wife beater and Snape came to school with evidence that the abuse didn't stop with his mother." Remus paused and let Harry take the information in. "James and Sirius attempted conversation with him on the train but he essentially spat in their faces thus sealing his fate as their biggest enemy. Boys at eleven don't understand the concept of defence mechanisms and the psychological barriers abuse victims tend to hide behind. I would guess that Severus saw James and Sirius' attempted kindness as pity but they were just treating him the way they did anyone when they first met. They were much the same way when they met Pettigrew and I."

"So they tried to be his friend?"

"Yes but Severus inherited his fathers penchant for grudge holding and blame. He never forgave them for mocking him with their pity and lashed out every chance he got. Eventually they started giving as good as they got and it turned into a bit of a war. Severus blames them for every misfortune he endured at Hogwarts as a student even though his actions were really to blame."

"So what caused that fight I saw in his pensive, they seemed to go after him just because they were bored."

"Oh he'd done nothing that day but a few weeks prior Severus had dosed there pumpkin juice with truth serum and asked them any number of personal questions in the Great Hall after casting the sonorous charm so the whole of the school knew their most private and personal secrets. It was a very low blow to both of them and they were both very hurt by what he'd made them reveal."

"So I guess hanging him up-side-down exposing his dirty great underpants was a just retribution. I don't think I would have stopped at that if it were me."

"They mightn't have if Lily hadn't intervened but James was so smitten that he heeded her warning."

"She seemed to loathe him a great deal to me, how did they ever fall in love if she hated him so much?"

"She didn't really. She had been the subject of most of James' most closely kept secrets and she'd been quite humiliated by all he said in the Great Hall. She had no idea Severus was the one to pull the prank and was dead set against James at that point. Usually they got on just fine but the fact that he admitted to having some pretty detailed fantasies about her in front of the whole school had mortified her. Once it was out that Severus had been behind it all she hexed him so bad it rivaled Miss Weasley's bat bogie hex."

"Ouch."

"My sentiments exactly, I almost felt sorry for him, almost. Anyway she consented to go to Hogsmead with James after that and they became an item that weekend. They really were the perfect couple. Where James was a bit of a show off and a little irresponsible Lily was more of a behind the scenes type and very conscientious. No one was surprised when she got Head Girl and everyone said it was because she had straightened James out that he got Head Boy."

"When were they married?"

"Six months after we graduated they had their wedding. It was one of the happiest occasions that I've had the privilege of being a part of. They were so happy. Less then a year later Lily was with child. You were like a beam of light in such a dark, dark world Harry, do you know that?"

Harry just looked at his hands which were clasped together in his lap. Remus had spoken of his parents before but never with so much emotion in his voice. Harry didn't know what to say to the man who'd known him since before he was born. They sat in silence for a bit before Harry asked another question.

"What did they do Remus, for a living I mean?"

"Well your father had his inheritance but felt it was best to work, he went into auror training after Hogwarts. Lily was with the Department of Spell Creation, it was a sub-section of the Department of Mysteries."

"So she was an Unspeakable?"

"No Harry but she could have been. She had the mind for it."

"What about you and Sirius?"

"Well Sirius went into Auror training with James and I went on to be an Unspeakable, that is until my Lycanthropy got to difficult to handle, that was around the time of your parents' death and Sirius' incarceration. It was hard for me to keep any job down after that. So I moved around a lot, did some travelling to America, Australia, East Asia, India and Africa. I had not been in England for years, until Dumbledore contacted me to teach that is."

"Sounds like an interesting life Remus, what made you come back?"

"The prospect of teaching you mostly but I wanted to pass on the knowledge I had gained while I was travelling. I did a stint in America for about a year, studied with an expert on vampires and demons. I Went to Australia to study Aboriginal magic after that. Asia was excellent; I learned Martial Arts and potions with some of the oldest Samurai Wizards. I also learned quite a bit about Dark Magic in Egypt and Morocco, long term curses and jinxed and the like. Where Bill could break them I could cast them, it makes for some interesting conversation after Order meetings. India was mostly for pleasure. I've always been intrigued by Hindu culture and wanted to study the religion and mythology of the country."

"So you must know a lot about Defence then?"

"You could say that and I came by it all, to learn defence you must understand what you are defending against. That is not to say you should become embroiled in Dark Arts like Death Eaters but just to know the fundamentals of Dark Magic and how it's countered. I had an insatiable mind as a lad, still do really, but I wanted to know things so that I could help others where as our friend Severus and his school day cronies wanted knowledge for the sole purpose of power."

"So what made Snape have a change of heart, why did he give up his pursuit for power?"

"He hasn't, not really. He now longs for a different kind of power. Not that which Voldemort tempts his followers with but that of freedom and redemption, though you'd never guess that by the way he treats people would you?"

"Definitely not Moony. Why does Dumbledore trust him so much, how do you know he's really changed?"

"I don't know the details but he suffered a great loss at the hands of his fellow Death Eaters and shortly afterwards he came to Dumbledore and offered his loyalty and services to him. Whatever was said between the two was enough to convince Dumbledore he was sincere and no one can get anything past Dumbledore."

"You don't have to tell me that, I already know."

"I'm sure you do Harry, I'm sure you do."

"Hey Remus would you mind terribly staying here tonight, you can have my bed if you want. It's nice having you around. I wish I could have lived with you or Sirius instead of my bloody aunt and uncle."

"I know Harry so do I, but look at it this way we'll get Sirius back and since the blood wards are compromised you have more of a chance at getting out then ever before. I'll make sure you do, as will Sirius, Bill and Tonks."

"Thanks Remus, you don't know what this means to me."

"You're right I don't but I can imagine though. I can take the couch Harry, you go up and get to bed we have an early morning tomorrow."

"Okay, night Moony." Harry called as he headed to his bedroom.

Sleep did not come as Harry had hoped it would. His mind kept running through the events of the next day and he prayed to whom ever would listen that their plan would be successful. When he did sleep it was fitful and full of dreams.

He was in the chamber again, it was the night he'd lead the others to rescue Sirius. Every spell he cast bounced off the Death Eaters and hit an Order member until he was the only one left. It was he fighting Bellatrix Lestrange this time not Sirius.

"So the itty bitty Hawy can't do anything right huh? You must feel so sad that you can't even save your friends. All you do is hurt them!"

She was cackling like a mad woman now and the other Death Eaters were circling them calling out to him saying he was weak and a danger to the ones he loved. They taunted him with Cedric's death and told him it was his fault.

He saw Ron and Hermione passed out from the Cruciatus curse he had flung at Malfoy and Rookwood. Ginny was bleeding from a cutting curse he'd thrown at an unknown Death Eater and Neville had several shattered bones. Luna was moaning in pain from another curse gone off course. All of the Order members present were in some level of danger and it was all because of Harry.

He fell to his knees before the veil and cried out for his parents. He needed them, he needed there love but all he heard was the whispers of the Death Eaters. Voldemort was there telling him they were dead because he was born and he could never have them back, he didn't deserve them. Then it went dark and Harry was alone. No one, not even the Death Eaters or Voldemort was there. He laid there and sobbed. He called out to his friends and parents telling them he was sorry he'd hurt them, he was sorry he was born.

Once his sobbing ceased he saw a light, a tiny pin prick of white in all the inky black darkness he was surrounded by. He righted himself and walked toward it. It took what felt like an eternity to Harry until he reached the light and when he did it surrounded him. He waited and then he called out to anyone who might be there. No one answered. He was still alone. He sat and waited, for what he did not know.

He'd fallen asleep, that was clear as he was now being shaken out of unconsciousness by a strong, warm hand. He opened his eyes and squinted to get a better look at the man. It looked like him but a few years older. Suddenly he realized it was his father he was looking at and he sat up.

"Dad?"

"Yes Harry it's me, it's your father."

"Dad I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to, I didn't mean to kill you Dad really I didn't. Please you have to forgive me." Harry sobbed out.

"Harry calm down, it's all right. You didn't kill me, Voldemort did." He pulled his son into a tight embrace.

"No! Don't you see if I'd never been born you would be alive and Mum she'd be okay and Sirius would never have gone to Azkaban or fallen through the veil. Ron and Hermione would never be put in so much danger." Harry was pounding on James' chest in his returning hysteria and James just held his son.

"Harry do you really think that your birth caused all that? We would've been in danger no matter what. We were fighting Voldemort, we were on his list even before the prophesy was made. You can't take the blame for other people's actions. If your friends follow you into your fight against the dark you can't stop them, they are free to choose. You need to let go of all this guilt, its false Harry it's not a burden you need bear."

"How Dad? I just don't know how. And I'm supposed to be the one to defeat him, I'm supposed to have some power he doesn't know about but I don't, I'm just a fifteen year old wizard who is stuck living with muggles that hate him and forbidden from having a normal life because some psycho is after my head."

"I know its hard Harry but you do have the power and you can defeat him, I have faith in you so does your mother so does Sirius. You'll find it Harry and we'll help you, your mother and I."

"How your dead and Dumbledore says you can't bring back the dead."

"Just because we've moved on doesn't mean we can't help you from where we are. I have to go Harry but I will come to you again soon and we can talk again."

"Dad PLEASE don't leave me!"

Remus heard Harry's pleading and worried he was having a vision from Voldemort. He ran up the staircase taking them two at a time. As he burst in to the smallest room in the house he saw Harry thrashing about, tangled in his covers but as quickly as it had started it stopped and Harry stilled.

Remus conjured a chair next to Harry's bed and watched the young man sleep. He seemed to be doing fine to Remus but it had been about fifteen years since he had watched Harry Potter sleep and he was reminded of the happy baby that was once innocent and ignorant of the evil that was intent on ruling the Wizarding world. He started to dose off to the rhythmic breathing of the teen until Harry called out again.

"Dad PLEASE don't leave me!"

"Harry wake up lad it's just a dream. Harry please wake up," Remus pleaded as he shook Harry.

"Remus?"

"Yes Harry it's me, was it a vision, of Voldemort I mean?"

"No, but it was very peculiar though."

"As long as you're sure it was not him," Remus asked, referring to Voldemort.

"He was there but it wasn't like a vision. It was just a dream of the battle at the DoM until I saw my dad and we talked. He said he'd see me again so obviously it was just a dream."

"If you're sure Harry. Do you want me to stay with you a bit you seem quite shaken?"

"If it's no trouble, just until I get back to sleep."

Remus stayed long after Harry had drifted off. He mulled over the injustice that was Harry's life and how he'd wished things had gone differently. He thought that if he'd been less aloof before James and Lily had died he could have done more to save them, kept Sirius from suspecting he was the spy. He understood it, he had been under quite a bit of pressure at work and things were getting so dangerous. He didn't dare open up to anyone about his fears and worries so he just closed in on himself and pushed his friends away. Why wouldn't they suspect him when he'd suddenly stopped telling them everything about his life?

Remus had always harboured his own load of guilt for James and Lily's deaths. He knew it was irrational but he didn't seem to know how to absolve himself of it. He'd had many late nights with Sirius and a bottle of fire whiskey discussing that guilt and listening to Sirius lament about his own. They'd always feel better about it the next day but it never lasted long.

All day he'd studied the research of Keegan O'Malley and the ritual that promised the return of any live soul that was mistakenly sent through it. He decided that he would give Harry the gift of his Godfather back to him and the gift of his best friend to himself then they would together work to make up for all the lost years of Harry's youth. They would tell him of his parents and teach him how to represent the name Potter with dignity. They would help this boy defeat the darkest wizard of the age and succeed so that Harry could have some semblance of a normal life after all was said and done.

The sun was rising when Remus removed himself from the small room and made breakfast for his young charge who would be waking in a short time. As he did so he renewed his promise to James and Lily to look after their son and prayed that all would go as planned that day. There were so many things that could go wrong and as he was a believer in Murphy's Law he knew something would not work out. He just hoped that it was something that would not destroy Harry further. The son of James Potter needed this more then anything if he were to keep hope alive and win the battle against Voldemort.