A New Daddy for Harry

February 12th had finally arrived. Despite Remus' assurances that everything would be fine, Sirius was feeling nervous about his interview. He tried to distract himself from thinking about the interview by keeping busy. Sirius and Remus had child-proofed the Manor. They had put special locking charms on the cupboard in the bathroom where the healing potions and Remus' Wolfsbane potion was kept. The stairs were charmed to turn into a slide if Harry tried to climb them without supervision.

Harry's new bedroom was now ready. Sirius and Remus both stood in the middle of the room and admired the newly decorated room. The room had pale blue walls with white carpeting. The window had a curtain that had little snitches all over it. Harry's crib was against the wall to the right of the window. The sheets, blanket and ruffles in the crib matched the curtain. The mobile that hung over his crib had little Quidditch balls. The ceiling was charmed to show clouds or a night sky depending on the time of day.

The changing table was against the wall to the left of the door. The table was equipped with nappies (Sirius had managed to find nappies with Quidditch ball designs on them), powder, wipes and diaper rash cream. The dresser, which was full of clothes, was next to the changing table.

Next to the wall that was adjacent to Harry's cirb was a toy chest that was full of stuffed animals, toys and games. There was a desk and chair next to the toy chest that Sirius had bought for Harry to use when he got older. On the desk was a framed picture of James and Lily with baby Harry.

"Do you think Harry will like his new room?" asked Sirius as he surveyed the room.

"He'll love it, Padfood. Any baby would love this room," Remus assured him.

"Maybe we should put up some Quidditch posters on the wall," suggested Sirius.

"I have an old Appleby Arrows poster in my school trunk. I'll dig it out later," said Remus.

Sirius only had an hour and a half to spare before his interview. He started to tidy up Marauders Manor in the event that the social workers would want to inspect the house. Remus walked into the kitchen to find Sirius cleaning out the ice box.

"Sirius, it's almost time for you to leave for your interview. Why are you cleaning now?" asked Remus.

"I have to clean up the house in case they want to do an inspection, and I have to throw away all this junk food," said Sirius as he threw out a bag of Sugar Shocks. "I don't want them to think that we don't know about proper nutrition!"

Remus didn't have to ask who Sirius was referring to when he said 'they' and 'them'.

Remus was actually touched by Sirius' behavior. He knew how much Sirius loved junk food. He never thought he'd live to see the day that Sirius would find a reason to give up eating Gummy Worms, Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans and other teeth-rotting junk foods. He felt that he had to assure Sirius that his love of eating junk wouldn't prevent him from getting custody of Harry.

"Sirius, the Child Protection Council hasn't given any indication that they want to inspect the Manor. I think they're more interested in your character and how caring and attentive you'll be with Harry," said Remus.

"I suppose you're right, Remus," said Sirius. Sirius felt a bit relieved to hear Remus say that. Although he did love Harry enough to give up his favorite treats; well, at least until Harry turned eighteen, no maybe sixteen.

Sirius abandoned his cleaning chores. He still had an hour left before his interview. He left the kitchen and settled on the couch in the den. He took one of the child care books he had bought at Magical Baby World, Magical Baby and Child Care by world renowned Healer Melvin Speck. He took out the book mark and started reading. Sirius was in the middle of reading Chapter 5 - "Your Toddler's First Signs of Magic" when he noticed that it was now ten minutes before 2 o'clock.

He placed his book on the coffee table and stood up. He ran to his room and quickly changed into his best robes. After informing Remus that he was leaving for his appointment, he gathered a fistful of floo powder from the bowl on the mantle and threw it into the fireplace. Sirius stepped into the fireplace and said in a clear voice "The Ministry Building, Child Protection Council, room 121."

About twenty seconds later, Sirius found himself standing in the fireplace of room 121. He stepped out of the fireplace and brushed off the soot from his robes. The room in which Sirius found himself standing in looked like a typical office with a desk, a chair on either side of the desk, and a file cabinet. The walls were white with framed diplomas hanging on the wall.

"Mr. Black, I presume?" asked an unfamilar voice.

Sirius look in the direction of the door way. The man who stood there was a serious-looking wizard dressed in black business robes. He looked to be in his mid-forties with short dark brown hair with a speck of gray, and brown eyes.

"Yeah, I'm Sirius Black," replied Sirius.

"My name is Paul Brenson. I am a social worker for the Child Protection Council and I'm going to conduction this interview."

"Alright," said Sirius. His nervousness started to increase. He hoped that he wouldn't say anything stupid. Harry's safety and happiness depended on this interview. At least that's how Sirius felt.

"Please have a seat, Mr. Black," said Paul. He indicated the chair opposite his desk.

Sirius seated himself and Paul sat behind his desk. Paul proceeded to open a file and scanned a parchment that he had retrieved from the file.

"Mr. Black, you are trying to obtain custody of your Godson, Harry Potter," Paul stated.

"That's right," said Sirius.

"You indicated in your formal request that you believe Harry is being neglected by his current guardians. Why do you believe he's being neglected?" asked Paul.

"I don't think he is being fed enough due to his small size. He is too small for a baby who is over a year old," replied Sirius.

Sirius decided that he needed to elaborate on his answer. The social worker needed to know exactly how bady Harry was being treated.

"When I visited him, I changed him and I noticed that he is so thin that his rib cage is clearly visible. He also has a constant diaper rash which leads me to believe that he isn't be changed enough. The peole he's living with haven't given him a bedroom. He sleeps in a cupboard! They do have an extra room next to their son Dudley's room. Why won't they spare that room for Harry!? Also, Harry isn't being bathed regulary. He constantly smells like soiled diaper and the cupboard which obviously isn't very clean."

"I see," said Paul with a straight face. 'I'll have to remember to ask the Dursleys about the cupboard,' thought Paul as he jotted down a reminder on a scrap of parchment.

Sirius tried to interpret what the social worker was thinking but he maintained an expressionless poker face.

"Do you have any experience with caring for a child?" asked Paul.

"I used to babysit Harry when James and Lily needed someone to watch Harry when they needed to have time to themselves. I know how to prepare food for a baby, feed a baby, change nappies, and I have sung to Harry to get him to sleep, though Harry is probably the only person in the world who appreciates my singing."

Sirius hadn't meant to babble; Paul had probably expected a 'yes' or 'no' answer, but Sirius really want the social worker to have a good impression of him. The social worker didn't seem to give any indication on what he thought of Sirius or the Dursleys.

"Do you live alone, Mr. Black?" asked Paul.

"No. I live with Remus Lupin. He's a good friend of mine. I've known him since my first year at Hogwarts," replied Sirius.

"Mr. Lupin is a werewolf; is that correct?" asked the social worker.

Sirius felt a mixture of panic and anger. 'They're not going to use Remus' lycanthropy as an excuse to deny me custody of Harry!' thought Sirius frantically.

"Remus is a werewolf," Sirius admitted.

The social worker then asked the question that Sirius was expecting: "Do you think Mr. Lupin's condition could pose a risk to the child's safety?"

"No, I don't," replied Sirius with a hint of anger in his voice.

Sirius thought he saw a doubtful look cross the social worker's face. It happened so fast that Sirius wondered if he had imagined it.

"Remus stays in a locked celler during the full moon and he has started to take this new experimental potion called Wolfsbane. This potion allows him to keep his mind during the transformation. Remus is a very kind and gentle person. He would never do anything to put Harry in danger," said Sirius firmly.

"Do you have a job or some sort of financial means to support a child?" asked Paul as he made a note on his parchment.

Sirius was glad that the conversation had veered away from Remus. It didn't occur to him until this moment how much he valued his friend's help and support. Although, Sirius would be Harry's only legal guardian and he knew he was capable of being a good parent, whenever he thought of raising Harry, he always pictured Remus being a part of Harry's childhood.

"I don't currently have a job, but I have enough money to live on for a while. I was awarded a rather large sum of money after I captured Peter Pettigrew. I have had some job offers but I may not work until Harry is old enough to start school in a few years."

"Okay, Mr. Black. I'm done with my questions. I'll see you at the custody hearing," Paul remarked as he place the parchment back in the file.

"Alright, Mr. Brenson. Are you going to recommend me as a suitable guardian for Harry?" asked Sirius. He was feeling rather anxious.

"I can't give you an answer, Mr. Black. I still need to interview the Dursleys and we still need to take Harry to St. Mungo's for an examination," replied the social worker.

'An examination!?' thought Sirius who was suddenly filled with worry.

"Why does Harry need an exam? Is he alright? Did something happen?" asked Sirius feeling very worried.

"Nothing bad has happened, Mr. Black. Whenever an allegation is made of mistreatment against a child, an exam is necessary to prove or disprove the allegation. If Harry is being neglected, I can assure you that he will be removed from the Dursley home today," replied Paul.

"Will I get to take him home today?" asked Sirius feeling exicited at the prospect of not having to waiting until the 18th to bring his Godson home.

"No. We will place him in a temporary foster home until the hearing," answered Paul.

"Foster care!?" shouted Sirius incredulously.

"Mr. Black, I can assure you that your Godson will be well cared for. The Weasley family are a loving and stable family. They have seven children and they have provided temporary foster care for other children whose parents were killed in the war against You-Know-Who."

"Arthur and Molly Weasley?" saked Sirius.

"You know them?," asked Paul.

"Yeah. We worked closely together during the war," replied Sirius. He didn't want to give too much information to an employee of the Ministry about the existence of the Order. Although Paul Brenson worked in the Child Protection office and probably wouldn't care about such activity unless child welfare was involved, Sirius didn't want to take any chances.

Sirius felt much better knowing that Harry wouldn't be staying with strangers. Arthur and Molly were good people and excellent parents. Harry would be safe with them.

"I really must be on my way, Mr. Black," said Paul as he checked his pocket watch. "I have to interview the Dursleys."

"Good day, to you Mr. Brenson," said Sirius as he stood up and walked toward the fireplace. Sirius thought about how well the interview had been. He was a little worried about the social worker's questions regarding Remus, but over-all the interview had gone really well. 'Only six more days until I can bring Harry home!' Sirius thought excitedly.

It was a normal day at the Dursley home. Vernon and Petunia has sent Dudley to spend the day with Aunt Marge because they didn't want to expose their precious baby to any more freakishness. Vernon was sitting in his favorite arm chair in the den. He was reading the newspaper. Pentunia was sitting at the kitchen table writing her grocery list. Harry was napping in his cupboard. At exactly four o'clock, there was a knock at the door.

Petunia left the table and walked towards the door. She glanced through the window and saw a man who was obviously a wizard and a woman who had to be a witch. They were dressed in the sort of freakish clothing that their kind wore.

"Vernon, it's them!" shrieked Petunia.

Vernon leaped from his chair and threw the paper on the small table next to the chair. Vernon walked towards the door. Petunia hid behind him. He opened the door to find two people standing on the doorstep.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Dursley. My name is Paul Brenson and this is my colleague, Lauren Bones." He indicated the witch standing next to him. Lauren Bones was in her early thirties. She had her long light brown hair in a bun. She wore dark green business robes.

"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Dursley," she greeted politely.

"I am going to conduct the interview while Mrs. Bones takes Harry to his appointment at St. Mungo's," explained Paul.

"Come in," said Venon. He really didn't want these people in his home, but he would submit to this interview if it meant that they would take this boy off his hands.

Vernon led Paul into the den while Petunia went to retrieve Harry from the cupboard. Lauren Bones stood by the door waiting for Mrs. Dursley to give her Harry.

Petunia appeared with a sleeping baby in her arms. The child looked rather small for his age, but it was hard to tell because of the over-sized clothes that he was wearing. He had a mop of messy black hair and he sucked his thumb.

"He's adorable, Mrs. Dursley," said Lauren as she gazed at the cute little boy.

Petunia didn't respond to the comment. She handed the baby over to Lauren and left the room without a word. Harry tiredly opened his eyes and took his thumb out of his mouth. He was surprised that he was no longer in the cupboard. He looked at the unfamilar person who was holding him. Lauren noted that his distinctive green eyes were full of confusion. She adjusted him in her arms so Harry's head rested on her shoulder.

"Are you ready to go on a little trip, Harry?" she asked warmly.

He looked at the stranger who was holding him. He didn't understand her most of her words. He thought he recognised the word 'Harry'. He liked the soft tone of her voice. Harry wasn't used to being spoken to in such a friendly tone. He put his thumb back in his mouth and rested his head comfortably on Lauren's shoulder.

Lauren walked out of the Dursleys' front door. She reached into her robe pocket and took out a black silk scarf. "St. Mungo's," she stated in a clear voice. The Portkey was activated and they disappeared from Number 4 Privet Drive.

Vernon and Petunia sat next to each other on the couch. Paul Brenson sat in a chair across from them. The case file was laid open on the table between them.

"Let's get this over with," said Vernon gruffly.

"Mr. Dursley, as I'm sure you're already aware, we are investigating allegations that you and your wife have neglected your nephew, Harry Potter. As a representative of the Child Protection Council, I'm obligated to tell you that if these allegations are proven true, you will lose custody of Harry, and you will be subject to prosecution under wizard law. The penalties for mistreating a child are not as lenient in the wizarding world as they are in the Muggle world."

"Wait a minute!" Vernon shouted. "We are normal people-I mean we're not like your kind. Your laws don't apply to us!"

"Mr. Dursley, if you commit a crime against a witch or a wizard, you can be prosecuted in wizard court," said Paul sternly.

Petunia looked pale and afraid upon learning this information. Vernon still looked very angry. His face was turning red.

"What penalties?" asked Petunia fearfully in a trembling voice.

"That's not my immediate concern right now, Mrs. Dursley. My work involves protecting children from unsafe situations. I'm not directly involved in prosecuting people. My primary concern is Harry's well-being. I have a few questions to ask both of you."

Paul picked up a parchment from the file and looked over his list of questions.

"How often do you feed Harry?" the social worker asked.

"He eats as often as our boy Dudley except for when he's being punished," answered Petunia.

"You punish him by depriving Harry of food?" asked Paul.

"We have to be strict with him!" replied Vernon angrily. "He had no respect for authority. A few days ago when Petunia tried to feed him, he threw his dish on the floor! That boy gets plenty to eat!!"

"Harry's Godfather, Mr. Black has said that you make Harry sleep in a cupboard. Is this true?" asked Paul.

"Um, well, um," studdered Vernon. "We don't have anywhere else to put him."

"Isn't there a spare room next to your son's bedroom?" asked the social worker.

"That's Dudley's second bedroom!" exclaimed Petunia. 'How dare this freak suggest that we give Dudley's second bedroom to that boy!' thought Petunia. Of course, she was too afraid to say anything like that out-loud.

'Muggles sure are different from us! I hope they're not all as odd as these people,' thought Paul.

"Why does Dudley need a second bedroom?" asked Paul.

"We keep his toys in that room," replied Petunia.

"How often do you change the child?" asked Paul.

"As often as I can! It cost money to buy nappies for two babies," said Petunia defensively.

"Do you bathe him regulary?"

"Of course! He gets a bath every Wednesday," replied Petunia.

'Only once a week?' thought Paul. He was liking these people less and less.

"Have either of you ever hit Harry?" asked Paul as he glanced at his list.

"What!? Is that what his Godfather is saying!!?" Vernon shouted. His face turning a deeper red. "We have never laid a hand on that brat! God knows he sometimes deserves a good smack, but locking him in the cupboard is a much more efficient method of disiplining the boy. I would probably give him a good spanking if he started showing signs of freakishness. You can't fault me for that!"

Paul raised his eyebrow in surprise. "What exactly do you mean by 'freakishness', Mr. Dursley?"

"I mean that Petunia and I are normal and we raise normal kids," replied Vernon.

Paul was still confused. Harry was a perfectly normal wizard child. Wizard...'That's probably what he meant,' thought Paul.

"Mr. Durlsey, when you mention 'freakishness', are you referring to Harry being a wizard?"

Vernon sneered angrily at the mention of the the word 'wizard.' "I don't allow that kind of oddity in MY house!"

"Mr. Dursley, Harry is a wizard and you can't punish him for being one. He should start showing signs of magic between ages two and three. I would like to get back on track with this interview. Mr. Black hasn't made any claims of physical abuse."

"Well, then why are you asking if we hit the boy?" demanded Vernon.

"It's one of the questions that I'm required to ask whenever someone has made a claim that a child is being mistreated. Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, if you want to fight to maintain custody of Harry, you're going to have to treat him as you would treat your own child whom you've obviously treated very well," advised Paul.

"We don't want to keep him!" roared Vernon whose face was even redder.

Paul was having trouble maintaining his objective poker face. These people were making him angry with their blatant disregard for Harry's welfare. Little Harry Potter had rid the world of a monster and he was the savior of the wizarding world and these ignorant Muggles were treating him worst than dirt.

"If this is how you really feel then I will recommend to the judge that Harry should be place in Sirius Black's custody," said Paul with a hint of anger in his voice.

"Fine," said Vernon as he stood up indicating that they were done talking.

Paul arranged the parchments in the file and stood up.

"I must be on my way, Mr. and Mrs. Dursley. You still have to make an appearance at the hearing so that you can formally surrender custody of Harry. Good day."

Paul left the Dursley home feeling relieved that the unpleasant visit was over. 'Sirius Black is definitly a more suitable guardian then these stupid Muggles,' thought Paul as he dug around in his pocket. He pull out a quill and said "St. Mungo's" in a clear voice. The Portkey was activated and he disappeared from Number 4 Privet Drive.