A New Daddy for Harry

A New Daddy for Harry
Chapter 6 - Home Sweet Home

Remus was watching a science fiction movie on TV when Sirius and Harry came home for the first time.

"We're home, Moony," said Sirius. He was smiling happily with Harry in his arms.

"Mooey," said Harry. He recognised Remus from the hospital.

"Would you like to hold him?" asked Sirius.

Remus nodded.

"Uncle Remus want to hold you, Harry," said Sirius as he handed Harry to Remus.

Harry clung to Remus' robe. They spent the day getting reacquainted. Harry loved his new bedroom.

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Number 4 Privet Drive - One week following the custody hearing

It was a normal day in the Dursley household. Vernon was reading the newspaper in the den while Petunia watched a movie on the telly. Dudley was playing with his toys in his playpen.

Since they had given up custody of Harry, life at the Dursley home had been a little tense. Vernon and Petunia hadn't forgotten about threat of penalties that the wizard social worker had hinted about during the interview.

They tried to act as though everything was normal. They certainly didn't want the neighbors thinking that anything out of the ordinary was happening. Neither of them mentioned Harry or anything related to that other world.

The quiet was interrupted when there was a knock at the door.

"I'll get the door, Pet," said Vernon as he rose from his comfortable arm chair.

Vernon opened the door and immediately wished he hadn't. There were two people - a man and a woman - who obviously were not what Vernon Dursley considered normal. He contemplated shutting the door in their faces. He doubted these people would take kindly to being ignored but he wished they would just leave his family alone.

"Mr. Dursley, my name is Elsie Creevy. I'm an Auror," said the middle-aged woman who was dressed in dark green robes. She wore her dirty blond hair in a tight bun.

"A what?" asked Vernon.

"An Auror," said Elsie. "It's a Muggle equivlent of a law enforcer. This is my colleauge, Ethan Snape."

She gestured to the wizard standing next to her. Ethan Snape, was dressed in black robes with green trim. His long, black hair pulled back at the nape of his neck.

Vernon took a step back when he saw how the wizard was glaring at him with loathing in his eyes. Auror Snape, although never a Voldemort supporter, didn't like Muggles in the least. He was going to enjoy what was about to happen next.

"Mr. Dursley, we work for the Crime Investigators Department of the Ministry. We have been investigating the Potter case," explained Auror Snape.

"That boy is no longer my concern," said Vernon gruffly. "Leave now!"

"We will be leaving momentarily," replied Elsie. "You and your wife will be coming with us."

"WHAT?" roared Vernon.

Ethan reached into his robe pocket and withdrew a parchment.

"Vernon, what's going on?" asked Petunia. She appeared at Vernon's side.

Before Vernon could respond, Ethan spoke: "You're both under arrest. We are here to take you into custody."

"What!?" exclaimed Petunia. "What are the charges?"

"The changes are as follows," said Ethan as he read off the parchment. "Child Endangerment, Child Neglect, and Discrimination based on Magical Inheritance."

"This is ridiculous!" shouted Vernon.

"What does that last charge mean?" asked Petunia.

"It's a law that protects all people in the magical community from being discriminated based on their magical inheritance," replied Auror Creevy. "This law was originally passed to protect Muggle-borns from discrimination within the magical world. It has some to our attention that you violated this law by using your nephew's magical inheritance as an excuse to neglect him and mistreat him."

"What about Dudley? We can't leave him here by himself!" said Petunia who was near tears.

"Your son will also be coming with us," replied Auror Snape. "We will stop by the Child Council office where his new foster parent will be waiting."

"I am not giving my baby to some stranger!" cried Petunia.

"I don't want my son being cared for by one of you freaks!" roared Vernon.

"Mrs. Dursley, you don't have a choice," said Auror Snape. She turned her attention to Vernon. "And Mr. Dursley, your son will be cared for by a non-magical guardian, probably a Muggle or a Squib."

"Given the circumstances, we don't think you are fit to have children in your care at this time," said Auror Creevy.

"You can't force us to go with you!" shouted Vernon.

"Oh, yes we can, Mr. Dursley," said Ethan. He withdrew his wand "You will come with us willingly or else I will have to stun you."

Four adults - un-stunned - and one baby left Number 4 Privit Drive.

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Marauders Manor - three months later

"Where has my Godson hidden this time?" said Sirius as he searched the kitchen. Sirius could detect that Harry was hiding under the table. He was hidden by the table cloth. The barely concealed giggles left little doubt in Sirius' mind. Sirius pretended not to hear Harry. He searched the pantry.

"He always finds the best hiding places," said Sirius in mock frustration.

Harry decided that he had kept his Godfather in suspense long enough. He bolted out from under the table.

"I win! I win!" said Harry excitedly.

"You win this time, you little rascal," said Sirius.

"I win all time," said Harry.

Sirius smiled fondly at his Godson. Harry had adjusted very well to his new home. He had been living with Sirius and Remus for almost three months.

Harry was small for his age, but his emotional development was progressing nicely. Harry was a little behind schedule, but the Healers at St. Mungo's saw little reason to worry since Harry seemed eager to learn.

Sirius had taught him to play hide 'n seek a couple of weeks ago. It was Harry's favorite game to play. Sirius didn't mind letting Harry win. It was fun to watch Harry's excitement whenever he 'won' the game.

"Are you hungry, Harry?" asked Sirius as he glanced at the clock. It was quarter after noon.

"Yeah," answered Harry.

Sirius fixed Harry some hot cereal and made a sandwich for himself. Harry sat in his high chair and Sirius took his place at the table across from Harry. Sirius was proud that Harry could now feed himself.

"Where's Mooey?" asked Harry.

"He's asleep in his room," replied Sirius.

Sirius didn't elaborate further. Harry was too young to understand the transformation that Remus went through every month. They had decided to wait until Harry was a little older before attempting to teach him about werewolves.

"Mooey okay?" asked Harry.

"He's fine, Harry. Don't worry. He'll join us when we have supper."

Sirius tried to sound confident. He didn't want Harry to worry.

After lunch, Sirius took Harry to his bedroom to change his diaper.

"Do you think we could start potty training, Harry?" Sirius asked as he fastened the new diaper.

"Nuh," Harry said firmly. He shook his head to emphasize his rejection of Sirius' idea.

"How about we start on your second birthday?" asked Sirius hopefully.

"Nuh," Harry repeated.

"Two and a half?"

"NUH!" said Harry.

"Alright," said Sirius. He let the subject drop. Molly had told him that it wouldn't be a wise idea to push Harry into doing something new if he strongly resisted. It would be better for Harry to develop at his own pace.

"What do you want to do now, Harry?" asked Sirius.

"Fuzzy!" cried Harry. He clapped his hands happily.

"Okay. I'll get Fuzzy from your toy box," said Sirius as he picked up Harry from the changing table. Sirius placed Harry on a light blue cotton blanket that was spread out in front of Harry's toy box.

Sirius reached into the box and pulled out a light brown stuffed bear. Harry snuggled with Fuzzy. Sirius took out his wand and cast a charm on Fuzzy and the bear starting moving. Fuzzy danced around the room. A look of amazement crossed Harry's face as he watched his bear move.

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Later on that day, Remus came down stairs. He was well-rested but still feeling a little sore from the previous night's transformation. Harry was watching 'Sesame Street' on TV.

"Mooey!" exclaimed Harry. Harry had missed Remus all day. He slid off the couch and ran over to Remus.

"How are you, Harry?" asked Remus as he gathered Harry up in his arms.

Harry started talking baby talk as Remus carried him to the kitchen. Sirius was magically cooking supper. The sounds of Harry's babbling brought his attention to his best friend and his Godson.

"It's good to see you're awake, Remus. How are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling alright," replied Remus.

"I hope you have an appetite. Supper's almost done," said Sirius.

"What are we having?" asked Remus.

"We're having chicken, mashed potatoes, carrots, rolls and Yorkshire pudding for dessert. I'm going to give Harry potatoes and mashed carrots."

"It smells delicious," said Remus.

Remus placed Harry into his high chair. He set the table while Sirius brought the food to the table. They took their places and tucked into their meals.

They enjoyed their meals in silence. The occasional baby babble from Harry and the sounds of cutlery were the only sounds that emanated from the table.

"Are you full, Harry?" asked Remus. Harry was now playing with his food which was a sign that he wasn't going to eat any more.

"Yeah," said Harry.

Sirius took Harry's plate away and wiped his hands and face with a napkin.

"It's time for your bath and then off to bed," said Sirius.

"Nuh," said Harry.

"I thought you liked baths, Harry," said Sirius.

"Yuh bath, nuh bed," said Harry.

"Harry, you have to go to bed. If you don't sleep tonight, you'll be too tired to play with Ron tomorrow," said Sirius. He had learned that it was better to use reason rather than making demands when dealing with Harry.

"Yuh, Ron!" said Harry excitedly.

Harry and Ron had become good friends in the past few months. Sirius had made arrangement with Molly and Arthur for the two boys to play together the next day.

Sirius magically put away the leftovers. Remus took Harry to his room to play with him while Sirius got the bath ready. Harry had resisted bathing when Sirius tried to wash him the first time. Harry's language was sometimes difficult to understand, but Sirius could decipher that bath time wasn't a very pleasant experience for Harry when he lived with his Muggle relatives. Harry's aversion to bathing had changed after Sirius bathed him the first time.

Sirius filled the tub. He fiddled with the taps until he got the temperature just right. He added bubbles and toys.

"The bath is ready," Sirius announced.

Remus carried Harry into the bathroom and placed Harry on the counter. Sirius put Harry in the tub after Remus had removed his white jumper, blue cotton pants, socks and diaper.

"Remus, you can go relax in the living room while I wash Harry," said Sirius. He had noticed that Remus was starting to look fatigued. He usually tired easily after a transformation.

"Alright, Sirius," said Remus. He felt grateful that his friend had noticed his tiredness. Remus left the room and went downstairs.

Sirius washed with a sponge while Harry entertained himself with his water toys. His favorite was a rubber green dragon.

"It's time to wash your hair, Harry," said Sirius.

Sirius turned on the taps and pulled the plug so the water wouldn't overflow.

"Which shampoo, Harry?" asked Sirius.

He held up two different baby shampoo bottles - coconut and vanilla.

"That," said Harry. Sirius saw that the bottle Harry was pointing out wasn't one of the bottles in his hand. It was a sitting on the counter.

"No, Harry. That's dog shampoo," said Sirius.

"Doggie! Wash Pafo!" exclaimed Harry.

"Not tonight, Harry," said Sirius.

Sirius smiled as he remembered the flea bath that Remus and Harry had given him a week earlier. Padfoot had tried to ignore the itchy fleabites. The bites only affected him when he was in his dog form. He had consented to the bath after he spotted a fleabite on Harry's hand. Padfoot couldn't play with Harry and risk giving Harry fleas. Sirius also had to consider Moony. It would be practically impossible to give a werewolf a flea bath.

Harry chose the vanilla scented shampoo. Sirius drenched Harry's hair under the tap and rubbed the shampoo into his hair. After a few minutes, he rinsed out the shampoo.

Sirius picked up Harry and set him on the towel on the counter. After drying, he diapered and dressed Harry in nightclothes. They were flannel footy PJs with little Quidditch ball designs. The balls would occasionally move around. Harry's hair was still a little damp. Sirius took out his wand and cast a drying spell. Harry's hair stuck up on end. It reminded Sirius of James' hair. James had tried to tame his hair numerous times with different charms and shampoos but his attempts were in vain.

"You definitely have your father's hair, Harry," said Sirius as he combed through the messy mop.

"It's bedtime for you," said Sirius as he gave the baby's hair one last combing.

Sirius carried Harry into his bedroom. He placed Harry in his crib.

"Good night, Harry. Pleasant dreams."

"'Nite, Padfo," said Harry in a sleepy voice.

Sirius withdrew his wand and charmed the ceiling to look like the night sky. He then tucked Harry's blanket around him. Harry was already half-asleep when Sirius dimmed the lights.

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Harry and Ron played with Harry's toys on the floor in the living room. Sirius, Remus and Molly drank tea in the kitchen and chatted.

"How is Harry doing?" asked Molly.

Ever since she had met Harry, she had loved him as much as her own children.

"He's doing great," replied Sirius cheerfully.

"It's amazing how he has progressed in the last three months," said Remus.

"Is he still afraid of taking a bath?" asked Molly. When she had tried to bathe Harry, he had screamed in fright. She had resorted to washing him with a washcloth.

"Not anymore," said Sirius. "He loves baths."

"It's good to know that the poor dear hasn't been permanently scarred by living with those people. He seems to have recovered nicely," said Molly.

"He has made tremendous progress," agreed Sirius. "Although, every once in a while he'll have a bad dream or something will happen that will remind Harry of his past."

"Does he have these dreams often?" asked Molly.

"They're becoming fewer and far between," replied Sirius "He hasn't had a bad dream in a couple of weeks."

"Hopefully, he'll forget all about the Dursleys eventually," said Remus. "He only spent four months with them, but it's disturbing how Harry was affected."

"Four months can be a long time you're locked in a cupboard," said Sirius tersely.

"They locked him in a cupboard!" said Molly. She was appalled that anyone could do that to a baby.

"The Dursleys paid the price for how they treated Harry," said Sirius.

The Dursleys had received hefty fines and they each had been sentenced to three years in prison, and following their jail sentences, they were required to take parenting and nutrition classes before they would be allowed to receive custody of Dudley. In the event that they ever got Dudley back, the authorities would closely monitor the situation to ensure Dudley's needs were met. Although Dudley hasn't been subjected to the same treatment as Harry, Dudley's health had suffered under his parents' care. Dudley' weight contributed to his health problems and his parents were held responsible for overfeeding their son.

"I read about the trial in the 'Daily Prophet,'" said Molly.

The trial of Vernon and Petunia Dursley had made headlines in every magical publication. The abuse scandal hadn't done anything to improve wizard-muggle relations. There was now a lot of anti-Muggle sentiment among the magical community, especially among Purebloods. Although many Purebloods were Death Eaters, they used the abuse scandle to tote their own anti-Muggle views. The unfair stereotype that Muggles were less than ideal parents was now a hotly debated issue.

"I cancelled my subscription to that rag," said Sirius.

Sirius was angered by the papers disregard for Harry's privacy. He also didn't like many of the articles that were anti-Muggle. Didn't people realize that their own prejudice against Muggles were just as bad as the Dursleys prejudice against Wizards and Witches?

Their conversation was interrupted when Harry and Ron ran into the kitchen. They playfully ran around the table. Sirius forgot his frustration as he watched his Godson play with his best friend. It was impossible to be angry in the presence of two happy, rambunctious toddlers.

END OF CHAPTER 6