The Secret Magic Of Potions And Daggers

The week after finals, waiting for the test results began as any other. Harry, Hermione and Ron lay on the lawn watching the clouds. Hermione reviewed her test answers while Ron set up a chessboard. Harry wondered how to reshape the clouds as Genevieve had and was so deeply concentrating on them he did not notice Hagrid approach until his large shadow enveloped them all.

“What is it Hagrid?” Harry asked, concerned with the pale look on Hagrid’s usually rosy face.

“You three had better come with me.” Hagrid turned and led them to the great hall. Lunch had been over for a while but the four tables were occupied by an assortment of grown witches and wizards chatting excitedly with each other. At the head table Dumbledore sat in the middle. On one side were Professors McGonagall and Snape, the chair on the other side held Sirius Black in human form.

Hagrid showed the confused trio where to sit in three empty chairs by the center table, Harry in the middle.

“What is going on?” Ron asked Harry.

“I’m not sure, but I recognize some of these people from Genevieve’s trial.” He noticed that there were considerably fewer ministry members here than before, but still the faces looked familiar. Hermione was unusually quiet. Just then Dumbledore rose and the din slowly calmed down.

“Distinguished colleges and guests, I am grateful for your attendance here this afternoon. As most of you know, Sirius Black has returned to our ranks and has graciously forgiven the ministry for its decision so many years ago.” Dumbledore paused as a light ruffle of applause passed through the audience, though by the contempt on some of their faces Harry was sure they harbored ill feelings toward Sirius. Hermione turned toward Harry and appeared apologetic.

“I’m sorry Harry,” she whispered. “With the finals I forgot to tell you.”

“Tell me what?” But Hermione didn’t have a chance to finish as Dumbledore had resumed.

“Mr. Black has called this meeting to submit his petition for guardianship of his godson Harry Potter.” Harry’s heart leapt to his throat. He looked at Sirius who was watching him intently and they exchanged smiles. “In order to make this decision, and to determine payment, we will now hear from those with priority claim, Mr. Potter’s current guardian’s Vernon and Petunia Dursley.” Harry’s face fell will shock. Dumbledore motioned to a green cloaked wizard who stood at the door behind the teachers table who then disappeared into the room. Moments later he emerged with a furious Uncle Vernon followed by a skittish Aunt Petunia and led to the front of the crowd. Murmurs flooded the room as Uncle Vernon brushed off the leading hand of their wizard guide.

“I need no help from one of your kind,” Vernon spat at the wizard, and then glared around the room. Dumbledore quieted the ministry wizards once more with a simple raise of his hand.

“Vernon and Petunia Dursley. As I explained to you both in the letter left with Harry on your doorstep and last week this is your chance make an accounting of your stewardship. If at the end of these proceedings you are relieved of your duties toward him you will only receive a portion of that which was promised to you. We would also appreciate a statement of what you think is best for Mr. Potter’s future.”

Harry was dumbstruck and angry, ‘they were being paid’, he thought ‘they get to say what’s best for my future’. Vernon just muttered under his breath as Petunia tried to calm him down by rubbing his back, and nervously addressing the room herself.

“Well, when we took in young Harry it was at no small sacrifice on our part. I have a son of my own to care for and it more than doubled the amount of work I had to do, not to mention the expenses.” It was clear Petunia had worked out what to say before hand and was struggling to say it word for word. “Harry was a difficult child, which we had to tame with a firm hand but it was always for his own good and because we cared for him so.” Confusion left Harry, leaving only anger bubbling within him like hot lava in a volcano. Petunia continued carefully, though unable to look Harry in the eye. “We encountered many difficulties because of his ” she paused searching for the right word but Harry was sure she was thinking ‘abnormality’, “ talent for what it is you do here. But I would venture to say we always ‘loved’ the boy and think it would be best for him to grow into adulthood under our roof.”

Harry erupted from his chair nearly knocking Ron off his in the process. Unable to contain his fury he pointed his finger at Petunia who tried to hide behind Vernon and shouted, “You are a liar.” Hermione tried to pull Harry back into his chair while Vernon and Petunia inspected each other for what they assumed was a hex before they realized it was only an accusation.

“You were too young to remember Harry. Petunia shot back in her normal dominating tone. What a mess you would make, and there was no childproofing the house. You endangered Dudley’s life regularly as a baby, pulling down gates and such with your ‘magic’.” She spat the last word directly into Harry’s face.

“Everything you ever told me was a lie. You told me my parents died in a car crash, you denied who and what I am, locking me in the cupboard for years.” Harry’s heart pounded now as the words he’d wanted to say since he was eleven poured from his mouth. At each revelation the ministry members gasped in dismay. “How can you stand here, lying, to say that you ever loved me?” Harry drew himself up to full height and glared right back at Petunia. It was then Vernon’s turn for explosions.

“Boy,” he yelled. “You dare speak to the woman who raised you that way? You are a disrespectful brat who never appreciated anything we gave you.” Vernon raised his hand across his chest to backhand slap Harry on the face. Harry flinched, being all too familiar with this sort of punishment, but Vernon’s hand never flew. Sirius Black had bounded over the teacher’s table and caught it in midair. Sirius retained his cinching grip on Vernon’s hand, while Dumbledore stepped around the table to mediate this confrontation.

“I believe you are your wife have conflicting opinions of Harry.” Dumbledore spoke very calmly while Vernon’s chest heaved and his eyes flicked to the wizard’s around him who’d drawn their wands. “Can you tell me for what reason she desires Harry to return with you? I would strongly suggest that now is the time for truth all of it. ” Vernon considered his situation carefully, but only spoke after Petunia gave him a resigned nod. “The money,” he finally confided. “Your letter promised that bonus if he stayed with us until his eighteenth birthday.” Then, knowing he had little left to loose he added, “I would have dropped him off at the nearest orphanage if it hadn’t been for the money. Make that the furthest one.” Vernon now stood over Harry wearing his most intimidating expression. Petunia seemed crushed. The mood was excruciatingly tense as Harry stared back into his Uncle’s eyes.

Then a blood curling scream came from the door behind the teacher’s table. Everyone swung around to see Dudley bolt out of the room tripping over the carpet. Petunia ran toward Dudley but when he saw the room filled with wand wielding wizards he scrambled under the teacher’s table screaming.

Vernon took the opportunity afforded him by such a diversion to break Sirius’ grip and punch Harry in the stomach. Harry buckled over into Hermione’s lap while Vernon pushed his way through the crowd to get Dudley.

“The pictures talked to me,” the crowd heard Dudley squeal once his father had pulled him out from under the table. “They moved and they talked, really I saw it!” The ministry members chuckled.

“Don’t be stupid, Dudley.” Vernon responded, trying to hold back the rage he felt. Harry got up still rubbing his stomach and followed in the wake Vernon’s form had left. ‘If ever there was a time for me to stand up to him for good’ Harry thought to himself, ‘this is it’ so he addressed his Uncle from the other side of the table.

“Dudley is right. The pictures did talk to him.” Harry tried not to smirk when he saw how purple Vernon’s face became.

“One walloping was never enough for you, boy.” Vernon made a grab for him over the table but Harry stood back in time. Dumbledore then came between them.

“Enough of this,” he cried. “Let us sort this out in a civilized manor.”

“Civilized?” Vernon yelled at him. “You call this civilized? We have been dragged from our home and brought to this awful place; accused of being bad guardians and now you scared my son to death. You promised if we came we would not be harmed under any circumstances.”

“Harry, Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, please follow me.” Dumbledore’s blue eyes flashed before he walked through the door to the study. Harry followed him quickly while the Dursley’s collected themselves. Sirius Black then slipped through the door, closing it behind him.

“I am disappointed in all of you.” Dumbledore began. Vernon just grunted but Harry implored,

“Why are you disappointed in me professor?”

“This was a time for restraint. Hadn’t you been preparing for this?”

“Preparing? I didn’t know what was going on until you explained it up there.” Dumbledore looked concerned for a moment until a small mousy voice spoke from the shadows.

“I’m sorry Professor Dumbledore.” Hermione had snuck into the room. “It’s my fault; I forgot to give Harry the message because of finals. He really didn’t know.”

“I see.” Dumbledore’s blue eyes addressed Vernon again. “Resorting to violence and lies is hardly becoming to a grown man.” But Vernon hardly heard him because he was shutting out the whole situation and trying to shield his wife, but he did have something to say in the silence.

“If that thing wants the boy,” Vernon was pointing to Sirius Black, “you’ll get no argument from me, if we will be paid the full promised amount.” Dumbledore cocked his head in disbelief.

“Can you deny that you mistreated him?” Vernon squinted at Harry who still held his stomach and shook his massive face, ‘no’. “I have in my possession a copy of the letter I left with you that conditioned any payment you would receive on the results of his upbringing, you do still have your letter.” Petunia reached into her purse and pulled out a tattered envelope with emerald green writing on which Harry recognized the Hogwarts seal. Harry stepped forward, grabbed the letter out of her hand and unfolded it. Dumbledore continued talking to the Dursleys, but Harry didn’t hear it as is eyes carefully read each word.

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Vernon Dursley,

I regret to inform you that a terrible tragedy has occurred in your family. You do know that Petunia’s sister Lily was a witch, I believe, therefore I can reveal to you that Lily Evens and her husband James Potter have been murdered by a Dark Wizard. The only bright spot in this dreadful day is that their son Harry James Potter was unaffected by that curse except for the mark you will find above his eye.

As you are Harry’s only living relatives, I charge you now to care for him kindly. When time proves right for such an event you will be invited to discharge this responsibility in a public report. Understanding that this is a lot to ask of anyone a fund has been procured, the sum total of which amounts to 1 million pounds which will be paid to you in full once Harry has lived with you for seventeen years, or a portion thereof should he not.

I give you my solemn word that you and Harry are completely safe now and that all will be done to maintain that for the future. We will also do our best to not interfere further in the lives of your family. Thank you.

Albus Dumbledore

Harry noticed there were several pieces of parchment behind the letter that included some simple potions and a newspaper clipping entitled ‘Muggles raising wizards, understanding the signs’ but did not have a chance to read it as Vernon’s voice rose steadily higher, and he mopped his brow with his handkerchief. Dumbledore was doing his best to help him remain calm, but was getting slightly agitated himself.

Just then the door opened and three people came in. Elden Eldritch was closely followed by Professor McGonagall speaking hurriedly to Genevieve who was not wearing her witch’s robes. In fact, in her green tee-shirt, blue jeans and beat up, untied tennis shoes even with her normal black bag slung across her shoulders she looked more like a muggle than the Dursleys. When Petunia saw Genevieve she laughed, much to the surprise of everyone there.

“Oh, so you like my clothes then,” Genevieve laughed along with Petunia. Harry noticed his Aunt was still wearing the locket Genevieve had given her.

“You look downright slovenly.” Vernon felt betrayed that his wife could be so flippant at a time like this. “Where are you going in that get-up?”

“Colorado, do you think I’ll fit in? I don’t leave until tonight but I thought it would make you feel more comfortable.” Genevieve took a turn, her long hair was pulled back into a French braid enclosed in stray hairs.

“You’re leaving?” Harry couldn’t help but be concerned.

“Just for a week or so, Harry.” Genevieve left a snickering Petunia in the corner, crossing the room in three strides to talk to Harry. “It turns out my parole officer agrees that England is the best place for me to be right now, but I do need to settle things with my in-laws before I put down roots here. She doesn’t like me very much.”

“Why not?” Harry wondered why anyone wouldn’t like her.

“Who’s to say the real reasons why mothers-in-law often do not approve of the brides their son’s choose. She didn’t like the way I cooked, cleaned, decorated, turned her annoyingly yappy little dog into a lizard...who’s to say.” Harry just laughed, though her last comment sobered Petunia immediately. Professor McGonagall then made an announcement, holding open the door.

“If everyone not involved in this would follow me.” Hermione, Genevieve, and Sirius scuttled out the door. “You too Harry.”

“But this involves me.” Harry protested. Sirius stood in the doorway holding out his hand,

“Not anymore.” Those words brought a great sense of relief to Harry while he walked out the door into the still fully occupied Great Hall. He paused only briefly while Elden began speaking to Vernon.

“I understand there has been a little disagreement here...”

* * * * *

Harry smirked again thinking of Genevieve turning that dog into a lizard while they sat down outside the door.

“What time are you leaving?” Sirius asked Genevieve.

“As soon as Mr. Eldritch is through.” Harry questioned her with a look which she quickly answered. “Neither he nor I are that good at Apparating so we are catching the same portkey.” Sirius snickered but Genevieve ignored it. “We met there in Colorado. Elden may not be much for magic, but he has a talent for dealing with people. I don’t want to face my mother-in-law without him.” Sirius had been unable to control himself and burst into full laughter, drawing the attention of the closer wizards in the room. “And what, may I ask is so funny?” Genevieve demanded.

“Just thinking of your first attempts at Apparating that’s all.” Sirius answered, feigning a straight face. He turned to Harry and Hermione to explain. “She tried a short hop across the room, but couldn’t keep herself together or in the same form so she ended up with the torso of a monkey, the tail of a dog and nothing but dust in-between.”

“I remember your first try wasn’t a complete success either.” Genevieve revealed. “We were outside and he apparated into a tree, and I mean ‘into’ the tree. We wouldn’t have known where he’d gone except a bit of his hair and his toes stuck out of the trunk and we kept hearing these muffled sounds, when we weren’t laughing too hard.” She placed her hand over her own mouth and mimicked the noise, “Hemmph Hmmeee.” Sirius laughed even harder.

“Yeah, and it took Old Man Potter nearly an hour to find the right spell to get me out. It wouldn’t have taken so long if you guys would have stopped cracking jokes.”

“Cracking jokes, I just wanted to crack the tree oh wait, you did that.”

“Ha ha.” Sirius could take the jokes as much as he could dish them and Harry loved watching them banter back and forth.

“I’m feeling a bit out of place now,” Genevieve realized looking down at her clothes. She unbraided her hair quickly and flung her head upside down to shake it. When she came up she no longer wore her muggle clothes but an emerald green traveling cloak.

“Ah, much more comfortable.”

A minute later the school house elves appeared among the crowd passing out drinks and sandwiches to who ever wanted them. Carsy approached Genevieve with a large silver serving tray, but she refused to eat or drink, though the others were glad for the food.

“Aren’t you hungry?” Ron asked walking up to her with four sandwiches stacked on one hand while he managed two glasses of pumpkin juice in the other.

“Not for that.” Genevieve pulled a bottle with orange liquid out of her bag and sipped it slowly. “So where were we?” She asked Sirius.

“I was just about to tell Harry how we charmed all the cushions in the house to act like wet soap.” Genevieve laughed as she pretended to reprimand her friend.

“Keep that up and I’m not sure Harry should go home with you. You’ll give him too many mischievous ideas.”

“Too late,” laughed Hermione.

Moments later the door behind them opened and the group stifled their laughter as Dumbledore followed by the Dursleys and Elden came out. To Harry’s astonishment Vernon was shaking Elden’s hand smiling.

“If you ever want a job, you are welcome at Grunnings.” Vernon offered Elden.

“That is very kind of you to offer, but it is about time I got back to the States.” Harry’s jaw nearly hit the floor. Dumbledore walked to the teachers table and gave everyone a moment to find their seats and settle down before picking up almost right where he left off before the argument began.

“Due to recent events I see no reason to deny Sirius Black his right and duty as godfather to young Mr. Potter, but the vote must still be taken. All in favor say aye.”

A large portion of the group repeated the word, while Harry nearly yelled it. “All opposed say nay.” Some muttered nays bounced around the room, but nothing significant. “From now until he comes of age Harry Potter is to be cared for by Sirius Black.” Dumbledore said the statement with such finality that the meeting adjourned at his words and the witches and wizards left.

Harry and Sirius let out a collective sigh of relief.

“Well, that’s it, kid. In a few days you’re coming home with me.” Sirius laughed putting his arm around Harry’s shoulder.

“Where exactly is home?” Asked Harry. Sirius looked down, puzzled.

“Good question. I think I have to go make some arrangements.”

“Always the paragon of foresight, aren’t you?” Genevieve snickered handing him a scratch piece of parchment. “Follow the map, there’s a clearing just in that grove of trees there that is muggle protected where you could put a cottage. If you get lost, Mr. Weasley can show you the way, it’s not far from them.”

“You’re kidding.” Ron grinned through a swig of pumpkin juice while peeking over Sirius’ shoulders. “Yeah, I know right were that is, not more than a mile from my house!”

“That is great!” Harry cheered.

From behind a fat hand clapped on Harry’s back and he stiffened, not needing to see it to know it was Vernon’s.

“Glad to be rid of you, boy.” Vernon said in Harry’s ear. “I trust you won’t need to come by my house again.” Petunia then leaned toward Harry to whisper in his other ear, her locket hitting his robes.

“I hope you can find what we couldn’t give you.”

The three Dursleys turned to leave but Harry extended his hand to Dudley.

“No hard feelings?” Dudley first looked terrified, but after a moments consideration he took Harry’s hand and shook it.

“No hard feelings.”

The week couldn’t pass fast enough for Harry. By the time he was on board the Hogwarts express he was bursting with joy to be finally going ‘home’.