Chapter 1
Breakfast usually was a relaxing time. Especially during summer, when it was warm enough even in the morning for Ellie sit outside on her porch, with her cup of tea and her toast and enjoy the sun while catching up on the wizard world. But recently, the morning news had become a source of great anxiety and turmoil for her. Almost every morning, the front page was covered with a large photo of a deranged looking Sirius, the headline reading some variation of "Dangerous criminal still at large". And every morning, as she read the article, she was torn between being glad he had escaped Azkaban at last and concern as to why and why now. For the past nine years, Ellie had rung with herself when it came to Sirius and to what he had supposedly done. She had never been able to believe it but had also found herself unable to dispute it.
After yet another morning with yet another report without anything new or helpful in it, Ellie headed out on her morning walk, on which she knew she was going to meet her nephew. It was the only time of the day she was certain he was allowed out. His other aunt, from his mother's side, and uncle, were anything but kind to him, but had allowed him, even if begrudgingly, to go on an hour long walk in the morning, if he promised to head straight out of the neighbourhood somewhere where no one would see him. He kept his promise by heading to Magnolia Crescent, where Ellie lived, and spent an hour every day walking about with her.
“Hello Ellie.”
“Morning Harry. How are you?”
“Not bad. I've been working on my essay for potions last night. I can already see Snape fail me for it.”
“Oh, potions’ always been a favourite of mine. I don't mind helping you with it.”
“You liked potions?”
“Mind you, back then, Snape was just a student, too, not the misery inducing teacher he is now. Our professor was called Slughorn. He was peculiar, I give you that, but then again, which professor isn't?”
“McIntosh and McGonagall.”
“Trust me, McGonagall is peculiar too, in her own way. I've never met McIntosh. You said she teaches Ancient Runes?”
One of these days, probably once he was off age, she'd have to come clean and admit everything to Harry. But until then, lying to him and pretending she didn't know exactly who he was talking about was a necessary evil.
“She does, yeah, but she's also really nice. She doesn't really have an office hour, she has constant teatime and not only for her ancient runes’ students but for all of us. She also stocks massive amounts of snacks.”
“She sounds a lot like Madame Pomfrey without the stress of having to patch you lot back together.”
“Except McIntosh is much younger. I think she's around your age.”
“Really? Then we must have gone to Hogwarts together. Which house was she?”
“Now that you mention it, I don't know. I'll have to ask her.”
“You do that. And let me know once you did. How's Petunia treating you?”
“Still the same. As long as I'm quiet and pretend I don't exist, they're happy to do just the same. I wish I didn't have to live with them anymore.”
He grimaced as soon as he'd said that, knowing very well that Ellie would have taken him in after his parents' death, if she had been allowed to. Being his father's younger sister, she had as much right to do so as his mother's younger sister, which was Aunt Petunia. Expect that Dumbledore had insisted on him being placed with the Dursleys instead of with her, because of the blood both Petunia and Harry shared with his mother. Ellie had told him all of that and more after Harry had faced Voldemort a little over a year ago. She had also told him how, after Dumbledore had told her to stay out of his way, she'd settle down in little Whinging, unbeknownst to the headmaster, and done the only thing she could think of to be close to Harry, which was to befriend Petunia Dursley. Something that Harry still greatly appreciated, and greatly admired, not being able to imagine anyone voluntarily being friends with the Dursleys.
“Someday, Harry, I promise. And if it is only when you turn 17, but I promise, one day you and me will get of this suburban hellscape.”
“You can get out of here any time you want, you know. You don’t have to stay just for me.”
“Oh, sweetheart, of course I do. I promised your father I’d take care of you and protect you. You weren’t even born yet…”
Ellie still remembered that conversation. She had visited them in Godric’s Hollow while Lily had still been pregnant, and James practically begged her to promise to take care of Harry should anything happen to them. Even though Ellie had just turned eighteen then, she hadn’t hesitated to assure them both she’d do anything for their baby. Unfortunately, things hadn’t gone as they had expected. When James and Lily had been killed, neither she nor Sirius, Harry’s second godparent and her boyfriend, had been able to take the baby in. Sirius had been accused of murdering a dozen people and was send off to prison, while Ellie hadn’t even known her brother had been killed until almost three years later-
“What are you thinking about?”
“Huh?”
She hadn’t even noticed that she had stopped until now, Harry next to her, looking up at her curiously.
“Your dad, and a couple of other things.”
“Like why you weren’t there when they died?”
That was one of the few things she hadn’t told Harry last year. All she’d said was that by the time she found out what had happened Dumbledore had already taken Harry to the Dursleys and forbidden her from intervening.
“Yes. And no, you’re still not old enough.”
Of course he had been curious about where she had been, but Ellie had insisted that he was too young for that particular story and that she would tell him once he was old enough, or if it ever became relevant. Although she dearly hoped it never would. It was the one part of her life she desperately hoped never to have to face again.
“Can you tell me more about my dad?”
“Ah, see, that is one of my favourite topics. Well, James was a menace, as you well know by now, but he also loved you more than anything. They were incredibly young to have a child, and the timing was horrible. They had just gone into hiding, all of their friends busy with the war, our parents had died not even a year ago. But I still remember the day I got his letter… I might still have it in the apartment somewhere.”
“You have an apartment, too?”
“Hu? Oh, yes. In London. Technically it isn’t mine, but was my boyfriend’s, but well… It is in muggle London, so the ministry left it alone and I decided to keep it after I came back, even if I now live here.”
“What happened to your boyfriend?”
“To be honest with you, Harry, I am not entirely sure. There’s one story about what happened to him, but… I don’t believe it. Maybe our old friends are right, and I just can’t believe he’d do what people are saying he did because I love him, or maybe he didn’t do it.”
“What are people saying he did?”
For a moment Ellie hesitated, before sighing heavily. She didn’t want Harry to know, knowing very well that if the story was indeed true, it would hurt him. To think that his father’s closest friend was the reason he was an orphan…. But she also didn’t like lying to him. Dumbledore kept enough things from him. And if there was one thing she was certain about then it was that she did not want to be anything like Albus Dumbldore.
“That he was a death eater. I think people found it so easy to believe because he came from a bad family. Like mine they were pure-bloods, but… imagine them being the Malfoys and me and James being the Weasleys. Except that they had two sons, one of which was their perfect little child, and the other was a rebel and, eventually, an outcast. The brother, Regulus, had joined the death eaters before he was even out of school. So people found it easy to believe that he had been one too, and had fooled everyone.”
Harry had listened attentively. He always liked to learn more about his family. And until now, Ellie had never mentioned a boyfriend before. Harry had wondered about that sometimes. Had wondered why his aunt wasn’t married, if it was because she had put him first. Now he began to understand.
“But you don’t believe that?”
“I know him, I’ve known him since he was your age now. Tell me, do you think you would notice if Ron joined the death eaters?”
“I think so, yes.”
“See. I think I would have noticed if the man I was living with had joined the very people we were fighting against.”
“And this boyfriend of yours, was he a friend of my parents, too?”
“He was your dad’s friend long before we fell in love. And he loved your father dearly. He would no sooner betray James than I would. But… and this is incredibly hard for me to admit, there are some things that happened that I cannot explain. I believe that there is more to the story, but I don’t know for sure. I’m afraid I might never know the truth.”
Harry nodded, quietly taking in the information. Ellie had still kept some parts to herself, especially her boyfriend’s name, but in the current situation, she thought it best to not tempt Harry’s rather adventurous side.
“Thank you for telling me about this.”
“You’re welcome, sweety. Now, where was I? Oh, yes, your dad sent me a letter after Lily found out she was pregnant. It was mostly ramblings about having amazing news and that we should come by as soon as we could. And that he couldn’t wait to tell us. We couldn’t make it to Godric’s Hollow for a couple of days after this because we were both busy with the war. And when we finally made it, James tried to build some suspense, but failed miserably because of how giddy he was.”
Ellie couldn’t help but laugh a little at the memory, her brother had barely been able to keep himself from jumping up and down with excitement as he had told them the good news. Once he had, she and Lily had just sat there in the kitchen, watching the two men hug and cry and gush.
“Your dad actually build your nursery, put the crib and everything together by hand. No magic. Lily and I helped, but Lily thought it was adorable that he wanted to do it the muggle way, so she let him. We did get to paint the wall, though. And I had the pleasure of watching your father build a mobile. It was a mess but turned out pretty well.”
“I wish I could remember it.”
“I’ll see if I can find photos with the nursery in the background. Which reminds me, I want to head out to meet with a friend, there’s a couple of things to take care of. Will you be okay for a week or so without me?”
“Sure. You go, I’ll be fine.”
“But don’t worry, I’ll be back for your birthday.”
“It’s okay if you’re not. I don’t mind.”
“But I do! You are my favourite nephew! And I’ll be damned if I miss your 13th birthday!”
The smile he gave her now was definitely worth it. The poor boy was still convinced he was an inconvenience.
“I have to go back. See you in a couple of days.”
“See you, sweetheart, take care. And don’t let the muggles get you down, okay.”
“I’ll do my best.”
Turning into Private Drive, Harry and Ellie went different ways.