[The Woman at the Door]
Harry scowled as his Aunt Petunia screamed one more time at him to tend to her flowers outside. He quickly ran to get the gardening tools, dodging Dudley's new and already broken remote toy car on his way.
They're definitely going to tell him to clean up after his cousin's mess again later. But that's later, right now...gardening. He walked to the front door and opened it, prepared for another day in the sun with the thorny bushes.
However, today is different.
"Hello there, young one." A woman with reddish-brown hair and pale green eyes—way lighter than his own emerald ones—smiled at him when the door opened.
Harry forgot to reply for a moment before remembering his manners, "I—umm...excuse me ma'am, can I help you?"
"Why, aren't you polite?" The woman smiled warmly, an expression that he rarely ever receive from people. Before she can continue on, Aunt Petunia suddenly rushed to the door.
Harry was both surprised by her actions and the fact that she didn't push him out of the way, and stood behind him instead. The woman at the door switched her focus to his aunt.
"Hello Mrs. Dursley, how have you been?"
It seems Aunt Petunia knows her, "We—oh dear...it's been a while since we seen you, Ana..."
"I trust that everything has been just dandy?"
"Of course! What made you decide to stop by today, Ana?" Harry is confused by her…strange tone.
He can tell that his aunt isn't being completely truthful, and she isn't acting as boldly as she usually does when talking to other neighbors or ordering him around.
"It's nothing major, but I recently got some new stuff for your dear Dudley!" The lady—Ana—seem to not notice his aunt's peculiarity, or is she pretending not to? "On that note, I see here that you have another child too?"
"Thank you! Uh, this frea—he's my nephew, son of my sister. She named her Harry, and he's just staying with us for a bit!"
Harry rolled his eyes, of course she doesn't want to say that he's been living with them.
"Well, I also brought some books along today, but I don't think Dudley really enjoy reading, so how about Harry have it instead?" The woman show them a stack of books from the bag she was holding.
Petunia tried to turn her down, "There's no need—"
"Thank you!" Harry smiled happily, and the woman took no time to give him the books, then handing the bag with whatever content remained to Petunia.
The woman, called Ana, gave him another warm smile before giving her farewells. "Nice to meet you Harry, hope to see you again soon."
"Thank you...uhh...ma'am." Harry replied awkwardly, he can feel his cheeks heat up.
Ana just giggled in return, and after bidding Petunia goodbye as well, she left.
Harry hope to see her again too.
Aunt Petunia didn't bother him at all for the remainder of the day. She even let him keep the books! Although he can't read them completely fluently yet, Harry is happy to have something that can be considered to be just...his!
It made life with the Dursleys more bearable...even if it was only a tiny speck, it was still an irreplaceable beacon for the boy lost in misery, living in a home that was not his.
* * *
Ana Bane carried out her job perfectly.
She seamlessly mixed in with the non-magic people, the Muggles. Easily attaining a reputable position in their world, living in a house right around 4 Privet Drive.
Taking care of the Chosen One and his annoying relatives didn't take much except for a high reputation. There are other ways too, but this is effective enough.
Miss Bane, a young woman who seems to be quite well off, living on her own in a such a nice neighborhood of family house. Words of how kind and generous she is were spread by those who met her. Her popularity made people all clamor to know her for a chance to connect themselves to such a sophisticated socialite.
This background created opportunities to check on not just the Dursleys, but everyone in the neighborhood.
How perfect.
The Director would surely be pleased with this...
* * *
Aeon didn't need an extra person to watch Harry Potter, but he did want to have someone here around physically that can logically interfere just in case anything happen.
Even if Aeon can easily break the contract with the Potters, he didn't do it out of respect for them...and well, adrenaline too. The contract made it easier for him to stay in this world despite how it restricts him. It was still worth it to dwell in this world for a bit though~
"Thank you for your report, have a nice evening Ana."
Ana bowed to Aeon's image in the fireplace before putting it out.
* * *
Aeon Caelius...compared to to his "mother" and her sister, he looked almost nothing like them...he doesn't have silver eyes and blonde hair. Aeon instead has dark eyes and dark reddish-brown hair that seems to almost be black.
Easily explainable by saying that it came from his "father", and in which the said "father" is an absent parent, leaving Anesidora Caelius as a single parent.
The story for his "father" is that "Mr. Caelius" was a squib half-blood who decided to leave his life in the magic world, and moved into the muggle world instead. Colorful enough to be realistic but not overly crazy, to be believable.
"Erton Caelius"—the last heir of the Caelius household, a formerly pureblood family that ended when Aeon's "father" is born a halfblood. With him leaving the wizarding world, "Erton Caelius" also gave up on his household.
Nothing anyone would look too far into. Not even the goblins with how the files are maintained—all messily scattered and even missing—due to "Erton Caelius" putting in zero efforts when he has been the head.
All the papers should be prepared already. Perks of having godly powers, everything can be twisted as he wills. So the contract's restriction is a fun challenge.
The time is approaching.
Harry Potter's second year at Hogwarts is just about to begin.
Aeon's absence for his first year was dissolve with the excuse of being on a year long trip abroad, but he still took the first year examinations, and passed with flying colors so he can attend as a second year.
Surely that made the professors a bit curious about his education, but hey, not exactly uncommon for some parents to choose to homeschool their children.
So it is predetermined that Aeon Caelius and Luna Lovegood shall enter the scene together.