Tears of an Old Order
Harry never thought he could've ever had a normal conversation with Severus Snape, as normal as you could call it.
It went surprisingly well, though. Snape made de vow and agreed to help us with the potion. "Give me a few days," the potion master said. It was reasonable, considering their condition.
Snape did have a weird expression on his face when a Lucius Malfoy under the Imperius came through the floo. Not that could be seen as normal, Harry knew that much. He nonetheless got the Diary from Lucius and obliviated him, sending the man back to Malfoy Manor.
Regulus did point out, unnecessarily Harry thought, that getting Tom Riddle's Diary had been a very easy feat. Speaking with Snape gave me a stomach ache, the boy told Harry.
"It's not my fault you're intimidated by him", he told Regulus.
"I'm not!", the Black Heir responded.
And the two bickered for a while after that. None of it seriously, of course. Regulus doubted Harry was serious often.
One thing Harry was not expecting, however, was a letter from his parents asking if he could visit them in the safehouse, so they could speak to him about Dumbledore.
Although he didn't necessarily want to speak with his parents directly, content with just watching them from afar and making sure they'd be okay, he did agree to meet them.
He also knew that Sirius would definitely be there, so he was going to take Regulus with him as well, to see if the brothers would reconcile, or maybe it was just to create a little bit of chaos, one could never know with Harry.
He wore his best robes, waiting to impress. They were a blue that glittered when the light touched the fabric. He wore also a white shirt underneath and on his chest was a necklace with the Resurrection Stone as its jewel. I look dashing, he thought as he looked in the mirror. He could feel Death rolling his eyes due to Harry's behaviour.
Regulus wore a more casual robe, not looking to impress the light wizards. The robes were a dark purple with the Orion constellation making the fabric shine. Harry pointed out that he looked beautiful, which made the other man blush and turn around to hide his face.
Harry smiled at Regulus' shyness but said nothing about it. He then took the younger man's arm and apparated to Ireland.
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The safehouse was nothing grandeur. It was more than most magical families had but it was not overly luxurious. Nothing can compare to my home, Hedwyn thought.
A house-elf met them on the way to the house and guided them, passing through the small garden and going towards the wooden front door.
"I tell masters visitors are here", the elf said, vanishing with a pop. The door opened for them.
Entering the house the two men were met with the Potters and Sirius Black sitting in the living room. Saying that the atmosphere in the room was not the most pleasant was an understatement, but what could one expect from a meeting with James Potter and Sirius Black?
Lord and Lady Potter got up to meet their guests, as well as Lily Potter. James and Sirius were obviously not welcoming at all. Great, Harry thought with sarcasm.
After the greetings, they all sat down. The Potters and Sirius Black on one side of the room and Hedwyn and Regulus on the other. Not a glaring division but still a bit obvious.
"Well, Lord Peverell,", Lily was the first one to speak "we understand the need to stay here. We all want to protect this child that's coming, of course. Yet we can't help to think about our friends in the Order, as well as the people suffering from You-Know-Who's attacks."
"And you want to know if have seen the end of the war, am I correct?"
Lily nodded to him.
"We want to know who's going to win", James said.
"James!", Fleamont hissed and Euphemia shook her head. Sirius, of course, was nodding to James.
"I see. Well, I can't tell when the war is going to end, but I can assure you that is going to be soon."
"And how can you be so sure? Have you seen that in the future?", Sirius asked with a raised eyebrow.
Regulus sneered at his brother's antics.
"No, Mr Black. I have not seen it. I have been taking some... measures to ensure the Dark Lord's defeat. I can pinpoint a date but I can say with certainty that he's demise is closer than you'd think."
"Excuse me, Lord Peverell, but what kind of 'measures' could these be?", Lord Potter asked.
"Let's say that the things that make him immortal will soon disappear", Hedwyn answered with a sharp smile.
"He's immortal?!", Sirius asks in shock.
The others didn't say it out loud but it was clear by their expressions that it was news to them too.
"Oh, you didn't know? I believed it was common knowledge at this point", Peverell answered while laughing.
"You really like to play people, don't you?", Regulus asks Harry.
"I don't know what you're talking about, Reggie."
"Reggie? Okay then, Harry."
The two men laughed lightly and smiled at one another. The brief but sweet exchange didn't go unnoticed by the people in the room.
"And what is he doing here? He's a bloody Death Eater!", Sirius says pointing his finger at Regulus.
But before Regulus can answer his brother Hedwyn says "Your brother is not a Death Eater, Mr Black. He's putting his life at risk by helping me. Is that something you think a Death Eater would do?"
Sirius stays quiet, refusing to answer and Harry feels a sense of satisfaction after defending Regulus from his hot-headed brother.
Lily and Euphemia both smile at Peverell's defence of Regulus. James rolls his eyes.
"I still don't understand why we have to stay away from Dumbledore. Is it because of those news articles? They were lies anyway", The Potter heir says.
"Were they, Mr Potter? I can attest to you that what was written was nothing but the truth. There is a lot more about Albus Dumbledore that you don't know about."
"And how do you know about it? The headmaster is a good man! He's the leader of the resistance against You-Know-Who."
"Yes, a leader of an army of children and former students he favoured. What an honourable man. Dumbledore will first use a child as a shield before putting himself in harm's way, Mr Potter. He's far from being honourable."
"You don't know what you're talking about. Albus Dumbledore is the greatest wizard alive!", Sirius spat.
Hedwyn couldn't help but laugh.
"The 'greatest wizard alive'? A great wizard would've had a love affair with a murderer? A great wizard would villainize an eleven-year-old orphan just because he came from a dark family, Mr Black? A great wizard would send children back to abusive homes to suffer? What do you think? Are those the actions of a great wizard?"
Sirius doesn't answer, just mumbles under his breath.
"Who is this child you talked about, Lord Peverell? The one you say Albus 'villainized'?", Lord Potter asks, concern showing on his face.
"Is the very person he now claims to fight against, Lord Potter."
Euphemia stiffens "No!", the lady says.
"Indeed, Lady Potter."
Sirius shakes his head in denial and James says "There's no way! Dumbledore would never do that! And even if he did there would be a reason. The boy was probably evil or something."
James' parents look at their son in shock after what he said.
"James!", Fleamont says while Euphemia just shakes her head in indignation.
"No child should be mistreated, James Potter! How can you call a child that's being treated unfairly 'evil'?", Euphemia asks her son. Her face was disgruntled.
The Potter heir then puts his head down, feeling ashamed of himself after what his mother pointed out. Sirius Black shuts his mouth and looks at the floor.
"Dumbledore's first interaction with young Tom Riddle, the Dark Lord's real name, already showed the man Dumbledore is. He not only set the orphan boy's wardrobe on fire but he looked at him with disdain just because the boy was a Parselmouth. I want you to imagine what that would be like. Tom Riddle was an orphan living in an orphanage where he had little food, and where he was bullied and attacked because of his accidental magic. Not only the other orphans mistreated the young boy but the matron as well."
"He was excluded because he was different and when he learnt about magic the man who introduced him to it treated him badly. What reinforced the idea that he could only trust himself, Lily Potter said. She understood quite well how being harassed just because you were magical felt like.
"Exactly, Ms Potter."
"And what about the children being sent to abusive homes? Who Dumbledore sent home?", Lily asked, already feeling like she knew the answer.
"I'm afraid you were once an acquaintance of this person, Ms Potter."
Closing her eyes so as not to cry, Lilly couldn't help but feel guilty. She always suspected it! He never told her but she always thought something was wrong in that house. "Severus...", her voice cracking as she said the name of her childhood friend.
"Snivellus?", Sirius asked.
Harry narrowed his eyes at him. "You should be ashamed of yourself. The both of you!", he said to both Sirius and James. "Severus Snape was a boy from a poor family. An abusive family and all you did was torment him. And you two did it for now reason other than because Mr Potter was infatuated with then Lily Evans. The both of you attacked a random student for the most ridiculous reason of all."
"Is this true, James Potter?! This is not how your mother and I raised you", Fleamont scolded his son.
James was now looking at the floor, too ashamed to face his father's disappointed glare.
"He's a Death Eater!", Sirius exclaimed.
"And that makes him so beneath you, doesn't it? The man you made a loner is now being forced to serve a manic."
Regulus felt Hedwyn's words deeply, even though they were not about him. Had Sirius done the same to him? Made him a loner, an easier target to their parents as well as the Dark Lord?
Sirius was going to defend himself but Fleamont raised his hand. "I believe that's enough Sirius. I hope you think about Lord Peverell's words. What the both of you have done makes me so so disappointed."
"I agree. I'm incredibly disappointed in you as well", Euphemia said.
Rubbing her shoulder awkwardly, Lily decided to change the subject. "You said 'children', Lord Peverell. Who else Dumbledore has sent back to an abusive home?"
Hedwyn gave her a sad smile. "That's another reason why I don't want your child to grow up an orphan, Ms Potter", was all Peverell said but Lily understood him immediately.
"No... It can't be. Not my baby."
Harry could see how that news affected his mother. She looked so fragile now. Both arms around her belly, as if to defend her child.
"Unfortunately yes. Dumbledore would've used your child in his battle against the Dark Lord. Doing anything necessary to make sure they stayed easy to manipulate."
"What kind of thing?", James raised his head. Eyes full of anger. Apparently his instincts to protect his child were stronger than he's allegiance to Dumbledore.
"He would've placed him with Petunia Evans", was all he had to say. Every one of them knew of Lily Potter's awful sister.
"I can't believe he would do such a thing with a child. We always trusted him and that's how he pays us?!", Lily couldn't hold her anger. James places a hand on her shoulder, a reassuring gesture for his wife.
"Dumbledore is very good at manipulating people. It's truly something he has mastered. That's why I need you to stay away from him."
Harry saw each one of them, even Sirius, nod in agreement.
Lord Potter signs, clearly drained from the revelations of today.
’I believe it's time to go, Harry. They have a lot to think about', Death pointed out.
Hedwyn then looked at Regulus, signifying that it was time to go. Both men got up and said their goodbyes. The most shocking part was definitely Sirius hugging his brother. However it was clear that Regulus would need time to forgive him, but Sirius didn't seem worried about it.
Family is too complicated, Harry thought and Death laughed.