Memento Vivere

The group of three finished their sweet treats and went on to the next shop. They stopped outside of Ollivanders to debate for a moment. 

“Ollivander is one of the best wandmakers in Magical Britain, but he only uses a few items, so the wands are more limited here than anywhere else.” Aunt Petunia said. The rest of the trip was fairly quick. Their next stop was Madam Malkins, which they were in and out of in less than five minutes.

Apparently, their robes had already been ordered(guess who). The seamstress had remarked that the Durmstrang clothes had been difficult to procure due to where exactly Durmstrang is, but that they had managed.

Harry had been disappointed to see that Draco wasn’t there, though it made sense since it was several days before she had originally gone to Diagon Alley.

All pairs of robes for both Harry and Dudley had runes embroidered on the inside of the cuffs to shrink and grow the clothes as the children aged. Madam Malkins hadn’t had nearly as much difficulty with that task.

They had since finished getting their uniforms from her and were now sitting in Fortescue's. Harry was happily licking her treat, an ice cream that she had never had the chance to try in her first life. 

Harry couldn't help but feel warm despite the cold treat as she drank in the sight of her aunt and cousin sitting peacefully next to her and chatting. Not for the first time she wondered if being a boy was the cause of so much pain in her past life. 

“If you want to look at the more diverse wands, then I suggest that we go to Knockturn alley.” She suggested.

Harry froze. Knockturn Alley is practically covered in creatures and dark wizards and her Aunt wants to go there?

Dudley, seeing his cousin’s startled look, turned to his mother and asked, “What’s the difference between Knockturn Alley and Diagon Alley?”

Harry turned to Petunia as well, wanting to know why her aunt was so indifferent to the darker alley and its dangers, especially since she was so protective of them. This was yet another change from Harry’s first life. 

Petunia, upon seeing her confusion, elaborated. “Magical Britain is considered to be exasperatingly outdated in the eyes of other Magicals due to the Ministry outlawing certain spells and rituals and the like.”

Harry went silent and a thoughtful silence enveloped the three. A quick glance at Dudley confirmed her thoughts. He was just as surprised by this as she was. 

Makes sense, since it had practically been ingrained from birth that there was no middle. You either were, or weren’t. Petunia had just shattered their world views with ease and it was clear she could tell, if her raised eyebrow and amused smirk meant anything. 

Harry really shouldn't have been so flummoxed by this, not when she had already lived an entire lifetime, albeit cut short.

She had lived longer than her parents, so she was going to count it. Plus, her godfather/uncle(??) was from one of the most influential families of Magical Britain, and said family used primarily dark magic.

Dudley frowned contemplatively for a moment. “Can we? Go to Knockturn, that is?” He amended at seeing their looks.

Petunia nodded with grace only a noble lady could have, “Yes, though it’s best that we get everything we need from Diagon first since we’re already here. Make sure not to wander off in Knockturn alley.”

The kids nodded quickly and hurriedly discussed what they should do next. Petunia watched them with a look Harry had never seen on her aunt before.

Harry hesitantly spoke up. “Er… Aunt Petunia?”

“Yes, dear?”

“Can we go into Ollivanders? I know we might not find a wand but… If Knockturn is so disliked, then it’s likely my mum got her wand here, right?”

Petunia’s expression changed further, almost as if it was softening, and she nodded without a word.

It hit her then. Affection. Something she had never experienced from Petunia nor Dudley in her past life. All of a sudden, there was a lump in her throat and a mist in her eyes. 

As she blinked away tears, she couldn’t help but feel happy that Mort had chosen to send her back despite. She still needed to have a talk with him though.

The eldest member of the three-person-group led the younger two into the thankfully uninhabited shop. “If you don’t get a wand here, then we’ll get one in Knockturn.” She explained.

Harry and Dudley nodded. Harry was determined to get her old wand back. They had never quite been able to fix it, and she missed it dearly. Having it back would be like reuniting with an old friend even if she didn’t quite need it anymore.

At least with her holly wand, she wouldn’t have to worry about hiding the Elder Wand from Voldemort or Dumbledore by disguising it.

Entering the shop revealed the same dusty little interior as Harry’s first life. It was so relieving to see something that hadn’t been changed that she nearly burst into tears. Her life was so different now that she felt lost.

Harry shook away her feelings with a subtle shiver. Sure she hadn’t yet taken the time to sit down and give herself time to grieve for the could-have-beens, but that wasn’t important. 

What's important was making sure the war didn’t happen again.

What's important was protecting her family, her people . 

Brief flashes of memories raced through her mind, flashes of the war, of the fear, of the desperation -

Mrs. Weasley had refused to let her take part in the Order meetings even though she was directly in the middle of it. The target.

She was the only one standing between Voldemort and victory then. She still is.

They had suffered so much because of it. Suffered because they hadn't been allowed to prepare. She couldn't help but loathe Mrs. Weasley for a moment.

The stubborn woman would have sent them to their deaths if not for Harriet's connection to Voldemort.

She had been right though. Children shouldn't have to fight in wars .

She snapped out of her thoughts when a wand entered her peripherals. She had completely zoned out.

“Try this one. Yew with dragon heartstrings, 9 ½ inches, bendy, very good for runework.”

Petunia twitched in interest, though neither Dudley nor Harry noticed in the moment. 

Later, once back at Privet Drive, they would ponder over her reaction while eagerly exploring their treasures. 

Harry barely touched the wand when Ollivander’s desk quite literally fell apart into planks of wood, no longer held together by whatever had been keeping them in place. 

Ollivander whisked the wand from her grasp with a mutter of “no, no, not that one.”

Eleven wands later and Harry was getting impatient. 

Ollivander finally pulled out her first best friend- her wand. 

“Here… This wand is holly, with a phoenix feather core. It is 11 inches, and nice and supple. However, it is quite the unusual combination due to the core.”

Dudley tilted his head from where he peered over Harry's shoulder. “Whaddya mean by that?”

Ollivander hesitated. “The phoenix that gave the feather for the core gave another. This wand… has a brother. That brother just so happens to belong to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.”

Harry tilted her head, unknowingly matching Dudley and managing to look incredibly eerie in the process. 

She couldn't remember if Ollivander had referred to Tom that way in her first life. 

She waved the wand, fearing rejection, which could very well happen now that she had lived a lifetime. 

Her fears were unfounded though, and she sagged in pure unadulterated relief at the stunning display of sparks sweeping from the wand. 

‘Thank you’, she thought as she closed her eyes to keep from sobbing uncontrollably. She didn't have the time to break. 

‘Thank you,’ she thought again. Death, while endlessly patient and kind, at least to her, was a possessive being no matter how well they hid it.

They didn't like sharing, so the fact that they had allowed her holly wand to choose her when she knew for a fact that they would rather give her the Elder wand spoke volumes. 

She took a deep breath and turned to Dudley, who was cautiously peering around the battered little shop. Petunia had raised an eyebrow, clearly sensing her niece's distracted behavior.

Dudley hesitantly opened his mouth as he turned to Ollivander, “Apologies, sir, but I think I would prefer to get my wand at a different shop.” He cringed, clearly expecting the wizard to be offended.

Ollivander, much to the younger Evans of the groups’ surprise, simply nodded. “I thought as much. Every so often I get a child who cannot find their match in my shop. I would suggest going to Wendell’s Magical Foci. They have a much broader range of materials.”

Everyone, even Petunia, stared at the old man in poorly concealed shock. None of them had expected him to so calmly refer to what was technically his rival, maybe even his enemy.

Ollivander chuckled at their expressions. “I am a light wizard, yes, but I come from a long line of proud dark and gray wizards and witches. I know when I’m beat, and besides, he uses more than three core types so he's the best option.”

Dudley nodded, a little shocked that the wizard would so willingly give them information when it would lose him money. 

Ollivander nodded decisively, visibly proud of himself. Petunia handed him the money for Harry's wand and he shooed them away. 

“Right, well… that was certainly something.” Petunia murmured. 

Harry nodded numbly, and the three stood outside for a few more minutes before childish excitement struck the cousins once more. 

Dudley grabbed his mother and cousins hands, dragging them to the next shop. The nest shop turned out to be Flourish and Blotts. Petunia quickly gathered up Harry’s books. Since Dudley was going to Durmstrang, Mort had delivered the books by owl.

Harry and Dudley wandered around the shop hand-in-hand. Safely away from any prying ears, Dudley turned to Harry and whispered, “Are you alright? You’ve been really spacey all day.”

Harry hesitated, then nodded. “I’m alright,” she confirmed, squeezing his warm hand in hers.

She was horribly touch starved, even with everyone from her past life. She was finally getting the affection she had craved from two of the people she knew from a young age.

“I just- I knew I had magic, but this is way more overwhelming than I thought it would be. I didn't expect Aunt Petunia to have magic, though.” 

Dudley nodded in agreement. “I can't believe mum had magic and never told us.”

Harry frowned. “Uncle Vernon hates anything he doesn't consider ‘normal’, is it really that much of a surprise that she didn't tell us when we were children with no filter?”

Dudley paused at that. “Okay, I guess not. Dad really doesn't like anything he thinks is ‘freakish’. I wonder if I ever showed accidental magic.”

“You probably did,” Harry responded, squeezing Dudley's hand again. “Aunt Petunia probably covered it up, or Uncle Vernon thought I did it.”

Dudley's expression hardened and he changed the topic, seeing his cousin becoming sadder. “I wonder what Jor and Tuttle are doing.”

This made Harry smile. Their pets got along surprisingly well and despite only being able to understand one of them, they both made wonderful companions.

Dudley grinned at his cousin's smile and tugged her through the shop. They were now perusing the shelves, looking for books to catch their fancy.

They found several books, some about magical animals, some about potions, and some about spells. Dudley’s attention was drawn to a book about plants, while Harry picked out a book about animagi.

Her father and his friends had all been animagus’, so she was curious about what it was like. Despite living an entire lifetime, she had never tried the transformation, what with the war and all.

They went to the counter, where Petunia was waiting for them. Dudley took Harry’s book and handed them both to his mother, who promptly paid for them with a smile.

Now done with that, they decided to pause outside of Knockturn Alley. “Now, Dudley, do you wish to go get your wand now, or wait till after?” Petunia questioned, turning to her son.

Dudley and Harry, still holding hands so as not to lose each other in the crowd, shared a look. After some non-verbal prompting from Harry, Dudley nodded and answered his mother. “I’d like to get my wand now since we’re here.”

Harry reluctantly released her cousin's hand. “Aunt Petunia? Can I buy writing utensils from this shop?” She asked, pointing at Scribbulus Writing Implements.

Petunia was quiet for a moment, but she finally nodded. “Very well, but I don’t want you leaving the shop until we return.

Harry nodded eagerly and after Petunia kissed her on the head and handed her a pouch of galleons, something that left Harry feeling euphoric, happily entered the shop.

Harry quickly bought enough parchment to last both her and Dudley all year. The kind man at the counter offered to sell her two satchels that would carry enough parchment, ink, quills, and books to last several years. The satchels even came with permanent feather-light charms.

She then picked out ten quills for her and Dudley each that automatically refilled using the first ink pot they were dipped in. She quickly located several different kinds of ink, with seven different colors.

The last three ink pots were black and refilled with a simple aguamenti by using runes to turn the water to ink.

Having procured two of five colors of the rainbow and three refillable black inks each for her and Dudley, she now focused on finding a quill and ink for her aunt.

She quickly spotted the most gorgeous green ink she had ever seen, and picked it up with the goal of finding a quill.

She almost immediately found a beautiful raven quill that shone green when turned in the right lighting. Okay, maybe she picked it because ravens were believed to carry ill omens, and at times, death. 

She might be a tiny little bit possessive.

Once she was done shopping, she headed to the counter and paid 48 galleons and 15 sickles. She hummed happily as she exited the shop to sit at a bench and wait for her cousin and aunt.

A few minutes passed before she spotted Dudley and Petunia, who both looked more tense than she had ever seen either of them, in both her first and second life.

The moment they noticed her sitting on the bench, they both very visibly relaxed. Harry was surprised when Dudley and Petunia, who were holding hands, sped up to reach her faster.

“Aunt Petunia, Dudley! How was it?” She asked, waving them over eagerly.

Dudley only stopped moving once they were holding hands. “I got my wand! It’s made of willow wood with veela hair as its core and it’s reasonably supple.”

Harry hummed in curiosity, making a mental note to pick up the wand lore book Aunt Petunia had bought to look at.

“Now,” Petunia interrupted. “Let’s go to the apothecary. After that, we’ll go buy you both cauldrons and then we’ll stop at the Magical Menagerie and Eelop’s Owl Emporium.Does that sound alright?”

Dudley and Harry shared a look. They both desperately wanted to go to the Menagerie and Emporium but they understood that it was best to go there after in case they get any animals.

After all, it wouldn't do to stress out some poor creature by dragging it around the alley. Morgana knows they were already tired themselves.

Suddenly Harry remembered. They needed gloves, hats, and cloaks. She opened her mouth to ask her aunt, but Petunia seemed to read her mind.

“The gloves, hats, and cloaks came with the robes.” Petunia said, looking amused. “They were just never shown because it wasn't needed.”

Dudley nodded silently. He had asked his mother about it while in Knockturn Alley and had gotten the same answer.

They were all clearly exhausted, so much so that neither Harry nor Dudley thought to ask why they were going to the apothecary when neither of them needed anything.

It was a quick affair, what with Petunia allowing them to wait outside the shop as long as they sat on a bench in front of the window.

They didn't argue, too tired to so much as protest. Dudley leaned against Harry’s shoulder, head drooping down to rest on it.

Harry didn’t even protest, simply letting her head rest on his as they waited for their eldest family member.

Likewise, buying their cauldrons was just as quick an affair, if not faster. Petunia had purchased five cauldrons, two each for the children and one for her.

The children of course did not know this because they had both thought it appropriate to wait outside for her, therefore there was no way they could know that she had gotten one for herself.

With that task completed, now they had two places to go. The three were clearly exhausted, but not even that could have forced the pep in their steps.

Even Petunia was excited! Though, that could just be because they were finally almost done with the tiring day.

Entering the Menagerie was almost pure bliss, even if it was the part they had been most eager for the entire day since getting to Diagon.

Harry turned silently to her aunt, who simply smiled and nodded. With her permission, Harry released Dudley’s hand and started off at the furthest aisle from the doors.

Dudley didn’t even question it as he set off for the furthest aisle on the opposite side of the shop. Dudley ended up in the reptile aisle, where he watched curiously.

The one reptile that stood out to him was a horned serpent, which had risen to stare at him with nary a sound. None of the other animals in the aisle paid an ounce of attention to him.

A strange blue jewel gleamed from its place in the serpent's forehead, and Dudley tilted his head curiously. The snake copied him.

Dudley was startled from the strange silence when his mother came up behind him. “I do believe we just found your familiar,” she huffed in barely concealed amusement. 

Dudley flushed in embarrassment. “Where’s Harry?” he questioned, noticing his cousin's absence.

Petunia smiled calmly, noting his well-hidden panic. It was as she thought, her husband would have to be dealt with soon.

“She immediately gravitated towards the cats and kneazles, similarly to how you gravitated to the reptiles,” she said, still smiling.

Dudley squinted at her, the horned serpent seemingly copying him. Petunia closed her eyes, still smiling, and tilted her head in curiosity. “Is something wrong, dear?”

“Er, no mum…” Dudley mumbled. Petunia raised an eyebrow at him questioningly, and he avoided her gaze.

Meanwhile, Harry was quietly watching a mother cat nurse her kittens. She couldn't help but feel jealous.

Yes, she had Aunt Petunia and Dudley in this second life, but… why couldn’t she have her mum? Her dad? Heck, why not Siri?

These thoughts drew her back to her blood test at Gringotts. Her mother was dead, that was a fact, but somehow her father had survived.

And why did it say Siri’s brother was her other father? Was it true for her first life as well? And where were they? Where was Regulus and James? What was going on?

And that brought her to another matter. How would her aunt react to finding out her father- fathers?- was alive?

She had been confused when Aunt Petunia didn’t react at all to seeing her parentage, but Griphook had explained as they were leaving that the parchment had a spell on it that prevented others from seeing certain parts of it unless allowed.

It hadn’t occurred to Harry to specifically show her aunt that part until now, but that would have to be done at a later time.

For now, Harry would watch these impossibly soft creatures get something she would never be able to experience- not with her mother, at least.

She sniffled and wiped her nose with her sleeve. It wasn’t the time nor place to cry, no matter how much she desperately wanted to.

She was startled out of her musings by her aunt and cousin coming up behind her and scaring the crap out of her.

Normally she was much more aware of her surroundings, but she hadn’t exactly taken the time to just sit down and process everything that had happened so far.

“Sorry…” She mumbled, blushing. She raised an eyebrow at the horned serpent in Dudley’s arms. “I take it Tuttle’s enclosure will need to be expanded?”

Petunia snorted in amusement as Dudley nodded sheepishly. “Pretty much.” Harry stifled a laugh, then frowned.

“I wonder why Mort wanted us to come here? No offense, Dud, but I doubt he sent us just to get you another pet.”

Dudley just laughed. “None taken seeing as I was just about to say that myself.” The serpent in his arms tasted the air. It was by far the most silent snake Harry had met.

Petunia smiled down at her son and niece. “Well, we might as well ask at the counter while we purchase everything necessary for it.”

Dudley and Harry nodded at the same time and followed her to the very back of the store, where the counter was.

“Excuse me?” Petunia said, as calm as a statue. “Might I know if there are any animals currently waiting to be picked up?”

The woman at the counter perked up. “There are several ma’am. I’m afraid you’ll have to be more specific.”

Petunia nodded as if she had suspected this. “Unfortunately, I do not know what animal it is, but I do know that it was purchased under the name of Mort?”

The woman paled slightly at that. “I’m… afraid I’ll need you to prove you are the intended receiver of the animal he sent.”

Harry stepped forward. Despite her aunt having received a letter from him, Harry was the only one who actually knew anything about the man beyond his name.

Mort had warned her that they would most likely be needing a code word, though at the time she hadn’t known why. It all made sense now.

“By chance, did he happen to mention a star? Mirzam, to be more exact.” She asked, politely. They had chosen Mirzam because at some point Sirius had told her that he had almost been named Mirzam.

Just the thought of her godfather made her want to crawl into a hole and cry until she drowned in her tears.

The woman nodded rapidly, some of her pallor returning to her. “That’s correct! Would you happen to be a Miss Harriet Evans, by any chance?”

Harry bobbed her head. “That would be me, yes.” She grinned, “Though Evans was my mother’s last name.”

The woman laughed. “I’ll be right back.” She disappeared into the back room and returned in moments with a hissing, shaking crate. There was a charm attached to the handle, looking to be a tiny bag.

“Here you are,” the woman said with a relieved smile. “We’ve had him for only a day, but several of our employees almost quit because he refuses to let anyone near. This little charm here is full of everything you need for him.”

They quickly paid for Dudley’s horned serpent, allowing it to slither into a similar cage with its own little bag attached.

The woman waved at them, looking as if she could die happy right then and there. Given how frightened she seemed of the animal inside the crate she had handed Harry, it was probably for good reason.

Harry peered into the dark crate, only able to see silver eyes peering at her. The slitted pupils dilated, nearly taking over the pretty color of the irises.

She smiled as the crate stilled for a moment, before beginning to shake with the sound of hesitant purring. Guess she knew what Mort had gotten her.

Dudley seemed just as taken with his endlessly silent horned serpent, so much so that Petunia had to guide him through the crowd.

The crowd had grown quite a bit, which made sense since they had been there for hours. Long enough, in fact, there were only a few hours left until Vernon returned from work.

A fact that Petunia reminded them of with a tight smile. She absolutely adored their happiness, but that didn’t mean that they didn’t have to hurry.

Honestly she wanted to get back to the house so that she could nap before making dinner. Then again, she could always just say that they had eaten already and made something for him.

Petunia opened the door to the Owl Emporium. Dudley probably would need an owl, as would Harry. She herself also likely needed one, but Vernon would never stand for it. Well, he didn't have to know.

Harry tugged her aunt and cousin to the counter, knowing that Mort had likely already paid for owls for them all.

Harry calmly shooed them away. Petunia and Dudley went without fuss, though that was mostly because Dudley had not looked up from his serpent and Aunt Petunia was busy making sure he didn't run into anything or anyone.

“Excuse me sir, I believe I am here to pick up an owl? Possibly three?”

The man looked up from his copy of the Daily Planet. “Ah, I don’t suppose you're Harriet Evans?”

Harry nodded, only slightly surprised. “That’s me, sir.”

The man nodded as well. “Good. Now, Mr. Mort already picked out a snowy owl for you, but he also paid the fee for two more owls. I take it they’re for your companions?” He asked, jerking his aid at her aunt and cousin.

“That sounds about right.” She confirmed. The man simply huffed. “Well, when your companions find their owls, have them bring them up here so I can check them out and give you the snowy owl.”

Harry nodded and thanked the man before returning to Petunia and Dudley’s sides. She relayed the information to them and they set out to find their own owls.

Dudley had decided on a tough-looking great horned owl. It was, quite frankly, kind of intimidating. It gave them all a close look before settling down in its cage with nary a sound.

Petunia, however, had chosen a haughty-looking long-eared owl, who watched them all for a moment before deciding it was quite alright with this turn of events.

With their new birds in hand, they approached the counter. The man did a double take at the owls they had with them, but didn't say a word besides handing them the snowy owl.

As the three left with now five different animals, Harry overheard the man muttering about how they chose the three meanest birds there.

She snickered. She had already known that Hedwig (and who else could the snowy owl be?) had quite the mean streak, but she hadn’t known that about the other two owls.

“Well,” Petunia proclaimed as she looked down at the children in front of her. “This has been quite the eventful day. Let's get home now.”

Harry and Dudley nodded. Going to Diagon Alley had been fun, but now they were just tired from all the moving around they did.

They made it home on the Knight Bus with very little fanfare. SIghing in relief, they filed through the door to the house one by one.

Once shoes had been placed by the door, Petunia led the tired children up to Dudley’s room. They placed their newest pets down and sat for a moment, clearly relishing in getting off their feet.

Petunia pulled out her wand, something Harry and Dudley had yet to see. They both perked up, eager to see her use magic for the first time in their lives.

She smiled softly at them and waved her wand, making Dudley’s door open and everything the owls, serpent, and cat needed to go flying about.

Two owl stands now stood in Dudley’s room while his horned serpent’s enclosure filled with water and plantlife next to Tuttle’s tank.

Meanwhile, in Harry’s room, a cat tree, two bowls, litter box, and an owl stand were set up by Petunia’s magic. Once done, she smiled in satisfaction. 

Another wave of Petunia’s wand opened all of the cage doors. The first animal to come out was Dudley’s horned serpent.

Before it could make it any farther than a few inches, it locked eyes with something under Dudley’s bed.

It lifted itself up and apprehensively tasted the air. After a moment’s hesitation, it hissed. “ Hello, Large One and Hard One. May I move further?”

Harry lifted an eyebrow before realizing that it was probably talking to Jor and Tuttle. Her thoughts were proven true when Jor hissed back. “ You may, Sssshining One. I am Jormungandr, and this is Tuttle. What isss your name?”

Petunia stiffened. She had known that the kids had broken out a boa constrictor, but she hadn’t realized that they had kept it!

Jor slithered from underneath the bed, using the bed frame and his muscles to allow him to slide up it and onto the bed, where he calmly wrapped himself around Harry and rested there.

Petunia continued to stare, looking conflicted. On one hand, a massive snake had just come from under her son's bed and wrapped itself around her niece, but on the other, neither of the kids freaked out and it wasn’t hurting anyone.

Mind made up, Petunia looked away from the boa constrictor, though it was clear that she was still wary, given the way she kept it in her field of view.

Ignoring his two-legger’s egg layer’s nestmate, Jor kept his attention solely on the other snake. “ I have never met one of your kind before. What are you?”

The horned serpent slithered closer, “ I am what the two-leggersss know as a ‘horned sserpent’. You are very large, Jormunganr. Asss for my name, I have yet to receive one.”

The three magicals in the room watched in interest. The owls had settled down calmly on the stands, with Hedwig being on Dudley’s headboard.

The cat had yet to leave its crate despite the door being opened, though that might just be because it could hear snakes outside.

Dudley shot Harry a look, and she raised her eyebrows. Sometimes being the only person in the room who could understand snakes was tiring.

Jor hissed in amusement, not that anybody who can't understand snakes could tell. “ I am, thank you. Tell me, are you going to be that size forever, or shall you grow?”

“ I will grow, but it will take time. The two-leggers in that den used magi to keep me small. I am only two feet long as of now.”

Harry straightened from where she had slumped in Jor’s coils. “Dudley, your snake is going to grow. Also, you should probably name him.”

Dudley sat taller at that, “How do you know it’s a he?” Petunia studied Harry closely. Could Harry understand the snakes?

Harry smiled, not paying attention to her aunt's contemplative look. “I can tell what gender he is because he sounds like a boy.” Despite her confidence, she still looked to the horned serpent for verification.

The serpent nodded, not even questioning that she could understand him. “ I am male, speaker.” Harry nodded and confirmed, “Yep, he’s male.”

Petunia’s head pounded. She was exhausted, and this information was a massive surprise. Lily couldn’t understand snakes, and neither could James… or that Severus boy from what she knew.

Dudley hummed. “What should I name him?” Everyone went silent. Not even the animals made a sound.

Petunia spoke up, “How about Azraq? It means blue.” Everyone turned to the horned serpent, then to Harry. Harry just sighed and repeated the question in Parseltongue.

“ Hmmm… yessss that name shall do.” Harry smiled and informed the others of his acceptance of the name.

With that decided, Azraq slithered into Dudley’s lap, content to rest there unless told otherwise. Seeing that Azraq wasn't willing to do much more, everyone turned to look at the cats crate.

The crate was completely silent, but everyone could see silver eyes cautiously peering at the room.

None of them wanted to distress the poor cat further than it already was, so they decided to deal with naming the owls next. 

There was an awkward silence. Petunia cleared her throat, “Well, Harry, Dudley, have you chosen names for your owls?”

Dudley shook his head but Harry nodded affirmatively. “I’m naming mine Hedwig,” She said as she smiled. It would be a long time, but things were starting to improve.

Petunia pursed her lips, clearly recognising the name, but didn’t say anything further. “I will be naming my owl Lisa, after my mother.” There was a soft quality to her voice, and her eyes looked watery.

Dudley hemmed and hawed, struggling to pick a name for his strong looking owl. “I think I’ll name mine… Chevalier! It means knight in French.”

Dudley looked to his owl, hope visible on his face. The regal owl studied him long and hard before ruffling his feathers begrudgingly.

Dudley slumped, almost falling over, with a sigh of relief. At some point, Tuttle had painstakingly made his way out from under Dudley's bed and over to the boy, where he was now gnawing on his sock.

Dudley giggled and bent down as best he could without disturbing Azraq. He gently pulled Tuttle off his sock and held a leaf for him to eat instead.

The sight was, quite frankly, adorable and it softened the atmosphere in the room. Tension that had been slowly becoming noticeable faded away with everyone's smiles. 

Harry was torn away from the soft feeling rising in her chest by something entering her peripherals. The cat had finally felt safe enough to venture outside of its crate.

Harry's spine went ramrod straight as a cheerful smile formed. She was overjoyed that the cat had finally chosen to exit the crate.

The cat surveyed its surroundings with a grim sort of air to it before noticing the other occupants of the room.

The cat (which Harry really had to find a name for, wow ) fixed its gaze on Harry, and by association, Jor. The cat's back arched and an angry yowl built up in its chest.

Harry simply pet the now tense snake wrapped around her, prompting Jor to relax. Upon seeing the ease in which Harry soothed the large boa constrictor, the cat hesitantly relaxed as well.

Harry absolutely beamed , overjoyed at the thought of her pets at the very least coexisting. The cat scrutinized them for five long seconds before very slowly inching towards them.

The cat had barely given Petunia and Dudley anything more than a dismissive glance, and it was easy to see that it was focused completely and utterly on Harry in that moment.

Harry looked positively exuberant when the cat climbed into her lap, meowing quietly up at her. Now that it was closer, she could study it better.

It was absolutely gorgeous, with seemingly ebony fur and silver eyes that stood out starkly against aforementioned fur. Its nose and paw pads were a soft pink that Harry desperately wanted to play with but restrained herself lest she frighten the poor thing.

Jor gave the cat a dour look and unwound himself from around Harry and slithered over to Dudley. The cat, which further inspection showed it to be a male, relaxed fully now that the snake that could swallow him in one gulp had left.

He peered up at Harry, shuffling further into Harry’s lap, as Jor had been taking up quite a bit of space. She smiled down at the cat, enjoying the comforting weight and warmth he provided.

The clearing of a voice startled everyone in the room, including the other animals. “Vernon will be getting home soon, so I should get started on dinner. Dudley, would you like to help me?” Petunia questioned.

Dudley nodded rapidly. “Yeah mum! What’re we making?” He asked as he stood quickly.

Petunia gave him an amused smile and led him from the room, “I was thinking you could choose.” She waved at Harry and shut the door softly behind her.

Harry smiled at her relatives' backs, not minding how Dudley hadn’t stopped to say goodbye. Yet another change to the household was that Dudley was learning to cook, and he took to it with surprising gusto.

No, his cooking wasn’t the best, but he was certainly better than his father. The man had set water on fire the one time Petunia had convinced him to cook.

They ended up staying in a hotel for two months while the house was repaired.

Harry returned her attention to the cat, allowing the cat to sniff her hand before she made another move.

Once done inspecting her hand, the cat began to purr and rub his head on her. She felt goopy, but in a good way. It was as if everything bad was melting away with each breath from the cat.

Harry simply sat there with a purring cat in her lap. A meow brought her back to reality, and she looked down in surprise.

She blinked when she realized her cheeks were wet and her eyes were puffy from crying. She hadn’t even noticed her face becoming wetter.

She sniffled, half heartedly wiping at her face with the back of her hand. “Hello,” she smiled wobbly. “My name is Harry Potter.”

“Do you have a name? I’d’ve asked the other animals, but you’re the only one who we know doesn’t have one.” She whispered, mouth dry.

The cat observed her for a long moment, never blinking once. It would have been creepier if it weren’t for the fact that Harry had learned from Hermione that dilated eyes meant positive things.

The cat looked away, turning his head towards the star poster on Dudley’s closet. The cat leaned towards it, despite never leaving her lap.

She gently lifted the massive cat up off her lap and carefully walked over to the poster, cradling him to her chest.

The cat sniffed the poster before placing a paw onto one of the constellations. She looked closer, lifting the cat’s paw off.

The constellation that cat had picked said Leo. Harry looked down curiously at him, “Leo? Would you like to be called Leo?”

The cat nodded and Harry beamed. Harry got to know Leo and the other pets while she waited either for dinner to be ready or for Vernon to arrive.

Eventually Dudley bounded up the stairs, which he could now do, to greet the pets and drag Harry down for food.

They quickly fed the pets and rushed down the stairs just as Vernon came through the door. He greeted Petunia and Dudley jovially, and almost killed Harry with his glare, but that was that.

— — —

Thunderous snores echoed through the house as quiet voices filtered through a small speaker. The other residents had decided to let the patriarch sleep, no matter how loud he was.

All but one, that is. The beefy walrus of a man had quickly angered every single one of the newest residents, who he didn’t even know existed.

This one resident bravely lifted himself up and began the treacherous climb over the patriarch's massive stomach, struggling all the while to keep his hold on the pillow he held.

Finally at the giant patriarch-who-didn’t-deserve-to-be-called-such’s face, he released the pillow and prepared himself for the momentous task he had decided needed to be done.

The pillow landed awkwardly on the patriarch's face, and the resident placed himself on it like an exhausted man finally reaching the top of Mt. Everest.

Looking around quickly, the resident preserved his dignity and let out a massive fart before settling all his weight on the pillow.

The desired outcome quickly came to light as the patriarch began to snort and gasp for air. The resident shot up and into the darkness just as the patriarch sat up, now fully awake.

The patriarch gagged in disgust as the pillow fell to the floor, unable to land safely on the behemoth that was the patriarch.

— — —

Slow beeping filled the room. Raspy breathing was one of the only other sounds that could be heard in the room. Tubes ran from tan skin, which was paler than should be.