Illusion of Normality

Harry Potter had received a frantic call, it was from his cousins Dudley’s wife, telling him that his aunt, uncle and cousin had died in a tragic boating accident. Her words barely coherent as she talks through her cries.

“Calm down Louise. I’ll come over quickly.” He said as he tied his shoes quickly, glancing at his wife who was standing by his side.

“No!” the voice from the telephone said very quickly. “Go to my house, my children, they are alone there! I- I haven’t told them.” Her voice shook slightly, her sobs echoing out of the telephone.

“Okay, I’ll go over there quickly. Ginny, dear-”

“Go Harry, I’ll take care of the kids.” She said, worry in her eyes as she kissed him on the cheeks.

But before Harry could leave, a great barn owl swooped inside their house through their opened window. The owl show his feet with a letter tied onto it. Harry quickly untied and unfolded the letter, it was a letter from work.

“Mr. Potter, We are in need of your presence urgently. An attack against muggles had occurred in London.” Harry looked up at his wife, his bright green eyes shaking in understanding.

“I’ll go here quickly then I’ll go see the kids.” He said very quickly, apparating with a loud crack right after his words.

Harry arrived at the scene, he could see a thick veil covering the dock and the dark sky above, muggles walked past them, their eyes glazing over the veil. Harry quickly entered the veil, multiple aurors where already there, interviewing multiple muggles left at the scene.

“It was chaos!” A man quivering, clutching the towel on his back. “A man just screamed some odd words with a stick in his hand and suddenly there was an explosion! Then everyone was screaming and the boat was tilting! There were other people in cloaks who had sticks too! They also said something I couldn’t hear because more explosion came after that!” He said very quickly as tears welled up in his eyes.

“Do you perhaps remember the words he said.” The man wearing a grey suit asked as he quickly wrote in his notepad.

“I- I think it has the word bomb on it. Maybe he had a bomb or something.” The mans eyes trailed of for a second. “Bombarda Maxima!” He screamed, making Harry and the man taking notes flinch at the words.

Harry caught the eye of the man in grey suit. “Mr Potter! Sir!” the man quickly bowed at him as Harry raises his hand to stop him.

“Mr. Boot, what about the other witnesses? Was there anyone closer to the attackers?”

“The others are still being interviewed. One of them had said that they were wearing masks to disguise themselves.” Mr. Boot said, quickly checking his notes. “The closest one is that man over there, that one with Mr. Scrimgeour.” Pointing at a man similarly covered in a thick towel sitting by the dock alongside a man wearing a black suit.

Harry quickly walked over, Mr. Scrimgeour noticing him, bowed his head slightly.

“Mr. Potter, Sir.” His tawny Hair covering his face for a moment as he lifted his head. “This man here had seen the person who caused the first explosion.”

“I didn’t expect it!” the man howled with tears in his eyes. “I talked to him, he- he was a young man and he seemed very nice. We- we were talking then he just suddenly got up and screamed something!” the mans voice quivered with every word he said. His eyes met with Harry for a second, not looking away.

Harry looked at the mans eyes and uttered the word “Legillimens”, the man flinched at the sight of his wand, Harry very quickly put it back inside his coat. He quickly looked away, staring back at Mr. Scrimgeour.

“I’ll leave this place to you.” He said quickly walking away from the scene as the other well suited men took out their wands. He apparated once again, he had to finish this quickly.

~

The sky was slowly brightening when he had arrived at the front of a deserted looking house. The house looked dark as no lights were opened inside, he flinched at the sight as he pulled out his wand.

“Revelio.” He whispered quietly, there was nothing there, he sighed but didn’t put his wand away.

Suddenly, an owl swooped down at him, a letter tied to its feet. Harry took the letter and flinched at the words written on it.

“Harry, someone had called on the telephone an hour after you left. Louise had gotten into an accident while driving. I’m sorry Harry, they said she didn’t make it. I had left the children to mum and dad. I will go there and take care of it myself, take care of their children for now.”

Harry staggered slightly, he couldn’t believe that all of this happened in a day. He squeezed his temple tightly, his eyes falling back at the house in front of him. Pointing his wand at the door, it clicked and opened slightly. Harry entered the house, his green eyes falling at the two small figure sleeping right in front of the door he had opened. His eyes shook at the sight, these children were about to experience horrible grief they shouldn’t have at such a young age.

The blonde girl, Estelle, he remembered, opened her eyes slowly. She flinched at the sight of him, rubbing her eyes with both hands, she spoke with a hoarse voice. “Uncle Harry?”

“Hello Estelle.” Harry tried his best to smile, yet his face contorted with pain. “Your mother called me to come here and take care of you and your siblings.”

Estelle looked up at him, her bright green eyes similar to him staring at him intently as he sat down at their level. She shook her brother awake, Ruelle, he rubbed his eyes in a similar way as his sister, his pale blue eyes squinting awake.

“Tia? What’s wrong?” Ruelle asked, yawning his eyes glancing at Harry. “Uncle Harry?”

The two children sat awake, both looking at him with questioning eyes. Harry opened his mouth and closed it again, he didn’t know how to start, he is about to give these children a terrible news they will never be able to forget. His eyes dropped down from their faces, his eyes shook at the letters clutched within their small hands, the green ink clearly visible from the light outside coming through the door.

“That!” Harry’s voice trembled as he pointed at the letters, the two children quickly hid their letters behind their backs, but Harry had already seen what was written. “Hogwarts?”

The two children flinched at his word, they looked into each other, worry in their eyes they looked back at Harry.

“Hog-warts? I dunno what you’re talking about...” Estelle words rang into Harry’s ears, she didn’t look at him but Harry could see the look of a child caught with something they shouldn’t have. Ruelle sat beside his sister, unlike her, he was still, although his eyes trembled slightly as he looked up at the ceiling.

Harry couldn’t believe his eyes, the two letters meant that these two, like him, were magic. Unlike their mother Louise who was a squib that had asked Harry to keep her secret, and his cousin, Dudley who was a muggle. Harry laughed a dry laugh, covering his face with both hands, he couldn’t believe how many revelations he had in this long day. He was still for moment, he didn’t know where to start.

“Uncle Harry?” Estelled hand had reached out to touch his arm, Harry was trembling. “Are you okay?”

Harry looked up, pain in his eyes as he looked at the worried girls face. This young girl was worried about him, and yet he couldn’t bring himself to reply, his chest was tight, he didn’t know what to feel. The people who had mistreated him as a child were gone, he was disgusted at his own apathy at this situation when he was facing these children who, like him, are now orphans because of dark wizards.

“I-”

“Tia?” a small voice quickly took everyone’s attention, they all looked at the entrance of the living room. Standing there was an even smaller figure, a young girl, Petunia, the youngest child who was the same age as Lily, Harry remembered.

“Tuney!” Estelle quickly got up and stood by her sisters side. “Its still early, you should be sleeping!”

“Where’s mum?” Petunia asked, clutching at her sisters clothes.

“She’s not back yet! Now be a good girl and get back to sleep.”

Petunia pouted, then Harry caught her sight and she beamed at him. She quickly ran up into his arms and looked up at him. “Lily?” she asked, her eyes darting from behind Harry to him repeatedly.

“She’s not with me right now.” Harry said, patting her bed hair down. He looked at the three children who had just woken up from their sleep. Light was already entering the house, morning had arrived. Harry stood up, Petunia still at his arms as he said “There’s something I must tell you. Let’s go and sit at sofa.”

The two children quickly followed him, Estelle and Ruelle sat at the sofa with Harry putting Petunia between them. He took a chair from the kitchens and sat in front of them.

Harry opened his mouth and started telling them the cold truth, he couldn’t keep it from them any longer. He continued speaking as comprehension dawned on the eldest child’s face, he continued even as the young boy started sobbing loudly followed by the youngest child wails, he continued as he took the youngest in his arms as she screamed for her parents. He stopped speaking as he hugged all three of them tightly in his arms, waving his wand at the furniture that had started shaking and darting dangerously around them.

~

Harry prepared the funeral very quickly, relatives of the Dursleys had arrived to pay their condolences. Harry had heard them whisper to each other.

“Its that boy.”

“He prepared the funeral.”

“Who will take care of their children now?”

“I can’t do it!”

Harry glared at them, making them flinch and scurry around. A woman in a black suit had arrived, she looked around, her bushy hair prominent among the tightly dressed people around. Alongside her was a man, wearing a similar black suit that greatly contrasted with his bright red hair.

“Ron, Hermione.” Harry walked up to them, looking at Hermione’s worried face. “Did something happen?”

“Well, yeah.” Hermione replied rummaging through her pocket, she pulled out a letter and handed it over to him. “The girls- Louise’s parents had written back.”

Ron frowned at her words, looking at the letter with disdain in his eyes. “It’s nothing good, Harry. They- those people have no remorse.”

Hermione eyed Ron, her eyes tearing up as she looked at Harry. Harry looked down at the letter, he too frowned at what was written, anger welled up in his eyes as he finished reading the letter.

“How could they?! Insult their dead daughter and their own grieving grandchildren?!” Harry screamed, gripping the letter tightly, the word mudblood etched at the forefront of the paper.

“Harry!” Hermione’s voice trembled as she looked around, everyone was eyeing them, they all erupted in silent whispers.

“Harry, mate calm down. I know its cruel, but look behind you.”

“They even insulted her. How could they.” Harry gritted his teeth as he looked behind him. Estelle's green eyes met his own, she stared at him with blank eyes and looked away, gripping her brothers arms.

“Where’s Ginny?” Ron asked while patting Harry on the back, exchanging looks with Hermione.

“She’s taking care of the youngest one...” Harry said, his voice sounded tired as it drawled on, he pointed at the red-haired woman at the far seat corner.

“Okay, We’ll go see her.” Ron said, glancing at Hermione, nodding his head at her.

“Harry. About those kids.” Hermione pointed at the two small figures standing still at the front, staring at the coffin on front of them. “How long have they been standing there?”

“They-” Harry looked at them, remembering that they’ve been standing there for quite some time. “I’ll go get them.”