The Aftermath
Chapter 12: The Aftermath
Over the next few days the halls of Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry were more hectic than they had ever been under Albus Dumbledore's time as headmaster, and some of the teachers were realizing that wasn't a good thing.
During most of what was going on the children still had their normal classes, and Azalea was so happy to be able to listen to Harry gush about everything he was learning, as was Lacey, but when they weren't with Harry and his friends listening to them talk about their classes they were sitting with Minerva McGonigal, Poppy Pomfrey, and surprisingly Rubeus Hagrid, helping all of them through the sudden knowledge that the man they'd thought was dead, had actually been in hiding after betraying two of his dearest friends.
"I still can't believe it," Poppy said one day, "I was so sure they'd chosen Sirius, there was never a doubt that they would."
Her statement was soon met by the sound of a loud slap, "So yer' saying there was never any doubt that Sirius, who loved James and Lily more than life itself, would be the one to betray them? After all that time he'd spent fighting his mother to prove he wasn't like the others? You dare?!" Minerva shouted, as she stood there panting slightly, her hand still out from where she had struck the medi-witch, the other teachers were in shock when they saw the water droplets glittering on her cheek.
Azalea was quick to separate the two, gently pulling Minerva away with her hand over the other witch's back, "Come on," she soothed gently, "Let's go for a walk a minute, cool down and all."
Minerva allowed herself to be led away by the younger witch, the tears still falling as they walked, "Sirius Black was one of the most troublesome, loudmouthed, over confidant pains in the arse I'd ever taught," she finally said when they were half way down one of the empty halls, "And yet, he was one of the best students I'd ever had." Azalea gave her a comforting smile, trying to encourage her to keep going, "The four of them were best friends, Sirius, James, a sweet boy named Remus Lupin, and," she scowled down at her hands for a moment, "And Peter. They called themselves the Marauders, and I'm surprised they didn't turn me more gray with their antics."
Azalea laughed politely, more for the sound of familiar maternal exasperation that she heard in the older woman's voice, it was obvious these were HER boys.
"I knew," Minerva hiccuped, "When Albus came to tell me the news I just knew that everyone was wrong," she looked at the younger woman, her eyes begging for her to be believed, "Sirius loved James like a brother, he would rather die than betray him like that."
Azalea nodded, "I believe it," she smiled gently at Minerva, "I have to ask though, the way it sounds all four of them were very close, did they refer to each other with nicknames at all?"
Minerva gave her an odd look but nodded, "They did, James was Prongs, Sirius was Padfoot, Remus was Mooney, and," she gulped again, "And He was Wormtail, it makes since why now."
Azalea gave her a sympathetic shoulder rub, "I'm sorry if it's painful to talk about, I was just hoping to find out for Harry," at Minerva's curious look she continued, "When I got Harry he was starting to baby babble mostly, but there were a few 'words' here and there, they sounded like he was trying to say names. Hearing the nicknames makes me think that's who he was trying to talk about."
Minerva's eyes teared up slightly again, but she quickly wiped them away, "I never got the chance to ask, how did you become Mister Potter's adoptive mother?"
Azalea gave a nostalgic smile, "After I found him on my doorstep that night," she paused a small scowl briefly taking over, "I really should have a word with Dumbledore about that, anyway, I contacted Memaw and asked her to brew me a diagnostic potion, just a brief generalization one. That gave me his blood type, birth date, parents names ect. Then with her help I performed a blood adoption ritual, it made it so if a muggle ran a DNA test we would come up as distant relatives, between that and a few forged muggle documents with the Potter's, and Dursley's signatures I was able to adopt him threw the muggle law as well." she gave a rueful smile, "After all the magical side of things can only protect you so much."
Minerva nodded, a thoughtful look on her face, "I'd never thought much about that, but why did you never contact anyone here? You were obviously magical so you must have known we had ways of helping you, or at the very least finding somewhere else for him to go."
Azalea scowled, "While I'd heard of Hogwarts in passing, mostly from other students and staff at Ilvermorny," her face went a little slack at that, "Most of what I knew about the headmaster came from the letter he left with Harry that night." she shook her head, "He'd left a half hearted explanation with a baby, on the front porch of a house he hadn't even bothered to double check the occupants of, the baby wrapped in a thin blanket on one of the coldest nights of the year, with no guaranteed time frame on when he'd be found, and no noticeable heat charms on the blanket, porch, or the baby himself." she cocked an eyebrow, "Didn't exactly scream safe person/place to me."
Minerva had the decency to look ashamed, "But then why take him in yourself?"
Azlea smiled slightly, "I lost my parents at a young age myself, but I was lucky enough to have Memaw," now it was her turn to blink away tears, "If that letter was correct then Harry had no one else," she shook her head, "Or at least no one else who could be available at the time, I couldn't just leave him."
With tears in her eyes once more Minerva quickly pulled Azalea into a tight hug, "Thank you," she whispered, "Thank you for loving him, thank you for saving him."
About that time they were just a few feet away from the staff lounge where they had all been, when a solid force hit Azalea square in the back, seconds later Lacey was rushing out of the lounge, they locked eyes and said in unison, "The wards."
Lacey looked at Minerva, "The security wards around the house just informed us of an intruder, we'll deal with it, but please let Harry know for us." and with that they were both gone.
Seconds later both witches reappeared, wands in hand, in the back garden of number 4 Privet Drive. As they crept closer they could hear two male voices from inside, "Look harder Mooney, there has to be something around here that explains who they are, and why they have the pup."
"I am looking, Padfoot, but I'm not finding anything except for a few drawers that even my Alohamora isn't working on."
Azalea quickly waved Lacey back, moving slowly and carefully to stand in the open doorway, nice to know how they got in, "Sirius Black and Remus Lupin I presume?"
The reaction was instantaneous, both men jumped, spinning to face the voice, each trying to fire a spell, only for Lacey to block them, and Azalea's dueling wand to react and disarm them.
"Well," Azalea started cheerfully, "It looks like we all have quite a bit to talk about, don't we?"