Mirror, Mirror

Everything was pretty quiet until Harry went to bed. The boy was just as shy has he had been the first time he met him. Percy smiled to himself, and Terence huffed when Harry said that his brother Ron was nice. The trouble those two along with Hermione had gotten into was unbelievable.

“Alright, we’ve been pretty accommodating. I think more so, we’ve done illegal memory charms on multiple people. I’m looking at going back to Azkaban if someone finds out. Tell us what’s going on, from the beginning,” Sirius demanded.

“I will but first where is Kreacher?” Percy asked.

“Kreacher? Why?” Sirius asked.

Telling him that he found out from Harry that Kreacher led to his death probably wouldn’t be a good idea.

“I just need you to make sure that Kreacher knows whatever he sees or hears in this house, he can’t repeat to anyone. It is imperative that Kreacher cannot go to anyone else.”

“He can’t. He can’t go against me.”

Percy had just seen a house elf go against their master, while he would punish himself it was possible. That’s also how he got his daughter away from Dobby. A house elf usually is very much in tune with their master but if the wizard is unusually dark, house elves were pure creatures, they couldn’t be used to work for the dark arts. Since the second wizarding war, Hermione had made it one of her missions to get house elves rights. Because of that they had actually found out more about the magical creatures. There was even a place for sick or elderly house elves to go in his time, named after Dobby. Harry had donated a large some for the home. It didn’t stop the house elves trying to work there so a little old wizard lived in the home with them. It was a happy place for all of them because they all got what they wanted, the house elves got to devote their lives and loyalty to someone, and the wizard got company in his long life. It wasn’t a forever solution, but it was a beginning.

“He can, if he wants to enough, please just give him that specific order, it will be harder for him to break.”

“Fine. KREACHER!” Sirius yelled for the house elf.

“The disgrace calls Kreacher?” the house elf muttered.

“You are not allowed to tell anyone, even family about anything you hear or see here. Do you understand?” Sirius asked.

Kreacher’s eyes flashed but he nodded. “Kreacher understands,” he ground out. “Is that all the disgrace wants?”

“Yes, you are dismissed.” Kreacher popped away. “Are you ready to answer our questions?”

Percy looked at Terence who shrugged. “We will answer what we can but know that we don’t know everything and also, the future has already been changed drastically.”

“Understood,” Remus said, leaning back in his chair.

Percy got up and put the baby down in the cot that Kreacher had found and repaired for use. It was probably one used for Sirius or his brother, meaning it was over three decades old. It looked sturdy and clean enough, probably all Kreacher’s doing, grumbling the whole way.

“Where should we start?” Percy asked, sitting back down.

“I’m guessing in your time Peter didn’t get found the same way. How did it happen the first time?” Remus asked. He looked very hurt still from the betrayal of his supposed friend.

“Harry. I’ll tell you now that’s going to be the answer to most of your questions. Harry has a knack for finding trouble.”

Both Sirius and Remus smirked, he shouldn’t have been surprised. “Much more like James than I thought. Good,” Sirius said.

“Merlin save us,” Remus added.

“Well, the way Pettigrew was found was actually much the same. My brothers gave him the Marauders Map in Harry’s third year, his DADA professor saw it, and saw Pettigrew. There was also an escaped prisoner from Azkaban, so everyone was on edge.”

“Who escaped?” Sirius asked, his eyes were beseeching.

“You. Everyone thought you were trying to ‘finish the job’ and kill Harry. I’m not sure everything that happened but that is how Peter was discovered. Remus forgot to take his potion, so he went all wolfy.”

Terence out of nowhere put his hands up like claws and hissed.

“That’s a cat,” Remus said, visibly offended.

“Sorry, looked like it was taking a sad turn, thought I would lighten it up.”

Percy shook his head. “You weren’t like this in our time.”

“Yeah, I’m finding I’m having a lot of my older ticks. Making bad jokes was one, just ask Flint.”

Percy sniffed. “I’ll pass on that.” Then he looked back at the two older men. “Is that all?”

“Is that all he asks. No that’s not all. What happened after Moony transformed?” Sirius asked.

“Pettigrew got away, Harry saved you and you had to go on the run as an escaped convict because no one believed Pettigrew was alive, outside of the Order,” he said.

“Harry saved me. Why did a Third Year have to save me?” Sirius was incredulous.

“I don’t know, I think you were injured. You have to remember you were escaped and not healthy, not only that you didn’t have a wand of your own.”

Sirius nodded that there was sense there. “Was my name cleared?”

“It was cleared…postmortem.” It was hard to look at him, knowing that before he had believed that Sirius had been evil.

“I’m dead in your time?” Sirius asked, his voice quiet.

“You both are,” Terence said.

Percy swung his head and glared at the Slytherin. He was going to try and make it a little gentler on Remus because he felt he knew him better, having been taught by him.

“I’m dead too,” Remus said, it wasn’t a question.

“I’m sorry,” he said.

“Did we die together?” Sirius asked.

“No, Sirius died years before you did. You died during the last battle of the second wizarding war,” he said.

“Please tell me I didn’t die in an accident,” Sirius said.

“You didn’t, you were protecting Harry and his friends…my little brother included. You were killed by a loyal follower of Voldemort.”

“She makes his loyal followers look tame,” Terence said.

“Who?” Remus asked.

“Bellatrix Lestrange”

“I shouldn’t be surprised but I am. Mostly because she was put into Azkaban before I was. How did she kill me?”

“Escaped. The dementors went to Voldemort’s side,” Terence said. Sirius loudly cursed, waking the baby.

Percy got up and picked her back up, she felt so warm and real. He couldn’t believe he almost didn’t have this. He didn’t want to blame his family but for a family all about family, they sure tried to give one of them away quickly as possible.

“What’s her name?” Sirius asked. Percy knew he was trying to change subjects to compose himself again.

“I had a named planned out for her as soon as I got pregnant, had one for a girl or boy. I’m not sure it fits anymore though. I was going to name her Aquila, knowing it’s a Malfoy tradition. But I can’t, not anymore. But I want to name her something that is a part of him, because for right or wrong, I love him, and he loves me.”

Sirius made a disgusted face but didn’t say anything. “What about Lucy?” Remus asked.

“Lucy?”

“Yes, it’s a name that no one would think twice about being named after him.”

“Lucy,” he said the name trying it out. She opened her eyes before closing them again, he took that as agreeing to it. “Lucy it is.”

“It’s nice, it fits her,” Terence said, looking over at her. Lucy had just a bit of hair on her head, it was just a tuft of white. It could darken to red or stay white, blond like Malfoy, he would just have to see.

“Did I have children?” Remus asked unexpectedly.

His heart ached because he saw the sadness in the boy who lost both of his parents. Harry did what he could, but he was a young man with so much on his shoulders already. Andy had been doing a great job, but Teddy was so young, all he wanted was his parents.

“You had a son,” he said.

“Was he young when I died?”

“Very.”

“At least he had his mother,” he said.

“Did you really think you would marry a witch that would sit back and let a battle happen without her? She was an auror, it wasn’t in her to hide. You both fell during that battle. I won’t tell you her name because that wouldn’t be fair to either of you.”

“I respect that. I don’t think I would want to know anyway.”

“What about me?” Sirius asked.

Percy shook his head. “Not that I know, you were on the run. No one’s come around saying that they have your child. You left everything to Harry, and it hasn’t been contested. Oh, god…”

“What?” Sirius asked.

“One of Harry’s many regrets was that you never knew what happened to Regulus.”

“You know? I just assumed he had died doing something horrific for Voldemort.”

“No, he died trying to take him down. Call Kreacher.”

Sirius did what was asked of him and Kreacher came into view. Percy didn’t know all the details of what had happened, but Harry said that Kreacher did.

“Ask Kreacher what happened to Regulus.”

“Won’t do it. Won’t. Won’t. Won’t.”

“Tell me now,” Sirius demanded, there was real heat in his voice.

They listened as Kreacher told him them about the heartbreaking story about Regulus making him leave him and take the locket. It made Percy remember he needed to tell them about the Horcruxes.

“So, he’s forever in that place,” Sirius said sadly.

“After we finally get rid of him for good, we’ll burn the place. I know a fire spell that can burn in the water. He won’t be there forever,” Remus said.

“There is something I need to tell you. I only know very little about this because it was only when Ron and Harry were drinking, they spoke about it. Do you know what a Horcrux is?” he asked.

“You’ve got to be joking,” Terence said before shaking his head.

“Yes,” Lupin said, looking paler than usual.

“What is it?” Sirius asked. It would be a long night explaining it, then explaining he only knows what a few were, and one was Harry.

Bill was just getting into bed; it had been a long day. As soon as he closed his eyes, he heard the screeching of an owl. Errol flew in and crashed into the wall. After a moment he was able to detangle the owl from his drapes. It was surprising that Errol was here because they didn’t like him to make the long trip too much, him being in advanced age.

“Are you alright?” he asked the blinking owl. He gave it a treat and untied the letter on the owl’s leg. “You rest before going back,” he told the bird. Errol seemed to understand and went over the perch that he kept for when the owl made the trip. When he needed to send post, he used a service. Errol was nodding off before he even opened it. “You’re supposed to be nocturnal,” he told the owl. It was late in the day, but he knew the poor thing had been flying most of it.

Opening the letter, he was shocked at seeing his father’s writing. It was usually his mother that wrote.

Dear, Bill

        I hope this letter finds you well. I wish I could say it was going well here. We’ve run into some trouble with Percy, that’s right Percy. Your mother is so upset. She is hoping Percy will return but I saw his face, he won’t be back. Your brother has been pregnant, and no one knew, he had the baby on the Hogwarts Express. Not only that we find out how he got the baby, but it was also sad. For him to feel so lonely and left out that he had to make his own family at his young age. I’m at a loss.

       When we found out who the other father of the baby was, your mother handed him over. She was terrified the other father would kill Percy to get the baby. It’s Lucius Malfoy, he’s a dark wizard, always has been. He would get rid of Percy to make it easier on himself. As much as it broke our hearts to rip the baby out of Percy’s arms, we had to do it. The baby is safe with the Malfoys but if Percy caused trouble, they would kill him. It is our hope that Narcissa Malfoy makes him bring the baby back. While her sister Bellatrix is an evil witch, I’ve seen nothing dark from her. She treats her son like a little prince, I hope that she forces her will and makes Lucius return the baby. We just can’t have Lucius hurting Percy. It is upsetting and your mother is a mess. Charlie is leaving in the morning; I don’t know what to do without both of you. If you could write to Percy and council him, please do it, he looks up to you so much.

      I’m going to end this now, Remus and Sirius just showed up with little Harry. I’ll write again later in the month.

                                                                     Love, Dad

Bill reread the letter five times. Percy had a baby. His baby brother had a baby. His brother was forced to give his baby up. And to Lucius Malfoy of all people. He didn’t know how the baby was conceived but for Lucius not to be facing Azkaban he had questions. Tomorrow he would ask for some time off. Percy would let his parents walk all over him. His little brother wanted praise and acceptance so much he would do whatever they said. Giving up the baby would only hurt him. He knew they were worried about Malfoy but if they brought in some of their friends, Percy would be safe. He hoped that when he found his brother, wherever he was hiding, he could help him. He couldn’t believe his parents didn’t see their error.