Holiday Interlude
Agent Bends left the BAU a week before Christmas. He had married and was starting a family, so he transferred to a department with more regular hours. The unit met his replacement, Agent Derek Morgan, the day after, though Morgan wouldn't officially start as a profiler until the new year.
That same day, Gideon told Hotch that Rossi had invited them all over for dinner three days before Christmas. Soon enough, the day came. Arriving at Rossi's mansion early in the evening, the Hotchners and Gideon were met with a stern looking man alongside Rossi who was introduced as Auror Tiberius Hawkins. That led to the question of just what an Auror was.
Though Haley and Aaron were at first disbelieving of the idea of magic and the magical world, they were quickly stunned into silence after Hawkins turned the table into a cow.
Hotch looked slowly over to Rossi and Hawkins. "You were saying?" he prompted.
Over the next hour, Rossi and Hawkins explained to Gideon, Haley, Aaron, and Harry about the magical world that was hidden from No-Majs, or muggles as the Europeans called them. Rossi had learned of the magical world from his ex-wife, Hayden. When a later case brought him in touch with the magical world, he was able to work with the American aurors to smooth things over on his side while they took the wizarding murderer into custody. From then on, Rossi was one of the few FBI agents recruited to work with the MACUSA Department of Magical Law Enforcement. It was a relatively new joint venture, as until the second World War, it was illegal for any American magical to interact with a No-Maj.
But World War II had forced the MACUSA to repeal Rappaport's Law after almost 200 years in effect as so many witches and wizards had joined the fight*. The magical government was forced to reveal itself to several high-level government officials and work together to keep the magical world hidden from the general populace. Though it had been decades since then, it was only in the last twenty years that the American magical community had become more integrated with the nonmagical world. This was due to the spike in first generation (muggleborn) witches and wizards that brought their culture with them. Nonmagical parents were finally allowed to know of the magical world as a result. To better the country, the MACUSA also allowed a few agents working for their nonmagical counterparts to know of magic if they proved a trustworthy asset.
Hawkins and Rossi had worked together on four separate cases and stayed in touch even after Rossi retired. And so, it was Hawkins that Rossi had turned to when Gideon called him asking about Hogwarts.
After all this was explained, the subject finally turned to Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry, where Harry's parents attended.
At this, Haley and Hotch turned to look at Harry. During the explanation, they had known in the back of their minds the reason why they were being told such a large secret.
"Harry's a wizard," Hotch monotoned.
"Yes," Hawkins confirmed. "I would assume you've noticed a bit of accidental magic in the time you've had him. Don't worry. That's normal for kids his age." Hawkins curiously studied the boy. Harry's eyes kept flickering between the adults. Though he tried to keep a blank face, his eyes were wide with uncertainty.
Haley immediately knelt in front of her son, knowing exactly where his thoughts had gone. "Harry, look at me," she said gently. "This doesn't change anything. I love you. Your father loves you. You are our son and we will never abandon you. I know what your aunt and uncle told you, but they were wrong. They probably knew about your magic and hated it, but it's not something to hate," she said fervently. "It's magic!" she said with a smile. "It's different, yes, and I don't understand it yet, but I know it can be wonderful because you are wonderful. I love you with or without magic."
"Your mother's right, Harry," Aaron scooted next to him on the couch and lightly wrapped an arm around Harry's shoulders. "You're our son. We could never stop loving you."
Harry trembled for a moment before breaking down in sobs. Haley clutched him to her chest tightly and rocked him, both her and Hotch whispering reassurances to him. Eventually he calmed down. Though he remained silent, his parents took over asking about magic and the new world they found themselves a part of.
Unfortunately, Hawkins broke the news to them about how Harry's birth parents really died. It was a tale known the world over, so he was able to fully explain about the dark wizard known as Lord Voldemort and his reign of terror on the British magical community until he was stopped by Harry as a baby. Of course, the Hotchners didn't accept that a baby was able to stop a fully grown, powerful wizard and instead attributed it to something his parents had done.
Knowing that his parents weren't the horrible people his relatives portrayed them as calmed something in Harry. Sitting next to the couple who chose him, listening as they asked question after question in concern for him, he fully accepted for the first time ever that he was wanted. He had always been wanted. His parents died protecting him. The empty hole Harry had felt during his time with the Dursleys watching other kids have parents to dote on them burned for what could have been. Unlike all other times though, the pain quickly eased, soothed by the presence of his new parents and even the presence of his birth parents. Somehow, Harry felt an innate knowledge that seemed to whisper that it was okay. James and Lily wanted him to be happy. They loved him and it was okay to love his new mother and father. He felt completely at peace at finally knowing who he was.
Harry was suddenly very happy that he had kept Potter as part of his last name.
To help the Hotchners, Hawkins, who turned out to be quite kind, told them how to find more information. First, he gave them instructions on how contact him if they had further questions, but to do that, they would need an owl. More specifically, they would need an owl bred by wizards to deliver mail. Luckily Washington D.C. had such a high population of wizards and witches that they had their own magical shopping center cleverly hidden inside Pentagon City Mall* on its own floor. Harry would be the only one who could see the various stairway entrances at first, but once they'd passed the wards, Haley and Aaron would be able to see and enter the area on their own any time after.
Hawkins gave them plenty of advice for visiting the Pentagon Magical Mall, as they called it. Their first stop would have to be at D.C.'s branch of Gringotts Wizarding Bank – run by goblins – to exchange their money for magical currency and to check if Harry had an inheritance. Hawkins warned Aaron and Haley to bring proof that they had custody of Harry, or else the goblins would deny them access. Afterwards, the family could visit the bookstore, Truncare & Gloss, where they could find all of the information they'd need to understand the American Magical World. Hotch had to be reassured that that included history and magical law.
The last helpful tidbit Hawkins had left them with was the name of a wizard who came to the United States several months ago and had visited the Wizarding Resources Department of the MACUSA to look for information on Harry Potter. Remus Lupin. Hawkins only knew his name because a colleague had introduced him; a colleague who had contact with Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Aforementioned colleague had also let slip that Harry Potter was missing and that Dumbledore was trying to find him.
Aaron and Haley were both suitably concerned at this.
"I don't know what Dumbledore plans to do if he actually finds Harry, but you can be sure that he won't hear his whereabouts from me," Hawkins promised. "As for Lupin, I can tell you that he seemed like a good man; polite, respectful, intelligent, genuinely worried about Harry. He looked like sh-," Hawkins cut himself off with a glance at the six-year-old, "uh, like he needed some sleep, but I've learned to be a good judge of character in my line of work. I did some digging and made a call to a British auror I know. Turns out Lupin was a friend of the Potters." Hawkins shrugged. "Might be worth contacting him."
When the Hotchners left that night, their heads were spinning with everything they had been told. They hadn't even learned a fraction about the magical world. It would be a steep learning curve in raising a magical child and becoming a part of their world, for Haley and Aaron agreed as they laid in bed that they would not leave Harry to swim in uncharted waters. If Harry belonged to the magical world, they would work to belong as well.
The family made the trip to the mall the next day and were pleasantly surprised to find that they didn't stand out too much in the magical section. Some of the older generation were wearing floor-length robes, but the majority were wearing jeans and winter coats like the Hotchners. It seemed fashion was one aspect of nonmagical culture that American wizards had adopted.
Haley visibly startled at her first sight of an actual goblin but blinked away her shock and smiled politely at the armor-clad goblins guarding the doors to the bank. After asking a teller if they could look up the Potter's account, they were told to follow a goblin through a set of halls to a meeting room with an older goblin.
The sharp-toothed goblin called Caybrick informed them that they would need a drop of Harry's blood to confirm his identity, and then he could receive all account information. Aaron and Haley also showed him the paperwork that declared them Harry's legal guardians so that they could also access and manage his accounts until he came of age. Once that was done, Caybrick went over the Potter's banking information. Harry had inherited everything in the Potter family vault and the Potter trust vault. Exchanging and accessing the money from overseas was easy, but the items stored in the London branch vaults could only be removed in person.
Hotch took the chance to ask a question that had been on his mind ever since he'd learned the truth of Harry's parentage. "Did the Potters have a will by any chance?"
Caybrick narrowed his eyes. He shuffled the parchments in front of him until he came to the right one. "Yes. It says here the Potters had a shared will. It was last updated October 15th of 1998." Caybrick looked up and said gravely, "The will was never read nor carried out to its full extent. Harry, as the last descendant of the Potters, automatically received all monies and items left by his parents at the time of their deaths, aside from any monetary bequests Gringotts in its capacity could uphold. However, bequests involving legalities upheld by the British Ministry of Magic were outside of our capacity and were not carried out."
Hotch blinked. "Why not?"
"There are always two copies of a witch or wizard's will. One's stored in Gringotts and one's stored with their government in their records department. The copy of the Potter's will at the British Ministry of Magic was sealed," Caybrick replied. "The documentation is quite clear that it was sealed by Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. He is one of the few who'd have authorization to seal a will."
Hotch frowned and looked at Haley then down at Harry, who's expression matched his perfectly.
"Is it possible to receive a copy of that will?"
Caybrick grinned.
…
Hotch had much to do after that shopping trip. For one, he had to investigate the people James and Lily listed to take guardianship of Harry in case of their deaths. For another, he had to investigate Albus Dumbledore. The man had completely gone against the Potters' wishes by placing Harry with the Dursleys. The will specifically stated that Harry was never to be given to Petunia and Vernon Dursley. He was to first go to his godfather, Sirius Black. Next was his godmother* and her husband, Alice and Frank Longbottom. These were the people it was most urgent to find, as Caybrick informed him that being a godparent held more meaning in the magical world. There were certain responsibilities that went along with the title purely because magic made it so. The magical guardianship automatically transferred to godparents after the parents' deaths, even if they did not have legal guardianship or custody of the child. They were the ones who could make decisions for Harry when it came to his part in the magical world, not Aaron or Haley.
After Harry's godparents, five other people were listed: Andromeda and Ted Tonks, Peter Pettigrew, Minerva McGonagall, and Alastor Moody. A handwritten note by James Potter stated that Remus Lupin would be listed as well if the "bloody ministry wasn't so strict about Moony's 'furry little problem". Hotch had no idea what that meant, but it did confirm that Lupin was a family friend and trusted with Harry.
Harry himself was immersed in the books they had bought on magical history and wizarding customs. At the rate he was going, they would be making another trip to the bookstore before New Year's. It was times like these that made Hotch wish Reid hadn't taught Harry how to speed read. Speaking of which, Gideon had called to tell him that he'd been contacted by the MACUSA. Apparently, Hawkins' superiors were impressed with Hotch and the BAU. They wanted to know if their unit would be interested in helping their aurors every so often. While that would help Aaron gain contacts in the magical world to help Harry, there would probably be a lot more paperwork and bureaucratic nonsense involved.
Hotch really didn't want to think about that at the moment. He already had enough headaches.
Despite the upheaval they'd just experienced, Aaron, Haley, and Harry were able to enjoy their first Christmas together as a family. No cases came up that took Hotch away, and he and Haley happily spoiled Harry with all the traditions he had never gotten to be a part of before. They spent all of Christmas Eve baking cookies and singing along to Christmas songs playing in the background. They watched Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and The Polar Express until Harry nearly fell asleep cuddling with them. Then they tucked him in bed and snuck down to put all the presents they'd hidden under the tree for him to find in the morning.
However, Harry didn't come wake them in the morning. He had gone about his normal routine of making a cold breakfast and then reading, waiting for Haley and Aaron to wake. Any other parent would be glad to have their child let them sleep in on Christmas morning, but to the Hotchners, it was just another reminder of what Harry had been through. They knew he was excited. They knew he knew the presents were for him and he was happy even without receiving anything. But it was still a bit disappointing that Harry couldn't bring himself to rush into their room and urge them to get up at first light. It was too ingrained in him to not be a "burden".
Still, they shook off their disappointment and joined their son downstairs. They all opened presents and then Haley made a big breakfast for them. Afterwards, they spent the day lazing around and just being a family together. They ended up talking about magic, and Harry asked if they would be able to tell Spencer the secret, as he would love learning all about the magical world. Aaron told him it could probably be arranged, but that for now, Harry would have to keep it to himself. Harry's musings about magic and all the questions he had just led Haley and Aaron to wonder the same thing. How were they going to do this?
Hawkins had offered his help, but they couldn't bother him with their questions every day. They needed someone closer, someone who had a reason to spend a lot of time with them and could ease their way and Harry's into the magical world. They needed a magical friend.
It looked like Hotch had a letter to write. Good thing they'd bought an owl.
…
Remus Lupin was tired.
It was a feeling he was accustomed to, but this morning he could feel the fatigue deep down in his bones. It wasn't even close to a full moon, but another Christmas had passed without his friends, without any indication in his shabby apartment it was Christmas at all, and most importantly, without Harry Potter.
He missed his pseudo nephew.
He missed the way things were when he had friends like family; had brothers and a sister and a home and hope. He had love and laughter and even if there was a war raging around them, he still had something worth fighting for.
He only had one thing worth fighting for now. He had Harry, wherever he was, and Remus was determined to find him and never let him go again. Damn whatever Albus Dumbledore told him. Damn the laws forbidding him from taking custody. Damn whatever anyone else thought. The moment Remus was told Harry was missing in the United States, he resolved to never leave the only remaining family he had left. He immediately accepted the assignment of moving to the United States capital in an effort to find Harry.
To support himself, he'd gotten a part-time job at a magical artifacts shop in the mall. His job prospects weren't quite as hopeless here as in England thanks to the lack of laws that discriminated against werewolves, but it was still hard to find employment. Thankfully, his job of charming, warding, and sometimes analyzing and authenticating various magical artifacts didn't require him to be around people, and his employer was lenient with his hours as long as the inventory was completed. With Christmas over, Remus could take a break as the shop would be selling leftover items for the next few days before it would be back to work spelling new items.
An owl tapping at his window with a letter in its beak brought Remus out of his musings. It was with reluctance that Remus dragged himself out of his seat to open the window and retrieve the letter. A minute later, his knees had given out at what he had read.
…
Lupin had responded quickly and agreed to meet with the Hotchners a week later.
Haley and Aaron had been waiting for his knock at the door and welcomed him inside. Lupin, "Call me Remus," nervously greeted them and couldn't help looking all around the home. A few pictures of Harry had already been framed and put up and he walked to a hanging photo as though in a daze.
"It's been so long since I've seen him," he said, despair pouring out of every inch of him.
The Hotchners couldn't help but feel pity for the younger man, and quickly sat him down in the living room. Remus set his bag beside him and asked about Harry. The boy was currently spending the day at the museum with Spencer and wouldn't be back for a couple hours, so the three of them could talk alone.
Hotch explained the circumstances of how Harry first came to stay with them and how they soon decided to adopt him. Remus, knowing about the Dursleys' murders, wasn't too shocked at that. However, when he was told Harry had been abused by the Dursleys, his eyes flashed amber as his face contorted in anger. The fact that Albus Dumbledore had been the one to decide to leave Harry with the Dursleys and that he had sealed the Potters' will in order to do so unchallenged convinced Remus not to tell Dumbledore anything about Harry. He immediately offered to help in any way he could.
Haley and Aaron beamed at him and asked if he would be willing to stay in D.C. to help answer any questions they or Harry had, perhaps even tutoring Harry about the magical world.
"You would let me see him?" Remus asked with shock and just a tiny amount of hope.
"Of course," Haley answered. "You knew him as a baby. You were clearly close with his parents if they wanted you to take care of him when they were gone. I think it would be good for Harry to have you back in his life. I think it would be good for you too."
"There is one question I do have," Hotch interrupted before Remus could respond. "What did James Potter mean when he wrote that your 'furry little problem' prevented you from taking custody of Harry?"
Remus cringed. "I," he stuttered hesitatingly. "I-I'm a," he breathed in and then his shoulders slumped, head hanging. "I'm a werewolf."
The Hotchners blinked.
"A werewolf?" Haley repeated. "Those are real? Like 'howl at the moon' werewolf?"
Remus nodded once without looking up.
"Okay," Haley stated. "I'm assuming there's more to being a werewolf that I don't understand-"
"Probably some prejudice and discrimination judging by your behavior," Hotch stated.
"But," Haley continued. "the way I see it, as long as you're not howling at the moon," she teased, "you're fine."
Remus looked at them in shock and then proceeded to explain why they should be kicking him out the door right now, but the Hotchners, especially Aaron, were very good at arguing against every point he made. Eventually they convinced him that yes, they understood the danger of a werewolf during the full moon, but he was a man like any other at all other times of the month. They didn't care what he was, he didn't choose it, yet he still managed his condition so that he wouldn't hurt innocent people, and they would be happy to have him over at any time.
Remus nearly cried.
Hotch then turned the discussion over to Harry's godparents, Sirius Black and Alice Longbottom. Remus visibly tensed, a distant look coming to his eyes. It took a while, but he eventually explained the fate of the Longbottoms. The two aurors were tortured into insanity and now resided in St. Mungo's, the wizarding hospital in London. Their son Neville, Harry's godbrother, was raised by his paternal grandmother.
The story of Sirius Black took longer and left Remus drained. Hotch was new to magic, but he understood crime and criminal behavior. Fidelius Charms and secret keepers made no difference, and something just didn't add up. Hotch, despite feeling for the man, saw the discrepancies in the story, and prodded Remus for more information. After learning more of what Sirius was like in school, including the story about him tricking a boy named Severus Snape into nearly getting mauled by Remus in werewolf form, Hotch was convinced.
Yes, Sirius was raised in an environment that would encourage one to become a killer, but Black had very obviously rejected that path from an early age. Otherwise, there would have been signs. Furthermore, though Lupin thought Black being capable of murder at sixteen strengthened the evidence that he was a killer at heart, Hotch disagreed. Black wasn't actually capable of murder. He was reckless, yes. Immature. Vengeful even, but not a cold-blooded killer. Sixteen-year-old Sirius Black simply didn't think of the consequences of his actions, as many teens don't, and he didn't understand the seriousness of what he had done because he had accepted the wolf as a part of his friend – his friend that was actually very gentle, submissive, and would never hurt a soul. Who Black had acted against in school also supported that Sirius was against Voldemort. He had even gone on to join this Order of the Phoenix and been a full-time fighter, partnering with James Potter on many missions*.
Sirius Black's supposed actions did not align with his character. Why would Sirius Black betray the Potters? Why would he join Voldemort? Why would he kill a street full of innocent people and then let himself be caught? Why was only a finger left of Peter Pettigrew when Remus admitted that he knew of no spell that could do that to a body?
Peter Pettigrew. His actions didn't make sense either. From how Remus described him, he was always timid, always looked over, never magically talented, never popular... so unlike his friends. It seemed like he only belonged in the group because he shared a dormitory with them. Why would he do something so uncharacteristic as to track down a murderer the he knew he couldn't defeat in a duel? How did he even do it when Sirius had received training by a man called "Mad-eye" Moody? Remus told of how Sirius and James, though not aurors, had been put through almost every auror test by Moody, and therefore knew how to cover their tracks. Peter had no such training, having declined the offer.
Hotch was a criminal profiler. He solved murder cases for a living. He could guess what really happened, but he would need to be sure. If he was right, Sirius Black was an innocent man. But there were pieces missing in the story, and he needed them if he was going to find out the truth.
"Remus," Hotch said sternly, making Remus sit straighter, "I know you don't like thinking about that time, but can't you see the inconsistencies?" Remus had to admit that all the questions Hotch asked made the obvious story seem full of holes.
"There's something you're not telling me," Hotch deducted. "I need to know what it is."
Remus caved under Hotch's unwavering stare. He told them of how each of his three friends became what's known as an animagus, a wizard that could turn into an animal, so that they could keep him company during the full moon and prevent the wolf from hurting himself. As a person's animagus form reflected their own personality, Hotch just stared at Remus in disbelief when he was told what forms Black and Pettigrew took.
"Sirius was a dog," Hotch repeated slowly. "An animal that is best known for its loyalty and protective instincts. While Pettigrew was a rat…a RAT," he emphasized.
Haley leaned forward. "You do know that rats are labeled as commensals, right? They're opportunistic survivors. They live by benefitting off other species," she informed, her background as an earth science teacher coming in handy.
Remus blinked and didn't really have a response for them.
Hotch asked about Sirius's trial and if any of the questions he'd asked had been brought up at the time. Remus opened his mouth and then blinked in realization.
"I…I don't know," he admitted. At Hotch's raised eyebrow, Remus revealed that he didn't remember hearing anything about Sirius Black's trial.
At this moment, Harry came barreling through the door with Spencer right behind. He immediately stopped once he saw that there was a man he didn't know. The change in Harry's behavior was obvious to everyone, even Remus.
Soon after Harry came to live with the Hotchners, they noticed that there were two sides to him. If Harry was around people he knew and trusted, he was a lively child full of curiosity and mischief and was almost always smiling. If there was even one person around that Harry didn't know though, he became silent, his walls going up. Constantly being on guard took its toll though, and Harry had experienced several panic attacks before Hotch, Reid, Dr. Oxland, and even Gideon had been able to teach him ways to cope with his social anxiety. As a result, Harry suffered less, but only because he knew how to channel his anxiety into observation so that he could deem most people he came across as harmless.
The ability would make him an amazing profiler one day, but in this mindset, Harry came off as a bit cold and indifferent. He was still polite and respectful as could be, but he had trouble conversing. Hotch was working with him on it. He hoped that with practice, Harry would learn that it was not about showing no emotion or faking who he was around people, but rather choosing what parts of himself people got to see first and opening himself up a little at a time.
Haley stood and gestured Harry over. Spencer lingered awkwardly until Hotch smiled and thanked him for taking Harry out. He also told him that Gideon wanted to talk with him later about a new opportunity offered to their unit of the BAU. Spencer left and Haley introduce Remus to Harry.
The six-year-old studied the man's face in confusion. He looked familiar.
"Do I know you?" he asked.
Remus grinned brightly. "You knew me when you were a baby. I was friends with your parents all through school and was there the day you were born. I used to babysit you all the time. I," he said nervously, "I was sort of like your uncle."
Harry frowned in confusion and leaned away.
"I'm sorry," Remus said quickly. "I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you before Harry. After your parents died, I wasn't allowed to see you. I asked. I asked so many times, but every time I was told it was better that you lived without any contact to the magical world until you were older. I…I gave up," he finished sadly.
Harry looked down and Remus reached into his bag. "I brought you some things. I have pictures of your parents, your birth parents that is…if you'd like to see them."
Harry looked up, bit of excitement in his eyes. He had no idea what his parents looked like. There weren't any pictures in the file Hotch had received.
Remus tried to smile. "I also brought you this." He produced a small stuffed wolf. It was a light grey color, fur slightly worn on the neck and back of the head.
"I was able to get it from your house after your parents died. I gave it to you when you were a baby. It belonged with a set, though I only took this and the stag and left the others. Here." Remus pulled out a stuffed deer with soft antlers and held that out as well. The stag seemed to be in perfect condition, unlike the wolf.
Remus smiled slightly as he looked at it. "Your father gave you this. He was always pouting how you like mine and…well, my stuffed animal better than his."
Harry took both plushies from Remus and looked at them. He rubbed his hand over the wolf and, without thinking, brought it up so he could rub his face against it's neck.
"Moony," Harry said.
Remus startled. Harry looked at him. "I called you that."
"Yes," Remus said in a voice choked with tears. "You called me Uncle Moony."
Harry looked at his parents. "Can Uncle Moony stay for dinner?"
Remus did cry that time.
Dinner was filled with laughter from all the stories Remus told about Harry's dad and his group of friends. Afterwards, it was still fairly early in the evening, and Hotch announced that he had to run an errand. He asked if Remus would stay until he returned. Haley agreed with him, knowing that Aaron was trying to allow Remus and Harry some more bonding time without his intimidating presence. Haley was much more subtle and could supervise the visit without imposing on the reunited uncle and nephew.
It took little more than an hour for Hotch to return. When he did, it was with a large shopping bag from Truncare & Gloss. When asked what books he bought, Aaron showed them.
"Why do you need books on Magical Law?" Remus asked. "British Magical Law?"
Aaron looked at him determinedly. "I used to be a lawyer; a criminal prosecutor. I'll need to prepare if I'm going to be a criminal defense lawyer for a British wizard."
With that, Hotch and Remus started a brief outline on all argument points they had talked about earlier. They took a break for Haley and Aaron to tuck Harry in bed, but were soon back to work building their case in favor of Sirius Black.