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Dreams of Home Chapter 5
🕑 Added 2023-01-24 18:41:52 +0000 UTCChapter 5
Harry’s announcement clearly shocked the occupants of the room. If possible the eyes of the new arrivals widened even further and Dorea frowned at her surrogate son, “I thought we agreed to ease them into it.”
“That was before they started accusing Uncle Charlus of things he didn’t do.” Harry returned heatedly glaring at Arcturus Black.
The man did have the decency to look apologetic, “Nothing else made immediate sense. I am sorry, Charlus.”
Charlus merely waved his hand in dismissal looking at his brother and sister-in-law with a concerned expression, “Monty, are you okay?”
The man swallowed hard before nodding, “You are James’ son?”
Harry tried to offer a friendly smile, before nodding encouragingly, “I am. Born on the 31st of July, 1980.”
Euphemia put a hand over her mouth, “That’s younger than I would’ve imagined our boy having children.”
“Extenuating circumstances I am afraid.” Harry said carefully.
Melania Black questioned him immediately, “Why is it you are here?”
“I unintentionally went 20 years into the past when I was killed just a few days ago by Death Eaters, the followers of the Dark Lord known as Voldemort. Voldemort killed my parents, many of my friends, Charlus, Dorea, and possibly you and Lord Black as well. I am afraid I am uncertain of how you died in my timeline, but I know he killed a few members of your family, so I wouldn’t be surprised. Now I am here to minimize casualties and kill this bastard before he takes it all from me again.” Harry explained carefully.
Euphemia shook her head immediately, “You are too young to fight. You can’t be much older than James.”
Unable to control his temper Harry shot back, “I’ve been in this fight since I was a year old. It is my destiny to kill this man.”
Raising his hand to his head Harry pushed the hair off his forehead revealing his lightning bolt scar, “The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches. Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies, and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not, and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives. The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies.”
The entire room froze at his proclamation. Dorea put a hand on her chest, and looked heartbroken by his words, “You didn’t tell us there was a prophecy.”
Harry was going to answer the accusation, but Charlus beat him to it, “Because it doesn’t matter. The words say it has to be him, but even if they were never uttered Harry would have gone after the man. I know, because I would do the same thing.”
Turning to face the young man he would be calling son he said, “I had fully intended to take the bastard out myself, but it seems he is spoken for. You will be ready for him when the time is right.”
Arcturus immediately waved his hands in the air, “Wait a damn moment. There is still a lot of explaining to do.”
Fleamont nodded his head, “We need to hear your story, Harry. We need to understand what happened to all of us, and what happened to you that led us to this moment.”
There were some nods of assent and Harry took a deep breath before beginning his tale. He spared no details of the rise of Voldemort, and started all the way back in Halloween of 1981. Throughout the story of his life, Harry noted that Fleamont and Euphemia were not like Charlus and Dorea. His aunt and uncle had kept very calm and cool facades throughout the story of his life, but at many points, his grandparents seemed very upset.
Harry glossed over his school years, and tried to keep them focused on the war, and who he had lost along the way. Euphemia at some point buried her hands in her face sitting down hard on a couch nearby refusing to meet the eyes of any in the room. Harry ended his story when he was killed by Voldemort.
Fleamont looked at Charlus with wild eyes, “His story can’t be true. It is impossible.”
Charlus shook his head, “Too many things are in a line for it not to be. How else would he have gotten onto the property, bypassed Halo, known what he does about our family, and have the cloak. That’s not even getting into the fact that he would have to pass through Dorea’s gift and our family’s water spell. He even looks like us, Monty. The story is true. No matter how much we wish it weren’t.”
Arcturus spoke for the first time at this, “Aye, the lad is telling the truth.”
Harry looked at the man in surprise, not expecting the head of the Black family to take his side so quickly. When Fleamont Potter looked at him in surprise Arcturus spoke calmly, “My youngest brother came to visit me last night straight from work.” Nods around the table were given when he said this, but Harry was unsure who he was referring to, “Pollux said he met a new player in the coming conflict, and that our family would want to stake a high interest in him as he was a Black distantly, but by blood. He didn’t tell me what he saw, but the look in his eyes told me enough. It was clear to me he wanted to tell me everything, but he was already coming close to violating his oath as an-“
“Unspeakable.” Harry finished in surprise.
The man nodded at the teenager, “Aye. It was my brother that entered your mind. He is a natural Legillmens and became a Master by the time he was your age. He is one of the most gifted in the world, if not the most gifted. Even the most powerful could not resist one of his attacks. Had he been a better duelist he could’ve been on top of the world. No matter, the Unspeakables recruited him right out of Hogwarts and he has been with them for going on 30 years. He has not once in those thirty years divulged information about his job to me until yesterday, and I can certainly understand why.”
Arcturus took out a cigar from his robe pocket and lit it up, obviously irritating Dorea and the amusement of Charlus. Fleamont broke the silence that followed, “What happened to us? Why did we not take you in?”
“Dragon pox. Both of you. Within a few weeks of each other in the next few years. Neither of you lived to see me born. You told me as much when we met on the other side.” Harry explained calmly.
Fleamont looked surprised, “You met me? On the other side?”
Nodding slightly, Harry answered his grandfather, “I was standing in what looked like King’s Cross with a version of Fleamont Potter who told me my options, and what I should do when I arrive in this time period.” Harry explained.
“Why didn’t you come to us straight away?” The man questioned curiously.
“You actually told me to go find Charlus. I had never even heard of him until you told me about him on the other side. He and aunt Dorea were taken down by Death Eaters as well, but not without a fight. I figured it would also be best if I didn’t run into my father before we had a chance to explain everything to the family.” Harry said, looking for his aunt and uncle to take over.
Dorea placed a hand on Fleamont’s shoulder, “We thought it would be best if James didn’t know about Harry’s true origin for many reasons. Mostly we don’t want him to inquire about the mother, from what Harry told us they have had a rocky relationship at this time, but it all worked out before they got out of Hogwarts, and Harry does not wish for that to change. Also, there are his friends, the Marauders, whom Harry told us a lot about. James has never had to keep secrets from his friends before, and we didn’t really want him to have to start now if his friendship is as strong as Harry says it is.”
Fleamont looked like he might protest, but his wife put a hand on him, “I think they are right, Monty. James is just starting to gain some maturity. With all these disappearances, and the appearance of what they are calling the Dark Mark I think he sees what is happening. He may not completely understand it, but his sudden desire to be an Auror makes sense. I think if we put this on him it may be too much too soon. I don’t think we should hide it forever, but I think we should keep it under wraps for now. Let things play out. I assume our brother and sister have a plan so let’s hear it.”
Dorea nodded at the woman gratefully while Charlus took over, “I don’t like the idea of lying to anyone in this family, but I think, all things considered, it is the best option. It is also why I only invited the four of you. Arcturus you can manipulate the family tree to make Harry appear, and say that we charmed his name to remain invisible on the tree to keep him safe. Now that he has returned out in the open, he can appear on the tree, and potentially even go to Hogwarts as our son.”
This made everyone look at the couple and Harry in surprise. Fleamont shook his head, “Now wait a second. He is our grandson, shouldn’t he go down as our son?”
Dorea interjected quickly, “I see your point, Monty, but then it would be fruitless trying to hide this from James, and unless you want him to appear to be a bastard, there is no way you could pull that off. Harry needs a good political standing, and the appearance of a pureblood if he is to make the waves he needs. Our goal is for Harry to mark out all the potential Death Eaters, and possibly even sway some of them from entering that side. A young new power on the board will shake things up, and believe me, the boy has plenty of it. He can cast a corporeal Patronus, can either of you do that?”
Euphemia looked surprised, “Of course, I can cast one, but it's not fully corporeal. I can start to see what mine looks like enough to know it will be an otter, but I have never had it take full shape.”
Harry drew his wand slowly and flicked his wrist out, “Expecto Patronum.”
A controlled white light oozed out of his wand and a stag appeared in the room. It wasn’t blindingly bright, but it was nearly solid. This was the first time Harry had cast the spell with this wand, and without the Horcrux and even he was surprised by just how solid the creature looked. Fleamont stared at the creature in awe, tears building up in his eyes, “Prongs. It's James isn’t it?”
Harry smiled at the man, “The only connection I ever had to him. It is my favorite spell and something I have cherished since I learned it.”
Arcturus shook his head, “You said you learned this at 13 from a werewolf?”
Before Harry could answer, Euphemia made another connection, “It was Remus Lupin wasn’t it?”
Giving the woman a small smile, he nodded, “Yes, the best defense against the dark arts teacher I ever had. He would’ve been great if our prejudiced government had allowed him to stay longer than a year.”
Melania spoke at this, “Alphard will have a blast teaching him.”
Arcturus smiled at this and nodded, while Harry realized that Alphard Black must be his new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, and must have been a milder Black. Harry briefly recalled that Alphard Black had left Sirius a small fortune upon his death so they must have had a decent relationship.
Harry spoke again, “I said this to Aunt Dorea and Uncle Charlus last night. This monster hunted our families to extinction. We have been given an incredible opportunity to not only stop him but save our families. I can’t do this without all of you. If we don’t work together, we are all doomed to the timeline I came from where all my friends and family were killed. Down to the last woman and child.”
This left an ominous feeling in the room, but Arcturus slammed his hand on the table, “I will be damned if that bastard wipes out my family. He has been trying to get an audience with me, perhaps I should let him in the house just so my wards can rip him apart.”
A different idea struck Harry at this time, “That wouldn’t work. The man created at least five abominations of magic already to stay alive. Since my aunt and uncle were familiar with it, I assume you know what a Horcrux is?”
Arcturus eyes widened, “At least 5? That is unheard of! Rosier only made-“
“1. Yes, that was our thoughts exactly.” Dorea said with clear disgust on her face.
Harry’s eyes widened, “You have dealt with a Horcrux before? You didn’t say how you knew the magic?”
Fleamont however interjected, “What is a Horcrux? I am unfamiliar with this type of magic?”
Euphemia seemed to agree, but seemed interested when Melania explained, “It is the foulest magic to our kind. It is a type of soul severance that can be done in different ways, but the usual way is the murder of an innocent. Once the soul is split you can perform a ritual of the darkest arts and place it in a powerful magical creature or artifact. If I remember correctly Rosier placed hers in her familiar. That dragon was a particularly evil beast, and her connection with it was beyond dangerous.”
Harry’s eyes popped out at this, “Grindelwald’s lieutenant had a Horcrux and she placed it in a dragon?”
Charlus explained, “She was a parselmouth, and when we took down the dragon it was quite messy. She was deranged with rage when we confronted and killed her. We also made sure it was never public knowledge of what she had done. We didn’t want anyone else to get the idea.”
Harry nodded his head, “That was probably a very smart move, because if Voldemort knew he could even talk to dragons that would have been disastrous. In my timeline by the time I died he had created 7, and we had destroyed 6. Only his Snake, Nagini, was left when I died. I know what every Horcrux he created was, and now the task will be finding them.”
Everyone nodded in solemn silence contemplating everything that had been discussed. When Harry grinned with a stupid idea popping into his head, “Say, Lord Black, how do you feel about really stirring up the pot?
Arcturus looked at the boy with an interested look, “I’m listening.”
Harry stood up saying, “My introduction into the family should be interesting. Considering I am coming from Dorea that would make me a Black, and that would mean there would need to be a chance for me to meet the rest of our family. What if we invited this Lord Voldemort to dinner to grant his audience with the Black Clan? Declare our intentions but hear him out first. Then we can basically tell him how we feel about his ideas and claim neutrality for now to keep your more radical siblings and nieces and nephews in line. “
“In my timeline, Bellatrix Black marries Rodolphus Lestrange and becomes Voldemort's most infamous killer.” Harry said, looking away from the others as he remembered just how many of his friends had been killed by the witch, “She murders off several pureblood lines including some of her own, but if you were to cast a blanket neutrality statement then everyone in the family would have to obey or risk being cast out. From there the people in this room can start to form alliances quietly and beef up a third side to this war.”
Arcturus thought for several moments while Melania said, “You do not think Dumbledore is our best chance?”
Harry shook his head, “The prophecy is clear that it is my responsibility to take down Voldemort. Magic, Death, and Fate have interfered at every step of the way. One of us must kill the other for neither can live while the other survives. Which is fair. This bastard murdered my friends and family, and I wouldn’t rest until he was destroyed. I respect Dumbledore for his power, but not his choices. We were friends in the end, but he lost the first war and depended on the luck of magic and a baby to give him time to prepare for the second. Forgive me if I say I don’t trust him to win it this time. That isn’t to say we can’t do certain things together, but when it comes to fighting, I think I would rather do that away from him.”
“This man stopped Grindelwald in his tracks on the verge of victory. Don’t you think he could handle this Dark Lord?” Melania asked with what seemed like open hostility.
Arcturus gave the woman a stern look when he said, “I apologize for my wife’s outburst; she was a McMillan before our marriage, and a stern supporter and ally to the Dumbledore family.”
Harry waved the man off, “No, I understand. Madam, if you think that I don’t have the utmost respect for Dumbledore then we misunderstand each other. But, who was it that defeated Grindelwald’s troops?”
All eyes went to Charlus Potter and the man kept an even face, while Harry continued, “My Great Uncle defeated Grindelwald’s band of fanatics, and a Potter will lead the fight here as well. That’s not arrogance, but my friends and I almost did it without half the fighters I could have in this generation. We were teenagers not even out of school. If you give me a few years here to train, and have people like James and Lily Potter, or Frank and Alice Longbottom who will all be trained Aurors helping in the fight. We can do this without Albus Dumbledore leading us.”
The room was silent, and Harry continued, “We have an edge. I know Voldemort, and I know most of his followers personally. He was not given that advantage. I think we should use it, and putting house Black in a stance of neutrality can do a lot of damage to his cause. Cutting off Bellatrix and some others who would support him could turn the tide of this war four years before it even gets to a point of open conflict in the streets. Mark my words I never saw it in this timeline, but it haunted my friends’ families to the point they buried their heads in the sand when he returned. They couldn’t even say his name without causing a riot.” Harry said with an edge in his voice.
Arcturus spoke calmly, “I think I agree with your assessment, Harry. I think Orion and Walburga had already had the intention of supporting this man, along with possibly Druella and Cygnus. If we issue blanket neutrality, we can buy our side some time until this man violates our neutrality, which I don’t believe will take long. At which point the family will have no choice, but to go to war with the Death Eaters or face the possibility of being cast from the family.”
Charlus sighed, “Are you ready to fight another war, old friend?”
Arcturus looked at Charlus with a small grin, “Well, I still have you so I think we will be okay. How about this? We all break here tonight, and I will summon the family tomorrow for dinner, and allow Harry to be introduced. This gives time for Monty and Mia to tell James about Harry, and for us to do some early preparations. I think this will also give us an idea of who we need to watch out for in my family. I know you aren’t used to this idea from what you have told us Harry, but the Black family is quite large in numbers. We are certainly a powerful clan, and you may be right this could be a vital turning point early on to make this more interesting.”
Harry nodded to the man respectfully. Charlus looked at Harry for a moment, “Harry, I don’t want you to think we are keeping you in the dark, but I would love to have a few words in private with my brothers for a few minutes before they go.”
In understanding, Harry stood, but Euphemia did as well, “I will accompany you. Give me a chance to get to know my Grandson a little more.”
Harry smiled at the woman as he offered his arm and the two departed the room. Fleamont sighed, “I think Mia has taken this rather hard. The idea of Harry being raised by muggles hurts her greatly. Knowing none of us were there for him. I take it all of you realized how vague he was about his time with the muggles?”
Charlus nodded sadly, “I fear the boy was mistreated, and worse than that I think he was abused by his muggle relatives.”
“What makes you think this?” Melania asked, clearly disturbed by this thought.
Dorea looked furious, “When Charlus hugged the boy last night he flinched and it was such a natural reaction to an arm raised that it seemed like a very old habit. I know we surprised him with how willing we were to help him-“
“I think we are all a little surprised.” Arcturus said hastily.
“What is that supposed to mean? Family is very important.” Charlus said heatedly.
Fleamont held a hand up in peace, “A family which you hardly contact at all. You only visit James once a year other than on an occasional Christmas. You were his hero, and you are never around for him. Suddenly this young man shows up and you are jumping to help him.”
Dorea stopped Charlus from raising a fuss, “That’s because Harry actually needs us, Monty. Little James loves us, and we love him, but he doesn't need us to be around. I am sure he would’ve liked to have us around more, and if we were better company we would’ve tried to be around more ourselves. But, he is different from Harry, because this young man has only a few people who could help him, and right now as war veterans from the largest war in Wizarding History we are best equipped to help him. You don’t know what it’s like…To have a child who depends on you every day, and then have to close his eyes when he fades away with pain in his eyes. I see the same pain in Harry’s eyes. I see that he has had to close the eyes of many he has cared for, and I will do anything not to ever have to close his. He is family.”
There was a silence that took over the room once more. Fleamont Potter looked sad, “Brother, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean-“
“Think nothing of it. I know we haven’t been the easiest to deal with in our grief, which is why we moved to America, but this is almost as if magic is giving us a second chance to make a difference in a young man's life. We will give him everything we’ve got, and just from training one morning with him I can tell he will do the same for us.” Charlus said calmly.
Arcturus spoke softly, “So you trust the boy?”
“Without a doubt. He has a noble heart, and while he may descend from you, Fleamont, he has Charlus’ fighting spirit.” Dorea said, taking her husband’s hand.
Fleamont smiled at his brother by blood and sister-in-law, “Then this Voldemort doesn’t really stand a chance.”
