At the sudden revelation, Jake nearly fell out of his chair. He went along with the old man sitting in front of him thinking he might gain an upper hand. But now Harry and Hermione stood in front of him, appearing from nowhere.
"How?"
"My father's invisibility cloak, it's all I have from him," Harry stated. Hermione stood at his side, with her wand in hand, pointed cautiously at the floor.
"Why did you follow us? You've no idea how dangerous it is here." Hermione began her own interrogation.
"Where did you two come from?"
"We don't have time for this," Harry commanded, "we need to get you out of here; too many people have seen you already."
Still in a state of disbelief, he shook his head. "No. I'm not budging until you answer some questions."
"Jake you heard Albus, now are you going to make this easy or not?" Hermione raised her wand and pointed it to his pistol on the table. "PORTUS" she called as a glow from her wand hit the plastic and steel weapon.
"Jake, pick up your pistol." Harry commanded. And as he complied, both Harry and Hermione also touched the weapon, and again they felt the same pull from inside and they were whisked from the back room of the Leaky Cauldron to the front stoop of Black Manor. The others left, apperating to the same building.
Stunned, he dropped his gun, and nearly fell backward at the sight of the building appearing from nowhere. Harry managed to steady him, as Hermione retrieved his pistol. "You won't need this." She pointed her wand at the muggle weapon but before she could begin her charm, she was interrupted.
"Hermione, he may be requiring it later, do not destroy it yet." Albus instructed her. She looked at him slightly puzzled and handed it back to Jake.
Still slightly doubled over, Jake managed to straighten up, "Who sucker punched me? And how did we get here?"
"Jake, wait here. I grant Jake Stevens entry." The Lord of the Manor commanded, and they all passed thru the threshold. "Jake, your things have been brought to a room upstairs, the end of the first hall on the right. But for now, you are my guest."
"Harry? I don't understand."
"Albus told you everything. I am a wizard. And Hermione's a witch, just like Eileen. This is one of the properties I inherited, it was my godfather's home and it's well protected. You'll be safe as long as you remain inside and on the grounds in the back." Harry instructed. The grounds outside were contained in the protective wards, and were commonly used by the Order when they needed to fly off. A small shed had recently been constructed for Buckbeak after Sirius had passed threw the Veil.
"It's true? People like you really exist? I always thought it was…"
"A fantasy? Like those shows on the telly you have in America? Those are all phony and make believe. This is real. Harry always dreamed he could escape from his Uncle's house and then Hagrid told him who he is. Wizards have lived in harmony for thousands of years with people like you. And we are just like you. We breathe, laugh, live and love. And yes, we can die." Hermione related, as if she were conducting a history class.
"Jake, we must return to school before we are missed. But before we leave we need to introduce you to the rest," he pointed to an elderly woman that had entered the room, followed by two men, one her age and one younger. "This is my step-mum and step-dad, Molly and Arthur Weasley. They have been my family since I found out who I was."
The couple stepped up to greet the newcomer with enthusiasm. "I'm pleased to meet you; you're a muggle, aren't you?" Arthur asked.
"Muggle? What's…"
"People without magical abilities are muggles, which is a majority of all people." Remus answered.
"And this is Remus Lupin, my father's only living friend. You can ask them anything. Remus here, used to be our Defense Professor until the school governors discovered his secret. Remus, this is Jake, that bloke from the States we told you about."
"Mr. Stevens, pleased to meet you, if there's anything I can do, please ask. Any friend of Harry's is welcome and safe here."
"Now that the introductions have been made, please Harry and Hermione, we must return, Professor Snape will be waiting in the dungeons to begin your Potions lessons this afternoon." Albus' instructions were greeted with groans from the couple.
"Potions? I take it that's a class you don't like?"
"Actually it's Professor Snape, the, how did you say it? The ' weird vampire wanna-be' we don't like. We'll tell Eileen you're here. And when it's safe, maybe he can come to the castle, Professor?" Hermione asked her mentor.
"Quite possibly, but for now, he must remain hidden here. Come Harry, Hermione." They walked to the fireplace and each in turn tossed a handful of powder into the fire, and calmly walked through, leaving the three magical and one non-magical people alone in the mansion.
He learned quickly from Lupin about the history of wizards in Britain. Lupin's knowledge of wizards in the United States was, however, limited. He had resolved to ask Eileen for that information, if he ever saw her again. His stay at Black Manor was, for the most part, quiet and relaxing, once he became accustom to people vanishing and objects moving about on their own. He had even discovered Dobby and began to like the little elf's company.
Dumbledore arranged for Hermione's parents to visit so Jake could begin to understand the relationships between the magical and non-magical worlds better. Alex and Alycia both still believed that their daughter and Eileen were anomalies in their family, and had welcomed Jake as another member of this growing family and as one of their own.
Alex had allowed Jake to use his mobile telephone to contact his shop, and maintain some control over its operation. He had delegated the daily tasks of the shop's operations to one of his more trusted people, and since it was the low season, business would taper off until spring. He made it a point to check in as often as he could, since his shop was the second most important thing in his life, he was struggling to come to terms with Eileen's hidden abilities, and convinced himself it wasn't a problem. She was still the same person he's known for nearly four years, but she still hadn't come to see him since he discovered this hidden world.
His interest in Harry's well being and his knowledge of life outside this new world made Jake a valuable asset to the growing Order, the Grangers, also being muggles possessed a similar background, but he had other useful skills. Albus agreed to indoctrinated him into the Order with plans he could assist in muggle protection.
He had arrived at Black Manor mid November, and his wait to see Eileen soon ended. She had been allowed to visit, but it took her some time to manage the courage. A little more them two weeks into his stay as Harry's guest, she arrived one Saturday morning.
She appeared with a familiar pop in the lounge, catching a certain metamorphic being in the middle of a sip of his tea. "Remus," she greeted him with an affectionate hug, "Is Jake around?"
It took the werewolf a few moments to clear his sinuses of the tea, but managed to point to the grounds in the back. "Thanks. I'll find him." She left the room and passed through the hall to the rear entrance. She stood at the door and watched him for a moment. He was standing next to a rather large hippogriff, stroking his long feathers. This was a sight she never expected,
She left the safety of the building and remained on the rear stoop. When he glanced up and noticed her standing there, he gave Buckbeak a last scratch and walked to her as she walked down the steps.
"I've been waiting for you to show up." He said to break the ice as he closed the distance to the rear door.
"Classes have been demanding and I wanted to come earlier, but…"
"Why did you lie to me all this time?" His tone was harsher then she'd ever heard from him. She's seen him loose his temper, mostly with inanimate objects, but never with someone else.
"I didn't think you'd understand. It's not as easy as you think to just say 'I'm a witch.'"
"You could have tried, I'm not that closed-minded, or is that how you see me?"
"No," she mumbled.
"Then what? Why couldn't you just say 'I'm different' or something? I had to hear it for a stranger. I thought he was just an old kook until I saw Harry and Hermione appear from thin air next to him."
"He did tell me all about your meeting and he said you needed to tell me something."
"It's not important anymore." The box he carried now sat ignored in his luggage. He was trying to work out what he felt, but over the last couple weeks, it didn't seem as important. As if the longer she waited, the less he wanted to ask.
"I told Dumbledore about the inquires at home, and there's been some people disappearing. But none of that's any concern of yours."
"So that's all you came here to say?"
He shrugged a response.
She took his lack of response as her fault for deceiving him; she reached to his arm, took his hand and motioned to sit on the steps. He followed her to the stoop and sat on the top step, she sat next to him.
"I'm sorry for never telling you. I was raised to not trust anyone that wasn't from this world. I lived for years in a community of people like me after I finished school, without much contact outside. Then I found out about Hermione."
"Hermione? What does she have to do with us?"
"Everything: I knew all about Harry and what he had done as a baby, hell, everyone did. But when he disappeared, we all closed up into our communities. They were difficult times for everyone. Hermione was two years old when Harry vanished, and my father left to keep a close watch over her, Alex and Alycia, her parents."
"Why would he? They weren't in any danger."
"It was more of a family tradition. He told me of the many times inexplicable accidents almost took her from us; I remember one where she was nearly killed by a car when Alex tried to teach her how to ride her bicycle. Daddy managed to pull her out of the car's path before it hit her. He said the driver pulled his wand and pointed it at her, that's when daddy killed the driver, he made it look like an accident and destroyed the wand."
"When my father was killed seven years ago, it became my responsibility to keep her safe. I was only twenty-four then and I had just finished school. That year I left Salem for England to make sure she was safe and happy and that was when she got her letter to Hogwarts."
"So you've been watching and protecting her all these years?"
"Only at first. I couldn't believe that she was a witch too; she was the first in her family in many generations. When she met Harry in her first year, and actually became his friend, I knew I could leave her in the safety of her school. That's when I first visited Florida. I had an offer to teach Defensive Charms at the school in Orlando and simply fell in love with Ponce Inlet. I lived there and taught at the school since then and kept an eye on Hermione and Harry from time to time."
"And then I move in."
"Yes. And when I first met you, I wanted to tell you then, but the years of living with others that didn't trust non-magicals like yourself prevented me from telling you how I felt."
"I never believed I'd be a victim of racism."
"Can you forgive me? I never wanted you to be hurt. You see, mixed relationships in this world always ended badly, and when they did, your memories would have been erased."
"So to avoid me getting my memory erased you decided to just be friends? And not tell me the truth."
"Yes."
"And now? What's going to happen?"
"I don't know the laws here, but I do know that if you return home now, the authorities will take you into their custody."
"Authorities? Don't tell me, Magicians Bureau of Investigation?"
"Well, actually The Wizarding Bureau of Investigation. We have a lot in common with your government."
"If I didn't know about this from Harry and the members of the Order here, I guess I wouldn't have believed you. So now what? I know all about you and what you are," he said coldly.
"And that changes how you feel? I understand. I thought about telling you and the kids at the same time, that maybe with them there it would help you to understand, but I lost my nerve."
"You never told them either?"
She shook her head and looked away. For the first time since they sat on the steps, in that cold November air, he reached for her hand. He thought out his next few words carefully, the same ones he's rehearsed since he first saw her, and without thinking blurted something totally different.
"It's freezing out here. Can we go inside and talk?" He heard his own words and mentally kicked himself.
"Ok, I think only Remus is inside. We can go to the Library and talk some more, if you want."
"Yeah, everyone else is out for the day."
They stood and went inside. He wanted to mend this rift between them and go back to the summer months. They had been happy and he wanted to get this woman back in his life. Inside, they passed the wizard sitting in the lounge, still reading the Daily Prophet as he chuckled at the blatant lies.
"Remus, we'll be in the library if you need us." She called as she led Jake to the room off the main hall. He waved a reply and they sat in the sofa near the massive fireplace and welcomed the warmth of the fire.
"So, were do we go from here?" she asked.
"Can we go back to what we had in Florida? No, I guess not, after all I am an embarrassment to you, showing up in your world."
"Jake, you're not an embarrassment; I just couldn't believe you followed me here."
"It wasn't hard; you did tell me about that pub. All I had to do was find it and start asking questions."
"So, my special abilities aren't a problem for you?"
"Are you a different person that I knew before you left me?"
"No, I haven't changed."
"I have. I've learned a lot since I discovered this secret of yours. And I thought since you didn't come earlier, that you had changed. Eileen, I fell for you hard when I first met you, I dated a lot of women in my life, but only one has made me do crazy things, like dropping my business and fly overseas. What I'm trying to say is I still love you."
She felt a warmth return that she missed since she arrived in England, warmth she kept at bay for quite a long time, he's told her this before, but this time it seemed more real. "Jake, I love you too. But it won't work out, it never does. If they find out at home, you have no idea the prejudices you and I will have to face."
"Do I look like the type to care? I want you to stay in my life. Can we spend the day together or do you need to get back? It's going to be a nice night, I heard Remus talking about a full moon tonight, maybe we could..."
"About that… that's partially why I'm here. Severus was supposed to come tonight, but I asked to take his place."
"That pasty faced Dracula freak? What's so special about tonight?"
"I need to spend the night with Remus, and keep him from hurting anyone. You said it yourself; tonight's a full moon. The first since you got here."
"You need to do what?"
"He has an illness and the potions help, I'm one of the few trained to help wizards in his condition. He suffers from lycanthropy and it happens this time every month, on the full moon." A creak of the floor in the hall went unnoticed as they continued.
"Right, what is he, a werewolf or something?"
"Yes." They heard from the doorway. "I am. I was bitten as a child, and Albus brought me to Hogwarts and helped me cope with it."
"A werewolf? Sure, what's next, Vampires?"
"Remus, I thought you taught Jake everything about our world."
"I couldn't. I hoped he wouldn't have to find out."
Jake sat there as startled at the discovery that this gentle wizard had a dark side. He was beginning to understand that there was far more he needed to learn. "Remus, can I help?"
"No, there's little you can do, there's a chamber in the dungeon here where I can't hurt anyone, it blocks the moon and with the potion Snape brews, it isn't that bad. They do need to keep me confined, so the transformation isn't that bad these days. I really have my old friend's son to thank for letting me live here."
"Jake, the prejudice against wizards like Remus is far worse then people like you. Harry has given Remus a place to live in safety for himself and from himself."
"Everything keeps coming back to Harry, is he really that important?"
"He's the only one alive to have defeated an undefendable curse, the same one that killed his parents. He's also the only wizard besides Dumbledore that had escaped Voldemort."
"Yeah, Remus told me all about Harry's exploits. Still, if you'd like some company tonight, I'm not afraid."
"Thanks, but you'd be safer up here. I'll leave you for now, but Eileen, I do need that potion soon."
"Right, Jake, if you'd like, I can arrange for an afternoon out, but it would have to be in Diagon Alley. It's one of our communities here in London."
"I'd like to get out of here, but only if I can buy you lunch." They stood and Eileen handed the werewolf the vial. Remus left the two alone to finish sorting their issues.
Time passed at Grimmauld Place, and the Christmas holidays were soon approaching. Harry, with permission from the Headmaster made plans for a simple celebration at his home with family and a couple close friends. Once the approval was granted, the arrangements were left to his new family. Molly Weasley made all the arrangements and began the decorations of the manor for the festive season; the only additions since last year were two new friends.
This year, unlike last, a shopping excursion was not allowed due to the new threats and certain events overseas. This year would be simpler then last, but the moods were brighter and two members of this expanded family had far more to celebrate.
Harry pondered the accommodations for his friends, his concern was without her protection, he may slip back into his nightmares, he had been free of them so long that now if they returned, he feared he may truly become too afraid to continue. He could not reveal his ties with Hermione to anyone, and he knew his stepmother wouldn't approve of her sleeping in his room. The questions alone would be more then either could resolve. After some deliberation he decided on having Molly and Arthur in the north guest suite with Alex and Alycia in the south suite safely away on the third level. He would stay in the Master's suite, with the adjacent room reserved for Hermione and Eileen. Ginny and Luna would share a room across the hall leaving Ron to share Jake's room. Not the best arrangements, but Eileen had known how important Hermione was to him and thought she could slip in his room after Eileen had gone to sleep. Ron and Luna would have to work out their own arrangements, as would Jake and Eileen.
The Friday afternoon after the last class the group of friends assembled to make the trip to Black Manor, all of them were excited to have a change in scenery, and Black Manor no longer had the dreary appearances of past years. Arthur Weasley again was sent to retrieve the group, and this time they went directly to 12 Grimmauld Place. Dobby had sent their luggage to the appropriate rooms, but had made one error that wouldn't be caught until later. He instinctively delivered Harry's luggage to the Master's suite and Hermione's luggage was also delivered to his suite, as the Mistress of the Manor.