Disclaimer: It's JKR's, not mine. All of the characters, settings, and ideas from the books belong to JK Rowling. I have never, and will never profit from these writings. The only things that are mine are the parts of the plot differing from the books, any original characters, and the characterization of Hermione's parents.
AN: Well, here is the next chapter. One more and I'll be caught up with my posting on other sites (fanfiction and ficwad).
Chapter 3: Found
Harry's Apartment, London - Friday, 31 December, 1993
"Hello, Harry, I'm Sirius Black."
As soon as those words were uttered, Harry had his switchblade out and ready to use. His eyes had bulged out and his jaw had dropped when he saw his dog transform into a wanted criminal directly in front of him, but that did not delay his reactions. "What the bloody 'ell are you? 'ow'd you do that? What'd you do with Blackie?" He asked rapidly.
"Calm down, Harry, I didn't do anything with Blackie, because I am Blackie. As to what I am, I'm a wizard, just like you." Sirius said, holding his hands out palm up to show Harry he didn't have anything that could harm him. He had found out during the last week that Harry could read lips pretty well and know the basics of what a person was saying as long as they didn't talk too fast.
"What sort of rubbish are you talkin' about? A wizard? You been readin' too many fantasy stories?"
"Harry, please sit down and I will explain everything to you. I'm not going to hurt you. I want to help you. Could I use one of your notebooks to write down what I have to say, so you don't have to try to read my lips?"
Harry considered his choices for a minute before he slowly sat down, nodding to Sirius, keeping his hold on the knife and never taking his eyes off him. Sirius took the beat-up chair that sat next to the large stack of books, and sat down on it in front of Harry after he grabbed a notebook and a pencil. He wrote out his words for Harry while continuing to speak.
"Harry, first of all, you have to understand that there is such a thing as a wizard, and wizards are able to use magic. Watch." He slowly pulled out his wand, which Harry looked at in confusion. "Wingardium Leviosa." He incanted softly, and several of Harry's books rose up into the air off their stacks and floated over to Harry. Harry looked at the books in shock, realizing that he had been doing something similar for years, before looking back at Sirius. "You are also a wizard, Harry. What happened today with that gang of boys was magic. The spell that knocked them out was called a Stunner."
"But, I didn't use one of those stick thingies you've got there." Harry protested, but he hoped that what he was being told was true. He had read many stories containing witches and wizards, and sometimes dreamed about what it would be like if they really existed.
"What you did was accidental magic. It was triggered when you were in danger. This 'stick thingie' is called a magic wand, and it helps wizards focus their magic. What you do every day, levitating the books, is without using a wand, which is something that many witches and wizards cannot do."
Sirius looked closely at Harry who seemed to be accepting the idea much more readily than he had hoped he would. Harry warily nodded to Sirius and said, "I've 'ad other strange things happen to me sometimes. When I was little, my Aunt cut my 'air really short, she said I was a freak 'cause my 'air wouldn't stay combed. The next day my 'air was back to normal, and I got in big trouble 'cause of that. A few times 'ere on the streets it seemed like wounds I got 'ealed faster than normal. I found out I could do the book thing a few years ago and spent a lot of time getting' better at it. A few times I've tel'ported if I really needed to get somewhere fast."
"A lot of that would be accidental magic." Sirius stated.
"So, what d'you want with me?"
"Well Harry, first of all, I want to tell you that I didn't kill anyone. I was framed for murder, like you were thinking this morning. I'll explain that to you later. First I have to tell you that I'm your godfather."
"What? I don't even know you, 'ow could you be my godfather?"
"I'm getting to that. I was a very close friend to your parents, Harry, and they asked me to be your godfather, but since I was thrown in prison, I couldn't take care of you."
"Y'knew my parents?" Harry asked excitedly. "Is that why you're livin' on the street?"
"What? What are you talking about, Harry?"
"Well I figured if y'knew my parents, you lived on the streets like them, 'specially if you were a good friend."
"Harry, your parents didn't live on the streets. They were two of the best wizards and witches of my time, and they were actually one of the richest families in the Wizard world, and you have inherited that money."
"Then… then why'd I get put with the Dursleys and 'ave to work for them, if I'm rich. And why'd they tell me my dad was a bum and my mum was a… a?" He broke off, not wanting to say the vile things that his uncle had called her.
"I don't know, Harry, but I intend to find out why you were placed with those bastards. They said those things to you to make you feel worthless, but they're wrong, you aren't, and your parents didn't live like that." Sirius said. "I'm going to make sure you get off the streets and into someplace safer. If my name gets cleared, I'd like for you to live with me, and we'll see if we can't do even better than Oliver Twist."
Harry smiled widely at that and then said, "I'd like that but 'ow will you clear your name, an' 'ow will you get me off the streets?"
"Well, that magic you did was probably strong enough to get detected by someone in the Wizard world, so we should be expecting a visit from someone who has been looking for you within an hour." He pulled out an old newspaper from his pocket and handed it to Harry. "This is a magical newspaper. See how all of the pictures move? Look closely at the animal that the shortest redheaded boy is holding."
"I see it. It's a rat. What's so special 'bout this?"
"Harry, your parents were killed by an evil wizard. They had been protected by a spell, and only one person could give away the information of where they were. The man who knew was one of our friends named Peter Pettigrew. When your parents were killed, I knew Pettigrew had betrayed them, so I went after him. When I confronted him he cast a spell which blew up the street and killed a bunch of people. He cut off his finger and ran away, making people think I had killed him, leaving only a finger, and the other people. Your father, Pettigrew, and I, had the ability to change into animals. I can become a dog, your father could become a stag, and Pettigrew could become a rat. When something happens to a wizard like the loss of a finger or arm or something, the same thing happens to their animal form. Look closely at the front paw of the rat in the picture."
Harry held the paper up to the light and squinted. "He's missin' a toe on one paw!" Harry gasped. "So this is this Pett'grew person who got my parents killed?"
Sirius nodded. "When I saw that picture while I was in prison, I realised I had a chance to clear my name if I escaped and captured him. While I was headed toward the place he is, I saw this article." He pulled out another article, the one he had read a week ago. Harry read it with a shocked expression when he saw his name and a picture of himself, along with the fact that people were searching for him, including another friend of his parents. "D'you know this Remus Lupin?"
"Yes, Harry, he was one of my best friends. Your father and Remus and I were always a lot closer to each other than Pettigrew was to us. They've been searching for you, and I think they'll find you now with that bit of magic you did out there."
"Should I let them find me? Or should we wait 'til you get your name cleared?" Harry asked.
"It would be best if you let them find you. They'll likely take you to a Wizarding school, which is where Pettigrew is. If they bring me with you, it'll be much easier to capture him. Besides, I don't want you to have to live like this any longer."
Harry nodded thoughtfully. He thought carefully over everything Sirius had told him, and believed that he wasn't lying about anything. Part of his belief was because of the fact that Sirius had been living with him the past week or so, and had done nothing to harm him, in fact, he had comforted him after one of his bad nightmares. He had also risked his life in the fight with the boys to attack some of them. The rest was just his gut feeling that Sirius was truly trying to help him, and was talking about ways to get him off the streets.
As he thought about what he had been told, a memory came to him. During his time with the Dursleys he would occasionally have dreams about people who he believed were his parents, mainly because the man looked very similar to him, and the woman in the dreams had the same color eyes that he had. After being dumped in London, the dreams came less and less often, and it had been nearly a year since he last had one. The dreams sometimes contained other people, including one that he now realized was a younger version of Sirius.
Harry looked up at Sirius in shock. "You-you're the 'uman-dog I used t'dream about! I remember someone sayin' somethin' about a Pad foot or somethin' like that."
Sirius looked at him in surprise. "Yes, my nickname among my closest friends, including your father, was Padfoot. Harry, I don't think it was just dreams, it had to be some unconscious memories, if you could know my nickname like that."
Harry nodded. "That's what I thought. I used t'have them a lot at the Dursley's, mainly about my mum and dad." He went quiet again, remembering how good he felt after he had one of those dreams.
Sirius nudged his hand several minutes later to break him from his thoughts and then said shakily, "When I saw that article and thought you might be dead, I-I didn't care what happened to me. You were one of the only reasons to break out of prison. Somehow, you just happened to go past me before I read the article, and when I realised you were either dead or somewhere in London, I recognised your scent and followed you."
"You… you really broke out of prison for me? Why? I'm just a buggered-up deaf street kid. I'm nothin' important."
Sirius felt tears come to his eyes at the way Harry described himself. "Harry, besides the fact that I promised your parents to take care of you, I've loved you pretty much as a son since you were born. Right now you are the most important thing in the world to me, and I hate to see you living like this."
"I-I'm that important to you?" Harry's eyes were tearing up, and Sirius slowly moved forward to give him a hug, which, as he had expected, Harry stiffened at the contact. He pulled back and spoke to Harry at a distance where Harry could see his mouth to read his lips. "Yes, Harry, you are very important to me, and you always will be. Now, I need you to do something for me. Remus knows what I look like, and he still believes I killed those people. I need you to cast a spell that I'll show you, to change the colour of the fur of my dog form. With that, and by trying to stay out of his way, I don't think he'll recognise me."
"O-okay, I'll try it, but I prob'ly won't be able to."
"No Harry, you have to believe that you can. One of the things that lets wizards like us do spells is the belief that it is possible." He went over to notebook again and continued writing for Harry. "The words of the spell are Mutare Coloris." Sirius said as he wrote out a pronunciation of the words for Harry. "While you are saying the incantation and pointing the wand at me, you have to imagine my fur being a different colour."
He handed Harry the paper, and listened to him pronounce the spell, making a few changes to how he wrote it out for Harry, until he could speak it correctly. "Okay Harry, time for you to do your first spell using a wand." He swiftly transformed into his Animagus form and waited for Harry.
Harry picked up his wand, looking nervous, as he hoped that he wouldn't mess up and somehow change Sirius into a frog or something. He pointed the wand at Sirius and said, "Mutare Coloris." He felt somewhat silly saying the words aloud, but then a flash of light shot out of the wand and hit Sirius. Harry hadn't been expecting this and jumped back. When the light cleared, Harry couldn't help but laugh. The entire right half of Sirius had become white, while his left half retained its original black fur.
Sirius looked back at himself and realised that Harry's concentration had been broken, making an incomplete transformation. Knowing what to expect now, Harry held the wand more confidently and performed the spell again but merely thought the words in his head rather than speaking them aloud, this time changing all of Sirius' fur from black to white. "It worked that time." Harry said.
Sirius changed back to his human form. Harry had expected his hair to turn white, but it was still black. "'ow come your 'air's black now?"
"Oh, the spell only works on one magical signature, and my Animagus form is just different enough that it doesn't affect my human form. That spell will wear off in about three days so you'll need to keep using it on me whenever it starts to fade."
"When d'you think the wizards you were talkin' about will come?" Harry asked him.
"I don't think it should take more than an hour for them to come. If they don't come today, that means the magic you did wasn't strong enough to show up on their detectors. If that happens I'll figure out a way to send an anonymous tip to Remus about where you are living. For now we'll just have to wait. I'll change back into my dog form in case they come in without any warning." Sirius said.
"Um, what should I call you now? Or should I still call you Blackie?" Harry asked.
"That's fine, people will probably be amused that you named a white dog Blackie. I was actually quite amused that you came up with a name so close to my real last name."
His demeanour turned serious when he thought about something he wanted to know. Picking up the paper again, he began writing and talking. "Harry, after I escaped I went to the Dursley home where I had heard you had been placed with. I know some of what they did to you, because I could smell your blood in that cupboard. I know it's probably a hard thing to think about, but I need to know how bad it was. I heard your dream a few nights ago, and it sounded really bad."
Harry's face lost its colour as he read what Sirius was asking him, and then he looked up at Sirius with a guarded expression on his face. "Y-yes, my u-uncle did other things to me. Sometimes 'e'd use 'is rounders bat or a fryin' pan, other times it was 'is belt with the big buckle or a switch from a tree." Harry said shakily.
"Okay Harry, you don't have to tell me anything else, I just needed to know." He paused and said, "I'm so sorry Harry. I was stupid and blind with anger and that caused you to be put with them. I'll work for the rest of my life to try to make it up to you, even though it will never be enough."
After he knew that Sirius knew what had happened to him, and wasn't running away in disgust or reacting in any similar way like Harry had thought he might, and was in fact apologizing for something Harry thought was his own fault, his guarded expression collapsed and tears leaked from his eyes which he furiously brushed away before he leaned forward and let Sirius hug him tightly. Finally, for the first time since Amy, the woman who had taken him in and taught him everything he knew, had died a few years ago, he felt loved by someone.
Harry pulled back several minutes later, feeling much lighter, and said, "Thanks, Sirius. I think it'll be nice 'aving a godfather that cares about me."
Sirius smiled broadly when Harry called him his godfather. "You're welcome, Harry. I'll be there for you whenever you want to talk about something. Now, I'd better get changed before someone comes looking for you."
With that, Sirius changed to his now-white Animagus form, and jumped up onto Harry's cot to curl up next to him, while Harry took out one of his books and settled in to read, feeling like for once, things in his life were going great. He had found out he had a godfather who wanted to help him get off the street and didn't care about his past, that he could use magic in ways greater than what he had done before, and that he had a good chance of leaving the streets behind if the wizards came for him today.
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Outside the Headmaster's Office, Hogwarts Castle - 31 December, 1993
Minerva McGonagall was a little miffed that Albus had interrupted her work on finalising her lesson plan for Monday's Transfiguration class - the first of the new term, but she knew he would only interrupt her work for something important, and if he was as happy as he seemed over the Floo call, it was likely some sort of good news.
Walking beside her on their way to the Headmaster's office, was a tall woman with grey eyes and long bushy-brown hair that was pulled back into a ponytail. Minerva had become rather close friends with Emma Granger in the short time she had been teaching at Hogwarts, even with Emma being over thirty years her junior.
The Muggle Studies professor had retired the previous year, and when Albus offered the position to Tom and Emma Granger, the Muggle parents of Minerva's brightest student, Hermione Granger, Emma had jumped at the opportunity. Emma had long had a dream of becoming a teacher, but she put that aside when she fell in love with Tom Granger, and joined him in dental school, and eventually ran a practice with him. Tom had decided against taking the position, and remained in London to run the dental practice, although he had to find a new oral surgeon with Emma gone, as Emma had taken up oral surgery while Tom had studied general dentistry. Emma and Hermione often took every other weekend off to Portkey to their house to spend the weekend with Tom.
From what Minerva gathered from her many conversations with Emma, Tom had not been very supportive of Hermione going to Hogwarts. In fact, it sounded like he wasn't very fond of even the idea of witches and wizards existing, something Emma believed was from his extremely strict Catholic upbringing and family that abhorred anything to do with witchcraft and the supernatural, and that, she believed, was the reason he had turned the offer down. Emma's dream of teaching, the opportunity to be near her daughter all year, and the chance to learn about and become involved in Hermione's world had sealed the deal for her, resulting in several prolonged arguments with her husband, but eventually ending with her acceptance of the job.
She and Minerva had grown to be good friends in the past six months. One of the most enjoyable things about their friendship, was that almost every time they had a conversation, one of them would learn something new, either about the Muggle world, or the Wizarding world.
Minerva and Emma reached to corridor outside of Albus' office. "Sherbet lemon." Minerva said to the gargoyles guarding the door to the office. She noted to herself that it was the second time in the last year he had chosen that as the password. The gargoyles slid aside to allow the two women entrance.
They rode up the spiral stone staircase, and as Minerva reached out to lift the griffin-shaped brass knocker on the door to the office, a voice from inside called, "Come in please, Minerva, Emma."
Minerva shook her head in exasperation. Somehow Albus always knew when someone was just outside his office, and she was determined to figure out how he did it someday.
They entered the large circular room to see Dumbledore seated behind his desk, and the black-haired Auror Hestia Jones seated in one of the chairs. "Please have a seat." He said, gesturing at two seats in front of his desk. "Sherbet Lemon?" He offered, to which he was turned down by Emma and Minerva. He retrieved a sherbet lemon for himself and popped it into his mouth.
He was silent for several moments, sucking on the candy. "I am sure you three are wondering why I called you up here. I have some rather good news that I would like to share with you, and I would also like to ask you a favour."
"Of course Albus. Now, what is this good news that you seem so excited about?" Minerva asked.
"I have finally located young Harry." He said.
All three women gasped. Hestia stammered, "Wh-what? Really? Are you certain that you've found him this time?"
"Yes, Hestia, I am absolutely certain. A few minutes before I called you on the Floo, Harry performed a bit of accidental magic. I believe it was a large-scale stunning spell. It was a large enough burst of magic that my instruments attuned to Harry were able to detect it and pinpoint the exact street the magic was performed on. Once it found that, it was able to focus in on the street and follow the fainter traces of his magical signature, and I have found what appears to be his home. Sadly it seems to be in a poor and rundown section of London, but that is rather what I expected."
"Have you gone to look for him, Albus? We should get him immediately before his trail runs cold again." Minerva asked.
"No, I have not gone to get him yet, and now that we know where he is, we can follow his magical signature, even if we were to go tomorrow. That is why I have called the two of you to my office. I would like Emma and Hestia, to be the ones that contact and retrieve Harry."
"What about me, Albus?" Minerva asked.
"Minerva, I would like you to begin contact the members of the Order. I believe it would be good if Remus was the first to know that we have located Harry. You can use the Floo here in my office, and if you cannot contact some, you can use Fawkes here to deliver a letter. Please tell them that I would like to hold a meeting tomorrow morning here in the Great Hall." Albus said, and Minerva nodded in acceptance.
"Are you sure you really want me to go along, Albus? I mean I only know of him what everyone has told me and…" Emma was saying when Dumbledore cut her off.
"Yes, Emma, I am sure. You are from the Muggle world, and will be able to find your way around London the best. You also have better knowledge than we do of the things that Harry might have gone through on the streets. He will probably be able to relate more to you, so I ask that after we find him, you spend time with him and help him through his problems. Hestia will be able to tell him everything he needs to know about the Wizarding world, and she also will be able to tell him about his parents, who I think he will be delighted to learn more about. And of course you both know my reasoning behind the ones who contact him being female."
Emma nodded, thinking of how a few weeks after she had come to the school, she had learned everything about what had happened to Harry Potter, the Wizarding world's great hero, from Minerva and the other professors who were members of the Order of the Phoenix.
"Of course Albus, I will do my best to help him. I'll probably talk to a friend of mine who is a psychologist for children and adolescents about what exactly to do and what would help him the best." Emma paused in thought for a moment and then asked. "Albus, may I make a suggestion?
"Certainly," Albus replied, his eyes containing their normal twinkle.
"I think it would be good if we brought Hermione with us. It might make the whole magic thing seem more plausible if he sees someone his age use magic. It would also be a good idea to make sure he has friends to support him when he comes to the school." Emma said.
"Ah, that is a most excellent idea, Emma, and I am sure Hermione would be delighted to have a chance to make another friend. If she does become friends with him, he would also gain the friendship of the girls she met this last year. Hestia, I will make a Portkey Harry's location. Emma, if you would, retrieve Hermione. Also, you and Hestia should change clothing into something more suitable for Muggle London."
Emma and Hestia nodded to him before they stood from their seats and made their way out of the office. Hestia had been to the castle rather often on Auror and Order business, and she and Emma developed a tentative friendship with each other. Hestia took a short Portkey trip home to change into comfortable street clothes while Emma headed to her quarters.
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Professor Granger's Quarters, Hogwarts Castle - 31 December, 1993
Emma Granger looked on in amusement as her daughter practically bounced around the room, picking out Muggle clothing. She knew Hermione was very excited to be one of the first people to contact Harry Potter and bring him into the Wizarding world. As she was pulling on her clothes, Hermione was chattering excitedly about everything she had read about him in Modern Magical History and Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century. When she had first heard about the boy who had saved the Wizarding world from one of the most powerful evil wizards alive, she had been intrigued and had looked into every published book that had something about him, and now knew everything written about his life.
Emma and Hermione had come back to the castle two days ago after spending the winter holiday with Tom. She had let Hermione choose between staying at home or returning to Hogwarts early with her, but since Tom had had to get back to the practice after Boxing Day, Hermione would have been alone at the house most of the time, so she had chosen to come to Hogwarts with Emma.
After listening to her daughter for a few more minutes, Emma sighed. "Hermione? I need to talk to you about something before we go."
Hermione, who was pulling on a pair of trainers, looked up. "Okay Mum, what is it that you want to talk about?"
Emma sat down on the bed next to her daughter as she finished lacing up her trainers. "Hermione, I know that you've read all about Harry Potter in your books, but I want to make sure you know that the boy we see today won't be the same Harry Potter that you're probably imagining. Some things happened to him that were not included in any books."
Hermione looked aghast that people would deliberately leave things out of books. Emma chuckled at her daughter's expression before her own became serious. "They didn't put it in the books because the Ministry would not allow them to. The books all tell about how Harry was abandoned by his aunt and uncle when he was almost six, right?" Hermione nodded.
"Well, what they don't say is that Harry was very badly abused by them before they abandoned him."
Hermione looked saddened by this and then said,"I knew his relatives didn't like him because they abandoned him and I guess I sort of suspected that they might have hit him while he lived there."
"It was more than just getting hit, honey. His uncle severely beat him. I've heard he used rounders bats, big frying pans, and his belt. Apparently they copied some of his memories and viewed them. Harry had different bones broken in each memory, and I guess he has a lot of scars because the beatings." Hermione's face paled and tears filled her eyes as her mother described some of what Harry had experienced
Emma nodded and wrapped her arms around her daughter's shoulder. "That sick man started when Harry was three and continued doing it until they abandoned him almost three years later. That will have had a large effect on Harry, much more than just living on the streets. No one knows how he will react to adult males, so that's why Hestia, you and I are going. He might not have any problem with males, he might become afraid when alone with a male, or he might just fear people that remind him of his uncle, we just don't know. Now, I expect you to be on your best behaviour when we meet Harry, and I think it would be good for him if you befriend him. He will need all of the support he can get, both for any emotional issues and to help him deal with all of the school work he'll have to do and the things he has to learn to catch up to the other Third Years."
Hermione slowly looked up at her mother, her excitement from before clearly gone from her face. "Do you really think he'll want to be friends with me when he gets to know me?" She asked in a small voice.
Emma choked down a sob as she gathered Hermione into a tight hug. She hated what other kids at Hogwarts and her elementary school had done to cause Hermione to feel like this about herself. This was the second time since she started Hogwarts that she had seen her daughter act like this, as if she didn't think someone would like her once they got to know her, the other time when she met two girls who were now her friends. When Emma took her teaching position, she put a stop to all the teasing and tormenting of her daughter whenever she saw it, but she had suspected it was still going on in the privacy of Gryffindor house, and she realised that she had been right.
"Oh, honey, of course he'll want to be friends with you. All you have to do is be yourself from the start and I know he'll see the same loving, kind, and caring young lady that I see whenever I look at you. Just because those idiots in your House won't accept you for who you are, doesn't mean everyone else is the same way, just look at Luna and Susan, they both accepted you for who you are and now you're best friends. I think that you and Harry both will need a friendship with one another."
Hermione was silent for several moments before she nodded into her mother's shoulder and raised her head again with a determined look on her face. "Okay mum, I'll do my best to become his friend, and if he wants to be friends with me, I'll try to be the best friend he has ever had."
Emma smiled down at her daughter. "That's my girl. Now, let's get up to the Headmaster's Office. I'm sure Hestia is already waiting for us." She got up from the bed, gathering up a winter coat to wear outside in London as she made her way to the door.
"Wait, mum. Do you think it might be a good idea if we brought him something to eat?" Hermione asked as she too grabbed a coat and walked toward the door, her excitement now back.
"That's a great idea, Hermione. We haven't had any lunch yet either so we can get something for all of us." Emma said.
They stopped by the kitchens and received a large meal after a few minutes of waiting. The house elves put the meal in a small picnic basket that was charmed to hold over twice its size at a quarter of its true weight.
When they entered the Headmaster's office, Minerva was gone, apparently to go tell Remus, who was off for the weekend in southern London to search for Harry. Hestia had returned wearing a pair of slacks, a blouse, and a grey cloak.
Albus looked up as they entered the room. "Ah, I see you have brought some food with you. Excellent idea. Now, the Portkey I have made will take you to within 1000 yards of the most current trace of Harry's magical signature. Hestia will use a tracking spell to direct you to Harry's exact location."
Hestia nodded and then held up a torn up trainer that was missing most of the sole and said. "Emma, Hermione, please get a good grip on the Portkey."
They both grabbed onto it and Dumbledore reached out with his wand. "Good luck." He said as he tapped the Portkey with his wand, and the three of them disappeared in a flash of light as they felt a tugging sensation behind their navels.
They landed on a small London street. Hestia, the most experienced with Portkey travel managed to stay on her feet. Emma and Hermione, who were still new to it, lost their balance and sprawled on the floor.
Hestia helped them up and then they all looked around. Most of the visible buildings were pretty run-down, with broken windows, peeling paint, and sagging walls. People had spray-painted what appeared to be gang symbols on some of the walls, and the sidewalks were littered with loose trash.
Hestia shook her head sadly at the thought of Harry living in such a place before she took out her wand and cast the tracking spell attuned to Harry's magical signature that Dumbledore had given her. It shone a light out of the tip of the wand which illuminated magical residue of the person that the spell was attuned to. In front of them, faint glowing footprints appeared on the ground, showing where Harry had walked.
Hestia, Emma, and Hermione followed the most brilliant, and therefore the most recent, set of footprints. When they turned into an alley, the entire floor and the walls of the alley began to glow vibrantly. Hestia lowered the wand to decrease the glare of the light, and then they saw nine unconscious teens lying on the ground, weapons held in their limp hands.
Hestia knelt down and felt for some pulses, and stood up satisfied that the boys were still alive. "This must be where he used the large stunning spell that showed up on Dumbledore's sensors. I think Harry was under attack by these kids and his magic reacted to protect him."
"Harry did all of this?" Hermione asked rhetorically as she looked around at the stunned boys and the glow that indicated where the magic had passed. "He's already pretty powerful, just with accidental magic."
Hestia nodded her head in agreement as she moved around among the teens. She took the weapons away and tossed them into a nearby trash can after transfiguring them into broken tiles. She healed a chest wound in one of the boys which appeared to be caused by some sort of knife. Having done that, she set up a delayed-action Rennervate spell set to revive the teens in an hour. "Come on, let's keep going. Those kids will be waking up in about an hour."
They kept following the brightest set of footprints until they made a sharp turn past a broken down apartment building. The trail led them behind the building and up a wooden plank that led up to a ground floor balcony. Every other set of tracks converged on that single plank, which made Hestia sure they were in the right place. She looked back at Emma and Hermione and her eyes confirmed to them what they too were thinking. This was Harry's home. Hestia looked sadly at the boarded up windows and doors of the building.
The three walked up the large plank and made it onto the balcony. Emma realised that the boarding on the sliding door had been modified to swing open like a regular door, and all of the windows on either side of it had been uncovered to let light in. Hestia took a deep breath before she knocked on the plywood "door". She frowned slightly when a minute went by without any sound from inside. She knocked again, and after waiting another minute, she glanced back at Emma and Hermione and then grasped the wood and pulled it back enough for them to enter.
At first the only things Hestia saw were the peeling wallpaper, the pile of old clothes, and Harry's beat up desk. As her eyes adjusted to the lower light of the room, she saw a cot sitting in the corner. A large white dog was sitting on the cot, growling softly at her. Next to the dog was a young boy with shaggy black hair who had fallen asleep reading a book, his head resting on his arms which were propped on the book.
When she saw his hair draped over his face, she knew without a doubt that it was Harry, having spent seven years in the same House as his father who had the same unruly hair. Tears came to Hestia's eyes when she saw how skinny, frail, and malnourished he looked. She heard Emma and Hermione gasp beside her when they too noticed Harry.
The white dog had stood up on the cot and was now licking at Harry's face while keeping an eye on the three women. Emma took a step forward but stopped abruptly when the dog growled at her and then went back to nudging and licking Harry.
The next few seconds were a blur to Emma and Hermione, and only Hestia, whose eyed had been trained from years of being an Auror, was able to grasp what was happening.
Harry's head snapped up as he slid the book to the side. He leapt to his feet from the bed, and whipped a switchblade out of his pocket. Hestia realized that he had probably been awake since the first nudge from his dog, and had probably been evaluating the situation he found himself in before deciding what to do.
"Who the 'ell are you, and why're you in my 'ouse?" Harry demanded in a low voice.
He had stopped short of being more threatening when he saw he was faced with three women. What he saw confused him greatly. He had woken up to Sirius' nudging and had remained still. He had discovered several years before that he could "see" the colours of people, even with his eyes closed as long as he concentrated.
When he had "seen" the colours of the people that had entered the room, they were brighter than most normal people, although one was not that much more brilliant than most normal humans he saw. Having seen that, he immediately knew they were wizards from what he had seen with Sirius, and what Sirius had told him.
From what Sirius had told him, Harry had expected to see that Lupin man that had known his parents as well as some law enforcement men when he opened his eyes. He had not, however, expected to see the three women now standing in front of him.
One of the women had dark brown, nearly black hair pulled up in a loose bun. She had an air of authority about her, and he felt that she was a police officer or something very similar. The other adult had grey eyes and long bushy brown hair that was pulled back into a ponytail. Something about her face or her expression reminded him of his mum from what he had seen of her in his dreams. The third woman was really more a teenager, and was obviously the second woman's daughter. She had the same bushy brown hair, although she let it fall freely instead of having a ponytail. She had expressive brown eyes, and a friendly look about her. He realised that she couldn't be much older than he was.
The second woman and her daughter both jumped at his sudden movements, but the first woman remained calm and collected, although he could see in her eyes that she was shocked by his threatening manner.
Hestia cleared her throat and spoke gently to Harry. "Harry, we're not here to hurt you in any way. We want to talk to you and help you. My name is Hestia Jones."
Emma took a step forward. "My name is Emma Granger, and this is my daughter…"
Hermione spoke shyly, "I'm Hermione Granger."
Harry's eyes flew to each person that was talking, trying to decipher what they said for their names. He had caught the name Hestia Jones from the first woman, and Emma from the second woman, but hadn't been able to tell what the girl's name was, besides the last name Granger. He didn't like telling people that he was deaf until he had gotten to know them, so he didn't ask them to repeat their names, planning to ask them again later.
Harry glanced at Sirius who had stopped growling at the women. He nodded his head to the women in acknowledgement and said. "Yeah, I'm Harry, and this 'ere's Blackie. 'ow d'you know my name?"
"Harry, I went to school with your parents and was close friends with your mother, so I got to visit often after you were born." Hestia said. "I am an Auror, which is something like a police officer, and Emma here is a professor at a private school called Hogwarts, which is a school for witches and wizards. We have come here to get you off of the streets and into the school if you would like."
"What're you talkin' about, about witches and wizards?" Harry asked, making sure no one would ever suspect that he had already heard most of this from someone else.
"Witches and wizards are not just fantasy, Harry, they truly exist. You're a wizard, Harry. You can use magic, and in fact you used it today. We saw the boys that you knocked out. Very often young wizards and witches, when they are in a stressful situation, have outbursts of accidental magic. Yours was large enough that it was detected."
Harry then asked, "So, you were good friends with my mum? D'you know why I got put with my aunt and uncle?"
Hestia hung her head and then sadly raised her eyes to Harry. "I-I tried to talk them out of putting you there. I even offered to raise you on my own. Your parents had said they never wanted you to go near the Dursleys, and gave a long list of people that you should have been placed with. Unfortunately, the executor of your parent's will is also the most powerful and influential wizard in the U.K. He believed that you would receive a blood protection by living with your aunt that would protect you from certain people. You see, your parents were killed by a very powerful evil wizard. When he tried to kill you, you were protected by your mother's sacrifice of her life for you, allowing you to survive. The protective magic ended up destroying his body. The supposed blood protection was to keep you safe from his followers."
She paused for a moment and then said, "I have no idea why you were never checked up on, and everyone close to your parents no longer trusts the man who put you with the Dursleys. I am so sorry you had to live with those monsters, Harry. We have found out everything that they did to you." Hestia saw Harry's face pale. "Your uncle is now in prison for the rest of his life for what he did, and every bit of money that they received to take care of you that they used on themselves has been taken away from them."
Harry was saddened by the confirmation of what he had believed for years: his parents were dead. A small part of him, however, felt relief, because it took away any doubt that he had that they might have been alive and just didn't care for him and had dumped him with the Dursleys.
He shook his head clear of those thoughts and asked Hestia, "So, you're here to take me to this wizard school you were talkin' about? 'ogwarts was it?"
"Yes, Harry. Hogwarts is a school for children to learn how to use and control their magic. You should have gotten an invitation two-and-a-half years ago, but you had gone missing, and our owls couldn't find you. Wizards use owls to send letters and such, similar to post."
"I've always wanted to go to school." Harry said, liking the idea of going to school and learning how to do the sorts of things he had read about in fantasy books. His expression fell as a thought crossed his mind. "But I won't be able to go if it costs money, I used my last bit today."
Hestia smiled softly and slowly reached her arm out to lay a hand on his shoulder. He forced himself to not flinch away. "Harry, the Potter family is one of the oldest and richest Wizarding families. Besides the money taken back from the Dursleys, your parents set up a trust account for you with more than enough money to get you through Hogwarts. When you become an adult, you will get access to the actual family vault which had much more than the trust account."
Harry's mind reeled at the thought that he had a bank account with a lot of money this entire time he had lived on the street. His thoughts then turned back to the topic of magic.
"Um, so, this magic stuff. I've 'ad weird things 'appen to me before like injuries healin' really fast, and the thing with the gang out there. I can also do this." Harry reached out his hand and levitated one of the books on the desk over to himself and watched the three women stare at his display of magic with wide eyes. "I found out I could do that a few years ago and I've been practicin' since. At this wizard school I'll get to learn to do more things like that?"
Hestia smiled and nodded her head. "Yes, Harry. I don't think you will have any trouble learning how to use your magic if you can do something like that. Most wizards and witches have to use magic wands to focus their power enough to do what you just did, and you did it without a magical incantation that is normal for a spell."
"Could you do some magic? I'd like t'see 'ow someone else does it." Harry said excitedly.
Hestia removed her hand from Harry's shoulder and reached into a holster strapped onto her left arm. Harry tensed for a moment but relaxed when he saw her wand. "This is what a magic wand looks like. It has a magical core inside to help focus and amplify a wizard's natural magic so they can do spells easily. Watch."
She picked up a pencil from his desk and muttered something. In a glow of colour, the pencil transformed into a long-stemmed rose. Harry took it from her hand and examined it, all the while becoming more impressed at what was possible with magic.
Harry looked over expectantly at Emma and her daughter. Emma shook her head. "I'm sorry Harry, I'm what wizards call a Muggle. I'm an ordinary person who can't use magic."
"Then 'ow come you're a professor at that 'ogwarts school?"
"I teach about the Muggle world in a class called Muggle studies. Many wizards know almost nothing about the non-magical world, so I do my best to teach them. Wile I can't do magic, I'm sure my daughter would love to do some for you."
Now Harry looked confused. "What? Did you marry a wizard or something?"
Emma smiled. "No, a very common type of wizard or witch is called a Muggleborn - a witch who was born to two Muggle parents. I believe that your mother was a Muggle born like my daughter."
Hermione took a step forward. "Would you like me to show you a spell, Harry?"
He nodded in answer. She walked up to him while taking out her wand. He froze when she pointed it directly at his face. "Occulus Reparo." She incanted, tapping his glasses with her wand.
The glasses gave a jerk, and the frame mended the broken bridge that was held together with tape, while every chip, scratch and scuff in the lenses disappeared before his eyes. His fear at the wand being pointed at him was replaced by amazement. He took off the glasses and examined them with a look of wonder on his face. He could find no damage at all. As he put them back on, he realized how much clearer everything was, even though he was using the prescription that Amy had managed to pay for several years ago which was now slightly too weak for his current vision.
He looked back up to see the girl being reprimanded by her mother for scaring him. She looked abashedly at him. "I'm sorry about scaring you like that, Harry. I was excited to show you a spell and wasn't thinking how it would be to have a wand pointed in your face."
He shook his head. "S'ok, I just a little worried for a minute. Thank you so much for fixin' my glasses. It's so much easier t'see now. That was amazin' magic!"
The girl blushed and shrugged her shoulders dismissively. Hestia then said, "Harry, if you would like to go, why don't you pack up anything that you want to keep, and we'll get you out of here."
"Okay," Harry said, smiling. "I've just got a few things I want to take." He turned around to face his cot, picked up his beat-up rucksack, and began to put things into it.
Emma turned to Hestia and spoke in a low voice. "Hestia, we should take him to my house for the night, and take him shopping in Diagon Alley and downtown London tomorrow. I think it will be easier on him and not as overwhelming as going directly to Hogwarts today if we introduce all of these new things to him slowly."
Hestia nodded in agreement. "That sounds good. I was thinking about bringing him to my place, but you have more room at your house, while I just have a one room flat. I'll go back to Hogwarts later and let Minerva and Remus know what's going on. Do you have your Portkey to your house with you?"
Emma nodded, patting the left pocket of her jeans where she had put the Portkey before they left to look for Harry.
Meanwhile, Hermione was watching Harry pack his bag with a thoughtful look on her face. She saw that he had two large stacks of books sitting on the desk that he had started to put into his rucksack, and was immediately excited to see that Harry seemed to like reading. It gave her hope that they would at least have that in common. Her eyes widened when she saw some of the books that he had, some of which were generally considered "adult" books, although she had read them herself. She noted one book in particular: Oliver Twist.
"So, Harry, do you like Charles Dickens' writing?" She asked him. She frowned slightly when he didn't answer her or even acknowledge that she had asked the question. She asked louder a second time and when he didn't answer, her thoughtful look deepened. Everything clicked into place in her thoughts when she saw a small dictionary for British Sign Language that looked well worn.
When he put it into his rucksack, she moved next to him and touched his arm gently. Harry looked up at her touch. {Are you deaf?} She signed in question to him.
Harry's jaw dropped, and then he slowly nodded to her. {You can sign?} He signed back to her.
Hermione answered. {Yes, I learned to sign while I was learning how to talk. My grandmother lost her hearing when my mum was thirteen, so she and my mum had to learn sign language, and my mum made sure that I learned how to sign when I was little.}
Emma's eyes had widened when she saw her daughter sign to Harry, and even more surprised when he said that he was deaf. When she looked back now on the conversation they had just had with Harry, she realized that there had been some small signs that he was deaf, especially his focus on each person's mouth when they were talking. She was very surprised that he had been able to hide his lack of hearing so well during that entire conversation.
Hestia nudged her shoulder. Emma turned her head as Hestia asked, "Emma, what are they doing? Is that sign language?"
Emma nodded. "Yes, it is. Apparently, Harry is deaf, and Hermione just figured it out."
Hestia looked shocked and then saddened at yet another thing that Harry had had to face during his life.
Emma moved closer after Hermione had told Harry that both of them knew sign language. She gave him a warm smile and signed, speaking aloud as well mainly for Hestia's benefit. {It's true, Harry, I know how to sign as well. We often visit my mother, and I thought it was an important skill for the entire family to have.}
Harry turned his attention back to the girl. {I'm sorry, I wasn't able to catch your name when you said it before.}
She smiled at him. {Oh, my name is Hermione,} she signed, fingerspelling her name.
Harry ran the letters through his mind. "Hermione? Is that how to pronounce it? Like from Greek mythology?" He asked aloud.
She nodded. {Yes, you pronounced it correctly. And you are right, it is from Greek mythology. Hermione was the daughter of Helen and Menelaus from epics about the Trojan war. That's where my mum got the name from. Do you like Greek mythology?} She signed.
{Yes, I love go to the library and read about all of the different mythologies. It is always challenging to look up the pronunciation of the names so I can say them correctly. I ran into the name Hermione a few months ago, so it's nice to know if I'm pronouncing things right.} He signed back to her.
Emma got his attention again. {Harry, you should have told us you couldn't hear. Even if we couldn't sign, we could have made sure we talked clearly for you to lip-read, or even written things down.}
{Well, I didn't know if I could trust you completely yet, and I was kind of worried I might not be able to go to the school if you found out.} He looked at her worriedly. {I will still be able to go, won't I?}
{Of course Harry. We'll have to change some things to adjust, but you'll be able to go. Are you finished packing?} She signed.
{Yeah, I've just got to toss these last books in my bag and I'm ready.} He signed back before turning around and stuffing the books into his bulging rucksack. {Okay, I'm ready. Where are we going now?}
{We've decided that we will take you to my house for the night. Tomorrow we'll take you shopping and then go to Hogwarts, because the new term starts on Sunday when all of the students get back from holiday.} Emma signed.
Harry nodded and then she pulled out a medallion which had been made into a Portkey. {Harry, this is a magic device called a Portkey. You have to grab onto it and hold on tight. When it activates it will transport us to my house.}
Harry reached out to grab it with Hermione and Hestia thinking that it must be similar to the several "teleporting incidents" as he liked to call them when he had disappeared from one place and reappeared in his room. Hestia grabbed hold of Sirius' collar.
He saw Emma say some sort of activation word, and then he felt a sharp tug from behind his navel before everything started spinning and glowing. It stopped suddenly and they were slammed into the floor of a house. Harry, Hermione, and Emma staggered and landed in a heap while Hestia landed nimbly on her feet along with Sirius.
Hermione was on the top so she was the first up and she helped Emma and Harry to their feet. After Harry was back on his feet, Hermione signed to him, {Welcome to my home, Harry.}
AN: Thank you everyone for your reviews.
Anyone familiar with sign language probably knows that when you are signing, you don't actually sign out every single word that you would say if you were using spoken English, but in my story I will just be writing out the "interpretation" of what they mean in these: { } , to make the writing easier.
Next chapter: Grangers house and shopping in London.
Please Review and let me know what you think and what you might have questions about! I'll try to answer any questions you have unless it would give away a big plot point.