A/N. There are three parts to this chapter.
In the first, Harry tells his children about Hugo. I didn't think of writing the scene until autumnRose mentioned it (thanks a lot!). I was not enthusiastic about it because I knew Harry would have to really pay for what he did. It was difficult to write and those who don't like to read Harry squirm and struggle maybe should skip it. I did write it from Al's POV hoping it would be less painful.
In the second Hugo feels the aftermath of the revelation and in the third, Harry at the Leaky Cauldron.
For those who do skip the first part I urge you to read the last few lines of it.
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Chapter 15 - Escape
Al tossed and turned in his bed. It felt like there were bugs crawling all over him and he couldn't keep still. He was hot all over, angry at his Dad and angry at the person he was forced to share his room with. Just a few feet away in a spare bed he was sure his half brother was awake.
When his Dad took him, James and Lily into his Library after supper they all thought they were getting a reprimand for spying on his meeting earlier that day. They couldn't have been more wrong.
He had them sit closely and was clearly not himself. Mum was there too, right beside him, as tense and as anxious as the rest of them were. The last time the family was all serious and huddled that close was when Grandma Molly died a few years ago. It was from this past experience that Al had expected something bad but nothing could have prepared him for what his father told them.
"Before I say anything else I want you to know that I love you all and I always will no matter what."
Al's heart skipped a beat. He had never heard his Dad talk so seriously.
James shifted nervously as Lily leaned forward and asked, concerned, "What's wrong Dad?"
"There's something that I want to share with you that's unpleasant. It will hurt you and it can make you angry but you have to know the truth," his Dad said, his voice grave and quivering, his eyes meeting each of theirs apologetically, "Your Mum and I thought about how best to tell you this. There isn't a best way."
Al noticed his Dad glance over to his Mum who nodded in encouragement. His Dad took a big breath in, exhaled and continued.
"Fourteen years ago I had an affair with another woman. It was inexcusable, wrong and regrettable. I hurt a lot of people, your Mum most of all and now you. It took some time but your Mum and I worked it out and put that behind us."
Dad stopped talking, waiting for their reaction. Al was speechless. His Dad did what?! He was half expecting someone to jump up and say it was all a joke, a cruel one but a prank nonetheless. Was he the only one having trouble believing this?
He looked over to his older brother. James looked calm, quiet and somber, as if this wasn't news to him. That wasn't normal. Lily was beet red, eyes ablaze with pools of tears poised to erupt from the hurt and anger behind them, glaring at Dad and then at Mum. She looked like she was about to bolt. That seemed a bit extreme. His Mum, who sat by Lily, took her hand in hers and held it tight, trying to comfort, urging her to stay and bracing her for more. Mum was already crying and she never cried.
His father moved closer to them, hands clasped together, the look on his face as he watched them and saw Lily's reaction was a sight Al had not seen before; Dad was trying to hold himself together.
Being the logical one, Al needed to know more than that. He couldn't let go of a nagging question in his mind. It seemed stuck there until it got an answer, as if with one everything would make sense.
"Who was the woman, Dad?"
Al had no idea and was even more surprised by his answer.
"Your Aunt Hermione."
Al's jaw dropped, stuttering as he replied, "B...but yo...you were married and she was married."
And yes he knew that was what an affair was. It was just too unimaginable.
"At that time she and your Uncle Ron were separated," Dad clarified.
"But you and Mum weren't. I don't understand…"
"It was a mistake...I made a mistake."
"But why? Weren't you happy?"
His father seemed to be choosing his words carefully, "Your Mum and I were having some difficulties but that shouldn't have mattered. I make no excuse. I made a mistake and I'll regret it for the rest of my life."
"Didn't you love Mum?"
"I did. I do."
"I still don't get it," Al was shaking his head, frustrated at his inability to understand.
"I wish I could explain it better but I can't without sounding...," his voice trailed off, as if he decided not to continue with that train of thought, "Al, I know you're trying to find reason in all of this, to make sense of why I did it. I can give you all the reasons in the world but it still won't make it right."
Al felt sick in the stomach. Although he didn't live in a bubble and was aware from friends and family that such things could happen in a marriage, this happening to his Mum and Dad was totally unexpected. In his eyes they were perfect, his Dad was perfect, and for the first time in his life he realized that his Dad was not perfect after all.
A protectiveness sprung from within him as he looked over to his Mum, whatever lost admiration for his Dad had now transferred over to her. She wasn't mad, she had forgiven him, and the anger that he should have felt was smothered by her calm and supportive presence. It was okay. Things were alright. There was status quo.
"Did you love her?" his brother asked.
"Yes," his Dad replied honestly.
Al noticed his Mum flinch ever so slightly. James annoyed him. It was a tactless question to ask while Mum was there and his Dad should have lied.
"Why are you telling us all this? Why does it matter now that she's dead?" James followed up with a good one, one that his Dad seemed uncomfortable to answer.
"It's obvious really," Lily spoke, bawling her eyes out as she did, "He was born five months after I was."
"He?"
"Hugo's our brother," James answered for Lily.
Lily was outraged, "How could you?! How could you cheat on Mum while she was pregnant!?"
"Lily…" Mum spoke for the first time, an attempt to calm her daughter down.
"I'm really sorry sweetheart," his Dad apologized to Lily, reaching for her hand.
"Is that all you can say?! You're sorry?!" Lily abruptly got up, let go of Mum and pushed Dad's arm away, "I hate you!"
"Lily, it's not what you think. Your Dad loves you," Mum said to her.
"I don't believe that! If he did then he wouldn't have done what he did and we wouldn't be having this conversation! He's selfish and he cares only about himself!" Lily was shouting, "And I can't believe you took him back! You shouldn't have! I would have much rather grown up fatherless!"
Lily stormed out past their Mum and Dad sobbing. Dad wanted to follow but Mum stopped him.
"You know she didn't mean that," Mum said to him, but that did nothing to improve Dad's devastated expression.
Like his Dad he figured Lily meant each and every word she said. Mum left and followed Lily up the stairs, leaving the men in the Potter Library in what would be one of the most awkward moments in Al's memory. Al sat there quietly, his eyes glued to his shoelaces, thinking how foolish he was; there would be no status quo. Things were already changing and he couldn't see past the moment to be hopeful that things would be okay.
He couldn't help but find blame. He blamed his Dad for doing what he did and the brother he didn't know he had for ruining their family. Tears stung his eyes and he couldn't stay where he was seated. He couldn't look at his Dad for fear of echoing the words Lily just said. On the one hand he was angry but on the other he loved the man and couldn't kick him especially when he was down.
His Dad after some time regained his voice.
"I know it's a lot to take in at a time like this," he said to them, "I didn't know about Hugo until yesterday."
"He's going to live with us?" James asked rhetorically.
"He is my son and your brother. Our home is his."
The home he broke...sure.
"And everyone will know?" Al queried.
His Dad nodded, "Sometime after his Mum's funeral."
"I suppose you expect us to be nice to him," Al couldn't hide the bitterness in his tone.
"I expect you treat him as you would your brother," came a firm reply, "It's not his fault he is who he is so don't take it out on him. If you're angry be angry at me. Is that clear?"
Already he was taking Hugo's side over his.
Al stood and started to leave, "May I be excused?"
"Is that clear?" his Dad repeated, more assertively.
Al met his gaze and glared back, "Yes sir."
As he exited the library and made his way up the stairs he overheard James.
"They'll come around, Dad."
"I hope so," his Dad replied.
"Does this mean you and Mum are staying together?"
Al took two rungs up at a time. He didn't want to hear his father's answer and whatever it was that his brother meant by his question, he rather he didn't know.
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Pack in hand and careful not to make a sound, Hugo slipped out of Al's room just as he heard sonorous snoring from his older brother. It had taken so long for Al to fall asleep and hopefully his aiders were holding position. He had managed to send them a coded Muggle wireless text message earlier when it was clear there was no way his father would let him go back to help find his Mum's murderer.
It was a good thing too because Hugo couldn't stand the frosty treatment he was getting from Lily and Al since after dinner. It was easy enough to figure that his secret was out. Even though he had thought about the moment a lot of times and had expected it, reality was much worse. He knew it wasn't his fault but it still stung. He felt so bad for Lily.
Hugo couldn't stay and he thought that maybe if he left now things would be better. The best would be to disappear from their lives forever, something his Mum had thought of but couldn't do. A gnawing chest pain came as he thought of her and understood her all the more. He had failed her.
This is too hard. I'm running away, Mum. I'm so sorry I can't make it work.
He brushed off the tears from his face and steeled himself. First there was catching his Mum's killers then he would be winging it. He had no plans beyond leaving and getting to Uncle Warren. He was however certain that he couldn't go back to this and even if his Dad offered, which Hugo couldn't imagine he would now that he knew who he was, he couldn't live with him. He didn't know how but somehow he would take care of himself.
As his father, Dad and Aunt Ginny were still out and he decided to take his chance. After clearing the back entrance of any magical alarms, he unlatched the lock and flashed three short bursts of white light from his wand. He waited for a response, scanning the darkness of the Quidditch pitch and beyond. Then it came. Red light.
They weren't ready. He waited. Some five minutes later he flashed his wand again. Same response. What was taking them so long?
"You should just tell Dad how to find Uncle Warren," someone hissed from behind him.
Rosie. Shoot.
"I promised Mum I wouldn't get him involved," he whispered back.
"Technically it's Uncle Harry who's getting him involved, not you. Just tell him. Tell them. They can help Uncle Warren fight the Master of Death."
James must have shared with her what they overheard during the meeting. There was no time to argue with her.
"Go back to sleep."
"I'm coming with you."
He just noticed that Rosie had a rucksack packed as well.
"No, you're not!"
"She was my mother too. So what are we waiting for?"
"Yeah, what the hell are you waiting for?"
A rough voice replied from the shadows outside and a large furry animal suddenly appeared at the doorway startling brother and sister, toppling them onto their backs. Rosie's eyes immediately widened at her recognition of danger.
Silencio!
Rosie's mouth was fully agape and if not for his quickness would have woken up the entire neighbourhood. He quickly turned to face the six foot beast that had just entered the Potter House and gave him a castigating look.
"What?" the werewolf whispered.
"You're scaring my sister."
The werewolf caught his reflection off the mirror and realized why.
"Sorry," he whispered to Rosie as he changed back into his human form, longish blond hair and baby blue eyes, offering a hand which Hugo's sister did not take.
"This is Spencer, a friend of mine from school," Hugo helped her up instead and took off the spell he cast on her, "Spence, my sister, Rose."
"This is Rosie? She's a fox! Now I know why you never introduced us. I'm delighted to finally meet you. Love the pink hair."
Spencer took her hand, planted a kiss on the back of it and flashed a roguish grin his best friend had used often on other girls because it actually worked. Rosie was blushing and giggling an incoherent reply. Hugo rolled his eyes. Great.
"Spence," he reminded sharply, "That's my sister. Get your hands off her."
"Chill man. I was just saying hello."
"Right. I'll kick your arse later. Can we go?" Hugo retorted impatiently, threatening his friend who was a head taller and two years older than he was.
"And are you coming too?" Spencer asked Rosie.
Before Rosie could answer Hugo hexed her, casting a full body bind. It wasn't exactly how he wanted to say good bye to his sister but he had no choice.
"I'm really sorry but I can't let you," he said to her ignoring the fierce look she was giving him. "If you go Dad will follow."
While a hole burned in his back from Rosie's piercing glare, Spencer led him out to the pitch with a small light in his hand, instructing him to trace his footsteps and move towards the northernmost Potter property line, which ended on the edge of a large city park. As they got closer, Hugo noticed an almost indiscernible monotonous low pitched humming sound.
"What is that?" he asked.
"Isa calls it the Magical Barrier Fragmentation Device. I prefer Ward Buster."
Before he could ask another question they were face-to-face with the 10-foot concrete property boundary. Spencer was once again a werewolf, giving him a boost up the wall and helping him down on the other side where a black flat-bed Ford was idling. A Muggle dishwasher size contraption with a cannon sized nozzle aimed at the Potter house whirred softly on its cargo space.
"It's about time."
Flashlight in hand, a teenage girl with long straight black hair and black eyes jumped off the back of the pick-up and approached Hugo with a worried expression, "Are you okay?"
He nodded but did not meet her interrogating stare. Isabella Martinez knew he wasn't. He steered their conversation away from him.
"Was all this really necessary?"
Hugo was perplexed about his friends' choice of method of escape. For non-magical fifteen year olds this was a big production. Had he known they were going to do this he would not have asked for help but feeling so alone he really needed their company.
Spencer pointed to the Pitch, "In case you forgot, your father is Britain's Head Auror. Isa didn't want to take any chances."
Isa was a scientific genius who applied principles of the Muggle discipline to enhance or negate magical forces.
"How did you manage to put all this together?"
"We're on a field experiment," Isa said too innocently.
"Off campus and out of country?"
"Interestingly enough the school forms doesn't ask for that information," his other friend grinned, "We borrowed Uncle Biff's truck to transport the thing from the Flooport but genius here almost blew it."
Isa let out an exasperated breath, visibly annoyed at the blond.
"You could have warned me before slapping me on the butt in front of your uncle and introducing me as your girlfriend."
Hugo suppressed the laughter as the image of the scene flashed before him. Uncle Biff raised Spencer since his parents died from a werewolf attack when he was two. He had met his friend's uncle a few times and, comparing Spencer's wild upbringing with Hugo's sheltered experience, the man was lacking in a few key parenting skills. The things his friend got away with were a continuous source of open envy.
"That was the quickest way to get him to fork the keys over," Spencer defended his crude behaviour, "And besides, had I told you beforehand you would have never agreed."
"You're right about that," Isa retorted.
Hugo became friends with the two since their first year at the IMAN. They got along okay before but lately, he had noticed how much more irritable Isa seemed to be around Spencer. They both attended classes over the summer and Hugo assumed something must have happened then. He made a note to ask Spencer about it after he sorted his own stuff out.
On his suggestion they got going. He helped Isa get into the cab and sat beside her. Spencer got into the driver's seat, shifted gears and put the truck in motion.
Their destination was Spencer's home, an hour's drive from the Pitch. As part of security, the IMAN had a closed circuit Floo network connecting it to its students' places of residence. Once they got to the school, Isa would get them access to her home and from there they could Disapparate to where he suspected Uncle Warren would be.
"I'm sorry about your Mum," Isa's voice interrupted his thoughts.
Hugo thanked her and they slipped back into silence. He looked out the window and at the rear view mirror, the sight of the Pitch getting smaller and smaller, darkness giving him cover as he cried quietly. Jaw clenched, he transformed himself back to his natural appearance, feeling that it was the least he could do for her.
I'm so sorry, Mum.
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It was almost ten in the evening. Harry was seated at a round table in one of the small upper meeting rooms at the Leaky Cauldron surrounded by the familiar faces of wizards and witches he was certain he could trust. His reservations about completely sharing the story of the Hallows were completely gone now that there was urgency to finding the Dark wizard who in all likelihood had all three.
Master of the Wand and Master of Death. Either way Harry was not fazed by what was before them. He felt empowered by the brave faces of old friends and comrades driven by the burning need to finish what Hermione was trying to do and getting justice for what befell her. It did make him wonder again why Hermione chose not to do what he was doing now. Why the POTH?
Ron was also there, seated as far away from him as possible. Harry was glad that he was setting aside their personal quarrels for now and had joined him to talk with their Hogwarts schoolmates. He had asked Ginny to come too on Ron's point that if they were asking others to help them, why was she being left out.
For her part, Ginny had been quiet during his monologue, maybe too surprised that he had asked her to join in. Or maybe like him she was still reeling from how badly Al and Lily reacted to their talk after dinner. They had thought the worst and it did happen despite Ginny being there. She had followed Lily to her room and they did talk a bit but she convinced him that the best thing to do was to give Al and Lily space and time to think, to trust that they would soon realize that there was no point dwelling on the past.
Nevertheless, Harry was quite worried about Lily. He felt that he had already lost her and it was the worst feeling in the world.
His attention shifted back to reality as Neville, who was sitting beside his wife Hannah, asked, "This group of seven, what is it called again?"
"POTH," Ron answered and spelled out the letters for him.
Neville had a frown on his face.
"What is it?" a youthful looking Dennis Creevey enquired.
"I've come across that word before and not so long ago," he shared, still as forgetful as he was when he was younger.
He turned to his wife for assistance who shrugged and suggested, "Hogwarts maybe?"
"It's not inconceivable that she asked someone from Hogwarts to be a part of it," Harry replied. "A professor?"
"A magical being?" Ron chimed in.
The suggestions made Neville remember, "Actually both. Well, at least we've always suspected he was part goblin."
"Professor Flitwick?" Ron said out loud.
Of course, they couldn't ask their old Charms teacher because he had been dead for a year.
"I helped his replacement clear out his quarters and there was this small chest inside his closet that we found difficult to move and couldn't open. It had those letters on its handle."
"But don't magical protections cease at the time the caster dies?" Dennis asked.
"Not all," Ron gave Harry a fleeting scowl.
"Or maybe it wasn't the Professor who conjured it," Luna Lovegood-Scamander just rejoined their conversation via Floo from the embers within the fire, "What was in it?"
"Dunno," Neville raised both shoulders up, "We tried everything but never got it open."
"Where is it now?" Ron asked.
"Last I saw it, it was still in Professor Hullseye's quarters but I can't be sure he hasn't moved it."
That set off a discussion on how to get into his room without raising suspicion from either the Charms Professor or the Hogwarts Headmistress. It also made Harry suspicious about the real cause of Professor Flitwick's death, which had been 'due to natural causes'. If the Professor was POTH too then they were running out of alive POTHs to find.
He would definitely ask Jessie to look into how he died. That was the other thing. He had not heard back from her and Seamus was not there yet.
After another half an hour they adjourned. Neville had a plan to get into the quarters to see if the chest was still there and examine it more closely. They would have to involve George and the Wheezes. Neville and Susan were going to help Ted find more POTH names while Luna was going to discretely use her connections in the magical being world to find out if POTH meant anything to them. Spying on the Head Unspeakable would be dangerous but Dennis assured him he was up to it. He would attempt to find out if the stone was in the Head Unspeakable's vault.
As the others left, Seamus arrived with a worried expression.
"I'm sorry I'm late," he apologized. "I got tied up in France trying to complete a deal."
"Where's Jessie?" Harry asked noticing that he came alone.
"I was going to ask you the same thing. I saw her when she left for work this morning. She said she had lots to do and that she was coming home late. I haven't been able to get a hold of her since."
"She told me she was with her sick sister," Harry recalled their phone conversation more than twelve hours ago, recognizing that if Seamus did not know that, it meant one thing.
"Harry, Jessie is an only child," Seamus face was ashen, "What the fuck is going on?"
Just as Harry was about to answer his phone rang. It was Ted. Hugo was on the move.
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A/N. This chapter will be the last of the angsty present in a while.
I am getting a vibe that I've tested most readers to their limits and interest in the story is waning - quite understandably so because of what it is about! Thanks to the loyal few who continue to follow it.