《Listen Now: A Harry Potter & Remus Lupin Hurt/Comfort Mentor Fic》


 Chapter 1: Home

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    On Lupin''s instructions, Harry didn''t send a message to Uncle Vernon letting him know when to pick up Harry from the train station. He figured it wouldn''t matter much to Uncle Vernon, if he even noticed at all.


    Lupin was there to meet him and take him to Grimmauld Place instead. At first, Harry felt like it was all a bit of a waste of time, since he''d just been there, but Lupin insisted that he had to go back to the school and get on the train, or his teachers would worry. Harry ended up being thankful to have the time on the train with his friends.


    Once they reached the house, Lupin went right to work preparing tea while Harry sat at a counter in the kitchen. "Sirius will be down in a bit. He''s taking care of a couple of cursed objects in one of the spare bedrooms." He placed a steaming cup in front of Harry.


    "Thank you, sir."


    "I''m not your professor anymore, Harry. You can call me Remus. You call Sirius by his first name, don''t you?"


    "Er, okay." For some reason, it felt different to him, but he supposed refusing would be even more disrespectful.


    Lupin sat down across from him. "Harry, do you want to talk about what happened at your aunt and uncle''s house?"


    Harry swallowed. He really didn''t want to talk about it, but he didn''t suppose he really had the choice to back out of that conversation, now that he had brought up the subject. He couldn''t exactly regret it, since he didn''t have to go back there now. But it was still uncomfortable, especially since the lines weren''t as clear. Umbridge had drawn blood; Uncle Vernon never had. "I¡ªI might be overreacting. Honestly, Dudley was the worst part."


    "Dudley is your cousin?"


    "Yeah. He used to beat me up but, er, he mostly stopped after I started learning magic. And Uncle Vernon, he beat me a few times when I got my first accidental magic, but it''s been years. I¡ªI shouldn''t have said anything."


    "Harry." Lupin''s eyes pierced his. "Tell me what''s bothering you."


    Harry winced. "At the Wizengamot, with Umbridge, I had marks to show, you know?"


    "You were afraid to go back to them this summer. You must have had a reason."


    "It''s just . . . they hate me."


    Lupin frowned. "Harry, I''m sure that''s not¡ª"


    "My aunt and uncle used to get Dudley dozens of presents for every birthday and Christmas. They''ve ignored my birthday every year since I was ten. And when I turned ten, they gave me a coat hanger."


    Harry wanted to kick himself as soon as the words were out¡ªthey sounded so petty and childishly envious¡ªbut Lupin''s eyes widened. "I see," he said.


    "That¡ªthat wasn''t so bad, actually. It''s just that they''re afraid of magic. The summer before my second year, though, they tried to keep me from going to Hogwarts. They put bars on my window and fed me cold soup through a cat door, I was lucky Fred and George and Ron broke me out." He supposed he should have been thankful they didn''t try to do that while he was still living in the cupboard under the stairs.


    "The Weasleys knew about this?"This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    "I didn''t tell them much. It''s not really something I talk about."


    "Indeed not."


    It was quiet for a moment as they both sipped their tea. Harry knew he didn''t have to say any more¡ªLupin would believe him and help him, no matter how much or how little he wanted to talk about.


    But the longer they sat, the safer he felt. He''d never told anyone what things had really been like at the Dursleys, and suddenly, the idea of sharing that seemed like it might take a weight off of him.


    He started talking about what it had been like to live with the Dursleys¡ªgetting kicked out of his room at age three to make way for Dudley to have a second play room, sleeping in the cupboard under the stairs until spiders and darkness didn''t scare him anymore. He told Lupin about having to do all of the cooking, cleaning, and gardening, about the days he''d gone without meals, and about being forced to follow Dudley''s diet. He talked about Dudley''s eleventh birthday, about Aunt Marge and the Night bus, about the dementors that had attacked Dudley¡ªeven though Lupin already knew that story¡ªand about Dobby. He even admitted to telling the Dursleys just enough about Sirius to get them to back off a little.


    Lupin didn''t react to any of Harry''s stories with shock or horror, and neither did he brush off anything Harry said as insignificant. He just listened and nodded, concern in his eyes.


    As Harry was winding down, less due to running out of stories to tell and more from exhaustion, Sirius entered the kitchen. "Harry?"


    "Sirius!" Harry jumped up and embraced his godfather.


    "Good to see you, Harry! Is everything alright?"


    "Yeah, just, um . . ." Harry looked up at Lupin, unsure how much to say.


    Lupin nodded. "Go ahead and tell him, Harry. I have an errand I need to run, I''m afraid."


    "Okay." Harry smiled, and Lupin gave Sirius a pointed look before disappearing into the Floo.


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    Remus arrived in Albus''s office a short while later.


    Albus stood from his desk. "Remus. This is a surprise."


    Remus had no interest in wasting time on pleasantries. "Did you know about how the Dursleys treated Harry?"


    The twinkling in Albus''s eyes died away suddenly, and Remus found his teeth clenching.


    "You knew."


    "Remus, the blood wards¡ª"


    "No. Don''t tell me about blood wards. Those muggles tormented that boy. It''s a wonder he''s able to function at all."


    "Harry is alive. The same magic that allowed him to defeat Quirrell with a touch is what guards the Dursley household. There''s no better protection than that."


    "It''s not worth it." Remus himself could provide protection for the boy. It might not be as solid as the blood wards, but the blood wards were no good if Harry was so badly abused that he ran away from home every other summer, or if his mind was being destroyed by the abuse.


    Albus''s eyes flashed. "You''ve heard the prophecy by now. That boy is the chosen one. The fate of the wizarding world will rest on his shoulders. There''s more at stake than merely his life."


    "There certainly is. Merlin knows if there''s enough left of his mental health to salvage. The wizarding world is depending on it."


    "Harry is more resilient than you think."


    "That might be." But Remus was concerned how many might fall as casualties of the battle, if Harry was compromised by his inability to express when he was being truly harmed. "But I have already given him my word that he will not be asked to return to his relatives."


    Albus sighed. "You should not have given him false hope."


    "It''s not false hope. I trust you, Albus, and I respect you, but I will not abide by this. I will keep my promise to Harry."


    "Would you fight me?"


    Remus swallowed. "Would you make me?"


    Their eyes locked. Remus couldn''t remember having felt so angry with anyone for a long time. All of those stories Harry had told . . . Albus had known. He had allowed it.


    "Harry is with Sirius at Grimmauld Place now," Remus said. "He is going to stay the night, and by tomorrow morning, I am going to make a decision about what steps to take next."


    Albus''s eyes narrowed ever so slightly, then relaxed. He nodded, almost imperceptibly.


    "I am going to win this, Albus," Remus said.


    "I will not fight you. But I would implore you to reconsider. At least explain the blood wards to Harry before making any final decisions."


    "Oh, I will. I do not plan to keep the boy in the dark, as you seem inclined to do." Remus stepped toward the Floo.


    Albus''s expression didn''t change at that. "Do not forget, Remus. He is only a boy."


    Remus turned back toward Albus once more. "Yes, he is. I haven''t forgotten how sensitive a boy can be at that age, nor how impressionable, nor how his imagination might run wild given less than adequate information." With that, Remus picked up a handful of Floo powder and left.

 Chapter 2: Wards

    Harry didn''t tell Sirius about the Dursleys in nearly as much detail as he''d gone into with Lupin. His relationship with Sirius was different from the one he had with Lupin. In some ways, he felt closer to Sirius, because Sirius was his godfather and had offered to adopt him. But Harry knew Lupin better than he knew Sirius, thanks to a year of DADA class and additional tutoring to teach him the Patronus charm. Of course, it wasn''t just about the closeness of each relationship¡ªHarry had never told Ron or Hermione much about the Dursleys, and he was closer to them than to anyone else in his life.


    But aside from all of that, Lupin felt more . . . stable. As Harry told bits and pieces of his childhood, the vein that bulged in Sirius''s neck made Harry nervous, not for his own safety but for Sirius''s. Harry couldn''t know if Sirius was going to risk his life to try to take revenge on the Dursleys somehow. It seemed like something he might do. Sirius had contained himself when it came to Umbridge, but only just barely.


    They''d been talking for less than a half an hour when Lupin returned through the fireplace. His shoulders slumped, and he sighed heavily as he brushed the ash and leftover Floo powder off his patched robes.


    Harry cleared his throat. "Sir¡ªI mean, Remus. Not that it''s any of my business, but . . . what errand did you need to run?"


    "I''ve just spoken with Professor Dumbledore."


    Harry cringed internally¡ªhe didn''t want to make any more trouble when Dumbledore had already been so busy this school year. Then again, Dumbledore must have already known about some of what was happening at the Dursleys. That first Hogwarts acceptance letter had been addressed to the cupboard under the stairs. "What did he say?"


    "He asked me to tell you the real reason you''ve been sent to live with the Dursleys."


    "Oh!" Harry blinked a couple of times. On the one hand, he was looking forward to this explanation; on the other, he didn''t want there to be an explanation. He wanted it all to have been a mistake, something that could be easily remedied by sending Harry somewhere, anywhere else¡ªthough preferably, to live with Sirius.


    "Have you ever heard of blood wards?"


    Harry breathed in to speak, but Sirius cut him off. "Blood wards? That''s the reason my godson''s been abused all his life?"


    Lupin frowned. "Sirius, let me explain it to him."


    "There are wards over this place!" Sirius cried. "We can protect him."


    "That might be, but he has the right to know why it''s been done this way."


    Harry slid cautiously to the edge of his seat. "Dumbledore knew about what was happening at the Dursleys?"


    "I''m not sure he knew as much as you told me, but I don''t want you to think you were completely abandoned, Harry. The reason why you''ve been forced to live with them so long is that living in the home of your mother''s sister affords you some magical protection against Voldemort."


    "Because my mom gave her life for me?"


    Lupin nodded. "Death Eaters cannot find you while you are at their house, and some measure of that protection remains with you throughout the year as a result of those wards. It''s possible that you are alive today because of them."


    Harry let out his breath and lowered his head. He knew Lupin''s promise had been too good to be true. "Thanks for trying."


    Lupin''s brow furrowed. "Harry?"


    "I''ve got to go back, don''t I?"


    "No," Sirius said. "There are wards over Grimmauld Place. You''re not going back to them."Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    "Sirius," Remus said, and Sirius was quiet.


    Harry shifted his weight. Maybe there was still hope. "Are the blood wards . . . better?"


    "It depends on who you ask," Lupin said.


    Harry shrugged. "I''m asking you."


    Lupin took a deep breath. "I think it''s possible that the difference in protection could mean your life."


    Harry nodded solemnly. "Okay. I¡ª"


    "Let me finish, Harry. It could mean your life. I''m not saying it will. There are other factors to consider."


    "What factors?"


    "Your health, and the fact that Voldemort has made an attempt on your life almost every year you''ve been at Hogwarts."


    "Do you think I''ve survived all those times because of the blood wards?" He supposed it explained a lot¡ªhe''d gotten awfully lucky.


    "I don''t know. What I do know is that the improvement in your health, particularly your mental health, would be vast if you moved in with a family of wizards who loved you. They could strengthen you. And that could be the different between life and death for you."


    Harry wanted to throw up his hands and yell at Lupin to give him a clear answer, but this year had made him start to see that things weren''t always that simple. There wasn''t always a clear answer.


    "You have a great destiny, Harry, and your life is more precious and important than you know," Lupin said. "I''m honored for the trust you''ve shown me, and for the part I''ve been allowed to play, but I am not your guardian. Professor Dumbledore made the decision about where you should live when you were a baby. I am not in a position to revoke this decision."


    "So . . . you''re saying I have to go back?"


    "I am not. As much as you might wish otherwise, you are still a child; it is normal that others should make decisions for you. But you came to me out of fear, Harry, and that''s a powerful thing. I want to give you a choice where you have not had one before."


    Harry swallowed hard. "What choice?"


    "You can return to your aunt and uncle and suffer through the remainder of this summer and next. I believe you will be of age by the end of next summer, and the blood wards will no longer be in effect."


    "And if I don''t?"


    "We can report the child abuse. It is likely that muggle law enforcement will intercede on your behalf; it is possible that the Dursleys will be prosecuted. The Ministry of Magic will find a home for you."


    Harry turned to Sirius, hoping he could read the question in his eyes.


    Sirius smiled sadly. "I would love to take you in, Harry, but I can''t be your legal guardian until my name is cleared."


    Harry sighed. He understood, but he couldn''t bring himself to say that he did. "So it''s stay with the Dursleys or fight them in court so I can go live with strangers?" Neither option sounded great.


    Lupin winced. "Regardless, you''re going to sleep here for the night. Whatever decision you make, we can talk about it in the morning."


    "Yes, sir." Harry had really been hoping Lupin would say he could stay at Grimmauld Place for the summer, but he supposed that would have been too much to hope for. Nothing in his life had ever gone that smoothly.


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    After Harry had gone to bed, Remus sat awake with Sirius by the fireplace. Sirius gave him a pointed look. "You''re not going to allow him to go back to the Dursleys," he said.


    "I doubt he will," Remus said. He''d wanted to give Harry the option, but he would have been very surprised if that was the decision the boy made.


    "Then . . . are you really going to allow him to be taken in by strangers? Again?"


    "They won''t be strangers."


    "No, you''re right. They''ll be a family the Ministry chose. Look me in the eyes and tell me that isn''t worse."


    Remus rubbed his forehead. He didn''t like the idea, certainly, but he didn''t know what to do. "What do you suggest?"


    "You adopt him."


    Remus''s eyes widened, and he looked up to see Sirius''s eyes piercing his. "Me? But you''re his godfather."


    "And for all we know, my name might never be cleared."


    "Siri¡ª"


    "You were right, Remus. I''m not ready to be a father, and I won''t be ready before Harry comes of age." Sirius half-smiled. "But Harry respects you."


    "He respects you, too."


    "He loves me. And I love him, too. But respect is different."


    Remus knew he was right. Harry was James''s son through and through, and Sirius hadn''t really grown out of his Marauder phase, either. Harry was a good kid, and remarkably well-adjusted, given his childhood, but he made poor decisions at times, reckless choices he didn''t need to make. Sirius wouldn''t dissuade him; if anything, he''d be right there with him. Sirius would never stop being a friend to Harry for long enough to be a father to him. Remus didn''t believe it was impossible for a father to be a friend to his son, but it was a very different kind of friendship.


    It was, admittedly, the kind of friendship Remus had with Harry now.


    But such a guardianship wouldn''t be practical. For one thing, the ministry would never allow it. For another, Remus was still dangerous. If he failed to take the Wolfsbane potion just once, he could kill Harry, or turn him. Even with Wolfsbane, Remus was unavailable to be Harry''s guardian for one day out of every month. The boy needed consistency. Then again, one evening a month wasn''t much . . .


    "I''ll think about it," Remus said. He didn''t want to get his hopes up.


    But the grin on Sirius''s face told Remus that Sirius''s hopes were already sky high.

 Chapter 3: Compromise

    Harry couldn''t get to sleep that night.


    His mind kept going back and forth over the options Lupin¡ªno, Remus, Harry had to get used to that¡ªhad given him. They weren''t great options.


    Living with strangers probably wouldn''t be worse than living with the Dursleys. It wasn''t as if a new set of guardians would love him or consider him part of their family, but they would protect him with their own wards, and they weren''t likely to withhold food or let other kids in the house physically abuse him . . . or maybe they would. The Ministry would be the ones deciding where Harry would go to live, and they were the same people who had hired Umbridge.


    And, of course, there were the blood wards to consider. With Voldemort constantly turning up, Harry could use every bit of protection he could get. He didn''t really understand what Remus had been saying about mental health¡ªit sounded like something Hermione might say, and it would probably make Ron roll his eyes and mutter something about girls and their emotions. So it was probably better to take his chances in a familiar place, even if it was unpleasant.


    Then again, just the thought of returning to the Dursleys was making Harry feel nauseous. He was pretty sure they were still convinced Harry had been responsible for the dementors that had attacked Dudley, which meant that even threats about Sirius Black might not convince them to leave him alone.


    Harry could feel his chest constricting with the weight of the decision. He wasn''t sure how long he''d been tossing and turning¡ªthere were no clocks in the room where he was staying.


    A light knock on the door almost made Harry jump straight out of bed.


    The door opened, and Remus peeked inside. "Trouble sleeping?"


    "Er, yeah, I guess. How did you know?"


    Remus stepped into the room, carrying a thick blanket. "I could hear you tossing and turning from outside the door. I was just coming by to make sure you were warm enough. This old place can get chilly at night."


    "Oh. I''m fine." Harry''s cheeks burned at the thought that Remus had overheard his restlessness.


    Remus raised an eyebrow, cast a quick lighting spell over the room, and came over to sit on the edge of the bed. "You''re thinking about the Dursleys."


    "It''s . . . not an easy decision."


    "Didn''t I tell you to sleep on it?" Remus chided gently.


    Harry shrugged. "I''ve been trying." He wished there were some way to keep the blood wards without having to live with his aunt and uncle for the whole summer. An idea occurred to him. "How long do I have to live at the Dursleys for the blood wards to remain in effect?"


    Remus''s eyes widened. "I see where you''re going with this. I would guess at least a week or two."Stolen story; please report.


    Harry sat up a little straighter, pressing his back against the headboard. He figured he could last a couple of weeks. "Two summers ago, the Weasleys took me to see the Quidditch World Cup. They came to pick me up partway through the summer."


    "And now you''re wondering if you might go to the Dursleys for a little while, then live elsewhere after the minimum time had elapsed."


    Harry nodded. "I wouldn''t even have to go through the Ministry or through Muggle law enforcement. I would still be under the Dursleys'' care¡ªer, I mean, they would legally be my guardians. I just . . . wouldn''t have to spend much time with them."


    Remus nodded slowly. "I''m afraid the Weasleys might have their hands a bit full."


    "Er . . ." Harry shifted his weight a little. He hadn''t really been thinking of going to the Weasleys anyway¡ªhe''d just brought it up as an example¡ªbut he didn''t want to invite himself to stay at Grimmauld Place if Remus didn''t want him here, and now he was too embarrassed to bring it up at all.


    But Remus already seemed to know what he was thinking. "Harry, I''m not sure if this is the best place for you."


    Harry winced. "I¡ªI can pay for my own room and board."


    "We would never ask for that. That''s not the problem. The problem is that there is no one here who can take responsibility for you."


    "I can take care of myself." Harry had been doing that much for years.


    "I''m sure you can, but you are still underage. Legally, someone needs to be responsible for you. When you stay with the Weasleys, you fall under Arthur and Molly''s care and authority, isn''t that right?"


    "Uh . . . I guess." Harry hadn''t really thought about it that way, but he supposed they had provided for his basic needs while he was staying with them, and although they didn''t really ask much of him, he was obligated to do anything they asked him to do¡ªhe helped a little with house chores, and he supposed he had to follow the same rules as Ron with regards to bedtime, mealtimes and keeping his space clean. "Can''t Sirius be in charge of me?"


    "Officially, Sirius isn''t here."


    "But he is."


    "Harry, if anyone were to look into your affairs . . ."


    "But they won''t. My aunt and uncle don''t care enough about me to mention anything to anyone."


    Remus sighed. "There''s more to it than that. Azkaban took a toll on Sirius. As much as he might like to, he''s coming to terms with the fact that he''s not ready to be a parent. There may come a day when his name is cleared and his health is improved, and he might be able to take responsibility for you and maybe even adopt you. As for right now, I''m afraid it simply isn''t an option."


    "Well then, can''t . . ." You? Harry couldn''t quite get out that last word.


    But yet again, Remus understood. "Harry, you mean quite a bit to me. More than you know. It is for that reason that I cannot be the one to care for you."


    Harry knew that there was quite a bit of prejudice in the Wizarding community revolving around werewolves¡ªhe''d seen much of it firsthand¡ªbut he always felt that those prejudices were a bit dramatic, and Remus dramatized his situation as a result. "Sir . . . I mean, Remus . . . I know Sirius isn''t ready to take care of me for a whole summer. But what about for three days?"


    "Three days?" Remus frowned.


    "Yeah. Three days, each a month apart. That''s how many full moons we''ll have this summer, right?"


    Remus looked away, his brow furrowing as if in deep thought. Harry''s stomach turned, and he wished he hadn''t brought it up. He knew it was a lot to ask of someone, and he shouldn''t have made that kind of assumption.


    Harry swallowed. "Just . . . never mind. Forget it."


    "I can''t, and I won''t." Remus took a deep breath. "It''s my turn to ask for some time to think. Let me sleep on this, Harry."


    "Yeah, sure. Of course." But Harry''s stomach was still turning somersaults.


    Remus smiled gently and stood from the bed. Harry slid down under the covers, and Remus patted his back over the blankets. "Now you¡ª" he gave Harry a stern look¡ª "get some sleep."


    "Yes, sir." Harry didn''t correct himself this time. Sir felt right.


    Remus gave one last nod and left the room. Harry closed his eyes, but he knew he would still be unable to sleep. Only now, Harry was sure Remus would be tossing and turning as well.

 Chapter 4: Return

    It was Remus''s turn to lie awake for the majority of the night.


    Harry''s suggestion made sense, and Remus had to admit he probably wouldn''t have thought of it. In many ways, it was the best of both worlds¡ªit would protect Harry from the Dursleys'' abuse for at least the majority of the summer, and it would enable him to keep the protection of the blood wards.


    Remus still felt sick at the thought of sending Harry back to his relatives. At the same time, the thought of severing that connection forever, forcing Harry to lose his protection, made him sick with a different kind of worry.


    Meanwhile, another concern weighed on his mind. Harry might have been right about his aunt and uncle caring very little what happened to him or whose care he was in, but there were quite a lot of people¡ªHogwarts professors in particular¡ªwho did not feel the same way, many of whom would know exactly where Harry was staying and with whom. Those people would know that Remus was not suitable as the guardian of a child, for the same reasons he had not been suitable as a teacher of children. It wasn''t just the dangers associated with his condition¡ªit was the opinions and prejudices of others, which followed everyone who associated with him. Harry had enough riding on his shoulders without having to deal with that as well.


    Aside from any of that, and despite what Sirius had said, Remus knew guardianship entailed a lot of things that teaching did not, things Remus wasn''t ready for. He had always thrived when it came to engaging students, finding and celebrating their unique talents, and educating them on the topics he found most interesting. But parenthood required much more in the way of mentoring and counseling, as well as enforcing boundaries. He would have to go over house rules with Harry, and¡ªMerlin forbid¡ªhold the line if Harry misbehaved. The boy might come to resent or even hate him.


    The sunlight streamed in from the window sooner than Remus might have liked. Harry would be awaiting Remus''s decision of what to do. Somehow, even though Dumbledore had chosen where to put Harry, and even though Remus had tried to give Harry the choice of where to be, the weight of the responsibility had ended up back in Remus''s hands.


    Of course, that had been Harry''s choice, too. The boy was trusting him to make the right call.


    Remus dressed quickly and went to see about breakfast before anyone else was awake.


    <hr>


    Harry woke to the smell of bacon frying.


    It took him a moment to remember where he was. It couldn''t be Hogwarts, since the Great Hall and the castle kitchens were too far from the dorm for him to wake up to the smell of food. Nor could it be the Dursleys'' house¡ªHarry would have been expected to cook, if it were.


    Grimmauld Place. That was right. Because Harry had been a coward at the last moment and had run here instead of having his aunt and uncle pick him up from the train station.


    Harry got out of bed, stepped over his mostly-packed suitcases, and walked out into the kitchen. Remus stood at the stove. He turned and gave Harry a slight smile as he entered the room. "Good morning, my boy."


    Harry sat down at the counter, where Remus placed a steaming plate in front of him. Harry scratched his head. "Ah . . . not that I don''t appreciate it, sir, but what''s all this?"Stolen novel; please report.


    "Your first morning of the summer holiday, and perhaps your last at Grimmauld Place for a little while."


    Harry''s eyes widened. "So you''re going with my idea?"


    "I accept a trial. I will take you back to your aunt and uncle and allow you to stay with them for one week. I will be contacting you when the week is up, and if you are safe and all has gone well, you will stay with them for one more week. That should be enough time for the blood wards to reactivate"


    "And then I can come back here?"


    "Once again, we will try having you stay for a week, and then we''ll discuss whether it is the best arrangement for you."


    Harry swallowed hard¡ªit sounded like he''d be having to earn his keep at Grimmauld Place. But he didn''t have many options, especially since Remus had more or less accepted his suggestion. "Does Sirius know about this?"


    "I haven''t spoken to him about it. You''ll have the chance to tell him before you go."


    There was something about the way Remus said it that Harry appreciated¡ªlike this was Harry''s decision, and that made it his right to talk to Sirius.


    "But before you do, I expect you to eat, young man. You''re still growing, and I won''t have you skipping meals."


    "Yes, sir," Harry said, and he picked up his fork.


    It was quiet for a few minutes as they both ate. Harry felt like he was forcing down every bite. The thought of returning to the Dursleys made him feel like he''d eaten slugs, even though it had been his suggestion. But he couldn''t afford to waste any opportunity to eat, if he was going to be living with the Dursleys. They didn''t have the best track record when it came to feeding him.


    When Harry had finished eating, Remus took out his wand and held it out over Harry''s head. He closed his eyes and began muttering incantations under his breath. Harry felt a sort of shiver pass over his skin.


    "It''s not a complete protection," Remus said, "but it will help."


    "What was that?"


    "Some protective spells. It should make it much more difficult for anyone to hurt you."


    Harry blinked a couple of times. "Brilliant! Er . . . why doesn''t everyone use those spells all the time?"


    "Because they don''t defend against magical harm. And . . . well, the enchantments are rather difficult."


    "Oh. Thank you."


    "Of course. Now, how would you like for your aunt and uncle to be contacted?"


    Harry gave him a phone number¡ªhe figured it was best if Remus made the call¡ªand left the kitchen to go and enjoy the coziness of the living room one more time before he had to leave it for three weeks. He found Sirius already there, sitting on a couch.


    "Ah! Still here, are you?" Sirius gave him a wink.


    "Er . . . for a little while longer. Remus is calling my aunt."


    Sirius''s face darkened suddenly. "No. Tell me he isn''t."


    "We talked about it, and we decided that I would stay at the Dursleys'' for two weeks, then come back here for the rest of the summer. That way, the blood wards still work."


    Sirius looked away for a moment, then back at Harry. There was fire in his eyes. "Remus suggested this?"


    "No. I did."


    "Harry . . ." Sirius put a hand on Harry''s shoulder, gripping just too tightly for comfort. "I will not allow you to go back there. If they were abusing you¡ª"


    "My protective spells should put a stop to that," Remus said. Harry hadn''t even heard him step into the living room. "This was Harry''s decision, Sirius. We''re going to be checking in with him in a week to make sure everything is okay."


    "No. Harry, you owl me daily, do you hear me? I''ll show them, I''ll put an end to anything¡ª"


    "Of course, Harry knows how to contact us, and we''ll pick him up within the hour if it''s needed."


    Harry swallowed hard. Maybe this wasn''t such a good idea¡ªif his uncle did try something, it might put Sirius at risk, because Sirius would try to go on some revenge mission. Harry was happy to risk losing the blood wards if it would help keep Sirius safe.


    "Harry," Remus said gently, "this is about you. Not about either of us."


    Harry took a deep breath. Something about the way Remus said it reassured him. Harry had to trust that Remus would keep Sirius from doing anything dangerous¡ªhe''d succeeded in protecting him when it came to Umbridge. "I''m ready to go," Harry said finally, standing.


    Remus gave him a slight smile. "We''ll miss you, Harry."


    Sirius stood to give Harry a last hug, and Harry followed Remus out of the house.

 Chapter 5: Trial

    Harry''s stomach was in knots as they approached the Dursleys'' house. Memories flooded through his mind even just looking at the exterior of the house¡ªthe little flower garden that Harry had been forced to weed in the blazing sun. The window his uncle had barred during the summer of his second year. The mail slot that had flooded with acceptance letters from Hogwarts, that his uncle had boarded up in a vain effort to keep Harry away from any chance of happiness.


    It would only be for two weeks. He could handle two weeks.


    Harry was hoping Remus would drop him off at the Dursleys'' house and then be on his way. Apparently, nothing of the sort was on his mind. He walked Harry up to the front doorstep and actually knocked for him.


    There was a pause, and then muffled grumbling could be heard from the other side


    "¡ªat this ungodly hour of the morning¡ª" The door swung open, and there stood Uncle Vernon in his pajamas.


    "Good morning, Mr. Dursley," Remus said, though without a trace of a smile on his face. "I''ve come to bring Harry to you."


    "Oh." Uncle Vernon''s eyes were wrinkled from recent sleep. "Well, get in, then."


    Harry picked up his suitcase and took a step toward the door.


    "Ruddy bad manners, if you ask me. My wife wasted a trip out to the train station yesterday. Thought we were rid of you, didn''t we? Then this morning, here you are. Ungrateful as ever."


    "Pardon?" Remus said.


    Harry kept trying to shake his head at Remus, but Remus wasn''t responding. "It''s fine," Harry muttered. "Really, it''s okay." He should have thought about the fact that the school would have contacted his aunt and uncle about when to be at the train station. Harry was used to this kind of rudeness from his uncle, but he also knew how it probably sounded to someone who wasn''t. Still, he didn''t want Remus to try to get involved. No good could possibly come of that altercation; it would just make things worse for Harry in the long run. He needed to make it through these two weeks.


    Remus''s eyebrows were knitted together, but he didn''t say any more to Vernon. Instead, he turned to Harry. "Forget the owl. Floo me if you need me."


    Harry nodded. "I will." He had no intention of doing so, though. Having the blood wards for protection was worth a couple of weeks with the Dursleys, and he''d never been here with an actual protective spell over him. It wouldn''t be bad enough for him to feel the need to run.


    "Take care," Remus said, and he took a couple of steps back, though he seemed determined to wait until he could ensure Harry made it into the house safely before leaving him.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    Harry stepped into the house with his luggage, and he carried them up to his bedroom, where he hoped to spend as much of his time as possible. The Dursleys had been a lot more bearable to live with after Harry told them about Sirius, but it was still better to stay out of their way. If he could spend the majority of the daytime in his room, and sneak out to eat at night, the two weeks would be over in no time. He might even get his summer homework finished before he had to head back to Grimmauld Place, so he could focus on spending time with Sirius while he was there.


    His plan failed, though, when he ran into Dudley in the hall.


    Dudley''s eyes scrunched up in confusion. "When did you get here?"


    "This morning," Harry said.


    "Mum''s not going to be happy."


    Harry shrugged and turned to go toward his room.


    "So where were you?"


    "At my godfather''s house."


    The effect was immediate and visible. Dudley shrank back. "Sirius Black?"


    "Yeah. The murderer."


    Dudley swallowed. "Mum says she''s gonna call the police about him."


    Harry''s throat felt dry. The Muggle police wouldn''t be able to do much, but word might reach the Wizarding authorities as well. Harry hadn''t stopped to think that he might be endangering Sirius by using him as a way to get the Dursleys to leave him alone. "She wouldn''t do that." Harry tried and failed to make his voice sound easy and sure. "He''s dangerous. If he finds out who made the call . . ."


    A hint of a smile played with Dudley''s lips¡ªapparently he knew he was getting through¡ªand he straightened up. "She was scared to, but she thinks it might be safer to call it in and have him locked up than to risk him being free." He smirked. "She says she won''t have to make the call if you behave."


    Harry still had his wand in his pocket. He whipped it out and aimed it at Dudley. "You tell your mum that if she does make that call¡ª"


    "Dad!" Dudley whimpered.


    "¡ªshe''ll have to deal with¡ª"


    "He''s got the¡ªthe¡ª"


    Uncle Vernon reached the top of the stairs at that moment. Next thing Harry knew, he was being tackled to the ground, his wand skittering across the floor. Not that he could have used it without being expelled, anyway¡ªthe Ministry wouldn''t care if he had used magic in self defense.


    The protective spell Remus had placed over Harry, however, did seem to care that his relatives were technically defending themselves; Harry only wished it had been more interested in who had been the first to provoke the fight, because then it might have protected him more. Uncle Vernon grabbed Harry''s wand before Harry could, and managed to land a few whacks over his head and arms as Harry scrambled to his feet and into his room. He''d left his luggage behind in the hall, as well as his wand, but he would have to worry about that later.


    Harry stood with his back against the door, his uncle''s shouting washing over him as he caught his breath. The back of his head stung in three places and his left shoulder in two, and his right side hurt from hitting the floor. Harry rubbed the sore spots with a slight wince.


    He was thankful for the big breakfast Remus had made; leaving his bedroom certainly wasn''t in the cards for today, not until he was sure the Dursleys were asleep. He might be able to risk slipping out to use the bathroom for a minute at a time, but going all the way down to the kitchen was certainly not an option. Thinking about that made him feel hungry even though he was still full.


    Apparently, he needed to work on his temper, though. If Aunt Petunia was going to use Harry''s behavior to inform her decision about whether to make that call about Sirius, Harry couldn''t be lashing out at Dudley.


    This was going to be more complicated than he''d thought.

 Chapter 6: Protection

    Harry woke up the next morning with a plan fully formed in his head.


    Back when he was the one to do all of the cooking, he''d usually managed to get enough to eat. He could do the same thing now. He couldn''t use magic to ensure nothing came out burned, but he was a lot older than he''d been when Aunt Petunia had first thrown him into using the stove every day. Eggs and bacon weren''t that difficult.


    He was up long before the Dursleys were. Just as a precaution, he made his own breakfast first and scarfed it down before starting on theirs. It was the first thing he''d eaten since breakfast with Remus the day before, and it tasted amazing. He vowed not to change a thing when he made the food for the Dursleys¡ªthey would never admit it, but they''d be thrilled with him, maybe enough to leave him alone until lunchtime.


    Unfortunately, he made the mistake of severely underestimating how much faster the eggs would cook once the pan had had time to heat up, and he hadn''t realized the coffee maker was new and worked a little differently from the old one. By the time Uncle Vernon came down to the kitchen, Aunt Petunia and Dudley following close behind, the entire house smelled like bad coffee and burned eggs.


    Harry swallowed hard¡ªhe had to work with what he had. He cut away the worst of the burned parts and set down the plate of food on the kitchen table. There wasn''t much he could do about the coffee, but he poured it anyway. Maybe it wouldn''t be too bad. Maybe Uncle Vernon would be too half-asleep and out of it to notice how bad it was.


    Uncle Vernon took one swig of the coffee and spat. He turned to Harry, fire in his eyes. "What do you call this, boy?" he barked.


    Harry swallowed hard. "Sorry, I¡ª"


    Uncle Vernon lifted a hand to cuff Harry on the back of the head. Harry flinched, but he felt nothing¡ªnothing except for a slight tingling sensation, like static electricity.


    There was no impact at all.


    Uncle Vernon yanked his hand back, hissing and rubbing his palm, as though he were the one who had been struck. "What¡ªwhat . . . ?"


    "Potter, what did you do?" Aunt Petunia went to stand over by her husband.


    Harry glanced from Uncle Vernon''s hand, to his face. All three of the Dursleys were staring at Harry as though he had sprouted two extra heads. Like he was a freak. It was, to some degree, the way they always looked at him, but he hadn''t seen such shock in their eyes in awhile¡ªperhaps since Mr. Weasley had shown up to take Harry to the Quidditch World Cup.


    "Y-you''re not supposed to use magic. You''ll be expelled from that school of yours."


    Harry straightened up, gaining confidence by the second. "I''m not using magic. I am magic. It''s in me, in my skin."


    "Y-you''ve never¡ª"


    "No. Every day I become more powerful."


    "You''ll not be going back to that school," Uncle Vernon hissed.


    Harry''s heart pounded at that, but he thought fast. "It has nothing to do with my schooling. It''s just who I am. You. Can''t. Hurt. Me."


    The Dursleys scrambled out of the kitchen, leaving Harry behind with the bad coffee and the half-burned eggs.


    Harry sat down at the table and picked at the eggs, taking deep breaths. So the spell worked. It hadn''t helped him at all the night before, when Uncle Vernon had been beating him with his own wand, but he''d guessed that had been because of the fact that Harry had attacked Dudley first. Of course, the night before, a part of him had just wondered if the protective spell hadn''t been very effective; Remus had said it was difficult to make effective. The incident at breakfast answered the question of whether the protective spells worked. It also gave him a clue about how the spells worked.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    They couldn''t hurt him, as long as he didn''t hurt them first.


    <hr>


    The spell wasn''t very perceptive. It seemed to prefer to treat situations in black and white rather than considering anything beyond what was immediate.


    For instance, it didn''t care about emotional distress or verbal provocation, and it didn''t care who had "started" a fight. All it considered was whether Harry had lashed out physically in any way. If Harry kept his hands to himself, the Dursleys couldn''t touch him. If he didn''t, all bets were off.


    He learned this the hard way at lunchtime, when Dudley went to block the fridge. Harry rolled his eyes and went instead to the pantry, but Dudley continued to move to block him, grinning all the while. Harry thought for certain the spell would protect him from food deprivation, so he tried to push his way past Dudley. Not only was this completely useless¡ªhe might as well have been trying to push the house itself¡ªbut the spell dropped its defenses. Dudley shoved Harry hard onto the floor, then he kicked him in the side. Harry lay curled up, panting and wincing, for a long moment after Dudley left him there, but at least he was able to get into the fridge once he got up.


    So the spell didn''t defend him from deprivation, and it didn''t care why he''d shoved Dudley¡ªonly that he had.


    Harry quickly learned to work within the confines of the spell. Unfortunately, the Dursleys seemed to be picking up on how it worked, too. Harry understood, more and more, the answer to the question he''d asked Remus, about why people didn''t go around with this type of protection around them all of the time. It was certainly an advantage, but it wasn''t anything like the invulnerability he''d hoped for.


    For the most part, the Dursleys got around it by switching to verbal abuse, or by trying to provoke him to act out against them. Dudley seemed to be particularly creative about this, especially around mealtimes. Harry learned to eat at any time other than mealtimes, but Dudley had a tendency to wait around for him if he didn''t see him around the times Dudley usually ate. Eventually, Harry started eating at odd times, but he''d still check the kitchen at least once a day at a regular meal and let Dudley shove him around a little. Better to take a couple of hits than to go hungry all day.


    Uncle Vernon didn''t really have the creativity required to work around the protective spell. Aunt Petunia was a little more imaginative. She''d spit insults under her breath or even sit outside his room and tell him stories through his door, terrible things about Harry''s parents and grandparents, for the sole purpose of riling him up. He wouldn''t lash out at her physically, but it left him fearful of what she would say next. He was sure the spell wouldn''t defend him against any of them if he drew his wand in their presence, and at times, he felt like he was going to explode with anger¡ªthe same intensity of anger that had led to Aunt Marge getting blown up.


    At first, he wasn''t sure why she was doing it at all; she wasn''t usually cruel for the mere sake of hurting Harry. But over time, he began to realize that she was manipulating him through this. She would occasionally give him an off-handed order to complete some chore¡ªthe kind of orders he''d been ignoring ever since he''d told them about Sirius. But once, on a whim, he did the dishes when she asked. When he was finished, she left him alone for a couple of hours, even making sure her other family members stayed away from him as well. It didn''t last long, but it was long enough to make it worth it for him. After that, he got into the habit of doing whatever she asked.


    So a week into his stay with the Dursleys, when she asked him to pull weeds in the garden, he did it, even though the sun beat down hard on his ears and the back of his neck. It was a hard chore, and he figured she knew it¡ªshe''d give him an extra long period of respite after he finished.


    He never would have guessed that it was a trap.


    When he came back inside and went up to his room to change out of his sweaty work clothes, he found that his few things had been removed, along with the bed. A bunch of Dudley''s things filled the room instead. Dudley himself sat in front of a new video game system.


    "Go away, freak." There was less confidence in his voice than Harry suspected he realized.


    "This is my room, Dudley."


    "Not any more. Mum said I could have it back."


    Harry''s voice caught. "So where am I supposed to sleep? In your room?"


    Dudley shook his head emphatically. "In your old room."


    Harry took a step back. He hoped that didn''t mean what he thought it did. The Dursleys wouldn''t do that to him¡ªeven they wouldn''t be that cruel. Harry was almost a foot taller than he''d been the last time he slept there. He wouldn''t even fit.


    With a sinking feeling of dread, he descended the staircase and opened the cupboard under the stairs.


    There, jammed inside, were his few belongings, as well as an old mattress with his covers and pillow.


    Harry was supposed to be checking in with Remus today via Floo. If he told him about this, Remus would come pick him up. Harry wouldn''t have to live through another week of this. It was tempting enough that, for a moment, Harry felt convinced that that was what he was going to do. But he kept thinking about the blood wards, and how he would need every advantage he could get against Voldemort . . .


    Harry wasn''t a coward; he could do this. He''d lived for years in this cupboard. He could handle another week. He''d just have to tell Remus that everything was alright.


    And it wasn''t exactly a lie, either. Strictly speaking, things weren''t worse than they''d been before Harry got his Hogwarts letter. Not yet, anyway . . .

 Chapter 7: Floo

    Remus had to resist the urge to owl or Floo call Harry every single day of that first week Harry spent at the Durlseys. He kept telling himself that Harry would be fine. It was a bad situation, yes, and certainly bad enough to be considered abusive, but not detrimentally so¡ªworth it for the protection of the blood wards. Harry had survived ten years plus four summer holidays with them already, and while he wasn''t the image of mental health, he didn''t show any serious damage from his time with them; he was basically fine. These two weeks would be unpleasant, but they wouldn''t damage him or even severely hurt him.


    Aside from that, Harry had made this decision. If Remus was going to maintain a relationship of open honesty with Harry, it was important that Remus showed he trusted him, and that he would honor the decisions he made. Of course, there could be exceptions to that, but in this case, Remus had told him it was his decision.


    Sirius, of course, was pretty unhappy with Harry''s choice and Remus''s desire to uphold it, and he didn''t make it easy for Remus to keep his mind at ease. "What if they beat him?"


    "They haven''t been beating him," Remus said. "And the protective spell will make sure they don''t start." Of course, that was only true if Harry didn''t strike first. But whether the Dursleys lashed out in defense or otherwise, the spell also set absolute limits on the pain it would allow Harry to receive¡ªit wouldn''t allow the boy''s skin to be broken, and it wouldn''t allow any attempts on his life. It would also alert Remus if Harry seemed to be in any real danger.


    Sirius frowned. "I''m thankful for the protective spell. But you know as well as I that they can do much more harm with words."


    Remus didn''t respond. There was nothing he could say.


    He distracted himself by spending time at a Wizard library, researching adoption guidelines. He told himself he was just looking, that he wasn''t really going to do anything about it, but he was unprepared for how disappointed he felt when he realized that researching was all he''d ever be able to do. Regulations around werewolves adopting kids made it almost impossible, and perhaps the most frustrating part of that was that he felt the restrictions were justified. Formal adoption was out.


    But since Remus was already at the library, he started reading about raising children and mentoring teenagers as well. He read about how to provide a stable presence and a supportive sounding board to help kids to solve their own problems, how to enforce firm boundaries while also ensuring a child felt loved, and how to help a teenager navigate finding their place in the world. There was also lots of advice in the book specific to raising wizarding children. Everything from accidental magic (which Remus was fairly certain Harry had grown out of, but one never knew), to helping kids with certain spells and magical feats (such as flying on a broomstick or Apparating), to dealing with the suspicion that a young child might actually be a Squib (though Remus had no concerns there).


    Almost none of the advice required for him to actually be Harry''s legal guardian. More, it required that Harry respect him as though he were his parent¡ªwhich, Sirius claimed, Harry already did. If Remus put some effort into it, and if Harry was willing, he could do some real good for the boy. The harm people like Dursleys could do with cruel words and a hostile environment was clear to Remus, even if it wasn''t always obvious to Harry. He would just have to make sure his words and the place he set up for Harry had the opposite effect.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    Remus was so caught up in his reading that he was almost late in coming home for his Floo call with Harry. It didn''t matter; Harry was almost twenty minutes late himself.


    "Sorry," Harry said, kneeling beside the fireplace on a pillow. "I had to wait for them to leave the house."


    "They didn''t want you to use the fireplace?"


    Harry shrugged. "I didn''t want to ask."


    That didn''t sound good to Remus, but it wasn''t exactly ominous or even particularly surprising, either. "How are you, Harry?"


    "I''m fine, Remus. Really. I can make it one more week."


    "The protective spell is working?"


    "Er, yeah. I guess."


    That didn''t sound good to him. "You guess?"


    "I mean, yeah. It''s working." Harry''s cheeks turned a bit pink.


    So Harry had lashed out at one of his relatives. Remus was torn about who to be upset with; he decided to let it go for now. "Are you getting enough to eat?"


    "It''s not a problem."


    "Harry."


    "I am, Remus. I promise."


    "I can owl you some extra food if you want. I can have Hedwig take it straight to your bedroom window, you can hide it in your room¡ª"


    "No. Please don''t do that."


    That really didn''t sound right. "Why not?"


    "I mean . . . there''s really no need. And, er, you don''t need to go to the trouble."


    Was that what he was worried about? "I assure you, it''s no trouble."


    "But, ah, Dudley goes into my room sometimes."


    "Ahh . . ." Remus wasn''t sure what to make of that. Clearly, Harry was hiding things, but Remus didn''t know how to press him to be honest in a way that wouldn''t push him away and make him even less inclined to open up. Something else to read about in the parenting books, he supposed.


    "Remus, I''m okay. Tell Sirius I said hi?"


    Remus nodded. He had wanted to keep the conversation going for longer, if only to give Harry some company and encouragement, but his mind went blank¡ªhe didn''t know what else to say. "I will."


    Harry smiled. "Thanks. See you in a week."


    "I look forward to it."


    "Me too."


    Remus took his head out of the fireplace, sighing. Clearly, things weren''t okay, but there was nothing he could do about it. He would have to trust that Harry would be alright for another week.


    <hr>


    Remus''s face hadn''t quite disappeared from the flames when the Dursleys came back from Dudley''s birthday lunch. Immediately, Uncle Vernon set to shouting at him for using magic in the house, and Aunt Petunia yelled at him for sitting on her nice decorative pillow on the floor, and Dudley pouted and whined about how their scolding was ruining his birthday. Harry took his opportunity while they were consoling Dudley¡ªhe slipped away into his cupboard.


    Part of him regretted lying to Remus, but nothing good could have come of him telling the truth. Not this time. Remus would either insist on him coming back to Grimmauld Place, or he''d spend the next week losing sleep, worrying about Harry. Best case scenario, Remus might be able to offer a few encouraging words. Worst case, Sirius would catch wind of what was happening and do something terribly stupid and reckless.


    It was tricky business, having people who cared about him. Still, the idea that someone might lie awake at night worrying about him, or be willing to endanger themselves for him . . . that made some part of him feel really good, better than he had since he''d come here. Harry lay back on the mattress, closed his eyes, and smiled to himself even as the Dursleys continued to shout at each other outside the cupboard.

 Chapter 8: Rescue

    The day before Remus was set to pick up Harry from the Dursleys, a few members of the Order came to stay at headquarters for a few days after a successful mission to stop a Death Eater raid on a muggle town. Tonks, Moody, and Shacklebolt had been spotted, and they needed to lay low and out of sight for a few days to until they could be sure it was safe for them to be seen again.


    Remus was glad to have other people around, and he was sure Sirius was even more thankful for the company than he was. Of course, Remus himself spent most of his time around Tonks. She tried to help him in the kitchen, but he had long since learned not to hand her anything breakable, unless he wanted to spend more time performing cleaning and repair spells than actually cooking.


    "So I heard about what happened with Umbridge," she said, leaning up against the counter while Remus poked at the bacon on the stove. "Gotta say, I''m pretty impressed."


    "It was Harry''s doing, not mine."


    "Oh, I''m sure you had nothing to do with it."


    Her cheeky grin made Remus''s heart melt a little, but he forced himself to focus on his cooking.


    She took a step closer, placing a hand on the back of his arm. "Harry really respects you, you know."


    "So I hear."


    "Any chance I might see him while I''m here?"


    Remus nodded. "He''s at his aunt and uncle''s now, but I''m going to pick him up tomorrow and bring him back here."


    She raised her eyebrows. "Why? Everything okay?"


    "It seems they don''t treat him well."


    "Oh." She dropped her hand from his arm. "And you let him go back?"


    "The situation is complicated." He didn''t feel it was necessarily within his rights to explain the blood wards to her, and it was uncomfortable to go into detail about the exact nature of the abuse¡ªthat was Harry''s story to share, not his. "We''ll be able to protect him much better after he spends a couple of weeks with his family."


    Tonks hissed. "Wish we could do more to help. Have you checked in with him since he''s been there?"


    "We had a Floo call the other day."


    "And?"


    "He says he''s fine . . ."


    She raised an eyebrow. "But you don''t believe that."


    Remus took a deep breath. "I don''t believe he would lie outright. I offered to send food, and he didn''t accept it."


    "Maybe he was worried about getting caught."


    "I offered to send it directly to his room."


    "Has he been checking in by Owl?"


    Remus shook his head. "Sirius wanted him to, but you know how teenagers can be."If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Tonks winced. "You think he''s hiding something."


    Remus couldn''t keep the worry from showing in his face, but he forced his voice to remain calm. "He''s only staying there for a little while; he''ll be okay. I put a protective spell on him. If anything really bad happens, we''ll be hearing alarm bells throughout headquarters."


    "If you''re sure," Tonks said.


    Just then, the alarms began to sound.


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    Harry stood in the wreckage of what used to be the cupboard under the stairs. He wasn''t sure exactly what had hit him.


    One moment, he''d been sitting in his cupboard, trying to read a spell book while Aunt Petunia sat outside of the door, quietly, almost absentmindedly, telling him stories about his parents. She''d gone through a few stories about bouts of accidental magic his mother had had, and how her parents had been afraid of her a couple of times before they figured out what was going on. She talked about her interactions with Snape, and with Harry''s dad, and how they were all freaks.


    But then she crossed a line. She talked about the wedding. About the family members who had refused to come because they saw them as freaks.


    Harry wanted to be anywhere but where he was, but he couldn''t quite drown out the stories his aunt was telling him. One moment, Harry felt so angry, his heart hammering so hard against his chest, that he thought he might explode.


    And then, he sort of had.


    There had been a loud BANG, and the next thing he knew, Harry was standing in ruins, the door to the cupboard torn off its hinges. Broken pieces of drywall covered the old mattress he''d been sleeping on, and his few belongings were covered in debris. He''d been lucky his outburst apparently hadn''t destroyed anything that was structurally holding up the staircase, because Uncle Vernon had thundered down the stairs at just that moment, raining down sawdust and splintered bits of wood on Harry''s head.


    Aunt Petunia was staring in horror at the wreckage, while Uncle Vernon took a much more direct, hands-on approach¡ªhe reached in and grabbed Harry out of it by the arm. The protective spell seemed to interpret this as saving him from the site of the explosion, and it didn''t prevent Uncle Vernon from gripping tighter and tighter, shouting red-faced threats into Harry''s face as Harry stammered, trying to defend himself. He knew the spell wouldn''t let Uncle Vernon hit him, but the grip on his arm was really starting to hurt, and Uncle Vernon was shaking him, and when he slammed Harry back against the wall, the spell didn''t prevent it.


    Uncle Vernon continued shouting, but there was a hint of a smile in his eyes. He''d found a workaround, and he knew it. Harry clenched his teeth and squeezed his eyes shut¡ªthis could get ugly fast, but it was always best to take it quietly if he could. Uncle Vernon slammed Harry against the wall once more.


    That was when Remus appeared.


    Harry had never seen him so angry before. Certainly, Remus had earned his respect, but until that moment, Harry had never feared him, not really. And yet as terrifying as the sight was, Harry couldn''t help but think that he had never felt safer in his entire life.


    The Dursleys didn''t seem to notice his arrival. Remus''s eyes bore holes into the back of Uncle Vernon''s head right up until the moment he drew his wand, and Uncle Vernon was thrown back away from Harry, slamming into the opposite wall.


    "How dare you." Remus''s voice was dangerously quiet as he came to stand over Uncle Vernon''s cowering frame. Aunt Petunia began to cry and wail, while Dudley rushed into the room and into his mother''s arms, whimpering.


    "How dare you touch him." Remus raised his wand.


    Harry darted forward and grabbed his arm. "Remus, it''s okay."


    Remus''s dagger eyes turned on Harry. "What did they do to you?" Remus demanded.


    "It doesn''t matter." Harry forced himself to hold his gaze. "Let''s get out of here. They''re not worth it."


    Remus turned back toward Uncle Vernon, who cringed and held both hands up. He lowered his wand and took a step closer.


    "I spared you," Remus said. "Never forget that."


    Harry held his breath.


    Remus turned to Harry. "Let''s go," he said.


    Harry straightened up, rubbing the back of his head. "M-my things?"


    Remus glanced back at the ruins that had been the cupboard under the stairs. "I''ll come back for your wand and for anything else that can be salvaged. We''ll buy you anything else that needs to be replaced."


    Harry swallowed hard. He didn''t want to say it, but he had to. "It¡ªit hasn''t been two weeks."


    "And you could have been killed in that explosion. Thirteen days will have to do." Remus held out his arm. "Let''s go, son."


    With a trembling hand, Harry took his arm, and they Disapparated.

 Chapter 9: Healing

    Harry didn''t think he''d ever quite get used to the feeling of Apparating, but today, the disorientation and slight nausea might as well have been the best feeling in the world.


    He was out. He was safe.


    Remus and Harry appeared in the living room at Grimmauld Place. Harry wondered if there were extra people staying there¡ªit was a little messier than usual, with dishes washing themselves in the sink and coats slung over chairs and furniture.


    And Sirius lay on the floor of the living room in a full body bind.


    "Ah. Sorry about that." Remus took out his wand and muttered a counter curse.


    Sirius jumped to his feet and threw his arms around Harry. "Are you alright?"


    Harry gasped a little for breath. "I''m fine."


    "You''re sure?" He gripped Harry''s shoulders and held him at arm''s length. "What did they do to you?"


    "Nothing."


    "Harry," Remus said in a warning voice.


    Harry grimaced. He didn''t want to talk to Sirius about this. For one thing, it was embarrassing. He had been so certain he could last two weeks at his relatives'' house, especially with the protective spell over him, and he couldn''t even do that. Aunt Petunia hadn''t even been hurting him; whatever alarms had been triggered at Grimmauld Place had probably been a result of his own accidental magic more than anything else. On the other hand, Uncle Vernon had knocked his head against a wall, and Sirius wouldn''t deal well with that knowledge. Even Remus had barely kept it in.


    But Remus had just charged in and rescued him. Harry couldn''t just shrug and refuse to speak; he had to say something. For the life of him, though, he couldn''t figure out what to say.


    Remus spoke first. "Sirius, Harry has been through an ordeal. Why don''t we let him rest, and we can talk to him in a little while?"


    Harry could see Sirius fighting his urge to resist, his mouth opening and closing, breathing in to speak and then holding himself back. Finally, he sighed. "Get some rest, Harry," Sirius said. "We''ll talk later."


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    Remus spent the next hour out in the common area on the couch in front of the empty fireplace. He held a shot glass of firewhiskey in his hand, but he never actually brought it to his lips.


    Within the first fifteen minutes after his arrival, Kingsley dropped in to ask whether Harry was alright, and five minutes after that, Tonks came in with the same question. He told them both the same thing: that they should leave Harry alone until he was ready to talk. He was thankful they had asked him first.


    Something terrible must have happened at the Dursleys. It was the only thing that would explain the strength of the accidental magic outburst he''d seen, especially given the fact that Harry should really be too old for that by now; the boy was almost sixteen. His uncle had been hurting him when Remus had arrived, but that didn''t seem to be what had caused the explosion; more likely, his uncle was punishing him for an outburst he couldn''t control. Remus paced and counted his breaths¡ªVernon Dursley made him want to forget all reason and take justice into his own hands. He couldn''t blame Sirius for wanting the same, and he couldn''t imagine what Harry must have gone through, or what he might be thinking or feeling now.


    It took almost the full hour for it to occur to Remus that he had projected his own needs onto the boy. He hadn''t actually asked Harry whether he wanted to be alone, or if he talk about anything. He''s just assumed.


    Remus had forced himself to take some time away from Harry to collect his thoughts and allow Harry to collect his own, and to protect the boy from prying questions. But just because Sirius had been overwhelming him didn''t mean Harry wanted to be alone after such a traumatic event. Remus hadn''t even asked. He could have kicked himself.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    For all Sirius''s promptings and Tonks''s confidence, Remus really had no idea how to be a guardian.


    Remus knocked on the door and waited for Harry to invite him in before stepping into the guest room where Harry had been staying. It hadn''t mattered before, but it only now struck Remus how depressing and bare the room was. A bed, a small desk, a plain dresser, off-white walls. He wondered whether Harry had ever been allowed to have a room that was his own space, decorated according to his own tastes.


    The room could wait. As soon as Remus''s eyes fell on Harry, who sat on the edge of his bed, he knew he''d made a serious mistake. Harry was covered from head to toe in debris from the explosion. His face, hands, and arms were marred with cuts and scrapes that Remus hadn''t even noticed before. He looked the way James used to look when he was on edge¡ªholding his head high, but with his jaw tense, flinching ever so slightly at sudden movements. Other than maybe to shower, Harry didn''t need to be alone.


    "Hang on, Harry, I''ll be right back." Remus walked over to the nearest medicine cabinet and picked up some supplies. He wasn''t a healer, but he could relieve some of the boy''s pain. He pulled the chair from the desk over to sit across from Harry, poured a bit of essence of Dittany onto a cotton pad, and leaned over to dab it into the cuts on Harry''s face. Harry hissed as the liquid sank into a couple of the deeper cuts, but he held still as Remus worked.


    When Remus finished with Harry''s face and moved onto his hands, he asked what he should have asked an hour ago: "How are you, Harry?"


    "I''m fine."


    Remus tried to hide his disappointment. "I had believed you were past lying to me."


    Harry sighed. "It was accidental magic. My uncle got pretty upset."


    "Something must have made you quite angry to trigger that size of explosion."


    Harry looked away.


    Remus set down his supplies on the desk and leaned forward, looking Harry right in the eyes even as the boy avoided his gaze. "When I Floo-called, you told me everything was fine at the Dursleys. I offered to send food to your bedroom, and you asked me not to."


    "Please don''t tell Sirius. He''ll do something reckless."


    Sirius wouldn''t like that, but his safety and Harry''s comfort were more important than what he liked and disliked. "You have my word."


    A short pause, and then, almost whispered, "They put me back in the cupboard."


    An icy chill ran through Remus''s veins. A dark thought crossed his mind¡ªhe wished he hadn''t spared Vernon, and for a moment he relished the memory of the man cowering before him¡ªbut Remus pushed that aside. Harry needed him here, not in prison. For a moment Remus couldn''t speak, but even when he could, he chose to remain silent, to give Harry space to open up if he wished.


    "My aunt was saying terrible things about my parents. It was almost like she was trying to provoke me."


    Remus nodded, hoping the sympathy he felt showed in his face, still forcing himself to remain quiet.


    "I¡ªI just don''t understand. Why they hate me, you know? I know my uncle is afraid of magic, and I get the feeling my aunt was . . . jealous of my mom?"


    "I think there''s probably a lot of truth to that."


    Harry''s eyes finally met Remus''s. "Don''t get me wrong, I''m thankful to be here, but I just can''t help but wish . . . I think part of why I wanted to go back was, I wanted to see if I could work things out, you know? And I couldn''t even last two weeks."


    "Harry." Remus firmed his voice. "It is nothing to be ashamed of."


    Harry shrugged and looked away. His eyes shone, but he blinked a few times.


    "Son, if you need to . . ." Remus couldn''t quite get out the word cry. "Your secret is safe with me."


    "No, I''m¡ªI''m okay."


    Remus wished he knew what to say or do for the boy, but he wasn''t going to make the same mistake as last time and assume he knew. "What do you need from me, Harry?"


    He shifted his weight slightly on the bed. "I, er, I don''t know if it''s too much to ask . . ."


    "Name it."


    "I''m starving, but I don''t want to see anyone else. Not just yet."


    "You''re quite welcome to eat in your room. I''ll bring you something. I''ve saved some leftovers from dinner last night, I can cast a heating spell."


    "Thank you, sir."


    "When you are ready to come out . . . ah, fair warning, there might be a bit of a crowd."


    Harry raised his eyebrows. "The Order?"


    "Just a few members, hiding out after a mission until things settle down. Tonks, Kingsley Shacklebolt, and Alastor Moody."


    "Thanks for the warning."


    "I won''t keep you waiting any longer." Remus stood.


    He was halfway to the door when Harry spoke again: "Er . . . Remus?"


    Remus turned back toward Harry. "Yes, my boy?"


    "I''ve got a headache, from . . . well, you know. I don''t know if you have, er, a potion or something . . ."


    Remus gave him a slight smile. "I''ll be right back."


    "Thank you, Remus."


    "Of course." With that, Remus left the room.

 Chapter 10: Expectations

    Remus brought Harry a heated plate, then left him alone to go pace in the common area again.


    Kingsley found him there. He chuckled slightly as Remus paced. "It''s strange to see you like this, my friend. You''re usually the rational and collected one."


    "No, that was always you."


    "This is about Harry, isn''t it? You''re not sure what to say to him."


    Remus frowned, looking down. "Haven''t the foggiest."


    Kingsley nodded. "It''s a big commitment, bringing him here."


    "I''m not sure exactly what I''m committing to."


    "You know exactly what you''re committing to. The boy needs a father figure. He''s chosen you, and you''ve already implied your agreement."


    Remus swallowed hard.


    "Have a seat, man. You look like you''re going to pass out."


    They sat down across from each other. Remus looked down at his hands, then at the empty fireplace.


    "You were a good teacher, were you not?" Kingsley asked.


    Remus smiled to himself. "Before I began endangering students? Depends on who you ask."


    "The students are the ones who know the truth."


    "I''m not sure the Slytherins would be singing my praises."


    "I believe the others spoke very highly of you."


    Remus shrugged. He could concede that much, but he still wasn''t convinced that there was much overlap between teaching and parenting.


    Kingsley leaned forward slightly in his seat. "What did you do on the first day of class?"


    Remus raised an eyebrow. He had an idea of what Kingsley was trying to do, but he didn''t feel like this was going to be helpful. "Ah, for the older students, I began with a practical lesson. I tried to catch their attention, to engage them."


    "And for the younger ones?"


    "For the first years, I laid down some classroom rules. For safety."


    "You let them know exactly what to expect of you, as well as what you expected of them."


    "Mm."


    "That''s what you do with Harry, then."


    "I don''t know what he expects of me."


    "He''ll let you know, if you tell him what you expect from him."


    Remus nodded. "Thanks, Kingsley."


    "I''m here anytime you want to talk."


    Taking a deep breath, Remus stood and headed toward Harry''s room.


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    Harry''s instinct was to eat quickly, to avoid being discovered. He had to keep reminding himself that he didn''t have to scarf down his food, that no one would hear him chewing and come to steal it away from him. He forced himself to chew carefully, to taste what he was eating, and to breathe between bites. The way he ate at Hogwarts.


    He was just finishing his meal when there was a light knock on the door, and Remus came into the room once again.


    "Feeling any better?" he asked.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    "Yeah, loads. Thanks."


    "I am sorry things went so poorly for you, Harry, and that I didn''t see the signs earlier."


    "It''s okay."


    "No, it''s not."


    It was quiet for a moment¡ªHarry didn''t know what to say to that. He finally asked, "So, er . . . how long am I saying?"


    "Well, you''re not going back to the Dursleys."


    "I didn''t want to assume¡ª"


    "You''re not imposing, Harry."


    "I know it''s a . . . a burden on you."


    "You are not a burden."


    "So, er, I can stay here for the summer?"


    As soon as the words were out, Harry regretted them. Remus might try to insist that Harry wasn''t a burden, but it was abundantly clear in the look in his eyes whenever Harry brought up staying here that Remus was just trying to make him feel better.


    "Sorry," Harry said. "I didn''t . . ."


    Remus gave him a gentle smile. "For now, let''s take this one week at a time. Let''s not get too far ahead just yet."


    "Okay."


    "While you''re here, there''s going to be some, ah, house rules."


    Harry raised his eyebrows. Remus definitely wasn''t Sirius. "Sure."


    "First thing is, as much as I would like to be your friend, that''s not going to be my primary role here. If this is going to work, I need you to accept my authority to act as your caretaker, even if I am not your legal parent. I need to be more like a, um, a guardian figure than a friend."


    That didn''t come as a surprise to Harry. "Do you still want me to call you by your first name?"


    "Yes, Remus is fine."


    "Okay." Harry shifted in his seat. "Er, house rules?"


    Remus looked down for a moment, deep in thought, then his eyes met Harry''s. "You will not lie to me."


    Internally, Harry couldn''t help but flinch at the words that had been carved into his skin, but on the outside he merely said, "I won''t."


    "I don''t expect to issue many direct orders, but if I do, I need to know you will obey."


    It grated a little to hear Remus phrase it that way, but really, Harry wasn''t expecting anything different. He knew he needed to listen to Remus if he was going to be living here. "I understand."


    "There''s something else, and this is important. At Hogwarts, I know you''ve had a habit of sneaking around after hours, but I need not remind you that sneaking out here would put both of us in a very challenging position, and it could be a danger to Sirius."


    Harry squirmed uncomfortably. "Some of the time when I''ve snuck out, it''s because I needed to do something important. Like stopping Voldemort from getting to the sorcerer''s stone, or saving Ginny from the chamber of secrets."


    "You should never have had to do those things on your own."


    "I never had anyone I could ask for help." Harry bit his tongue after the sentence came out¡ªit sounded almost ungrateful.


    Remus''s expression softened. "You do now. I promise that if anything concerns you, I''ll listen and hear you out, and I''ll do everything in my power to ease your concerns. And if anything happens that you don''t understand, or if you have questions about things that have happened in the past, I will not keep secrets from you."


    Harry smiled. That was something he''d wanted¡ªto not feel like he was working against the adults in his life. To have someone who was on his side.


    "Now, Harry, do you have anything in mind that you need from me?"


    It took some resolve not to burst out with a plea for a promise that he could stay for the summer. Remus couldn''t give that to Harry, not yet. So Harry settled for a lesser concern, though still a very real one. "Er . . . is the protective spell still on me?"


    Remus''s brow furrowed. "No, I cancelled it as soon as we left the Dursleys. Why?"


    "I was just wondering."


    It was quiet for a moment as Remus''s eyes bore through him.


    The tips of Harry''s ears burned. He might not have any experience with having a real guardian who didn''t abuse him, but he was not about to ask whether Remus would hit him if he got out of line. Even if Remus did, it wouldn''t be the end of the world¡ªhe was pretty sure Mrs. Weasley whacked her kids sometimes¡ªbut he worried it might give him flashbacks of his experiences at the Dursleys.


    "Are you worried someone here is going to hurt you?" Remus asked.


    Harry''s voice caught in his throat.


    Remus raised his eyebrows. "Are you worried I''m going to hurt you? Given your background, Harry, I hardly think corporal punishment would be appropriate for you."


    Harry felt the heat spreading from his ears to his cheeks and the back of his neck, but he also felt relieved, and he let his breath out.


    "Son, look at me."


    Harry forced himself to look Remus in the eyes.


    "I will never hurt you. You have my word."


    Harry nodded, swallowing against the tightness in his throat.


    "Anything else on your mind?"


    "No, sir," Harry said, though he felt a little guilty about it. He was already breaking the first rule Remus had given him, the rule against lying.


    Remus seemed to know it. "Son, I am not going to force you to tell me everything. If you''re not ready to tell me what''s on your mind, tell me that."


    "Er, okay. I''m really sorry, I just . . . I have to think about it."


    Remus smiled and gently squeezed his shoulder. "I understand. I won''t pester you about it, but let''s check in again in a week?"


    "Okay." Harry returned the smile, but on the inside, his stomach was churning.


    This was going to be a difficult week. Harry had to follow the rules well enough to earn his keep, to ensure that he wouldn''t be too much of a burden on Remus and Sirius. This was new for him¡ªlike worrying about being expelled from Hogwarts during his first year.


    But it would be worth it. If he behaved well enough, he could stay with them for the whole summer. And that was all he wanted.

 Chapter 11: Hardworking

    Harry was up before dawn the next morning.


    Part of it was that he couldn''t quite get himself to go to sleep and stay asleep. His mind kept going over everything he''d done wrong over the years he''d been at Hogwarts. Sure, some of the times he''d snuck out of bed at night, he''d had a really good reason, and he''d managed to save the school. But his mind wandered back to the time Snape had caught him up out of bed with the Marauder''s Map during his third year, and Remus had scolded him painfully. He thought about sneaking into Hogsmeade without permission¡ªsure, it had been unfair that he wasn''t allowed to go, but he hadn''t really needed to sneak out, either.


    Based on everything he''d heard, it was something his father would have done, too, and something Sirius and Remus (and Peter, more than likely) would have gone along with. But none of them were actively trying to earn their keep. The rules were different.


    Even if Remus agreed to let Harry stay for this summer, what about the next? Harry was only fifteen now; he wouldn''t be of age until the end of July of the following year. Would Remus still play a guardian role for him during the school year? How different would it be from what he had done during Harry''s fifth year, when he''d had trouble with Umbridge? Harry knew Ron didn''t see his parents much if at all during the school year, but he still wrote to them, and their professors still notified his parents when he got into trouble. They were still his parents, even if they weren''t around. Despite Remus having walked him through some expectations for the summer, Harry didn''t know what to expect from Remus beyond that.


    He was getting ahead of himself. Right now, he just needed to make sure he was going to be allowed to stay.


    Aunt Petunia had always made Harry do household chores and gardening in return for his place in the household. It never seemed worth it to him there, because they were constantly criticizing his work and insulting him personally, but this place was a different story.


    The biggest reason he woke up early was to prove his worth.


    There was no garden to tend, and he was pretty sure the whole place had been cleaned by magic¡ªor possibly by a House Elf, though Kreacher seemed more likely to try to find a way to sabotage the house than to clean it properly. Harry focused on his own space. He unpacked his suitcase and made sure his room looked as tidy as it had been when he had arrived, including making the bed. He showered, dressed, and even tried to get his hair to lie flatter, although years of experience should have told him that that was a waste of time. After that, he set to work in the kitchen, hoping to have breakfast and coffee prepared before everyone woke up.


    Harry opened one of the cupboards to survey the cookware and dishes, and ended up knocking over a glass, which fell to the floor with a loud CRASH!


    Harry jumped back, the spray of glass just missing him. He was dressed, but he was wearing slippers, and he wasn''t sure how well they would hold up if he started stepping on sharp pieces of broken glass. He was pretty sure it would be easy to pick up the pieces if he had his wand, though. It would take him longer than it would have taken Remus, but the last thing he wanted was for Remus to see what he had done and decide he was too much trouble.


    So Harry very, very carefully tiptoed over and around the many shards, dodging the biggest pieces and wincing as the smallest ones crunched under the thin leather soles of his slippers. He returned to his room for his wand, and went back to the kitchen to try to clean the mess he''d left.


    It was easier said than done. The trouble was that he''d never learned a spell that was specifically for picking up broken glass, and though he could repair cracks in glass, this was much more than a single crack. He tried a simple cleaning spell, but it merely left the individual shards sparkling clean. He tried levitating them, but the levitation spells he knew worked much better for individual objects than for a collection of tiny ones. He was able to get the largest pieces of glass into the bin, but the sea of tiny glimmering shards remained.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    He wondered if there might be a better spell for this in his charms textbook. He hadn''t picked up his sixth year books yet, though, and he was fairly confident he had a good idea of what had been in his fifth year book. But Grimmauld Place had a decent collection of books. Harry really wasn''t supposed to go snooping around the house¡ªaccording to Sirius, there were quite a few leftover cursed objects from when other members of Sirius''s family had lived here¡ªbut if he just went to get a book and came right back into the kitchen, he was sure it wouldn''t be a problem. It was still early in the morning. No one would catch him.


    He tiptoed down the hall and into the library, and found himself immediately overwhelmed by the sheer number of books. He skimmed a few titles, but although the library was much, much smaller than the one at Hogwarts, Harry had no idea how this one was organized. He pulled out a couple of random books and glanced through. One was in a language he''d never seen before. One was full of clearly dark enchantments. One appeared to be blank, but when he tried to close it, it slammed on his hand and refused to reopen.


    He gasped, shaking at the book. He''d left his wand on a table beside the door, but he wasn''t sure how helpful it would be with this, anyway¡ªhe knew some general counter-curse spells, but nothing specific to this, and his Defense Against the Dark Arts professors had been a bit lacking over the years. Worse, the book seemed to be tightening around his hand, squeezing harder the more he struggled to pry it off. It was cutting off his circulation and really starting to hurt.


    "Harry!"


    Harry whirled around to find himself face-to-face with an irate Remus.


    "What do you think you''re doing in here?"


    "I was . . ." His words tripped over each other.


    Remus whipped out his wand and mumbled an enchantment over the book, which fell to the floor.


    Harry let out his breath and rubbed his hand. "Thanks."


    But Remus looked far from relieved. "Harry, when I gave you a list of house rules yesterday, I didn''t think staying away from the dark artifacts needed to be spelled out for you. Perhaps I should have, though, given your track record at school!"


    "I¡ªI didn''t know . . ." Harry swallowed. He had known. Sirius had talked to him about it the year before¡ªabout asking before he touched things, about getting an adult''s help if he was going into the library or if he was going to be touching things without knowing what they were. Harry just didn''t want to let anyone know he''d dropped the glass.


    He braced himself for whatever was coming next¡ªfor Remus to send him off to his room to pack, to tell him that this wasn''t working. He worried that Remus might start laying down punishments, although at least that would mean that he wasn''t giving up on Harry. But he didn''t do any of that. He took a deep breath and asked, gently, "Why did you do this?"


    Harry paced his own breathing. Something about the calmness in Remus''s voice gave him the clarity to answer. "I dropped a glass in the kitchen. I was looking for a spell to clean it up."


    "I heard it shatter. Is there a reason you didn''t come to me directly?"


    "I didn''t want to bother you."


    Remus lowered his head slightly, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Were you unable to find a broom?"


    Harry suddenly felt like a complete and total idiot.


    Remus sighed and put a hand on Harry''s shoulder. "Harry, what were you trying to do in the kitchen?"


    "Make breakfast."


    "It''s a bit early, isn''t it?"


    "I thought it might take awhile to cook for everyone without magic."


    Remus frowned, his eyes piercing Harry''s for a moment. "You know you don''t have to do that, don''t you?"


    "I wanted to."


    Remus nodded slowly and began to walk Harry out of the library. "I''m sorry for snapping at you. Let me teach you a spell for picking up the glass, and then, if you like, I can show you some of the spells we use for cooking. They take a bit of practice, but they''re easier than most of the charms you''ll have learned in your fifth year classes."


    "Okay." Harry appreciated the second chance to prove himself.


    "If I catch you endangering yourself with dark artifacts again¡ª"


    "You won''t. I promise."


    "Good." Remus patted his shoulder a couple of times before letting go. "And . . . son, you know you don''t need to cook for us, right?"


    "Sure," Harry said.


    But he knew now more than ever that he needed to. He already had two infractions to make up for.

 Chapter 12: Conditional

    For the next few days, Remus was continually impressed by Harry''s initiative and work ethic. He began to question his original impressions of the boy. When Remus had had Harry as a student, his homework was always sloppy, he showed up to class at the last minute, and his notes were a disorganized mess. He was bright and had a natural inclination for Defense Against the Dark Arts, and he was engaged in class, so he always did quite well on assignments and exams, but it wasn''t by virtue of hard work and determination. It was talent. Remus could see so much of James in Harry, it had almost hurt.


    There was none of James in Harry now. There wasn''t much of Lily, either. Truth be told, though, as far as Remus could tell, there wasn''t much of Harry.


    Remus had expected that Harry might show some signs of lingering trauma after enduring the Dursleys'' abuse once again. Based on what he''d read in the parenting books, he''d half expected that Harry would be testing him by talking back, lashing out, or breaking rules.


    There was none of that. Harry was up before the sun making breakfast, he studied quietly in his room for much of the day. He called Remus sir just often enough that Remus ended up correcting him, but when he did, he regretted saying anything¡ªHarry apologized several times. Harry was also far too obedient for any self respecting Gryffindor. When Remus mentioned that Harry should spend more time socializing with the others at Grimmauld Place, Harry immediately started spending the better part of the day in the common area making polite conversation with whoever was there at the time.


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    On the third day of this, Remus took Sirius aside and asked whether Harry seemed to be acting strangely.


    Sirius''s eyebrows furrowed. "Only around you," he said.


    Remus blinked a few times. "What does that mean?"


    "He jokes and laughs with me, and he seems comfortable around Tonks. He''s a little wary around Moody, might still be getting used to seeing him as himself rather than as Barty Crouch Jr., and he''s a big intimidated by Kingsley, but . . . nothing like when you walk into a room."


    "You think he''s scared of me?"


    "I don''t know about that. But any time you walk into the room, he freezes up. Stops smiling, loses his nerve. Becomes the image of politeness." Sirius frowned. "What happened between you two? Been meaning to ask what you said to him."


    "I¡ªI haven''t the faintest idea." Remus shook his head. He might have come down a little hard on Harry when he''d caught him in the library with his hand stuck in a dark artifact, but he couldn''t help that¡ªit wouldn''t have been safe to let that one go with out at least chiding the boy. He had been a bit sharp, but he highly doubted that was still bothering Harry days later. "Has he said anything about being upset with me?"


    "Not a word."


    "Ah . . . I suppose I should try to talk to him."


    "Be careful." That was the only advice Sirius gave.


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    On the fourth day, Remus caught Harry before bed. "Harry, may I have a word with you?"


    The blood drained from Harry''s face. "Is everything alright, sir¡ªI mean, Remus?"


    "Well, that''s what I''m trying to figure out, my boy. Are you . . ." He had wanted to ask whether Harry was upset with him, but he found he couldn''t get such a direct question out. Instead, he asked, "Are you happy here?"


    "Are you kidding me? It''s so much better than the Dursleys."


    "Good, good." Remus couldn''t figure out where to go from there.


    "Er . . . is everything alright with you?"If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    "Of course, I just . . ." Remus swallowed. He was usually the person who knew exactly what to say, but this had him at a loss. In the end, he took the coward''s way out. "I wanted to ask if there was anything I could do to make you more comfortable."


    "No, I''m fine." Harry spoke a bit too quickly.


    "I see." Remus placed a hand on Harry''s shoulder. "Harry, if there''s ever anything you want to talk about . . ."


    "I''m really fine, Remus, you don''t have to worry about me."


    Remus sighed and dropped his hand. "Sleep well, my boy."


    "You too," Harry said, and he disappeared into his room.


    Remus paced out into the common area, lost in thought. There was definitely something going on with Harry, but Remus didn''t know what it was or what to do about it. He considered bringing it up to Sirius again, but Sirius hadn''t been particularly helpful the first time. Tonks was always sympathetic, but he didn''t want to go to her with his issues¡ªhe was wary of strengthening his relationship with her in that way. Besides, what he really wanted was to speak to someone who was experienced with teenagers and could give him an insight into Harry''s thoughts.


    That ruled out everyone who was currently living at Grimmauld Place, but it also meant he knew exactly with whom he needed to speak.


    Remus immediately went into his own room, sat down at his desk, and drafted a letter to Minerva, requesting a meeting.


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    The next morning, shortly after breakfast¡ªwhich Harry had made, again¡ªRemus found himself sitting in Professor McGonagall''s office. As Gryffindor''s Head of House, she still had to remain at the castle to complete a few weeks'' worth of administrative work before she could leave for the summer. "I appreciate you meeting with me on short notice," Remus said.


    "Always happy to speak with an old friend," Minerva said. "How is Harry?"


    "Well, that''s what I wanted to speak with you about. I believe you may know the boy better than I do, and I was wondering if perhaps you might have some insight into some . . . behaviors I''ve witnessed."


    She raised her eyebrows. "Reckless rule breaking, I assume?"


    "If it were that, I wouldn''t be asking. I''m perfectly aware of whose son he is."


    "Fair." Minerva cracked a half a smile, more of a smirk. "Am I to assume the self endangerment is under control, then?"


    "It''s just the opposite of what I would have expected. He''s up at the crack of dawn every morning, fixing breakfast and doing chores. He studies throughout the day, he calls me sir, he keeps his room perfectly clean, and he''s the image of politeness."


    Minerva''s eyes narrowed. "That is very much unlike Harry. Did something happen?"


    "There was a brief moment when I snapped at him, but I can''t believe that that''s still on his mind. He went through so much worse at his aunt and uncle''s house, but I cannot help but feel that some part of his mind believes he is still there."


    "Very possible," Minerva said. "You must give him time, Remus. You cannot expect him to settle in overnight."


    "I know." He took a deep breath. "But he seems to be very specifically afraid of me. Even Sirius has seen it."


    Minerva frowned. "Have you discussed expectations with the boy?"


    "We had that talk on his first day. I gave him a few simple rules, and I asked what he needed from me. Based on our earlier conversations, I had believed he wanted for me to be his guardian, but I''m not so sure he wants that now."


    "Did you tell him you want to adopt him?"


    "Given my condition, I couldn''t make any promises of the sort. I told Harry that we would continue the arrangement for as long as it worked well for both of us."


    Minerva''s face fell, and she hung her head. "You foolish boy."


    Remus''s mouth fell open. He had missed something¡ªit was obvious to her, but he had no idea what it was.


    "He thinks you''re asking him to earn his keep, Remus. He believes he''s on trial, and you gave him every reason to believe it."


    For a moment, Remus''s eyes widened with worry. But he quickly shook his head. "That cannot be why."


    "And why not?"


    "Because if he felt insecure, wouldn''t he be testing me? Breaking rules, pushing boundaries?"


    "Children test when they feel secure, Remus. Insecure children can be more unpredictable. But believe me, Remus, that boy wants you to be his guardian. He''s trying to earn your love."


    "Earn my . . ." Remus felt like his heart was tearing into pieces. "I''ve made him feel insecure."


    "You''ve never given him a reason to feel otherwise."


    "I¡ªI didn''t want to make him any promises I couldn''t keep."


    "You love the boy. More than you love yourself."


    "Yes." No part of him felt any hesitation about that.


    "You wish to protect him, and you''re willing to make the sacrifices needed to do so."


    "Of course."


    "You''re a well educated man. Responsible, competent, caring."


    Remus lowered his head. "You are very kind."


    "Harry respects you."


    "I suppose."


    "Then the answer is simple."


    Remus looked up at her.


    The intensity of her gaze seemed to bore holes in his face. "Make promises. And keep them."


    A wave of new determination rose in his chest. "I know what to say. I must speak with him."


    "Yes, you must." Her eyes lit up in a full smile. "Go."


    He gave her a nod, offered a quick, "Thank you," and stepped into the fireplace.

 Chapter 13: Trouble

    Harry finished the last of the cleaning spells on the dishes from breakfast. He was still getting the hang of it, and he had to magically repair three plates and one glass, though that was still a big improvement on the previous meal. As soon as he was done, he went to sit in the common area.


    He was exhausted.


    Hogwarts had been easy, compared to this. He knew the school would take away House points or give him detention if he messed up too much, but he didn''t have to worry about whether they would send him away, not really. Even though he''d always known expulsion was a possibility, he couldn''t bring himself to fear it, after his first couple of years and the way Dumbledore always seemed to swoop in at the last moment and prevent any serious consequences for breaking school rules.


    But here, it wasn''t just about following rules. It was about proving himself. At Hogwarts, he didn''t have to try to be Hermione and get straight O''s or even E''s on his exams; he could be himself. Here, though, he had to be who Remus wanted him to be, or he might not be allowed to stay. That meant constantly keeping in mind what Remus would want him to be doing.


    Right now, for instance. Harry was tired. He wanted to go up to his room, maybe read one of his Quidditch books or write a letter to Ron. The Order was brilliant, but he''d been hanging around them for days, and he wanted some alone time. Trouble was, he really couldn''t go up to his room. Harry had spent too much time in his room during his first few days, and Remus had told him he''d like him to spend more time socializing.


    By the time he made it to the couch in the living room, though, Remus was gone. Sirius and Tonks weren''t around¡ªthey''d headed back in the direction of their rooms after breakfast¡ªand Kingsley had left for the day on some kind of Order business. That left Moody, sitting on a couch reading a newspaper. Harry hadn''t talked to him much, so he was still having a hard time keeping from calling him "Professor." Then again, he''d never been able to work up the nerve to ask him what he did want to be called, so that didn''t make things any easier.


    "Where''s Remus?" Harry asked.


    Moody didn''t even look up from the newspaper. "Went to Hogwarts, I reckon."


    "Hogwarts? Why?"


    "Don''t know. But judging by the way he was dressed and the direction he sent his owl earlier today, I''d have to guess it has to do with you."


    Harry''s heart skipped at that. He didn''t want to wait until Remus came back to Grimmauld Place to find out what that meeting was about¡ªhe wouldn''t have time to prepare himself for that conversation.


    Moody didn''t know anything; he''d made that clear. Harry didn''t want to ask Tonks¡ªshe had a tendency to tease, and he didn''t think it would help to ask Sirius¡ªSirius tended to smooth things over, claim everything was alright.


    Maybe Harry could find some clues about where Remus might be. Remus had never specifically told Harry to stay out of his things¡ªthat was one of those rules that went without saying¡ªbut Harry doubted Remus would find out. He''d be in and out in no more than a minute or two.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    He checked the hallway twice to make sure no one was watching before he slipped into Remus''s room.


    It was as tidy as he would have expected Remus''s room to be. He was sure Sirius''s would have been the exact opposite, and he would have spent minutes on end looking for what he needed and probably ended up being caught. But there were on a few papers on Remus''s desk, and one sat right in the middle, a letter written in Remus''s handwriting:


    Minerva,


    If it isn''t too much trouble, I''d like to request a meeting with you at your earliest convenience. Perhaps as early as tomorrow morning, if it can be arranged. I have some concerns about Harry and some of his recent behavior, and I feel your insights might be valuable.


    Sincerely,


    Remus


    Harry swallowed hard and turned over the letter to find that McGonagall had written her reply on the other side and sent it back.


    Remus,


    You are always welcome to visit, and I am happy to advise as well as I am able with regards to your little troublemaker. I will plan to be in my office at Hogwarts between breakfast and lunch. Please feel free to Floo in at any time.


    Minerva


    So that settled it. Harry had failed. Remus was concerned about Harry''s behavior¡ªHarry was going to be sent away, one way or another.


    He could accept that, but he didn''t want to hear Remus say it. He was sure it would be absolutely terrible for to hear, and difficult for Remus to say as well.


    A couple of years ago, Harry had stayed at Diagon Alley for a few weeks at the end of the summer after accidentally blowing up Aunt Marge. He''d finished his school work, shopped for school supplies, and eventually met up with Ron and Hermione before heading to school. There were more than a few weeks left this summer, but it still wouldn''t be too terribly difficult to live on his own. He doubted anyone would even question it.


    Harry couldn''t catch the Knight bus during the day, but he might be able to get a cab. He had some money tucked away in his suitcase. He started to pack his suitcase, but he thought better of it. He would draw too much attention, waltzing down the street with all of his things. Instead, he picked up a smaller bag and packed only what he would need for a few days. He could buy new ones in Diagon Alley, after making a stop to Gringotts.


    His only regret was for Sirius, who would probably be lonely without him, but he would send an owl soon enough to let them know where he was, and he''d make sure to write more often.


    Harry told himself it was better this way, but he couldn''t quite swallow back the lump in his throat as he climbed out of his window and headed down the street.


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    Remus hardly bothered to take the time to brush away the Floo powder and ash that covered his clothes as he stepped out of the fireplace. He needed to speak with Harry right away. He needed to tell him everything Minerva had said to tell him, of course, and make sure he knew he was welcome in their home, but it was more than that. He needed to make sure Harry felt at home, and felt like Remus was his family member. Maybe he could take him out to Diagon Alley some time to shop for supplies and other things Harry might like, or to Hogsmeade for lunch and to look around so Remus could get some ideas of what to buy him for a birthday present. He definitely had some ideas about ways to allow Harry to ride his broom, and he was going to tell him to invite some of his friends over as soon as possible.


    Because Minerva was right. If Remus was going to do this, he needed to do it right. He needed to stop wading and jump in; to stop being slightly better than the Dursleys, and instead become Harry''s family. Just because the adoption would never be legal didn''t give Remus any excuse to give the boy any less than his best. It was what James and Lily would have wanted.


    But the boy wasn''t in the common area. Neither Tonks nor Sirius hadn''t seen him since breakfast, and Alastor had only seen him briefly after.


    Remus knocked on Harry''s door. It had been a little while since Harry had spent most of his time in his room, but he certainly wasn''t anywhere else in the house. When there was no response, Remus slowly pushed the door open.


    Harry wasn''t in his room, and most of his things were gone. And the window was open.

 Chapter 14: Solemn

    Harry checked into the Leaky Cauldron easily enough. He might have had some problems, since he wasn''t of age, but the owner still recognized him from a couple of summers before, so no one asked any questions.


    As he settled into his room, it crossed his mind that maybe he should have left a note rather than just planning to write to them. It might be jarring for them to suddenly realize Harry was nowhere to be found.


    But it wouldn''t be a big deal. It wasn''t like he was their kid in the first place. And if Remus actually did want Harry, he could always come and get him.


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    Remus''s heart rate picked up with each second that passed.


    He Floo-called the Weasleys, phoned the Grangers, and even left messages for some of Harry''s other friends who he didn''t talk about as often. He searched the whole house multiple times over, and enlisted the help of everyone who was staying at Grimmauld Place, but the boy was nowhere to be found.


    Remus couldn''t help but think that something terrible had somehow happened to Harry¡ªthat he had touched another cursed object or something¡ªbut Moody just shook his head. "Kid ran away," he kept saying. "Nothing else to it."


    And Remus didn''t have any argument against that. He was still worried that something terrible might happen to Harry now, but it was clear Harry had run.


    What wasn''t clear to him was why. Minerva had talked to him about the importance of making sure Harry knew he was wanted and loved, and she''d mentioned that insecure kids could be unpredictable, but he still couldn''t understand why Harry would choose to run. Lash out, maybe. Retreat into himself, certainly. But run away? It didn''t make sense. And Remus couldn''t help but worry.


    When his heart felt like it was going to pound its way out of his chest, Remus pulled Sirius aside to Harry''s room. "Why would he run?" Remus asked.


    "Cooped up?" Sirius asked.


    "No, I don''t think so." It couldn''t be that simple. Sirius was just projecting his own frustrations on to Harry. "He would have asked permission."


    "He''s James''s son. He might not."


    "He wouldn''t run off without a reason, Sirius."


    Sirius frowned. "Only one way to find out. We have to find him."


    The more Remus thought about it, the more worried he became, and the more worried he felt, the more anger boiled in his veins. There was no excuse for this. Harry had just taken off without letting the people who cared about him know where he was. He was a minor, for goodness sake. Shouldn''t he know how much they would all worry?


    So Remus doubled down on his efforts. He called up every person Harry had ever mentioned, every professor at Hogwarts with whom Remus was on good terms, every shop Harry had ever visited at Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley. Everyone promised they''d call if they heard anything.


    But when Remus called up the Leaky Cauldron and asked if anyone had seen Harry, the owner hesitated.


    That was all Remus needed. He ended the call and stepped into the Floo.


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    Harry was just finishing unpacking his things when the door to his room burst open, and an irate Remus stood in his doorway.


    Harry shrank back. He''d considered, almost dared to hope, that Remus might come after him. He''d wondered if the people he''d left behind might be concerned. But based on the look on his face, Remus was far past concerned. The only time Harry had seen him this angry had been when he had threatened Uncle Vernon. It had been terrifying enough to see someone else fall under Remus''s wrath; now Harry was under it himself.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    Remus descended on him, grabbing his shoulder. "What were you thinking, boy!"


    Harry cringed. The grip on his arm was tight enough to ache.


    Remus shook him hard. "We were worried sick, do you hear me? Your room was empty and your things were gone."


    "Ow," Harry said, though he tried not to.


    Remus let go of his arm, but his eyes remained narrowed. "Well? Answer me!"


    Harry scrambled to find his voice. "It doesn''t matter! You were going to send me away!"


    "What in Merlin''s name gave you that idea?"


    "I saw . . ." Harry swallowed. If Remus hadn''t been planning to send him away before, he certainly would be now. "The note you sent to McGonagall."


    Remus''s eyes fell closed. "We''ll discuss going through my private belongings later. Right now, you''re going to pack your things and check out of the inn. Do you understand me?"


    "Yes, Remus."


    "Good." Remus stepped forward and pulled Harry into a strong embrace. Harry hadn''t been expecting that¡ªhe let himself relax into it, but it was over far too quickly, and Remus was straightening up and heading toward the door. "Meet me in your room at Grimmauld Place in no more than thirty minutes. Believe me, Harry, you do not want to be late."


    Harry nodded, fighting tears, though he wasn''t sure if they were tears of shame, fear, or happiness.


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    Remus paced in Harry''s bedroom, preparing the words he''d need to speak. He had told Harry he had a half an hour, but he wouldn''t have blamed him if it took him a little longer to gather his things, as well as his composure. He knew how hard he''d come down on the boy; guilt flooded through him, even as he told himself that Harry would be fine.


    It took fifteen minutes.


    Harry stepped hesitantly into the room and set down his bag on the desk. "Remus, I''m sorry."


    "Have a seat."


    Harry sat down on the bed, and Remus sat on a chair across from him and looked him right in the eyes. Lily eyes. "Harry, I haven''t made it clear to you, and that''s my fault, but . . . when I say that this week is a trial period, I mean that for your sake, not for mine."


    Harry shifted in his seat. "What do you mean?"


    "I mean that if you don''t find this arrangement to be suitable, we can speak to the ministry about putting you up for formal adoption. As you''re quite well known as the savior of the Wizarding world, I''m sure there''s no limit to the number of couples who would be more than willing to take you in."


    Harry''s cheeks turned pink.


    "However, if you do wish to stay here, you are welcome to stay for as long as you''d like. I will care for you as I would care for my own son, if I were to have one. Should the ministry try to step in and prevent it, I will fight for you with everything that I have. But I will never be the one to make you go." He didn''t feel the need to point out how impossibly unlikely that was. "Listen now, son, Are you listening?"


    "Yes."


    "You don''t have to do anything to prove yourself to me, and there is nothing you can do to make me send you away."


    "R-really?"


    Remus smiled. "I solemnly swear."


    Harry looked down. His lips curled into a smile, then a grin that spread from ear to ear.


    "Hey." Remus waited for Harry to look him in the eyes. "I love you, son. You don''t have to say it back, but I''m still going to say it, because it''s true, and¡ª"


    "I love you, too."


    It was Remus''s turn to grin from ear to ear, but he didn''t let himself stay in that place for long. "Now, about the running away."


    Harry winced. "I''m really sorry, it was just a misunderstanding."


    "I know it was. And if you''d yelled at me or thrown a tantrum, I''d be willing to let it go. But running off on your own is dangerous, Harry, and it ends here."


    "I know. I''m sorry."


    "You remember me telling you that I needed to be more like a guardian to you and less like a friend."


    "Er, yes . . ."


    "I''m sorry to have to say it, but you are on restriction, son."


    "Oh!" There was little disappointment or sadness in Harry''s voice; it was mostly surprise and confusion.


    "For the next week, you will not be allowed to fly your broom."


    " . . . My broom?"


    "You will not use the Quidditch pick that I''ve set up outside. You will not be allowed to attend your weekly visit with the Weasleys until next weekend."


    "Weekly visits? And¡ªQuidditch pitch?"


    "And you will write an essay about what it means to be a part of a family. I want a special emphasis on what makes you a valuable member of his household, and I do not want to hear about you doing extra chores. Three feet at the very minimum."


    "Okay, fine, but¡ªQuidditch pitch? How did you fit it in the yard?"


    "A similar spell to the one that might have been used on the tents you stayed in when you went to the Quidditch World Cup."


    "Wicked!"


    "It''s all yours. You''re welcome to have the Weasleys over to use it as well, and Hermione is welcome to visit whenever she likes."


    "Wow. Thanks!"


    "In a week, Harry. Until then, your broom is on the ground."


    Harry''s smile didn''t fade, and he stood to throw his arms around Remus. "Thank you!"


    Remus smiled and gently rubbed the boy''s back, and this time, he let Harry be the first one to let go.

 Epilogue

    My name is Harry Potter. Remus is making me write this paper on the importance of family and what it means to be a part of one, which is pretty stupid, because by putting me on restriction and making me write a paper, which I hate doing, he''s teaching me that being part of a family means having someone to punish you properly when you do something dangerous, and even after you explain a million times why you did it and tell him that you get the point, he still won''t budge. Git. And Sirius is actually taking his side.


    But I don''t seem to have much of a choice, so here I go. I think I''m going to write about both Remus and Sirius, because it looks like Sirius is still going to be looking after me, even if he''s not going to be my guardian in the same way that I used to think he would (I''m okay with that, as long as I still get to have him around).


    Being part of a family means everyone pitches in and does their part, but you also have to be okay with letting other people do their part too. The Dursleys always made me do all of the cooking and cleaning, so when I first started living at Grimmauld Place, I thought the best way to make everyone want to have me around was to do that again. I found out that it was just making everyone uncomfortable. Family members aren''t slaves and they don''t like it when people in the family act like they are. That''s why Remus wouldn''t let me write about doing extra chores as something that makes me a valuable part of the family. But I''m still supposed to say something about why I''m a valuable part of this family. I do my part around the house, but I don''t overdo it anymore. I think it actually makes Remus happy to be able to do some things for me, too.


    Something else I''m learning about family is that it''s kind of like being a part of a team. We root for each other, just like we do in Gryffindor or on the Quidditch team. When one of us is happy about something, we''re all happy about it, and we try to have fun together as much as we can and make each other happy. When one of us is hurting, we all hurt over whatever happened, and we try to take care of each other. That''s true for friends, too, but it''s even more true for family. I think it''s something I''m pretty good at, too. I would do anything for my family, and I know they would do anything for me.


    I think the most important thing about family is that it isn''t conditional. It''s different from with friends. Ron Weasley is my best mate, but he could decide not to be friends with me any more if he wanted to, and if we wanted to stop hanging out after we graduated from Hogwarts, we could decide to do that. I don''t think we will, but we''ll always have that choice. Family isn''t like that¡ªit''s a stronger tie, and it''s permanent. Remus (and Sirius) can''t just decide one day that they don''t want to have me around anymore, even if I mess up really bad. And since I''m supposed to write about what makes me a good member of the family: I''m not going to give up on Remus or Sirius, either, even if I get upset with them. I''m not going to run away again. It would be completely pointless to run away¡ªI know Remus would just come and find me.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Well, I''m running out of things to say, but I''m supposed to write three feet and I still have a few inches left. I guess it doesn''t really matter, though, because Remus will probably make me rewrite this whole paper when he sees it just because I called him a git in the first paragraph. But I guess that''s what he''s supposed to do, since he''s the closest thing I have to a father. So maybe this paper wasn''t completely a waste, because at least it helped me realize that Remus is basically my dad, even if he is a super over-protective, over-strict dad, and he really cares about me, because he probably wouldn''t put up with my whining over doing this if he didn''t care. So . . . thanks I guess, "Dad."


    -------


    On the last night of Harry''s grounding, Remus went in to check in on him late at night. Over the course of the week, Harry had transitioned from solemn, to sullen, to downright whiny about the whole situation. It had Remus tearing his hair out, almost ready to threaten a longer grounding if Harry didn''t stop nagging and complaining about the well-deserved consequences he''d earned. At the same time, it also encouraged Remus more than anything else could have. If Harry felt safe enough to act out and complain, Remus was doing his job.


    Remus really didn''t know what to expect to find when he entered Harry''s room that night. But Harry was already asleep, limbs sprawling and his covers twisted around him, the way he often was after he''d been asleep for a half an hour or so.


    Today was the last day Remus had given Harry to complete that essay. Part of him wanted to wake Harry to finish it; he was torn between that and extending the period of restriction until Harry had it done, but then he saw a roll of parchment on Harry''s desk. He unrolled it and read through the essay.


    By the time he reached the end, tears prickled in his eyes. Finally, Harry had heard him.


    The End