Categories > Books > Harry Potter > Harry Potter and Fawkes' Furture
Harry Potter and Fawkes' Future
The Players Ponder the Past 1
Or
Favorite Pastimes
September 26, the Fall Equinox, 1986 London England
Sirius Black was back in London for the first time in five years and was indulging in one of the Marauder’s favorite pastimes; he was girl watching while having a coffee in a muggle café. Sirius smiled his best smile at the blonde across the café who he caught looking at him. Sirius loved living as a muggle, the Marauders used to play muggle when they were in school but now he really loved it. No Sirius thought, he enjoyed being a rich muggle, he could not imagine having to do real work, poor muggles worked hard.
Sirius was thankful for Emma and Dan; the Grangers spent over a year helping to educate the Marauders in the finer points of being a muggle. The Grangers taught them how to dress, use money, to drive, and the most important to Sirius, how not to look a fool when talking to muggle women. Mispronouncing electricity and telephone made anyone look stupid, and magicals in Britain stood out a mile now that Sirius could look for them with muggle eyes.
Sirius wished he was in France with the Grangers and the kids, but Harry and Hermione had started school in the village last year while Uncle Padfoot had his own job to do, it was time to become the Lord Black and the proxy for the Potter seat. He had already claimed his Lordship but he could not take his Wizengamot seat until this year. The rules of the Wizengamot said that you had to be an adult of the age of twenty-seven and the old guard did not want any children in the governing body.
Sirius did not want to be Lord Black, as far as he was concerned the magical people of Britain should elect the Minister of Magic, the Wizengamot would be made more representative over time, the population, and era in which wizards lived dictated slow change. The age of land owning lords was over, but you cannot just destroy them and hope for the best. The ex-European colonies were a prime example, destroying the wealth of a few can have a devastating effect on the majority.
Sirius knew change would never happen as long as people like him did nothing and The Grangers and Remus had convinced him that it was his duty to watch the Wizengamot to protect Harry and Hermione. It was also time to start the plan; you have to start a revolution somewhere.
Sirius would also have to see Albus today, it would be the first time in five years and it still amazed Sirius that Albus did not put up any more fight than he did to get Harry. Albus tried, he used Harry's safety, Blacks own involvement in the secret keeper episode, “If you had just trusted me and used me as the keeper, the Potters would be alive.” Sirius was getting angrier and angrier the more the old man spoke, but with the help of his occlumency and the Black family ring, he did not attack the old goat.
Albus had also wanted to check Harry to investigate how he survived Voldemort and to become his tutor/mentor when he was older, Remus told him no. “Albus, if you want Harry to not think himself special because he survived, then why should a normal wizard boy meet the Great Albus Dumbledore before arriving at the opening feast of Hogwarts. We did not meet with you until fourth year when we turned the Slytherin's hair red and gold. We will re-think it in a few years; we just want to leave with Harry.” Albus finally stopped when the Marauders told him they were taking Harry to muggle America to raise and would be using the Black family wards to protect him.
The Marauders had made the decision that Albus would not see Harry until he went to Hogwarts for the first time, if he went. They had also decided that France was better than America, France would not agree with Britain on the weather and America, with the exception of two wars, has always had a close relationship with Britain. The Marauders had also decided never to mention the Grangers to anyone; the Grangers would become the foster parents of Harry. Sirius was only twenty-two that Halloween his world changed and Remus was the same. Neither could be a mother to Harry and their pup needed amother, The Marauders decided to become the cool uncles and corrupt both children.
Glancing at the blonde-haired woman across the room, he accepted another refill from the waitress and thought that the talk with the Grangers went better than he thought it would and with Dan's grandmother being a squib meant that the shock was not too great. Dan's tone of voice when he had told them of his grandmother let them know that the attitudes of wizarding Britain were not acceptable to him.
FLASHBACK
The introductions had been made and the adults were seated having a well-deserved brandy when a concerned Dan asked, “Gentlemen, What can you tell us about what is going on? I am a little concerned. My wife and I were at home caring for our daughter who had been crying all evening.” Dan noticed the brief look the two men share but continued anyway, “Then a mythical bird, my God a phoenix appeared in my daughter’s bedroom in a flash of fire!, deposited a crying bundle of blankets into her crib. Then we found a baby boy with a note from his murdered parents asking us to protect him and I don’t know why but I will protect him.”
Sirius listened to Dan as he told of his daughter crying and that it corresponded to what was going on at Harry’s made him look at Remus. Sirius knew the kids have some type of bond. It could be a sibling, love, soul, slave, friendship, or any type of the weird bonds that show up in the magical world. Bonds of all type are common in the world; just magical people seemed to have named them. Hearing the tone he used when speaking of protecting Harry made Sirius realize that James and Lily had chosen right.
After the brief look Remus answered, “Dan, Emma we don’t know everything, James and Lily Potter were murdered by the dark wizard Lord Voldemort tonight and were betrayed by a friend Peter Pettigew. We do not know how, but when Voldemort tried to kill Harry, the curse rebounded and he banished himself instead. Somehow, James and Lily knew this would happen and made arrangements for Harry, we believe Fawkes had something to do with it. Why they sent Harry to you, we do not know. We believe it as to do with your daughter.”
Remus noticed the concerned looks of the parents and rushed to placate them, “Dan, Emma I believe that the Potters and Fawkes are concerned for your daughter’s future. I don’t know what Fawkes showed James and Lily, but it included your daughter.”
Dan told them “their daughter name was Hermione.”
Sirius took over the conversation, “Dan, Emma, Hermione is a witch,” Sirius had noticed the non-reactions these statements of magic and dark wizards were causing, but continued, “She is somehow involved, I think her and Harry’s futures are linked somehow. You mentioned she had been crying all evening,” at their nods he continued, “magic has been acting weird all night, and I think Hermione could tell something was wrong” Still seeing no reaction to the word magic, Sirius had to ask, “Dan, Emma why aren’t you reacting to the word MAGIC?”
Dan answered, “Sirius, Remus, before tonight I thought witches and wizards were the tales of an ill old woman. My grandmother before she got sick used to tell my older brothers and me tales of witches and wizards, dragons and aschool in Scotland. We thought they were fairy tales at the time. When she was dying she told me her family left her with an old uncle when she was ten because she could not do magic. I mean abandoned, they visited the uncle in London and while she was playing with her cousin, they left and she never heard from or of them again. She was not even to speak of her family or magic again.” His tone hardened, “I do not like the idea of a society that abandons their children because they are different from themselves.”
Sirius thought Dan was missing the magical point of view. Sirius did not dislike squibs, he just did not think it was a good idea to raise a squib child surrounded by magic, magic the child will look at in wonder and envy, but never be able to do. Sirius believed it was cruel to show a child a gift then not be able to give it to them. A squib child surrounded by magical children would be cruel. Children could be mean.
Emma had been silent as the men talked and now Sirius could tell she had to speak, “Can I see some magic?” she asked excitedly.
END/-/FLASHBACK
Sirius Black noticed the blonde get up from her seat so he followed the tall good-looking girl with big boobs and nice ass out into Central London.
-o0o0o-
September 26, The Fall Equinox, 1986 near Collioure, France
Emma Granger was enjoying her new favorite pastime, alone time by the pool with no husband and/or children. She was having a nice lunch and sipping the deep red wine they produced at ‘La Vigne Noire’while thinking on how an English dentist ended up making wine in France.
When Sirius and Remus arrived at their home on that Halloween, she was confused. Dan had started to explain about what his grandmother had to do with a bloody phoenix bringing a baby into Hermione’s room and what was going on when they were interrupted.
She had met the Marauders downstairs and listened as the men talked. Emma had been getting concerned for Hermione the more Remus talked, but Dan had known more than she did, so she continued to listen.
Then Dan told of his Grandmother, the words MAGIC and WITCH had finally gotten to her so she had to ask to see some magic.
FLASHBACK
Sirius’ barked his laugh and flowed out of his chair as he transformed into Padfoot. Padfoot walked offer to Emma, accepted a petting from the giggling Emma and licked her hand, returned to his chair and changed back to Sirius.
Emma was giggling like a schoolgirl as she petted Padfoot, she believed. Emma was a practical woman, she saw a man transform into a dog, that same dog licked her hand, and dog changed back into a man. She believed her husband, but to see magic, she believed in magic and that her daughter was a witch. Remembering what the letter said that witches in their society faced discrimination. She was worried for her daughter.
Emma asked the question Dan and her were most worried about, “What does it mean to be a witch from non-magical parents in Britain? The letter to us said that Hermione would be discriminated against because of her parentage, and that women were not equals to men. Can you tell us anything?”
Remus answered her, “Emma, Dan the magical world in Britain is roughly thirty-five thousand people. We are spread across the British Isles’; our society is similar to a pre-industrial English city. We still have land owning lords, shopkeepers, tenant farmers and all the things that a mostly self-reliant city of that era would have. We do not use electricity we use gas and coal. In our world, if Hermione, being muggleborn, wanted a job it would most likely have to be a woman’s job in that era. It would be as if a foreign stranger of color came into that town asking for work. She would get a job after the people who were born and lived in that town had jobs, Hermione would get the rest.”
Remus saw them get more worried and added, “There are women who make their mark on our world. The current Minister of Magic is a woman, a woman who is from a noble family, and was married to a nobler husband who was Minister before her. We live in a world were who you are related to, who you know and how much gold you can spend decides your future, ability has little to do with how our world works.”
Remus tone became more serious, “Before tonight, I would have told you to take Hermione and run. We were losing the war, if Harry had not stopped that monster, Voldemort would be in charge of magical Britain. He would then get the records of the magical children born in Britain and those not pureblood would be hunted and killed.”
END FLASHBACK
Emma had been stunned at that information, to hunt and kill Hermione. She had felt as if her world was collapsing. Before that Halloween, Dan and she had been raising their first child, saving to start their own dental practice, and hoping that they would have a happy life. They had been told that life was impossible. Emma would never raise her child in a world where it was even remotely possible to have her or any child hunted and killed. Emma Granger had made up her mind at that moment.
Emma sat the empty glass on the wrought iron table, stood and removed her sarong as she walked to the edge of the pool, then she slipped into the warm water and started her laps to continue thinking of the past.
Fawkes had arrived shortly after that and showed the group what had happened at the Potters. She had still been crying after watching Lily die has she protected Harry when Fawkes continued the vision. The group had seen what would have become of Hermione and Harry had Fawkes not interfered.
Harry’ life would have been tragic. Harry had been programmed as a pliable weapon, an emotional retarded child that could be molded with the giving and withdrawing of attention and affection. When Harry had finally started to seek the love a girl, Hermione had given up hope that Harry would notice the ‘nagging, bucktooth bookworm’. Harry had noticed her beauty and he wanted her, but Harry was concerned for Ron and the loss of all their friendships, friendships that were taken from him at key times by that old man.
Hermione’s life was just as sad for the parent. Emma had seen how Dan’s and her dental practice and lifestyle had affected her baby. They had been so concerned for the Reagan-Thatcher economic boom and getting rich, that they had ignored their daughter’s lonely life. Emma watched as Hermione drifted into the magical world because she had nothing in the non-magical world to hold her there. The image of her daughter as a fat housewife feeding chickens and tossing garden gnomes still had her wanting to strangle that lazy red headed kid who was not even seven yet. The ‘brightest witch in a generation’ and she was tossing garden gnomes.
Emma climbed out of the pool, while drying herself and going to her bedroom, she remembered the conversation that occurred after they told Sirius they were leaving.
FLASHBACK
Sirius visibly relieved that Dan and she had decided to leave said, “Remus and I need to go to the bank to hear the will.” The Grangers gave him a surprised look so he explained. “Magical wills are automatic; the goblins will know that the Potters are dead. The Potters are one of the oldest and wealthiest families in Britain, the goblins will start notifying people and word will leak out. You both saw what a ‘Great Man’ would do to Harry, and we need to get the legalities out of the way. I need to claim my Lordship, get the Potter ring, and settle the custody of Harry. I might also adopt him at the bank and make him my heir; if something happened to me, the estate would go to the supporters of the pureblood dogma. Dan, Emma I do not think it is safe for you here. I can make one room safe from anything other than Fawkes, but that is illegal, if caught Icould be locked up in Azkaban.”
Emma answered, “Sirius we saw what Azkaban was in that vision, we don’t want that to happen, but we just can’t leave in the middle of the night with two children and not know where we are going or what we would do after that. We need information about what is happening in the outside world, were would we go, and what will Dan and I do about our lives here.”
Sirius thought a moment and replied, “Emma, I can take all of us to my home in London. I should warn you that my family was a supporter of the monster that killed James and Lily, the home is a nasty place for non-magicals. You will have to stay in the upstairs bedrooms because there are things in the house that can kill you. Now to your lives, Ido not know what you do, but it cannot be as important as what we saw from Fawkes. I know that your lives were turned upside down and we sympathize, but it can all be worked out later. We must secure the children. I can set up Black wards in a single room that will be secure, like I said there illegal in Britain because they are blood magic and can be lethal. At this moment I don’t care about the legality of the wards, if all goes to plan we will be gone before noon.”
Dan and Emma discussed the situation in whispers that had a lot of Emma using the term ‘her kids’ and ‘her children’. She had accepted Harry as part of her family, Emma did not know why she accepted Harry but she thought a mother was what Harry needed.
After the whispered conversation Dan told the pair of Marauders, “Set those ward things in our bedroom. We will gather our important items, papers, photos, and our IDs, then wait for you to return. We can wait in the bedroom with the children and then leave Britain or go to your home.
Sirius nodded, and told the group, “Emma would you take Remus and I to the kids room, I need some of theirs and your blood. Dan will then take us to your room and I will prepare to paint the ward scheme on the walls. Afterwards Dan and Emma gather up your things and I will secure the room from the outside. Remus and I will go to Gringotts, hear the will, get my Lordship, and get us a list of properties we can use to live. Then we will decide from there.”
END FLASHBACK
Emma was admiring her nude form in the wall mirror in their bedroom and thanked god she could have two children while only giving birth to one. She was thirty-two and stood five foot ten and a ‘little’ over one-hundred and thirty pounds and with only having to breast feed Hermione, she thought she looked good. Emma Granger decided that leaving London was one of the best things they could have done. Coming to La Vigne Noire with its Mediterranean sun and making wine and all the while not having to fix teeth for the NHS was even better.
Emma headed off to the shower thinking of the weekend, Collioure was having one of their Catalonian heritage festivals this weekend and the kids always had so much fun with their friends from school. They would stay in the village this weekend at their small home near the bay. She silently thanked Fawkes for their new lives.
-o0o0o-
September 26, the Fall Equinox, 1986 Collioure, France
Remus Lupin had many favorite pastimes, some of which are reading a good book, looking at beautiful women, and drinking a good cup of coffee. Today while waiting to pick up the kids from school he was doing all three of those as he watched a beautiful young woman with silvery blonde hair, she was feeding the black haired, grey eyed son of Sirius Black.
Amelie did this once a week so that Sirius could see his son. Remus had to tell her that Sirius was in London and would return on weekends, and that Sirius would do lunch at her café in Cerbère on Sunday. Sirius had bought her the popular café as partial payment for giving birth to James and raising him near La Vigne Noire’. Sirius had decided he was going to do that for all the mothers of his children.
Sirius concluded that Harry would still be the Heir of the Black Family until Voldemort was dead because of the political influence that came with the title. Sirius was also determined he would re-populate the House of Black, he would father as many children as the Black Family fortune would allow. Sirius had contracted with the Veela Nation to father his children; he had decided that his children would have the best genetics available, Sirius Black’s good looks and charm, combined with whatever a Veela could contribute. Sirius could be adog and Remus was jealous.
Remus looked up from the book and watched as Amelie cleaned James’ face, when he returned to the book he remembered were the book had come from. The book was one on soul magic out of the Potter Library, James and Lily left him a copy of all the books in their will. Remus closed the book, and with barely an audible sigh, remembered the last time he saw James and Lily, a pensive memory at Gringotts Bank.
The Marauders had finished the Black wards at the Grangers after a small delay; the delay was when they had discovered Voldemort’s wand in the room with the children, they all knew what the wand was now. Sirius had picked up the wand and had sworn the wand had talked to him and wanted him to use it. After getting Sirius to put it in the old book bag, they had started crying over the loss of James and Lily. Seeing Harry lying there holding hands with the little girl had broke the last of the Marauders resolve, it took Emma over a hour to get them back to some semblance of functioning adults.
The Marauders had arrived at Gringotts just before dawn and met with Director Rangok. Meeting with the Director had surprised Remus, he had thought that maybe a mid-level goblin would handle the Potter estate. The Director explained that as both the Potters and Blacks were founding members of the bank and he was awake anyway, so why not him. Remus knew the Potters and Blacks were wealthy and old, but to be founding members of the bank had left him speechless.
Remus had watched the proceedings with interest; it was not every day that a werewolf has gotten to see the claiming of an ‘ancient and most noble house’. Sirius had just put the Black Family ring on his finger when the black obsidian ring flared red and burned itself into the flesh of his finger, when Sirius had stopped cursing his ancestors he continued to conduct Black family business.
Sirius adopted Harry with some of the blood they took at the Grangers and he cast Bellatrix LeStrange out of the family. Sirius explained to the Remus, “She is a mad dog Remus and if she is caught she cannot use the Black name or her money in her defense, besides we need her vault.”
Remus stood from the table leaving money for the bill and nodded to Amelie. With a little wave at James, Remus started the walk to the school. Remus loved the small village, he could do without the tourists, but the group lived far enough away that they could avoid most of the problems.
Remus walked through the narrow streets and was thinking of what the Marauders thought was good and bad night. Good because that bastard Voldemort was gone and they had a good chance to kill him for good. Bad because Harry had lost his family and they had lost James and Lily, but Remus believed that James and Lily thought the cost worth it.
The will reading only had one bright spot, when Fawkes flashed the Headmaster straight into the third chair in the Directors office; the old man was flustered and went straight into a rant about giving up Harry. When the old man tried to guilt trip Sirius with the secret keeper episode, Remus thought he would have to restrain Sirius, but Sirius kept his cool and all the while as he was getting angrier with what Albus was saying. Remus put a stop to the old man’s subtle and not so subtle manipulations with promising to revisit the issue of Harry later.
Albus even tried to keep James’ invisibility cloak that the goblins wanted returned to the Potter vaults by noon that day. The will was straightforward. Sirius got custody of Harry, with Remus being told to help. Remus was not left any money, he got something better, the scholar werewolf got the Potter library. Sirius had also copied what books he could out of the Black Library for him.
After the will was read, Fawkes left with Albus while they collected the Potter ring and went to the vault.
The Marauders remained silent during the trip to the vault. Sirius entered the fault alone because he was the Potter proxy. When Sirius returned he was wearing the Potter ring on his ring finger and carrying a leather bound book along with a scroll. The book was James and Lily’s journals, combined with the plans they had for Harry and Hermione. The Marauders left the bank the same way they entered, in silence.
-o0o0o-
September 26, the Fall Equinox, 1986 Port-Vendres, France
Dan Granger was finishing a favorite pastime; he was doing maintenance on‘/Le Lis Magique’. /He had left /La Vigne Noire/to be out of the way of the workers. The locals knew how to harvest the grapes and barrel the wine, according to the ‘Agent de Maîtrise’ of the vineyard he was ‘L'Anglais Inutile’. Emma liked to think that they made wine, but Dan knew the locals made wine, the Grangers played at making wine.
Dan continued polishing teak and continued thinking of the night the bedtime stories of his beloved grandmother came true.
Dan remembered that Halloween as clearly as he remembered that night in Belfast when he strangled the man who killed his brothers. He had not thought of that night in a long time, his brothers had been killed when they were visiting him after the death of their mother. Donald and David had been walking down the street when a car bomb ended their lives. Dan had found the bomber through an informant, he left is unit and tracked the man down in Belfast and killed him with is bare hands. Dan never felt a twinge of guilt for killing that man, but the Crown saw it differently and he was retired.
Dan had decided to finish his medical training and become a dentist, he had just finished his schooling when he met and married Emma. They had Hermione soon into the marriage and were working hard to provide for her future. Fawkes arrived that Halloween and showed Emma and he that all the work they were doing was harming their daughter’s future.
Fawkes’ vision had him ready to leave, hell even before Fawkes had arrived he had been ready to protect Harry. He could not understand why he would protect the boy-that-arrived-by-bird, but his instincts had screamed at him to do so. Dan had trusted his instincts since they had saved his life more than once in Belfast. So Emma and him had gathered their important papers and everything else they thought they would need to start a new life somewhere.
Dan had watched as the Marauders painted his bedroom in the strange symbols with paint made of all their blood. Emma and he had talked about the evening once they were alone in their bedroom with the kids. With the children between them on the bed, they agreed Halloweens were magical; even now, the four adults celebrated Halloween with a sad toasted thanks to James and Lily and wondered if the night would once again be magical.
Dan shook off the past, he did not like to live in the past. Dan stopped his work and started to put the supplies away while thinking of the future. Next summer the kids would start their magical educations, their two tutors would move into the new round tower Sirius had the goblins build. Harry and Hermione would live in the tower when they were doing magical studies. The tower would be the children’s school, inside the tower they would study for three months for every one outside the tower.
Magic, Dan loved it, Emma and he have been studying all they could of the theory and non-magic side of the magical world, Remus had teaching Emma runes and potions, while Dan liked herbology and astronomy. The group did not use magic that often, the kids were too young to be trusted to keep it a secret.
Dan finished securing /La Lis Magique /and walked to the Range Rover for the drive to the Villa; maybe he could beat the children and get in a peaceful swim before the water riot started.
-o0o0o-
September 26, the Fall Equinox, 1986 Ministry of Magic, London England
Sirius Black was sitting in his office at the ministry drinking his first firewiskey in five years, which he thought of has an old pastime. He had just met with Lord Longbottom and discovered that Albus had all but locked them in their cottage until Bellatrix and the brothers were captured. Albus had sent them a note by elf at the same time Sirius was at the Grangers and told them Bellatrix had targeted Neville for execution. Bellatrix, her husband and his brother were caught exiting Gringotts after trying to get into her vault. The LeStranges were sentenced to fifteen years in Azkaban, they had never tortured the Longbottoms.
Sirius was happy to spend time with Frank and had invited the Longbottoms to France, he would have to use security oaths to prevent anyone from picking the information from their brains, but Alice was Harry’s godmother.
The old school friends also discussed Lucius Malfoy and how to negate the galleons he was spending, they decided to spend more gold than Lucius and hopefully breakup or stall any plans the deatheater had. Lucius had a three-year head start in the Wizengamot and the new Lords were playing catch-up.
Sirius had told Lucius to be careful in his machinations or Narcissa and Draco would be disowned from the Black Family and her dowry reclaimed, Lucius did not looked pleased but he had heard and understood the promise of Lord Black.
Sirius finished his whiskey and went to leave the Ministry through the Diagon Alley exit, but Albus was loitering around the security desk and Sirius did not want to talk to the old man again. Albus had cornered him about Harry and the possibility of becoming Harry’s tutor in two years. Sirius had explained that Harry did not know about being a wizard and they were going to continue to raise him under the Black wards in America.
Albus looked happy that he was keeping Harry ignorant of magic and being boy-who-lived, and that was Sirius plan, make Albus think the Marauders were doing what he would have done. Keep Harry un-educated and unaware of magic, Albus smiled when he told him of making Harry work on the farm.
Sirius backtracked to his office and decided to fire call the Lovegoods, he wanted Xeno and Selene to quit the department of mysteries and start a newspaper. The Lovegoods had dreamed of running a newspaper and he could possibly save Selene’s life and have an alternative newspaper to the Prophet. Sirius would then contact the blonde from earlier today and indulge in his most favorite pastime.
-o0o0o-
September 26, the Fall Equinox, 1986, Headmasters Office, Hogwarts
Fawkes was perched on his overly decorated stand enjoying his favorite pastime, his friend Albus was making plans for Harry that Fate would never allow to move forward. All those wonderful plans for the Philosophers Stone, Ginny coming to Hogwarts early so that Harry could form a trio with the two youngest Weasleys, and how to convince Harry to sacrifice his life for the greater good.
Albus believed that love was the key to defeating Tom and was going to use the first female Weasley in two hundred years as a tool to make Harry fight for her life. Albus would arrange for a scenario were Harry must sacrifice his life to save his love, a love he would create with potions and spells.
Fawkes would watch as Albus maneuvered pieces in a game the rest of the world was not playing and continued to hope for his friend’s soul.
A/N: Made small changes in ch. 1 to close a few plot holes and correct Dan’s history.
French Translations: Le Lis Magique- The Magic Lily
La Vigne Noire-The Black Vineyard
Agent de Maîtrise-Supervisor
L'Anglais Inutile- The Useless Englishman
Sorry for no Albus, he will appear in the next chapter, Least Favorite Pastimes or More Players Stage Left
Everyone has done the bank confrontations and every time I tried, I rewrote what everyone else has.
The Players Ponder the Past 1
Or
Favorite Pastimes
September 26, the Fall Equinox, 1986 London England
Sirius Black was back in London for the first time in five years and was indulging in one of the Marauder’s favorite pastimes; he was girl watching while having a coffee in a muggle café. Sirius smiled his best smile at the blonde across the café who he caught looking at him. Sirius loved living as a muggle, the Marauders used to play muggle when they were in school but now he really loved it. No Sirius thought, he enjoyed being a rich muggle, he could not imagine having to do real work, poor muggles worked hard.
Sirius was thankful for Emma and Dan; the Grangers spent over a year helping to educate the Marauders in the finer points of being a muggle. The Grangers taught them how to dress, use money, to drive, and the most important to Sirius, how not to look a fool when talking to muggle women. Mispronouncing electricity and telephone made anyone look stupid, and magicals in Britain stood out a mile now that Sirius could look for them with muggle eyes.
Sirius wished he was in France with the Grangers and the kids, but Harry and Hermione had started school in the village last year while Uncle Padfoot had his own job to do, it was time to become the Lord Black and the proxy for the Potter seat. He had already claimed his Lordship but he could not take his Wizengamot seat until this year. The rules of the Wizengamot said that you had to be an adult of the age of twenty-seven and the old guard did not want any children in the governing body.
Sirius did not want to be Lord Black, as far as he was concerned the magical people of Britain should elect the Minister of Magic, the Wizengamot would be made more representative over time, the population, and era in which wizards lived dictated slow change. The age of land owning lords was over, but you cannot just destroy them and hope for the best. The ex-European colonies were a prime example, destroying the wealth of a few can have a devastating effect on the majority.
Sirius knew change would never happen as long as people like him did nothing and The Grangers and Remus had convinced him that it was his duty to watch the Wizengamot to protect Harry and Hermione. It was also time to start the plan; you have to start a revolution somewhere.
Sirius would also have to see Albus today, it would be the first time in five years and it still amazed Sirius that Albus did not put up any more fight than he did to get Harry. Albus tried, he used Harry's safety, Blacks own involvement in the secret keeper episode, “If you had just trusted me and used me as the keeper, the Potters would be alive.” Sirius was getting angrier and angrier the more the old man spoke, but with the help of his occlumency and the Black family ring, he did not attack the old goat.
Albus had also wanted to check Harry to investigate how he survived Voldemort and to become his tutor/mentor when he was older, Remus told him no. “Albus, if you want Harry to not think himself special because he survived, then why should a normal wizard boy meet the Great Albus Dumbledore before arriving at the opening feast of Hogwarts. We did not meet with you until fourth year when we turned the Slytherin's hair red and gold. We will re-think it in a few years; we just want to leave with Harry.” Albus finally stopped when the Marauders told him they were taking Harry to muggle America to raise and would be using the Black family wards to protect him.
The Marauders had made the decision that Albus would not see Harry until he went to Hogwarts for the first time, if he went. They had also decided that France was better than America, France would not agree with Britain on the weather and America, with the exception of two wars, has always had a close relationship with Britain. The Marauders had also decided never to mention the Grangers to anyone; the Grangers would become the foster parents of Harry. Sirius was only twenty-two that Halloween his world changed and Remus was the same. Neither could be a mother to Harry and their pup needed amother, The Marauders decided to become the cool uncles and corrupt both children.
Glancing at the blonde-haired woman across the room, he accepted another refill from the waitress and thought that the talk with the Grangers went better than he thought it would and with Dan's grandmother being a squib meant that the shock was not too great. Dan's tone of voice when he had told them of his grandmother let them know that the attitudes of wizarding Britain were not acceptable to him.
FLASHBACK
The introductions had been made and the adults were seated having a well-deserved brandy when a concerned Dan asked, “Gentlemen, What can you tell us about what is going on? I am a little concerned. My wife and I were at home caring for our daughter who had been crying all evening.” Dan noticed the brief look the two men share but continued anyway, “Then a mythical bird, my God a phoenix appeared in my daughter’s bedroom in a flash of fire!, deposited a crying bundle of blankets into her crib. Then we found a baby boy with a note from his murdered parents asking us to protect him and I don’t know why but I will protect him.”
Sirius listened to Dan as he told of his daughter crying and that it corresponded to what was going on at Harry’s made him look at Remus. Sirius knew the kids have some type of bond. It could be a sibling, love, soul, slave, friendship, or any type of the weird bonds that show up in the magical world. Bonds of all type are common in the world; just magical people seemed to have named them. Hearing the tone he used when speaking of protecting Harry made Sirius realize that James and Lily had chosen right.
After the brief look Remus answered, “Dan, Emma we don’t know everything, James and Lily Potter were murdered by the dark wizard Lord Voldemort tonight and were betrayed by a friend Peter Pettigew. We do not know how, but when Voldemort tried to kill Harry, the curse rebounded and he banished himself instead. Somehow, James and Lily knew this would happen and made arrangements for Harry, we believe Fawkes had something to do with it. Why they sent Harry to you, we do not know. We believe it as to do with your daughter.”
Remus noticed the concerned looks of the parents and rushed to placate them, “Dan, Emma I believe that the Potters and Fawkes are concerned for your daughter’s future. I don’t know what Fawkes showed James and Lily, but it included your daughter.”
Dan told them “their daughter name was Hermione.”
Sirius took over the conversation, “Dan, Emma, Hermione is a witch,” Sirius had noticed the non-reactions these statements of magic and dark wizards were causing, but continued, “She is somehow involved, I think her and Harry’s futures are linked somehow. You mentioned she had been crying all evening,” at their nods he continued, “magic has been acting weird all night, and I think Hermione could tell something was wrong” Still seeing no reaction to the word magic, Sirius had to ask, “Dan, Emma why aren’t you reacting to the word MAGIC?”
Dan answered, “Sirius, Remus, before tonight I thought witches and wizards were the tales of an ill old woman. My grandmother before she got sick used to tell my older brothers and me tales of witches and wizards, dragons and aschool in Scotland. We thought they were fairy tales at the time. When she was dying she told me her family left her with an old uncle when she was ten because she could not do magic. I mean abandoned, they visited the uncle in London and while she was playing with her cousin, they left and she never heard from or of them again. She was not even to speak of her family or magic again.” His tone hardened, “I do not like the idea of a society that abandons their children because they are different from themselves.”
Sirius thought Dan was missing the magical point of view. Sirius did not dislike squibs, he just did not think it was a good idea to raise a squib child surrounded by magic, magic the child will look at in wonder and envy, but never be able to do. Sirius believed it was cruel to show a child a gift then not be able to give it to them. A squib child surrounded by magical children would be cruel. Children could be mean.
Emma had been silent as the men talked and now Sirius could tell she had to speak, “Can I see some magic?” she asked excitedly.
END/-/FLASHBACK
Sirius Black noticed the blonde get up from her seat so he followed the tall good-looking girl with big boobs and nice ass out into Central London.
-o0o0o-
September 26, The Fall Equinox, 1986 near Collioure, France
Emma Granger was enjoying her new favorite pastime, alone time by the pool with no husband and/or children. She was having a nice lunch and sipping the deep red wine they produced at ‘La Vigne Noire’while thinking on how an English dentist ended up making wine in France.
When Sirius and Remus arrived at their home on that Halloween, she was confused. Dan had started to explain about what his grandmother had to do with a bloody phoenix bringing a baby into Hermione’s room and what was going on when they were interrupted.
She had met the Marauders downstairs and listened as the men talked. Emma had been getting concerned for Hermione the more Remus talked, but Dan had known more than she did, so she continued to listen.
Then Dan told of his Grandmother, the words MAGIC and WITCH had finally gotten to her so she had to ask to see some magic.
FLASHBACK
Sirius’ barked his laugh and flowed out of his chair as he transformed into Padfoot. Padfoot walked offer to Emma, accepted a petting from the giggling Emma and licked her hand, returned to his chair and changed back to Sirius.
Emma was giggling like a schoolgirl as she petted Padfoot, she believed. Emma was a practical woman, she saw a man transform into a dog, that same dog licked her hand, and dog changed back into a man. She believed her husband, but to see magic, she believed in magic and that her daughter was a witch. Remembering what the letter said that witches in their society faced discrimination. She was worried for her daughter.
Emma asked the question Dan and her were most worried about, “What does it mean to be a witch from non-magical parents in Britain? The letter to us said that Hermione would be discriminated against because of her parentage, and that women were not equals to men. Can you tell us anything?”
Remus answered her, “Emma, Dan the magical world in Britain is roughly thirty-five thousand people. We are spread across the British Isles’; our society is similar to a pre-industrial English city. We still have land owning lords, shopkeepers, tenant farmers and all the things that a mostly self-reliant city of that era would have. We do not use electricity we use gas and coal. In our world, if Hermione, being muggleborn, wanted a job it would most likely have to be a woman’s job in that era. It would be as if a foreign stranger of color came into that town asking for work. She would get a job after the people who were born and lived in that town had jobs, Hermione would get the rest.”
Remus saw them get more worried and added, “There are women who make their mark on our world. The current Minister of Magic is a woman, a woman who is from a noble family, and was married to a nobler husband who was Minister before her. We live in a world were who you are related to, who you know and how much gold you can spend decides your future, ability has little to do with how our world works.”
Remus tone became more serious, “Before tonight, I would have told you to take Hermione and run. We were losing the war, if Harry had not stopped that monster, Voldemort would be in charge of magical Britain. He would then get the records of the magical children born in Britain and those not pureblood would be hunted and killed.”
END FLASHBACK
Emma had been stunned at that information, to hunt and kill Hermione. She had felt as if her world was collapsing. Before that Halloween, Dan and she had been raising their first child, saving to start their own dental practice, and hoping that they would have a happy life. They had been told that life was impossible. Emma would never raise her child in a world where it was even remotely possible to have her or any child hunted and killed. Emma Granger had made up her mind at that moment.
Emma sat the empty glass on the wrought iron table, stood and removed her sarong as she walked to the edge of the pool, then she slipped into the warm water and started her laps to continue thinking of the past.
Fawkes had arrived shortly after that and showed the group what had happened at the Potters. She had still been crying after watching Lily die has she protected Harry when Fawkes continued the vision. The group had seen what would have become of Hermione and Harry had Fawkes not interfered.
Harry’ life would have been tragic. Harry had been programmed as a pliable weapon, an emotional retarded child that could be molded with the giving and withdrawing of attention and affection. When Harry had finally started to seek the love a girl, Hermione had given up hope that Harry would notice the ‘nagging, bucktooth bookworm’. Harry had noticed her beauty and he wanted her, but Harry was concerned for Ron and the loss of all their friendships, friendships that were taken from him at key times by that old man.
Hermione’s life was just as sad for the parent. Emma had seen how Dan’s and her dental practice and lifestyle had affected her baby. They had been so concerned for the Reagan-Thatcher economic boom and getting rich, that they had ignored their daughter’s lonely life. Emma watched as Hermione drifted into the magical world because she had nothing in the non-magical world to hold her there. The image of her daughter as a fat housewife feeding chickens and tossing garden gnomes still had her wanting to strangle that lazy red headed kid who was not even seven yet. The ‘brightest witch in a generation’ and she was tossing garden gnomes.
Emma climbed out of the pool, while drying herself and going to her bedroom, she remembered the conversation that occurred after they told Sirius they were leaving.
FLASHBACK
Sirius visibly relieved that Dan and she had decided to leave said, “Remus and I need to go to the bank to hear the will.” The Grangers gave him a surprised look so he explained. “Magical wills are automatic; the goblins will know that the Potters are dead. The Potters are one of the oldest and wealthiest families in Britain, the goblins will start notifying people and word will leak out. You both saw what a ‘Great Man’ would do to Harry, and we need to get the legalities out of the way. I need to claim my Lordship, get the Potter ring, and settle the custody of Harry. I might also adopt him at the bank and make him my heir; if something happened to me, the estate would go to the supporters of the pureblood dogma. Dan, Emma I do not think it is safe for you here. I can make one room safe from anything other than Fawkes, but that is illegal, if caught Icould be locked up in Azkaban.”
Emma answered, “Sirius we saw what Azkaban was in that vision, we don’t want that to happen, but we just can’t leave in the middle of the night with two children and not know where we are going or what we would do after that. We need information about what is happening in the outside world, were would we go, and what will Dan and I do about our lives here.”
Sirius thought a moment and replied, “Emma, I can take all of us to my home in London. I should warn you that my family was a supporter of the monster that killed James and Lily, the home is a nasty place for non-magicals. You will have to stay in the upstairs bedrooms because there are things in the house that can kill you. Now to your lives, Ido not know what you do, but it cannot be as important as what we saw from Fawkes. I know that your lives were turned upside down and we sympathize, but it can all be worked out later. We must secure the children. I can set up Black wards in a single room that will be secure, like I said there illegal in Britain because they are blood magic and can be lethal. At this moment I don’t care about the legality of the wards, if all goes to plan we will be gone before noon.”
Dan and Emma discussed the situation in whispers that had a lot of Emma using the term ‘her kids’ and ‘her children’. She had accepted Harry as part of her family, Emma did not know why she accepted Harry but she thought a mother was what Harry needed.
After the whispered conversation Dan told the pair of Marauders, “Set those ward things in our bedroom. We will gather our important items, papers, photos, and our IDs, then wait for you to return. We can wait in the bedroom with the children and then leave Britain or go to your home.
Sirius nodded, and told the group, “Emma would you take Remus and I to the kids room, I need some of theirs and your blood. Dan will then take us to your room and I will prepare to paint the ward scheme on the walls. Afterwards Dan and Emma gather up your things and I will secure the room from the outside. Remus and I will go to Gringotts, hear the will, get my Lordship, and get us a list of properties we can use to live. Then we will decide from there.”
END FLASHBACK
Emma was admiring her nude form in the wall mirror in their bedroom and thanked god she could have two children while only giving birth to one. She was thirty-two and stood five foot ten and a ‘little’ over one-hundred and thirty pounds and with only having to breast feed Hermione, she thought she looked good. Emma Granger decided that leaving London was one of the best things they could have done. Coming to La Vigne Noire with its Mediterranean sun and making wine and all the while not having to fix teeth for the NHS was even better.
Emma headed off to the shower thinking of the weekend, Collioure was having one of their Catalonian heritage festivals this weekend and the kids always had so much fun with their friends from school. They would stay in the village this weekend at their small home near the bay. She silently thanked Fawkes for their new lives.
-o0o0o-
September 26, the Fall Equinox, 1986 Collioure, France
Remus Lupin had many favorite pastimes, some of which are reading a good book, looking at beautiful women, and drinking a good cup of coffee. Today while waiting to pick up the kids from school he was doing all three of those as he watched a beautiful young woman with silvery blonde hair, she was feeding the black haired, grey eyed son of Sirius Black.
Amelie did this once a week so that Sirius could see his son. Remus had to tell her that Sirius was in London and would return on weekends, and that Sirius would do lunch at her café in Cerbère on Sunday. Sirius had bought her the popular café as partial payment for giving birth to James and raising him near La Vigne Noire’. Sirius had decided he was going to do that for all the mothers of his children.
Sirius concluded that Harry would still be the Heir of the Black Family until Voldemort was dead because of the political influence that came with the title. Sirius was also determined he would re-populate the House of Black, he would father as many children as the Black Family fortune would allow. Sirius had contracted with the Veela Nation to father his children; he had decided that his children would have the best genetics available, Sirius Black’s good looks and charm, combined with whatever a Veela could contribute. Sirius could be adog and Remus was jealous.
Remus looked up from the book and watched as Amelie cleaned James’ face, when he returned to the book he remembered were the book had come from. The book was one on soul magic out of the Potter Library, James and Lily left him a copy of all the books in their will. Remus closed the book, and with barely an audible sigh, remembered the last time he saw James and Lily, a pensive memory at Gringotts Bank.
The Marauders had finished the Black wards at the Grangers after a small delay; the delay was when they had discovered Voldemort’s wand in the room with the children, they all knew what the wand was now. Sirius had picked up the wand and had sworn the wand had talked to him and wanted him to use it. After getting Sirius to put it in the old book bag, they had started crying over the loss of James and Lily. Seeing Harry lying there holding hands with the little girl had broke the last of the Marauders resolve, it took Emma over a hour to get them back to some semblance of functioning adults.
The Marauders had arrived at Gringotts just before dawn and met with Director Rangok. Meeting with the Director had surprised Remus, he had thought that maybe a mid-level goblin would handle the Potter estate. The Director explained that as both the Potters and Blacks were founding members of the bank and he was awake anyway, so why not him. Remus knew the Potters and Blacks were wealthy and old, but to be founding members of the bank had left him speechless.
Remus had watched the proceedings with interest; it was not every day that a werewolf has gotten to see the claiming of an ‘ancient and most noble house’. Sirius had just put the Black Family ring on his finger when the black obsidian ring flared red and burned itself into the flesh of his finger, when Sirius had stopped cursing his ancestors he continued to conduct Black family business.
Sirius adopted Harry with some of the blood they took at the Grangers and he cast Bellatrix LeStrange out of the family. Sirius explained to the Remus, “She is a mad dog Remus and if she is caught she cannot use the Black name or her money in her defense, besides we need her vault.”
Remus stood from the table leaving money for the bill and nodded to Amelie. With a little wave at James, Remus started the walk to the school. Remus loved the small village, he could do without the tourists, but the group lived far enough away that they could avoid most of the problems.
Remus walked through the narrow streets and was thinking of what the Marauders thought was good and bad night. Good because that bastard Voldemort was gone and they had a good chance to kill him for good. Bad because Harry had lost his family and they had lost James and Lily, but Remus believed that James and Lily thought the cost worth it.
The will reading only had one bright spot, when Fawkes flashed the Headmaster straight into the third chair in the Directors office; the old man was flustered and went straight into a rant about giving up Harry. When the old man tried to guilt trip Sirius with the secret keeper episode, Remus thought he would have to restrain Sirius, but Sirius kept his cool and all the while as he was getting angrier with what Albus was saying. Remus put a stop to the old man’s subtle and not so subtle manipulations with promising to revisit the issue of Harry later.
Albus even tried to keep James’ invisibility cloak that the goblins wanted returned to the Potter vaults by noon that day. The will was straightforward. Sirius got custody of Harry, with Remus being told to help. Remus was not left any money, he got something better, the scholar werewolf got the Potter library. Sirius had also copied what books he could out of the Black Library for him.
After the will was read, Fawkes left with Albus while they collected the Potter ring and went to the vault.
The Marauders remained silent during the trip to the vault. Sirius entered the fault alone because he was the Potter proxy. When Sirius returned he was wearing the Potter ring on his ring finger and carrying a leather bound book along with a scroll. The book was James and Lily’s journals, combined with the plans they had for Harry and Hermione. The Marauders left the bank the same way they entered, in silence.
-o0o0o-
September 26, the Fall Equinox, 1986 Port-Vendres, France
Dan Granger was finishing a favorite pastime; he was doing maintenance on‘/Le Lis Magique’. /He had left /La Vigne Noire/to be out of the way of the workers. The locals knew how to harvest the grapes and barrel the wine, according to the ‘Agent de Maîtrise’ of the vineyard he was ‘L'Anglais Inutile’. Emma liked to think that they made wine, but Dan knew the locals made wine, the Grangers played at making wine.
Dan continued polishing teak and continued thinking of the night the bedtime stories of his beloved grandmother came true.
Dan remembered that Halloween as clearly as he remembered that night in Belfast when he strangled the man who killed his brothers. He had not thought of that night in a long time, his brothers had been killed when they were visiting him after the death of their mother. Donald and David had been walking down the street when a car bomb ended their lives. Dan had found the bomber through an informant, he left is unit and tracked the man down in Belfast and killed him with is bare hands. Dan never felt a twinge of guilt for killing that man, but the Crown saw it differently and he was retired.
Dan had decided to finish his medical training and become a dentist, he had just finished his schooling when he met and married Emma. They had Hermione soon into the marriage and were working hard to provide for her future. Fawkes arrived that Halloween and showed Emma and he that all the work they were doing was harming their daughter’s future.
Fawkes’ vision had him ready to leave, hell even before Fawkes had arrived he had been ready to protect Harry. He could not understand why he would protect the boy-that-arrived-by-bird, but his instincts had screamed at him to do so. Dan had trusted his instincts since they had saved his life more than once in Belfast. So Emma and him had gathered their important papers and everything else they thought they would need to start a new life somewhere.
Dan had watched as the Marauders painted his bedroom in the strange symbols with paint made of all their blood. Emma and he had talked about the evening once they were alone in their bedroom with the kids. With the children between them on the bed, they agreed Halloweens were magical; even now, the four adults celebrated Halloween with a sad toasted thanks to James and Lily and wondered if the night would once again be magical.
Dan shook off the past, he did not like to live in the past. Dan stopped his work and started to put the supplies away while thinking of the future. Next summer the kids would start their magical educations, their two tutors would move into the new round tower Sirius had the goblins build. Harry and Hermione would live in the tower when they were doing magical studies. The tower would be the children’s school, inside the tower they would study for three months for every one outside the tower.
Magic, Dan loved it, Emma and he have been studying all they could of the theory and non-magic side of the magical world, Remus had teaching Emma runes and potions, while Dan liked herbology and astronomy. The group did not use magic that often, the kids were too young to be trusted to keep it a secret.
Dan finished securing /La Lis Magique /and walked to the Range Rover for the drive to the Villa; maybe he could beat the children and get in a peaceful swim before the water riot started.
-o0o0o-
September 26, the Fall Equinox, 1986 Ministry of Magic, London England
Sirius Black was sitting in his office at the ministry drinking his first firewiskey in five years, which he thought of has an old pastime. He had just met with Lord Longbottom and discovered that Albus had all but locked them in their cottage until Bellatrix and the brothers were captured. Albus had sent them a note by elf at the same time Sirius was at the Grangers and told them Bellatrix had targeted Neville for execution. Bellatrix, her husband and his brother were caught exiting Gringotts after trying to get into her vault. The LeStranges were sentenced to fifteen years in Azkaban, they had never tortured the Longbottoms.
Sirius was happy to spend time with Frank and had invited the Longbottoms to France, he would have to use security oaths to prevent anyone from picking the information from their brains, but Alice was Harry’s godmother.
The old school friends also discussed Lucius Malfoy and how to negate the galleons he was spending, they decided to spend more gold than Lucius and hopefully breakup or stall any plans the deatheater had. Lucius had a three-year head start in the Wizengamot and the new Lords were playing catch-up.
Sirius had told Lucius to be careful in his machinations or Narcissa and Draco would be disowned from the Black Family and her dowry reclaimed, Lucius did not looked pleased but he had heard and understood the promise of Lord Black.
Sirius finished his whiskey and went to leave the Ministry through the Diagon Alley exit, but Albus was loitering around the security desk and Sirius did not want to talk to the old man again. Albus had cornered him about Harry and the possibility of becoming Harry’s tutor in two years. Sirius had explained that Harry did not know about being a wizard and they were going to continue to raise him under the Black wards in America.
Albus looked happy that he was keeping Harry ignorant of magic and being boy-who-lived, and that was Sirius plan, make Albus think the Marauders were doing what he would have done. Keep Harry un-educated and unaware of magic, Albus smiled when he told him of making Harry work on the farm.
Sirius backtracked to his office and decided to fire call the Lovegoods, he wanted Xeno and Selene to quit the department of mysteries and start a newspaper. The Lovegoods had dreamed of running a newspaper and he could possibly save Selene’s life and have an alternative newspaper to the Prophet. Sirius would then contact the blonde from earlier today and indulge in his most favorite pastime.
-o0o0o-
September 26, the Fall Equinox, 1986, Headmasters Office, Hogwarts
Fawkes was perched on his overly decorated stand enjoying his favorite pastime, his friend Albus was making plans for Harry that Fate would never allow to move forward. All those wonderful plans for the Philosophers Stone, Ginny coming to Hogwarts early so that Harry could form a trio with the two youngest Weasleys, and how to convince Harry to sacrifice his life for the greater good.
Albus believed that love was the key to defeating Tom and was going to use the first female Weasley in two hundred years as a tool to make Harry fight for her life. Albus would arrange for a scenario were Harry must sacrifice his life to save his love, a love he would create with potions and spells.
Fawkes would watch as Albus maneuvered pieces in a game the rest of the world was not playing and continued to hope for his friend’s soul.
A/N: Made small changes in ch. 1 to close a few plot holes and correct Dan’s history.
French Translations: Le Lis Magique- The Magic Lily
La Vigne Noire-The Black Vineyard
Agent de Maîtrise-Supervisor
L'Anglais Inutile- The Useless Englishman
Sorry for no Albus, he will appear in the next chapter, Least Favorite Pastimes or More Players Stage Left
Everyone has done the bank confrontations and every time I tried, I rewrote what everyone else has.
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