The Burden I Carry

December 1971

The remains of the few inferi that Tom had housed within the lake in the cave gave off the stench of decayed and seared flesh, since Albus had immolated them.

Evidently, the man had either been desecrating graves, or had been much busier than any knew to create the group that were guarding the locket that had once belonged to Salazar Slytherin.

The protections in the cave, however, were incomplete.

The doorway that demanded a blood sacrifice was weak, and the boat that carried a single passenger to the island in the centre of the lake had not even been concealed.

The awful concoction Tom or one of his followers had brewed still needed to mature, and though ridding the basin of the liquid had been challenging, Albus had managed to do so without the need to drink it.

Others would not have fared so well, but the headmaster was an exceptionally skilled wizard, so the incomplete protections had hindered him little.

Albus released a deep breath as his gaze swept around the cave, and he shook his head at the thought of what had happened here when Tom Riddle had been but a boy.

A simple conversation with Mrs Cole, the now elderly, former matron at the orphanage had pointed him in the direction of Dennis Bishop and Amy Benson, the two victims of the unprovoked attack that had left both muggles severely traumatised by what Tom had done to them.

Dennis had sadly taken his own life, never recovering from the ordeal, and Amy was still haunted by it.

Still, she had told Albus enough for him to find the cave, and the moment he did, he could feel Tom's magic within.

The result was the locket he was levitating in front of him, the part of Tom's soul housed withing desperately trying to break into his mind.

It was indeed a dangerous object, and the quicker Albus could dispose of it, the better.

With a sigh, he created a replica and placed it in the basin before disappearing from the cave.

His journey to discover anything pertaining to Tom's Horcruxes had been difficult, and only made more so by a certain, uncooperative ghost that roamed the castle.

Helena had become distraught at the mention of Tom, and it had taken weeks to convince her to speak of her time with the boy.

As many others had before her, Helena had been a victim of Tom's manipulations, all in the name of discovering secrets of the castle.

Albus doubted the boy had relied on discovering another priceless artefact in the process, but Helena had revealed the location of the diadem to him, and Albus knew he had obtained it on his travels.

Where it was now, he knew not, but he would find it.

That only left the ring, and the diary that Harry had mentioned, but between the two of them, Albus was confident they would get them all.

They simply could not fail if they wished to truly see the end of Tom Riddle.

(Break)

It was clear to both men that neither were particularly fond of the other, but here they were, meeting out of necessity towards the shared interest in seeing the end of Voldemort's attempted rise to power.

Harry did not like Barty Crouch one bit and had no doubt that if the man had it within his ability or power to do so, he would see Harry locked away in Azkaban.

Crouch, however, knew that he needed Harry, so the two had come to a silent agreement of tolerance of one another, at least until the Ministry as a whole decided to act accordingly to the situation Britain was faced with.

"You want me to raid the Malfoy home?" Crouch asked in disbelief.

Harry nodded simply as he leaned back in his chair.

"That's exactly what I want you to do, when the time is right."

Crouch snorted as he shook his head.

"We have raided it several times over the past few decades and found nothing," he explained. "Malfoy is either clean or he is clever."

"He is neither," Harry said firmly. "You've not found anything because you don't know where to look."

"And you do, Evans?"

"He has a hidden space beneath the drawing room."

Crouch frowned at Harry questioningly.

"How did you discover that?"

"I may have heard Malfoy mention it when we were at Hogwarts," Harry answered.

It wasn't Crouch's prerogative to know that it was Draco who had told him and Ron that whilst they were filling in for Crabbe and Goyle under the guise of Polyjuice Potion.

"Are you certain?" Crouch asked sceptically.

Harry nodded.

"I would bet my life on it."

Crouch hummed thoughtfully.

"And what do you want from this? You wouldn't just give me that information for free."

"True," Harry conceded. "There is something I will need if it is there. It is of no monetary value but is quite key in ensuring that Tom Riddle is dealt with."

"What is it?" Crouch enquired.

"Nothing more than a simple diary that belongs to him."

Crouch snorted in disbelief.

"A simple diary? I'm no fool, Evans."

"No, you're not," Harry sighed. "I cannot go into details now, but I will explain everything to you once I have it. You have my word."

Evidently, Crouch respected him enough to believe him and merely nodded in response.

"Alright," he agreed. "For now, I'm just pleased that whoever is leading this group of people in white cloaks is doing a good enough job to minimise the attacks. It is making my life, and the life of my aurors much easier."

"I'm quite pleased myself," Harry replied as he stood, "but I would expect that his tactics will change again soon enough. He is stubborn but not stupid. He will grow tried of failure so we must be ready for anything he may throw at us."

"And what are you doing about him?" Crouch asked pointedly.

Harry paused as he reached the door.

Voldemort had yet to show himself thus far, choosing to send the Death Eaters on his behalf to carry out the unsuccessful attacks.

"Someone is hiding him," Harry replied. "I have someone looking for him, and I have no doubt that they will be successful. When I know where he is, I will act quickly."

"To bring him in?"

Harry laughed though there was no hint of humour in it.

"He will not allow himself to be apprehended. When we meet, one of us will die, and it won't be me, Crouch."

With that, Harry took his leave of the office, the words of the prophecy that had hung over him for almost four decades echoing in his mind.

Neither can live whilst the other survives…

Harry would live, of that he had no doubt.

Tom Riddle no longer held any of the advantages over him that he had when Harry had been little more than a boy.

It was Harry that held the advantage, Harry that was a battle-hardened warrior, and it would be Harry that would stand victoriously over the corpse of Tom Marvolo Riddle.

(Break)

Rosa had intended to use Hogwarts as a means to escape the boredom she would have to endure without Quidditch, and as a way to distract herself from her failed marriage, but the castle had become much more to her than that.

As a teenager, she couldn't wait to graduate and gain her first taste of freedom from her parents, and now, she felt foolish for ever having such thoughts.

Her mother and father were highly respected in the magical community and having spent a little over two months watching them as an adult, she could see why.

Minerva Evans was perhaps the most talented practitioner of Transfiguration in the country, second only to perhaps Professor Dumbledore. She could be a stern woman, but the branch of magic she taught could be incredibly dangerous if not treated with respect, something Rosa truly understood now.

Her father, well, everything he did was simply spectacular.

He had his shortfalls when it came to Potions, and even some more complex theories he didn't care for, but his ability with practical magic was astounding.

It seemingly came as naturally to him as breathing, but Rosa knew better.

Harry Evans had dedicated his life to magic through training extensively and keeping himself in peak physical condition.

Even having lived than fifty years of life, she knew of no other that could keep up with him.

She smiled at the thought of them both.

More than ever, she realised just how much both had done for her, how much they loved her, and allowed her to be herself.

Even though her father had disapproved of Julian, he had never interfered, though Rosa now wished he had.

She was pulled from her thoughts as the stampede of children arrived at the station to board the Hogwarts Express.

Most would be returning home for the Christmas holidays, and Rosa would be joining her family who would be welcoming quite the large group.

It was a tradition that the Evans and several other families had begun several years ago now, even before Rosa was born, and it was their turn to play hosts.

"See you soon, Rosa!" James called as he passed.

Bella rolled her eyes at the boy and shot Rosa a smile.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure he behaves," the girl assured her.

Rosa nodded gratefully and frowned as she noticed someone missing from James's usual group.

"Where's Lily?" she asked Marlene.

The girl released a frustrated sigh.

"She's staying at Hogwarts," she explained. "She had an argument with her sister and doesn't want to go home. I tried to convince her to spend Christmas with my family, but she's a stubborn cow."

"I'll go and speak to her," Rosa declared, eliciting a grateful smile from the girl.

When the last of the stragglers had made it onto the train, and it set of with a large burst of steam, she apparated to the gate of the school before heading towards the castle.

Whatever had happened between Lily and her sister must have been bad if she didn't wish to return home, and she pondered the matter until she reached the Fat Lady that guarded the Gryffindor common room.

"Fortune favours the bold."

The woman within the portrait offered her a bow before swinging open, and as Rosa stepped into her former residence, she spotted the little redhead sitting by the fire with her nose in a Charms book.

"You'll be an expert by the end of your first year at this rate."

Lily jumped, her cheeks blushing.

Evidently, she had not heard Rosa enter.

"I like Charms," the girl defended.

"I know, but you can't spend your whole life on them, Lily. You don't want to turn into my father."

"Professor Evans is a brilliant wizard," the girl defended.

"He is," Rosa agreed, "but even he doesn't spend all of his time working on magic. How do you think he ended up with five children?"

Lily's blush deepened as she grimaced, and Rosa laughed heartily.

"Is this what you're planning on doing for the entire holiday?"

Lily frowned.

"Marlene," she muttered.

"She's just worried about you," Rosa pointed out. "As far as I could see, no one else in your house is staying here."

"No, it's just me," Lily confirmed.

Rosa hummed unhappily.

"Then you will spend Christmas with my family," she declared, "and you will not argue with me. There will be lots of people there, so my parents won't mind one more."

"I wouldn't want to intrude."

Rosa waved her off.

"My father would definitely prefer your company than my ex-husband's. He didn't like him very much. Come on, let's get your things. I won't have you here alone, not at Christmas."

"But Christmas day isn't for another week!"

"So?"

"I can't stay with your family that long."

"Of course, you can," Rosa huffed, pulling the girl to her feet. "You'll even get to meet my brother and sisters. Come on, no more arguments."

Seeing that Rosa wouldn't cave, Lily smiled as she led her up to the first-year dorm where she gathered her things.

"Are you sure about this?" she asked nervously.

"I wouldn't be taking you if I wasn't," Rosa assured the girl. "Now, have you ever apparated before?"

Lily shook her head.

"Then you're in for an experience."

Rosa led the girl from the tower, and out of the castle where it had begun to snow quite heavily since she had returned.

Hand in hand, the two of them took their leave of the grounds where Rosa paused.

"Just hold onto my arm tightly, and you'll be okay," she instructed.

Reluctantly, Lily did so, and Rosa apparated them away as gently as she could.

When they arrived outside the Evans home, Lily was breathing heavily.

"Sorry," Rosa offered sincerely. "You do get used to it, though."

Lily had paled, but she nodded, nonetheless.

"That was unpleasant," she grumbled before her eyes widened as she took in the home in the distance. "This is your parent's house?"

Rosa nodded.

"I didn't know professors made that much money."

Rosa laughed.

"My father owns shares in many companies," she explained. "He really earned everything he has."

Lily nodded appreciatively.

"Not bad for a half-blood orphan," Rosa murmured.

"Orphan? I forgot about that," Lily replied sadly.

Rosa smiled at the secret she held.

"He knew how much his parents cared for him. He swears that it was his mother's love that saved his life."

"She must have been very special," Lily commented.

"She was," Rosa replied as she approached the gate. "Stand back, I need to make sure the defences don't think of you as a threat," she explained.

Placing her hand on the metal, she began hissing under her breath before gesturing for Lily to come forward.

As the girl reached her, Rosa took her by the hand and continued with her work.

When she was done, Lily was looking at her in surprise.

"You're a parselmouth!"

"Something I got from my dad," Rosa explained proudly. "All of my siblings are too. Would you like to meet my companion?"

Lily nodded, and with a gentle hiss, the cobra that Rosa had liberated from India when she had been a girl emerged from her sleeve and eyed the smaller redhead curiously as she tasted the air with her tongue.

"Kin," she hissed.

"Kin," Rosa confirmed.

The cobra bumped the girl with her nose.

"She likes you," Rosa declared.

Tentatively, Lily reached up and stroked the snake's head.

"She's not slimy at all."

"Snakes aren't slimy," Rosa tutted. "If you think she is impressive, you should meet my father's familiar, but she is quite terrifying."

"Scarier than a cobra?" Lily asked as she followed Rosa towards the house.

Rosa nodded.

"Much scarier."

Lily said nothing as they entered the house, her eyes scanning the enormous entrance hall.

"My parents will probably be in the kitchen," Rosa explained. "Come on, let's tell them you're here."

Lily merely nodded and continued to follow.

To the girl, the sight of Professor Evans preparing lunch must have been rather odd, but not as strange as seeing the woman in a dress with her hair down.

"Kora and Maisie will be angry that you're doing that," Rosa commented.

"Maisie and Kora are preparing rooms for those who are staying," her mother replied without looking at her. "Would you mind fetching your father from the basement?"

"I will," Rosa replied. "We have another guest joining us for the holidays."

"Another guest?" her mother questioned as she turned, her eyes widening at the sight of Lily. "Miss Evans," she greeted the girl before looking towards Rosa for an explanation.

"She didn't want to return home for the holidays," Rosa informed her. "With no other student in the tower with her, I thought it best that she comes here."

Her mother nodded and offered the girl a smile.

"You're most welcome."

"Thank you, Professor," Lily replied quietly.

Minerva shook her head.

"When I'm at home, I'm not professor. You can call me Minerva."

Lily nodded, still nervous but smiling, nonetheless.

"Go on, get your father before he misses lunch," Minerva instructed, "and be careful when you go in the basement."

Rosa rolled her eyes at her mother and led Lily towards the basement door.

"Why did she tell you to be careful?"

"Because you never know what you're going to walk in on when my father is in here," Rosa explained as she opened the door.

"Ha! Take that you bastard!" her father cheered, and Rosa shook her head as he kicked the head of the training dummy away before throwing a fireball at it.

The wood did not catch aflame, but exploded in a shower of ash, eliciting a nod of satisfaction from the man.

"Dad," Rosa called.

The man didn't hear her as he cast another flurry of spells at a trio of dummies, each of them immediately becoming desiccated husks of wood before crumbling to the ground.

"DAD!"

Her father turned towards her, a frown marring his features.

"What is it?"

"Lunch is almost ready. Mum sent me to get you."

"Already?" Harry asked as he checked his watch.

Rosa snorted and nodded towards Lily.

"She will be joining us for the Christmas holidays," Rosa explained.

Her father seemed to be lost for words for a moment before he smiled warmly at the girl.

"We'd best get another room ready then," he declared.

Lily nodded dumbly, evidently shocked by what she had seen.

"What did you do to those things?" she asked curiously.

Her father rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly as though he had been caught doing something he shouldn't have been.

"Just a few spells I've been working on," he answered.

"Could you teach me some of them?" Lily asked.

Harry frowned as he shook his head.

"You're certainly not ready for spells like that, but whilst you're here, there are some things I can show you, if you like?"

Lily nodded excitedly, and the trio were interrupted by a huff sounding from the door.

"I should have known better than to send you here," Minerva sighed. "Come on, lunch is on the table, and you had better clean this mess up, Harry. Honestly, it's like living with a child sometimes."

Rosa did her best not to laugh as her father stuck his tongue out at her mother's retreating back.

"Don't be so immature, Harry," Minerva called, and her father flinched.

This time, Rosa did laugh, as did Lily as they left the basement with her cowed father in tow.

(Break)

The Dark Lord's campaign was not going as planned. At every turn, the attacks of his Death Eaters were being foiled, and though he tried to remain patient, it was truly wearing thin now.

It was as though Evans was watching every inch of the country every second of every day. The attacks were interrupted within a matter of moments by an army of men who were seemingly ready to respond at any given time.

It was frustrating to say the least, but his own followers had learned to flee quickly to avoid being killed or captured.

As an extra precaution, the Dark Lord had removed the Dark Marks he had bestowed upon his most valuable.

It would not do for the magic to be manipulated by his foe.

"My Lord," Corvus Lestrange greeted him as he entered the room he had been provided. "Do you have any instructions for me today?"

Voldemort shook his head.

"Not today, Lestrange," he replied. "I must ponder our predicament, but I will have something for you all soon enough."

"All of us, my lord?"

Voldemort nodded.

"It seems that our current tactics are not as effective as I anticipated," he conceded reluctantly, "but there is always something that can be done about that."

"Of course, my lord," Lestrange replied with a bow.

"Do you have an update on where Evans can be found?"

"Nothing, my lord," Lestrange murmured. "It seems that any land he holds is unplottable. I would expect that it would be harder to break into than Hogwarts."

Voldemort hummed thoughtfully.

"Indeed, but keep looking," he instructed.

"I will, my lord," Lestrange assured him. "Anything else?"

"No, nothing for now," Voldemort said dismissively. "Ensure the men are prepared, Lestrange. Now is not the time to become lax, is it?"

Lestrange shook his head.

"No, my lord, it is not," he returned before taking his leave of the room.

The Dark Lord leaned back in his chair, pondering his enemy.

Evans was perhaps the best-connected man in Britain and killing him would not be easy.

Still, for all of his talent and experience, he was nothing compared to the Dark Lord, the man who had taken steps that few could even hope to comprehend to ensure his future victories.

With a smile to himself, he allowed himself a moment to bask in the elation he would feel as he cut down Harry Evans, as he skinned the man whilst he still breathed and made his family watch.

It was an exciting prospect, and one that the Dark Lord would see come to fruition.

(Break)

Lily's time with the Evans family had been nothing short of spectacular since she had arrived, and waking up the following day, she had experienced her first taste of what a magical Christmas was.

Overnight, the house had been transformed into what she could only describe as a winter wonderland and she had walked to the kitchen in a state of awe at the sight of the several Christmas trees adorned with decorations only made possible by magic, the very explanation that Harry had given her.

Both he and Minerva had been wonderful to be around and had been as attentive with her as Rosa.

Harry had even kept his promise and had been showing her some charms that she could work on.

Lily hadn't met the rest of the family yet, but that would be changing today when they arrived for the festivities along with a plethora of other guests.

She was nervous about that, but Rosa had promised to stay with her.

Lily had already grown fond of the woman over the past couple of months but having spent the best part of a week with her and her family, she was beginning to feel like she belonged with them.

It was a strange, but not unwelcoming feeling.

Her belly began to rumble, reminding her that it was almost breakfast time, so she kicked off her duvet before stepping into her slippers and heading towards the door.

She had been placed in the room next to Rosa's, but as she knocked, she received no reply.

It must be later than she thought if the woman was already up.

With a shrug, she proceeded down the nearby staircase, smiling at the trees and other adornments in the hall until she reached the kitchen where she froze, her mouth falling agape.

The room was not a small one, but it had been almost filled to the brim with wrapped gifts.

"Come on in," Rosa called from somewhere amongst them.

Lily did so, and came upon Harry, Rosa, and Minerva seated around a small table drinking their morning coffee and she stifled a snort at the sight of the man who was dressed as Father Christmas.

"Don't ask," Rosa sighed. "He does this every year."

"It's tradition," Harry defended from beneath his white beard.

Rosa simply rolled her eyes at the man.

"I think he looks very cute," Minerva commented, pinching Harry's cheek.

The man tried to fend her off, only for his hat to slide over his eyes.

This time, Lily did laugh, and Harry grumbled as he righted his outfit.

"Do wizards believe in Father Christmas too?"

"Father Christmas?" Harry questioned confusedly. "I'm dressed as Dumbledore."

"Shut up, Dad," Rosa huffed as Lily laughed again.

He did look a little like the headmaster, after all.

"Would you like some breakfast, Lily?" Minerva asked. "We always wait for James and Bella to arrive before we open the presents, and the rest of our lot should be here soon."

Lily nodded, though her stomach sank.

Her arrival here had been rather prompt and unexpected, so she hadn't brought gifts for anyone.

Rosa seemed to read her thoughts and pulled her into the seat next to her.

"Don't worry," she said reassuringly. "You being here is more than enough for us. It will certainly be a refreshing change from James making an arse of himself all day. He'll behave himself with you around. How many times has he asked you out?"

Lily reddened.

"I lost count," she murmured.

Rosa snorted and shook her head as she handed Lily a plate of eggs, bacon, and toast.

"He won't give in," she pointed out. "He's a Potter, and they're all stubborn sods."

Lily simply hummed before helping herself to her food, ignoring the looks of amusement from the others, though any notion she had of having a peaceful breakfast were shattered as the fireplace burst into life, and another man dressed as Father Christmas stepped into the room.

"Ah, I must say Father, you do look splendid," he declared in what Lily would consider to be a well-to-do accent.

"As do you, my boy," Harry replied in kind, and the two men burst into laughter before hugging.

"That would be my brother, Jack," Rosa explained. "As you can see, he is as much of an idiot as my Dad."

"I'll have you know that Father and I are of the highest quality of breeding, and…"

Jack fell silent as his gaze fell upon Lily.

"Did you two have another one when I wasn't looking?" he asked his parents "Bloody hell, have I missed something here?"

"She is one of our students, Jack," Minerva explained. "Her name is Lily Evans."

Jack frowned thoughtfully, though it only served to enhance his already comic appearance as his eyebrows knitted together.

"Lily Evans? The flower thing and our last name?"

"Yes," Minerva answered simply. "Now sit down, you're making my kitchen look even more untidy than it already is."

Jack merely nodded and did as he was bid, his eyes never leaving Lily.

"It's hard to believe, but Jack is an auror," Rosa explained, "and if he can stop gawping long enough, he may just introduce himself to you."

"Ow!" Jack groaned as Rosa's foot collided with his leg. "Sorry, it's just that you two look so alike."

With a shake of his head, Jack offered Lily his hand.

"Jack Evans," he introduced himself with a smile.

"Lily Evans," Lily replied shyly, accepting the proffered limb.

"See, that wasn't so hard, was it?" Rosa muttered, glaring at her brother.

"Shut up, Rosie," Jack retorted, grinning as he avoided another kick from the woman.

"Well, here comes trouble," Harry sighed as he stood, just as the fireplace burst into life once more.

Lily recognised the young boy that entered as her housemate, but not the two adults accompanying him.

James Potter all but bounced across the room to greet Harry, and the man, undoubtedly his father, could only offer an apologetic look.

"We tried to keep him home longer, but he wasn't having any of it," he explained.

"Where's Bella?" James asked excitedly.

"Probably still in bed," Harry chuckled. "Have you eaten yet?"

"I'm not hungry!" James protested.

"Then you won't get any presents," Harry replied, "not until you eat some breakfast, or do you need a little more convincing?"

James paled, and the woman who had arrived with him pushed the boy into a seat.

"Harry, stop threatening my son with your snake," she huffed.

Harry smirked triumphantly, and James became aware of Lily, his eyes widening at the sight of her.

"What're you doing here?" he squeaked.

"Lily is our guest," Rosa explained. "Now, eat your food."

James said nothing else, doing exactly as instructed, though his gaze kept shifting between the two redheads.

"Did I miss you having a child, Rosa?" James's father questioned confusedly.

"No," Rosa sighed. "We just look alike."

"And have the same name," James piped up. "It's creepy."

James's father looked questioningly towards Harry, and the two seemed to have a silent conversation that the former was not satisfied with.

"And here comes Bella," Harry announced only a moment later.

"Ho Ho Ho, Cygnus Claus is here," another man dressed similarly to Jack and Harry announced as he arrived in the kitchen.

He was followed by a girl that was familiar to Lily, and though she had never spoken to her, there was no mistaking who she was.

Bellatrix Black.

"You're so embarrassing, Dad," the girl huffed as she pushed past him. "Oh, dear Merlin, both of you too?" she added when she saw how Harry and Jack were dressed.

"And me," James's father added, changing his appearance with a wave of his wand.

"Someone kill me," Bellatrix groaned. "Move over, Potter, and stop hogging all the bacon."

James scowled at the girl as she all but sat in his lap and helped herself to his breakfast.

"That's mine," he whined petulantly.

"The day you can stop me from taking it from you is the day it will be yours."

With a sigh, Harry summoned the plate towards him, and waved his hand.

"You'll have to teach me that one," Cygnus chuckled as Bellatrix attempted to find her lips that had been vanished.

"Come on, finish your food, we have presents to open," Harry reminded them, returning Bellatrix's lips.

The girl glared at her godfather who merely offered her a smile.

In his excitement, James finished the remainder of his food in only a few minutes and bounced impatiently in his chair until Bellatrix finished her own plate that Minerva had provided.

"Can we open them now?"

With a nod from Harry, James burst from his seat, followed by Bella at a more sedate pace.

"You too, Lily," Harry instructed. "I think yours are next to James's."

"They are," Rosa confirmed. "Come on, I'll take you."

Lily could only nod as she was led from the table and placed before an enormous pile of presents.

"These are mine?" she asked, taken aback by how many there were.

She wouldn't have even gotten half of this at home.

"They are," Rosa confirmed. "Merry Christmas, Lily."

The girl could only smile as she wrapped her arms around the woman.

She had expected to have a horrible Christmas after arguing with Petunia, but it was turning out to be the best one yet.

Not because of the presents, however, but how welcome she felt by everyone here.

(Break)

Every other person that had arrived had a similar reaction to the little redhead, and Harry knew they would not be satisfied without an explanation. How could he deny a familial connection when Lily was so similar to Rosa, the two almost identical at her age?

Charlus in particular had been rather subdued throughout dinner, as had Angelica who had joined them also.

Arcturus had been quite calculated, and the others just downright suspicious.

Even his own children who knew that Lily was neither Rosa's or Harry and Minerva's daughter knew something was amiss.

Tiberius, his wife, and the Longbottoms had kept the conversation going, but it was difficult to ignore the mounting tension.

"Elly!" Minerva greeted the woman enthusiastically as she arrived via the floo. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, I've already been home, and your husband promised me a decent lunch," Eleanor replied. "What's with the long faces?"

Minerva released a deep breath.

"Rosa, why don't you take this lot out on their brooms?" she suggested.

Rosa nodded, and the children scrambled out of the back door excitedly, keen to break in the brooms that Harry had gotten them.

"You too, Bella," Arcturus instructed.

The girl scowled irritably but followed the others and closed the door behind her.

"Who the fuck is that girl?" Jack demanded to know immediately, levelling a glare at his father.

"Jack!" Minerva chastised.

Harry took a sip of his coffee before placing his cup back on the table.

"You will remember who you're talking to," he said warningly, and Jack nodded apologetically.

"Come on, dad," he sighed. "There are too many coincidences here."

Harry could not disagree with the observation.

"Well, she's not your daughter," Arcturus broke in thoughtfully, eliciting a nod from Charlus. "Is she a great niece?"

Harry shook his head.

"No, I didn't have any siblings."

"But she is a relative?" Rosalina pressed.

"She is," Harry confirmed, deflating.

For decades he had kept his secret and cursed himself for being so foolish at choosing to use his mother's name when he'd first arrived.

Looking into his cup, he frowned, but relaxed somewhat as Minerva's hand closed over his.

"Don't you think it is about time they knew?" she asked gently.

Harry swallowed deeply as he nodded and looked up at all the expectant faces staring at him.

"Lily Evans is my mother."

His words were met with silence before Arcturus broke out in a bout of laughter.

"Your mother? Pull the other one, Evans."

When the man realised that there was no punchline forthcoming, his eyes widened.

"She's just a girl," he choked.

Harry nodded.

"She is now," he acknowledged, "but where I came from, she was a grown woman before she was murdered in front of me."

"Where you came from?" Angelica interjected.

"I was born in 1980. I know it is hard for you all to believe, but when I was fifteen, I did something foolish and was sent back sixty years in time."

Again, silence was the response, but it wasn't for lack of anything other than the shock of the revelation.

"Sixty years?" Rosalina whispered.

Harry could only nod.

"So, you shouldn't even be born yet."

"No, but fate has a way of fucking with me," Harry snorted. "When I came here, I lost everything I had ever known. I didn't know what to do, but I had an opportunity to prevent many terrible things from happening. Because of that, many lives were saved during the war, and even now, Voldemort is failing where he had succeeded in my own time."

"He was the one who killed your parents," Tiberius broke in.

"Yes," Harry confirmed, "and maybe I should have throttled the little bastard when he was a child, but the one thing I couldn't do was become like him. As much as I wanted to, I couldn't bring myself to do it."

"That just makes you a better man than him," Angelica pointed out.

"Or stupider," Harry countered.

For several moments, none spoke a word as they took in what they had learned.

"So, Lily is or was your mother?" Eleanor asked.

Harry nodded.

"I don't really remember her," he explained. "My only memory is of her death, her pleading for my life to be spared."

"Fucking hell," Charlus grumbled as he leaned back in his chair.

Harry could only shrug as he stood.

"If you'll excuse me, I'd like to be alone for a while."

None prevented him from leaving, a relief, but he did not feel any better for speaking of the secret he had carried for so long.

Years ago, he had buried it within him knowing that it would do no good to anyone to know it.

Now, all of those he trusted and held dear had learned of the burden he'd born, and though they were in shock for the time being, the questions would follow soon enough.

Taking a deep breath, he entered the basement, his inner sanctum where he always came to gather his thoughts only for a gentle knock at the door to disturb him a moment later.

"Who is it?" he called.

The door opened, and it was Charlus that entered.

The man said nothing for what felt like several minutes before he closed the distance between them and wrapped his arms around Harry in a tight embrace.

"Why didn't you ever tell me?" he asked, the hurt evident in his voice. "After everything we have been through, why?"

"Because he's one of us," the voice of Angelica sounded from the doorway. "Your father was convinced of it. I thought he was mad, but it's true, isn't it?"

This was the one conversation Harry did not want to have, but he couldn't deprive them of the truth any longer. He'd already hurt them both enough and he didn't wish to be the cause of anymore of it.

He nodded the confirmation, and Charlus stepped back to get a closer look at him.

"You're one of us?" he whispered.

Harry snorted humourlessly.

"The name my parents gave me was Harry James Potter, my middle name given to me for my father."

It took a moment for Charlus to process what he had been told, but when it clicked, he evidently did not know what to say.

"James is your father?" Angelica choked.

"He is," Harry sighed. "That makes you my great grandmother, and you my grandfather," he added, looking at Charlus.

The man could only stare dumbly at him, and it was Angelica that broke the silence once more.

"Why didn't you tell us when you arrived?" she questioned.

"What was I supposed to say? Hi, I'm Harry, I'm your great grandson, and the son of your son that isn't even born yet?"

"I don't know," Angelica murmured, "but didn't we deserve a chance? Did we ever give you any reason to doubt that we would have helped you, and stand by you? That's what family does, Harry."

"I wouldn't know that," Harry defended heatedly. "I never had a family. Mine was taken from me, and I was left to rot in a cupboard for ten years until my Hogwarts letter came. I didn't know what I was, or who my parents were. They were murdered and I was forgotten about until I went to school."

Angelica looked at him sadly.

"Who did you live with?"

"My aunt and uncle," Harry sighed tiredly. "Lily's sister and her husband. They were bastards who would've let me die if they could."

"Why not us?" Charlus continued. "If it is only in ten years' time that you were born, what happened to me and Dorea?"

"And me?" Angelica added.

Harry could only shrug.

"I don't know," he answered honestly. "No one ever told me anything about you or any other Potter. You weren't around though. Maybe Voldemort got you too."

Charlus and Angelica shared a look of concern and Harry dragged a hand through his hair.

"I built a life for myself, and I never wanted anything from you," he sighed. "We became friends, and that was always enough for me. The more time that passed, the harder it became to tell you, and I decided long ago that it was best that I didn't. It wouldn't change anything for the better and would only make things more confusing than they already were."

"Bloody hell," Charlus murmured. "I don't know if I want to punch in your stupid face, curse you, or fucking cry right now. What the hell do we do about this?"

"Nothing," Harry said firmly. "James and Lily can never know. Regardless of whether they end up together or not, they shouldn't know."

Charlus looked at him questioningly.

"He's right," Angelica broke in sadly. "What good would it do, Charlus?"

"None," the man agreed reluctantly as his gaze shifted to Harry. "I've always thought of you as a brother, more than anyone else. It's a lot to take in, but that won't ever change. We've been through too much together."

"And we're not done yet," Harry pointed out.

"No, we're not," Charlus echoed as he smiled and wrapped his arms around Harry once more. "You always have been a difficult bastard," he snorted, "but I never expected this. It will take some time to get used to it, but we'll get there as we always have."

Harry nodded appreciatively, and felt another embrace squeeze him tightly.

"You have no idea the amount of stress you prats have caused me," Angelica huffed. "I've spent half of my life fighting the urge to bang your heads together, and now I know why. You're too alike for your own good."

"No, we're not!" both Harry and Charlus protested, eliciting a pointed look from the woman.

"Fine, maybe we are alike," Charlus sighed, "but that isn't a bad thing."

"I suppose not," Angelica muttered. "You have kept each other alive, somehow. Anyway, do you not think we've been down here long enough?"

"Probably," Harry sighed. "I'll have to face them at some point."

"Well, when I left, Minerva was setting them straight," Angelica explained. "I don't expect you'll get too much trouble."

"Oh, bugger," Harry snorted as he led them from the basement and back into the kitchen where they came upon a rather subdued gathering.

"If I wasn't getting old and my hands weren't so frail, I'd sock you, Evans," Arcturus said irritably.

"Arcturus!" Melania hissed.

The Lord Black waved the woman off as he stood.

"She's really your mother?"

Harry nodded.

"Then she is one of us," Arcturus declared. "There won't be any bastard murdering her, not while I'm still breathing."

There were murmurs of agreement from the others, and Harry felt himself filled with warmth, and even more so as his children approached and gave the same assurance.

"What's the future like?" Jack asked curiously.

Harry merely shook his head.

"Miserable for us all if Voldemort doesn't die."

"Then let's find the bastard and do it," Jack urged.

"We will," Harry assured him, looking towards Eleanor who merely nodded her understanding.

"I will have him within a month, two at most."

"Good," Harry declared, "now can we stop with the misery for one day? It's not often all of us can be together."

It was only a few moments later that Rosa returned with the children, all of them red-nosed from the cold.

"I'll get some hot chocolate," Minerva declared, rolling her eyes at the state of them.

Evidently, it had started snowing again, and Harry waved his wand so that a warm, gentle breeze spread throughout the room.

"Evans, come here," Arcturus called, gesturing for Lily to join him.

The girl did so nervously but took the seat between the Lord Black and his wife as Bella looked on curiously.

"Have you heard about the war?" Arcturus questioned.

Lily nodded.

"I read Mr Sokolov's book."

"Ah, Petr is a good man, but still a boring Russian," Arcturus replied with a smirk. "Let us tell you the story from what we saw," he suggested, pointing to himself and Charlus. "I'm sure Harry can fill in any gaps. He was the crazy bas-man who did things you wouldn't believe. Did you know that he and Charlus broke into an Italian prison, disguised themselves as mermen and broke Eleanor out?"

Lily's eyes widened as she looked at the woman who offered her a wave.

"You were in prison?"

"For bank robbing," Eleanor explained unashamedly. "It was Harry who captured me and put me there."

"And you're friends now?"

Eleanor smiled as she nodded.

"He was just doing his job."

Lily could only shake her head in disbelief.

"What about the time Reg had a chunk of his arse blown off?" Charlus broke in as he took a seat behind Lily. "Even now he can't sit down properly."

"Oi!" Reg protested. "She doesn't need to know that."

"She doesn't need to know the details of the war from the likes of any of you," Minerva said sharply as she placed a tray of hot chocolate on the table.

Arcturus took one and handed it to Lily.

"She's probably right," he agreed. "You'll have to ask us when you're a little older. For now, why don't you tell us about yourself? What's your favourite thing about being at Hogwarts?"

Lily was undoubtedly overwhelmed by the sudden attention she was receiving, but she spoke confidently, and Harry could only be grateful that those who knew him best were trying to understand.

He had no doubt that more questions would follow by many of them, but as Charlus had pointed out, they would get through it.

They truly always did, after all.