July 1980
Bellatrix Lestrange gazed adoringly down at the three-week old baby snuggled down in a hand-carved, ebony bassinet. She never really envisioned herself as a mother- that was more of her sister Cissy's calling. She was a warrior for the Dark, a loyal follower of the Dark Lord, dedicated to preserving the glory of her world and cleansing it of the muggle scum that threatens her way of life.
But as she looked down at the peacefully sleeping baby, she was sure she could do both. She could fight for the Dark, and raise her precious son at the same time. She could teach him, train him to bring glory to his House, his name, and his legacy. She could bring him up a loyal servant to the Dark Lord and their cause. And maybe, if she worked hard enough in the next few years, he could live in a world where the Dark had won and the muggle infestation was nothing but a long dead memory.
She let perfectly manicured nails trail through fine hair, silky and midnight black. Already she could tell that he would have her curls and his eyes seemed to have shifted from the undecided infant blue to her charcoal grey color that many of her family shared. Her son, without a doubt, looked very much a Black. She supposed there were elements of her husband Rodolphus in him as well, but it was hard to tell considering he was so young.
Her and Rodolphus didn't really have what one would consider a romantic or loving marriage. They were partners, duelists whose styles complimented each other extremely well. She might even consider Rodolphus her best friend if she was feeling particularly sentimental. But all of the romantic love she was capable of went to her Lord. Marrying Rodolphus was simply a matter of expectations and mutual benefit. Even the conception of the son she was coming to adore, more than Rodolphus certainly, was only a matter of working out some frustrations with her husband. The act had been about as far from 'making-love' as one could get and still be consensual.
No, she didn't really love Rodolphus, not in the way a wife was supposed to. But the little being in the bassinet had completely stolen her heart. He was beautiful, and healthy, and she could just tell that her precious little baby boy was meant for greatness. They had named him Romulus Altair Lestrange. Romulus was the name of Rodolphus' grandfather, and stuck to the Lestrange family naming tradition of using names that exclusively began with the letter R.
Altair was in-line with her own family tradition of naming members after stars, constellations, and galaxies. She chose Altair for many reasons, one of her most venerated ancestors, a spell-crafter who developed over one hundred different spells to torture your enemies, had been named Altair Black. The star Altair was also considered an ill omen, a sign to be weary of reptiles more specifically. Bellatrix wanted her son to stand, proud and strong, as an ill omen for the accursed Light, so they may fear the snakes set to destroy them.
Sometimes, Bellatrix was a little uncomfortable with how much her baby meant to her. In the darkest part of the night, when it was just her thoughts and Rodolphus' steady breaths to disturb the silence, Bellatrix feared she may love Romulus even more than the Dark Lord. But she was always quick to shove those thoughts behind her Occlumency shields and lock them away. Such disloyalty would help no one in the end.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
James Potter was having a hard week at work. Well, he was having a hard week in general. The war was going poorly, he could admit that. People were dying paranoia ran rampant, and you couldn't trust just anyone. He was an Auror and a member of the Order of the Phoenix, so he knew more than most how desperate the situation was becoming.
There was also the fact that Lily had been gone the last two months on a mission with the Unspeakables. Lily was only a consultant, not an actual Unspeakable. Apparently, there was some big Charms project they were working on that Lily's talent was needed for, not that Lily could tell him much about it. She was working with Unspeakables, after all; the name implied a fair bit of secrecy.
The hardest part of this week, though, was the raid he was about to join on Lestrange Manor. The Lestranges had been supporters of Lord Voldemort for a long time, but there had never been enough evidence to convict them of any particular crime. It was practically Wizarding Britains worst kept secret at this point. Everyone knew Bellatrix was one of the Dark Lords favored Lieutenants, as they new Rodolphus and Rabastan were Inner Circle Death Eaters with her.
But two weeks ago, Rodolphus made a mistake. A group of Death Eaters attacked Edgar Bones and his family, killing Edgar, his wife, and their two teenage sons. The only one spared in the attack was the Bones' infant daughter Susan. As the Death Eaters made to leave, an elderly lady who had lived across the street had looked out her window to see an unmasked Rodolphus shoot the Dark Mark into the sky. Her memory was collected to be shown in an evidence Pensieve, and it was confirmed that the wizard was Rodolphus Lestrange.
There was no way to tell who the other Death Eaters were. None of them had looked feminine and even though it was hard to tell with the bulky Death Eater robes and masks they were pretty sure Bellatrix hadn't accompanied her husband on that particular murder. In fact, Bellatrix hadn't been spotted in any capacity in months. There were rumors floating around about what may have happened to her, but nothing concrete or substantial. James' favorite conspiracy theory about her disappearance was that she had given up on Dark magic and blood purity and run off with a muggle. Sirius had smacked him over the head for that one.
They finally had a warrant, and today was the day they were going to storm Lestrange Manor. The leader on the raid was to be Amelia Bones, and James thought this was a huge mistake. She was obviously emotionally compromised by the death of her younger brother and his family. Not to mention he knew she was Susan's new caretaker, and he thought she should be adjusting to that role instead of seeking revenge, but the Department of Magical Law Enforcement was so spread thin that he doubted there was anyone else available to lead such an important raid. James swore to himself that he would watch her back, ensure that her craving for revenge didn't make her reckless enough to get killed.
They took Portkeys to the edge of the property, which only allowed people to Portkey or apparate in and out if they were accompanied by a member of the family. Including James and Amelia there were fifteen Aurors total assembled for the arrest of Rodolphus Lestrange and the subsequent raid for Dark and illegal artifacts at Lestrange Manor. This was a larger number of Aurors than was typical for a single arrest or a raid, but no one was kidding themselves anymore. The Lestranges were dangerous and every precaution needed to be taken. Anti-apparition and anti-portkey wards that would stop the Lestranges themselves were quick to go up and the party of Aurors swiftly made their way to the Manor doors foregoing stealth for speed. The Manors wards had probably already alerted the residents to their arrival anyway.
Amelia herself blew the large ebony doors in and stormed into Lestrange Manor while casting a quick Sonorous Charm. James made sure to throw a shield up in front of her, that she had so carelessly failed to do before entering the Manor properly.
"Rodolphus Lestrange! You are under arrest for the murders of Edgar, Alicia, Matthew, and Richard Bones." Amelia's voice echoed in every room of the expansive home. She didn't get much further before the pained shriek of one of her contingent interrupted her. James turned around to see four of the Aurors in the contingent that had just entered the house much more cautiously then Amelia bent over in agony, clutching their faces and screaming with such concentrated pain that James was sure he'd have nightmares about the guttural sound for days. James immediately hurried over the closest one; an acquaintance of James' named Andrew Silverstone, to see what was wrong.
"Andy, let me see," James commanded as he pried one hand away from his face. What he saw made him stagger back in horror. Chunks of skin were peeling off of Andy's face, letting rivers of blood cascade over a pained expression, painting it red. It was absolutely horrific.
"What the bloody hell," he wondered as Andy's hand returned to his face.
"It's a ward to keep certain people out," yelled an older Auror named George Cauldwell. "I've seen it before, years ago! I think it's keyed to Muggleborns." Cauldwell proceeded to yank one of the shuddering Aurors out of the door, where their pained shrieks transformed into choked sobs. James followed his lead and dragged Andy through the threshold. Now that he thought of it, Andy was a Muggleborn, and the other three were too. His friend Frank Longbottom helped the other two out.
"Cauldwell, help those four out of the apparition wards, the rest of you stay with me," Amelia called out authoritatively. Just like that, their squad of fifteen Aurors was down to ten. Before Amelia could give out more instructions, the air was alight with spellfire. The Lestranges had arrived and they weren't alone. Bellatrix, Rodolphus, and Rabastan had run into the foyer wands first with deadly curses on their lips. Two others were right behind, both middle-aged men that James had never seen before but was more than willing to bet were Death Eaters.
The battle was quick, and fierce, and James could barely stay oriented. He saw deadly green light smack into one of his comrades out of the corner of his eye as he animated a table to jump in between him and another Killing Curse. He was fighting one of the men he didn't recognize. He was thickset, stocky with dusty brown hair and eyes that were a little too small for his face.
James pulled up a shield against a barrage of Cutting Curses, and sent out a few stunners of his own as a distraction before aiming a Blasting Curse at the man's feet, sending him flying across the room and into the rather occupied form of Rabastan Lestrange who was dueling two Aurors at once. The pair went down in a tangle of limbs and one of the Aurors Rabastan had been fighting sent a clean set of stunners at the pair.
"Rabastan!" Rodolphus called out as he fought off three Aurors on his own, including Amelia, who was fighting with a dangerous recklessness that was costing her more than it was giving her. "Bella! Get Romulus!" he yelled as one of his Cutting Curses met it's mark and an Auror named Cassie Sanderson went down with a choked yelp, injured but not fatally so.
James saw Bellatrix break away from her own fight with two Aurors by banishing one, Frank in fact, to fly into the other before she made a quick dash toward the main staircase. James raised his wand to stop her.
"Reducto!"
The staircase shattered into a rain of polished wood and white marble. Bellitrix shrieked as she threw up a hasty shield, not quite managing to block all of the debris flying at her. A chunk of marble struck the side of her face, sending blood cascading down an ivory cheek. James took a vicious moment to appreciate the irony that this would happen to her after that nasty ward had damaged four of his fellow Aurors in such a similar way.
James caught her in the back with a stunner as she staggered from the explosion and was distracted with trying to erect a shield. She toppled to the floor with a dull thud. James was just starting to feel a little confident as Amelia disarmed Rodolphus and the other man James didn't recognize went down in a pile of ropes when a group of seven fully robed and masked Death Eaters burst through the same doors the Aurors had entered through earlier.
Amelia barely managed to stun Rodolphus before being engaged by one of the new arrivals. They weren't really here to fight however, and that became abundantly obvious when James felt the anti-portkey wards fall. One of the Death Eaters sent a Blasting Curse at him, which he hastily blocked and then lunged for Bellatrix, disappearing in whirl of blue typical for a Portkey.
The others did similar, only needing to distract long enough to grab one of their felled fellow Death Eaters. In two minutes, only Aurors remained in the foyer, living and dead. James sighed tiredly. One Auror was dead, two critically injured and that didn't even count the four Muggleborns being mutilated by the home's ward scheme. All of that pain, and not a single arrest to show for it. James suddenly felt very old, and wondered if the war was ever going to end.
Amelia looked absolutely incensed. Her lips were pursed in a tight line as she ordered Frank to help the two injured get to St. Mungos, the body would have to stay until back up arrived for a thorough investigation. She tersely demanded that he repair the staircase, and then join everyone left standing to search for any Dark or dangerous objects in the house.
Just as she said this, the Manor seemed to shudder as a thousand small pops echoed throughout the house. Paintings, artifacts, and objects disappeared in puffs of green smoke right before their very eyes. Sheets appeared out of nowhere to cover furniture and every candle went out in a small huff, sending tiny smoke trails into the air. The Manor was in lockdown. James would bet his last Galleon that all of the newly missing objects were in the Lestrange vault at Gringotts: territory of the Goblin Nation and inaccessible to the Ministry. Great.
James snuck a quick peek at Amelia and honestly wished he hadn't. He didn't think anyone could look that enraged but he was wrong. James was positive only consummate professionalism kept Amelia from screaming and it looked like professionalism was starting to lose.
"Check. Anyway." Amelia hissed through gritted teeth, lips bleached white as they were so tautly pinched.
James did not need to be told twice and he scurried up the newly repaired staircase with a healthy dose of fear. He walked the polished halls of Lestrange Manor, and grudgingly admitted that the Lestranges had style. Even though most of the furniture was covered and the walls were barren, the rooms tended to be large and airy with beautiful windows. There was a little too much green, silver, and black and way too many pieces of furniture with subtle snake carvings but considering whom the place belonged to, James figured it was to be expected.
James entered the Master Suite having found absolutely nothing to report back to Amelia with so far. He had a feeling there was nothing worth finding left in the Manor and the whole mission was going to be considered a failure. They captured no one, and found no Dark objects to remove, while simultaneously loosing one Auror and having another six injured. Really, the only positive was there was now undeniable proof that Rabastan and Bellatrix were also Death Eaters, or at least accomplices. But then again, everyone already knew that, they were just now allowed to act on it.
The Master Suite was as barren as all the other rooms, all the wooden furniture covered in white sheets. One piece in particular stood out to him. It was a few feet from the King sized bed, about one hundred and thirty centimeters in height, and round at the top. Feeling his curiosity peak, James reached forward and ripped the sheet off, wand at the ready. He nearly dropped it when he came face to face with a peacefully slumbering baby. He swallowed in convulsive shock.
"Well, I guess that explains were Bellatrix has been for the last few months," he murmured to himself. James briefly remembered Rodolphus telling Bellatrix to 'get Romulus' and he was pretty sure he just learned who Romulus was. Feeling far out of his depth, James rushed to get Amelia. She was in the foyer still, apparently waiting for backup to show up and keeping watch in case any of the Lestranges came back.
"Ma'am, you're going to want to see this," he told her simply, wanting to let the situation speak for itself. Amelia gave him a level look for a moment, and then followed him to the Master Suite after ordering someone else to keep watch. He let her enter the room first, and heard her sharp intake of breath as her eyes landed on the bassinet.
"Dear Merlin," she breathed. James agreed wholeheartedly with the sentiment.
"I know. Poor kid. What a legacy to live up to," he shook his head in dismay. The poor thing was going to have a tough time of it with parents like those.
"Where do you think he'll end up? Sirius told me that Bellatrix's younger sisters are both married. Well, Narcissa is married to Lucius Malfoy and if you want to keep him out of Death Eater hands it might be best to avoid that," James babbled. It was another not-so-secret secret that Lucius Malfoy had some sort of dealings with Death Eaters; the exact nature of it was still pretty unclear to be honest.
"There's also Andromeda. She's pretty nice, I've met her, she has a sassy little daughter," James chuckled to himself. His only meeting with the fiery and dramatic little Nymphadora Tonks could still bring a smile to his face. She had dramatically flopped on to Sirius when he sat down, and exclaimed loudly with flailing hand gestures that he didn't love her any more because he never visited. Sirius tried to apologize but Nymphadora was having none of it. At least until he bribed her with a chocolate frog, then she was all smiles again.
"Oh, but I think Andromeda was formally disowned from the Black family when she married a Muggleborn, so I'm not actually sure if she has any legal claim," James wondered. Unlike Sirius, whose father had refrained from disowning him because he was the heir and Orion believed there was still time for him to come around and marry 'properly,' Andromeda was formally and legally cast from the family upon her marriage. She wouldn't inherit a knut from them.
"Does this mean the kid's going to go to an orphanage?" James asked, finally deciding that maybe filling up the silence hadn't been such a good idea as Amelia continued to stare intently into the bassinet. The silence stretched uncomfortably before them.
"Did you know," Amelia finally spoke up, sounding pensive, "that the Dark Lord grew up in a muggle orphanage?" she finally asked, confusing James greatly.
"Umm, no, I didn't know that," he replied uncertainly.
"Dumbledore told me, a few months ago, when we were talking about the war. He's convinced a lack of love is what created the Dark Lord. Said that all the pieces, the potential to do incredible evil would have always been in him, but the catalyst for embracing that Darkness was growing up loveless and alone," she continued, biting her lip.
"Okay?" James replied, not really sure where she was going with this.
"James, I want you to take the baby and go home," Amelia stated, nearly causing James to fall over in shock.
"You want me to WHAT?" he nearly shouted, and then immediately quieted down as the small figure shifted, not quite waking up.
"Take the baby home. Raise it. Love it. Teach it to be patient and giving and kind and everything you know those monsters wouldn't bother to teach a child," Amelia practically spat the word monsters in reference to the Lestrange couple. "I know you and Lily have been trying for a kid and have yet to be successful," James suddenly wished he'd talked to Sirius about that topic any place other than at work.
"But that's kidnapping!" James sputtered, flabbergasted by what his strict and by-the-books superior was asking him to do. "There are procedures for this kind of thing, regulations and rules! You don't just find a kid and take it home with you like a stray puppy!"
"James, listen to me! The Department for Child Welfare won't give him to Narcissa because of the suspicions on her husband and you just told me Andromeda has no legal right to him! Anything further than an aunt or a grandparent is a relation too far for legal consideration unless they petition for custody and other than Sirius the rest of the Blacks are under suspicion anyway. It's hardly kidnapping if there's no place for him to go and no one who he legally belongs to. At worse, it's flouting regulation. If the boy goes to a muggle orphanage, in eleven years who knows what'll crawl out to join the Wizarding World! You've met his parents, he certainly doesn't have nature on his side, and I doubt an orphanage is a good place for nurture to overpower any personality traits he might inherit," Amelia stated, starting to sound way too logical for James' liking.
"What if Lily and I adopt him after he goes to an orphanage. You know, legally?" he tried, still uncomfortable with the whole kidnapping thing.
"If you do that, then everyone will know he was once Romulus Lestrange. It'll be a black mark on him that'll never be erased. You said it yourself, the poor kid has an awful legacy to haunt him, the son of an infamous pair of murderers," Amelia was looking him in the eye now, imploring him to see things her way. James could feel his resolve wavering dangerously. "James, please do this for me. His father killed my brother, orphaned my niece. If there is anyway I can prevent that child from traveling down the same path, I will, but I can't take him in myself. I can barely raise Susan alone, and honestly, I don't know if I'm… capable of treating them equally if I did, knowing who he is."
"But, what are we supposed to tell people then? That we adopted a random child on impulse? It wouldn't be possible to say he was actually ours, Lily hasn't been pregnant," James asked, starting to actually think through this. What would he tell Sirius, or Remus, or Peter? The truth? The lie?
"There are ways to conceal a pregnancy, just say you were nervous about Lily seeming like a vulnerable target considering her blood status. These are dangerous times, after all, people have done stranger things to keep their families safe," Amelia said, gaze returning to the still slumbering infant. It was so tiny, practically a newborn, maybe a few weeks old at most. Lily was due back in a week. If they stayed secluded for a few weeks together, it wouldn't be impossible to say Lily had the baby shortly after she returned home and they've been adjusting for a while. James bit his lip.
"He was probably registered as Romulus Lestrange at the Ministry automatically when he was named. Eventually someone will come across it and wonder where he is," James tried again, arguments getting feebler.
"I'll handle it. If you register him with the Goblins as a Potter heir, instead of the Ministry, that should take care of the name in most automatic systems, like his Hogwarts letter," Amelia explained.
James nodded slowly, and released a gusty sigh. Honestly, he was very tempted, and not just to stop the kid from growing into a Dark Lord. James was starting to worry that he might be infertile. He knew his parents struggled greatly to have him. It took years and they'd all but given up by the time he was conceived. They were an old couple, and he was the only child of parents who thought they'd never get the kid they'd so desperately wanted. They spoiled him rotten as a result. James couldn't imagine putting Lily through that kind of pain though, waiting years and years for a child she may never have because of him. But to adopt a child without telling her? She was going to kick his arse when she got home.
"Lily is going to kill me," he sighed as he reached into a bassinet and extracted the little bundle, holding him carefully. The child had ivory skin and deep black hair. It was so delicate and tiny as it lay nestled in his arms. It felt… right to hold this child close. Like he was doing the right thing. James decided to go with his instincts, they rarely let him down.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Bellatrix and Rodolphus apparated onto their property under the light of the moon, the anti-apparation wards long since fallen. Their once living, breathing home now stood as a dark, petrified sentinel on the land. Feeling the wards and sensing no outsiders, Bellatrix practically stormed up to the house, angry beyond belief. Those complete morons who had 'rescued' them had thought it would be funny to leave them stunned until they woke up naturally. Bellatrix had thoroughly disabused them of that notion. It would be a miracle if Godfrey Goyle ever found his kneecaps.
Bellatrix and Rodolphus entered the manor quickly, candles flaring to life automatically to light their way. Bellatrix loved this old house; it was so loyal. Not very smart, but loyal to its family all the same. The staircase had been repaired so nothing impeded them from taking the most direct route to the Master Suite. The bassinet was where they'd left it, covered in a white sheet like all the other furniture. Bellatrix nodded her approval. After most of the houses objects disappeared, the Auror's most likely didn't bother with a thorough search. Her baby was probably exactly where they left him.
Rodolphus yanked the sheet away and Bellatrix froze. Empty. Her baby was gone. Her baby was gone. She shrieked high, loud and long. Rodolphus was staring numbly at the empty bassinet, looking too stunned for words. As if he hadn't actually believed there was any chance his only son wouldn't be there when they got back.
"Where… where would they take him?" he murmured.
Bellatrix was in no fit state to answer. She could feel that balance within her tipping. The curse of the Black family was often joked to be dubious sanity, but Bellatrix had never found it funny. She had always felt like she was clinging to control, decorum, sanity by her fingertips. And now she had slipped. With her precious, beautiful, perfect baby boy in the hands of the damnable Ministry, Bellatrix felt like there wasn't a clear thought left in the world; and she didn't care because he was gone, gone, gone, gone, gone, gone…
Bellatrix shrieked again, this time in rage. They wouldn't get away with this! She would get her baby back and punish every single man, woman, and child who got in her way. The ones who took her Romulus, when she found them, would beg for mercy Bellatrix wasn't capable of, not anymore.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
A week later and James was nervous. He was sitting on a couch in the living room, holding the baby he had yet to name while he waited for Lily to stride through the Floo at any moment. She was going to freak out; he just knew it. The past week had been a crash course in parenting for him and the biggest lesson he'd learned was that babies were exhausting. He couldn't remember the last time he'd gotten any decent sleep. Well he could. It was a week ago.
The baby looked up at him with big charcoal grey eyes that reminded James distinctly of Sirius. The baby was definitely a Black, there was no doubting it. He was going to have to do something about that. He'd figure it out when Lily got home, she was brilliant, and she may have an idea. Well, after she beat him into a bloody pulp. Green flared in the fireplace and James braced himself for Hurricane Lily.
A beautiful redhead stepped primly out into the living room, a suitcase in hand, a messenger bag slung across her shoulder, looking just as beautiful as when she left.
"Lily," he breathed. He couldn't help himself. He was such a sap, so very in love with her.
"James," her voice was bright, her smile brighter as she turned towards him. That same smile became tense and fixed in place as she caught sight of the bundle in his arms. She set her bags down on the floor, took out her wand, and let it tap warningly against an open palm as she sent him a forcibly calm look.
"James, there better be a damn good reason you're holding a dark-haired baby I've never seen before," her voice was ice and James cringed.
It actually took him a moment to understand what she was implying, and when he did he was horrified. He would NEVER cheat on Lily. She was the girl of his dreams. He's been after her since he first laid eyes on her as an immature, spoiled eleven year old. He would die before betraying her so completely, especially since their marriage had been going so well.
"NO, Lily, I swear it's not like that, he's not mine. Well, he is now, but not in the way you're thinking!" he babbled. Lily raised a single unimpressed eyebrow. James cringed again.
The whole story came tumbling out at once, everything from the raid to his strange conversation with Amelia. Lily stood there looking more and more disbelieving as he carried on, although she did stop tapping her wand threateningly, which James took as a good sign. Eventually, he had run out of words. So he did the only thing he could think of, and held out the baby for Lily's inspection. Lily paused unsurely before putting her wand away, sitting next to him on the couch, and taking the baby from him. She cooed down at the little boy, he was looking up at her curiously, before letting loose a toothless smile. Lily let out a little 'aw' in response. James was positive his new son was going to be a lady-killer when he got older.
"You know," Lily said "he looks a lot like Sirius. If I didn't know better I'd say you were… helping him out of a tight spot." James laughed loudly.
"Not for all of the Galleons in Gringotts," James laughed, imaging Padfoot asking him to raise his accidental kid. So here's the thing, Prongs…
Lily sighed, looking conflicted.
"There's really no family for him to go to?" she asked, but her heart wasn't in it, James could tell.
"All of the Blacks besides Sirius are under suspicion of Death Eater connections, or disowned with no legal claim. Until the war is over and that whole mess can be straightened out, the kid will go to an orphanage. Unless you think we should give him to Sirius…" James trailed off. Lily shot his an unimpressed look and James grinned widely. James loved his best friend dearly but he really wasn't the fatherly type. More of a cool uncle then a steady and fair disciplinarian. He'd make a good godfather though…
"I guess there's really only one option then, " Lily said, returning her gaze to the baby. A slow smile spread across her face and she held him a little closer to her body, maternal instincts already setting in, it would seem.
"There's still a few problems, though," James reminded her. "He looks a lot like Bellatrix, no one is going to believe he's ours looking like this," James said hoping Lily would have an idea. She got a decidedly calculated look into her eye.
"I think I can fix that, but you can't tell absolutely anyone James or I'll Obliviate you and not feel a smidge of guilt over it," Lily warned. James felt his interest peak.
"Does this have to do with your Unspeakable work?" he asked. Lily nodded once sharply, before handing James the baby and raising her wand. James felt powerful privacy wards rise around them. Lily had gotten paranoid over the last two months.
"We've been working on Glamour Charms," she began quickly, eyes darting around the room. "Trying to make them last longer, be stronger, more effective, change with the person as they grow, gain or lose weight, age. We aren't sure how long the latest method will last but we estimated maybe a decade. I could Glamour him to look like our son and when they weaken, I can recast them. Maybe we'll know how to anchor them permanently by then," she continued, talking more excitably as she went on.
"Really?" James asked, looking gob smacked. He knew all the ways someone could disguise himself or herself magically. It was a huge unit in Auror training. He knew a typical Glamour only lasted a few hours and wouldn't alter to match anything like a shift in height or even an injury. To have one that could last ten years and adjust itself was almost beyond comprehension. "What will he look like?"
Lily smiled a secret smile at his question. "I guess you'll find out, won't you? Here, lay him on the couch," she commanded. James followed her orders, standing up with Lily and laying the child down carefully. Lily pointed her wand at the child, her eyes narrowed in concentration. Romulus had fallen asleep.
Lily chanted under her breath, wand moving in slow methodical movements. Lines of golden magic left her wand, crisscrossing the tiny body on the couch. After ten minutes of chanting the boy was obscured completely, a little brightly glowing bundle that seemed to collapse before his very eyes. The light dimmed slowly fading into shape.
On the couch laid a mini James. The skin was a little tanner than it's previous ivory, the hair had puffed up from controlled silk just starting to curl into an unmanageable mess. The features had shifted, becoming a little less pointed. The baby opened sleepy eyes, revealing mini emeralds.
"Awww," James couldn't help it, he was just so cute with his hair and Lily's beautiful eyes in a round baby face. This kid was going to have him wrapped around his little figure.
Lily smiled in satisfaction, stowing her wand and picking the baby up, rocking him lightly until he fell back asleep.
"He still needs a name," Lily whispered, looking down at the baby with affection and a new love.
"I've been thinking about that, actually. How do you feel about naming him after my grandfather, Henry?" James asked. He liked the name Henry quite a bit; there'd been several Henry Potter's over the ages, all upstanding men who fought for the weak and unprotected. He wanted that legacy for his son born to such strife, who'd have to rise above his birthright. In addition to his grandfather, he'd also read the journal of a Henry Potter from the 1700's he'd found in the family vault a few years ago. That Henry, Henry William Potter, had been one of several adopted Potter's who'd taken on the Lord title of their family. The Potter's had always supported the family it chose to gain as well as the family born into it. Adoptions weren't as uncommon in the Potter family as one would think. It made James feel much better about the whole thing. Lily grimaced spectacularly at the suggestion.
"I knew a Henry in primary school. He used to eat bugs and push people off the swings. He broke Petunia's wrist doing that," Lily said. James felt his heart fall.
"How about Harry? That way you can still honor your grandfather with a derivative of his name but he can be his own man. Harry Potter." James felt his heart pick right back up.
"Harry Potter. I like it," he said with a warm smile. "Middle name?"
Lily rolled her eyes affectionately.
"James, of course. Don't try to be humble, it doesn't suit you and your big head," Lily teased. James smiled at the old insult; some things never change.
"Harry James Potter. What do you think little buddy? Does Harry sound good?" James asked the baby still held in Lily's arms. The newly dubbed Harry opened his eyes drowsily once more and then snuggled closer to Lily, falling back to sleep.
"I'll take that as a yes," Lily sighed happily. James was positive they'd done the right thing.
"Happy Birthday, Harry."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Hey Padfoot, guess what."
"What, Prongsie?"
"You're Harry's godfather, congratulations."
"Why thank you James, I always knew- wait, who's Harry?"
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James strolled into Gringotts cautiously, you could never be too careful in these Dark times. He had a meeting set up with his account manager to ensure that, no matter what came to light, Harry would be able to inherit all the Potter assets.
The rules for adoptions and custody were looser with the Goblins than they were with the Ministry. It didn't matter where James picked Harry up as long as he was named his heir according to Goblin law. Not to mention Goblin confidentiality was legendary. He could stand on a desk in the middle of the lobby shouting that his son was once previously Romulus Lestrange and somehow the Goblins would still find a way to keep that under wraps as long as he paid the appropriate fees. James opted to quietly fill out the proper paperwork instead.
He also left a letter with his account manager, just in case something happened to him and Lily, and Harry came looking for answers.
Dearest Harry, Son of my Heart…
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James and Lily Potter took to parenthood like fish to water. They adored their son, wanted to protect him and keep him happy. So when they heard that Voldemort was after them for one too many instances of defiance, they were more than willing to go into hiding, if only to keep their son safe. And when Sirius suggested they switch the job of Secret Keeper to Peter to keep people off their trail further, they were amendable to an added layer of protection. And when Voldemort attacked despite their protections, they gladly died for the son of their heart, if not their blood.
When Voldemort turned his wand on his favored Lieutenant's only son, it was the love of the family you choose, not the family you're born too, that repelled the Killing Curse.
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When Albus Dumbledore laid the infant Harry Potter on his maternal Aunts doorstep, he expected the Blood Wards to activate immediately. They did not. He sent Minerva and Hagrid away, to mourn or celebrate at their discretion, and waited- invisible to the muggle eye. He waited for hours, hoping that the wards were charging or there was some minor interference from the Dark magic that struck the youngest Potter, and that it would dissipate with time. It did not.
It wasn't until Petenia Dursley opened her front door that morning, took the boy into the home proper, read the letter, argued with her husband, and ultimately decided to keep her nephew, did the wards snap into place. They weren't as strong as Dumbledore had anticipated, but they were powerful enough, and the autonomy of muggle suburbia was a protection all its own. Dumbledore still did not quite understand the delay; he eventually decided that it must have been interference from the Killing Curse and left it at that.
It would be a long time before he understood that the wards were contingent on the Dursley's choosing to be Harry's family, and weakened by their grudging dispositions. After all, Harry shared no blood with the perfectly normal Dursley family, thank you very much.
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Bellatrix Lestrange was going mad. She knew it to, she was aware. She just didn't give a damn. Three weeks. She'd only been given three peaceful weeks with her pwecious son before those mean Aurors took him from her. It had been over a year and no matter how many Aurors she tortured for information or killed in rage she was no closer to finding her Romulus than she was fourteen months ago. Her Lord seemed pleased with her increased efficiency, but even that couldn't bring joy to her heart like it used to.
She could tell Rodolphus was falling into the madness too. The stress of the search was getting to him and no matter how hard Rabastan tried to keep his brother clear headed he was failing. Desperation clung to Rodolphus like a fitted cloak.
It was on October 31st, 1981, however, when Bellatrix gave up the last tattered vestiges of control. Her Lord was gone, just like her baby. She new he couldn't be gone forever though. Her Lord had made contingencies should anyone try to strike him down. She would find her Lord and her baby as well. And she knew exactly where to start. Frank Longbottom had been there the day she lost her son. She remembered dueling with the wretched blood traitor in the Manor. He was also part of the Order of the Phoenix along with his blood traitor wife. She'd find the Longbottoms and get every scrap of information out of them. If the Order knew where her Lord was, they'd tell her. If Longbottom knew where her baby was, she'd know.
That night Bellatrix and Rodolphus dragged Rabastan and Barty Crouch Jr to the home of Frank, Alice, and Neville Longbottom. Frank and Alice, knowing none of the answers the Lestranges were seeking, were tortured into insanity. The Leastranges and Crouch were captured later that night.
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