Emeralds and Ashes

Harry had spent the entire morning deliberating on when to visit the Potters, even forgetting to complete his practices.

He had been looking forward to visiting the manor and getting to know his father and his grandparents a little better. However, the way the previous night had ended made him more emotional than he would have thought.

Harry did not remember the last time he had cried himself to sleep. Perhaps the night when he had returned from the ministry, he thought darkly.

It was half past 12 when he finally decided to visit the Potters. It was late enough and yet left him with enough time to spend with them. If they wanted him to come earlier the next time, he was sure they would tell him. As far as he had figured it out, his grandparents were very open with their thoughts, and he did not need to search for any hidden meanings behind their words. If there was something, he was sure they would state it explicitly.

He had dreamed of this moment ever since he had first seen them in the Mirror of Erised back in his first year at Hogwarts. Initially, he had recognized only his mother and father. However, as time passed, he figured out that the other two figures were his grandparents. The only difference was that he would meet his father who was now younger than him. He chuckled to himself at that. Things surely worked out mysteriously.

He recalled everything he knew about them. His grandmother had been a field healer in the war against Grindelwald and had treated his grandfather's severe wounds after the final battle. They had fallen in love during the war and had married a few years later.

It had been a complicated married life for them. Although they loved each other dearly and supported one another every step of the way, it was marred with unsuccessful pregnancies and his father was born quite late. However, that did not deter them from raising him with all the love they had.

He had met them both, and he could say with absolute certainty that both his grandparents were immensely powerful.

Not for the first time, Harry wondered whether he could tell them who he truly was. He was sure they would keep it a secret. However, he decided against it. As he had thought previously, he did not want the knowledge of the future to influence their decisions and worsen any situation that might arise. He was here to mitigate any unforeseen circumstances, and if push came to shove, then and only then would he tell them who he was and the timeline he had come from. Until then, he would form a relationship with them as Harry Peverell, a distant relative and possibly a nephew or cousin.

He knew that as a family they would ask some tough questions – questions that would be more personal than he had been asked so far, his conversation with Dumbledore notwithstanding. However, he had already decided what and how much he would tell them. He could not forget his primary objective in this timeline and the actions he would need to undertake to accomplish said objective. His grandfather's help would be invaluable in that regard, and who else could he trust more implicitly than his blood?

Harry walked over to the fireplace in the foyer of Peverell Manor and grabbed a handful of floo powder as he got inside.

"Potter Manor!" He intoned clearly.

-Break-

Harry vanished in an emerald inferno, only to emerge from another fireplace, and quickly stepped out.

As he caught his bearings, he looked around at the richly decorated room. A massive gold chandelier hung from the ceiling, and Harry thought there must be over a thousand mirrors embedded in that thing which reflected the light from the lamps that hung off the walls on all four sides. The walls were painted a light cream and they glowed brightly under the reflected lights. Expensive rugs covered the floor near each wall, and he saw a couple of chairs lined in front of the window that overlooked the entire grassy expanse of the garden outside.

He was visibly impressed. Potter Manor was truly a vision.

"It seems the wards recognize the Potter blood in your veins," a deep voice came from one of the chairs, and Harry smiled at the man as he stood up and came over. He thought a handshake would do, but he was surprised when the man pulled him into a firm hug. He was not complaining and returned the hug happily.

"Handshakes are for allies, business associates, political colleagues and strangers. Not for family."

Harry smiled and nodded.

"Come on then, they must be waiting for you. But before that, vanish that soot from your robes. Dorea gets mad when we dirty the rugs," Charlus whispered. Harry chuckled and quickly waved his hand to get rid of any dirt he had on his person.

Charlus looked at him appreciatively. "You truly have impressive control over your magic."

"I had good teachers," he replied honestly.

Charlus nodded, and together, they walked through the door and into the living room of Potter Manor, where Dorea was sitting with James and Sirius. The woman looked over when they entered, and Harry relished the bright smile that came over her face at the sight of him. He didn't think he'd ever get tired of seeing her smile like that at him.

"Harry! You took your time coming here, didn't you?" Dorea said as she stood up, and gave him a soft hug when he got closer. James and Sirius looked up from their notes and grinned at him.

"Come on, sit here," she said and made him sit on the couch. Harry saw James and Sirius push their notes to the side as Charlus took his seat beside Dorea and looked at him.

"Let me start by saying that if you want to join the Marauders, you have a spot," James quickly said before anyone else. Harry looked at him with feigned confusion.

"What are you talking about?"

James and Sirius snickered. "You're a cheeky bastard, Peverell."

"James! That is no way of talking to…"

"It's fine, Dorea. It's only a jest," Harry quickly reassured her, before looking at the boys. "And what's the marauders?"

"Harry," Dorea began with a sigh. "You truly don't want to be involved with these two. They will corrupt you as well."

"Ha! As if we've ever corrupted anyone!" Sirius retorted. "We are upstanding purveyors of magical mischief makers. It is quite a tedious endeavor, I'll have you know."

Dorea deadpanned, "You are notorious pranksters who get points docked every week. I have full faith in your ability to set a Hogwarts record for most points docked by the time you graduate."

"Ignore mum," James said quickly as he looked at Harry, ignoring the stink eye his mother gave him. "For the hilarious prank you pulled yesterday, you deserve a spot with us more than anyone."

"I'll bite," Charlus said. "What prank are you talking about?"

Harry chuckled along with James and Sirius.

"See, he knows what we're talking about," Sirius said before he sobered up quickly.

Harry sighed. "Alright, let me tell you. I had a hunch that I would crack someone's mask when I admitted that I was not a pureblood. Guess I was right."

Charlus and Dorea sighed as one.

"Whatever your intention might have been, that was one hilarious prank. Although the results were unexpected, but that doesn't matter," Sirius remarked as he leaned back. "For years I've wanted her to say it out loud so that everyone could know how vile she truly is. Thanks for doing that."

Charlus exchanged a look with Dorea, who shook her head with a small sigh.

"Forget about that woman," Dorea said as she looked at Harry with a smile. "Tell us about yourself a bit, Harry. We'd love to know more about you."

Harry saw that everyone was interested in knowing more about him, and thus he began to tell the story he had crafted for himself.

"Well, I already told you how the Peverell bloodline separated from the Potters and how I came to claim the lordship, which reminds me," he looked at Charlus as he said that, "the test at the archives showed me as the Heir secondary to the House of Potter. Seems I do have enough Potter blood in my veins."

Charlus chuckled.

"Now, I have been homeschooled for all my life. We had been living in secrecy for as long as I can remember. My instructors were my parents and a few tutors who I cannot name due to secrecy oaths. They all were very capable teachers and I learned a lot from them."

"That is quite easy to see," Charlus said.

"What Dad said. I mean, getting 10 OWLs is no joke, and an O in almost all of them," James remarked. Harry smiled at them.

"I know it might be a bit difficult to answer," Dorea began softly. "Can you tell us about your parents?"

Harry smiled sadly.

"They were the best parents I could have ever asked for," he said softly. "My father loved my mother ever since they were kids, and they both loved me more than life itself. That's what I remember the most about them."

Everyone frowned at him, and Harry continued with a small sigh.

"Remember when you asked why I took up the lordship and came out of secrecy now after all these years? Well, that is because my parents were murdered by a dark wizard."

James and Sirius visibly recoiled and Harry saw Charlus and Dorea look at each other with wide eyes.

"What happened?" Dorea asked in a whisper. Harry stared into the distance.

"House Peverell has so many secrets that even the members of the house didn't know each one of them. This dark wizard managed to discover where we had been living and he attacked us. My best assumption is that he was after something. My parents defied him, and he didn't hesitate in retaliating with force. My parents were a very capable pair. However, he managed to overcome them. They held him off until I could somehow escape with my life. They didn't want the main bloodline of the Peverells to die out."

"Do you know who this wizard is?" Charlus asked firmly. "I'll make Alastor Moody rally the entire auror force if I have to and we'd bring this criminal to justice."

He was surprised when Harry chuckled mirthlessly.

"If only it were so simple," he sighed.

Over the next fifteen minutes, Harry explained who Voldemort was, what his origins were, what his intention was, and what Wizarding Britain could expect if they didn't take steps to ensure he was not stopped.

"And that is my primary reason for taking up the lordship and joining the Wizengamot. We need to unite as many people together as we can so that we can stop him. You can count on the notoriously dark families to join him at the first opportunity. When you have enemies on the inside, that is when it becomes a massive problem. The death and destruction such a civil war would bring would be unprecedented."

Ashen faces greeted him when he was finished, and Harry stared at them all with a solemn look on his face.

"Fucking hell," James whispered, and such was the shock that Dorea didn't even react.

"I know a few people who would eagerly jump to join this cunt's bandwagon," Sirius muttered darkly.

"Okay, that is enough with this language," Dorea said firmly as she finally caught her bearings. Sirius sighed.

"This man is truly the descendant of Salazar Slytherin?" Charlus asked, frowning when Harry nodded.

"That would be trouble. You can count on most of the Slytherin alumni and current students to be more sympathetic to his cause simply because of that," Dorea informed before she rubbed her hand over her temple in exasperation. "What a mess."

Harry nodded. "I'll give it two years at the maximum before he goes on the offensive, perhaps even earlier. He will soon start to approach purebloods to join his cause, if he hasn't already."

"Well, he'll find no support from me or my allies, that is for sure," Charlus declared firmly. Harry nodded, hoping that the man was right.

"Enough with this morose topic. No matter how serious it is, I'd rather you talk about something else," Dorea interjected firmly, and everyone nodded.

"I have a question. Since you're coming to Hogwarts, which house do you think you'll be in?" Sirius asked.

James chuckled. "Will balls like his, where else can he be but in Gryffindor?"

"James!" Dorea warned. James simply grinned.

Harry smiled. "I truly don't believe your house defines who you are. There must have been Gryffindors who cowered in front of any adversity they might have encountered, or Ravenclaws who thought they were knowledgeable enough but turned out to be frauds. Even Hufflepuffs who stabbed their friends in the back or Slytherins who decided to sacrifice themselves to save someone else. It is not your Hogwarts house that defines you, but your actions and choices."

Charlus and Dorea smiled approvingly. "Well said, Harry."

"Whatever. You'll be a Gryffindor. The Potter inside you demands you to."

Harry chuckled at James' retort. The more time he spent with them, the easier it had become for him to separate the boy from the man his father would grow into. Perhaps it would be right if he considered them friends instead of his father and godfather instead. They were completely different persons after all.

"Is that so?" Dorea asked with faux sweetness as she glared at her son. "I am a Potter too, and I was sorted into Slytherin."

"Yeah, one exception is fine. We don't want it becoming the norm," James said dismissively. Harry chuckled.

They sat there talking about inconsequential things for a while, and for the first time in so long, Harry let himself relax. The cloud of his revelation still hung over the Potter household, but they tried their best to not let it affect them.

Dorea and Charlus had already moved to take care of a few chores, leaving Harry with James and Sirius. Safe to say, he hit it off with the pair in no time.

"You play Quidditch, mate?" James asked.

Harry smirked. "Seeker."

"Let's see what you're made of then," the dark-haired boy grinned and they walked over to the broom shed. Harry sighed when he saw a few old Cleansweep models. He would have to make do with these for a while. Picking one he liked, Harry walked out and saw James holding a practice snitch.

"I'm a chaser and Sirius is a beater, so we won't be competing. However, you can try and catch this regulation snitch. Let's see how quickly you manage."

Harry nodded and quickly mounted his broom. The balance and the speed both were slightly off and he had to calibrate the broom to his preference. Once he had gotten the hang of it, he nodded toward James who smirked and released the snitch.

Immediately, the golden ball vanished in front of their eyes and Harry rose higher, his eyes darting around in the afternoon sun to spot the glint of gold.

He didn't have to wait for long as he saw the snitch hovering under the tree at the far end of the garden and he immediately shot toward it.

"Look at him go," Sirius said with a whistle. James nodded with a grin as they saw Harry tear through the grounds on the Cleansweep. That broom was not known for its speed. However, it seemed Harry defied the odds. The boys were sure this was the fastest they had ever seen a Cleansweep in action.

"He's going to collide with that tree if he keeps on going like that," James muttered. Harry was indeed on a collision course with the tree, however, by now he had a fair idea of how a snitch reacted when cornered.

True to his prediction, the snitch swerved to the left and shot upward. Harry immediately pressed his advantage, almost drifting in the air before he angled himself perfectly and was hot on the chase once again.

"Did you see that!?" Sirius exclaimed wide-eyed, staring at Harry who was gaining speed and slowly but surely closing in on the snitch. James had a wide grin on his face as he stared at this magnificent bastard who leaned forward and snatched the snitch out of thin air.

"I certainly did. No way he's going anywhere but Gryffindor. Those seeker skills are what we sorely need," James replied with a smirk as he watched Harry dismount and walk over to them, the squirming snitch clasped firmly in his fist.

"You better choose Gryffindor, Peverell. We'd hate to have your skills wasted on an undeserving team," James remarked as soon as Harry came over.

"Need a seeker, do you?" Harry asked with a smirk. James exchanged a look with Sirius.

"Badly. So you better get sorted into Gryffindor. I won't have it any other way," James said demandingly, and Harry couldn't help but chuckle.

"Well then, I'll have to make sure I do as you wish. Now get your asses up in the air. I wanna see what you two are made of as well," Harry retorted as he mounted his broom once again and kicked off, hovering in front of them.

James and Sirius exchanged smirks.

"Oh, you're so on, Peverell."

-Break-

"I'm being very serious though, I'd really prefer not to play against you," Charlus heard James remark as the boys came back after almost an hour outside.

"He's that good?"

James quickly looked over at his father and nodded.

"Bastard managed to beat me in a drag, if you can believe it!"

"James!" The stern voice of Dorea Potter sounded out as she entered, glaring at her son. "That is no way to address your cousin!"

"It's fine," Harry dismissed it with a chuckle as he joined them alongside Sirius who hadn't stopped raving about bringing righteous judgment on those slimy Slytherins. Harry found his young godfather quite amusing, and he had to marvel at the fact that the young man didn't let the events of the previous evening affect him. It seemed as if he couldn't care less. Harry was happy with that. Walburga Black should have no effect on Sirius' mental health.

Dorea sighed. "It's time for lunch. Come on," she told them, and they smiled as they walked over to the dining table where lunch had already been laid out. Charlus and Dorea took their seats side by side, with the Potter lord sitting at the head of the table. James and Sirius sat on one side, leaving Harry to take his seat beside his grandmother.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Dig in," Dorea prompted.

Harry looked at a proper family meal for the second time, having eaten only once at the Weasley household before his second year. However, this was different. He was among family. Smiling, he grabbed everything he liked.

"Where have you been living, Harry?" Dorea asked as they ate, and Harry swallowed before looking at her.

"Peverell Manor. I bought it a few days ago with the help of Alastair Greengrass. My old home is no more, and Merlin knows we need all the protection we might get with how things are going to develop soon."

Everyone sobered up at the reminder, and Harry frowned.

"Apologies. I shouldn't talk about it during the meal."

"It's alright, Harry," Charlus reassured him with a smile. "What do you do all day? It must get boring."

Harry chuckled. "It truly doesn't. I spend my entire day practicing spells and working on my magic and mind arts. I also have a lovely companion who demands quite a lot of attention."

"You spend the entire day practicing your spellwork?" Dorea asked surprised. Harry nodded.

"I need to be ready for when the time comes."

They frowned but nodded in understanding.

"How advanced are you in the mind arts?" James asked curiously. Dorea frowned.

"That is a bit personal, James. You don't have to answer, Harry."

Harry waved her away. He didn't have to hide it from these people.

"It's fine. I am proficient in both Occlumency and Legilimency. Currently, I only reinforce my abilities."

"That is impressive," Charlus remarked. Harry smiled.

"You said something about a lovely companion?" Sirius asked with a teasing grin. "A lovely lady perhaps?"

Dorea looked at Sirius disapprovingly while James and Charlus snickered. Harry smirked.

"She is a lovely lady indeed. Would you like to meet her?" Harry asked, grinning when he saw Sirius looking at him eagerly.

"Sure. Every lovely lady should know what a catch Sirius Black is, no offense of course," Sirius replied. Harry nodded.

"Alright Luna, come on and show Sirius some love," Harry said with a smirk.

"What the fuck!" Sirius shouted in alarm when suddenly, a dark wolf pounced on him out of nowhere and sent him tumbling to the floor.

"Ow!" Sirius grunted and quickly looked up when he heard a growl. His eyes shot open. "Gah!"

The Potters were looking at the scene in shock while Harry sat back with a satisfied smirk on his face.

"Isn't she beautiful, Sirius? Go on, tell her what a catch you are," he encouraged the boy, who flinched when Luna leaned forward and stared menacingly into his eyes.

Taking pity on the boy, Harry instructed Luna to leave him, and everyone watched as she trotted up to Harry and leaned her head in his lap. Harry started to stroke her behind the ear.

"That's a shadow wolf," Charlus said in wonder. Harry smiled at them and nodded.

"I found her in less than savory conditions, and didn't think twice. She's become my dear friend in the short time we've known each other."

The Potters nodded, still staring fascinatingly at the magnificent creature who had already noticed the attention she was getting and preened.

"Yeah, she's a proud little thing too," Harry chuckled as he stroked her soft fur. He watched Sirius getting up before taking his seat, staring at Luna with apprehensive eyes.

"What happened?" Harry asked innocently. James smirked.

"I guess Padfoot realized he doesn't want to be a catch afterall," he teased.

"Shut up, Prongs," Sirius muttered.

Charlus and Dorea chuckled before the latter looked at him with a smile.

"May I?" She asked, and Harry quickly leaned back. Dorea slowly stroked Luna behind the ear, smiling when the wolf rumbled softly.

"Shadow wolves are very loyal to their companions," Charlus remarked. Harry nodded.

"You have no idea how much I had to keep reassuring her last evening when… you know… She wanted to tear that woman's throat out," he replied.

"Would've been a good riddance in my opinion. That bitch," Sirius muttered.

"Sirius," Dorea warned sternly, and the boy sat back, abashed. "She might be an evil woman but you don't need to reciprocate her hatred, dear. Don't let her hold so much power over you, I've told you this many times."

"Yes, Aunt Dorea," Sirius said as he went back to his lunch.

"Don't let Hagrid see her," James said mirthfully, quickly changing the mood as he looked at Harry. "You'll never get rid of him if you do. He's the gamekeeper at Hogwarts. Man's crazy about magical creatures."

Harry chuckled. "I'll keep that in mind."

"What does she eat, by the way?" Sirius asked as he looked at Luna, flinching slightly when she looked over at him. He could swear the wolf was giving him a smug grin.

"She sustains herself on magic," Harry replied. "However, she won't say no to some meat every once in a while."

Sirius nodded. "Magical creatures sure are fascinating."

"Merlin you sound like Hagrid," James sighed. Harry chuckled. He did sound like Hagrid.

-Break-

It was evening and Harry was still at Potter Manor. Currently, he was with James and Sirius inside the former's room. It was an odd experience, being inside his teenage father's bedroom.

The room was richly decorated like the rest of the manor. However, his father had made a few additions to the décor. Puddlemere United's poster and a custom jersey with his father's name and the number '10' hung off a wall. Odd trinkets like a small broomstick and an entire collection of balls used in Quidditch were suspended over a small rack where they floated in the air. Apart from Quidditch collectibles, James also had a small rack of books near the window, and Harry saw the various tomes that lined it. It seemed his father, underneath the exterior of a prankster, was indeed an illustrious scholar.

"Hey, can I ask you something?" James asked him as he looked up from the note he was reading. Harry looked at him and nodded.

"Do you really think things will get so bad?"

Sirius looked up and frowned. Harry sighed.

"I truly hope it doesn't, but I fear it really will. You don't know this madman. He will stop at nothing until he gets what he wants, which is absolute power over Wizarding Britain."

James nodded to himself before looking over at Sirius, who nodded firmly.

"Allow us to join you then."

Harry looked at him in surprise. "What do you mean?"

"You said you train all day so you could get ready to fight, right? I'm asking you to let us join in. We too want to fight when the time comes."

Harry's apprehension must have been visible on his face because James glared at him.

"Listen Harry, I am the future lord of the Ancient and Noble House of Potter. I might not care for this pureblood politics and house business, but I have my pride as a Potter. I refuse to be unprepared or sit back and watch as a maniac burns my homeland. I am going to fight, whether you let me join in or not."

"What he said," Sirius gestured with his thumb toward James, who looked at him evenly.

"I am asking you as family. Allow us to practice with you. You are a very powerful wizard. It's easy enough to tell. Together, I bet we can tackle any problem that might arise. Consider this an alliance between the houses of Potter, Black and Peverell if you will."

Harry stared at the younger version of his father in surprise. A part of him was apprehensive of pulling him down this rabbit hole. He wanted to keep them as safe as possible. However, another part of him wanted nothing more than to agree with him. They were going to be involved in the war anyway. At least if they trained and got stronger together, they would be much better prepared than they had been the first time. In the end, it was an easy enough decision for him.

"Alright, James, Sirius, I agree," Harry replied firmly. "However, I will have to warn you that it won't be easy."

"The right thing never is," James replied. Harry nodded.

"I'll key the two of you in the wards of Peverell Manor. You can start coming tomorrow onwards. I'll leave the matter of dealing with your parents to you. We will practice everything, and our goal would be to become as strong as possible."

"I look forward to it," James smirked.

"Kicking some supremacist ass will be worth all the effort," Sirius added. Harry chuckled.

"James, could you come over for a moment?" The voice of Charlus Potter sounded out, and James nodded at them before walking out.

"You okay, Sirius? After, you know…" Harry asked after a moment of silence.

Sirius looked at him and smiled. "You know, I didn't expect I'd be this happy. Now I understand why Andi has never tried to come back. She must be so happy after getting rid of all the baggage my mother comes with."

Harry frowned. "I know it's none of my business, but does your cousin have issues with her parents and sisters as well? All of them seemed decent people to me."

Sirius sighed. "After grandfather banished Andi from the family, no one can talk to her. I know Bella and Cissy want to, but they cannot go against his command. However, perhaps now I will do it. I've run away too."

Harry chuckled as Sirius grinned. It seemed Walburga Black was the root of evil in that family, otherwise, everyone else seemed like decent people, even Bellatrix.

For the first time, Harry wondered what had happened that had made Bellatrix the mad witch she had been in his previous timeline, and also for the first time, Harry wondered how much of a role Walburga had played in sending the Blacks right in Voldemort's clutches.

He hoped that with her being declared persona non grata within the family, her influence would be nullified and she won't be able to do anything.

He was brought out of his thoughts when James entered the room with a thoughtful look on his face. He caught his eye, furrowing his brows when he saw the other boy smile and shake his head.

"Just something Dad wanted to discuss with me."

Harry nodded.

"It's been a long enough day. I should be getting home now."

James and Sirius looked at him in surprise before they nodded. Together, the trio walked out of the room and downstairs where Dorea and Charlus were sitting together on the couch.

"I should be getting home now," Harry said with a small smile and saw Dorea and Charlus exchange a look before Charlus nodded.

"Alright, lad. But don't be a stranger. James has told me that he and Sirius would be joining you at Peverell Manor tomorrow onwards, as well as the reason. We've had a discussion about it and even though we don't like it very much, we agree that it's better to be prepared."

Harry looked at them and nodded.

"That doesn't mean you get to be a stranger though," Dorea interjected swiftly as she gave him a soft hug – a hug Harry had no hesitation in returning this time. "Have a few sessions every week here, and who knows, perhaps we'd join you boys sometime as well. It's been a long time since I've practiced certain spells."

Harry stared wide-eyed at the woman, who looked at him and chuckled.

"We might be old, but that doesn't make us any less capable, Harry. Remember we fought in a war as well. Back then, we were only a few years older than you are, so we perfectly understand where you are coming from."

Harry exchanged a look with James and Sirius before he turned around and nodded.

"I'll make sure we do that. And please, come visit Peverell Manor tomorrow with these two. If you'd like to join the sessions, I'd be more than happy to have you."

Dorea smiled.

"Harry," Charlus' voice prompted him to look over, and his eyes shot open when he saw what the older man was carrying.

"I believe it's time the heirloom of the House of Peverell that has been in our possession for centuries was returned to its rightful owner. I had granted this cloak to James when he joined Hogwarts, however, with your arrival, it is only right that this cloak was returned to you."

Harry stared at the Cloak of Invisibility in surprise before he looked over at James, who smiled at him.

"Take it, Harry. It belongs to you," James said sincerely.

Harry looked at Charlus who held the cloak out, and reverently, he took it from him. He had never imagined that they would return the cloak voluntarily. However, given how genuine they were, he should've expected them to do it.

Harry gave the man a firm hug, who looked taken aback for a moment before returning it.

"Thank you, Uncle Charlus," Harry said emotionally. Charlus chuckled and pulled back, holding him at arm's length.

"Family doesn't apologize or thank. Always remember that."

Chuckling, Harry nodded before looking at Dorea, who smiled at him.

"I'd very much like it if you called me Aunt Dorea as well."

Harry smiled and nodded. "As you wish, Aunt Dorea."

The woman smiled at him.

Finally, Harry turned to look at James and Sirius, who nodded at him.

"See you tomorrow, cousin," James said with his head held high, and Sirius nodded beside him.

"Yeah, see you too, cousin," he replied as he got inside the fireplace. With a final nod, he disappeared in a swirl of emerald flames, leaving four people with the knowledge of a foreboding future and the prospect of upcoming challenges to overcome.

TBC.

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