A Promise Kept - Prologue

Prologue: A Promise Kept

Halloween 1981

He took a sip of the whiskey he was nursing as he peered out of the window, watching the final stragglers leaving Diagon Alley for the evening. Halloween was always quite spectacle, and the celebrations would usually go on late into the night, but with the threat of the Dark Lord looming over Britain, those that had dared venture here were not staying long after sunset.

Sirius would usually be amongst them, but for the past few years, he’d not attended.

For one, he was perhaps the most sought-after man the Dark Lord was looking for, undoubtedly in an attempt to locate where James and Lily were in hiding.

Bellatrix especially would relish in the opportunity to take him to her master, and Sirius’s nostrils flared at the thought, his hand twitching towards the wand hidden up his sleeve.

Secondly, he didn’t feel much like celebrating.

Sirius too was in hiding, and though he was all but In plain sight of the wizarding world, he had come to despise the isolation.

More than once he had been tempted to leave the protections around the home his Uncle Alphard had left him, to hunt down the Death Eaters that were taking it upon themselves to instil fear within those that did not wish to follow their master and even kill those that opposed him.

How it had all gone so wrong in such a short amount of time, Sirius didn’t know, but here he was, alone, away from those he held dear, mourning the many friends and loved ones he’d already lost along the way.

His thoughts drifted to his closest friends.

James and Lily were safe enough, so long as Peter kept his mouth shut.

Wormtail too was in hiding, but the same couldn’t quite be said for Remus.

Sirius had not seen the wayward werewolf for more than a year now.

According to Dumbledore, he was working on something for the Order, but to be absent for so long without even a whisper from him…

Sirius shook his head.

Maybe he was just growing paranoid having been left alone with only his thoughts for so long, but he could not help but feel that something was amiss, that something had not been right in some time.

He jumped as a loud rumble of thunder shook the window he was sitting by and poured himself another whiskey as he wondered how James, Lily, and little Harry were doing in Godric’s Hollow.

The babe would be almost a year-and-a-half old now, and it had been three months since Sirius had been allowed to briefly visit for his birthday.

James and Lily had been coping as best they could, both quite clueless to what was happening outside of their protections and receiving few updates from Albus.

It pained Sirius to see them living in such a way.

They should be able to show their son off to the world, to live happily as a young, married couple enjoying their lives together.

Lily would likely be working in a field where she could put her Charms and Potions expertise to use, and James would either be playing Quidditch, working as an Auror, or simply running the affairs of the family as the Potter Lord.

Instead, both were prisoners in their own home, living in a state of constant fear that a monster would come for their son.

Sirius felt as useless as either of them.

He was Harry’s Godfather and he couldn’t even protect the boy.

He stood as he shook his head.

The alley was finally empty now, and yet, he still felt a sense of unease settling within him, an unease that only continued to grow. Perhaps he truly was becoming paranoid now, and yet, he could not rid himself of the feeling that something was amiss at best, and frighteningly wrong at worst.

It wasn’t unusual for him to feel such a way, but tonight, he could not ignore it.

Every one of his instincts was telling him it was the latter, and though he knew James and Lily would be furious with him for risking his life in such a way, he knew he would not be able to rest until he checked on them.

Summoning his coat, he cast a few charms to disguise himself before stowing his wand away once more but keeping one hand on it.

Although what he was doing was indeed reckless, Sirius Black was no fool.

He knew that the Dark Lord would have Godric’s Hollow watched at all times, just waiting for his opportunity to strike.

Even so, Sirius needed to see for himself that what was troubling him was unfounded, that his friends and godson were still where they were.

(Break)

She listened to the sounds of spellfire coming from below, wincing as the entire house trembled from the force of the magic.

Realising that there was no escape for her and her son, Lily had barricaded the door to Harry’s room as best she could with what she had, but she knew it would not last even a moment.

The only fireplace in the home was in the living room and given that she had tried and failed to apparate away, and her portkey would not work, Lily could only assume the floo network had also been disabled.

The Dark Lord certainly had enough of his followers within the Ministry of Magic to see it done.

No, she was trapped with her infant son, and as the home fell eerily silent, she did not doubt that she was now a widow.

She sobbed at the realisation.

James was a truly gifted wizard in his own right, but not even Albus had managed to defeat the Dark Lord.

Lily swallowed deeply as her gaze shifted towards her son.

According to the prophecy her former Headmaster had informed her and James of, it was the very boy she found herself looking upon that would vanquish Lord Voldemort.

How that would be so, Lily wasn’t sure, and as she heard the bottom step within their home creak from the first footfall of the man that had been hunting them these past years, she couldn’t help but think that it no longer mattered.

Voldemort was here now, which meant that he had gotten to Peter.

In this moment, all she wanted to do was vanish with her son, but she found she could not move, and as expected, the door to the room was blasted off the hinges.

Standing on the threshold was a tall, pale man with a twisted smile, but it was his red eyes that Lily was transfixed on.

She had seen the Dark Lord on a few occasions, had witnessed her power for himself, and it oozed of him now in waves.

Maybe he was on a high from murdering her husband, or maybe he simply exuded such a vile aura, but to Lily, it didn’t matter, and she stood as tall she could, doing her utmost not to show the fear coursing through her veins.

It was not herself that she was so terrified for, but her son whom the Dark Lord had come for.

“Stand aside, girl,” the Dark Lord commanded.

Lily swallowed as she shook her head.

“No, not my son,” she whispered. “Please, not Harry!”

She didn’t know how her voice remained so steady when her legs could barely hold her up, and as the Dark Lord tilted his head and looked at her almost curiously, he chuckled before waving his hand.

Lily felt herself crash into the wall, and her vision swam as she drifted in and out of consciousness. Her only prevailing thought was that she needed to get back to her feet, that she needed to protect her son, but as she tried to do so, a flash of green light all but blinded before an agonised scream filled the air.

“H-Harry,” she whispered..

Try as she might, she could not stand and could barely move from all of the debris that had collapsed on top of her from the magical backlash of what had happened.

“Harry!”

“LILY, HARRY!”

The voice she heard was faint, almost as though it was coming from so far away, but it was familiar, and Lily sobbed once more as she heard the footsteps thundering up the stairs.

“No, no!” Sirius choked. “Shit!”

She heard him frantically throwing aside the bricks and mortar, and only a moment later, felt the weight on her back lift.

“Lily! Thank Merlin.”

“Harry,” Lily managed to croak. “Where’s Harry?”

She was no fool.

She already knew what had happened to her son, but it was her lingering instinct to protect him that made her ask, and she listened as Sirius continued his search, choking a sob of relief as she heard an infant cry.

“He’s here! I think he’s fine. Bloody hell!”

“What is it, Sirius?” Lily asked desperately. “Please, my son!”

He said nothing, but she felt him hurriedly approach.

Sirius crouched down next to her and took her hand.

“We cannot stay here,” he whispered. “Lily, James…Peter…”

“I know, Sirius,” she whispered.

“He must’ve talked. Whether he did it willingly…”

“He did. He could only have given up our position willingly.”

She herd Sirius exhale deeply.

“I’ll kill the little shit,” he growled.

Lily reached up and took a firm hold on his forearm and shook her head.

“Harry needs you, Sirius. I need you! Please.”

She knew him, knew that he would hunt Peter down until he found him, and although he was much different than the rest of his family, Sirius was still a Black, after all.

He truly would kill Pettigrew, and though Lily knew she too would feel the same anger as the man in due course, she wanted nothing more than to protect Harry, to get him away from here as quickly as possible.

“Sirius, please!” she pleaded.

“Alright,” he agreed. “We need to get you both checked over, but I have to get you somewhere safe.”

“Albus…”

“No,” Sirius denied. “You and James named me as Harry’s godfather, and I will not trust anyone else with his safety, not until I am certain of what the hell happened here tonight.”

Lily offered no protest, and Sirius suddenly stood.

“He’s here, Lily.”

“Who?”

“Albus. Come, we need to be quick. For now, we will be safe at my place.”

“And then what, Sirius?” Lily asked as she sat up, taking her restless son into her arms.

She looked upon him, not missing the scar sitting atop his brow, and she ran a finger along it, shuddering at the unpleasant magic that seemed to push her away.

“I don’t know,” Sirius answered honestly. “I need to figure it out.”

Before Lily could say anything else, she felt herself pulled into the void as Sirius activated a portkey, taking her and Harry away from what had been her family home.

She knew that she was in a state of shock, that the death of her husband had yet to sink in, and when it did, when she knew that Harry would be well, that she would be inconsolable.

Even so, she questioned whether what Sirius had done was right.

Albus would be worried for her and Harry, and yet, she felt something of a relief that she would not be forced to deal with the man, that it was Sirius that had gotten to them first.

James trusted him, and Lily did too, especially when it came to keeping Harry safe.

She would not forget the way he had looked upon the boy the first time he’d held him, nor the tears in his eyes when James had asked him to be Harry’s godfather.

That was not something that could be faked, and certainly not by a man who wore his heart on his sleeve as Sirius did.

No, despite her doubts, she knew that Sirius Black would do whatever it took to keep her and Harry safe, and as they arrived in his modest, Diagon Alley flat, Lily choked back a sob as the reality of what had happened this evening began to set in.

(Break)

He used the handkerchief he kept in his pocket to cover his mouth and nose as he entered the Potter home, pausing as he crossed the threshold at the sight of the slain James Potter.

The young man had put up quite the fight, though Albus fear his efforts had been for nothing.

With his wand in hand, he followed the trail of dark magic permeating the air, up the stairs and to the door that was no longer on its hinges. Within the room, there was little to be found besides the debris from the destroyed ceiling, and a pile of scorched, black robes on the floor.

What concerned Albus was that there was no sign of Harry and Lily, but he did note the other familiar presence within the room through the mire of vile, nauseating magic.

“What happened?” he murmured to himself, casting a series of diagnostic charms that served only to raise more questions than it answered. What Albus did know was that, somehow, both Lily and Harry had survived the encounter.

Had Sirius somehow reached them between the time of James dying and Tom finding them in boys’ room?

Perhaps, but Albus was not convinced that was what transpired.

On the carpet was a smear of blood belonging to someone that been crushed beneath the collapsed ceiling, but it was the still-present dark magic that concerned him most.

“The killing curse,” he whispered.

Had Tom’s aim not been true?

Albus shook his head.

No, Tom did not miss with his spells. He had seen his former student murder more than enough people to know that, and had fought him personally, so could attest to his skill.

Something else entirely had happened here, and as Albus stepped towards the remains f the cot, he felt it; the remnants of a protective of which he had never experienced. It was pure, warm, and born of something Tom could not hope to contend with.

“Love,” he mused aloud.

It was an oddity within itself.

Such magic could only be created by sacrifice, so, how had this happened?

Although he spent several moments pondering his findings here, Albus could find no definitive answer, not without speaking to Lily Potter, wherever she might be.

With Sirius having been present, he had no doubt the man had taken it upon himself to take them to safety, but then why had he not reached out to Albus to inform him of what had happened?

The Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was not sure, and as the Aurors arrived within the village, he took his leave of the house.

What he was certain of was that Tom Riddle, for now at least, was no longer a threat.

He did not believe the man was dead, but something significant had happened to him, and he had his suspicions that what that was pertained not to Lily Potter, but her son Harry.

The trajectory of the killing curse had been easily traced from just within the doorway of the room to the cot where the boy had rested.

Exactly what had transpired remained something for him to learn for himself, but first, he needed to speak with the members of the Order of the Phoenix.

The fallout of this would be significant, after all, though Albus would make no further assumptions until he could verify for himself just what had occurred in its entirety.

“Albus, what happened?” Amelia Bones asked as she approached with her wand drawn.

Dozens of others garbed in red robes began arriving around them, each of them as cautious as they should be given the plight each had faced in recent years.

“I do not know,” Albus sighed, “but it seems as though the Dark Lord is gone.”

“Gone?”

“It appears to be so.”

“Dead?”

Albus nodded non-committedly.

He was not going to divulge what little he had managed to deduce, but he could not remain silent on the matter. What he should say, he didn’t know, and before he could voice any further, the Aurors began celebrating amongst themselves, cheering and shooting green sparks into the night sky.

Amelia, however, ever the professional, made her way into the Potter home to see what she could make of the situation, and Albus decided to leave the village entirely to ponder his own thoughts of just what had transpired.

With a nod to himself, he sent a patronus to Sirius Black.

He was the very first man he needed to speak with to get a better understanding of just how Tom had found the Potters in the first place.

(Break)

She only had eyes for her son.

Harry continued to fuss, undoubtedly terrified by what had happened, and likely in pain too.

Lily took in every detail of his face from his unruly jet-black hair he’d inherited from his father to the man’s nose, lips, and even higher cheekbones that most purebloods were blessed with.

All he had gotten from her were those brilliant green eyes that were not jaded by war, not yet at least.

“Sirius, he needs to see a Healer,” Lily murmured.

The man stopped pacing in front of the fireplace and deflated as he nodded.

“I know,” he conceded, dragging a hand through his hair. “I must go to Gringotts.”

“Gringotts? Sirius, Harry…”

He held up a hand and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

“I know, but for now, we cannot trust anyone outside of this room.”

“But Albus…”

“There are many reasons James did not want him casting the protections over your home,” Sirius broke in. “I know you did not know Charlus as well as you should have before he died, but he did not trust Dumbledore. Why do you think he would not join the Order when he had previously fought against Grindelwald?”

“He fought against Grindelwald?”

“As did my grandfather,” Sirius explained, “which is why I need to go to Gringotts. He had a private Healer he used, a damned good one. If anyone can find it, it will be the Black family accountant there. The damned goblin will have a record of everything.”

“But you were cast out of your family.”

“I know, but before that happened, I named Harry as my heir until I have a son of my own. That will count for something. With Regulus gone, I am the last of the Blacks, which means that Harry will become the Lord of the family when he reaches his majority.”

Lily would not pretend to understand the significance of it.

She and James had discussed his own responsibility to the Potter name and that Harry would one day be the Lord of the family after him, but little else.

Lily knew there was a seat on the Wizengamot that came with the title, but in truth, she was woefully ignorant of anything else pertaining to such traditions.

“It is more than enough for me to be able to act on his behalf, especially in life and death situations. The goblins will be our best help, and given his history with my grandfather, Tullius will come with the best interests of the family at heart. I will be quick.”

Lily nodded and frowned as Sirius drew his wand, grimacing as he opened up a cut across his palm and placed it on an odd crest sitting proudly above the fireplace.

“Just an extra layer of protection for you both,” he explained. “No one will be able to get in here whilst I am gone.”

Harry had stopped fussing a while ago now and was resting seemingly at peace in her arms.

Lily once more ran her finger along the odd wound on his head.

It was in the shape of lightning bolt, but she withdrew her touch as Harry whimpered.

“My brave little boy,” she cooed, swallowing as she took hold of one of his hands, only to pull him close to her chest as an explosion sounded from outside.

Dozens of others followed, and it wasn’t until Lily saw the flashes of lights that she realised they were fireworks and not spells.

Evidently, wizarding Britain had learned of what had happened and were celebrating whilst she was here cradling her son, mourning the loss of her husband.

Lily didn’t know what to do.

The loss of James had barely begun to set in, and yet, she knew she needed to be strong for their son. Finding such strength, however, would not be easy, and already, she could feel herself beginning to crumble under the pressure.

She wiped away the tears that formed as she watched her sleeping babe, grateful that he had somehow survived what they’d endured, but undoubtedly lesser for the loss of a husband and father both sorely needed.

Choking back a sob, Lily did not attempt to stem the flow of tears this time and allowed herself a moment of weakness whilst she continued to hold her son so tightly.

(Break)

The silence was doing him no favours.

Sirius could almost hear his own heart beating within his chest.

He was broken at the loss of his friend. The two of them had been as close as brothers, had been there for one another through the most traumatic experiences of their lives, and now, James was simply gone.

Every possible scenario of how it could’ve been prevented had played over in his min whilst Sirius had done his utmost to focus on what he needed to do now, and though he was somehow still functioning for the sake of Harry and Lily, he could not ignore the exhaustive list of things he needed to do.

He looked up as the elderly goblin cleared his throat and placed a pince-nez atop the bridge of his nose, eyeing him for a moment.

“You have been cast out of the family. Your grandfather refused the request of your mother to do so, but…’

“My father,” Sirius snorted humourlessly. “He always was a snivelling coward.”

The goblin nodded.

“With that being said, you are the only surviving male of the Black line of inheritance, and in such cases the Lordship would usually fall to you, as is the case here, especially since this was filed with us on behalf of your grandfather, through his solicitor some three months before his death,” he explained as he held up a letter, grinning satisfactorily. “Your grandfather was a shrewd man Sirius Black.”

“What does it say?”

The goblin leaned forward in his chair.

“Exactly what I just informed you of. Your father did indeed agree to the request to have you cast out of the line of inheritance, which was indeed filed through the official channels shortly after your grandfather, the former Lord Black passed on, but not before your grandfather filed his own request stating that should you be the last bearing the Black name, that you shall be reinstated. It seems that he anticipated what was to happen and saw fit to act to ensure the family title and fortune did not fall into the hands of another family.”

Sirius was surprised by the revelation.

He and his grandfather had seen eye to eye and little throughout his life, and yet, the man had gone out of his way keep the family wealth out of the hands of the Malfoys.

“Do not squander this, you damned fool, and ensure you have a suitable heir in place. For once in your life, do the right thing by the family. Those are the words of your grandfather, Arcturus Orion Black. Now, I do not know where the family ring is, but that does not matter. What can I do for you this evening, Lord Black?”

Sirius released a deep breath before chuckling humourlessly.

“I am out of my depth here,” he admitted. “What I need is to know of any and all properties belonging to the family, and the contact information of my grandfather’s Healer. That is the most important thing.”

“Of course,” the goblin complied.

“And… I know you will not be able to tell me much, but I need to know the status of the Potter accounts. Harry, James’s son is my godson. He is my heir as well as the new Lord Potter.”

“You’re right, I can tell you little,” the goblin said firmly, “but we were notified of the loss of Lord James earlier this evening. The Potter accounts will be cared for until he is of a suitable age to oversee them for himself.”

“His mother…”

“Is only a Potter by marriage,” the goblin interjected. “A widow’s account has already been set up, but she will have no say on anything pertaining to the family vaults or businesses.”

Sirius nodded.

He had expected as much, and it wasn’t as though it truly mattered.

He would be looking after Harry and Lily from now on, after all.

Were their roles reversed, James would do the same for him, and though Sirius wanted nothing more than to hunt Wormtail down for betraying the trust placed in him, he would not shirk his responsibilities.

Pettigrew would get his.

“Ah, here is the listed Healer for your grandfather,” the goblin declared, handing Sirius a sheet of parchment, “and I will be in touch shortly with the other information you have requested. You have my apologies, Lord Black, I do not have it all to hand. In the meantime, I would urge you to search the family home for the ring and anything else pertaining to your responsibilities. The Blacks are notoriously secretive with many of their affairs, after all.”

Sirius nodded as he stood.

“Thank you,” he said gratefully before taking his leave of the room and then the bank, reapplying the charms to disguise himself.

Sirius shook his head at the celebrations happening in the alley, and he sent a quick message to the Healer Tullius before heading back towards his flat, ignoring yet another patronus from Dumbledore requesting a meeting with him.

For now, he had nothing to say to the man.

His priority was ensuring that Harry and Lily were as safe and as well as they could be. Nothing he had to say to Albus would change anything that had happened, after all, and in truth, Sirius did not wish to see anyone else.

Albus would merely offer his condolences, pry into what had happened, and interfere where he was neither wanted nor needed.

As the Lord Black, Sirius had endless resources at his disposal, and he would use every last one of them to do what no one else had been able to.

Even if the Dark Lord was dead, Britain was still no longer safe with the likes of Bellatrix and the other Death Eaters roaming the country.

No, when they learned what had happened, they wouldn’t simply go quietly into the night, they would seek retribution and given the state of the Ministry and what remained of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Sirius knew it was not something that would be resolved quickly.

Tonight, Britain may be celebrating, but come tomorrow, the hostilities would continue on, and would undoubtedly do so for the foreseeable future, both on the streets, and in the political field.

“Lord Black, I assume.”

Sirius levelled his wand at the elderly man that had accosted him, and he held his hands up in turn.

“You sent for me. Tullius, your grandfather’s former Healer.”

“You could tell who I am?”

The man chuckled.

“I am familiar enough with the magic of the Blacks to know one when I see one. You have need of my services?”

“Not me, but my godson and heir of my family. I can’t take him to St Mungo’s, not with everything that is happening.”

Tullius frowned but nodded.

“There is no need to explain, I have heard the rumours. Take me to the boy and I will see what I can do for him.”

Sirius hesitated, and Tullius rolled his sleeves up.

“I am not one of his, just an old Healer with no loyalty to anyone. I am still beholden to my oath to provide assistance to those under my care. From this moment on, your godson is one of those.”

Sirius nodded appreciatively.

“This way,” he murmured, keeping his hand firmly on his wand, ready to act if Tullius showed any sign of deception.

(Break)

“So, there is little else you can tell us, Albus?” Arthur Weasley asked.

“I’m afraid not,” the Headmaster sighed tiredly. “What I can say for certain is that both Lily and Harry survived, and that the Dark Lord’s curse was somehow rebounded back towards him. Where Lily and Harry are, I am unsure, by I intend on clearing up any confusion as quickly as possible. For now, I urge you all to remain as vigilant as you have proven to be thus far.”

The gathered men and women took it as their cue to leave his office, and only Minerva remained behind.

“What is it you are not saying, Albus?” she asked.

She knew him so well.

They had worked together for several decades now, and little got past the sharp woman.

“I do not know myself, Minerva,” Albus answered truthfully. “It is an unprecedented occurrence, but Sirius was there.”

“Black? You do not believe him to be responsible?”

Albus frowned at the thought.

“I do not know what to believe but given that even I have been unsuccessful in my efforts to locate James and Lily for some time leads me to believe they implemented the Fidelius Charm, which means they would have need to appoint a secret keeper.”

“She would certainly be brilliant enough to manage it,” Minerva mused aloud, “and I can think of no other besides Pettigrew, Black, or Lupin they would trust.”

“Remus remains on the continent under my instructions, and Pettigrew…”

“Is a weakling and a coward,” Minerva finished. “I do not know how he found his way into my house.”

Albus hummed.

“If it is Sirius that has betrayed them, then he has taken them. He was there, Minerva.”

The woman seemed to be as convinced as Albus, but with what little he knew amounting to so few other possibilities, he could take nothing for granted, and Sirius’s ignorance of the several messages he had relayed to the man going unanswered did not help his case.

“I will figure it out,” he assured the woman as he stood. “Now, there is one other person I must speak. I will return to the castle shortly.”

Minerva left the office, and Albus took a deep breath, still none the wiser as to what had truly transpired at the Potter home, but knowing there was one other conversation he needed to have, he employed the assistance of his phoenix to transport him away from the school for a brief visit to a man he was not certain he could truly trust.

(Break)

It was only after Sirius’s assurance that Lily allowed the man to take her son from her, and a frown creased his brow as he checked Harry over.

“Mrs Potter, I need to know exactly what happened in the moments leading up to your son being in this condition. I understand this is a difficult time for you, but even the most minute of details is essential.”

As Lily spoke, even she found the words falling from her mouth difficult to believe, but if Healer Tullius did not believe her, he gave no indication of his doubt.

The man hummed thoughtfully as he inspected the wound once more before sitting up and rubbing his eyes.

“The residual magic is quite something, but it does not appear to be harming your boy, and that is thanks to you.”

“To me?”

Tullius nodded.

“From what you told me, you were willing to sacrifice your own life for your son’s, and that is something magic itself takes quite seriously. Such protection is far from perfect, and I have never heard of it working in such a way as this. What we are dealing with is something quite unique, but I believe your son will be well. My only concern is the residual magic. It is unpleasant in nature, and something that must be monitored moving forward.”

“But it isn’t effecting him now?” Sirius asked.

Tullius shook his head.

“The boy should be dead. The curse certainly has left its mark on him, but nothing I can find would indicate any harm to his person or his magic. Aside from the magic that I am hoping will be purged by Harry’s own as he grows, you have a healthy, strong, baby boy. He is quite an exceptional lad. Has he experienced bouts of accidental magic already?”

Lily nodded, choking back a watery chuckle.

“I was changing him when he was little under a year old, and he did not seem to like it. He dropped a full nappy on my head.”

Tullius quirked an eyebrow in response.

“Interesting,” he murmured.

“And the time he banished his banana towards James,” Sirius reminded her.

“That too.”

She swallowed the lump that formed in her throat.

“Truly exceptional,” Tullius mused aloud as he stood. “For now, he seems well, but I would ask that I can check on him frequently to ensure nothing changes. Lord Black can make the arrangements. I am truly sorry for your loss, and for what is to come.”

“What is to come?”

Sirius released a laboured breath as he looked up from the enormous stack of parchment he was reading through.

“Not only did Harry survive the impossible, he will be hailed as a hero for defeating the Dark Lord. Albus may have gotten to the house first, but that level of magical ability will have brought the Aurors shortly after. Bagnold will be keen to break the news, and not even Albus will be able to stop it. Harry won’t be able to walk anywhere in wizarding Britain without being harassed at every turn.”

“Exactly that,” Tullius agreed.

Lily said nothing as she continued to watch her son.

“What do we do?” she asked worriedly.

“Well, your cottage is not liveable, and Potter Manor is no longer standing,” Sirius pointed out.

Voldemort had destroyed it some months prior whilst looking for them.

“I am looking through the list of family properties for something suitable, somewhere peaceful. I think you could use that right now.”

“Sirius, you don’t have to…”

“Yes, I do,” the man broke in gently. “Harry is my godson, and you are just as important to James as him. You will both need me, even if it is only for the influence I carry.”

“Your influence?”

“As the Lord Black. There are so few that will wish to find themselves on the wrong side of him,” Tullius explained. “Politically speaking, you are all but untouchable under his protection. Believe me, Mrs Potter, you will not get a moment of peace from them. Forgetting everything that happened tonight, your son will also be an influential man when he reaches his majority. The Potter name carries considerable respect.”

“And as my heir, even more so,” Sirius added.

“Your heir?” Tullius scoffed. “Well, he will certainly have some big shoes to fill.”

Sirius nodded.

“But not until he is ready,” he said firmly, handing Lily a sheet of parchment. “My family owns land in several countries away from here. When word of this gets out, Harry’s name will be known in just about every magical community in the world. You will get no peace here, and it is still dangerous, Lily. Bellatrix, Lucius, and the others will not let this lie.”

Lily nodded as she read through the parchment.

“Texas?”

“Seven hundred acres of land brought by one of the Lords of the family almost two hundred years ago, but it is the protections that matter. They are the same as those over Grimmauld Place. Not even the most determined person will be able to get you there. Since no one has ever mentioned it before, I can only assume that the Lord of the family is even made aware of it.”

The last thing Lily wanted to do was leave her home, but she knew she could not face going back there, not after what happened to her husband.

“James…”

“We can make whatever arrangements necessary. The Ministry will have taken him, waiting for someone to come forward to collect his remains. He should be buried with his parents, Lily. That’s where all the Potters are laid to rest.”

Lily wiped away a tear as she nodded.

It was one of the many things she would need to attend to, and although she had no desire to leave, given what she had learned, she knew it was what was best for Harry.

“Even it is just temporary, I think it is for the best that we get you and Harry out of here. At least until we know it is safe.”

Lily reluctantly nodded her agreement, and Sirius gave her shoulder a squeeze.

“Have you heard from Albus?” she asked.

“He has tried to reach out, but I will not meet with him until you are safe. I expect there will be a Wizengamot meeting, and I should go to it to get a better understanding of what the Ministry will do moving forward.”

Tullius snorted almost amusingly as he fastened his cloak.

“What’s funny?” Sirius asked.

“You remind me a lot of your grandfather, just with less colourful language. Do send for me, Lord Black. It is important to monitor yours and the Potter heir closely, and if anything changes, just tap this with your wand. I will come immediately,” he insisted, placing a card on the table.

“I will,” Sirius assured him, and Tullius offered him a nod before leaving.

Neither Lily nor Sirius spoke for several moments whilst they lost themselves in their own thoughts.

“Come, I know you won’t get much rest, but you should try to sleep. I will stay with Harry.”

Lily hesitated and Sirius held up a hand.

“I will not take my eyes of him even for a moment. My life for his, if necessary. That was the promise I made.”

Lily nodded tiredly and left the room, but did not miss the sound of the man choking back a sob as she did so.

She knew she would not sleep, but she needed a little time alone to begin processing what had happened, and so did Sirius, who had remained so strong for her until he simply no longer could.