Greater Than, Lesser Be / Part Two, B
Greater Than, Lesser Be
Part Two, B
Previously...
**
Remus hated Azkaban and he hated himself for believing for such a long time that Sirius did betray Lily and James. A part of him was wondering if even the Lestranges deserved to be in such an environment.
The ferry docked at the imposing rock island, north of the Orkney islands. The ferryman, a toothless old man grinned at him gummily, and indicated for Remus to get off.
Suppressing a shiver, Remus drew his trench coat tighter around his body to keep in his body heat and stepped off onto the dock, where a waiting guardsman stood. Looking down at his shoes, Remus wondered if he was entirely too dressed up for the event-meeting Sirius and getting some guards on the Cloak & Dagger payroll. After a near decade of working with Harry at C&D, and with the near entirety of their work coming from the non-magical community, Remus was feeling far too comfortable in leather shoes and trouser suits than the traditional robes his fellow magical users preferred.
With a wry sigh, he mentally shrugged his shoulders and gave the guard a smile. “Highborne, is it?”
“Welcome to Azkaban Prison, Mr. Lupin,” replied the guard, as he nodded his head. He was an older man, just over Harry’s current age, with a tough demeanour and scar-ridden face that made Remus’s scars look like child’s play.
The man turned to walk into the large, black building. The conversation, although short and clipped, was carried across the grounds.
“What brings you to Azkaban, Mr. Lupin?” Highborne asked.
“I’m here to visit an old friend,” he said, wryly.
“Sirius Black, then?”
Remus cut a glance at the man. He and Harry had not indicated who they wanted to visit, and Highborne was out of Hogwarts by the time Remus and his friends went in. Curious.
“Indeed. How did you know?” continued Remus cheerfully, as much as he could with the damp chill and the presence of Dementors.
“The guardsmen try their hardest to keep up to date on certain events, Mr. Lupin,” revealed the guard. “Since you haven’t visited before and have no family here, we did some digging.”
Even more curious, thought Remus. “I see. How much time will I have with him?”
“About five minutes. And you’ll have a guard standing with you the entire time,” answered Highborne.
Remus looked much more carefully at the guard, noticing more than just the scars on his face. The man looked tired, and weary. Cloak & Dagger had done some digging on the guards working at Azkaban, and found that several were either widows or single men with no family. It was a lonely job, with shift changes every six months and the guards remained on site for that period. Highborne, however, was unusual because he had a wife and three small children - one due to start Hogwarts next year - and probably only saw them briefly.
Not willing to start negotiations just yet, Remus waited until he was signed in at the log in the main reception room at Azkaban, and then followed Highborne to Sirius’ cell.
Sirius Black was curled up into a tight ball at the foot of his bed, similar to his dog form. He was pretending to sleep-Remus knew that because he knew Sirius-otherwise he would’ve been in his dog form, according to Harry.
The innocent prisoner lazily opened his eyes, faked a yawn, and drawled, “Highborne. How kind of you to visit me.”
The wizard in question scowled and turned to Remus. “He’s all yours.”
Sirius took notice of Remus for the first time, eyes widening and then looking his old friend from head to toe. “Moony…”
“Hello Sirius,” greeted Remus amiably, as though they weren’t visiting each other in prison.
“How long has it been?” asked Sirius shrewdly, as his eyes once again fell on the obvious Muggle wear.
Remus inwardly smiled. Harry had been correct in assuming that the Dementors were kept at bay through the animagus transformation, and Sirius’ sanity was far more in tact than either had originally anticipated.
“A while,” replied the werewolf.
“So why’re you here?” asked Sirius wearily, lying back down and closing his eyes.
“I think I should be curious that you’re not proclaiming your innocence to everyone who is around to hear it,” said Remus instead.
Sirius sighed. “I did try that for the first year, apparently. Didn’t work. I stopped.”
Remus nodded. “Never thought you were the type to give up, Padfoot.”
Sirius stilled.
Remus could almost see the wheels turning in his unused brain. If Remus believed him to be the traitor, why the pleasant conversation? The nicknames?
Sirius sat up, keeping his eyes on his old friend and ignoring the guardsmen beside him. “Moony…?”
“Padfoot?” answered Remus with a smirk.
Sirius sat back. “Is he safe?”
Remus sighed, a glance from the corner of his eye showing that Highborne, although affecting a disgruntled and unassuming attitude was keenly listening in. “Yes and no. He is now, but he wasn’t before.”
Sirius nodded, accepting the answer.
Remus continued. “You should know, Sirius, that I know you’re innocent.” Highborne scoffed, but both men ignored him. “I know, and so do others. We’re working on getting you out.”
“It won’t happen. Fudge wants me kept here.”
Remus’s mouth turned down. “He might. But he won’t also go against my employer.” Highborne, next to him, tapped his wrist, signalling their five minutes were up. “I’m going now, Sirius.”
“It was nice seeing you, Remus,” replied Sirius lazily, sliding back down to lie on his bed. “Thanks for the visit.”
Remus wasn’t sure what to say, so he nodded his goodbye, and left with Higborne. As the two were walking back to reception, Remus decided to broach the topic Harry had wanted him to do. “So, Highborne… how’s the family?”
**
Jonathan Randall was unsure of why Harry had called an important meeting on the Friday before Bank Holiday. September was just around the corner, and most employees had already taken off early to enjoy the last long weekend of the summer.
Since joining Cloak & Dagger, Jonathan had wanted for nothing. He moved his elderly, ailing grandmother to the UK when he came over for his position as Head of the Charms department, and since then used his pay checks to give his grandmother a good life for her final days.
Jonathan himself enjoyed several vacations, nice cars and electronics to play with, and loved his work. The Chatter System was his design, his brainchild, and Harry loved it. He had received a large bonus for the completion of the project, and his name was almost exclusively attached to the product.
He would never get that at any other company.
Jonathan was, though, a loyal employee at Cloak & Dagger and over the years, grown to appreciate and call his coworkers “friends,” including his paranoid and mysterious boss, Harry Houdini. Often, the other six employees hired at the same time as Jonathan would get together for drinks and dinner and speculate on Harry, and who he was-especially after admitting Houdini was not his real name.
In the end, it didn’t matter. Cloak & Dagger paid well, and bestowed excellent bonuses upon its employees and treated them well. Of the original seven, none were inclined to leave. Ever.
This made Jonathan confused as to why Harry would call a meeting after 4pm on the Friday of a long weekend. He was an excellent boss, and was always conscientious of holidays and time off. He never called anyone in after hours or on weekends to complete products, and never lost his cool on an employee or house elf.
Shrugging mentally, Jonathan met Yui as they left their offices, and together they walked toward the main boardroom.
“Any idea what this is about?” he asked his coworker.
Yui shrugged her shoulders, her long black hair shimming under the office lights. “No clue,” she replied. “I gave in my report on my product last week and he was pleased with it, so I doubt it’s to do with anything we’re doing.”
“Strange,” answered Jonathan.
They met up with Piers and Edith soon enough, and entered the same boardroom they were hired in, years ago. They took seats and pulled out their notepads. Sebastian, Camilla and Justine entered the room soon enough; Sebastian was the only one of the group who still used quills to write with, and set his inkpot out within easy reach.
Remus entered next, and took his spot next to Harry’s seat.
“Thanks for coming,” he said, first. Everyone turned their attention to him. “Harry will be here in a minute, but I wanted to say a few words first.”
He took a deep breath, as if steadying himself. Jonathan shared an uneasy look with Yui and Justine, as the youngest in the company at their level. Did they have competition? Had someone stolen their ideas? Was Cloak & Dagger bankrupt?
Remus ran his hands through his hair, causing more unease to spread throughout the room. Remus Lupin never looked frazzled.
Finally, the man looked up at the group. “Harry has called you in here to discuss something incredibly important to him. I know you’re uneasy-” here, he gave a wry smile. Everyone in the room knew he was a werewolf and could sense their emotions to a degree “-but my first note of importance is to say that this meeting has nothing to do with Cloak & Dagger. The company is fine, your jobs are still secure and we still don’t have to worry about competitors.”
Jonathan was not the only one in the room who let out an audible sigh of relief.
“What is this about then, Remus?” asked Camilla, frowning.
Remus scratched his cheek. “It’s about Harry, his past, and what it means to the future of the company. What happened to Harry is what drove him to create Cloak & Dagger in the first place. Nearly every product you’ve ever made is directly related to his past and, well, his future.”
Edith frowned. “Is Mr. Houdini ill, Mr. Lupin?”
“No,” laughed Remus, “But he’d be pleased that you asked, Edith. No-Harry’s fine. It’s really his story to tell, and I hope that once you know it, you’ll understand why he’s done things this way. I know his past, and know him very well. I can’t say that even I agreed with everything he’s done, but I can understand the purpose behind his reasoning. I just hope that you’ll listen to him with an open mind… and please,” finished Remus, as he stood to leave, “Please… remember that everything he’s telling you is the truth. Harry’s never once lied to any of you, from the beginning. Remember that.”
Remus left the boardroom and the seven original employees frowned at his departure.
There was some muttering between them, but finally the door opened again and Harry stepped in. Jonathan took the time to closely look at his boss.
Harry no longer looked like a spry, young twenty-something out to conquer the world. When he first started the company, he had been a scrawny, tough twenty-seven year old with only a few wrinkles around his eyes, and a stern disposition. He always dressed nicely, from the start, but now Jonathan could see differences.
At thirty-five, despite magical users aging slower than non-magicals, Harry looked his age. He looked good-distinguished, classic-but he looked like he was in his thirties. His hair was still cut stylishly, but Jonathan could see the beginnings of premature grey at his temples. His eyes were still the bright emerald, but there were more lines at the corners and fatigue bags under his eyes. His glasses, however, hid most of that.
What struck Jonathan were the stress lines around his mouth, and his current wardrobe: nice shoes, but designer jeans and a much-loved argyle sweater vest and button-up underneath. Jonathan had never seen Harry in anything but power suits in his entire time at Cloak & Dagger.
“Harry?” asked Justine, her voice pitching up at the end in concern. Clearly, everyone was just as distressed as Jonathan was, by what they were seeing.
Harry smiled tightly at his employees, and sat heavily down in his chair at the end of the boardroom table. “Thanks for staying, everyone. I know most of you have plans and want to get home to family, but there is something I’ve been wanting to talk to you about for some time now. I’ve been thinking about it for ages, and finally decided that now is the best time to tell you.
“That being said, I want you to know that I’m not speaking to you at this moment as your boss,” he said, looking each of them in the eye and holding their surprised gaze for a few moments. “I want to speak to you as-hopefully-your friend.”
Oh boy, thought Jonathan, this was going to be one of those earth-shattering talks, wasn’t it?
“I know for several years you’ve been wondering about me. You’ve always know that Houdini wasn’t my real last name, but you’ve never questioned me on it, or questioned me on our products, or need for secrecy. I think it’s beyond time that you learn who I am, and why I created Cloak & Dagger,” began Harry slowly, looking at his hands on the table top.
“Harry…” began Edith slowly, in her Welsh accent, “Love, is everything alright? Are you… are you in danger? Ill?”
Harry bestowed Edith with a beaming, loving smile. “Oh, Edith, thank you so much. But no, I’m not ill. And… while the answer to the first question is maybe… well… you’ll see in a moment.”
Jonathan felt a tickle of sweat travel down his temple and into his shirt collar.
“What’s the best way to begin? Well, the beginning is always good, so I’ll start firstly on the most important night of my life, when I found out that my wife and mother-in-law were involved in a conspiracy against me and my wife tried to, well, kill me I suppose,” began Harry slowly, captivating everyone in the boardroom.
“But before we get into that, I think I’ll start with my name,” said Harry firmly, looking up from his hands. “My name is Harry James Potter, and when I was twenty-seven, I learned that I had been ingesting love potions since the age of fifteen by Molly and Ginny Weasley…”
**
Camilla was standing beside the barrier of Platform 9 ¾ on September 1st, at ten-fifteen in the morning. She just said goodbye to her son, Hunter, who was starting his second year at Hogwarts in Ravenclaw. She was now waiting for Harry Potter, to guide him onto the platform without incidents.
She and Hunter had been introduced to the famous Boy-Who-Lived the night before, at his estate in Brecon. Her boss and Remus Lupin, as a method for aiding Harry through into the magical world with ease instead of confusion, had engineered this.
Hunter and Harry got on well enough, and her son promised that he would keep an eye on the boy without drawing suspicion on himself or Harry.
Meanwhile, while Hunter was getting reacquainted with his friends, Camilla spent her time counting down to ten-thirty and reflecting back on her Friday meeting with her Cloak & Dagger boss, Harry “Houdini.”
When looking back on the topic of the conversation, she realised that it was obvious that Harry Houdini was really Harry Potter-especially now that she had seen the younger version. Although much older and jaded, for good enough reason, Camilla could easily see the similarities between the two, while Jonathan easily saw the differences.
Piers was the only one of the group who demanded a Wizard’s Oath from Harry that he had been telling the truth-which the man admitted he thought Piers would want and complied. As he didn’t lose his magic after the Oath, everyone was convinced. The question was how would they take and where would they go from there?
For Camilla, it was a no-brainer. Cloak & Dagger appeared at just the right time to save her from starvation and possibly prostitution and gave her and her son a chance of having financial security and a position of power. Camilla would be forever grateful for Harry for the opportunity and didn’t plan to let him down now that she knew his past and history.
To say she and the others were furious at what they discovered was an understatement. After Harry’s Oath, the wizard murmured his goodnights and left his star employees in the boardroom to retreat to his office. Camilla was sure he expected resignations on his desk by Monday morning.
Instead, the seven employees decided to go out for dinner like they normally did, and ended up at Piers’s home in Scotland. For most of the evening, they vented, they ranted, they debated and argued, and consumed far too much alcohol to help ease the confusion and anger of Harry’s revelations.
But in the twilight, they had all come to the same conclusions: whatever Harry was doing with his products, and how he was doing it, they were okay with it. Remus might warn them that the road Harry was on could be rocky and lead very quickly down a spiralled path to Hell, but Camilla understood. If it had been her, or God forbid, her son in Harry’s position…
Knowing that Cloak & Dagger was racing against a ticking clock meant that everyone wanted to prove to Harry that they were capable of completing the projects he required to set the final stage. He couldn’t do it alone though, of that the seven were sure.
As Camilla waited, she spotted a familiar figure winding their way through the crowd to the barrier where she stood. The figure was short, tiny, with a head of bushy hair, and protectively tucked between two parents. Camilla felt a smile tug at her lips. Hermione Granger, she thought. One of the names on Harry’s list.
Camilla’s smile turned into a frown as she considered the names. Most were unknown to her-but a few she knew. The ones she knew of-Kingsley Shacklebolt, Hestia Jones, Remus Lupin-were either people she worked with or people she knew through contacts at the Ministry through Cloak & Dagger. They were prominent people, witches and wizards of distinction and Camilla’s frown deepened at the implication.
Harry indicated that Ginny mentioned a greater plan that Dumbledore had in mind-which led the group to believe that if Dumbledore was willing to send a 60-year-old Harry Potter back in time after discovering the truth, while their world was at peace, then the man had some greater master plan than Harry could even figure out at the moment. Piers was on the case, for sure, and Justine, Jonathan and herself were going to do whatever they could to find the spell as well as research more on Horcruxes now. Yet, it didn’t change Camilla’s thoughts on the matter.
The children Dumbledore’s plan affected ruined their lives, whether they knew it or not. They had no free will or power to go against the man. From Harry’s explanations, his best friend had lived a loveless marriage and lost her two closest supporters, her parents, in the aftermath of the war.
Family was important. Camilla’s destroyed her after her brief relationship with a non-magical that resulted in her son; yet she found a new family that she cared far more for. Whether it was ties of blood, or ties of friendship, whatever pulled her boss’s, Harry’s, family together meant that they were important to the Cloak & Dagger employees too.
Hermione’s parents looked harassed and frazzled, unsure if they should let their daughter go. Camilla understood that, very well.
“-You need to go again?” asked Hermione’s father as they got close to Camilla.
“Platform 9 and ¾,” replied Hermione steadily, her eyes shining brightly with excitement.
Her mother frowned. “I’m not entirely sure where that is, and I don’t like the idea of you going off alone…”
Camilla felt she should interfere. Besides, it was still five to ten-thirty; Remus was due to drop Harry off until then. And if he met Hermione first, then all the better. At least he’d have a friend.
“Sorry, I couldn’t help overhearing. The train to Hogwarts is just through that stone barrier,” interrupted Camilla, pointing at the wall she had been standing against.
“Through that barrier?” asked Hermione’s father, aghast.
Camilla smiled gently. “I know it sounds strange, but that is the magical world for you,” she revealed. “While non-magicals can’t go through the barrier, I can direct you so that you know in the future where your daughter needs to go and how to get there easily enough.”
“Are you a professor?” asked Hermione, eagerly.
“No,” answered Camilla, shaking her head. “I’m waiting for a friend to drop a new student off. My son’s already onboard the Hogwarts Express. He was more eager to greet his friends than say goodbye to his mum.”
Hermione’s parents smiled at this, and Hermione nodded. Camilla decided to press her luck. “Would you like to wait until my friend drops his ward by, so that you have someone to sit with on the train?”
Hermione’s expression was like a lightbulb being turned on-her entire face lit up with the prospect of meeting someone new, and making a friend-but then just as quickly, her face fell.
“No one really likes me that much,” she mumbled, inching closer to her parents, who shared a concerned look between them.
Camilla’s heart went out to the girl. Harry had told them everything-his entire story and what he knew of his friends’ past-and Camilla knew that Hermione had difficultly making friends because of her insecurities and need to be pathologically correct. The new mini-Harry would break her of that soon enough, Camilla was sure, but maybe the girl needed a push?
“Pfft, don’t say that,” dismissed Camilla. “Harry’s non-magically raised and doesn’t know anyone either. He’s been reading his books since he received them at Diagon Alley, and I’m sure he’d love to talk to someone else about them.”
Hermione gave a hesitant smile, and Camilla’s attention was turned to the arrival of Remus and little Harry.
Remus approached the group, glancing questioningly at the Grangers, and turned to Camilla with a raised eyebrow. She smiled instead, and then greeted the little Harry.
“Hello Harry,” she said, extending her hand. The boy shook it, his own emerald eyes bright and alert. “Ready for Hogwarts?”
“Oh yeah,” he grinned. “I’ve read all my books twice, and even read Hogwarts: A History. Remus suggested it.”
A squeak of surprise escaped Hermione’s mouth and everyone turned to look at her. “You’ve read Hogwarts: A History?”
“Yeah, it was great,” answered Harry.
“What did you think of chapter thirty-four, on the moving staircases and hidden doors…?”
“Worried! What about the room that only shows up every third Tuesday on Lunar eclipses?”
The two new Hogwarts students began chattering away, leaving the adults sighing gratefully for different reasons. Camilla finally introduced Remus to the Grangers, and then suggested she take Hermione and Harry onto the Platform so they could find a seat-and soon. The Weasleys would be arriving in moments and she wanted to avoid them as long as possible.
Remus and Harry said their goodbyes, just as Hermione did with her parents.
Remus watched as Camilla led the two young friends onto the Platform, talking over each other constantly and so involved in their discussion they didn’t notice the stone barrier they walked through.
Mrs. Granger sighed beside Remus.
“Worried?” he asked her.
“It’ll be Christmas when we see her again,” she revealed. “She’ll have changed so much. And we won’t get to see it.”
Remus nodded. “It is an issue, and I too feel that with Harry. His parents and I were great friends but with their deaths awhile back I didn’t get a chance to see Harry much.”
“How come?” asked Mr. Granger.
“He was moved to a foster family that I had no knowledge of. It was only recently that we met again,” revealed Remus, careful to give an abridged version. “I’ve already missed so much of his childhood that it’s hard to realise I’ll miss even more now.”
Both Grangers nodded sagely, but Mrs. Granger continued: “Owl Post is very confusing. Do you know anything about it?”
Remus nodded. “I was raised a Pureblood, so I can give you more information about the magical world, if you’d like. Since leaving Hogwarts, though, I’ve been working predominantly in the non-magical world, if you haven’t noticed yet.” He laughed and motioned at his suit and tie ensemble.
The Grangers smiled and Mr. Granger indicated that he would be inclined to learn more.
Remus smiled. Contact! “In that case, let me hand you my business card. Feel free to ring me at the office at any time. I’d be more than happy to answer your questions, or meet up with you for further discussions.”
“Thank you,” replied Mr. Granger, taking the business card. Remus nodded his goodbye, and disapparated on the spot. Within seconds, a large family of redheads appeared around the corner, chatting loudly about “Platform 9 and ¾,” “Muggles,” and “being crowded.”
The Grangers left, ready to head back to their quiet home. Mrs. Granger finally looked at the card her husband gave her as he slid into the driver’s seat of their car, and read the stylish script on the thick, cream card.
“Remus J. Lupin, Vice President, Cloak & Dagger Inc.” On the back were a telephone number and fax, as well as a slogan: It’s elementary, my dear.
Mrs. Granger felt her lips twist into a smile. Perhaps she and her husband should set up a dinner meeting with Mr. Lupin? Their meeting and discussion might prove to be educational…
**
Hermione’s name was called and Harry let go of her hand, after giving it a squeeze and wishing her, “good luck!”
He stood by himself, with an empty space where Hermione stood and a tall, skinny boy with blue eyes and very dark brown hair. He remained silent, never speaking to Harry or anyone else, so Harry wasn’t too concerned with him.
Professor McGonagall placed the Sorting Hat on Hermione’s head. After a minute or two, the hat shouted its decision: “GRYFFINDOR!”
Harry clapped along with the house, glad Hermione got into the house she wanted. A few other names were called: Jones, Longbottom, Malfoy, Moon, Nott… then Parkinson, and Patil, and finally Potter…
Harry blocked out the mutters and calls from the other students. A month alone with a bunch of house elves for company, a large family library at the Potter estate, and frequent visits from his parents’ friend, Remus Lupin, prepared Harry for life at Hogwarts. He knew he was famous, even if he disliked it. He knew that people would expect things from him, and he disliked that even more.
But that didn’t matter. He was about to be sorted!
“Hmmm, a great mind, if not a little lazy at times. Oh, what’s this?” the hat murmured here or there, poking and prodding at Harry’s psyche and dreams and desires, and finally made a decision after a spooky talk about how Harry could be great.
“Are you sure? You could be great you know, it’s all their in your head and Slytherin could help you on your way to greatness,” the Hat stated.
“No,” replied Harry mentally, firmly.
“Very well. Better be,” the Hat announced its decision: “GRYFFINDOR!”
The red-and-gold table clapped and banged their goblets, and Hermione inched over so there was a spot free between her and Neville Longbottom.
Harry grinned, and thought: this is going to be fantastic!
**
Next: Part Three
Part Two, B
Previously...
**
Remus hated Azkaban and he hated himself for believing for such a long time that Sirius did betray Lily and James. A part of him was wondering if even the Lestranges deserved to be in such an environment.
The ferry docked at the imposing rock island, north of the Orkney islands. The ferryman, a toothless old man grinned at him gummily, and indicated for Remus to get off.
Suppressing a shiver, Remus drew his trench coat tighter around his body to keep in his body heat and stepped off onto the dock, where a waiting guardsman stood. Looking down at his shoes, Remus wondered if he was entirely too dressed up for the event-meeting Sirius and getting some guards on the Cloak & Dagger payroll. After a near decade of working with Harry at C&D, and with the near entirety of their work coming from the non-magical community, Remus was feeling far too comfortable in leather shoes and trouser suits than the traditional robes his fellow magical users preferred.
With a wry sigh, he mentally shrugged his shoulders and gave the guard a smile. “Highborne, is it?”
“Welcome to Azkaban Prison, Mr. Lupin,” replied the guard, as he nodded his head. He was an older man, just over Harry’s current age, with a tough demeanour and scar-ridden face that made Remus’s scars look like child’s play.
The man turned to walk into the large, black building. The conversation, although short and clipped, was carried across the grounds.
“What brings you to Azkaban, Mr. Lupin?” Highborne asked.
“I’m here to visit an old friend,” he said, wryly.
“Sirius Black, then?”
Remus cut a glance at the man. He and Harry had not indicated who they wanted to visit, and Highborne was out of Hogwarts by the time Remus and his friends went in. Curious.
“Indeed. How did you know?” continued Remus cheerfully, as much as he could with the damp chill and the presence of Dementors.
“The guardsmen try their hardest to keep up to date on certain events, Mr. Lupin,” revealed the guard. “Since you haven’t visited before and have no family here, we did some digging.”
Even more curious, thought Remus. “I see. How much time will I have with him?”
“About five minutes. And you’ll have a guard standing with you the entire time,” answered Highborne.
Remus looked much more carefully at the guard, noticing more than just the scars on his face. The man looked tired, and weary. Cloak & Dagger had done some digging on the guards working at Azkaban, and found that several were either widows or single men with no family. It was a lonely job, with shift changes every six months and the guards remained on site for that period. Highborne, however, was unusual because he had a wife and three small children - one due to start Hogwarts next year - and probably only saw them briefly.
Not willing to start negotiations just yet, Remus waited until he was signed in at the log in the main reception room at Azkaban, and then followed Highborne to Sirius’ cell.
Sirius Black was curled up into a tight ball at the foot of his bed, similar to his dog form. He was pretending to sleep-Remus knew that because he knew Sirius-otherwise he would’ve been in his dog form, according to Harry.
The innocent prisoner lazily opened his eyes, faked a yawn, and drawled, “Highborne. How kind of you to visit me.”
The wizard in question scowled and turned to Remus. “He’s all yours.”
Sirius took notice of Remus for the first time, eyes widening and then looking his old friend from head to toe. “Moony…”
“Hello Sirius,” greeted Remus amiably, as though they weren’t visiting each other in prison.
“How long has it been?” asked Sirius shrewdly, as his eyes once again fell on the obvious Muggle wear.
Remus inwardly smiled. Harry had been correct in assuming that the Dementors were kept at bay through the animagus transformation, and Sirius’ sanity was far more in tact than either had originally anticipated.
“A while,” replied the werewolf.
“So why’re you here?” asked Sirius wearily, lying back down and closing his eyes.
“I think I should be curious that you’re not proclaiming your innocence to everyone who is around to hear it,” said Remus instead.
Sirius sighed. “I did try that for the first year, apparently. Didn’t work. I stopped.”
Remus nodded. “Never thought you were the type to give up, Padfoot.”
Sirius stilled.
Remus could almost see the wheels turning in his unused brain. If Remus believed him to be the traitor, why the pleasant conversation? The nicknames?
Sirius sat up, keeping his eyes on his old friend and ignoring the guardsmen beside him. “Moony…?”
“Padfoot?” answered Remus with a smirk.
Sirius sat back. “Is he safe?”
Remus sighed, a glance from the corner of his eye showing that Highborne, although affecting a disgruntled and unassuming attitude was keenly listening in. “Yes and no. He is now, but he wasn’t before.”
Sirius nodded, accepting the answer.
Remus continued. “You should know, Sirius, that I know you’re innocent.” Highborne scoffed, but both men ignored him. “I know, and so do others. We’re working on getting you out.”
“It won’t happen. Fudge wants me kept here.”
Remus’s mouth turned down. “He might. But he won’t also go against my employer.” Highborne, next to him, tapped his wrist, signalling their five minutes were up. “I’m going now, Sirius.”
“It was nice seeing you, Remus,” replied Sirius lazily, sliding back down to lie on his bed. “Thanks for the visit.”
Remus wasn’t sure what to say, so he nodded his goodbye, and left with Higborne. As the two were walking back to reception, Remus decided to broach the topic Harry had wanted him to do. “So, Highborne… how’s the family?”
**
Jonathan Randall was unsure of why Harry had called an important meeting on the Friday before Bank Holiday. September was just around the corner, and most employees had already taken off early to enjoy the last long weekend of the summer.
Since joining Cloak & Dagger, Jonathan had wanted for nothing. He moved his elderly, ailing grandmother to the UK when he came over for his position as Head of the Charms department, and since then used his pay checks to give his grandmother a good life for her final days.
Jonathan himself enjoyed several vacations, nice cars and electronics to play with, and loved his work. The Chatter System was his design, his brainchild, and Harry loved it. He had received a large bonus for the completion of the project, and his name was almost exclusively attached to the product.
He would never get that at any other company.
Jonathan was, though, a loyal employee at Cloak & Dagger and over the years, grown to appreciate and call his coworkers “friends,” including his paranoid and mysterious boss, Harry Houdini. Often, the other six employees hired at the same time as Jonathan would get together for drinks and dinner and speculate on Harry, and who he was-especially after admitting Houdini was not his real name.
In the end, it didn’t matter. Cloak & Dagger paid well, and bestowed excellent bonuses upon its employees and treated them well. Of the original seven, none were inclined to leave. Ever.
This made Jonathan confused as to why Harry would call a meeting after 4pm on the Friday of a long weekend. He was an excellent boss, and was always conscientious of holidays and time off. He never called anyone in after hours or on weekends to complete products, and never lost his cool on an employee or house elf.
Shrugging mentally, Jonathan met Yui as they left their offices, and together they walked toward the main boardroom.
“Any idea what this is about?” he asked his coworker.
Yui shrugged her shoulders, her long black hair shimming under the office lights. “No clue,” she replied. “I gave in my report on my product last week and he was pleased with it, so I doubt it’s to do with anything we’re doing.”
“Strange,” answered Jonathan.
They met up with Piers and Edith soon enough, and entered the same boardroom they were hired in, years ago. They took seats and pulled out their notepads. Sebastian, Camilla and Justine entered the room soon enough; Sebastian was the only one of the group who still used quills to write with, and set his inkpot out within easy reach.
Remus entered next, and took his spot next to Harry’s seat.
“Thanks for coming,” he said, first. Everyone turned their attention to him. “Harry will be here in a minute, but I wanted to say a few words first.”
He took a deep breath, as if steadying himself. Jonathan shared an uneasy look with Yui and Justine, as the youngest in the company at their level. Did they have competition? Had someone stolen their ideas? Was Cloak & Dagger bankrupt?
Remus ran his hands through his hair, causing more unease to spread throughout the room. Remus Lupin never looked frazzled.
Finally, the man looked up at the group. “Harry has called you in here to discuss something incredibly important to him. I know you’re uneasy-” here, he gave a wry smile. Everyone in the room knew he was a werewolf and could sense their emotions to a degree “-but my first note of importance is to say that this meeting has nothing to do with Cloak & Dagger. The company is fine, your jobs are still secure and we still don’t have to worry about competitors.”
Jonathan was not the only one in the room who let out an audible sigh of relief.
“What is this about then, Remus?” asked Camilla, frowning.
Remus scratched his cheek. “It’s about Harry, his past, and what it means to the future of the company. What happened to Harry is what drove him to create Cloak & Dagger in the first place. Nearly every product you’ve ever made is directly related to his past and, well, his future.”
Edith frowned. “Is Mr. Houdini ill, Mr. Lupin?”
“No,” laughed Remus, “But he’d be pleased that you asked, Edith. No-Harry’s fine. It’s really his story to tell, and I hope that once you know it, you’ll understand why he’s done things this way. I know his past, and know him very well. I can’t say that even I agreed with everything he’s done, but I can understand the purpose behind his reasoning. I just hope that you’ll listen to him with an open mind… and please,” finished Remus, as he stood to leave, “Please… remember that everything he’s telling you is the truth. Harry’s never once lied to any of you, from the beginning. Remember that.”
Remus left the boardroom and the seven original employees frowned at his departure.
There was some muttering between them, but finally the door opened again and Harry stepped in. Jonathan took the time to closely look at his boss.
Harry no longer looked like a spry, young twenty-something out to conquer the world. When he first started the company, he had been a scrawny, tough twenty-seven year old with only a few wrinkles around his eyes, and a stern disposition. He always dressed nicely, from the start, but now Jonathan could see differences.
At thirty-five, despite magical users aging slower than non-magicals, Harry looked his age. He looked good-distinguished, classic-but he looked like he was in his thirties. His hair was still cut stylishly, but Jonathan could see the beginnings of premature grey at his temples. His eyes were still the bright emerald, but there were more lines at the corners and fatigue bags under his eyes. His glasses, however, hid most of that.
What struck Jonathan were the stress lines around his mouth, and his current wardrobe: nice shoes, but designer jeans and a much-loved argyle sweater vest and button-up underneath. Jonathan had never seen Harry in anything but power suits in his entire time at Cloak & Dagger.
“Harry?” asked Justine, her voice pitching up at the end in concern. Clearly, everyone was just as distressed as Jonathan was, by what they were seeing.
Harry smiled tightly at his employees, and sat heavily down in his chair at the end of the boardroom table. “Thanks for staying, everyone. I know most of you have plans and want to get home to family, but there is something I’ve been wanting to talk to you about for some time now. I’ve been thinking about it for ages, and finally decided that now is the best time to tell you.
“That being said, I want you to know that I’m not speaking to you at this moment as your boss,” he said, looking each of them in the eye and holding their surprised gaze for a few moments. “I want to speak to you as-hopefully-your friend.”
Oh boy, thought Jonathan, this was going to be one of those earth-shattering talks, wasn’t it?
“I know for several years you’ve been wondering about me. You’ve always know that Houdini wasn’t my real last name, but you’ve never questioned me on it, or questioned me on our products, or need for secrecy. I think it’s beyond time that you learn who I am, and why I created Cloak & Dagger,” began Harry slowly, looking at his hands on the table top.
“Harry…” began Edith slowly, in her Welsh accent, “Love, is everything alright? Are you… are you in danger? Ill?”
Harry bestowed Edith with a beaming, loving smile. “Oh, Edith, thank you so much. But no, I’m not ill. And… while the answer to the first question is maybe… well… you’ll see in a moment.”
Jonathan felt a tickle of sweat travel down his temple and into his shirt collar.
“What’s the best way to begin? Well, the beginning is always good, so I’ll start firstly on the most important night of my life, when I found out that my wife and mother-in-law were involved in a conspiracy against me and my wife tried to, well, kill me I suppose,” began Harry slowly, captivating everyone in the boardroom.
“But before we get into that, I think I’ll start with my name,” said Harry firmly, looking up from his hands. “My name is Harry James Potter, and when I was twenty-seven, I learned that I had been ingesting love potions since the age of fifteen by Molly and Ginny Weasley…”
**
Camilla was standing beside the barrier of Platform 9 ¾ on September 1st, at ten-fifteen in the morning. She just said goodbye to her son, Hunter, who was starting his second year at Hogwarts in Ravenclaw. She was now waiting for Harry Potter, to guide him onto the platform without incidents.
She and Hunter had been introduced to the famous Boy-Who-Lived the night before, at his estate in Brecon. Her boss and Remus Lupin, as a method for aiding Harry through into the magical world with ease instead of confusion, had engineered this.
Hunter and Harry got on well enough, and her son promised that he would keep an eye on the boy without drawing suspicion on himself or Harry.
Meanwhile, while Hunter was getting reacquainted with his friends, Camilla spent her time counting down to ten-thirty and reflecting back on her Friday meeting with her Cloak & Dagger boss, Harry “Houdini.”
When looking back on the topic of the conversation, she realised that it was obvious that Harry Houdini was really Harry Potter-especially now that she had seen the younger version. Although much older and jaded, for good enough reason, Camilla could easily see the similarities between the two, while Jonathan easily saw the differences.
Piers was the only one of the group who demanded a Wizard’s Oath from Harry that he had been telling the truth-which the man admitted he thought Piers would want and complied. As he didn’t lose his magic after the Oath, everyone was convinced. The question was how would they take and where would they go from there?
For Camilla, it was a no-brainer. Cloak & Dagger appeared at just the right time to save her from starvation and possibly prostitution and gave her and her son a chance of having financial security and a position of power. Camilla would be forever grateful for Harry for the opportunity and didn’t plan to let him down now that she knew his past and history.
To say she and the others were furious at what they discovered was an understatement. After Harry’s Oath, the wizard murmured his goodnights and left his star employees in the boardroom to retreat to his office. Camilla was sure he expected resignations on his desk by Monday morning.
Instead, the seven employees decided to go out for dinner like they normally did, and ended up at Piers’s home in Scotland. For most of the evening, they vented, they ranted, they debated and argued, and consumed far too much alcohol to help ease the confusion and anger of Harry’s revelations.
But in the twilight, they had all come to the same conclusions: whatever Harry was doing with his products, and how he was doing it, they were okay with it. Remus might warn them that the road Harry was on could be rocky and lead very quickly down a spiralled path to Hell, but Camilla understood. If it had been her, or God forbid, her son in Harry’s position…
Knowing that Cloak & Dagger was racing against a ticking clock meant that everyone wanted to prove to Harry that they were capable of completing the projects he required to set the final stage. He couldn’t do it alone though, of that the seven were sure.
As Camilla waited, she spotted a familiar figure winding their way through the crowd to the barrier where she stood. The figure was short, tiny, with a head of bushy hair, and protectively tucked between two parents. Camilla felt a smile tug at her lips. Hermione Granger, she thought. One of the names on Harry’s list.
Camilla’s smile turned into a frown as she considered the names. Most were unknown to her-but a few she knew. The ones she knew of-Kingsley Shacklebolt, Hestia Jones, Remus Lupin-were either people she worked with or people she knew through contacts at the Ministry through Cloak & Dagger. They were prominent people, witches and wizards of distinction and Camilla’s frown deepened at the implication.
Harry indicated that Ginny mentioned a greater plan that Dumbledore had in mind-which led the group to believe that if Dumbledore was willing to send a 60-year-old Harry Potter back in time after discovering the truth, while their world was at peace, then the man had some greater master plan than Harry could even figure out at the moment. Piers was on the case, for sure, and Justine, Jonathan and herself were going to do whatever they could to find the spell as well as research more on Horcruxes now. Yet, it didn’t change Camilla’s thoughts on the matter.
The children Dumbledore’s plan affected ruined their lives, whether they knew it or not. They had no free will or power to go against the man. From Harry’s explanations, his best friend had lived a loveless marriage and lost her two closest supporters, her parents, in the aftermath of the war.
Family was important. Camilla’s destroyed her after her brief relationship with a non-magical that resulted in her son; yet she found a new family that she cared far more for. Whether it was ties of blood, or ties of friendship, whatever pulled her boss’s, Harry’s, family together meant that they were important to the Cloak & Dagger employees too.
Hermione’s parents looked harassed and frazzled, unsure if they should let their daughter go. Camilla understood that, very well.
“-You need to go again?” asked Hermione’s father as they got close to Camilla.
“Platform 9 and ¾,” replied Hermione steadily, her eyes shining brightly with excitement.
Her mother frowned. “I’m not entirely sure where that is, and I don’t like the idea of you going off alone…”
Camilla felt she should interfere. Besides, it was still five to ten-thirty; Remus was due to drop Harry off until then. And if he met Hermione first, then all the better. At least he’d have a friend.
“Sorry, I couldn’t help overhearing. The train to Hogwarts is just through that stone barrier,” interrupted Camilla, pointing at the wall she had been standing against.
“Through that barrier?” asked Hermione’s father, aghast.
Camilla smiled gently. “I know it sounds strange, but that is the magical world for you,” she revealed. “While non-magicals can’t go through the barrier, I can direct you so that you know in the future where your daughter needs to go and how to get there easily enough.”
“Are you a professor?” asked Hermione, eagerly.
“No,” answered Camilla, shaking her head. “I’m waiting for a friend to drop a new student off. My son’s already onboard the Hogwarts Express. He was more eager to greet his friends than say goodbye to his mum.”
Hermione’s parents smiled at this, and Hermione nodded. Camilla decided to press her luck. “Would you like to wait until my friend drops his ward by, so that you have someone to sit with on the train?”
Hermione’s expression was like a lightbulb being turned on-her entire face lit up with the prospect of meeting someone new, and making a friend-but then just as quickly, her face fell.
“No one really likes me that much,” she mumbled, inching closer to her parents, who shared a concerned look between them.
Camilla’s heart went out to the girl. Harry had told them everything-his entire story and what he knew of his friends’ past-and Camilla knew that Hermione had difficultly making friends because of her insecurities and need to be pathologically correct. The new mini-Harry would break her of that soon enough, Camilla was sure, but maybe the girl needed a push?
“Pfft, don’t say that,” dismissed Camilla. “Harry’s non-magically raised and doesn’t know anyone either. He’s been reading his books since he received them at Diagon Alley, and I’m sure he’d love to talk to someone else about them.”
Hermione gave a hesitant smile, and Camilla’s attention was turned to the arrival of Remus and little Harry.
Remus approached the group, glancing questioningly at the Grangers, and turned to Camilla with a raised eyebrow. She smiled instead, and then greeted the little Harry.
“Hello Harry,” she said, extending her hand. The boy shook it, his own emerald eyes bright and alert. “Ready for Hogwarts?”
“Oh yeah,” he grinned. “I’ve read all my books twice, and even read Hogwarts: A History. Remus suggested it.”
A squeak of surprise escaped Hermione’s mouth and everyone turned to look at her. “You’ve read Hogwarts: A History?”
“Yeah, it was great,” answered Harry.
“What did you think of chapter thirty-four, on the moving staircases and hidden doors…?”
“Worried! What about the room that only shows up every third Tuesday on Lunar eclipses?”
The two new Hogwarts students began chattering away, leaving the adults sighing gratefully for different reasons. Camilla finally introduced Remus to the Grangers, and then suggested she take Hermione and Harry onto the Platform so they could find a seat-and soon. The Weasleys would be arriving in moments and she wanted to avoid them as long as possible.
Remus and Harry said their goodbyes, just as Hermione did with her parents.
Remus watched as Camilla led the two young friends onto the Platform, talking over each other constantly and so involved in their discussion they didn’t notice the stone barrier they walked through.
Mrs. Granger sighed beside Remus.
“Worried?” he asked her.
“It’ll be Christmas when we see her again,” she revealed. “She’ll have changed so much. And we won’t get to see it.”
Remus nodded. “It is an issue, and I too feel that with Harry. His parents and I were great friends but with their deaths awhile back I didn’t get a chance to see Harry much.”
“How come?” asked Mr. Granger.
“He was moved to a foster family that I had no knowledge of. It was only recently that we met again,” revealed Remus, careful to give an abridged version. “I’ve already missed so much of his childhood that it’s hard to realise I’ll miss even more now.”
Both Grangers nodded sagely, but Mrs. Granger continued: “Owl Post is very confusing. Do you know anything about it?”
Remus nodded. “I was raised a Pureblood, so I can give you more information about the magical world, if you’d like. Since leaving Hogwarts, though, I’ve been working predominantly in the non-magical world, if you haven’t noticed yet.” He laughed and motioned at his suit and tie ensemble.
The Grangers smiled and Mr. Granger indicated that he would be inclined to learn more.
Remus smiled. Contact! “In that case, let me hand you my business card. Feel free to ring me at the office at any time. I’d be more than happy to answer your questions, or meet up with you for further discussions.”
“Thank you,” replied Mr. Granger, taking the business card. Remus nodded his goodbye, and disapparated on the spot. Within seconds, a large family of redheads appeared around the corner, chatting loudly about “Platform 9 and ¾,” “Muggles,” and “being crowded.”
The Grangers left, ready to head back to their quiet home. Mrs. Granger finally looked at the card her husband gave her as he slid into the driver’s seat of their car, and read the stylish script on the thick, cream card.
“Remus J. Lupin, Vice President, Cloak & Dagger Inc.” On the back were a telephone number and fax, as well as a slogan: It’s elementary, my dear.
Mrs. Granger felt her lips twist into a smile. Perhaps she and her husband should set up a dinner meeting with Mr. Lupin? Their meeting and discussion might prove to be educational…
**
Hermione’s name was called and Harry let go of her hand, after giving it a squeeze and wishing her, “good luck!”
He stood by himself, with an empty space where Hermione stood and a tall, skinny boy with blue eyes and very dark brown hair. He remained silent, never speaking to Harry or anyone else, so Harry wasn’t too concerned with him.
Professor McGonagall placed the Sorting Hat on Hermione’s head. After a minute or two, the hat shouted its decision: “GRYFFINDOR!”
Harry clapped along with the house, glad Hermione got into the house she wanted. A few other names were called: Jones, Longbottom, Malfoy, Moon, Nott… then Parkinson, and Patil, and finally Potter…
Harry blocked out the mutters and calls from the other students. A month alone with a bunch of house elves for company, a large family library at the Potter estate, and frequent visits from his parents’ friend, Remus Lupin, prepared Harry for life at Hogwarts. He knew he was famous, even if he disliked it. He knew that people would expect things from him, and he disliked that even more.
But that didn’t matter. He was about to be sorted!
“Hmmm, a great mind, if not a little lazy at times. Oh, what’s this?” the hat murmured here or there, poking and prodding at Harry’s psyche and dreams and desires, and finally made a decision after a spooky talk about how Harry could be great.
“Are you sure? You could be great you know, it’s all their in your head and Slytherin could help you on your way to greatness,” the Hat stated.
“No,” replied Harry mentally, firmly.
“Very well. Better be,” the Hat announced its decision: “GRYFFINDOR!”
The red-and-gold table clapped and banged their goblets, and Hermione inched over so there was a spot free between her and Neville Longbottom.
Harry grinned, and thought: this is going to be fantastic!
**
Next: Part Three