Notes:  set during fourth year after it's all done.  Jai Velazquez gave me the idea to do a childhood story set in Harry Potter.  Not quite like the other childhood stories.

Harry Potter, semi-special student and young wizard, woke up and blinked.  There was something off in his room.  Either one of the other boys in his dorm was cooing in his sleep or one of the girls had snuck in again to coo at them while they were sleeping.  He opened his curtains and looked around.  No girls.  Most of the boys were asleep, though he could hear Neville up and in the bathroom.  The cooing took on a happier sound so he checked the windows.  No strange birds or floating girls out there.  He looked at the next logical spot.  No floating girls on the ceiling watching them sleep - which was nice, the last one had stuck herself to the ceiling and it had taken six days to get her down.  He looked around his bed, nothing.  He looked beside his bed and the nicest pair of brown eyes stared back at him then the baby cooed.  "What are you?" he asked, looking confused.  He heard the bathroom door open.  "Neville?"  He came over to stare at the baby.  "Can you maybe wake up Ron and then go find ...someone?"  The other boy slowly stepped backward until he got to Ron's bed then shook the frame until their friend woke up, then he went running from the room.

"Why did Neville wake me?" Ron whined from his bed, opening his curtains.  Harry opened his and motioned him over so he flopped across Harry's bed so he could look where he was.  "Hello," he said, blinking.  The baby cooed back.  "You're adorable."  He picked him up.

"Ron, are you sure...."

"I don't think it's anything other than a baby, Harry.  Most creatures turn into scary things and babies are only a little bit scary.  You can ask Hermione later though."  He looked at the baby.  "Where did you come from then?"

Harry shrugged.  "His cooing at something woke me up."  Someone stomped in.  "I thought the stork was a myth here too," he complained dryly.  The baby giggled at that.

"It is," Ron assured him.  "Mum said if the stork brought us, she'd have more of us and would've had less pain having us."  He held up the baby to the old caretaker of the castle, making him back away and go pale.  "It's only a baby."  He turned and fled.  "Neville?" he called, making him peek in.  "Go get Ginny up and then McGonagall."  He nodded, going to do that.  He looked at the baby again.  "So, how did you get here?"

Harry shrugged.  "Not a clue."  He looked at the baby, who smiled at him.  "You're adorable.  Are you thinking really hard?"

Ron wrinkled his nose.  "No, that's not what he's doing.  Another good reason to get Ginny up.  She's *so* much better at nappies than I am when the cousins come over for a visit."  Ginny ran in.  "Slow up.  Little one.  Making *that* face."  He handed him over.  "There you go.  He was beside Harry's bed."

"Aren't you adorable!" she cooed, taking him into the bathroom.  "Ron, do we have any butt cloths?"

He looked in the carrier, then shook his head.  "Nope.  No note either."  McGonagall stormed in.  "Ginny needs a nappie.  He was...thinking."  She went that way and came back pale.  "So, who went missing one?" he asked, looking amused.  For people who dealt with children all day every day both adults who had seen him were freaking out in a very good show.  He looked at Harry.  "Go floo Pomfrey?  The old girl might have some since this one's frozen in shock."  Harry nodded, going to do that, finding Neville doing that.  The nurse nearly ran him over before he could get back up there.  Ron smirked at him, taking the baby once Ginny had swatted the nurse and changed the diaper.  "There, better, little one?"

"He's a boy, his name's Tim, it's written on his chest," Ginny reported.  "On his back it says the mother couldn't deal with it."  She smirked at Harry.  "She must've been cute.  He's absolutely precious."

"I've never even kissed a girl yet, Ginny."  Both adults stared at him.  "I haven't!" he defended.  "There's nothing wrong with that at my age!  I'd surely remember having sex with someone as well!"

Ginny giggled.  "Maybe she found something of yours and did a potion then.  Stranger things have happened.  We *are* wizards," she said dryly.  She took the baby back.  "Get dressed, you two.  Meet me in the Common Room in ten.  He shouldn't have to...."  Ron took him back.  "Hey!  I was going to bring him to Hermione."

"He doesn't need to see that many naked girls.  It might warp him," Ron complained.  "We'll meet you down there with him."  She huffed off, muttering about Ron becoming like their mother.  "Take that back!" he called after her.  He looked at Harry.  "Clothes?"

"Clothes," he agreed, grabbing some and heading into the bathroom to change. He came out and took the baby carefully, smiling at him when he got comfortable in his arms.  "Well, that'll work for now," he decided, walking downstairs with him once his shoes were on and he had his wand in his pocket.  Hermione nearly ran him over this time.  "Easy!"

"Sorry.  What's this about a...  Baby," she cooed, taking him to hold.

"Thanks, arms were getting tired.  I woke up and he was beside me.  He's got a note written on him."  The two older females came down before Ron did.  "Can we see if he's healthy?"  The nurse took him and sat down with him to perform the checks over him.  He looked at his head of house.  "How did she get him in here?"

"I have no clue but I'll be finding out," she assured him.  "Then we'll be talking!"  She stomped off.

"Not like I'm going to be sending him to the Dursleys," Harry said once she was gone.  He took his baby back from the nurse.  "He good?"

"He's just fine, Harry."  She smiled.  "We'll figure it out.  Don't let anyone railroad you."

"Oh, I don't plan on it," he promised, looking at Hermione.  "Brekkie?"

"Food is probably a good idea.  Is he old enough to have mush?" she asked the nurse, who nodded.  "Then I'm sure oatmeal should be fine as long as you don't load it down like Dean does."  She got up and followed Harry out like a guard, walking them down to the Great Hall.  They sat down and the other students in there all stared.

"The stork delivered him to my bedside," Harry announced with a grin.  "Not a clue how he got in otherwise."  He looked at the table.  "Dobby?" he called quietly.  The house elf appeared, looking happy, squealing at the baby.  "How did he get in?"

"Mistress Mean One bringed him, Harry Potter sir," he said happily.  "She is being saying so."  He patted the baby's hand.  "Dobby will get baby food."  He disappeared and came back a minute later with some plain oatmeal and a bit of mushed up fruit.  "There, that should be good for baby Harry Potter.  You is being eating," Dobby told the baby.  "It's good for baby Harry Potter."

"His name is Timmy," Harry told him.  "It's written on him."

"What Mistress Mean One?" Hermione asked.  Dobby covered his ears and left.  "Well!"

Harry shrugged.  "We'll find out I'm sure."  He sipped his juice with one hand then spooned up a bit of the oatmeal, letting the baby suck it off the end of the spoon.  "That's good, right?"  The baby spit half of it back out.  "Don't blame you, it has no taste. Still have to eat it."  He wiped it off with the spoon and fed it to him, then some of the fruit.  That got a loud pitched squeal.  "Ah, good, we like that," he said happily, letting him have more.

"What the bloody hell is that noise?" Draco Malfoy said as he stomped in.  He stopped when he saw the addition to the table.  "A baby?  Here?"

"He got dropped off by someone who said he's Harry's," Hermione said with a smug look.  "He's already becoming an *excellent* father."  Draco sniffed then stomped off to inform his head of house.  "Good riddance.  Can I?"  Harry swatted her hands and finished feeding him the fruit, giving him some oatmeal every few bites so he'd eat it too.  When both bowls were empty he handed him over.  "That's fine then.  We'll snuggle up and you can watch me eat while Daddy has some of his own," she said with a smile for him.  The baby beamed back and belched on her shirt.  "Well, that's nasty."   She wiped it off and did a cleaning charm.  "Better.  You?" she asked with a smile.  The baby smiled back.   "He does like me."

"I....  I guess he does," Harry agreed, not mentioning that his son had just vomited on her.  He wasn't sure that meant he liked her or not.   He only puked on people he didn't like if he had the choice.  Maybe that was a baby thing instead of a boy thing.  He ate quickly and took him back, watching the teachers stomp in together.  "Hurry up," Harry said quietly.  She made a sandwich of her breakfast and followed him out when they all stared at him.  "I know, the office," he sighed.  "Not like I'm sure how he came to be since I haven't slept with anyone."

"It means you're a really potent wizard, mate," Ron called as he walked past him.  "Only had to look at her and she wanted you badly enough to instantly get preggers from a look."

"Mr. Weasley!" McGongall chided. "That is impossible!"

"Then you explain it," he snorted, taking the baby back.  "Come on, let's eat and let the adults talk for a bit."

"He just ate some fruit and oatmeal," Harry told him.

"Even better.  Neville!"  He came jogging up behind him.  "Come help me guard the little one here from the Slytherins while the adults talk."  That got a nod and they walked back into the Great Hall, earning a shocked look. "Babysitting while Harry deals with the Headmaster.  One's gonna end up yelling and it's not something he needs to hear."  Ginny came in, followed by his big brothers the twins, who were looking furious.  "Not mine!"

"We..."

"Heard," they said.  They sat on each side of him with his sister across from him.

"Did he eat yet?" Ginny asked.

"Harry said he had some mush and some fruit."

"Oh, good," she said happily.  "Now we need to work on a bottle."  She looked at a cup and filled it with milk, warming it a bit before her brothers took it and transformed it together.  "That'll work."  She took the baby to hold and eat.  "Learned it from Auntie."

"You and Mum both," Ron said dryly.  "I can hold him."

"Eat, Ron.  It's going to be a long day," one of the twins advised.

"Meetings with Mum and Dad, the Ministry, all sorts of yelling folk," the other agreed.

"Dobby?" Ron called.  He appeared, cooing at the baby.  "Any idea how he got next to Harry's bed?"

"Mistress Mean One brought him to Harry Potter.  Mistress Mean One was smiling and cooing at the baby, Harry's Weasy.  Mistress Mean One more scary than usual when she coos.  It nearly scared Dobby this time."  He disappeared again.

They looked at the twins.  "Any idea?" Ron asked.

They both nodded and got up.  "We'll be back.  Guard him."  They headed up to the office, finding some shouting.  "We have a clue,"one shouted.

Everyone stared at him.  "We talked to Dobby," the other said.

"He said Mistress..."

"Mean One brought him," they finished.

The Headmaster groaned.  "A vengeance demon, here?" Snape demanded.  "Why on earth....   What did Potter do to draw one?" he demanded of the twins.

"Probably nothing," McGonagall said dryly.  "If she was dropping off the baby and Harry hasn't had sex yet, then that means she's probably taking it from someone who shouldn't have his child."  She looked at the headmaster.  "We still have to report him, Albus.  He's much too young."

"If he's mine, he's staying with me," Harry said from his seat in the corner.  They all glared at him.  "Bugger off."  He stood up.  "I'm not sending him to the blasted arseholes who had me.  I'm sorry, I don't want him killed by them."

"What about the war?" Dumbledore said gently.

Harry stared at him then at McGonagall.  "I'm going to go sit with my son now before I lose my temper.  While I'm gone, can you please point out that I'm not the *only* one fighting this war?   Or why I'm not sending him there?  No social worker would *ever* send a baby there.  Not even when they were charmed to keep me there."  He walked off.  "Fred, George, can you yell on my behalf?  I'll send Ron to swear for me.  He does it better."  He went down to the Great Hall, taking his son back.  "Ron, go swear for me?" he asked nicely.  Ron nodded, going to do that.  He took his spot and sat down, looking at the sleeping baby.  "Can someone please bring me his carrier?" he asked politely.  "Got my hands a bit full and he's ready to nap."  One of the seventh year girls did that for him.  "Thank you."  He put him into it and walked him off, taking him outside to Hagrid's hut.  "Hagrid?"  He looked over, then gaped in awe.  "Yes, he's mine.  Somehow.  They're all yelling in the office.  Can I use your floo?"

"Sure 'Arry.  Go right ahead.  He's an adorable little one."

"Everyone seems to think that," he said happily, heading into the oversized hut.  He tossed in a bit of powder.  "The Burrow."  Molly Weasley's head popped up.  He held up the baby.  "Dobby said a Mistress Mean One dropped him off for me last night.  I'm letting Ron swear in my place at the headmaster at the moment.  Would you please come help?  I think they're lacking some sense.  They wanted to send him to the Dursleys."

"I'll be right there, Harry.  You wait on me."

"I'm at Hagrid's.  He doesn't need to hear that sort of language.  That's why I sent Ron."

She smiled.  "You just wait there."  Her head disappeared and she called her husband.  "Arthur."  His head appeared in her fireplace.  "Dear, a vengeance demon dropped off a baby for Harry last night.  They're trying to send him to the Dursleys.  Harry's letting Ron swear in his place while he holds his son."

"I'll be right up there with the proper authorities, Molly.  You keep the poor boy calm."  His head disappeared and he called someone up the hall and two floors down.  "Department of Mysteries, Brian Tallhook."  A sour-faced, dark skinned, Italian man appeared with greasy short, black hair.  "A vengeance demon dropped off a baby at Hogwarts last night."  The man scowled.  "She gave him to Harry Potter."

"Blast!"  The fire around his head went up higher and brighter.  "I'll be right there.  The baby?"

"With his father I'd imagine.  Molly said Harry's letting my son Ron swear at someone in his place so the baby's ears aren't singed.  They're probably trying to make him send the baby to his relatives."

"I'll be damned.  Join me there, Arthur."  He disappeared and gathered three people to go with him.  One of them an auror.  She could do the official paperwork, make sure everything was in order, and no one was going to block her access.  He came out of the floo in the office, the other two behind him, Arthur a moment behind them. "The baby?" he demanded coolly.

"Who called you?" McGonagall complained.

"Molly," Arthur told her.  "Harry did the right thing in calling her.  You know very well vengeance demons are covered by the Department of Mysteries.  Now, where is Harry?  We need to make sure of what she did to him."

"In Hagrid's hut," Ron told him.  "I saw him hiking down there through the window, Dad."  He looked at the others.  "I've held him, Ginny's held him, the nurse checked him, Harry and Hermione have held him.  Neville may have for a second."  That got a nod and they checked him over, and the twins just in case, leaving them alone to go hunt down the boy and his son to make sure they were fine.  He looked at his father and smirked.  "I'm here to swear at them for stupidity.   You wanna help?"

"Oh, I intend to," he assured him, clapping him on the back.  "There is no way you are sending a precious child to those muggle bastards, Albus.  Not with how they've mistreated Harry for so long.  I won't have *this* one locked in a cupboard for daring to think!"  He went pale.  "Am I clear?"

"There may be...."

Ron shook his head.  "Mum would gladly take the baby in if we had to," Ron reminded him.  Both twins nodded.  He looked at them.  "Get Mum?"

"I don't think we need that level of screaming yet," Arthur assured him.  "Thank you, boys.  Go guard Harry?"  They headed off to do that and he looked at the teachers again.  "If they brought the boy here, there's got to be a reason."

"Especially since Harry's still a virg, Dad," Ron said dryly.

His father looked at him.  "Then how did the baby...."  Ron shrugged.  "I see.  Then perhaps there's a greater reason here."  He looked at the headmaster.  "Leave the child alone, Albus.  And his father."  He walked Ron off to go see the baby, smiling at the cooing boy who was floating a piece of stone for his amusement while the adults talked to Harry.  "Any idea who his parents were originally?"  They all paused.

The auror looked at Harry. "You didn't sleep with his mother?"

"I haven't even kissed a girl yet," he said grimly.   "I thought for a second the stork was real."

"Damn it," Tallhook said, going to run his wand over the baby again.  The baby screamed and Harry came over to take him.  "I'm not hurting him.  I'm only looking at his health, Harry," he said calmly.  Harry scowled at him.  "You can hold him.  I'll need to scan you as well."  He did it again, then Harry, then looked at Arthur.  "You're right.  Whoever got the vengeance demon down did make sure he was Harry's son."  He looked at him.  "He's yours."

"I figured as much with the writing on him.  Who's his mother?"

The man looked then shrugged.  "Won't matter.  The vengeance demon took him out of harm's way while she dealt with her, son."  Harry gaped.  "She's in vengeance, Harry.  She was called for a reason."

"Death Eater?" Ron asked.  They all stared at him.  "Not like we haven't seen a few."

The auror looked then nodded.  "Suspected.  That would probably be why she had *Harry's* son."  She gave him a look.  "We'll figure it out."

"He's not going with my aunt," Harry said firmly.  "I don't care how, he's not.  I won't have him hurt or possibly killed."

"Good," the auror agreed.  "Let's go talk to the idiot in charge."  Arthur coughed a bit at that.  "He may be a great man but he's still a man and he's still a hidebound arse at times."  She walked him back up there, coughing to get the attention.  "His mother was a former death eater," she announced.  They all gaped.  "He's right, the boy's not going to his Aunt's ever again and neither is the baby.  Since she had him without Harry's cooperation, he's his and only his.  This gets him around some very odd laws at the moment.  We'll be arranging things."  She walked the boy out with the baby, smirking at him.  "They'll come yelling in a few," she assured him.  She walked him back outside. "Told 'em.  They're not happy."  A window blew out in the office and they all stared.

Harry shrugged. "I've done worse than that," he said grimly, looking at Ron and Arthur.  "I have no idea what I'm doing."

"We can help with that.  We've had a bit of experience," Ron promised with a grin.

"Just a..."

"Bit," the twins agreed dryly.

Ron smirked. "I let Ginny change him earlier since she's so much better at it than I am."

His father patted him on the back.  "We'll let you all help him, that way you know what we went through and you're a bit ready when yours come," he said happily, taking the baby to hold.  "There, now, Timmy.  Are you feeling better?"  The baby beamed at him and bopped him on the cheek with a tiny fist.  "Good coordination, lad.  We'll see what we can do for you today."   Professor Snape stormed out.  "Severus, are they done talking?"

"They're trying to do what's best for the child," he said coolly.

Harry took off his shirt.  "How is the baby getting scars like these best for him?" Harry shot back coldly.  He got a horrified look.  "The baby leaves my sight by my permission and my permission only.  I don't care if I have to drop out of school and go work muggle fast food!"  Snape stepped back so Harry put back on his shirt, calming himself down.  "They can like it or not," Harry told him.  "I don't bloody well care at the moment.  If he's my son, he's my son and he's staying with me."

"I'll inform him you said that," Snape said, taking another step back.  He looked at Tallhook.  "He's been examined?"

"Yes and the demon didn't do much to him.  Made sure they were reunited mostly."  That got a nod and Severus stomped off again.  "I forgot how good he was at huffing off like a girl," he said dryly.

Arthur coughed then looked at him.  "I dare you to say that to his face, Brian."

"Have in the past.  Half the time his robes look like a dress anyway.  Prim little school marm."

Ron shuddered and rubbed his eyes.  "I have mental images I don't want," he complained, walking off in another direction. "Hagrid, can something eat me so I don't have to see Snape as a girl anymore?" he whined.

Arthur shook his head.  "Sometimes Ron is just like his mother."  The gong rang to start the school day.  "We should probably get out of harm's way.  What do you have first, Harry?"

"Hagrid.  Hey, Hagrid, for obvious reasons I'm going to be out of class today," he called.  "You can see the baby at lunch."  That got a beam and a nod.  Harry looked at the adults.  "Do we go up to the office and stop the scheming?"  He looked around.  "Weren't there three of you that came with Mr. Weasley?"

Mr. Tallhook smirked.  "He's still in the office and he's told me what's being said.  We need to go to the Ministry for a bit, Harry."

"As long as they don't send him to my aunt."

"There's no way we'd let that happen," Arthur assured him.  He gave him a pat.  "Come on.  Portkey?"

"Are they safe for babies?" Harry asked.

"They are," Arthur assured him.  They walked further down to the barrier around the school and took off using the baby's blanket as the portkey.  They headed up to the Minister's office, getting the secretary to call a few others.  Then they walked in, Harry with the baby again.  "Ah, Cornelius."   Minister for Magic Fudge gaped at them then at the baby, starting to splutter.  "A vengeance demon brought him to Harry last night for his own safety.  He's Harry's son."  He sat down with Harry beside him and the baby cooing at the others who rushed in, though he did slam the door in front of one of them.  He smiled at the boy.  "That's not nice.  You can react in other ways, Timothy."  She walked in and shut the door behind her.  He smiled at the woman.  "His mother was a former death eater we missed in the last war."

"There's no such thing," she started.

Harry glared at her.  Then snorted.  "Yeah, and I'm Mary Poppins."   He looked at his son again, making him smile.  "You'll be just fine, Tim.  We'll get along very well and it'll be great."

"You're too young," she complained.

Arthur pulled his wand.  "Do not come near the child."  She backed off.  He looked at the others that had been called.  "Well?  It's your show, Brian."

"It is."  He looked around.  "We've tested the baby.  A vengeance demon by the name of Anyanka brought him for some reason.  She's over women scorned usually.  No idea why she deviated yet."

Harry coughed.  "Anyanka?  Can I have a word?  It's about the baby you brought me?" he called.  It seemed like the sensible course of action to him.  She appeared and smiled.  "They want to know why and who the mother was and how he came to be?  Please?  I'd like to know as well."

She kissed him on the head.  "I'm doing a favor for one of the others, Harry.  Simple pick up and delivery."  She smiled at the Minister, then at the huffing woman.  "You're one of us but I don't know in what department."  That got some horrified looks then she shrugged.  "Oh, well."  She smiled at Mr. Tallhook.  "Nice to see you again."

"You as well.  Favor for who?"

"Favor for a few.  This one's got a very bright future."   She laid a hand on his forehead to show him.  "She had him brought into being," she said quietly, letting him see how the witch had called him back to life to start over again.  "No idea why yet but very odd and we had to interrupt since it's such a bad thing.  There's another one but he's safer where he is."  She stepped back, smiling at him.  "So when they went to stop her plotting for power they asked me to bring the poor little one to Harry since she made him the father."

"He didn't do it naturally?" Fudge asked.

"No, someone stole something of his," she said dryly.  She looked at him again.  "Now, up to you and all but I can hear Hallie getting interested in this one.  Hallie?"   She appeared behind Harry.  "Since that's all I can tell them, you can work from here."  She smiled and disappeared.

Hallie looked at the same woman her best friend had accused, then around the room.  "Hmm, three of you in here.  Interesting."  She looked at Harry.  "Harry, do you know how vengeance demons work?"

"Hermione mentioned you once but she never said how," he admitted, looking up at her.  "How do you work?"

"We work on the wish principle."

"Then I could wish that I get to keep him, we'd be safe, and never have to go back to the Dursleys again?" he asked.

"I'd be more than happy to grant it."

"Now see here!" Fudge started.

"Then I wish we were safely together, that I'd get to keep him, and that we'd never have to go near the Dursleys again.  I can only imagine the torture they'd put *him* through with what they've done to me," he said while Fudge blustered and stood up.

She gave him a hug around the shoulders.  "Granted, dear."  She kissed him on the head.  "Now, if you need tips on how to help him, you talk to the people beside you.  They've done it quite often."  She smiled at Mr. Tallhook.  "He'll be very safe.  It's not a problem."  She disappeared.

Tallhook smiled at Harry.  "That safe part was a good amendment."  He looked at Fudge.  "I didn't know you're demonic too."  He pulled his wand, checking him.  "Well, you're a halfie," he said happily.  "No wonder!"  Fudge turned purple.  "Must be a species trait."  He looked at the huffing woman.  "Lizard demon, Umbridge?  Well, I guess that makes sense since you're always wearing a sweater.  Must be the cold blood."  He tested the others and laughed.  "Ah, she was talking about my taint.  That's fine then."  He smiled at Harry.  "I ran into a few of them out partying when I was a bit older than you are.  They were not all that pleased to be interrupted but they were nice about it once they saw it was an honest mistake."  He looked at Fudge.  "So, now we have to give him permission to raise his son, keep his wand, and make sure he's got the necessary thing set up somehow.  Amelia, you know the person in WPS, right?"

"Yeah, I know Cal.  Why?"

"Can you get her here?"

"I can try.  She has a court date today.  She'll at least have the list we can borrow."  She went to floo her.  "Cal, sweetie, a vengeance demon dropped a son off with Harry Potter at Hogwarts last night," she said quietly.  The woman gave her a horrified look.  "The baby came to be without his input.  We need the list at the very least."

"He's too young," Fudge shouted.  "He can't possibly raise a baby at Hogwarts!"

Tallhook looked at him then at Harry.  Then back at him.  "So far he's doing all right.  He's had a bit of Weasley help this morning but nothing too outrageous."

Harry grimaced.  "He could use a change.  Ginny did it earlier but I guess it's my turn if we have diapers?"  He looked at Arthur.  "Or can you teach me how to change things to diapers?"

"I can and will," he promised, picking up some blank parchment.  "Now, this is one transformation where what you start with will matter in the finished product.  If you use something like a tissue, it won't last as long."  He showed him the transformation and Harry did another one for later. "Good job."  He let Harry change  him, grimacing a bit.  "I forgot how gross those were."  He created a wet cloth too.  "There, clean him up a bit."  Harry did that and the baby giggled.  "It's good he's making you happy, Tim."  He showed Harry how to fasten the diaper back on.  "There, good job.  Now, toss that one out since we don't have a way to clean them at the moment.  Usually you can wash those."  He nodded, doing that and then fixing the baby's clothes again.  "Good job."  He patted him on the back.  He looked at the others.  "We do have things to get when the paperwork is done."

"He's a year underage by our standards," Amelia Bones said, looking over from the fireplace.  "If he were a fifth year...."

Harry coughed.  "Mr. Weasley, Remus?" he said quietly.

"That's a good idea."  He went to call him, bringing him running with the simple statement of 'Harry's in Fudge's office about a problem'.  He walked in with him.  "One of his godfathers.  We all know Harry's in a bad spot at the moment.  What with those relatives of his who like to lock him in cupboards and things."

"Harry?" Remus asked.

"Don't know, I woke up and he was beside me.  A vengeance demon brought him to me, but he is mine," he offered, letting his uncle hold him.

Remus smiled at the baby, getting one back.  "Aren't you precious," he said, smiling at Harry.  "So you need a legal guardian?"

"At this point it can only help."  Amelia got out of the way and the other woman came through the floo.  "Lupin."

"Bones," he said politely.  "No Albus?"

"No, we walked away while they were plotting," Mr. Tallhook told him.   "Anyanka did her brethren a favor by bringing the baby to Harry.  The former death eater had him come into being."

"Charming," he said grimly.  "He's not going back to the Dursleys.  If someone should try they're getting my wand up their arse."  He looked at the Wizard Protection Service witch.  "Cal."

"Remus."  She kissed him on the cheek and looked at the baby.  "Well, you're a bit tiny but look healthy."

"Fully," Tallhook told her.  "By our scans and Pomfrey's."

"Good."  She smiled at Harry.  "I know it's a challenge but there's many things we have to make sure of before you get official custody of him.  For the moment I'm going to keep him with you, because you've got a lot of help.  All right?"  Harry nodded at that.  "Good boy."  She kissed him on the head, then frowned and ran a check over him.  "How did we miss you?"

"Dumbledore," Harry said dryly.  "The one time a muggle social worker showed up she was hellbent on getting me out of there one minute and then soft, fluffy voiced, and praising my relatives for locking me in a cupboard."

She glared.  "I'll deal with him later."  She gave him a short hug.  "So far you're doing good.  Let the Weasleys help you with this, Harry."  She straightened up and looked at Remus.  "At his age he still needs a guardian of his own."

"I can do that," he agreed.

"Good!"  She smiled at Fudge.  "In this matter I do overrule you.  You will leave the boy alone.  Especially since he wasn't part of the conception."  She went back through the fireplace.  "I'll be up at Hogwarts in a few days to talk to you, Harry."  The floo shut off.

"Okay," he said, nodding a bit.  "If you want."  He took the baby back, getting a loud squeal.  "Happy are we?" he teased with a grin.  "Good boy to be happy."  He looked at Remus.  "Well," he said dryly.

"Agreed," he said, patting him on the back.  "I'll set you two up a room at my house for this summer.  We've got a few months left."  He looked at Arthur.  "You're more than welcome to come over as well."

"Of course Molly will," he agreed dryly, cracking Remus up.  "You'll see more of her than we will for the first few weeks.  Ginny too probably."

Remus laughed.  "That's fine."  He looked at Harry.  "We'll work on it, nephew."  He looked at Tallhook.  "Paperwork?"

"Later on.  Head to Hogwarts, wait on us.  We'll bring it all back. You too, Arthur.  By now, your wife probably needs a drink for her sore throat."  He nodded, going to do that, and most of the ministers writing out what they needed to know before leaving.  He looked at Fudge. "Now, if you'll sign the paperwork."

"I will not."

"You will because the Prophet has your office bugged," Tallhook said dryly, smirking a bit.  "Which means they already know about your parentage."

"And what would the big snakey one think of that?" Harry asked quietly, staring him down.  "Doing his work for so long and not one of his kind."  Fudge went very pale and backed away from him.  Harry stood up.  "Do remember that I will protect my son like I do everything else that's good in my life, Fudge.  As I have in the past."  He looked at Tallhook.  "How much paperwork is there?"

"About ten forms."  He went to get them from the secretary, bringing them back.  "There, sign," he said, staring Fudge down.  "Don't make us call a quorum to overrule you."  Fudge's hand shook as he signed but he did sign all but the last one.  He looked at that one and took his pen to sign as a witness then handed it to Harry.  "You sign as well."

Harry looked then nodded, signing that he agreed to take custody of his son.  He handed the quill back.  "Anything else?"

"Not yet.  Though you will need to do a bit of shopping for him.  Molly should take you later, lad."   He bundled up the papers and walked off with him, smiling at Lucius Malfoy when they ran into him.  "Harry's son was brought to him this morning by a very powerful vengeance demon.  Isn't he adorable?" he asked with an evil smirk.

The blond man looked at the baby then at him.  "For being so small I suppose he'll do."

"Already manifested as well," Tallhook said proudly.  Lucius looked sick at that.  "Have a better day and if you're going to see Fudge, he's a bit under the weather."

"The vengeance demon did hurt his career with the talk of his real parents," Harry agreed.  "Sorry about that but she'd know.  Who was that huffy thing?"

"Umbridge," he said grimly.  "No wonder he took the little half lizard demon as his second-in-command."  He walked Harry off, leaving Lucius stunned before he stormed off to report.  "Good job," he said quietly once they were in the elevator.  "Very good job."

"Ron's always trying to teach me strategy," Harry said with a grin for him.  "He's great at Wizard's Chess."

"I'll keep that in mind," he said happily.  They portkeyed back to the school and walked up to the office, walking in amidst some shouting.  "Shut up," he said calmly.

No response.

"Shut the bloody hell up!" Harry shouted.

Everyone stared at him in horror.

The baby made pleased and happy baby noises.

"Thank you, you were upsetting my son," Harry said dryly.  He looked at the man beside him, who was chuckling.  "It is."

"It was," he agreed, handing McGonagall the paperwork.  "From now on his official guardian will be Remus Lupin."

"We'll get Remus to come get the baby tonight," Albus told them.

"No, Harry's his guardian, Remus is Harry's," Tallhook told him.  "By the way, Cal at WPS wants to talk to you sometime soon, Albus.   She was not amused."  He looked at McGonagall.  "Did you know that Fudge was part demon?"

"I didn't have a clue," she admitted, frowning some.  "What sort?"

"I don't know but he has this tendency to turn purple so I'd guess that was a family trait."  He sat down and let Harry sit again.  "Let someone else hold him, Harry, your arms are shaking."

"Thank you."  Molly snatched him to cuddle and coo over.  "Sure, you can hold him.  Mr. Weasley did earlier and Ginny changed his first diaper here in the school."

She smiled at him. "It's a good thing you didn't ask Ron.  He always gets them too loose."  She sat down to hold the baby.  "You are precious.  What's his name?"

"Tim by the writing on his stomach," Harry offered.

"Tim.  Such a good, strong name," she promised, smiling at him.  The baby squealed and wiggled and a dish floated over.  "Oh, are you hungry?"  She put it down and got a bottle from her purse.  "I thought you might need one of these today."  She let him have it, making him a happy baby.  "Good boy, Tim."  She smiled at Albus, who groaned and put back his candy dish.

McGonagall looked up from the papers, handing Tallhook back one.  "I don't think that comes to us."  She handed the rest to Albus.  "Here you are.  All in order so Harry can keep the baby with him while he's in classes."  Tallhook looked at that one and tossed it into the fireplace.  "Any other revelations?"

"Well, we did introduce him to the elder Malfoy bit of hair," Tallhook said dryly.  "He was lurking.  We also informed him of Fudge's descent.  He was not amused and that'll keep him busy for a few weeks at the very least.  Umbridge too if I didn't mention it.   WPS will be up to talk to Harry in a few days about what he'll have to set up.  Molly, I'll expect you'll be shopping with him?"  She nodded at that.  "Good idea.  Remus will set up a room for the summer holidays."  He looked at Albus again.  "Did I forget anything?"

"No, I think you got the paperwork all done for us," he said blandly.

Harry looked at him.  "The nice wish demons who showed up explained to him how my son came to be.  The witch had him made?"

"His mother had him made," he agreed.  "Probably to get power over Harry or some such nonsense. When they went to deal with her, Anyanka brought the baby for him as a favor to her sisters.  Halfrek also showed up.  Quite a woman.  Agreed with us totally about Harry not going back to the Dursleys."  He stared Albus down, making him go pale.  If she knew, he was in for hell for putting Harry there and Albus knew that.  "So I'm off, back to my office.  Hodges?"  His man in the corner followed, taking the bits and pieces of that paper with them so no one could reconstruct it.  Fudge had signed an order to jail Harry for underaged sex.  That would not go very well.

Harry took his son back.  "We had to change a piece of parchment for a diaper earlier," he said quietly.  "Can Molly and I go now while you finish screaming at each other?  That way we don't have to hear it."

"I think you should," Dumbledore told him.

Harry stared at him.  "And I think my son is the most precious and important thing I've ever done in my life, Headmaster.  The one thing that I will destroy everyone over."  He stood up.  "Besides, it's not nice to yell around babies.  They get upset and scream back from what I've seen so far today.  And I did promise Hagrid could hold him at lunch."

"It won't take us that long to pick up some pacies, some nappies, a few bottles, some clothes, and a few other things," Molly promised.

Halfrek phased in.  "Hello, sorry to interrupt.  Would his things from his home nursery help?  Not like her family is going to want the baby things if she has any family left."

"It could, yes," Molly agreed.  "Save him some money before the next round of nappies need bought."

"That's fine, I can do that."  She smiled at her.  "I know you'll be checking over both of them for me, dear.  You do my job so well."  She faded out then popped back with a full crib.  "There we are.  We'll need to strip the spells off the crib but otherwise everything seems all right.  It'll do for a few days until we can get him more clothes at the very least."

"Thank you," Harry said with a smile.

"Not a problem, Harry.  What she did was wrong and I won't have people doing things like that.  Not without a very excellent reason."  She smiled at him.  "You'll do fine.  Every parent has worries at first.  All babies make parents want to scream at them as well.  Those are the days you ask for help," she told him, getting a small grin and a nod.  "Good boy.  If you need help, ask.  If you need me, summon me.  I'm sure the little bit of fluffy hair that helps you can find how to do that."  She smoothed down the baby's hair.  "He is very special, Harry, but he does not have a destiny yet.  He'll make his own."  Harry relaxed fully and beamed, nodding at that.  "Good boy."  She faded out.

Harry looked at his son.  "That makes me very happy, Tim."  He looked at his head of house.  "Are we staying in the dorm?"

"We'll try it for now," she agreed, standing up.  "Albus, I'll take him and Molly back up there then let Hagrid hold him for a bit before I excuse him for shopping."  She walked them out, smiling at Harry.  "You had a civil conversation with Lucius Malfoy?" she asked once they were out of the curved stairwell.

"No, Mr. Tallhook shared what had went on and how Tim's already manifested," he said happily, grinning at her.  "I mentioned his part lizard demon second in command."

"Ah."  She smirked at him.  "Who outed him?"

"Anyanka did."

"That was charming of her."  They walked past Draco Malfoy and Harry beamed at her.  "I do think it speaks well of his father that he's already manifested, Harry.  He'll be a strong boy who'll hopefully play quidditch as well as you do."  Harry beamed at her.

Draco glared at the retreating women and boy.  "We'll see about that."  He went to find Snape in his classroom.  "The baby manifested?" he sneered quietly since it was lunchtime and they were alone.

Snape looked at him.  "He has?"

"McGonagall said he has."  He walked closer.  "The Weasel breeder was walking them up there with the little snot."

"Anything else?"

"I heard my father's named mentioned.  Apparently they outed someone and a half-lizard demon at the Ministry."

Snape looked at him.  "That may be even more interesting."  They both stared as a sparkling started, Snape glaring at her.  "How dare you come in here."

"Shut up, Severus," Halfrek said dryly, staring at them.   "You want gossip?  We can do that.  Fudge is a half-demon."  Draco gaped.  "So is Umbridge."  She smirked a cold, cruel smirk at him.  "Then there's the fact that Dumbledore kept WPS away from Harry's home life by magic."  She  moved closer.  "And the fact that the child's mother took things to have him created.  Without Harry's help," she finished with a smooth, cruel smirk.  Snape gaped at that and Draco snarled.  "He'll be raising his own son."

"In the school?" Draco demanded.

"Yes, snotty, in the school."  She looked at him.  "Do you *really* want to be someone's familiar?"  He backed up quickly.  She looked at Snape again.  "There's an earthquake coming, Sevvie."  She leaned down to get into his face.  "The smelly mistress is already banished to her just desserts.  Others will be following.  She created the one thing that will make Harry fight this war and win even if he has to destroy both sides," she hissed quietly.  "Then she stupidly tried a sacrificial rite to enhance his power."

"Which?" Severus asked quietly.

"Read the paper, baby.  She pissed off a few of us," she said with a mean smirk for Draco.  "By the way,  your daddy is about dancing in fear at the moment.  His master's not happy with his paid help."

"Well, they do say it's so hard to find good help that's not a house elf," Draco said pragmatically.

Snape looked at him.  "Shut up."  He looked at the demon again.  "Am I to act?"

She shrugged.  "Who can say?  This just screwed everything all to hell and back.  I should know."  She winked then disappeared.

"I must talk to some others," he said.  "Get out."  Draco fled.  Severus locked his door on his way out, heading up to the impromptu meeting in the office.  "Halfrek was in my classroom," he said as he walked in.  Dumbledore moaned.  "This botched your precious prophecy."  Dumbledore stared at him.  "She said it, and I quote, screwed everything all to hell and back."  Dumbledore shuddered and so did Remus.  "She also pointed out that Potter will be like every other parent in the world.  He'll be willing to kill anyone and everyone who comes near his child to harm them - friend or foe."  Remus smirked at that bit of news.

"We were told the child doesn't have a destiny set," Arthur told him happily.   The crib and pile of things in it disappeared.  "They must've found a good spot for it."  He looked at Severus again.  "Was there other news?"

"She called her the Smelly Mistress."

"Abington," Arthur agreed.  "Did she tell you about Fudge?"

"Yes, and that the elder Malfoy had already reported that bit of news."

"Couldn't happen to a nicer man," Remus said dryly, sipping his tea.

"She also said that she tried a sacrificial rite to make the boy stronger," Snape told them.

"Which could be why he's already manifested," Arthur agreed.  "Tried to pull over Albus' candy dish to have some."  He beamed at Remus.

"He did it in Fudge's office a few times too I'd suppose?"  Arthur smiled and nodded.  "Good."  He finished his tea and put the cup down, watching as it disappeared.  He looked at Severus.  "How bad of a shakeup is this going to cause?"

"She called it an earthquake.  She also threatened to turn Mr. Malfoy into a familiar."

Arthur snickered a bit.  "He'd be the most disagreeable toad ever."  He stood up.  "We'll be taking Harry and little Timothy shopping later today for the rest of the necessary items, Severus.  Calm down and watch the fallout for a few hours.  I'm sure we'll be meeting tonight while Molly gushes over how happy a baby Tim is."

"Quite charming," Remus agreed.

Severus stomped out.  He would not stand for such giddy headed stupidity around himself.  It might be contagious.

***

"Mr. Potter," Snape snapped a few days later.  "What is that on your chest?"

"That would be a shielded and comfortable stomach carrier for my son, Professor, plus my son riding in it.  A pram wasn't practical with all the stairs around here."  Snape's face turned red.  "Are you all right?"

"Out!" he bellowed.  "I will not have that...thing in here being exposed to poorly done potions!"

"We're still trying to decide on a sitter," Hermione told him.

"Eighty points from Gryffindor for sheer stupidity and trying to kill the child.  Out!"

"I'll talk with McGonagall about a sitter for your class," Harry said calmly, picking up his bag and a few things, then heading out.

"You may not come back until he is off school property, Mr. Potter.  He does not belong in this classroom!"  He slammed the door and glared at them.  "Anyone else?"

Ron raised his hand.  "Should someone take him when you, Professor McGonagall, and the headmaster have a conference?  Because I'll have a free period then and I wanted to know beforehand."

Snape sneered at him.  "That's another forty points from Gryffindor for mouthing off," he said, turning around and huffing back to his desk.

Ron looked at Hermione and shrugged.  There had been worse days in potions.

Harry walked up to Transfiguration, sneaking into her office.  She saw him moving and looked in there but he waved her off, sitting down with the baby, calming him down again.  He hadn't liked the dungeon or Snape.  He had fussed the whole way down there.  She finally got the students started on their work of the day and stomped in.  "Got kicked out of Potions and told I couldn't come back until he was off school property."

She gaped.  "We'll see about that!"

"Maybe I can have Hermione tutor me after hours?" he suggested.  "He did have a point about all the explosions we have down there around him."

"What did he say?"

"That, that I was stupid and trying to kill him, then he took eighty points.  I did tell him upfront that the snuggler is shielded."

"We'll talk to him later.  You have to have that class."

Harry shrugged.  "Not like I don't blow in it," he said pragmatically.  He sat up, making Tim fuss.  "Hold on, let me find you something to suck on."  He pulled a pacifier out of his pocket and make sure it was clean before handing it over.  "There you go."  He leaned back again.  "Should we head outside to enjoy some sunshine?"

"Go ahead.  I'll talk with the other teachers between classes."

"So far he's the only one who's complained, Professor.  Even Trelawany adored him and cooed about a bright future after I died."

She rolled her eyes.  "She would.  How were Herbology and Creatures?"

"Cuddle time and cooing by the girls," Harry said with a smirk.  "One of the plants got near us and Neville nearly killed it by blasting its roots.  Professor Sprout cooed at her poor plant but moved it.  I've now got a pretty clear spot to work in."

She nodded.  "That's an excellent way to handle that."

"Hagrid's creatures might mind but Fang watched him the last class we had with him.  He laid down and slobbered all over his stomach to make sure he didn't move from the bit of grass I laid him on."  She smirked and nodded at that, pleased with that report.  "Otherwise we're fine so far."

"Good."  She kissed him on the forehead.  "Take him to the sunshine and play, Harry."

"It's double potions," he complained, getting up and grabbing his bag.  "If we're going to have a conference let me know so I can hand him off.  Snape seems to be nauseated by young children."  He walked out, heading to lounge in the courtyard for a little while.  The baby bounced and waved his arms at the sunlight.  "I do think you like daylight," he teased gently, stroking over his nose.  "Such a good boy, Tim.  You're my good little boy.  Even if you did crap and stink up the dorm at three and five this morning."  He sat down with him, reading him the next class's homework.  That way he finally got around to it.  Molly had said reading to babies made them smart later on.  Best get a headstart on his son since he was already brilliant.

McGonagall sent a note to the headmaster with a house elf then went back to her students.  She'd deal with Snape later.

***

Harry walked into the meeting with Ron and Hermione.  "They insisted," he noted at the odd looks.  He handed Ron the baby when he coughed.  "Fine, you hold him."

"Getting in practice so I don't have to have any right off," Ron quipped, sitting down to hold the baby.  "Hello, Timmy."  Timmy stared at him then smirked.  "I swear, Harry, he's smirking again."

Hermione looked then nodded.  "It does look like it."  She sat down beside Harry.  "If he's being kicked out of Potions I've got to tutor him in the after hours," she told Snape.   Who glared.  "Well, someone has to.  He still has to take it for the Ordinary Wizarding Levels, doesn't he?"  She looked at their head of house then the headmaster.  "We made sure that the carrier was shielded so nothing that Neville or any of the Slytherins exploded would hurt him.  We were very careful about that."

"Which is a good idea," Dumbledore noted.  "There's still safety issues with having a child here."  Timmy let out a loud squeal so he looked over.  "Dobby, please leave the baby alone for now?"

"No."  He went back to playing with the baby.  "Missus Nurse said Dobby is to make Timmy Potter mooshy food.  Dobby came to see what Timmy Potter would like for meals like a good house elf does."

"He'll eat nearly anything but carrots," Harry told him with a smile.  "He loves the fruit mash you've been doing, Dobby."  The house elf beamed and nodded at that, the socks on his ears flopping with his head.  "That and some oatmeal mash?"

"Dobby will do that."

"One or two a night," Hermione ordered firmly.  "We don't want to overstuff him."

"Dobby takes good care of Timmy Potter," he said firmly, then kissed the baby on the head before disappearing.

Ron smiled at the baby.  "Next time I sneak down for cookies, I'll have to bring you with me," he teased, getting that same smirk.  "Good boy, Timmy.  It's good you love house elves and Dobby especially since he dotes on Harry."  He looked at them.  "If Harry's getting taken out of potions can you give 'Mione a free class so she can tutor him, Neville, and me in there please?  That way we might pass something?"

"I teach Potions," Snape reminded him coolly.

"No, you glower and huff like my mum while she still had girl issues most of the time, Professor," he said bluntly.  It was a good time for it.  "We love you for it but I haven't learned a bloody thing in three years."  Snape gave him a glare.  "Plus, it'd mean we couldn't make things explode again either.  Keep us out of the way of your Slytherins, that way they wouldn't feel the need to break out in problems that you'll blame us for anyway."  Timmy patted his nose.  "Yes, love?"  He smiled at him.  "Do you like Slytherins?"

"He about tried to eat Malfoy's hair the other day," Harry admitted.  "He was behind us and I didn't realize until he grabbed a handful to suck on.  Goyle told him the baby thought he had pretty hair."  He looked at the teachers again, noticing McGonagall looked very disturbed at that thought.  "Could've been worse, Professor.  Could've been Bulstrode or someone."

"Good point.  All babies love to play with hair.  His is extra shiny so it attracted him for that reason I suppose."  She calmed herself down again.  "What happened?"

"He shrieked like a little girl and it took three of us to remove the tiny fingers from his hair," Hermione told her dryly.  "He was fully swearing by then.  That's why Goyle told him the baby thought he had pretty hair."

She just nodded at that.  "I'll make sure the other students know that babies grab shiny things, hair, and glasses."  She made a note of that.  "Severus, we must work out the problems of Harry in Potions.  Would it be acceptable if he had a sitter for that class?"

"No.  I do not want to see him in my classroom until that thing is out of Hogwarts.  There's no telling what he'll drag into my classroom that could react with the potion of the moment.  He's brought in spitup, extra hairs, and all manners of germs."

"Then it comes down to me tutoring Harry so we don't get busted by the Ministry," Hermione told him.  "I don't want them in here looking over everyone's shoulder any more than the headmaster does," she said at the heated look Snape gave her.  "Do you?"

"No," he admitted.  "You are not qualified to teach Potions."  She took something out of her pocket and slid it down to him, letting him look at the small vial.  Then he stared at her.  "When did you do this?"

"First year," she said dryly, staring back.  "I'm more than good enough to get Harry to OWL standards using your curriculum, Professor Snape.  I've brewed harder since then.  I can also help Neville so you don't have a headache any longer."

"He'll never be suitable."

"I don't know.  Sometimes he does do what's necessary," she said dryly, pushing some of her hair back behind her ear.  "I'd be following along with whatever you've done in class."

"You didn't get a few right either," he noted.

She snorted. "Closer than Malfoy did.  I also came back to correct myself after hours until I got it right."  She dug into her school bag and tossed those down to him too.  "The last one is in a safe vial so it won't explode when shaken."

He examined them then nodded.  "Agreed."  He put them into his pocket.  "Though you are over confident and obnoxious."

"I've been called worse things," she said patiently, still staring him down.  "Anything you want him to learn, you pass it on and I will.  I can guarantee you they won't be slacking off for me."

Ron nodded.  "She's a right general most of the time about revising and things," he agreed.  "Makes schedules for us even when we don't want 'em.   She's pushier than my Mum."  He looked at the baby.  "You like my mum, right?"  The baby sucked on his finger.  "Good, Mum wants to come visit this weekend.  She's missing babies and started to wail on the older ones for grandchildren."  He turned him around, letting the baby beam at the teachers.  "If that's all right, Headmaster?"

"Better her than half the Ministry," Harry pointed out dryly.  He looked at McGonagall.  "Would that work for you?   We do have the same time off later in the week."

She nodded.  "I can see that working for you and Neville, Harry."

"Me too?" Ron asked.  "Keeps me from pasting Malfoy again."

She looked at him.  "There would have to be a *good* reason."

Ron stared at her then got up to hiss in her ear, getting a simple nod.  "It'll be soon too," he told her, sitting back down.  The baby looked at him.  "I know you know.  You know most of what goes on in the Tower since you never sleep, Timmy."  He looked at Snape.  "By the way, you might wanna check Parkinson's backside.  One of the seventh years caught her sneaking in to snog one of the sixth years and got her with a hex."  He got up and stomped out.  He looked at McGonagall.  "They were not amused either," he said dryly, cracking Harry up.  "They weren't.  The twins begged to have that stopped before ugly babies came from her and them."  He looked down at Timmy.  "Not you, love. You're pretty enough for a pageant now."  He gave him a squeeze, getting a pat to the arm.  "There, until Mum can sing and dance with you this weekend."  He handed him back to Harry, getting a happy son snuggling into his arms.  "Good.  Now that that's settled....  Can we please talk about him crapping and stinking up the tower?" he asked McGonagall.  "I love Harry and Timmy.  I adore them both.  I have no idea what makes babies crap worse than bigger kids but they do.  It smells worse.  Even the poor sod who sleeps next to the bathroom said his diapers smell worse than the loo."  He crossed his feet, putting his hands on his stomach.  "We want Harry in there but can they have their own room?"

"There is that storage area," Hermione offered.  "Under the stairs?  Then the common room bathroom?"

"No tub," Harry told her.

She looked at him then sighed.  "I thought that might come up but I was expecting it over the crying issue."

"He doesn't cry that often," Ron told her.  "He's downright quiet most of the time.  He coos all night sometimes."  She smiled at that.  "Neville's started to snore in harmony with him now and then too."  Harry snickered at that.  "Then Harry stays up all night trying to get him to nap."

"I take him out for a quick fly now and then," Harry told him.  "It works wonders."  He looked at her.  "I know he can be annoying now and then," he offered.  "I would accept being moved so the others aren't offended."

Hermione smiled.  "There's the option of attaching a single room to the tower.  With the way the castle shifts there's probably one nearby."

McGonagall considered it then looked at the quiet headmaster, who nodded.  "We can do that."  She looked at them.  "We'll make sure it has a bathroom for him too."  That got a grin and a nod.  "He likes to fly?"

"Loves to fly at night," Harry agreed happily.  "Loves to fly during the day too.  Has this thing about sunlight most days."  He looked down, finding him asleep.  "First time today, Timmy.  Thank you."  He looked at her.  "It is cute when Neville snores in key with him."

She smiled.  "I'm sure it is."  She stood up.  "We'll arrange that.  You three take him to dinner."  They nodded, getting up and heading out.  She looked at the headmaster.  "See, not as much of a problem as you thought, Albus."

"He's still causing problems."

"We needed to get Longbottom away from Snape anyway," she noted dryly, heading off.  It wasn't that hard to get the castle to move a small room with attached bathroom to the Gryffindor tower so Harry could have a room with the baby.  It wasn't that hard to put on muting charms so any future screaming wouldn't bother anyone.  The upperclassmen in the common room came over to help.  By the time the rest of them headed to dinner it was a great looking room and Harry could only complain about the leather straps and things in the closets.  Which she wasn't aware of until Harry brought them down and handed them over to her in the Great Hall.  Then he walked off again.  She looked at them then at Albus.  "I thought you got rid of those."

"You never know when something might come in handy," he said grimly.  He summoned a house elf and made them take them to put them somewhere else.  He saw Professor Snape looking down at him.  "I had them stored in the closets there, Severus."

He shook his head, going back to his dinner.

Everyone looked up at the screaming going on out in the main hall.  Then most everyone left got up and backed away as the banshee came floating through the doors.

Dumbledore stared at her.  "Who?" he asked.

"Doom!" she wailed, crying over them.

McGonagall got up and pulled her wand.

Harry came in with his already pulled.  "She was sent after Timmy."  He cast the capturing charm, pulling her into someone's glass.  Then he covered it with a plate and stomped off.  A few of the teachers hurried after him but he let her out in the woods and cast spells at her until she was driven off.  "Leave my son the bloody hell alone!  Tell your masters that too!" he shouted after her.  He turned and walked around the teachers, heading back to the tower.  A few of them gave him pitied looks.  "She was sent.  She was a messenger," he said coolly.  "The one who sent her will be a sorry bastard when I'm done with him."  He went to do that in his room with his son.  Hermione came in a few minutes later and took the books from him.  "I need that."

"No you don't.  I need that."  She kissed him on the temple.  "Have a good playtime with Timmy in the bath tonight."  She walked out, closing the door behind herself, smiling at the headmaster.  "Who sicced a banshee on him as a messenger that they were going to attack a helpless baby?" she demanded nicely, staring at him for a moment before walking around him and heading to the library.  She knew there was a telling spell there somewhere.  She knew which book it was in, but she hadn't copied it down last time.  She hadn't thought anyone would be that stupid.

Dumbledore looked at the worried students.  "She is correct, it was sent, not a natural occurrence."  They all relaxed and nodded, smiling again.  He tapped on the door before walking in.  "Harry?"  The baby scowled at him.  "I need to see him," he told the baby.

"It's his bath time," Harry said from the small bathroom.  He came out and grabbed his son, taking him in there.  "You can come in.  He won't mind once he's in the water."  He stripped him down and put him into the water.  "There, clean water so we have a clean baby," he said, smiling at him.  The baby patted the water, then looked at him.  "Yes, it's clean, Timmy.  I promise you it is."  The baby splashed and let him clean him.  He looked over from scrubbing his back.  "Hermione wouldn't let me cast the telling charm so we could paste the little bastard in Ravenclaw who's being blackmailed."  Dumbledore looked stunned.  "Heard it at dinner.  They were telling her she had to act tonight or they were going to expose her cheating."  He just nodded, going to check on that.

Harry went back to scrubbing the tiny body.  "Feel better yet?"  The baby cooed and beamed at him.  "I know, a bath is a good thing."  He rinsed his back off and got to work on his legs and feet.  "There, how's that?  Clean toes?   Soon you'll be walking and that'll be important."  He laughed at the peeing going on.  "Feel better, Tim?"  He banished it to the toilet and flushed it, coming back to finish cleaning him.  "There, still clean water, only a few bubbles."  He did his hair next-to-last, then his butt last, right before he got out and got put into a clean diaper.  "There, all clean.  Let's go figure out what you're wearing tonight."  He went to look at the available clothes.  A gown was held up and the baby fussed.  "It's comfortable.  Wizards, even big adult wizards like Snape, wear robes that look like this."  He put it on him.  "Not that I don't think you'll be cuter than he ever was," he assured him.  "If only because you like to bathe, love."

Ron laughed from the doorway.   "Trying to convince him nightgowns are good for wizards?"

"Yup.  He hates anything that's not pants."  He settled in on the bed, opening his Transfiguration homework to read it to him.  "What's going on out there?"

"A few of the girls wanted to snatch him to cuddle.  You mind?"

"We can go read out there."  He tucked the book under his arm and took his son out there, sitting down by the fireplace to read to him.  He was stolen by someone floating him off a minute later.  "Mother complaining about grandchildren?" he asked the twins.

"You have...."

"No idea," the twins agreed in their usual fashion.

"Ginny got a letter last night asking if she was dating yet," Ron joked.  "Oh, Harry, Mum spilled about him to the older two too.  So expect cards too, mate."  He grinned at the comfortable baby.  "Feel better, Timmy?"

The baby looked over at him.  "Mama!"

Harry looked at his son, watching the snickering twins.  "Well, he does like to help you, but he's still a boy, Tim.  Some day he'll make someone else a good mum."  He went to gather his precious one but one of the younger girls stole him instead to coo and cuddle over him.  The baby scowled at her so she did a breath freshening charm and went back to cooing over him.  Harry sat back down.  "He goes down in forty minutes, even if you don't like it," he noted patiently.  The other girls came over to coo and read to him too.  It was a babble of sound but the baby had his favorites already.  McGonagall came in with a tray and paper.  "My son's brilliant."

"He's a bit warped, Harry," Ron said dryly.  He looked at the confused professor.  "Called me mum."

"I'm sure it's because you've been very helpful, Mr. Weasley."  She put the papers down beside Harry.  "From Remus and WPS, Harry."

He looked, taking it to look over.  "They want a lot of stuff."

"Most babies do take a lot of things," she said dryly.

He looked at her.  "I've noticed that.  He still hates gowns."  He went back to reading.  "What do we already have?"  He went to check, marking off the list.  He came back.  "Well, we've got half already," he announced.  That got a smile.  "So as long as we can move the crib with us it'll be fine."  She nodded at that.  "Remus say anything?"

"He's stocked up on cloths for diapers," she said dryly.

"Thanks.  He needs it usually," he agreed, looking at the clock then at the girls hovering protectively around his son.  "Put him down," he ordered.  They all went in there to do that.  He went back to the second page of the list.  "Most of this is for when he's older?"

"He'll be walking this summer.  Some of it is suggested," she offered.  "Those have the dots next to them."

"I was hoping that's what that was.  What's a walker?"

"A baby jail so he can walk around and not get up the stairs," Ron said dryly.  "Used to run over Ginny with mine."

"You used to...."

"Run over all of us," the twins assured him.  They went to shoo the girls out, carrying their little sister out and one other girl who wanted to stay and hum to him before closing the door.  "Have some...."

"Make the wizarding world happy," they ordered, shooing them off.

McGonagall snickered quietly.  "Some year I'm sure they shall."

"We can only hope," Harry agreed.  He looked at the forms again, taking the next-to-last one to read over.  "Why would I want to allow Malfoy visitation?"

"The mother was one of his cousins."

"Hell no," he said, writing that on the bottom.  "No way in hell."  He handed it back and got the last one, nodding at it slowly.  "If he wants a visit, he can call up and we'll come visit," he said, handing that one back too.  She smiled at that.  He looked around.  "We'll be with Professor Lupin *all* summer," he announced.  That got some smiles.  "Call before dropping over.  He's a bit of a grouch now and then first thing in the morning according to him."  He looked at the professor.  "When do I have to get the other things?"

"Soon.  You can shop your next time in town or wait."

"Muggle?" he hissed.

She nodded.  "That could be much cheaper," she agreed.  "Also give you more options."  He nodded at that.  "Remus hasn't seen the list.  I wanted to make sure of what you had before he did."

He made notes about the clothes, carrier, and all the things he had on the back, handing them over.  "There you go.  When is she coming up again?"

"Next week sometime."  She patted him on the head.  "Good boy, Harry, and good job with him speaking already."  She got up and headed back to the office.  "Albus, he said he's not going to allow Malfoy to visit.  It would upset him and Remus."  She handed that over.  "He said if you wanted to see his son, call him and he'd bring him for tea."  She handed over that paper.  "The list of what he has," she said, handing it to Remus.  "All the ladies have been doting on him tonight and put him down to bed.  Though he has picked someone to call Mother.  Mr. Weasley was amused but not totally impressed with his new name."

Remus smiled.  "As I expected."  He looked at the list.  "So we'll need more clothes?"

"Indeed, but he did think about going to some muggle stores to get some of the basics cheaper."

"That would be fine with me," he agreed, smiling at her.  "I'm sure Molly knows where they are."  He put the list into his robe pocket.  "How are they?"

"They're fine.  Harry's studying.  The twins are making sure all the girls let the poor baby sleep.  The banshee earlier was taken care of by Harry.  We did get the young lady, Albus?"

"We have and she's in quarantine until we can make a decision about her tomorrow.  The Malfoys can complain about him not having visitation rights."

She snorted.  "With the way we're all inbred like dogs around here, so can half the wizarding community, Albus.  I doubt Harry needs the stress of a Malfoy this summer."  She patted Remus on the arm with a smile.  "Want walked up?"

"Please."  He followed her back, smiling at the staring students.  "I'm the same as the year I taught you lot," he assured them, giving Harry a hug.  "You look exhausted."

"He wouldn't sleep last night."  He shrugged, looking at him.  "He likes to go for midnight flies."

"That's fine, Harry.  That'll work itself out.  Can I peek in?"

"Go ahead.  Ginny already snuck in."

He smiled and went to check on the poor baby.  He was curled on his side sucking his thumb.  Ginny gave him a look.  "He'll be very safe this summer," he reminded her gently.  She nodded, heading out so he could coo over his great-godson.  "Your grandmother would've thrown a fit, young man, but your grandfather would've walked the floors all night with you.  He did with your father all the time when he had colic."   He smoothed down some of the messy dark hair and smiled when the baby blinked at him.  "Go back to sleep, Tim.  I'm sorry I woke you."

The baby yawned and blinked his heavy eyes a few times before falling off again.  McGonagall led him back to the common area.  "He's still sleeping, Harry."

"Thank you," Harry said, looking up.  That got a few laughs.  "He clearly won't have a problem sneaking around the castle at night when he attends," he said dryly, making the teachers both laugh at that.  Remus gave him a hug.  "I'll bring the crib home."

"That's fine, Harry.  I can agree to that."  He gave him a wink.  "See you soon?"

"Of course," he agreed happily.  They met monthly in the Shrieking Shack using the old tunnels and Harry's invisibility cloak.  "If he'll stay quiet."   That got a nod and he walked out, heading back to his house to share the news.  Harry stretched out, then got up suddenly.  "Be back.  Listen for him, he should stay asleep.  No waking him up again, Ginny."  He headed out, sneaking down toward the dungeons.  He ran into Malfoy's goons on their path of nightly terrorizing the younger students.  "Can you tell Malfoy I'm not sure why his father wants visitation with my son but I think he's a bit freaky and his son should probably get him help?" he asked from the shadows.  They spun, glaring at him as he stepped out.  "Really.  Why would he want to visit *my* son?"  He gave them a look.  Then Draco when he walked up behind them.  "Your father's gone round the bend."

"I knew that," he said dryly.  "Why now?"

"He wants visitation with my son."

Draco blinked.  "Why!" he demanded.

Harry shrugged.  "Thought you should know so you could crucio him or something to get him normal again.  I'm too tired to deal with your Dad's hair."  He walked off shaking his head, relishing the confused look both goons and Draco wore.  It wasn't often he could needle Draco Malfoy without a hex.  This had almost been priceless.

Draco looked at his goons, then shook his head.  "I should tell mum Harry Potter suggested a good crucio to cure my father.  Just to watch their faces."  He went to write that missive.  The spying charm on it let him see what was going to happen.

***

Ron opened up the Daily Prophet the next day, frowning at the headline.  "Hmm.  An attack at Malfoy Manor."  He read it, then giggled.  "Hey, um, Harry?"  Harry looked over, still half-asleep.  He handed over the paper.  "Read it."

Harry read, then nodded.  "Well, I did suggest one or two might cure his barminess," he offered, handing it back.  "Visitation with my son?  Do I look stupid?"  He went back to his breakfast.  Tim was still asleep so he could feed him in a bit.  He managed to shovel down two servings since he had a lunch appointment with the nurse and wouldn't get to eat before his son woke up.  "Morning, Tim.  Hungry?"  The baby yawned then opened his mouth and made begging noises.  "Sure.  We'll eat."  He found the bowls of mush, tasting it first.  He grimaced.  "What is that?"  Ron took it to taste, then spit it out and coughed.  "Bad?"

"Professor!" Ron yelled, bringing her down from the head table.  He handed it to her.  "Tastes worse than polyjuice and definitely tastes like a potion."

She sniffed then grimaced.  "It is.  Did he eat any?"

"I tasted a bit to make sure it was the right temperature," Harry told her.  "Poison?"

"Not really."  She took it to Snape, putting it down in front of him.  "Which one?"  He sniffed then glared at a student, who shrunk down in her seat.  "Thank you.  Dobby, Harry's son needs good food.  Someone mixed a potion into his."  The house elf popped off to get something else for the baby while Harry let him have some oatmeal for now.  She grabbed the girl before she got the bright idea to run and drug her off to have a long talk with her and her parents.

"Should Harry hit the infirmary now?" Ron asked, walking up there.  "He ate a dot to make sure it was all right."

"He should be fine.  It may give him an upset stomach but nothing further.  It's meant to start the runs."

"Babies already have that," he said dryly, going back to the table.  "Gives you the runs, Harry."

"Charming."  He looked at his son.  "Good thing I ate a lot then, huh?"  Dobby popped back with a new bowl.  "Thank you, Dobby."

"Welcome.  Dobby likes Harry Potter's son.  Harry Potter's son is very nice."  He patted the baby and disappeared again, letting Harry taste this one and then feed it to the demanding one on the bench next to him.  He took the other tainted food up to Professor McGonagall.  That way she could spank the others too.  She came back with him and he pointed out who had been in the kitchen.  Ginny was relieved when she wasn't taken but they all knew she wasn't going to hurt the boy.  Dobby got in another pat on the way past and the baby cooed at him, making him smile.  "Timmy Potter is very special.  Very strong wizard."  He went back to his duties, cleaning up the head table.

Harry fed him another bite.  "He's very good to you, son.  You should appreciate him."  He kept up until the bowl was empty then fed him more oatmeal when he kept demanding more food.  "Hungry this morning are we?"

Ron smiled.  "They take moods like that according to Mum and our aunts."  Dumbledore stood up and they all watched as he made an announcement about the tryouts for Quidditch.  "Looks like this year's clear.  If not, at least Ginny can babysit."

"And a few of the other girls," Harry agreed, nodding at Ron to pick up his books for him while he got the carrier on.  Tim snuggled in to nap off his huge breakfast while they headed out to Magical Creatures.

It was Ron who noticed the incoming visitor.  "Hey, Harry?  Incoming problems."

Harry watched who got out of the car, staring at one of them until they looked over and motioned him closer.  He pointed at the baby and got a nod.  "Hey, Hagrid, I have the feeling I'm being summoned into that meeting," he called, taking his books with him.   He walked them up there, nodding at the ones he knew.  "Needed to see Tim?" he asked Mr. Tallhook.

"Well, yes.  Someone's made a claim that you're not the only one who was used and the mother wasn't the biological mother, Harry."

"Interesting.  Was that why Lucius Malfoy wanted visitation?"  The adults coughed.  "I told Draco that his father had gone off his nut again, suggested that a few crucios might put him back to rights, but I didn't know she'd do it."

"Narcissa is the one making the claims," Mr. Tallhook admitted.  "She's claiming only a Black could manifest that early and/or not die from the rite she tried to use."

"If she is I'm sure Tonks can assure her he's fine now and then," Harry said dryly.   "They did such a bang-up job with Draco that he's exactly like his father.  I don't think my son needs minions."

Mr. Tallhook nodded.  "We've seen that.  May I check him?"

"Sure, as long as he doesn't fuss."  He let him hold his books so he could undo the straps, exchanging books for baby.   He put the books down and sat down, rubbing his shoulder.  "He ate a huge breakfast this morning after we found the attempted potion attack."  The ministry officials looked at him.  "One of the Hufflepuff girls.  Supposed to give him the runs but I tasted it first.  I'm a bit paranoid about his safety.  Seems to be working for us."

Mr. Tallhook gave him the baby.  "There's a good reason for that.  They tried to use Draco Malfoy's blood to sacrifice him for the blood rite."  They all groaned.  "We'll need to talk to him."

"That doesn't make him the mother, right?" Harry asked.  "Because I'd like my son to be a *good* boy."

"No, that means someone tainted his blood with him, Harry.  It's sometimes done during adoption rites so the child's at least partially part of the new family."

"So I'm his stepfather?"

Dumbledore looked at him.  "I don't want that put around, Harry."

"The git deserves it," he noted dryly, smirking at him.  "Only the once, Headmaster."  The adults gave him worried looks but Harry smirked at Draco when he came in.  "Found out why your Da wanted visiting rights.  You're my stepson."

Draco went red in the face.  "What are you talking about?" he ground out.

"It appears that the sacrificial rite that was done on the baby to make him stronger was using your blood, Mr. Malfoy," Dumbledore told him.

"Since your blood tainted my son's, you're about like my stepson now," Harry said dryly, still smirking.  "Don't worry though, won't spank you when you misbehave."

Draco glared at him.  "I will eliminate you in the most messy way possible," he sneered coldly, stomping off.  He stomped into potions, glaring at the teacher until he walked him back into the hall.  "I was just informed that my blood is tainting Potter's child," he sneered coldly.  "He called me his stepson!"

"They were going to sacrifice you and bind your soul and blood to the baby's to control Potter?" he asked.  Draco quit pacing to stare at him, mouth slightly open. "I will deal with Mr. Potter."

"No, I'll deal with Potter, you deal with the Ministry twerps in the office."  He stomped off, going to make plans.  This deserved retribution.  An owl dropped off a note beside him in his room and flew out the window again, letting him read it.  "The mother of my son did it, not me.  I had no idea until today what the rite used.  I'm sorry your father tried to kill you to make my son stronger.  By the way, your mother wants visitation as well," he read.  He crumpled up the note and threw it into the fire.  "My whole family needs to die," he decided. "Then Potter.  I'll turn on him after he helps me eliminate my parents."   He started making true plans instead of the daydreams he'd had for years about how to get rid of his family.  How dare they try to sacrifice him to make some part-mudblood baby stronger!

Then he got a wicked idea.  He knew someone who would be *very* interested in the plan to make Potter's son, and therefore Potter, stronger.  His father's master was newly returned and was not going to be happy with them.

***

Harry woke up two nights later panting in agony, holding his head while his scar throbbed and the images droned on.  He barely heard the baby screaming.  He didn't hear someone breaking into his room.  He only felt it when someone cast a sleep hex on him so he got some relief from the horrible visions.

"I had hoped we'd have at least a few weeks respite," Hermione said grimly.  "Someone get the nurse!  Tell her Harry had a vision!"  She picked up the baby, but he was still crying.  "Shh, Tim.  It's all right."  Ron pushed his way in and took him, walking off with him.  "He's fine, Ron.  Another scar vision."

"Of course it was," he said grimly, taking him back up to his sister.  "Can you sit with Gin-Gin for a while?" he asked gently, getting him calmed down.  The baby got down to hiccups and snuggled in.  "Shh, we love you.  Let us take care of your Da and we'll be right back, Timmy."  He kissed him on the head, then pounded on his sister's door, getting one irritated roommate.  "Harry had a scar vision."

"Let me have him," she said, taking the baby.  "It's all right, Timmy.  You can nap with us tonight, loveling."  She carried him over to her bed, snuggling in around him and making sure she only had a sheet over them while he went to help Harry with whatever was going on.  "Shh, love.  Your father is very strong and he'll do just fine.  He'll win this battle too if there is one."  Ginny opened her bed's curtains.  "Scar vision."

She nodded, coming over to lay on the baby's other side, on top of the covers so no one would make any insinuations in the morning.  He went back to sleep snuggled and loved between them.

***

Harry was allowed to wake up once he was in the infirmary and the proper people gathered around.  "Harry, what did you see?" Hermione asked gently next to his ear.  "We need to know who it was."

"He's mad," he said weakly, holding his scar.  His hand came back wet so he looked at it.  "I broke open?"

"You did," Ron agreed, pressing a cold cloth to it.  "Who was it this time, Harry?"

"Voldemort."  He looked at them then at the teachers behind them.  "The last thing he said was 'happy fatherhood, while it lasts'."  Dumbledore went a bit pale and McGonagall's hand went up to hold her throat.  "He heard about the rite."  He sat up with help.  Mr. Tallhook ran in.  "Someone told Voldemort about the cocoon.  He went to check it and then told six people that they had children who better served his cause.  That one had turned them in for having Tim made.  He was punishing them for giving me a better reason to fight and a reason to be stronger."  He looked at McGonagall then at Tallhook again.  Then at Tonks since she was in there.  "Both Malfoys. The odd looking woman who dropped off Previa in Hufflepuff this last year to start school.  Two other women, one man I didn't recognize."  He looked around.  "Where's Tim?"

"Gin and her roommies have him," Ron soothed, patting his back.  "He's safe, Harry."

Harry slumped, looking at them again.  "Woods.  They were in some woods.  Not very old.  The trees weren't any bigger than the whomping willow around the place where it first branches off.  It was all oak and beech trees I think.  All pale bark.  No pine trees.  One large stone.  He was sitting on it when they were brought before him.  I think he said they were getting a reward or something.  Not really sure."  He looked at Dumbledore.  "I didn't see *him*."

"He's in his office," McGonagall assured him.  "Did you recognize anyone else?"

He thought back.  "Someone else was watching.  Someone young.  Someone not in the group.  He was off to the edges.  I think it was a boy.  Barely school age, eleven.   He was hiding.  I'm not sure if a parent brought him or not, but he was scared stiff.   He knew but he was showing his power and command so he didn't bother the child as far as I saw."  He moved the cloth off his scar, looking at it.  "Hasn't bled in a while."

"Could you get a sense of direction?" Tallhook asked.

Harry slowly shook his head.  "No.  I don't get that.  The blasted scar connects us now and then.  It's like I'm some horrified angel on his shoulder or something when he connects us."

Dumbledore nodded.  "I've been working on how to prevent that," he admitted.  He looked at the Ministry official.  "I'm sure we'll hear."

"He poured something on Lucius' body," Harry told him.  "He kinda turned into goo.  Like the potion in third year when you added too much beyberry.  I didn't see him use it on anyone else.  He left his wand in the middle of it.  It wasn't being eaten for some reason."  He felt Ron shudder and patted him on the hand.  "Go check on Tim?"

"Sure, Harry."  He walked around them to do that.

Hermione looked at the man from the Department of Mysteries.  "Do we keep wand resonances from past school years?"  He nodded slowly.  "Can we get the one from when Lucius was a student and track it that way?"

"I don't know.  I don't think we've ever tried it.  Let me check, Miss Granger.  Very good reasoning."  He went to check in and tell someone what Harry had seen.  Plus the idea.

"Harry, was his snake thing there?" Hermione asked.

Harry looked at her, then frowned.  "I didn't see her.  The snake woman he feeds off of wasn't there," he said, looking at Dumbledore.  "Would he need her in battle?"

"I....  I do not know," he admitted.  "It's something to look into.  Good thoughts, both of you.  Twenty points to you both for the very good ideas."  Ron walked in with the sleepy baby.  "You could have left him, Mr. Weasley."

"He'll calm Harry down and he needs to know his Da is all right.  Ginny said he was having nightmares."  Harry took his son to snuggle and sniff, letting him calm down and they both fell asleep curled up on the cot.  Ron pulled a chair over.  "Let him sleep," he ordered.  They all left, going to talk over the new vision while the nurse spread something on the scar to heal it and gave them both a better pillow to rest on.  Ron grinned at her.  "I've got 'im."

"That's fine, Mr. Weasley.  I'll be in my office if he needs anything."  He nodded and she left.

He put his feet up on the bed, relaxing, watching father and son nap together.  They were very cute.  He got up and summoned his camera from the hall, coming in to take pictures for his mother.  Someone had to start his scrapbook.

***

Draco Malfoy came out of the office the next morning much happier than he had went in.  He passed by Harry, Ron, and the baby, only sneering a bit he was so happy.  "Have a bad night?"

Harry looked at him.  "Not even pretending to mourn?" he shot back.  He walked on.

Ron looked at him.  "Feel better now that you turned 'em in?" he asked dryly, making Draco gape.  He smirked.  "Try to mourn, Malfoy.  You can leech it for more sympathy than you can a fake bite."  He followed Harry up to the office, nodding at the officials in there.  "Dad."  He handed over the camera.  "For Mum."

"What kept you?" his father asked.

"Telling Malfoy not to wear pink around the baby, he'll scream if he does," he said with a small grin for his father.  He got a parental look of disgust back.  "Not like he's not dancing around the dorms."

"Is there any idea of who the other child was?" Harry asked everyone.  Remus leaned closer so he let him have the baby, earning a smile.  "Everyone else wants to hold him too," he quipped.  "You have more cuddle rights than the average student.  Though Ron's above you since he calls him Mum," he said with a grin.

Arthur Weasley laughed.  "Ron did that to the twins for a while.  Made them whine for weeks about not being icky girls."

"No wonder they pick on you more than the others," Hermione said, giving him a small smile.  She sat on Remus' other side, smiling at the boy.  "Good morning, Timothy."  He growled at her and she smiled.  "I'm sorry.  Hungry, dearling?"  She summoned a bottle from the bag she had dropped by the door, handing it over.  "Want that?"  He took it and sucked hard, turning his head away from her. "Fine, you be grumpy.  It was a long night."  She looked at the adults.  "Did we find them?"

"We did," Tallhook said, smiling at her.  "Your idea was tweaked a bit but it essentially worked."  She beamed at that.  "To answer yours, Harry, he was a muggle born and he's fine.  We're debriefing him and getting him help.  He was only scared, not hurt."  He looked at the baby then at Harry.  "We'd like to use your link to stop him faster."

"Is it dangerous?" Remus asked calmly.

"A bit," Arthur told him, giving him a look.  "It would let us give him false information and lead him into something."  Hermione opened her mouth.  "We specially shielded the office this morning, Hermione.  Even if he's lurking in Harry's head he won't hear."

Harry shivered.  "I'm not sure I can initiate contact.  I always get it from him, not the other way around."

"We've got other methods of getting stuff to him," Ron pointed out.  Everyone stared at him.  "Who tipped him off to the plan for Harry's son?"  They all looked clueless.  "No one but Draco gained from that, did they?  He stomped off in a huff after we told him he was almost sacrificed.  Harry sent him an owl."

"Apologizing and telling him I wouldn't call him stepson again," he told him.  "It's gotta be horrible to have parents like that.  At least the Dursleys thought I had some worth as a house elf."

Remus patted him on the hand.  "You're worth a lot more than that, Harry."  He looked at Ron.  "You're suggesting that we use Draco to help us?"

Ron nodded.  "He's got everything to gain, including all his family's money.  After all, his father was a suspected death eater.  The Ministry is used to confiscating things from them."  He looked at his father, whose face lit up.  "Play the little ferret."

"That's highly unethical," McGonagall protested.

"So's making Timmy an orphan," Ron pointed out, getting a nod at that.  "If the Ministry isn't going to take it anyway, how would he know?  It'd give him the shot at the power he desperately wants."

Harry nodded.  "He's probably had some dreams of overthrowing Voldemort."

"He's smarter than Lucius was too," Hermione agreed.  "If we present it right, what makes you think he wouldn't?"  An owl floated in and she caught it, taking the message.  "Thank you."  It flew off again.  She read it and smirked, handing it to McGonagall.  "He said he'd love to be the newest Dark Lord.  He'll wait until he is to turn on the rest of us."

"At least he's ambitious," Ron said dryly, looking at Harry, who smirked back and nodded.  He looked at the others, who groaned and nodded at that plan. "Are we putting Remus' house under Fidelus charm this summer?"

"He can move into Grimmauld Place," Dumbledore offered.

Harry looked at him then shook his head.  "I don't want the insane, pureblood, and dangerous things there near my son, Headmaster.  Not with Sirius' mother still shrieking, Kreecher wandering around trying to kill us all, and the various problems we've had with the hidden artifacts."

Dumbledore sighed.  "It would be safer, Harry."

"So would me taking him to Europe for the summer."  Remus nodded at that.  "Or America."

"We need you here, Harry.  Something in you can defeat the Dark Lord."

"I'll still be safer; I want my son to be safer than I am," Harry told him.  Not that he minded seeing Sirius all summer long.  "With all the Order members who know, it's like the Platform there some days."

"True," he decided.  "We can hide Remus' house easily enough I suppose."

"Not like anyone comes to visit me," Remus reminded him.  "I can get started on them tonight."

"I'll help and ask Bill if he's busy," Arthur assured him, getting a nod.  He stole the baby.  "There you are.  Time for my cuddles, Tim."  The baby smiled and snuggled in, liking how he smelled.  "Such a good, quiet boy."

"He's used to going to class with me," Harry told him.  "Likes to be napped on by Fang during Creatures about now."  That got some smiles.  He looked at Remus.  "You sure?"

"Very.  It would keep out most of the Order unless we were called for and make me feel a bit safer anyway, Harry."  That got a nod.  "Good.  Then we agree."  He patted him on the back.  "School ends in a few weeks.  We'll do the rest of the shopping that day then head home."

"Sounds good to me," Harry agreed, looking at Arthur Weasley, who nodded.  "Then I can handle that."  He looked at Ron.  "Step one is already done?"

"Should be," he agreed.  "We need to plan what to give who and how."  He looked at Tallhook, who was smirking at him.  "Know your enemy works in chess too.  Like how Harry hates sacrifice plays.  That's why he never wins."

That got a nod.  "That does work for me.  We'll let you into the planning, Ron."  He shook his hand.  "We'll be talking about a job in a few years if you survive that long."

"I'd better.  My mother would yell loud enough to bring me back," he joked with an easy grin, even if his father was scowling.  "She would."

"She'd be louder than that," Hermione assured him.  "You'd never hear the end of it even after you were back."

"See, then I walk in with Timmy and she'll goo and go melty brained.  It'll fix that for a while," Ron said happily.

Harry looked at him.  "No making your mother yell at my son, Ron."

"Yes, Harry.  I wouldn't do that to him."

"Thank you."  He looked at the adults.  "Do we need us more?  If not, I need some tea."  Dobby popped up with a mug for him, earning a smile. "Thank you, Dobby."  He disappeared again.  He sipped it and moaned.  "Oooh, good and strong."  He leaned back.  "Do we know which house elf the Dark Lord has in his service beyond the one we got from the Crouches?"  He took another sip.  They all gave each other horrified looks.

"We know it's not Dobby," Ron told him.  Harry nodded at that.  "He'd kill others for you."

Harry smiled.  "He would.  Especially if they touch the baby.  He smacked Madam Sprout the other day for picking him up when he was sleeping."  He took another drink.  "Glad we got that straightened out too.  He was beating himself up over it."

Tallhook looked at Dumbledore.  "They're good."

"Have been for a few years now," Ron said happily, waving a bit.  "Headmaster told us not to worry about the reason Harry was having splitting headaches in his scar our first year and then didn't seem to be doing anything."  That got a groan from the headmaster.  Professor Snape stomped in.  "Want some tea?"  Dobby popped up to give him some.  "Thanks, Dobby.  Needed that."  He scratched his head and let him pop off again.  "Hey, Dobby?"  He came back.  "Which house elves report to someone other than the headmaster or McGonagall?"

Dobby considered it.  "Five or six house elfs talk to others outside the school, Weasy sir."  He looked at the headmaster.  "You need to know who they talk to?"  He nodded.  "Dobby will find out for you.  Otherwise could endanger Timmy Potter and that is bad.  Especially for house elf."  He disappeared again.

Snape gaped at Ron.  "He's got house elves spying?"

"They're everywhere, no one but Hermione pays any attention to them, they're in our things, our classrooms, seeing what we know and do, and yes we knew the Crouch's one was telling someone something.  She admitted it while drunk a few weeks back," Ron told him, sipping his tea.  "She was sobbing about not being able to poison the teachers like she had been ordered to and she was punishing herself for that."  He finished his tea and put down the mug, watching as it disappeared.  "Most of the time we don't even realize they're around and listening."

Snape sat down.  "When did you talk to her?"

"Two weeks back?" he asked Hermione, who nodded.

"I went down for some tea for some late night reading," Hermione told him.  "She was drunk and crying.  Beating her head on the fireplace.  I stopped her and demanded she talk to me what was wrong.  I confiscated the poison and it's been in my bag since then, Professor."

"You couldn't tell us?" McGonagall demanded.

She looked at her.  "You've all been very busy.  That was two days after the final trial, Professor.  I figured I'd tell you the last week, when things were calmed down and you had time to do that.  She did promise to come talk to me if she got given another order like that.  That way we could stop her and she wouldn't have to punish herself.  She agreed it wasn't bad if she let me know since I'm not a teacher and couldn't directly stop her.  Logic helped with that."

Ron nodded.  "Talked her to death."  Harry pinched him.  "She did."

"She probably did, like she does to us when we don't agree with her."  He looked at the Professor.  "Heard from Draco yet?"

"Twice," he said blandly.

"Use him and Harry's link," Ron told him.  "You in or should we tie you up and let someone use polyjuice to be you for the last few weeks of school?"

Snape gaped at him. "How dare you!"

"Hermie could fill in," Ron offered with a big grin.  "There's a few who do a good impersonation of you, Professor."  He stomped off.

Timmy spit.  "Baba."  He put his head back down while the adults all stared at him.

"Yes, he's bad," Harry said with fond tolerance, smiling at his brilliant son.  "So very smart.  Some year you'll be smarter than Hermione."  She snorted but shook her head.  "He will!  He already knows about people."  He smiled and took him back to cuddle. "That's my good boy, Timmy."  He looked at the amused looking adults.  "Don't you agree he's very bright?"

"I certainly do," Remus agreed, humoring him.   "We'll nurture his mind so it's one of the best of his generation, Harry.  Now, give me the godson."  He let him have him.  "Hello again, Timmy."  He snuggled him and let the baby smile and fall asleep that way.  "Are we done?  The children should be in class soon."

"Go," Dumbledore agreed.  They left, Harry looking at Remus, getting a nod.  "Babysitting?"

"Of course.  It's good for him to get used to me and me to get used to his schedule."  He settled deeper into the couch, smiling at the boy.  "You don't mind, do you?"  The baby blew a spit bubble then yawned and let himself fall asleep there.  "Good boy."

Harry hovered and watched, waylaying Tallhook on his way out.  "I want you to use the tracking to track someone for me.  No questions asked," he said quietly.

"Who?"

"Peter Pettigrew."

"He's dead, Harry.  Sirius Black killed him."

"Ron and I saw him last year.  He was pretending to be Ron's pet rat."  The man looked horrified.  "Missing part of his foot too.  Please?"

"If I can," he agreed.  "He might not have his wand."

"He was the one doing the spell at the cemetery.  He's missing a hand now," Harry told him.  That got a nod. "Please?"

"I'll do what I can, Harry.  How do you know?"

"Sirius wasn't the secret keeper.  He's my godfather," he said quietly.  That got an understanding look.  "Please?"

"I'll do what I can," he promised.  He walked off thinking about that, starting that process as soon as he got back to his office.  He found the wand.  It was on a dresser.  The user was nearby.  He set up a containment area with his assistant while he waited.  As soon as the wand was picked up he pulled the person back, looking at who he got.  "I'll be damned.  The boy was right."  Everyone stared.  "Mr. Pettigrew.  How nice to see you again," he said grimly, staring at him.  "Surely you remember me from your sixth year?  I tutored you in Transfiguration."

He backed away, looking around, then tried to transform but a spell stopped that and he screamed in pain as he came back to human form.  "How dare you!  I'll be rescued!"

"Not by the Dark Lord you won't," Tallhook sneered, waving a hand.  "Cuff him, drag him somewhere *safe*.   I think we need to look into the Sirius Black matter."  They all stared at him in horrified shock.

"Why?  He was in it with me."

"Really?  That's not what Mr. Potter said," he said dryly.  The other man blanched and tried to get away again but he was stopped and hauled off to the proper office.  Truth serum would get some good answers out of him.  Then Harry's faith might be vindicated.

***

Harry came in to dinner that night, staring at the people staring at him.  "What?"  He checked himself then Timmy then the others.  "Are we having problems?"

"No," Ron called.  "Special edition of the Prophet, Harry.  They found Pettigrew."

"Good!  About time."  He walked over there to read over his shoulder, letting Ginny steal Timmy to feed.  "Test it first, Ginny."

"Already did, Harry."  She smiled at the baby.  "I'm going to miss you all summer long, Tim.  What am I going to do without your cuteness around to make me look ravishing?"  He spit and sucked on his finger until she fed him some of the fruit mash.  Harry sat down and went back to reading, finally bursting out laughing.  "Thought you might like that."

"Does this mean he's free?" Harry called.

"There's an inquest.  If we can find him, he's most likely going to go free," McGonagall agreed.

"Hmm.  Last time I heard he was going to be in London in three weeks."

She smiled.  "As I had heard as well, Harry.  It'll be handled."  He nodded at that.  "Do eat.  Final exams are in a week you know."

He groaned, digging in to eat.  He needed a lot of late night studying coming up.   This year had been insane and he hadn't had a lot of energy for studying.  Though now it looked like things were starting to pick up again.

***

Harry walked off the train at Platform 9 3/4, looking at the paper boy there.  'Sirius Black a free man' was in four-inch tall letters across the headline.  He smiled and took a copy to read while he waited on Remus or someone to come get him.  He saw Draco walking off the train and nodded at him.  "Should I expect you'll want to take your barmy father's place and ask for visitation?"

"Hell no," he said dryly, sneering at him.  "The first visit I make will be the last I have to make there, Potter.  Remember, this is only a truce."  He strolled off, sneering at his driver when he saw him.  "The trunk is on the platform."  He went to get it and take the boy home.  He had all summer to make evil plans and to make sure that his father's legacy was erased and his new one got glorious notes made by others.  After all, he knew he could beat Potter when he ascended.  It was only a matter of time and letting Potter do all his dirty work for him.  Then the next Dark Lord would be a Malfoy, as his father should have been when the last one died at the hands of an infant.  Though he would learn from their mistakes and he would definitely be dressing better than either Voldemort or his father.

Harry smiled when Remus appeared, nodding him over.  "He likes noise now and then."

He looked at the baby.  "He does look comfy.  Ready?"

"Sure.  Let's go."  Remus shrunk the trunk into his pocket and led Harry out to take him shopping for the baby in Muggle London.  They had a lot more baby clothes than Diagon did.  Also a lot cheaper at some of the stores.  When you only had one baby store they hardly ever had sales.  Muggle places had sales at the drop of a hat to get people to shop there.  The rest of the list was quickly gotten within three stores and then they headed home on the Knight Bus.  Harry put his feet up, handing his son a bottle when he fussed.  "We even got you pants since you don't like robes or gowns, Tim.  How's that?"  His son cooed at him, making happy faces.  "I knew you'd like that."  He handed Remus the paper.  "He dancing?"

"Dead drunk at home tonight in celebration," Remus admitted happily.  "He'll come growl in the morning.  I haven't told him yet.  Didn't have a chance to."  Harry smirked at that.  "I didn't."  They got off when the bus stopped at his town, walking Harry and the baby to his house.  "Here we are," he said once they breached the field protecting it.  "Into the living room so he can get down on the floor.  I'm sure he'll like the rug.  It's a bit furry and I do most months."  Harry put the baby down, watching as he petted the rug.  "That'll work.  We're going to put things up, Tim.  Holler if you need us."  He led Harry up to their room, making the boy beam at him.  "I know it's not much."

"I love you," he said, giving him a hug.  That got a smile and the bag was unshrunk, the crib shrunk inside it unshrunk and put in its spot too.  Then a good unpacking spell and they were done.  They went down to find a big black rottweiler looking dog sniffing the baby.  "Padfoot, off my son," Harry said patiently.  He sat down on Tim's other side.  "Tim, this is your Uncle Padfoot.  You can spit at him if you want."  The baby cooed and grabbed his nose to pull on, getting a huff of noise from the dog.  The dog stared at him. "Don't look at me!  Some witch had him come into being without my being involved.  I woke up with him on the floor next to me one morning.  Dumbledore still doesn't like it."

The dog changed back to Sirius Black.  "Excuse me?  He came into being *how*?"  The baby spit at him and giggled, rolling over to kick his feet.  He smiled.  "You're very adorable..."

"Tim," Harry supplied.  He played with his stomach.  "We heard Uncle Sirius was drunk off his bum."

"I slept it off earlier."  He looked around.  "Remus?"  He came out of the kitchen, giving him an amused look.  "The witch who assaulted our godson?"

"She took some of his hair from a fangirl," he told him.

"Is that how she did it?" Harry complained.  He nodded.  Harry shook his head, sighing a bit.  "Wonderful."  He looked at Tim.  "Well, let's hope you're the only one.  I don't think I could deal with a sister for you."  Tim giggled when he tickled him and kicked his feet some more.  "Soon you'll be into everything.  Ginny warned me about that."  He picked him up so he could stand, holding him there.  "There, now try to walk?"

"Don't push him.  We'll be thankful for these carrying days soon," Remus advised, going back into the kitchen.  "My office, Sirius.  I got the official transcripts since I'm Harry's official guardian."

"Thank you, God and Merlin," Harry said dryly.

Sirius gave him a hug.  "I'm glad you're safe but we'll be talking, Godson," he said quietly.  Tim poked him in the throat with his bottle, staring at him.  He stared back.  "I can talk to him and hug him."

Tim spit and glared.  "Bahbah!"

"No, he's not bad.  He's just confused," Harry promised, setting him down so he could sit again.  "I promise, he's a nice doggy."  He looked at Sirius, grinning.  "A vengeance demon brought him to me while some of her kin dealt with the mother."

He whimpered, going to look at the transcripts.  Halfway through he bellowed in outrage.

"They all died," Remus called.  "The Dark One found out."

"Good!"   He went back to reading, coming out finally.  "So, we have a great-godson."  He sat down, picking up Timmy to look at him.  "Think we can get along?"  Timmy shook his head.  He smiled.  "Not yet, huh?"

"He thinks Ron's mum," Harry shared with a wicked smirk.  "Still calling him it."

Sirius shook his head.  "You called my motorcycle Mum a few times, Harry.  Sometimes kids like some strange things."  He looked at Timmy again, watching him stare at him.  "Am I fascinating?"  The baby sucked on his first two fingers, staring at him.  "I'm not that entertaining."

"Read to him," Harry said quietly, getting up and heading to the bathroom.  He came out to find Sirius and the baby still staring at each other but Sirius was talking to him about him as a baby.  He smiled and looked at Remus, who winked and let him help in the kitchen.  "When is the WPS witch coming?"

"Sometime this week."  He gave him a hug.  "You're doing fantastic as a father, Harry.  I'm very proud."  Harry beamed and helped by chopping veggies for him.  Sirius finally came in without the baby.  "Napping?"

"Sucking on his toes on the rug."  He gave Harry a hug.  "It's shocking but you're a good father so far," he said.  "Damn better than I'd be."  Harry beamed at him for that, giving him a proper hug.  "Now, who's coming to see him?"

"Molly probably," Remus told him.  "Ginny and Ron have been lifeguards when Harry got stuck.  Molly and Arthur have been doting relatives to help as well.  She took him shopping the first time."  Harry nodded at that, making them laugh.  "Ginny nearly didn't let the baby go from what I heard."

"Ron reminded her she could cuddle him most of the summer if I was going to be doing something."  He looked at his uncles.  "For some reason she thinks I'm going to start dating."  They snorted at that.  He nodded.  "Definitely not ready for that yet.  Did you tell him about the plan?"

"I have," he agreed happily, smirking at Sirius.  "Getting the one involved was Ron's idea."

"He wants us to do his dirty work so he'll help and then we'll deal with him," Harry told him.  "It gives us a bit less pressure now.  He told on his parents too."  He handed over what he had chopped, getting back to it.  "Tim, you all right?"  He heard the coo and smiled.  "Good.  Let us know if you need something."   A few minutes later Remus and Sirius both sniffed and made disgusted faces.  "Need a diaper?" he called as he walked out there, taking him up to their room to change him.  "We can handle that."  He got him cleaned up and changed then back down to the living room, letting him go back to playing again.  There were some toys that had been spread out by Remus earlier.  He touched each one, making sure they weren't portkeys, then let the baby play with the rings and soft bear.

"You're a bit paranoid, Godson," Sirius pointed out.

"After the year I've had?  Hell yes!" he snorted, going back to the kitchen.

"Don't swear around the baby," Remus ordered gently.  "He'll start to swear too, Harry."

"We'll figure that out for Ron and me then," he said dryly.  "Ron's first few sentences around him contained a swear if I remember right."  Tim yelped so he went to look.  "That's the floo, Timmy.  It's how we talk to other wizards."  He looked at the witch in there.  "You are?"

Remus came out.  "Oh, Tonks, good disguise today."

"Thanks.  Can I come through?"  That got a nod and she came through, staring at the baby.  "I've heard about you but you're a bit smaller than I'm used to."  He spit at her then cackled.  She grinned.  "A boy after my own heart, huh?"  She picked him up to kiss him on the cheek, then put him back down.  "Play with Dad there, Tim.  He needs to play."  She walked into the kitchen with the adults.  She came back out.  "Two more death eaters have been found dead."

"Did they piss him off too?" Harry quipped.

She nodded.  "Apparently."  She looked at the baby, who was staring at them.  "Relax, Tim.  It's all right.  You and your Da are safe here.  Only me, Ginny, and Molly know where you're at."  She patted Harry on the head.  "Everything will be fine, Harry.  Relax and be a dad this summer."  She went back through the floo, heading to make her formal report.

Remus smiled at Harry.  "Dinner will be in about thirty minutes if you want to get him to take a nap."

Harry gave him an odd look then shook his head.  "If I do that he'll never sleep tonight.  We'll be flying him all night."  That got a smile.  "He usually eats at the table with us.  Something mashed up or pureed."  He got up to fix his son dinner, coming out to set the table while the two adults finished the rest.  Then they came in and Harry pulled an extra chair in for Timmy to sit in his carrier on.  "There, now let's eat."  Timmy squealed and waved is arms.  Harry grinned.  "Yes, you, eat."  He stuffed his mouth, getting a happy boy.   He fed him, eating bites between his son's sucking down his beets.  At the end Timmy was giving him a pitiful look.  "Still hungry?"  He pulled him onto his lap, letting him have some of his potatoes to gum on.  "Try that.  It's a bit more solid than your usual but it should be okay as long as you don't choke."  Timmy beamed at the two men, getting smiles and waves back while he gummed the piece of fried potato until it was soft enough to swallow.  He looked at the plate and grabbed another one for himself.  Those were tasty.  Harry kissed him on the head. "Sure, we'll share."  He finished what he wanted and let Timmy steal whatever he wanted to nibble on, finishing the rest when he gave up.  "Full?" he asked him.  The baby cooed and reached over to Sirius, letting him take him.  He stole some of his potato with a bright grin.  "Ah, sampling.  You do that to Ron."

"Mama."

"Yup, him," Harry agreed happily.  "He'll tip the plate too," he warned, still smiling.  Sirius finished his dinner and Timmy beamed at Remus, who took him so he could sample his plate too.

"It's the same thing, Timmy," Remus assured him.  "I made all of it."  Timmy cooed at him.  "I know, it tastes different from each person.  Harry did the same thing when he was little."  Remus poked him on the stomach, earning a smile.  Timmy held up his prize.  "No, you eat that."  He stuck it into his mouth, watching as he gummed on it and then stared at his father.  "What's next?"

"Some play time until bath time around nine.  Then thirty of calming down and then bed."  Timmy spit at him.  "Not yet.  After your bath, like usual."  The baby squealed at that, earning a smile.  "Liking that thought tonight?  Does that mean I should check your diaper again?"  The baby beamed and sucked on Remus' finger.  "Is he wet?"

Remus patted his butt then shrugged.  "Not a clue.  Didn't squish."

Harry reached over and took his son back, looking inside the plastic cover pants.  Then at his son.  "How did you sneak that out without us smelling?"  He took him to change, bringing him back down with only the diaper and plastic cover on.  "There.  Be naked until bath time.  It's warm today."  Tim laughed and hooted until Sirius came out to play with him too.  Then he took his attention until Harry went to do dishes.  Sirius turned into a dog, letting Timmy squish his fist in the short, coarse fur until he yawned.  Harry came back.  "If you nap now, you'll get up later."  He got him a soft toy, watching as he beat the dog with it until his godfather walked out of range.  Timmy scowled at him and threw the toy, then wailed for it back.  Harry gave it back and he threw it at the dog again.  Harry looked at the dog.  "Might wanna change back.  He likes this game a lot apparently.  I think it's the baby version of fetch."

Sirius changed back, weathering the claps the baby gave him and the huge grin that spoke of intelligence and a smartass nature.  "Why do I think your mother is laughing her arse off over this one, Harry?"

Harry looked at him and shrugged.  "Who knows.  I didn't know her that well."  He looked at his son.  "Ah, you have Ginny's smartass grin again," he said dryly.  "So yes, Mum is probably snickering somewhere at you," he said with a grin of his own for his godfather.

Remus snickered and took a picture.  "Serves us right, huh, Timmy?"  He picked him up, taking him back into the kitchen.  "Every wizard should know what goes on in here.  We'll start you now, that way you can cook as good as any house elf when you're bigger."  The baby beamed at him.  "That's my good nephew."  He gave him a cuddle and showed him  how to wash dishes the wizarding way and then the mundane way when his wand movements with his off-hand meant that one of the plates broke instead of stacked neatly.

"Having problems?" Sirius called.

"Using my off hand," he called back, looking at Tim.  "He's fussy.  You get used to him being grumpy and fussy.  I'm sure you will when he does it to you a few times."  He kissed him on the head and sniffed.  "Did you pee on me?" he asked dryly.

"Probably," Harry admitted, taking him to change again.  He looked at his son.  "If you were a bit older and potty trained, I'd let you go naked if you wanted, Tim."  His son fussed at that.  "Well, as soon as you're potty trained you can decide that for yourself.  All right?"  He did up his diaper and then put on the rubber overpants, taking him back downstairs.  Sirius stole him and he shrugged.  "Okay.  Until nine. Then it's time for his bath."  That got a nod and Sirius sat down to talk to the baby, letting him know who he was and how nice Remus was to make him cookies.  Harry shook his head, going to help with the dishes.  Sometimes his godfather was a bit odd.  "Cookies?"

"He's got a sweet tooth," Remus admitted with a smile.

Timmy let out a shriek so they both looked out in the living room.  "Son?" Harry asked dryly, walking out to find him floating and babbling at the ceiling's shadows.  "Son?"  He looked at Sirius, who was knocked out on the floor.  "Interesting.  Any ideas?"

"Not a clue," Remus said, working to get Sirius up.  "Can you get him from the couch?"

"Nope."  He went up to his room to get his firebolt, bringing the broom downstairs so he could float up slowly and ended up chasing the baby around the room until he finally caught him by one foot and hauled him in.  "We should talk about your flying skills, son.  Ron was right, you'll be an excellent quidditch player."  He landed next to the fireplace, letting his broom rest there for a bit.  He checked his son.  "No bruises or bumps."

"That's good but I still can't get Sirius up."

Harry held Timmy so he was facing him.  "Scream at him," he ordered patiently.  Timmy let out another shriek and Sirius sat up, glancing around quickly.  "Thanks, Tim.  Bath time."  He walked him up the stairs, shaking his head.  "I've got to ask Mrs. Weasley about that before you get hurt," he said quietly.  "We don't want the nice WPS witch to say that I'm mean to you."  He smirked at his son.  "Though it was brilliant, Tim.  I was a lot older before I learned how to fly."  He kissed him on the forehead.  "I love you no matter how often you bump into the ceiling without a broom.  Or how often you knock Sirius out."  He got them down beside the tub, starting the water and plugging the tub up.  "There, we'll bathe and then we'll go kiss Uncle Sirius so he knows you still love him.  All right?"  Tim smiled at him, sucking on his thumb.  "That's my good boy."  He checked the water temperature then looked at the baby again.  "You're going to be so spoiled this summer," he teased.  Timmy grinned at that and Harry got him out of his diaper, tossing it into the wash basket in there as well.  Tim went into the water and Harry summoned a small cup to help him with his bath.  He even checked it first, in case it was holding something.

Remus came up and switched out cups with him.  "Sorry, your mum gave that to me, Harry."  He smiled at Tim.  "You are brilliant."  He walked out, going to put that back and check on Sirius again.  He was in the backyard relaxing.  "So what happened?"

"The first thing I knew, Tim was suddenly light and then I saw stars.  Maybe he kicked me."

"Or maybe however he was floating knocked you out, like a broom backwash," Remus said thoughtfully.  "We know that she did something to him but we don't know what.  He's very active magically."

"Can we restrict that a little bit?"

"I'm not sure," Remus admitted. "We'll ask Molly tomorrow.  She's already vowed to come check on him right after breakfast."  Sirius smiled and nodded at that.  They both looked up at the screaming going on but it sounded like fun yelling instead of angry  yelling.  Ron came out the back door.  "Visiting already?"

"Mum's driving me nuts," he complained.  "Harry said to blow off some of it."  He grinned slightly.  "Can I hide on Harry's floor?"

"Sure, Ron," Remus agreed, smirking at him.  "Hide away but she'll be here tomorrow."

"I can hide in a closet then," he said with a cheeky grin, heading in to help with the bath time rituals.  Tim was a stickler for some things happening.  Like Daddy had to wash his hair then his back or he scowled.  The kid was already a bit odd, but he was a wizard so he supposed that was something that was natural in Harry's family.  All wizards were a bit off and the way you were off tended to run in your family.

The two adults shared a look.  "I'll make sure she knows he's here," Remus said, going to do that and put on some water for tea.  They'd want some after the baby went down.

***

Ron watched Harry and his son float around the backyard on his broom, smiling at the happy squealing Tim was doing.  He loved to fly.  He was flying when he woke them up this morning at three with his happy squeals and doing it the normal way was apparently just as good for him.  He looked over as his mother came out of the floo.  "Did I float too?"

"Percy did if I remember right," she admitted.  "A bit older than him though.  He is?"

"Knocked Sirius out and started it last night," Remus called from his study.  "Woke us all up this morning being happier with it than his diaper."

Molly smiled.  "Well, I suppose it would get that off his bum."  She smiled at the happy family.  "Harry?"  He landed next to her, automatically handing her the child, as he should.   "Hello, Tim.  Are we having a good morning?"  The baby beamed and babbled noise at her so she took him inside to look him over and figure out what was going on.   She'd had seven, she should be able to figure it out.

Ron looked at Harry.  "Think he'll play keeper or seeker?"

"Probably keeper since I'm shite at it," he admitted, sitting down on the lounger next to him.  "Where's the adults?"

"Hiding from his messy bum.  Again," Ron said fondly, smirking a bit.  "See the paper this morning?"

"No, it was mysteriously eaten before we made it down."  Ron handed over his copy and let Harry read the editorial saying he should have to marry someone to give the child a second parent, just in case you know.  He looked at Ron then inside.  "Mrs. Weasley, someone in the paper wants me to marry your son or Hermione again!" he yelled.

"I've already sent her a howler, Harry, dear," she called back.  Tim came floating out, wiggling to 'swim' so he had some momentum going.  "Well!  Timothy, get back here!"  She got handed Harry's broom so she could catch him, letting the boys giggle about it.  "You look like a very pale toad when you do that, Tim."

"Don't listen to her, we think it's brilliant of you," Ron called.

Harry swatted him.  "I might but it's not a good thing.  Who knows how high he'd go.  He could be worse than a snitch to find if he keeps it up."

"Nothing's worse than the shiny gold ball, Harry," Ron said dryly, smirking at him.  "Really.  He can't play hide and seek yet."

"I'm sure he'll learn.  He might even do it to taunt Draco next year."

Ron burst out giggling at that image.  "I can see that," he laughed.

Remus came to the door.  "You can see what?"

"Him playing hide and seek to drive Malfoy junior insane," Harry told him.

Remus walked back inside shaking his head.  "I'll watch him while you take a nap, Harry."

"No need, I'm fine," he called after him.

"Take a nap, Harry," Remus ordered from the kitchen.  "Now please."

"Yes, Uncle Remus."  He shrugged at Ron and went to lie down for a bit.  Tim was wearing him out.

Ron took the baby so his mother could land.  "Remus made Harry take a nap."

"That's fine.  I did much of that with all of you," she assured him, taking the baby back inside to see if they could restrict the magic just a tiny bit.

Ron took the opportunity to giggle himself to the point of getting sick.  It was very cute of the boy.

***

Sirius walked Harry and the baby into the bank a few weeks later, waving at the goblin who handled the Black family accounts.  "We've got to do an accounting."  The goblin nodded and led him to his office so they could do that.  He smiled at the baby, who was giving the goblin a confused look.  "He's a goblin, Timmy.  They run the banks and things."  The baby reached over to play with his ear, making the goblin flinch.  "Sorry."

"He's used to Dobby's house elf ears," Harry offered with a shy grin.  "He's confused why you don't have the same ears probably."

The goblin looked at the baby.  "Goblins are smarter than house elves, young man.  That's why we have different ears."  The baby beamed and grabbed it again, pulling him closer by it so he could suck his thumb with it.

"Oh, no," Harry said, making him let him go. "It's not nice to grab the goblins.  They don't like that."  He stared at his son, weathering the fussing.  "Keep it up.  See Dumbledore today."  The baby quit fussing and snuggled in again.  "Good boy."  He smiled at the goblin.  "He's sorry."

"You did the same thing a few times," Sirius assured him dryly.

"Many children have," the goblin admitted, sitting behind his desk.  The baby was still staring at him.  He smiled and the baby spit then giggled.  "It's clear who your grandfather was, young man.  He did the same thing to me when I was younger."  He looked at Sirius.  "Do we think some of the family's accounts were taken?"

"Yup.  I'm wondering which sister got them and where's Harry's trust account.  I set up one for him when they went into hiding so his parents didn't have to use theirs and get attention."

"Interesting."  He went to pull the records from back that far, coming back with a thick book.  He set it on the desk and paged back, finding the entry.  "I do see it here."  He went forward, frowning.  "It appears to be in his vault.  It looks like it was transferred to vault 4568."

"That's not mine," Harry said calmly, producing his key.  "I had to have someone retrieve that from Dumbledore's office while he was gone.  That's my key."

The goblin looked at it then looked up that vault.  Then him.  "That should not be."

"How many other vaults got displaced?" Sirius asked.

"Let me examine things."  He went to get another few books and trace the vaults in that one instead.  He finally looked up, finding the baby  playing with Sirius' hair while napping on his shoulder.  "The Black family accounts were consolidated when a good bit was taken out for inheritances."

"Neither sister got more than a dowry by the will," Sirius noted.

"I know.  Which is why it's odd.  Also, his vault was moved after it was depleted as well."  He grimaced.  "I will be looking into this.  Let me get someone in here to help me."  They nodded so he went to find his boss, who came in to look over the entries and what wills they had on file.

The more senior goblin finally looked at them.  "Narcissa Black-Malfoy did take out ten thousand gold the year you went away, Mr. Black."

"Which wasn't allowed," he told him.  "I had a will stating that everything of mine was to be handled by Remus Lupin or the Potters."

"Shortly afterward the werewolf laws were started," the goblin explained.

"I saw, it pissed me off," he admitted, shifting some.  The baby lifted his head.  "It's all right, Tim.  Go back to sleep."  Tim put his head back down and closed his eyes but didn't start to really sleep, just rest.  Harry took him back.  "I can hold him."

"You're tense.  Let me hold my own son."  He looked at the senior goblin.  "Who else took things out?  With the way Sirius was talking, ten thousand would've made a small dent but not what he thinks he saw."

"Indeed," the senior goblin agreed.  "The rest was confiscated by Headmaster Dumbledore for the benefit of any heirs."

Sirius raised an eyebrow.  "What heirs?"

"He said he thought there was one but he never filed statements with us about that.  The vault was to remain locked until such a statement was filed.  It's still locked."

"Though there have been monthly withdrawals," the first goblin noted calmly.  "We're not sure why."

"He's been using the Black and Potter monies to fund the war?" Harry asked.

"That is one possible explanation and a more humane one than what we'd usually suspect first," the senior goblin agreed.  "As for your trust...."

"His parents left him much more than what Molly said he had in his vault, and I set up a trust for him and his family," Sirius told him.

"Which is in the same vault," the senior goblin told him.

Sirius nodded once.  "Then switch it back please.  As far as I know, I have no heirs outside of my godson and great-godson, plus Remus Lupin."

"We can do that.  It'll take us a few days to get everything set up.  There's some paperwork that's been signed by the higher ups."

"Then please do so," Sirius agreed, standing up.  "If there's more problems, let me know.  Also about what Narcissa took.  She wasn't to have access to the money at all by my mother's will."

"I will look into that as well," he agreed.  "It appears the same goblin handled it."  They nodded and Sirius left with the boy and his son.  He looked at the lesser goblin.  "It was wise to call me.  This is going to cause a stink."

"I didn't want to tell him that they only had ten percent of the family's wealth left in their vaults."  He handed him the books.  "Should I write a report?"

"Please.  I'll take it to the bank's counsel tonight."  That got a nod and he sat down to do that, handing it over once it was dry and signed.  He walked everything off, taking it to the legal counsel for the bank, handing it to him.  "We have irregularities."  The goblin lawyer winced.  "It's gone back a few years."  He showed him where it started and built the chain of evidence with him.  That one goblin was going to be defending himself to the Elder's Council for his last few days.

***

Harry came out of the bank's floo a few days later.  "Did we find it all?" he asked the goblin meeting him.

"We did.  We needed to see you specifically about some of it."  He led him back to his office, where Dumbledore was waiting.  "He also wanted to talk to you."

Harry looked at him.  "You took my inheritance to fund the war?"

"I kept it away from your aunt and uncle."

"They never knew I had any.  I've never told them.  They would've sucked my original vault dry if they had been told about it."

"I was paying them a small check a month for you out of it," he admitted, handing over the paperwork.  Sirius walked in.  "Sirius."

"Albus."  He looked at the papers, then at him.  He coughed, smiling at the goblin.  "Can you show Harry his current vault please?"  The goblin knew that they wanted some privacy so he did that.  He looked at him, glaring.  "They said fairly often that they were only getting state payouts for him, Albus.  They would've noted the other source when they sneered at him.  Snape's not the only one who can use occulmencary.  I'm more subtle than he ever was with it."  Albus swallowed.  "Now, enough shite.  You took mine.  You took Harry's.  You probably took a few others too."

"We needed it to stop the rest of the death eaters."

"Albus, they went into hiding when he died," he said bluntly.  "Don't make me call someone at the Ministry."  That got a tight-lipped look.  "Especially not about Harry's vaults.  You'll find I'm going to protect him now since I couldn't before.  If you don't remember, I'm the one who growled at everyone."

"I do remember.  It was not done to hurt the boy."

"And I believe that," he said grimly, staring at him.  "The house in Goddric's Hollow?"

"Was destroyed."

"Really?"  He pulled out a picture, handing it over. "Looks habitable to me.  Looked like it was destroyed the same as Hogwarts does."  Harry and the goblin came back.  "Who's living there?"

"I suppose a muggle."

"Uh-huh.  We'll be seeing tonight."  Albus backed away from him.  Sirius looked at the goblin.  "So?"

"The goblin who facilitated it thought he was doing something humane and good for the world at large.  We've made him retire and backed out of all agreements he made on such matters.  Your family was not the only one that was used that way.  Mr. Potter's vault will be restored this afternoon.  The Black family vaults will be restored within ten days.  We're waiting to hear back from the Malfoy family attorney."

Siirus nodded.  "That's reasonable.  Is Draco being reasonable?"

"He sneered and said that it proved he was better than his parents since they were only minor thieves."  He grimaced, then it cleared up.  "The other families are being notified and their vaults put back to right."  That got a nod.  "Thank you for bringing that to our attention."

"Thank you for fixing it," Harry told him.  "And for giving me what it should be."  He patted Sirius on the arm.  "Can I stop to get a few new shirts?"

"Of course, Harry.  Did you take any out?"  He held up the bag.  "Good boy."  He looked at the goblin.  "I'll await statements.  Remus and I are Harry's legal guardians."  That got a nod and a note was made.  "Thank you.  We'll see you when school starts again, Albus."  He walked Harry off, taking him out to Diagon.  "How much did he say?"

"Seventy thousand."

Sirius walked back inside, going back to the office.  "I put more than a hundred thousand into his trust vault."

"The rest was used and we're debating if we are liable for those or if the headmaster is," he noted calmly.

"As long as someone gives it back.  I want Timmy able to afford school when it's his turn."  He walked out, heading back to help Harry pick out a few shirts.  Plus other clothes that fit.  The kid's hand-me-downs annoyed him.  He looked at the pants and the belt he had on then at Madam Malkin.  "He's wearing his lardass cousin's hand-me-downs.  Fix it, please?"  She nodded, taking Harry to outfit him for real.  Sirius even paid for it.  He let Harry pick up a new outfit for the baby and then headed to get some ice cream and go home.  He walked into Remus' office while Harry was upstairs.  "Albus raided over two- thirds of Harry's vaults."  Remus moaned.  "There's only seventy thousand left."

Remus stood up, staring at him.  "You gave him over a hundred thousand, Sirius.  His parents were worth four times that!"

"The goblins are debating if they're liable for it or Albus is," he said, leaning on the wall.  Harry came in.  "He napping?"

"Happily on Ron's stomach on the bed," he said, smiling some.  "As long as it gets fixed and I don't have to deal with a headmaster who acts like a teenager, Sirius.  Please.  He's always plotting something."

"Uh-huh.  Usually how to get you to do his job," Sirius complained, looking at Remus.  "He really told Harry to not worry about things?"

"A few times," Harry admitted.

Remus nodded.  "Harry had to find out what this year's plot was by himself too.  Albus didn't find out who put the name in the goblet until after the third trial."

Sirius growled.  "Someone needs my foot up their ass all the way to my tail."  He gave Harry a hug.  "You've got us now, kiddo.  We're helping."

He looked at him.  "I'd rather you two watch the baby if it's a battle.  I know he'll be tried for and it'll keep him safe.  By the way, Ron plans everything.  I'm not as good as he is at it."

Remus smiled.  "I can agree to that idea.  Sirius?"

He nodded.  "We'll guard the little bit, Harry.  You're right, he'd be a target but we'll make sure he's fine."  Harry smiled and nodded so he gave him another hug.  "We'll get Dumbledore straightened out as well.  I've had enough of his problems.  He could have brought in Pettigrew and didn't."

"We'll do what we can without harming the school's reputation," he said calmly.   Both adults gave him a dirty look.  "The people need to believe in something.  Like they need to believe that the Ministry is effective and working for them, even if there are idiots in charge and they don't agree with them.  People lose hope when they don't have that."

"Good point," Sirius agreed, calming himself down.  "It's not the school's fault Dumbledore's in charge."

"It's him or McGonagall and can you imagine what problems we'd have?" Harry said dryly.  "We'd never get fun again.  Her first year she'd crack down harder than Filch."

"Hmm," Remus said, nodding a bit.  "She might loosen up in a few years but her first year would turn the school into a jail."  Sirius shuddered at that.  "We'll do what we can, Siri."

"Fine, Remus."  He smiled at Harry.  "Going to fly with the little one today?"

"Ron and I planned on doing that but they're napping."  He grinned. "It's so nice he's napping!  I'm so proud of him for it."

Sirius laughed.  "Your father said the same thing when you had colic, Harry.  Every parent probably does."  He went to check on them and get something to nibble on, watching as Harry pulled out another textbook to read.  "That's not my idea of fun reading."

"No but it's important reading.  I can read comics once we've won."

Sirius took the textbook.  "Go read comics now.  Remus can run drills later this week."  Harry gave him a hurt look.  "He does teach defense.  Go read a fun reading book.  Be a boy, Harry."   Harry grinned and went to find Ron's stash of comics to read.  He shook his head, handing Remus the defense book.  "I made him do some fun reading."

"I can agree.  The boy needs to be a boy, not a savior."  He went into the kitchen to see what he was fixing for dinner, smiling when Harry took the comics outside to look through.  It was a good thing for him.  "Damn you, Albus," he muttered.  "You'll pay for that too."

***

Harry walked along the streets of Hogsmeade, smiling at the people who smiled at him.  Or probably the baby on his stomach.  Timmy was facing outward today so he could see the sights.  "See, that's Madam Rosemerta, she makes very good butterbeer.  You'll like her when you're in school," he told him.  She stopped to stare at him.  "This is Timmy.  Timmy, this is Madam Rosemerta.  Can you say hi?"  The baby smirked and waved.  "Good boy."

"He's a darling little one, Harry.  Getting in a lot of good family time before you've got to head back up the hill?"

"He's coming back with me.  Remus agreed," he said with a grin.  She gave him a horrified look.  "He'll be fine.  We've already arranged for things like babysitting times.  Professor McGonagall arranged mine and Ron's schedule so we could have a few different free times for the more dangerous classes."

She shook her head and clucked her tongue.  "He's too young."

"But he enjoys the plants in herbology," he offered with a grin.  "Madam Sprout calls him a little ivy."

She giggled.  "She would.  Well, he's smart looking and acting so far."

"He's also learned how to float.  Keeps hitting the ceiling when he's got a dirty diaper."

She let out a loud guffaw of laughter, patting him on the shoulder.  "Only your son, Harry."  She walked off.  "Coming in for lunch?"

"We were ordered to come find some fun reading and Diagon is a bit crowded at the moment."

"That's fine.  I'll expect to see you both during town weekends then."  She went back into the Three Broomsticks to share the gossip.  It meant the boy was going to be a very strong wizard some year.

Harry beamed at Timmy.  "See?  She likes you too."  He walked into the bookstore, getting a few odd looks.  "Fun reading time."  He went to find himself some and then looked at the children's books.  Timmy reached for them so he got closer, letting him pick out what he wanted to see.  He came out with a huge stack he had to float.  "Let's price these before I have to buy the whole section," he told his son.  "Then you can get Sirius to read you whatever we can afford today."

The shopkeeper looked at the boy then at Harry.  "He likes to be read to?"

"Apparently.  I read him my assignments.  Ron reads him his.  Ginny just talks to him. Sirius tells him stories as long as he can play with his ears."  He shrugged a bit.  "I think he'll like books and he grabbed those."

The shopkeeper let out a small smile.  "It's a future genius who likes books this early, Mr. Potter."

"I'd love him even if he was illiterate," Harry admitted.  "Though I hope he doesn't have learning problems.  If so, we'll get him help immediately."

"Good."  He priced them then looked at him.  "How much do you have on you?"

"Um, ten galleons?" he said hesitantly.

"Children's books are 5 sickles each new or 1 used."  He pointed at that bin.  "Half of them are in the used one."  Harry beamed and went to search in there, letting him sort out the titles.  "That'll come up to just over nine galleons with tax and yours."  Harry beamed and handed over the ten gold coins, getting the change back.  "Get him a treat too.  He should have one his first time in Hogsmeade."

"We're going to Honeyduke's next," he admitted sheepishly.  The shopkeeper smiled and let him have the bag, so he waved Timmy's hand.  "Say thank you, Timmy."  Timmy giggled and beamed, waving both hands.

"You're welcome, young man."  He watched the small family walk out smiling but shaking his head.  "He's a fussy father.  Hate to see that kid find a library."

Harry walked them into Honeydukes and weathered the cooing over his son.  "He needs a treat for his first time in town and Ron wanted a few chocolate frogs," he said.  They smiled and decided on a huge sucker for him and a stick of rock candy that wouldn't be coming apart but he could suck on for a good, long time.  Harry decided on grape and a mild cinnamon for the rock candy after letting Timmy sniff and see what he liked.  That and two chocolate frogs and he was broke.  He put that bag into his other one and waved.  "Thanks."  They walked out, heading home with the portkey Remus had made.  They landed in the backyard and Ron got the frogs since he was out there.  "He picked out books."

"They do that."

"No, I mean he grabbed books and pulled them off the shelf then almost refused to let go."  He walked him inside, smiling at the adults and the WPS witch in there.  "Hi.  We went to the bookstore."  He put down the bag and then the baby, letting him play on the floor for now.  "He grabbed the books and didn't want to let go, but thankfully the shopkeeper had most of them in the used bin.  Or else I'd be totally broke."  He handed Sirius the stick of grape rock candy.  "I asked the witches at Honeydukes, she said it wouldn't come off the stick very easily."

"That's a sensible precaution," the WPS witch assured him, looking at the books, handing him what were obviously his.  Timmy squealed and wiggled to pounce one, laying on top of it, cooing and patting it.  "You're going to love learning, young one."

Remus took the baby, his treat, and his book, settling into his usual reading chair to read to him.  The baby gave him adoring looks around his candy.  "You're a good boy," he whispered, making Timmy beam and hold up the candy.  "No, thank you.  You eat it.  I'll steal part of Ron's frog later on."  He grinned and the baby nearly put it up his nose but with a bit of help it went back into his mouth to be drooled into nothingness.

"He's got a large sucker that he can't hope to choke on or fit in his mouth at once and another of those in a mild cinnamon," Harry told him.  Sirius grinned at that.  "He likes them.  I made sure first."  He looked at the witch.  "Another check?"

"Another check, and to let you know we've been working with McGonagall on next year's plans."  Harry nodded.  "So far it looks good, all but for defense, Harry."

"He likes defense."

"Next year you're going to have a lot more demonstration models if the teacher's any good," she warned.

Harry gave her an odd look.  "Only if the Ministry leaves off," he said dryly.  "Or didn't you hear that their next teacher isn't going to be teaching us more than theory and she's already mad at me and trying to say I lied?"

She moaned.  "She is?"  He dug out the paper, handing it to her.  It was nice how the new defense teacher had put a few editorial letters in the Prophet with her plans.  She read it then groaned.  "Okay, I'll deal with this.  A half-demon is not an appropriate teacher for you kids.  I'd rather have Remus back."

"He was a great teacher," Harry assured her.  "He had plans in place for any dangerous times."

"I'm aware of that, Harry.  We checked that when we heard that Dumbledore had hired him.  We have a few other children in our rolls there."  She smiled at him.  "Don't worry so much.  Worry about Tim and your OWLs, young man."  She stood up.  "Are you going to need help school shopping?"

"Probably not," Harry admitted.  "I know he'll need more clothes about then so I was going to combine them."

"Good idea.  Take your guardians or Molly Weasley with you, dear.  She'll help you with all you'll need."  She smiled at the adults.  "I'll see you in a few weeks, gentlemen.  Good job so far, boys."  She left, heading back to her office to start a protest over the Ministry's new plan for the school.  That was not something that Wizard Protection Services would tolerate!

Harry looked at Remus.  "Have any letters appeared yet?" he asked quietly.

"They're due out this week," Sirius said, looking outside.  "Ron, did you get your school letter yet?"

"Yeah, yesterday."  He walked in and Timmy babbled and waved his stick of candy.  "That's a good treat for you, Timmy," he said happily, smiling at him.  "Such a good boy."  He flopped down beside Harry.  "He didn't get his?"  Harry shook his head.  "Let me call Mum, see if she got it."  He grabbed the floo powder and tossed some in.  "Molly Weasley."  She appeared.  "Mum, do you have Harry's school letter?"

"No, dear.  Doesn't he?"

"Nope," he said dryly, giving her a look.

"I'll beat that man," she vowed, disappearing and heading to the school to start screaming at Dumbledore again.  Something had to be done about him and his plans!

***

Harry looked up as Sirius came back from his meeting at the Ministry.  "Let me guess, the same idiots who decided I'm lying have kicked me out for having Tim?"

"Are you psychic?"

"The look on your face, Sirius."  He gave him a long stare.  "Besides, it's typical.  Am I reinstated or am I learning things at the kitchen table this year?"

"Probably at the kitchen table.  The Wizengomet is in it now.  We had to point out repeatedly that you didn't sleep with someone to have the baby, the mother was gone, and that WPS had you monitored in case something happened."

Harry just nodded at that.  "You know, some day soon the Dark Lord is going to show up there and then they'll be stuck with him."  He went back to his reading of the defense textbook.  "Did you get to see the prophecy yet?"

"I have and it sucks, kiddo," he assured him.  He sat across from him.  "Want to change schools?"

"While I'd be safer, it'd leave Ron on the front lines and they'd have to send for me anyway thanks to that prophecy," he pointed out, putting his book down to stare at him.  "Can't we preemptively strike or something?"

"That's not how good guys do it," he explained.

"And?"  He shrugged.  "Not like they're going to attack openly for a little bit."

"Good point."  He considered it.  "If we knew where they were."

"Ask Professor Snape."

"I'm sure someone has," he agreed.

Harry leaned closer.  "We all know what he does," he said quietly.  Sirius grimaced.  "By the way, leave the man alone.  Please?  You're only making him be more of an arse to me."

"Fine."  He cleared up his grimace as Ron and the baby came in.  "How was he while I was gone?"

"Fussy."  He handed him to Harry, watching as he still fussed.  "Something's going on.  He didn't even fuss that much before your last scar thingy, Harry."

Harry looked at Tim then at Sirius, handing him over.  "Grab his bag, Ron."  Ron nodded, going to pack it for him.  "Have a good trip.  I love you, Timmy, you stay safe with Uncle Sirius."  Sirius gave him a horrified look.  "I'll be here with Ron and Uncle Remus if you insist, but I want him safe.  Ron's right, this is the same sort of fussing," he said blandly.

Sirius nodded.  "Okay, we'll go hide."  He took the bag from Rom.  "Remus is staying, Harry.  You need an adult here."

"Sure."  He smiled at his son, getting up to smooth down his hair.  "Daddy loves you and you'll be a good boy for Uncle Sirius tonight, Timmy.  Daddy will be fine and loves you."  Sirius smiled, punching him on the arm before leaving.  Harry rubbed his arm.  "Okay, Ron.  Call Hermione.  Get the practical application stuff here.  We need a quick cram session."  Ron nodded, going to call her and get them through the floo.  She had a portkey to where they were already and knew the location thanks to Remus being nagged by Ron for a few days after the spells went up.  Harry went back to his cramming more spells into his head.

Ron came back.  "I had a thought."  Harry gave him an odd look.  "They do happen now and then."

"Usually about girls and food," Harry joked.

"This time it's a bit more important than dinner.  They expect to face a fully trained wizard, Harry.  They expected someone to teach you to their level already."  Harry burst out laughing.  "I know."  He shrugged.  "They do so they haven't made plans for lesser things."

"True," he agreed, smiling at him.  "Do what we have to, Ron.  I'll handle the lead position."

"You're children, you shouldn't have to," Remus said as he walked in the back door.

Harry looked at him.  "Prophecy," he said dryly.  Remus blanched.  "So we'll handle it.  We have been handling it, Remus.  Even if we do have a few less than stellar moments, we've handled it each year until now.  Though Ron's probably right.  He probably thinks that Dumbledore's been teaching me extra lessons in Defense and things."

Remus groaned.  "Harry!"

"Uncle Remus, I love you, but you can be in the same spot as Ron is, right behind me."  He went back to his reading as Hermione walked in.  "Hey."

"Good evening," she said cheerfully, handing over a stuffed backpack.  "There we are, Ron."

Ron looked inside then handed it back.  "Our other emergency kit, Hermione."  She smiled and handed that over instead. "Thanks."  He looked at it then nodded.  "Where's the other potion?"

"Still brewing.  The last one expired and it's about two hours from being done."  She took a small cauldron off her charm bracelet and enlarged it, putting it over the fireplace.  "There, let's work on this out here.  Ron, go do the grounds with Remus?"

"Sure."  He nodded and took Remus with him to lay traps around the house.

Harry cleared his mind, calming himself down.  He was not going to let more of his family get hurt.  He refused.  So when one of the alarms he had laid around the perimeter of the protection spells went off, he was ready.  He came out with Hermione behind him.  They walked into the back yard, the only big enough spot for a fight, and waited.  Two forms materialized and dropped their portkey.  "How pathetic.  You had to portkey like students?" he joked.

"You're to die, Potter.  The Dark Lord said so," one sneered, pulling his wand.

"Enflame," Hermione cast coldly, focusing on his wand.  It went up and he yelped.  "Do they not teach you *anything* in Death Eater school?" she demanded dryly.  "Really!  Even Neville can protect his wand!"

Remus looked at her.  "You're a bit scary, Hermione."

She smiled. "You say some of the sweetest things, Remus, but I'd never consider crushing on you."

"Yeah, she had bad taste and wanted Lockhart," Ron told him.

Remus shuddered.  "I'm sure she's grown up since then."

"Probably," Harry said dryly.  "Focus, kids.  They hate it when you don't pay attention to their petty demands."  He cast a hex at them, bringing them down.  "Anyone else?" he asked, feeling more magic around them.  "Ron, there's a shield."

"Which don't hold up when you expose them via light bending around them," Hermione instructed, shooting a lot of fireworks around.  It hit the shield and the person let it drop, showing a few other death eaters there.  "See?  All you had to do is show where it was.  It renders it futile."

"Thanks," Remus said.  "Leave my house, people.  You're not wanted here."

"Trespassing is wrong," Ron agreed.  "Can get you eaten."

"Oh, really?" a cold voice sneered back.  "By what?"

Harry looked at Ron, who shrugged. "Time?"  He ducked a thrown hex and threw one back, then took something off his neck and tossed it at them, watching as it broke.  Smoke floated up and shrieking started.  "That."  He shot a few more hexes at the ones escaping, running after a few he missed.  "Ron!  Hermione, stay with Remus!"

"Sure," Ron agreed, taking off after him, leaving Remus staring in horror at the cloud.

She patted him on the arm.  "Harry's a bit tired of this after four years," she said patiently.  Remus glared at her and pointed.  "Don't ask me.  He found it in the library."  She shrugged.  "I hadn't been over that section yet.  I was planning on getting to it this coming fall after the harder Charms sections."  She cast the canceling spell at the fog, watching as the bodies that had been inside were unfrozen.  Those few that were able to walk took off to escape.  "Stay, Professor!"  She took after them.  "Harry, six running!" she called.  Ron came back to help her while Harry got the first few on his own.

Harry drug one of the ones he had been able to capture back, tossing him down onto the pile of others in the back yard.  "Okay.  I'm tired."  They all smiled at him.  "Do we want aurors or not?"

"Aurors are nice," Ron offered.  "Tonks has permission already and she's an Order member."

"Point."  Harry looked at Remus, who growled.  "It's our fight."  Remus stomped off muttering.  "I'll get yelled at later," he muttered, getting nods from the others.  "Hermione, you want to deal with this at the Ministry?"

"Sure, Harry.  I've seen what they've started and we'll handle this one very well I think."  She smiled at Tonks when she got there.  "Help me build the transport ring."

"Hold up," Tonks ordered.

She looked at her.  "They're trying to say Harry lied, Tonks," she said patiently.  "The only way to fix this is a bit of shown knowledge."

"It's almost dawn," Ron pointed out.  "Courtyard of the Prophet in Diagon?"  He started to work on the circle.  Hermione got her side and meshed them.  He checked his watch then nodded.  "Have a good rant, dear," he said with a smile, setting it off.  Tonks squeaked and went after it, calling in reinforcements once she got there.

"I'm glad Hermione's not on the wrong side," Harry said dryly.  "Her PMS moments are very mean."

"You're telling me," Ron complained.  "Last month she tried to make me a bludger, Harry.  Literally."  They walked inside, finding Remus drinking.  "Not like we've had help so far," he pointed out dryly.  "I'm for a shower, Harry."

"Save me some hot water, Ron.  I should look better than this when people show up to nag and complain."  Remus gave him an odd look.  "I'm sure someone will.  Probably by making Tonks drag them."  Ron nodded, heading up the stairs.  "Ron plans very well and he pointed out it could happen, Remus."

"You could have told us."

"I did tell you that I was putting alarms around the edges of the protection."

"I remember that discussion.  Nothing was said about battle plans, Harry."

Harry grinned at him.  "I'm a bit paranoid, Remus.  I've got good reason to be."  Ron got out of the shower and he went up to take his own, coming down redressed in time to get some tea for breakfast and to greet Tonks when she was drug back by her boss.  "Morning.  Tea, Tonks?"

"Thanks, Harry.  For some reason it's been a long morning."

Harry smiled.  "I have the best mates in the world behind me.  Have since my first year."  He sipped his tea, looking at the head auror.  "Did you think I lied too?"  He spluttered.  "Well, proved I didn't, huh?" he asked dryly, taking another sip.  "The reporters get them too?"

"A few got them before we could get them away," Tonks admitted.  "There's going to be some unhappy families later when their kin's pictures are in the paper."  She took a large drink of the tea Remus had doctored for her, getting a nod of thanks for the rum.  "Harry, it could cause a panic," she chastised.

"As opposed to what?  Not doing anything, saying he lied, and letting people believe they're safe until they attack something too big to be hidden?" Ron asked.  He snorted.  "I'm sorry but most people would want to take precautions if they knew.  Now they know and now we know that people will turn in the buggerers when they're spotted gathering.  That way the war isn't one huge battle but a mop-up effort.  Like getting brothels arrested."  He finished his tea and looked around.  "Remus, can I make some toast?  I'm starved."

"Go ahead, Ron.  I know you can cook."

Ron grinned. "Thanks.  Am I cooking for anyone else?"

"Just some toast please, Ron," Harry said quietly.  "My stomach's upset."

"Sure, mate.  Remus, any word from the growly one?"

"He called while Harry was in the shower.  They're at the Leaky having breakfast," he sighed, looking at the two aurors.  "I want to beat them.  They kept me in the background."

"We've been doing this now for four years, Remus," Harry said gently, patting him on the arm.  "We need you to do the more adult and the higher things.  Let us handle the running battles.  We do it with Malfoy in the halls often enough.  It's been great practice."  Tonks snickered then turned to cough at her boss's dirty look.  "We do."  He shrugged and took his toast.  "Thanks, Ron.  You're the best mum yet," he teased.

"Only your son gets to call me that, Harry."  He shuddered.  "I just had the picture of me in Mum's favorite dress.  Eurgh."  He got back to making himself breakfast.  "Everyone else sure?"  They all nodded slowly.   Their faces all said they thought the boys were insane.

"I've got to say, it's nice to not wake up in the infirmary after a fight," Harry said, nibbling on his toast.  He frowned. "Ron, what did you put on this?"

"Cinnamon sugar, Harry.  You needed the sugar so you won't fall asleep when more ministry twerps show up in an hour or so."  He brought his plate over.  He looked at the head auror.  "Not that we think you two are, but we're expecting someone like Fudge."

"If that man shows up here we'll help you de-evil the house again, Remus," Harry quipped.  Tonks burst out laughing at that.  "We will.  He's a half demon."  He ate another bite of his toast.  Ron plopped some of his eggs onto Harry's other piece.  "Ron!"

"Eat, Harry.  Remember, Tim'll want to play and fly today too."

"Good point."  He dug in, eating his other bit of breakfast with his toast.  He got up to do the dishes when they were done.  "What did you want us to do, scream and cry?" he asked finally.  "I nearly died facing him in our second year to save Ginny.  Our first year was close.  Last year was worse."  He shrugged.  "I did what I had to do and I have some great backup in my mates, Hermie and Ron."  He ran the water into the sink and added wash soap, getting down to scrubbing things.  "Ron, you made a mess on the stove."

"Sorry, probably used too much oil again," he admitted.  He looked at Remus and grinned.  "Want us to go so you can throw a fit with the other adults?"

"Please," he agreed.  Harry finished up the dishes quickly and they headed out.  "Go find Sirius and Timmy," he called after them.

Harry gave him an odd look.  "Where else would we go?"  He disappeared with Ron behind him.

Remus turned and kicked a wall.  "Does anyone else want to beat them black and blue for that?"

Tonks raised her hand.  "Yeah, I can say I do.  Especially for Hermione taking them to the Prophet's courtyard."

Her boss nodded.  "That is going to be a nightmare to manage."

"Let it go, boss.  The boys were right about that much.  People need to know so they can take precautions."

He grimaced but nodded.  "Fine.  Remus, we need to check on his training.  A few were fairly juvenile hexes."

"Ron said that they expected them to be fully trained wizards, not children," he said grimly.  "They weren't expecting the childish ones."

"We're so getting Ron one way or another," Tonks sighed, giving her boss a begging look. "Please?  Someone's got to take my spot."

"Gladly."  He looked at Remus.  "Coming to the meeting?"

"I should.  Sirius went off with Timmy."  He gathered up what he'd need and followed them back to the Ministry, getting a few odd looks as he walked into the meeting area.  "I *am* Harry's guardian, people.  I was also there last night, even if the children did push me out of the way."  He sat down next to Snape.  He looked at him.  "Ron suggested we clean them out like you would a brothel."

Snape gave him an odd look.  "Someone go in and give details and then arrest them while they're doing nefarious things?" he said dryly.  "I thought we were."

"All but the arresting part," Tonks agreed.  "Think it'd work, Severus?"

He shrugged. "Perhaps some of them.  Some don't go on raids."

"Point," she agreed.  "Then again we can get them planning things if people turn over.  Like the muggles do drug lines."  She sat down, looking at everyone.  "Okay, so now what?"

Dumbledore cleared his throat.  "Were there any injuries?"

"Harry couldn't eat," Remus told him.  "Joked it was nice not to end up in the infirmary this time."  Dumbledore sighed.  "Sirius took Timmy off, Albus.  By the way, we wanted to talk to you about what I'm teaching Harry this year since you're not allowing him to come back."

"This is not the forum for that discussion."

"That's a later point for this meeting," the head auror told him.  "We'd like Potter and his crew to be somewhere they could work together and be protected together, plus it would give the school another set of protectors."  The door slammed open. "Minister Fudge."  He looked at Dumbledore again.  "Besides, you can't toss him out for having his son, Albus.  It's against the law.  The Wizengomet said so."  He looked at Fudge.  "When did you want to hold the trials for the ten Death Eaters we captured this morning?"

"They were not!" Fudge said firmly.

"They bloody hell were," Tonks assured him. "In masks, had the dark mark, all of it.  Beaten by a few teenagers and Remus Lupin when they attacked his house to get Potter."  She looked at her boss again.  "I'd say tomorrow, boss.  Soonest better.  I'm sure we can get enough truth serum."

Sirius Black walked in and smiled at them.  "Thought I should be here too.  What about Voldemort calling the dementors again?" he asked as he sat down in an open seat.

"He's not back!" Fudge shouted.

Sirius looked at him.  "Really?  Are you sure?  Not seen him yet?"  Fudge went pink and raised a hand to hit him.  "Try it, Cornelius.  I know where your loyalties lie.  Remember, dementors whisper because they don't think the prisoners listen."  He backed up, then turned and fled.  "By the way, his mark is on his left arm instead of his right and it's up near the top so he could hide it easier."  He looked at Dumbledore.  "We should talk later."

"We will be," Remus assured him blandly.  "Now what do we do since the boys think we're here to back them up?"

"Harry's a smart boy," Sirius told him.  "Ron plans very well.  They know the adults will be needed for the higher end battles. Not a single raid on a house."  Remus nodded at that.  "By the way, Timmy refused to sleep without his Da there.  Knew he was getting into trouble.  Wouldn't quit fussing until nearly dawn for some reason," he said, staring at Remus, who moaned.

"So, the vengeance demon who brought him back linked him to Harry's well being?" Tonks suggested.

"I think so," Sirius agreed.  "I've already agreed that I'm taking the grandchild and protecting him if we're attacked again.  It worked well last night."  They all nodded.  "But I do agree that we need to do some planning now, people.  Instead of letting Ron have all the fun?"

Remus nodded.  "I agree."  He looked at the head auror.  "Can we do as they suggested?"

"Get them when they go to raid and then raid the meetings?  It'd be best if we could.  Less trauma for the normal folk," he agreed.  He looked at Snape.  "We know, Severus.  Can you?"

"If you could find a better way of finding where we are.  There are spells in place to block eavesdropping and things."

"I've got a few we can try," he offered. "If it's caught, you can say that we think you're one so we mined you without you knowing."  That got a nod.  He looked at his flunkie.  "Get me the blue and maroon book from my office for him."  She nodded, going to do that.  He looked at Dumbledore.  "All right."  He looked at the rest of them.  "We captured ten this morning.  How many got away, Lupin?"

"Probably four or five.  Six at the most," he admitted.  "Harry had this fog thing that was making most of those scream.  A few got free and ran, a few ran anyway when things started to go bad.  The boys chased after the runners.  Hermione ended the fog and a few more ran that could.  We only got a few of those last ones."

"Then we can look for injuries coming to the hospitals?" the head auror suggested.

"I'm not fully sure what the fog was beyond demonic," Remus said.  Dumbledore went pale.  "All I know is that Harry had it around his neck and threw the vial at them.  It broke, fog came up, it did something to make them scream.  The ones that we bound had bite marks."

Tonks walked back in reading the book.  "Harry found it in Knockturn a few weeks back," she said dryly.  "He found what it was in the black section of the defense area in the library at school."

"Hermione told me she hadn't found it, Harry had.  She said she hadn't gotten to that section yet, she planned it this fall after she got done with the charms section."

"That's one scary brain under that bush of hair," Ron said as he walked in, smiling at them.  "Harry sent me before someone decided he's the scary sort again.  Because we know it's happened before and Fudge just put out a call for his arrest for attacking citizens who came to protest he had a son.  The reporter got shot down by Hermione already and the call was withdrawn by the guys in Law Enforcement."  He pulled over a chair and sat down, looking at the head of the aurors.  "Okay, now what?"

"Now, we see what you three really know."

Ron pulled out something and unshrunk the bag, sliding it down the table.  "Our emergency traveling pack for assaults.  'Mione carries it with her.  Along with a few things to create banishing potions and the like on the run."  Snape let out a strangled sound.  "She said she'd tutor us so you didn't have to look at us, Professor.  She meant it, even though she is the scarier and more perfectionist teacher among you two."  He looked at the head auror pulling out vials and things.  "That wrapped book has the thing that Harry used earlier tonight but he says the cover has something on it that can eat into your skin."

The head auror nodded, carefully flipping it open with the gloves that had been in the bag as well.  He found it and read over the fog.  "It'll taint them.  We can trace the taint of any that got away."  Ron slid down something else.  "What's that?"

"Hermione crafted it to trace the taint in case something like that happened or one ran while being nibbled on.  She said to activate it the normal way and it'd turn those bites painful and purple.  Probably make 'em get help or let others know."

The head auror looked at him.  "Did you want my job some day?"

"I'd like *a* job some day," he said dryly.  "I can't do that with that snakey one running around nursing on his snake and shagging her.  After all, Harry can't plan a night off, much less a battle."

The head auror nodded.  "That makes sense."  He repacked it and handed it to Snape when he held out a hand.  "The potions were all sealed in traveling bottles, Severus," he said quietly.

"We'll see if she bollixed something else up," he said grimly.

Ron gave him an odd look.  "I doubt it.  Hermione's better than Malfoy in Potions if you're being honest, Professor."

"I'd take points but we're not in school," he sneered.  "Expect to lose some the first day back."

"As always," Ron said dryly.   He shrugged.  "We'll make 'em up in quidditch."

"Mr. Potter was not invited back," he sneered.

Ron snickered.  "Uh-huh, and you're going to protect the school full of little kids?" he asked dryly.  "That would require us having a defense teacher who actually had a clue, taught us how to defend ourselves instead of the basics of classification, and the students realizing what they knew when the time came instead of being stone stupid or freezing.  We've only had one teacher that taught us anything and he only did basic classification, even with the seventh years."  He looked at Remus.  "Which was probably a bright idea given some of them."

Remus nodded.  "I thought so.  Harry's been studying some older books."

"Yeah, he found 'em in an old house he likes to go think at when he runs away for a night."  He looked at the head auror again.  "Speaking of, can Harry be given that house?  It'd give him a safe place to raise Timmy since it's nearly the middle of nowhere."

"Where?" Sirius asked.

Ron looked at him.  "Show you later.  They're there now.  It's under better secret keeping than Remus' was."  He looked at Remus, then at Tonks.  "Who was the leak anyway?  They portkeyed in.  Bill said he made it unplottable and that would've kept portkeys from going in unless you knew where you were going."

Tonks gaped.  "It wasn't me!"

"I know it wasn't you.  It wasn't me, it wasn't Mum or Ginny.  It wasn't Remus, Sirius, Harry, or Timmy.  So where was the leak?"

"I'll find out and beat them," she promised.

Ron grinned.  "Good!  Saves me for Malfoy this year."  She burst out in giggles.  "Does."  He looked at the head auror.  "Now what?"

"Now, we get Harry done with his shopping for the year.  We get him reinstated in school," he said, glaring at Dumbledore.  "Since the Wizengomet said so."  He looked at Ron.  "Then you three relax and let us know what you can do and what you've planned.  That way we can help."

"As soon as you fix your leaks,  you'll have it," Ron assured him. "Until then, Timmy's too precious to risk."

That got a short nod.  "That's a reasonable request.  I can see why Harry sent you."

"Harry loves me," Ron said with a grin.  "Besides, it's letting him nap for a while with the little flying monster.  Plus it keeps him from calling me mum for a bit longer."  He stood up.  "I'm going to head there.  Sirius?  Meet me after lunch so I can bring you up?"

"Sure, Ron.  You sure you'll be awake?"

"I've got my school alarm in my bag, Sirius.  I shrunk my school trunk and brought it with me."  He smiled and waved.  "Call when you're ready.  Timmy's floo listed but no one else of us."  He walked out, heading to get a few treats, another book Hermione had on order, and then head back to that house.

Sirius looked at Tonks.  "When you find that leak, let me know, niece?"

"Of course, Sirius.  You should get a few hits in too."  She looked at her boss, who nodded. "Thanks."  She looked at the kit then at Sirius.  "Bring it back to 'em?"

"I will."  That got a nod and she left to start that investigation.  Sirius looked at Snape.  "Did she make them correctly?"

"She did, though I am appalled at some of what she created.  Some of them are restricted to Ministry use only or simply restricted and forbidden."

"Sometimes you've got to use those in a war," Remus said quietly.  He took the kit to look over.  "Vertiassium.  They're planning on capturing and questioning then handing them over."  He and Sirius both relaxed.  The boys weren't planning on going on a vendetta killing spree or anything.  They'd still be okay when the war was over with.  "Albus?"

"I'll see what we can work out," he ground out.  He had no choice.  The court had been clear on that point.  "Did they find him doing magic?"

"No," Remus said, frowning some.  "How did the Underage department not find him?"

"I'll ask Ron and Hermione," Sirius said dryly.   "Or Tallhook, he might know what they did."

"I'll look into that from this end," the head auror promised.  "When's the next meeting?"

Severus grimaced.  "Probably tonight or tomorrow night."

"That's fine.  We'll let you go over the charms so you can have Flitwick cast 'em.  Make it look like Dumbledore has."  That got a nod and a smaller grimace.  "Everyone go do what they need to.  When he's called off, we'll gather again."  That got a nod and Sirius and Remus left first.  "Think the boys have this well in hand?" he asked once Dumbledore was gone as well.

Snape grimaced.  "I think they've had to.  Albus hasn't been very forthcoming about certain things.  The first year he told Potter not to worry about why he had pain in his scar.  Then he had us hide the philosopher's stone behind some mazes and puzzles.  Which the boy found his way through."

They all moaned at that.  They knew they were going to be avoiding having Dumbledore in charge from now on.

***

Sirius took off his blindfold, looking at the house in front of him.  It was enormous, clearly a former mansion.  It was also ancient; a few places looked less than stellar and about ready to fall in.  He looked around.  The grounds were shielded by some trees and there was enough lawn there to keep nosy people from making it past the trees to see the house.  He walked up to the front door, smiling at the girl who answered his knock.  "Hermione."  He handed over the bag.  "Snape kept something."

"I'm sure he did," she sighed.  "Not like I can't make more."  She led him to the library, where Timmy was napping on a very old couch next to his father, who was reading.  "Harry."

Harry waved a hand absently.  "Give me a few, Sirius."  He turned the page and continued on then put it down.  "Sorry, needed to finish that section."  He grinned.  "Hi."

"Hi.  Where is this?"

"I found this my first year when I needed to get away from some of the evil looks I was getting.  I was wandering around at night in my invisibility cloak and found the doorway here.  Since that night I've had it locked against others and been portkeying in.  That way I can hide here when I need to get away and have some quiet."

"Where is here, Harry?"

Harry smiled.  Then he pointed at the bookshelves.  "Should be evident, Sirius."

He walked over to look at the books Harry had pointed at, frowning at the names on the family albums.  "Potter?"

"Yup," Ron agreed. He looked back at him.  "Ancient Potters but yup."

He pulled down the first book to look at, frowning at the family tree.  "It...  It stops at James' grandfather."

"It does," Harry agreed happily.  "I'm guessing that's why I found the door instead of so many generations of other family's kids."

Sirius looked at him.   "Your father never mentioned this place."

"His grandparents died when his parents were in school according to the family information available at the Ministry and the Daily Prophet," Hermione told him.  "It's possible his parents abandoned this house due to the structural problems and never told him."

"Damn it," Sirius muttered under his breath.  "How bad is the structure?"

"Well, we have a swamp in one room that probably should've been a swimming pool," Ron admitted.  "Including some wildlife that came in through some broken windows to nest.  There's a few rooms on the second floor on the east end that are caved in.  The west side's generally okay.  The kitchen's fine and all that back in the center of the house.  It's just the east side of the house that's ready to cave in."

"And I was wondering if we could claim it," Harry told him.  "I know it needs work but I can learn construction spells too."

Sirius blinked a few times.  "We'll see, Harry.  This is a big undertaking."

"So's a child," he said dryly.  "I'm doing okay with that one.  Besides, if I survive the war, I want to be somewhere random reporters and people can't get to.  I already want that after last year."

"I can understand why," he admitted.  He sat down, looking at the baby.  "He's happy?"

"He's tired.  We let him float around in here for a few hours while Harry slept," Hermione said dryly.  Sirius gave her an odd look.  "I'm crap on a broom, Sirius."

"Oh.  Couldn't catch him?"  She shook her head.  "That's understandable.  He got away from Molly a few times too."  He looked at Ron.  "Who else can get here?"

"Only us unless we bring someone.  Even with you being here, you still can't find here again.  It's got better spells than Hogwarts for that stuff.  That's why it's safer to have Harry and Timmy here."

Sirius nodded at that.  "I can see why.  We'll see what we can do about the house going to Harry and Timmy."  He looked at the baby again then at Harry, who grinned.  "Comfy?"

"Very.  I've been working my way through the defense section in here too."

Hermione nodded. "They had some good taste in books."

"Plus some muggle literature so I'm not bored too," Ron agreed dryly.  He grinned at Sirius when he burst out laughing.  "So anyway.  See, he's safe."

"He's apparently very safe. Though the house is going to need a construction crew in spots.  Show me around, Ron."  He stood up and let him take the baby to walk off with him.

Harry looked at Hermione. "You were worried," he snorted.

"I still am.  We know he's not a leak and we know tracking charms can't follow here, but that doesn't mean that someone hasn't come up with something that's not in the books and wasn't covered by the shields, Harry."

"Point but I doubt Flitwick is in league with Voldemort."

"True, but he's not the only charms master in the world.  The same as there's more than one defense teacher."

He nodded. "Then we'll deal with it, Hermione."  She nodded at that.  "Go play or something.  You wanted to see if that pony had come back."  She headed outside to find the horse again.  He went back to reading.  It was a fascinating book.  He smiled when Timmy landed in his lap, summoning a bottle and settling in to read to him.  Timmy patted a few pictures so he explained them but otherwise he was content to sit and sip in his lap.

Sirius and Ron shared a smile and went to find Hermione and talk to her.

***

Sirius walked into the bank, looking at his usual account manager.  "Got promoted?"

"I did but what can I do for the Black family?"

"Actually, the Potter family."  He handed over the book.  "Harry found a doorway that lead to a house that had that book on the shelf.  Clearly near the middle of nowhere.  Clearly falling in on one side."

The goblin hummed while he looked at it then frowned and looked at him.  "He found Haven?"

"Haven?"

He pulled out a miniature painting from a file, getting a nod.  "That's his family's home.  It was abandoned by his grandparents for nearly falling in on top of them one night."

"The east wing is nearly caving and there's a swamp in there with animals," he admitted, sitting down across from him.  "Harry wanted to know what he had to do to claim it as his.  Apparently he's hidden there a few times.  Though he did want to know if you knew if there was a leak in the bank?"

"There had been but it was solved last night," he said grimly.  "We found a young one being blackmailed and handled it efficiently."  That got a nod.  "So his location will be safe and if I remember right, the house is harder to find than Hogwarts if you only have a clue what continent it's on."

"It's not in Britain, is it?"  The goblin shook his head.  "What would he have to do?"

"He and his son are the last heirs of it.  It shouldn't be that hard."  He went to find the legal counsel for the bank, coming back with some forms.  "Here, have him fill these out.  Bring it back to us.  Also, have him find a good contractor.  Even the more sturdy parts are probably about to fall in.  His great-grandparents didn't have any work done on the old place.  It probably hasn't had much work done on it since an older relative decided to strike out on his own and go somewhere he didn't have brothers or sisters.  Apparently he made a deal with the natives or something back in the thirteen hundreds."

"I can do that.  Thank you."  He got up and walked out, going to find Ron in the sweets shop.  Ron took him back there and he timed the apparation.  It was clearly not in the closer parts of Europe either.  He looked at him.  "Which continent are we on?"

Ron shrugged.  "Not a clue.  Geography's not my strong suit.  Ask Hermione."

"I have the paperwork and the name of the house.  It could be found," he decided, walking inside.  "Harry?"  He came out of the kitchen area with a bottle and no son.  "Food?"

"Getting there.  Making some for later."  He led him back into the kitchen, going back to his bottle making.  Timmy squealed at Sirius, earning a smile.  "Yes, he's back again.  Find anything good?"

"The house's name is Haven.  Your grandparents abandoned it because it started to cave in on top of them one night."  He handed over the papers, letting Harry look at it.  "I was warned that it was in dire need of restoration even in their generation."

"We know.  I had to shield the kitchen so it'd stay up," Hermione admitted grimly.  "It's too handy to have it instead of improvising."  She took a bottle and handed it to Sirius, who settled in to hold Timmy.  "Are there back taxes?"

"Not a clue," Sirius told him.

Harry looked at the forms.  "Well, it does answer some questions.  We're in the US."

Ron grimaced.  "Really?"

Harry nodded.  "We're just outside Miami, which explains the heat."  Timmy let out a massive squeal and wiggled.  He looked at him.  "Seems you like Miami?"  He did it again.  "All right then.  We'll see if we can wander around a bit then."  He went back to his reading.  Then he settled in to sign things.  He finally got done and let Hermione sign where she needed to as a witness and a notary.  Sirius gave her an odd look.

"It came in handy at school for paperwork and it's only a form and a few galleons," she quipped.  "That way things that have to be sent to the bank don't have to be sent somewhere else first.  Professor McGonagall was very much for the idea when I asked her."  She finished it up and handed it to Ron, who sighed and went to do that.  "Get me some mugwort too please?" she called after him. "Snape kept the invisibility potion."

"Sure, Hermione."  He disappeared, heading back to the bank.  He smiled at the goblin who met him.  "Sirius Black and Harry Potter wanted me to hand these to the goblin who handled Sirius earlier."

"I have that account," one said.

Another coughed.  "I have been handling the irregularities," another said dryly.  This one took the papers.  "Thank you."  He looked it over.  "I see Miss Granger is with you and not missing after all.  Someone should note that to her parents."  Ron sighed but nodded.  He handed over an address.  "They're there, Mr. Weasley."

"I'll send Mum.  She can calm her mother down and yell back if there's screaming."  He grinned.  "Anything else?  She asked about back taxes."

"No, that's paid out of a trust in the estate."  He looked at him.  "Does young Timothy like it?"

"Quite a lot," he said dryly.  "We said Miami and he squealed and wiggled like he'd been plugged in to those muggle socket things my father likes so much."

That got a smile and a nod.  "Have fun with the renovations."

"Ooooh, yay," he said grimly.  "That'll be a later project, maybe while we're at school or something."  That got a nod.  "Do you know why there was a link to the school?"

"Hmm.  Yes.  His great-grandparents decided to move there full time but wanted their children to come to Hogwarts.  The headmaster at that time agreed to let them create a small portal to the house for ease of travel.  It was only to open to the family.  Is that how he found it?"  Ron smirked and nodded.  "That boy needs to sleep more."

"Can't now, Timmy keeps him up."  He waved.  "Anything I need to take back?"

"I can send an owl with it," the goblin assured him, getting a nod.  "Do tell your mother where you are as well."

Ron snorted.  "Yeah, right.  I'm going to Remus' house and flooing.  That way I don't get yelled at by either mum."  He walked off, leaving a snickering goblin behind him.  He did portkey to Remus' house, waving at him.  "Calling Mum."  He got down in front of the fireplace, smiling when his mother's head answered his call.  "I'm with Harry and Hermione.  We're safe.  Sirius has been in and out a few times but it's under such heavy shielding I can't tell you where it is.  By the way, Hermione's mum has decided we kidnaped her.  Can you calm her down?"  He grinned.  "Timmy's fine and Harry's studying hard.  Sirius might be staying over tonight, not real sure yet.  Harry's filed to own the house too."  He waved and cut it off before she could pull in a breath to start yelling.  He grinned at Remus.  "Hi.  Has WPS been back?"

"Once to make sure Timmy had been safe during the raid.  Where is it?"

"Sirius said it was somewhere called Haven?"  He shrugged. "Ancient Potters lived there."  Remus moaned.  "Before his Dad's time."  He waved.  "Gotta go back.  I'll send Sirius to give you new news.  We're safe.  Tell her that and that we'll bring her over soon.  Oh, Timmy's hooked up to the floo for calling.  So call him and we'll come get her."  He disappeared from right there, heading back to the house.  He landed and walked inside.  "I told my mum to tell yours that you're safe, Hermione.  She thought you had been kidnaped."  She moaned and slumped, shaking her head.  "So she'll talk to her.  I cut her off before I could get screamed at.  I told her we were safe, Sirius had been here, and he could tell Remus everything."  He clapped Sirius on the back.  "Though if you want to stay and avoid the screaming tonight there's a few spare rooms."

"I probably should," he admitted, shaking his head.  "School shopping?"

"All done except for robes for them," Hermione said cheerfully.  "We don't start school for another six days."

Harry nodded.  "If we had to, we can go back through the doorway."  He looked at Sirius.  "Am I going back?"

"You should be.  I don't know if you are or not yet.  I'll find that out when I go home."  He took Timmy to hold since he was still wiggling.  "Calm down before you fall and bounce, Tim.  You can go wander around soon."  He looked at Ron and grinned.  "She's going to send a howler to you."

"I've had others," he sighed, shaking his head.  "Should've heard it the year we had to take the flying car."  Harry moaned but nodded.   He looked around.  "We need to get food anyway, Harry."

"I've only got galleons, Ron."

"There's got to be a wizarding section with as large of a city as Miami is," Hermione said.  She went to find the floo fireplace they had set up in Timmy's name and call the bank.  "Gringotts, London Branch."  A head floated up, a human one.  "Floo information?" she guessed.

"You're trying to make a long distance call on a local-only and incoming only floo port," she said patiently.

"That's fine then, you might know what I need anyway.  I'm in Miami and we're British wizarding students.  Where's the local wizarding area and Gringotts please?"  She found some paper and a muggle pencil to take notes while the information witch looked it up.

"I see a small shopping area in Miami.  It's listed as wands-only."  She nodded, making notes of that.  "As for Gringotts, I don't see one.  I do see a bank listed there."

"That should do.  They would probably be able to do a money exchange?"

"Probably," she agreed.

"How do I get there?"  The head handed over a piece of paper that turned out to be a map. "Thank you. You're much nicer than British Floo Services."  That got a smile and the head disappeared.  "We're in luck, there is one, and no Gringotts, but a wizarding bank anyway," she called.  "We have a map and it's about a mile away."

"Can we get a bus or something?" Ron asked, coming out to look.  "Wands only?  Bill said something about Cairo having those sections.  Something about nature witches who were coming back in style again."  That got a nod from her.  "Harry?"  He came out with Timmy in his carrier and Sirius behind him. "It's a good walk."

"I'm sure we can handle it," Harry said.  They headed out, taking the directions on the map.  It was sweltering hot outside but it was a pretty day.  Even if Hermione did subtly turn her overshirt into a hat for Timmy to wear, making him grin at her.  "Thank you."

"Welcome, Harry."  They continued on, finding the edge of the area first.  Harry found an opening and walked up to the man playing the guitar in front of it.  The man stared at him then gaped in awe.  "I'm on vacation," he said quietly.  "Bank is which way please?"  He pointed behind him.  "Tap pattern?"

"Three, two, three, blue brick, Mr. Potter."

"Thank you."  He walked that way, the others following him with a nod.  They walked into a busy open-stall market area.  Harry headed for the bank since he had money on him.  "Give me a few, guys."  They shrugged and followed, looking around.  He found the bank and smiled as he walked in.  "Money transfers?" he asked the reception desk.

"Are you transferring over here?"

"I'm on vacation and we're British wizards."

"Ah, so exchange instead of transfer.  Desk six on the right please, sir."  He nodded his thanks and headed that way.

Harry handed over the change in his pockets.  "Can I please change that to local money?"

"Muggle or wizarding?"

"A bit of muggle, enough to get us home, but whatever is accepted in the market," Ron told him.  That got a nod.  "Are you guys affiliated with Gringotts?"

The goblin looked at him.  "They're a separate company and a competitor."

"Interesting.  My brother's a curse breaker and he never said there was another bank.  That Gringotts was everywhere."

"We're making inroads into the foreign markets presently," he admitted.  "You have a vault?"  He pointed at Harry, who held up his key.  He checked it then gaped at him.  "You're at Haven."

"I am.  I just filed the paperwork to get it back," Harry admitted, glancing around then back at him.  "I'm in on vacation before I die."

The goblin nodded quickly.  "There's a few pieces of paper we'd need you to sign locally as well.  We hold the trust account that pays the taxes and things, Mr. Potter."

"Quietly, please?" he begged.

"Of course.  We rely on our discretion."  He looked at a page.  "Get me Gorth."  He nodded and jogged off.  He finished the exchange.  "There you go.  These paper ones are muggle.  That's fifty dollars.  It should be more than enough to get you back to the house after you're done shopping.  The other is local wizarding money.  It's roughly a two-to-one exchange today."  That got a nod.  "Where you looking for something in particular?"

"Dinner," Ron said dryly, earning a small smirk and a look from the goblin.  "The baby's hungry."

"I can see why that would happen."  Timmy blinked at him.  "We have heard rumors of you, young man."  Timmy gave him a shiteating grin and reached for his ear.  "I know, they're fascinating."  He let him feel it for a minute then gently pried him off.  He looked over at the senior goblin coming his way.  "This is the heir to Haven," he said quietly.

"Interesting.  Come with me please, Mr. Potter, and your friends if you want."  He nodded and followed him. "I suppose you don't want anyone to know?"

"No.  I'd like it to stay my refuge," he admitted quietly.  "It's where I go when I need quiet and peace."

"Understood."  He let him into his office, getting more chairs from a young goblin, then sat himself down.  "Who is with you?  I'm assuming they're set so they can come in?"

"I have no idea how I let Hermione and Ron in, but this is my godfather, Sirius Black.  The other two are Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger."

"Charmed," the goblin said with a nod.  He found the file he needed and handed it over.  "This is an accounting of the trust vault we have for Haven."  Harry gaped at it.  "You're from which one?"

"He's James' son," Sirius told him.  "That's *the* Harry Potter."

"Very interesting.  James wasn't the only child."

"His sister died when he was nineteen," Sirius said quietly.

"Ah.  We had not heard.  She would've been eleven?"

"Six days before.  She fell riding a broom."

The goblin nodded.  "Then no heirs."  Harry pulled out something and handed it over, making him smile.  "An accounting of your heir?"  Harry nodded.  He read it over then gaped at him.  "They're gone?"

"Fully," Ron agreed.  "And we're in the beginnings of a new war."

The goblin gaped.  "They brought him back!"

"During the third challenge of the Triwizard tournament," Harry said grimly.  "Which is why I need the peace, quiet, and security.  Especially since the Ministry wants to cover it up."

"Agreed," he said firmly.  He pulled out another file.  "This is how you set it so someone can get in, Mr. Potter."  He smiled at Timmy.  "You will like growing up there."  The baby squealed and wiggled.  "You like Miami?"   He got a beaming smile from the boy.  He laid a hand on his head then smirked at him then at Harry.  "You do know about reincarnation?"

"Vaguely," he admitted.  "I'm not religious, truthfully."

"He's an old soul, Mr. Potter.  He has no destiny that I could find, but he is an old soul.  His original life came from nearby."

"Will that cause problems?" Sirius asked.

"Probably not more than nosy former family."  The baby wailed.  "You, quit."  He quit, staring in shock at the goblin.  "Thank you."  He looked at Harry.  "Should we tell them?"

Harry shrugged, looking at Sirius, who shrugged.  "Will it help them?" Harry asked.

"It could, though it would mean you'd have many more nosy people around you."

"As opposed to nosy reporters and nosy fellow students and nosy ministry people?" Hermione suggested.

The goblin smiled.  "To them, he was like family.  They are all very protective people."

"Hmm."  Harry scrunched his face up while he thought.  "I'd rather do that myself.  See if they realize it first.  Maybe a meeting in a park so there's less yelling?"

"Agreed."  He watched him read and then sign the fairly clearly stated documents.  "Have you considered who you want to do the renovations?"

Harry shook his head.  "I'm still trying to figure out if I'm going to be let back in school in six days," he said dryly.  "Dumbledore doesn't like my son."

"I've heard of your headmaster," he admitted.  "I like trolls more."  Sirius gaped.  "He had an account with us long ago and tried to push his weight around to get access to others' funds."

"He did that with mine and Harry's at Gringotts, told a goblin he was using it to mop up the last of the death eaters during the last war," Sirius told him.

"I should probably contact them to see what was done."  Sirius wrote down a name.  "Your manager?"

"The one I went to about the thefts," he admitted.  "He started the investigation."

"I'll check with him tonight."  He looked at Harry.  "Do you care if it's muggle and wizard or just wizard construction companies?"  Harry shook his head.  "Then I do have a few good recommendations."  He pulled out two business cards.  Harry looked at one and pushed it back.  "Don't like the family?"

"Not particularly.  Does Draco know he has relatives?"

"Probably not. They were disinherited years ago.   Though they do live up to the family name in other ways."

"We're in the same year as Draco," Hermione said dryly.  "I'm muggle born."

"Ah!  I can understand the conflicts then."

"Malfoy junior's in charge of the family estate since his parents were killed by Voldemort for plotting about Timmy," Ron offered.

"I'll have to let them know."  He smirked.  "You don't like him either?"

"Can't stand the prat," Ron agreed.  "More power to whoever kicks his arse."

The goblin smiled and nodded. "I can understand after having dealt with the ones here.  The other company is good and they do hire legal immigrants."  Harry shrugged.  "That's a big consideration locally."

"Okay.  I'll take your word for it," Harry said with a grin, getting a nod back.  "Anything else?  Ron's going to be starving soon and I'd rather he not try to bite me again.  It started rumors the last time."

The goblin laughed.  "I do like you, Mr. Potter.  No, there's no more forms.  Do let us know if you're not going back to school right away.  That way we can make arrangements for things like a cook and the renovations to start sooner."  Harry nodded and shook his hand, letting the others do that then follow him out. He smiled and went to tell his superior that the house had been taken over finally and that Gringotts was having a scandal.  It would only help their bank gain more of the market share.  Though they did check on that theft and the other issues with that other goblin, who told them what he knew when he told him that Dumbledore had tried it with them as well.

***

Harry smiled at the older man who he met at the door.  "Hello.  Mr. Delko I assume?"

"Indeed," he said, shaking his hand.  "This was a beautiful house, Harry."

"It was.  I love everything about it so far."

"All but the falling in?" he suggested with a smile.  Harry grinned and nodded.  "So you don't want to change anything?"

"I'd like the swamp to not be in the swimming area," he offered.  "Let me give you a tour."  He walked him around, letting him see everything.  "I'd like electric lights.  I grew up muggle."

"I can do that," he agreed.  He pressed on a few walls and they kept going.  He carefully looked at the rooms that were falling in, nodding a bit before backing out to look at the more healthy part of the structure.  They ended in the kitchen.  "I can fix this so it's as beautiful as it once was," he promised, smiling at the baby crawling around in there.  "Hello, tiny one."

"That's Timmy.  He's mine," Harry said with a grin.  "He just figured out how to be mobile this morning."

"That's a precious age," the older man assured him. "I've got three daughters and a son."

"I've got him but he thinks my friend Ron's his mum."

He burst out laughing.  "I'm going to enjoy working for you, Harry.  Now, how much did you want to spend?"

"How much am I going to have to?  I'd like as little as possible but there is a good trust to take care of this issue."

The older man smiled and sat with him to work out an estimate while Harry held Tim and let him play with his fingers for a bit.  Harry looked then gaped. "Too much?"

Harry squeaked.  "That's about half the remaining trust."  He looked at him.  "Any way cheaper?"

"Two ways," he admitted.  He amended it.  "If we go with doing it this way it'll be cheaper.  It'll mean we won't be fixing anything but the dangerous walls and the dangerous parts of the roof.  The rest looked all right for now.  Hurricanes could change that however."

"I've heard of them."

"You'll probably experience one soon, son."  He patted Timmy on the head.  "That'll be baseline fixing.  Nothing too spectacular, nothing too outrageous.  It will fix the structure, it will fix that swamp and the area it's eaten in the foundation.  It'll also preserve the spells on it."  Harry nodded at that.  "But it'd mean we'd be running wires behind baseboards instead of inside the walls.  That'll make it easier to upgrade later on but could leave it more open to damage during a bad hurricane if the house is damaged again."

Harry considered it.  "Is it going to stand up to living in?"

"As long as a hurricane doesn't tear it down.  The spells on the house have prevented it so far."

"Will that cover upkeep on the spells?"

"They're set and sunk into the local power areas.  They won't be budging.  We'll have to nudge some aside to do some of the fixing, but they'll be snapping back once it's fixed."

"Then can we do the second please?"

"Sure, I can do that.  Now, I do work a mixed crew."  Harry shrugged.  "Including immigrants."  Harry shrugged again.  "That's fine then.  Are you moving here full time?"

"Maybe once school's done.  I'm supposed to be going back soon but it's being argued over."

"Your headmaster doesn't like your son?" he guessed.

"No, he doesn't.  Plus my people are at war again.  It's just restarted and I'm a figurehead."  He slumped and nodded.  "This is my peace and sanity," he said quietly.

"We'll make sure it stays that way, boy.  Don't you worry about my people talking.  We don't do it when we fix starlette's houses, we won't be doing it here."  Harry beamed and nodded.  "Good boy.  Want me to update in here too?  New appliances and things?"

"Sure, but can we keep the fireplace and oven?"

"If you want.  They're trendy again," he said with a small grin.  "Now, take him out to play in the sunshine.  We can start tomorrow once you tell the bank."

Harry went to the fireplace.  "First Miami, trust division."  Their goblin's head popped up.  "He said he can start tomorrow as long as you agree."

The goblin smiled at him.  "Mr. Delko.  I knew you could be trusted to handle this delicate domicile."  He took the estimate through the floo to look at it.  "The second?" he guessed.  Harry nodded.  "That's more than reasonable."  He handed it back.  "We'll set up the draw from his trust today, Mr. Delko.  Come sign papers tomorrow morning."  That got a smile and a nod.  "Harry, you need to call your head of house.  She's put out a call to find you.  Also, you're not starting right away."

"Great, and this is OWLs year.  I'll be behind anyway," Harry complained, getting a nod from the goblin.  "Thank you.  I'll call in a few."  That got a nod and his head disappeared.  "Do I have to do anything special?"

"We'll start work on the east wing first, Harry.  We'll only annoy you with the noise."  Harry beamed at that.  "When it's time to get to the more populated areas, we'll let you know and help you move anything that needs it to somewhere safer."  They shook hands and he walked out, heading to his truck so he could go to the bank.  He walked into the bank and the goblin met him at his office door.  "The boy seems nice, a bit sour now and then."

"He was raised with some fairly intolerant relatives," he admitted grimly.  "I've gotten his history for our records and it's not pretty."

"I figured that much.  I've seen it before.  His son's cute."

"Very.  Very strong as well."  He handed over the forms.  "There, that should cover it.  Let me know if you run over."

"I can do that.  What about all those antiques he's got in there?  He has insurance on the stuff that got crushed when the roof fell in?"

"He does and we've had someone out to look at it before.  We were waiting on an heir to show up."

"Well, you've got two and the baby's adorable.  Just learned how to crawl."  He stood up and shook his hand.  "I can start work tomorrow.  I'll make sure none of my people talk."

"Thank you.  Things are a bit touchy over there with the war restarting.  Their ministry isn't admitting it yet."

"Of course not.  It loses them power over the people."  He walked out, heading home.  He smiled at his family, including his wayward son, as he sat down.  "There's an heir for Haven."  His son choked.  "Calm down, son.  He's a nice young man.  I met with Harry and his infant son earlier.  He's adorable, just started to crawl today.  Haven's in bad shape but it'll take a few months to get it back into good shape.   He's got some sense too.  Didn't want to bankrupt his trust to fix everything right away, just make it liveable and then he'd do other stuff later."

His son Eric stared at him.  "Harry Potter is in Miami and we weren't warned?"

"Haven's his sanctuary, son.  He didn't want me to know he was there."

His son whimpered.  "The war restarted?"  His father nodded.  "He's got a son?"

"Just crawling.  His name's Tim."  He grinned.  "He's a little smartass too.  Gave me this smug little grin that made me nearly laugh."

Eric stared at him.  "No way."  His father nodded, looking a bit smug.  "He's been reborn already?"  His father nodded again.  "Can we meet him?"

"Up to Harry I'd guess.  I'd want to make sure he knew who to go to if he needed protection."

Eric nodded. "I'll get with H in the morning," he promised.  "Is he staying?"

"Depends on his school.  They're doing something over there.  He had to call over to check on things."  His wife handed him a full plate.  "Thank you.  A new full crew job.  It's a beautiful house.  One wing collapsed in on itself but it's a beautiful house and grounds."

Eric smiled.  "Then hopefully he'll appreciate it."

"He said it's his peace and sanity, Eric."

"Then I'm sure he will," his mother said happily.  "Eat boys.  Girls, no gossiping at all.  It'll only bring danger to Miami if he's found to be here."  They nodded, digging in to eat.

***

Harry walked out to meet Mr. Delko's truck the next morning. "I'm going to be here for the next month.  Someone sent a threat to the school if I returned.  They said it'll take a month before they figure out which Ravenclaw's offspring sent it."

"That's fine, Harry.  You know I don't care."  He smiled at the baby at the doorway.   "Letting him wander?"

"We were sleeping in the library again," he admitted dryly.  He went to pick up Tim, bringing him back.  "There, happier?"  The baby cooed at Mr. Delko, getting a smile back.

"Hello, Tim."

Harry stared at him.  "You knew him."

"You know?"

"The goblin at the bank told me.  I knew his mother made him come into being without my help.  Started to do blood magic on him to make him stronger."

Mr. Delko groaned.  "Doesn't really surprise me.  Evil is lazy, Harry."

"I know."  He grimaced.  "But you did know him?"

"I did.  He was my son's friend."  He patted the baby on the head.  "Eric wanted to see you, Tim.  You mind?"  The baby cackled.  "Sure, you can even make him change your diaper, son."  He smiled at Harry.  "My boy's an officer with the local department and someone who handles things when necessary."  Harry relaxed. "That good with you?"

"I'd rather meet them somewhere neutral."

"I understand why, Harry.  Let me arrange it.  My boys'll be here in a few."  He called his son.  "Eric, Poppi.  Harry said he'd be more than happy to let you see Timmy somewhere neutral.  Because he's still being hunted, son, and you being what you are means that people want to hurt you to keep you from finding out they did stupid things," he said bluntly.  "That's why I didn't want you to become a cop.  Sure, that's a good park."  He hung up.  "I'll bring you over later, Harry."  Harry beamed and nodded.  "Can you drive?"

"I'm not old enough to apparate yet."

"You're sixteen?"

"Fifteen, barely."

"We get learner's permits at your age, kiddo.  It'll be fine."  He patted him on the back, smiling as a few trucks of men came in. "This is my senior crew.  They'll be here every day."  They piled out of the trucks.  "Boys, this is Harry and his son Tim.  This is their place."

"You're a bit young," one said bluntly, staring at him.

"His mother made him without my consent," he said grimly.  "I wasn't even in the same county."

That got a nod.  "That sucks for you but he seems happy.  You'll keep him out of our way?"

"Of course!  He's much too young to learn construction!" Harry said firmly, making them all smile.  "Though you might run into him in the kitchen if you wanted to put stuff in the old fridge Hermione put in there."

"Sure," Mr. Delko agreed.  "Let's go look at the east wing, boys.  It'll be some cleaning up soon."  They nodded, following him that way while Harry and Tim went back to the library.  He smiled at his boys.  "He's a good kid, but kinda young."  They all nodded.  "Might as well be an orphan.  Being raised by relatives."  That got another nod.

One coughed.  "Some of us know who the house used to belong to, Poppi.  That why we're under orders to watch for flapping lips?"

Mr. Delko nodded.  "They're to be fired if they do.  This is his sanctuary."

"Good enough," the one who had questioned Harry said.  "How ancient is this house?"

"About as old as the state," another said.  "And the roof shows it.  How long has it been caved in?"

"Years," Mr. Delko said.  "The boy's grandparents were living here when it caved."  That got a mass groan.  "He just found it recently."  They nodded and got to work mapping out what each room would need, in what order, and how many men to call for the first week's work.

***

Harry smiled as Timmy crawled off from his seat in the park.  "Not too far, Tim," he said quietly.  Tim grinned at him and crawled on, finding someone he knew.  He waited until he was past him then crawled after him, pouncing his ankle to gnaw on.  The guy squeaked, earning a chuckle from the baby.  "I think that was a 'you taste good'.  Tim, you're not a cannibal," he protested.  "Leave the nice man alone."

Tim spit at him then grinned at the man.  "Er!"

"Speed," he said, picking him up to hug him.  "You're damn small, buddy."  He walked over.  "Hi, Eric Delko.  My dad's fixing your house."

"Harry Potter, his new father.  Are you weirded out by this?"

"Definitely but we knew he had been reborn somehow."  He sat beside him, holding the baby, letting him cuddle.  "You should know he likes books," he said.

"He grabbed a good few the time I took him to the bookstore," Harry agreed happily.  "We came home with nearly eighty for him."

Eric laughed.  "Oh, yeah.  That and motorcycles."

"Which is probably why he likes to fly.  By the way, he floats when he's dirty."

"That's fine, Harry.  I've got nieces and nephews."  He looked at the happy baby.  "You know, I could be mean and tell Calleigh."  The baby spit at him.  "You sure?  She's having a bad week."  Tim poked him on the nose, then spit again.  "Okay, if you say so."  He pulled out his cellphone to push a few buttons.  "Hey, H.  Found him."  He hung up and went back to cuddling him.  "H was wanting to see him too if you don't mind, Harry."

"I don't mind as long as he's not in danger.  He's got enough of that from me."

Eric gave him a look then sighed.  "When do you go back to school?"

Harry shrugged.  "Someone sent a threat to blow up the school if I went back.  They're saying at least a month."  His son let out a loud squeal and hooted, making begging noises and holding his arms up as an older redheaded man walked out of the trees shading the walking path.

"You...you are quite loud today, Speed," Horatio said with a grin, taking the baby from Eric.

Speed grinned at him.  "Mum!"

Harry snickered.  "Sorry, but my best friend is a redhead too and he calls him that because he helps me."

The other man smiled at him.  "No, he's picking on me.  He used to tell me I'd mother the world if it let me."  He smiled at the baby.  "We do miss you, Speed."  He sat down on Harry's other side.  "Mr. Potter."

"You are?"

"Horatio Caine."  He shook his hand.  "Speed's former boss and friend."  He smiled at him.  "You've taken good care of him so far."

"He's got his book fetish again too," Eric told him.

Speed spit at him then grinned at Horatio.  "Ooooh!"  He floated.

Harry jumped up and caught him.  "Not around muggles, son," he said patiently, sitting down to check his diaper.  "Sorry, he does that when he dirties one."  He grinned at Eric.  "Your father said you'd like to change them?"

"I'm good at it," he said dryly, taking the baby to change.  "It's a good thing you'll grow, Speed.  You'll never get girls if you stay that size."

"Eric!" Horatio chided.

"He won't!"

Harry shook his head.  "Ron said the same thing," he sighed, looking at Horatio, who was laughing.  "I do the best I can with him."

"I'm sure you do."  He smiled.  "We might consider babysitting now and then since it's clear he has his old memories."

Harry nodded.  "When I'm in town."  Horatio stared at him.  "I'm being kept from starting school on time due to a small threat."

Horatio moaned.  "You're that Potter, right?"  Harry nodded once.  "Then you're at Haven?"

"My dad's renovating it for him," Eric agreed, pulling Speed's pants back up so he could toss out the nasty stuff and sit down with him again.  "There, clean butted again."

Harry took him back to cuddle.  "Are you tired?  I know you cooed at the books all day."  Speed spit at him and cackled, reaching for Horatio's sunglasses.  "No, that's not nice.  Do not take glasses."

Horatio took them off to look at the baby.  "Better?"  The baby beamed and held up his hands so he took him back.  "There you go, Speed."  The baby snuggled in against his shoulder and was asleep within minutes.  He looked at Harry.  "How often are you going to be down here?"

"Probably at least most of my holidays.  I have godparents that'll probably want me around more often.  Plus he'll be around when I'm in the middle of a fight."  Horatio quirked an eyebrow up.  "I'm still *that* Harry Potter," he admitted grimly.  "We defeated a raid on the house I was at before I came down a week ago.  Voldemort came back almost four months ago now.  He's not been not particularly happy with some of his followers."

"I see," Horatio said, considering it.  "Why do *you* have to go back?"

"A prophecy," Harry sighed, slumping some.  "Only I can kill him and until I do, I don't have a life."

"Well, duh," Eric said.  "You're driving yourself toward that battle.  Of course you don't have time to date or do normal things."

"I'm not sure I like girls anyway.  They fuss and they flutter, and they seem to know everything.  They're always there and half the time they want confusing things.  Plus kissing wasn't really that great when I tried it.  Not that Hermione isn't great, but I don't think I could be more than friends with her."

"Not all girls are like that, Harry," Horatio said.

"Some play dumb.  Some only want sex.  Some think you're a slave to them," Eric agreed dryly.  "Then again, it could be your age, Harry.  You're barely into puberty it looks like."

"I'm told I'm not growing any further," he said grimly.  They both stared at him.  "My relatives weren't exactly...sharing with things like food.  My godparents are good to me now though.  It's much nicer.  Remus gave us a room in his house without any pushing and he got pushy with others when they complained."

"It sounds like your godparents and you two need to move to Miami," Eric told him.

"Once I'm finally finished with the war I will," Harry said, looking at him. "Until then, my people need me.  Even if I am still in school and going to be behind on my OWLs this year.  Hermione will help but I'm only really good at quidditch in school."

Horatio nodded once.  "There's ways around that, Harry.  You can study in your private time."

"I do.  I do a lot of reading in defense."

Horatio nodded.  "Probably necessary but there's other things that you can study."  Harry gave him a confused look.  "Is your evil power using muggle weapons?"  Harry shook his head.  "Why not?"

"He's a pureblood snob."

"That's one way of defeating him then."

Harry grimaced.  "The Ministry would lock me up if I shot him.  Not that I haven't thought good thoughts about blowing him up but they'd lock me up if I did it."

Horatio nodded slowly at that.  "Your Ministry is very behind the times."

"Yeah, some of our people wear Victorian clothing, but you can't really change that."

Eric shook his head.  "I can't imagine not seeing mini-skirts, bikinis, and high heels."

Horatio hit him on the arm behind Harry.  "Shut up, Eric."  Eric grinned at him.  "How about we come over to Haven tonight, that way we can find you?  We'll see what you have, what you have planned, and see if we can help."

"Ron plans," Harry told him.  "I do, Hermione researches."

"What happens if Ron gets hurt?" Eric asked.

Harry grimaced.  "I can almost plan and there's aurors and others behind me."

"Harry, you're fifteen," Horatio told him.  "You should be behind them, not the other way around."

Harry stood up.  "I'd love to be, but unfortunately that prophecy says I have to kill him so I can live.  I can't get around that."

"That doesn't mean you can't have competent help that doesn't want you to be God," Eric said gently.  Harry nodded, sitting on the ground.  "Not criticizing your people, Harry.  I'm not.  We're not."  Harry looked at him again.  "But we protect others for a living.  We'd never let a kid your age help us.  Give us information.  Tell us what's going on.  Some geniuses even work in the lab at your age.  But we'd never let you lead an assault.  We'd never put you somewhere dangerous.  You're too young."

"If I can stop it this year, less people will die than if I wait until I'm legal in two years," Harry told him.  "I turn legal the summer before my seventh year."

Horatio handed Timmy back to his father, watching him cuddle him to calm himself down.  "Then we'll help, Harry.  We can do things your people can't."  Harry gave him that confused look again.  "I know the British standard is set high."

Harry snorted.  "In four years of defense, I've learned a year's worth of stuff.  We had Lockhart teaching my second year," he said at the shocked looks.  Eric whimpered. "My godfather was the best teacher we've had yet and he was run off because he's a werewolf."

"That's not an issue over here," Horatio told him.  Harry gaped.  "We don't have registry lists, Harry."  Harry gaped more.  "Really."   Harry suddenly hugged him, letting him have Timmy back.  "Thank you for not dropping him."

"He floats," Harry told him.  "Often."  Horatio smiled at that.  "He does.  He loves to fly on my broom too."

"Who were your other defense teachers?" Eric asked, stealing the baby for his own cuddles.  Tim grumbled but let him do it.  "It's my turn.  H was hogging you."

"Let's see.  First year we had Quirrel.  He had part of Voldemort attached to his body as a ghoul.  He was feeding off unicorn blood in the Forbidden Forest around the school."

"You have a dark forest around your school?" Eric demanded.  Harry nodded.  "Why?"

"They defend the school."  At the horrified looks he shrugged.  "We're not allowed in there unless we're in detention with the caretaker.  Then we had Lockhart, who asked us questions out of his book and was scared of pixies.  He took the bones out of my arm the quidditch match he refereed.  He claimed he was trying to heal it and did that.  Then again, he was using memory charms to claim other people's deeds.  He's still in St. Mungoes from where he tried Ron and I and it backfired on him.  Ron handled him while I went to deal with the basilisk.  Then we had Remus, who was great.  I learned a lot, and still do, off him.  He's one of my godfathers with Sirius Black.  He's how I met Sirius and he's free now," he said at the odd looks Horatio was giving him.  "Then there was Mad Eye Moody, or supposedly Mad Eye Moody.  He was a death eater in disguise.  He wasn't *too* bad.  I learned a lot.  Especially about unforgivables."  He shrugged a bit.  "He was always telling us to be vigilant and then he turned out to be the pathway to the problem so I got kidnaped, another student got killed, and I had to duel Voldemort."  He turned pale and went to puke in some bushes.  "Sorry," he called back.

"No, that is a reaction I wanted to see," Horatio assured him, getting up to follow him.  He patted his back and helped him back to the bench.  "That is a normal reaction, Harry.  I had it when I had to shoot someone in the field to save others.  I have most of them since then," he said gently.  Harry gave him such a trusting look.  "It'll be okay.  Those are normal reactions.  Though I do believe someone needs to go shoot some people at your school."

"Who's your defense teacher this year?" Eric asked.

"She was appointed by the Ministry.  Even though she's a half-demon who was pressuring others to say I lied.  Even after Hermione moved all the captured death eaters who came for us the other day into the open and let the Prophet have them while the aurors ran to clean up."  He looked at Horatio.  "It's normal to be sick?"

"The taking of a life should never come easy, Harry.  Or else you've crossed over," Horatio offered gently.  Harry nodded, slumping down again.  "It's all right.  You...you have been pushed to do things no child your age should ever have to do."  He made Harry look at him again.  "I would like to shoot some of them."

"Can you start with the Headmaster?  He's not telling me stuff again.  The first year, he told me not to worry about why Quirrel was giving me splitting headaches from my scar.  It took almost all year to figure out what was going on and stop him."

Horatio gave the boy a hug.  "Shh.  It'll be fine, Harry.  We'll help you."

Tim woke up and yawned.  "H!" he squealed, waving.

"Hi, Speed."  He reached over to pat him on the head, then looked down at the young man against his shoulder.  "We'd help you even if it wasn't for him," he said quietly, getting a smile back.  "Now, let's take you both home.  I'm sure he's hungry.  Alexx always had to nag him to eat."

"He likes fruit," Harry offered.  "He's always eating fruit mash."  He stood up and took Tim back.  "Come on, let's go home."

"Carseat or carrier?" Eric asked. Harry picked up the stomach carrier and wiggled into it then put Tim inside.  "That's not really safe, Harry."

"You can't put a carseat on a broom," he teased.

Eric moaned, shaking his head.  "Have you ridden in a car?  I know a few of my fellow classmates thought they were fairytales."

"I was raised muggle until I got my letter."  He grinned.  "Now I don't have to go there ever again."

"Good," Horatio told him.

"WPS came and dealt with them when I got Timmy."

"WPS?" Eric said.  "Is that like Child Protective Services?"

"Yup.  Wizard Protective Services.  I've got a caseworker thanks to my age and Timmy but she's pretty nice.  She helps me and she answers questions.  She went to chew Dumbledore a new one for trying to kick me out of school."  He grimaced then cleared it up.  "Where can I get good rock candy on a stick?  Tim seems to like it while he's read to."

Eric grinned.  "I can show you how to make it, Harry."  Harry beamed and nodded, letting them walk him back to the hummer.  Harry frowned at it.  "That's a hummer.  We use them on the job.  Horatio's always in his."

"That looks like a military thing I saw when I snuck some tele one night," he said.

"It originally was," Horatio admitted, letting him into the back.  "Buckle up around him."  Harry nodded, doing that.  Eric got into the front passenger's seat.  Horatio climbed in to drive.  "We're going back to Haven, right?"

"Yup," Harry agreed.  "Which is nearly across the city."

"That's fine, Harry.  It's a good area to live in.  It's nearly outside of Miami and well away from the crime-laden areas."  He started the engine and Tim cooed, reaching forward to pat Eric's seat.  "Yes, Speed, this is my hummer.  Behave."  He pulled out of the parking spot and drove off.  "Can you drive yet, Harry?"

"I'm only fifteen.  I can fly on my broom but I'm not old enough to apparate yet.  Not that I can't but if they catch me I'm toast."

Eric looked back at him.  "Dad said we should teach you to drive too.  It's a good skill to have."  Harry shrugged and grinned.  "We'll work on it."  He turned back around, grinning at Horatio.  "Can we let Calleigh teach him gun safety?"

"That might be a good idea in case he ever has to grab one.  Harry, would that interest you?"

Harry shrugged.  "I don't know.  I've never seen a gun in person."

"We'll figure that out later," Horatio decided.  He and Eric shared a look.  Someone had to help the boy to protect their friend, and Harry seemed like he could use a few more people who gave a damn about him.  Horatio found the gate and drove them through, making Tim pout.  "We'll go in with you, Tim."  Tim quit pouting and let his father carry him inside and let him down in the library, watching him crawl off.  "Tim?" Horatio called.  Tim looked at him.  "Bring me a book?"  Tim beamed and went to his new shelf of books, dragging one back in his teeth so Horatio could read to him.

Harry grinned.  "Anyone need anything to drink?"  Tim made begging noises.  "I knew you were hungry, Tim."  He went to fix him something to eat and a small dinner for the others.  They were probably hungry too he decided.  He brought it out, putting it down in front of Eric.  "There we go, dinner."  He heard a pop and looked back.  "Ron, bring out some tea?"

"Sure, Harry."  He went to grab some, bringing it out.  "Here we go.  I see he found a new slave."  He grinned at Horatio.  "Ron Weasley."

"Horatio Caine."  He shook his hand.  "Tim used to work with Eric and I."

"Ah.  That reborn stuff.  That's fine I guess."  He looked at Harry.  "Umbridge is trying to ban you from coming back to Britain."

"Then she thinks she's the one in the prophecy?" Harry asked grimly.

"Apparently so."  He smirked.  "Dumbledore is not amused."

"Which is shocking considering he didn't want me back either," Harry pointed out.

"Uh-huh."  He hauled him up and to the kitchen again, looking at him.  "They're serious."

"Then let Sirius kick their asses," Harry said grimly.  "Or I can stay down here and study in whatever sort of American schools there are.  There's probably one not too far away."

"There's a boarding one downtown," Eric called.  He walked in.  "Horatio wanted to know if he could go talk to them too since Tim's scowling at the name Dumbledore."

"The headmaster kept trying to make Harry give him up," Ron said then shrugged a bit.  "We know he's a bit manipulative."  He looked at Harry again.  "Call Gringotts, Harry."

"Going," he said, moving over to the floo.  "Gringotts, London division."  The same head popped up.  "I know, connect me anyway, I can pay the surcharge," he offered.  "It's important.  It'll probably be more than this call tonight."  She nodded and disappeared, giving way to a goblin head.  "I need to speak to whoever's handling the Potter account and theft please?"  The goblin nodded and put him on hold, as evidenced by the light music flowing out of the plain flames.  Then another goblin's head popped up.  "Need to see my key?"

"No, Mr. Potter, we know who you are.  What's wrong?"

"Umbridge is trying to get him banned from Britain," Ron told him. "Dumbledore doesn't really want him back either."

"And was his theft fixed?" Harry asked.

"Not fully.  We've decided he's liable and we have started a suit on behalf of all the inflicted parties.  It'll be decided relatively soon by Ministry standards."

Harry nodded slowly, thinking.  "Umbridge is one of those people who's decided I was lying about how Cedric died."  The goblin groaned.  "She's said so in the press.  She's been trying to get rid of me or silence me for a while now."

"Where are you?" he asked.

"Haven."

"There's a non-Gringotts bank down there."  Harry nodded.  "I can transfer your accounts down there for a while if you want, Harry."

"I'm not sure that's wise," Ron said.  "If he has to rush back...."

"We will accept a draw slip from their bank but if it's in ours, the Ministry can try to have it confiscated again," the goblin said simply.  "Especially if they're going to try to charge him with something."

Harry considered it. "Then you think it's best?"

"I think it's best that you activate all the shields on Haven, Mr. Potter, and study as much as you can without teachers there to guide you."

"There's a school in the city," Harry told him.

"Then I wish you much luck.  Should I do the transfer?"

"Please, all of it, including my trust account?"  The goblin nodded.  "If I can, I'll bring it back with me."

"I understand.  For now, do what you can.  Your godfather should probably be told."

"Remus and Sirius can now pop in," Harry told him.  "They're the only two allowed outside of Ron and Hermione.  Anyone else has to be specially allowed for."

"Excellent.  I'll have the transfer done tonight, Mr. Potter.  Call your godparents anyway?"

"I'll do that right now."  He nodded and signed off.  Harry took a deep breath and called Remus.  "It's me.  I just heard."  Remus opened his mouth so he looked behind him, finding Horatio there with Timmy.  He grinned at Remus.  "He knew Timmy in his last life."

"Interesting."

"I've heard that a lot about that subject," Harry said dryly.

Ron nodded.  "We have.  Remus, I had to tell him about Umbridge."

"Crap."

"I'm staying here," Harry told him.  "I'll study locally if I can.  I'm told there's a school in town."

"Miami has a very good school," Remus agreed.

"And no registry in the US," Horatio told him simply.

Remus smiled.  "If we can, Mr. Caine.  If not, I will expect someone to watch over our godson?"

"Of course.  Even if it weren't for Tim."  He patted Harry on the head.  "He has a large burden to bear already.  He doesn't need this one as well."

Remus nodded.  "Good enough.  Harry, the bank?"

"Coming here," he told him.  "The goblin said it'd be safer in case Umbridge did other things and tried to confiscate it."

"I wasn't sure but he was," Ron told him.  "Sounded like he knew something was coming."

"They take those moods at the Ministry," he sighed.  "Sirius and I can get down here?"

"You're both allowed through the shields or the doorway," he promised.

Remus smirked.  "I'll have to remember that.  Study hard, Harry, and call often.  All right?"  Harry nodded.  "Good boy.  We love you.  You two be safe down there.  Ron, you can't skip school.  Your mother would have conniptions."

"I know," Ron told him.  "I'm still trying to see what's going on.  I might transfer."

"Check before you do anything rash," he ordered.

"Yes, Remus."

"Good boys."  He smiled at Horatio.  "Make him fly more, Mr. Caine.  He's very good at it.  So is Ron."  He signed off, heading to tell the other Order members what had happened.  He cleared his throat and everyone stared at him.  "The goblins have convinced Harry he's not safe to come back at all thanks to Umbridge.  It sounded like they're trying something with the bank again."

"I'm moving my accounts tonight," Sirius said, heading to do that.  Tonks headed after him since he was her uncle and it was her money too.

Remus sat down.  "Harry's got some good guardians.  Tim's former life apparently led back to Miami."  McGonagall spluttered. "I just saw Mr. Horatio Caine in his house.  Plus Miami does have a very good school.  Ron was saying he might like to transfer down."

"I'm sure he would," McGonagall agreed.  "I'll get with the school down there to make sure they take Harry in."  That got a nod.  "Ron too if it comes to it."  He smiled a bit sadly.  "You can go."

"Once this is done with," he promised.  Severus walked in.  "Good news for you.  The goblins have told Harry it's not safe to come back.  Ever."

"It's not.  Umbridge and Fudge are trying to have him arrested for attacking the Death Eaters and you for having a protected area."

"Hmm."  Remus sighed, standing up.  "Perhaps I will do a bit of traveling."

"Germany," McGonagall told him.  "We know there's been Death Eater activity that way.  He was going to send you and Sirius anyway."

"Agreed," he said.  "Give us a target, we'll be gone tonight."  She nodded, letting him go pack and warn Sirius.

Hermione looked over from her seat in the corner.  "She hasn't twigged to me yet.  I'm staying until it gets too dangerous here," she told McGonagall before she could ask.  That got a nod.  "Thank you."  She went back to her reading.  "Professor, I have at least another six bottles of invisibility potion if you needed to swipe some more."

"Not cute," McGonagall warned her.

Hermione smiled.  "Someone has to fill in for Ron's bad jokes."  That got a snort.  "Though I do if we need it."  That got a nod and they sat down to discuss plans.  Something was going to have to be done about the Ministry.

***

Harry smiled at the man who met him at the school's front doors the next morning.  "I'm looking to transfer in from Hogwarts since I've recently learned I have a house down here.  May I please speak to the Headmaster?"

"Headmistress," he corrected.  "Let me see if she's in yet, sir."  He let Harry into the courtyard, smiling at the baby he hadn't seen.  "He's adorable."

"He gets told that quite often.  He's going to get a swelled head," Harry said with a grin.

The guard snickered.  "Most babies are.  Then they learn how to talk back."  He went to find the headmistress, bringing her out.  Harry and the baby were looking at some plants from a bench safely out of harm's distance.  He coughed and Harry stood up with a smile.  "Here you go, Headmistress."

She smiled.  "Harry.  Your head of house called me last night, dear.  What's going on?"

"The Ministry decided I'm too stupid to know why a fellow student was killed in front of me and I've had to fight for the last four years," he said bluntly.  "They're now trying to arrest me for defending myself and my son when we were attacked by Death Eaters."

"But...  They're not back," the guard said.  "That one boy...."

"Was Harry Potter," Harry told him.  "I'm pretty sure I know Voldemort when I see him being raised."  The guard went pale and backed up.  "And the whole Ministry is like that," he told the Headmistress.  "It's taking their power."

"Interesting."

"I hear that a lot recently," he said dryly, grinning a bit.  "Mostly about my son."

She laughed.  "I'm sure you do.  Come to my office, Harry."  She looked at the guard.  "We will not be talking about Harry Black at all."

"Of course not."  He let Harry inside the school and followed them up there.  "Are you local?"

"Haven's his natal family's home," she said with a small smile.  "I've heard there's work going on?"

"Most of the east wing caved in long ago," Harry agreed.  "Timmy loves the library."  She smiled at that.  "I know I'm probably behind by local standards.  We've had problems with the defense teachers.  Repeatedly.  All but Remus Lupin really."

"I've heard.  I have your transcripts.  Not the best grades.  We do expect better work here."

Harry nodded.  "I'm not the most bookish.  That's Hermione.  Ron's very good at planning and I'm very good at doing, but I can only mildly plan or research.  That and bad teachers mean I do all I can but I can only do so much."

"I can understand that."  She sighed and looked at the baby.  "We do have a daycare here."  Harry beamed at that.  "He's healthy?"

"Very.  He's just learned to crawl.  He floats now and then when he's dirty or bored."  She smiled and nodded.  "His mother...."  She held up a hand.  "You got that rant too?"

"I went to school with Minerva, dear.  I heard all about it when it happened."  He grinned at that.  "Are you running?"

"I'd rather be safe until it was time to go back," he said.  "I know I have a duty over there, but I'm not going to be a pawn and I'm not going to be looked at like I'm evil again.  I've had four years of that.  I'd probably have better grades if I hadn't been fighting Malfoy and then the Dark Lord every year, and then having to defend myself against the bad issues in the school of thinking I'm evil, thinking I'm bad, Ron being jealous whenever something happens and I get noted in the press or something.  Ron and I are friends but now and then he gets a bit jealous."

"I've heard.  We had a three hour long call last night."  Harry winced.  "The school paid for it," she admitted with a smile.  "Hers.  Not ours."  He relaxed at that.  "What can you do in defense?"

"A lot more than I probably should be able to but a lot of it's been studying when I had time to open a book by someone other than the teacher.  Lockhart's books weren't exactly instructive."

"I figure not since they're so full of it," she admitted.  "Minerva knew a lot more than you thought, Harry.  Including your home life."

"I figure someone did even if nothing was done.  I know they did after WPS got done with Dumbledore for keeping me there."  He shifted some.  "I like and admire Professor McGonagall but I doubt she knew all of it.  Did she hear when Hermione brewed polyjuice so we could talk to the Slytherins about the Chamber of Secrets?"  She gave him a horrified look.  "That was our second year."

"Oh, dear.  She was hoping you'd calm down."

"I'd love to not be in danger," he told her.  "Once I am, I'm going to be calmer.  Except maybe about quidditch."

She smiled.  "We'll love you for that much alone around here, Harry.  We could use a good seeker.  Around here we don't have houses, we play school against school."  He nodded.  "You'd be willing to play?"

"I'll beg."

She smiled.  "That'll do too."  She leaned forward.  "By our standards, you're barely hitting second year, Harry."  He winced.  "I can put you in the fourth years."  He nodded at that.  "But you're going to have to catch up in some things.   Some of Dumbledore's choices for teachers are a bit odd.  Not that I haven't heard that Hagrid's a nice man."

"He does know what he's doing, he simply likes the dangerous things," Harry told her.  "And Flobberworms."

"I've heard.  You've already covered the seventh year creatures class here."  He smiled and nodded a bit.  "And most of the sixth and part of the fifth," she admitted.  "But none of the first except for Flobberworms."  He nodded.  "We do not like the defense curriculum either."

"There is one?"

"Not since Professor Lupin apparently."

"I can agree to that.  The Moody impersonator taught us some.  Including unforgivables."

"Which are still illegal over here."

"He was a Death Eater in disguise as an auror."

She whimpered.  "Minerva needs to kick him."

"Horatio said he'd like to shoot him."

"You met Horatio Caine?"

He patted Timmy on the head.  "This is my son, Tim.  Formerly Tim Speedle apparently."

"Oh, shit," she muttered.  Then she cleared her throat.  "Sorry."

"I say it now and then too.  He's used to it from Ron."

She smiled.  "She suggested he might be coming too."  She leaned back.  "Technically, our median level student is like your Miss Granger."  Harry gaped in horror at her.  "Though we do have those who are more handy at learning things in a practical way instead of doing theory."

"You can do that?"

She nodded.  "You can do that."

"Can I please do that?"

She smiled.  "You can please do that, Harry."  He beamed at her and she realized now why McGonagall loved the little boy, even if she did want to kill him about every week.  "Come on, we'll get you set up.  I'm assuming that you're not boarding?"

"No, I have a house.  I love my house.  Mr. Delko is fixing the parts that're falling in and so I have electricity.  Also, I was raised muggle until I went to Hogwarts, so I'm okay with muggle things."

"Good!  Though we're probably a bit more computerized than you were there."  She got up and led him around, taking him to the daycare first.  "Holiday," she called.  An older African-American woman with graying brown hair came out of a back room.  "This is Harry Black and his son Timmy.  Harry's going to be starting in the fourth year because Hogwarts sucks."

"I've heard they've had problems keeping defense teachers."

"No comment," Harry said grimly, making her laugh.  He pulled Timmy out.  "Tim, this is ...."

"Holiday.  I take care of any babies around here."  She took Tim to hold, smiling at him.  "Well, you're well fed, dressed, and obviously like to play."

"He likes books," Harry told her.  "Plus he floats when he's bored or dirty.  Oh, and he likes rock candy to suck on."

"That's fine, Harry."  She smiled at Tim.  "Come meet the others, precious.  We're back in the padded room right now."  She walked him off, letting Harry poke around to make sure it was good enough for his son.  All the new parents did that.  Though she did notice he touched a few of the toys and tasted a bit of the food too.  She looked at him then leaned closer.  "I can see the scar, young man."  He groaned.  Timmy giggled.  "He'll be safe here.  Nothing like what happened back there."

"Thank you.  There were some people who wanted him as a toy there."

"I understand.  He'll be fine, Harry.  Go tour and see where you're going."  He nodded and patted Timmy on the head, leaving him with her.  She smiled at Tim.  "Well, that's better, huh?  No hovering parent."  She put him down onto the floor.  "Go pounce someone."  He gave her a wicked looking smirk and went to pounce a young girl further in the room, taking her toy to chew on.  She swatted at him but let him play with her for now.  "That's a good start, kids."

Harry went back to his tour, finding the rooms nice, open, and not dingy.  No irregular rooms with odd seating.  They looked like muggle classrooms only with tables instead of individual seats.  He got introduced to a few teachers.  The defense teacher frowned at him and said he'd have to do something about his clothes, Miami would not put up with such shabby attire.  Harry ignored it; he was comfortable, who cared but him.  They kept going, finding all the classes, and eventually the quidditch coach, who knew who he was and hugged him.  He grinned at that.  "She said I could play."

"You will be," he assured him.  "When is he starting?"

"Two days.  Monday."

He beamed.  "Good, we have practice Wednesdays, Harry."  He patted him on the shoulder. "We'll make sure you can play with our team too."  He hummed as he went back to his shop class.  They were using power tools and magic together.  He needed to be in there before someone got a bright idea.

Harry grinned at the headmistress.  "Can I never go back except for my duty?"

"If you want," she promised, leading him back to the nursery.  "I'll expect you Monday morning at eight, young man."

"Yes, ma'am.  Uniforms?"

"Harry, the blue things you saw were jeans, dear."

"I didn't know if it was a dress down day or something."

She shook her head.  "Wear clean clothes that won't get you picked on.  Let Horatio tell you what to wear."  He nodded and smiled.  "Good boy.  Now, let's make sure the bus can reach you."

"You mean we have a bus?"

"Of course we have a bus.  I'm not making you cab in, Harry."  She went to talk to the driver, who knew where the house was.  He and Harry agreed on a time to meet and he told Harry he had to get a carseat for the baby but that was fine.  Harry went home much happier than he had come in.  Bending the rules would work fine this time.  Especially to keep the supposed dark lord over there and not messing up her pretty city.  Then again, no child deserved a sub-standard education.

***

Harry smiled at Horatio when he saw him.  "They admitted me."

"Congratulations," he said.

Harry could tell his mind was on something else.  "You're working, huh?"

"For a bit longer.  Why?"

"Because they suggested you help me shop?  A bit?  Because apparently they all decided I'm a slob or something."

Horatio laughed.  "You'll find many like that in Miami, Harry.  I can do that Sunday if you want."  Harry smiled and nodded.  "Good boy.  Now, where's Timmy?"

"Sleeping."  He unhid him, getting a smile from the new 'uncle'.  Tim continued to snore.  "They have a daycare."

"Wonderful.  He'll get to torment other children."  Harry nodded at that, earning a smile.  "Anything else go wrong?"

"She swore at Dumbledore.  I told her you wanted to shoot him."

"Indeed I do," he muttered, making Harry laugh.  "We'll work that out later this weekend, Harry.  Go home, unpack, celebrate."

"Yes, Horatio."  He waved and left, disappearing once he was out of sight.

Horatio shook his head, getting back to work on his present case.  The boy needed attention and affection.  He'd get it from them but he'd have to make sure the others knew that they needed to like Harry for Harry, not for being Tim's father.  It'd hurt the boy more.

***

Harry smiled at Remus when his head popped up.  "I called Sirius."

"I know and he knew but he's really busy."

"Like the Ministry decided to pounce him busy?"  Remus nodded.  "You two know you're welcome over here."

"I know," Remus agreed with a small smile.  "How does the school look?"

"A lot harder.  They said their average student was like Hermione.  They also said that they have special classes for those of us who can't stand the books."

"Excellent."

"Apparently I don't fit in clothing wise either but that'll be fine.  Oh, I need my broom and things."

"They're already on their way over," Remus assured him.  His head turned around and he said something out of hearing then turned back around.  "Harry, I've got to go, they're being bigger pains than usual."

"Do we need to talk rescue?" he asked.

"I should hope not."  He smirked.  "Be good, behave for them.  I'll see you soon."  The floo cut off.

Harry sat back and contemplated things, then he called someone.  "Nymphadora Tonks."  She looked startled.  "Who in their stupidest mind just decided to bother Remus and Sirius?"

She blinked.  "You don't get the Prophet anymore, do you?"

"Long way over here," he said dryly.  "By the way, you can tell them I'm enrolled in a very good school and the very good school here thinks that Hogwarts is falling down on teaching us.  My records made my new Headmistress swear.  She thought I should be a second year."

She giggled.  "Good to know."  He gave her a pointed look.  "Umbridge and Fudge, Harry.  Remus is a werewolf.  Sirius is under suspicion again."

"I've had about enough of them," he noted calmly.

"If you do anything, they'll take you too," she reminded him.

"Really?"  He gave her a look then hung up, calling someone else.  "Editor for the Daily Prophet."  His head spun up and he gaped in horror.  "I've had about enough of Fudge and Umbridge.  Why do you think I'm not in Britain anymore?  My son was the reason they gave for kicking me out of school."

"They can snap your wand," he squeaked.

"I'm enrolled elsewhere."

He swallowed.  "They don't like you very much.  You destroyed a good few years' work."

Harry shrugged.  "Then they should've have been trying to stretch the truth anyway, huh?  Even a child knows it's going to get caught in a lie eventually.  I was hoping the Minister for Magic had more sense than a child."

"Can I quote you?"

"As long as you use the *full* quote," he said dryly, giving him a look.  "No pulling a Skeeter."

"I won't, Mr. Potter."  He glanced around nervously.  "They're calling for your arrest too."

"Really?"  That got a nod.  "You know what?  I'm going to send you something.  Hermione taught me how to record things in a pensieve and I happen to have one here.  She also told me how to bottle the memory and send it on."

"That would leave you without it.  It could be tampered with."

Harry snorted.  "You forget how smart Hermione is.  She taught me how to copy, not get rid of."  That got a nod.  "Watch for it later tonight."

"I will!  Thank you!"  His head disappeared.

Harry went to save down the memory, then charmed it into a small bottle he had used for potions.  He sent it to the editor himself, since that had been his secretary.  Then he tuned into the WWN on the radio and listened to the havoc it caused.  Because that man would shout it from the rooftops if it sold his paper.  By the time he was doing that and decrying the Ministry again, Ron was there with his school trunk.  "Your mum and them okay?"

"Fine.  She wanted me far out of harm's way."  He flopped down.  "Where's Tim?"

"Under the couch taking a nap."  They shared a look then shook their heads.  He was odd sometimes.  "We found his former friends."

"I remember meeting them," Ron reminded him.

"Sorry, long day."

"Take a nap, Harry.  I'll sit up."  Harry beamed and went to nap on the couch Timmy was sleeping under.  Ron waited until they were both snoring to shake his head.  "Gets it from his father," he muttered.  He went to call his mother.  "I'm here and it's all good, Mum.  I'll let you know about the school stuff."  He waved and turned off the floo before she could complain again.  He didn't need yelled at right now.  She might wake the baby.  Speaking of, he heard a shifting, crawling noise and looked out toward the library.  Then he grimaced. "What the bloody hell are you!" he demanded at the creature walking out there.  He shot something harmless at it to get it away from Harry and the baby, then looked around.  "Mr. Delko!" he yelled.  "Help!"  One of the guys came running so he pointed at the thing.  "What is that?"

"That's very bad.  Get the baby and get away from it, Weasley."  Ron nodded, jumping over it when it snapped at him so he could get them.  He called his boss's son.  "I'm at Haven.  There's an alligator that just snuck in to eat them.  Front hall.  Thanks."  He hung up and watched the thing.  If it started to crawl off again he would follow it but not get near it.  Eric finally got there with a tranquilizer gun and shot the creature.

Harry peeked out of the library.  "What is that thing?"

"Alligator."  He looked at him.  "They're dangerous.  They eat anything they can get their mouth around.  Where's Tim?"

"Still napping under the couch," he admitted, getting a smirk back.  "He's tired today.  He wore himself out at the school's daycare."

"Good."  He handed Harry the rifle.  "Don't do more than hold it where your hand is."  He pulled the harness out of his back waistband and wrapped the muzzle around the gator's mouth then hefted the thing up and carried it out to the hummer.  Where he backed into the street and called it in, jogging inside to get the rifle then back out to the hummer so he could meet the nice people who'd take it away.  When they finally came he drove back inside, nodding at the workers.  "Any others?"

"We sent one off yesterday," his father admitted.  "They were living in the swamp that the swimming pool became."

"Eggs?" he asked.

"Not that we've seen," he admitted, clapping him on the shoulder.  "You always joked that they liked you, Eric."

"Now you know it's not just me they like," he taunted back with a smirk.  "I'm going to play with the baby for a bit."

"That's fine.  I'm going to check on the boys anyway.  We're about a day behind schedule right now thanks to some rotten beams we found."

"I'm sure Harry will be thrilled."

"No, I expected that with the swamp out there," Harry said, opening the door.  "Is it gone?"

"Fully.  It's being taken back out into the Everglades so it can find a new home."

"Good!  I'm making dinner apparently.  Are you two staying?"

"His mother would fuss," Mr. Delko admitted.

Harry smiled.  "Mrs. Weasley does that too.  That's why Ron calls, gives her an update, then hangs up before she can say anything."

Eric snickered.  "If I did that my mother would beat me."

His father nodded.  "The thought had crossed our minds many times, son.  I'll see you tomorrow, Harry."

"Sure, Mr. Delko.  Thank you."

"You're welcome."  He went to his truck, still smiling.  He liked that boy.  Even if he was going to have to finish growing up and it was going to be a bit of bumpy water soon, he'd be fine soon enough.

Eric looked at the young man in front of him.  "You okay?"  Harry nodded.  "What happened?"

"Ask Ron, I was sleeping."

Eric nodded.  "That's probably a good thing.  You look like you got worn out too."

"I did.  I had to call home to talk to Remus and found the Ministry trying to arrest both my godfathers for telling the truth."  That got a nod.  "So yeah, got a bit upset, did something rash, and now I'm napping.  But I can still cook dinner if you want."

Eric patted him on the back.  "You're not a house elf, Harry."

"Not anymore."  He let him inside, going back to the library.  Ron was halfway under the couch.  "Did something eat him?"

"No.  He's trying to stay asleep instead of waking up for dinner."

"Let the guy sleep, please.  Maybe he'll sleep all night," Harry said, laying down again.  Ron came out and gave him an odd look.  "He might."

"With our luck, he'll be up at two wanting to fly and read at the same time."

Tim came out from under the couch, spitting at him and scowling.

Eric picked him up to smile at him.  "You got to miss the alligator."

Tim gave him a look then wiggled to be put down.  Eric did that and he went back under the couch, flipping over so he could go back to sleep.

Ron snickered.  "Is that a bad thing or a good thing?"

"Probably a bad thing knowing him," Eric said, helping Ron up.  "Come on, I'll help you cook dinner since Harry's not a house elf."

"No, that were his relatives' ideas," he said, following him that way.  "We're making food, Tim."

"Bahbah!" he shouted.

"No, I'm not bad.  Come get us when you're hungry."  He looked at the older guy.  "Does he give you that look like you're an idiot at times?"

"Yup.  Speed used to give me that then shove me out of whatever lab we were in if we were inside.  He'd slam the door in my face and walk off calling me a jackass."  Ron snickered.  "That's probably as close as he can get so far."

"Possibly," Ron agreed dryly.  He heard a shifting noise and looked back there.  "Decided you're hungry anyway?"  Tim spit at him.  "I warned you.  Next time I'm smacking your mouth.  You're still a toddler."  Tim glared at him.  He stared back.  "You are.  You'll behave too."

Tim pouted, hugging Eric's leg.  "He's right, you've got to be a toddler and grow up again," Eric sighed.  "Otherwise we wouldn't have a problem with you spitting and calling me bad."

Tim looked up at him and grinned.  "Ta!"

"No, no fish tacos tonight," he sighed.  "I'll bring some Sunday?"  Tim beamed and nodded.  "Plus H, because the school told Harry to make him go shopping with him."

Tim cuddled his leg, watching Ron cook.  "Mus!" he yelled.  Ron should not be cooking, he knew that.

Ron looked at him.  "He's still back at home, Tim.  He'll be here soon."  Tim slumped, pouting.  "I do know how to cook.  My mum taught me.  Really."  He went back to cooking, making the baby something to nibble on first.  It earned him a strange look.  "Try it.  Ginny likes it."  Tim leered.  "She won't be here for a few weeks at the least."  He went back to cooking, bringing food over.  "Here we are."  He sat down and Tim pulled himself up on his leg.  "Want to sample from my plate?" he teased with a grin, pulling him up so he could grab from his plate, which he had planned.  Eric smirked at that.  "He's good at sampling.  Harry, food whenever you're ready."  No answer so he shrugged and dug in.  "It'll be fine.  Even if we do have to go break Sirius out of jail for being alive."

"I can't hear things like that, even if the arrest is unjust," Eric said firmly, looking at him.  "I'm an officer."

"Sorry."  He grinned.  "We're used to not telling the adults anything, we can include you."

"Just in the illegal things, Ron.  Let us know the rest, okay?"

"Sure."  He nuzzled the baby's head.  "Try the orange things," he whispered.  Tim did that and hummed, eating another one too.  Ron tried to eat one and Timmy screamed at him so he let him have all the candied carrots he had made.  Tim smiled at Eric.  "Yes, he'll share his with you later."  Tim grunted and held up his arms to Eric, who took him so he could sample from his plate.  "Harry calls it sampling."

"It basically is."  Tim took two to chew on, smirking at him.  "Sure, you can eat those for me.  They're good for you."  He looked at Ron again.  "How are you two going to get into trouble down here?"

"Hopefully we won't have that much trouble coming," Ron told him.  "There's no chamber with a basilisk and a student possessed against her will, right?"  Eric slowly shook his head.  "No teachers that're holding ghouls on the back of their head?"  Eric shook his head faster but Tim was laughing.  "No dark forest for detentions?"  Eric shook his head again.  "Then where would we get into trouble?  Maybe I'll find a bint who'll like me for being cute instead of Harry's friend.  Maybe they'll leave Harry alone for being Harry.  It annoys him to no end."  He ate another bite and Tim reached for his plate so he let him have more of his carrots.  Tim nibbled on it then spit at him.  "Keep it up, have a bath early," Ron warned.  Tim gave him a pitiful look.  "Thank you."  He looked at him.  "What sort of fun can we do around here?"

"Fairs, the beach, amusement parks?" he suggested.  "Just watch out.  Miami's full of the wrong sort of fun, like drugs and hookers."

"Hookers?"

"Prostitutes, Ron."

"Oh, them.  I'd hope I didn't have to sink that low.  I'd rather have a girlfriend.  What's an amusement park?"

Eric grinned.  "Somewhere a bunch of rides and games are together for fun times."

"Rides?  Like animals?"

"We'll show you soon."  Ron beamed and nodded.  "Just watch out if you guys decide to go out to the clubs, all right?"  Ron looked confused.  "I know there's dance clubs in England."

"Yeah, but my mum won't let us go and there's no wizarding ones."

"Then  you two'll go out with me chaperoning the first night.  That way you don't get hurt."  Ron nodded and shrugged.  He grinned.  "It can be great but you've got some precautions you have to take.  Then again, you're both about H's nephew's age."  He shrugged and fed the sleepy baby another carrot.  He gummed it listlessly so Eric tested his forehead with his lips.  "Someone has a small fever."  Ron got up and got something for that from his school trunk.  "Is that for babies?"

"Mum said it was.  She sent it with me.  She's got seven."  He read the instructions then dropped a few drops on Timmy's tongue, making him grimace.  "Eat another carrot to get the taste out.  Then you can go nap with Da."   Tim sucked on his last handful of carrot, letting Ron carry him out to Harry.  Harry felt the baby be put down and cuddled him with a grunt.  "Small fever, I already gave him his meds, Harry.  Watch out for the carrots."  He headed back to the kitchen, digging in again.  "Harry's cuddling him."

Eric smiled.  "You'll get used to the heat and humidity in here."

"I hope so.  I might miss snow but hopefully it won't take that long before we can go back.  My brother's in Cairo and he said he misses snow," he offered before eating another bite.

"Remember, they can visit, Ron."

"It's not safe if they do," he said, looking at Eric.

"Who says they can't meet you in regular Miami?  That wouldn't be exposing the house.  You could meet in a park or on a beach."

"Eric, my mum would scream and rant at the girls who weren't wearing anything," he said dryly.  "She yelled at Ginny for showing her calves."  Eric moaned.  "We're a bit Victorian according to Hermione.  Though she yelled at the girls we saw rolling around on the strange wheeled boots in tiny shorts and bra tops."

"Then bikinis might be a bit too much for her to bear the first trip," Eric agreed, grinning some when he heard Harry wake up with an 'eww'.  "He had carrots, Harry."

"I can see that.  He just puked on me."  He came in to clean them both up, looking at his son.  "You that sick?  If so, I'll have to call a healer."  The baby gave him a miserable look.  "Ron, is this food or something else?"

"With as sleepy as he's been it might be a cold or something," Eric offered, coming over to check on the baby.  Then he did the smart thing and called his mother.  "Mom, it's Eric.  I'm here with Harry and the baby.  The baby's had something for his small fever but he just threw up the carrots he ate earlier.  Yeah, like that.  Well, technically they were sugared carrots."  He listened then nodded.  "You think?"  He nodded. "Thanks, Momma."  He hung up.  "She said he should be fine but if his fever got much worse you're to take him to the emergency room tonight."

Harry bit his lip.  "Eric, they'd get us on our ages."

"Probably," he sighed.  "Fine, I'll go with you two if it's necessary, okay?"  Tim turned and puked again, then whimpered.  "Sure, we'll go now."  He got the boys into his car and headed to the local good ER, walking them inside.  "The baby's got  a small fever and is puking," he told the receptionist.  "He's new to the city.  He's had something for his fever."

She nodded, marking them down, then taking the baby's temperature.  He puked on her too.  "Carrots?"

"With a bit of sugar," Ron agreed.  "He likes 'em that way best."

"That's fine, boys."  She smiled.  "Who's the father?"  Harry raised his hand.  "Who's your guardian?"

"He's still at home.  They're moving down here soon," Harry told her.  She gave him an odd look.  "I'm moving here for school."

"Oh.  Okay.  College?"  He shook his head and she smiled.  "That's fine then, sir.  Take a seat, it's going to be a little bit.  You can probably try to give him some water safely.  There's a fountain with cups in the waiting area."  He nodded, heading where she pointed.  She looked at Eric.  "Who has custody?"

"Harry."  He grinned.  "It'll be fine.  A few of us are watching over him while his guardians are arranging for the move."  That got a nod and he went to sit with them.  "We're going to have to do something about your immigration status," he said quietly.

"Can we do that without telling everyone where we are?" Ron asked.  "We know the bank had a leak."

"They said they fixed it too," Harry reminded him.  He looked at him.  "Can the bank down here help me with that?  I know the one at home dealt with those matters somewhat."

"We'll see," Eric said.  He pulled out his phone, feeling the sudden need to call Horatio.  "It's me.  Tim's puking up his carrots for dinner.  That's where we are.  Thanks."  He hung up.  He grinned.  "He was looking for you three."  The nurse came out and called Harry's name, letting them all head back.  "We gave him something for his fever.  He started to throw up after that.  Fever hasn't went down either.  My mother said to bring him."

"That's fine," the nurse said, smiling at them.  "Has he started to have his shots yet?"

"I've had custody of him now for two months," Harry said honestly.  "The social worker over there hasn't said anything about shots."  She nodded at that.  "Sorry, but his mom kinda made him come into being without my help or consent.  Then she rather, um, died painfully."  The nurse gave him a horrified look.  "That's why I have custody."

"I can see why, Mr. Black."  She got to work checking the baby over.  "Do you have a pediatrician yet?"

"I was in a boarding school so the school nurse did his original one.  I just moved here a few days back."

"That's all right.  I'm sure we can find you one so you know what to do from now on."

Eric smiled.  "A few of us in the lab are watching over them for Harry's guardians.  They're still back in England working on moving.  He moved for school reasons with his buddy Ron."

"We do have some good schools," she said with a smile.  "It looks like the flu if he doesn't have any food allergies."

"I used the sugar in the cabinets," Ron admitted.  "He doesn't have a problem with usual sugar."

Eric looked at him.  "You used brown sugar," he told him.  Ron looked confused.  "I'll go over that with you later."  He looked at her.  Then at Tim when he threw up again.  "He did spend a few hours in the school's daycare today."

"Then it's probably that," she told him.  She smiled.  "Did we give tylenol or advil for his fever, boys?"

Ron handed over the bottle he had remembered to grab.  "My mum makes it.  She's had seven of us."

She sniffed it and looked at the label.  "Does it work?"

"Greatly," Ron agreed.  "Usually within ten minutes.  I used three drops."

She looked at him.  "Is your family part of a hippie commune or something?"

"Small insulated society," Horatio said as he walked in.  He looked at the pain killer.  "That works like tylenol only it's all natural."

She nodded.  "Let's try the FDA approved stuff, for now until his doctor can advise you, all right, boys?  Not that your mother is wrong but you don't know how the high heat and humidity will affect these things."  Ron nodded that was reasonable.  She smiled at Horatio.  "You're watching over them too, Lieutenant?"

"I am."  He patted Tim on the stomach.  "Did you get sick?"  The baby gave him a pitiful look.  "Ron used a bit of honey in the carrots and it looks like it was a bit old," he told her.

"That's fine.  We'll give him an antibiotic just in case.  It won't help if it's the flu but it'll help if it's the honey or something food bourne."  Horatio nodded and they let her get that for them, even a sample pack.  Harry beamed at that.  "All right.  You give him half of a packet every six hours, Harry."

"I can do that."  She handed over the small bag and he took Tim's shirt off him, bundling it in his back pocket for now.  "There, less messy and you're not sweaty."  Tim cooed tiredly.  "Come on, you can go back to napping under the couch if you want."  He grinned at her.  "He decided to hide for his nap earlier."

"Some babies do when they feel sick, just like pets do.  Do we have any?"

"A pet owl but he's still on his way here."  That got a nod and she smiled.  "Do we have a good recommendation for a baby doctor?"

"I do," Horatio assured him.  That got a smile from the nurse.  "The move was a bit sudden.  Harry got accepted at the last moment."

"It can happen, Lieutenant.  I won't worry about him since you're both watching over the boys until their families get here.  Now, if his fever goes back up over a hundred and two, bring him back," she ordered.  He nodded, patting Tim on the back.  "Good boy.  You feel better, Tim."  Tim looked at her then put his head back down, letting his father carry him out.  She smiled and made notes in the chart.  They'd get things figured out.

Horatio smiled at the boys.  "Let's head home.  I left my nephew and sister-in-law waiting on us."  They nodded and got into Eric's car.  Harry did the carseat and it was good.  He followed them back, calling Yelina on the way.  "It was either the honey or the flu they think.  Please."  He hung up and sped up a bit.  The boys were all chatting and laughing at something Eric was apparently explaining.  It did bring up some problems he hadn't been wanting to think about.  Immigration was going to be coming looking eventually.  It wasn't going to look good.  He got out, walking in behind the boys.  "Ray, this is Harry and Ron.  The little one is Timmy."

"Hi," he said, shaking their hands.  "I'm Ray, Horatio's nephew.  I'm also in your school."  That got a smile.  "What's wrong with the little tummy?" he asked, taking the baby to cuddle.  Tim gave him an odd look then giggled.  "Hi, Tim.  Yes, Uncle H told me."  He walked them back to the kitchen, finding his mother throwing things out.  "Mom!"

"Some of them are expired," she said impatiently.  "You can't eat expired food."

"We got some of that this week," Harry told her.

"Then you need to shop better places," she said simply.  She took the baby to look over, then smiled.  "Small fever but you'll be fine, Timothy."  She handed him to Ron, who handed him to Harry.  "His?"

"His.  I've got six siblings, I don't need a baby."

"Not like I participated in bringing him into being," Harry said dryly.  He grinned at Horatio.  "How soon can we get him set up with the healer?"

"The pediatrician will be a normal one, Harry.  That way he gets all his shots."  Harry nodded.

"Do you guys even innoculate?" Eric asked.

"I think I got a few shots when I was younger," Ron said with a small shrug.  He nodded at the floo, getting a nod from Horatio that it was safe.  "Molly Weasley."  Her head flowed up and she beamed.  "Hi, Mum.  Timmy's fine but he had an upset tummy.  Can you see if Pomfrey gave him any inoculations?"

She looked confused.  "Against what, dear?"

"Measles, those things?" Yelina suggested.

"No, we don't have anything against those," she said carefully.  "The muggles do?"  The others all nodded.  "Hmm.  I'll have to look into that when I have grandchildren."

"You're looking at as close as I'm getting for the next few decades, Mum," Ron said dryly.  She gave him a look.  "He is."  Tim let out a tired coo.  He pulled him over so his mother could see him.  "Can you get her notes for us anyway?  Just in case the new doctor wants to look at them?"

"I can do that," she agreed.  "Anything else we need?"

"Hedwig," Harry told her.

"Hermione sent her off with a message recently, Harry."  That got a grin.  "It'll take her about a week though."  She looked at the baby.  "You are incredibly tiny, Timothy."

"He's grown, mum.  His diapers are getting too small again.  We'll have to shop for him soon."

"Molly, do the boys have anything like birth certificates?" Horatio asked.  "We'll need them for the immigration paperwork."

She looked at him then nodded.  "I can have that handled over here, sir."

"Mum, that's Horatio, the female is his sister-in-law Yelina, her son is Ray, and the other guy is Eric.  Horatio and Eric knew Timmy in his last life."

"Interesting."  She smiled.  "I'll see what the bank can do about the immigration status, boys."  They both smiled.  "Now, anything else we need?"

"Only the stuff we left at Remus' house and them if they're finally released," Harry told her.

She snorted.  "They're still in the Ministry, Harry."  Harry quirked up an eyebrow.  "Don't you dare."

"Hush," he ordered, staring her down.  "I've had about enough of Fudge, again."

"Yes, well, you caused a stink by sending those memories to the Prophet.  Dumbledore's been buried under owls all day."

Harry shrugged.  "If it helps he can take a sore wrist to get them out."

"True."  She smiled.  "It'll happen soon, Harry.  Don't fret so."  He gave her an odd look.  "I know you can't help it but do try."

"I'll try," he muttered.  She smiled.  "What about his things?"

"They'll be over in a while, boys.  I sent them through a shipping company to the bank down there."

"I'll check with them tomorrow," Ron told her.  She nodded at that.  "Love you.  Be safe, Mum.  The Ministry's corked wrong."

"It's nice to actually be able to talk back to you, son."

He grinned.  "Mum, you didn't need to yell at those time.  Would've woken the baby."  He grinned and signed off, looking at Harry.  "You're not going."

"Alone?" he said dryly.

"Alone," Ron agreed.

"Someone's got to watch the baby," Ray pointed out.

Harry beamed at Ron.  "See, he saw a flaw."  Ron glared at him.  "Not like you can."

"Harry, they want both of us under Azkaban for you showing that the Death Eaters are back and doing annoying things."

"Point," he sighed.  He looked at Horatio, who shook his head.  "One day," he told Ron.

"One day," he agreed.  They got up and fed Tim some of his medicine, letting Yelina take him when she snatched him to hold.  "Sure, my arms were sore," he said with a grin.  He looked at the other adults.  "Will we have other problems?  Harry and I were going to go to the bank to see if they could help with the immigration stuff."

"They might be able to," Horatio admitted.  "If not, I'll see if I can get you an interview.  School and a war together is a good reason and I know there's wizards at ICE."

"Immigration's new nickname," Eric said at the confused looks.  "They did that a lot recently."  Tim snored against Yelina's shoulder, earning a mass grin.  "He was hiding under the couch earlier for a nap when the alligator came."

"I heard you had to call one in," Horatio told him.

"It was in the front hall," Ron told him.  He looked at Eric.  "What do we do about those in the future?"

"Hopefully they won't be coming back," Eric told him.  "Once that's all fixed it'll be better."  They nodded at that.  "Let's take him outside to get some fresh air."  They all nodded and headed out to the back yard, letting Tim lay in the grass for a while.  Eric looked at the east wing.  "It's going," he decided.  "They're still cleaning up."

Harry shrugged.  "I figured it was going to take more than a month."

"Probably," Eric agreed.  "My dad does good work."

Harry grinned.  "If he didn't the bank wouldn't recommend him."

"True," he agreed with a small grin.  It was nice the faith the boys had in his father.  A goblin appeared with three boxes and a small envelope.  "Hey."

"Good evening.  This was shipped over priority so no one could track it, boys."  He handed it over to them.  "In the envelope is the immigration paperwork the London Gringotts bank set up."  Horatio took that to look over so he smiled.  "Now, is there anything else?"

"Did my money come with it?" Harry asked.  The goblin nodded.  "Is it all set up again?"

"It will be tomorrow, Mr. Potter."  He patted the baby on the stomach.  "You smell like a hospital.  Is he ill?"

"They think it was the food tonight or the flu," Ron admitted.

"That's fine then."  He straightened up, looking at them.  "I was ordered to tell you to stay over here by your former headmaster.  No matter what."

Harry quirked an eyebrow up.  "Really?  Why?"

"The Ministry went after those doing their job when they failed."

"My mother?" Ron asked.

"Probably within the week," he admitted.

"Remus and Sirius?"

"Are in custody.  No one's allowed near them.  That's all I know," he admitted.

Harry grimaced then looked at him.  "Thank you for that information."

"You're welcome, Mr. Potter.  Though I can tell you that the Black family funds were transferred at the same time."  He smiled and left.

Horatio handed Harry the bank statement.  "That's what they transferred over."

Harry frowned.  "I had more than that.  I had a lot more than that."  He flipped the page over, nodding.  "They moved it as separate accounts."  He let Ron see, watching him gape.  "Sirius moved his down here too, just in case."  He looked at the baby then at Ron, who shook his head.  "Ron."

"Dumbledore does have an idea, Harry."

"Then we'll listen and wait," Harry agreed.  Ron relaxed.  He knew Harry wouldn't let his parents stay in jail.  He looked at the adults, grinning a bit.  "So, I start school Monday."

"It'll be fine, Harry.  Wear jeans and a nice shirt your first day," Ray told him. "We can go through your closet."

"Please.  The defense teacher...."

"Thinks he's one of the pretty people," Ray said dryly.  "Ignore him and his drag queen rant at everyone's clothes.  We all got it.  He's the lower year's defense teacher anyway.  You might not have to see him again."

"So he's like Malfoy?" Ron asked dryly.

"Don't know him but maybe," Ray said.  They both grinned.  "Come on, let's see what you have."

"Most of this is the baby's stuff," Harry said, floating it upstairs and inside.  They had rooms but not huge ones.  "This is mine and Tim's."  He put the boxes down and looked inside them, doing a quick unpacking charm.  All the baby's things were sent to their right places.  The rest of Harry's clothes were put into the closet.  The last box was things he didn't recognize.  He looked down inside the lumps of fabric, finding something.  "Huh."   He pulled out his school trunk and dug inside it, smiling at the map and things.  "My invisibility cloak," he said happily, making sure it still worked.  Then that got hung up too.  The trunk got shoved under the bed and Harry sighed.  "That's the last of it."

Ray looked at him then at his closet then back at him.  "Were you sick and lost a lot of weight?"

"I used to live with my muggle relatives and I got the hand-me-downs from their son, who was about four times me."

"Ah.  No wonder."  He started to weed out things, tossing them onto the floor.  "We can give these to our church for the needy and poor."  Harry beamed at that, nodding a bit.  "Then you can go shopping, Harry.  Uncle Horatio!"  He came walking in.  He pointed.  "He was wearing really huge clothes as hand-me-downs."

Horatio looked at the rest of the closet.  "I forgot how Victorian Britain was," he admitted.  "You definitely need to do a bit of shopping, Harry.  Ron too."  He looked at the uniform then at Harry.  "Cute."

"Not really and it itched," Harry told him.  "The girls did look odd in their ties too."

Horatio nodded.  "I can see why."  He finished looking at things.  "We'll take you shopping tomorrow, Harry."

"Will the bank be open then?"  Horatio nodded.  "Then I can get money changed over."

"We can do the haircut thing then too," Ray told Harry.  "Because it looks like you could use one, Harry."  Harry shrugged.  "Don't care?"

"Not usually.  It covers the scar."

"So would makeup, Harry," Ray assured him, getting an odd look.  "We'll show you.  I have a few scars I cover sometimes."  He led him back downstairs, looking at Ron.  "We'll take the baby shopping tomorrow."

"I can watch him," Yelina pouted.

"He probably needs more clothes too," Ray told her.

"That reminds me, I've got to do wash," Harry said, rubbing his forehead.  Ron gave him a concerned look.  "Details, Ron."

"Well, 'Mione's not here to make us revision schedules at least," he said dryly.

Harry swatted at him.  "Behave.  She's stuck over there."

"She can hide, Harry.  She's good at it."

"Not if Malfoy's joined them."

Ron smirked then shook his head.  "If he does, he loses all his new power."

"Point."  He looked at the adults.  "Okay, what else do we need to do before school?"  The goblin reappeared, handing him something.  "What's this?"

"Why we only got the one account for each of you.  The Ministry had the accounts frozen."

Harry gave him a look then sighed, reading it over.  He went inside to call the Ministry.  He was so glad he had put international calling on the floos finally.  He looked at the man he had been told to call.  "I got accepted at an out-of-country school," he told him.  "That means I'm not a dropout.  Thank you anyway.  Beyond the fact that you can't do that.  It's illegal."

"We're the Ministry, Mr. Potter."

"That doesn't mean you can do any shit you want," he said dryly.  The man looked stunned.  "You do realize which one you're talking to?  That I'm not my father?  That I'm the one you made live with muggles who tortured me?" he said quietly.  He went pale.  "That I'm not coming back until it's time for a real battle?"  The official spluttered.  "If you make me sue you, I will.  I will for all the bad shit.  I've got records on my side."

"Not any longer," he said pompously.  "We're going to say that you can't come back."

"Hey, die when He-Who-Shouldn't-Be-Named shows up at the Ministry, see if we cry," Ron said as he walked behind Harry.  "The prophecy said only Harry could kill him."  He got some juice and headed back outside, handing it to Yelina.  "For the messy one there."  She smiled and let him sip from the bottle, earning a tired smile.  "He'll be fine."  He heard Harry start to yell.  "Harry, accidental magic!" he called quietly.  Harry's voice quieted but they all heard the explosion.  He sighed.  "Not again," he complained, heading back inside.  "At least it wasn't the kitchen, Harry."

"No, it wasn't the kitchen," he admitted.  He smiled sweetly at the new official.  "It would've been easier if someone had taught me how to control the leaking magic I have," he noted dryly.  "No one ever has."

"Mr. Potter.  Mr. Weasley.  Which country are you in?"  Ron flipped her off.  "I see.  We do wish to talk to you."

"I wish to kill the people who try to hurt my friends and family," Harry said bluntly.  "You come near me or my son and I'll get my wish then your corpse will get yours."  She went pale.  "Are we clear?"  She nodded.  "Good!"  He smiled.  "Now, I've been accepted at a very good foreign school.  One that has a daycare for my son.  I really do not want to come back to have to deal with you lot over my family's funds.  Or over the family itself."

She swallowed.  "That was Minister Fudge's...."

Harry held up a hand.  "Why would I care what that half-demon wanted?"

She blinked.  "He's not."

"The vengeance demon who brought me my son said he and Umbridge were," Harry told her.  "In front of witnesses."

"No wonder we arrested someone from WPS," she muttered.

Harry smiled and hung up, looking at Ron when Ron helped him up.  "Be back in the morning?"

"Harry," he warned.  "No running off without thinking.  It could get others hurt."

Harry stared at him.  "Even if it's your family?"

"What're they going to hold Mum and Dad on, Harry?  Too many cookies at tea?"

"Supporting Dumbledore," Horatio said.  "Which they could conceive as treason, boys."  They both glared at him.  "You can't help.  It'll only hurt things more."

Harry snorted, shaking his head.  "No, I can solve some of that," Harry assured him.  "Even if I do get sick later on."

Ron considered it.  "Start with Malfoy, Harry.  He'd know all the gossip and things."  Harry gave him an odd look.  "Getting Fudge out of his way gives him a clearer path to power."

"Point."  He called him on the floo.  "Draco Malfoy."  His head spun up and he got a horrified look.  "Evening."

"Not here it's not," he said dryly.  "Where are you two?"

"I'm in a school where Hermione would only be average and surrounded by some very cute people," Harry said with a smug look.  Draco glared at him.  "We need to know what the Ministry's been pulling.  I'm out of the country and not coming back until it's time for that final battle, Draco.  You can be the top bad guy in the country for all I care."

"They say you are, Harry."

"Not like I wanted to be tied up and have my blood taken."

"Hmm.  But it's your word against a Death Eater's."

"Half demon death eater," Ron corrected.

"So that's why they arrested the WPS worker who handled your son," he said thoughtfully.  Harry nodded.  "Interesting."  He smirked at him.  "They're saying you're the actual dark lord."

"Uh-huh."  Harry snickered.  "Where is he?"

"Fuming," Draco admitted.

"Figures he is," Harry agreed dryly.  "Think he'll act?  You can tell him I'm butting out and letting them eat each other."

Draco turned his head and said something then looked back.  "The one here at the school said that might be doable.  But the Dark Lord wants you."

"Give me a year so my son's the same age I was," he said dryly.

"Fine," Draco said with a sneer.  "We'll see what happens in a year, Potter."  He hung up.  Then he went to report to the ones who had taken over the school.  Fortunately Granger had some sort of link into Potter's scar and had warned most of the students so they were almost all gone except for Slytherin.  The teachers too.  The Ministry hadn't even gotten them.  It was amazing what happened when you had some know-it-alls on your side.  He waited for entrance to the office.  When it didn't come quickly he looked up.  "I talked to Potter," he called.  The door opened and he walked upstairs.  He bowed to his Dark Lord.  "Sire."

"Mr. Malfoy," he hissed smoothly.  "What news have you from Mr. Potter?"

"He called to see what was really happening with the Ministry.  Weasley's with him."  That got a nod.  "He's in a foreign school.  He said he's going to let them eat each other over here for now."

"Interesting.  Such a non-heroic thing to do," Voldemort said with a small sneer.

"He also said he'd see you next year, when his son was the age he was when you first met."

"His son.  Have you seen him?"

"A few times in the same classroom.  Why?  If it's about his protections, Harry's had the mudblood ward him so much that he's almost mute magically."

"Interesting.  Do we know which school?"

"He said it was hard enough that Granger would be considered average and there's a bunch of pretty people."

"So not Beaubaxton's," he said thoughtfully.

"He could be in America, South America, or Asia," the death eater who was in charge of the school offered.

"He could be," Voldemort agreed.  "There's many beautiful women in South America."

"Yes, but Potter doesn't seem to like girls yet," Draco told him.  "He looked confused after he got kissed the first time."  Voldemort gave him an odd look.  "She did it in the open, Sire.  A few of us saw."

He laughed.  "He's a late bloomer thanks to those muggle relatives of his."

"What about the Ministry saying he's you?" Draco asked.  "That's what he wanted to know about, Sire."

"They are...inconvenient, but they're holding all the fighters on the other side at the moment."

"They're also saying that you're him," Draco reminded him calmly.  "That you're not really back."

"They'll all know by tomorrow, Mr. Malfoy."

"Fudge won't let that out and he has control of the Prophet," the head death eater pointed out.

"I have control of Fudge."

"Then why is he flying in?" Draco asked, pointing at the flying cars.  "With aurors it looks like."  Voldemort got up to look then sneered.  "Fudge wants power, My Lord.  He wants it very badly.  He wants Potter's position because it'd give him greater power."  He got stared at.  "It's clear with the way he keeps trying to decry Potter so he can take his place."

"Interesting," he hissed.  "We'll deal with him, Mr. Malfoy.  Concern yourself with learning what you need to learn."

Draco pointed his wand at the new headmaster.  "Crucio."  He screamed and writhed on the floor then he looked at his Lord and Master.  "Some of us have been studying for years, Sire.  Mostly to decide what we want to do to Potter."

That got a smirk and a nod.  "As brave as your father."

"But not stupid enough to make Potter stronger."

"Good point."  He summoned his troops to defend the school, watching as Fudge's pitiful troop was all but destroyed.  "Very nice," he said happily.

Draco walked over to the floo, calling someone.  "It's Malfoy.  Are the prisoners still at the Ministry?"  The man gaped then ran to check, coming back pale.  "The Ministry?"

"The building's down," he panted.  "Lord Voldemort!  It was a trick!"

"Weasley's excellent in wizard's chess," Draco said bluntly, looking at his lord and master when he came over to find out what had happened.  "Plus Dumbledore's got most of the aurors and Department of Mysteries and Unspeakables behind him now."

The castle rocked with an explosion and they had to hold on as things fell around them.  "They wouldn't dare destroy the school," Voldemort told him.  Another explosion rocked the school.

"Where do you want us to meet you?" Draco asked.  Voldemort shot a hex at him.  "The students won't stay, My Lord.  They'll want to escape.  Where should we meet with the others?  We're useless to you in this fight if they're going to bring down the school and we're your next generation."

The Dark Lord stared at him.  "Are you sure you're not as stupid as your father, boy?"

Draco stood up.  "If you don't have the purebloods to breed for a next generation, no one will be able to hold it for you when the next generation of mudbloods start," he pointed out.  "Plus no one to take over when your present army dies or retires to breed more children.  Having us die here means that you don't have anyone to carry on your glorious works.  That's practical, not stupid."

"I do believe it's insubordination," he sneered.

"Fine.  You can think that, but I can guarantee half the students are already gone."  He walked out, going to gather the others.  "Out!  To the rendevous spot!" he ordered as he jogged into the house.  "Now!  They're going to bring down the school!"  They grabbed their things and ran.  They had been expecting it so they all had their school trunks packed.  Voldemort wouldn't leave them in this drafty castle for too long.  He needed them in the field.  Draco made sure the last of them were out then followed, nodding at the senior death eater waiting on him.  "Come on then.  That way you can tell him where we are."  He headed through the portal, looking around.  "Where's the other half?"

"Pansy took them to her home," one of the younger Slytherins shouted.  "That way we wouldn't all be caught together.  She has all the technical and those with specialized training."

"Thank you, boy," the death eater said, calling that to the others.  That group got protectors and so did they until the Dark Lord got there to handle Malfoy on his own.  He had a bit of ego and they all knew he fancied himself in the top job.  They'd see how well he did after he was dead.

***

Harry walked into school the first morning with Ron and Timmy, smiling at the daycare worker.  "He had a bit of upset tummy Friday night.  We've got him some antibiotics."  He handed them over.  "He's to get a dose in six hours."

"That's fine, Harry.  We did have one who had the flu," Holiday admitted, taking the boy.  Timmy grinned.  "Hello, Tim."  Ron handed over his bag.  "Thanks, boys.  This is heavy.  We have toys."

"He likes books," Harry told her.

She smiled.  "We have a few of those too."  She walked Tim off.  "Come down for lunch, Harry.  The others do."

"Okay."  He drug Ron to the office.  "Hi, first day."

"Mr. Black," the secretary said happily, handing over his schedule.  "Here you go.  That should be good with the map on the back."  Harry looked then nodded.  "Who's this?"

"Ron Weasley.  She's expecting him too."

"I'll tell her."  She called her.  "Madam, Ron Weasley is here."  She smiled as she hung up.  "You're right."  She smiled at Ron.  "What happened over there?"

Harry gave her a look.  "We were told to butt out."

"Oh, dear.  They brought down the Ministry building and had to take back the school, boys."

Ron looked at Harry.  "Didn't I plan....."  Harry nodded.  "Huh."  He looked at the woman walking in to meet him.  "Ma'am.  Ron Weasley."

"Mr. Weasley.  Professor McGonagall has had a long talk about you as well."  He moaned.  "Not too many bad things.  We'll see where you place, young man."  She walked him into the office.  "I'll take good care of him, Harry."

"Yes, ma'am."  He smiled.  "Thank you."  He headed off, going to find his first teacher.  He leaned in.  "Hi, is this 205 homeroom?"  She nodded so he let her see his schedule.  "I think I'm supposed to be in here."

"You are, Mr. Black.  Take the blue seat in the back please."

"Sure.  Thank you."  He sat down, smiling at the students near him.  "Hi, Harry Black."

"Any relation to the guy Sirius that the Ministry over there got huffy about?" she asked.

"My godfather and uncle."

"No wonder you transferred.  I heard Hogwarts had problems."

"With Defense teachers," he said dryly, making her laugh.  "We couldn't keep one.  Then again, we had Lockhart one year as a defense teacher."  She cackled at that.  He nodded.  "That's one reason I'm over here."

"I can see why.  Let's see where you're going next."  He let her see his schedule.  "Hmm, not in anything with me but defense 5.  Looks like you're in the practical application classes?  Except for Defense 4 next."

"I learn better without a book being shoved at me," he admitted.

"That happens to some of us."  She pointed at the map. "Your next class is here.  Which is a long hike sometimes."  Harry nodded.  "We'll see if you can make it.  He's a grouch so watch out for him."

"I will.  Thank you."  The bell rang and he got up.  "That's all we do?"

"This is for attendance, announcements, and to make sure we all get here."

"Wow.  We didn't have this at Hogwarts.  I guess it's because we all boarded."  He followed the map, finding his next classroom after one wrong turn.  He looked at the teacher, who scowled at him.  "I think I'm in here, sir."  He let him see, getting pointed at a clear seat.  He sat down and accepted his new textbook.  "Thank you."

"No pens or notebooks?"

"I figured today I was going to be trying really hard not to get lost, sir, and figuring out how far I had to catch up."

"Fine."   He sat down behind his desk.  "We're doing fear creatures."  Harry nodded.  "Where did you transfer in from?"

"Hogwarts.  I've been doing some studying on my own though."  The teachers stared at him.  "We had Lockhart our second year, sir."

The man sighed and shook his head.  "Have you dealt with a dementor?"

"Personally.  The ministry brought some to the school for a few months."  He glared in the direction of home then at him.  "I don't particularly like them but I can cast a patronius."

"Interesting.  When did you learn that?"

"My third year, with the only good teacher we had.  It was after-hours work because the dementors bothered me unnecessarily."

The teacher nodded once then came over to look at him, moving his hair.  "Mr. Black."

"Sir."  He stared at him.

That got a nod.  "I'll need to test you since you've had some untraditional teachers."

"Please.  I'd welcome it.  I know I need help in catching up in some areas."

That got a nod.  "We'll see after school."

"I have a son in daycare."

The teacher gaped.  "Why?"

"Someone decided to make one for me without my consent or help."

The teacher moaned.  "Stupid people," he sighed.

"My son's adorable, sir.  He's used to coming to classes with me."

The teacher shook his head.  "The rest of you read, let me test this new one on what he knows."  They all nodded, pulling out books to read.  Not the textbooks Harry noticed.  "Ignore them."  He took him into his office to work with him.  He came out impressed but Harry was still nearly seven months behind.  He showed him where they were and Harry whimpered.  "You'll get a lot of that, kid."  He clapped him on the back.  "What forms is your patronius?"

"My father's animagus form," he said quietly.

"Hmm.  Never heard about that."  He let him back in when the bell rang.  "Harry, I want you to read through the other chapters.  Write me a page on each creature for now until you get caught up."  He nodded.  "Then do tonight's homework that I showed you."

"Yes, sir."  He walked out, going to his next class, which was potions/chemistry.  The teacher gave him a look.  "Am I late?"

"No, you're dressed horribly."

Harry looked at himself then at him.  "I'm comfortable.  What do I care if you don't like my shirt?"

The teacher smirked.  "A smart ass."

"Which is why Professor Snape hated me too," he agreed, taking an empty seat.  "This one, sir?"  That got a nod.  "I'm not very good in here."

"I'm sure you're not."  He found him a copy of the book and let him find where he had done.  He did look impressed.  "Did you make it correctly?"

"Not hardly," he admitted.  "I suck in potions."  He looked at him.  "I really do suck in potions."

"You can drop it next year, boy."  He went back to his desk to watch the others start.  "You're on page 285, Mr. Black."  Harry looked then nodded, getting up to find his ingredients.  He watched him hesitate.  "They're labeled correctly."

"We've never had two of these in whole form.  Professor Snape said it was useless teaching us to trim them, sir."

"I've heard."  He came over to help him, finding him a tutor in there within a few minutes of working with him.  Ron was led in as well.  "Did you bring others with you?"

"Of course he did.  His son considers me his mum," Ron said dryly.  He smiled.  "Ron Weasley, Professor."

"In relation to Harry are you better or worse?"

"Worse and I was told to warn you I have a temper when things start to explode.   The headmistress said to tell you that."

"I should move you both back a year."  They both shrugged at that.  "We'll arrange your schedules later."  He pointed. "Sit.  Quietly."  They did that, comparing schedules.  He went to look at them then sighed, calling the Headmistress.  "They're a year behind in mine," he reported quietly.  "Plus Snape doesn't want them to deal with certain things."  He heard why and nodded.  "They'll never pass.  We're doing the polyjuice formula starting next month and then dreamless sleep the one after that."

"We can do those both very well," Ron told him.  He walked up there and made out a list.  "Harry and I do all those very well."  The teacher gaped.  "I'm the planner Potter has," he said quietly.  "Hermione taught us those so we'd know in case we needed them."  That got a moan.  "They're handy in our attack and defense kits.  She usually does them but she made sure we could do those very well."

The teacher looked at him.  "Fine, we'll focus on practical potions for you, Mr. Weasley."  He looked at Harry, who shrugged a bit and went back to reading.  "Stay for a minute after class."  The bell rang.  Everyone else filed out.  "You are?" he asked.  Harry nodded, looking at him.  "Why?"

"The Ministry," he said quietly.  "My son.  I'll go back for battles."

The teacher looked at him then nodded.  "Fine.  On that list are half of this year's potions.  You'll be keeping up?"

"As long as we get help when we're not or we have to deal with things that we don't know how to cut up.  We're both pretty good if you explain things to us instead of letting us flounder and lurking over our shoulders like Professor Snape."

He sighed, rolling his eyes.  "I've met Severus, boys."

"I'm sorry," Ron told him.  The teacher gave him a look.  "We had him first class for two years running, twice a week.  With his precious Slytherins."

The teacher snorted.  "No wonder."

"No, he hates me because my father used to prank him," Harry told him.

The teacher sighed.  "All right.  We'll do what we can, boys."  He wrote out an excuse.  "Go to your next class.  Give that to the teacher."  They nodded, going to do that.  He sat down to hold his head.  This was not good.  How could they let students get so far behind?

Harry and Ron walked into their gym class and handed the teacher the note, getting a nod.  "We didn't have this class at Hogwarts," Ron told him.  "What do we do in here?"

"For now, you get uniforms, you change, then we'll teach you sports stuff."

"Like quidditch?  Harry plays very well," Ron told him.

"Normal sports.  Quidditch is an elective after school activity," he said dryly.  "To the office, boys."  They headed after him, getting their uniforms.  "We'll want them washed every once in a while too.  Even if some don't."

"We both like clean laundry," Harry assured him.  They got their lockers in there and changed, then came back to watch what the other kids were doing.  Throwing a round ball through a stationary, horizontal hoop after running up and down the court.  Ron jumped in first, letting the other kids help him.  Harry slowly edged his way in on the team he got picked for, hanging on the edges.  He got the ball passed to him once and caught it then looked at it, passing it back to someone on his team.  That got a nod from the teacher, who marked something down.  He'd have to ask someone about that later.  He hadn't done these sports in muggle school.  He looked at the coach.  "Soccer?  Field hockey?  Cricket?" he asked hopefully even though he had sucked at it.

"Soccer definitely.  Cricket probably not, kid," he said tolerantly.  "You'll learn.  You're not the smallest or weakest in here."  He caught the ball Ron had misthrown, tossing it back.  "Try for the hoop, Mr. Weasley!  I am not a basketball hoop!"

"Sorry, sir, more used to quidditch and standing hoops," he quipped back.  The others laughed.  "I am.  My closest brothers play beater."  He passed the ball and let his teammates take it to the goal this time.  He got a foul called when he guarded someone too closely but he was learning.  After they got changed back and left, it was lunch so they went to play with Timmy in the daycare, finding him laying on some girl's back.  "What are you doing?" Ron teased.  "You're too young for girls, Tim."   Tim gave him that same smug look.  "I know, she's cute and adorable."

"He pounced her that first day too," Holiday said.  "You are?"

"Ron Weasley," he said, shaking her hand with a grin.  "I'm Harry's lifeline with Tim.  My mum had seven of us."  She shuddered.  "I'm Tim's godfather and favorite playtoy uncle."

That got a smile.  "Then I'll expect you here too, Ron.  Go ahead and sit down.  Didn't bring lunch?"

"Oops," Harry said.  Ron sighed.  "I can."

"No, you sit."

Tim squealed making them look at him.  "Quit!"  It was as close to whistling as he could get but both boys got the point.

Harry smirked.  "Figured that'd be your first word with as often as you heard it from Flitwick," he said dryly.  "Which way to lunch?"  She pointed so he went to get them something while Ron played with the baby for him.  He came back with a large tray, letting Tim come over to pick out what he wanted so he could crawl off again. "You sure?  You can sample if you want."  Tim went back to his new girlfriend and got comfy again since she didn't seem to mind.  Harry shook his head.  "Some day we'll have to talk about girls, son."

"We'll have to be talked to about girls first," Ron reminded him dryly, digging in.  "This is a bit much, Harry."

"I didn't have any smaller bills."

"Oh."  He shrugged and they dug in, eating as much of it as they could, leaving the rest of the kids with a grin.  It was a lot of fruit so that was probably fine.

Holiday shook her head, cutting it up for the smaller kids.  It'd give them a good snack.  Those two were some fussy parents.

***

Ron walked in and flopped down, looking at Mr. Delko.  "Were we really late?"

"Wondering why you weren't back yet."

"The defense teacher," he said dryly, putting Timmy down.  "There, go gnaw on someone who's not a blonde little girl with freckles."  Mr. Delko laughed at that.  "He did.  We came in for lunch and he was on her back nibbling on her hair."  Harry trudged in.  "Tired?"

"Definitely tired."  He flopped down on his usual couch.  Timmy came back to pull on his arm.  "What?  Want to play?"  Tim beamed.  "Okay, I'll go nap in the sun while you crawl on the grass."  He took him to the back yard with the adult following.  "How's it going, Mr. Delko?"

"Pretty good, Harry.  Are you coming down with something?"

"I hope not.  We'll have to see."  He grinned.  "It's just the time switch and things probably."  That got a nod.  Tim got put into the grass and they watched him crawl around until he found a spot he liked then he spread out on his back, falling asleep like that.  "Sure, we can nap there," Harry decided, laying down with him.  It was a comfy spot of grass in the sun.

Ron shook his head, looking at Mr. Delko.  "Sometimes they're like that."

"My girls were at times too," he assured him.  "We got the deconstruction phase done today."  Ron grinned.  "Now we've got to work on putting it back together again."

"Want us to help this weekend if we don't have a lot of homework?"

"No, it'll take longer to teach you what to do than that."  He clapped him on the back.  "Make sure they eat today, Ron."  He nodded.  "Good boys.  How was it?"

"It was okay.  Tim likes his friend in daycare.  The classes were okay.  Most of the teachers swore at our old ones."  That got a laugh and a nod.  "We're actually ahead in some classes because of some of our extra studying and Hagrid liking deadly creatures.   Gym was fun.  We played basketyball."

"Basketball," he corrected.  "It's a fun game if you're any good."

"Harry's not," he said dryly, cracking him up.  "But he got the ball once."  He shrugged.  "The defense teacher was a bit impressed with us."  He heard Harry let out a massive snore then flip over.  Tim sniffled and flipped to cuddle his father's head, winding both hands into his hair.  He shook his head, getting a smile.  "Sometimes they're so alike it's not funny."  He looked at the adult again.  "Anything bad happen?"

"No, just making sure.  Eric would fuss if I didn't."

Ron grinned.  "He makes a good big brother."

"Unfortunately he's my youngest so he's got to be an uncle until his mother makes him marry one of his many girls."  Ron snickered and nodded.  "No pretty girls?"

Ron shrugged.  "Pretty is nice but so were a few others who annoyed us.  We'll worry about girls later."

"Sure."  He patted him on the back.  "We'll be done in an hour or so.  Remember to make them eat tonight."

"I will.  Thank you, Mr. Delko."  He smiled and walked off, letting Ron bring their new books out there to start going through them.  He had a lot of homework and so did Harry. Including stuff that was due tomorrow.  Then again, Tim would be up half the night so Harry would do his then.

***

Ron came in from the end of his first month of classes and found Remus laying on the floor.  "You need a healer or just a nap?" he asked, looking down at him since his eyes were open.

"Nap is nice," he murmured.

"Uh-huh."  He cast the wellness checking spell his mother used then grimaced and called the school's infirmary.  "Hi, it's Ron Weasley.  One of Harry's uncles is collapsed on the floor, drained of energy and magic, and he's nearly catatonic.  What do I do besides gatorade?"

"Move aside, Mr. Weasley," she said primly, mouth pressed together.  He got out of the way so she could come through once she had input the special emergency codes.  All healers had a code they could use to break through any floo outlet in case of emergency.  She checked him over with the same spell then grimaced and worked a gentle healing charm on him.  "There, that should help him some.  He'll need rest beyond that."  She looked at him.  "What happened to him?"

Ron shrugged.  "I just got home.  I know the Ministry had him earlier this month for knowing what was going on."

She grimaced.  "We've heard."  Harry and Tim walked in.  "You're running late?"

"Ron apparated, we took the bus," Harry said.  "Remus, you all right?" he asked a bit loudly.  Tim squealed again, making Remus wince.  "Headache or hangover?" he asked.

"Magical hangover," the nurse said, standing up.  "He'll need rest, boys."  They both nodded.  "I don't mean being the babysitter but real rest."

"We can put him into a bed," Ron promised with a cheeky grin.  "Kinda used to it really."

Harry nodded.  "Did you get Madam Pomfrey's notes?"

"Yes, and I should scowl at you for how often you got hurt."

Harry gave her an odd look.  "Not like I planned it that way."

"Plus we can't get into half as much trouble down here," Ron offered with that same grin.  "No dark forest around the school to tempt things into it."

She gave him a horrified look then went back to her office to make notes.  Someone had to do something about Hogwarts.  Dark creatures lived there too?  She went to find the headmistress and tell her, plus what she had seen at the house.

Harry handed Ron Tim and floated his godfather up to a guest room, letting him nap in there.  He came back down grinning.  "Okay, I should fix dinner, huh?"

Ron shrugged.  "Up to you.  I can if you've got homework you still have to do."

"I handed it in before we left, Ron.  Quit nagging."  He went to start dinner, finding a basket with food in there.  He looked then around.  He found their contractor outside watching the progress on the roof.  "Your wife sent us food?"

"No, my daughters sent you food.  They decided you're both starved," he said with a small smile.  Harry grinned back.  "How's school?"

"I'm doing okay.  The teachers explains things better most of the time.  All but in charms.  So we're both doing okay.  Oh, Remus is in, but he's napping.  The nurse at the school said to let him sleep.  He might come bother you guys tomorrow."

"That's fine, Harry."  He patted him on the back.  "Go eat.  You're still a growing boy."

Harry shook his head.  "Madam Pomfrey said I wasn't going to be growing anymore."

"Even if you don't gain more height you're still growing in other ways," he said wisely.  "Eric still eats like he's growing."  Harry grinned and nodded, heading back inside.  He shook his head.  The boys still needed parents around and they'd be done with this job in another three weeks.  Well, he'd have to nag Eric or get onto their families he supposed.

Harry filled plates and brought them out, then went to get them some juice.  Tim finished his and went to talk to the books that had the magically moving pictures in them.  They both shook their heads but smiled.  "What do you think happened?"

"I think they finally let Remus go," he admitted.  "Otherwise, not a clue."

Harry grimaced and nodded.  "I think it's about time for us to act too, Ron.  It's been a month.  Things haven't calmed down.  The things that've reached us over here haven't been encouraging either."

"Point," Ron agreed, considering it.  He looked toward the library then at Harry.  "We'd have to bring him."

"Remus is here and if we do what I want, we might be back in time for classes tomorrow."

Ron arched an eyebrow up.  "Are you having hippogryph flashbacks, mate?"

"Something like that."  He stared at him then took something off his shirt collar, handing it over. "Hermione sent me that last week."

He looked at the shrunken bottle then at Harry.  "Do I want to know?"

"No."

"How far back?"

"Six weeks."

Ron considered it.  "Enough time to get things in place and then manage the emergencies," he decided.  Harry nodded.  "Remus still needs sleep and it's Wednesday.  We could go back Friday night."

"Horatio's coming over Friday night," Harry reminded him.  "We have tests on Monday.  I'd rather have the weekend to study."

Ron grimaced.  "I forgot about that."  He looked at the bottle then at him again.  "Remus isn't in any shape, Harry."

"Then we'll go tomorrow?"

Ron nodded slowly.  "That'd give him enough time to wake up," he agreed.  "Plus us enough to get some things together."  Harry got up and grabbed something from under the sink, handing it to him.  "You kept the emergency pack?"

"It came with the bottle," he said dryly.  "Hermione's been doing psychic mimicking charms again."  Ron shuddered.  "Apparently she's doing good being you, Ron."

Ron gave him a look.  "I could never get my hair like hers."

Harry grinned.  "Probably a good thing with the humidity.  That was her major complaint whenever we were down here."

Ron nodded. "Probably."  He dug in again.  "It all set?"

"Probably."  He opened the kit to go over the contents.  It was their standard kit but a few extras had been included.  Like extra concealment and vanishing potions.  Like necklaces that had disguise spells on them.  Like an extra pair of glasses for Harry.  They reloaded the kit and put it back then got down to eating.  They'd need the food for the trip.  Traveling even by time turner wore a body out.

"That's probably why you've been so tired," Ron said finally.

"I think it is," Harry agreed, looking at him.  "And you know if something happens to me...."

"I get your broom and the baby," Ron agreed, smacking him on the top of the head.  "No more disturbing shit, Harry.  I'm trying to eat."  He dug in again, weathering the smirk Harry was giving him.  "What about Malfoy?"

"What about Malfoy?  He's under careful watch of the Dark Lord."

"Point.  We'll deal with him if he shows up."  Ron finished up and got seconds, sitting back down.  Tim came back at the sound of him moving, staring at his plate.  "Want some more?"  He pulled him into his lap so he could nibble off his plate, making him a happy baby.  "Tim, we're going out tomorrow night.  Remus is going to watch you.  You think you'll be okay?"

Harry smiled.  "He likes his Uncle Remus.  Of course he'll be fine," Harry promised with a grin.  Ron grinned back but Tim was giving him a long stare.  "It'll be fine, Tim.  We'll be back in time to take you to school the next morning."  Tim gave him a strange look but went back to eating from Ron's plate.  Harry got up to get them both some more, that way Ron could actually have seconds, and sat back down to go back to eating.  "We're supposed to work with Ray on Sunday for Defense," he reminded him.

"I remember.  It'll be fine."  Ron hoped but he wouldn't say that out loud.  Hermione had planned this and he knew she was smart but planning took extra skills he wasn't sure she had.  Then again, they could hide for a few minutes until they were ready to have him start planning things again.  Now he knew why the incident at the Ministry had seemed so familiar, he had planned it.  He handed Tim another piece of fried onion, watching him nibble on it.  He did like his veggies.

***

Horatio walked in the next night, looking at Remus.  "Where did the boys go?"  Tim hooted and held his arms up until he picked him up to cuddle. "I wasn't ignoring you, Speed."  The boy gave him an evil smirk.  "Do you know where your fathers are?"  He pointed at the clock.  Horatio looked then at him.  "The clock?  They're inside?"  Tim wiggled so he let him down, watching as he crawled into the kitchen.  Horatio followed, studying what Tim was playing with.  "Uh-huh.  Remus?"  He walked in, looking confused at the small basket on the floor.  "Were they going on a picnic?"

"No," he said carefully.  "They said they were going to be boys for a while.  We thought it'd be a good idea because Harry's always so serious these days."  He looked at the basket, sniffing it.  "It smells like a potion."

Horatio sniffed then sighed, looking at the note on the inside cover.  He let Remus read it and picked up Speed.  "How long before they get back?"

"They said after we fell asleep but before school.  How could they do that!"

"I'm sensing the subtle hand of Hermione sent them something?" Eric asked as he walked in, looking at them.  "I saw she sent them a new emergency kit and some bottle outside of it."  He took the basket to look at the note then at the other men.  "This is Harry and Ron, guys.  They'll be fine."

"They're still just boys!" Remus complained, moving to the floo.

Eric stopped him.  "What did the potion look like, Remus?"  He looked confused.  "There's every chance it's not just a traveling potion since Harry showed me the doorway back to Hogwarts."

Horatio moaned.  "Tim pointed at the clock when I asked where his fathers were," he said.

Remus burst out swearing, walking outside to vent.

Tim clapped and hooted at the good show, beaming at the older men.

Horatio looked at him.  "You'll have more sense than that this time, Speed."  He handed Eric the baby, letting him fuss over him.  "All right," he said, thinking hard.  "The boys are probably in camouflage."

"Or hiding," Eric agreed.

"Or hiding," Horatio agreed.  Remus came back, still snarling.  "They're doing something they felt they had to."

"Which was how we got out of the Ministry," Remus told him.  "Ron planned that whole maneuver."

"Ron's a good planner," Eric agreed.  "Plus he's got people who'll listen and correct him when he makes bad ones."

"Point," Remus sighed, sitting down at the table.  "Why didn't they tell us?"

"For the same reason you went to swear," Horatio said, sitting down as well.

Eric looked at Tim.  "Anything else you know that you can't tell us?"  Tim just beamed at him.  "What?"

Tim kissed him on the nose then giggled.  "Quit."

"No, I'm not quitting anything."  Tim kissed him again.  "Quit kissing someone?" he asked, looking confused.  Tim nodded.  "Which someone, buddy?"

"'Bus!" he said happily, smirking at his buddy.

Only one subject had ever gotten him that look in the past - his dating life.  "I'm dating a succubus?" Eric asked, looking really confused now.  Tim nodded.  "How would you know?"  Tim kissed him again then sniffed his neck.

Remus leaned over to sniff him.  "You are.  She's scent marked you as her food, Eric."  He got up with a small sigh and went into the library to look up the book he needed, bringing it back to make the small potion that would protect him.  He handed it over and took the baby to cuddle when he sat down again.  "Drink it all, even if it is foul."

Eric gulped it and suddenly felt much happier than he had been when he walked in.  "Huh.  Thanks, Speed."

Speed waved a hand and looked at Horatio.  "Me?"

"You?" he asked with a smile, taking the baby to hold.  "Did you need me to hold you?"  Speed grinned and sniffed him.  "No, I'm not dating."  Tim stared at him.  "You need to be able to say more words, Timothy."

Tim leaned forward, staring into his eyes.  "Hole."

"Stetler?" Eric asked with a smirk.  Tim beamed at him.  "What about the asshole?"  Remus moaned.  "At least his memories are useful."

Horatio looked at the baby.  "Did he do something or is this something new?"

Tim sniffed him again then sniffled.  Everyone stared so he burst out crying.  Remus ran a wellness check then moaned.  "Do you usually smoke, Horatio?"

"A cigar now and then," he admitted.  "Why?"  He ran the spell over himself then moaned.  "Okay, we'll take care of that.  Thank you, Speed."  Speed beamed at him.  "Good boy."  He kissed him on the head.  "I'll be back."

"We'll be waiting up," Remus assured him dryly, taking the baby back.  "Just so I can beat both of them."

Horatio smirked.  "I was going to lecture them on not getting Ray Junior involved."  He headed off, going to his healer of choice.  The man gave him an evil look when he opened the door.  "It appears someone's been trying to poison me with nicotine."  He got let inside and the healer started with the same checking spell to see what was going on.

***

The boys snuck back into the house, not expecting to have the three adults waiting on them.  "It was necessary, or else Remus would've been kissed already," Ron defended at the three unhappy looks he got.

"We had already been there, that's why I've been so tired," Harry said, flopping down.  He looked around.  "He went down without a fuss?" he asked hopefully.

Horatio gave him a look.  "After about an hour of being read to.  He knew what you two were doing, Harry.  He seemed to think that it was all right.  We do not."

Harry slumped, nodding.  "It may not have been but it was necessary."

"Even if the Ministry's building and the school's dungeons are crashed in on themselves," Ron added, sitting down in the other free chair.  "It also was why Hermione was able to get most of the students out of Hogwarts before the Death Eaters attacked and took it over.  Even half the Slytherins left with them."

"Only two spies, which impressed me," Harry told him.  Ron nodded.  "Both in Hufflepuff too.  Madam Sprout threw a fit that made McGonagall scared."  He yawned.  "You guys can yell if you want."

"Oh, I will be," Remus assured him.  "I should paddle your asses too."

Ron looked at him then leaned closer.  "If we hadn't been there, you wouldn't be here to make threats.  Neither would Sirius or my mum and dad, Remus.  If you feel the need to spank me for that, good on you."  He stood up.  "I'm off for a shower and bed.  We spent the last day explaining to everyone why Hermione should be in the prophecy since she's the scary one of us.  That psychic mimicking spell thingy she found is really scary."  He headed for his room.  He'd get it in the morning he was sure.

Harry looked at the shocked looks.  "It lets her mimic how we are so she can think like us and plan like Ron.  She found it our second year but it was too strong for her then."

"It could warp her mind now!" Remus said, standing up.

Harry held up a hand.  "McGonagall already chewed her a new one.  It took over three hours and McGonagall had to yell some of it in another language so the kids wouldn't realize she was swearing at her."  He let his hand down.  "It's how she felt him coming to attack."  Remus gaped.  "McGonagall was going on and on about brain damage so Hermione flounced off in a girl huff."  Eric snickered at that.  Harry nodded.  "She's a girl all right.  She's been huffy all week too."  He looked at the others again.  "We did what we had to do.  Though we were the reason Fudge got exposed as a death eater.  Hermione cast the hex that disrobed him in the middle of Diagon but it was necessary."  He grinned a bit.  "And satisfying.  Let the prat pick on me again from the afterlife."

"Afterlife?" Horatio asked.

"Afterlife," Harry agreed, smirking just a bit.  "One of the aurors who wasn't working for Dumbledore saw the mark on his arm; they were having a press conference for Fudge to decry whoever had taken down the building.  The ministry will go on, even if we have to hold meetings in the Leaky Cauldron and so on.  Fudge took a breath, Hermione cast the hex.  His clothes came off and people gaped.  One of the guards he had chosen because he was loyal to him saw the mark, screamed 'dark mark' and fired."  That got a single nod from Horatio.  "So the Ministry's actually working on the problem again and we're still staying in Miami if none of you aren't going to drive us out of the city."

"No, we're not," Eric assured him, patting him on the back.  "Go to bed, Harry.  That way we can complain about you and figure out what we're yelling at you for breakfast."  Harry nodded, heading up to take a shower and go to bed.  He looked at Remus.  "Are they like that after battles?"

Remus sighed.  "When my house got attacked the boys protected me and put me behind Hermione.  They treated me like I was there for window dressing."  Horatio sighed at that, shifting some.  "They've had to fight for much too long.  This can't be good for them and I hope Minerva screamed at them too."

"She let Mum and the twins have us," Ron called before walking in.  He got into the refrigerator to get himself a bottle of water.  "The twins started to scream first and brought Mum to see why, then she added in her screaming too."  He looked at them.  "If we didn't, he would've gotten the philosopher's stone our first year and would've been back longer."  He stared at Remus.  "He got through all the clues Dumbledore gave and only Snape was trying to stop him.  Our second year, Hermione found out that it was a basilisk before anyone else did and how to uncharm them. That was when she got frozen.  Which I thought was fairly coincidental in timing.  The one who knows gets hit?"  He opened the bottle and took a drink.  "All the teachers did was lock us in our rooms and fret.  Though, for some reason Madam Sprout was growing exactly the right plants that year."  He gave them a look.  "We know there was a seer on Dumbledore's side and he was waiting to act.  Waiting for the perfect moment would've gotten my sister killed.  So no, I'm going to help Harry.  Even if we do continue to get screamed at.  Then again, Harry hates that it's his job and this prophecy is giving him nightmares already."  He walked off with his water, going up to his room to get some sleep.  He felt like he could sleep for a month.

Remus looked at Horatio.  "I get that from them.  They're never quite wrong about things but the other adults have decided that Harry, Ron, and Hermione are really adults in smaller bodies.  That's why they don't do more than yell after the fact and try to stop them now and then when they're too obvious about handling things.  Dumbledore just gives them this look and tells Harry 'good job but I had it'.  He never seems to.  He's been letting the boys and Hermione do it for him since their first year and left Severus hanging even longer thanks to a few bad decisions in his youth."

Horatio nodded.  "The boys need a buffer."

"Being in Miami is a buffer, H," Eric pointed out.  "Dumbledore can't get to them over here.  I'm taking him as most of the problem."

"He's the one who gave Harry to those stupid, prejudice, muggle relatives of his and made him go back," Remus said.  "He's the one who has all the knowledge and keeps trying to make grand plans.  Ron's plans go so well because they're usually simple."  Sirius appeared.  "The boys are back."

"Good."  He gave him a hug.  "Did anyone look at Harry's shoulder?  He dislocated it a few days back."

"I'll do it in the morning," Horatio said quietly.  Sirius looked at him then smiled.  "We're trying to figure out how to make the boys be *boys* again."

"Make them play.  We made Harry put down defense books to do some fun reading," Sirius offered.  He sat down.  "By the way, Remus.  The paperwork to release all our money back to us, and to compensate us for what Dumbledore stole from us, went through last night.  It'll be at the local bank later."  That got a nod and a sigh.  "So we can afford to do anything extra with the house, like fill the pool."  Eric smirked a bit at that.  "Your father's done some great work, Eric.  I helped construct the Burrow's upstairs and it's a lot better than we did."   He looked at Remus again.  "Are they okay?"

"Tired," Horatio told him.  "Justified themselves."

"They've done a lot of that over the last seven weeks they were back in time," Sirius said dryly.  "Including to McGonagall, who nearly killed Hermione for that potion."  He grinned.  "The old dear found an old sword and pulled it down with every intention of using it to beat the girl bloody.  Snape stepped in to stop her and Poppy had to sedate her.  She woke up and started to scream at the girl again.  Both times she got sedated."  Remus smirked a bit at that.  "Dumbledore's been with the Ministry's people most of the time since we were gotten free.  Fortunately someone made emergency plans for how, where, and what to do when they had to evacuate the students.  They've figured out how to hold semi-normal classes and everything.  Though Ron did piss off Snape by collapsing the dungeons over his classroom."

"Severus always wanted to change the stones in there to something that wouldn't grow mold," Remus sighed, shaking his head.  "What do we do with them?"

"We make them be boys," Horatio repeated.  "We make them play, we make them be as normal as possible, and we support them.  Until now, they've had Miss Granger, who is not a full adult even if she does want to be their teacher."  That got some nods.  "Eric, can you chaperone the boys and Ray Junior this weekend with Yelina?  I'll be talking with some people to get the Brits help even if they don't want it."

"Sure, H.  Where are they going?"

Horatio smiled.  "Ray decided they should go to an amusement park."  Eric gave him an evil smirk.  "Make the boys be boys, Eric."

"Sure.  Want us to bring Speed too?  Or should I let my begging mother watch him?"

"No, bring Speed.  He could use the fun as well.  Even if he does get sick on some of them."  He looked at the other two.  "I'll need you to come with me Saturday."  They both nodded.  "Good."  He smiled.  "Now, let's rest so we can yell at them over breakfast for not telling us."  That got a nod and they all went to do that.  It was a good start to protecting the boys from their own instincts and the other adults around them.

***

Harry looked up from his Defense quiz when someone tapped on the door, going back to his last question.  He answered it and handed it to the teacher when he came over to whisper in his ear.  Harry nodded, grabbing his new backpack to head to the office.   "What's up?" he asked the messenger.

"You have a visitor that flustered the headmistress."

"Oops."  He grimaced.  "Who?"

"She didn't tell me, Harry.  Go to her office."  He nodded, heading that way at a light jog.  He walked back to his own duties shaking his head.  The boys had to learn not to do those things.

Harry walked into the office, smiling at the secretary.  "Who showed up?"

"A goblin."

"Huh.  Didn't ask," he assured her, heading into the office itself.  "Hi.  Couldn't wait until after school?"

"Not this time I'm afraid, Mr. Potter.  We have to file some paperwork before certain offices close and the British offices aren't open that late."  He handed over forms.  "The Ministry has kindly filled in what your former headmaster stole from you and your family's accounts.  Plus they've released your accounts to you fully, including your full trust vault."

Harry sat down to read the paperwork.  "This clause to not sue them...."

"For this misdeed.  They want it settled.  It seems they've realized that you're their only hope and they've pissed you off beyond all reason," the goblin offered.

Harry looked at him.  "Uh-huh.  And I'm staying in Miami, even after the last battle if I survive it."  He smiled at the headmistress.  "I like your teachers.  I miss McGonagall and Flitwick, plus Madam Pomfrey now and then, but I like your teachers so much more."  He got to work signing things, handing them over.  He looked at the last one.  "What's this?  If I die, things go to who?"

"The Ministry."

"No."  He handed it back.  "My will is inside my usual vault."  He looked at him.  "It all goes to Ron so he can figure out why being jealous of those things was wrong.  So does my broom and my son."

The goblin made a note of that and nodded.  "We'll make sure it transferred over."

"Gringotts helped me prepare it so I'm sure it should have," Harry said with a small smile.  "Sirius made sure I had one."

"That's good of him."  The goblin looked at him.  "When are you going back?"

"I told him to give me a year when we talked to Draco Malfoy a few weeks back," he said, dropping his smile.  "That way my son would be about the same age I was.  Symbolic and he could call me a sentimental girl and all that.  Because I know he does."  He grinned just a bit again.  "It pisses him off to no end too."  He lost it.  "So we'll be going back then.  We'll call him out if we can.  Or if he's got something planned around then we'll go attack him there.  I'm all for calling out but Ron wants to attack when he's attacking something else, it'll split his focus and possibly give us a bit more backup than just our ministry."

The goblin nodded.  "That could help," he agreed.  "Either plan would give you advantages and disadvantages."

"Yup, including the lack of trained fighters on our side," Harry agreed.  "The rest...."  He shrugged.  "I'm learning all I can now.  So's Ron.  We'll do what we have to do, then come back here to heal if at all possible."  That got a nod from the headmistress.  "Though I won't be taking up a spot in the infirmary like I did at Hogwarts the last four years running, ma'am.  Your nurse huffs worse than Pomfrey does at me when we got hurt."

"She should've stopped you boys."

"Dumbledore should've done it for us," he said dryly, shrugging a bit.  "He never acted so we had to.  Remus and Sirius have been yelling at him for that too.   We'll sneak off for the last battle then come back to attend classes again after our recovery."

She nodded.  "I hope you do make it back, Mr. Potter.  Can you possibly pull up your potions and gym grade?"

He grimaced.  "Sorry, I suck in there.  I warned the potions teacher I sucked in there."

"He assured me you did.  As long as you pass, Mr. Potter."

"Yes, ma'am."  He looked at the goblin.  "Any funny family clauses I have to know about?"

"Your mother's will stated that you would be graduating an accredited school or else she would be coming back to kill you and drag you to the other side with them."  He looked at the forms in his hands.  "Your father's wanted you to find a nice girl and have a happy life.  Otherwise?"  He looked at the boy again.  "Nothing outstanding."

Harry grinned.  "I'd do what my father wanted but I'm not sure I like girls.  They confuse the hell outta me."  The headmistress coughed but laughed at that.  "Sorry to swear, ma'am."  He smirked a bit.  "I had a girl I liked who kissed me and I was very confused.  Mr. Malfoy so kindly told the Dark Lord that I might be gay because of that."  The goblin burst out laughing.  "So I'm not sure if I can fulfill Dad's wishes or not.  I won't be killed for that one, right?"

"No, Mr. Potter, there was no clause associated if you didn't find a nice girl and settle down," the goblin assured him.  He bundled up the papers.  He pulled out three letters from his briefcase.  "The bank in London forwarded this on behalf of a few people."  Harry took the letters with a smile.  "Has your owl gotten here yet?"

"She's at home watching the construction guys work.  She's very confused."  He grinned.  "Thank you."

"You are welcome.  Go back to class.  We do not want to see your mother kill you for lack of graduation."   Harry nodded, walking off.  He looked at the headmistress.  "Thank you for indulging us."

"Not a problem.  It happens infrequently."  The goblin nodded that he agreed not to do it again then left.  She leaned back, smiling and shaking her head.  Harry in a happy mood did raise one's spirits.

***

Horatio walked into the building in Washington, DC first thing Saturday morning, pulling out a pass.  He ran it through the card reader, bringing a guard running.  "Was I banned?"

"It's the old style passes, sir, not the new ones.  We switched recently," he said, checking it over.  "Your two guests?"

"Here to talk to my former teammate about the war in Britain."  The guard scowled.  "Their Dark Lord rose."

"Fuck," the guard said, letting them in and giving Remus and Sirius visitors passes.  "I'm sure you know the way, Agent Caine."

"As long as they haven't redecorated in ten years," he joked with a small smile.

"Then yeah, they're on the seventh floor now," he offered.  "Changed it about five ago."

Horatio shook his head.  "They need to leave well enough alone."  The guard smiled as they walked off.  He looked at the other two once they were in the elevator.  "It's not quite a Ministry but this is where our aurors are, plus our Enforcement division."  The elevator's doors opened and he walked off, finding himself already in the office.  "They took out the hallway so no one could talk to each other?" he joked with someone he knew.

She gave him a horrified look.  "You said you'd only be back if the world was ending."

"Voldemort got raised."

"I'd call that close enough then.  Peter's not here today, Mr. Caine."

"Thomas is."

"Thomas is in the hospital.  His wife took a frying pan to him last night because she's knocked up," she said with a grimace.  "We have a specialist in on another case.  He can call the higher ups."

"That'll work."  That got a nod and she called him from the back office.  She pointed when he stuck his head out.

The tall, brunette man smiled and waved.  "Come this way, Horatio.  Let me start the conference call for you."  He smiled at the two men, shaking their hands.  "Tony DiNozzo."

"Remus Lupin and Sirius Black," Sirius said, shaking his hand and then Remus shook it.  "Horatio said he knew some people who might be able to help us."

"Hmm.  What's going on in Britain?  I haven't been listening to the news.  All I've heard is someone took down the Ministry building."

"That was our side to get the rest of us out of Death Eater and Ministry control," Remus told him quietly.

Tony looked at him then at Horatio.  "So you were right, you only came back because the world could end?"

"Indeed," he said dryly, closing the door.  Then he set up the conference call.  "You might want to listen too, Tony.  Your agency has an office over there."  That got a nod and Tony called more chairs in for them all.  Horatio finished inputting the last number.  "Good morning."

"Aw, shit," a male voice said in a high-pitched squeaky noise.  "Horatio?"

"Yes he is," Tony agreed dryly.  "Who all is here?"

"Thomas and Peter are in my room," a female voice said.  "I've got you two on speaker."

"I'm here as well," another male voice said.  "This way someone briefs His Crankiness about whatever apocalypse is going on."

Horatio sat down.  "Not fully one yet, gentlemen, and Tabitha.  There is a massive problem however."

"Horatio, you had terrorists and you called them an annoyance," Tabitha stated.  "How bad is it?"

"I'm here," he said bluntly.

"Which I know is bad.  How bad?" she pressed.

Remus coughed.  "This last spring Death Eaters took Harry Potter during the last trial of the Triwizard tournament to raise Voldemort."

"That was called a hoax," the single male voice said.

"By someone who was recently outed and killed for being a death eater," Sirius told him.  "They're back, we've been fighting a bad little war against them.  They had Hogwarts for a few days before some things happened and we freed the school.  The same force freed those of us being held by the Ministry for being on Dumbledore's side."

"Well, that sucks," the single male voice sighed.  "How big is their force?"

"Probably about a hundred wizards, plus the dementors and he's been trying to call other dark creatures and demons," Remus told him.  "The only reason they haven't already won is that someone gave Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley a temporal potion and they went back for seven weeks to take down the Ministry and free Hogwarts."  All the voices groaned.  "Harry's called him out for next year, when his son's the same age he was.  Just near the beginning of school really."

"Dumbledore's regrouping the Ministry, the Order of the Phoenix has been regrouped for almost six months and we've been working quietly while the Ministry huffed in irritation under Fudge's command," Sirius added.  "We had to let Harry move over here to protect him since they were going to expel him and then arrest him.  Then someone brilliantly decided he shouldn't be able to come home for the battles."

"There's a matter of prophecy saying that only Harry can kill him," Horatio said calmly.  "If they come to negate the prophecy, Harry's hiding in Miami."

"So we have someone with a Napoleonic agenda who's out in the open, mostly, a Ministry in a friendly country that's in hiding, and a dirty little war starting," Tabitha summed up.  "With their hero over here."

"Who's a fifth year," Horatio added.

"He's a....  Hold on, he's a boy?" the lone male voice asked.  Horatio hummed.  "How long has this been going on?"

"His first year Voldemort was a ghoul trying to get the philosopher's stone Dumbledore was hiding," Remus told him.  "Harry kept it from him then with his two friends' help.  We nearly lost him his second year when it was a journal charmed like a portrait with his teenage essence."

"Year before last it was more Pettigrew and those things," Sirius told them.  "Then the tournament, a death eater in disguise in the school, and the kidnaping so they could raise him his fourth year."

"Though Harry did say that the death eater in disguise was the second best defense teacher he's had to date at Hogwarts," Remus offered with a small smile.  Tony gave him a horrified look.  "I was the first."

"They had Lockhart," Horatio told him.  Tony let out a near hysterical sounding giggle.  "Exactly.  He's in Miami's school and a year behind.  The Headmistress is swearing quite a lot about over there."

"I would too!" Tony assured him.

"Harry and them drive the teachers nuts by doing what they have to," Sirius told him.

"They're not stopping them?"

"They tried but they go around them because no one else is doing anything," Remus offered.

Tony leaned forward and banged his head on the desk a few times, then he looked at Horatio.  "What do they need?"

"They need someone to gather intelligence, they might need more fighters.  You've got the school's teachers and some people in the Ministry.  Against a larger force, dementors, dark creatures, demons, and otherwise," Horatio told him.

Tabitha sighed.  "Okay, we can extend the hand of friendship.  Who's in charge?"

"Dumbledore," Remus said.  "Go around him like the boys do."

"The head of the aurors isn't in the Order of the Phoenix but he knows," Sirius told her.  "He's got at least a member under his command.  His people are leading the battle."

"I know him," she assured him.

"I need someone to keep an ear out for Miami," Horatio told him.  "The boys are off having fun being boys today."  He smiled at Tony.  "We got Tim back.  He's Harry's son."

"Which Dumbledore about threw a fit from when he was dropped off by a vengeance demon," Remus told him.  "He wanted Harry's son out of his school and then it switched to both Harry and his son.  He tried to expel Harry for having his son."  Horatio and Tony both looked at him.  "That's why we let him run to Miami."

"He's at Haven?" Tony asked quietly.

Horatio smiled.  "Eric's father is fixing Haven."

"Ah."  He nodded.  "Is he cute?"  Horatio pulled out his pocket to show him, getting a smile.  "He's still got that same shit-eating grin I see."

"And he floats when he's dirty," Remus said, cracking him up.  He patted himself down, finding the papers Ron had tucked into his pocket at breakfast.  "Here, Ron gave this to me at breakfast."

Horatio took it to look through.  "Ah, what they found when they scouted."  He handed it to Tony, who looked then held up a picture.  "Apparently he's using self-transformation to give himself more power."

"It leaves him open to using demonic power," Sirius told him.  "Harry said that last night as he walked past us reading something ancient and dusty.  He said Hermione said so."

"Can we recruit his friends?" Tony asked.

"They might get mad over there," Tabitha said dryly.  "I've heard a few grumblings about Weasley."

"Ron's a nice boy," Horatio told her.  "He's over with Harry and Speed calls him Mom."  That got a few more snickers.  "What can we do?"

"We can offer to lend them some people," the lone male voice said.  They all nodded at that.  "We can offer to lend them some help for intelligence gathering too."

"Remember, the British don't even have electricity in their Ministry," Horatio cautioned.  "They're still stuck in the Victorian ages.  Ron's first sight of a bikini apparently nearly got him arrested for trying to touch what he thought was a prostitute."

Tony snickered.  "I can see why."  He leaned back again.  "Do they have spies?"

"One teacher who turned sides," Horatio told him.  He handed over a tape.  "I dosed Harry with veritasium before I set up today's meeting.  He agreed and he knew."

Tony looked at the tape, then put it with the papers.  "They going to be able to handle it?"

Horatio shrugged.  "Harry's still concerned about the prophecy.  The rest of us are concerned that it's all resting on the shoulders of a fifteen-year-old-boy and his two best friends."

"Good point," Tony said, considering it.  "Do they have enough fighters for a battle situation?"  Remus and Sirius both shook their heads.  "How many do we have, estimating it?"

"About thirty aurors if they pull in the recently retired like Mad Eye," Remus told him. "About the same amount of Unspeakables and from the Department of Mysteries.  The Order's got about twelve outside those two and the teachers are another ten maybe."

"There's going to be other students who'll help," Sirius offered.  "Hermione and Ron's been cheering them on and Harry started to train Neville too."

"Neville's another that the prophecy could be about," Remus told him.  "He's a gentle boy and he doesn't do well in Defense so Dumbledore decided it was Harry instead of Neville."

"So we have a backup in case the prophecy is iron-clad," Tony said.  "About seventy troops plus the trio.  Any creatures coming in on the good guys' side?"

"If the battle's at the school, most of the creatures in the Dark Forest would come out to defend it."

"Hogwarts has a forest full of dark creatures surrounding it," Horatio told Tony.

"Interesting way to figure out who's drawn to the dark," Tony said dryly.

"It's been like that nearly forever," Sirius told him. "They've always protected the school before."

"Yes, but having a final battle at the school is a bad idea," Tony pointed out.

"It is," Horatio agreed.  "It's also not fully structurally sound after Ron and Harry decided to free it from Death Eater control."

"I'd still like to smack Ron for firing on the school," Sirius admitted.

"It got them to run without more casualties," Remus said gently, patting him on the arm.  "Even if the dungeons do need to be restored and fixed."

Sirius shook his head.  "Hogwarts is supposed to be one of those things that you don't destroy."

"It's a castle and a school.  Even though it's nearly mythical, it's still only a building that can be fixed," Tony reminded him.  "If it has to go to save lives it's better it goes than the lives."  Sirius nodded at that.  He looked at Horatio, then at the phone.  "Who're we sending to Miami?"

"You," Tabitha told him.

"Sure, you tell my boss that," he said dryly.

"Please don't bring your boss to Miami," Horatio begged.

Tony grinned.  "I'll try not to, Horatio.  I know you two had bad alpha dog fights the last time you ran into each other."

"Okay, we'll send down a few of the smarter young kids," Tabitha decided.

"Should they cause me problems you'll be getting them back in shrunken boxes," Horatio warned.

"I know, Horatio.  We all know not to bother you or Miami.  You handle it and hand them over."  He smirked and nodded at the phone.  "I'll make sure they realize they're not to bother you or the boys, just watch out for trouble.  Who else do you have?"

"Eric.  He's been hovering over Speed and his father's fixing the boys' house."

"Even better," she decided.  "Then we'll extend the hand of friendship auror-to-auror later today."  Everyone made agreeing noises.  "Anything else we should know?"

"I've got the stuff Ron gave them," Tony told her.

"Even better.  Horatio, or someone there, the kids in their school?"

"They're in hiding and trying to keep lessons going," Remus told her.

"I've got someone who can help with that," she decided.  "Thank you, boys.  Horatio was right to bring this one to us.  Keep the boys safe and out of trouble.  We won't be calling them except for that last battle."

"Harry and Ron both have 'do what's necessary syndrome'," Horatio warned.  "They snuck off Thursday night to use the temporal potion while Remus watched Harry's son."

"They've both justified it as it's their battle to fight and they're saving the adults for the larger things," Sirius agreed.

"Make them be boys, Horatio.  We'll need 'em that one battle," Tabitha said firmly.  "War is no place for boys, even ones with a prophecy about them."

"We all agree on that," Horatio assured her.  "The boys don't yet."

"We can fix that too.  Who's their contact over there?"

"Hermione Granger," Remus told her.  "But they have a truce in place with one of the younger students on the Death Eater side.  He wants to be the next Dark Lord.  Harry's letting him do whatever he wants on the theory that he'll solve some of the problems for them."

"Interesting plan Weasley came up with," Horatio noted dryly, looking at them.  "Who?"

"Draco Malfoy.  Harry said once Draco took over it'd go between them.  What I remember about teaching Mr. Malfoy, he might be able to do that."

"So, Harry takes down the Dark Lord, then Mr. Malfoy steps in, and we deal with him immediately?" Tony suggested.

"I think that was Ron's plan.  Draco already took out the Dark Lord's right hand man by turning over his father for helping with the plan to have Tim reborn to a female Death Eater.  Voldemort turned him into goo and killed another five for it.  Draco's so far shown he's got some sense and leadership abilities among the students.  Snape's said that he's got some of the senior death eaters looking at him as a future leader if Harry wins."

"Harry and Draco are mortal enemies," Sirius told him.  "Draco hates that Harry wouldn't come to his side of the pureblood snob war their first year."

"It's actually Malfoy versus Weasley and Harry's with the Weasley side so he attacks them."

Tony nodded.  "Very interesting.  Ron's letting him make his own move?"

"It can only help our own plans."

"Point," Horatio agreed.  "That's a more complex plan than Ron usually favors."

Remus smiled.  "Ron plans everything like it's a battle of wizard's chess, which he excels at.  Harry jumps in.  It frustrates him to no end."

"Is that maybe the reason why Harry's son calls Ron mother?" Tony teased with a grin.

"Harry's still too confused to get to that point," Sirius told him.  "His muggle relatives stunted his physical and emotional growth."

"If I see them, they're going to be hexed," Remus said.  "I'm the more mild mannered one of the two of us but I wouldn't be surprised if Ron told a death eater who they were."

Horatio nodded.  "I take him as vengeful."

"Only about some things," Sirius told him. "He's got that redheaded temper too.  Now and then he has it on Harry when Harry gets noted and he gets jealous, but he's got a bad temper."

Horatio nodded.  "I remember mine before I got it calmed down."

"Horatio, there's world leaders who remember yours before you got it calmed down.  We can trace some present conflicts with the US to your temper," Tabitha told him.  He just snorted at that.  "All right, let us pull ourselves back together for a meeting later tonight, boys.  Go do tourist things with them, Horatio.  They've probably never been to DC."  She hung up.

"I agree, we'll handle it," the single male voice told him.  He hung up too.

Tony beamed.  "Well, I can help with the tourist stuff as long as my boss doesn't mind," Tony offered.  "I left here and went to another agency," he said at the confused looks.  "The same as Horatio did."  He stood up, leaving everything there.  "Marcia, Tabs and the others are coming in for an important meeting tonight.  No one touches *anything* in the office!" he yelled.  "Come on, guys.  Let's get out of the way and let the gears running the governmental beast start to turn."  They nodded, walking out with them.  Tony handed back their passes.  "Horatio, did you drive?"

"Apparated."

"Good thing I drove over."  He grinned and got them into the sedan he had checked out this morning from his agency.  "I checked out a car today to go on my last assignment."  He backed out of his parking spot and took off.  "Want to see muggle or magical tourist things?  There's a Magical Smithsonian."

"I'd like that," Remus admitted happily.  Sirius nodded that'd be fine with him.

"Cool, I like playing with some of them too," Tony said happily, heading that way.

***

Eric looked at Yelina then smiled at Ray Junior.  "Go get the boys up.  We're going to be late."  Ray Junior ran into the suite the boys were sharing with the baby.  Yelina got them some coffee off the free breakfast and settled in to wait.  Tim came floating and wiggling out to get away from the fussy fathers.  "No being naked boy today, Tim.  It's time to go play on the nice rides."  Tim farted as he went past Eric's head, heading for the breakfast.  "I've got your milk and cereal," Eric promised.  "Go get dressed."

Harry walked out, hopping up to grab his son from midair.  "The longer you float around the less time we all have for fun stuff, Tim."  He walked him back into their bedroom to finish cleaning him up and changing him.

Yelina smiled.  "I'm so glad Ray didn't manifest until he was six."

Eric smirked.  "One of my sisters manifested early but it was against the bugs we had one summer.  We'd all wake up to hear the house's furniture thumping repeatedly when she floated it and used it to crush bugs."  Ron came out and tucked into the food.  Ray was right behind him.  Harry came out a few minutes later with his hair messier than normal and his glasses skewed.  Ron took the baby with a small grin and sat down to feed him the cereal Eric had gotten for him while Harry went to get dressed and straighten himself up.  "Which side do we want to start on today, Ray?  We've got passes that'll get us into either park."

"Ron, do you want easier stuff or harder stuff?" he asked.  Ron looked confused.  "There's easy, kiddie rides, there's log rides, there's thrill rides.  Or we can go on rides that relate back to movies."

"Um...."  He shrugged.  "I don't care."

"Then let's start on the Islands of Adventure side, Eric and Mom.  That way we can move from the Dr. Seuss park with all the kiddie rides up to something like the dueling dragons coaster."

Eric nodded.  "That's a good progression for today," he agreed happily.  Harry came back out and dug into the food like he was starving.  "No dinner?"

"No, someone ate it on me," Harry said, glaring at the back of Ron's head.

"Sorry, Harry," he offered without having to look.

"You two act like an old married couple," Yelina teased.

"It comes from rooming with him for five years," Harry assured her.  She giggled at that.  Tim let out a squeal.  "Yes, good morning to you too, Tim.  Excited?" he asked.  Tim beamed and dove forward to get more of his own breakfast.  "Good boy.  Thank you."  Harry got another donut while the rest cleaned up, taking his son to put him into the carrier.  "Let's face you outward today, dear."  He strapped him in, put a hat on him, then looked at Eric.  "Now what?"

"Sunglasses," he ordered.  "Sunscreen, boys.  We'll be outside all day."  They sighed but put some on, even Ray Junior.  "Okay, let's go."  He herded them out to the shuttle going to the theme park, smiling at the amused looks they got.  "Not mine," he told one mother.  Who could only laugh.

Yelina looked at him.  "You make a very good chaperone and you can go on the thrill rides while I hold the baby."  She smiled at Harry.  "Should we plan on renting a stroller?"

"What's a stroller?" Harry asked.

"A wonderful invention that lets you push the baby instead of carry him," she said wisely, stopping at the first place to rent one once they were inside the park.  Harry said 'oh, pram' and she realized it was a translation error so it was fine.  They had all weekend tickets so it wasn't that big of a problem.  She unstrapped Tim and plopped him inside, getting a smirk.  "I know, you're butt height.  Try not to bite like Ray Junior did the year we took him to Disney."  Ray Junior giggled.  "I swear you bit every single hind end that got near you, Ray."  She let Harry have the handles.  "Now push."

Harry pushed and beamed.  "I like this!  This is much better than our prams."

Ron nodded.  "Mum did too when she had the twins."  He grinned at Ray, then looked around.  "What's that?" he asked, pointing at a building.

He looked.  "That's somewhere to get your picture taken.  We'll stop there on the way out."  Ron nodded.  "That way the stroller doesn't have to carry them and we don't have to worry about losing them."  That got some smiles from the adults and Harry just shrugged it was okay with him.  Ray led them to the Dr. Seuss area, watching as Tim's face lit up.

Eric gave him a sappy grin.  "I know you said he was your favorite kiddy author because he got a lot deeper if you understood some of the underlying themes to his work."  He let them head to the first ride, the flying cup ride.  Ron stared at it for a minute then opened his mouth and pointed, looking at him.  He smirked and nodded.  "That's a fun ride for kids, Ron."

"Bloody hell," he muttered.  "How do they do that?"

"Gears and things," Ray said happily, taking Timmy out of the stroller to walk him over to the line.  "Come on, guys.  This is a fairly mild ride compared to the ones later on.  This one is for kids."

"Sure," Harry said, still watching it.  "Is it safe?" he asked Yelina, who nodded and patted him on the back, making him follow the boys.  "Ray....  Maybe he should sit out."  Ray sighed and pointed at the other kids on the ride.  "Yeah but that's not my son."

"It's safe, Harry," Ray promised. "It's very safe.  It's been safe for *years*.  It won't fall.  It's not going to hurt him.  This ride was built for kids' amusement.  That's why it's called an amusement park."  Their turn came and he grinned at the person who seated them in the same cup.  "Okay, pull down the bar.  That's there for our safety and to hold onto."  Ron and he did that, Harry squeezed between them with Tim on his lap.  Tim let out a loud squeal and patted the bar.  The person who came to check smiled at him and walked on.  "Here we go," he said when the cup started to move.  Harry clutched Tim around the waist and dug his nails into Ron's arm.  "Calm down, Harry."

"I didn't think we were holding hands, Harry," Ron said, prying the fingers off his wrist.  Tim squealed and waved his arms again, letting them all smile at him.  "See, he's fine and he's having fun.  Relax."

"Really.  This is very mild compared to the broom ride that the roller coasters later will be," Ray promised.  The ride sped up a bit and he took the baby, letting Harry enjoy it for now.  "Like this, Tim?"  Tim beamed at him.  "Want to go to the zoo next?  I hear they found a lot of strange creatures."  Tim leaned over to kiss him on the cheek.  Then he went back to enjoying things.  Ray watched Harry and Ron learn to enjoy their very first amusement ride.  "I could've been mean and started at the top thrill ride and then let you have the lesser ones after that."

"No, this is a good start," Harry assured him with a smile, taking his son back.  "Do you like this as much as flying?"

Tim just waved his arms when the ride ended.  He pouted when the guy came over to get them out of the car.  "You have to get back in line, little guy," the attendant told him, patting him on the head.

"We'll come do this again on the way out," Ray promised.  Ron nodded and took the baby, letting Harry follow.  Ray grinned at him.  "See, nice."

"Very nice.  Thank you."  He smiled.  "They're all like that?"

"No, some are more thrilling than dodging while chasing the snitch," Ray told him.  "By the way, thank you for sending me back to being a chaser."  He pulled Harry on so they could visit the zoo.  It was the next attraction over.  Ron and Harry relaxed and let it go, liking these things.  So Ray got them over to the next section of the park, the one with all the log rides.  It was getting a bit warm.  He smiled at Tim.  "Water time?"  Tim gave him a horrified look so he grinned.  "You'll enjoy it."  The whole family got in line this time, letting their rented stroller sit in the stroller parking area.  The attendant smiled at them.  "I'll have a tight grip on him the whole time if his dad doesn't," he promised.  "He's a miniature thrill junkie."

The attendant laughed.  "They can be at that age."  He got them onto the same log, watching as the boys pulled the bar down for him.  "Good job."  He checked the others, noticing the one boy had taken him back.  So apparently he was the daddy.  The ride started off and you could hear the baby squeal for the next few minutes, until the outraged noise at the end where they all got wet.  A few parents gave him amused looks too.  "First theme park visit."

Ron came back dripping wet and got back in line with Harry, without the baby this time since Yelina had claimed him and the stroller.  "We can go again, right?" he asked when they got closer to the head of the line.  The guy nodded and they got seated the next round, going again.  They came off giggling and happy boys.

Eric smiled at them. "Wait until you guys get to the roller coaster."  He walked them off, going to help them onto that one.  It was a bit more daring and a lot faster.  Yelina had the baby on a bench so it was good for the boys.  He and Ray sat behind Harry and Ron, snickering when Harry yelped at the first really fast part.  "Relax!" he shouted.  "It gets better!"  The ride hit a loop and they both yelled at that.  Ray was yelling too but it was in fun.

They came off wobbling but Harry looked at Ray.  "You weren't kidding.  That's just as bad as a broom ride when you're after the gold ball."

"It is," he agreed happily.  "Come on, there's faster out there."

"Let my stomach settle first," Harry pleaded.  "I can only do one of those an hour."

"Sure," he agreed happily.  "We'll grab Mom and get a snack, hit the next log ride."  Ron nodded and went to gather Yelina and the baby.  Ray followed when Ron stopped to watch.  "Eww, someone's hitting on my mom," he hissed.

Eric patted him on the back.  "Your mom's still a pretty woman, Ray.  Of course they are."

Ray looked at him.  "I do *not* want to know what you two do in your room, Eric."  He walked over and grinned at the guy.  "Sorry, gotta steal the baby for a snack."  He took the baby and walked off.  "Mom, I don't need a stepfather so if you play with him I don't want to hear unless you break him or something."

"Raymond!" she shouted after him.

The man hitting on her laughed.  "Teenagers can be like that.  Is that your husband?"

"Coworker.  We're chaperones."

"You're a very pretty one."

"I still live in Miami."

He grinned. "I could move."

One of the boys came over, hauling Yelina up.  He wrote out a number. "That's her number at work.  Call her," he said bluntly, getting a beaming smile and a nod, then him leaving her alone.  Ron looked at her with a grin.  "Come on, Tim's being a bottomless pit and so's Harry."

"You don't have my cell number."

"I have your desk number."  He walked her off.  "Here, Ray.  I gave him her desk number."

Ray frowned, thinking about it.  "Don't you have Uncle H's desk number, not hers?"  Eric burst out laughing and nodded.  "Well, he'll transfer him over."  He handed his mother a fruitscicle.  "There, nibble, Mom.  It's good for you."

Harry looked up from letting Tim have his too.  "Wonder if Horatio's having this much fun?"

"No, they're talking to government people.  They'll have fun later," Eric assured him.  "H scares some government agents."  He sucked on his.  "Harry, eat your own."  Harry got a lick then Tim pulled it back down to share with him.  "Tim!"  Tim pouted but let Harry have his instead.  "Thank you."  He shook his head, making Yelina laugh.  "He's being greedy."

"He's a baby, they're all like that until they learn to share."

"He samples at home all the time," Ron told her.  "Shares your plate very well."

She nodded.  "So did Ray.  His father used to give him this disgusted look when he'd eat half his dinner on him."  Ray snickered at that.  "He eventually learned that's what babies do."  She finished off her snack and got smiled at by Tim, taking him to help him eat his as well.  "You're almost cute enough to make me want to have another one, Timothy."

He spit then cackled.  "No!"

"Okay, I won't since you said so."

Ray looked at her.  "You could.  Uncle H and I would love it if you had someone new to love, Mom.  Don't make me hear about the conception or a new stepfather, but go ahead and have another baby."

She stared him down.  "We'll see, son."  He shrugged and finished off his snack, taking the wet wipes to clean off his face and hands, then let his mother have another one. "Here, Tim, let's clean that off."  She got him cleaned off and smiled at him.  "Now you're only damp."  He beamed back.  "Come on, boys, let's hit another ride."  Harry finished his treat and they headed off again, Tim happily babbling at the people around him.  Mostly at the bad outfits and too-short shorts some of the heavier women were wearing but that was fine.  Even if he did look at one and start chanting 'no' over and over while shaking his head.

Eric grinned at him.  "Behave.  They're here having fun too, Tim," he said quietly.  Tim gave him a look.  "I'm having selective blindness."  Tim nodded, settling down to enjoy the walk to the next ride.  It was another one he could ride on and he did enjoy that.  Even if his father did clutch him like he was a teddybear.

***

It was after lunch when the problem hit.  "You're Harry Potter," a male voice said from behind them in line.

"No I'm not," Harry said, not turning around.  "People do say I look a bit like him but I'm not."

The man made a scoffing noise.  "Oh, please!  My daughter has your picture posted all over her walls, Mr. Potter.  All the hidden ones from Witch World Weekly and the other gossip rags."  Ron gave him an odd look.  "And hello to you too, Mr. Weasley."

"Hi," he said.  He couldn't deny being a Weasley, not with his hair.  "This still isn't Harry."

He rolled his eyes.  "Don't worry, boys.  I won't out you for having a bit of fun.  Is that your son, Harry?"  Harry clutched Timmy tighter so Ron took him and let him see.  "Aww, you're sweet."  Tim spit at him.  "My own girl did that when people called her sweet too," he promised, patting him on the head.  "You boys have fun.  We don't have anything like this in England."  He got out of line, going to call his daughter over the floo port.  "I saw Harry Potter and got to pet his son on the head.  Got spit at by his son too."  She squealed and danced on her end of the call.  He got a few nice pictures and handed them over.  "Remember to send them to the right magazine too, dear."

"I will, Daddy!  Thank you!"  She hung up and went to get the pictures developed then send on copies to one of the magazines.

The first Eric knew of it, since they had been separated for this ride, he came off and there was a guard waiting on him with Yelina.  He gave her a confused look.  "The boys," Yelina told him.  "Someone recognized Harry and Ron."

"Crap," he muttered.  "We'd like to keep them low profile," he offered.

"I know, sir.  You shouldn't have too many problems.  Usually the guys like them go to Disney," he said with a small grin.  "We only get the ones who miss the thrill of being on a broom."

"I can see why," Ray said as he walked off with Ron, Harry, and the baby.  "What happened?"

"Some guy recognized Harry and me," Ron said grimly.  "Do we have to go?" he asked the guard.

"No," he scoffed.  "Do you guys want someone to walk around with you?"

"We're pretty good without it, thank you though," Harry offered quietly.  He got a smile and a nod.  "I don't want to be noticed.  I'm hoping we don't have another mob like we did in Diagon that one day."

Ron looked at him.  "Remind me that you still owe me a new shirt because your fans got panicked about you being out of the country and decided to tear your shirt."

"Sure, Ron."  He looked at the guard, clutching his son.  "I'm sorry if it causes any problems."

"No, you're not," he promised with a smile.  "Go ahead on your tour, boys.  Have fun.  If you have problems there's guards at these outposts," he said, showing him on a map.  "All right?"  They nodded. "Let us handle it, no wands in the park."

"We left ours at the hotel," Ron promised.  "In the safe."  That got a nod.  "Harry does occasionally leak accidental magic but only when he's pissed."

"That'll work," he agreed happily.  "Now, you boys go have fun.  Ignore them.  We'll make sure nosy reporter types aren't hunting you and we'll be discreet, okay?"  They all smiled and nodded at that.  "Good boys."  He walked off, going to tell his boss.  He had managed to hide until two in the afternoon.  He was impressed.

"I've got to do something so no one recognizes me," Harry complained quietly, sitting down on a nearby bench.  "Which way were we heading next?"

Ray looked at him.  "We'll hit the hotel later tonight to start that, Harry."  Harry gave him an odd look.  "From behind, all he could've recognized was your hair.  We'll get it cut into something less bedhair and more Miami.  That and some better glasses, plus some better clothes?  It should be all right.  I know last time you didn't care but now it's more necessary."

Harry beamed.  "Thanks, Ray."

"You're welcome."  He gave him a pat on the back and stole the baby.  "Hey, Timmy.  Want lunch before or after we tackle the next coaster?"  Tim gave him a look like he was dumb.  "After, okay.  Come on, guys."  He walked them that way, taking them to the best coaster in the park.  "This is Dueling Dragons.  It's a dual coaster."

"Like we'll be fighting?" Ron asked.

"No, like there's two coasters together," he said with a grin.  "The dueling part is how they nearly come together to supposedly battle."  Harry and Ron both nodded at that.  "Good."  He got them in line, letting his mother have the baby when the attendant spotted them and shook his head.  No babies on this ride even with an adult holding him apparently.  Yelina went to sit and be admired for being a pretty woman with a baby.  Eric walked in with the boys, getting on the ice dragon side.  Ron liked ice dragons better so he got to pick.  The coaster started off, not much different than the last one but within half a minute they were screaming in fun at this one.

Eric gave them a look when they got off, heading to get onto the other side to do that one too.  He sat down beside Yelina.  "They have too much energy."

"Yes and it never seems to go toward things like cleaning his room or taking out the trash when I ask," she said dryly.

Eric laughed and nodded.  "Dad caught the boys playing a game of Snap to see who took out the trash yesterday."

She shook her head.  "At least your father is watching out for them during the day.  What about when he's done?"

"Then the wards on the house will be back in place and it'll be fine," Eric promised.  "As long as they can duck the reporters."  He nodded at one.  "That one of ours or a muggle one?" he asked quietly.

"Ours.  She's wearing clothes with a moving pattern, Eric."  She handed over the baby, going to smile and talk to her so he could get the boys out of the way.  She got a page from her son twenty minutes later saying to meet them back at the Seuss park so she quit nagging the reporter and headed that way looking very smug.  She had to get the stroller, the boys had forgotten it, but that was fine.  She met them back at the zoo area and it was good.  The boys got to calm down before dinner.  Harry enjoyed the flying rides there with his son, beaming at him and his squealing nature.  The reporter managed to get a shot of Ron but Harry somehow ducked her when she came back.  She barely got a shot of Ron and the baby too.  Ron would learn that skill soon enough and a guard came up to get the reporter and drag her off when Eric got tired of her lurking.

***

Horatio joined them Sunday night, smiling at the tired boys as they came back into the house from the backyard.  "Have fun at Universal Studios?"

Harry beamed and nodded, giving him a hug around the neck.  "We did.  Even if a reporter did catch Ron holding Tim on a ride."  He let him go and wandered off.  "I'm going to bed.  Tim, sleepy?"  His son yawned and made hooting noises.

Ron got him a bottle and banished him at his father, letting Harry catch him.  "Have a good rest, boys."  He smiled.  Then he shuddered.  "Sounded like my mum."  The adults all laughed.  "I did."  He smiled at Eric, giving him a hug.  "We worship you, man.  Can we hit another one sometime soon?"

"For the winter holidays.  They do special things for Christmas."  Ron beamed and nodded, heading up to his room.

Ray Junior flopped down next to his uncle, resting against his arm.  "We need to give Harry a makeover," he said through a yawn.  "Someone recognized him from behind."

"I saw the new haircut," Horatio said, smiling at his now-dozing nephew.  He smiled at the other two adults.  "Have fun?"

"A lot of fun, even if it did take about three rides to break Harry of being an overprotective parent," Yelina agreed happily.  "Tim's nearly hoarse from squealing at everything.  He even tried to grab a nice young woman in a see-through shirt after a water ride."  Horatio snickered at that, shaking his head.

"He kept chanting 'no' over and over at the badly dressed tourists too," Eric offered, sitting down across from him. "How was DC?"

"Good.  The ball is rolling.  They're keeping them overnight for another meeting and so they can talk to their own aurors as an introduction."  He smiled at them.  "Were they safe?"

"Very," Eric assured him.  "Even though Harry and Ron both got recognized a few times.  There was a reporter there too.  She got removed."

"I agree with my son, we need to help Harry look like he fits in better over here, Horatio."  She started some water for tea or instant coffee.  Tim came floating in.  "Did your father not change you?" she teased, catching him.  He snuggled in with a yawn and fell asleep on her shoulder.  "Aww, so precious."

"Ray kept giving people your desk number when they hit on her," Eric told him.  "Ron started that by accident."  Horatio shook his head quickly.  "A few were pretty nice, H."

"I'm sure they were.  I'll route my phone to hers tomorrow."  Yelina gave him a look and shook her head.  He smiled and took the baby to hold, getting a sleepy complaint but Tim fell asleep again on him.  "Was Harry using you as a pillow again, Tim?"  Tim cooed in his sleep, making sucky faces.  He summoned his pacifier and stuck it in the moving hole, letting him suck on it all he wanted.  He shifted some, letting Ray wake up.  "Sleep, Ray."

"Should," he yawned, getting up and heading for a guest room. The boys said he could stay over.  He flopped down on a bed and fell asleep that way with his shoes still on.

Horatio walked the baby up to his bed, putting him down and covering him gently before giving him a pat on the head and going back downstairs to talk to the other adults.  They shared what had happened over their weekends and a plan was put in place for Tim's safety if something should happen.  Since he seemed to love Yelina so much.

***

Harry walked into the Charms classroom after hours a few weeks later, closing the door quietly, which startled the teacher.  "Do you have a few moments?  I've begun to wonder something and I think you can help me."

"What are you wondering about?" the teacher asked, looking grim.  This boy usually wondered about bad things as far as he could tell.

"I think there's a curse on me."

"And you think I can tell?" he asked, starting to snicker.  "I'm no curse breaker, Mr. Potter."

"But they learned it in a charms class so I thought maybe one of your books might have a clue where to start."  He stood in front of him.  "There's three good reasons why I think someone cursed me, and I think it's an emotional or a sexual curse.  The first, that I haven't fully matured yet.  The second that I have absolutely none of the same desires as boys my age, or younger than my age," he said at the opening mouth.  "The third being that even when I think about it, it's like cotton wool being pulled over my head."

The teacher stared at him.  "It could be what you went through as a child."

Harry shook his head.  "The other boys in my dorms started to fool around over a year ago.  Even Ron's started to wonder if it's normal.  The nurse said she couldn't find anything, which means it's not medical and not related back to that."

He considered it.  "That would lead you back to a curse.  But who?  And why?"

"Who?  Any supporter of Voldemort?" he suggested.  He leaned against the front table.  "Or anyone who decided I had to wait forever until I could get a stiffie I suppose.  Why?  To keep me unable to do some of the more adult spells?  Perhaps to keep me from having my son.  They wouldn't want me to have a next generation that could come back and defeat them."

"Good point," he admitted.  He pulled his wand.  "Let's see what some revealing work comes up with."  He cast a few spells at him, looking him over.  He saw the beginnings of a few things.  "Did the nurse get onto you about eating again?"

"No, but Ron has.  Am I deficient?  I've been studying and not eating recently."

"A bit.   You should have a very good dinner, Harry."  He cast another one to clarify what he was seeing then looked at him.  "It appears that there may be a very subtle, old curse on you.  I can't tell which one.  I can't tell what for."  He put his wand down.  "The only one who probably could would be a top-notch curse breaker and they're all with Gringotts."

Harry nodded once at that.  "Thank you for trying."  He got a small smile back.  "Could you tell if it was our magic or demonic?"  The teacher gaped then did it again.  He slowly nodded.  "Demonic?"

"It does appear so.  How did you guess?"

"A vengeance demon brought me my son.  It seemed odd that she'd know me.  Or even of me since our war isn't in their business."

"Good thoughts.  I do wish those sort of thoughts would come out in your essays, Mr. Potter."

"I try but the stuff we're studying right now is even boring Tim."

The teacher smirked. "Reading him your assignments?"

"He loves books," he offered with a cheeky grin.  "Helps him sleep at night recently."  The teacher laughed.  "I'll try but I do thank you."  He headed out, going home to think.   He decided on a course of action on the way, hurrying inside to the library to write a letter to someone who he knew would know what to do.  He sent it overseas to him with a charmed picture of Timmy and a pebble charmed to bring any response back to him.  Now all he had to do was wait.

Ron came out of the kitchen.  "What's going on?"

"I think I have a curse on me."

"Duh, Harry," Ron said dryly.  "I'd call the prophecy one."

"No, I mean another one.  The charms teacher thinks he found it."

"So you....."

"Just wrote your older brother Bill to see if he could tell me how and where to look so we could figure out if I'm right or not."

"That's fine then.  Him visiting would calm Mum and Dad down, plus get McGonagall to quit sending nagging letters for pictures of the sprout."  He stared at him.  "Go eat!" he snapped suddenly.

"Yes, Ron."  He got up and went to do that, sharing his dinner with Tim.  Ron came in and took the baby off to play with him.  Harry smiled and made another sandwich, which he ate.  He was hungry for some reason.  He came out when Ron shouted 'mail' a few hours later, finding a letter had popped out of the floo.  He sat down to read it, grimacing and answering a more complete reason.  Then he sent it back since Bill was apparently not too busy to answer a letter.  He got back a 'I'll be there in two days' and asked which city he was hiding in.  He sent back a note saying to meet him in a certain area of Miami and they could apparate from there.  Then he sent it back and looked at his best friend and curious son.  "Bill's coming to make sure I'm right."

"That's fine.  We have the space," Ron said dryly, giving him a look.  "You'd still better eat more, Harry.  If he tells Mum you haven't been eating, she's going to get both our ears again."  He looked down at the baby.  "Won't she?"  Tim smirked at him.  "See, he knows.  Even worse than Eric would."  Harry grumbled but went to get something to snack on.  He shook his head at the baby.  "Some day it'll be you watching out for your Da, Timmy.  Just remember he's not doing it on purpose.  The little things sometime escape your father.  Don't know why.  Maybe that's the curse and why he can't play wizard's chess."  Tim laughed and patted his hands.  "Okay, so what should we do now that you've got your own room?"  He grinned.  "Should we decorate?"  Timmy spit at him.  "It's me or your Da, Timmy, and he sucks at room painting.  You might end up with pink walls."

"He might like that," Harry called from the kitchen.

Tim burst out wailing in misery.  "No, I don't think so, Harry," Ron called back, shushing the baby to get him calmed down.  "Come on, we'll go see your room.  Let's see what the big goober's already done to it."  Tim sniffled and nodded, letting himself be carried up there.  His crib and rocking chair were already up there, along with a nice bench for him to stare out the window from.  Under the bench were a few of his favorite books, earning a grin from both uncle and baby.  The walls had creatures painted on them.  "Huh, nothing too dangerous," he teased, letting him have the bench seat.  Tim smiled and patted the window.  Ron had to close it again on him and lock it but that was something they'd get used to.   His mother would be proud, Harry had finally decorated the baby's nursery.

***

Harry looked up from his potions reading when he felt someone apparating in nearby.  He waved and went back to his current bane, then closed the book with a sigh.  "I'll never get it."

"Get what?"

"The current potion we're doing."  He looked at him.  "I suck in there.  Even without Snape I suck in there."

Bill smiled and ruffled his hair.  "It's not your best subject but you can learn the practical things, Harry."  He sat down next to him.  "Are you sure?"  Harry nodded.  "Absolutely positive?"

"The Charms teacher found what he thinks is one but he thought it was old, demonic, and he couldn't tell what it was for.  He said only a curse breaker could, probably a top-notch one as he put it.  You're the only one I know well enough to ask."

"Which is a good point.  You and Ron are safe, right?"

Harry grinned.  "Very.  He's still in school too.  Timmy's in the school's daycare at the moment."

"I bet that's fun for him."  He looked around.  "Is this a wizarding area?"

"It's shielded but not fully.  We could use the house but there's workmen there for another two hours."  Bill grimaced.  "I figured you couldn't get more than a few hours off."

"Not really.  Though I can stay overnight to talk to Ron and beat him up for leaving home that way."

"Your mother said so."

"I'm sure she did," he sighed.  "Okay, let's go back to your house.  Wherever you're borrowing is."  Harry nodded and led him out so they could catch the city bus, then transfer to another one.  Bill gaped at the gates when they finally got there, then at him.  "Where's this?" he demanded.

Harry smiled.  "Home."  He let him through the gates, pulling him with him.  That got him past the wards this time.  Bill moaned when they tested him then let him pass.  "It's fully warded."

"I can feel that."  He looked at the workers on the roof.  "Leaks?"

"Fell in," he said, grinning and waving.  "The nice older guy up there is Mr. Delko.  He's the contractor fixing this place."  He let him inside and to the kitchen, finding Ron back there making a snack.  "Did you skip?"

"Yup.  Figured I should," he said dryly, looking at Harry.  "Tim's in bed too."  He grinned at Bill.  "Hi.  Welcome to Miami."

"Thanks.  Why are you here?"

"Dumbledore," the boys said in unison.

Bill groaned.  "I've heard."  He looked around. "This is nice."

"Very," Ron agreed happily.  "I'm mooching off Harry."

"You do enough with the son, you can stay here and eat with us," Harry joked.  Ron punched him on the arm.  "Ow!  Prat!"

"Boys," Bill said.  He shook his head at that.  "I sounded like Mum," he sighed.

"I did that a few weeks back," Ron said with a grin.  "Have you ever been on a roller coaster?"

Bill looked at him.  "They're bloody well dangerous, Ron."

"But fun," he offered with a beaming smile.  "Eric took us with Ray Junior and  Yelina."

"They let you go on with the baby?"

"No, Yelina held him for those rides since she didn't want to go on them.  Got her hit on all the time."  He handed his brother a sandwich.  "I'll head upstairs to check on him so you two can have the library, Harry.  Let me know if you're going to pop off somewhere."   He hit Bill on the arm as he walked past.  "Write, Bill.  Harry's driving me nuts and the school's harder since they have teachers who have a clue."  He ate a bite of his lunch as he walked up the stairs to his room.

Harry grinned at Bill.  "Need something to eat or drink while we work?"

"Afterward."  He let Harry lead him to the library and watched him settle into a comfortable chair.  "All right, let's start with the basics for now."  He cast the first discerning spell and grimaced.  "Eat more often, Harry."

"I have been," he defended.  "Ron's all but force-feeding me these days."

Bill sighed and moved on, finding the subtle marks of the curse on the young man.

***

Harry looked out at the ocean then turned around when the demon he had summoned showed up.  "I know it's an awkward thing to come see me for a few but I have to ask you something because I think it was one of your brethren who did it."  She looked confused.  "We've recently found a curse on me."  She nodded slowly.  "For what and done by who?"

She frowned.  "It's very old."

"Like months?"

"Like years, Harry."  She came closer, staring at the back of his head when she turned him around.  "It was done nearly twelve years ago."

"So I was just over three?" he guessed.

"Apparently but it's so.... It's so you wouldn't know the love of anyone."  Harry turned back around, looking confused.  "You suspected?"

"I knew it had something to with my not hitting my last growth spurt and being unable to touch the adult magics," he admitted.  He shrugged.  "I didn't know more than that.  So that means I'm never to know the touch of a lover?"  He got a confused look on his face and she patted him on the head to clear it up.  "Thank you.  Is that part of it?"

She nodded.  "It is.  Why would anyone cast that on a three-year-old boy?"

Harry shrugged again.  "I don't know.  Can it be removed?"

"I can't and the demon who did it is passed on.  I can ask the boss."

"Would doing that taint me?"

"No," she said, shaking her head.  "No, not in the least.  Calling me would do it more."

"Good."  He smiled.  "Can we?"  She nodded, marking a symbol in the air.  "While we're waiting can I ask two more questions?"

"I don't see why not."

"Okay, first, I know it was odd how my son came to be.  Was there a reason they called *him* to be *my* son?"

She considered it.  "Now that you mention it that is odd.  What do you know about his past life?"

"I'm being watched over and taught by a few of his former friends.  Who he still loves.  He chants for them and cuddles them all the time when he can."

She smiled.  "So you're wondering if him coming to you was to get him back to Miami?"

"Or someone hinting that I needed to come to Miami maybe.  I'm not sure why."

"I don't know.  That's another question for the boss.  What's your other one?"

"It rather dovetails really.  Why pull *him* since he had been sacrificed?  Is he meant to be another one?"  She looked confused.  "Why would a death eater make me a son, knowing that it would give me a focus and a reason to fight?  I might've only had abstracts before him but this gives me a concrete reason to fight for."

"Which is illogical if you're on the other side," she finished.  He nodded, grimacing some.  "Even if they meant for him to be a sacrifice, it makes no sense to do it that way.  Why pull a powerful, newly sacrificed soul, give it a body, hype it with Malfoy blood, knowing that you'd find out somehow with the spies you had?"

"Why give me a son at all?  Even without the powerful blood part?" Harry said. "They wouldn't want me to have another generation.  It'd mean another challenge to Voldemort."

"Point," she agreed.  "Hmm.  I do not know.  I have the feeling they're important questions but I don't know, Harry."  A higher demon with horns appeared next to her.  "D'Hoffryn, this is Mr. Potter.  He called me to ask a few questions about a curse he found on him that was done as a child."

"He's still a child," the male demon noted.  "I can see the curse though."  Harry turned around and he studied it then frowned.  "Why curse you to not know love or the touch of love when you're an infant?"

"That's what I was wondering," she admitted, staring at him.  "It wasn't me, it wasn't anyone associated with childhood.  It was one of the love's scorned ones, D'Hoffryn."

He hummed and nodded.  "That is an odd one."

"Plus there's the question of why pull my son from his reward so soon and give him to me, plus why give me a son at all," Harry told him.

The demon stared at him.  Then at Halfrek.  "What?"

"His son, the one I had delivered when we went to that death eater?"  He nodded once at that.  "He was barely gone six months when he was specifically called back.  There's no way he returned so soon without a specific call back.  They made him, hyped him with a blood sacrificing ritual, knowing that his father would find out.  His father has ties to the area of his old life, which they've found out about it, and him having a son at all makes no sense logically thinking.  Even if she wasn't loyal or going to use the child as a sacrifice to add to her own power it made no sense to call *that* soul."

"Who was your son?" D'Hoffryn asked.

"Tim Speedle, of Miami's police department," he said with a grim look.  "We ran into his former friends because one of them's father is fixing Haven for me."

D'Hoffryn blinked at him then at her.  "He's right.  That one was not to return at all.  Much less so soon. He had earned his final rest."

She nodded.  "So why call *him* back and give him to *Harry*?  A son I can see if she's trying to get the blood's protection onto herself.  The sacrifice she made to hype him doesn't really make sense in any way that I know."

"It wouldn't have transferred?" Harry asked.

She shook her head.  "No, it wouldn't have.  Plus she couldn't have been considering using him as a future warrior for her Lord.   The blood he was tainted with made him unstable."

D'Hoffryn sighed then nodded.  "That is a hard question to answer."  He considered it.  "Before you can ask, boy, he'll be free when the giver of the blood that taints him dies."

"So, Malfoy has to go?" he asked.  Halfrek nodded.  "I think that's in Ron's plans."  She smiled at him.  "He's usefully doing some of our work for us since he wants to be a Dark Lord."  He shrugged.  "Why stop him if he's taking some of the problems out for us?"

"Good idea," she agreed.

He grinned.  "Ron's."

She laughed.  "I'll remember that."  She looked at her boss.  "Can we remove that curse?  It's not fairly done."

D'Hoffryn touched Harry's head and made him wince.

"Hands off him," Horatio said quietly.

"No, let him," Halfrek said, smiling at him.  "Harry found a very old curse on him.  It was done by one of us."  She stared at Harry, helping her boss remove the last few curses on him.  "There we go."  She gave him a hug.  "How's that?"

"Much better," he said, beaming at them.  "Thank you!"  He grinned at Horatio then at D'Hoffryn.  "Thank you for your help.  Any idea on the other two?"

He shook his head.  "Not at the moment.  Though I know who would know."

"Is his name Dumbledore?" Harry asked dryly.  Both demons nodded.  "Who cast the curse on me?"

"The father of the blood giver," D'Hoffryn said with a wicked smirk for the boy.

"Given freely or talked into it?" Horatio asked, coming closer.

"That I can't tell at this late date," D'Hoffyrn admitted, smirking at him now.  "You do much of our work for us, Horatio Caine."

"I try," he said dryly.  "What was the curse?"

"To never know the touch of a lover," Harry said.  "Which makes *no* sense if Lucius did it since he was in on the making of my son."  Horatio gaped and so did D'Hoffryn.  He nodded.  "That's why Voldemort turned him into goo."

D'Hoffryn looked at Halfrek.  "Someone has been using us as pawns.  Find out, tell me, tell him."  He disappeared.

"Thank you," Harry called.

She smiled and patted him on the head.  "Don't try it all at once, Harry."

"Yes, ma'am."  She smiled and disappeared.  He looked at Horatio.  "I was suspecting a curse.  The charms teacher found it but couldn't tell what.  Bill found out more and so I called Halfrek since she's the one who had delivered Tim to me."

"Interesting.  A bold play."

"A necessary one.  It was keeping me at the juvenile level."  He laid a hand on his arm.  "The other boys had their last growth spurt long before I even realized I was behind."

"I know, Harry."  He put an arm around his shoulders.  "Why else were they here?"

"Why, specifically, give me Tim?"  Horatio gave him a horrified look.  "They agreed with me.  He hadn't been gone that long when he was called back.  It wasn't the way it was supposed to happen.  D'Hoffryn said he had earned his final rest."

"So why call Timothy back specifically to you," Horatio finished, thinking hard.  "It is an interesting question."

"Along with the why give me a son at all question," Harry agreed.  "Makes no sense logically."

"Put together, it seems like someone ..."  He paused then looked at him.  "You said there was a blood sacrifice?"

"His mother and Lucius used Draco Malfoy's blood as a partial death sacrifice to hype him.  They said it'd clear when Draco died.  Since he wants to be a dark lord, he's on the dark lord's right hand at the moment, and he's a prat, we're pretty sure we'll meet him in the last battle."

Horatio stared at him.  "Those are some very interesting questions."

"Hmm, and Dumbledore knows the answer to at least one of them."  He stared at him.  "He hated Timmy from the first moment he saw him, even without knowing that Halfrek had brought him to me.  He kept trying to get the baby out of the school."

"We'll have him checked and spell cleaned," Horatio decided.

"I had Ron's brother Bill do it.  He's a curse breaker.  He removed one but he wouldn't tell me what."

"Is he still in town?"

"Asleep."  He smiled.  "I went to him about mine.  Though I have *no* idea what I'm to do now."

"Now, you grow up," Horatio said.  "Come on, let's get back to the house."  Harry glanced around before apparating off.  Horatio followed, having to land outside the gates.  The walk gave him a good chance to think.  They were some very interesting questions.  He found Bill and Harry in the kitchen, earning a smile from Harry.  "Did you remove the blood sacrifice's taint?" he asked.

"Nope, can't," Bill admitted.  "I can't believe you went to talk to a demon, Harry.  Mum'll shit dragons.  Charlie'll have to come home to bring them to his preserve in Romania there'll be so many."

"She's not just any demon, she's a vengeance demon, Bill.  Mostly safe to ask those sort of things to, especially since she's the one who gave me Tim."

Bill grunted, handing Horatio a cup and gave a nod at the hot water.  "Water for tea or coffee, mate."

"Thank you."  He made himself some coffee and sat down, looking at the two boys.  "What did you remove?"  Bill opened his mouth, glaring at him.  "I think Harry has the right to know since Tim's his and I was Tim's best friend before he died the first time."

Bill swallowed some tea.  "I took off a hex that would keep the baby from growing properly."

"Did I have one of those on me?" Harry asked.

"No, yours was done without it," Bill assured him.  "I checked that the first time I met you, Harry.  Not real shocked about the content of the curse on you, just that it was a curse.  Done when you were three!  How low is that!"

"Done by Lucius, who helped Tim come into being and donated Draco to the blood sacrifice," Harry added.

Bill shook his head slowly.  "You're right, that doesn't make any sense."

"Also, Tim was called back after only six months of being gone," Harry told him.

"Which makes even less sense," Horatio agreed.  "I have a contact who might be able to figure that part out, Harry.  Can I talk to them?"

"Please do!  I want Dumbledore the hell away from my son."

Horatio smiled.  "Like I said when I met you, I'd like to shoot the man."

"He's a great man," Bill said.

Horatio looked at him.  "I'm a former auror, Bill."  He gaped.  "Ah, Harry never told you.  I'm Horatio Caine.  Formerly of the US Aurors."  Bill gaped harder and let out a small whimper.  "I'm the one who took Sirius and Remus to see my people so they could help yours."

"Thank you!" he said, giving him a bat on the arm.  "Helped a lot, even if some don't like it."

"Tough," Harry said dryly.  "We're outnumbered two-to-one at the moment."  He sipped some more of his tea.  Ron wandered in and grunted at him.  "Sleep, Ron.  We're talking about the stuff that they found on me."  Ron nodded and got a drink then went back upstairs.  Both adults stared at him.  "What?"

"Wondering if it worked yet."

"Not yet," Harry sighed.  "I figure it'll be like normal.  I'll hit a growth spurt, starting getting strange thoughts, all that."

"Probably," Bill agreed.  He yawned then shook his head.  "Anyway.  Thank you for looking out for my idiot little brother and Harry, Horatio."

"Not a problem.  Even if he didn't have Tim."  That got a smile.  "Where is he anyway?  Usually he's up about now."

"He's hopefully still napping in his own room.  I finally got it decorated and he loves it," he said proudly.

Bill stared at him.  "Whose house is this?"

"It's in the family," he said with a smirk.

"Really?"  Harry nodded.  "Then why didn't we know about this one?"

"It was starting to fall in," Horatio said dryly.  "That's how we found out he was in town.  One of my coworker's father is fixing the house."  Harry just beamed at him.  "Doing a good job?"

"Very nice.  I love what he's done."  He beamed at Bill.  "I know you've tested the wards.  Will they hold?"

"Forever probably.  Even after there's no house here."  He finished his tea.  "I should stay until morning to make sure you both get to school on time."

"Not tomorrow," Horatio told him.  "I'm going to call them off so my friend can look Tim over, see if there's anything we can do until Mr. Malfoy dies."  Harry shrugged. "No tests?"

"Wednesday."

"Will you pass?" Horatio pressed.

Harry grimaced.  "I always try."

"I know, Harry.  You're doing the best you can in a very hard school."

"Ron's doing stuff we did as special topics," Bill agreed.  Harry smiled at him.  "Just try, Harry.  Mum can only scream if Ron brings her over."  He looked at Horatio.  "You let the boys go on those muggle roller coasters even with how dangerous they are?"

"They're not that dangerous.  They went to a major theme park, Bill."  He heard a wail and went to see what was wrong with the baby.  "Tim!"  Tim let out another one. "What's wrong?"   Horatio picked him up to hold, letting him snuggle into his shoulder. "What's wrong?"

Harry walked in and checked him over.  "Another of those bad dreams or a bad feeling like before the assault?" he asked gently, patting his son's back.  Horatio gave him an odd look.  "Before the assault at Remus' he was nervous and wouldn't quit fussing."

"Hmm."  He sat down in the rocking chair, looking at Tim, casting a charm to read his tiny little baby mind.  He looked at him.  "I think there's been another attack."

"Here?"

"There."  He grimaced.  "We'll have to wait and see, Harry."

Harry snorted, heading down to the floo.  "Nymphadora Tonks."  She appeared and gave him a heated glare.  "Timmy just wailed and Horatio thinks there's been an attack?  Do you need me?"

"No, Harry."  She grimaced.  "Remus was seriously hurt, but he's not dead."  Harry glared at her.  "Calm down."

"You calm down!"

"Fine, then don't calm down.  Just don't blow me up like you did the toady at the Ministry, all right?"  Harry grimaced but nodded.  "He's being worked on.  We think he'll be all right.  They attacked them when they were on a scouting mission."

Harry took a deep breath.  "Do you need me?"

"No, we need you over there learning as much as you can," she ordered.  Bill stepped up behind him.  "Bill!" she said, sighing in relief.  "Your mum was looking for you and couldn't get you."

"I've been here most of the day," he admitted.  "Do you need me?"

"Nah, battle's done with now.  Remus was the only serious injury."

"How is Sirius?" Harry asked.

"Doing poorly.  He's a bit stressed.  Speaking of, those American Aurors are pushy."

"Yes, we are," Horatio agreed as he walked in with the baby.  "Is everyone all right?"

"Remus is banged up.  He's about as bad as any auror could expect in the field after chasing a bloke for a few days."  Horatio quirked an eyebrow up at that.  "Madam Pomfrey's working on him."

"She's good at what she does," Bill agreed.  "Are you sure we can't help?  I'm heading for home later on so I can pop around."

"No, best be heading back to work, Bill.  When we need you, we'll call.  Like we will be Harry and Ron."  Horatio nodded at that wisdom.  "Now, anything I should pass back?"

Harry looked at Horatio, giving him a questioning look.  Horatio nodded so he turned back around.  "They removed the curse off me that Lucius put on me when I was three."

"What curse?" she demanded.

"One to never know the touch of a lover.  It kept me from hitting that last growth spurt and stuff," Harry told her.

She whined.  "No!  No, wrong!"  She stopped complaining and looked at him. "The same Lucius who donated his son?" she asked.  He nodded.  "Huh?"  Harry shrugged.

"We'll be seeing if there's a reason tomorrow," Horatio assured her.

"Good on you, mate.  I'll pass that back on to the worried mother.  She's a bit loud."  She grimaced.  "Bill, call home sooner, 'kay?"  She disappeared so she could make that report.  Something about Timmy was starting to worry her.  She found Tallhook and pulled him aside to go over that with him.  He was with the Department of Mysteries.  He'd know what was what.  She saw Molly and smiled, waving a bit.  "Bill went to check on Harry and Ron, Molly.  He'll call soon."  She beamed and nodded, hurrying off to her fireplace so she could wait on it.  "Met Horatio Caine," she said dryly.  "He was there too."

"He's a powerful man," he agreed.  "Not just magically.  Why was he there?"

"Holding Timmy Potter."

Tallhook moaned.  "No!"

"Yup.  Also, they removed a curse that Lucius did to Harry when he was three?"  He stared her down.  She beamed and nodded.  "Harry said so.   Which brings up some uncomfortable questions since Harry said the curse was to keep him from finding a lover."

"It kept him from that last stage of development," he said quietly.

"Then why did Lucius help give him a son?"

"Better question, why did Lucius help give him *that* son."  He walked off considering it.  He knew Horatio and he knew they had mutual contacts.  If they were going to find out about the blood taint on Timmy Potter, there's only one witch they'd go to.  So he went to talk to her first, let her know what they knew about it.  It could only help her and she'd give him back what she found out later on.

***

"It's not often I get woken up at two in the morning," a female voice greeted as she opened the door.  Her curly hair was pulled back and she gave them a slightly imperious look.  "Usually it's for a body, not for a two hour call about blood."

"Sorry," Harry said, giving her a sheepish look.  "Now that I know where you are, I can come back so you can sleep in."

"Fat chance," she said, pulling him inside.  She looked at the man behind him, smiling a bit.  "You do look cute with the baby in your arms."

"He's mine," Harry said.  "Horatio's just demanding."

"I've heard that said," she agreed dryly, shutting the door behind him.  "All right, during that two hour call with Mr. Tallhook at the DoM..."

"He's selling his time now?" Horatio asked dryly.

"Department of Mysteries, Horatio," she said impatiently.  Harry laughed. "Sure, you laugh.  I had a cranky boyfriend last night."

"We finally got my curse removed so I can figure out if I want a girlfriend or not."

She blinked then looked at Horatio.  "Huh?"

"Another part of this very twisted tale," he said, letting her have the baby.

"Aww, aren't you cute?" she cooed.

"Is that some sort of spell?" Harry asked Horatio.  "People do that to him all the time."

"It's the allure of the innocent baby, Harry," Horatio explained.  "They're all like that."

"It's so you don't murder them when they start to walk and pull things on their heads," she said, walking them into the living room.  "All right.  Let's hear the whole thing, from the start."

"How far back?" Harry asked.  "Mine or his?"

She blinked then shook her head quickly.  "Why do I need all of yours?"

"The same people keep showing up in interesting ways," Harry told her.  "The same person who hates him, is keeping knowledge from us in the war, and is trying to have Timmy removed from my care and put in with the muggle relatives who were horrid to me is the same man as my former headmaster."

She nodded slowly.  "Okay, let's start with yours then."

"I'm Harry Potter."

"I knew that.  I've read what happened."

"That night my parents died, Sirius didn't betray them."

"Read that," she agreed.

"Dumbledore put me in with my muggle aunt, her blubbery husband, and their son to be kept in a cupboard under the stairs for eleven years."

"Didn't read that," she admitted.

He held up a hand.  "Also, when I was three, *someone* convinced Lucius Malfoy to cast a demonic curse on me with the aid of a vengeance demon.  It's the one we just got removed last night and it was so I'd never know the touch of a lover."  She gave him a confused look.  "I'm fifteen."

"You look twelve."

"That's from the curse," he said grimly.  "Then, a few days after the end of the Triwizard tournament where Voldemort was raised...."

She shook her head quickly.  "He's back?"

He nodded.  "We're already at war.  Horatio's talked to the people in DC to get my people help and I'm in Miami to protect myself and my son, plus my friend Ron is with me."

"Okay," she said slowly.  "So, when did you get Timmy here?"

"A few days after the end of the tournament.  A vengeance demon dropped him off while some of her sisters went after his mother."

"Three things you should know there," Horatio injected.  "One, he's Speed reborn.  Two, they called him specifically.  Harry made sure of that part last night.  Three, they were doing blood sacrifice rites on him to make him more powerful."

"Four, Dumbledore saw him and threw an absolute fit.  Even before we knew about the blood sacrifice or who he was he was trying to send him off," Harry added.  "He ended up trying to expel me because of him.  Nearly managed it but the court wouldn't let him.  That was right before the Ministry decided to stroke out, as Ray Junior says, and have a hissy.  They arrested everyone fighting Voldemort and tried to have me expelled from the country, arrested, killed, or eaten.  That is how the warrant was issued."

She let out a small whimper.  "So, Dumbledore screwed your life up, is trying to screw Speed's up, and is now trying to hurt you?"

"We don't know.  All we know right now is that he's holding information, including about Timmy."

"He hated that name."

"He likes it now," he said dryly.  "Calls my friend Ron mum too."

She giggled, looking down at the sleeping baby.  "You're sucking up, aren't you?"

"Quite often," Horatio agreed dryly.  "He makes Eric change him as often as he can."  She cackled, nodding a bit.  "So, we know, thanks to the demons last night, that the blood tainting that they did will be gone when the donor...."

"Against his will.  That's how Ron talked him into turning in his parents," Harry told him.

"Okay, once the donor against his will dies, the blood taint will be gone."

"The problem is why call *him* and why give *me* a son," Harry told her.  "D'Hoffryn said that Dumbledore knows the answer to at least one of those."

"And again, that same name pops up," she said.  "Along with the vengeance demon theme here."

"And the Malfoys," Horatio told her.  "Lucius, Draco's father, was in on his creation.  Draco was the one whose blood was used for the blood tainting."

"The witch took some of my hair to have him made," Harry told her.  "I wasn't even in the same country at the time.  Then the vengeance demons took care of her and Anyanka left Tim beside my bed one night as a favor for Halfrek."

She considered it then nodded.  "That's one hell of a story, Harry.  I've seen fiction novels with less complicated plots."  He shrugged a bit, slinking down.  "Okay, do you trust your Headmaster?"

"Not anymore," he said honestly.  "Too many things have piled up and I know he's keeping stuff from me.  He kept the blasted prophecy from me saying I was going to murder Voldemort or he'd kill me.  He never tells me what I need to know until after I've already done something he should've been doing."

"I can agree your first year that Dumbledore should've been guarding the stone better, Harry.  Though he was pulled away at the last moment."

"So he leaves the stone there?  Or unguarded?" Harry asked.  "A few tests aren't nearly anything and Snape had an idea.  He admitted that later on."

Horatio nodded.  "I can agree that wasn't the best of plans."

"Three eleven-year-olds, two of who hadn't known about magic the year before, beat it.  Of course a full-blown teacher could.  Even with Ron being great in wizard's chess and Hermione being smart enough to figure out Snape's riddle.  And I'm sorry, one was a flying test, one was Ron's speciality, one was Hermione's area."  He gave him a look.  "The more I look back the more I see the subtle hand of 'no, you do it'."

"I can agree with that," Horatio said.  "Your second year he was apparently trying."

"No one else thought to hunt the basilisk?" he asked dryly, giving him a look.  "Or monitor the hallways?  Or the opening to the chamber since he knew where it was?"  Horatio moaned.  "Even if there wasn't another parseltongue available in the school, it took Hermione three weeks to figure out what the creature was.  Dumbledore's had how much more education?  Ray pointed that one out.  They could've stopped Ginny during one of her wandering sessions.  I have a map of the school with everyone on it and where they are.  The twins had it before me, they could've asked them for it.  The headmaster knew it was around."

"He's got a point," she said.  The baby yawned at her.  "Good morning, Speed."  Speed spit at her then wiggled until he flipped over, hiding his face in her breast.  "Sorry, too early for you?"  He nodded.  "That's fine, you rest."  She looked at him.  "What about your Magical Creatures professor?"

"Hagrid?  He had a problem that year but I'm surprised he didn't know.  He loves deadly things."

She gave him an odd look.  "Who's doing potions, Harry?"

"Snape," he said dryly.  "Hates me.  I suck in there anyway but he still hates me.  He just hates me via long distance now."

"They haven't had a steady defense teacher either," Horatio told her.  "They had Lockhart one year."  She burst out laughing, making Speed bite her.  "No biting, Tim."  He smiled at her.  "They had a Death Eater using polyjuice last year as a defense teacher; he was supposedly a retired, paranoid auror."

"I learned a lot about unforgivables.  And Boggarts.  He was our second-best teacher yet."

"Miami's headmistress wanted to make him a second year," Horatio told her.

"Was it like that before his year?"

Horatio shrugged. "It could've been a gradual decline and no one noticed.  I got brought into it when Eric's father found Tim because he's fixing Harry's house.  Harry lets us have as much fun time with him as we want."

She smiled.  "That's nice of you, Harry."

He yawned then grinned.  "Less nappies for me to change," he quipped, cracking her up again.  His son gave him an evil look.  "What?  It is!  The more times Eric gets to change you, the less Ron and I have to."

The baby yawned then scowled.  "Bahbah."  He put his face back into the comforting breast and let himself drift off again.

Harry shrugged.  His son could think he was bad again.  He'd get over it.  Horatio was laughing.  "I think we're too loud for him."

Harry took him back and cast a silencing charm around his carrier, sliding him inside it.  "There, now he won't care."  He grinned at her.  "So, what can you help us with?"

"I'm very good at blood magics, Harry."  He smiled.  "Though you're right, we do need to know why someone wanted you to have a son.  It's not how your current Dark Lord would play it."

"He was still dead when they made him," Harry told her.  "He was a ghoul."

"Charming."

"No, charming was he was on the back of my first defense teacher's head," he said, giving her a look.  She shuddered.  "Drinking unicorn blood too.  Found him on detention once in the Forbidden Forest.  Yet, the anti-dark magic wards around Hogwarts never caught onto that fact or that my first year Defense teacher was hiding the ghoul on the back of his head with only a turban.  The ones that supposedly have kept out dark wizards in the past and have expelled students who're playing with dark magic."

She gave him a horrified look.  "You have a dark forest around your school?"

"You know, I get asked that a lot," he quipped, cracking Horatio up.  "He and Eric asked the same thing.  So did most of the teachers."

She moaned, holding her head.  "Do we think this Dumbledore is a bad guy?"

"He beat Grinderwald," Harry told her.

"Doesn't mean anything, Harry."

"I know.  He seems like a nice old man.  Seems a bit barmy really.  Then you look back and things start to fall into focus."

"They do say hindsight is perfect vision," she agreed.  She looked at the baby again.  "We'll probably have to wake him up to test him."

"Will it hurt him?"

"Piss him off maybe but it won't hurt him.  Or it shouldn't hurt him as long as he's not been made into something intolerable, like a ghoul."

"No, he eats fruit, not unicorns," he offered, taking off the carrier so she could have it.

"Let Horatio and I work, you stay out here and be a nervous father."  She stood up, walking him and the baby back into her work area, closing the sliding doors so they'd have a bit of privacy.  "What do you think?"

"I think Dumbledore's a bit manipulative," he admitted.  "I think he manipulated Lucius into casting that curse as well."

"Why vengeance demons?"

"It could be removed without consequence if it had to be reversed and they suddenly needed a next generation to fight the same war again?  Perhaps because he thought no one would look and if they did, it could be argued someone else did it to him?"

"But why give him a son?"

"That's what still worries both of us.  Especially *this* son."  She looked at him.  "D'Hoffryn agreed on that point.  They had to call him specifically."

She sighed.  "I'm sorry, Horatio."

"I'm not losing him or his father, or the one he thinks of as a mother," he said firmly, getting a smile back.  "Even if I have to jump in and go beat his ass myself, Stella."

"Let me know if you do.  I'll be there."

"You, Tony, Eric," he said dryly.  "It's been a crisis of getting back in touch with people I used to work with."  He laughed a bit dryly.  "I walked into the office and someone nearly passed out."

"Well you said you'd be back when the world ended as you walked off in a huff over the new supervisor's crappy decisions."

"Tabitha decided I had."  They smiled and got to work on the baby.  He woke up once but he soothed him back into a nap and it was good enough.  "Can we deal with the blood taint?"

"Yes," she decided.  "But it's going to be a good, long spell to do it."  He shrugged a bit one sidedly.  "Some of us do work, Horatio."

"I know.  I called off today, called Harry off today, called you off today."

"You called Mac for me?"

"Yup.  Told him I needed you for a very important case.  That it was something you'd understand better and Calleigh wasn't going to be able to get it."

"Aww, that's so sweet," she said, pinching him on the cheek.  "Too bad he doesn't know."  She walked out and handed Harry the baby back.  "Okay.  We can do a few things."  She sat down across from him.  She watched as Harry put the baby down next to him and readied himself.  "We can strip some of the blood taint off him.   That would loosen his connection to the guy who's tainting him."

"Draco," he supplied.

"Okay, it'll loosen his link to Draco.  Because if he's seriously hurt, Tim could feel it."

"Voldemort likes to crucio his people but Tim hasn't felt it yet that I know of," Harry told her.

"Which is good.  How long do you think it'll last?"

"Probably not very.  Draco's a smartass."  She smiled at that.  "Just as much as I am really."  He glanced at his son.  "What else can we do?"

"We can take the secondary small taint off the boy.  Because the vengeance demon who hefted and toted him linked him to you."

"He always fusses right before an attack," Harry agreed.  She gaped.  He nodded.  "That's how we knew Remus was hurt.  He wailed for a good, long time.  I don't know how he's picking that up off me though."

"Oh, no, it goes through you to someone else," she said dryly.

He gave her a look.  "Hermione's using a psychic mirroring charm."

"Then it's probably to her."

"You said he fussed at the first assault," Horatio noted.  Harry nodded.  "Was she using it then?"

"Who knows with Hermione," he said with a small shrug.  "I may never understand girls and that one especially."

Horatio smiled.  "Most men don't understand women, Harry."  He looked at her.  "Now what, Stella?"

"Now, we need to do both of those at night and we need to do one other thing.  We need to get his dad to a point where he's stable on his own.  Did you not eat breakfast, Harry?"

"I had two," he said, shrugging a bit.  "Since they found the curse everyone keeps wanting me to eat and get fat."

She gave him a look then ran a check over him, sighing a bit.  "Someone's mother wants to make sure you're being taken care of."

"Mrs. Weasley," he moaned.

"No, not her.  You mentioned her and the stuff she put on you flashed.  This was done by some other nice mothering person."

"McGonagall?"  She shook her head because something else flashed.  "Madam Pomfrey?"

"Can't tell, she doesn't have anything else on you."  She undid the charm, making them all happier.  "There, less nagging."  She leaned back again.  "We can spell clean him tonight.  It'll be a long day however."

"I'm good with long on both sides," Harry promised.  "Seen a lot of it studying since Miami's much harder than Hogwarts."

She smiled.  "Good to know."  She stood up.  "Let me call around to gather some help."  He opened his mouth.  "They won't talk, Harry.  I know they won't talk."  He relaxed again.  "Why are you so paranoid?"

"Voldemort stole me from Hogwarts during the last trial using a portkey in the maze."

"Ah.  So you suspect everybody."

"Especially since someone died because they went with me."

She nodded.  "That's a reasonable reason."

"Plus I know the Dark Lord wants him."

"Probably," she agreed.

"Did you figure why they brought Tim?"

"No, but I think that the Headmaster won't ever tell you.  Maybe it's because they knew you'd need a strong, capable, bright son.  Speed was always bright and he was a sarcastic guy so he could handle traumas."

"So they gave me a son who could manage if I died and he had to become me?"  Horatio gaped at that bit of logic.

"It's possible," she admitted.  "That's the nicer version of why Speed."  She patted him on the head, going back to her work area.  "Horatio, take the boys out to sightsee or something.  Bring him and dinner back."

"Yes, Stella."

"Thank you, Stella," Harry called.

She smiled out at him.  "It's what I do, Harry."  He nodded, letting Horatio walk them off. She sighed and got to work calling around to find herself some help.  That blood tainting was a bad thing and they'd either have to replace it or nearly kill the baby to get the last of the foreign blood out.

***

In England the next morning, Sirius was watching over their prisoner.  Draco Malfoy had been captured but he wasn't being cooperative by any definition of the word.  He frowned.  "Madam Pomfrey!" he bellowed.  She came rushing in to examine the prisoner.  "What's wrong with him?"

"It looks like...  Backlash?" she said.

Sirius straightened up.  "They broke the blood taint on Timmy."   She beamed at him.  "Thank you."  She left so he looked at the now scowling boy.  "That means you can die without killing my great-godson."

"You know very well Weasley and I have a truce," he sneered back.

"Hmm, so does the Dark Lord probably, Draco."  He smirked at him.  "By the way, nice move to try to claim the Black family money when the Ministry tried to claim Harry's.  Very subtle."

"Thank you."  He smirked back.  "Mum always said I was sneakier than she ever could be."

"Which is a good point."  He leaned on the table, looking at his nephew.  "You know it's still going to come down to a duel, Draco.  So give him up.  It can only help your standing."

"Ah, but then the others won't follow me."

"Do you really want them to?  Most of them are less than stellar," Sirius pointed out.

"Perhaps not but the rebuilding will take me a good portion of my young life."

"True, but it'd mean you'd live.  Because even if you escape, the moment you appear over there he'll kill you.  If he knew anything about the blood tainting he'll know you're not connected to Harry and Timmy anymore."

Draco shook his head.  "I have things he needs.  Including the Malfoy money."

"You're overestimating your worth to him, Draco.  If you don't believe me, think about it."

"I have.  I also have the potion that's extending his life in my personal cauldron since Severus was captured."  He gave him a smug look.  "If he kills me there's no one who can make it for him unless he captures Granger or someone."

"You know very well he's tried for her twice, Draco."

"To shut her up.  How did your godson stand her babbling and nagging?"

"He complained about it," he said dryly, standing up again.  "He won't get her.  If we have to, we'll send her somewhere."

"He has some of her blood after the last try for her," Draco said with an evil smirk.  "He can track her anywhere now."

"Interesting.  Why are you playing this game?"

"I'll be damned if I'm going to bow down to a half-blood like him," he sneered.  "Unknown witch of unknown origins and a muggle father?  No Malfoy should ever bow down to him.  No, if there's going to be a pureblood movement, it's going to be run by a pureblood.  As noted, I am one of the brighter ones of my generation, and apparently the two before mine."  He gave him a smug grin again.  "So we'll see who ends up on top.  For now....  How did that magazine put it?  Oh, yes, I'm networking."

Sirius laughed.  "You're so full of yourself.  You know we could send him the film of this interview."

Draco shrugged.  "While that may happen some day, I'm still the one making his potions."

"He won't trust them."

"No, he won't.  He has someone test them for him," he said with a smug look.  Sirius gaped.  "For now, my position suits me."

"And later?"

"Later, well, that's going to be a bit messy to get some people out of my way.  Not if you got off your arses of course, but for the rest of us it'll be a bit messy."

"Oh, we're not sitting idly, Draco," he assured him.  "Remember, you've bled there too."

"Of course I have.  Took you long enough, Uncle."  Sirius glared at him so he gave him a smug look.  "Weasley's not the only one who can play wizard's chess."

"Point."  He huffed off, going to talk to Minerva.  She was in charge while Dumbeldore was with the Ministry twits again.  "He pointed out that the asshole has Hermione's blood after the last try for her."

"No, he has Neville's blood after the last try for me," Hermione told him.  "I commonly wear blood packs.  It was also charmed to not be his.  It was very old blood.  It'll probably only lead back to his parents."  She looked at him.  "What else did he say?"

"He said it was about time when I pointed out he had bled there too.  Also, the git has a tester for his potions."

"As is reasonable," Snape said from his cauldron.  He looked over.  "Is he still persisting in the delusion that they'll follow him?"

"He said if there's going to be a pureblood uprising, there'd better be a pureblood leading it.  That he's better than his generation and the two before."

Snape snorted. "I doubt that.  He doesn't know all the purebloods in the world."  He went back to stirring his present concoction.  "Miss Granger, the moth wings?"  She handed over the crushed wings.  "These are not the right sort, girl."

She snorted and opened the book.  "It says to use that sort when you want to use it to get a small fix, Professor."  She walked off, going back to her own potion.  "How's Harry?"

"I don't know but apparently the blood taint's been broken," he announced.  Snape and Hermione both stared at him, mouths open.  He snickered. "You two look so much alike right now.  He clutched his chest and doubled over.  I had Poppy check him.  She said so."

"So someone powerful knows," Snape said.  "Girl, who is your tutee hiding with?  There must be someone with some sense and power there if that was finally broken."

"You mean like Horatio Caine?"  Snape stiffened and stared at her.  She smirked and nodded.  "He leads back to Timmy's former life.  They met that way."

"He's an auror," McGonagall said.  "I remember the last war he was barely old enough but he was here helping."

Snape nodded.  "Usually helping ward houses."  He went back to his potion, adding the moth wings.  If she wasn't right, he'd get to browbeat her later.  It was the most fun he'd had all year, wearing down her ego.

Sirius grinned at Minerva.  "My dear Professor McGonagall.  Can we call Harry back yet?"

"Not yet."  He pouted but nodded.  "You could go visit."

"It could lead them there."

"Haven is well protected and well hidden," Hermione reminded him.  "As well as him having a whole school of well trained people behind him."  She smiled.  "You should've heard Ron's last complaint about all the homework they have to do there."

McGonagall shook her head.  "She and I talked for over ten hours after she met Ron and Harry.  Mostly her swearing about our educational standards being so far below the rest of the world's."  Snape gave her a dirty look.  "By the way, you were faulted for not making them deal with whole specimens as well as various potions by their potion master.  He said he had to have them tutored in how to deal with things that were still whole."

"Making the students mangle more ingredients only costs us more time and money, and leads to more explosions in my classroom," he said dryly.

"Harry said he's only seen one.  They have dampening fields built into the walls."

"I'll have to have some installed when mine gets rebuilt by your boyfriend," he sneered.

"Boyfriend?" she snorted.  "Not hardly.  Ron would not appreciate my mind or my body, Professor.  Why would I be more than friends with him?"  She went back to her potion.

"So which are you looking for?" Sirius teased.  "Someone to worship your mind or your body?"  She shrieked and threw something at him.  He laughed.  "Can't decide, Hermione?"

She glared at him.  "I'd rather be worshiped for my mind.  I can train him to worship the rest of me properly."  McGonagall burst out laughing at that, nodding a bit at the truth.  "After all, all men are like dogs and therefore trainable, even you, Sirius Black."  He blushed and walked off again.  She smiled at her head of house.  "Sorry, had to be said," she quipped then got back to work.

Snape glared at her.  "Many men would find your nature and ego offputting."

"Don't want them anyway, Professor.  Why do I want some boring man who'll only read beside me?"

He huffed and went back to work.  That girl was so infuriating!  Minerva walked out giggling, going to share that with Poppy and Madam Sprout.  He got back to work.  There wasn't time to waste with these potions.  "Do you have the gall ready?"

"No.  You said you were going to do that."  She got him the bottle and handed it over.  "There."  She went back to stirring hers, counting the strokes.  When she was finally done she had to strain it then she could rub her sore shoulder.  Snape gave her a look.  "I don't like the automatic stirring charm.  It doesn't lead to an even stroke for me."

"It's your nature," he assured her.

"Really?  Well, I can think of a few who like my nature more than that spell then."  She came over to help him since hers was done.  He obviously needed it since he was behind.

***

Harry looked up from his potions class, frowning.  Something was not right.  He glanced at Ron, he wasn't reacting, so it wasn't the house or the main battle group back in England.  He nodded for the teacher's benefit and walked out into the hallway, trying to figure out what was going on.  "Fuck me," he muttered.  The teacher gave him an odd look when he turned around.  "One of the people I put alarms around just got attacked," he said quietly.  "Have Ron pick up Timmy for me please.  Tell him it's not at home.  It's the one who just helped him."  He jogged off, heading to the apparation point for the school.  He sent himself there, landing in a dull alleyway just off the battle area.  He strolled out and casually cast a hex at the idiots attacking the nice woman.  She gave him an odd look.  "You needed help?" he asked with a disarming grin, the one that usually kept him from being yelled at.

"Potter," one of them sneered.

"Yes, you brilliantly brought me out of hiding on some other city's grounds," he said flatly, hexing them both again.  "Can't you go back where you came from?"  Another hex.  "Stupid morons!  You're not even allowed over here.  They have immigration rules and I doubt they'd allow the less-than-stellar brain patrol over!"  He shot another one, binding them even as the shrinking spells started.

"Harry!  Stop!" she commanded.  He undid the last one with a mumble, giving her a sheepish look.  "Bored today were we?" she demanded, tapping a foot.  "I can protect myself.  I'm actually trained, Harry."

"And I'm not?" he joked with another grin.  "I had alarms put around you in case they came after you because you helped Tim."  She gaped.  He nodded, taking a step back.  "I couldn't let them hurt you for helping him.  It's not right!" he insisted.  He took another step back and ran into someone.  "Um...."

"Stella, you good?" the guy asked, holding Harry in place.

"Let him go.  He's  on our side, Don."

Don looked at the kid then at her.  "He looks like he's supposed to be in school."

"I am, I should be in potions right about now," Harry offered.

"You're British, what are you doing over here?"

Harry beamed at hi.  "Harry Potter, mate."  He held out a hand.   The guy just whimpered.  "I'm hiding; she helped my son Timmy, so I had alarms around her in case they came for her because of that.  So I'm skiving off  potions at the moment.  Ron's gonna be so pissed."

"You came from England?" Don Flack demanded.

"Hogwarts is in Scotland and no, I'm in the US hiding."

"So you came out of hiding, skipping a class, to come save Stella because she helped your son?" he clarified.  Harry grinned and nodded.  "Do you have no sense!" he shouted.  "You could've died!"

"Not really.  They didn't send the brightest after her in the least," Harry offered.  He felt someone else coming and hid his wand.  "I'm sorry, they attacked her because she helped my son.  Of course I'm going to help her!  I'm not some freeloading little bastard, thank you."

"Stella, are you all right?  What happened?" the new guy asked as he joined them.  "Who's this?  And why are they tied up?"

"He did it," Don told him.  "They were attacking Stella so Harry here jumped in to help her because she had helped him recently with something."  Harry nodded, waving a bit.  "I'm wondering if we're going to take him somewhere and scream at him, Stella?"

"Horatio said he had 'jump in' syndrome.  Harry, you should stay protected."

"I'm not even from here," he protested.  "They can't track me back."

"They could," she said dryly.  "There's many ways of tracking you home."

"Not those two.  They barely passed last year's classes."  He unhooded them and waved.  "Hi, Crabbe, hi, Goyle."  They both mumbled 'hello' back.  "Did Draco send you or did the big goober?"

"What's a goober?" Crabbe asked, looking very confused.

"I don't know, I got it off a new friend," he admitted.  "But I'm sure it's bad.  Did the head bad idiot send you?"  They shook their heads.  "Draco?"  They nodded.  "Why?"

"She ended one of the paths to him getting power.  Now he can't take your son and sacrifice him to gain his power too," Goyle complained.  "It's wrong of her to do, Potter."

Harry patted him on the head.  "If you get to go home again, tell Draco I said I'm sending a dragon up his arse, all right?"  They both nodded.  "Good boys."  He straightened up.  "Now, I've got to get back to class.  My new teachers are worse than Snape ever dreamed of being."  They shuddered.  "Exactly."  He turned around and smiled.  "So I'll be off then."

"Freeze," the new guy said.  "I want to know what's going on."

Harry stared at his evil glare then grinned back.  "You know, I've had female teachers who glare *so* much better than you do.  Including a barmy one who keeps saying I'm going to die."  The guy looked stunned so Harry ran off and apparated from the alley when he was out of sight.

"I'll get someone onto him later," Stella said.

"It was nice he showed up ta help," Don said dryly, staring her down.  "What did you do?"

"I...."  She froze Mac then looked at him again.  "I removed the blood taint from his son."

"He's got a son at his age?"

"Yup," Goyle said.  "One of the female death eaters had him made, called him back early from his rest and everything," he told him.  "Tainted him with Draco's blood, which was why he was pissed that she removed it."

"Shut up!" Crabbe complained. "They don't need to know about that or Voldemort's new plans for the boy."

"Oh, yes I do and I'm so much scarier than any whiny little school kid, boys.  I'd tell me before I have to pull out every ounce of bitch in me."

"Then you're an animagus?" Crabbe asked.  "I wanted to try that."

Stella cast a hex at them.  "No, I'm a former auror candidate."  He screamed and writhed until she released it.  "Now!  What plans do you have for Timmy Potter?"

Goyle blabbed until he ran out of words, most of them unintelligible with the way they ran together.  Don looked at her. "Did you get that?"

"Only the 'find him, capture him, use him as a sacrifice of power' part," she admitted.  She looked at them.  "Do they know what city he's in?"  They shook their heads.  She raised her wand.  "Truth or do I have to start cutting off centimeters from the already small dicks?"  They both tried to curl up and nodded.  "They do know?"  They shook their heads.  "Does Draco know?"  They shook their heads.  "Where do they think he is?"

"Brazil," Crabbe squeaked.  "We're sorry, ma'am!  We had no idea you were worse than Professor McGonagall on the rag!"

Don stepped out of the way.  "Advice, guys.  Free and all that.  If you live, don't mention women's cycles.  It gets them cranky.  She's scared heads of countries when she's cranky."  They went pale and wiggled over to kiss her feet.  "Aww, they like you, Stell."

"Yay me."  She got free and undid Mac.  "So, are we arresting them or sending them on?"

"I say we let their own people deal with them," Don offered.

Mac glared at them.  "I know something just happened. I want a full explanation now, Stella."  She gave him a look.  "Right now."

"And with that, I'm going to go back to haunting my desk," Don offered, hauling up both boys.  It was bad when Mac went into full-on, pissed off Marine snit mode.  Really, really bad.  It was kinder if he got the idiots out of the way before they died from the yelling.

"Drop them," Mac snapped.  Don did that and stepped away from the future corpses.  "What is going on, Flack?"

"I got here after they were tied up, Mac."

"And I  know they didn't move that far when all I did was blink."  Mac stared him down then Stella.  "I want answers, Stella.  Now."

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," she assured him.  "I have it handled, Mac."

"I don't care!"

"Hmm.  How to put this delicately.  Witches exist, Stella's one, and the kid who was here helping her is one too," Don said.

Mac glared.  "I said a *real* explanation, Flack."

"That was!" he defended.

Stella pulled her wand and tapped him on the forehead, doing a small transformation.  "Cute ears, Mac.  Don, let's pick up the wannabes and take them somewhere I can call my former bosses so they can pick them up."   He nodded, helping her haul one of them to his car.  They came back and found Mac playing with his doggy ears.  They got him back to the car by the time Mac had stormed over and taken her wand to look at.  "Hey!  That's like my sidearm.  You don't grab it!"  She snatched it back.  "Asshole."  She fixed his ears back.  "There, better?"

"No!" he growled.  He stepped closer, pressing her against the side of the car.  "I want real answers, Stella, not the cute little ones and not dog ears."

She grinned.  "But you looked so cute!" she cooed.  "I almost wanted to pet them, Mac."  His growl got deeper.  "And you sound like a dog too."

Don coughed.  "Mac, if you keep threatening her, the kid'll end up coming back.  It'll only cause more problems.  Please?"  Mac glared at him and he stepped back before he got set on fire.  Mac wasn't magical by any means but that death glare of his sent heat at you.  "I'll gladly put off my paperwork while you two have this talk and I try to unbind those two.  Please?  We don't need the kid to skip more classes."

"Who was he?"

"He's a kid I helped a few days back when Horatio called me off," she admitted.

"Horatio?  The guy from the Miami lab?" Don asked, looking confused.  She nodded.  "He's one of us?"

"Yeah, he was in the class ahead of me for auror candidates.  He used to have one hell of a temper.  Scared a president or three."  She looked at Mac again.  "See, it's all very logical but it's a very long story so I'll need water during it.  Can we go back to the office?"

"Who else knows?" Mac asked.  "Beyond Horatio, who I'll be calling later."

"It's not your fight, Mac," she said gently.  "It's our kind over in Britain having a small war."  He gave her a lesser glare.  "It is!"

"I'll be hearing about that too I'm sure.  Get in.  Get back to the office.  If Danny knows, drag him in too."

"Why would Danny know?" Don asked.

"He's not one of you?"  They both shrugged. "Yes, no?"

"Not a clue," Don admitted.  "I only knew Stella was because she needed my help a few times.  We went to the same school but she was ahead of me."

"Whatever.  Office.  Now."  They headed that way and he groaned, going back to his SUV so he could calm down on the drive there.  On the way he decided to call Horatio.  "Why did you really call off my second-in-command and why was there a young guy saving her earlier?"  He heard the groan.  "The truth please, Horatio.  No, I'm not in my office.  I'm in a truck.  I'm heading back to my office to deal with the two  other young boys the first one who came to help Stella captured."  He listened to the off-microphone swearing.  "That's what I thought.  However you do it, get up to my office, Horatio.  I want full answers and I want them now," he ordered calmly, then he hung up and finished his drive in the horrible midtown traffic.  Maybe he'd see if however the kids had gotten here from England was applicable to him.  It'd beat Manhattan traffic any day.  He finally parked and got out, walking into his office.  He paused when he saw Danny in the halls.  "Danny, would you happen to know anything about two British boys in masks and robes attacking Stella earlier or the young guy Harry who came to save her?"

Danny Messer gave him a long stare.  "Are you feeling all right, Mac?  Maybe have a fever?"

"No, and if you can induce one in me, don't."  He stared him down, then stepped closer.  "Wooden, pointy thing please."

"Why would I have a stake?" he asked, looking a bit confused.

Don walked up behind Danny.  "Mac, I told you we don't know."

"Bull.  He always knows what's going on, Don.  I'm sure he's got the same wooden, pointy thing you do."

Don patted Danny's pockets down, stealing a piece of gum to make it look good to those watching.  "No wand on him."  Danny gave him a horrified look so he grinned.  "Stella was two years ahead of me in school."  Danny walked off swearing.  "If you were there, you can come help too, Messer."

"Fuck off, Flack," he yelled.

"My office!" Mac shouted.  "Now."  Danny walked that way mumbling.  He glared at Don.  "You too."

"I'm going," he complained, heading that way.  He waved at a few people he knew.  "Don't ask.  Someone attacked Stella.  We helped get her out of there.  No one told Mac first."  The rest of the lab seemed to vanish so they wouldn't have to deal with Mac's bad mood too.  He walked into the office, nodding at the redhead in the chair, chatting with Stella.  "Hey.  How's Miami?"

"Warm and humid, like always.  What happened?"  He glared at the two boys when they opened their mouths.  "I didn't ask you yet.  Your turn is coming."  They hunched down and tried to look small and invisible.  Hard to do when you were as big as a football player, but they did try very hard.  Mac walked in and shut his office door.  "Harry skipped what to come help Stella?"

"Potions," Stella said dryly.

"I'll be yelling at him later," he assured her.

"I know you said he had 'jump in' syndrome, Horatio, but he had alarms put around me in case they came after me because I helped his son."

Horatio nodded.  "They used a temporal potion to go back and liberate the school and Ministry.  That's why the building fell in."  She gaped.  "It got their fighters, and later the school, free of Voldemort."

"There's a good place to start," Danny said, glaring at them.  "He's back?"  Horatio nodded. "That was declared a hoax!"

Horatio nodded.  "By one of the Death Eaters hiding as the Minister for Magic, Danny.  He's since died.  I'm helping hide Harry and Ron Weasley.  Plus Harry's son."

Danny groaned.  "He's got a kid?  At his age!"

"No, someone made him a son without his consent or knowledge," Horatio told him.  "A vengeance demon delivered him."  Danny growled.  "Stella had to clear the blood taint they did to him off.  Before you ask, yes, the mother was a death eater as well.  He killed her and five others involved in bringing his son into being.  One of them turned into goo.  Those two little twerps serve that one's son and the boy wants to be the next Dark Lord."

"Goodie," Danny said flatly.

Don shook his head quickly.  "And how's the war going?"

"Slowly," Horatio admitted.  "They didn't want to accept American or other help.  They have it anyway but they didn't want it.  Two of their people in charge our people in charge have doubts about, mostly their motives.  They're all in hiding.  Harry's formally going back for the last battle right before school starts next year."  They all moaned.  "He said to give him enough time to get his son to the same age he was."  He shrugged.  "We're working with him of course, but it's slow going.  There's been a few other things in the way.  Like one of the people who're now dead having cursed him to never know the touch of a lover.  It kept him from finishing his maturity."

"From the top please," Mac said, walking over to his desk.  "Volde...what?"

"Voldemort, their big, bad guy.  Runs a pureblood crusade to wipe out anything less than purebred," Don told him.

"Danny?" Mac asked.

"What?"  He glared at him.  "I don't answer to you on this, Mac.  You're not even supposed ta know.  We can all go ta jail for telling you."

Horatio smiled.  "I have special authority."  That got an evil smirk from Stella.  "Yes, they put me back on the payroll temporarily since I'm helping guard the savior."  He looked at Mac.  "Where would you like us to start?  The first version of this war?  The current one?  Just where it involves Stella?"

"Let's start back at the beginning.  If I have an overview maybe I can help."

"Mac, this person thinks of you normal folk like roaches," Horatio told him.  "He's got a severe desire to rule the world.  He made himself slightly immortal to accomplish that."

"I'm still a Marine, I can still plan engagements, and it sounds like you need it if they're any indication of what's going on."

"No, those twerps are bad guys," Stella told him.  Danny glared at her.  "I cleared the blood taint off Timmy Potter.  They came after me for destroying the next wannabe's power base since it was his blood that tainted him."

"Huh.  I'm supposing Timmy's the son?"

"And reborn," Horatio agreed.  Danny stiffened.  "Called specifically."  He stared at him.  "Which is why even if we wanted to, Timmy's not leaving Miami for a good, long time.  I haven't told Alexx or Calleigh yet but they're going to throw fits."

"Ya think?" Stella asked dryly.  She sat down, opening her bottle of water.  "All right, from the top.  I'm a witch, the guys are wizards."

***

A petite blonde woman walked up to Eric in the CSI lab, laying a hand on his arm.  "I swear I met your son earlier being held by one of Horatio's relatives."

He gave her an odd look.  She could only have met one pair.  "Why do you say that?"

"I said the baby was cute, but he corrected me and said he was studly.  I joked and said he was too young for that yet.  He said he must be because pretty women like me stopped to admire him."  Eric laughed, nodding a bit.  "Then he said that you and the baby gave him that line."  She smiled sweetly.  "You two keep disappearing to a house your father's working on.  There's something going on and unless I'm being investigated I want to know what."

Eric sighed, nodding for her to follow.  He walked her to Yelina's desk.  "Can I bum the pictures from the park?"  She smiled and handed them over.  "Ron just fed her a line."

Yelina laughed.  "He's very good at them.  The ones you gave him seem to make him look adorable instead of lecherous like they do you, Eric.  I want those back."

"Sure."  He walked her outside to a small table off to the side of the building.  It was technically the smoking area but no one was on break.  He put the pictures down in front of her.  "The redhead in there?"  She nodded and pointed when she found him. "That's Ron.  The dark-haired one next to him is Harry.  Harry owns the house my dad's fixing," he said quietly.  "The boy Timmy is Harry's son."  She smiled at that.  "He didn't help his conception.  Someone did it for him."  She scowled at him, letting him have the pictures back.  "We've been watching over the boys."

"No parents?"

He shrugged.  "Guardians on Harry, parents for Ron, but they're involved in a mess at home in England so the boys are here for school reasons.  It was Harry's son Tim you saw with Ron.  Harry must be off doing something or getting into trouble."  She grimaced. "Not that sort of trouble. He's a straight kid most of the time but he tends to find people who need help and steps in to do that."  Horatio reappeared, fortunately behind her.  "Horatio."  He looked over and smiled. "She ran into Ron in the park and got fed one of my best lines yet."

"I see."  He came over to smile at the pictures. "Harry ended up helping the person I took him to see the other day.  He's in detention right now because he had to skip a few classes to do that."  Eric snickered and nodded.  "He's also in a lot of trouble and now Mac Taylor wants to help the boys as well."

"He's not..." Eric started.

Horatio shook his head.  "No but he can plan battles.  That could help Ron."

"Battles?" she asked.  "What battles?  Are they in a street gang?"

"No," Eric said.  "There's a bad guy over at home that wants to sacrifice Harry so he has some higher bits of power."

She shook her head.  "I don't understand.  Did I hear you wrong?"

Eric shook his head.  "No."  He handed the pictures back.  "Yelina's."

"I'll make sure they get back to her.  Calleigh, we've both been watching out for the boys while their parents are making sure that the people who want to hurt or kill them can't find them.  Unfortunately Harry likes to jump in and that draws attention."  He looked at Eric.  "Had alarms around her."

"Good for him.  He's paranoid for a good reason, H."

"I know.  Still, I spent the last little bit explaining all this to Mac."  He walked off, taking the pictures back to Yelina.  He ran into Frank Tripp at her desk chatting.  "Frank.  Here, Yelina.  Thank you."  He smiled at her.  Then at Frank.  "Anything new come up?"

"Not yet and no new cases today either.  It's like Miami's on pause or something."

"It could very well be."

"Even this city has to take a day to appreciate the sun and beauty around it," Yelina agreed.  "They'll start again sometime next week.  How are the boys?"

"Harry had to go help Stella earlier.  So I just got done talking to Mac."  She burst out laughing.  "Not funny.   He's in detention."

"Good!  It's a wise adult who's going to stop the boys."

"That's probably why Ron had the baby in the park and gave Calleigh a pickup line."  He walked off, going to take something for his headache in the quiet of his office.  He was going to have to teach both boys about stealth and subtlety.  Soon.

Alexx Woods, their shift's ME, walked into his office and shut the door, looking at him.  "There's a baby with a baby under your control and you haven't introduced me yet?"

"I think you'd overpower them, Alexx," he said honestly. "One's not used to having anyone who cares and the other's got a very good mother, she's simply unavoidably detained from being over here."  He looked at her.  "He's the second youngest of seven."

She frowned.  "I still don't think you two can mother a pair of boys and their baby very well.  You're men.  It's not right."

He smiled gently.  "We've done good so far.  Plus Yelina's met them since the boys go to Ray Junior's school.  That's who she took to Universal Studios with him and Eric."

She pursed her lips.  "She's good, but I'm still better.  They can't have a clue what to do with that baby."

"Actually, Ron's very good," he assured her.  "If not, they have Eric's father working on one's house."

"So they're rich boys?" she asked dryly.

He shrugged. "Moderately wealthy.  They're over here to do school, Alexx.  I'd introduce you but I think it'd probably end up hurting someone.  Probably them.  You don't like to let go when you've got a new son."

She glared at him.  "I will be meeting them, Horatio Caine, or I will go around you to meet them.  Whatever problem they've got could only be helped by a mother's touch."

He sat up straighter.  "Alexx, it's not that sort of problem.  The boys are doing all right."

"They can be doing better!  No one's there to fuss over their diet and things!"

He smiled.  "As great as you at that, the boys are involved in a problem at home.  They're being hunted by someone who wants to kill them and others for fun."  She gaped.  He nodded.  "That's why we're hiding them.  The more people who know, the more chance there is of someone overhearing something and a leak getting back to them.  Which could endanger more of Miami.  I don't want you or your kids hurt."  Which she would be since Speed had been her adopted son.  She had loved Speed so much.  Seeing him now would only hurt her.  And him.  "Please?"

She shook her head.  "You know I'm not going to talk about it, Horatio.  They need a woman's hand near them.  Especially the one who's never had one."

"I'll see if the boys would agree," he said finally.  He had no intention of it.  Ron wanted Harry to have more mothers too.  Probably so he could have his back but he was all for Harry gathering more mothering sorts around him.  She smiled and walked off.  He put his head down, realizing there was a sealed piece of parchment on his desk.  He opened it and sighed at the message in there.  His former bosses did not like the twerp twins as Stella had named them.  Pity.  Though the question about Harry being insane was a bit funny.  He'd have to tell him people were wondering again.

***

Harry ducked into the bookstore in the wizard's shopping area in Miami, looking around.  The salesclerk smiled.  "Okay, which one had my picture?"

"There's three or four, Mr. Potter."  She pointed at them.  "Two had you on vacation at Universal Studios.  Two have you in hiding from the bad sort over that way."

"I am and if they tell people where I am, we're going to end up with a battle over here."  He grabbed those to flip through, even being nice enough to pay for them.  Then he got into the used book bin for Timmy.  He needed some new books.  He came out with an armful and went back for another armful since they had a mix of muggle and wizarding books.  He put them down with a sigh and smiled.  "We can do a draw slip, right?"  The witch laughed and nodded, filling out the form for him.  He put his new vault number on it and she ran it, getting an approval.  She was bagging all the books when the goblin appeared with paperwork for Harry.  He looked at him.  "Did I screw that up?"

"No, simply a convenience, Harry.  This is a debit card.  It leads directly back to your bank.  Don't go wild spending with it, but it'll make things a bit easier."  Harry hugged him and took it to put into his wallet.  "That's a good boy.  You use it like a credit card but remember, it'll take the money directly out of your trust vault.  So spend wisely with it."  He nodded.  "It's also able to be used in muggle shops."

"That's so great.  I've got to get Timmy new clothes.  He's growing."

"We figured as much," he agreed.  "Babies do that every few months."  Harry grinned and took the bags, stuffing the gossip rags down into one of them.  "I see they noted you?"

"Two our weekend at the park and two here in town.  I'm going to write a nasty letter to those two about not stalking me."

"Let your temporary guardians do it, Harry."  Harry beamed and nodded, heading out to buy baby clothes.  He shook his head.  "His poor vault," he sighed, heading back to the bank.

The saleswitch giggled herself sick.  That was so cute!

***

Harry walked in with four bags of clothes, one bag from a shoe place, and the two bags of books.  He flopped down in the library, looking over at Timmy since he was alone in there.  "Did your Mum leave you?" he joked.  Tim spit at him then beamed and pointed.  "Hi," he called.  "I got the baby new books and clothes."  Tim let out an awesome squeal so he shoved those two over, helping him down so he could tip over the bags and get into them to see what new ones he had.  Ron walked in so he handed him the gossip rags.  "Four of them caught us.  Well, two got you."  He got a head shake.  "Got him new clothes."

"I heard.  Get me new shoes too?"  Harry nodded, pointing at that bag.  "Thanks, Harry."  He settled in to check his new sneakers.  They were comfier than the dress shoes he had to wear at Hogwarts.  They also fit in better with the locals.  Timmy was patting each new book before he slid it off to the side.  "Did you raid the used bin again?"

"Yup, spent about eighty muggle dollars on him today."  Ron shuddered.  "It's fine.  He needed them.  Who else is here?"

"One of Horatio's coworkers who said he's too skinny."

"Huh?"

"She said her name's Alexx.  I already called Yelina, she said she's good, just going to fuss like my mum would if we could get her away from the war camp."  He shrugged and looked at the baby.  "Want read to, Timmy?  Your Da looks bored."

Tim gave him a smile and held up a book.  "I saw that and I knew you liked the rides," Harry said, picking him up with the book _Green Eggs and Ham_.   He opened it and started to read in his ear, making his son happy.

Ron shook his head. "That's better than some of the kid's books that have one whole paragraph for the whole thing.  Hi, Alexx.  This is Harry, Tim's Da."

Harry smiled at her.  "Hi, Alexx."  He got back to reading.  His son beamed at the new person.  "Did you sweettalk her already?" he teased.  The boy gave him that same shiteating grin that Eric had identified.

"How?" Alexx asked quietly.  Harry looked at her and shrugged.  "You don't know?"

"I wasn't even in the same country as they were when they created him.  I have no idea how babies come to be outside of vengeance demons bringing them to you in the middle of the night."  Ron gave him an odd look.  "What?"

"Harry, most of the time, women *have* the babies.  Their mothers only think they're delivered by demons."

Harry shrugged.  "How would I know?"

"Good point.  We'll go over that later, when we're done with our charms homework."

"Did it in detention," he complained, going back to his reading.

"Can I...."  Speed held his arms up to her and she took him.  "Speedy?  Baby?"  He spit then giggled and smiled at her, snuggling in for a hug.  "Baby, I don't know how you came back but I'm so happy."  He kissed her.  "Can I...."  Harry handed over the book and stacked the rest Tim had thrown around next to her.  She smiled and let them do whatever they needed to do.  "I left dinner in the kitchen, boys."

"Whoo-hoo!  One neither of us cooks," Ron said happily, rushing to eat.

"Forgive him, he's a bottomless pit sometimes," Harry said with a smile, heading that way.  He came back.  "You can visit all you want but you can't steal him."  He went back to the kitchen to dinner.

"That was cold."

"He's all I have, Ron!"

"Point."  He added more vegetables to his plate.  "Eat."  Harry sat down and ate.  "What did we get him?"

"Mostly jeans and t-shirts for babies his size.  He's still got good clothes for pictures and things."

"Yeah, he hates his little uniform."  He grinned.  "Heard from Sirius."  Harry stared at him.  "They're all still fine.  'Mione and Snape are driving each other nuts but they're working together on something.  My parents are still okay.  Sirius is going nuts.  Remus is finally fully healed and he'll be over in a few days to coordinate with the american aurors on the current situation.  They did a raid on the house they're using now.  They're using your old house."

"Privet Drive?" he asked.

"Nope."

"They get driven out?"

"As soon as Sirius knew they were there," he assured him.  That got a mean smirk.  "Which means they captured another ten death eaters.  Someone tried to get into the prison but it wasn't working very well.  So they caught another two doing that.  They're expecting an all-out assault at Azkabahn any day now.  They've got his forces down by half at the moment and he's pissed."

"Would not putting up a heavy show there mean that he wouldn't call the creatures too soon?"

"He's already got the dementors.  It's too late for that," Ron admitted.  "I thought I told you that."

"If yo did, I was worried about Tim," he sighed, looking at him.  "Now what?"

"Now, we finish studying so we can do the final battle.  Then you're free, I'm going to decide about going back home.  Which I might not.  Here I'm just Ron, not 'the last Weasley son' and I don't have to put up with their reputations.  Even if I do have to do a lot more homework."  Harry smiled at that.  "Are you going back?"

"Nope.  Not unless they run me out of the city."

"Good. You're happier here."  He smiled at Alexx when she came in to check on them.  "There's juice in the fridge.  He likes it."  She patted him on the head and got him some, bringing out a glass for them to share.  "Apparently she was like his mum his last life," he said quietly.

"That's fine.  He can gather more aunts," Harry agreed.  "Just as long as they don't steal him."

"They'd never do that, Harry," Ron said patiently.  Harry shrugged and ate again.  "What happened earlier?"

"Draco sent Crabbe and Goyle to attack the woman who took the blood taint off Timmy.  He was going to use him to gain his power, use the blood taint to help him instead of Tim."  He stared at him.  "I put alarms around her because she helped Tim and I figured someone might want to attack her for that."

"Hmm.  Horatio said he was going to yell at you about skipping class."

"She needed the help.  She was alone against those two!"

"Harry," Ron chided.  "You can't hide if you're up there fighting."

"I was up there, not down here."

"Point," he admitted.  He sighed, shaking his head.  "I'll yell when we don't have guests, Harry."

"Thanks."  He grinned.  "Did you get the Potions homework done?"

"Not yet. You?"

"Yup.  At least the paper part.  The rest I figured we could work on tonight?"

"That'll work," he agreed.  "It's got a long stirring portion in there that we can read to him during."  Harry grinned and nodded.  "Eighty dollars at the bookstore?"

"Eighty total, fifty at the bookstore," he admitted.  "I went to that thrift store for him.  It's a lot cheaper."

Ron nodded.  "Mum does that to us too.  Usually she finds some pretty decent stuff."   He ate another bite, smiling when Timmy came crawling in.  "Hungry?"  He let Harry pick him up but gave him part of his dinner since Harry was nearly done.  Tim grinned and dug into his veggies for them, making them happy parents.

"He doesn't use a high chair?" Alexx asked as she came back, adding more food to both their plates and getting Tim one of his own.  He beamed at her and dug in, eating off Harry's plate.  Harry added his to his pile and Tim ate those too.  She laughed.  "Fine, you nibble off Daddy's plate, Tim."

"He samples off everyone's plate if they let him," Ron told her.  "High chair?  No.  If we need him that confined we put him in his room or in the library and shut the door for a few minutes."  That got a smile and a nod.  Horatio came in so he waved him back.  "Hi."

"Hi.  Alexx."

She smiled sweetly.  "I'm going to gut you and Eric for not telling me my son was back."

"The only gutting around here is for canning stuff," Harry said firmly.  She laughed.  He looked at her.  "I'm serious.  There's no fighting here.  Especially not in front of the baby."

"Sure, sugar, I'll gut Horatio tomorrow at work.  Dish him some to his plate and hand him over."

"Want her to feed you?" he asked his son, who shrugged and shifted over so she could take him.  Harry got her some of the vegetables and a bit of the meat, since he knew his son would like it.  He usually did.  She let Tim have whatever he wanted.  "Tim, the brown stuff is meat, like in Ron's sandwich last night."  Tim gave him a 'duh' look and ate some.  "Good boy."  He looked at Horatio.  "You're going to yell, huh?"

"For quite a while, Harry.  You can't stay protected when you're off fighting."

Ron giggled.  "That's what I said.  Also, here."  He handed him the gossip rags.  "Two said he's here."

Horatio flipped to those articles, looking at them.  "Well, it looks like it can be excused as him shopping."  He read the articles, sitting at the table.  One did say he was enrolled at the local school.  "We'll handle it."

"I suggested a nasty letter to the goblin who brought me that debit card thingy and he said you should because apparently you write better nasty letters?" Harry asked.

Horatio smiled at him.  "I'll sic someone on them, Harry."  He grinned evilly at that.  "What else happened?"

"Got my homework for two classes nearly done.  I only have to brew for the second part I'm missing."

"Good.  What about your gym grade?"

"I suck in there," Harry pleaded.

"As long as you pass, Harry."  He nodded, digging in again, a bit less enthusiastic.

"What's the rest of the secret?" Alexx demanded.  Ron opened his mouth but Horatio's look made him shut it.  "Tell me now or tell me later when I find out, Horatio Caine.  Eat, boys."

"I was missing my mum until you got here, Alexx," Ron teased, digging in again.

Harry looked at him.  "Missing the twins pranking you and Ginny bugging you?"

"Sometimes."

"There's always the disguise stuff for the holidays," Harry offered.

Ron considered it.  "We'll see.  If it's not too bad."  Harry shrugged.  "You sure you can handle him?"

"Ron, he's my son.  I do a lot with my son.  I can handle him alone, really."

"Not that the rest of us won't be popping in to check on him," Alexx assured him.

Ron grinned.  "He's still not used to a sick baby.  Tim's only been sick once so far and it was the flu."

"That's fine.  We can field calls if something happens," she promised.  She held up a bite, letting the sleepy baby take it from her fingers to nibble on.  "That's my good boy."  Tim cooed and yawned, showing off the half-eaten food.  "You finish up and we'll go take a bath."  He shook his head.  "No?"

Ron looked at the clock then at the baby.  "It's only an hour until your normal bath time."  He shook his head again.  "Now or in the morning and you hate those because they're rushed," he said dryly.  Tim spit at him.  "Don't do that.  Want Horatio to do it or Da?"  Tim spit again.  "Quit that.  I warned you."  Tim glared.  He gave him a look back.  "You're still a toddler.  Keep it up and I'm feeding you frog juice the next time you spit."  Tim snuggled deeper into the arms holding him and spit again.  Ron got up and got something, dropping a drop on his lips.  They puckered and Tim wailed.  "No spitting, Tim."

"No wonder he calls you mother," Horatio said dryly, looking at Harry, who was watching. "Didn't think about that?"

"I remember getting smacked on the face for it," he admitted.  "Once.  So I'm learning when Ron deals with it.  He's an interactive teaching tool as one of the teachers said."  Ron snickered, putting the bottle on the table.  "Hey!" he said finally.  Tim quit and got down to sniffles.  "Then don't spit.  That solves that."  He took his son back, wiping off his mouth.  "You know better."

Tim pouted at him.  "Bahbah?"

"No, he's not bad and neither are you.  What you were doing was bad.  We still love you even when you do bad things.  So quit spitting."

Tim nodded, snugging into his shoulder.  "Mama bahbah?"

"No, he's not bad either."  He patted him on the back.  "You still have to learn those lessons again, Tim.  We're not sure how much you'll keep as you grow up."  Tim spit into his shoulder.  "Want it again?"  He quit, shaking his head.  "Good boy."  He let him snuggle in and fall asleep there.  He smiled at Ron.  "Thanks."

"Welcome.  When he's older we'll tell him he can spit at Malfoy and the Death Eaters."

"If he has to see them, I'm going to destroy them all," Harry assured him patiently.

"Good point.  Would a picture be enough?"

"Not funny, Ron."

"Sorry," he said with a grin.  "Wanna come back for the hols?"

"No.  Remus and Sirius can come over if they want to see me.  They don't need to worry about me at the moment."

"Your parents must be shitting bricks," Alexx told him.

"They died when I was about Tim's age, Alexx.  My other relatives belong in hell and then my godparents are in the middle of the battles so I can't take their time from that.  They check in with me all the time and it's fine.  It's not like I didn't raise myself so far."  He stared her down.  "Next year they'll be seeing me a lot more often and then this blasted war will end."  He looked at Horatio.  "Who do we have for planning that with Ron?  We're still debating the going there while they're doing something or calling them out plan."

"Well, I had to explain it to someone today and he's a former commander in the Marines."  Ron smiled at that.  "So he's volunteered.  Tony and his boss are both on to help you with that if you want.  Plus we've got our better planners working with your people, Harry."  He nodded. He nodded at the baby.  "What about him?"

"Do you think Yelina would watch him for a few days?"

"I think she would love to," he admitted, smiling at him.  "Plus Alexx could go help."

"If she wanted to," Harry agreed. "Or even Stella."

"Stella's very fierce on the field of battle, Harry."  He looked at her.  "She decided against being an auror after taking the training."

"I wondered how you knew her."  He grinned.  "I'd still rather have someone guarding him, Horatio.  They could easily try for him if they knew he was being guarded by muggles."

"Good point," Ron agreed.  "He'll need his own guard and I'll be on Harry's right.  Like usual."

"I'll see how we want to do that then," Horatio agreed.  "We have time."

"Best plan it now in case he gets a wild hair up his arse and decides to try something too serious now," Harry told him.

Horatio nodded.  "That could happen."  He smiled.  "You're not too bad at planning, Harry."

"I see situations and let Ron handle them," he said with a bright grin.  "I suck at wizard's chess."

Alexx gasped.  "You're wizards?"  Ron nodded, smiling at him.  "Is Timmy?"

"Considering he floats when he's dirty, yup," Ron assured her.  She laughed at that.  "They said he's going to be as powerful as his Da is."

"Hopefully without the same reason," Harry added.  Ron looked at him.  "The scar, Ron.  Dumbledore told me that some of it leaked over when I got it."

"Shite," he said bluntly.  "Pure shite.  Unless he possessed you, it can't happen, Harry."

Horatio shook his head.  "No, it doesn't work like that," he agreed.  Harry gave him a horrified look.  "What did he use that to explain?"

"Him talking to snakes," Ron said dryly.  Harry nodded.  "Plus him ...  He said you were so strong because of him?"

"Because some of his essence leaked over when we merged or whatever when he tried to kill me.  It's part of the connection between us."

"He has a connection?" Horatio asked bluntly.

"Now and then he decides to be smug and send Harry pictures of what he's doing," Ron told him.  "Must have a finite limit.  You haven't had any recently."

"I figure it's where Hermione's plugged into it," Harry told him.  "I've felt a few twinges but nothing that came with pictures or thoughts so I figured she got them instead.  It can still help them over there."

"Good point," Ron said, considering it.  "Her brain's got to be fried soon."

"She never says anything when I ask," Harry protested.

"No, she's doing it to herself," Ron agreed.  "Still makes no sense.  She could cast it on someone else."

"She might be," Horatio offered.  "When I go over in a week we'll check on her."  Ron and Harry both smiled at him.  "You can write long letters back too."  They nodded.  "If you're done, do your homework and we'll talk later, boys."  They fled to the library, letting him put the dishes in the dishwasher.  "Alexx...."

She held up a hand.  "Wizards?"  He nodded.  "Are you?"  He nodded.  "That's why the boys are here?"

"No, this is Harry's family home," he admitted.  He kissed her on the forehead.  "Go enjoy a napping Tim.  He'll be up soon and wanting to play."  She smiled, going to do that.  He went to call Stella and Tony on the same floo.  He realized Harry didn't have floo waiting on his and sighed, linking them to his home floo so he could do it that way.  Then he got both of them.  "Sorry, no three-way flooing on his," he said dryly.  "Tony, you and Gibbs need to get with Mac."

"I'm about to obliviate Mac if Danny doesn't.  He's been asking questions non-stop and demanded proof three times," Stella complained.  Harry brought in something and sent it through to her then walked off again.  "Thanks for the chocolate brownie, Harry."  She smiled.  "Used to a girl around him?"

"Miss Granger."

"Ah.  Heard a bit about her when I called in."  She nibbled on the brownie.  "How's things going, Tony?"

"All around bad."  He grimaced.  "Gibbs has a head injury."  Horatio stared at him.  "Of the can't remember anything since the Gulf War sort."  Horatio sighed, shaking his head.  "I've sent a healer."

"If he's better, we could send him over under cover of recovery," Horatio offered.

"If he gets his memories back I'll ask.  How's things?"

"I'm going over in a few days, Remus is coming back with me to report.  We have to figure out what Granger's doing.  She's got a psychic mimicking charm going so she's plugged into Harry's curse scar, which apparently links them."  Stella choked.  "That's the link you found?"

"Probably," she agreed.  She wiped her mouth off.  "Okay, now what?"

"Alexx just found out," he said quietly.  "Also, Harry pointed out something.  We'll need people here to guard his son while he's at the final battle.  No matter when it's called."

Stella nodded slowly.  "I'm not up to date on battlefield magics.  I can do that.  I might even be able to get Don Flack to help us.  He likes kids."

"Harry suggested Yelina watch him but she's muggle and Ray Junior isn't fully trained. I don't want him near this."  She nodded, getting that.  "Can we count on at least you?"

"Sure.  Call when it happens."  He nodded.  "Tony?"

"I have the feeling I'll be in England," he admitted.  "I've taken all the refresher courses."

"I've kept in practice thanks to the drug cartels," Horatio told him.  That got a smirk from Tony.  "They do employ one or two to guard their shipments.  Stella, you'll have Eric as well."  She nodded at that.  "Okay.  We'll make more concrete plans at the update meeting in a week and a half?"  They both nodded.  "Good.  Stella, get Mac onto the plans to protect the baby.  We'll get him involved during that meeting."  She nodded.  "If he needs proof, take him to the bar."  He hung up on her, looking at Tony.  His former partner looked tired.  "Can you handle it?"

"I hate being in charge," he said grimly.  "I always have."  Horatio nodded.  "I'll handle it until Gibbs comes back.  He's got to come back."  Horatio gave him a gentle smile.  "That doesn't mean I won't be coming down for a few days' rest though.  I could use the rest and bikinis."  He grinned and signed off.

Horatio undid the forwarding to his home floo and turned around, finding Ron there.  "Floo forwarding and three-way flooing."

"That's bloody cool.  Mum could use that."  He grinned and handed him some juice.  "When's this meeting?"

"I was going to bring you up for it," he promised.  Ron beamed and nodded.  "For now, work on the plans for the baby's safety.  You and Mac can debate it when it's time."  He nodded, going to work on that.  "And do your homework."

"Yes, Daddy," he quipped.

Horatio smiled and shook his head.  "There's worse kids to have as mine," he muttered as he walked toward the library.

"You could have Malfoy as yours," Harry joked.

"No, him I would've spanked straight a long time ago."

"That's an idea," Ron joked, grinning at Harry.  "He obviously wants you, Harry.  He's always focused on you and wanted to be you.  You should try that."

"He might like it," he said dryly.  "No idea why...."  Horatio helped him up and walked him out back to talk to him about those things.

Ron looked up. "Thank you, Merlin," he called.  "Someone has to talk to the boy about girls and things.  Even if I think he's gay."  He went back to his potion while their shared son giggled at him.  "He probably is.  Doesn't get a thing about girls, Timmy.  You'll do that better than we will.  Hermione warped us but we'll try not to let her warp you too much."  He beamed and settled in for Alexx to read him another story.  He pointed at the next one and grunted.  "That's his version of please."

"He can't say please yet?" she teased, tickling his stomach.  "Can my baby say please?"

"Now!" he said with a bright grin.

Ron coughed.  "Manners, Tim."

Tim pouted at her, making her cave and get another book.  He grinned again.  "We'll teach you those important words soon, Timmy," she promised.

"He leaned no pretty fast when he did it anyway and nearly drowned in the park," Ron said dryly.  "We had a talk about no after that.  He learned."  He went back to his stirring, frowning at what they needed.  "Why do we need gall?  Harry, we need gall!" he yelled.

"Kitchen," floated in from the back yard.

Ron got up to get it and came back out with the next few things.  He got to work on the next few things he'd need.  Potions was so much nicer without Snape, even if he was still nearly failing.

Alexx let out a squeal as Tim started to float, grabbing at him.  "What are you doing?"

"Trying to get away from the nasty diaper," he joked.  "Harry, your son needs changed."  He came in and hopped up to grab him, taking him to change then handed him back to Alexx when she pouted.  Harry went back outside with Horatio.  "Good, he's learning too," Ron joked, getting back to his homework. Harry would do his sometime soon he was sure.

Alexx looked at the baby.  "I thought they were joking, Timmy."

He patted his butt.  "Bahbah."  He grinned.  "Mum!"

"No, I'm not letting you help me brew things, Timmy.  You try to put them in your mouth," Ron said patiently, getting back to work, shaking his head slightly.

"All babies do it.  Even my two did," Alexx assured him, cuddling Tim.  "One of these days you're going to go too high and they won't be able to catch you.  Then what?"

"We have brooms for those moments and Harry's a great flyer," Ron said dryly.

"You fly on brooms?"

"Yup."  He grinned.  "Harry's a peach on a broom so we can catch him.  Even when he does swim to get away from us."  He got back to work and she picked up a new book to read to the baby.  He mentally smiled.  Looked like they had another babysitter too.

***

The holidays eventually came and it was a fun time for the baby.  His first Christmas and he soaked up all the attention and presents he could pout his way into.  Eric was joking about him pouting at strangers when they didn't give him presents but that was to be expected from Eric.  Calleigh had finally been let in on the secret so she had chipped in too.  Plus she had brought her dog over to play with Timmy a few times.  He loved the old dog.  He tried to ride the dog but the dog didn't really mind.  Harry minded, but he had bad experiences with dogs so they calmed him down and let the baby go back to playing.  In truth, everyone was enjoying Tim's first holiday.  Even Stella and Mac had come down.  Ron and taken Mac to the actual study in the house, which no one else ever seemed to use, and talked about the baby's security with him.  Mac hadn't been happy that a *kid* was challenging him but he could see he knew part of what he was doing so he was gentler on him when he explained why he had changed things.  Then Ron countered why he had changed them back.  They came to an easy friendship within an hour.

Harry was still bouncing around the house in worry but everyone was letting him get it out.  Better a bouncy Harry than a frustrated Harry that would make them decorate the new tree *again*.  It would be the third time, and after the second, Horatio decided that Harry being bouncy was just fine and made the others agree.  Yelina and Ray Junior were over too.  They were enjoying watching Timmy suck up to people and the dog, plus hoard his presents.  Stella was teasing Timmy with a package he hadn't opened yet, making him squeal and reach and get very frustrated.  He didn't cry but he figured out how to walk to chase her down.  She didn't even mind when he tripped and landed with his head on her chest, joking that they were a good spot for that.  Mac had blushed at that but let it go since she didn't seem to care.  Though the dog decided to follow Timmy around just in case something happened to him.  He didn't want his buddy hurt.  Calleigh cornered Horatio to talk about what she could do to help.  He pointed her at Ron and Mac, who were chatting over cocoa in a corner.  She presented herself and demanded the right to help.  They both smiled and went over what her place would be if they had to leave the baby to go fight suddenly.

Harry smiled at Remus when he came in.  "You're finally here?" he teased.

"Finally," he agreed, giving him a hug.  "Godson?" he called.  "Come say hi."

Timmy squealed and came running out to clutch his legs.  "Mus!" he said happily, beaming at him.  "Prez!" he shouted, pointing.

"Ooho, did you get presents?" he teased, picking him up to kiss him, carrying him back in there.  The dog following gave him a look.  "I'm his godfather, Dog.  It's fine."  The dog continued to stare at him.

"Holster!" Calleigh called.  "Down boy.  He's allowed to take the baby."  The dog laid down and continued to watch Remus.

"Maybe he senses your wild nature," Harry teased with a grin.

"Could be.  Wouldn't be the first."  He settled in front of the couch with the baby, who was showing him all his presents.  "You cleaned up," he teased, handing over one from his pocket.  "This is from me and the other doggy, Uncle Sirius."  The boy beamed and hooted, waving it around before ripping it open with his teeth.  He beamed at him for the books, putting them with the other toys in his collection.  "You definitely cleaned up, godson."

"Did my Mum send me a letter?" Ron called.

"It's in my bag, Ron."

"Thanks, Remus."  He went back to helping Calleigh and Yelina.  They had decided on Yelina's house because Horatio had already shielded it to protect his brother's family.  She nodded, getting it and letting it go for now.  "With any luck it'll be late summer.  Right before school starts again," he told her quietly.

"I can handle that."  She patted him on the head.  "You're pretty smart for being so young, Ron."  She walked off, going to get more punch and get the baby some to share with his uncle.  "Here, for the baby," she said with a smile.

"Thank you.  I didn't meet you last time."

"Calleigh Duquesne.  I work with Horatio and used to work with Timmy."  She walked off to talk to Alexx, who was sniffling.  "It's all right.  Maybe you'll get to see him have kids now."

She gave her a look.  "Don't wish early kids on him."

"Please," Harry agreed from his seat.  "I don't want to be Grandpa Harry and I doubt Ron wants to be Grandma Ron anytime soon."

Ron looked over.  "I'll get you for that later.  Expect it, Harry."

"Mum!" Speed yelled.

Ron sighed, looking at the baby.  "Yes, Tim?"  He waved a new present with a grin.  "What's that one?" He took it to check it, because he knew if he didn't Harry would snatch it and do it for him.  "It's fine.  You can open that one too."  The baby beamed and opened it with his teeth, cuddling the stuffed animal in there.  Harry grinned at him.  "You hush.  You tested all the presents in the house already, Harry.  Go fret outside or something."

"It's his first christmas," he protested.

"Then calm down, Harry."  He went back to the plans for the final battle he had going.  The guys in England were sucking at it apparently.  Mac agreed with him, sneak up on him when they were doing something else to get their attention.  So that's the way he was going.

Harry frowned at a present coming out of the fireplace, getting up to get it.  "From your Auntie Hermione, Tim.  I'm not sure if you remember her."  He sat down and tested it, frowning.  "Guys?" he called.  Horatio and Ron came over.  "There's no way this isn't charmed."  They opened the present, finding it being a charmed farm set with play animals that danced around and called their animal sounds.  "I'm sure that's educational," Harry joked.

"Probably," Ron agreed, frowning at it.  "Why does the barn have a clock?  Do they usually?"  Harry shrugged.  "Check it for hidden spells, Harry.  That's not a Hermione present."  He checked the wrapping paper.  "Not her handwriting either.  It's too flowy."  He let him see it.

Harry cast the discerning spell, finding what they had both sensed.  "Nothing succeeds like success," he muttered, picking it up and carrying it off, even though Tim took a cow to play with on his way past.  "Sure, you can have it back once we clear the portkey off it, Timmy."  Remus gave him a horrified look.  "Linked to the clock."   He took it into the backyard and got to work unraveling just that spell with Stella's help.  Finally only one sheep wasn't working right but the spell was gone.  So he brought it back inside, letting Timmy put his cow back and poke the non-moving sheep.  "I think that's one's asleep, son."  Tim leaned over to play with the rest.  He smiled at the worried looking adults.  "Timmy is floo listed so the family could get us."

"Which makes sense," Alexx agreed.  "It's probably not that they found where he was?"  Harry shook his head.  "Good."  She checked the wrapping paper.  "No address."

"He's lazy, not that dumb," Ron assured her.  "He did the same thing to Harry during the tournament."

Harry nodded.  "I'm still going to get in a good few hexes for Cedric too."  He sat down again, smiling at his son.  "Can I come play, Tim?"  His son beamed so he came over to help him play with the animals.  He was hoping his son remembered this when he was older.  He needed his son to have many happy memories if something happened to him.

Ron nudged him and handed over some punch.  "He's not going to live with your aunt.  Mum would kill them and take him," he said simply, going back to his fun.  Horatio and Stella both played chess very well and enjoyed having a challenge, finally.  The look on Mac's face when the pieces beat each other made him giggle.  "That's wizard's chess," he said fondly.  Alexx came over to look, watching the game progress.  His knight took Horatio's queen, making Ron blush when his knight decided to stroke her before knocking her down and dragging her off by her hair to have his way with her.  "Sorry, Horatio."

"Don't be.  I'm sure many knights did that when they captured queens and princesses."  He smiled at him.  "Checkmate," he said after making his move.  Ron looked then grinned at him.  "You do make me get better at it, Ron."

"True.  I try."  He reset the board.  "Anyone else want to play?"

"I'll try," Mac offered.  "Standard rules?"  Ron nodded and they made careful first moves.  Mac knew how Ron planned and Ron knew how Mac planned but Mac pulled out a move he hadn't seen before.  He grinned.  "Created by a Russian chess master."

"I'm not near that level," Ron agreed.  "Yet."  He got back into the game.  He figured out how to defeat the board and it was nice.  They came to a draw.  Either one moved and their king was defeated.  "Pyrrhic victory."  He shuddered. "Sorry."  He reset the board and Mac smiled at him.  "It'll be fine."

"I'm sure it will be.  Remember, it's not just you three anymore, Ron."

Ron smiled.  "Which is a nice change.  Really," he quipped.

"Can I smack his headmaster around?" Alexx asked  Horatio.

"I still want to shoot him.  Get yours before I get mine," he quipped back with a small smile.  Timmy was playing with a new present and Harry was organizing the books onto the shelves for him.  "Tim, where did that one come from?"

"Ron's parents," Remus told him.  Ron came over to get his letter and went back to his game while reading it.  It was a good holiday party.

***

Harry was wandering around that night when he heard Remus talking with someone.  Clearly Timmy since he was talking to him and no one was answering.  He went to peek in on them, finding him before the floo.  "No way," he said, walking in.  "You're not taking him home."

"Dumbledore wants to see him," he protested.

Harry shook his head.  "No.  My son doesn't go into a war zone, Remus.  There's no reason for Dumbledore to see my son.  He doesn't like my son."

"He does, Harry, he just thought you were too young."

"Are you under an unforgivable?" he demanded.  "You wouldn't let Dumbledore near him either."

"He explained things to me, Harry," he said patiently.  "I'll bring him right back."

"No.  He's not leaving the house.  I don't want my son anywhere near Voldemort.  At all.  I don't care if we're in a fortress that's guarded by everything in the world.  I don't want him near Voldemort."

"I'm taking him to the headmaster, not the Dark Lord, Harry," he said impatiently.

Harry took his son back, putting him on a couch.  "Then Dumbledore can explain himself to me first," he ordered.  Remus looked stunned.  "You know very well I don't want that war anywhere near my son.  I can and will give him what my parents couldn't give me, peace and safety."  He stepped closer.  "If we're going, we'd best go now."  Remus sighed and set the portkey for traveling.  Harry glanced at his son, giving him a gentle smile.  "Go wake Mum up, Timmy," he called, waking him.  "Go wake up Mum," he said as he disappeared.

Timmy scowled at the empty spot, heading up to wake up his mum.  It wasn't right that Daddy had left him this time!  He pounded on his door until Ron opened it, giving him an odd look.  "Mus!  Daddy!" he said, pointing.

"What did your father and Remus do this time?" he asked.  Timmy spit.  "I warned you about that."  Timmy shook his head.  "No, I didn't?"  Timmy made begging noises and pointed.  "Fine," he sighed, following him down there.  He found the library empty.  "Where did they go?"  Timmy spit again.  "Tim!"

"I think he said they disappeared," Mac said from behind him.  He looked at Tim.  "Did they go bye-bye, Tim?"  He nodded and pointed at the spot.  "I think they went for a trip."

Timmy looked at Ron.  "Hat!" he said, pointing at his head.  "Hat!  Bahbah!"

"Bad hat?" Ron said.  Who wore a hat that they and Tim knew?  "Dumbledore?"  Timmy nodded.  "Shit," he said, handing Mac the baby.  "Let me get dressed and we'll see what's going on.  I have a scrying spell set to Harry.  Put him back into his crib please?  He couldn't have gotten out alone."

"Mus!" Timmy called after him.

"That explains why he didn't send Sirius," Ron said grimly, going to put on more than a pair of boxer shorts.   He came down and found Stella and Horatio both up too.  "Could be a false alarm.  Could be Dumbledore wanting to see Harry."

"Could be something else," Horatio told him.

"Then again, we're paranoid," Ron agreed, getting into the spell he had set for Harry.  "Before anyone asks, Hermione did it."  He set it off, watching as Harry's picture appeared and it was clear he wasn't with Dumbledore.  Unless Dumbledore had taken up with snakes.  "That's the snakey one."

"It's good to see you back in England, Harry," Voldemort said.  "Though I did want your son."

"You get my son over mine and everyone else's dead body," he sneered.

"That can be arranged."

Ron passed out things.  "Set to appear with Harry.  Came in handy a few times really."  They made sure they had things, including Mac having a few guns.  Horatio called Eric right before they took off.  There were still people in the house who could watch Tim for a few minutes.  Ron landed behind Harry, casting a shield spell on instinct.  He handed Harry something.  "Yours I believe."

"Thanks, Ron."  He looked behind him then at Voldemort.  "You wanted a battle this way?  That's fine."  He shot something at Remus, waking him up from the trance he was in.  "Morning."

"Harry... I...."

"It was an imperious," Ron assured him.  "Scram, Remus.  You're in the way this time."  He gave him a look and Remus managed to get away from the death eaters around him.  He took off running.  Ron stopped the ones going after him and cast a reflection charm back for the crucio someone cast.  "Fat chance."

"Your time in the US has matured you."

"I was mature before," Harry said dryly.  "Shall we go now or later?  I'm tired.  My son keeps me up."

"Yes, your son.  Such a precious little thing."  He crushed something in his hand and nothing happened.  "How?" he demanded.

"I'm a bit paranoid, Tom," Harry said, sneering at him. "Of course I found the portkey.  Dumbass."  He cast a hex and the battle was on.  "Ron, make it safe for a clean up crew!" he ordered.  "Stella, right side!  Mac, help Ron."  He and Horatio moved forward, making the Dark Lord back off.  It was not going well for him.  He saw Draco sneak in and didn't nod at him.  Draco stabbed the Dark Lord and Harry cast the killing curse.  He looked at Draco.  "Thanks."

"Welcome."  He pulled his wand.  "Crucio!"

Horatio deflected it back at him and cast another hex, rendering him mindless.  "I think that's a better thing for you."  He shot hexes at the others in the room.  Then he turned to find Harry getting sick.  "It's a natural response, Harry."  He walked over to help him.

Ron came jogging back.  "Ministry's here, Harry."

"About time," Stella complained, pushing her hair back.  "Is that all of him?"

Harry looked at her.  "They raised him before, Stella.  We have to make sure they can't do it again."  He looked at the aurors coming in.  "Morning."  He walked over to the body and stared at it.  "Hermione!" he bellowed.  "Bring me the blue bottle please!"  She brought it to him at a jog.  "Thanks.  It'll work?"

"It'll work, Snape said it'll work, Harry."   She looked around.  "There's a few moving," she told an auror, pointing.  They went to bind and carry out the remaining death eaters.  She looked at the muggle among them.  "Hello, I don't know you," she said, wand in her hand.

"I'm going to turn into him some day," Ron said with a grin.  "Mac, this is our friend Hermione.   'Mione, this is Mac Taylor.  He's a Marine."

"Charmed," she said, shaking his hand with a smile.  "Ron, there's still about sixty of the nasty buggers left.  One of them has Sirius.  We were going on a rescue."

"We had Remus with an imperious," he admitted.  "Wanted Timmy.  Oh, they sent Timmy a farm animal set in your name with a portkey."

"Charming.  I bought him a few books."  She smiled.  "I'll send them later today.  It's been ghastly recently."  She smiled at Mac.  "It's not going to be pretty.  You can come with us.  The others as well please.  It's going to get nasty in a moment."

Horatio looked at her.  "I know what that is, Miss Granger."

She smiled.  "You must be Horatio.  Harry and Ron have told me about you."  She walked the others off, letting Harry uncork the bottle and pour it on the body.  It bubbled, fizzed then they ran like hell when it exploded.  She beamed.  "I do like that one."

"Hermione, you're scary, take off the psychic mimicking charm," Tonks told her.  "Please?  Before you really turn into Harry and Ron."

Harry looked at her then knocked her out.  He walked off shaking his head.  "Sixty more?" he asked the head of the aurors.  "Let's go.  I want my godfather back.  He has to spoil my son with a present.  Timmy demands it."  He walked past him, going to find the others.  He ran into Dumbledore, staring at him.  "I'm staying in Miami unless Horatio throws a fit."  He walked around him, heading to the others.  "Tonks, I need a placement please?"

"Fat chance, Harry!" she called.

He looked at her then at Ron.  Then at Draco's body.  He cast something and it came up where he had been.  "Hmm.  Ron, they're at your place."

"Coming, Harry," he said, jogging over.  They disappeared and the others could follow if they wanted.

"I thought you were kidding about them jumping in," Mac told Horatio, who shook his head.

"No, I can't joke that well.  I'm going to paddle Harry tomorrow."  He took Mac with him.  At the very least he was invaluable as a planning helper.  The american aurors gave him odd looks.  "Here, he was a Marine, give him to Jethro and Tony."  He went to get into the battle, giving the odd house a fond look.  "Not much has changed since I warded it the first time."  He rushed in to help the boys, knocking out the last of the death eaters.  "After you're ungrounded, we'll see about getting you boys higher levels of hexes.  Especially if you want to be an auror."

"Our potions grades suck," Ron reminded him.  "Mum, this is Horatio.  He's been watching out for us."

"I'm going to skin your hind end for jumping in that way, Ronald Weasley!" his mother shrieked from where she was bound.

"Uh-huh.  Where's the others?" Ron called.  Harry disappeared after getting Bill free.  Ron mumbled something and took off with the disk he had made so he could track Harry.  It was safer if he was with Harry at the moment.  His mother couldn't reach him for a few hours.

Horatio got her undone.  "I was going to go for paddling them black and blue then grounding them.  Would you like to add to it?"

"Please!"  She clutched his arm.  "How is Timmy?  Is he all right?  I've been dreadfully worried that Ron couldn't help Harry enough."

"Harry does quite well with him," Horatio assured her with a smile.  "Plus a few of my coworkers have adopted the whole family to fuss over."  She smiled at that.  "Tim got enough presents earlier that he was lording over them with a friend's dog.  He's a very content, smart little boy."

"Good," she said happily.  "Now they can come home."

"Actually, I think Harry intended to stay in Miami."  She scowled.  "He wanted his son to have some peace from the people who'd hunt him down, Mrs. Weasley.  Plus, Ron's the only Weasley who's ever been at that school."

"That works better for him?" Bill asked.  Horatio nodded. "Then I can't complain much.  Miami's a great school, Mum.  Much harder than Hogwarts."

"The headmistress there wanted to skin yours," Horatio told her.

She huffed.  "We'll see."  She walked off, going to help the others who had been held in her house.

***

Epilogue:

***

Harry walked into Haven after a long day at work.  "Ron."  He came out of the kitchen with a ten-year-old Timmy and his sister Diana.  Diana had come from Harry getting drunk one night seven years back.  "I just realized we're all but married."

"Took you long enough, Harry.  Really."  He walked back into the kitchen.  "Come on.  Your father's an idiot so he's ordering dinner," he said dryly.  He shook his head, making Tim giggle.  "He is."

"Yup.  He didn't realize it when you two started to sleep together in your senior year?"

"Apparently he thought I stuck around for you two and the good sex."  He shrugged.  "Who knows with your father, Tim.  I swear he's the most clueless being ever."  Harry walked in pouting.  "How did you figure it out?"

"The HR department over the aurors wanted us to update the paperwork."

"Hmm.  Someone asked why you didn't claim me as your husband?"

"I'd say wife," Harry teased.  "After all I bugger you, Ron, not the other way around."

"Eww," Tim said firmly.  "Take it to your room."

"Behave or no going to play with Ray Junior's kids this weekend," Harry shot back, giving him a look.  Tim pouted but nodded.  "Thank you."  He looked at Ron.  "You couldn't tell me?"

"Why did you think I stuck around?"  Harry pointed at the kids.  "You know I hate wife beaters, Harry, but now and then I seem to find an exception for you."  He smacked him on the head.  "Dumbass."  He walked off shaking his head.  "Order dinner.  By the way, you missed our anniversary, Harry."

Harry whimpered, sitting down.  "I'll call Alexx to see what I should give him."  The kids laughed and gave him a hug.  They loved him even if he was still clueless about people.

The End.