***SUSAN POV***
"Harry!!" Susan squealed as soon as her best friend appeared in her front yard holding a portkey, his trunk, and the cutest little owl she's ever seen. "Ooh, she's so cute!" She cried, reaching out to pet the tiny little black owl hopping around Harry's shoulder. "Where'd you get her?"
Harry pushed his crooked glasses back up his nose and grinned at her, "He was a gift from Professor Snape."
"I told you Severus was a softie," Aunt Amelia called, leaning in the front doorway. "Hello Harry, I'm Susan's aunt, Amelia Bones."
Susan saw Harry stiffened, just a bit, and remembered that she didn't think he had much of a good experience with family.
"Hello ma'am," Harry said politely. "Thank you for having me."
"Ugh, please call me Amelia, not ma'am," Auntie said with a laugh. "I get enough of that at work."
Harry gave her a shy smile as he looked up at her. "You work at the DMLE right? Susan said it's amazing."
Susan was about to interrupt, "I thought you hated-" but Harry turned and gave her 'a look' so she shut up.
But Harry hated law enforcement. He said so himself, loads of times.
"Are you interested in a career with us?" Aunt Amelia asked him.
"I dunno, but I'd love to hear more about it," Harry said softly.
"Come inside, we'll put away your trunk and I can answer any questions you have over lunch!" Auntie said excitedly, waving Harry and Susan in to their cottage.
Susan almost rolled her eyes at her aunt's enthusiasm. Harry was such a Slytherin. Sometimes she compared him to the other kids she's friendly with, Justin Finch-Fletchley and Hannah Abbot and Daphne Greengrass and all the kids Harry hung out with. But Harry was different than everyone else. He was something more. She knew that the day she met him. He'd just been a little tiny thing playing with magic in a library but when he talked it was mean and rude and he looked like he was going to run away from Susan at any moment. She saw the scars on his face and wondered how a kid would get scars like that. Then she saw how Harry was scared to be touched and hated not being in control. And he never ever wanted to owe anyone favors.
She's overheard a lot of cases her Auntie presided over when she would draw and read in her office. If she was quiet, people mostly didn't notice she was there. She heard the Aurors and Wizengamot members talk quietly about kids whose families hurt them. They called it abuse. And Susan always wondered what kind of family could hurt a child?
Then she met Harry Potter and she was sure that his kind of family would hurt a child. And even though it made her sad when she thought about it, it also made her really, really, angry. She decided that Harry would never be hurt again. Not as long as she was around.
But sometimes that meant making sure Harry didn't hurt himself. Because he was a little mad sometimes and made plans and didn't seem to care that he could die following those plans.
"What are you doing?" She hissed at him as they trailed inside.
Harry gave her an innocent look, blinking owlishly before smirking. "Tell ya later," he said quietly.
"You are going to tell me every ridiculous thing you've done the last month, and every insane scheme you have coming up," she told him seriously.
Harry stuck his tongue out at her but also grinned. "Yes ma'am."
She grinned back and linked their arms together, purposefully not drawing attention to Harry's tiny flinch.
***HARRY POV***
Harry was happy in Italy, and he had fun with Draco at his house, but being with Susan was brilliant.
Her aunts cottage was smaller than Draco's manor, which was tiny compared to Blaise's villa, but it felt more like what he imagined a real home would. Susan had a very yellow room and told him that she painted it yellow before she was even sorted in to Hufflepuff. Her Aunt let Harry use their guest room, which was a very dark shade of blue.
Susan said next summer she'd make sure it was green. Which, even if she was joking, was still a pretty nice offer.
Susan's Aunt was really chatty, like Susan, but she also had eyes like Professor Snape. He felt like she was watching him closely and he didn't know why, but he didn't like it.
Susan had stayed up late with him in the guest room on his first night there. He filled her in on his summer so far. He told her about the beaches and the team duels in Italy. And flying with Draco. And he eventually told her about the prophecy.
There was nobody he trusted more than Susan. She'd been his friend even when he was wearing trash clothes and she'd been a good friend all year. She even forgave him for putting her to sleep before he went to find Quirrell, which Harry thought was awfully kind of her. He wouldn't forgive someone who knocked him out and left him in a corridor.
Of course, nobody has ever accused him of being kind.
"That's horrible," she said, covering her mouth with her hands after he was done filling her in. "Do you think that's why Dumbledore hid you from everyone when your parents died?"
That was the other thing he liked about Susan. She was smart. Hermione and Theodore were smart in classes about books and stuff but Susan was smart about people.
"Yep," he told her. "And it's why he's always watching me too."
"But... but we need to hear the rest," Susan said with her brows scrunched down.
Harry grinned at her, happy he already thought that through with a little help from Draco. "Here's my plan..."
She listened intently as he outlined the plan to her and at the end she didn't scold him or try and talk him out of it. She didn't act like he was too young to worry about it. She just gave him a knowing look and nodded.
"Let's do it."
Susan was a brilliant friend.
The very next morning at breakfast Harry carefully peppered Susan's aunt questions about her job.
"Susan said that the DMLE has its own floor!" he said, trying to sound breathless and excited like Susan herself sometimes did.
"We do!" Miss Bones ('call me Amelia') said. "It's a very big department and there are a lot of different parts to it."
Harry listened intently as she talked about Aurors and Hit Wizards and the Wizengamot. He memorized which departments were in charge of which part of the law. Apparently Aurors were very important and 'elite' Witches and Wizards who tracked down 'dark wizards' (Harry very carefully did not roll his eyes at that). Hit Wizards were some sort of backup for Aurors and stepped in to help on 'big busts'. And they had regular law enforcement Wizards who were like Muggle Policemen and did patrols around magical villages.
Harry thought they all sounded horrible and imagined that magical law enforcement was probably much worse than muggles. Muggle cops could beat you up and arrest you and attack you for no reason, but they didn't have magic. Magical cops had endless ways they could make you suffer if they didn't like you.
And cops had never liked Harry.
"I wish I could meet an Auror," he sighed, perhaps a bit dramatically. "I bet they have loads of interesting stories about bad guys they stopped."
"Oh, Auntie! I know! Can we go to your office with you tomorrow?" Susan asked, just as they practiced. "Please, oh please? Harry could see the Ministry and then we would go to the library until you get off work." She gave her aunt those big puppy eyes that Harry never could resist. "Pleaseee?"
Apparently her aunt couldn't resist the eyes either because she laughed and agreed that they could tag along with her in the morning.
"You have to promise to stay out of trouble though," she said.
"We will," they chimed together, sharing a secret grin when Amelia wasn't looking.
"This-" Amelia said sweeping her arms out wide, "- is the Ministry of Magic!"
"Wow," Harry breathed, perhaps laying it on a bit thick. "Amazing!"
They were standing at one end of a very long and splendid hall with a highly polished, dark wood floor. The peacock-blue ceiling was inlaid with gleaming golden symbols that were continually moving and changing like some enormous heavenly notice board. The walls on each side were paneled in shiny dark wood and had many gilded fireplaces set into them. Every few seconds a witch or wizard would emerge from one of the left-hand fireplaces with a soft whoosh; on the right-hand side, short queues of wizards were forming before each fireplace, waiting to depart.
Halfway down the hall was a fountain. A group of golden statues, larger than life-size, stood in the middle of a circular pool. Tallest of them all was a noble-looking wizard with his wand pointing straight up in the air. Grouped around him were a beautiful witch, a centaur, a goblin, and a house-elf. The last three were all looking adoringly up at the witch and wizard. Glittering jets of water were flying from the ends of the two wands, the point of the centaur's arrow, the tip of the goblin's hat, and each of the house-elf's ears, so that the tinkling hiss of falling water was added to the noise of the hundreds of Witches and Wizards in the hall.
Harry thought that it must have been a complete idiot that made that statue. He'd never seen a goblin look at a wizard like that and even though Dobby had sort of stared at Harry all bright eyed he didn't really think other elves liked Wixen all that much either.
"Come on," Amelia said, pulling his attention from the fountain. "I'll show you my office Harry."
Harry and Susan followed closely behind her aunt and Harry ducked his head low to keep from being stared at.
They walked quickly to a set of golden lifts. Amelia Bones must know every witch and wizard in the place because she greeted them all by name.
"Morning Melinda," she said pleasantly to a younger witch who was waiting for the lift beside them. "How are you today?"
"Busy," the witch muttered, scribbling furiously on a parchment. "The Minister has a meeting with the Heads tomorrow and..." She trailed off as she glanced up and locked eyes on Harry. "And that's Harry Potter," she gasped. Her eyes flew back to Amelia before quickly flicking to Harry again. "Why do you have Harry Potter??"
Amelia gave her a bland smile and a half hearted shrug. "Harry is friends with my niece, Susan, and he wanted to come see what we do in the DMLE."
The witch was still still staring wide eyed at Harry. He flexed his fingers and briefly considered asking his magic to blister or shock her. Only the reminder that Susan's aunt was kind of like a cop stopped him.
"Come along Harry, Susan," Amelia said as the lift arrived, ignoring the witch who was still in place, just gaping after them.
Amelia pressed the button for level 2 and explained who the witch was as they went deeper down in to the ministry. "Melinda is the assistant for the Minister of Magic. She does things he can't be bothered with like scheduling meetings and sending owls and fetching lunch. She's also a terrible gossip," she winked at Susan who giggled. Harry was relieved he hadn't jinxed her since apparently she was close to the Minister.
"Level Four; Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures," the cool lift voice said before the doors opened.
A tall man with dark skin, a shiny bald head, and a single gold hoop in his ear stepped smartly on the lift.
"Madame Bones, Susan," he greeted them in a calm and deep voice. "How are you?"
Harry, who was in the corner of the lift behind the man, was relieved not to be seen.
"We're well Kingsley, how are you?" Amelia said warmly.
"Just fine, thank you. I had a spot of business to take care of about that spat between the Goblins and Centaurs," he told her.
"Aah, yes, well, neither of them like to share much, do they?" Amelia chuckled.
"Just so," Kingsley nodded his head before turning to Susan. "Are you on your summer holiday then?"
Susan nodded, "Yes sir. We're showing my friend the Ministry today."
Kingsley glanced around the lift, searching for Susan's friend, before spotting Harry.
"Hello young man, Kingsley Shacklebolt" he offered a large hand for him to shake. "How are you?"
Harry ignored the offered hand, hoping to instead settle for a nod of acknowledgment. "Harry, and good, thank you."
Shacklebolt seemed like a decent bloke. He took a few small steps away from Harry, which he was grateful for, and either didn't recognize him or didn't make a big deal of it if he did.
"Harry, Auror Shacklebolt is one of the top Aurors in the country," said Amelia. "He could answer any questions you have about the job!"
... so maybe Shacklebolt wasn't a decent bloke after all.
Harry tried to shuffle subtly further from the man but found he had literally gotten himself in to the corner. "Er- do- do you like your job?" he stammered.
Harry, who was looking down at his hands, missed Kingsley's raised brow at Amelia who shook her head minutely. 'Not now', she mouthed.
"I do, I trained with your father, you know."
Harry looked up sharply at him. Shacklebolt looked older than his Dad did in the photos Harry had of him and it gave him an uncomfortable feeling to realize that Shacklebolt was 10 years older than his Dad ever got to be. It also made him feel a little hysterical to realize that his Dad was training to be a part of the DMLE before he'd been murdered.
"Was he any good?"
Shacklebolt gave a deep chuckle and shook his head, his earring glinting as he did. "He would have been better if he didn't spend all his time trying to prank the other trainees."
Harry tried to give him a smile at that but it just made him think of all the ways Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas spent 'pranking' him.
"Oh," he said lamely.
"Level Two: Department of Magical Law Enforcement."
Harry was relieved to get out of the lift, his hands had started to shake lightly at being trapped in the small space with both Amelia and Shacklebolt.
He gazed around the large open area and almost darted back in to the lift as the room went silent and it seemed like thirty sets of eyes stared back at him.
"S-Susan," he whispered, reaching blindly for her.
"I'm here," she whispered back, grasping his hand tightly and helping him feel more centered.
"Is that- Harry Potter?" a wizard gasped, jumping to his feet and approaching them quickly. "Mister Potter! It's such an honor!"
Harry looked at him and tried to channel Professor Snape's most scornful look. "Thanks," he said simply, ignoring his hand reaching out for him.
The first wizard seemed to break the hold on the other employees because they all seemed to crowd around him.
"Thank you for what you did child," one woman sniffled while reaching out for him.
"You're a hero!" someone else said, also reaching out as if to touch him.
Harry felt his heart racing and his hands starting to sweat and shake. "Th-thanks," he said, desperately trying to not have a panic attack in a room full of magical police.
Susan gave her Aunt a pleading look, jerking her head towards Harry.
"Back to work!" Amelia ordered sharply, sending a steely gaze to the closest Witches and Wizards.
Harry thought Amelia must be a strict boss because immediately people started backing away from them, still sending Harry insufferable smiles and worshipful gazes.
"Come on kids, I'll show you my office," she said.
Harry followed closely behind her, breathing deeply and glaring darkly at the people they passed who stared at his forehead.
They can't even see that stupid little scar, he thought irritably. They're going to sound like real prats when they tell their friends 'oh yeah, I saw Harry Potter's bangs today!'
Susan kept a hold of his hand and then promptly released it as soon as Amelia's office door closed behind them. He gave her a grateful look- he didn't know how she could tell when he was ready for space but it was nice to be understood by someone.
"Those people are morons," Amelia grumbled under her breath. "I ought to bring Alastor back for a day to scare them back in to using their damn brains."
Susan giggled and gave Harry a soft look, "You okay?" she whispered. "Fine," he whispered back. And despite the confining feeling of Amelia's office, it was loads better than being crowded by all those people, and he could feel his pulse slowing down to a normal rhythm.
"Well, Harry, what do you think?" Amelia waggled her brows up and down, taking a seat behind her desk. "Is this everything you ever imagined?"
That got a small grin out of Harry, even if it was forced. "It's definitely just as big as Susan said it was. And you're in charge of all those people out there?"
Amelia scowled but nodded, "Sometimes I think I'm in charge and sometimes I think I'm babysitting."
Harry stepped over to her bookcase, examining the books on it while keeping Amelia and the door both in his line of sight.
"It must be a lot of w-"
Harry was cut off by a short and curt knock before the office door was unceremoniously thrown open.
A man entered, he was bouncing on the balls of his feet and looked around Amelia's office expectantly. He was a short and portly man, and had on a pinstriped cloak and matching bowler hat.
"Madame Bones!" He said excitedly, making eye contact with Harry. "You didn't tell me you'd have a visitor today!"
Harry glanced over at Amelia and saw she huffed out a little annoyed breath.
"Harry, this is the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge. Minister Fudge, this is my niece Susan's friend Harry Potter."
The Minister was surveying Harry with a look that was both pleasure and trepidation.
Harry decided he liked the man. Anyone who seemed to both like him and was a little nervous to be around him had to have good instincts.
"Hello Minister Fudge," he said with a nod. "I've heard a lot about you."
Fudge gave a weak chuckle, "All good things, I hope?"
They weren't, but Harry wasn't an idiot. "Of course sir. Lucius Malfoy says how you're the greatest minister we've ever had."
Lucius Malfoy had confided a few things about the Minister to Harry during their talks- but that had never been one of them.
He did say that the Minister thrived off of praise, which seemed to be spot on. Minister Fudge drew himself up proudly and gave Harry an approving look. "So you know Lucius do you? Excellent!" He looked around Amelia's office slowly before refocusing on Harry. "And what brings you here today Harry?"
Harry gave him a bashful smile and squeezed Susan's hand sharply to convey a quick change in their plan. "I wanted to see the Ministry, get to know more about it," he said lowering his eyes bashfully. "And since Susan's Aunt runs this department she said she'd show me. Isn't it amazing how she's in charge of all those people?" he asked innocently, looking up at the minister with wide eyes.
Minister Fudge grabbed the lapels of his robes and thrust his chest out importantly.
Harry thought he looked like a moron.
"Well Harry, the DMLE is very impressive of course, but you know, as Minister I have quite a few people I supervise as well." He winked at Harry who inwardly smirked, the man had taken the bait too easily.
"You do?" he asked breathlessly. "Wow! Maybe one day I can see your office. I bet it's amazing! Mister Malfoy said that you were brilliant, do you have a lot of interesting things in there?"
C'mon, ask me, c'mon... he willed him.
"Well- how would you like to come see?"
Got 'em.
"Oh! I dunno," Harry glanced down at the floor again before peeking up through his fringe. "I'm sure you and Madame Bones are too busy to give me more of a tour. This has been a dream come true already."
Harry heard Susan give a quiet snicker, but he ignored it for focusing on Fudge.
"Nonsense!" Fudge cried. "The next Lord Potter, eh? You should be seeing all there is to see of our government and meeting the right people!"
Harry imagined that he meant he was about to drag Harry about like some sort of prized show pony.
"Amelia you don't mind do you? If I borrow your young charges here?"
Amelia gazed sharply at Harry and Susan, another uncanny look to Professor Snape, seeming to search them for mischief.
"No sir, that would be fine," she said, seemingly satisfied with what she found. "If you'd be so kind to send them straight back here when you're finished?"
"Of course, of course!" Fudge had a possessive gleam in his eyes when he looked at Harry again.
You can do this, he coached himself. You've pretended to be a lot nicer to a lot worse people before.
Which was true, but he never planned to use his body as leverage again. He didn't mind cashing in on his fame here to get what he wanted and needed, but if the Minister made one move towards him Britain would need to hold a new election.
Harry allowed the Minister to usher them along through the Ministry as he made his way to his office. He stopped to talk to so many people that Harry stopped listening to their names. Harry kept a tight hold on Susan's hand, using it as the excuse to not shake anyone else's.
"And here's where the real magic happens!" Fudge announced, gesturing dramatically at his office. "That's real Gumwood," he said proudly, knocking his fist lightly on his desk. "Nice, eh?"
Harry agreed out loud, playing his part perfectly. Privately he thought that when this was his office that he would go with a darker schematic. It was just so bright right now.
After Harry thought he had spent enough time sucking up to the Minister, who would probably be a good person to have on his side according to Mister Malfoy, he nudged Susan pointedly.
"Harry do you want to go get lunch?" she asked brightly, interrupting the Minister telling another story about some important family he knows. "I know where there's some really amazing desserts in the dining hall!"
Harry got to his feet and stretched out, "Yeah, that's a good idea, Madame Bones will probably be wanting us back soon."
Fudge looked putout by their charade. "Oh, of course, yes. You both should go get something to eat. I trust you can find your way back to Amelia's office on your own?" At their obedient nod he gave them an indulgent wink, "Tell the elves in the dining hall to put your bill on my tab."
Harry gave a fake laugh and thanked him eagerly again for the tour and all the stories he shared.
"Of course, anytime lad!" Fudge drew himself up and peered down at Harry fondly, "If you ever need anything I dare say letters addressed to the minister will find me."
Harry gave him a polite smile and refrained from rolling his eyes. Mister Malfoy was right, Fudge just liked being Minister and he was a moron.
"C'mon," he whispered to Susan, throwing his cloak over them both quickly as soon as they stepped in the hall. "I don't want to be stopped a million times," he said in explanation. "It's quicker under here."
Susan held his hand tightly and followed him for a bit as he wandered around lost.
"Oh just follow me," she huffed.
Harry blushed faintly but followed Susan and she turned this way and that and darted across hallways and down staircases.
"Here it is," she whispered, gesturing to an unmarked door.
Harry took the cloak off them and knocked politely before opening the door. He walked in to what seemed to be an absolutely ordinary, if somewhat larger than expected, office.
"Can I help you?" a bored blonde haired witch asked, not even looking up from the book she was reading at her desk.
Harry pulled himself up to look as tall as he could before replying. "I'm here to get a prophecy that was made about me."
The witch sighed dramatically, as if Harry was the biggest inconvenience in the world before looking up and gasping.
"Oh! You're Harry Potter!"
Susan giggled behind him while Harry tried to give her a polite smile, playing the part of the humble 'Boy-Who-Lived' but he was worried it came out as more of a grimace.
"Yes ma'am," he said politely. "And I'd like to get a prophecy about me, please."
The witch looked him and Susan over carefully before wringing her hands. "I- I don't know... I don't usually get kids down here... I'm not sure what the policy is for kids and prophecies..."
Harry glanced over his shoulder at Susan, who twisted her mouth in to the tiniest of scowls. He looked back at the witch and hoped that Professor Snapes advice would work here like it had before on Professor McGonagall and Dumbledore.
He lowered his eyes to the floor and tried to sound as shy as he could, "Well ma'am, my mum would probably have come with me but it's just that she's dead, ya know? But the prophecy is supposed to tell me why she died," he sniffled a little for effect, "I just don't know why anyone would hurt my parents." He mentally crossed his fingers as he invented a lie on the spot, "And I know that I'm awfully young but the Minister said that you'd be able to help me..." he peeked up at her and gave her a sad look, trying out Susan's puppy eyed look. "I guess I'll just wait until I'm an adult since I'll never have any parents to come with me."
The witch stared at him and her upper lip trembled for a moment before reaching in to her desk with a slight sniffle. "No need dear, you poor thing. Of course you'd have to come alone..." she rambled. "Here sweetheart, just prick your finger on this needle here," she held out a needle to him, "it only hurts for just a moment. You want to let the blood drop on to this parchment here, okay?"
Harry doubted that a little prick to his finger was going to hurt but he nodded and did just what she asked him to do.
When he handed the parchment back to her, adding a shy smile for effect, the witch beamed at him.
"It looks like there is one prophecy linked to your magic, Mister Potter. You'll have to come with me to get it, I can't touch it of course."
Harry nodded agreeably, as if he had any idea what she was talking about. "Right, of course."
She led him, and Susan who trailed behind him, through another door in her office and they entered a room full of nothing but towering shelves covered in small, dusty, glass orbs. They glimmered dully in the light issuing from more candle brackets set at intervals along the shelves.
They followed her as she walked quickly down rows and row of the glittering orbs. "Ninety five... ninety six... here it is!" she announced. "Ninety Seven- Harry Potter!" She pointed at one of the small
glass spheres that glowed with a dull inner light, though it was very dusty and appeared not to have been touched for many years. Harry carefully edged closer to it and saw that underneath the orb was a small plaque that said:
'SPT to APWBD Dark Lord and (?) Harry Potter'
"Go ahead dearie, you're the only one who can grab it," she told him in a hushed voice.
Harry gave Susan a quick glance and saw her nod so he closed his fingers around the dusty ball's surface. He had expected it to feel cold, but it did not. On the contrary, it felt as though it had been lying in the sun for hours, as though the glow of light within was warming it. Expecting, even hoping, that something dramatic was going to happen, he lifted the glass ball down from its shelf and stared at it.
Nothing whatsoever happened. Susan moved in closer to Harry, gazing at the orb as he brushed it free of the clogging dust.
"We did it," she whispered fiercely.
"How do I hear it?" he asked the witch.
"If you'd like to listen to it more than once then you should place it in a pensieve to hear the prophecy," the witch instructed, guiding then back through the huge room. "But if you only want to hear it once then breaking it open is your best bet. But you can never hear it again after that."
Harry gripped the little orb tightly as him and Susan made their way back to the second level where her aunt was. He couldn't believe how easy it was. Now he'd be able to hear the whole thing and maybe start figuring out what was really going on the night Voldemort killed his parents.
He really hoped that Professor Snape had a pensieve he would let him use when he got back to Hogwarts.
He also hoped that the Ministry Dining Hall had a lot to choose from because Susan and himself were about to ring up the Ministers bill.
***AMELIA BONES POV***
When Susan originally told her about her new friend, Harry Potter, Amelia had been pleased at their friendship. Lily Evans had been a wonderful friend to her in school and even though James Potter had been an utter toerag, at their wedding Amelia could see he loved her deeply and would cherish his family always. The fact that he died in an attempt to protect his beloved wife and son is likely a point of pride for him, wherever their souls may be resting.
But then... then Susan wrote that she was worried about Harry.
'He hates being touched Auntie,' 'The other kids are either horrible to him or terrified of him,' 'I don't think he sleeps much and he won't eat,' 'I think he's used to being hated,' 'Harry got in another fight,' 'Can't you help him like you helped those other kids?'
Amelia read the letters and didn't like the picture Susan was painting. She had tried to reach out to Albus multiple times to speak with him about Harry but was rebuffed with each attempt. It almost made her believe he knew what she wanted to speak with him about and was purposefully dodging her.
Which was absurd, right? Lily and James had died following Albus' orders. Surely there could be no person who cared more for the child than he? She had almost made herself believe that until Severus Snape appeared in her office.
"If this were to fall out and you read it- then I have committed no act that the child can find treasonous," he had said when he handed her a parchment. Amelia read it that night and then spent more than a couple hours at the Ministry desperately digging for the placement of Harry James Potter in the file cabinets of the Department of Child Safety. There was not a single scrap of evidence that Harry had ever even been an open case in their department.
And Amelia remembered something else Severus had said, "There are those who would be incredibly interested in his whereabouts. However, those would be the very ones who the child would need shielded from."
And as she examined the lack of a paper trail regarding the orphan Harry Potter, Amelia wondered if Albus Dumbledore was one of the people who Harry needed shielded from.
Then she very carefully ignored that thought and focused very hard on never thinking of it again. Her mind was glaringly open, it had to be for her position on the Wizengamot, and there was a very powerful Legilimens on the same court of law.
Instead, she fretted over Susan's association with him. Harry had a lot of very specific injuries in his medical history that made Amelia worry that he would be too... hardened? traumatized? perhaps even mad?... to be friends with her niece.
But she told Severus she would take him for two weeks over the summer, and she would. Amelia Bones was a witch of her word.
Then she met him and her heart broke right in two. Harry Potter was the fragile size of a child of perhaps nine but acted as if he had already fought in wars. He had a wary look when he saw her, as if he believed she would attack him at any given moment. He only stood with his back to the wall. He identified every exit in every room before he walked inside. He stayed out of arms reach of Amelia at all times. He flinched when Susan moved too suddenly and stiffened when she touched him.
Despite his demeanor he was also soft spoken and unfailingly polite. She wondered if he was polite because it was the proper way to behave or because he was worried of the repercussions of disrespecting an adult.
"You look quite a bit like your father," she told him fondly on his first afternoon there. "Though you have Lily's eyes."
Of course, neither Lily nor James Potter ever had a jagged scar that stretched down the side of their face. She saw multiple silver scars across Harry's hands and wrists that spoke to a lifetime of battle. James had not lived to even double Harry's years of life, but Harry's scars spoke to a short life filled with triple the pains James had ever experienced.
"Professor Snape said told me I could be a 'James Potter miniature' but I don't think he meant it as a compliment," Harry said with a smirk.
Amelia had laughed, remembering Severus' feud with James in school, "Yes well, those two took the Slytherin and Gryffindor rivalry to new heights, didn't they?"
"That's so silly," said Susan, "We have a good friend, Neville, and he's in Gryffindor, right Harry?"
Amelia knew that Neville Longbottom had allied himself formally with Harry Potter- the entire ministry likely knew it as much as Augusta had bragged. She was surprised that Augusta had allowed him to do so. She would have disproved of a formal political alliance at such a young age but... but Harry Potter probably needed allies. And she was sure that Neville Longbottom would grow to be as strong as his father and as kind as his mother.
"I think it's stupid to be friends with people, or hate them, just because of what house they're in," Harry declared firmly. "Susan would be my best friend even if she was in Gryffindor."
That fierce loyalty reminded her sadly of James' own surety in his friends. One dead, one missing, and one who never deserved the love or loyalty of James Potter.
She hoped all of those in their 'group', as Susan called it, deserved such faith.
She was amused by Harry's interest in the DMLE. She didn't think she was imagining the tightening around his eyes when he was introduced to Kingsley Shacklebolt. Kingsley certainly noticed how Harry had edged away from him and would likely want an answer on why the Boy Hero of Britain seemed ready to flee or fight during a simple conversation.
She certainly didn't imagine the way that Harry had looked disdainfully at the other members of her department who had tripped over their own feet to introduce themselves to him. She had nearly laughed at the time. She never imagined that a face that physically resembled James Potter so much could possibly have such a Severus Snape expression on it.
But- Harry Potter did not like law enforcement, that much was obvious. She imagined that James would be disappointed by this. He himself had been training to be a Hit Wizard before he was forced into hiding.
Harry had seemed pleased to meet Minister Fudge though. It wasn't every day that the Minister of Magic gives a child a tour of his offices. Harry and Susan had returned from Fudge's office with their eyes shining and looking very pleased with themselves.
She wondered if Harry had political aspirations. She knew he had struck up a friendship with the sons of Lucius Malfoy and the Contessa Zabini of Italy. Perhaps their families had influenced Harry's ideals.
One evening, she finally saw her opportunity to ask Harry about it. Susan was up in her room working on a summer assignment for Filius and Harry was pursuing their bookcase.
"Have you thought much about what you want to do after school?" she asked him neutrally when she entered the sitting room.
Harry stiffened slightly and turned so his back was to the bookshelf.
"M-maybe work in the Ministry," he said softly, glancing quickly behind her to the empty doorway.
"But not in the DMLE, right?"
Harry jerked his eyes to her, a faint blush staining his cheeks.
He looked incredibly like Lily in that moment.
"I just think m-maybe I could make m-more of a difference somewhere else," he mumbled.
"Hmm," she indulged him thoughtfully. "And what kind of differences would you make?"
Harry shrugged but his eyes got a gleam in them that reminded her of James' eyes when he was on a rant about Transfiguration.
"I'd get rid of the idea of bloodlines mattering first. And I'd let Goblins and Elves and Werewolves and other magical beings have a voice in the Wizengamot. It's stupid not to include them."
Amelia smiled, Harry held very idealistic views on the future of the British Wixen World.
"And I'd set up a way to find muggleborns sooner, and move them to our world before they're 11."
That caught Amelia by surprise.
"Why?" she asked incredulously.
Harry averted his eyes from hers, staring down at his hands, which were clenched tightly in to fists.
"Muggles are dangerous, yeah?
"Are they?" She asked gently, thinking again of his extensive injuries. Severus hadn't said that Harry was raised in the Muggle world, just that he had an unsatisfactory home life that he needed sanctuary from for the summer.
But that diagnostic scan had spoken for itself. And Harry had no living Wixen relations. Which just left Muggles.
Merlin damned muggles that better hope Amelia never finds them. Because she knew quite a few members of the DMLE who would not hesitate to extract off the record revenge for James Potters son. Regardless of Harry's status as the Boy-Who-Lived, James had been one of theirs, which made Harry one of theirs. And no one in her department took it well when one of their own was hurt in any way.
"Yeah, they are," Harry said firmly, answering her previous question. "And kids who are magic shouldn't have to be around them."
"What if they want to? What if they don't want to leave their families?"
"Why wouldn't they want to come to a place where they belong? Where they're special?" He asked her.
Amelia didn't truly have an answer for him. Muggles could be dangerous. The Statue of Secrecy was in place to protect Wixen from them discovering their secrets. But she doubted if she could explain to Harry how children would be attached to their families.
"You have a lot of ideas," she said diplomatically.
Harry shrugged again, she thought this might be his preferred gesture in conversations.
"I just think things should change."
Despite Harry's maturity Amelia thought that he should have some normal childhood summer memories. If she had died with her sister and her husband and Lily and James had taken in Susan she knew that they would do the same.
"How would you both like to go on a day trip?" She asked one morning, on Harry's fifth day with them.
"Ooh, where to?" Susan asked with an eager smile.
Harry glanced at her with his green eyes slightly narrowed before ducking his head.
"There's a Muggle fair in London I thought we might go to. There should be food, and games, and rides. We can portkey to the London Wixen Collection Area then walk to the fair?"
"Can I wear my Muggle clothes?" Susan asked, bouncing in her seat.
"Of course," she laughed. "We'd make an odd group in our robes." She looked over at Harry and registered his tightly coiled muscles- he looked prepared to flee at any moment.
"Harry?" She said softly, "Do you want to go? We can do something else if not."
Harry jerked his head up quickly and gave her an unconvincing grin. "Yeah, it sounds brill."
"Do you have Muggle clothes you can wear?" She'd mostly only seen him sporting Wizarding robes.
Harry nodded, "Yep. Professor Snape took me shopping, didn't he? We got a lot of clothes and some of them still fit."
Amelia was inordinately grateful that Harry had found a... mentor? friend? father figure?... a something in Severus Snape.
Severus was a good man. An honorable and brave man who followed a strict code of ethics. Even if it is his own personal codes that he follows.
"Excellent," she clapped her hands. "Then we'll go after lunch."
Harry seemed more nervous than usual but she brushed it off. He had probably never been to a fair and was unsure what to expect.
"Wow!" Susan squealed when they arrived at the fair that evening. "This is brill!"
Amelia laughed at her enthusiasm and the easy way she seemed to have picked up Harry's slang.
Harry stood with his hands trembling slightly, staring suspiciously at the throngs of muggles crowding the area. Amelia thought it through for a moment and came to an impulsive decision. She pulled the two kids off to the side and crouched down to their level.
"You guys wanna see a cool spell?" she asked, her eyes sparkling mischievously.
Susan bobbed her head eagerly and Harry flicked his eyes down to her wand hand before looking back up at her eyes.
"What kind of spell?" he asked.
She leaned closer to them so they could hear her whispering. "We can make it so the muggles don't even notice us. They wouldn't be able to jostle us or anything."
Harry's eyes widened the slightest bit and she saw a glimmer of interest in them. "Really?" he breathed. "They couldn't touch us?"
Amelia shook her head, still holding her smile despite the way her heart ached at correctly identifying the crux of Harry's current fear. "I can do it to Susan first so you can see how it works."
At his accepting nod she quickly placed a notice-me-not and redirection charm on her niece.
"Watch," she murmured to Harry. They kept their eyes on Susan as she ran through the crowd of Muggles. Not a single person there seemed to notice the fiery little red head dancing through the crowds, or the way they shifted themselves slightly to make sure they were no closer than 20cm to her.
Susan laughed brightly in the middle of the crowd. "Come on Harry! This is amazing!"
Harry glanced up at Amelia, "How will we order food or get on the rides?"
Amelia whispered in his ear, "Can you keep a secret?" Harry nodded quickly.
"Magic," she winked.
Harry's eyes took on a look of what she would almost call respect. She should have known that the best way to earn the respect of James Potter's son was to bend the rules nearly to breaking point.
"Brill, will you teach me those spells?"
She agreed she would and explained what she was doing as she placed them on him and then herself.
"Let's go!"
Amelia felt a twinge on her conscious as she confounded and charmed Muggles in to letting them on the rides and selling them food, but then she saw Harry. Harry had never looked more his age or more like Lily. His eyes were bright with excitement as they ate greasy snacks and played games. He laughed and whooped loudly with Susan on the roller coaster and she thought back on every other laugh of his she'd heard so far and realized this was the first one that sounded genuinely happy.
Laws be damned, it was worth it.
The rest of the summer Amelia had dedicated herself to giving Harry as many childhood memories as she could. She took the kids to a waterpark, where Harry refused to swim shirtless. She also took them to parks for ice cream and Harry helped her teach Susan how to climb trees.
Harry was suspiciously adept at this skill.
They also visited malls and Susan begged her to visit the Muggle cinema, so they did that too. She showed Harry the beach where his parents had gotten married and taught them both how to build sand castles.
She saw that Harry carried his camera with him every where, documenting each event they experienced. She smiled when she saw Susan smushing her face next to his for photos and found herself playing photographer frequently for the two of them.
By the end of the two weeks both kids seemed more giddy, relaxed, and childlike than they originally had.
She waved them farewell as the Hogwarts Express took them back towards school and felt rather pleased with herself. Right before they boarded the train Harry had twitched and then caught her by surprise by quickly flashing one of his arms around her in what could almost be called a hug.
She thought she might floo Severus and let him know how it went. She'd also find out about having Harry back again next summer.
He was a little rough around the edges, but an overall good boy.