Harry Potter The Surprise

They found Lupin in his office, packing his personal possessions away. There was an awkward silence for a minute until Lupin handed Harry back the Marauders' Map. "Now that I am no longer a professor, I have no reason to confiscate this from you. There are rather conflicting reports going around about exactly what happened last night. Care to share what you've been up to?"

A loud sigh of relief came from Harry. "Professor, you have no idea how much we need to tell you everything that happened last night."

Seeing the sandwiches both were carrying, Remus offered to make a pot of tea while they told their tale.

Harry started their story as Hermione ate her lunch. When she was finished eating, she seamlessly took over the narrative as Harry tucked into his first bite since Pomfrey forced chocolate into them last night. It appeared this was their day for inducing wide-eyed shock, that was Remus' reaction to hearing Dumbledore obliviated the Minister of Magic - before trying to illegally force his way into Harry's mind.

Seeing the Potter ring on Harry's finger was enough proof for Remus but watching as he then wandlessly, and silently, floated the now empty teapot off the table sealed it. Hermione then levitated the cups and saucers too.

"Using our rings to perform magic is getting easier all the time, and you don't need to say the spell - or use any wand movements. Anything one of us learns, the other can do too - and low level magic seems to be invisible..." Hermione stopped as she clearly had an idea. "Harry, do you think I could cast a patronus?"

Harry was in her head, showing Hermione exactly what she needed to do. His mere presence and support was enough for Hermione to generate the positive thoughts necessary to power the spell. Taking out her wand for this, a silver doe was soon prancing around a shocked Remus' office.

As Harry hugged and kissed Hermione in congratulations, Remus used the familiar actions of making another pot of tea to try and get his thoughts in some sort of order.

He couldn't help but think that Harry being prophesied to face Voldemort was as bad as things could get, that was until you factored in Dumbledore obviously had a whole secret agenda that included using Harry to get what he wanted too.

Remus liked the idea of Harry and Hermione becoming betrothed, and could already see these two were good for one another. He figured it would be up to him and Padfoot to sit Harry down and give him the talk about witches, though that was for the future - they had more pressing matters to deal with here.

He sat back down and faced the teens. "That is, without doubt, the most unbelievable story I've ever heard. That every word is true scares me more than you can know. Having taught you both for a year, I can honestly say I would want to help you anyway. Then there's Sirius, James and Lily to consider, this is not a difficult decision for me. Since I now find myself with time on my hands, what do you need from me?"

Remus watched on in surprise as the veneer these two had been showing the outside world shattered into pieces, revealing two terrified teens. Hermione was in tears, burrowing into her betrothed who wasn't much better.

"Professor, I understand my mum was short of time last night but I feel as if we had a mountain of shit dumped on us, and neither of us have a clue what to do next. I have Voldemort's memories in my head..." Harry struggled to go on, until a tearful Hermione gave him a kiss of encouragement.

"There's a part of me that wishes Dumbledore had obliviated me last night, and taken away these horrors. Death Eaters are monsters, sick monsters who believe their breeding and wealth allows them to do whatever they want. They need to be put down, none of Dumbledore's forgiveness shite - these fucking monsters don't deserve to live for the things they've done. Torture, rape, arson, murder - these evil bastards took great delight in all of those. Why though should it be left to a couple of teenagers to deal with this? I don't want Hermione even seeing these terrible things, far less having to deal with the people who carried them out..."

Getting her emotions back under control, Hermione stated the obvious. "Harry, you need me."

"Yes, I need you - but this is too much to ask of anyone."

"I'm not anyone, though. I'm your Hermione, your betrothed who's not going to leave your side. With Professor Lupin helping, we can start making lists of what needs done right now."

Handing them another calming cup of tea each, Remus was more determined than ever to help. "First of, I am no longer your professor, Remus or Moony works for me. Secondly, let's get started on that list - in order of priority." He soon discovered they had different priorities.

"We need to let Hermione's parents know we're betrothed, and what that means."

"We need to get Harry away from the Dursleys, and without Dumbledore knowing."

Getting out some parchment, ink and a quill, Remus tried to combine both of their objectives. "If push comes to shove, Harry - as Head of House Potter - will be emancipated in the magical community. He needs a legal guardian in the muggle world however. Asking Hermione's parents could easily solve that problem..." Both teens immediately began shaking their heads.

"What about you, Remus? You could be my guardian."

"Harry, I'm a werewolf..."

"Not to the muggles you're not."

"I don't have a job..."

"You're Steward of House Potter - as of about two minutes ago - advisor and mentor to the new young Lord. Steward of House Black works too, it would allow you to do things for Sirius that he can't while a fugitive. The pay for House Potter side of things is double what you've been getting at Hogwarts, more if Dumbledore got you in here on a reduced salary. I'm sure Sirius will match that."

As Remus tried to protest, he was being ignored by the two teens. Watching though as they regained some control over themselves, and hopefully the situation they fond themselves in, meant Remus didn't protest too hard.

"The Dursleys will sign my guardianship over to you in a second..."

Hermione burst in with an idea. "Tell them Dumbledore sent you, and that he's discovered how they treated Harry. Give them some money and advise them to move, move somewhere the magical authorities can't find them."

"Why should we give them any money?"

Hermione's smile at Harry's question was predatory in nature. "We don't want Dumbledore finding them, and they'll spend years looking over their shoulders - waiting on the magical authorities showing up."

Now happy with that solution, Harry faced their next problem. "We need a bolt hole. One outside Britain, so Sirius will be safer. It needs to be big enough for all of us, possibly the Grangers, Lovegoods, Longbottoms and perhaps even the Weasleys too."

While writing this down, Remus was looking for an explanation. His hand stopped writing as he heard it.

"We need you to arrange an appointment at Gringotts. We have a method of stripping the wealthiest death eaters of their gold, all their gold. Depending on how they react to being robbed blind, we might then need to offer a safe haven to our friends and family. Hermione, you'll be their number one target. Will your mum and dad take our warning seriously?"

Her head was down though both Harry and Remus recognised the hurt in Hermione's voice. "I think they'll let me go with you, gets me out from under their feet. Call it summer school and there won't be a problem. Asking them to break their routines though, never gonna happen. Mum and dad are very set in their ways, with everything else having to fit around them."

"Oh, now I'm really looking forward to telling them you're betrothed to me."

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