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Sirius was dead. Sirius was dead and Harry was being sent back to the Dursleys with a pat on the head and a ‘I’m sorry my boy’. His godfather was dead and all his friends seemed to do was to shoot him ‘I told you so’ looks, as if they hadn’t encouraged him to rescue him. As if they weren’t by his side when he watched him go through the veil.
Hermione just kept harassing him on the train, telling him that he needed to talk about it, how it made him feel etc and how if he had just listened to her this wouldn’t have happened. He honestly didn’t understand that last bit, she didn’t not at any point tell him not to go. Ron just complained about his new scars the whole train ride, which yeah okay Harry understood but seriously? So what Ron, welcome to the scarred club now shut up! It was a long train ride.
When the ticket inspector signalled to him, Ron, and Hermione that it was safe to walk through the magical barrier between platforms nine and ten they were met with a surprise. A group of people were standing there to greet him, none of whom he particularly wanted to see at the moment. There was Mad-Eye Moody, Tonks and Mr and Mrs Weasleys. Fred and George were there too, they were perhaps the only two of the group that he didn’t mind seeing but their lurid coloured jackets were a little too bright on his eyes. Remus was nowhere to be seen. Harry’s heart sank. Did this mean that he blamed Harry for Sirius’ death as much as he did?
“ Hi,” Harry said as he approached them. “I didn’t expect . . . what are you all doing here?”
“Well,” Mr Weasley said with a slight smile. “We thought we might have a little chat with your aunt and uncle before letting them take you home.”
“I dunno if that’s a good idea,” said Harry at once.
“Oh, I think it is,” Moody growled as he hobbled closer. “That’ll be them, will it, Potter?” He gestured over to Uncle Vernon. Before Harry could protest further the whole group lumbered over to his Uncle who looked as displeased to see the welcoming committee as Harry was.
“ Good afternoon,” said Mr. Weasley pleasantly to Uncle Vernon, coming to a halt right in front of him. “You might remember me, my name's Arthur Weasley.” As Mr. Weasley had single handily demolished most of the Dursleys’ living room two years previously, Harry would have been very surprised if Uncle Vernon had forgotten him. Sure enough, Uncle Vernon turned a deeper shade of puce and glared at Mr. Weasley, but chose not to say anything, partly, perhaps, because he was vastly outnumbered.
Harry zoned out as they threatened his Uncle who just got redder and redder in the face until he was puce. He knew that he was going to pay for these ‘kind’ words that they were having with him. If these people really cared they wouldn’t be sending Harry back into the ‘tender care’ of his relatives, blood wards be damned.
When it was finally over, Harry just waved goodbye to everyone and followed his furious Uncle from the station. He knew that he was in for it when his uncle was too angry to even bluster at him. Harry just got silently into the back of the car after sticking his trunk in the boot of the car. He had set Hedwig free before he even left Hogwarts out of fear that his relatives would starve her to death.
The drive back to the house was tense and he knew that his uncle was just waiting to explode in anger as soon as they were behind closed doors. They both knew that whatever threats Harry’s ‘friends’ had made, they would all come to nothing. They had after all been watching him last year and they had not lifted a finger once to help him when his cousin beat him or when he was slaving away in the sweltering heat. They were useless empty promises and Harry decided as they pulled into the drive of Number Four Privet Drive, that he rather hated them.
Harry managed to get his trunk out of the car and into the house ahead of his Uncle. He was about to put it in his cupboard under the stairs when an achingly familiar voice stole his attention. The one person that he had wanted to see at the station but wasn’t there, was sitting instead, in his living room.
Remus.
“ Hello, Harry.” The tired, sad looking man gave him a gentle smile.
“ Remus!” Harry threw himself at the man.
“ Its alright, cub.” He was wrapped in strong warm arms. “I’ve got you now.”
“ It’s all my fault.” Harry confessed into the werewolf’s chest. “If I had just tried harder or-”
“ Shh.” He interrupted him. “It isn’t your fault. We both know that Padfoot was suffocating in that house. If it wasn’t the thing at the Ministry then it would have been something else.”
Harry laughed wetly. He was right, padfoot had been going nuts while locked up in that house, much like he does every summer but unlike Harry he didn’t have the knowledge that he would be able to leave it.
Before Harry could ask Remus about why he was there, Uncle Vernon waddled into the room.
“ What is going on?” He thundered as he took in the appearance of a strange man in the living room. His wife, who Harry had completely ignored, was sat stiffly on the settee next to a frightened looking Dudley.
“ Harry is leaving.” Remus announced.
“ I am?” Harry looked up at him surprised. He didn’t think that Dumbledore was aware of Remus’ plans otherwise the little scene at the station wouldn’t have happened.
“ Oh no, he isn’t.” Vernon blustered trying to make himself look bigger and more menacing. He just looked rather stupid and fat.
“ And what is a muggle like you going to do to stop me?” Remus snarled, whipping out his wand, one arm still wrapped firmly around Harry.
“ Your Dumbledore said that he has to stay here.” Petunia interjected trying to take the attention of her husband.
“ I don’t give a damn what Dumbles thinks.” Remus spat. “I am not leaving my cub here for another day.”
“ I’ll go pack.” Harry beamed at Remus. “I still have some things upstairs that I want to take with me.”
“ Go on then, but quickly now.”
Harry nodded and ducked past Vernon who was too busy huffing and puffing about being ordered around in his own house to notice him slipping past. He ran up stairs and once in his room he fell to his knees and scuttled to the bed to pull up one of the floorboards that he hid the things that he couldn’t take with him to Hogwarts but didn’t want the Dursleys to find.
With everything gathered he ran back down stairs to find Remus stood by the front door with his trunk in hand.
“ Ready?” He asked.
“ Ready.” Harry grinned.
“ I’m supposed to be on watch and Mundungus is supposed to be replacing me around midnight.” He explained as they walked out the door not even looking back at the Dursleys that crowded round the door, watching them go. “All the same, we have a lot to do to get you away from here out of the reach of both Lords playing chess in Great Britain.”
“ I won’t have to fight?” Harry asked tentatively as they stopped in an alleyway half a street away from Privet Drive.
“ Never again, if I have my way.” Remus promised. “Now hold on, I’m going to cast a glamor on you and then we’ll be apperating to Diagon. I have a meeting set up with Gringotts for us.”
“ Okay.” Harry nodded eagerly.
A disguised Harry Potter and Remus Lupin entered Gringotts in England and several hours later, Henry Blackwood and Rhodrick Moone left Gringotts in New York.
Ten Years Later:
Henry Blackwood whistled to himself as he unlocked the door to the apartment that he shared with his handsome Italian American boyfriend, Tony DiNozzo.
Henry had met Tony five years ago when he was celebrating his twenty-first birthday. Moony had nipped to the loo leaving him alone at the bar when a handsome bloke slid into the seat.
“ Well hello.” The new man practically purred. “What is a sweet thing like you doing here by yourself?”
“ I’m not.” Henry shook his head as he turned to face the stranger. He was a tall lean man with blondish brown hair and light coloured eyes. He had a boyish charm to him despite the slight wrinkle around his eyes showing that he was older than he appeared. “I’m here with my Uncle, he’s just gone to the loo.”
“ A brit!” The stranger grinned widely, showing off his white teeth. “How long have you been in the states for?”
“ Five years.” Henry saw no harm in telling him the truth.
“ You like it here?”
“ It's better than home.”
“ Well, I’ll drink to that!” The stranger gestured to the bartender. “A beer for me and my new friend here please.” Then the stranger paused and looked back at Henry. “You are legal to drink right?”
“ It's my twenty-first, today.” Henry confirmed.
“ Excellent,” He caught the bartender’s eye again. “Make that two Jager bombs instead.” He paid for them.
“ Jager bombs?”
“ You’ve not had it before?” The stranger seemed to relax and was a lot less flirty now that he knew Henry’s age. He was probably a little too young for him. A shame, Henry thought as he eyed the tight jeans that fit him like a glove.
“’C ourse not.” Henry grinned cheekily. “I’ve only just come of age.”
The stranger laughed, his whole face lighting up. “I’m Tony.” He finally introduced himself.
“ Henry.”
“ And you can call me Mr Moone.” Moony announced as he appeared next to them.
“ Oh hello.” Tony blinked in surprise at the sudden addition to the group. “You must be the Uncle.”
“ Indeed.” It was at that point that the drinks arrived.
“ I was just wishing your nephew a happy birthday.” Tony continued unaware of the dangers of a protective werewolf. “It's not everyday you turn twenty one.” And with that he winked at Henry, patted Moony on the shoulder and whispered something into the ear of the werewolf before sauntering away taking his drink with him.
“ Sorry for scaring off your new friend.” Moony apologised as he took the seat that Tony had vacated. “I just saw an older man chatting to you and went…”
“ Protective Uncle mode?” Henry teased lightly. “It's alright. He seemed friendly but harmless.”
“ Turns out that he was protecting you too.” Moony confessed, his voice dipping so Henry had to strain to hear him. “He saw a creep heading your way and jumped in before they could.” Henry could tell that there was more to that story but also recognised the look in Moony’s eyes that said that now wasn’t the place nor time to discuss it.
“ I’ll have to thank him then if I see him again.” He declared.
It had turned out that Tony was undercover and the ‘creep’ that he had chased away ended up being a serial rapist that he was trying to catch. Tony had risked his cover to protect Henry from being chosen as a victim. Thankfully, Tony had caught him before he could attack anyone that night.
Henry didn’t think that he would see Tony again, after all they had only briefly met by chance in a bar but he did see him, the very next day even. Turns out that Tony is a squib that sometimes works with MACUSA if he comes across a case that is magical in nature. The rapist that he caught the night before was a wizard, a weak one but still a wizard, so he had to be processed at the MACUSA building in Baltimore where Henry happened to be signing in for his second week as a Junior Auror.
“ Henry.” Tony greeted him happily as he left the head Auror’s office. “Fancy seeing you here.”
“ Hi Tony.” Henry was rather pleased to have run into him again. “My Uncle told me what you did, so thank you.”
“ No problem, kid.” Ah, so he had no chance then. Henry felt disappointed that the attractive and clearly morally good bloke wasn’t interested in him. Then again, as a former Gryffindor, Henry wasn’t one for giving up.
“ Can I take you out to lunch as a thank you?”
“ Pardon?” Tony looked shocked.
“ I want to take you out to lunch to thank you for not letting a creep get his claws into me.” Henry repeated. “My lunch break is at half twelve. Meet me in the lobby if you’re interested.” He decided to leave it up to him. “No hard feelings if you’re not.” He promised before turning on his heel and heading to his desk.
Tony was waiting for him when he got off for lunch.
Tony had claimed that they were going to lunch as friends. Only friends. Which Henry accepted for the time being but one lunch turned into weekly lunches which turned into bi weekly, then three times a week and soon they were meeting every day they were free for lunch.
And the rest is history. It took Henry a year to woo Tony but it was worth it. Sure they had their ups and downs and Henry almost throttled the man for taking a job in DC without discussing it with him first but he supported him all the same. Henry took a transfer to DC so they could continue to work in the same city and of course it just made sense for them to just move in together. Moony was pleased for him and helped them move but had decided to stay in Baltimore as he had this on and off again relationship with a woman who owned a chocolate shop.
“ Honey, I’m home.” Henry called out as he let himself in. He dumped his keys in the bowl by the front door and kicked his shoes off before sticking them in the little shoe cubby hole that Tony insisted that they half.
“ Hey.” Tony smiled tiredly from the sofa. “Good day at work?”
“ Bit boring, unlike what I heard your day was.” Henry stood behind him and reached down to kneed his shoulders. They were rather tight. “Heard you caught your marine killer.”
“ Yeah.” Tony relaxed into his seat. “God you’re good at that.”
“ Maybe I should quit the Auror force and become a masseuse then?” He mused as he dug his thumb into a particularly hard knot to loosen it.
“ Ahh, don’t you dare.” Tony groaned. “These magic hands are mine.”
“ All yours.” Henry reassured him and leant over the settee to press a kiss to his temple. “Why don’t you fix us something to eat while I shower and afterwards I can show you what else these hands can do?” He nipped at Tony’s ear and relished in the hitch of breath he caused the older man.
“ Deal!” The man shot out of his seat and into the kitchen. He popped his head back round the door. “What are you waiting for, go shower.”
“ Yessir.” Henry laughed and blew him a kiss before going to do just that.
Harry Potter died the day that Remus rescued him from the Dursleys and Henry Blackwood was born. Henry never looked back even when the reports from the UK were worrying but in the end they solved their Dark Lord issue by themselves, without Harry Potter.
“ Hurry up!” Tony shouted from the kitchen as Henry turned on the shower. “I’m making us some toast.”
He loved his Tony, even if he could be a little impatient.