Chapter 11: Changes

September 21st, 1989, London, Diagon Alley, 5:23 PM

Bathed in the afterglow, the dimly lit Obscurus Books had a medieval-looking exterior that contrasted with its gothic library architecture interior. Inside, one could catch a glimpse of a woman clad in a formal black dress; her complexion exuded an indiscernible aura of serenity compatible with the ambience of the bookshop.

Samantheus and Narcissa picked a rather secluded area submerged in the towering sea of books whose covers were mainly dark grey to deep green. They were conversing nonchalantly. Sam proposed mischievously to let him be Draco's other Godfather for convenience, but was turned down by Narcissa for obvious reasons. Instead, they are going to let Sam take Draco to be his apprentice in an official way, lest Lucius intervene. Sam agreed with both his hands; the thought of it did intrigue the man, as Sam did have a good impression of the boy during their limited meetings.

Scratching his chin slightly, Sam asked in an ambiguous tone. "Were there any things worth mentioning within the Grey Fraction?"

Turning her gaze back at the man, Narcissa's eyes narrowed at his question, once again reminding her that he was sorted into Slytherin for a reason.

"Not much had changed since the war ended; with the Greengrass upholding the leader position, the faction still did quite well with internal as well as external affairs...

"Though, does the term 'blood malediction' mean anything to you?" Sam stroked his hair. He recalled the corresponding memory as those blue eyes turned icy cold.

'A blood malediction, also known as a blood curse, was a curse that could resurface in a victim's descendants.'

"Did it happen in their generation?" Sam was puzzled.

Narcissa nodded indiscernibly as she skimmed through rows of books for collection. "Astoria Greengrass, their youngest daughter; rumour had it that she was looking much more fragile than other children; she rarely showed up in any meetings or balls. They said she even had to attend St. Mungo regularly, almost every other day."

"Such a shame. Their family were considered good people, much more open-minded than others in the Sacred Twenty-Eight. Maybe I should give them a visit for consolation." Sam shook his head sympathetically.

Narcissa just scoffed at the man's grasp of opportunity.

…

September 21st, 1989, London, Port of London, 6:50 PM

Having wrapped up everything about his old job, Remus was now on his way to his flat, musing how much better these days were for him. A new door full of light and hope had just opened up to him once again, and this time he was determined not to let it go at all costs for him and Harry.

Through Ethan's recommendation, Remus even brought himself a decent meal for dinner from some muggle shop. It wasn't much, just some burgers with salad. Much to his surprise, right in front of his flat's door stood a familiar old man clad in a wizard's formal crimson robe and pointy hat of the same colour. He wore his signature grandfatherly smile, yet he seemed to be chewing something similar to gum.

On his left shoulder stood a beautiful red Pheonix, Fawks. The bird sent out a few gak sounds echoing along the dilapidated, deserted hallway; it was greeting Remus.

It took him a few seconds before Remus quickly collected his thoughts as he opened his mouth with astonishment. "Professor!? What a nice surprise. How did you find me?"

Dumbledore simply nodded towards the phoenix. "Hello Remus, it's good to see you vigorous like this, friend; mind if we talk more inside?" The old headmaster gestured at the door.

Remus quickly closed the distance towards the door as he unlocked it. "Of course, where are my manners? Please come in." Thankfully, he had somewhat cleaned it before he met with Mr. Faramundo this noon. However, it couldn't conceal the poor state of the apartment.

The old headmaster slowly came forth as he tried to take in the whole picture of the rundown flat, second-hand furniture, or rather, faint traces of claw marks, broken windows, and the lingering dampness.

Remus quickly cast 'Scourgify' as he commanded for all the windows to open up, bringing in the cool air mid-Autumn. He tried to set up a formal set of teacups as well as tables and chairs, but to no avail. Seeing his old friend's awkwardness, Dumbledore calmly conjures up one.

"My apology. Should I know you'd come..." Remus sat down and scratched his head as his face turned slightly red.

"Mind not, Remus, I should be the one to apologise for coming by so suddenly, as you may have guessed the reason for my presence here." Dumbledore took a sip of lemon-drop tea.

Remus's visage turned bitter at the old man's words. "Sigh, of course, it's about Harry, innit?

"I know I'm in no position to ask, but why? The interception of the will, I can understand it partly, but dropping him off at the Dursleys!? Leaving him for Petunia?

"You out of all people must know how much Lily's family despited her, Petunia might as well contribute the most of it. Have you ever seen what they did to the boy? Merlin! You should have seen those pictures presented at the court. It's beyond cruelty, Professor."

Remus gritted his teeth at those horrid images of Harry's abuse.

Dumbledore swayed the cup in his head as he listened to Remus's criticism. He turned his gaze out of the window and breathed out a long breath as the moonlight reflected in those half-moon glasses.

"Yes, Remus, I did what I did. I fully understand your frustration but forgive me for being frank; it was the only way I could ensure Harry's total safety at that time given my position. His mother's love and the blood wards could keep him safe, no doubt, although we know not everything about the wards.

"Besides, you know how tense it was; even after the dark lord's…defeat, his army would not just turn themselves in. What happened to Frank and Alice could have happened to Harry…" Dumbledore explained calmly yet those blue eyes fluctuated briefly.

Remus's face further darkened at the old professor's words. "Professor, you might have protected Harry from those Death Eaters and dark wizards but you failed to protect him from all those abusive years to come. Those visible wounds may heal, but those that were carved in his mind will forever follow the boy for the rest of his life.

"What are the chances you think he could ever fully recover!?". Remus reclined back at the conjured chair, pinching his nose, whereas Dumbledore just sighed lightly as he began pacing forward the window.

One could find the tranquil nightfall looming over the Port of London intriguing. The only sounds were coming from slight drops of rain as well as the nearby sea waves. It was serene and gentle, which soothed the intense silence looming in the room.

Dumbledore decided to alter the topic, which was also the main reason he rushed to find Remus. "How was the boy? I heard that you transferred your guardianship to Mr. Esther."

Breathing in the refreshing air, Remus began to recount Harry's circumstances, the boy's mental breakdowns, how they met at Gringotts, and his impression of Ethan.

"A true gentleman and perhaps one of the most capable wizards I have ever seen. You must have learned about him through the school record, right?" Dumbledore nodded indiscernibly.

"Perfect example of an outstanding Ravenclaw, albeit his unusual elusiveness, prominent Senior Unspeakable."

"You should have seen his intellect on display; no wonder he got his title as 'the gloomy genius'. He figured I was a Werewolf just through a handshake and his house is basically an invisible yet humongous fortress; I doubted a fly could even pass through." The old headmaster showed further intrigue at Remus's remark.

"I assure you, professor, Harry is safe with him. Besides, Harry seemed truly content while living with Ethan, and I can also sense his genuine love for Harry." Remus smiled subconsciously as he recalled all those new pleasant memories that Dumbledore had keenly noticed.

Adjusting the half-moon glasses, Dumbledore said in a relaxed tone. "Good, good. If you had said so, I think we can fully rely on Mr. Esther taking good care of the boy as well as... preparing him." His voice trailed off at the last words.

"What do you mean, professor? Preparing for what?" Remus was puzzled.

"Another time, my friend…" Dumble stopped as he looked all over the dilapidated room again.

"More importantly, what do you intend to do from now on? I assumed you also want to escape this 'not so good' life and be there for Harry."

Remus blushed slightly. "Absolutely, how can I let Lily and James down again? Ethan was generous enough to give me a lofty position at a prominent company; in fact, I had just met my bosses to discuss the company's operations, which we're expecting to officially open next year in February.

"Did the name Samantheus Faramundo mean anything to you, professor?"

Dumbledore was slightly dazed at Remus's mention. "Don't you tell me he..."

"Both he and Ethan founded the company. You should have seen what they came up with. Merlin's bear! It's going to shake the wizarding community."

Dumbledore's eyes shone briefly with interest.

"Due to the company policy, I can't disclose anything to you. However, should Hogwarts become one of our business partners?" Remus let out a rather mischievous smile, to which Dumbledore replied with his signature fatherly smile.

"I'm all ears, my friend."