It Meant Family

20th of July 1991 - part 1

"Every adventure requires a first step." – Alice, Alice In Wonderland

Grimmauld Place 12, London, England

Harry woke up that morning unaware of what awaited him. He got up early and, like every morning, stumbled down the stairs still on his sleepwear to sit down for breakfast. Remus was already there, dressed in black trousers, brown jumper and blue robe, his reading glasses fell on the tip of his nose as he flipped through the pages of Giovanni's Room, they smiled a tender good morning to each other. The smell of coffee took over the kitchen, Harry filled his glass with pumpkin juice and picked at his sleeves while waiting for Kretcher to bring him his toast, which didn't take long.

"Merlin's balls Moony, how can you read this early in the morning?" Sirius showed up at the door frame, sleepings trousers and no shirt, his torso and arms covered in tattoos. Harry had just started to chew down his breakfast, Padfoot sat across from Remus and pulled the book towards himself, looking at the static picture in the cover "Moons," he smiled "you and your muggle literature obsession".

Before anyone answered, a very angry Kretcher walked into the dining room with a big grey owl on his head "The mail, master" he spat, putting a pile of letters and the Daily Prophet on the table. He walked out trying to get the owl to stop picking at his ear. Remus reached out for the Prophet and Harry took the letters.

"To papa, from Andy," he said, sliding the envelope to Sirius who opened it without a thought "to renny, from a Hope Yates... Who's that?" Remus shrugged with a smile, but exchanged a knowing look with Sirius, he hadn't spoken to his mother in years. The room grew silent for a few seconds and both adults looked at Harry curiously. The boy held a letter in his shaking hands, his index finger touched the stamp as if to check that it was real, he tore it open.

"Mr. Harry Potter" he read "Second room to the left, 12 Grimmauld Place, London." he smiled wide "Dear Mr. Potter, we are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." He looked up in excitement "Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on September 1. We await you owl by no later than July 31st." Harry got up, unable to hold himself still, he walked up and down the kitchen a couple of times rereading the letter in his hands. The boy then stopped by his chair and sat back down trying to settle his nerves. "D'you reckon we can go buy stuff today?" Remus and Sirius exchanged joyful glances and the boy looked hopeful, they both nodded.

Harry devoured his breakfast in a ferocious way that reminded Sirius of the intensity Moony displayed when they ran wildly through the Forbidden Forest. The boy only ate that way when he came back from his relatives' house, like the food would slip away from him if he didn't swallow it fast enough, it would have been sad if the behaviour hadn't been triggered by excitement. Sirius read the letter in his hand while slowly sipping the iced coffee, a muggle invention he had grown to love.

"Look," he smiled, sliding a picture across the table for Remus to see, "Andy says Tonks just passed her apparition test". The picture showed a 17 year old girl whose hair went from emo-purple to embarrassment-red next to a, slightly taller, black haired woman, Andromeda smiled proudly at her daughter, who looked everywhere, but the camera and mouthed "that's enough mum". Remus laughed and gave the picture to Harry, who paid it no attention. "What you've got?" Sirius asked, pointing at his boyfriend's letters.

"Well, it seems like mother dearest is in need of money." Remus said, waving his letter, he had never told Harry about his mother. She had been awfully neglectful when he was a child and yet her writing years later with such a request was highly unsurprising. He shrugged and smiled kindly, throwing the letter up in the air where it burned up into nothing "so nothing as exciting as Harry's news!" He changed the subject quickly to avoid further questions, he picked up the Hogwarts envelope to look at the second parchment.

"Well, you are never going to believe who he got for DADA professor in his first year", Sirius looked up from his coffee, curious "Quirinus Quirrell." Harry seemed interested too, but the name meant nothing to him "He was in our year..." he explained "a Ravenclaw if I recall correctly. Nice bloke, not the bravest though, didn't do much fighting during the war."

The conversation circled around the marauders' time at Hogwarts for the rest of breakfast, to which Harry paid little to no attention, but Remus and Sirius seemed to enjoy remembering the old days, carefully not mentioning James or Lily. After they were done, they put on their best muggle clothes and headed to the Leaky Cauldron, the muggle entry of Diagon Alley. It was Harry's choice, they would have used the floo network, but he didn't like the way he would accidentally inhale floo powder and it would leave a burning sensation inside of his nose.

Leaky Cauldron, London, England

Arriving at the restaurant, they met Harry's soon to be professor, he was anxious and shaking, he wore a purple turban in his head. The man struck Harry as a bit odd, but he was too excited to worry about it. After they said goodbye Sirius and Remus were not shy to comment on how much and yet how little he had changed since they last saw him at Lily and James' wedding.

As they walked pass, the unknowing eye would see just Sirius Black with his godson Harry Potter and his best childhood friend Remus Lupin going to buy some school supplies, but the truth was, they were family, a very unconventional one for the wizarding standard, but a family and they walked into the Diagon Alley, getting ready for the adventures they didn't yet know awaited them. Sirius Black - illegal animagus, gay and head of the most Noble and Ancient House of Black - Remus Lupin - half-blood, bisexual and the first werewolf to attend Hogwarts - and Harry Potter - the one and only boy who lived.