Chapter 9 Trading Down

Hydrus made his way back to the Potters. He entered the house with an air of calm. He took his seat and looked at Sirius.

"When do you think your grandfather will hand over the Headship?" he asked in a neutral tone, not wanting the man to think he was still overly angry.

Sirius looked thoughtful. "I don't really know. He's happy with what I've been doing so far, but this might upset him," he answered, rubbing his goatee.

"Do you think there is any way for you to see if he can order Kreacher to give you the necklace? You can tell him all about Regulus and what Tom did, if you have to. If I remember correctly, your grandfather hates horcruxes." It was a long shot, but he felt he had to ask.

"I'll try. I'm really sorry that Mum did a runner. It's all my fault," the younger Black whinged, shooting the older Black a guilty look.

"Look, I know how much you hate your mum, so I'm willing to overlook it as long as we get that necklace," the immortal said firmly.

The immortal berated himself for not just robbing that damn place blind. Why did we mess around so much with the other manors, when the horcrux was so much more important? I guess I was just so sure we'd get it without any problems. So stupid. Oh well, lesson learned; don't trust your knowledge of the future. After the last timeline I should have known that, he thought with a mental shake of his head.

"I'll talk to Grandfather tomorrow," Sirius said, breaking the other man from his thoughts of self-recrimination.

"Good, that's good," Hydrus said, sighing with resignation. "What's done is done, and until we hear from Arcturus, our hands are tied," Hydrus said, then turned to Lily. "Is there afters?" he asked, giving her the puppy eyes.

Lily laughed and went to get the pumpkin cakes she had made, along with tea. They spent the rest of the evening enjoying the treats and talking about family that had passed, as was wizard custom on All Hollow's Eve. While they praised the heroic deeds of the dead and remembered them fondly, they were all thankful that no one here died on this night.

Hydrus looked at the Potters and wondered what he had changed by saving them. He couldn't shake the feeling that someone was not happy that they survived. He shook his head at that and continued the talks of the past. The future would take care of itself.

When they were done and it got close to time to leave, Hydrus pulled Sirius aside. "I wanted to tell you that I feel partially to blame for your mum disappearing."

"How so?" the confused man asked.

"We should've hit Grimmuald Place and taken the damn horcrux. Sorry to put all the blame on you." Hydrus grimaced at the reminder that he wasn't all-knowing.

Now that the Potters were alive, nothing he knew from his two other timelines was valid. Pandora was in France and making a good living. The public knew nothing about him, so they were less likely to mark him as a Dark Lord. He hadn't started up his businesses, so that was going to be different. He felt a bit flat footed.

"Yeah, well you can't think of everything. No, it's my fault she's gone. If I hadn't taunted her, she'd still be here, and we could've done what you said." Sirius refused to put any of the blame on Hydrus; it was because of his own foolishness that they were in this mess.

"Whatever," Hydrus said, seeing Sirius wouldn't be swayed. "I have to go, it's getting late." He clapped Sirius on the back, hugged Lily and shook hands with James and Remus. Then he went home.

"What did Hydrus say to you, Sirius?" James asked, hoping the older man hadn't taken his best mate to task too harshly.

"He wanted to take some of the blame for not getting the necklace," Padfoot hedged, shooting a wary glance at Lily, which James caught and nodded, knowing what it was about.

"How was any of this his fault?" Lily asked, tilting her head in confusion.

"I can't tell you, Lily," Sirius said, rubbing the back of his head. "It's a secret between Hydrus and me. I can tell you he feels that he should have done something to get the horcrux sooner, what with his knowledge of the future," he offered her something to get that look off of her face.

Lily huffed and gave him the stink eye, then flopped on the sofa, not buying that lame excuse. James just chuckled and sat next to her, rubbing her arm. Sirius and Remus said their goodnights and went home. James and Lily went to bed and tried to make Harry a sister.

The next day, Lily got a letter she had been waiting for, it was from the Flamels. In it they said that they knew of a few immortals that were female. They said they had a secret to share and asked if Lily could meet them in non-magical London next month. She quickly wrote them back and said it would be no problem.

James also got a letter from Dumbledore. He conceded to meeting them at John's Eatery, since it had the best chocolate cake in all of the United Kingdom. Hydrus laughed at this and told them that's where they had first talked to Remus in the last timeline, for much the same reason. James chuckled and wrote Albus back saying that they could meet the next day.

"Lily," Hydrus asked, looking up from the game of numbers he and Harry were playing, "what are you going to do about Harry's education? In the last timeline, we homeschooled him and he did really well, if I do say so myself." He puffed his chest in mock self-importance, and then broke out in a grin.

"I was thinking of sending him to a non-magical school and to see if we can't get other magicals to do the same," Lily answered, tucking her red hair behind her ear.

"That's a good idea. If you make sure to tell them that state schools are free and offer lunch, albeit not a tasty one, then it shouldn't be a problem. You can get the paperwork you need from the Department of Family Services, where Sirius and his cousin are getting the names of squibs. They handle the non-magical paperwork for the children," he suggested and went back to his game with the tot.

"Maybe, you can run an article in The Times when you get it up and running," James suggested, drawing the immortal's attention back to the conversation.

"That's not a bad idea either. We should be getting that up and running by the time the mall is open. They'll have an office just outside the mall. Or you can get a pamphlet printed and have it in your bookstore," he suggested, looking at Lily, who got a contemplative look on her face.

Harry banged his little hands on the number board, drawing a chuckle from Hydrus and they went back to the game.

The next day, Sirius came in with a thoughtful look on his face. He sat in his chair and looked at the older Black. "Grandfather said that if you come and meet him, he'll call Kreacher and demand the necklace."

"How did he know you knew me?" the immortal asked, not mad, but miffed. He really wanted to put off meeting the cantankerous man. It hadn't gone well the first time, and he didn't see it going well this time either. That man was very self-righteous.

"Someone told him about all the times we were in the Alley," was the casual reply, complete with a wave of a hand.

"Right, I should've figured that out," Hydrus said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. Well, he knew he appeared on the family tree, but he didn't know how the old man knew he knew Sirius. This only made sense, since the four men had spent loads of time in the Alley with the work that was going on for the mall. "Tell him we'll meet sometime soon, let him set the date."

"I can do that," the dogman said as he pulled out pen and parchment to write the missive, he'd send it off later today.

"We have to go and meet Albus. Will you guys be okay with Harry?" Lily asked, getting up from the sofa and putting on her coat. James joined her at the door, grabbing his own jacket and putting it on.

"Yeah, no problem. Good luck with the old man," Hydrus said, waving a hand in the air and not looking up from teaching Harry.

They had decided that Lily would drive Hydrus' car. So, they popped to his house and got the Mercedes out of his garage and went to the Eatery. Albus was sitting at one of the booths. He was wearing an old-fashioned tweed suit, which was very out of place in a diner that had people clad in blue jeans and T-shirts.

The Potters joined him, much more casually dressed, and ordered some of the famous chocolate cake and some coffee. The three of them greeted each other and when the order came, the Headmaster put up a silencing ward.

"Thank you very much for coming to meet me. I have some important news to impart to you," Albus said, taking a bite of the cake and then humming in appreciation, and getting crumbs in his long beard, which he wiped away.

"No problem, Albus," James said, taking a sip of his coffee. "Tell us what it is that you think we need to hear." Lily looked on as she too enjoyed the dessert.

"I wanted to give you the entire prophecy," Dumbledore said, leaning over to talk more quietly, even though he had erected wards. He gave them the prophecy and both the Potters chuckled and looked at the old man.

"Well, that is informative, but what does it have to do with us? I mean, Harry isn't marked, we've defied the Dork Lord four times, not three, and our son certainly doesn't show that he has any powers Tom doesn't," Lily said, ticking off the inconsistencies with her fingers.

"Also, Harry isn't showing any sign that he is more powerful than any other child. So, him being Tom's equal is out as well. Heck, you can't even say that this prophecy applies to Neville either, for much the same reasons," James added, still chuckling at the stupidity of the prophecy.

"Perhaps, you are correct," Albus said, stroking his beard, making crumbs fall. "I just cannot shake the feeling this prophecy still relates to young Harry." He shook his head; he really couldn't think of anyone else it applied to. He had mulled it over many times and still came back to the Potters and the Longbottoms, since they were the only wizard families with a child born as the seventh month died.

"Albus, thanks to my popularity, we're behind some pretty impressive wards. Harry is very well protected," Lily said, finishing off her delicious cake, rolling her eyes in pleasure.

"Alas, I feel they may not be enough. Would you be willing to consent to me adding a few?" the Headmaster inquired, looking at the couple with a face that said they really should.

"I don't know, Albus, these wards we have are very good. Hydrus put them up, and he does really good work. Tell you what, if you can find our house, then we'll let you add any you wish. However, if we remain hidden then that should be proof what we say is true," Lily said, taking a sip from her coffee. She knew Albus would never find them. There was no way the immortal would give up the secret, even if the Headmaster knew he was the Keeper was.

"Ah, a challenge. I must admit it has been quite a while since I have encountered one. Very well, I accept," the old man said with a gleeful twinkle in his eyes. He knew who their Keeper was, and it should not be hard to get the secret from such a young man.

"Great, we'll wait for you to find it, and if you can we'll take you up on your offer." James beamed and took the last bite of his cake. "We should bring some of this cake home to the others. Remus will love it," he said, changing the subject and getting up from the table and went to the counter to pay the bill and see if he could purchase an entire cake.

"It was very sweet of you to think about our wellbeing," Lily said as her husband left, using her fork to pick up the last remains of the dessert. It was a very good cake. "I think you'll find that we can protect ourselves. We know Tom isn't gone, so we are taking extra precautions."

"It does my heart good to hear that," Dumbledore replied, his ever-twinkling eyes going full force. "If ever you need anything from me, do not hesitate to ask," he said, knowing he wasn't going to get any further with the Potters. This challenge would keep him on his toes, but he knew he would find them and then keep watch over little Harry.

James came back to the table with a pink cake box and smiled at Albus. "Thank you for the information and the advice. I think we have it covered. Right now, we must go. We left Sirius in charge of Harry and who knows what mischief they will get up to." He glanced at Lily hoping she got is hint.

"Oh dear," Lily played along, getting up from the table and smiling at the Headmaster.

"It has been most enjoyable. We should perhaps do it again some other time," Dumbledore said, then took the last drink of his coffee and rose from the table.

They parted ways at the door, the Potters getting in the car, while the Headmaster ducked into an alley. Lily drove them back to Hydrus' and parked it in the garage. They Apparated back to their home and entered just in time to see Harry flying on the toy broom, squealing in delight as he chased the cat.

"Who bought him that?" Lily said a bit harshly, glaring at all the adults and grabbing the poor kitty. She held the frightened feline and rounded on the men. "Why did you let him chase her?" she demanded, disappointed in all of them.

"Well," Hydrus said, "she just came in right before you did. I was just about to grab her and put her outside, or in the kitchen. To tell the truth I didn't even know you had a cat."

"She's the towns' stray," Lily said, putting the cat down and it bolted for the open door.

After the cat left, James closed the door and looked at the other men.

"Answer my question, who bought him that broom?" she demanded.

All four of the men looked back with faces of innocence, while Harry swooped around the living room. The broom didn't rise above six inches, so most of the décor and entertainment equipment was safeish. The toddler was flying back and forth in the empty space between the couch and his playpen, laughing.

"Right, if he gets hurt or knocks anything over, all four of you are getting the blame," she snapped, just as the tot ran into the telly stand, almost making it fall.

James grabbed the stand just in time to right it, and gave his wife a sheepish look, which was returned with a glare.

"We'll watch him," Hydrus said, breaking the staring contest and putting his hand on Harry's shoulder to guide him back to the open space.

"You'd better."

They played with Harry for an hour, until it was time for dinner. After a meal of fish, rice and vegetables with the cake for afters, they trooped to the living room. Hydrus volunteered to bathe the chocolate covered Harry and put him to bed, so Lily put in a film.

"How did the meeting go?" Hydrus asked as he took his seat ten minutes later.

"Very well, I think we've diverted his attention away from us and the Longbottoms. We pointed out a few things and that got him thinking," James said, trying to cuddle with his still upset wife.

"Well, I wouldn't be too sure. Albus hangs on to an idea like a dog does a bone. Just keep a look out," the immortal warned, turning to see what movie was playing. It was a chick flick, so he looked back at James.

"Well, we might have challenged him to find the house, stating that he could add to the wards if he does," Lily said with a sly grin, causing the immortal to glance in her direction.

"That should keep him busy, but now I'll have to deal with him," Hydrus groaned, making everyone laugh. "I'll get you back for this," he glared at the Potters.

Lily just laughed again, and James smiled and nodded, and they watched the movie until the other three men went home.

"Are you really that upset that Harry got a toy broom?" James asked his still miffed wife, when she shrugged his arm off her shoulders.

"I'm upset that you didn't ask my opinion. He is too young to be using a broom, even if it is a toy one," Lily answered, folding her arms across her chest. "Look at what he did to the cat," she added with a huff.

"I know how you feel, but I got my first broom when I was his age. The toy brooms are safe, even if he fell it wouldn't do more than cause a red mark," James defended himself, trying to keep his voice neutral. "Remember, Hydrus said the cat had just come in. We really need to find out how she's doing that." They never could figure out how that stray kept entering their house.

"So you've told me," she huffed, ignoring the cat comment for now, even though she was the one who brought it up. "I'm a mother, I'm supposed to worry. You saw how he almost toppled the stand, what if he knocks the telly over on himself? That could cause serious injury," she argued, going over bad scenarios in her head.

"Alright, sweetheart, I'll make sure he flies outside from now on," the messy-haired man said, rubbing his hand up and down her arm. "How about we go and see if we can't make you the mother of more than one child?" Now that the war was over, he had no problem extending his family.

That caused Lily to smile, the thought of having a little girl always played in the back of her mind. "Yes let's," she purred, taking his hand and leading him up the stairs.

Hphphp

Hydrus went home and took a shower. He got ready for bed and then had a thought. Maybe he could call Regulus and see if he could talk to Kreacher, then he wouldn't have to ask Arcturus any favors. "I call the spirit of Regulus Arcturus Black," the Master of Death intoned.

Regulus appeared before him, chunks of his body gone, eaten by the Inferi. His clothes were rags, dripping ghostly water that vanished before it hit the floor. "What can I do for Death's Master?" he bowed.

"Can you call Kreacher to you and order him to hand me the necklace?" Hydrus asked in a calm voice.

"I am very sorry to say, that will not work. Once I died, I lost all control over my poor Kreacher," the apparition answered mournfully.

"Try," was the soft order.

"Kreacher," Regulus said loudly.

"Who calls Kreacher in his master's voice?" the surly house elf asked as he popped into the room. He gave a wail when he saw the ghost of his beloved Master. "Master Regulus, is that being you? Kreacher is so very sorry he has not completed Master's orders. He has tried and tried." He started pulling his ears, his face warped with sorrow and distress.

"My poor devoted servant, I have seen your hardship with the task I assigned you. This man," he pointed to Hydrus, "can help you complete your mission. Will you work with him?" the ghost asked, kneeling in front of Kreacher, passing a hand close to the distraught elf's face.

Kreacher let out another wail as tears streamed down his face. "Kreacher cannot be taking orders or helping anyone that is not Mistress. She is forbidding it," the old elf cried. "Since she is being Kreacher's owner Kreacher must obey."

"I am so, so sorry, Kreacher. I hope there comes a time when you can get the help you need to finish my last order." Once more he passed his hand over the face of the distressed house elf, as if to wipe his tears. "I know house elves can find loopholes in orders, so if you can think of any way to give the necklace to Sirius or this man, I beg that you do so. Go back to Mother before she misses you," he ordered softly, not wanting the poor creature to be punished.

"Kreacher will be seeing what he cans do, Master," the old elf said and with a quick glance to Hydrus he popped away.

Regulus sighed and stood to face the immortal. "That was the best I could do," he shrugged.

"Why aren't you with the rest of the people killed by Tom?" Hydrus wanted to know.

"While it was his trap that killed me, it was my own actions that got me there in the first place."

"Well, I guess that make some sense. Thank you for trying, you can go now," the Master of Death said, seeing the spirit was in pain.

After Regulus disappeared, Hydrus ran a hand down his face. He had been so hopeful that the house elf's devotion would have overridden Walburga's orders. Giving up his thoughts as a bad job, he went to bed.

Hphphp

A few days later, Hydrus and Sirius went to Arcturus' house. They were shown in by the house elf and taken to the sitting room. Arcturus looked the same as Hydrus remembered him, only he seemed more alive than last time. His face wasn't as gaunt and his body didn't seem as fragile, like the work Sirius was doing with the family was giving him hope. However, with the glare he was giving the immortal, it was obvious that he was upset about Hydrus being on the family tree.

The two younger Blacks took the seats indicted.

"Tell me who you are," Arcturus demanded, tapping his fingers on the arm of his chair in agitation.

Hydrus pulled out his pensive and said, "I have a memory that I'd like you to see, but the information is… sensitive, as in no one should know. So, I can let you see it, but I need a vow that it will remain a secret."

The senior Black lifted an eyebrow. "You would encumber someone of my age with a vow?"

"Yes, it really is that classified. Think of it as something the Department of Mysteries would love to get their hands on, but shouldn't," was the casual comeback. "Plus, if you view it, it'll save a lot of time and argument." He really hoped that was true.

"Very well," the old man said and then he gave his vow not to reveal anything he learned today.

Hydrus pulled the memory and put it in the bowl. Arcturus put his finger in the pensieve and was gone for twenty minutes. When he came out his face was white with worry and rage.

"I see why you came back the first time, but you have not explained why this time." He sat and gripped his hands on the arms of his chair.

"I wanted to save my parents," Hydrus said with a questioning tone.

"Are they important enough that you might destroy us all with your self-interest?" the senior Black snapped.

"Well, to tell the truth, I wouldn't know since they died the last two of my timelines, but Lily Potter is the smartest witch of her age and so she might just well be important enough to save," the immortal defended himself. "She did vanquish the Dark Lord this time," he added.

"You senseless, avaricious man, you may have just condemned us all with your self-indulgence. You will never be accepted into the Black family. None of our money will ever cross your hands. I cannot tell Sirius who he may spend time with; however, I can tell him that you will never see a Knut of the Black family fortune." His hands were gripping the chair so tight his arms were shaking, trying not to kill the man who couldn't die.

"I have plenty of my own gold. I'd never take money from the Blacks," was the calm rebuttal. "Look, I don't want anything from you, except what Sirius asked, and then you'll never have to see me again."

"Sirius did tell me that Walburga has something that will end the reign of the Dark Lord. He tells me it is important enough that I should demand it back. However, he did not tell me why it is so important," Arcturus said, still attempting to keep his temper in check.

Hydrus looked to Sirius with a questioning eyebrow and got a sheepish look in return. "Well, since you took the vow not to reveal anything you've learned today, I guess it's safe to tell you. It's a horcrux. It's in Salazar Slytherin's necklace." He then told him of Regulus's mission that led to his death.

Now the old man did rise and start banishing things into the walls, cussing and yelling about fools that meddled in soul magic. He ranted for ten minutes, until there was nothing left to destroy. He stopped his ranting and called Kreacher.

"Head of the House of Black is wanting Kreacher?" the old elf said, giving a bow low enough for his large nose to touch the floor.

"Bring me that trice-damned necklace," Arcturus ordered, pointing his bone like finger at the elf.

"Kreacher cannot be doing as ordered. Kreacher will punish himself for not obeying the Head of the Black family's demands," Kreacher said, starting to bang his head on the floor.

"Stop, you fool, I cannot talk to you if you are punishing yourself. Do it when our conversation is done. Tell me why you cannot bring me the necklace," the old man snapped.

"Mistress is telling Kreacher he cannot be following anyone else's orders but her own," Kreacher repeated what he said to Regulus with wailed, pulling his ears. "Mistress says if Kreacher follows the orders of anyone she will be killing poor Kreacher."

"I am the Head of this family, if you do not do as I say then I will kill you myself," Arcturus said, a glint in his eyes, making Hydrus glare at the old man. Sirius was looking between the three of them unsure what to do.

"Regulus Arcturus Black," the Master of Death intoned in a resonating voice, making everyone jump. Sirius looked at Hydrus questioningly; he didn't know that the immortal could call the dead. Hydrus waved him away for now.

Regulus faded in and looked around the room. "Master, Grandfather, Sirius, what is going on? Poor Kreacher, why are you punishing yourself?"

Arcturus turned pale, Sirius started to cry, Kreacher gave out a mournful howl and Hydrus stated, "Tell your grandfather why he shouldn't kill Kreacher."

"Grandfather, you would kill my most devoted servant. Why?" the ghost asked, his eyes full of disappointment.

"H... He is disobeying me. What would you have me do?" the pale man asked, his voice shaking. "Besides, it is because of him that you died. He should have saved you." He glared at the house elf.

"Grandfather, you know he was only following my orders. He could do no less," chastised the apparition.

Arcturus slumped and nodded. "He still is not doing as I demanded. We need that necklace."

"Kreacher, what are Mother's exact orders," the ghost asked, kneeling to the house elf's height.

"Mistress is saying that Kreacher cannot be following orders for anyone else. He can answer their calls, but he cannot be taking orders. Only her orders are to be obeyed. If Kreacher does not comply then he will die, and his head will not hang on the wall." The old elf bowed to his beloved Master.

"And if Grandfather frees you, then can you do as requested?" Regulus asked, his ghostly eyes gentle, though you could see the strain of him being here for so long.

"If Kreacher is freed, then he will not be bound to Mistress and can do as asked," the frightened elf said. "Kreacher can be given clothes by any member of the Black family. Mistress cannot be stopping that." He trembled as he spoke, clothes being a greater fear than death.

"Don't worry, Kreacher, when Arcturus frees you, you can be bound to me. I'm a Black, so you will still be family," Hydrus said gently, shocking everyone.

Kreacher looked at the immortal and nodded, though his shakes only lessened.

Arcturus picked up a glove from the side table and threw it at the old elf. "You are free from your Mistress."

"Kreacher, would you like to bond with me, Hydrus Williamsford Black?" Hydrus quickly asked, putting his hand on the creature's head.

"Kreacher will bond with Hydrus Williamsford Black," Kreacher agreed, just as quickly. A yellow light filled the air as the bond took.

"Great! Now that that is over, can you go and get the necklace?" the immortal asked, slapping his hands together and rubbing them.

Kreacher nodded and popped away, leaving the three men and one apparition behind.

"Reg," Sirius croaked, making the ghost turn to him. "I am so sorry I wasn't there for you. I was caught up in the war, thinking that there was only Dark and Light and no shades of Grey. I should've seen that you needed help. I am so sorry," he said, tears flowing down his face at the thought that his brother died a good man, doing what was right.

"It is alright, my brother. I never blamed you," the ghost said, drifting closer to the crying man and running a hand near Sirius's face, causing him to shiver.

"Regulus, why did you not come to me? I would have done anything to prevent your death," the senior Black asked. "You were my heir at the time."

"I did not want to bring shame upon the family, and I knew how you felt about Death Eaters," was the strained answer.

The Blacks fell silent. They waited for two minutes until Kreacher popped back. He had the necklace in his hand, and he gave it to his new Master.

"Kreacher's ex-Mistress has vowed revenge on the House of Black for freeing Kreacher and turning on her. She is saying the Head is destroying the family, and she will fight to bring them back to the Dark," the elf said, looking like he should start punishing himself for bringing bad news.

"That's not good," Sirius said, shaking his head at what his mum would do. He knew she was smarter than people thought; crazier than a loon, but she was Slytherin for a reason. There was great cunning in that woman's head.

"Let's take care of this," Hydrus said, holding up the necklace. "But first, Regulus, say your good-byes, it's time for you to leave," the Master of Death said to the pained spirit.

"Grandfather, Sirius, all I have to say is stay together. The work Sirius is doing for the family will take us further than we ever went before. Kreacher, may you find peace," Regulus said and then faded away.

"Hydrus, thank you, for letting me see my brother," the emotional Sirius said, giving the immortal a big hug.

"Yes, I too thank you for giving us our valedictions," Arcturus stated as he sat in his chair, his eyes brimming with tears, he hands once more gripping the chair's arms.

"Right, let's get this taken care of," the uncomfortable Hydrus repeated. So, he took out a ceramic bowl, a rag and some acid and took care of the horcrux, much to the amazement of the senior Black. He handed the necklace to Kreacher and told him to take it to his house and they'd discuss it later.

"Sirius, I give you the Headship of the House of Black," Arcturus said as he handed the ring over and Sirius put it on, awestruck. "I ask that you continue to bring us to the Grey and when I die, cremate me. I am finished with you, for now. Leave an old man to his musings." The said old man waved his hand to the door indicating that he was done talking. His head hung like he had some heavy thinking to do, his fingers running across his chin.

As the two younger Blacks were walking to the edge of the wards Sirius asked, "How did you bring Reg here?"

"I'm the Master of Death, but I don't want that to get around. So you can't tell Remus, he's still struggling with me being a time traveler, let's not burden him with this," Hydrus said as they stopped to talk.

Sirius rubbed his goatee and after a minute nodded his head and they continued to where they could Apparate. The two men ventured to the Potters'. James and Remus were playing Mortal Kombat. The messy-haired wizard was losing as the werewolf took him down. Lily was reading and Harry wasn't around, so he must be down for his nap. Sirius and Hydrus sat in their chairs and told everyone what occurred, barring Regulus.

"So, Voldemort will fade now?" Remus asked from his place on the sofa.

"Yeah, but now we have to worry about Mum," Sirius answered, very worried. His mum was a Dark Witch through and through. She had taken all the Dark books with her when she left and there was no telling what she would do.

"We'll just have to train harder to keep her from causing too much ruckus," Hydrus said, trying to be cheerful. Though his voice was cheery, his thoughts were dark and running rapidly. He was going over plans to prevent anyone from dying.

"Right, you still have your martial arts classes and we have all those books that are downloaded on the laptop. If we all research, we might be able to stay one step ahead of her," Lily said thoughtfully, running her hand through her hair.

They spent the rest of the day reading books off of their readers, well, Lily had to stop to take care of Harry, but the men continued until dinner.

A week went by with little happening. Albus still hadn't found them and Walburga hadn't made any moves on the Blacks. The ghosts told Hydrus that Voldemort was indeed fading, he had tried to use magic, but he was too weak. There was no sign of Mrs. Black finding Tom, so they were at least thankful for that.

Kreacher spied on his old Mistress and Sirius and Hydrus went to the house that the old elf said she was hiding, but when they got there it was gone. She had disappeared under the Fidelius Charm. Hydrus tried to use his blasting gun but found it didn't work on that charm.

The two Blacks went home disappointed. They told the Potters the next day and everyone was a tad upset. They vowed to make sure the Blacks were safe, by offering them the same wards that were on this cottage and the portkey bracelets, and hoped it was enough.