Finding Love Amongst Hate

Author\'s notes:
Just got it back from beta, so here is another update. Hopefully more shall be comming soon.

As to the Question about Miriam\'s apperance, I decided she would look the prototipical celt red hair green eyes... other then that, that is the only resemblence to Lily there is.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


At Miriam’s pronouncement Albus merely raised and eyebrow, he knew from experience what her temper could be like and simply thought it best to tell her what he had found.

“We have the water from the Nile and five of the stones of the Siproth, we are in discussions with the Vatican over the Staff of Moses-- it seems they did not realize they even had it until it was described to them… kept it in the back of a closet I dare say.”

“Good, that’s a start.” Miriam replied “I expect to here from Arnaut shortly about what the order says. Knowing them it will involve a lot of pomp and circumstance on their part.” With that Miriam rose and walked to the door to leave.

“Miriam” Albus said stopping her in her tracks “You know I love Harry as if her were my own, I would never put him in any needles danger.”

Miriam slowly turned to Albus “Any danger involving a child is needless Albus, no matter what it is.” She then walked out of Dumbledore’s office without looking back.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


After her meeting with Dumbledore all Miriam wanted to do was take a long hot bath and hope for all of this to be over like a bad dream. Bad as usual it wasn’t meant to be, just then Harry and Draco ran into her full force and they all landed in a heap on the floor. Miriam looked up just in time to se what had the boys running as a furious Luscius Malfoy rounded the corner…

“Ahh… Miriam how nice to see you” he said sarcastically.

“Still gracious I see, with the same manners you had in 5th year…” She said getting up and brushing invisible specks of dirt off herself. “Whatever can we do for you, Luscious?” using his first name as he had hers.

“I came to collect my son for an evening out, but instead I found Mr. Potter assaulting him.” he spat “ Now I am on my way to Albus’ office to report this outrage and have ‘wonder boy’ expelled once and for all.”

“It seems” Miriam replied “ that both wer were running from yot jot just Harry, now I wonder why that could be?”

Luscious Malfoy simply sneered at her, not dignifying her accusation with a response.

“Could it be you threatened them? Possible with an unforgivable…or worse because you caught them in, shall we say a, compromising situation? You do know the mere threat of an unforgivable is enough these days to land you in Azkaban for at least 2 years and that is if you have never been accused of crimes before…of course it would be my pleasure to simply have you roll up your sleeves in court, your arm would convict you alone.”

“I know full well the laws regarding those curses.” Malfoy sneered.

“So Harry, what exactly did Mr. Malfoy say or do?” Miriam asked. Her only response was a faint squeaking sound coming from Harry as he tried to speak.

“MR. MALFOY, I SUGGEST YOU REVERSE WHATEVER SPELL, CURSE OR JINX YOU HAVE PLACED ON THESE BOYS BEFORE I NOTIFY THE MINISTRY!” A very angry Dumbledore shouted as he stormed up behind Miriam with his wand drawn, startling them all.

“Anything I may have done was in defense of my son and our family honor.” Malfoy sniffed loudly.

“BULLOCKS!” Shouted Draco “You just want me marrying Pansy and producing drones for Voldemort… I WON’T DO IT!”


“You shall regret your words Draco” Lucius said pointing his cane at his son. “Fear not, you WILL come around, after all once you are cut off from my money it will be quite hard for you to function in the world.”

“And what makes you think I need YOUR money? I am not as stupid as you think. I have been taking ½ my pocket money and investing it for years and last I looked ‘sir’ I have more money then you do and it is all in my name… So you can BUGGER OFF!” Draco said boldly.

Malfoy sniffed loudly and turned to walk away.

“Mr. Malfoy, apparently you did not understand me correctly, I said ve wve whatever spell you placed on Mr. Potter, NOW!” Dumbledore said angrily.

Malfoy turned, pointed his cane at Harry and mumbled a counter curse and stormed out of the castle.

“Harry are you ok?” asked Miriam, Draco and Dumbledore at once.

“Yes, I’m fine, he just took away my voice—I’m surprised it wasn’t something worse.” he replied.

“Well” Miriam began “I still want Poppy to look you over just to be on the safe side.”

“Really Aunt Miriam, I’m fine” Harry protested as she pulled him by the arm in the direction of the Hospital Wing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Later that evening while sitting in her rooms musing over what had happened with Lucius Malfoy, Miriam was startled when an unfamiliar bird, a red hawk, flew in her window and landed on the arm of her chair. The Hawk stuck out her right leg to which a message had been attached. After Miriam removed the scroll the hawk took off not waiting to see if there was to be a reply. She quickly read over the scroll which was from Arnaut it read:


To: Ms. Miriam Potter; Professor Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry; Chief Auror International Ministry of Magic; Holder of the Keys of Avalon; Order of Merlin 1st class.

From: Sir Arnaut St. Clair; Grand Master Poor Knights of Christ and the Temple of Solomon; Holder of the Keys of Avalon, Order of Merlin 3rd Class.


Your request has been granted. Arraignments must be made. Please contact me as soon as possible, there is much to discuss.

Arnaut St. Clair, Master of the Temple



With that she flooed Dumbledore and advised him of the situation and that her classes may need to be covered the next day, she then exited the castle and apparated outside the same cool grey stone building as before. Once inside she wordlessly showed D’Anjou Arnaut’s note and he proceeded to show her into the Grand Master’s office.

“Ahh.. Miriam that was rather quick of you didn’t expect you this soon” Arnaut grinned.

“Yes, well, I never was one with much patience Arnaut.” She replied

“As my letter said the temple has agreed to assist you. Do you have the rituals translated?”

“Yes.”

“Good, I can have our membership ready in two days if needed.”

“Wait Arnaut, what to you mean? All we asked for from the order were the items we didn’t mean for you to get involved with the ritual its self. It is too dangerous. I won’t let you endanger the Order, Arnaut!”

“Miriam, you don’t have a choice, where those items go the Order goes. It’s that simple”

“Alright.” Miriam sighed. “January 7th is the soonest full moon we can be ready, it’s the best time for the identifier ritual. If the bond is there we need to do the greater ritual during the waning moon but before the new moon on January 21st.”

“We shall be ready. Will you—will they?” he asked.

“We will have to be”

~~~~
Back at Hogwarts that evening:

Miriam again walked into the headmaster’s office unannounced and took a seat in front of his fire wordlessly.

“How did your meeting with Arnaut go this afternoon?” Dumbledore asked.

“As I suspected they wish to be involved in the rituals—wouldn’t take no for an answer—their blasted sense of honor and duty.”

“When will the rituals take place?” He asked knowing better then to get to into what she was saying, she always did get touchy when she was trying to protect someone and they wouldn’t let her.

“January, during the holidays. All the students and staff have to leave Albus except of course Draco and Harry. . . and knowing Ron and Hermione, we might as well let them stay also, but no one must know, not even the ministry, about what will be taking place. I’ll need Severus’ help so he should stay, ask Minerva I could use her help but if she wants to go that’s up to her.”

“I understand.”

~~

As the term grew to a close Dumbledore made the announcement that this year no student would be allowed to stay over the Christmas holiday. But everyone would be expected back for the start of the term on January 21st.

During the first day of the Christmas break, after everyone had left, Miriam and Harry took a portkey to Surrey to gather what few belongings he had left there – it was more principle rather then necessity. Miriam, rather then dressing in non-descript muggle clothing, wore her full robes and symbols of her offices as Hogwarts Professor, Chief Auror, Holder of the Keys of Avalon and Order of Merlin 1st class. ‘They may not know what they mean but they will know distinguished honors’ Miriam thought to herself – she was just pissed enough at them to want to show them up. Miriam walked up to the Dursley’s door and knocked, Harry a step behind her. Thankfully, it was Petunia who answered the door not Vernon.

Miriam addressed her formally:

“Madame Dursley; I am Miriam Potter, Professor of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Chief Auror to the International Ministry of Magick, Holder of the Keys of Avalon, and Order of Merlin 1st Class. I am here to speak to you and Mr. Dursley about your maltreatment of Mr. Harry James Potter during the years he has been in your care.” With that Miriam strode past a terrified Petunia and into the front sitting room where Vernon and Dudley sat.

Vernon challenged her, sputtering and turning red with anger as he did so, “W..What’s the meaning of this? You bloody well can’t burst into my home like this. – Boy! Ee had an agreement, you stay away at Christmas and you are allowed to come back at summer holiday!”

“That will be enough Mr. Dursley.” Miriam interrupted. “Harry, go, do what we talked about before.” She then spoke strait to Dudley “Young man this meeting is not for you. Kindly take yourself to your room.”

“How dare you order my son about, you freak,” Petunia finally found her voice.

“Madame, I am being as nice and polite as I possibly can be… SIT DOWN AND SHUT UP!”

During this exchange Dudley, who had changed greatly at school this term, beat a hasty retreat instead of his usual smart reply.

Meanwhile, Harry went upstairs to the room he used when he was at the Dursley’s and quietly packed his few belongings that he had left there.

Dudley stopped at the doorway and was watching Harry pack.

“Harry” he began “What’s going on? Who is that?”

“That is my Aunt Miriam, My father’s sister, she brought me to get my things and to speak with Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon.”

“Oh…” Dudley responded “Look, I’m sorry I was such a prick to you all that time.” With that he turned to leave.
“Dudley, you went by what your parents did – how else could you have acted – no hard feelings.”

“Thanks.”

Harry was looking a bit confused “Dudley, why are you being so nice to me anyway?”

“Well, things have been happening to me Harry, strange things, like what happened with you before you went to that school.”

“Like what?”

“Well, this boy at Smeltings was making fun of me and I said ‘a pox on you’ and then and there he got boils all over his face; and another boy stole my chocolate mum sent me and he turned brown. It’s weird Harry, what will mum and dad say?”

“Well, It looks like you are a late bloomer Dudley.” Miriam interrupted. “And as to what your Mum and Dad will say – well they won’t be saying much about it, the next step is entirely up to you.” With that she handed him his Hogwarts letter. “You will spend the next term as well as summer in tutoring to get you up to speed, and throughout the next year as well as attending classes you will spend one term in each level as well as tutoring at the breaks. Even then you may still end up graduating after Harry, but it is up to you if you want to attend Hogwarts. It will be a lot of hard work, but you will learn to control your magic and have few outbursts like you described at school.”

“WOW!” Both Harry and Dudley said shocked.

Vernon Dursley standing in the hall way was turning a very interesting shade of puce at this news… “He’ll NOT be going; no son of mine will be going to that... that den of freaks!”

“Oh, do shut up Vernon, it’s not up to you.” Petunia growled “He will go if he wants too. I’ve hidden all this long enough just because I fell in love with you. I returned to the muggle world for you, but no more, you are a sad bitter man, and because of your prejudices I bound Dudley’s powers all these years. I want nothing more to do with you. I want a divorce.” With that she spun and went in to her room and opened a secret compartment in her jewelry box and took out her long neglected wand-- Lily hadn’t been the only witch in the family. She quickly shrunk her things and packed them then proceeded to Dudley’s room and did the same even the furniture and went throughout the house doing the same to all the items she wanted. “Harry dear, would you run up to the attic and collect two trunks, one green and one red, they were your s ans and mine. Thank you, dear.” she called after him as he raced up the stairs to the attic.

All the while Dudley and Vernon were staring open mouthed in wonder. Miriam on the other hand smirked….now that was the skinny little Slytheren she knew from school not that pasty homebody she had met at the front door.


*~END CHAPTER 7~*