A Family Forgotten

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Charlotte Zeeman considered herself a strong well-balanced woman who didn’t get shook up by trivial things. This however was not a trivial thing. Family was never trivial.

“Mrs. Zeeman?”

Charlotte look back to the man sitting behind the large mahogany desk. He looked to be around 60 perhaps a little older. His tan skin was wrinkled but he didn’t manage to look like a prune, in fact the wrinkles showed just how kind a man he was. They were deepest around his eyes and mouth, revealing a personality that was prone to smiling and laughing. His short cropped hair was almost pure white making his twinkling blue eyes all the brighter.

“Sorry, I was just a little shocked is all.”

“Quiet alright. Would you like me to continue then?”

“Yes, please do.”

“Of course.” The lawyer, a Mr. Alphered Westard, shuffled the papers around a bit more until he found the one he wanted. “Here we go. We received this letter approximately two days ago.” Mr. Westard handed the letter to her. “It is from a Mr. MacLeod who works for the British Ministry’s department of Family and Bloodline Services. Which apparently was created about four hundred years ago to trace back family bloodlines to help prevent inbreeding amongst the nobles.”

Charlotte nodded, remembering from high school history just how often the old nobility of Europe used to intermarry.

“Mr. MacLeod found a record which has been regularly updated and as he was going through it he found that besides the family heir, a young Mr. Harry Potter, you and your boys are the last descendants of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Potter. Now that might not mean a whole lot to many of the remaining nobles in Britan, but it might mean something to you.”

“I really have no interest in becoming some fancy blue blood, Mr. Westard.”

“I am sure you don’t, Mrs. Zeeman. That is not why we were contacted nor is it why you are in this office.”

Charlotte could feel the vein in her forehead begin to throb. “Then why am I here, Mr. Westard?”

“You are here Mrs. Zeeman because the young man I mentioned, Harry Potter, is still a minor and the family members he has been living with until now have recently been charged with child abuse.”

Charlotte could feel her jaw drop. Someone responsible for the safety and well being of a child of her family had been abusing them!

“Mr. Potter and his cousin, a Dudley Dursley have both been interviewed by the authorities and young Mr. Dursley has been given into his Aunt’s care. However, the Dursley family was Mr. Potter’s sole family members in Britain, and his Godfather was recently deceased. As such we were contacted in the hopes that you or one of your boys would be willing to take Harry in and become his legal guardian until he reaches his eighteenth birthday.”

“Of course. What kind of woman would I be if I turned the boy away after hearing how badly he has been treated. You may tell that Mr. MacLeod that Harry will be welcome in my house.”

~*~*~*~* Gordic’s Hollow, England *~*~*~*~

While most of his parents home was still standing it was scared with deep black scorches, splinters of shattered furniture, broken vases, cracked frames and many other reminders of the battle that had taken place here fifteen years ago. While his parents had not stayed around as ghosts he could still feel their presence here, in the choice of color, the books and even the few broken remains of a small golden snitch. It was a sad place and nearly had the feeling of a tomb to it. No one had stepped foot in here until he had a little over two weeks ago. He wasn’t sure why he stayed here when it only seemed to remind him of what he didn’t have and left his heart feeling as if it was clenched in a vise.

“Hoot. Hoot.”

Harry turned, looking to where the small gray owl had landed. It wasn’t his owl nor was it Ron’s. The owl hooted indignantly again and shoved it’s leg in his direction. Harry reached out and took the proffered letter from the owl’s leg.

Mr. H. Potter
I have recently received from the British Ministry a notice concerning the arrest of your Aunt and Uncle, as well as a document pertaining to the daughter of my former client Mr. Harley Potter. As she and her sons are your last blood relative I have informed them of what has happened and your request to know if they would be willing to be your new guardians. Mrs. Zeeman has agreed that you would be better off in the care of her family and has told me to inform you that if you wished you were welcome to come stay with them this summer before deciding if you would like them to become your new legal guardians.
I have enclosed a plane ticket to St. Louis leaving on the 23rd of this month. Please do not feel as if you have to come.
Sincerely,
Mr. Alphered Westard

Harry smiled and folded the letter back up, sticking it in his pocket. Eldwyn had done a great deal of research on Charlotte Zeeman and her family in order to make sure that Harry wouldn’t be jumping from the frying pan into the fire.

From what Eldwyn had found the family was so squeaky clean it made his teeth hurt. There was only one ticket amongst the lot of them and that only happened when the oldest son’s wife went into labor and the man panicked, speeding all the way to the hospital. Besides that and the werewolf school teacher the family was so very different from the Dursley’s that it made Harry a bit nervous. What if Eldwyn had missed something . . . But what if he hadn’t? So many ‘what if’s’ it made Harry’s head spin but he couldn’t hide here in the ruins of his parents home all summer. And all things considered he really did want to go to St. Louis and meet his Aunt Charlotte and her family.

tbc...