Tina speaks too soon, Emma channels her inner mama bear, and she meets a new ally who has one hell of a bomb to drop on her.

Also known as a confrontation and a meet I think people have been looking forward to witnessing!

***

The next few months were a whirlwind of activity for Emma and Harry. Every couple of days Tina would join them for lunch or take Harry out when Emma was working, but dinner was always reserved for Emma and Harry to have together alone to spend time together. Tina marveled at Harry's attachment to Emma, watching the black-haired boy paste himself to the blonde's side whenever she picked him up. Harry was always happy to see Tina, and the Auror couldn't help but preen at that, but the boy's mood always improved when Emma returned from her duties.

Even more surprising to Tina, though it probably shouldn't have been, was Emma's dedication to Harry. The bail bondswoman seemed to have the intuition for when Harry needed his space, which made Tina even more confident in her backing of Emma. Most people, she thought, would see the abuse and neglect Harry suffered and think smothering Harry with time and affection would be the way to go. Tina knew that would be a recipe for disaster, such a sharp 180 for Harry that it might set him back. Emma gave Harry a safe space in his room and made sure he knew that was his space; she never entered his room unless he gave her permission. When Harry had been playing with his stuffed animals (Tina had smiled fondly when Harry added a stag and a wolf to his collection), Emma had quietly admitted she'd been looking up cooking and baking hacks to make sure they weren't always getting takeout. The woman was taking every possible effort, and somehow finding even more, to prove she was the person to take full custody of Harry, and Tina knew she would succeed.

She should've known that some bump in the road would emerge at some point.

***

The Kowalski bakery was a favorite of Harry's, and Emma made a habit of taking her foster son there multiple times a month. His awe of the whimsical shapes never failed to make her smile . . . though she often got the snickerdoodle cookies shaped like what the badge called thunderbirds, and cinnamon always made her smile, too.

"Hey, Mum?" Harry asked suddenly, looking up from his treacle tart.

"Yeah, kid?" Emma asked, taking a dollop of cinnamon-dusted whipped cream off her hot cocoa and licking it off her finger.

"How much longer until you can officially adopt me?"

Emma smiled. "We're just past the halfway point, Harry. We've got just under three months left."

"Good," Harry nodded with a shy smile. "I really want to stay with you."

Emma's smile widened, touched by his words. "I'm glad to hear that, kid. I want you to stay with me, too." Harry beamed in response.

"Harry, my boy?"

Harry froze in his seat, and before she realized what was happening, Emma was out of her seat and blocking the boy from view. She turned on her heel, her green eyes narrowing when she saw the old man with half-moon glasses standing before her. "What did you just call him?" she demanded.

The man's blue eyes twinkled with mirth as he looked at Emma. "Harry has been deeply missed by his aunt and uncle," he answered, his accent matching Harry's; a faint whimper came from behind Emma. "I simply wonder why he was taken from such a loving family." He looked down his nose at Emma. "His parents would want him to be with his family, after all."

A snarl ripped from Emma, causing the workers behind the counter to look over in alarm. "You don't know a single damn thing, old man!" she spat. "Deeply missed? I threw his uncle in prison because the last thing Vernon Dursley would ever feel for Harry is deeply missing him! And a loving family? Those people are never touching my kid again!" She scoffed, shaking her head and taking out her phone, ready to call Tina. "And what do you know about his parents?" she challenged.

The man smiled. "I taught them."

Harry's breath hitched, and Emma looked up sharply. "Excuse me?"

"I did," the man nodded. "James and Lily Potter were two of my favorite students. Many alumni of the school, the staff included, were heartbroken by their deaths. Their son's safety was my utmost priority."

Emma's curiosity was blasted away by rage. "You put him with those monsters?" she growled, fingers tightening around her phone. "It was you?!"

"Mum?" Harry's voice shook more than a leaf in a thunderstorm, and she quickly turned to reassure him that she was listening to every word he said. "I don't like him. If he put me with the Dursleys, I don't want to be near him."

"My dear boy," the man began as he walked forward.

Emma spun around, green eyes blazing like wildfire. "Get away from my kid!" she roared, delighting in the way the man's blue eyes widened, all mirth lost. "I dare you, lay a hand on him again, and you'll be sorry for the rest of your pathetic life!"

The man's eyes hardened. "My dear, I assure you - "

"I am not 'your dear,' and Harry is not 'your dear boy,'" Emma interrupted. "You put Harry in an abusive household. You have no say in where he goes. He was placed with me, and that is where he is going to stay because that's where he wants to stay. Do you hear me, old man?"

"Leave," Harry's trembling voice held restrained anger, and Emma was proud as the boy hopped down from his chair to look at the man from behind her legs. "If you care about what happens to me, then leave me with Emma."

The man's eyes were soft and hard all at once. "Harry . . . "

"You are showing a massive amount of interest in an underage boy, sir," Emma scowled. "I don't know who you are or what it's like in your country, but here in New York? That's cause for suspicion." The man's eyes widened, clearly offended by her words. "You have ten seconds to walk out that door," she pointed with one hand; the other held up her phone. "Or else I call the cops and have you arrested."

The man narrowed his eyes. "Harry is a special boy, my dear," he told her. "You will need me when you realize just how special he is."

"I know he's special, old man," Emma scoffed, not liking the warning tone in his voice. "He's my kid." She was so busy glaring holes into the man's head, she missed Harry grin widely. "Five seconds. Get out." The man gave Harry one last look before with a swirl of his coat, he disappeared out the door. Emma waited until he was out of sight, then she dropped back into her chair with a huff. "Good ridd - oof!" She almost fell out of her chair when Harry barreled into her, clinging to her like a koala. "Oh, Harry," she tugged him into her lap to hug him tightly. "I've got you, kid. I've got you."

"I don't like him, Mum," he whimpered into her neck. "Why did he want to take me away? Why did he put me with them?"

"I don't know, kid," Emma sighed, running a hand through his unruly hair. "But I'm not gonna let him take you away from me. You're stuck with me, remember?"

Harry sniffed. "Good."

It was then that Emma realized how silent it was in the bakery, and she glared at all the customers staring at her in various forms of shock. "What?" she demanded. "Show's over!" There was a mad scramble for everyone to go about their business, and Emma rolled her eyes. "Harpies," she muttered. Harry burrowed further into Emma, and she huffed, realizing he was nodding off. "Oh, kid," she sighed, rubbing his back. "You're OK."

She let Harry nod off, knowing that interaction probably exhausted him. It made her exhausted, too, and she knew she would have to call Tina to let her know what happened. She wasn't looking forward to that conversation, despite knowing Tina was on her side. This six-month period was to prove she was Harry's best chance. The man who placed him with the Dursleys had shown up out of the blue, and while she had gotten him to leave, he had shown up in the first place . . . and she didn't know the bastard's name!

She prepared to stand and leave when a well-manicured hand suddenly set a brown paper bag on the table in front of her. "Oh, I didn't order this," she began.

"I know," the shy young woman ducked her head. "I was told to give it to you."

Emma frowned suspiciously. "By who?"

The woman hastily left, and she ducked past a woman with her blonde hair in perfect curls as she left the counter. "Emma Swan, yes?" she asked as she walked over.

"That's right," Emma narrowed her eyes. "Who's asking?"

"I own the bakery, hon," the woman smiled kindly. "Tina's told me all about the woman she's helping, and I've heard all about how often you come here. This has all your favorites." A frown formed on her face, and she folded her arms as she glared at the door. "Free of charge, after what that man did."

"Oh," Emma blinked in surprise, looking at the bag. "Uh . . . thank you."

The woman waved her thanks away, still looking annoyed. "He had the gall to do that in my bakery?"

"I don't know what made him think that was smart," Emma rolled her eyes as she stood, adjusting her grip on Harry so she could take the bag as well. "And to try and take him?"

The woman clicked her tongue. "My, my," she shook her head. "Only a fool would dare go after that child." Emma looked sharply at the woman, who lowered her voice. "He is, after all, the most famous child in the world."

Emma stared at the woman, her grip tightening on Harry. "What the hell does that mean?" she hissed. "Why does he want Harry so badly?"

The woman pursed her lips. "May I extend an offer, Ms. Swan?" she tilted her head. "That man tried to take Harry in my bakery, right under my nose. I am offering a chance to answer any question you have after that interaction."

Emma paused. "Any question?" she repeated.

The woman nodded. "Any question," she confirmed. "Baking is not my only talent, after all. The best home-cooked meal you've ever tasted and the chance to have every answer you may have about Harry."

Emma bit her lip. That was very tempting, but . . . "How do I know I can trust you after what just happened?" she challenged.

The woman smiled. "Do you trust Tina Goldstein?"

Emma reeled. "Of course I do!"

"Then trust her sister." Emma's jaw dropped, and the woman smiled and extended her hand. "Queenie Goldstein," she introduced herself. "Teenie just has all the kindest words for you, hon. I've been waiting to meet you myself."

***

Emma stared at Queenie after she explained at her home that night. Apparently there was another person who lived here, but he couldn't see them at that time, so Queenie said he would meet them later that night at dinner.

"Harry is a what?!" Emma asked in quiet disbelief, the arm she had around Harry tight and non-fluctuating where he was laid in her lap and sleeping.

"A wizard." Queenie told them, her voice clear, and completely relaxed. "A very, very famous one at that." Emma shook her head, going to stand, but Queenie placed a hand on her knee, keeping her still. "Emma, has anything ever happened around Harry that couldn't be explained? Something you didn't think was possible, but saw with your own eyes? Maybe when Harry was scared, or in general feeling a strong emotion? Things levitating without a string or something exploding without fire?"

Emma's brow furrowed as she thought about it. Now that Queenie had mentioned it, there were times where Emma couldn't believe she was seeing when Harry got upset. "There was a time where a book exploded without being exposed to fire," she said slowly. "And there was once where Harry was really upset with his babysitter, and he somehow made it into his room without getting up and walking there. Just like he . . . I don't know, teleported. Is that what you mean? Stuff like that?" Emma asked, a sinking feeling in her stomach.

"Exactly like that," Queenie confirmed with a nod. "Magic comes in all sorts of forms. I couldn't list them all if I tried. But conjuring fire, transfiguring an object into something else, levitation, to glamors and curses and transporting yourself from one location to another with just a thought . . . it's all possible, hon. It's very real."

Emma's head hurt from all the information she absorbed, and she put her head in her hand, rubbing her forehead. "And you're one, too?" she asked. "A wizard, I mean?"

"Well, a witch, specifically," Queenie giggled. "But yes, hon, I am."

"And so's Tina." That wasn't a question, this time.

"She is," Queenie confirmed. "That man at the bakery? The one who tried to take Harry from you?" Emma's hand curled into a fist automatically, and she noticed Queenie looked at it in approval. "His name is Albus Dumbledore. To the majority of the Wizarding World, he's the vanquisher of one of the darkest wizards in history, deemed the Lord of Light Magic." She shook her head in disgust. "To my family, he's the reason we have to live apart from each other. If it wasn't for him, Newt and I wouldn't be separated from our siblings. Teenie has to be very, very careful when she visits, or else it's bad news for me. She was contacted by someone as close as family in Britain, and asked to check on Harry. That's how she was able to pretend to be CPS and take Harry away."

Emma swallowed. "And yet . . . she backed me to be Harry's guardian. Why not some other . . . " She fumbled, hardly believing she was saying this. "Another witch or wizard?" she asked lamely.

"As I mentioned, Harry is a very famous wizard in our world," Queenie said with a sad smile. "But he deserves to be a normal boy. A boy with a happy childhood, without having guardians that take him in only for his fame. Tina believes that childhood can be given to him by you." She tilted her head. "She isn't wrong. I know she isn't."

"What makes you so sure about that?" Emma snorted.

Queenie smiled mischievously. "Remember how I said there are all different types of magic? I'm a Legilimens. The ability to read minds comes naturally to me." Emma scooted back from the table, eyes rapidly searching for a way to leave. "No, no, hon, let me finish," Queenie shook her head, holding up both hands. "I don't read them without permission. But it's easy to read people when their minds are being particularly . . . loud. I heard your thoughts. You want Harry to have the best chance possible, and you want to give him that chance. Tina knows it, too. How could she ever recommend putting Harry with someone else?"

Emma gulped. "But I'm not a witch," she whispered, a bolt of uncertainty hitting her for the first time. "I don't know a thing about this . . . this world he's part of. I don't know how to raise him to be part of that world!"

"You're taking a boy who suffered horribly and giving him everything he needs right now," Queenie smiled softly. "Seems pretty magical to me, hon." Emma bit her lip, blushing at the compliment. "And Teenie likes you, Emma. I've only just met you, but from this impression and what I've heard from my sister, I like you, too. You're not gonna be alone any longer, sweetheart. You've got good people who can teach Harry about the Wizarding World." The woman's smile turned into a shark's. "And if it means ruining whatever plans Dumbledore has in store for him? That's just the icing on the cake."

Emma couldn't help herself. "Pun intended?" she asked, eyeing the desserts lining the counter.

Queenie burst into a peal of laughter that sounded like silver bells. "Oh, I like you!" she declared gleefully. "And so is Newt, I just know it!"

"That's the other person who lives here?" Emma asked, craning her neck to look around. Queenie nodded in confirmation. "Where is he?"

"Ah," Queenie smiled nervously. "Remember when I mentioned glamors?" Emma nodded slowly, and Queenie cleared her throat, drawing a sleek, black stick with an end resembling a mother-of-pearl shaped shell from her sleeve and pointed it at the window. "Finite Incantatem."

A blast of fire suddenly blew past the window, and Emma hurriedly covered her mouth to cover the shriek she made. "What the hell?" she squeaked, looking at Queenie with wide eyes.

"I figured it wasn't a good idea for you to see a dragon having a tantrum while I explained everything to you," Queenie said sheepishly. "Newt and I live on magically-shielded acres of land. I run the bakery, but Newt is in charge of this reserve." She gestured to the window. "Perhaps we'll take a tour when Harry wakes . . . but Newt is a magizoologist. Name a magical beast, and he can lecture on it for hours. He's currently trying to settle one of the Welsh Greens."

Emma swallowed hard. "You keep dragons here?" she finally managed to sputter.

"Oh, not just dragons, hon," Queenie smiled. "You're in for quite a treat."

***

Of course, Queenie chooses that day to be at the bakery. Thank whoever made her decide that! XD Dumbledumb's so caught up in getting Harry, he's willing to do it in a public place. Good thing Harry's new mum is someone who knows exactly how to use that kind of situation to her advantage.

And now the fun really starts to begin! Our favorite witch and wizard ( . . . OK, maybe my favorite witch and wizard, shut up) have quite the tale for Emma and Harry . . . and what strings of fate are going to change with Harry learning who he is and Emma believing in magic four years early?

~ Miss Moffat

***

Hey Guys! What'd you think of this chapter? I know I loved it! And now our story of Harry learning early about magic officially starts! Queenie, Emma and Harry meet, and drops that on Emma. What'd we think? And out favorite saviors are finally getting some peace away from the dursleys, only to have Knock-Off-Gandalf attempt to take Harry from his new mother. We'll see where we take it!

~ Miss Singer