Harry, Emma and Newt meet, and then it's time for a very hard conversation where Harry learns the truth of his family's murders and who was behind it.

Warning: this chapter contains descriptions of mass murder and genocide. It's heavily included in the stories Newt and Queenie tell, so our best advice for those who wish to avoid it is to skip after Newt explains blood politics and head to when Emma's lie detector goes off.

***

Newt yelped and ducked as a flame of bright red fire went past his head, singeing the ends of his curls. He stood, brushed a hand through his hair, then put his hands on his hips with a disapproving stare at the female dragon in front of him. "Well then," he huffed, shaking his head. "That's no way to treat the wizard who is trying to keep your injury from getting infected, now is it, Daphne?" His words were directed at the Welsh Green dragon in front of him. He'd been trying to help the poor thing with a very deep cut on her flank, but she seemed intent on keeping him away. She had been in a right mood all day, and said dragon sniffed a puff of smoke at him, and turned her head away from him.

A high-pitched shriek was heard, and he turned and saw Queenie, a little boy with messy black hair and glasses and another blonde woman with striking green eyes and a red leather jacket were walking towards him, though the woman had faltered and was staring up at Daphne with wide eyes. So that was where the shriek came from, he deduced, dusting his hands off. He'd never met the other two before, but he had a very strong feeling who they were. Judging by the looks of them, it was probably Harry Potter and his soon-to-be adoptive mother, Emma Swan. He knew Queenie had brought them here earlier to explain the Wizarding World to Emma, and Emma had either been very, very surprised, or she'd been very, very confused. He personally had his money on both, but he knew Queenie would have quelled those worries in a heartbeat. So, he guessed, they were out here because Queenie had told them about the animals and the magical creatures he took care of and Harry and Emma wanted to see them.

He held up a hand to tell them to stop and stepped out of the paddock, quickly grabbing his wand and casting his strongest wards that only he was allowed through. He, after all, had no interest in their guests becoming roast dinner for an upset dragon. He ran over to them, quickly kissing Queenie's head, then he kneeled down next to the boy. "Hello there!" he greeted, putting his brightest smile on his face. "My name's Newt. What's yours?"

The boy looked up at the second woman holding his hand, clearly seeking her guidance on what to do. When she nodded,she held out his unoccupied hand. "I'm Harry Potter."

"Well, it's so nice to meet you, Harry! Would you like to go meet a pegasus?" Newt asked, looking at Emma in question at the same time. Harry mirrored the action, an excited look on his face, and she nodded, smiling as she caressed the small boy's hair. With Emma's permission, Harry nodded at Newt eagerly.

Newt nodded at Emma, and she nodded back. "Then let's go!" he grinned, holding out his hand, and somehow just knowing Newt wouldn't hurt him, Harry took his hand, letting Newt guide him a bit further down the row of animals with Queenie and Emma trailing behind them.

Producing a couple of sugar cubes from his trousers pocket, Newt handed two to Harry and helped him hold his hand out to the small pegasus foal named Adherion by picking him up, placing him on his hip and walking into the paddock. Adherion immediately took a liking to Harry and took the sugar cubes from him, snorting softly. He nuzzled into Harry's hand and let the boy pet him. "Most animals are gentle, sweet creatures, Harry," he explained, making sure he was loud enough that Emma could hear his mini lecture. "If you don't do anything to harm them, they won't harm you." He paused, then winked at Harry. "Especially if you have food with you and you feed them."

Harry giggled, carefully petting the Adherion's muzzle. As Emma watched them, she questioned Queenie about magic. "Why are you hidden? Shouldn't magic be something that is celebrated?"

It must have been quite the loaded question, for Queenie sighed as she sat on the bench next to the paddock. "To put it simply, the Salem Witch trials in the 1600s," she began, patting the bench next to her. When Emma sat next to her, she continued. "We had been free before that, and we had been able to practice freely, even though some didn't want it that way. Because of that, a few bad witches and wizards did some unspeakable things, and No-Majes began to dislike magic, outlawing it and pressuring us into hiding and practicing in secret, away from non-magicals. It's been like that ever since. We now have hundreds of communities and sub-communities, all hidden from No-Majes except the select few who have magical kids and siblings. We have to stay hidden, otherwise we will be locked away in mental asylums. It's just something we've learned to accept. But in our communities, it is widely celebrated, and is never something to take lightly. So, even though we are hidden, hon, we do celebrate."

"I'm sorry," Emma told her, placing a hand on her arm.

Queenie quickly shook her head, smiling and taking Emma's hand in her own. "You have no need to apologize, Emma," she rebuked. "You didn't do anything." She waved at Newt and Harry as they walked over, Harry still on Newt's hip. Harry was waving his hands in a wild gesture and his mouth was moving, and Newt was nodding along. "No one knows why some of us have magic, and some of us don't. None of us know why some can read minds, or conjure a Patronus. It just is. We can't change reality, and we can't change the past. All we can do is let it be, and do everything we can to make sure a bad future isn't in the cards, OK?"

Emma nodded and held out her arms once her son was close enough to them, and Harry willingly went into his mother's arms, leaning his forehead against hers. "Are you alright mum?" his sweet, gentle voice asked her, and she nodded, kissing his forehead.

"I'm okay, kid," she promised. "How was the pegasus? Did you like it?"

Harry nodded excitedly, plopping in Emma's lap. "He was so gentle, his name is Adhe - Adher - " He struggled with the word, and Newt helpfully filled in for him.

"Adherion," he said softly, showing Harry how to say the word, much like a father or an uncle helps a child learn words. Emma smiled softly. She was glad that Harry finally had other people who cared about him around him.

"Mr. Newt?" Harry suddenly asked.

Queenie giggled at the title, and Newt shook his head fondly. "You can just call me Newt, Harry," he told him.

"OK," Harry nodded, playing with the hem of his shirt. "Do you know if my parents were like me?"

Emma felt the mood around them shift immediately, and Queenie bit her lip, tears in her eyes. "Yes, Harry," Newt nodded somberly. "Your dad was a wizard, and your mum was a witch. Not quite like me and Queenie, but they belonged to our community."

Harry bit his lip. "Aunt Petunia said they died in a car crash."

Newt's eyes widened, and Queenie gasped. Emma had heard plenty of gasps, and Queenie took the cake for "most offended" by a long shot. "James and Lily Potter, dead in a car crash?!" the blonde woman fumed.

"That is far from the truth, Harry," Newt shook his head, leaning down so he could look Harry in the eye. "Are you sure you would like to know what happened to them?"

Harry slowly nodded, looking at Newt with wide eyes. "I want to know the truth," he said. "I never want to be lied to again."

Newt and Queenie exchanged looks, one Emma couldn't read, then the magizoologist nodded. "Perhaps we should take this inside," he said, standing from the bench and dusting himself off. "It might be rather late by the time we finish this story."

***

As the quartet walked into the house, Harry on his mother's hip, his head buried into her shoulder, they talked quietly. "We can't intrude on you any longer than needed," Emma was saying.

"Nonsense," Queenie shook her head at once. "You aren't intruding at all, Emma. I invited you and Harry over with the intention of you staying with us however long it takes for you to be satisfied with whatever answers we provide. It's no trouble for you to be here."

"We mean that," Newt added. "We have plenty of space if you'd prefer to stay the night."

"Really?" Emma blinked. "But we don't have anything - " She trailed off, seeing the pointed looks from Newt and Queenie, and she sighed. "Right. Magic." She scratched her head sheepishly. "God, that'll take some getting used to."

"That's understandable," Newt grinned. "I heard all the time from classmates about how their Muggle parents were getting used to magic existing."

"Muggles?"

"It's what we call No-Majes," Newt explained.

"My late husband was one," Queenie smiled sadly.

"Oh," Emma bit her lip. "I'm sorry, Queenie."

"He died years ago, hon," Queenie waved her apology away. "Besides . . . that can be a story for another time." She gave Harry a sad look as Newt led them into the house. "We have another priority right now."

Emma followed them into the living area, and Newt aimed his wand at the fireplace. With a firm "Incendio," flames burst from his wand and lit the wood, warming the room at once. Emma did a double take when two rodent-like creatures poked their heads up from behind one of the lamps, peering at her and Harry curiously. "Wait," she blinked, narrowing her eyes. "I know those creatures!"

"They're a popular shape for cookies at the bakery," Queenie smiled as the creatures scurried across the floor. "Newt has always had a soft spot for nifflers."

"Do be careful of your watch," Newt warned, scooping up the light brown niffler before it could chomp on Queenie's bracelet. "They'll hoard anything shiny."

Emma quickly pulled her wrist away from the blue gray niffler, blinking in surprise. "Noted."

"Now, these are friends," Newt admonished the two nifflers, giving them stern looks. "Be on your best behavior. They have a lot to learn."

The blue gray niffler hopped onto the couch next to Emma, sniffing Harry curiously. The boy giggled, carefully reaching over to pet the niffler. "It looks like Tina's coat."

"That's what I thought, too," Queenie grinned widely. "She's named after Teenie, too."

"Actually, both nifflers are named after our siblings," Newt added. "That's Teenie, after Tina. This troublemaker - " He held up the light brown niffler. " - is Ted, after my older brother, Theseus."

Emma never missed a sign. She heard the clear-as-day pain and suffering in Newt's voice easily and could see the loss in his eyes; only one who'd been suffering for a long time would notice. "Does he live here in the States, too?" she asked.

Newt visibly flinched, reaching for a pendant around his neck as if on instinct. "No," he whispered, clearing his throat when his voice threatened to break. "No, he still lives in Britain. It's a very long story." He gave a strained smile. "One I'm too sober to tell, honestly."

"That story requires alcohol," Queenie agreed, walking over to Newt and sitting on the arm of the comfortable chair, leaning into Newt's side and embracing the magizoologist. "And a bit more preparation before it can be shared. What I can say right now, is that Dumbledore is heavily involved."

Emma snarled at the daft old wizard's name and nodded at once, rubbing Harry's back gently. "I get it," she assured them. "I won't press about it." She wouldn't, but she was extremely curious about what had happened to cause both Queenie and Newt to react that way, and why Newt had immediately grabbed the pendent around his throat.

"Thank you," Newt gave a small smile.

"Of course," Emma nodded, kissing Harry's head as she placed him next to her. He giggled when both of the nifflers climbed onto his lap, crawling over his legs and up to his shoulders, Teddy on his shoulder, his paws on Harry's neck and his head on his collar bone and Tennie was splayed across his thighs.

"Now, Harry, sweetheart," Queenie leaned forward, eyes serious. "Are you absolutely sure you want to hear this? It's a long and very, very complicated story."

Harry's smile disappeared and his face became the stoic boy that Emma had seen during the Dursley Trial. "I need to know what happened to my birth parents."

Emma placed a hand on Harry's and nodded at two other adults to start.

Newt nodded his head when Queenie looked down at him. She nodded in return, looking down at her hands with a solemn expression and then at Harry And Emma as Newt began. "It started in the 1920's, specifically the 31st of December, 1926. There are two components to this story. One is what started it all and the second part is Harry's parents; murders . . . but first, I want to explain the bigotry that you'll hear about more: blood supremacy. First there are Muggles, or No-Majes, who don't have magic. Squibs are children born to magical parents, but they don't possess magic themselves and they usually live their lives as Muggles, in this world. Muggleborns are witches or wizards that are born from Muggles. Lily, your mother, was a Muggleborn witch, Harry. That meant she was the first magic user of her bloodline. Half-bloods are witches and wizards that have either two magical parents depending on ancestry, or one magical and one Muggle parent. Because Lily was a Muggleborn, Harry, you are a half-blood. The final place in the hierarchy, Purebloods, are witches and wizards that are born to a magical line in which has no Muggle ancestry, solely magical . . . and sometimes to keep it that way, the family members condoned inbreeding. James, your father, was a Pureblood, Harry, as were your grandmother and grandfather on James' side of the family. Your mother's parents were Muggles, and while they were delighted to have a witch in their family, Petunia thought very differently. Ever since Lily embraced her magical abilities, Petunia deemed anything magical as 'freakish.'" He steepled his fingers, looking between two identical pairs of green eyes. "Do you understand me so far?"

Harry and Emma both nodded, and Newt nodded in return, sighing as he continued. "The majority of Purebloods prided themselves on having no Muggle lineage. Cousins married cousins, uncles married nieces, nephews married aunts, and as a result, every Pureblood family is related in some fashion. Most Pureblood families are also very wealthy and hold titles of aristocracy. They all think they are better than everyone else because they think Muggles are scum and worthless. Of course, not every Pureblood family held these beliefs but the majority did. They were of the belief that anything less than Pureblood was vermin, abominations. Half-bloods were tolerated as they have some magical ancestry but Muggleborns, such as Lily, were hated. Given the differing opinions, war broke out and essentially split the Wizarding World into two sides. Lord Voldemort was, and still is, the darkest wizard to ever exist. He wanted a Pureblood only utopia, where half-bloods would be made slaves - even though Voldemort, whose real name was Tom Marvolo Riddle, was only a half-blood himself - and Muggleborns, Muggles and Squibs would be slaughtered and exterminated. He was committing genocide, all over Britian. He was the magical version of Adolph Hitler. He killed countless people along with his followers, zealots he deemed Death Eaters."

Harry nodded slowly, taking in the new information, and then looked at Emma, who looked far paler than usual. She rubbed her hand over her son's hair, smoothing it down some, taking a few deep breaths, then she looked at Queenie.

Queenie nodded in sympathy to Emma's pale face. "This story is not to be taken lightly, nor is it advisable if you have a weak stomach. If you think that was bad, wait until you hear Voldemort's full story, hun."

Emma waved her hand for Newt to go on with the story, indicating she was alright.

Newt looked down at his hands, then visibly steeled himself before starting again. "Voldemort was born in 1926 to Tom and Merope Riddle on the 31st of December. His mother had dosed his father, Tom Riddle Sr. with many love potions. Eventually, she delusionally began to think that Tom was really in love with her, and stopped dosing him with love potions. She was already pregnant when he left Merope, who then gave birth to Tom Riddle Jr. in an orphanage, dying shortly after his birth. He was raised in the same orphanage until he was 11 years old, when he was pursued by Knock-Off-Gandalf to come to Hogwarts, claiming he was special, talented. Tom wasn't fooled, he knew he was special. He had the rare ability to talk to snakes, called Parseltongue, which made him even more special. But he was cruel and unjust during his time in the orphanage and his time at Hogwarts, later taking that hatred for his mother and father and releasing it into the world, causing the Wizarding War. Anyway, the name Voldemort didn't come until much later, his seventh and most crucial year of school. By then, his charisma had already helped him gain followers, who he named his loyal Death Eaters. They weren't any better than him. Riddle used a type of magic so dark, I dare not speak of it, lest I and everyone here fall ill, but just know, he tore his soul into seven different fragments by murdering seven, and countless more, people in cold blood, and putting those soul into a sacred object, but of which, we have yet to find."

Harry was crying silent tears, and while he didn't think a child should be hearing this so young, Newt knew the boy needed to know. Even if he had nightmares, it was crucial to Harry's survival if he learned it as early as possible. Emma was holding a hand up to her mouth to keep her horror silent, and clearly subconsciously dragged Harry towards her. In a quiet, non-Emma-like voice, she asked, "What does this have to do with Harry?" Harry looked interested in that answer as well.

Newt pressed his lips together and looked towards Queenie, silently shaking his head. He had no desire to explain this part; he couldn't do it anymore, he'd had enough. Queenie, who was leaning against Newt, sighed, but answered his silent plea to take over. "Voldemort discovered the existence of a prophecy that detailed his downfall by the hand of a child born in July, and as a result, killed all children born the month of July except two. You, Harry, and a boy only a day older named Neville Longbottom, a Pureblood, were the last alive, both children of parents who defied Voldemort more than any witch or wizard during the war. Voldemort could have chosen to go after Neville, but he chose you. On Halloween of 2001, he found the child destined to be his downfall. Harry, you and your parents went into hiding and were placed in a safe house, and a powerful form of cloaking magic was used to hide you. But that magic was broken, and Voldemort found the house and had every intention of making sure no one was left alive. James tried to give Lily time to escape, but he was killed instantly. Lily sacrificed her life for yours, setting a type of old powerful protection magic on you, and when Voldemort used the Killing Curse on you, you survived. Not only was this impossible, as nothing is capable of stopping the Killing Curse, but the curse rebounded and Voldemort was no more. A child, a baby of no more than a year, had won the war. Death Eaters were captured and rounded up, and the Wizarding World moved on. But, as we all know, things don't always work out the way they are supposed to, and Harry, instead of going to the person you were supposed to go to, you were sent to live with your only living relatives." At this point, all Queenie could do was shrug. "Why Dumbledore thought that was a good idea, considering what happened, Merlin only knows, but regardless, you are here now, and Dumbledore will never get to you as long as our siblings, Newt, and I are around to protect you."

By the time Queenie concluded her story, Harry had curled into a ball, tears streaming down his cheeks. Both of Emma's arms were tightly wound around the boy, her teeth buried in her lip. When she took a deep breath to ask a question, Queenie could see she had drawn blood in her attempt to keep silent. "Who . . . " Emma cleared her throat to allow herself to speak. "Who was Harry meant to be with? Why did Dumbledore place him with the Dursleys?"

Queenie fidgeted. "It's my understanding that the No-Majes have godparents?"

"We do," Emma nodded. "Harry has godparents?"

Newt sighed, rubbing his forehead. "One," he answered. "But the cloaking magic that was used to hide the Potters . . . it's called the Fidelius Charm. The Potters' safehouse would be hidden from all except for one person they entrusted the secret with, known as their Secret-Keeper. The only way Voldemort found their location is because their Secret-Keeper betrayed them."

A chill ran down Emma's spine. "Harry's godparent betrayed them?" she asked hoarsely.

Newt shrugged helplessly. "Sirius Black was James Potter's best friend at Hogwarts," he explained. "He was James's best man when he married Lily. It was no surprise to the Wizarding World when the Potters named him Harry's godfather. There was absolutely no question the Potters would make him their Secret-Keeper."

"The Blacks are one of the most ancient and most noble houses in the Wizarding World," Queenie added. "And as their name suggests, they are a notoriously dark family. Sirius was, ironically, the black sheep of the family. Never once did he show any inkling of following his family's beliefs . . . then the Potters were killed, Harry survived a Killing Curse, and when another of James's friends confronted Sirius, the wizard caused an explosion that murdered over a dozen No-Majes and his former friend. Sirius is currently serving a life sentence in the wizarding maximum security prison named Azkaban."

Emma's inner lie detector started blaring at her, and she frowned, running her hand through Harry's hair. "That makes no sense," she muttered, feeling Harry's tears on her neck. "It sounds like Sirius would've died for James . . . and he somehow betrayed them?" She shook her head. "God, what a mess."

"That's an understatement," Newt sighed. "Our siblings are both Aurors - you could say they're similar to the Muggle world's version of police. They're the heads of their departments - Tina here in the States, Theseus over in Britain. They're the only ones who knew where Harry was placed because Dumbledore wanted very few people to know. He claimed it was for Harry's safety, in case any sympathizers to Voldemort's cause tried to search for him and kill him."

Harry whimpered, and Emma pressed a kiss to the top of Harry's head. "That's the one smart idea I've heard of Dumbledore's so far," she quipped.

Queenie smirked. "He has them on occasion." She nudged Newt with a grin. "It was his idea to send Newt after me."

"I don't think he expected me to blatantly ignore everything he asked, though," Newt grinned up at her, picking up her hand and kissing the back of it.

"Didn't he tell the Aurors that you're not that great at following orders?" Queenie teased.

Oh, Emma decided she liked Newt far better when he had that wide of a smile on his face. "Never changes," the magizoologist claimed happily.

"I want that story some day," Emma warned them.

"I'll make sure we're stocked for it," Queenie winked, lounging so her arm rested on Newt's shoulder.

Emma nodded, cupping the back of Harry's head. His tears had stopped, and when she checked the boy, she found him sound asleep. She sighed, closing her eyes. "What are the chances Dumbledore's going to keep trying to take Harry away?" she asked.

The glee slid from Newt's face. "I think you know the answer to that question."

Emma hung her head, nodding in confirmation. Oh, she knew. "He's not going to stop."

"No, sweetheart," Queenie agreed, standing from her seat and crossing to sit next to Emma on the couch. "He won't."

Emma bit her lip, looking between the two. "How . . . how can I protect him from someone like that?"

"With help," Newt said simply, and Queenie nodded in agreement. "Tina's supporting you on the Muggle end, she'll make sure Harry ends up in your care."

"What about the magical side?" Emma asked. "I mean . . . surely these Purebloods aren't going to want me as his guardian."

"Oh, they won't," Newt agreed with a smirk. "That's why you've got me and Queenie."

Emma raised an eyebrow, and Queenie patted her knee. "In some cases, when a child's parents die, the guardian next in line can choose a method of adoption called blood adoption," she explained. "It's a potion that includes a few drops of the guardian's blood that the child drinks. That potion allows the child to be, by blood and by magic, the child of the guardian. Their third parent by blood, if you will."

Emma's eyes had widened the more Queenie explained. "Dumbledore isn't a fan of it," Newt added cheerfully. "Then again, everyone on his side in the Wizarding World doesn't like any magic involving blood, claiming it's 'dark.'" He made the quotes with his fingers, and Emma chortled. "It's really not," Newt went on. "In fact, this potion is what we label grey."

"And it is completely safe," Queenie promised. "Teenie's seen several cases of blood adoption before."

"So has Theseus," Newt nodded. "In fact, he's seen it far more in Britain."

Emma looked down at Harry, her mind already racing, trying to plan every tiny detail. "And how soon can this get done?" she asked.

Newt and Queenie exchanged looks, and both grinned. "When do you want it done?" Newt asked, drawing his wand.

Emma narrowed her eyes. "As soon as I can."

Newt nodded, silently waving his wand. Emma jumped, startled, as a piece of parchment, a quill, and an inkwell flew through the air, ready for him to use. "Our best bet is to do this at Gringotts," Newt explained, taking the quill and starting to write on the parchment. "It's the wizarding bank, run by goblins."

"Goblins control your money?" Emma blinked.

"They do," Newt nodded, looking up at her with a smirk. "Lesson number one, Emma . . . always try to be on the good side of the ones who control your money."

Emma snorted. "Good lesson."

Newt nodded, reviewing his message and nodding. "It should be safe for both of us to accompany them," he told Queenie. "You're the best at glamours and camouflages, we'll need that while we're there."

Queenie nodded in agreement. "Oh," Emma murmured, starting to connect a few dots. "The two of you are . . . ?"

"Let's just say Dumbledore would be very happy if we're found in Britain and would pay a great deal of money to have us back under his thumb," Newt said dryly. "Fortunately, all the goblin nation cares about is that they run themselves in peace. They have no solid allegiance to anyone . . . but respect for them goes a long way." He grinned, holding the parchment up to a nearby candle so the ink would dry. "And it is well known that when the British Aurors need them, the goblins prefer Theseus Scamander to do their dealings because the brothers of House Scamander have always respected the goblins and their power."

Emma grinned. "Which means they'll keep quiet about you being in Britain."

"Exactly," Newt nodded, waving his wand. The parchment disappeared in a flash of fire, and he brushed his hands off, banishing the rest of the ink and his quill. "I sent a missive requesting a meeting at their earliest convenience. It's long past the start of the Hogwarts school year, so I imagine we might be able to have an appointment tomorrow."

"What do you think, Emma?" Queenie grinned. "Are you ready to dive headfirst into the Wizarding World?"

Emma looked down at a sleeping Harry, at the nifflers who cuddled into the boy with quiet purrs, then at the witch and wizard who were willing to help her, despite the danger they would be in if they were seen.

"Hell yes, I'm ready."

***

A/N: Bright side: yay, Newt! Not so bright side: . . . hoo boy, that was a heavy chapter. Lots of history to cover, and lots of deceptions and dangers for Emma and Harry to understand. Good thing our two saviors don't back down easily, right?

Emma and Harry take their first steps into (or in Harry's case, back into) the Wizarding World next chapter, and luckily, they've got a few very good guides who will make sure they're safe . . . and there's going to be quite a lot they'll discover when they meet the goblins of Gringotts.

~ Miss Moffat

***

I have to admit, writing this chapter made me really want to rewatch all of the movies just so i could yell at Dumbelfuck. This chapter was. . .very heavy. But, thats okay! Becasue now we have most of the extremely heavy angst done and over with. The rest of the prequel should be much more light and fluffy than these last six were. How'd you, our faithful readers, enjoy this chapter? Make sure you leave comments for us to read and laugh over!

Also, for anyone wanting to talk to me directly, I have this posted on AO3 and I am available here for talking! Give me some ideas for more Dumbeldore nicknames, I am running out! (considering some of the ones we've already heard on Wattpad, there are some golden ones out there!)

As always, stay safe, stay cool, and read on!

~Miss Singer