"Harry! My son! Oh! It worked! I was so worried Dumbledore would find a way to stop you."
"Don't worry, sister, the plan went without a hitch. I'm sure no one even noticed he left." Harry suddenly started laughing.
"Harry?"
"I'm sorry, Mum, I just imagined what the Dursleys must be thinking." The adults smiled indulgently at him. A few moments later, Draco, Lucius, and Alexander walked into the sitting room.
"Hi Mum, Aunt Bella, Professor Quirrell. Uncle, are you there as well?"
Quirinus turned away from Draco so he could see his uncle. "Yes, Draco. It is good to see you. And you Alexander. My little Violet has been talking the poor professors ear off about you."
"Dad!" Violet said, slowly turning red. Alexander blushed a little as well, but he gave him a reluctant smile.
"All good things I hope."
Narcissa decided to break what was becoming an awkward silence.
"Draco, dearest, it is good to see you. How was the ride home?"
"It was fine, Mum. Uneventful."
"Draco, Harry, Alexander, why don't you run upstairs and unpack, then we can have dinner and discuss our summer plans." The three boys did as they were told, Harry returning to the room he utilized during both holidays from school. He unpacked quickly then ran back down to the small dining room. As dinner wound down, Bellatrix turned to Harry and told him the news he'd been waiting to hear.
"We're doing it tonight, Harry. We don't want anything to get in the way of this occurring." Harry nodded, seeing logic in that. "The potion has been brewed and the elixir has been obtained. The final mix needs to be completed, however."
"Why did you wait on that?"
"Because you must do the mixing, Harry."
"Me? Why me? What if I mess it up?"
"You won't darling, we have faith in you. And we'll be guiding you every step of the way. And to answer your question, the final mix must be done by a blood relative of the drinker. As well as one other ingredient we hoped Alexander might supply."
"What difference will it make?"
"One of the ingredients is some of the potion maker's blood. Just a couple drops, but it must be you, and it must be given willingly. However from Alexander we simply need a drop of blood given unwilling."
"Oh, well, I can do that." Harry said. Everyone smiled at him.
"And I can't do that." Alexander said with a smile, having read about this potion in the book Bellatrix had given him last Christmas. Bellatrix gave him a sly smile.
"Excellent. Very well, this will happen in the garden among the hedges." Everyone stood at Lucius' words, knowing both Bella and Harry were anxious for this to get going.
Once outside, Quirinus, Lucius, and Narcissa went a different direction from the rest of them.
"Mum, where are they going?"
Bella sighed. "For this to work, your father must be given a rudimentary body. It is a difficult and painful process, and we thought it best that you and the others not see."
"Oh," muttered Harry, not liking that he was considered too young. Alexander gave him a small smile.
"And you must finish the potion as well." Harry brightened at the reminder of still being needed. They all stopped at an extremely large cauldron. There was a table with all sorts of bowls next to it.
"Why is the cauldron so large, Mum?"
"This is a topical potion, Harry."
It took Harry a moment to understand. "You mean father has to be in the cauldron?"
"Yes, dear. That is how it works."
"Oh."
"Now, are you ready?" Harry nodded, so Bella lit the fire under the cauldron. After five minutes the potion was hot enough to begin.
"All of the ingredients are perfectly measured; you just have to pour them in as I say."
"Ok, mum." Bella pulled out a book and read the instructions.
"Add the Dittany in a counter-clockwise spiral...Stir clockwise three times...Pour in the Knotgrass as you stir a fourth time...Stir once more...Shake in the Fluxweed...Add the Hellbore on leaf at a time...Stir clockwise for one minute starting now...Lift your spoon...Carefully place in the Moonstone, do not let it splash...Combine the Murtlap with the Salamander Blood...Now add the Elixir to that...Pour it in and stir five times clockwise...Five times counter-clockwise...Now four in each direction...Now three...Now two...Violet, prick Alexander's finger and squeeze one drop of blood." Violet did as her mother told and the potion turned a dark grey.
"Now Draco, prick Harry's finger...Now one...Squeeze in five drops of blood."
With each drop of blood, the potion turned a brighter gold. With the final drop, there was a bright flash of golden light. The moment the flash dimmed, Narcissa appeared and dropped a small bundle into the cauldron.
"Harry! Pour in the second bowl of Elixir!" He did so, this time causing an explosion of white light. Bella extinguished the flames and muttered a cooling charm, lowering the temperature of the cauldron's contents.
"Mum, did it work?" As if in answer to his question, a figure slowly emerged from the cauldron. Lucius ran forward to provide the person with a robe, then the figure stepped out of the cauldron. As this happened Violet moved over towards Harry and grabbed his hand and squeezed it. Harry carefully squeezed back.
"Tom!" Bella ran forward and embraced her husband, tears streaming down her face. Harry could hear her murmuring. "It's been so long...I was starting to believe I'd never see you again!" Tom silenced her with a kiss hugging her to him. Harry smiled to see them so happy. Finally they broke apart and Tom turned to his two children. Harry got a good look at his father.
He was tall and slender, but athletically so. He had ear-length black hair, a square jaw, and a very Roman nose. Harry thought that if he looked like his father when he was older, he'd be very happy indeed.
"Harry, Violet, my children, come here!" Harry and Violet ran into their father's outstretched arms. He had a family, and it was complete. As he went to sleep that night, he was positive nothing could go wrong during this summer holiday. How wrong he was.