"I don't think I'll be going with them Professor Flitwick." Harry said, before getting a drink of the pumpkin juice that had been provided for him.
"I thought not, but it was important for you to at least give them a chance." Professor Flitwick said, nibbling on one of the small sandwiches that had appeared before the pair.
Their brief rest was interrupted when the floo roared to life once more, and through the green flames stepped Edward and Andromeda Tonks. Edward was a taller man, roughly six foot, and very thin, which gave him a somewhat gangly appearance. He had a well groomed, if somewhat bushy mustache on his face, and well combed blonde hair that was starting to gray at the temples. Andromeda was a shorter woman, with very curly black hair she wore somewhat long. In her hands she held a muggle three-ringed binder, which shocked Harry somewhat at seeing it.
"Hello Mr. and Ms. Tonks, it's a pleasure to see you again." Flitwick said, his demeanor much more amiable than it had been with the Malfoys.
"And to you Professor Flitwick." The pair said, before Andromeda spoke up, "We're sorry that Nymphadora couldn't join us with this, she couldn't get time off from Auror training."
"Well, now that pleasantries are out of the way, let's begin this meeting in earnest." Professor Flitwick said, regathering himself.
"One thing before we start, I don't want this to be viewed as a bribe, but even if you don't choose us, I do want you to have this Harry." Andromeda says, putting the binder on the table. "Professor, if you would please check it for any charms before I hand it to him, just for posterity."
"No issue." Flitwick says, before pulling his wand from his sleeve and waving it over the binder. "No charms or other magics found." He said, before pushing the binder to Harry.
Upon opening the binder, Harry nearly shed a tear as he saw, truly, for the first time the faces he had only seen in his dreams before. Standing in a white dress, surrounded by a few women, one of which he recognized as a younger Andromeda, was his mother, her red hair and green eyes looking to the photographer with a big smile. The page opposite had what appeared to be an older, larger version of himself with brown eyes surrounded by men who were making silly faces at the camera. James and Lily Potter on their wedding day.
"I'm sorry I don't have more pictures of them, there was a war going on when we were adults, and cameras were somewhat difficult to come by in our world. Muggle cameras available at the time were also becoming too advanced to properly work in magical environments. Your parents had the foresight to have their wedding in a muggle area, so a muggle photographer could take photos." Andromeda said, giving Harry a sad smile. "We have our own copies, so you can have the originals, you will find them much more meaningful than we would after all."
"Thank you for this, truly." Harry said, tears welling up in his eyes, even through the calming potion he was being overwhelmed with emotion. They were here, even as still images. He knew what they looked like. Not the instinctive images of them, not his vague memories from infancy, but real images of his parents, indisputable proof that they were real.
"Are you good to continue Harry?" Flitwick asked. Harry nodded, closing the binder, but leaving it on the table in front of him.
"Well, for starters, why do you believe you are a good fit to raise Harry?" Flitwick asked, getting back into his standard tone for the interviews thus far. Harry sat up straighter, trying to recompose himself.
"I was very close with James and Lily, as my cousin, Sirius Black was James' best friend in life. Sirius was the family member I felt closest to, as he didn't share the same anti-muggle sentiment that most of our family did. Through him, I became very good friends with James and Lily both, although I admit I was closer with your mother than your father. Beyond that, we have recently had our own daughter Nymphadora begin taking her steps into leaving our home as she begins her adult life, and in some ways Ted and I have begun to miss having a child at home. Ted and I also are perhaps in a unique situation in regards to Harry's specific heritage. Ted is a muggleborn, and therefore spent his childhood in the muggle world like Harry did, and we still spend a good deal of time in that world. I also came from an old pureblood family, and while I was removed from it when I married Ted, I was still raised with the knowledge of what was expected of me as a member of that house, and as such can teach Harry what he needs to know as the new head of House Potter." Andromeda said. She was taking the lead on this, but Harry didn't get the feeling she wasn't allowing Ted to talk like Lucius wouldn't let Narcissa or Draco.
"Can you think of any issues that may arise from taking in young Harry?" Flitwick asked after a pause. Harry supposed that he should have asked this question, but he was still trying to recover from the binder.
"Well, as you are aware Professor Flitwick, and I feel it is important for Harry to know if he doesn't. Sirius Black betrayed the Potters and is responsible for their deaths. My association as his cousin certainly may paint me in a bad light, and it is a stigma that myself and Narcissa have had some level of difficulty dealing with. I am appalled that he would do so, especially to someone who loved him so dearly as James and Lily did." Andromeda said solemnly.
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