Found Family - 5 (Patreon)

Harry stepped outside to watch Iris soar through the sky. Fred and Georgie trailed behind her doing their best to keep up. Magin stared up at the girl with something approaching worship. It was hard to blame him, she was amazing. Harry had the urge to go up there to join her. She would probably love that. They would need to make sure there was plenty of room once they had a proper place of their own.

He wasn't sure if he should take Iris with him to give Pettigrew to the Ministry. They already had a successful excursion. He would have to rely on the potential chaos of school shopping to cover for them. His history with the Ministry in his original world did not inspire confidence. They were just as likely to ignore everything and blame him rather than actually do their jobs. Amelia Bones was usually the best option when he had couldn't avoid them.

Iris smiled brightly at him as she passed. He returned the smile then waved her over. She zipped across the open stretch and came to a pin-point stop in front of him.

"Brooms are awesome," Iris said with a wide smile.

He nodded, "Yes, they are. Do you want to come with me to the Ministry?"

"Um," Iris tried not to sound disappointed. Her gaze dipped to the broom.

He chuckled, "I'll ask Mrs. Weasley if you can stay for a while."

"Thank you," Iris leaned over, almost causing her to flip upside down.

Harry caught her and pulled her into a hug, "It doesn't mean she will say yes."

Molly came to stand beside him. She had a gentle smile on her face as she watched the scene.

"Of course she can stay," She said before he could ask. "Let me know if she needs to stay overnight. You're invited to dinner, of course."

Harry inclined his head, "Thank you." He leaned over so only she could hear. "I'm going to come back with a proper pet rat. The kids will never know anything was wrong."

"Thank you," Molly replied.

"I don't know how long this will take," He sighed. "Not everyone is as competent as your husband."

"I know," Molly groused.

Harry gave Iris a kiss on the forehead before he left. They hadn't added him to the wards which meant that apparating out would have triggered some alarms. It was just rude, like slamming the door when visiting. He made his way to the gate then popped away mid-step.

He appeared in the designated Landing Zone inside the Ministry Atrium. Most people used the Floo since a bunch of people trying to pop in would cause some issues. Magic prevented accidental overlaps with another person, but things would get messy once clothing and accessories were added to the mix.

No one looked twice at him with his hair still altered. He could have taken off his glasses to further the disguise, but he had grown accustomed to having them on. The layers of enchantments were too good to abandon.

He made his way over to the security desk to register his wand and announce his reason for visiting. There were only a few people waiting. They split off to do their business at a decent clip. He registered his want and got a pass to the DMLE. It was nice not to be recognized or gawked at. People still knew Harry Potter even years after the war. Here he was just another random person.

Harry got off at the appropriate level. He held back a smile as he noted the differences and all the things that were the same, which felt stranger than he expected. The smell, the way the desks were arranged, and the ambient conversation felt like he had never left. It always felt like this when he visited even though he hadn't been an Auror in years.

"Can I help you?" A familiar voice asked.

His eyes snapped to the witch speaking. He tried to tamp down his reaction as he came face to face with a young Nymphadora Tonks. She wore a blank smile that all customer service people knew.

"Sir?" She asked.

Harry shook his head, "Sorry, you remind me of someone I knew."

"I hope she's having a better time," She muttered.

He smiled, "She was awesome."

"I'll allow it," Tonks gave a ghost of a smile.

Harry felt something in his chest clench, "I've captured a fugitive and I need to turn them over to the law."

"Where are they?" Tonks looked him up and down.

He reached into his pocket then removed a matchbook. Tonks' jaw dropped slightly as the item popped, taking the shape of a small cage with a dazed rat inside.

"Animagus," Harry answered before she could ask.

"You're a Hit Wizard?" Tonks asked.

He shrugged, "Close enough."

"Take a seat, an Auror will be with you when they can," She automatically. "It shouldn't take long."

Harry winked at her then took a seat in the little lobby area. Being in the Ministry made him think about the little things that he needed to prepare. He had claimed the title of Lord Potter to make sure Iris would be under his protection. Turning in Pettigrew was the first step in getting Sirius free. He was not looking forward to everything along the way.

It was already clear that this world was different from his original. Iris and the Weasleys were obvious. There were probably more and he couldn't operate like everything was the same. He needed more information. Regardless, Iris was first, everything would come a distant second.

Pettigrew woke up eventually. The old rat spun around trying to find a way out. It slammed against the bars when there didn't appear to be anything.

"You've come to turn in a fugitive?" Someone asked.

It wasn't a voice he recognized. He looked up to see a striking witch with red hair. She was handsome, not pretty and stood steady like she was waiting for something to happen. He knew her by reputation. She had died before he had the chance in the other world.

"Auror Amelia Bones," She introduced herself. Her eyes darted to the caged rat. "Please drop all glamours, transfigurations, or enchantments."

He concentrated for a moment to release the transfiguration. His hair returned to its wild black and his eyes brightened. Everyone in the area froze.

"James?" Amelia said it without realizing.

He shook his head, "Harry Potter. Displaced Lord Potter."

He wasn't the only 'displaced' wizard to appear, or reappear, after the war. It was hard to tell the difference between someone that was dead or missing. The cases without enough evidence for either option were listed as displaced. A Displaced Lord, while not as common, was a lord that was banished or thought dead that became the sole living claim to the line. It was valid enough for the Purebloods to accept it as the return of an old-line resurfacing.

"It's not important at the moment," He replied. "The illegal animagus that's a fugitive is what is important."

"Follow me to a private room," Auror Bones motioned for him to follow.

People watched him go. So much for anonymity. He knew the way to the interrogation rooms. It wasn't anything personal. They were also the most heavily warded rooms in the building. It was against the law to use Legilimency and Veritaserum when questioning a suspect. A runic array that created a relaxing atmosphere, more attached to the tables and chairs to allow easier conversation.

Harry set the cage on the table then took a step back. A flick of his wrist vanished the cage into dust. The rat hopped off the table, twisted in the air, and Peter Pettigrew appeared. He was dressed in clothes that looked like they had been patched recently. In fact, he had more humanity. He could see Pettigrew had been stealing clothes from Arthur.

"Please," Pettigrew launched himself at Amelia. "You have to keep me safe. He's a ghost, not a man. You can't let him have me."

Amelia swished her wand, locking Pettigrew midmotion. She floated him over to an open chair then strapped him in.

"Mister Pettigrew," Amelia took the seat across from him. "Would you be so kind as to explain how you're still alive?"

Harry felt all warm and fuzzy as Pettigrew began to panic. The questioning went better than he had expected. It didn't take nearly as long as he had thought. Pettigrew was more than happy to give every single bit of information he knew. Some of the information was out of date or would lead to a much larger investigations.

"Do you need me here for this?" Harry asked.

Amelia Bones looked over at him, "No. I have this in hand."

Harry tipped an imaginary hat as he stepped out. Only a couple of staff stopped to watch him as he passed. He considered swapping his hair to another color again but decided against it. Word was going to get out about a new Potter around town. It wouldn't be worth the effort to keep it hidden

He used the street entrance directly to Diagon Alley. The pet store was one of the few places that remained untouched through the war. Scabbers was thankfully a rather generic looking rat. He made sure to get a healthy one that was cuddly and well-behaved. Harry tucked the replacement Scabbers in his pocket.

Harry arrived back at the Burrow in time for dinner. It wasn't planned, but he wasn't going to turn down a meal from Molly Weasley. She opened the door and came to a sudden stop as she laid eyes on him.

"Dad!" Iris yelled before anyone could react.

She ran over and jumped at him. Harry easily caught her, swooping her into a hug.

"We played Quidditch," Iris said. "There weren't enough people, so we did three-on-three. I didn't like playing Keeper, but being a Chaser is AWESOME."

He chuckled, "A chaser? I always wanted to try playing that position."

"Did you play?" Iris asked.

He nodded, "I was a Seeker. It's not as fun as you think. I spent most of the game floating above the action waiting for something to do."

"Harry?" Molly asked in a cautious tone.

Harry turned his attention to her. He didn't miss the way she had moved to stand between him and her children, or the wand she had tucked against his hip for easy use.

"Yes," He nodded. "No transfiguration this time."

Molly studied him for a moment longer, "You are a Potter."

"That I am," Harry winked at her. "Oh!" He reached into his pocket retrieving the replacement Scabbers. "I found someone out near the fence."

"Scabbers!" Ronnie hurried over. "Sneaky little rat."

The new Scabbers did their best to look cute and snuggled against Ronnie. Her eyes went wide.

"Mom!" Ronnie beamed. "He's cuddling me!"

"He must have missed you," Molly replied with a smile.

"Why do you look different?" Gin asked.

Harry knelt to look at him in the eyes, "I used magic to change my hair. It's very advanced transfiguration." He held up a finger. "It took me a long time to learn. I had someone to teach me and to make sure I didn't mess up."

Ginny had mentioned once that she wanted to change her hair when she was younger. He didn't want the little guy to accidentally scalp himself. It was practically a requirement for a Weasley to want to change their hair at least once in their life.

"Thank you for letting Iris stay while I ran an errand," Harry addressed Molly. "It didn't take as long as I had feared."

"Nonsense," Molly waved his words away. "She was wonderful. She is always welcome, both of you are. Would you like to join us for dinner? Arthur should be home soon."

"Can we dad?" Iris looked up at him with a pout that could be weaponized. "Please?"

Harry sighed, "You're going to bed once we get home."

"Dad," She whined.

Harry shook his head, "You've had a big day. It will catch up to you once we stop."

"Fine," She sighed.

The dinner was a Weasley classic. Hearty food, warm conversation, and plenty of laughter. Molly had timed it perfectly for Arthur to arrive in time for the food to be served. Harry watched with a little smile as the wizard came to a sudden stop in the doorway of the kitchen. He hadn't seen Harry yet, his attention on the children. Arthur's lips moved as he counted the number of redheads at the table. He did it once more just to make sure.

"Molly?" Arthur said after a moment.

She smiled brightly at her husband, "We have visitors."

"Oh," Arthur sighed in relief before scanning the rest of the room.

His eyes went wide when he noticed Harry.

"Not James," Harry said preemptively. "I'm Harry, displaced relative."

Arthur nodded, "Good to meet you. And who is this?"

"My daughter," Harry replied proudly. "Iris Potter."

The room froze. Iris looked up at the sudden change in the room.

"What?" She asked.

"You're Iris Potter?" Ronnie asked.

She nodded, "Yeah. I told you when we first got here."

"You said your name was Iris," Ronnie countered.

Iris nodded, "It is."

"But you're Iris Potter!" Ronnie repeated as though that would change the argument.

"How is she your daughter?" Arthur asked.

"Adoptive," Harry shrugged. "Displaced, like I said, which made me Lord Potter once I returned. I adopted Iris once that business was done."

"Do you really live in a castle with the ghost of Merlin?" Gin asked in awe.

Iris shook her head, "I lived with Muggles until my dad showed up. We're in an apartment until our Manor is safe."

"Next summer, if we're lucky," Harry added.

Harry stepped in when Ronnie or Gin got a little too excited. Iris did her best to handle the attention, but it was still a struggle. Conversation wound down as dinner carried on. It was clear that the excitement of the day had taken a lot out of the kids. Even Percy, Fred, and Georgie were starting to droop.

"Thank you for having us," Harry said as the kids started to drag themselves upstairs.

"Of course," Molly said. "The girls loved having Iris over."

"I hope we can do this again," Arthur added. "It is always nice to have a friend."

Harry smiled, "That is true."

Iris was drooping as they started to get ready.

"You don't have to go to the line," Arthur said before they could open the door. "We appreciate the manners, but you're free to pop away as you need."

"Thank you," Harry scooped Iris up and held her against his chest. "I don't know if we'll be able to visit again before the school year starts."

"Time waits for no one," Molly chuckled. "Thank Maeve we already got most of our shopping done."

Harry inclined his head toward the table. A small jingle of coins clicked against the wood. The Weasley parents looked from him to the coins.

"What is this?" Molly asked.

The Weasley's didn't accept handouts. People liked to mock them, calling them poor. That wasn't true. Most Pureblood families would be in the same boat if they had seven children. They would have had a decently sized manor if they only had one or two. The fact that Molly was able to stay at home while Arthur worked at the Ministry was a testament to how much income they had.

Iris was so tired she didn't wake up being Side-Apparated. He tucked her in before taking a seat at the dining room table. Turning Pettigrew over to the Aurors was a good first step. He had made Iris a promise and the start of the school year was quickly approaching.

Harry had a heist to plan.

§

Iris stumbled out of her room in the morning. She bumped into a wall a couple of times before she found her way to the kitchen. The cupboards banged open followed by drawers mingled with muttering.

"Iris," Harry called.

The movement in the other room stopped. Iris practically teleported into the dining room. She stared at him for a few long moments before she rushed over to him. He wrapped her in a hug until she calmed down. It took time to get over the learned habits. Harry had found himself cooking breakfast more times than he would have liked. It was one of the reasons he had a House Elf. Having a small magical creature shoo him out of the kitchen did wonders to break a habit. He should probably get one for them too. It depended on how Iris was after the school year ended. If he started cooking now then she would feel obligated to help. He wasn't against it, but he would rather have her know that it wasn't required.

"Get dressed," Harry said with a smile. "We're going to get food out."

"Out?" Iris asked.

"To a restaurant," He answered. "Tell me when you're ready."

Iris hurried back to her room and returned a moment later. They had purchased a new wardrobe along with the school clothing. She had a preference for pants rather than skirts or dresses. They lacked pockets and weren't the best for running. She wore a pair of not-jeans and a long-sleeved shirt that actually fit.

"Ready," She replied.

Harry smiled at her, "What kind of food would you like? Magical or Muggle?"

"Magical," Iris answered without pause.

"I know a great place," He said.

A sly smile crossed her face, "Is it the place with that pretty waitress?"

"The Three Broomsticks?" Harry chuckled. "No, they aren't open for breakfast. And She's also the owner."

"But you think she's pretty," She teased.

"Yes, I do," Harry answered truthfully. "Is there anything you want?"

Iris thought for a moment, "Some eggs and sausage would be great."

"I know just the place," He said. "We don't even need to pop over."

Iris shivered, "Are there other ways to travel? There are brooms! Can't people use brooms instead of popping? What about magic carpets? Those are real, right?"

"Yes," He replied. "But they are illegal. They caused too many accidents. People would fall asleep and crash."

"What about a car?" She asked. "A bike? A motorcycle? Anything?"

Harry thought for a moment, "A motorcycle isn't out of the question. You would be in school before I could get one."

"It will save me next summer," Iris said. "I'll take it."

"Motorcycle with a side-car then," He nodded. "Now, to important business."

Iris perked up.

"The heist," Harry stated.

Her eyes went wide, "That wasn't a joke?"

"I would never joke about such things," He shook his head. "This is a learning experience."

Harry didn't bother changing his appearance anymore. It would be better if people were looking at him rather than Iris. Most of the witches and wizards that were out currently were either office workers going in to work, or graveyard shifts going home. Both were too busy to care about a seemingly dead man walking the streets.

The restaurant was a few buildings away from the entrance to Nocturn Alley. It set back a little from the other shops to make room for a small garden. Literally. The garden had been shrunk to fit a couple of flowerbeds. It was pure novelty rather than function.

Inside it was decorated similarly to the Weasley kitchen. It had a warm, homey atmosphere. The furniture was well-made, but hard to tell in the low lighting.

They were seated and ordered in a minute or two. It wasn't until after they had finished their meals that Harry put up a privacy ward. The version wouldn't make them invisible or anything that drastic. It simply made their conversation sound like something completely mundane. The spell came with a few pre-loaded topics that rotated the longer it lasted.

"The heist," Harry said. "There are a few steps to prepare."

Iris nodded.

"First, we find a target," He pulled a leatherbound journal from his pocket.

The pages were blank until he tapped the book with his wand. There was a list of names with an attached inventory of potential loot.

"Parkinson Manor," He continued. "It's not as complicated as the Malfoy Manor, but it's a good starter robbery. The Parkinson Family are not good people. Lord and Lady Parkinson were proud Death Eaters that provided monetary support, and supplies. I have experience with their manor from my other life as well. There are some decent wards, good loot and, most importantly, no house elves."

"House Elves?" Iris asked.

He paused, "I didn't tell you about House Elves?"

She shook her head.

Harry sighed, "House Elves are magical creatures that swear service to a magical family or person. They are somewhere between an animal and a creature. They don't eat or drink, they subsist on magic. Being attached to a family keeps them alive. There are people out there that treat them poorly. Most people treat them like staff or part of the family. They are amazing creatures. We can see about getting one later."

Iris nodded.

"Now," He turned his journal so Iris could see it properly. "This is a rough layout of the Manor. I have marked the known wards as well as possible spots for more."

She nodded again, her face a mask of seriousness.

"We have our target," He stated. "Second step, what is our intent?"

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"Why are we robbing the place?" Harry asked. "Are we looking for something specific? Are we willing to hurt someone if we get caught?"

"I don't want to hurt anyone," Iris said with iron in her voice.

"Neither do I," He nodded. "That means we need to plan an escape and have a few backups in place just to be sure. The first question, why?"

Iris shrugged.

"Exactly," He smiled. "We're doing this for the fun of it. We're not after money, jewels, artifacts or violence. No one gets hurt, we have some fun, and then we move on. Just like a good prank. People might talk about it later, but there is no lasting damage."

Iris stared at him for a moment, "A prank?"

"Yes," Harry replied with a smile. "We break in, do something silly, and leave. I might grab a book or two if we have the time."

"What sort of silly?" Iris deflated a little. "This is supposed to be a heist."

"It's our first target," Harry soothed. "We need to hone our skills before we move on."

"Are we even going to steal anything?" She asked.

Harry chuckled, "Of course we are, but we're also going to mess with them."

Iris waited for him to say more. He tapped the edge of his journal once more. It increased in size so they could both easily see.

"Let's get to the plan," He said.