The Marauders - Order of the Phoenix Part Three

The Holiday of 1953

Dora Potter made a pot roast for dinner that night, with extra carrots and seasoned potatoes. She made butterbeer cookies for desert, too. All of Sirius Black's favorites to celebrate his recovered freedoms. She kissed his cheeks and ran her hand over his hair and wrapped him in hugs and cried with joy when she saw him - even though she had been seeing him all along since he'd been perfectly capable of going to and from the Potter's and she'd been able to go to and from the flat as well. Sirius ate up every moment of the attention from her, his arms wrapped about her and his cheek snuggled against her chest as she patted his head and told him he was a good boy and her darling little dear.

When dinner was over, they were sitting and sipping tea around the table, James cleared his throat, "Mum was telling me earlier that this isn't the first time Mr. Underhill has come through for our family. Weren't you mum?" 

Dora looked up and released Sirius from her embrace as he sat up with curiosity. "No, in fact, it is not the first time," she said, and he could see her countenance shift.

Lily looked between James and Dora, eyebrows raised, "Oh? It's not?"

"Harry Underhill also helped Charlus out of Azkaban once," Dora said.

The whole table fell silent. 

Bradley, who was still eating butterbeer cookies, asked, "Who is that?"

"Charlus is - was - my Dad," James answered.

Bradley looked at James with sad eyes, then looked at Dora. "I'm sorry." 

Dora teared up at the sheer innocence of Bradley's tone and she reached across and held his hand for a moment, thanking him without words and Bradley smiled encouragingly at her as Remus gave Bradley's shoulder a squeeze. "Hey why don't we get you to bed, champ?" he asked Bradley.

Bradley looked wistfully at Dora and the others, but they all said goodnight and Remus slipped away with Bradley by his side, disappearing into the suitcase.

The moment the suitcase was closed, the conversation continued.

"Dad nearly went to Azkaban?" Lily said, feeling as though she should have know this. "Whatever for?"

"To keep his sister out," Dora replied.

"My Auntie Ottalie," James supplied.

Sirius said, "So she could have time to get to Costa Rica. To have the cousins."

Dora nodded.

"But why?" James asked. "What did she do? How did Dad do it? What did Underhill do?"

Dora took a deep breath. 

Fleamont Potter lay awake in his bed in Gryffindor tower on the night of 2 November in his sixth year. Outside, it was snowing, the sort of snow that was so heavy and thick that it was audible in a silent room. In the next bed, Hermes Filch's long limbs hung over the sides of the bed. Hermes was so tall and thin and lanky that he looked like a bowtruckle right down to the knobby knees.

Suddenly, there was a sound in the corridor and Fleamont sat up.

"Monty?"

He could barely believe his ears. "Ottalie? What the bloody hell are you doing up here?" He got up quickly, shoving his feet into slippers and tugging on a thick sleep robe, knotting it about his waist as he stowed his wand in the deep pocket. "You oughtn't be up here." He shoved his face into the narrow crack of the door she'd opened up.

Ottalie stared up at him , her eyes wide, bright with terror. "I don't know what else to do, Monty. I - I'm in such a lot of trouble."

"What's the matter?"