Brooke Euphemia Potter, popularly known as 'the girl who fought', happens to stumble across a red-head and instead of experiencing an unusual sensation tingle through her veins, the girl feels an emotion that was probably about to make her life take...
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Harry was utterly puzzled. He had just been told by Cornelius Fudge that he was off the hook and got off scot-free. Brooke, on the other hand, had understood the reason behind the same.
Harry had even asked Fudge to sign the permission slip for him, but he denied, and Brooke nodded in agreement and shrugged it off.
Brooke had been thinking about her encounter with Sirius over and over again. Why didn't Sirius kill her already when he had the chance to? Why did Sirius say that he would've not done anything to hurt her? Was he telling the truth or was that supposed to be a trap? And how was she to keep herself prepared for another run-in with James' so-called best friend?
Well, Brooke definitely got an answer for the last one, as she thought her way through all of it.
"Oh, and... Miss Potter?" Brooke was snapped out of her train of thoughts as Fudge's voice was heard.
"Yes, Fudge?" Brooke spoke up.
"I need you to come with me," Fudge replied and Brooke nodded and turned to Harry.
"Go to your room, Harry. I'll be back in a few minutes and then we'll talk," Brooke told her nephew and Harry nodded.
Brooke apparated with Fudge and found herself at St. Ottery Catchpole. Located at a distance of a few meters was Brooke's house, which was certainly not in the position Brooke had left it in.
"What on Earth happened here?" Brooke yelled and ran up to the house.
The walls of the house were dilapidated and the doors had scratch marks all over them. The windows were broken and the insides of the house were worse.
"Black tried breaking into your house. But luckily, you were at the Dursley's," Fudge exclaimed as Brooke looked around, devastated.
"I regret to inform you Miss Potter, but this house is no longer safe for you, or anybody else to return to. I'm afraid you'll have to evacuate it," Fudge informed as Brooke stopped dead in her tracks. She felt as if someone had used the full body bind curse on her and she couldn't move.
That very house had been built as a result of a lot of effort. All she ever wanted was the ability to give Harry the kind of life James and Lily had planned for him. No, she did not want to replace his parents. But she wanted to ease the pain or loss that Harry and she had to face, twelve years ago.
"I... I can't do that, Fudge. It took me a lot of effort to get it together. I can't," Brooke breathed.
"I understand, Miss Potter. But the ministry will be providing the required compensation for all of this. And we have found another cottage suitable for residency not far from here. I'm sorry, Miss Potter. But all of these measures are for your and your nephew's own safety," Fudge said with a sigh.
Brooke was nearly on the edge of tears now, as she nodded half-heartedly and apparated to the Leaky Cauldron.
"There you are, Bree!" She was immediately greeted by Harry as she found her nephew approaching her.
"Hey, Harry. I assume you're expecting answers?" Brooke exclaimed and Harry nodded.
"Well, a mass murderer is on the loose and he dropped by at our house. We'll have to switch lodgings for a bit, but things will be fine, Harry. We'll get through this," Brooke said, as Harry was confused.
"Is that mass murderer Sirius Black by any chance?" asked Harry and Brooke shot him a how do you know look.
"Stan and Ernie told me about him during the journey in the Knight Bus. He murdered the entire street with a single spell, didn't he? And he's one of Voldemort's followers who fell with his fall, isn't he?" said Harry, and Brooke had no other choice but to nod.
"But why? Why would a mass murderer pay our house a visit?" Harry asked.
"I'm afraid I don't have an answer to that, Harry. But you don't have anything to worry about. We're staying at the Leaky Cauldron for three weeks," Brooke lied and got up.
"I'm hungry, Let's go grab a bite?" Brooke asked and Harry nodded.
Once they were through with dinner, Brooke ensured that Harry was fast asleep. She snuck out of the room and wandered into Diagon Alley.
Once, she reached the spot she had been looking for, near Madam Malkin's robes store, she knocked frantically on the door.
"It's 2 a.m.," a voice was heard.
"It's me, Brooke," she answered and the door opened up.
"Come on in, Bree," Jae spoke up and welcomed the blonde into his house.
Brooke entered the house to find Talbott sitting on the couch, listening to the whereabouts of Sirius Black on the radio. He shot concerned glances at Brooke, as he had heard about Sirius' visit to her house on the radio a few minutes ago.
"I need firewhiskey," Brooke exclaimed. Jae nodded and handed her a glass and Talbott poured the liquid into it.
Brooke took a few sips and spoke up, "I guess you all heard what happened."
"We did. And we're very sorry about that," Jae answered.
"Sirius and James were like brothers. And when Sirius moved in with us during their sixth year, he bought me my first toy broomstick. He used to go around the house following me as I rode it. And look at us now. He's the reason why his best friends and my brother and sister-in-law are dead, Harry is threatened and I'm freaking homeless," Brooke cried.
"Shut up Bree, you're not homeless. You've just switched lodgings temporarily," Talbott tried to explain.
"Same Difference," said Brooke and wiped her tears away.
"But you need to keep it together. Up until 30th May 1991, you were a seventh-year Hogwarts graduate who went around drinking, snogging her boyfriend in every secret and not-so-secret corner of the school. And before you knew it, you turned into a parent in two months. So no, there's nothing that you, Brooke Euphemia Potter cannot handle. Now quit thinking shit about yourself or some mass murderer who has underestimated you," Jae exclaimed and Brooke stared at him.
"You know what, I think you're right," Brooke said and stood up.
"Get me a mandrake leaf, will you?" Brooke told Talbott as he shared a look with Jae.
