As It Should Have Been

The Passing Of Time

When it was time to renew the spells, Snape didn't accompany the teachers anymore. Instead, Hagrid came along. He wasn't allowed to do any protective spells, but he greatly entertained Harry.

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This Halloween, Remus had actually told Harry the significance of the day. The boy had been somber about it but he had simply cuddled closer to Remus.

The man had hoped so desperately for permission to take the boy to his parents graves but Dumbledore's order to keep him away from the magical world as much as possible still rang strong.

To this day, three years later death eaters were still hunted and arrested. Others, like Lucius Malfoy, had slimed their way into the good graces of the ministry and somehow escaped without any charges to their name.

So Remus resulted to releasing three little long burning candles onto the pond to honor James, Lily and Peter. He caught Harry looking onto the candles more than once that night and the two of them declined the invitation to go to the Weasleys, instead having a cozy evening on the sofa, looking onto the pons and its candles.

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Christmas and easter came with visits from Mary and celebrating with the Weasleys again.

All too quickly, Remus turned 26 with a small party and Harry turned 5, 3 months later with as big a party as the years before.

It was shortly before his annual stay with the Dursleys again, that Harry asked Remus the question of all questions.

"Uncle Remus? Where do you go when I stay with Ron?" he asked one night over dinner.

Remus choked on his roast then, coughing a few times before staring at the boy with wide eyes. He made a decision then. If Harry was smart enough to recognize that he was gone once a month, it wouldn't take him all too long to figure it out.

Preferring to be the one to tell him and also not wanting to lie to his boy (when he had started calling Harry his boy, he didn't know, but now it was what he knew was the truth) he took a deep breath and explained the situation as best as he could.

"But you don't have to be scared, okay? I will never ever hurt you!" Remus assured, with strong sincerity in his voice.

After a moment of silence, Harry looked up at him "I'm not scared of you" he said, wrapping his arms around Remus. Remus was once again in awe of how open children were. Prejudice truly was learned.

Over the dinner, Harry proceeded to have questions, which Remus answered to his best ability.

It was when he was tucking the boy into bed, that he noticed Harry glaring at the moon. "What's wrong?" He asked.

"I hate the moon" Harry answered with a grumble.

Remus had to keep in his chuckle "Its not the moons fault, love."

"It's hurting you!" the boy exclaimed.

With a small sigh, Remus stroke his hair "That's not the moon doing that, honey. Yes, I transform at the full moon, but you don't have to hate the moon. It's quite pretty, don't you think?"

Even then, Remus caught Harry staring out of the window at the moon, until one night when it was cloudy. He looked worried then, and when prompted, explained that because of "the stupid clouds!" he wasn't able to track the moon. Accepting, that Harry was too stubborn like James to let this go, Remus tried to find a solution.

It was three days later, when he enchanted a moon shaped plague from a muggle store to slightly glow in the dark and show the stage of the moon. He and Harry hung it directly over the boys bed, on the letters wish. Remus added a few stars to the assemble to make it look more natural and Harry stopped worrying about the moon every night.

The boy did however get gentler whenever the full moon approached, clearly making sure not to strain Remus too much.

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At the age of six, Harry started school in the closest muggle village. Remus' own mother had treasured Remus knowing about his muggle side, and Remus knew Lily would appreciate it as well.

With strict rules to not talk about magic, Harry started making friends with several kids in his class. But he became especially close with one muggle girl, Emily, whose parents asked Remus if he was magic after three months. Remus had been petrified with fear that Harry had given them away, but it turned out that The mothers little brother had been at Hogwarts just a few years after the Marauders and recognized Remus when he had surprised his niece.

Harry was delighted to have someone to talk quietly about magic about, and Emily in turn introduced Harry to muggle traditions. It was Emily, who coaxed the boy into going trick or treating with the other kids on Halloween, after Remus and Harry had completed their tradition of sending candles over the pond. One for James, one for Lily, one for Peter.

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The next few years followed a similar pattern. Harry's birthday was celebrated in a large party the number over the pond changing from a 7 to an 8 to a 9 to a 10. Time passed incredibly quickly.

Harry still faced hardship at the Dursley's, but Remus tried his best to cheer Harry up before and after.

Over the years, Harry started asking more and more questions, so Remus explained. The reason he wasn't allowed to go to quidditch matched with Ron or Diagon Alley or Platform 9 ¾ when the family said goodbye to first Percy, then the twins.

Remus talked as much about the war as he could stomach telling a child. He talked about Voldemort and the origin of Harry's scar.

The only thing Harry never learned about, and wouldn't for a long time if Remus could help it, was Sirius. He cut out the man out of every story and just said he was "a friend" when Harry spotted him in pictures.

All too soon came the time where Harry got excited for Hogwarts. That was, until he and Remus noticed that his 11th birthday was to fall onto a night with a full moon, meaning it would be time for his yearly Privet Drive visit during that time.

Remus felt like he swallowed a brick at the realization that he would miss Harrys first Hogwarts letter which usually arrived shortly before said birthday.

He cheered both of them up however, when promising that he was going to pick Harry up and immediately take him to Diagon Alley for the first time.

He wrote to Dumbledore about this plan, with the request to take Hagrid with them. It would be the first time in 10 years Harry Potter was to enter the Wizarding World but no one would risk any trouble with Hagrid around.

So, with a heavy heart but a bright outlook for the future, Remus said goodbye to Harry at the door to 4 Privet Drive.

He couldn't have known what was about to happen the next two weeks.