In the Morning: November 3rd

Sebastian knew it had been a bad idea to let his master and the werewolf attempt to bathe the child, but seeing as his master had every intention of being the one to take care of little Harry's needs then he would acquiesce his usual control over such daily activities. Kyrios was not Ciel, and for that he was rather grateful. Still, the vampire hadn't cared for a child since his own two sons had been children, and he sincerely doubted that the werewolf had ever had the chance to help out with Harry's care, let alone another child's. So he sighed and looked down at the blue-black kneazle kitten with a frown. After a moment of silently studying Bocchan he allowed his attention to drift elsewhere. Like towards the bathroom occupied by his master, the werewolf and the child.

A shriek of laughter bounced off of the walls followed by the distinct sound of splashing. No doubt little Harry was having fun with his bath. He was almost certain a mess was being made. With a heavy sigh he pinched the bridge of his nose and waved a hand towards the high chair, his special brand of magic leaving the structure spotless and nearly gleaming with how clean it was. Then he all but stalked into the bathroom, his face set into an impassive mask as he took in the sight that he had known would be waiting for him.

Kyrios, his wet hair askance and plastered to the smoothly shaved right side of his head, held a happily squealing Harry in place in the shallow water of the bathtub while Remus, who was equally wet, attempted to wash the child splashing water on the both of them. A puddle was gathering where they knelt, soaking in to what little else was dry on their bodies.

"As well placed as your intentions are, my Lord, you are making quite a mess of things." Honestly, this was no better than when his former master had attempted things for himself.

"Is it troubling you, Michaelis?" Kyrios asked, his tone low and containing the barest trace of that edge to it that sent shivers through his chosen form. "Life is messy and imperfect, something I have not forgotten in my years as a No-Life King."

"Of course, my Lord. You are correct." It was that imperfection that made the human soul that much more appetizing, and as much as his missed the taste of souls they were now off limits to him. The vampire had been crafty when he had made his contract with the demon, and had even overpowered the mark that should have remained visible on his throat.

"You are, of course, correct as well, Michaelis, but do not forget your place again." The vampire lifted the now clean child out of the tub, at which the werewolf, who had remained silent during their exchange, gathered Harry up from Kyrios' arms in the large, fluffy towel that had been readied. "If you wouldn't mind taking Harry upstairs and dressing him, Remus."

"Absolutely, Kyrios." Remus looked between the two of them with a faint frown as he stood with the towel-swaddled Harry in his arms. He didn't spare them another glance as he left the bathroom, though the uncertainty in his scent was apparent enough as he shut the door behind him in an effort to give them some privacy.

There was a tangible shift in the atmosphere once they were completely alone, and his disguise rippled slightly as Kyrios finally looked his way. It completely fell away, the butler's outfit giving way to the skintight leather pants, stiletto-heeled boots and the sleeveless form-fitting top of his true form. He was vaguely aware of his own shift, his gaze caught on the mark that was laid bare and glowing on his master's throat.

"Surely you haven't forgotten what your contract seal looks like, Sebastian." Kyrios' tone was teasing now as he moved with a speed that would have given the impression of the vampire teleporting, much too fast for the human eye to comprehend. They stood eye to eye, and he could clearly see his own glowing fuchsia irises reflected in the darkening hazel of his master's eyes. "Cat got your tongue, demon?"

Sebastian shivered at the intonation of the question, his mouth having gone oddly dry as he almost dumbly stared at the powerful creature mere inches from him. He swallowed, the cottony feel remaining, and watched as amusement flitted over Kyrios' face.

"I should have done this sooner," the vampire murmured and curled his fingers under Sebastian's chin, his thumb delicately pressed into the skin beneath his lower lip. He leaned in and claimed the demon's mouth with a gentle kiss.

Sebastian's wings trembled, the dark feathers rustling with the tiny movement, as he yielded to the vampire when the kiss became more insistent. He gasped softly at the sharp nip to his lips and could faintly taste his own blood as Kyrios' tongue swept into his mouth. There was a slight, almost unnoticeable difference in how the vampire tasted. Minuscule as the difference was, it became much more obvious when Kyrios began to give him his energy. It was almost like a taste of what he could only describe as heaven, and if he'd have had any iota of shame he would have been embarrassed by the throaty moan that left him. As it was, he grasped Kyrios' shoulders, ignoring the still wet material of the shirt he wore, and fervently kissed back.

There was a fleeting glimpse of shock in Kyrios' eyes, to which Sebastian tightened the hold he had on the vampire's shoulders and nearly dug his claws into shirt and skin. Thankfully he didn't pull away, instead his hands came to rest on the demon's leather-clad hips and pulled him closer. After a long moment he halted the flow of energy and broke off the kiss, looking a bit dazed and like he wanted nothing more than to keep going. "I'm not sure what brought that on," he started, his fingers tightening minutely on Sebastian's hips before he finally let go of him and took a step back. "-but we have more pressing matters at hand that require our immediate attention."

"I understand, my Lord." Sebastian nearly cringed at how desperate he sounded to his own ears, and an unfamiliar warmth spread through his cheek. It took every ounce of control he had to remain where the vampire had left him, his hands balled at his sides with his claws digging into his palms.

"Sebastian." His name is sighed out and Kyrios used that inhuman speed of his to refill the space he had retreated from, a slight scowl marring his face. He grasped Sebastian by both wrists and forcefully turned his palms upwards, pressing hard enough that the demon had to open his fists. "After what just happened, after what I'm sure very nearly happened, I insist that you use my given name."

"Yes…Kyrios. I…. I must apolo-"

"No. You will do no such thing." Kyrios' tone was sharp and his gaze dark, darker than before. It was not the darkness of anger, but lust, perhaps. "We will discuss this later, Sebastian." There was no room for argument, and with the conversation over the vampire deftly lapped up the blood from Sebastian's palms. "Take the rest of the day off," he ordered in a gentle tone as he let go of Sebastian's wrists. He left him there in the bathroom, water still on the floor.

"Where shall this lead?" He stared down at his palms, for what felt like far longer than necessary, as the skin there tingled at the memory of Kyrios' tongue. "Kyrios." Well, wherever it happened to lead them, he was certain that it would be much more than a simple feeding. With a glance around the bathroom Sebastian frowned. "I simply cannot take the rest of the day off if you leave things like this," he muttered to himself as he returned the bathroom to its original pristine state. With barely a glance in the mirror to make sure his disguise was back in place he spun on his heel and returned to the living area.

Harry Potter and the Lord of the Night

Kyrios absently thumbed through the envelopes as he sat down on the couch, his mind replaying the scene from the bathroom. The demon had never reacted like that before, that much he was certain of. He had always treated the feedings as if they were a chore, so he was clueless as to why Sebastian had suddenly started responding to the feeding in the way he had. Kyrios was more than certain it would have turned sexual if they had continued, and while he would not have minded he didn't know how it would affect Sebastian, let alone himself. He paused on Ragnok's envelope with a frown, his gaze flicking upwards.

"You're getting the upholstery wet." Sebastian was giving him a disapproving scowl, irises flickering between crimson and glowing fuchsia. The rest of his disguise was unaffected, it seemed. The demon waved a hand and appeared to be quite satisfied with the end result as he looked Kyrios over.

"Didn't I give you the rest of the day off, Sebastian?" He'd forgotten that his shirt had been wet since temperature hardly affected him. His hair, however, was a different story and felt a bit lighter now.

"What sort of butler would I be if I took a day off because of an unexpected development." Crimson once again flickered to glowing fuchsia and stayed like that as Sebastian held his gaze, his mouth curved into that sardonic smirk.

"You are one hell of a butler, yes, I realize that." Had he thought the demon capable of it he imagined Sebastian would have pouted at having his line so brazenly stolen. Instead he merely continued to smirk and looked as though he wanted to make a meal out of him. Well, that was new. No doubt a result of whatever the hell had happened in the bathroom. "Your eyes are showing through your disguise, Sebastian."

Sebastian looked taken aback for a brief second then schooled his features and his eyes resumed their crimson guise. "It would seem that whatever has affected you is likewise affecting my control. I will remain here."

"A wise decision," Kyrios murmured and looked back down at the envelopes. He separated Ragnok's from the others and opened it. There was only a single sheet of vellum contained within it and a tiny golden key. On the vellum, in boldly stroked black ink read:

Lord Stavros,

This is the key to your new vault at Gringotts. Simply present it to a teller at our Great Britain Branch when you wish to conduct business with us. May your gold flow.

Ragnok

General Manager

Gringotts Great Britain Branch

"It would seem that everything is taken care of," Sebastian commented and plucked the key from his grasp. "I will hold on to this. I did make certain that you were left with a tidy sum in your mundane accounts."

"I don't want to imagine what you consider a tidy sum," Kyrios sniped as he selected Amelia's letter next. This one was made of regular parchment and had to have been written late last night. He imagined the stern witch's handwriting to be slightly more tidy than what was currently before him, if only because of how haggard she had appeared. It read:

Lord Stavros,

I am, again, incredibly sorry that we were not able to finish. I've readied the necessary documents, just send word when you would be available to sign them and I will file them with the Ministry ASAP.

In an unofficial capacity, I've sent an owl to the Weasley family, explaining your interests in meeting them and setting up play dates for the children. I have not mentioned your son's name to them, thinking it would be best for you to do so. I'll be fire-calling the Longbottom family later, and explain as much as I am able to them as well. They went into hiding around the same time as…. Well, I dare not mention anything further in case this comes into the wrong hands.

Susan seemed to have had a wonderful time, so I would love to set up an actual play date for her and your son at a time that is agreeable with everyone.

Sincerely,

Amelia Bones

Head of the Department for Magical Law Enforcement

Ministry of Magic

He put the letter down on top of Ragnok's with a faintly puzzled look. He knew what the fire-calling was now, thanks to Remus' explanation, but the part about where she had sent an owl to the Weasley family. Did she really have her mail delivered by an actual owl? Surely a telephone would have been faster. From what he understood, a fire-call would have been faster as well. Maybe not everyone was able to do the fire-call, but an owl?

"Is something the matter, Kyrios? You look troubled " Remus questioned as he came back into the living area with a dry and dressed Harry. The werewolf glanced between him and the silent Sebastian, no doubt probably wondering if what he had seen in the bathroom had anything to do with Kyrios' current mood.

"It's likely trivial. Just a curiosity on my part, really. Do witches and wizards use owls as a means for communication?" Kyrios watched Remus from the corner of his eye and saw the immediate relief and faint confusion that swept over his face.

"Well yes, wizards and witches have their post delivered by owls. There's nothing wrong with that." Remus came and sat down in the chair across from Kyrios, Harry on his lap and happily chewing on what appeared to be the very same teething ring Amelia had conjured.

"Well, I imagine phoenixes such as Ewan are exceedingly rare, and maybe not everyone might be able to do a fire-call. Still, why isn't there a magical version of the telephone?" Kyrios picked up the two remaining envelopes and considered them both for a moment before he chose to open the letter from the Longbottoms. He pulled out the parchment and lifted his gaze back to Remus as he waited for his answer.

"Remember when I said that most Pure-bloods only care about pushing forward their own agenda? This falls under that category. Most Pure-bloods detest anything to do with Mu-Sorry, non-magicals or anything that even remotely resembles it. Pure bloods will even go so far as to cast someone out of their own family for marrying a non-magical." Remus looked down at Harry and smiled fondly as his voice softened and quavered. "James' parents were the exception to that ideology. They didn't care that Lily was born into a non-magical family."

"They even took my sorry ass in when I ran away from my family. They'd have taken you in too, Moony," Sirius added as he finally rejoined them, having caught the tail end of the conversation. "It's a shame they never got to meet Harry." He sat down on the settee, his expression slightly withdrawn. "Old Charlus came down with Dragon Pox and passed away. Dorea passed away a few days later."

"And Lily's parents?" Kyrios looked between the two young wizards and arched a brow when both remained silent. "You mean to tell me that out of sheer coincidence all of Harry's grandparents have died? Just how old were they?"

The questions seemed to stun both wizards into silence as they realized just how odd and coincidental it was for all of Harry's grandparents to pass away at nearly the same time. In fact, Lily's parents had passed around the time James' had.

"I never really thought anything of it," Remus whispered harshly as he drew the toddler on his lap to his chest and cradled him.

Harry squirmed slightly in his grasp and wriggled around until he was facing the werewolf. "Mooey sad," he declared as he patted Remus' cheeks, a scowl marring his face.

"Yes, Moony is sad, Harry," Remus confirmed and attempted a smile for Harry's sake. It came out more as a grimace and resulted in Harry pressing at the corners of his mouth in his own attempt to make the werewolf smile.

"Hey, pup. You know what might make Moony feel better?" Sirius got up from the settee and walked over to where Remus and Harry were seated. He scooped the toddler up from his friend's lap and put on a practiced smile in spite of the somber discussion.

Harry squealed in surprise and lashed out with his magic, making the furniture in his immediate vicinity float. Remus tumbled from the chair with a yelp while Kyrios, who looked unperturbed, remained firmly fixed to the couch. Sebastian, who had stationed himself behind the couch, took a few steps back and observed the scene with a mask of indifference.

"It's okay, pup," Sirius stated softly in an attempt to cajole Harry into calming down. He turned the toddler in his arms to face him, letting Harry see who it was that held him. "It's just me, pup, I didn't mean to startle you," the wizard said, speaking to Harry as though he understood what he was saying.

It was more Sirius' peaceful tone that had Harry calming down, and as a result the furniture thumped down now that it wasn't being suspended in the air with magic. The child, meanwhile, stared up at his godfather with a decisive expression. "Pa'foo' bad," he declared with a pout. He squirmed in Sirius' arms and reached out for Remus, his hands opening and closing in a grabbing motion. "Mooey!"

The werewolf rose from where he had landed and regarded Harry with a faintly amused smile. "Now, now, cub," he gently chided and ruffled Harry's hair, making the black tuft stick up. "Lets see what Padfoot has to suggest."

"Well, if it's okay with Kyrios, I was thinking we all go out for some fresh air. Maybe stroll around and explore a bit." Sirius directed his gaze to the vampire, ignoring how Harry still squirmed in his grasp in his attempt to reach for Remus.

"You'll need to change in less noticeable attire, but I've no qualms otherwise," Kyrios said thoughtfully, a faint and amused smile curving his mouth. He raised the final two letters for them to see. "I'll read these over while you two go change into whatever Sebastian can scrounge up for you, and then we will use this outing as an opportunity to get you some appropriate mundane wear if you have none."

"Ah, yes… that would most certainly be wise. I'm familiar with non-magical clothing, so I'll help sort Sirius out," Remus offered as he finally took Harry from the dog animagus' arms.

Sebastian regarded Kyrios for a moment, his crimson eyes faintly narrowed before he smoothed out his expression and turned his attention to the wizards. "This way please," the demon drawled as he led the way to their portion of the suite.

Kyrios watched them depart before finally returning his attention to his mail and selected the letter from the Weasley family. He broke the small wax seal and pulled a rather worn looking piece of parchment from the envelope. The writing on the parchment was faintly hurried but still rather pristine, a distinct feminine touch to the loopy style. It read:

Lord Stavros,

Please forgive the state of the parchment this is written on, as it is a bit of all we have. My name is Molly Weasley and it is my understanding that you are looking for playmates for your son. Amelia Bones has informed me that he is a little over a year old, and I have a son that age. I also have a two-month-old girl and five older boys, however, and hope that their number isn't off-putting since I can't leave them at home. My oldest son doesn't start at Hogwarts until next year, and their father Arthur works for the Ministry so he isn't home all too often. Please send me your reply.

Sincerely,

Molly Weasley née Prewett

Kyrios had a faint smile on his face as he finished the letter. There was a fleeting sense of pity for this Molly Weasley for having to mind seven children, one of which was a newborn, but he got the feeling that she was more than happy. It might have been because her writing smoothed out when she mentioned her baby girl, the words written carefully and with clear pride.

Kyrios folded the letter up and tucked it back into its envelope then got up from the couch. He walked over to writing desk where a stack of crisp, new parchment sat. He picked up the green Parker 180 fountain pen that was sitting beside the stack of parchment and uncapped it with a gentle press of his thumb. He ignored the cap as it bounced towards the end of the desk and set the letters down to focus on penning a response to Mrs. Weasley. He wrote:

Madam Weasley,

I would gladly have you and all of your children come to pay a visit. Space is not an issue and I've had my fair share of dealing with older children. I don't know how much Madam Bones has relayed to you in regards to the situation with myself and my son, other than she has not given his name, but I will be happy to answer any and all questions you may have when you and your family finally meet him. Such information is best discussed face to face, and I will require some form of discretion on your family's part. I hope that this will not dissuade you from meeting with me and my son.

Well wishes and my sincerest regards,

Kyrios Stavros

Kyrios left the letter laid out so the ink could dry and began to reach for an envelope to address it to Mrs. Weasley when a knock on the suite door interrupted him. He snagged up the cap to the pen and put it back on as he went to answer the door, wondering who it could possibly be. He recognized Amelia holding Susan, standing front and center, but behind her was a couple with a boy of their own he didn't recognize, as well as a plump woman that he immediately assumed to be Molly Weasley as she held her two-month old daughter in one arm and had the hand of her youngest son in her own while the rest of her boys, the eldest three at least, dutifully stood beside her. A pair of boys, twins, were hiding behind her skirts. So that must have meant that the couple with their son were Frank and Alice Longbottom.

"I'm so-"

"No, don't apologize, Amelia," he interrupted with an amused smile and ushered everyone to come in. "Please excuse the disarray of the furniture. We had a bit of a magical accident earlier." Well, not too much earlier. Sebastian would no doubt fix it as soon as they'd left.

"I take it your son had a tantrum," Frank commented with a smile of his own as he and his wife followed Amelia into the suite. "I'm Frank Longbottom and this my wife Alice, and our son Neville."

"Not quite, Lord Longbottom, and I am Kyrios Stavros." He shook hands with Frank and then Alice, then offered his hand to Molly. "Madam Weasley, it is a pleasure to meet you all and your children. Don't worry about anything getting broken. My butler will take care of it."

Molly fumbled a bit with her son's hand then let go of it to shake Kyrios', her cheeks taking on a pink tinge. "Please, just call me Molly," she said a little nervously. She cleared her throat and then began to name her children. "This is my oldest son, William," she motioned to the tallest and gangliest of her red-headed brood, at which the boy mumbled 'Bill' too softly for his mother to hear. "Next is Charlie, my second oldest, then it's Percy, the twins Fred and George, Ronald, and lastly is Ginerva." Bill and Charlie smiled brightly and waved a little as they were introduced while Percy stood ramrod straight and the twins mischievously peered at him from behind their mother. Little Ronald clung to the front of Molly's skirts and looked up at her at the mention of his name while baby Ginerva slept in her mother's hold.

"Well, I'm afraid I don't have much of anything for the children to entertain themselves with. We were actually planning on going out to stroll around London for a bit and get acquainted with our new home after I had finished responding to your letters," Kyrios admitted with a slight grin. "This saves me from finishing those letters and we can all go out together after I acquire a promise of your discretion in regards to my son."

"What does discretion mean?" Charlie asked, his voice brimming with curiosity.

"It means that Lord Stavros wants to tell us something that he doesn't want us to tell to someone else," Molly explained patiently.

"Like a secret?" Bill piped up a little excitedly.

"Exactly like a secret," Sirius exclaimed as he strode into the living room with Harry. Remus came in behind him, and the pair were dressed in passable muggle clothes. Sirius himself wore a pair of dark blue jeans and a pale grey t-shirt, and had pulled his hair back into a low ponytail. Remus had chosen a pair of brown slacks and a cream button down shirt, but still managed to look somewhat disheveled. Perhaps it was the frown he wore.

"Now before anyone starts asking questions, I helped facilitate Lord Stavros' adoption of Harry Potter. It is legitimate, but he has amended the guardianship to include Sirius, since Black is Harry's godfather," Amelia explained immediately as she gave the Longbottoms and Molly a pensive look. "I leave it to Lord Stavros to explain why he chose to become Harry Potter's primary guardian."

Silence hung between them, thick with tension and worry until Frank released his wand from its holster strapped to his right arm and dropped it into his hand. Kyrios watched the wizard with an air of curiosity and caution, but the man simply raised it up in front of him to utter, "I, Frank Longbottom, Lord of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Longbottom do hereby swear on my life and my magic that I shall not reveal any information Lord Kyrios Stavros chooses to divulges to me in regards to his guardianship of Scion Harry Potter by verbal, written or magical means until such a time that Lord Kyrios Stavros grants me release from my oath. So I will it, so mote it be." There was a rush of magic, ancient and thrumming, that swirled around Frank as he made his vow, and it deemed his vow honest and pure.

Alice was next to utter her vow, followed by Molly, and their result was the same. Up above on the railing that overlooked the living room, Ewan began trilling out a beautiful song, one full of joy. The collective group looked up and there was an expression of awe and admiration on the faces of the adults, while the older children stared at the phoenix in amazement. The purity of the moment was broken by Sebastian joining them, at which the colorful bird winged down to perch upon the top of his head.

"Your judge of character is extremely skewed," Sebastian muttered with a touch of acid and tried to dislodge Ewan. The phoenix gave a single quavering note that sounded decidedly amused and responded by clutching at the demon's hair with his talons.

"Is that a phoenix?" Charlie asked excitedly as he and Bill went over to Sebastian to peer up at the magnificent bird.

"Yes. His name is Ewan. He came to me shortly after I decided to adopt Harry, though he seems to favor Sebastian's head." Kyrios smiled at the enthusiasm of the children, noticing that Percy was admiring the phoenix as well though he hadn't left his mother's side. "If Ewan is agreeable to it then you may pet him."

Bill and Charlie both ran back over to their mother and looked up at her pleadingly. "Please, mum, may we pet Ewan?" Charlie asked.

"You heard Lord Stavros. That's if Ewan lets you pet him." Molly couldn't help but smile at her boys' excitement and watched as they bounded away from her again. "No running, boys." Then she glanced down at Percy who was torn between looking up at her with wide, pleading eyes and glances of unfettered longing towards Ewan. "Go ahead, Percy," she said warmly and watched as her son's face lit up in pure joy. She didn't dare reprimand him for also running over to join Bill and Charlie. The twins, curious about what their older siblings were getting up to, wandered over to where all the excitement was centered around, which made Molly absently call after her oldest two. "Look after Fred and George, boys."

Ewan gave a long quavering note and glided down to the floor from Sebastian's head, then click-clacked his way across the floor towards the boys. It was a clear sign that he was okay with the children petting him, which the three older boys gladly took turns doing. They even helped show Fred and George how to pet the phoenix gently, and the bird began trilling out a soothing song.

"We can take the kids and give them a bit of playtime," Remus quietly offered to Amelia, Molly and the Longbottoms. Sirius had knelt down to set Harry on the floor, the Potter Scion moving to join the majority of the Weasley boys in petting Ewan. Sirius lingered close by, so he too could guide Harry's hands and softly urgied him to be gentle.

"I think that's a lovely idea," Alice gushed, having watched her own son look over to where the older boys were in wonder. She set Neville down and gently steered him over to the boy's gathered around Ewan.

"I think I'll join you with the children," Amelia counter-offered to Remus, not only because she wanted to spend a bit more time with Susan, but so it would make the Longbottoms and Molly feel more at ease knowing that there was someone they trusted watching their children as opposed to near strangers. At least in Molly's case. The woman seemed to relax completely at her offer, and she gladly ushered Ron to join his brothers.

"Pet birdie? " Susan asked as she squirmed slightly in Amelia's grasp in an attempt to go join the gaggle of boys.

"Yes, Susan. You can pet the birdie," Amelia reassured with a smile and put her niece down. She followed after Susan over to Ewan and the boys, and her smile widened when Charlie, who'd been helping George with petting Ewan scooted back to male room for her niece. Bill and Percy likewise moved back for Neville and Ron and assisted the toddlers in the same manner. It was, overall, a heartwarming sight to see such generosity and such good upbringing.

"If you'll come have a seat, I'll explain how I came to have guardianship over Harry," Kyrios softly intoned, drawing Molly, Alice and Frank's attention back to him. He gave an internal sigh as he wondered at just how much to reveal to these young parents. He wanted them to trust him, and trust was always built upon a foundation of truth. To hide anything might very well shatter that trust somewhere down the road. "It is a very long story."

At Noon

In the end Kyrios laid himself bare before the witches and wizard, admitting to what he was after first acquiring a promise from them that they would let him talk without interruption. In the same breath of confessing that he was a vampire he also informed them that Sirius, Remus and, most importantly, Amelia already knew. It had done little to ease their sudden anxiety, but what had truly helped was the account of how he had come across Harry being dropped off on the doorstep of his muggle relatives like a bottle of milk and his subsequent actions.

"I would like to see the memories for myself," Frank announced coolly, his gaze sharp and assessing as he studied Kyrios in the silence following his tale. "I'm surprised Madam Bones and Auror Black didn't think to ask to view your memories," he added, gaze flicking to the DMLE Head and Sirius, who were still tending to the toddlers with Remus' help while they and the older children played with a number of toys and games that Sebastian had procured.

"I am amenable to that, and it is within my abilities to let you see everything I saw." Kyrios gave Frank a genial smile and locked eyes with the Lord Longbottom. Within the blink of an eye Frank's expression when from cool assessment to shock and awe.

"How did you do that?" He exclaimed in surprise, which had Alice and Molly looking at him in confusion. His exclamation had been loud enough that it drew the attention of Sirius, Remus and Amelia.

"What's going on?" Amelia asked, concern coloring her voice. She came over after making sure Susan was well occupied and took a seat on the vacant settee. Her gaze went from Kyrios, who sat in the armchair, to the trio of parents sitting on the couch.

"Frank asked to see my memories of when I found Harry, so I let him relive them," Kyrios explained as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. He looked from Amelia, who gave him an entirely perplexed expression, to the parents sitting across from him, Frank still awed while Molly and Alice shared the same expression Amelia had.

"You… You let him relive your memories?" The DMLE head queried, disbelief coloring her voice. "How did you do that? Can you do it again?"

Kyrios frowned slightly and gave a nod. "I can do it as many times as I want. I just need to maintain eye contact and put the memories he asked for in his mind."

"I didn't even feel him do it," Frank stated, sounding rather puzzled. "Legilimency is detectable to those trained in the art of Occlumency, yet I didn't feel a thing."

"Those are mind magics?" Kyrios asked, a little perplexed by the line of the conversation.

"Yes. Legilimency is the art of reading someone else's mind, usually used to detect when someone is lying, and I suppose you could plant memories like you just did with Frank, while Occlumency is the discipline of shielding your thoughts from unsuspecting Legilimency attacks. Not many choose to learn Legilimency, but all members of the Noble Houses learn Occlumency as part of their upbringing," Alice explained, Molly nodding from where she sat beside the Lady Longbottom. "Aurors such as myself, Frank and Sirius have to show that we know Occlumency or learn it and Legilimency during our Auror training."

"There's never been any studies done in Great Britain about how the Mind Arts work on non-human entities. It comes back to Pureblood dogma and how superior the majority of them believe themselves to be over everyone else," Amelia stated softly, her hands folding on her lap. "That aside, we do have a method of extracting memories and viewing them. I should have asked for your memories of that night, but with everything else going on…"

"No, I understand completely. How does this memory extraction work?" Kyrios leaned forward in his seat, elbows resting on his knees as he looked over the group of collective magicals.

"I put the tip of my wand near your temple while you think of that specific memory and store it in a vial." Amelia stood up, flicking her wand into her hand from the holster strapped to her wrist. She conjured up a vial and stopper, spelling the glass to be unbreakable before she approached Kyrios. "Frank, Alice, please stand witness that I am extracting the memory of the night of November the First, 1981 from Lord Kyrios Stavros in regards to the abandonment of one Scion Harry Potter at the doorstep of a Muggle by one Albus Dumbledore."

Both Longbottoms stood, wands drawn as they recited a witnesses oath in both the capacity of Aurors and as Lord and Lady of House Longbottom. Once they finished their recitation, a bright flash erupted from the tips of their wands, coupled with a scroll of parchment each that had their statements transcribed upon them. They both signed their statements and handed them to Amelia after she extracted the memory from Kyrios and placed it in the vial. It was silvery in appearance, and held the form of a cross between liquid and gas yet was neither. Once the stopper was in place on the vial, it was sealed with magic so that only Amelia would be able to open it, ensuring that no one else could access and tamper with the memory.

"Lord Stavros, Kyrios, you always seem to give me more work whenever I come by," Amelia said with a small laugh as she placed the vial and statements in a tiny moleskin pouch that was embossed with the DMLE seal.

"I fear this may be the norm when dealing with me, Amelia," Kyrios said in a light, teasing tone. He looked away from the hound DMLE head as Sebastian appeared, looking unrepentant for his interruption. "Yes, Michaelis?"

"I've prepared lunch, sir." The demonic butler cast a meaningful glance towards the children playing quietly with a number of toys he had produced earlier when Ewan had decided he'd had enough petting and prodding. The older boys had taken up with a set of blocks and were trying to build what looked to be Hogwarts under Remus' gentle instruction.

"Ah, yes. Lunch sounds wonderful. You're all invited to have lunch if you don't have any pressing matters." Kyrios said with a disarming smile as he stood up.

Molly and the Longbottoms were quick to agree while Amelia hesitated, if only for a second. "I suppose Susan and I can stay for lunch."

Somewhere in Germany

He was so very weak, and oh so tired. It was a mystifying and curious sensation for the wraith-like shadow he'd become. Memories of that night played out in a jarring and disorienting order, sending pulses of dizzying, aching panic through him. Was he dead? He was certain he had succeeded, yet why was he so weak?

The boy. That's right. Something had gone wrong. Things were slotting together, letting him slowly make sense of it all. A fiery haired woman begging for the life of the child. The man, urging them to run… no, that was't right. The man came first. A flash of green? No… Green eyes, wet with unshed tears while she begged. He raised his wand... No, he ordered her to stand aside. Why?

Severus…. He had intended to spare her for Severus. The fool woman still insisted that he take her instead. The child. Spare the child but take her. The child was key, though. Half-blood, like him yet not. He was the one the prophecy spoke of. He must kill the child. He must…

He paused, a new and peculiar sensation tingling throughout his wraith-like form. He could feel something, a resonance that echoed across his very soul that grew stronger. What he didn't realize was that the fragment of himself that had unknowingly lodged into Harry Potter was hurtling towards him. He still didn't know what it was, even when it rejoined with him and memories of a lavish sitting room with a Goblin and a man, no… Not a man. Not with that ethereal glow he gave off. Whatever he was…he was dangerous. That was all he could glean from the memories, his strength seeming to wane.