"Something sure smells good," Reg said. He suddenly stopped short as he saw Lily standing next to Harry. His eyes widened as he recognized Lily. "Umm …Severus, what's going on here?"
Severus walked into his living room and almost started chuckling at Reg's expression. "Sorry, Reg," Severus apologized. "I did not mean to shock you."
"It is quite a shock," Reg replied, finding is voice, but still looking shaken.
"Lily came back through the Veil on Halloween night as unfortunately did James Potter."
Reg shook his head. He knew of course about Severus adopting the Potter boy working in the office of WCS, but this latest news was a shock. He had never heard of anyone coming back through the Veil much less two people on the same night. "Sorry, I don't mean to be rude …" he apologized.
"It's alright, Reg I know it must be a shock," Lily said gently. She had known Reg since her second year when Severus had taken him under his wing and tried to protect him from being bullied by Sirius and James. As he grew older, both of them had steered him away from the pressures of his house to join Voldemort.
"Everybody come and sit down so you can eat while breakfast is hot," Severus called, bringing in two teapots and setting them on the table.
They all sat down and Lily poured a cup of jasmine tea for herself while Severus poured tea for Reg and himself. Harry preferred pumpkin juice.
"My brother must be happier than a bloody pig in shit …excuse my language, now that his best buddy is back." Reg remarked with a trace of bitterness. He'd always felt that James had deliberately gotten in the way of him and Sirius ever reconciling.
"Actually," Severus said. "We do not know as Potter's still unconscious."
"After two days?"
"Professor Dumbledore blames it on the Unspeakables; he says it is because they did not summon immediate help for Potter when he came through the Veil."
"How were they supposed to know what to do?" Reg asked. "Nobody's ever come back through the Veil before."
"Mum came through here," Harry spoke up. "And dad knew right what to do and gave her the Elixir of Power and a Strengthening Solution. He says you always give them together."
"Your dad's a smart man," Reg replied with a smile.
"I met your brother; he's my godfather and somebody named Mary MacDonald is my godmother. My other father chose them. I don't like Sirius; he's a git."
"Yes, Siri can really be an ass at times, most of the time actually." He turned to Lily. "So what are you going to do now?"
"I'm going to continue studying for my mastery in Charms," Lily answered. "If you recall that's what I was doing before we were forced to go into hiding much to James' dismay. He wanted me at his beck and call even if he wasn't home the majority of the time. Not to mention that I had your brother as a permanent house guest!"
"I think I would rather have an infestation of rats than the mutt as a permanent house guest," Severus muttered.
"I don't know how much I recall from previously," Lily admitted. "But Filius doesn't seem worried."
"I take it you're not going to resume your previous life?"
"Heavens no!" Lily replied. "I'm going to spend time getting to know my son, studying for my Charms mastery, and getting to know my godson too. As you probably know Cissa and Luc made Sev and I Draco's godparents."
Yes, I do recall Cissa telling me that," Reg said.
"Dad said you're a Child Protection Officer and you work with Mrs. Mullings," Harry said.
"Yes. When we get reports of a Wizarding children being abused, we go and take the children from the abusive environment until there's an investigation. We help with the investigation too."
"What happens to the kids while you're investigating?" Harry asked. "Do they have to go to an orphanage?"
"Not usually. We usually find a family that can foster them while we're doing the investigation. For instance, Lucius and Cissa have fostered a few until their situation was resolved."
"My aunt and uncle were abusive. They made me do all the housework and yard work, cook all their meals; I got the leftovers if there were any left, that is. If I broke one of their numerous rules I got locked in my cupboard for a week without meals."
"I'm sorry we didn't know about it," Reg said. "We never got any reports and neither did the Muggle Child Services; we have a liaison there who lets us know. If we had gotten any reports; I would have came right out and gotten you. It shocks me that Dumbledore didn't put someone in the neighborhood to keep an eye on you and report back to him."
"He did," Severus replied. He snorted loudly. "Arabella Figg."
"That batty old cat-lady across the street is a witch?" Harry asked. "She had about a million cats and that's all she ever cared about."
"No. Mrs. Figg is a Squib." Seeing Harry's confused expression Severus explained. "Squibs are people born to magical families, but have no magic themselves."
"I see," Harry said. "They're the opposite of mum then?"
"Yes."
"Arabella Figg," Reg shook his head. "He may as well have moved in You-Know-Who across the street for all the good she did.""What do Squibs do?" Harry asked. "Since they can't go to Hogwarts, do they have to live as Muggles?"
"Many of them work as liaisons for the Ministry in Muggle in government offices, police departments, and as Reg mentioned, child services," Severus explained.
"That's an important job because we need to keep tabs on what the Muggle government knows about us and that's why being a liaison is a very important job," Lily said.
"I was thinking I might like to help abused kids after I graduate from Hogwarts being a healer or doing what you do, Reg," Harry said. "What courses would I need to become a Child Protection Officer?"