The Potter house at Godric Hollow was in ruins by the time Regulus reached. Remus had alerted the Order as well so it was expected for other members to turn up there soon. 

His steps were unsteady as he brandished his wand, lighting it up before he walked inside the destructed ruins. Everything was smashed and damaged, no longer reminiscent of the happy little cottage they had visited last month for Harry's birthday.

The front door had been bombarded and every other thing that he could see was broken beyond repair. Such was the effect of the lethal duel that had taken place there between Voldemort and James Fleamont Potter.

He walked carefully but came to an abrupt halt at the foot of the stairs, seeing a man sprawled lifelessly. 

"Please don't be James," he mumbled, bending down to turn him over. 

Much to his shock, he could see James Potter's features, all the life and mirth gone from them. Those hazel eyes were staring up without the ability to see, his face and body was heavily injured, blood dried upon the wounds inflicted by Dark magic, and when Regulus checked for the faint pulse in his wrist, he found none.

He was no more.

That discovery made him feel sick and the deadly silence in the house indicated that none of them had survived. Shakily, he stood up but the sound of a baby crying stopped him in his tracks. 

He would have gone outside to catch a breath of fresh air and wait for the Order members to show up before going any further. But those cries belonged to Harry and if he could hear that sound, it meant he was alive.

Laying James down carefully, Regulus rushed up the stairs that almost gave way under his feet, reaching the nursery which again had its door blown to pieces.

Lily Potter's red hair and pale lifeless figure were visible resting by the crib. She too had been struck by the killing curse, but miraculously, her son was alive, crying for help.

A lightning bolt scar was bleeding on his forehead and seeing Regulus enter, he lifted his arms toward him, wanting to be held.

"Pafoo," he sputtered amid the tears, and Regulus reached forward to lift him out, unable to deduce how Harry Potter had survived.

He noticed the trail of black at the back of the room, right opposite the crib, and went there to check, but there was no third body. Voldemort wasn't there but it was apparent that his killing curse had backfired on him.

For some reason, he had been unable to kill Harry for whom James and Lily had sacrificed their lives.

Young Harry had latched himself on Reg's shoulder, his hands closing around the long black hair that reminded him of Sirius. He was still standing there motionless from shock when the rest of the Order members showed up.

Remus was with them too and he was no doubt stricken with grief to see James and Lily. But when he looked for Harry, he was surprised to see him alive and drifted off to an ignorant slumber in Regulus's arms.

"Harry? He's alive?"

"Yes," Regulus spoke up, finding his voice choked as well from holding back the sorrow that was lurching inside him, "I don't know how... The curse struck him too, that much is clear, but it must have backfired."

"Was he here when you came?" He asked, referring to Voldemort.

"No... The house was empty. I looked but found no one."

Eventually, Dumbledore and McGonagall showed up as well and James and Lily were carried to the Order's headquarters where they would be given a proper funeral. The Headmaster also suggested that Regulus and Remus come with them, bringing Harry as they might have to decide where the boy had to be kept.

With his parents dead, he could have been given to his maternal aunt who was a Muggle and lived in Surrey. No other person could look after Harry and even though Remus wanted to take that responsibility, he would be denied as he was a werewolf.

The situation was complicated but right then, the whole Order was focused on the funeral of two of their bravest members.

***

After the funeral, James and Lily were buried and a tombstone was erected in their honor. The First Wizarding War came to an end with their sacrifice and Harry's survival, as Lord Voldemort had been vanquished by the Chosen One.

The Order and the Ministry were on duty and most of the Death Eaters had been caught and were awaiting their trial, Peter was among them too. The rest of the wizarding world was celebrating the dawn of peace but those who were close to the Potters and other martyrs of war were mourning the deaths of their loved ones in silence, huddled together in the Order Headquarters.

Eleanor gazed sadly at the little boy curled in Regulus's arms. He hadn't let go of Reg since the night he had found him at Godric Hollow and as Harry still mistook him for Sirius, he stayed with him at all times.

The boy was too young to know that his parents had been murdered and he had no one else but a few of his parents' friends. Remus was the only other person Harry would let himself be held by and he too was as distraught as the rest of them were feeling.

"He seems to have taken a liking to you," she remarked and Regulus looked up, blue eyes meeting her marble green irises.

"He thinks I am Sirius," the words seemed to have cut through him as he voiced them out, eyes welling up in grief.

Eleanor nodded, sitting close to him as she gently stroked the child's head. Harry turned his bright eyes to look at her and she tried to smile at him. The boy reached out, clasping her hand and not letting it go, those eyes that were just like Lily's locked upon her in fascination.

"What do you think will become of him?" Eleanor asked the dread question at last, "Where will he go now that his parents..."

She couldn't complete the sentence but Reulus understood what she meant.

"I don't know," he replied, "I guess we will find out soon."

He was right in saying that.

A day had passed since that terrible night and the first Order meeting after the war was called, presided by none other than Dumbledore.

Not all members were involved, only those who were close to the Potters as they had to decide what to do with Harry Potter. The boy was the Chosen One, their savior who had unknowingly vanquished the strongest Dark wizard, but his future was clouded with uncertainty.

So far no one volunteered to take care of Harry except Remus who had been denied for very obvious reasons. The only option left was to drop him off at Privet Drive with his aunt Petunia Dursley. 

But before finalizing that decision, Dumbledore allowed the members to present their suggestions, if they had any. No one spoke up and it was then Regulus Black took his chance to say something that had been on his mind ever since he got Harry out of his destructed home at Godric Hollow.

"Headmaster Dumbledore, may I suggest something?" Regulus spoke up and silence shrouded the hall shortly after. He felt all eyes fasten on him in surprise but he braced himself as he resumed. "I remember you said Harry's aunt is a Muggle and doesn't want anything to do with him. Putting him in their care might not be the best option." 

"Yes, but then we will have to find a guardian for Harry, a family preferably who can raise him well. Remus offered to take him in but the Ministry will raise objections considering his condition," Dumbledore remarked and Reg's eyes flickered to Remus, who looked rather dejected at those words.

"Can Eleanor and I adopt Harry?" He asked and the surprise that had been on the other witches and wizards' faces soon morphed into shock and disbelief.

But Regulus knew he only had one chance and he wanted to do something for Harry and his elder brother. That was the only way he could somewhat repay the sacrifice Sirius had made for him and also fulfill his last wish to keep Harry safe.

"I know I might not be the best option," the youngest Black resumed when no one objected yet, his blue eyes focused and the determination evident in his tone, "but my brother was Harry's godfather. He would have taken care of him in James and Lily's absence. I want to step up in his place and raise Harry to the best of my ability. I know I will have to face the Ministry's trials first and clear up my reputation but if, after all that, you find me worthy of taking this responsibility, I will fulfill it completely." 

Eleanor placed her hand gently on Reg's shoulder to show she supported his decision. Regulus had told her once that they would get married after the war ended and now that they were at that stage, she wanted to help him in every responsibility he took.

"Mister Black, it will be hard for you and Miss Troy as both of you are still coping from the damage the war inflicted on you," McGonagall added but her voice had softened, indicating that she was partial to Harry being given to Reg and Elle rather than to his unpleasant Muggle aunt.

"In these few days, Harry has come to mean a lot to us. I can't imagine letting him go," he mumbled, his voice lowering as it was a brief moment of vulnerability when his emotions were written clearly on his face.

Remus was also thinking how proud Sirius would be of his younger brother right then and he too would support that decision.

"Still, I will accept whatever the Order decides," Regulus added, not wanting to go against them. "I know you all want what's best for Harry."

The Order members discussed it within themselves and then passed their verdict to Dumbledore who had to give the final decision. Regulus, Eleanor, Esme, and Remus waited with bated breath to hear what he would say.

"Very well then, Regulus. You and Miss Troy are Harry Potter's guardians from this day forth," Dumbledore decided at last, "We entrust you with his responsibility, hoping you will fulfill it to the best of your ability."

***