Author's notes: I'm posting a fic for the first time online, so I hope I can bank on you'll to give me reviews. I guess that would be the fuel for my chapters to keep running. I'd like to mention a quick thanks to ~*mystic gal*~ who so kindly beta read my story and sun chime who helped me out.
Disclaimer: I own Alex and the Granger's car(nothing else!)
Harry Potter And The Card of Fortune
CHAPTER 1
It was a typical Monday morning at the Burrow. Harry Potter and Ron Weasley were still sleeping. Suddenly the flutter of wings disturbed their sleep. Harry jumped up as Hedwig came and nipped at his ear. Hedwig was Harry's eleventh birthday present. Hagrid had bought it him before start of his first year at Hogwarts. Harry was now in his fifth year but it seemed liked just yesterday that Hagrid had come to save Harry from the dreadful life at Privet Drive.
Presently he sat a bit shocked after his sudden awake. He looked to see what Hedwig had brought him. He found a tiny letter tied to the foot of Hedwig's leg. After untying it he gave Hedwig some crumbs kept in a bowl for post-owls and tore it open.
It was a letter from his godfather Sirius Black. It read:
'Dear Harry,
I received your letter and was very happy to learn that you are safe at Ron's house. I hope you've brought your books for your fifth year and ah! Do I feel proud to see the son of my best friend growing up? Now that you're fifteen years old I must tell you something that I haven't told you before.
It was years ago that this happened and most probably no one knows of this but it is something that you must know. Harry, when you were one and Voldemort came and attacked you and Lily and James, in that house was left something that your father wanted you to have. We were best friends and he would hide nothing from me and this too he did not. Along with the invisibility cloak your father also had a tiny card, which his ancestors had gifted him. This he always wanted his child to have, and I think you've grown sensible enough to use it well now and you must have it.
Look at the center of the backside of this parchment. You'll find a bit of bulgy paper. Scratch on it and you will find a rectangular shaped card concealed in it. When the time comes I promise you will know of its use. Till then, look after it.
Your loving godfather,
Sirius.
P.S: It is called Skambanova Paronosa
"Harry! Ron! George! Fred! Wake up, will you?"
Harry quickly shook Ron and started dressing himself. Once he finished he dug the letter into his trunk and ran down. It was his first day at The Burrow and yet it seemed more than a fortnight of the warmth and love that the Weasleys had as usual gifted him with. The Weasleys did not have so many galleons as Malfoy had but if wealth were compared to compassion they'd easily be the richest family in the wizarding world. Harry could not forget the amount of help they had given him.
As Ron and the Weasley twins joined them they got ready for breakfast. Molly Weasley fumbled about juggling two or three plates and a jug in her hands.
"After breakfast I expect you, Ron and Fred and George, to clean up Hermione's room. She's arriving after breakfast. Your father and I are going to pick her up, obviously by floo powder. We managed to get her fireplace on the network. Her parents are coming to visit her for a day before term begins so prepare you to behave in a civilized manner. Harry dear, you can do what you wish the whole morning and perhaps you can help around the garden if you don't mind…………"
"I'll be glad to help, Mrs. Weasley", Harry interrupted.
"Well then, you could start by degnoming the garden. Later on, you can chop off the overgrown flowers and put them in this vase." She drew up the vase with her magical wand and filled it with water.
"And, by the way I grew these for you", she said giving him a bunch of beautiful lilies and a model of a stag, "Lily and Prongs, hope you like it."
Harry stared at the gift with gratitude filled in his eyes. Harry had never been treated so well in his life and he just loved the gift that Mrs. Weasely had got him. He smiled and muttered a thank you and took the gift up to his room. It was a beautifully arranged bunch of white lilies attached on a base with a model of a handsome stag beside it. On the base, which was a slab of clear, shining stone was printed in tiny handwriting 'Lily and Prongs.' He placed it on his bedside table and went down to join the others.
* * *
After taking their hats, Mr. And Mrs. Weasely disappeared in the fireplace taking floo powder. Harry quickly completed the gardening and went to join the others in the cleaning. Hermione's room was quickly cleaned and cleared and then the twins went in to get to their joke-stuff and Harry and Ron got away to their room.
Harry had not had time to scratch the parchment and get the card so he decided to get to it immediately. He told Ron about it and they both took it out. After taking turns at observing it they looked at each other.
"So what is it", asked Harry.
"Dunno," said Ron "Haven't seen it, haven't heard of it. Must have belonged to real old people. No one talks about it nowadays. Anyways did he mention what it was called?"
"Some Skamba Paro…. all he said was that it belonged to my dad and he wanted me to have it. He said that I would know how to use it in due time."
They looked at one another, their eyes reflecting each other's wonder but then suddenly they dismissed the thought on hearing a bursting sound in the twins' room and ran there. The twins asked Ron to buzz off, as they seemed to be doing something very important so Harry and Ron went off to play Quidditch in the newly cleaned garden. Harry had done a very good job and Ron was all praise for him. Ron was very happy that summer and for the first time didn't seem to mind what the twins said. This was because the twins had on Harry's saying, out of the thousand galleons presented to them by Harry, bought Ron new robes and for the third time only Ron had something that wasn't second hand. The first time it was Ron's third-year wand and then the owl that Sirius had presented him with.
Along with Ron the twins too were very excited. For the first time in their lives the twins had much more than enough money to make their own joke-shop. They were so thrilled that they had firmly resolved to do their best for their last year and everyone was surprised at how they did their homework and practiced their magical stuff.
Harry himself was trying to feel happy. Only last year Voldemort had risen to power once again helped by Peter Pettigrew, the false friend of James and Lily Potter who had betrayed them to Voldemort fourteen years ago. This Wormtail was the reason why Harry had to live with the Dursleys. This Wormtail was the reason why Sirius had had to live in Azkaban for twelve years. Harry had encountered Wormtail the year he had met Sirius and had abhorred him ever since. Pettigrew had escaped once again and now was safe with Voldemort. Harry himself had witnessed the rising of Voldemort and the death of Cedric Diggory.
Harry and Ron had a lot of fun playing Quidditch in the backyard. They didn't play with the actual balls but ordinary golf balls bewitched to fly. So they played the parts of both beaters and seekers and ended having loads of fun. Ron had practiced a lot and now had a new broom that was presented to him by his parents when he had shown them that he could fly. He was of course not as good as Harry but yet he hoped to be picked in the team as keeper now that Oliver Wood wasn't on the team any longer. He was really excited when Harry complimented him for as everyone knows Harry was the youngest seeker in about a hundred years.
Just as they finished their game they heard a noise inside the kitchen and realized that Hermione and the Weaselys must have returned. They quickly packed the balls in a box and ran in to greet Hermione. Hermione was looking studious as usual and quite unusually pretty. She was dressed in ordinary Muggle clothes, a tee shirt and a pair of jeans. She had a coat on top and a bag in her hand. She had changed her look for the Ball last year and had apparently retained it. In her hand was the book Hogwarts: A History and she was skimming through it. No one had noticed the arrival of Harry and Ron so both Mrs. Weasely and Ron simultaneously spoke:
"Look who's come?" said Mrs. Weasely.
"We're here," said Ron.
The whole group started laughing and Hermione came and gave both Harry and Ron a quick hug and smiled. "So I'm here at last," she said. Harry took her bag and Ron took her coat and the trio made their way up the stairs. Hermione told them that the three of them might get good news in a few days and refused to say anything else. Soon they got up.
"Harry, tell Herm about the morning- mail." Said Ron.
"What is it? Something from Sirius?" asked Hermione.
"Yep," said Harry wearily. " Sirius sent a mail, about nothing worrying, of course," he added catching Hermione's look of worry. "He sent a rectangular card and a note."
"What card?"
"Dunno." Harry said shrugging. "Sirius said I'd know what it was in some time."
"Can I have a look at the card?" she asked.
"Sure." Harry said and went to get it from his trunk.
After examining it carefully Hermione wouldn't speak to anyone for a while and then skimmed through her book 'The Most Magically Advanced Ancient Devices and Inventions'. She skimmed for a while and then reached a place where she felt she had found what she wanted. She turned to face Harry and Ron and looked at them with excitement twinkling in her eyes. Ron looked at her. "What kind of help would such a book give you?…………" he began but Hermione interrupted him. "Do you know what I think this is?" she asked Harry. "No I'm afraid I don't" he replied.
" Harry, if I'm not much mistaken what you right now possess is nothing other than a 'Skambanova Paronosa'."
"Why, That's what Sirius said it's called." Harry said.
" The Paronosa," Hermione continued, "is a possession that is more valuable than even all the wealth in the hundred biggest vaults of Gringotts. The Paronosa is a device that enables you to change, modify and do various other miracles with a person's memory. How exactly a Paronosa is used I don't know but it sure is a mischief-maker. For example, if I wanted to make Crabbe and Goyle go against Malfoy all I would have to do is mutter a few words to the card, tap it somewhere and then say what change I want to make in their memory."
"Wow, you mean I could make Malfoy curse his parents, make Snape adore Sirius, make Hagrid forget about dangerous animals and make McGonagall give me 320% in transfiguration all by muttering a few words, that is like, absolutely swell."
"Wait a minute, look at this paragraph. It reads: 'With the help of the amazing memory card you can not only make a change in a person's memory but also decide whether the changes are temporary or permanent. In addition to this you can set the basic way in which a person's memory works. You can make a person's memory contain only that what you want it to, you can decide the nature of the memory that a person's mind is allowed to contain. You can empty, refill and transfer a person's memory and no living person has the power to disobey the memory card and no one will.'
"It goes on about the importance of having a memory card and the ways of looking after it etc. etc., but what I found most interesting is this… it says 'This priceless card is given its final touch by its possession rate… the Paronosa known to the magical world has been made only twice till date, both the times by Alfred Fluseno Wasetiture Comest. The legend goes that soon after it was invented by the great soul for the second time, it was stolen from him and never recovered. This card could be anywhere right now. On the other hand Alfred Comest had presented to Wilfred Corres Potter the first of this great card. Thus, more than just a luxury, this card is a treasure-trove. The Paronosa has one more feature, something said to be frightfully powerful, but it is unknown now for Comest had no son to pass on his secrets to.'
"Gee", said Ron excitedly. "Harry's sitting on a treasure."
"Umm… there's only one problem. Harry can't open the treasure." Hermione said.
"What are you talking about?" Ron blurted. "What's the use of a card we can't use?"
"Why? Doesn't the great book give details of its operation?" Harry reflected Ron's feeling of horror in a more distinguished way. "I thought we'd be able to work wonders with this".
"Alas! I thought so too." Hermione said, but added in a more cheerful tone, "anyways, Sirius will surely tell you the details soon enough."
By now Hermione had heard the entire story and was as excited as the others. Allowing the details of the book to sink in they sat quietly for a few minutes. The silence was broken by a shout from below. " Aren't you'll hungry yet?" they heard Molly Weasley's high- pitched voice.
" Talking about food I suddenly get the feeling that two massive elephants are playing Quidditch in the midst of my stomach", said Ron, with an agonizing look on his face that set the two into fits of laughter.
They ran down having a race and squeals of laughter could be heard as Ron fell and had his face buried in a bowl of crumbs. As they reached down they straightened themselves. Hermione tried to look decent but let out a short guffaw each time he looked at Ron. She wasn't looking at that moment anything like a person who spends most of her time in books.
Dinner was a pleasant meal and they occasionally fell out of the chair as they laughed at Mr. Weasley's office jokes. Fred and George told them about their success at finally being able to transfigure a white rat into a tablecloth without having to cut a mass of whiskers. Mr. Weasley's chest broadened and as he looked at the two he smiled with pride. Mrs. Weasely dabbed her eyes as she nostalgically remembered how her son Charlie had done the best in his form in transfiguration but her other sons weren't as good. For the first time the twins had done well in transfiguration and she had every reason to feel proud. Ron had a lingering smile: for the first time nothing had gone wrong in the holidays.
As they climbed up the stairs they looked at each other and laughed remembering the face Ron had given them when instead of helping him Hermione had taken a photo of him with her magic Polaroid. They played a game of **MONOPOLY**, a game Harry had bought for Ron; only the London places were replaced by Hogsmeade places.
* * *
Days passed quickly at the Burrow for there was always plenty of company and nights were very short so they soon started missing school. (They had already bought their school- things) With only a day left for the reopening of school, morning dawned early as usual and the cock crowed normally. Inside the Burrow there was plenty of activity. As it was the day that the Grangers were coming to visit Mrs. Weasley was making sure that everyone was up in time. Mr. Granger was very afraid of traveling by floo powder but since Mrs. Granger insisted on meeting their daughter the Grangers arranged to be ready by ten for the Weasleys to pick them up.
" Wake up! All of you. It's eight in the morning and there's a lot to be done."
" Mrs. Weasley" came Harry's tired voice floating down half the stairs, "we've been awake since six for Fred and George insisted that we clean our room and de gnome the garden while they cleaned the furniture in the living room."
Following the voice came three extremely tired looking children. Harry, Ron and Hermione were looking like a trio of washer- donkeys. Behind them came the cheerful voices of the twins.
" So, enjoyed your work?"
" Children, the twins fooled you. They have neither cleaned their own room…"
" Ah! We didn't promise to." came Fred's stock answer.
"Nor have they cleaned the living room and as far as I remember they've been sleeping like logs in their bedroom."
" What? The rouges, the cheats! Here we've been slogging our butts off because they asked us to and they've been enjoying their dreams in the room."
" Some people just don't understand what it is to let other people work with gnomes, that too when they're half- asleep. I call those people heartless, junk-headed freaks and I despise such people." said Ron angrily.
Only Harry was quiet and he listened in silence to the abuse they gave the twins. " Harry, you tell them," said Ron. " Well, you'll took us in properly!" was all Harry replied.
Ron gave Hermione a surprised look but looking at Harry silently engrossed in thought he said nothing. After a few minutes Harry came back to his being and said "Herm, you told us something about a letter arriving when you came but what were you talking about then."
" I was under the impression that…. Anyways, since we haven't, I'll tell you what it was about." Before she could say anymore three massive owls, not difficult to recognize for they wore a tag saying 'Hogwarts school-owls', disturbed them.
" Well, well, well."
" You've got mail, children", said Mrs. Weasley as she untied the letters from the owl's neck.
Harry tore his open and stopped dead in his tracks.
" What? McGonagall has chucked Malfoy out and given us a congratulatory letter?"
" No! She's…" By now Ron had opened his too.
" We've been made prefects!" they finally chorused.
Harry turned and looked at Hermione. "Is that the letter you were talking about?"
"Uh-huh." Hermione nodded.
" But how did Herm know about it?" Ron asked astonished.
"Let's say, someone tipped me off.!" Hermione replied.
"Who?" They both asked in unison.
"McGonagall." Hermione answered.
They enjoyed the rest of the day as the Weasley twins for the first time took Harry, Ron and Hermione for a look around their bedroom-cum-joke-shop. Hermione's parents arrived in time and had a grand time as rather lavishly Mr. Weasley came them a taste of the magical world. In the night after a hilarious dinner (god bless the Weasley twins and Mr. Weasley's office.) Mr. Weasley insisted the Grangers stay a night. So much to Hermione's delight they slept in her bedroom.
As Harry and Ron went to sleep Ron said "I can't wait for tomorrow."
* * *
Next morning did come early as Ron had hoped and in the midst of the hustle- bustle of the Burrow, the Grangers arranged for their chauffeured car to come and pick them up at the London station at half-eleven. The children had packed their bags the night before and so spent the morning picking up socks and such stuff left behind and yelling at everybody as they stamped each other's pet. Hermione was ready an hour before. Only the Weasley twins took seconds in the end to find bits and pieces of their joke world. Finally all was ready and one by one taking floo powder they disappeared through the fireplace.
Passing the barrier into Platform 9¾ was easy enough; only Harry had a little trouble getting Hedwig off a Muggle's hat, which he seemed to like. Once on the other side the Weasley's spent a lot of time bidding the children good-bye. Finally after Mrs. Weasley furiously rubbed Ron's nose ("mom, geroff me.") the children boarded the train. It was five minutes before eleven that the children finally boarded the train. They got into the only empty compartment, which was a four-seater they talked about the vacation and school and classes (Harry sighed just then!). Feeling a little restless they started a game of Exploding Snap.
" Isn't it amazing how the holidays passed so soon…? First I missed school now I miss home" remarked Ron.
" Very true. I loved the thought of coming back to school but I feel an emptiness in my stomach after leaving home." Hermione agreed.
" I was wondering what arrangements Dumbledore's made for safety of the train now that Voldemort's on the loose." Harry thought aloud.
" No one believes him though." Hermione reasoned.
" He trusts me and believes himself" Harry replied.
Before they could say anything the sweets came up and Harry and Hermione and Ron shelled out a few sickles and started off on them. Hermione screamed when she got a bogey flavoured one. As they made themselves comfortable they heard a knock on the compartment and a trembling boy about the same age as the three walked in.
" I saw you to be only three and since I knew no one else I followed you'll. Can I join you for the train ride? By the way, I'm Alex. I heard your names as I waited outside. Hi, Ron, Harry and Hermione." His voice lingered a bit as he said 'Hermione'.
* * *
Quite and end, huh? Let's say, I'm out of fuel (got it?)