AN: Funny how things work. It took me a long time to come back to this, but now I'm here again and ready to see where it takes me. For those of you who are responding to story/author alerts I appreciate you coming back, but I feel I should tell you that this story is undergoing some major changes, first and foremost the premise. As disappointing as I'm sure it will be to some people, I'm afraid that this story is going to feature significantly less werewolves than originally planned. Rather, it will involve Veela heritage within Harry's bloodline rather than having Harry being bitten, and while I'm aware of the typical quality of those stories, I'm hopeful that I can do the idea justice and maybe take it in directions where it hasn't typically been taken. So, given the new direction a title change is necessary, shortly after the release of this chapter, Le LoupGarou of the Triwizard Tournament will be renamed Le Sirènes of the Triwizard Tournament.
One of the things that I'm definitely keeping is the timeline of the story and how it fits with cannon. The idea now is this, Harry was born one year earlier than in cannon…this is the only difference in the timeline, the philosopher's stone still takes place in 1992, Chamber of secrets takes place in 1993, etc.
This means that instead of Philosopher's stone happening in Harry's first year it's actually not until his second year that things start heading downhill. Truth be told this is more for my convenience than anything, as it sets Harry's age to be slightly older and allows me to work with a few other changes as I see fit. If it helps, think of this as a parallel universe.
Additionally, as a forewarning, there will be issues pertaining to sexuality and gender in the story, characters working through questions about both themselves and others, first and foremost with Harry. I assure you that the story will not revolve solely around these issue however it's going to be a part of Harry's personality. If this is something that will upset you I strongly recommend you choose a different story to follow. There's an entire world of Harry Potter fanfiction out there, my goal is to write a story that I myself would enjoy reading rather than pandering to one group of people or another.
Disclaimer: It should be clear at this point that I do not own any portion of the intellectual property of Harry Potter, nor do I intend to make any profit off of this story.
Chapter One : In Circles
June 24th, 1994- 4th year
Harry Potter stared at Albus Dumbledore with a mixture of shock and rage bubbling up in his chest. Only five minutes earlier he had been reeling with joy at having just freed his Godfather, the last person that even resembled family, of course his relatives didn't count, however five minutes could make all the difference in the world when you were Harry Potter.
Never mind the fact that he'd just found out he had to have an amazing amount of raw power, particularly for a fourteen year old, to be able to drive off as many dementors as he had. Never mind the fact that he'd just been given an offer of apprenticeship with Albus Dumbledore. Never mind any of that.
The only thing that mattered right now was that he had just been told that Tom Riddle, known to the majority of the wizarding world as Lord Voldemort, had marked him as his 'equal' on that Halloween night so many years ago. Harry knew better than to believe for even a second that he was anywhere near as powerful as Voldemort was, nor did he have any sort of experience to make up for it in finesse.
The very thought that a malnourished fourteen year old kid was supposed to save the entire British magical world from what was very possibly the most powerful dark lord of the century was a joke. Sure, it was a terrible joke that was in poor taste, but it was a joke nonetheless. So, in summary, Harry Potter was both terrified and furious that the responsibility fell on him; the fact that he hadn't been trained since he was old enough to hold a wand was just the icing on the cake.
The urge to tear Dumbledore's office apart, to ensure that all of the shining and whirling instruments on display were shattered, was almost overwhelming and it took every ounce of willpower that Harry had to remain in his seat, directing a smouldering glare at the old man. He desperately wanted to shout at him, to call him vulgar names and insult his intelligence, instead he somehow managed to keep his mouth shut until his temper had calmed to a manageable level. Once he finally felt like he could open his mouth without verbally abusing his headmaster he slowly began to speak.
"Professor, with all due respect, what the hell were you thinking keeping me in the dark about this? I should have been training to fight Voldemort every day since stepping off the Hogwarts express! As it stands I hardly know anything about the magical world at large, and I don't know a single combat spell aside from stupefy and protego!" The younger wizard asked in a level, if somewhat strained, tone.
Dumbledore quirked a surprised eyebrow at his student's control of his emotions before letting out a deep sigh as he shook his head, "I'm afraid, Harry, that I have made many mistakes in my life, but the ones I regret the most are all tied to the way I've treated you. I had hoped that you could live a normal life, have a good childhood, and that we would be able to eventually face Tom when you were an adult. However, with this most recent demonstration of Sybill's ability to foresee the future, I have recognized that it was a horrible mistake not to have started training you for this inevitability much earlier. And in light of the Dursleys' treatment of you I'm afraid that I also cost you the chance for the childhood I wanted you to have. For what it is worth, I'm sorry, Harry."
Harry's shoulders slumped in defeat. It was difficult enough knowing that he was in a very bad position, in more ways than one, but to have it spoken out loud was even more discouraging, Dumbledore seemed to see this and reached across his desk to put a gentle hand on his shoulder, "Harry, all is not lost. We can still salvage this situation, and that's what we're going to do. We do not know, yet, when Voldemort will return to his body, all we know is that it will happen. Until then I and the others in this castle can train you to be able to fight him, if you wish."
Harry lifted his head up and stared at Dumbledore for several moments before pushing himself up from his seat and beginning to pace restlessly around the office, "What do you want me to do, Professor?"
Dumbledore smiled comfortingly before speaking again, "I will work out a schedule for you to follow, Harry. I'll call you up when I have it finished, but suffice it to say that you'll be staying here this summer, and you will be very busy. I will train you personally in maneuvering the political landscape and will introduce you to some higher level magic, you'll receive extra training from Minvera for advanced transfiguration. I'm sure Filius would be willing to teach you some of the more useful charms and, seeing as how he is a dueling champion, I'm sure he will be willing to teach you how to do that as well. You will also be trained in a variety of other subjects, ranging from preparing yourself for battle to the more subtle arts of mental magic and potions, which I'm quite certain Severus will be able to instruct you in." He paused for a moment at the look of distrust that spread across his pupil's face, "While I'm well aware of your rivalry with Professor Snape, Harry, it is of the utmost importance that you both approach this matter seriously...if need be I will take over the training of your oclumency, however it is important that you learn to work with those that you dislike. I will spare you a further lecture on that for tonight, but it is an important lesson. Returning to the subject at hand, I will speak with my contacts in the Auror Corps to get you started on physical fitness training. You will have a very rough summer, Harry, make no mistake about that. But I assure you that it will be worth it."
Harry nodded immediately, jumping on the chance to train through the summer and, despite his misgivings about Snape, the fact that he wouldn't have to return to the Dursleys was more than he had dared to hope for in years. "Alright, Professor, is there anything else?"
Dumbledore shook his head, "Aside from me wishing you a good evening, I do not believe so. Please do make sure to speak to your friends before they leave, Harry. You may only get the chance to see them once or twice this summer, if you get to at all."
Harry nodded again and, after wishing Dumbledore a good night as well, he made his way out of the Headmaster's office and back to the hospital wing. As he navigated the familiar corridors and waited on the moving staircases, he couldn't help but wonder what the summer's training would be like, and found himself feeling a mixture of joy and nervousness at the thought.
August 21st, 1994
The deafening roar of battle reigned supreme across the grounds of Hogwarts, it was all that Harry could do not to lose himself to the chaotically shifting tide of the battle that would likely determine the future of all of magical Britain. Spells rocketed through the air around him as he raced across the battlefield, occasionally stopping only to fling a ribbon cutter with his wand or slam a fist amplified with a wandless bludgeoner into a Death Eater's face. 'Bloody hell, this is a nightmare...' The dark haired wizard thought to himself before finally skidding to a stop as he caught sight of his godfather locked in a vicious duel with one of the few female Death Eaters he had seen, though before he could so much as raise his wand a twisting purple curse broke broke through the marauder's shield. The moment the curse impacted his chest, Sirius collapsed and began convulsing violently before finally going still.
"Sirius!" Harry let out a shout of unadulterated hate as he ran towards the robed figure and slammed into her, sending both of them to the ground with him on top, swinging both of his fists recklessly at her before delivering a final blow to her head, accompanied by a bone breaking curse. He looked down at the battered form of his enemy in fury for a moment before regaining his senses and picking himself up to rush over to Sirius, desperate to try and save him. Before he could even make it halfway to his fallen godfather a banisher sent him flying across the battlefield until he came to an abrupt halt after slamming into a tree on the edge of the forbidden forest.
Groaning, Harry struggled to pick himself up, only to find himself staring down the wand of the Death Eater who had cursed him. As he stared into the masked face of the man his gaze narrowed furiously, recognizing the grey eyes belonging to one of Voldemort's Inner Circle, the younger wizard started to bring his wand to bear, his lips forming the starting syllables needed to conjure a fire whip, but even as flame started to sprout from his wand he knew it was over, 'Well, this could have gone better...' He thought ruefully, seconds before his vision was filled with a blinding flash of pale green followed by an all consuming darkness.
Harry coughed violently as he regained consciousness while an amused Nymphadora Tonks doused his face with a spout of water from her wand, "Damn it, Tonks, do you have to do that every time?" He sputtered, frustration clear in his tone as he stumbled to his feet and tried to wipe his face off.
Tonks smirked as she watched him hobble on shaky legs towards a small table with several bottles of water on it. "That would be a yes, Harry. I'll stop dumping water on you when you stop dying before the exercise is completely finished."
Harry snorted derisively and coughed again as water came out his nose, ignoring Tonks' laughter he finished the bottle off before turning back to her, "I doubt that's going to happen any time soon, Tonks. The only way this room is supposed to let me end the program without dying is if I can survive until Voldemort actually shows up, and then manage to kill him somehow. And considering that I've still never even seen what he -looks- like, I don't see that happening any time soon."
Tonks' eyes softened as she watched him down another bottle of water before limping over to the small shooting range that had appeared on the other side of the room to start practicing a spell chain that he'd been having difficulties using. After letting him practice for a bit longer she walked behind him and laid a hand on his shoulder, turning her newest friend to look at her, "Harry, you need to rest. You've done plenty of training today. Hell, to be honest your training this summer has been a whole hell of a lot worse than my first year at the academy. You've done your physical training and your magical endurance training for the day, don't stretch yourself thin. You still have to go to your oclumency lesson in an hour, too."
Harry let out a tired sigh, his shoulders sagging a little before straightening back up as he looked up at her, "Tonks, I appreciate the support, but I have to keep training. There's no way I'm going to be able to beat Voldemort if I don't get better than I am now. I'll admit that I've made good progress this summer, but it isn't enough. For all we know Voldemort could be trying to get his body back right now, there's no time for me to sit around."
"Harry, you need to let up on the throttle a bit, there's a limit to how long you can go without taking a break. When was the last time you took a day off of training? Not an easy day of training, but an actual day off?"
"Well, you should know, Tonks, after all you've been here the entire time. Or were you too distracted by your auror friend to notice?" Harry responded with a smirk, and couldn't help but chuckle when she blushed. "What, you thought I didn't notice?"
"The question was rhetorical, Harry." The metamorphagus retorted, pointedly ignoring his jab, "The point is that you're pushing yourself too hard, it's not good for you. I mean, all this training is great, and I appreciate why you're doing it, but don't lose the fact that you're a teenager to this."
Harry rolled his eyes, "Tonks, no offense, but I don't think you quite understand me. I don't really even know how to be a teenager."
"Nobody does when they're your age."
"Gee, that's helpful. Alright fine, you want me to act like a teenager, what kind of things should I be doing, huh?"
"Well that's an easy one, Harry! You should be out having fun, getting yourself into trouble, not the life-threatening sort that you get into, hanging out with your friends, shag your girlfriend, that kind of stuff." This time it was Tonks' turn to smirk as Harry blushed and looked down in embarrassment.
After a few moments of a slightly awkward silence Harry shrugged and turned away from her, "Yeah, well I'll admit that training isn't really 'fun' but I like it well enough. As for the other stuff, I don't think I'm able to get into regular trouble, I'll be able to hang out with Ron and Hermione in a couple weeks, and the last one is just..." He shrugged, doing his best to avoid meeting her gaze as he seemed to retreat further into himself, "I don't know, it's complicated."
A slightly nervous feeling washed over him at his own response as he realized his lack of an actual answer,'Yeah, sure, if complicated means that the fact that Blaise Zabini makes your stomach flip just as much as Cho Chang does makes you wonder if you're even more of a freak than the Dursleys thought you were. Merlin only knows what Ron would say if he knew about that...hell, who knows what Hermione would think?'
"Why do you say that?" Tonks asked, giving him a questioning look. Harry shrugged noncommittally as she regained his attention, but didn't say anything, "Oh come on, Harry, you can talk to me. What's wrong, mate, trouble in paradise or something like that?"
Harry sighed and looked at her, slightly annoyed, "Hardly, Tonks. I don't have a girlfriend in the first place...not saying it wouldn't be nice to have one but I don't know if I should do that or not. Honestly, it's not like people are exactly throwing themselves at me anyways, between my wild shifts in popularity and the fact that I'm a scrawny kid who's too short for my age, not to mention my lack of decent clothes. Besides, I don't even really talk to any girls aside from Hermione or you, and I'm not even sure where to start with...well, that's not important." He explained, a dark crimson washing across his face at the realization that he'd aired his insecurities so openly.
A slightly puzzled expression dominated Tonks' face at her friend's response, "Harry, what are you talking about? I mean yeah I'll give you that you could do with a better wardrobe than those rags you wear, but that's easy enough to fix. Besides, have you looked in the mirror lately? With all this training you've been doing you're in better shape than half the aurors that I went to the academy with! Granted, you're more pretty than handsome, but that's not a bad thing, you pull it off pretty well, better now that you've finally let me mess with your hair." She reasoned, a grin tugging at her lips as she eyed her handiwork, causing Harry's blush to burn even brighter.
'I knew I never should have let her touch my hair...' He thought with a hint of frustration as his hand wandered up to brush against the tightly bound braids on the left side of his face, 'It does keep it out of my face like this though, since it won't stay cut...and I do kind of like it...'
"Tonks, please stop. You know that I hate it when people do this, besides I'm not supposed to be 'pretty', I'm a guy." He muttered, though the protest sounded weak even to himself.
Tonks' confusion only grew at Harry's denial of her compliment, "You know me, Harry, I say what I think. I'm being serious when I say that you look good. To be completely honest if I was younger I'd be doing my best to try and have a go at you myself…don't tell anybody I said that though." Harry couldn't help the small grin that found its way to his face at that, "Still, why don't you believe me when I tell you that?"
The grin fell from Harry's face and he shrugged, still looking at the ground, "I don't know, it's just the way it is. I know what I look like, I've seen myself plenty of times and I'm not really a fan. Maybe it'd be better if I hadn't spent those years with the Dursleys, or if I could be like you, but..." He shrugged, "It's not a big deal."
"What do you mean by that, Harry?" Tonks asked curiously, though an unmistakably hard edge tinged her voice, causing Harry to look up at her in confusion.
"Which part the fact that I don't like the way I look or…"
"No, the part where you said you'd be better without the Dursleys."
'Shit.'
"Oh…" Harry muttered, suddenly feeling extremely small, "I'm sorry, Tonks, but I really don't want to talk about it, there's not a lot of good memories to be had there." He replied tiredly, "Please just drop it."
Tonks shook her head slowly before sighing, "Fine…I'll stop asking you questions about it…"
"Thank you."
"I meant that I'll stop asking about it for now, Harry. We're going to talk about this more later. But right now you need to go get a shower, because you really stink, and then you need to eat before your meeting with Dumbledore." Tonks continued seriously, although she let a small smile creep across her face at her jab at him.
Harry shot her a look of annoyance before returning her smile. "Fine, I get it Tonks, you just don't want to hang out with me. I can take a hint, I'll just go on ahead and clean myself up before eating all by myself."
The blue haired witch rolled her eyes and threw the last bottle of water at him, aiming to hit him in the head, only for annoyance to wash over her as he caught it effortlessly, "Prat!" She called at him as he took off in a sprint out the door, unable to keep the laughter out of her voice. She spent a few more minutes in the room, gathering her auror cloak before leaving for Dumbledore's office intent on speaking to him, both to question him about Harry's dislike for his relatives and to convince the old man to give the younger wizard a much needed day off.
Harry took a deep breath as he slowly made his way to the Headmaster's office, sorting through the day's events and placing them into their proper mental categories as he went, making double certain to sequester his conversation with Tonks and the thoughts it'd brought to the front of his mind into the private memories he'd hope Dumbledore would avoid. He was beginning to despise these meetings just as much as he had when they were with Snape, an arrangement that had quickly ended after the potion's master had breached the barriers surrounding his time looking at the pictures of his parents and his worst memories with the Dursleys.
'Even if I don't seem to be making as much progress, I definitely prefer having Professor Dumbledore in my head over Snape, at least. I don't know what that look he gave me after his last lesson was all about, but at least the git's stopped glaring at me every time I see him at dinner now.'
Upon reaching the gargoyle statue Harry made one last attempt to clear his mind before giving the password, "Toffypops." and stepping onto the revolving staircase as the statue slid to the side. Upon reaching the top of the staircase he knocked on Dumbledore's door and walked in when he received permission to enter.
Harry was surprised to see Tonks getting up from her seat across from Dumbledore as he walked in. "Wotcher, Harry." She said grinning at his surprised expression.
"Er...hey Tonks. Don't take this the wrong way but I wasn't really expecting to see you again tonight."
Tonks shrugged and looked like she was about to answer before Dumbledore spoke up, "Nymphadora was just informing me of your progress, Harry. I've got to say that I'm quite impressed with what she's told me, but of course considering the leaps and bounds you've been making in all of your studies this summer perhaps I shouldn't be so surprised."
Harry struggled to contain his smile at the praise, despite the aggravated look his friend shot at Dumbledore, "Thank you, sir, but I doubt I'd be doing as well as I am without Tonks' help." He replied, receiving a grateful look from Tonks in addition to the twinkling amusement in the Headmaster's eyes.
'And I definitely wouldn't have gotten this far if I followed your example of using her first name so often. I hate to think of the beating she'd give me if I tried it.'
As Tonks stepped out of the office and Harry sat down in the chair she had been occupying previously Dumbledore explained what memory he wanted him to protect, which happened to be the first time he met Hedwig, and continued in conversation, as he'd come to expect. "So, Harry, I have been informed by Nymphadora that she's managed to get top box seats to the World Cup tomorrow. She said that she'd been planning on taking one of her friends, but seeing as how tomorrow is the full moon she was reassigned to a patrol."
Harry blinked in surprise at the news, "I didn't realize she even had them. It's too bad her friend can't go with her. Did she say who she was planning on taking with her instead?"
Dumbledore nodded, and opened his mouth, as if to say something but before Harry could register what it was a great wave crashed against his mental barriers and he immediately turned his full attention to keeping them up as long as possible. He knew that eventually they would come crashing down, at which point he would start actively defending the memory itself. The two of them spent three minutes staring at each other, Dumbledore the picture of calmness while Harry glared stubbornly back at him, sweat starting to bead on his forehead.
The battle of wills raged on for only a few seconds longer before Harry felt the barrier crack and winced as seconds later it broke entirely, leaving Dumbledore's immense willpower to flood into his mind. The younger wizard immediately retreated into his mind and started leading Dumbledore on a wild goose chase, throwing memories of him in Diagon Alley from his second year at him before leading him to one of Dumbledore's many etiquette lessons and then to the Chamber of Secrets as he killed the basilisk only to be poisoned in the process.
Dumbledore searched for the memory for a good ten minutes before finally finding it, hidden in a cluster of memories detailing the taste of each every flavored bean he'd eaten. After finding it he immediately withdrew and looked at the exhausted Harry proudly, "That was very clever of you, Harry. I must say that while your barriers are getting more impressive by the day I do believe that you excel at hiding specific memories from me."
Harry smiled tiredly, "Thank you, sir. Are there any other memories you want me to protect?"
The Headmaster shook his head, "No, Harry. I believe that will be good for tonight." He said, before reaching out a staying hand as Harry began to stand up, "However I would appreciate it if you stay for a few minutes longer."
"Of course, sir." He answered, sitting back down.
"I'd like to continue speaking with you about Nymphadora's trip to the World Cup tomorrow. You asked if she'd mentioned who she wanted to take with her and, while I chose that time to probe your mind, I felt that we should discuss it." Dumbledore started, smiling at Harry's questioning gaze, "She asked me if I would allow you have the day off to go with her to the cup tomorrow. While I'll admit I was slightly hesitant to allow it, once she had explained how much you've improved, along with her insistence that you needed a rest day I've come to see the wisdom in it. So, if you would like, you may accompany her tomorrow, additionally I feel that you should take Monday off as well."
Despite his exhaustion, a beaming smile lit up Harry's face, though it quickly faltered as he thought about his earlier conversation with Tonks, "Thank you, sir. I really appreciate it, but are you sure I shouldn't be training tomorrow? We only have one week left before term starts, and I still have to go to Diagon Alley too."
Dumbledore nodded confidently, "After considering Nymphadora's proposal I have to agree with her. You'll be taking this full next week off of magical training, and I would like to discuss both that and your trip to Diagon Alley." Harry's eyes narrowed suspiciously as he nodded for the headmaster to continue, "We have discussed in the past the blood wards on your...relatives' home, do you remember this, Harry?"
The younger wizard let out a long sigh, his earlier excitement sinking a little as he realized where this was going, "Sir, please don't tell me you're sending me back to the Dursley's..."
"I'm not overly excited about the prospect myself, however it only takes a week to charge the wards for another year, and if we do not then the Dursleys may well be vulnerable to an attack by Tom's forces. We may not have seen a lot of activity yet, but there are stirrings, Harry."
A conflicted expression found itself onto Harry's face at his mentor's explanation, "But...they're the worst, Professor! They probably won't even want to take me back now, anyways!"
"My boy...I know that your relatives have given you little reason to care for them, and while I wish that I could alter that fact, the truth is simply that I cannot. However, not only would allowing them to be vulnerable to attack be immoral, it would also be unwise on our part. The death eaters may want to hurt them to provoke you, but they would also be able to gather information on you that they could use against us. As regretful as it is, it's important that you help keep them safe until we can come up with a better solution. By next summer, I expect that will no longer be an issue."
Harry struggled against Dumbledore's logic for a few moments before collapsing back into his chair with a low groan, "Fine...I'll do it, but this is the last time, Professor. I don't want to ever go back to Privet Drive again after this, deal?"
A heavy silence hung over the headmaster's office for a few moments as Dumbledore eyed Harry thoughtfully while the younger wizard stared back obstinately until finally the older wizard nodded with a sigh, "Very well, I promise that you will never have to stay with the Dursleys again after next week." He agreed, before continuing with a twinkle in his eyes, "Now that we have that settled, I would like to move on to the discussion on Diagon Alley. Harry, I would like to accompany you to pick up your school supplies."
"Well...alright, but why?" Harry asked, bewilderment clear on his face.
"It never hurts for one to get out and experience the world, Harry. I have not often had the chance to simply explore the alley for several years, and I have found that the most wonderous kinds of magic are abundant during the week after Hogwarts letters go out." The old man beamed brightly at his reasoning, "Though, there are other reasons as well. For one, I would like to speak to your relatives in person, but also I believe that you may have outgrown your wand and if that is the case then it would be prudent to replace it."
Harry's blinked in a mixture of confusion and disbelief at the suggestion, "Are you sure about that, Sir?" He asked, a note of skepticism tinging his voice.
"I'm not entirely sure, but Olivander will be able to tell us for sure. If you have not then I would still recommend that you acquire a backup wand, as it could prove quite useful down the road. Aside from that I suppose that I should give you your letter, so as to save one of Hogwart's owls an unnecessary trip to the great hall." He said, as he opened a drawer in his desk and pulled Harry's letter out to hand it to him. "I do believe that congratulations are in order, by the way."
Harry quirked a questioning eyebrow at the Headmaster as he opened the envelope and pulled his letter out,understanding, quickly followed by a small amount of surprise, dawned on his face as a metal object clattered onto the desk. 'Is that...no way!' He almost couldn't believe it as he picked up a shining silver badge with the word Prefect engraved on it, "I…thank you, sir."
Dumbledore smiled and shook his head, "It wasn't me that selected you, Harry, it was Professor McGonagall. She believes, despite the trouble you've managed to get into these past few of years, that you will make an excellent prefect, and I'm inclined to agree with her. I'm afraid that this year will be quite a busy one though, what with all the extra students that will be here."
Harry nodded in understanding, having been let in on increasingly open secret of the Tri-Wizard tournament, given the necessary preparations that the staff were making to the castle over the summer. "I'll make sure to thank her next time I see her, sir."
"Very well. Now run along, Harry. I believe Nymphadora will be here fairly early tomorrow morning to pick you up, so I suggest you get a good night's sleep."
Harry smiled brightly and wished Dumbledore a good night as he stepped out of his office and made his way, however slowly, to the room of requirement, which he'd been using as a bedroom since he'd gotten here. 'I suppose that I could, and probably should, be sleeping in the tower but it just feels...empty without everybody else here.' He mused, making sure to clean himself up again before quickly making his way to bed and falling asleep almost immediately, thoughts drifting towards the coming day.
August 22nd, 1994
Harry smirked at Tonks as they trudged towards the portkey departure zone in Hogsmeade, "You know, Tonks," He started, his amusement growing by the second as the witch shot him a groggy glare.
"Don't even start, Harry." She grumbled tiredly.
Ignoring her warning he continued, "I was just thinking, weren't you telling me about how I was a wimp for sleeping in until eight the other day? I thought that you were used to getting up at five in the morning or something."
Tonks shook her head in annoyance, "Shut it, Harry. I stayed up a little later than I meant to last night, and for the record I have in fact been up since five. Just because I didn't get to the castle until seven doesn't mean anything." She grumbled.
"Alright, fine. I'll stop teasing you, Tonks. I understand that you, as my elder, need to get plenty of sleep." He replied, laughing as she threw him another glare and her hair briefly flashed crimson before settling back into shamrock green.
"Just wait, Harry. You're laughing now but you'll get what's coming to you later." She responded in a somewhat menacing tone, although it was immediately undermined by the yawn that followed it, making Harry laugh again.
"If you say so, Tonks."
"I do. Anyways, it looks like we're about there. Our portkey is going to be a skillet, you know how to use one right?"
'Better than you might expect. Except for the portkey part.' The younger wizard thought cheekily, before nodding at her question.
"Yeah, haven't actually used one yet…hopefully it works out better than floo travel for me." At Tonks' inquiring look he shrugged, "See every time I go through the floo I come out and immediately fall on my arse."
Tonks broke out in hysterical laughter, "That's great! The illustrious Harry Potter completely incapable of landing on his feet."
"Whatever…I thought you were tired, Tonks." He muttered as he found the skillet she mentioned surrounded by a small group of people and walked towards it with her.
"I was, Harry, but then you told me a great joke to wake me up. You're such a wonderful friend."
Harry considered making another smartass comment but decided against it, "So when are we supposed to leave?" He asked, doing his best to ignore the stares that were being directed at him by the surrounding people as he subtly brushed his hair to hide his scar.
"Here in about three minutes." Tonks answered after glancing at her watch.
Harry nodded and the two began casually talking about how they thought the game was going to go for another two minutes before turning their attention back to the skillet and grabbing it along with the other passengers. As the seconds to departure ticked by Harry took a deep breath and tried to brace himself for the trip, despite not quite knowing what he was in for. When the last second ticked away and he felt the tug on his navel he immediately knew he wasn't the least bit prepared. 'Merlin this is terrible, why does every form of wizarding travel except broomsticks have to try to kill me? Scratch that, brooms are death traps too.'
They were being whipped around as they rocketed towards their destination at a ridiculous rate, 'If this keeps up much longer, I'm going to be sick...' He reflected, holding back a groan. The second they landed Harry let go of the pan and stumbled backwards until he tripped and fell roughly on his rear, making Tonks break out in laughter again.
Harry glared at her as he stumbled to his feet, rubbing his butt, "Shut it, Tonks. I'm surprised you've managed to stay standing as long as you have."
Tonks just grinned at him, still laughing lightly, "Oh come on, Harry, it's funny! It's not every day that I get to watch somebody else fall down."
Harry sighed and let a small smile cross his face, "I guess, anyways let's get going. You said earlier that we have to get the tent set up and I'd like to check out the vendors before the match starts." He said, doing his best to act like he hadn't just fallen down.
"Alright, let's go. Watch your step, we wouldn't want you to trip again." Tonks said, leading the way to the camp ground after paying the old muggle man at the gate.
The grin on Tonks' face as she glanced back at him was infectious and soon the two were laughing and making jokes again as they made their way through the grounds, Harry marveling at their surroundings and, more than once found himself blushing when Tonks caught him staring at several witches, though thankfully she seemed too preoccupied to notice the wizard that had also caught his eye. "Harry, I'm a little jealous, you're staring at all these witches you've never even seen before but you don't even give me a second glance!" She teased him after about the third time she'd caught him looking at somebody, this time it happened to be a particularly beautiful French speaking witch with silver-blonde hair.
"How can you be so sure that I don't look at you, Dora?" He shot back, grinning cheekily at her through the blush that had appeared on his face, his grin only grew wider when her eyes widened and a blush appeared on her own face for a moment before she hid it. He laughed at her reaction, "To be honest, Tonks, you're beautiful but you're already dating...Weaver, was it? Anyways, that's why I don't look at you like that, out of respect for you." He replied honestly before pausing with a shrug, "Besides, I'm still in school and you're an auror...I doubt that'd work out well for either of us, you know?"
"Aww. That's so sweet! So apparently you're a romantic too!" Tonks said after a brief moment of shock, bringing the blush on Harry's face back instantly, "I'll make sure to tell that to your girlfriend."
Harry rolled his eyes, "I told you already, Tonks, I don't have a girlfriend. And to be honest considering almost every girl in Hogwarts that's interested in me only wants to date the boy who lived, I don't see that changing too soon." 'And as far as I know, there's not a single bloke in Hogwarts that would touch me with an eleven foot pole...Merlin, I'm glad I didn't say that out loud.' He thought, his already burning cheeks flushing crimson at the unspoken innuendo.
"You say that now, Harry, but just you wait. I bet that this year there's going to be girls begging to go out with you…and not just because you've got a scar."
"If you say so, Tonks. Tell you what, if I end up going out with somebody any time soon you'll be the first to know about it." He replied, somewhat skeptically.
"I'll hold you to that, Harry." Tonks responded before glancing around and grinning, "Aha! It looks like we're here, Harry. Drop the tent over there and I'll put it up, once we're done you can put the bag inside and we'll figure out the plan." She said, pointing towards a somewhat small open space between two large tents.
Harry nodded his understanding and pulled the tent out of its bag, tossing it to the stretch of ground she'd pointed at when he was done. Almost as soon as the tent had landed Tonks waved her wand at it and it immediately put itself up, even going so far as to hammer its own stakes into the ground. Once it was finished he followed Tonks through the flap and grinned as he entered what resembled a two bedroom apartment complete with a kitchen and bathroom.
"I really do love magic."
"I know, it's brilliant isn't it?" Tonks grinned, "Alright, I've got the room on the right you get the left. Go ahead and toss your bag in there and we'll talk a bit, then you can go roam about the grounds buying souvenirs that you'll regret getting in a week and talking to pretty girls you probably won't see again."
He couldn't help but laugh at the joke but did as she said and after taking a minute to look around the room after dropping his bag he walked back into the kitchen, "Alright, miss bossy pants, what rules are you wanting to put down?"
Tonks tried to look angry but failed miserably, succeeding in making Harry laugh again before bursting into laughter herself. Once she'd managed to calm down again she started, "Alright well you're right, unfortunately. This is the part where Molly would normally warn you against wandering off on your own and such, but we both know that I'm not her and that you are far from unable to take care of yourself." She said, gaining a thankful smile from Harry, "That said basically the only thing I'm going to tell you is that you need to be back here in about two hours so we can get to our seats before the match starts and not to drink until after the game because we're going to be in the same box with Fudge and a bunch of other stuck-up prudes. Price of the good seats, I suppose, but on the bright side Arthur's got tickets as well so your friends should be there too."
Harry perked up significantly at the mention of the Weasley patriarch, and he smiled widely at the thought of seeing Ron and Hermione again, "Alright, Tonks, seems like a fair enough deal. For the record I really do appreciate you bringing me along and not treating me like a kid."
Tonks shrugged, "Well you deserved a break, and as far as not treating you like a kid goes you've more than proven to me that you're more mature than most of the aurors in the academy were. I meant it when I said I knew you could take care of yourself, just don't prove me wrong on that or I'll never hear the end of it from Molly, assuming I ever see her again."
Harry nodded, "Alright. Before I go is there anything you want from the vendors? I know I saw a guy selling omnioculars somewhere around here and I'm definitely going to get a pair, if you want I can grab another pair."
"No thanks, Harry. I appreciate it but I've got plenty of money to get a pair if I see him. That said, if you happen to see an Irish jersey I'd pay you back if you could snag one for me."
"Okay, I'll make sure to look for one then." He said, before heading out into the grounds to wander a bit.
Nearly an hour and a half passed and he hadn't seen anything worth buying, but just as he was about to turn around and head in the opposite direction he saw a vendor selling the jerseys that Tonks had asked for. Harry quickly made his way over to the man, not paying much attention to where he was going and was surprised when he suddenly ran into somebody who seemed to be paying just as little attention as he was, sending him crashing to his rear with a soft "Oof!"
The dark-haired wizard started pushing himself up from the ground, rubbing his behind sorely as an irritated look flashed across his face. He opened his mouth to apologize when a familiar voice rang out in his ears, "Hey, watch where you're going, or you'll get yourself hurt!"
Harry's eyes widened in shock and his gaze whipped upwards to see the scraggly ginger hair of his best friend, shortly joined by an out of breath Hermione as she caught up to the taller boy, "Ronald, I told you not to-" Her sentence trailed off as she finally noticed the dark haired wizard staring up at them, a simultaneously incredulous and excited look spreading across her face, "H-Harry?!"
"Wait, Harry? Where's-" Ron practically shouted, looking around excitedly before catching on and following Hermione's gaze, "Wait...Harry?!"
A beaming grin found its way to Harry's face as he finished pushing himself up from the ground and stepped forward to pull both of his best friends into a hug, "Hey guys...err, sorry for running into you, Ron." He laughed, nervously glancing around at the crowd before letting out a breath of relief to see most everybody paying no attention to them. "I didn't expect to see any of you until the game started."
Curiosity and excitement warred on both Ron and Hermione's faces, though as the two of them finally broke out of their own shock they returned his hug forcefully as they laughed, "Why didn't you tell us that you were coming? Dad got tickets, and was planning on taking you with us but he said that Dumbledore changed his mind at the last minute!"
"Oh, well Tonks got an extra ticket and offered to bring me along." He explained simply, before realizing how little he was actually tell them, "Ah...I mean, one of my tutors brought me."
Both Gryffindors nodded, Hermione still clearly curious while Ron simply pushed forward with a beaming smile, "Well, it doesn't really matter, what's important is that we're all here now!" He exclaimed before letting go of Harry and taking a step back to look at him. "Woah...mate, what happened to you?"
Harry glanced down at himself in confusion, before looking back up to his friends and shaking his head, "I...well, I guess I've been working out, if that's what you mean...but I couldn't have changed that much right?"
Ron simply blinked, seemingly unable to form words until his mouth started to open, only for Hermione to cut him off before he could start the sentence, "What Ronald is trying to say is that you're, ah...developing differently than he expected." She offered delicately, a light blush of her own powdering her cheeks as the two of them examined him.
'Differently? What's that supposed to mean? Unless...oh, Merlin, this is all Tonks' fault! If she hadn't got me braiding my hair, but...she said developing, did they even notice my hair, then?' The blush dominating Harry's own cheeks grew brighter as he struggled to find a response, before finally settling on an unintelligent, "Oh..."
Panic flashed across both friends' faces at his response and they quickly shook their heads, "Oh, Harry! It's not a bad thing, it's just diff- err, well I mean it works for you."
A soft sigh escaped Harry's lips and he shrugged, but before he could brush it off Ron's hand settled onto his shoulder, "Cheer up, mate, you might not look like a normal bloke, but it suits you."
Hermione's face twisted into a horrified look as she stared at the redhead, only to blink in surprise as Harry let out a soft laugh, shaking his head, "Thanks guys, I appreciate it." He muttered, drawing a bright grin from Ron as he let his hand drop to his side.
"Don't mention it, besides I always wanted to be the tall one anyways." The youngest Weasley quipped back, drawing a more sincere laugh from all three of them.
"Well, I think you'll win that one, Ron." Harry replied before straightening up completely and glancing around curiously, "So you said that your dad's here? Where is he?"
"I dunno, the blokes next to us had a ray-doe or something and he wanted to talk to them about it, Hermione and I just got tired of listening to Percy ramble on about his cauldron bottoms, so we decided to explore a bit."
"It's a radio, Ron. It picks up frequencies from a...oh never mind." The witch shook her head as she thought better of trying to explain it to him, "But yes, that's basically what happened."
Harry had to fight back a smirk at the idea of the two of them trapped with the immortally strict Weasley sibling lecturing them on cauldrons before shrugging, "Well, okay then...what do the two of you want to do? I'm not sure how long we've got until-" Suddenly his eyes widened as he remembered what he was supposed to be doing, his gaze quickly passed over the crowd again looking for the jersey vendor, only for his heart to sink as he realized he was already gone. "Ah, great...well so much for that idea."
"What idea?" Hermione probed, clearly confused as he frowned.
"Oh, well I promised Tonks that I would help her find a jersey, but it looks like the guy's already gone." He explained, drawing an embarrassed look from the taller of his friends as he seemed to realize that he had stopped Harry from getting there. "It's not a huge deal...I should probably get back to her soon, though. Do you want to come along? She said that we're in the same box."
"Do you even have to ask, Harry? Of course we want to come!"
Hermione shook her head, "I think that Mr. Weasley is waiting on us to go to the box, though. He'd be worried if we didn't come back..."
"Bollocks, she's right...if we don't get back there soon then Dad might send Percy after us to torture us with his 'ministry work'." Ron groaned with a grimace mirrored by the bushy haired girl. "Well...if we're in the same box then we'll meet back up there."
"Alright, deal. I'll see you two in a little bit then." Harry grinned, waving at both of them as they turned and disappeared back into the crowd, leaving him alone as he made his own way back towards Tonks' tent. 'Well, that was...unexpected. If Ron and Hermione of all people thought I looked different, then...well, at least they said it wasn't a bad change, right?' He took a deep breath and did his best to push the thoughts of their surprise away, at least for a moment, instead focusing on the excitement of the coming game and being able to spend more time with his friends.
By the time that he'd managed to make his way back to the tent he was wearing a wide smile, one that spread to Tonks' own face as she saw him, "Wotcher, Harry! You didn't happen to find the jerseys, did you?" She asked hopefully.
"Crap...yeah, I did but before I could get to them the guy apparated away." He explained, his smile faltering slightly.
"Aww, well that sucks, but I guess I can try to find them again later. Out of curiosity, what stopped you from getting them?"
"I uh...I ran into Ron and Hermione." He stammered, not meeting her eye as he tried to breeze past the actual impact.
"Oh, that makes sense." Tonks replied, before a smirk creeped across her face, "I was half expecting you to say you ran into that silver haired girl you were staring at earlier."
"I-I wasn't staring at her, Tonks!" Harry stammered out, drawing an incredulous look from the auror before rolling his eyes as color returned to his cheeks, "Anyways, shouldn't we get going? You said we needed to leave early to get to our seats on time."
Tonks nodded and began walking, "You're right...but that doesn't change the fact that you were staring, Harry."
"Don't you have anything better to do than torment me?"
"Nope! But I'll drop it for now, why don't you tell me about your friends instead?" She asked expectantly as they began walking up the stairs to the stands.
Relief passed over Harry's face as she changed the subject to a safer one, though as he thought back to the brief meeting with his friends his mouth quirked downwards, trying to figure out how much he really wanted to tell her about it, "Well...it was only for a few minutes, but it was pretty much like it always is with them." Tonks smiled at that before motioning for him to continue. Harry sighed, "They were happy to see me, but...I guess they were surprised to see how much I'd changed."
The auror raised a curious eyebrow, "Changed how?"
"Err, well...they said that I looked different." He sighed, drawing a confused stare from the metamorph before shaking his head, "You know...pretty not handsome."
Tonks' smile faltered somewhat as she realized what he was saying, "That's not a bad thing, though! Different people grow up in different ways, and besides it really does work for you."
Embarrassment washed back over him, even as he couldn't help but smile at her compliment, "That's what they said, too."
Relief seemed to flow over Tonks, allowing her smile to settle back into place, "Good, then there's no reason to worry about it. All that's important is that you're happy with the way you are."
"Well...maybe I'm starting to get there." He murmured, 'I just wish I understood what's happening to me. The Dursleys didn't exactly tell me anything about any of this stuff, but that pamphlet McGonagall handed out doesn't really explain any of this either...' Harry's mind turned these thoughts over in his head as they left the stairs and came into the top box, they had barely even stepped through the door before the Minister of Magic had spotted them and directed a bright smile at Harry, causing him to groan quietly beneath his breath.
"Harry! It's good to see you, my boy! How has your summer been so far?" Fudge asked excitedly, shaking his hand vigorously.
"It's been good, Sir." Harry responded, forcing a smile on his face.
"Good, good, I'm glad to hear it, Harry. There's somebody I'd like to introduce you to, once he gets here. He's the Head Auror in the French ministry and since I heard you wanted to become an auror I figured you might want to talk to him."
Harry's smile turned slightly more genuine at that, but not too much more…this was still Fudge he was dealing with after all. Still hopefully between this French guy and the other politicians in the box he wouldn't have to deal with the minister too much. After a few more minutes of excited conversation from Fudge and polite nods and answers from Harry the minister finally turned to the others in the booth allowing him to make his way towards his seat next to Tonks. Harry had managed to get half way to his seat when another voice, one he was much more interested in hearing, called out to him. "Harry!"
Harry turned on the spot, beaming with a genuine smile as the Weasleys and Hermione descended upon him, "Hey, everyone, sorry I couldn't come to the Burrow this summer."
Arthur waved off his apology, smiling gently as he directed his children into their seats before patting the younger wizard's shoulder in a fatherly way, "Don't worry about it, Harry, we know you've been busy. I'm just glad that you got the chance to come to the world cup after all, seats like this can be a once in a lifetime chance."
"Definitely, I wouldn't miss this for the world. It's a shame that Mrs. Weasley couldn't come though."
Mr. Weasley laughed, shaking his head as he led Tonks and Harry over towards their seats, "Oh, I wouldn't worry about her, Harry. She doesn't care too much for quidditch." He reassured him, before briefly stopping to introduce the two oldest Weasley sons, Charlie and Bill and then letting him continue on to sit between Ron and Ginny.
"Hey, Ginny, how are you doing?" He asked, causing the younger girl to flush furiously, though given her lack of escape routes she managed to swallow her anxiety long enough to offer him a shy smile.
"I-I'm alright, Harry. How was your summer?"
'Well, at least she's finally talking to me now...even if the staring has only gotten worse.' Harry thought to himself while returning her smile, "Long...but good. What about yours?"
"S-same." She replied shortly, before sinking further down into her chair, apparently at her threshold for interaction with him.
Deciding to let Ginny be for now, he instead turned back towards Ron and Hermione, not surprised to hear the redhead lamenting that the Cannons hadn't made it to the world cup, though clearly he was still excited to be here. Harry joined into the conversation, making light talk with the two of them until the festivities started. As the two teams' mascots took the field Harry couldn't help but feel that something was very off about the women that had come to cheer the Bulgarians on, though all thoughts of the beautiful women were discarded the moment that the match began.
Both Ireland and Bulgaria put on a good show, even if it was clear that Krum was carrying the rest of his team, something that became even more apparent as the officials called a time out to check out Ireland's seeker. While the players hovered on the sides of the field and Harry found himself lost in a conversation with Hermione a wave of tension seemed to roll over the stadium. He tried to clear his mind as he turned his attention back to the field and was met with the sight of the Bulgarian's cheerleaders flying in formation across the stadium, Harry's stomach did a summersault and his breath caught in his chest as he watched the witches.
A ruckus seemed to have erupted somewhere in the stands, but Harry could hardly care less as his heart pounded and his skin began to tingle hotly. In a desperate attempt to understand what was happening he looked back towards Hermione, only to see her flushing brightly as she gawked at him, "M-M'ione, what's wrong?" He gasped out, before doubling over as a strange sensation rushed through his navel mixing both pain and an unidentified pleasure, his bushy haired friend all but forgotten, "Nngh...s-stop, please..." He pleaded quietly to himself as he sat bent over in his seat.
Finally, as the stadium around him shouted out angrily, the worst of the feelings faded away and he managed to briefly glance up at the field to see the mascots being escorted from the field, now covered with smoldering feathers. Before he could fully process what might have happened, a strong hand landed on his shoulder, feeling cool against his still hot skin even through his shirt. "Mr. Weasley, w-what was that?" Harry asked miserably, until he realized with a start that the Weasley patriarch was standing in front of him directing a concerned look at somebody behind him.
"The feeling will pass, mademoiselle, do not worry." Harry's eyes followed the smooth voice to see an older wizard with a goatee connected to the hand on his shoulder, "It is simply part of growing up."
The confusion dominating Harry's mind only intensified at the man's unhelpful explanation, "Excuse me, sir, but would you mind letting go of Harry? He seems uncomfortable."
Harry whipped his head back towards Arthur, grateful for the man's protection as he continued to hold his stomach tightly even after the strange man's hand left his shoulder, though the pressure inside of him did seem to let up slightly with his retreat. "Of course, I was only trying to help." The man answered respectfully, though his gaze held a certain curiosity to it that Harry didn't appreciate.
Mr. Weasley's eyes bore into the unknown man protectively, even as he offered an understanding smile, "Of course, it's just that Harry doesn't usually like people he doesn't know touching him, do you, Harry?" The redheaded man waited patiently for the dark haired wizard to shake his head in confirmation, "But we do appreciate the thought, mister..."
Rather than being insulted, the older man chuckled at Arthur's protectiveness, "I apologize, I should have considered that first." He relented with a smile as Tonks joined Harry's side as well, "But, my name is Sebastian Delacour, Head Auror in the French Ministry."
Harry blinked in shock, momentarily forgetting his discomfort as he turned and looked up at the French wizard, not overly thrilled by the realization that practically everybody else in the box was staring at him as well. 'Wonderful, just what I need...more attention.' He mused ruefully, before forcing himself to concentrate on the conversation happening around him.
"Ah, I see...I apologize, Mr. Delacour, I didn't realize-" Mr. Weasley started, looking almost as uncomfortable as Harry until the other wizard waved his hand dismissively.
"Think nothing of it, I was the rude one after all, and I should let you return to watching the match. However, if you are he- excuse me, his guardian I would like to speak to you afterwards, if that is alright."
"I, well..." Arthur started, clearly unsure what to say as he looked towards Harry with concern, "That's up to Harry, here."
Harry's previous discomfort returned under the Weasley patriarch's gaze, 'Why would he want to talk to Mr. Weasley about me? Better yet, why wouldn't he want to talk to me about it?! How come everybody always keeps-ngh!' Another wave of the disorienting sensation pulsed through his stomach, interrupting his thoughts and leading him to reluctantly nod his head towards Arthur, after all if he couldn't trust Mr. Weasley with this then who could he trust? 'Fine...if he knows what's happening to me then maybe he knows how to get it to stop...'
"As long as you're sure, Harry..."
"Just...whatever will help stop the pain." He muttered back, drawing a sympathetic look from Hermione and Ginny next to him while Sebastian smiled softly.
"I can't promise anything, but I believe that I can help. Or at least, I know somebody who can. I'll meet with you after the match, monsieur." The older man offered, before retreating back to his seat and leaving Harry to try and suppress his embarrassment and pain while Tonks took Arthur's spot near him.
"Are you sure you're alright, Harry? We can leave if you need to." The young auror offered, concern clear in her eyes.
"N-no, I'm fine." He answered, drawing a skeptical look from his friends, "Really, guys...I've had worse, besides it's starting to pass now. Let's just watch the rest of the match."
An uneasy silence fell across the row as Tonks nodded hesitantly and everybody started to turn their attention back towards the game. Harry did his best to follow along, but found it difficult to track the snitch from his doubled over position. Finally, after far too long in Harry's opinion, the stands roared to life along with Bagman's voice shouting over them that Krum had caught the snitch, but the Irish had won the match.
Despite the fervor erupting all around him, and his desperate attempt to enjoy the game, all he could think as the twins hugged each other tightly was one question.
'What's wrong with me?'