Chapter 1: Out of Trouble

Josh Anderson was a highly unusual boy in many ways. For one thing, he didn't really like the summer holidays just that much like any other, well, maybe except for one who hated the summer holidays so much. And another thing that made him unusual was because he was a wizard and not just a wizard. He was the True Heir of Slytherin, a secret he yet to tell his friends, though his family and Dumbledore already know. And yes, Josh was related to Slytherin, but not only him, but to the one-who-must-not-be-named. Josh and his family were the very distant cousins of Lord Voldemort himself.

It was nearly two in the afternoon, and Josh was sitting as his desk, moving the tip of his eagle-feather quill down the page, frowning as he looked for something that would help him write his essay, 'Witch Burning in the Fourteenth Century Was Completely Pointless — discuss.'

"This essay is completely pointless," Josh mumbled to himself. His quill paused at the top of a likely looking paragraph. Josh moved closer to the book, and read:

Non-magic people (more commonly known as Muggles) were particularly afraid of magic in medieval times, but not very good at recognizing it. On the rare occasion that they did catch a real witch or wizard, burning had no effect whatsoever. The witch or wizard would perform a basic Flame-Freezing Charm and then pretend to shriek with pain while enjoying a gentle, tickling sensation. Indeed, Wendelin the Weird enjoyed being burned so much that she allowed herself to be caught no less than forty-seven times in various disguises.

"Weirdo," Josh murmured and then dipped his quill into some ink, and began to write. "This is soooo boring," he sighed as he wrote lazily.

For Josh, this was to be a busy summer, because his teachers at Hogwarts had given him a lot of holiday work. All of these essays seemed to take Josh a large amount of time, and yet he still got them done, but not because his mother told him too, but just to get them out of they way so he could enjoy his holiday.

There was a knock on the door, and Josh's mom entered, carrying a basket full of clean clothes. "Are you doing your homework like I asked?" she asked and got her answer when she saw her son sitting lazily at his desk trying to do his homework.

"Mum, this is boring," Josh sighed heavily. "History is boring."

"I know, son," Mrs. Anderson replied, walking over to Josh's drawers to put his clothes away.

"What's the point in learning History anyways?" Josh asked his mother, taking the advantage to procrastinate.

"Well, Present time is most important, of course," Mrs. Anderson said, "but you must remember it was influenced by the past, and it will influence your future. Those who forget their history are doomed to repeat it." Josh nodded and his mother continued. "By learning about these things, you learn about the world around you. What shaped it, what it has become, and what it will become. It might not make sense now, but everything you learn in school affects you, and will continue to affect you. You will take away many things from school you might not immediately have a use for, but it will come in handy at one point in your life, whether you know it or not."

"Wow, mum," Josh said. "That is a very smart answer...but it still doesn't state why learning history is soooo booring!" he said, making his mother chuckle. "Can I go talk to Grandpa? I have to ask him something."

"Not until you finish your History essay," Mrs. Anderson answered as she finished putting Josh's clothes away.

"But mum," Josh whined, slouching in his chair. "I can't think straight right now, and I need a break."

"Okay, what do you have finished?" Josh's mother asked, walking over to her son with an empty basket under her arm while Josh began pulling out papers.

"Transfiguration, Charms, Defense, Astronomy, Herbology," Josh answered, showing his mother the completed Essays. "I'm almost done with Potions, just need a few more inches or so to write. And I have a lot to finish for History, but I promise i'll finish it later."

Mrs. Anderson looked at her son, who was looking back at her hopefully. "Alright, fine," she said; Josh giving a fist pump and a quiet 'yes!'. Josh stood up and walked towards the door. "But you better have your last two essays done by friday!" Mrs. Anderson said after her son.

"I will!" Josh shouted and then downstairs, towards the sitting room where Josh's grandfather was sitting and reading the Daily Prophet. Josh saw the font page which showed a man with black shoulder length hair, a mustache, in prison robes, and was screaming and moving violently, though he couldn't hear him.

"Grandpa," Josh said as he walked up to his Grandfather who lowered the newspaper to look at his grandson questioningly. "Who's that man?" Josh asked pointing at the man in the picture.

Grandpa Malcom bent the paper over to look at that picture. "Oh, that's Sirius Black, that is." Josh's grandfather answered.

"Why's he in the paper?" Josh asked curiously. "Did he just get captured or something?"

"No, not exactly," Malcom said. "He was taken to prison about twelve years ago. They said he was a suppporter of You-Know-Who. After Harry survived and Voldemort was gone, He went out and murdered 13 people with one curse, and in broad daylight, full of witnesses. They say he laughed when he was captured and laughed all the way to Azkaban." Josh nodded with wide eyes. "You see, Sirius Black is a fugitive. He escaped Azkaban prison which is very, very curious."

"Why?" Josh asked.

"Cause he's the first one who escaped Azkaban!" Malcom said. "No on has ever escaped in forever before him. Got past the guards somehow, wizards and dementors alike, he did. And no one seems to know how he done it either."

"Could it have been an inside job?" Josh asked.

"Who knows?" Malcom answered. "But only Sirius Black knows. And I bet one wouldn't be able to get close enough to ask him without being bit with the green bullet!"

"The what?" Josh asked, puzzled.

"The killing curse," Malcom chuckled. Josh nodded.

"What's he going to do now?" Josh asked his grandfather.

"My guess would be that he would want to go and finish Harry Potter off," Malcom answered with a serious look, causing Josh to gulp, afraid for his best friend. No doubt this Sirius would be around the neighborhood Harry lived in if he was this good.

"Grandpa?" Josh called, gaining his grandfathers attention. "What wards off a dementor?"

"Ah, that would be the Patronus Charm," Malcom answered with a smile.

"What exactly is a Patronus Charm?" Josh asked.

"The Patronus Charm is a charm that evokes a partially-tangible, positive energy force known as a Patronus. Patronuses are also called spirit guardians though this may only refer to corporeal Patronuses. It is primarily designed for defence against otherwise unbeatable Dark creatures like Dementors and Lethifolds, though there are other uses." Malcom answered as if he were reading from a text book.

"Okay," Josh said. "What's a coreal patronus?"

"A Corporeal Patronus is where your patronus takes the shape of an animal that symbolizes who or what you are," Malcom answered and folded his newspaper in his lap and take a sip of his tea.

"Cool," Josh said thinking that Black could have made one to escape. "Do you need a wand to make a patronus?"

"Well, of course you do," Malcom said, scratching out Josh's theory. "But that's not all either. To successfully cast the Patronus Charm one must muster a happy memory (the happier the more powerful and tangible the Patronus will be) and incant "Expecto Patronum"."

"Can you show me?" Josh asked, on the edge of his seat.

"Sure," Malcom smiled and then pulled out his wand and pointed. "Expecto Patronum."

Josh's eyes widened in awe as white mist flew out of his grandfather's wand, and then it began to take shape. "It's a falcon..." he breathed out and watched in awe as the falcon flew around the sitting room and then disappeared. "Amazing. Can you teach that to me?" he asked his grandfather who put his want on the small table.

"I dunno," Malcom said as he folded his hands in his lap. "It's a very difficuly charm to learn and do. Very advanced magic. Your mother can't even do a corporeal patronus much less a regular one, and she's very good at most magics, and she's older and stronger than you."

Josh bowed his head in disappointment. He didn't care if it was difficult, he still wanted to learn. He can do it, all he needed was his wand, which happened to be in his mother's room. She had taken it when he got home to not get him to do magic like he was last summer.

"So, i expect the reason you came to actually talk to me was about your heritage and relation to Slytherin, yes?" Malcom asked.

"Well, sort of," Josh answered. "Professor Dumbledore says I'm like Slytherin's second son, Sertorius. What do you know about him?"

"Well," Malcom started. "From what I read, Sertorius was second born, and happened to be hated by his father cause it seemed as if Slytherin only wanted one true Slytherin Heir, but it seems his wife did became pregnant again by accident."

"What about his brother?" Josh asked. "Did Sertorius have a good relationship with his brother?"

"They did at first, when as kids, but as they grew older, they ended up having different views on who should be wizards and witches. Sertorius and Septimius's relationship got cold and angry," Malcom answerd. "When Sertorius was a teen, he ran away from home, tired of being abused by his father and brother. His mother having died mysteriously. Sertorius ended up being taken in by Godric Gryffindor himself, his new mentor who teaches him everything he knows. For the first time in Sertotius's life, he had a father."

"So he became a pupil and son of Gryffindor?" Josh said. Malcom nodded. "Didn't Gryffindor have kids of his own?"

"Of course he did," Malcom said. "Gryffindor was a great man and had a big heart. He couldn't let a teen live on his own with nobody to want him, especially if it was his former best friend."

"What do you mean?" Josh asked curiously.

"Godric Gryfindor and Salazar Slytherin use to be best friends, but their views on who should or should not attend Hogwarts tore them apart, and Slytherin took his leave," Malcom answered.

"Just like Sertorius and his brother," Josh noticed.

"Yes, just like Slytherin's sons," Malcom said.

"Grandpa," Josh said. "Why do you think that only I was able to speak Parseltongue? Why did that dormant gene awaken in me?"

"Well, if this would be some kind of fairy tale, then it would mean that you were picked out of our family to do something great like a hero," Malcom said. Josh nodded, yet was dissapointed.

"But this isn't some dumb fairytale, Granpa," Josh said. "This is the real world, so I'm still a nobody. And this Parseltongue is just an accident."

"That may be true, Joshua," said Malcom. "But, so what if your not in some fairytale. You don't have to be in one to be a true hero. But i do know one thing."

"What's that?" Josh asked.

"You are a great wizard, Joshua," Malcom said. "You are very smart and very good at magic. You can be a hero, in here," Josh's grandpa finished pointing at Josh's heart. Josh smiled and nodded.

"Thanks, Grandpa," Josh said as he stood up. "Imma go finish my homework." Malcom nodded and went back to reading the newspaper, and Josh left the room and went upstairs. But he didn't go back to his room to do his homework. Instead, he quietly crept to his mother's room, looking around and making sure his mother was not in any other rooms, or her room to be exact.

Josh slowly entered his mother's room and saw that she wasn't inside. He quietly crept over to his mother's dresser and opened up the drawer, and there it was, his wand. Josh grabbed his wand and and held it up in triumph, a big smile on his face. Easy as pie.

After a few moments, Josh pocketed his wand and then quickly exited his mother's room and ran into his room to shut the door. He pulled out his wand and smirked. He then pointed out his wand and thought of his friends.

"Expecto Patronum!" Josh shouted, but nothing happened. Nothing at all. Josh looked at the tip of his wand and then pointed it again. "Expecto Patronum!" he shouted again, but nothing happened again. "What the heck?" Josh asked himself and then waved his wand up and down. "Expecto Patronum, Expecto Patronum, Expecto Patronum!" And still nothing happened. "Why isn't this working?" Josh asked himself as he stared at his wand.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

"Josh, can you get the door!" Josh's mom shouted.

"Yeah, yeah," Josh sighed and tossed his wand onto his bed and left his room, down the stairs, and to the front door. He opened the door and was very surprised to see the nervous smiling of Harry Potter himself. He was standing there with his trunk standing next to him, and Josh could see Hedwig on a tree behind him. "Harry? What are you doing here?" Josh asked his friend and then quickly looked behind Harry. He could of sworn he saw a purple bus fly off at the speed of light.

"Well, I kind of fell into some trouble," Harry replied with a sheepish smile.

"What kind of trouble?" Josh asked, and before Harry could answer, Mrs. Anderson appeared wipping her hands.

"Who is it, dear?" She asked her son as she appeared behind him, and then saw Harry at her door. "Ah, Harry. Please, come on in. Josh get his trunk." Josh nodded and grabbed Harry's trunk as Harry shyly walk into Josh's house. "Come, Harry, let's have a cup of tea, shall we?" Harry nodded and followed Mrs. Anderson into the kitchen while Josh took Harry's things to a spare room.

A minute later, Josh entered the kitchen to find Harry sitting at the table while his mother was making tea. "So what kind of trouble are you in, Harry?" Josh asked Harry.

"Trouble?" Mrs. Anderson repeated. "You are in trouble?" she asked Harry.

"Yeah, sort of," Harry answered.

"What do you mean?" Josh asked, and before Harry could answer, the flames of the fireplace were heard and so was Josh's grandfather's voice.

"Ah, Minister," Josh and Harry heard from the sitting room, and then the two glanced at one another. "What brings you to this pleasurable house?"

"What's he doing here?" Josh asked and Harry shrugged though on the inside, he was shaking and afraid.

"Ah, Malcom, Evening. I am looking for young Mr. Potter, of course," The Minister's voice was heard.

"Ah, this way, Minister." And seconds later, Minister Fudge and Josh's Grandfather entered the kitchen where Harry and Josh were sitting at the table, Harry's eyes more wider than Josh's.

"Ah, there you are Harry," said the Minister as he smiled at Harry and then saw Josh and his other. "Evening young Mr. Anderson, Sandra."

"Evening, Minister!" said Mrs Anderson with a big smile. "Will you be wanting anything? Butterbeer? Tea?"

"Yes, some tea would be nice," said Fudge with a warm smile. Mrs. Anderson nodded and began to pour tea for the Minister and the boys. "Sandra, can you bring the Tea to the sitting room, if it's no trouble?" Fudge asked.

"No problem, Cornelius," Mrs. Anderson replied.

"Boys, if you will," Minister said as he waved them over. Josh and Harry nodded and followed the Minister into the sitting room. "Sit down, Harry, Joshua," said Fudge, indicating a chairs by the fire.

Harry and Josh sat down. Josh looked over to Harry. He looked nervous and afraid, and it made Josh wonder how bad of the trouble Harry was in. Fudge took off his pinstriped cloak and tossed it aside, then hitched up the trousers of his bottle-green suit and sat down opposite Harry and Josh.

"I am Cornelius Fudge, Harry. The Minister of Magic." The Minister told them.

Josh already knew this, of course; he had seen Fudge once before, but as he had been the one who had witnessed Hermione's petrifying last year, and the minister arrived.

Mrs. Anderson reappeared, wearing an apron over her sundress and bearing a tray of tea and crumpets. She placed the tray on a table between Fudge, Josh and Harry and left the sitting room, closing the door behind her.

"Well, Harry," said Fudge, pouring out tea, "you've had us all in a right flap, I don't mind telling you. Running away from your aunt and uncle's house like that! I'd started to think… but you're safe, and that's what matters." Josh turned to looked at Harry with widened eyes.

Fudge buttered himself a crumpet and pushed the plate toward them. Josh grabbed a crumpet as well and began to eat it.

"Eat, have yourself a crumpet Harry, you look dead on your feet. Now then… You will be pleased to hear that we have dealt with the unfortunate blowing-up of Miss Marjorie Dursley. Two members of the Accidental Magic Reversal Department were dispatched to Privet Drive a few hours ago. Miss Dursley has been punctured and her memory has been modified. She has no recollection of the incident at all. So that's that, and no harm done."

Josh stopped in midchew and stared at Harry who was looking nervous. Harry had blew up his aunt? Wow.

Fudge smiled at Harry and Josh over the rim of his teacup, rather like an uncle surveying a favorite nephew. Josh continued to look at Harry, who had opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out so he closed it again.

"Ah, you're worrying about the reaction of your aunt and uncle?" said Fudge. "Well, I won't deny that they are extremely angry, Harry, but they are prepared to take you back next summer as long as you stay at Hogwarts for the Christmas and Easter holidays."

Harry unstuck his throat.

"I always stay at Hogwarts for the Christmas and Easter holidays." he said. Josh nodded as he drank some of his tea. He then wondered why he was in here in the first place. This was Harry's business, not his.

"But, I don't ever want to go back to Privet Drive," Harry added, speaking for the first time in front of the Minister. Josh nodded to himself. Harry had told him about his homelife and he thought he should get out of there too.

"Now, now, I'm sure you'll feel differently once you've calmed down," said Fudge in a worried tone. "They are your family, after all, and I'm sure you are fond of each other — er — very deep down." Josh snorted quietly and tried not to laugh.

"So all that remains," said Fudge, now buttering himself a second crumpet, "is to decide where you're going to spend the last two weeks of your vacation. I suggest you might as well stay here with the Anderson Family and…"

"Hang on," blurted Harry. "What about my punishment?"

Punishment? Josh thought. Why did he have to be so noble and bring that up? He was just about to get away scott free.

Fudge blinked. "Punishment?"

"I broke the law!" Harry said. "The Decree for the Restriction of Underage Wizardry!" Josh rolled his eyes and ate the last bit of his crumpet.

"Oh, my dear boy, we're not going to punish you for a little thing like that!" cried Fudge, waving his crumpet impatiently. "It was an accident! We don't send people to Azkaban just for blowing up their aunts!" Harry and Josh shared a strange glance.

"Last year, I got an official warning just because a house-elf smashed a pudding in my uncle's house!" Harry told Fudge, frowning. "The Ministry of Magic said I'd be expelled from Hogwarts if there was any more magic there!"

Unless Josh's eyes were deceiving them, Fudge was suddenly looking awkward.

"Circumstances change, Harry…We have to take into account…in the present climate…Surely you don't want to be expelled?"

"Of course I don't," said Harry, Josh nodded nonchalantly while he sipped his tea.

"Well then, what's all the fuss about?" laughed Fudge. "Now, have a crumpet, Harry while I have a small word with Malcom."

Fudge strode out of the sitting room and Josh stared after him, while Harry slumped in his chair and sighed with relief. There was something extremely odd going on.

"Odd," Josh said as Harry did grab a crumpet.

"What's odd?" Harry asked as he looked at the crumpet.

"Why would the Minister just show up hear and not even punish you for making a scene," Josh told Harry. "It isn't really usual for the Minister of Magic to involve himself in matters of underage magic. He usualy does the big things like trying to get a hold on that Sirius Black guy."

Fudge came back minutes later.

"Well, Harry, it seems you are very welcome to stay here for the rest of the summer until school starts," said Fudge. "I think you'll be very comfortable. Just one thing, and I'm sure you'll understand… I don't want you wandering off into the streets of Muggle London, all right? You can go to Diagon Alley if Mrs. Anderson allows it, but only stick to Diagon Alley and the Leaky Cauldron."

"Okay," Harry said slowly with a nod. "But why?"

"Don't want to lose you again, do we?" said Fudge with a hearty laugh. "No, no… best we know where you are… I mean…" Fudge cleared his throat loudly and picked up his pinstriped cloak. "Well, I'll be off, plenty to do, you know…" And then it hit Josh.

"Have you had any luck with Black yet?" Josh blurtedly asked the Minister.

Fudge's finger slipped on the silver fastenings of his cloak. "What's that? Oh, you've heard - well, no, not yet, but it's only a matter of time. The Azkaban guards have never yet failed… and they are angrier than I've ever seen them." Fudge shuddered slightly. "So, I'll say good-bye."

He held out his hand and Harry shook it. Josh, shaking it next.

"Er — Minister? Can I ask you something?" Harry spoke up.

"Certainly," said Fudge with a smile.

"Well, third years at Hogwarts are allowed to visit Hogsmeade, but my aunt and uncle didn't sign the permission form for me. D'you think you could —?"

Fudge was looking uncomfortable. "Ah," he said. "No, no, I'm very sorry, Harry, but as I'm not either of your parent or guardian —"

"But you're the Minister of Magic," Harry said eagerly. "If you gave me permission…"

"No, I'm sorry, Harry, but rules are rules," said Fudge flatly. "Perhaps you'll be able to visit Hogsmeade next year. In fact, I think it's best if you don't… yes… well, I'll be off. Enjoy your stay, Harry."

And with a last smile and shake of Harry's hand, Fudge left the room.

"Well, that stinks," Josh spoke up after a few moments of silence.

"Yeah it does," Harry sighed. "Won't be able to see Hogsmeade for a whole year. I'll probably be the only one stuck at Hogwarts." he finished as the two began to walk to Josh's room.

"Hey, you got the First and Second years," Josh told Harry and patted him on his shoulder. "You can hang out with Ginny, yeah?"

"Seriously?" Harry said. "Her and her big crush on me? It'll be like talking to a wall," he joked and the two laughed as the entered Josh's room to hang out.