Atsurekino Kurome: this is a new story that came to me a few nights ago. I had recently watched a show where a woman murdered her husband using digitalis a.k.a foxglove. Foxglove is actually one of my favorite flowers. Parts of the flower can be used to make heart medicines. Though digitalis is not used as much as the newer drugs. But it can also be used to induce heart problems. And none of the side effects are pretty.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.
Warning: This is severely AU. If you do not like how I have written the characters in this story please do yourself a favor and click either the x at the corner of the screen or the back button. Flames will be used to write my next chapter of either this story or another.
Harry hummed happily to himself as he went about packing his belongings. It wouldn't be long before someone came and picked him up. The ambulance had rushed off with Uncle Vernon not even thirty minutes ago. In fact, he wondered when the police would arrive. That thought brought his attention to the small vial on his desk. He needed to plant that somewhere that Uncle Vernon would never have looked... but it also needed to be obvious enough that the police would find it. Using his dragon hide gloves he picked up the clearly marked bottle. It wouldn't do for them to find his finger prints on the vial.
Digitalis.
The summer before his third year his Aunt Petunia had decided that she had wanted to plant Foxglove. And because she would expect him to take care of the plants Harry had managed to escape to the library and look up everything on the plant. Imagine his surprise when he found out that the plant was also known as Digitalis, and had several medicinal purposes. He knew that many plants were used in medicines... but he was surprised at the thought that the plant could both help and harm someone. Of course in high enough doses, that which cures can kill*. Digitalis was a double edged sword. And when he realized this summer that his life was in danger from not only Voldemort but his obese Uncle, he took action.
Dead Man's Bells. Witch's Gloves.
No one had questioned anything when Uncle Vernon had started to get sick. After all there had been a virus going around. It had started out simply; the man had been nauseas, and had severe headaches. It had been explained away as migraines. The vomiting had also been explained away with the headahces. Thankfully the man hadn't suffered from diarrheoa. Harry didn't think he could take that. But there had been slight abdominal pain. And the cerebral disturbances, hallucinations, and delirium had been amusing to Harry. But the kicker had been when the fat bastard had collapsed clutching at his chest. From what he had gathered from the rushed words of the medics, he uncle was suffering from tachycardia or an increased heart rate.
Harry slowly opened the door to their room and began thinking on places that he could put the vial. The medicine cabinet was out because Uncle Vernon would look there. But... Harry also knew that his uncle knew nothing of plants. Quickly, because he knew that it would not be good for him to be caught in here, he placed the vial in the medicine cabinet and left it slightly ajar. He had no clue who would come first, Dumbledore or the police. Either way he had to make himself seemed shocked and maybe even a bit worried. Especially when it came out that his Aunt had been "poisoning" her husband. A cruel smile split his face just as the doorbell rang and someone was calling out his name. No one would ever guess that it had been him all along.
And now they would have to let him live with Sirius.
It would seem that his course of action had been the right one. Not even a week after they had come and retrieved him, Peirs Polkis had been kissed by a dementer. It was splashed all over the news now. Both muggle and magical papers were reporting it. Not that the magical papers cared that it had been a muggle kissed. Hell Harry didn't care that it had been a muggle that had been kissed. Not that he would ever say that. No he played his part well. He was of course "shocked" that someone from his childhood had been attacked in such a manner. And he was "relieved" to see that there would be a full investigation as to why there had been a dementer there. Again, it wasn't that Harry cared.
He was with his godfather. That was all that mattered. And with Aunt Petunia arrested, and Dudley living with Aunt Marge, there was no place for him to live. The Burrow had been offered. But Harry had declined. More like he had refused on the grounds that now that his godfather had a house he would be living with him. That of course had caused mass chaos in Grimmauld Place. He had ignored how Molly Weasley had gone on a tirade about how this was no place to raise a child. Despite how he might have acted around her, he did not like the woman. He had simply stared at her blankly and asked what claim she had to him. When the woman couldn't answer, he just smiled sweetly and said that Sirius was his godfather. He had just as much of a claim to raise him as the Dursely's did. More so than she did. He thanked her for her offer of her home, but he already had one. With Sirius. And Remus of course.
Things has become tense after that. Sirius had welcomed him with open arms.; happy that his godson still wanted to live with him. And Remus had just been happy to be included. He had even gotten his own room! One bigger than both of Dudley's rooms combined! Sirius had said it had once belonged to his brother Regulus, and that he could decorate it anyway that he wanted. Though Sirius had sounded disparaging when he spoke of Regulus, Harry could see that the thought of his younger brother made his godfather sad. So he had simply kept the room as it was. Well he did ask if they could refresh everything. It was perfect and called to his inner Slytherin. That had just added to the tense atmosphere in the house. Mrs. Weasley wanted him to share a room with Ron. He still hadn't quite forgiven Ron for this past year, or not contacting him during what little time he spent at Durzkaban. There was no telling what he might do to the other boy if they slept in the same room. Then add to it the fact that Mrs. Weasley seemed to think that Sirius was unfit to raise him... Harry was ready to snap. Stupid bloody Gryffindor's! Harry shook his head. That was an insult to his family. Stupid bloody Weasley's. Stupid bloody light wizards and witches! That sounded better.
There was one other thing in his life that he had been keeping secret. Not just the fact that he had poisoned his Uncle. Since the graveyard, his thoughts had been turning darker and darker. He often found himself sneering at passing muggles, or even at Hermione's back. He had no idea where this was coming from. It had been this part of him that had pushed him into taking that final step. But it would seem that he hadn't been able to hide it enough. Because he was now standing in a room full of the Order of the Phoenix. They were all regarding him with looks of suspicion. Well everyone but Sirius and Remus. They looked outraged. But it wasn't directed at him. No it was directed at the headmaster.
"Harry my boy." Something in him twisted in anger at the Headmaster's voice. "There are a few questions I would like to ask you about the incident at your relatives." not trusting himself to speak at the moment Harry nodded. He quickly fixed his face to look confused. He quickly glanced around taking in the room."Forgive me for my bluntness Harry... but since your aunt has been arrested, she has made several claims that cannot be ignored. The authorities are of course brushing off her claims because the poison was found in her room." here the old man's eyes lost their normal twinkle and he frowned. "She had claimed that since you returned you had been doing all of the cooking." Harry's heart skipped a beat. So they had figured it out. Fuck. Time to play the part of the scared little boy.
"W-well... I- they made me. It... It was part of my punishment for the floo incident... I was to cook all the meals and then return to my room after I was finished cooking with..." here he trailed off and looked somewhat frightened.
"With what my dear boy?" again something in him twisted in anger.
"...with a slice of bread and a glass of water... If I was lucky..." he whispered and all chaos broke out in the room. Once things settled down again the Headmaster spoke again. This time his voice was strained.
"Your aunt also claimed that you tended the garden."
Harry nodded slowly. "Aunt Petunia is hopeless at gardening... I take care of the garden..."He frowned wondering when the old man would get to the point. "I'm sorry sir... But... But what does this have to do with what happened?" The Headmaster's eyes had regained their twinkle somewhat only for it to die out at Harry's question.
"Tell me Harry... What do you know of Digitalis?" ah there it was.
He frowned in thought, putting on a show to make it seem like he had to think. "Digitalis is another name for Foxglove. It's also known as Dead Man's Bells and Witch's Gloves. I had to look all the information up in order to learn how to take care of them when Aunt Petunia decided she wanted to grown them. The... The police said that was what Aunt Petunia poisoned Uncle Vernon with. I- I knew that it could be used to help someone with heart problems... and even that it could c-cause the p-problems... B-but..."
"Enough!" Sirius jumped from his seat and snarled making several people jump."You're being absurd if you think that Harry had any knowledge of what was going on! Even more so if you think that he actually had a hand in it! So he knows the properties of digitalis? Like he said he had to learn about the plant in order to take care of it!" Harry saw his opening right then.
"Y-you think that I did it?!" his voice sounded broken and betrayed making many in the room look down in shame. "I-I might not have gotten along with them... Bloody hell I hated them because of how they treated me! B-but I would never... I would never..." he started to shake his head and willed himself to start crying. Suddenly he felt a set of arms wrap around him and steer him out of the room. He didn't have to look up to know that it was Sirius. Or that Remus was of following them. He snuggled into the warm embrace of his godfather as they walked up the stairs. Sure the Headmaster might suspect him... and he would more than likely be watching him from now on. But everyone else would feel so bad about suspecting him that they would try their best to make it up to him.
That didn't matter though. He was with Sirius now. And that was all that mattered.
Harry sat in the library of Grimmauld Place listening to the fire crackle. He could often be found here trying to avoid those that were in the house. Most people had backed off and tried to make it up to him for suspecting him. But there were still people that doubted his innocents, however most of them kept their suspicions to themselves. Then there was the fact that Hermione and Ron never left him alone! They were following him like shadows. He wondered if it was because they were truly worried about him like they claimed, or if they had been told to keep an eye on him...
"Harry!" he frowned and looked towards the annoyance that was Hermione. What did she want? That was when he noticed the piece of parchment in her hands. That and the look across her face. It was a mix of horror and shock. And there was accusation in her eyes too.
Hoping to get rid of her, he smiled slightly, but his voice was still tight. "What is it Hermione?"
She paused for a second as if to decide if she was really doing the right thing before she thrust the parchment at him. "What is this Harry?" when he got a good look at the parchment he froze. On it was the information about digitalis and the calculations about how much it would take to poison someone his Uncle's size. How stupid could he have been?! Why did he not destroy ALL of the evidence?! But... that has been at the bottom of his trunk! Harry gnashed his teeth as he glared at her making her step back.
"How dare you!" he hissed in anger. "What gives you the right to go through my things?! Who the bloody hell do you think you are?!"
"It doesn't matter what I was doing! What matters is what's on this parchment! Harry! These are... these are calculations on how much it would take to poison someone your Uncle's size!" she waved the parchment in his face. One thought pierced through his anger. She was supposed to be the smartest witch of their generation... And here she was confronting him about killing someone?
He leapt up knocking the chair he was sitting in back. She must have just realized her mistake because she backed up frightened. "Give me the parchment Hermione. Just give it to me and forget you ever saw it."
"Forget?!" she shrieked. "I will not forget! And you can bet that I'll-"
"What's going on in here?" they both spun towards the door to see Sirius standing in the doorway. Harry's insides froze. He couldn't let Sirius see that paper! But by the time he had started to move, his godfather had stalked across the room and taken the parchment from Hermione. Oh Merlin. Oh Merlin. Sirius would know what he had done! He would send him away! He'd tell the Headmaster and they would send him away! Grey eyes looked from the parchment to him then to Hermione before he walked towards the fire to get a better look. "You really should have hidden your evidence and plans better pup." With that he tossed the parchment into the fireplace.
"No! What are you doing?! The Headmaster needs to see that! Tonks and Kingsley need to see that!" Hemione screeched as Sirius just shook his head. All Harry could do was stare in shock at his godfather.
"Silly little muggleborn... too nosey for your own good." Hermione shrieked and jumped around to face Remus. Said werewolf leveled his wand and her and smiled. "Obliviate."
"Stupefy!" A flash of red light flashed by him and smashed into his one time best friend. He turned to look at his godfather in confusion. Did that really just happen? "Did you really think that we would let her tell? Let them take you away from us? No. They will never take you away from us." Harry's eyes fluttered shut as Sirius kissed his forhead. "They will never take you away from me."
Atsurekino Kurome: well there you have it. This story will be short, but it will span over fifth year. As you can see Sirius and Remus really don't care, and will do anything to keep their cub.
* Leonardo Da Vinci said this to Ezio Auditore in Assassin's Creed II.