Hermione and Ron both sat, shocked and confused, listening as Harry spilled his entire situation. Ron looked far more baffled than Hermione, and had even opened his mouth to speak a couple times, but had decided to hold his comments and questions until Harry was done.
Harry, however, had started to speak in circles. It seemed he was just spewing everything he'd held inside for the last fifteen years that he had been through, and had started to move into anger that he had, in fact, had a parent this entire time and he's still had to stay with his abusive aunt and uncle, compounded by the continuous antics of Voldemort. He was obviously hurting, and he had started to shake.
"I just don't understand!" He choked out, crying now, hands clinched into fists, "How he could do that?!" Harry paced a bit, back and forth from the window to the bedposts. "I thought he was a good man, I looked up to him..." He sobbed a bit, and Hermione stood, Ron on her heels, and they both wrapped an arm around his shoulders.
"Oh, Harry," Hermione soothed, "I don't think he meant to hurt you, in any way. Professor Lupin is a good man. He must have had some good reasons?"
"He's a werewolf, for one..." Ron pointed out, nodding.
"Like that matters." Hermione scoffed.
"No, really. The Ministry use to be even worse strict about them back when we were babies. Mum was telling me she had a friend who was bitten and they made her be..." He swallowed nervously, "You know, fixed. So she couldn't have children."
Harry took a deep breath, thinking about what Ron had said, and how it went along with Remus' claim that the Ministry may have wanted to have him killed or harmed if he'd shown any symptoms of lycanthropy. "He said something about that, actually. About the dangers of me showing any symptoms at birth if I was linked to him. Things that would be looked over as oddities if James was believed to be my biological parent."
"Oh, wow. Well, see?" Hermione insisted. "There is so much to it."
"Its a bit hard to believe, though, mate. I can see why you;d be so shaken by this." Ron added. The three sat in a heavy silence for a moment, before Harry finally spoke again.
"But you know? Looking back, its almost like I don't know how I missed it?" He looked from one of his friends to the other, then down. "He, from the first moment on the train, was always so willing to go above and beyond to help me. To save me. To be between me and danger." He closed his eyes for a moment, thinking.
"I could see that. He jumped right between the dementor and you, arms spread, the same way he did in class when we were facing the boggarts." Ron recalled.
"More than that, even." Harry said, eyes squinted shut, head tilted in thought.
"What do you mean?" Hermione ask.
"Do you remember the night we found out about Sirius and Wormtail? And then we saw Moony transform..." Harry asked, Ron paled and nodded, and Hermione also agreed. "Well, it was almost like... No. Its too ridiculous. Hermione, you did the paper Snape assigned third year." He said suddenly, turning more towards the witch, who looked baffled.
"Well, yeah. It was an assignment!" She said, as if his accusation of her actually doing it was ridiculous.
"Lupin said we didn't need to both the next day!" Ron argued. Hermione rolled her eyes.
"I was already at least halfway done by then!" She defended.
"Guys?" Harry interrupted their arguing. "I just found out my real father is alive, and not who I thought it was... Not to make it all about me, but..." He gestured around them.
"Right, mate. Sorry." Ron said, shooting Hermione a look.
"Hermione, you mentioned in class that a werewolf would "kill his best friend if they crossed his path." Do you recall anything about family?" Harry ask, standing and moving to brace against the wall, where he then slid and sat in the floor.
"Er-" She hummed looking up, foot tapping as she thought. "Yes. Werewolves are 'pack-minded'. Anyone who is a blood relative or considered as part of the 'pack' is recognized by scent." She nodded. Harry's eyes grew wide and he listened to her.
"Oh man..." Harry breathed out.
"What?" Ron ask, sitting forward.
"That night, it was almost like he was going after you and Ron for being near me. Then it was worse when Snape stepped in..." Harry shivered.
"Bloody hell, mate." Ron breathed out.
"So, what did you say to him?" Hermione ask gently.
"I said I needed some time. What else was I supposed to say? Like 'oh, its okay dad. I forgive you for never doing anything until you literally had no other options. Its fine. Lets be super close', No, I don't think so." Harry sighed, and hid his face in his hands.
"Harry..." Hermione spoke softly, coming over to sit before him on the floor. She gently took his wrists in her hands and pulled them off his face so that she could look him in the eye to speak. "Blood magic cannot be broken. No force can undo it. It is similar to unbreakable vows, except with one of those if you break the promise, you die. This- Literally prevents you from trying anything at all. He probably wanted to tell you so many times..." She felt herself growing more emotional, and Harry had teared up at her reasoning as well.
"It is deep stuff, mate." Ron called from the foot of the bed where he still sat. "I read some about it last year for our history of magic essays."
"And for him to give you up, to allow his blood and his magic to go into protecting you on this sort of level... Harry. Imagine the love that goes into something like that. You are his child. Every parent always says they'd do anything for their children, and Professor Lupin really did go so far just to give you a safe life. I realize that it didn't go as planned, but those things- Nobody could've seen that coming..."
"I just wish there was some way to put into words how it feels..." Harry said sharply. "Everything you say is probably true. And it all makes sense. But it HURTS. And then I have this relief. Its similar to when I found out I had Sirius and there was someone else I could call family other than Petunia's lot. I have a parent for Merlin's sake. But-" He shook his head and looked to the ceiling. "But at the same time I want to punch him in the face, I want to hug him, I want to hex him..."
"Seems natural, really." Ron said, joining his friends on the floor. "Roll with the emotions, mate. Mum says that is best."
"I hate to even ask, but do you two think you could help me hide out in here for a day or two? I don't want to even have to go out into the kitchen and face anyone for a bit." Harry ask, looking at Ron and Hermione, who both nodded.
"Of course." Hermione agreed. "You definitely need some time after this without everyone trying to get a peak at you once the Order knows."
"Bloody hell. I forgot." Harry groaned. "Once the Order knows, it'll slip out. Then the Prophet will have a time with it, I'm sure. Cannot wait to see what my good pal Rita has to say about it all."
"Ha! I almost forgot about her! I bet she will have a GREAT spin for this..." Ron laughed.
For the rest of the evening, Hermione and Ron worked to keep Harry laughing and distracted, even investing in some help from the twins to make sure he didn't sit and get depressed. But once they were asleep, Harry couldn't help but lay awake and think about how things were going to change for him, both physically and in his life situation. He listened to the faint ticking of the clock on the wall and the occasional creak of the old floor boards until the wee hours of the morning, when he finally drifted off into a welcome dreamless sleep.
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