Hello my loyal readers! Enjoy my longest chapter yet! If you have ideas tell me, okay?
Barnes had been as surprised at the turn of events as everyone else. He seemed to be half-terrified, half-furious of them, not that it was much of a change of the way he used to treat them.
"Why do you think Barnes gets all mad when we are near?" Duncan asked Harry once.
"Elementary, my dear dragon. Our Kaiju side is developing; we're Belloc's kids, in case you haven't noticed." Duncan frowned, it was strange hearing Harry referring Belloc as his dad. So far he had been the only one who did that.
They had been thinking about Harry's eyes when they arrived. Now that the initial shock had passed, Duncan couldn't help being a bit worried. How much would Harry change? Would he be a Halfie like him? Was there a way to stop it? What if somebody found out?
The next morning, the twins were woken up by a loud 'CRASH!'.
"The hell?!" yelled a certain fair-haired halfbreed as he fell off his bed.
"Dunno, maybe Mom and Barnes arguing again." Harry frowned. The oldest twin, still bleary eyed, yanked the door open to shout at whoever interrupted his sleep. He was about to, when he heard voices from the living room, it was obviously a heated argument and the angry shouts made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. Duncan got up from the floor, now fully awake and alert.
He listened to the voices; one was obviously their mother, the one that was shouting the loudest.
With a jolt, they realized the voice belonged to Dumbledore.
"Am I the only one who doesn't like that man?" Duncan asked. To Hell the fact that he had helped Harry with him, he had tried to make Harry use a surname that wasn't his anymore, and coming to think about it, the Philosopher Stone was a bit weakly protected…
He usually like to stay out of Margaret's shouting matches, his mother could get scary when she wanted to.
"Seems that Mom doesn't like him very much." Harry answered
"And you?"
"Honestly I don't know. You are right, there's something fishy in here, but that doesn't mean he's evil."
"I never said he was evil, I said he was a manipulative old coot."
Harry silently reached the staircase; he knew this would be the real obstacle. He carefully placed his bare foot on the cold wood, and drew it back quickly when it creaked.
"Stupid bloody creaking staircase!" Harry thought. Duncan chuckled.
"Want to prove if you are transforming in a halfie?" asked Duncan. Harry raised his eyebrow but chuckled at the halfie part. "Watch me and copy me." Said Duncan, and he ran towards the rail and leaped off, tucking his head in, so when he hit the floor he rolled a bit and stood up unharmed. It didn't make a sound. Harry gave him a flat look and slid along the rail.
"You're boring." Duncan snapped
They crept to the kitchen and pressed their backs into the wall next to the doorway where no one could see them, and listened.
"It's for the greater good!" Dumbledore shouted.
"I DON'T CARE ABOUT THE BLOODY GREATER GOOD!" That was unmistakably Margaret.
"He will be safer with them!"
"LIKE HELL HE WOULD! I KNOW HOW PETUNIA IS!" Duncan and Harry winced at the loud voice
"Something related to your son caused Quirrel to die, Duncan has magic too unstable! If we send Harry away he can be better protected!"
"Lies!" growled Harry as Duncan looked at him gratefully.
"Nothing, NOTHING OR NOBODY COULD LOOK AFTER HARRY BETTER THAN ME AND DUNCAN!"
"I agree with Mom." Duncan's voice echoed in his head, it sounded like his teeth were clenched in an attempt to keep his anger at bay, "We would rather die than let you get hurt, big brother."
Harry felt both happy and sad at those words, happy to know that they care for him so much, but sad of the thought of a world without his mother and brother. What a lonely, dark, miserable world.
"YOU SAY THAT THE GREATEST POWER IN THE WORLD IS LOVE, YET YOU WOULD TAKE A BOY FROM A LOVING FAMILY AND DUMP HIM WITH HORRIBLE EXCUSES OF HUMAN BEINGS!"
"It will make him stronger!"
"IT WILL MAKE HIM WEAK AND VUNRULABLE! BUT THAT'S WHAT YOU WANT, ISN'T IT! YOU PUT HARRY WITH ME IN AN ATTEMPT TO MAKE ME NEGLECT HIM IN FAVOR OF DUNCAN! IT'S BECAUSE OF THE PROPHECY ALL THIS?!"
"Prophecy?" Harry stored the information for later questioning.
"Time to step in." Duncan thought as he and Harry stepped into the kitchen. He could see glass shattered across the floor; he guessed that was the crash that had woken him up.
"Hello, beautiful morning isn't it?" His mother and Dumbledore turned to him so fast he wouldn't be surprised if one of them got whip lash.
"Harry my boy! You must come with me!" The headmaster said and reached put to grab Harry's arm.
Margaret jumped forward yelling, "HEY!" and Duncan growled, but Harry just stepped back out of his reach.
"Whoa whoa whoa! Whoa!" Harry said to the man with his hand in front of him, "OK, you really need to leave, like now, no questions."
"Why?" Dumbledore asked.
"Shhhh," Harry said in a loud whisper, "It's for the greater good you not to see us again." Harry could see Duncan smiling as his brother was getting one up on "the goat" as Duncan called him. Margaret looked calmer but still annoyed.
"How?"
"Merlin! All these questions!," Harry said throwing up his hand in annoyance, "What part of 'no questions' don't you understand?" Duncan clapped a hand over his mouth trying to stop laughing.
Duncan decided to step in. Harry had thrown all politeness out the window when he heard Dumbledore planned to take him away. Well, he could do the same. He never liked Dumbledore anyway. "The unestable magic you sensed was Harry's and my magic connecting so deep that formed a bond, now Harry is changing to look like a Rosenblatt, so he's fully my brother." He invented…a bit. "Now you tell me you are trying to take him away. Are you really as dumb as you look?" Duncan asked Dumbledore who was turning red. Harry burst out laughing and Margaret, all traces of anger had left her, replaced by a huge smile.
Dumbledore was fuming.
"You should learn to respect your elders." Dumbledore growled.
Duncan shrugged. "You should learn to respect your betters."
This time Margaret was laughing as well.
"Why you litt-"
"Now, as I was saying, you need to leave." Harry ducked around Dumbledore and started to push him towards the door.
"Potter!" Dumbledore yelled but Harry ignored him and pushed the old man outside.
Dumbledore stumbled down the concrete stairs into the rather pitiful garden, trying to regain his balance. Harry slammed the door in his face.
"Dimples has left the building!" Shouted Harry. He heard the laughter increase.
Harry walked into the kitchen to see his family collapsed on the tiled floor.
"H-Harry!"Duncan said trying to speak through his laughter, "That was bloody brilliant!"
"You r-really shouldn't have done that!" Margaret choked out, "But I-I'm glad you did!" more calmed, she continued. "He wouldn't listen to me, we would never send you away. Now this is even less possible because of the connection you formed."
"My kind has to stick together." Smirked Duncan. "Never really liked that goat." He said, ignoring the look Margaret gave him. "But I thought you would be polite." He said amazed.
"As much as I dislike Dumbledore now, that was blatant disrespect." Said Margaret. Harry pretended not to hear her. If his family was involved, there was nothing he wouldn't do.
"What was that thing about a prophecy?" asked Harry. Margaret sighed.
"There was a prophecy made shortly after you were born, I think that was the reason James and Lily had to go into hiding. I don't know what it says, if I know I would tell you." She said.
"There's no reason to worry if we don't know what it says." Harry reasoned. A tap in the window made Margaret open it and two owls deposited their letters in front of her.
"Letters from school," said Margaret, passing Harry and Duncan identical envelopes of yellowish parchment, addressed in green ink.
For a few minutes there was silence as they read their letters. Harry's told him to catch the Hogwarts Express as usual from King's Cross station on September first. There was also a list of the new books he'd need for the coming year.
Second-Year Students Will Require:
The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2 by Miranda Goshawk
Break with a Banshee by Gilderoy Lockhart
Gadding with Ghouls by Gilderoy Lockhart
Holidays with Hags by Gilderoy Lockhart
Travels with Trolls by Gilderoy Lockhart
Voyages with Vampires by Gilderoy Lockhart
Wanderings with Werewolves by Gilderoy Lockhart
Year with the Yeti by Gilderoy Lockhart
"That's a lot of books by Gilderoy Lockhart." Harry said raising an eyebrow.
Suddenly there was another tap on the window.
"Hedwig!" cried Duncan. "She'll have Hermione's letter!" he ripped open Hermione's letter and read it out loud:
Dear Harry and Duncan:
I hope you're alright, I was getting nervous with you not answering my letters. "I'm very busy with schoolwork, of course'- How can she be?" said Harry in horror. "We're on holiday! -'and we're going to London next Wednesday to buy my new books, and I'll meet the Weasley in there. Why don't we meet in Diagon Alley? Let me know what's happening as soon as you can.
Love from Hermione."
"Well, that fits in nicely, we can go and get all your things then, too," said Margaret.
Margaret woke them early the following Wednesday. After a quick two sandwiches each, they pulled on their coats, got into the car and drove to Diagon Alley.
"This never ceases to amaze me." Margaret muttered as they headed towards Gringotts.
"Harry! Duncan! Over here!"
Duncan looked up and saw Hermione Granger standing at the top of the white flight of steps to Gringotts. She ran down to meet them, her bushy brown hair flying behind her.
"Harry, what happened to your glasses? Hello, Mrs. Rosenblatt. Hi Duncan - oh, it's wonderful to see you three again - are you coming into Gringotts, guys?"
"Don't need them anymore, Hermione, and yeah, we're coming." Said Harry.
"Hey guys!" a voice said behind them. The Rosenblatts spun around and saw the whole Weasley family. After quick greetings, (and Mr. Weasley amazed at the Muggle money of Margaret and the Grangers) they went into Gringotts.
"Meet you back here." Ron said to Hermione as the Weasleys and the Rosenblatts were led off to their underground vaults by another Gringotts goblin.
The vaults were reached by means of small, goblin-driven carts that sped along miniature train tracks through the bank's underground tunnels. Harry and Duncan enjoyed the breakneck journey down to the Weasleys' vault, but felt dreadful, when it was opened. There was a very small pile of silver Sickles inside, and just one gold Galleon. Mrs. Weasley felt right into the corners before sweeping the whole lot into her bag. Harry felt even worse when they reached his vault. He tried to block the contents from view as he and Duncan hastily shoved handfuls of coins into a leather bag.
An hour later, they headed for Flourish and Blotts. They were by no means the only ones making their way to the bookshop. As they approached it, they saw to their surprise a large crowd jostling outside the doors, trying to get in. The reason for this was proclaimed by a large banner stretched across the upper windows:
Gilderoy Lockhart
will be signing copies of his autobiography
MAGICAL ME
Today 12:30 - 4:30 P.M.
"We can actually meet him!" Hermione squealed. "I mean, he's written almost the whole booklist!"
Harry didn't miss the low growl that made Duncan at Hermione's tone of voice.
The crowd seemed to be made up mostly of witches around Mrs. Weasley's age. A harassed-looking wizard stood at the door, saying, "Calmly, please, ladies... Don't push, there… mind the books, now…."
Harry, Ron, Duncan and Hermione squeezed inside. A long line wound right to the back of the shop, where Gilderoy Lockhart was signing his books. They each grabbed a copy of The StandardBookof Spells, Grade 2 and sneaked up the line to where the rest of the Weasleys were standing with Margaret and Mr. and Mrs. Granger.
"Oh, there you are, good." said Mrs. Weasley. She sounded breathless and kept patting her hair. "We'll be able to see him in a minute…."
Gilderoy Lockhart came slowly into view, seated at a table surrounded by large pictures of his own face, all winking and flashing dazzlingly white teeth at the crowd. The real Lockhart was wearing robes of forget-me-not blue that exactly matched his eyes; his pointed wizard's hat was set at a jaunty angle on his wavy hair.
Duncan scrunched his nose, Harry made a gagging sound and Margaret stared, a bit disgusted.
"He can be a good boyfriend for a lucky man." Said Margaret, making Duncan, Harry and Ron laugh a little.
A short, irritable-looking man was dancing around taking photographs with a large black camera that emitted puffs of purple smoke with every blinding flash.
"Out of the way, there." he snarled at Ron, moving back to get a better shot. "This is for the Daily Prophet -"
"Big deal." said Ron, rubbing his foot where the photographer had stepped on it.
Gilderoy Lockhart heard him. He looked up. He saw Ron - and then he saw Harry. He stared. Then he leapt to his feet and positively shouted, "It can't be Harry Potter?"
The crowd parted, whispering excitedly; Lockhart dived forward, seized Harry's arm, and pulled him to the front.
"There's a mistake." Harry tried to say as Lockhart dragged him. "My surname it's Rosenblatt." He said, changing his eyes to grey without meaning to.
The crowd burst into applause. Harry's face burned as Lockhart shook his hand for the photographer, who was clicking away madly, wafting thick smoke.
"Nice big smile, Harry," said Lockhart, through his own gleaming teeth. "Together, you and I are worth the front page."
When he finally let go of Harry's hand, Harry could hardly feel his fingers. He tried to sidle back over to his family, but Lockhart threw an arm around his shoulders and clamped him tightly to his side.
"Ladies and gentlemen," he said loudly, waving for quiet. "What an extraordinary moment this is! The perfect moment for me to make a little announcement I've been sitting on for some time!
"When young Harry here stepped into Flourish and Blotts today, he only wanted to buy my autobiography - which I shall be happy to present him now, free of charge -" The crowd applauded again.
"He had no idea," Lockhart continued, giving Harry a little shake, "that he would shortly be getting much, much more than my book, MagicalMe. He and his schoolmates will, in fact, be getting the real magical me. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I have great pleasure and pride in announcing that this September, I will be taking up the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!"
"NOOOOOOOO!" yelled Duncan, but he wasn't heard because the crowd cheered and clapped and Harry found himself being presented with the entire works of Gilderoy Lockhart. Staggering slightly under their weight, he managed to make his way out of the limelight to the edge of the room, where Ginny was standing next to her new cauldron.
"You have these," Harry mumbled to her, tipping the books into the cauldron. "I'll buy my own -"
"Bet you loved that, didn't you, Rosenblatt?" said a voice Harry had no trouble recognizing. He straightened up and found himself face-to-face with Draco Malfoy, who was wearing his usual sneer.
"Famous Harry Rosenblatt." said Malfoy. "Can't even go into a bookshop without making the front page." Just then Duncan, Ron and Hermione came, clutching stacks of Lockhart's books.
"Oh, it's you." said Duncan, looking at Malfoy as if he were something unpleasant on the sole of his shoe.
"Bet you're surprised to see Harry here, eh?" said Ron
"Not as surprised as I am to see you in a shop, Weasley." retorted Malfoy. "I suppose your parents will go hungry for a month to pay for all those." He was distracted by identical growls coming from the twins.
"Ron!" said Mr. Weasley, struggling over with Fred and George. "What are you doing? It's too crowded in here, let's go outside."
"Well, well, well - Arthur Weasley."
It was Mr. Malfoy. He stood with his hand on Draco's shoulder, sneering in just the same way.
"Lucius." said Mr. Weasley, nodding coldly.
"Busy time at the Ministry, I hear." said Mr. Malfoy. "All those raids… I hope they're paying you overtime?"
He reached into Ginny's cauldron and extracted, from amid the glossy Lockhart books, a very old, very battered copy of A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration.
"Obviously not." Mr. Malfoy said. "Dear me, what's the use of being a disgrace to the name of wizard if they don't even pay you well for it?"
"You're the one who is a disgrace to the wizard name." Duncan said snarling.
"We have very different ideas of what disgraces the name of wizard, Malfoy." Mr. Weasley said.
"Clearly." said Mr. Malfoy, his pale eyes straying to Margaret, who was fuming, then to Mr. and Mrs. Granger, who were watching apprehensively. "The company you keep, Weasley… and I thought your family could sink no lower -"
"There's nothing wrong with Muggles, you stupid prejudiced git." Margaret said glaring.
There was a thud of metal as Ginny's cauldron went flying; Mr. Weasley had thrown himself at Mr. Malfoy, knocking him backward into a bookshelf.
Dozens of heavy spellbooks came thundering down on all their heads; there was a yell of, "Get him, Dad!" from Fred or George; Mrs. Weasley was shrieking, "No, Arthur, no!"; "Go Mr. Weasley!" from Duncan and Harry; the crowd stampeded backward, knocking more shelves over;
"Gentlemen, please - please!" cried the assistant, and then, louder than all -
"Break it up, there, gents, break it up -"
Hagrid was wading toward them through the sea of books. In an instant he had pulled Mr. Weasley and Mr. Malfoy apart. Mr. Weasley had a cut lip and Mr. Malfoy had been hit in the eye by an Encyclopedia of Toadstools. He was still holding Ginny's old Transfiguration book. He thrust it at her, his eyes glittering with malice.
"Here, girl - take your book - it's the best your father can give you -" Pulling himself out of Hagrid's grip he beckoned to Draco and swept from the shop.
"Yeh should've ignored him, Arthur." said Hagrid, almost lifting Mr. Weasley off his feet as he straightened his robes. "Rotten ter the core, the whole family, everyone knows that - no Malfoy's worth listenin' ter - bad blood, that's what it is - come on now - let's get outta here."
The assistant looked as though he wanted to stop them leaving, but he barely came up to Hagrid's waist and seemed to think better of it. They hurried up the street, the Grangers shaking with fright, Margaret and her sons fuming and Mrs. Weasley beside herself with fury.
"A fine example to set for your children… brawling in public… what Gilderoy Lockhart must've thought -"
"Who cares?" Duncan and Harry said
"He was pleased." said Fred. "Didn't you hear him as we were leaving? He was asking that bloke from the Daily Prophet if he'd be able to work the fight into his report - said it was all publicity -"
t They said good-bye to the Weasleys, who were leaving the pub via Floo powder and got into the car. Duncan was confused, for a second he thought he smelled something dark in one of the books…
Harry meanwhile, had a completely different thing on his mind. He wondered if it was fun travelling by Floo poder.
I'm sorry for those who don't like Dumbledore bashing.
Well, review, pm, and spread the word
Your favorite dark-eyed,
H. E. B.
