Chapter 4.
Authors note: Thanks for all the reviews! A few quick notes. Ravenclawdistrict1, yeah, I'm sure it does sometimes. I'm in my 30s and it's hard for me to remember how kids talk, my own are very little (oldest is 5), I'll try to be mindful of this, though you know…they are Brittish. hills and Julie, sorry to disappoint but no soul bond. There are more soul bonds than you can shake a stick at, and it tends to give them a very unfair advantage or to superhuman powers, and I want more risk in this story. Julie, yeah I feel bad for Ginny, and Harry's amp'ed up abuse, but I think those actions are likely, I mean, Riddle takes trophies and torchers kids when he's 11, that's psychopath 101. I think these instances of abuse are realistic and something similar would have been in the original if they weren't' books aimed for children. I will try to update once a week at the least, and each chapter will be around a goal of 5k words. Anyway, on to the story.
The remainder of the vacation was spent by the Mediterranean coast near Alexandria at some local beaches. Harry was still thinking of Sirius Black, but for the time being he let himself relax. The water was much warmer than in England and Harry enjoyed swimming in the sea. He was learning to swim pretty fast and was very grateful to the twins for teaching him. He found himself staring at Ginny from time to time. He didn't know why he didn't realize she was pretty earlier, but they were both too young for that and she was Ron's sister, so he put it out of his mind. Finally the morning of the eight came around and they took a portkey back to the Burrow. The first order of business back at the Burrow was to prepare for Ginny's birthday, which was only two days away. Arthur had been working late at the ministry for the two days before the 11th to get caught up on work enough so he could spend time with the family on Wednesday. Ginny's birthday arrived on a very hot August morning. The day was spent playing three a side quidditch, they had convinced Percy to play as it was Ginny's birthday, and a quick swim in the lake.
Later that evening Auntie Muriel, an aged witch who Harry decided was one of the least pleasant people he had ever met, (but of course loads more pleasant than the Dursleys or Aunt Marge) arrived for the birthday dinner. Immediately upon arrival she proceeded to criticize everyone in the Burrow, including Harry. She announced shock that Harry was indeed friends with the Weasley children, as she had been convinced that they were lying about knowing a celebrity, and told Harry himself that he was too skinny and needed a haircut. She also told Ginny that her dress was too short, despite it going past her knees, and that she should stop slouching. By the looks on everyone's faces, Harry surmised that this was typical behavior for her and they had a habit of indulging her rudeness. Harry found it curius that only family were at her birthday. A few people had sent cards, including Colin Creevey, but the only people present were the Weasleys, Auntie Muriel, and Harry. After a delicious dinner and cake Ginny opened her presents. Ron, true to form, got her some candy, the twins in a likewise preditable manner got her a box of zonko's products (to tide her over until she can go to Hogsmead in another year), Percy gave her a fine Eagle feather quill and a homework planner "After all," Percy commented, "What kind of Head Boy would I be if I didn't look after my own sisters education". Her parents got her some new clothes, from Charley she got a Dragonhide handbag, and from Bill a new diary, along with a note that caused her to tear up slightly before she got ahold of herself, blushing furiously. Auntie Muriel gave her a pound cake she had baked herself, which by the look of it made Harry think she must have taught Hagrid how to cook. Finally she opened Harry's present and squeaked. He had given her the Harpey's book she had been admiring in diagon alley.
"Harry you shouldn't have, you already gave me something in Egypt," Ginny protested.
"I did, but that wasn't a birthday present, I had already bought this, the amulet was for protection, to keep you safe."
Muriel frowned, "A little young to be getting jewlry from a boy innit? Molly you keep an eye on these two, make sure she's guarding her virtue."
Harry was mortified. His face turned deep red and he wished he could cast a spell to make the earth swallow him whole. Ginny was also blushing furiously, but had a set look on her face, Harry was almost certain some accidental magic was about to be unleashed when Molly came to the rescue.
"Auntie Muriel, really! Ginevera just turned 12, and Harry is a good boy. What's this amulet you're talking about Ginny?"
Ginny looked terrified, she didn't want her family to know about how she still had nightmares, Harry could see the look on her face and decided to answer the question.
"It's the amulet I took from Egypt after we found the tomb." Harry explained," Bill said the hieroglyphics are like runes, they protect the wear's soul. I decided to give it to her after what happened last year, she seemed to need it more than I. Please don't be angry…I didn't think about it like giving her jewelry. I mean, like you said, she's twelve, I'm thirteen, I didn't even, I wouldn't, I mean she's pretty but,…"
Harry's face was burning with embarrassment, as was Ginny's. Ron and the twins were snickering at Harry's mortification, Percy scowled at the impropriety of it all. Arthur put his hand on Harry's shoulder and turned to Muriel, "Muriel please, Harry's a very giving young man, last year there was an incident with a cursed object. Ginny's fine, Harry and Ron did some very brave things to save her, Harry's gift I'm sure was due to his protective nature, they are not dating, and I can assure you that my baby girl's virtue is very safe."
Muriel looked remarkably like a shark who smelled blood in the water. Harry could tell she was about to retort when Molly distracted her.
"Auntie Muriel, you should see this lovely broach Bill gave me when we went to visit him, he found it in a tomb and took it as his treasure when he opened a tomb." Muriel apparently was pleased to see this and started comparing it to a goblin made tiara that she had in her possession. Harry and the younger Weasleys used this as an opportunity to get away and went to the sitting room and before Harry could suggest something to do George spun him around with a wicked grin on his face.
"So Potter, you reckon our sister is pretty do you?" he asked.
"His eyes are as green as a pickedled toad" Fred sang, doing a swaying dance.
Ginny looked furious, "I'm going to bed" and she stomped off to her room.
"Potter, don't follow her, we are worried about young Ginevra's virtue!" George shouted out.
"Yeah," Fred shouted, "we all know how fit Potter is, at least if you're into scrawny gits."
Harry noticed Ron was quiet and staring at Harry. Surely he didn't think anything was going on, did he? He would have to talk to Ron as soon as he could, Fred and George were just taking the mickey out on Ginny and him. Harry felt bad for Ginny. He knew she had a crush on him at one point, and Fred and George's teasing probably hurt a lot. He couldn't go to her now though, that would only make it worse. He suggested a game of exploding snap, but his heart wasn't in it. The twins soon lost interest and went to bed.
Harry was about to go to his room when he noticed Ron starring at him. Ron took a deep breath and, with a look on his face like he was about to face down Aragog again, then said "Harry, I need to know, do you…do you fancy my sister."
Harry was floored. H didn't know what to say. He certainly considered her a friend, these last few months spending time around her, and their talks about what happened in the chamber had really drawn them closer. "I don't know Ron…I mean, I meant it when I said she was pretty…and she's a good friend, but honestly I'm not sure…"
Ron starred at Harry. "Because if you wanted to date her, she's too young, but if anyone…"
Harry felt more awkward at this moment than any other moment in his life. "Ron, I don't think I'm ready to date anyone, certainly Ginny isn't, she's twelve years old!"
"okay, good…just don't hurt her okay? I know she fancies you, or at least did before last year…don't get her hopes up."
"Ron, Ginny's not made of glass, she's strong, she held up agains Voldemort for an entire year!"
Ron shuttered at the name, "yeah, but she's been crying so much and has been having nightmares…"
"Ron, you need to understand, the Chamber, what she's told me about Riddle, it's a lot to handle, she's strong, I don't know how I would have been able to stand it if it were me. No I can't tell you, she would have to, but Ron, Riddle was an evil bastard when he was sixteen. When I found her in the Chamber…she, I thought she was dead. Riddle had almost sucked her soul out of her, if Fawkes hadn't come when he did…Voldemort would be back and Ginny and I would both be dead.
"yeah, I guess I forget sometimes, I mean, we've almost died loads of times, but never, I mean we've never been almost dead…"
Harry went silent, he was thinking about the way Riddle seemed to take pleasure in how he used her, and how we was torturing Harry with this knowledge. "What I don't understand," Harry started, "Is how anyone can be so evil…though I guess I should be used to it…but it's different with the Dursleys…Vernon and Dudley , they were terrible, but I think Uncle Vernon was only so terrible because he was scared of me. Aunt Petunia, she hated her sister, but why would Riddle be so mean to a girl he hardly knew, I mean, he was only three years older than us."
"It's fucked up mate," Ron said, staring at the hallway towards Ginny's room. "I'm going to go check on Ginny, it's late and well, I'm her brother."
"I'm glad you are volunteering, I thought about it but if the twins saw me visiting her in her room this late at night I'd never hear the end of it."
Ginny was sitting in her room feeling more things at one time than she thought possible. All at once she was furious with Auntie Muriel, Embarrassed, angry at the twins, and above all elated. Harry thought she was pretty? Did he really let that slip? Ginny looked at herself in the mirror, she took note of the changes happening to her body. She flattened her shirt against her body. They were there. Not that big yet, but judging from her mother that would change, but they were there. Her legs were getting longer, though she felt certain she would always be short. She was becoming a woman. Did he find her cute, or attractive? She had fancied Harry for as long as she could remember…no that wasn't quite right. She fancied the legend of Harry Potter, the boy who lived, savior of the wizarding world, but the actual Harry Potter? She had to admit it wasn't until last summer that she started to like the real Harry. She had planned to talk to Harry on the train but he and Ron were blocked at the barrier. Then before she could work up the nerve to talk to him she started writing in the diary. All year Riddle consoled her about not being good enough for the Boy Who Lived, that he understood. It was strange, his words were both kind sounding and hurt at the same time. At first, anyway. Later all sweetness was replaced with creualty, he teased her about being a silly little girl. He made her see terrible things. When Fred and George had her write that silly valentine she told Tom, he ridiculed her, told her Harry would never ever be her friend.
Lies, all lies. Harry was her friend, they talked now, they spent time together, Tom was nothing but a fucking liar. Ginny was shocked at her own thoughts, she normally didn't think like that…a parting gift from Tom, the loss of some of her innocence. She looked at the diary Bill gave her, on the front page he had written a note
Little one,
I am giving you this diary for two reasons, first to dispel any lingering fears about diaries after your experience last year, and also to help you sort out your thoughts. I was so worried about you after Mum and Dad had written about what happened to you in the Chamber, I was worried you would turn in on yourself, shutting people out. I am happy you have become friends with Harry Potter. If anyone can help you get though, not over, but though what happened to Tom, it's Harry. I only had a couple weeks to get to know him, but I already like him. He's modest and kind, or at least very polite and a good liar, but I don't think so. One of the things they train you to do as a curse breaker is detect deception. It's not fool proof, but good enough for me to judge a thirteen year old's character over the course of two weeks. Please keep in touch little one, you are my favorite sister! A note about your new diary, It's not cursed, but it does have a spell on it that will hid it from anyone's eyes who shouldn't read it. Tap it with your wand and say a password, it will remember it and only after doing so again will the pages fill with what you've written. To change it, say the new password right after the old before you move your wand.
Love
Bill
Ginny smiled, thinking of Bill. Bill was always great to talk to, sometimes he felt more like an uncle than a brother, and she absolutely adored him. She wondered what Bill would say if she told him Harry thought she was pretty. With a smile she held her wand to the lock on the diary and said "pretty" began to write about the day. A few minutes later she heard a knock on the door. She pulled on a robe and opened the door to find Ron, checking on her.
"This is new Ron, why do you care?"
"Hey I care, it's just you know,…"
"Did Harry ask you to check on me? "
"No, but he thought it was a good idea, How are you Ginny? Fred and George can be idiots sometimes."
Ginny stared at Ron for a few minutes puzzled, then she thought back to what they said after she went to bed. "oh don't be silly Ron." She said. "They were just taking the mickey out on me, it's okay."
"Are you sure?" Ron asked incredulously. He remembered to last year, had the twins said something like that she would be hiding in her room for days.
"yes Ron, I'm fine, look Harry and I are friends, the twins are friends with Harry, it's just a joke." Besides, Harry thinks I'm pretty, nothing they do could ruin my mood.
Ron left the room and Ginny fell asleep with a smile on her face.
The day two weeks went by quickly. Hermione arraigned for them to meet up on the last day of August to do school shopping in Diagon Ally. Harry and Ginny started working on their summer homework in earnest, as was Ron but with less enthusiasm. The twins were hardly bothering, Harry didn't know how they did as well as they did with as little they studied, and Percy of course was already done but was writing to his girlfriend daily. Harry had noticed, however, a tension between Arthur and Molly, as though they were having some kind of disagreement. Harry worried that it was about having him at the burrow. The day before they were to go to Diagon Alley, he decided to ask Arthur. He walked out the back door towards the shed where Arthur spent time on his hobby, and found him sitting at his bench, trying to take apart a Sony Walkman.
"Ah Harry, good, do you know what this is? What's it used for?"
"It's a Walkman, it plays music, Dudley had three, broke the first two. The first he threw at me and it broke when I dodged, got some cupboard time for that one, the second he broke during a tantrum. It works by putting a tape in the window there."
"Like spellotape?" Mr. Weasley asked with a bemused expression on his face.
"no a cassette tape…Mr. Weasley, Arthur, I want to ask you about something. "
"Go ahead my boy, ask away."
"The other day I heard you and Molly arguing, I think I heard my name…do you, do you want me to leave, if I'm causing trouble I can go, honestly, Hogwarts in the summer wouldn't be too bad…"
"no no Harry, it's not that, we are thrilled to have you, no. It's this Black situation. There's something I need to tell you about him."
"Arthur, remember I told you, Dumbledore told me he betrayed my parents, I already know."
"That part you do, but well, Molly and the minister don't want me to say anything, but seeing as you know Black betrayed your parents, I think I should tell you, so you don't go running after him."
Harry froze, he had hoped to do just that, to hunt down that son of a bitch and make him pay. Arthur could see the look on Harry's face and sighed.
"Harry, Fudge thinks Black is going after you. The dementors who guard Azkaban said Black was mumbling about "he's at Hogwarts" in his sleep…Fudge thinks Black wants to bring You Know Who back with your death.
"That's crazy! How would killing me bring Voldemort back"
Arthur flinched at the name and carried on, "They say he's mad, well all prisoners go mad in Azkaban, but I'm not certain, he stayed sane enough to escape, a feat that has never been done before. Harry you must promise me you won't go looking for him, he's a fully trained wizard. He was an Auror before he betrayed your family. He's dangerous, promise me Harry."
Harry stared at Mr. Weasley, he had wanted to find him and kill him, the man that betrayed his parents, but Mr. Weasley had a concerned look in his eye, and his voice was pleading. "Alright, Arthur, I won't go looking for him."
Mr. Weasley smiled and cuffed his shoulder, and Harry left the shed to go to his bedroom. Harry looked around his room, he didn't have many possessions, mostly clothes and books, he went to his trunk and retrieved the photo album Hagrid had given him in the hospital wing during his frist year. He looked though the photos until he found it, his parents wedding photos. The caption listed groomsmen and bridesmaids, from left to right. Petunia Dursley nee Evans (not pictured), Alice Longbottom, Hestia Jones (Maid of Honor), Lily Potter nee Evans, James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew. Harry starred at the man's face. Had Black already decided to betray his parents? Did he know he was going to kill poor Peter? Had he already gone to the other side, was he ever truly on the good side anyway? Alice Longbottom? Was that Neville's mom? Harry thought for a moment, he knew Neville lived with his Grandma, what happened to his parents? Hestia Jones, he had never seen this woman either. Lastley he looked at the other Groomsman, Remus Lupin. Yet another link to his past that he didn't know anything about. What happened to Remus and Hestia? Did they survive the war?
The next morning they flooed over to the Leaky Cauldron. They met Hermione there and set off to do some shopping. Hermione's parents had dropped her off with the Weasleys and she too would be staying the night at the Leaky Cauldron and the lot of them went to go get their school things. The shopkeeper at Flourish and Blots was terrified upon seeing seven school aged children approaching. He started putting on thick gloves and grimaced at the tank of The Monster Book of Monsters which Hagrid had given him for his birthday. He only looked mildly better when he learned that only Ron, Hermione and Percy needed the book, and positively beamed at them when Harry told him that all he need to was stroke the spine to calm them down.
"Wish someone had told me about that! This is the last time we are stocking them, they keep getting into fights and tearing each other up.".
Next they went to an apothecary to stock up on some potion ingredients. None of them needed new robes, Harry had just gotten new ones and Mrs. Weasley had altered her children's robes earlier (I got them a little long so I could make them longer if I needed to) and was going to do the same to Hermione's later that night. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley went back to the leaky and let the children walk about. Molly was opposed at first, but Arthur convinced her that black wasn't foolish enough to go anywhere near Diagon Alley. Fred and George went off to find Lee, and Percy found his girlfriend, leaving the four younger students alone. Harry insisted on treating them all to ice cream, after which they went to magical menagerie for some rat tonic for Scabbers, who was looking ill and thin after Egypt. Hermoine had planed to buy an Owl.
As they approached the shop, Harry caught sighed of a huge black dog down a side alley. He was growling at Ron and then saw Harry and was still.
"Bloody dog seems to like you more than me, Harry," said Ron
Harry was a bit nervous around dogs due to his "aunt" Marge, who used to delight in setting her dogs on Harry when he was younger. And as soon as he had appeared he walked back into the shadows. They proceeded to the shop and had the lady at the counter examine scabbers. Harry walked past a tank of snakes and he could hear them speaking to each other. Remembering the basilisk, Harry walked on to where Ron, Ginny and Hermione were at the counter. The shopkeeper was examining Ron's rat when a large ginger cat jumped atop Ron's head trying to get scabbers. Ginny pulled the cat off Ron and she fawned over the cat along with Hermoine. The cat seemed to enjoy their company, occasionally hissing at Ron.
"Bad luck today mate," Harry said chuckling, "don't know if animals don't like you for some reason or what, of course Scabbers probably looks like dinner. Ron grumped and bought the rat tonic. As Harry was leaving the store he could hear the snakes talking in parseltounge, "That's no rat, kill it now, it is evil."
Harry starred at the snakes, and in a quite voice said "That's not an evil rat, he's my friends pet."
The Snake in the middle replied "it is not a rat, it is wrong, kill it now."
Ron furrowed his brow, "Harry, what are you doing?"
The snakes Ron, they are telling me Scabbers is evil."
"What rubbish, shows what they know," and stormed out of the shop.
Outside the store they waited for the girls as Ron tried pouring some rat tonic down Scabbers thought. That shopkeep was barmey" Ron complained, "said Scabbers was old and that's what's wrong with him"
"Well he is quite old, didn't you say he was Percy's rat? How long did Percy have him?" Harry asked.
"I dunno, for as long as I can remember. He's probably magical and we just never found out his power, 's all.
Hermione walked out carrying the large ginger cat under her arms. He was large and yellow, with a squashed face and he walked bow legged. Harry thought it was quite possibly one of the ugliest cats he'd ever seen, but both Hermoine and Ginny seemed to love him.
"Keep that away from Scabbers" Ron yelled. "That cat's a menace, he attacked me."
"oh Ron," said Hermione in an exacerbated voice, "he didn't attack you, he probably was going after Scabbers or those other rats, he's a cat, it's what they do."
"Just keep him away from Scabbers!" Ron yelled.
Harry suggested they stop by Quality Quidditch Supplies and they saw it. In the display case was the most beautiful broom they had ever seen, the Firebolt. Sleek lines and a polished handle, it made his Nimbus look like a cleansweep. Harry read the sign, "Price upon request" and decided that until he inherited his family bold he would have to keep his Nimbus. Ron started explaining all about the broom that he had read about in Witch Broomstick. Hermoine had taken a seat on a nearby bench, clearly not interested, whereas Harry, Ron and Ginny were enraptured by the firebolt. Eventually they left and went back to the Leakey Cauldron. In the morning they got aboard ministry cars, Arthur explained that the ministry was taking his security very seriously due to the Black situation) and they got to Kings Cross station in plenty of time and boarded the Hogwarts Express.
