Okay, so the plot is finally moving along at a better pace - I've been stalling a little bit in my writing but now that this chapter's written, it should start flowing along a little bit more smoothly.
I've sent the winners of the competition messages to let them know, and their images are now the covers of both the Letters stories :)
Two outtakes are in the planning stages - Harry's birthday presents and What Happened While the Dursleys Stayed at the Farm :) Will probably be writing those instead of doing my Tafe work, so shouldn't be too long in coming.
I'd like to give a shout out to all my lovely reviewers - I take everything you say into consideration and it really does make me a better writer. In fact, Letters: The Year with the Stone is up to over 900 reviews, which is fairly amazing, considering I didn't even think this story would get a single review when I started writing it :)
As always, not mine, just my sandbox and please, read, enjoy, and review :)
"Come on, Harry, you call that a throw?" Fred called out, knocking the red basketball-sized Quaffle away from the goal post that Harry had aimed at.
Harry laughed as George flew at his twin, chasing him into flight and making him drop the Quaffle. George threw it toward the goalpost, flying over to high five Harry when it sailed through the unprotected goal. Harry heard Ron swear behind them and turned to look at him. The younger boy was scowling, gripping his broom hard out of frustration. Harry shook his head in disbelief and flew down to grab the discarded Quaffle. He threw it towards Ron, deliberately harder than he needed to. Ron caught it with both hands, looking shocked.
"You start, Ron," Harry said. "Since we got the last goal."
Ron got a determined look on his face and then turned tail and flew towards their goal. Harry knew that he'd given Ron too much of a head start but he wanted to make it look like he wasn't trying to get the attention back to Ron. He flattened himself to his broom, willing it to go faster. He heard Fred yell encouragement behind him and dipped down, feeling instinctively where the wind was less intense. He noticed how fast he was gaining on Ron and suddenly flew his broom upwards, coming up right next to Ron. Ron turned, shocked, and accidentally dropped the Quaffle. Harry caught it out of the air, grinning triumphantly, and turned back towards the goal post. He flattened himself to the broom, zipping past George as he tried to block and then pulling up to throw the Quaffle. Fred's cheer turned to a groan of disappoint as it sailed past the goal.
"Sorry, guess I'll never be a Chaser," Harry said with a shrug.
"Good one, Potter. I thought your family was meant to be good at Quidditch, or are you too much like your fake Dad now," Ron yelled, glowing red around his ears with anger.
"Hey!" Fred yelled, turning to face his brother. "That's out of line, Ron. Get off the pitch. Go back to the house." Ron hesitated and George flew over to him.
"Don't make me tell Mum, Ron," George said.
"Go stuff yourself," Ron said angrily. He flew down to the ground and stepped off it. He looked up at Fred and George then deliberately dropped it on the ground. George opened his mouth angrily but Fred huffed and he shut it.
"Yelling at him isn't going to make it any better," Fred said quietly. Harry frowned and flew down to the ground, dismounting from his broom. He picked up Ron's broom and went to the shed where the Weasley boys had told him they kept their brooms. He placed both brooms back gently, making sure they were set up so that they didn't bend. He left the shed and headed back up to the house, waving at Fred and George, who were passing the Quaffle back and forth.
"How did your game go?" Mrs Weasley asked from the kitchen table as Harry came back inside. Harry could see that she was grating vegetables for something.
"Good, thanks. I think we lost, though," Harry admitted sheepishly. "I'm not really good at aiming."
"Oh that's nothing to be ashamed of, Harry. These boys get a lot of practice on their Quidditch skills so they're better but they all had to start somewhere." Mrs Weasley paused, grating the carrots more slowly. "Ron came back inside a moment ago. Was he being unpleasant?"
"No ma'am. He was a little upset that he missed a shot, that's all," Harry lied smoothly, knowing that Ron would only be more unimpressed with him if he said otherwise.
"Hmm, poor Ron, he puts so much pressure on himself to be just like his brothers. I wish there was a way he could make the best of his differences," Mrs Weasley said softly and Harry could see the sadness in her eyes.
"I think Ron's more like Draco than he'd ever want to know, Mrs Weasley," Harry said with a small smile. She looked up, confused.
"You mean Lucius Malfoy's son?" She frowned. "I don't think they'd be very similar at all, Harry."
Harry could tell that Mrs Weasley thought that he was implying something bad so he quickly said, "Well, I've spent a lot of time with Draco recently, and he feels like he has to live up to his Dad's expectations to make him happy, even though his Dad isn't around anymore. And, well, maybe the expectations of everyone else as well? He's no more his Dad than I am James Potter," Harry finished quietly.
Mrs Weasley's eyes widened and she looked off in the distance, apparently thinking. Harry shrugged and headed up the stairs, trying to be quiet on the creaky ones. He made it up the stairs without incident but felt a prickle on the back of his neck as he went to open the door of the guest bedroom that Mrs Weasley had told him he could use. Harry turned around slowly, seeing Ginny, Fred and George's younger sister, poking her head out of her bedroom. Her hair was a darker red than her brothers but it still stood out as Harry smiled awkwardly at her. She had been hesitant towards Harry the entire time he'd been there and George had teased that she had a crush on him.
"Hi, Ginny," Harry said softly. Her eyes widened and her door slammed. Harry laughed and went into his room, pausing in shock at the sight of a House Elf bouncing on his bed.
"Um, who are you?" The House Elf squealed in surprise and turned around, tumbling off the bed as he lost his balance. Harry rushed forward to help him off the bed and was surprised when the Elf jumped backward quickly. "Woah, careful, I just wanted to help."
"Harry Potter is a kind wizard, to be helping a lowly House Elf," the Elf said, looking at Harry with bright eyes.
"You're not lowly." Harry frowned. "And who are you?"
"Dobby, Harry Potter, I am called Dobby," the Elf said.
"Hi, Dobby. What are you doing in here? The Weasley's don't have a House Elf," Harry asked softly, trying not to startle the jumpy elf.
"Dobby has come to warn Harry Potter. Oh, Dobby is going to have to iron his fingers but he came. He came because he must tell Harry Potter-" Dobby stopped, biting his lip. He suddenly jumped for the nightstand, grabbing the lamp and hitting himself over the head with it. "Bad Dobby! Bad Dobby!"
"Stop!" Harry hissed as he grabbed Dobby and the lamp in separate hands, wrenching it out of Dobby's hands. "Stop it!"
"Dobby is sorry, Harry Potter, but Dobby must punish himself. He is being a bad Elf," Dobby whined and clawed at the lamp again. Harry threw it out of Dobby's reach and let him down, putting a hand on each shoulder and holding him so that he was facing Harry.
"Enough, Dobby. Tell me what you came to tell me first, at least," Harry said, pleading in the end as Dobby continued to look around the room for something to punish himself with.
"Dobby has come to tell Harry Potter." Dobby paused. "Dobby has come to tell Harry Potter that terrible things are going to happen at Hogwarts and that he must. not. go. back."
Harry froze, looking at Dobby aghast. "Dobby, that's impossible." Dobby whined in distress again and Harry rushed to explain. "My Dad lives at Hogwarts during the year, all the people who can protect me stay there all year and if horrible things are going to happen, then I can't very well abandon my friends to it. Hogwarts is as much my home as the farm I live on is and I won't be safe anywhere else."
"No, Harry Potter can not go back!" Dobby said, breaking free with a strong shake and running over to Harry's desk. Harry hooked the back of Dobby's pathetic pillowcase uniform to stop him slamming his fingers in the drawer and growled in frustration.
"I have to go back to Hogwarts Dobby. I'm sorry that you're risking so much to warn me, but I can't stay at the farm all year. And I'm sorry, but if you don't leave, right now, I'm going to have to call Mrs Weasley and she's probably not going to be happy with you being here," Harry said, feeling guilty that he was semi-threatening this poor Elf.
Dobby regarded Harry with hurt eyes. "Dobby is trying to save Harry Potter. Hogwarts is dangerous."
"Dobby, I was beaten, starved and neglected for ten years. Nothing that whoever you heard these plans from is planning is going to have anything on the Dursleys. And even if they do, they probably haven't met my Dad when he's in a bad mood. Or Dumbledore. Or Professor Flitwick. Or Professor McGonagall. Whatever it is that is going to try to hurt Hogwarts this year, isn't going to stand a chance when my teachers get a hold of it. So please, I'll pass on your warning, I'll make sure they know it's dangerous. But I'm going back."
Dobby didn't answer, just regarding Harry quietly for a moment before Apparating out. Harry frowned, not being able to shake the feeling that it wouldn't be the last time he'd see the skinny, badly clothed little House Elf.
"Harry?" Mrs Weasley's call brought Harry to his feet, frowning at the new dent in the lampshade.
"Yes, Mrs Weasley," Harry said, cracking his door enough to see Mrs Weasley on the steps.
"It'd be best if you had your shower now, before the other boys come in, so that there's still hot water left for you. Your clean towel is in the bathroom, ready and waiting," Mrs Weasley said with a smile.
"Okay, Mrs Weasley." Harry paused, debating whether to tell her about Dobby or not. "I'll do that." There was always time to tell her afterwards.
After his shower, Harry stood staring at the stairs up to the rest of the house, and ultimately, Ron's bedroom. He felt like he should go talk to the upset boy, maybe try and mend a bridge but he just didn't know what to say to Ron to change the boy's opinion of him. "Don't do it. Ron's in a foul mood."
Harry turned in surprise and saw Ginny standing there. "How do you know?"
"He's been banging up and down the stairs while you were in the shower. He only does that when he's really angry," Ginny explained.
"You know, it's weird, he really liked me on the train. It was only once I got Sorted into Slytherin that he started to dislike me," Harry said, rubbing the back at his neck.
"Well, Dad's always told us that Slytherins were the ones who were the bad guys during the war and to find out that someone he actually liked was supposedly going to be a bad guy? Kind of more than my brother can take in," Ginny said, perching on the bench seat in the window. "He's the most loyal brother I've got but he's not exactly the best at figuring things out."
Harry laughed and looked up at the stairs again. "Okay, so how do I make it so that he doesn't hate me anymore, because it's getting slightly awkward?"
"You ignore him. You don't tell him he's wrong. And you talk Quidditch," Ginny said. "And, just, I don't know, try to keep your words simple. Hard to misunderstand." She shrugged and made her way past Harry and into the bathroom. He looked after her, frowning at the cruel implications in her voice. He had never considered that Fred and George's younger sister might be a little manipulative.
Harry shook his head and made his way down to his room, digging out his current novel from his bag. He thought about hiding in his room but the bright sunshine outside his window drew his attention. He went downstairs, listening to hear if the twins had returned from the pitch yet. From the sounds coming from the floors above him, they had. The boys had been "experimenting" all summer and Mrs Weasley had been up there to yell at them more than once in the last three days. Harry waved to her as he walked back out to the backyard and, once he was outside, picked a spot on which to sit and read in the sun.
He'd been reading for about an hour, enjoying the quiet after three busy days in the Weasley household when he heard a crack like a car backfiring. Mrs Weasley had explained that that was what Apparating sounded like. He scrambled upward, wondering who had come to the Weasley's property when Mr Weasley wasn't expected home for another few hours. He smiled excitedly when he realised it was Remus. Mrs Weasley came out of the back door behind him, wiping her hands on a dish towel.
Remus came closer and waved a greeting. "Good afternoon, Molly. Sorry for coming unexpectedly, but I thought it would be okay if I came to talk to catch up with Harry and drop off some things for Fred and George to look at?"
"Oh, of course, come in Remus," Mrs Weasley said, smiling and opening the back door to usher him in.
"Good afternoon, Harry, how are you settling in? Having fun?" Remus asked, coming forward to hug Harry. He hugged Remus back, wondering briefly why Remus had chosen today to come.
"Yeah, we play lots of Quidditch here," Harry said. Remus laughed and patted him on the back before following Mrs Weasley into the house. Harry grabbed his book from where it had fallen and followed them in, inhaling the smell of freshly baked goods appreciatively.
"You have perfect timing, Remus. I just took some scones out of the oven. They'll be ready to eat after you're done talking to the boys. They're in their room, Harry can show you where it is," Mrs Weasley said, turning to the tray she had lifted out of the oven.
"Come on Remus, it's upstairs," Harry said, jogging up the stairs. Remus followed him, moving up the stairs a lot easier than Harry had seen him before.
"Remus!" Fred and George said in unison as Harry opened their door and stepped through it. They bounced over to the door and crowded around Remus. Harry smiled as they happily chattered, telling Remus about their plans. The twins dragged them both into the room and were about to close the door when Ron poked his head around the door. The twins scowled and went to shoo him away but Remus held them back and smiled at Ron.
"Hi, we haven't met, have we?" Remus said, walking over and holding out his hand. "My name is Remus Lupin. I'm a friend of Harry's parents."
"Snape?" Ron muttered.
"No, James and Lily Potter. Though, I think, considering how prickly Professor Snape usually is, you could consider me his friend as well," Remus said, in a tone that Harry knew meant that the gentle man was about to get angry.
"Oh. Okay," Ron said, and held out his hand to shake the one that Remus had withdrawn. Remus shook it, looking over the red-headed boy with a keen eye.
"Would you like to join us, Ron?" Remus was apparently ignoring the shaking heads behind him.
"Well, I was going to play chess. But yeah, whatever," Ron said, stepping through the doorway and shutting the door behind them.
The twins snorted, sounding miffed but Harry just scooted over on the twin bed that he knew belonged to Fred. Ron looked at the space he made and deliberately walked to the other side of the room and sat on George's bed. Remus' eyes watched the boy but he didn't comment as he sat down next to Harry. The twins rolled their eyes and then started talking again. Remus smiled at them and followed what they were saying, reading over the plans they'd put down on paper. He wrote some notes for them and Harry could see that in some cases he was making the pranks less likely to hurt somebody.
"You're no fun, Remus," The twins complained after twenty minutes of this back and forth.
"Boys, if I'm going to help you, then I'm going to be really honest with you. You can not find fun in hurting people. That is not a prank. A prank is something harmless that both people can find funny. Anything that hurts or humiliates someone, especially in public, is not a good joke. You can do a lot of damage to a person by doing those kind of acts. So don't do it, guys. Be funny, be the jokers, give your teachers Hell, but stop before you hurt someone, whether physically or mentally. And with that, I think I've corrupted you both far too much for today," Remus said, standing up. The twins both protested but Ron looked too deep in thought to realise what Remus was doing.
"Your mum said that she'd cooked scones," Harry said, smiling at the twins. They stopped protesting immediately.
"Beat you to the kitchen!" George cried as the twins bolted down the stairs. Remus followed them with a laugh. Harry looked at Ron, wondering what he was thinking.
"That's the difference between a bully and what the twins do, isn't it?" Ron murmured. "Dudley's a bully."
"Congratulations for figuring that out," Harry said, trying to use as little sarcasm as possible.
Ron glared at him and then scoffed and turned his head. "Screw you, Potter."
"I keep telling people this, it's Potter-Snape. Or, you know, since I'm living in your house right now, Harry." Harry shook his head and stood up, walking to the door. He turned back and looked at Ron. "When you want real friends who don't make you feel like crap for being you, feel free to stop being such a jerk."
Harry didn't look back, knowing that for Ron, it would take a while to reconcile what he was hearing with what he thought. Harry came down the stairs just in time to see Errol crash into the jam dish on the table. Harry joined the twins in a groan at the hijinks the owl caused.
"Oh look, it must be your Hogwarts letters. Here you go boys," Mrs Weasley said, taking the letters from Errol and handing Harry and the twins their letters. "I'll go take these up to Ginny, Ron and Percy."
"Woah," George breathed, looking at the second sheet of parchment.
"These aren't going to be cheap," Fred said, sharing a worried look with George.
Harry checked his booklist and his eyes widened. "Seven books by the same author," Harry said incredulously. "How are we meant to read all of those?"
"Which author?" Remus asked from his seat at the table.
"Gilderoy Lockhart, Mum's obsessed with him," George said, making a face.
Remus looked away for a moment and Harry knew that meant he was trying to hide his reaction. "I wonder which teacher decided to assign those books."
"Probably a witch who adores him as much as Mum does," Fred suggested.
"Or the person who wrote them," Harry added quietly. Fred and George turned to him with horrified looks.
"Don't say that, Harry. Just don't," Fred said, faking a gag. The joking ended when Molly came back down the stairs with the rest of the Weasleys.
Severus POV
Severus swore as he turned down onto Knockturn Alley, three days before September 1st. He had left Harry to the Weasley's care and instead he had received a desperate Floo call from a worried Molly Weasley after Harry's first solo Floo journey had gone array. He brushed off an insistent seller, trying to curb his frustration. He glanced around the alley, wondering whether he would even find Harry here. His searching was rewarded when he saw a group of street hawkers surrounding a small figure. One glimpse of black hair later, he was pulling Harry by the arm, snarling at a women who refused to let go of his arm.
"Dad!" Harry cried, looking relieved. "I got lost," He explained. "The Floo..."
"Yes, the Weasleys told me. Where did you come out?" Severus asked, leading Harry by the arm up towards the exit of Knockturn Alley.
"Borgin and Burkes," Harry answered. Severus stopped walking for an instance and looked down at Harry in shock. "Ow, Dad," Harry said flatly, looking down at his arm, which Severus had squeezed in shock.
Severus dropped Harry's arm and put his hand between Harry's shoulder blades, starting back towards Diagon Alley. "Did he see you?"
"Wha-, no!" Harry said, stumbling on an uneven paver.
"Did anyone see you go in or out?"
"No. But Dad, I saw Draco's Dad in there, and he was selling Mr Borgin something, I didn't see what and Mr Malfoy said something about raids on his house, like the ones Mr Weasley was doing," Harry babbled. Severus waited until they were in the entrance of the alley to grab his shoulder and turn him around to face him, putting his hand over his mouth to silence him.
"Enough, Harry. You say too much," Severus hissed, checking that they weren't being overheard. Severus took a deep breath, trying to calm the racing of his heart. "Do you know what Mr Malfoy would have done to you if he saw you in there? Don't tell anyone what you saw. Especially not your friends."
"But Dad," Harry said, looking upset.
"No, Harry. Knockturn Alley is not the place for young boys and anything you see or hear while you're down here is not to be talked about. So just don't. Don't tell Lupin either," Severus added as an afterthought.
Harry was opening his mouth to reply when he was interrupted by a familiar voice shouting their names. Severus looked up and saw Hagrid walking towards them, smiling his usual friendly smile. "G'morning Professor, how was your summer?"
"Good, thank you, Hagrid," Severus said, stepping back from Harry and turning towards the large man.
"Tha's good," Hagrid said, looking between the two Slytherins with a concerned expression. "What are yer doing down there, Professor?"
"Fetching Harry. He had an accident with the Floo," Severus explained. "And I'm sorry to cut this meeting short, Hagrid, but we need to be going. I haven't yet informed the Weasleys that I've found Harry, and they'll be worried."
"Righ' y'are, Professor," Hagrid said, nodding in agreement. "Be seein' yeh, Harry, Professor." Hagrid tipped his head to them and they shuffled their places in the alleyway so that the large man could go around.
"Bye, Hagrid. We'll come for tea when school starts," Harry promised with a wave. Harry's happy smile vanished when he turned back to Severus and his look turned both wary and stubborn.
"The Weasleys agreed to meet me at the Leaky Cauldron very soon so that we could check in. They'll be worrying about you and I need to go fetch Draco for his own school shopping." Severus didn't miss the sideways look that Harry gave him. "The Weasleys have all the money they'll need to pay for your supplies and we had planned to meet in the Leaky Cauldron for dinner after shopping. I didn't think it would be best to mix Draco and Ron Weasley, especially not in public. How have you and Mr Weasley been getting along?" Severus inquired, making sure to sound casually interested, instead of worried.
"Fine," Harry answered, not looking at Severus.
"Harry!" Severus sighed as he heard Hermione Granger's voice hail them down. Harry turned at once, just catching the girl as she flung herself at him for a hug.
"Hi, Hermione," Harry said, laughing.
"Oh, you're all dirty," Hermione said, stepping back and taking in the sight of Harry. "And your glasses are cracked. What happened?"
"I said the wrong name in the Floo," Harry explained with a shrug. Severus took out his wand and flicked it subtly, watching the crack on Harry's glasses fix themselves. Hermione glanced in his direction with a smile and then frowned in confusion when Harry didn't acknowledge the spell.
"Are you here shopping with your Dad?" Hermione asked, looking back up towards the top step of Gringotts. Severus noticed the Grangers standing there and realised that she was here doing her school shopping.
"I'm with the Weasleys but Dad came to look for me," Harry explained, waving hello to Hermione's parents.
"Honestly Harry, can't you go a week without getting into trouble?" Hermione said with exasperation.
"I'm beginning to wonder," Severus muttered. Harry's angry glance towards him was more reaction than Severus was expecting, but he merely folded his arms and raised his eyebrows.
"I've never Flooed on my own before. And I got soot in my mouth," Harry protested. Just as Hermione opened her mouth to answer, Severus spotted Molly Weasley and her family bustling up the Alley.
"Harry!" Molly called out happily, rushing up and hugging him with a relieved expression. "There you are. Oh gosh, look at you," Molly said, dusting Harry down so that the soot from the Floo fell off of him.
"Thanks Mrs Weasley. Sorry to scare you," Harry said. She smiled at him and patted him on both shoulders.
"Well it's all done with now, Harry. We're just glad that you're safe and sound," Molly assured him.
"Where did you come out?" Ron asked.
"Knockturn Alley," Harry answered.
"Brilliant," Fred and George breathed together.
"We've never been allowed down there," Ron explained.
"And are still not allowed down there," Molly said sternly.
"We know," the Weasley boys replied as one, impressing Severus.
"Now, we should let Professor Snape get back to his plans for today and get onto our shopping." Molly paused. "Who are you, dear?" Molly said, turning to Hermione.
"Mum, this is Hermione Granger," Fred started.
"She is, well she was, a first-year Gryffindor. And she's good friends with Harry," George finished.
"Oh that's nice, how do you do?" Molly answered.
Before Hermione could answer the question, Arthur asked, "Is that your parents? They look a little lost."
"Oh yes, it is. They're Muggles, so this is a bit overwhelming," Hermione explained, waving them over. Severus almost snorted at the way Arthur's expression lit up at hearing that he would get to talk to Muggles.
"I have to go collect Draco, so I will have to say goodbye for now and see you all at dinner later. Harry, have fun and don't get into any more trouble," Severus warned. Harry shot him a scandalised look that only a twelve year old could achieve. Severus paused, considering taking Harry aside to end their conversation on a better note since the flash of fear had receded and Severus was reconsidering his harsh manner. He chose not to, guessing that Harry would probably shrug him off and it would cause questions from Hermione.
Severus glanced back as he reached the bend in the Alley and saw that Harry's expression had smoothed out. He was turning back to look ahead when his eye caught the sign in the bookstore's window:
GILDEROY LOCKHART
will be signing copies of his autobiography
MAGICAL ME
today 12.30 – 4.30 pm
Severus quickly checked his watch and scowled. That attention-seeking bastard was going to be there when Harry was. And Severus definitely wouldn't put it past Lockhart to use Harry as a publicity stunt. Severus quickened his pace, intending on hurrying Draco back to the Alley so that he could keep an eye on the proceedings of the book signing.
Harry POV
Harry tried not to look terrified as Lockhart murmured in his ear that he should smile. The arm around his shoulders was too tight and constricting and he wanted badly to step back, twist away and run but that would create a scene. Mrs Weasley was smiling at him happily and Harry didn't want to embarrass her by being rude.
Harry felt a hand grasp his arm, much like his Dad had that morning and turned to see who was pulling him away from Lockhart. To his surprise, it was his Dad, looking icy. He stepped into the protective circle of his Dad's arm, feeling him give a quick, reassuring squeeze before stepping so that Harry was slightly behind him. "Mr Lockhart, my son would prefer to stay out of the public spotlight, if you please. And it is good manners to ask someone for permission before dragging them in front of a flashing camera." Severus' voice was quiet but full of menace, the unspoken threat evident in his posture and the black glare that was pinning Lockhart in spot.
"Professor Snape, surely the boy's guardians would have protested if he was going to be upset," Mr Lockhart said appealingly.
"I am Harry Potter-Snape's guardian. And given that the boy in question is a twelve-year-old, surely you're aware that you would need his guardian's consent before publishing any photos of him?" This question was spat at the photographer, who at least had the grace to look ashamed. Lockhart, on the other hand, was looking as though he wasn't quite listening to what Severus was telling him.
"Well, perhaps to smooth over this little misunderstanding, Harry would like to receive my entire works, free of charge, as a gift," Lockhart said with a grin to the suddenly swooning crowd. "And I merely thought it appropriate to pose with a Hogwarts student as I made my surprise announcement." Lockhart paused for effect and Harry wrinkled his nose. "That I, Gilderoy Lockhart, take great pleasure and pride in announcing that, this September, I will be taking up the post of Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!"
The crowd cheered while Harry gave a small groan and dropped his chin to his chest in disappointment. "Well, welcome to Hogwarts, then, Professor Lockhart," Severus said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "It will be a great pleasure to show you the ropes around the castle after you arrive," Severus said, raising an eyebrow when Lockhart smiled and thanked him.
"Come, Harry," Severus said, drawing Harry down out of the limelight and back over towards the Weasleys. When the shopkeeper came over to give Harry the stack of books, he grimaced and dumped them into the cauldron that Ginny held.
"Here, I've already paid for my copies," Harry lied, not wanting to take any charity from Lockhart. Severus looked down at him, raising an eyebrow but Harry glared back defiantly. The way Severus had growled at him this morning still stung, making him too angry to be gratuitous for long.
"Jeez, Harry, can't go outside without drawing a crowd, can you?" Draco drawled as he appeared out of the crowd next to Harry.
"Shut up, Malfoy," Ron said, being oddly protective. While the older boy had been less hostile towards Harry after his revelation about bullies, he certainly hadn't shown any inclination towards acting like Harry's friend.
Harry gave a Ron a surprised look and put a hand on Draco's arm to stop him answering back. "Don't, Ron. Draco's joking."
"Mostly," Draco muttered under his breath.
"Not helping," Harry muttered back.
"Come on children, let's head outside while your Mum gets your books," Mr Weasley told them as he came up to the group.
"Can they even afford all these books?" Draco asked Harry quietly.
"Screw you, Draco," Ron spat. Apparently not quietly enough.
"Well, I'm just asking," Draco said peevishly.
"Draco, it's not polite to ask people about their money. Ron, Draco's a little rude but that's because he didn't get taught the right type of manners when he was a kid," Harry explained, trying to appease both of them as they exited the crowded store onto the bright alley.
"Well, well, well, your taste in company has certain degraded since your mother took you away, Draco," Harry heard a smooth voice say from off to his right. He whirled around, eyes widening, to see Lucius Malfoy.
"Father, I'm sorry, I didn't see you," Draco said, glancing at Harry nervously. Harry turned his head, looking for Severus.
"Well, of course not, Draco. You were blinded by the sea of red hair, freckles and shabby clothes," Mr Malfoy sneered. Harry saw Mr Weasley's ears turn red, the way Ron's did when he was angry.
"Lucius, perhaps it's time you moved on," Mr Weasley suggested in a tight voice.
"Dear me, is that the best you can afford, Arthur?" Mr Malfoy asked as he swung his cane forward to tap the second-hand cauldron that Ginny was using to carry her books with. "I would think that with all the overtime at the Ministry, you'd be able to afford better."
"I don't need any better, I'm not a snob," Ginny protested hotly.
"Well, then dear, if that's the best you've ever had, I suppose that is what you'd think," Mr Malfoy sneered. Arthur's face flushed like his ears and he sprung at Mr Malfoy, throwing a punch that snapped the other man's head around.
"Yeah! Get him, Dad!" The twins shouted as the men scuffled in the street. Harry pulled Ron and Draco back out of the way, watching with wide eyes and turning to see if he could spot Severus yet. Ron dragging him sideways refocused him back on the fighting men, who had stumbled towards them. The shouts and the noise from those watching made Harry wince and he felt his shoulders hunching in discomfort as the photographer from the bookstore rushed outside to see what the commotion was about.
As Severus pushed past where the children stood, Harry breathed a sigh of relief. Severus grabbed the back of Lucius' robes in one hand, pulling the struggling man backwards, away from Mr Weasley. Once there was a gap between the two men, Severus put a hand on Mr Weasley's chest, stopping him from reaching towards Mr Malfoy again.
"Enough." Severus' voice was no louder than it normally was but it stopped the men just as it stopped a class of unruly students. Arthur stopped struggling and backed off, looking sheepishly at Mrs Weasley. Mr Malfoy, on the other hand, swept his hands down his body as if to brush off his clothes and regained his haughty expression.
"Severus. Weasley," Mr Malfoy said with a curt nod to each of them. He glared at Draco, pining him with a terrifying look, before walking away up the Alley.
"Fighting in the street, what on Earth was the point?" Mrs Weasley was scolding Mr Weasley. "And in front of company?!"
Harry exchanged impressed looks with Fred and George, laughing quietly. "That's not funny, boys," Hermione scolded them as she ducked over to them, looking unimpressed.
"It kind of is, Granger," Draco smirked. "It was probably the most embarrassing thing to happen to my father, except of course for my mother leaving him."
Ron looked over and caught Draco's eye and Harry could tell that Ron was holding in a laugh. "You boys are all so immature," Hermione huffed.
"Sorry, Hermione," Harry said, smirking at her as he tried not to laugh. Severus looked over at them severely and the boys quickly sobered their expressions.
"Have you bought all of the things on the lists, Mrs Weasley?" Severus asked, drawing her attention away from scolding her husband.
"Oh yes, and Hermione has as well, we've been showing her parents around Diagon Alley," Mrs Weasley said, regaining her pleasant demeanour as she turned away from her chastised husband.
"In that case, perhaps we should move our dinner forward?" Severus asked the adults, discreetly keeping an eye on all the children.
"I think that would be a splendid idea, Severus," Mrs Weasley replied. She gestured towards all the children and they gathered round, Ginny linking hands with Hermione as they started walking towards the pub. Harry noticed Draco hesitate and look to Severus for guidance as the group moved off so he tugged on his arm, trying to ignore the twinge at seeing Draco get along so well with his Dad.
Severus, however, seemed to be more interested in talking to Harry. "Harry, can I have a word?" Severus asked, holding onto Harry's arm to stop him walking any further. "I thought we could talk about earlier?"
Harry set his jaw and looked away. He knew that his anger was a little unfair but he really hadn't meant to make the mistake with the Floo and his Dad's over-reactions were starting to get to him. He noticed that there were people staring at him and looking between him and his Dad. He rubbed at his scar agitatedly and instead chose to stare at eye height on Severus.
"Harry," Severus said, taking his arm and leading him over to the side of the Alley. "About this morning-"
"It's fine, Dad," Harry said, shaking his arm free. "It doesn't matter."
"Harry," Severus said, and Harry could practically hear the frown.
"Dad, you were right to be angry," Harry said, defensively. "I shouldn't have been down Knockturn Alley, even if it was a mistake."
"It was a mistake, Harry. And it's a mistake that many wizarding children have made before. In fact, I'm sure Mrs Wealsey could tell you many stories about her boys. And I was wrong to yell. I was wrong to be angry at you," Severus said, sounding as sorry as Harry had heard him sound all summer. Harry glanced at him, noticing the small signs of distress in his expression, and then looked away stubbornly. "If you don't want to talk about it, then that's okay. We should catch up with the Weasleys," Severus said, gesturing so that Harry knew he should walk in front of him. Harry went, making a face at the unhappy feeling the conversation had brought up.
He stopped walking and shrunk back against his Dad as Gilderoy Lockhart emerged from an alleyway, talking to the bookstore owner. Severus noticed a second after Harry did and put a protective arm around Harry's shoulders. "I'm talking to Professor Dumbledore tomorrow when I return to grounds, and I'll make sure Lockhart can't hassle you any more. He won't allow Lockhart to make you uncomfortable."
"Even if I'm still angry at you?" Harry asked, quietly.
"Even if you're still angry at me," Severus said, taking his arm from Harry's shoulders once they were past the overly-friendly man. As they came up to the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron, Harry spotted Draco and Hermione standing together outside.
"What's wrong?" Harry asked.
"Nothing, we're waiting for you," Draco said.
"And Draco didn't want to be surrounded by Weasleys," Hermione said, tossing her hair and smirking at him.
Draco glared at her as Harry snorted, glad to see Hermione teasing Draco the same way she teased Harry and Teddy. "How's it been at the farm?" Harry asked Draco.
"Lupin's horse threw him off. Twice," Draco said. "And Severus and Lupin fought, three times, loudly," He added with a smirk at Severus.
"And what did I tell you about telling Harry about that?" Severus said, raising an eyebrow at Draco.
"You told me not to tell but Mum told me to be more honest," Draco said. "Who am I meant to listen to?"
Hermione giggled and pulled Draco through the archway to the pub. "Stop teasing your godfather, Draco."
"But it's so fun, Hermione," Draco whined. "And easy," He added with a wink at Harry.
"Remind me again why I let you come to my house," Severus said, though Harry knew that he was just pretending to be angry.
"Because you love me," Draco said then fell quiet as the Weasleys turned.
"Tom is going to find us a table that's big enough for all of us," Mrs Weasley said. "We thought the kids could order their drinks and then by the time we're seated they'll be ready."
Harry gave his drink preference when asked and then shrunk behind Hermione and Draco when some of the patrons at the bar turned to stare at him. Hermione glared at one women in particular who wouldn't look away, making her look at her feet. "So Harry, I got your letter," Hermione started.
Harry turned with wide eyes and 'shooshed' her. He hadn't even thought to bring up Dobby to his Dad yet and he didn't want Severus knowing that he'd talked to Hermione first. "I don't think Teddy wanted us to talk about that, Hermione," Harry said, raising his eyebrow so that she'd get the hint.
"Oh, right, it was kind of embarrassing for him," Hermione said, smiling at him. Draco looked over, interested, but Harry shook his head at him.
"What did Nott do now?" Draco asked, not taking the hint.
"None of your business, Draco," Harry said, glaring at him.
"What's none of Malfoy's business?" Ginny asked, nudging her way into the small circle.
"Something that we don't want to talk about," Hermione said, looking sideways at the girl she'd only just met. "Have you thought about what your favourite class is going to be, Ginny?"
"Well, I think Transfiguration or Charms," Ginny said shyly. "Though I think Potions is going to be good as well," Ginny added when she looked at Professor Snape.
"If you spend any amount of time with Fred and George, you'll probably like Potions very much," Hermione said. "They're surprisingly good at it, considering."
"Oh, thank you, Hermione. We didn't realise you'd noticed," Fred said, mussing up Ginny's hair.
"Well, most of your pranks involve some sort of potion or mixture of ingredients, so if you apply your grasp of theory to your potions practice, then it stands to reason that you should be quite good at potions," Hermione explained.
"And, you overthought it," Fred said, rolling his eyes.
Hermione looked at Fred with a confused look and turned back to Draco and Harry. Harry glanced at Draco with wide eyes and then smiled sweetly at Hermione. "Not touching that one, huh, Harry?" Hermione asked, crossing her arms.
"I don't even know what Fred meant," Harry said. He jumped slightly when his Dad snorted and turned to look at him. Severus just raised his eyebrows at Harry, and then turned to talk to the Grangers.
Harry turned back just in time for Hermione to punch him in the arm. "Ow!"
"You deserved it," she said, poking her tongue out and tossing her hair as she walked over to Percy, who was sitting in a bar stool and looking pained.
"That was, unexpected," Harry said, rubbing his arm.
"Hermione's been meeting Rachael every week to catch up," Fred said. "Seems like she's rubbing off on her."
Harry looked at him, feigning horror. "Yeah, that's not going to work out well for us."
Tom came up and showed them to their table before Fred could answer and Harry ended up seated between Ron and Severus. He picked at his food when it came, too distracted by the things he was feeling towards his Dad to really feel hungry. But what food he did eat was tasty and the atmosphere was warm and happy. Harry even noticed Ron and Draco stop glaring at each other and was pleasantly surprised when Ginny managed a full conversation about Quidditch with him. And if Harry felt a little guilty for not forgiving his Dad straight away or for not telling him about Dobby straight away, then it wouldn't hurt to ignore those feelings for a little longer and talk to his Dad later.
Next up: September 1st!
