AN: The first Interlude's finally here, and it's been almost two weeks since my last update. For that, I apologize. I can't really offer any excuses, but I just want to say it's been a rough week. However, I'm optimistically hoping that I'll be able to get the next chapter out in around a week. Once again, thanks for reading. Love all the support.
Interlude Part I: Summer Memories
(Black Manor, the summer before Harry's 2nd year)
Harry blinked. He had been reading the same sentence for the past twenty minutes, a clear indicator of his lack of interest in the book Sirius had lent him. He sighed, throwing the book down on the table in front of him and slumping wearily in his chair. Reckon Sirius won't know if I happened to fall asleep for a short bit, he thought drowsily, closing his eyes, only to reopen them a few seconds later after hearing raised voices from the entrance hall.
He groaned in protest at being interrupted, debating whether to ignore the commotion and attempt (again) to get some much needed rest time. His eyes began to close once more. Just a few minutes, please…
A loud crash sounded from the direction of the voices, and Harry sighed. He could tell that today wasn't going to be a good day. Dejected, he rose out of his comfortable chair, walking towards the site of the commotion.
He found Sirius, his face twisted in an expression of intense dislike, standing in front of the doorway of Black Manor, arguing with someone. Harry couldn't see who it was from where he stood, and he shuffled closer, intending on discovering what the hell had been important enough to cause him to miss out on a well-deserved (in his opinion, at least) nap. The shattered pieces of an ancient vase lay on the ground next to Sirius, who had evidently broken it in his frustration.
"Like hell you will!" Sirius finished exclaiming as Harry walked behind him.
"Then let me at least talk to Mr. Potter." The voice of Regulus Black replied in an annoyed tone.
Harry peered past Sirius' shoulder and saw his Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, arms crossed and an irritated scowl on his face.
"Professor?" He blurted out. "What are you doing here?"
Regulus shot a victorious smirk at Sirius before replying. "I have some news to discuss with you, and I had asked your dear godfather to talk with you. However, he seems to be in a very…disagreeable mood today."
Sirius shot Regulus yet another dirty look. Harry, sensing that the two estranged brothers were close to coming to blows, if not worse, spoke up quickly. "Please, come in. I'll meet you in the drawing room, if you know where that is."
Regulus nodded shortly, stepping past Sirius into Black Manor. He began walking towards the drawing room, not looking back.
Harry turned to his godfather, who looked as if he had just swallowed a Blast-Ended Skrewt. "Sirius," he began in an attempt to placate his fuming godfather. "You don't have to come if you don't want to."
"Like hell I won't," his godfather responded in a loud voice. "I'm not leaving him alone with you."
Harry just sighed once more and shook his head. Today really wasn't a good day.
The pair of godfather and godson walked to the drawing room, finding Regulus already seated in one of the chairs. Regulus raised an eyebrow when Sirius walked in behind his godson, a smirk on his face.
"You really aren't needed for this discussion, brother," he said in a falsely neutral tone. "I'm sure you have better ways of wasting your time."
Harry spoke before Sirius responded to the thinly veiled taunt. "Whatever you have to say to me, you can say in front of Sirius," he said quietly. The smirk vanished off of Regulus' face and he nodded once, becoming as serious as he normally was.
"Let's cut to the chase- I don't want to be near some people if I can help it." Here, Regulus shot a pointed glare at Sirius. "I've come to assess your Occlumency barriers to see if they're finally acceptable enough to learn other branches of the mind arts."
Harry winced, knowing that Sirius hadn't had a clue that Regulus was teaching him Occlumency. Sirius had assumed that his private lessons with Regulus were based on advanced defense, and Harry hadn't exactly been in a hurry to correct him.
Predictably, Sirius interjected, an incredulous expression plastered on his handsome face. "Excuse me?" He started slowly and deliberately. Harry sucked in a breath; when Sirius talked slowly and purposefully, it was a clear indicator that he was seriously pissed off. "Are you telling me that in your little 'extra defense lessons,' you were teaching my godson Occlumency, a fucking dangerous branch of the mind arts?"
Regulus considered the question. "Well, we did do some dueling and cover some other sorts of defense. Occlumency was only once or twice a week." He smirked, noticing his older brother's mood. "And besides, are you saying that your own godson didn't see it necessary to inform you of his Occlumency training? I wonder what that says about you, brother."
"You little shi-"Sirius began before Harry cut him off.
"Padfoot, I wanted to learn, and he offered to teach me. If anything, it's my fault." Sirius barely glanced at his godson before exploding yet again. "He's the adult here; he shouldn't have even offered to teach you in the first place!" His right eye twitched, and he looked at Regulus, daring him to respond.
"Sirius." Regulus had a strange look on his face, and Harry could not tell what his professor was thinking. "There are many wizards and witches who are able to read an undefended mind, including those of the Order and the Serpents. Surely, you do not want your godson to be in danger of having his mind invaded and brutally crushed, do you?"
Sirius frowned, trying to come up with another excuse to defend his opinion. Regulus leaned close to his brother, whispering something into his ear, the strange expression still present. Harry caught a surprised expression on his godfather's face before said godfather reset his facial features in a blank mask so quickly that Harry thought he had imagined it.
"Very well," Sirius said. "I expect nothing to happen to my godson while he's under your tutelage." His words were crisp and slightly stilted, and Harry had an inkling that while Sirius had agreed to Regulus teaching Harry Occlumency, he wasn't happy with it.
Regulus sent a short nod of gratitude towards his brother before turning to face Harry. "Now, since we've settled that matter, let's move onto the actual reason I'm spending my time here instead of doing something more worthy of my time." Sirius snorted loudly.
Regulus raised his head, staring directly into Harry's eyes. "Legilimens!" was the only warning Harry got before his mind was attacked. Grimly, he closed his eyes, willing the barriers in his mind to hold strong.
By the end of his first year at Hogwarts (and around a year of Occlumency training from Regulus), he had managed to create a three barrier defense that was ideal for beginning Occlumency trainees. Only having one barrier, especially when he was still a novice, was just asking for his mind to be broken into, and it would be hard to defend his mind if and when said barrier crumbled. Having more than three barriers would mean that all the layers would be relatively weak and not strong enough to hold out most Legilimens.
Three barriers would ensure that all barriers were relatively strong, and if someone managed to break through one, they would have to go through two more, and Harry would have ample time to reconstruct a suitable defense.
Regulus immediately found his first barrier and attacked it viciously, causing a mild stab of pain to go through Harry's head. Harry gritted his teeth; Regulus was clearly trying to overwhelm the young boy's defenses using sheer power alone.
Harry's first barrier was breached and destroyed in a matter of seconds, and Regulus swiftly moved onto the second barrier. Harry's mind felt as if he had been hit in the head with a battering ram after drinking Sirius' entire secret stash of firewhiskey.
Harry fought down the urge to scream, summoning his leftover strength to fuel his two remaining barriers. It felt as if Regulus had been assaulting his mind for days, and Harry could imagine how the sun would rise and fall with each passing day. Harry knew, however, that realistically it had probably been only a few minutes or so since Regulus had started.
Another long moment of pure, agonizing torture later, Regulus had broken through Harry's last barrier and had retreated from the boy's mind, much to the relief of said boy.
Regulus waited a moment for Harry, who felt violently ill, to collect himself before speaking. "Overall, you did pretty well for being such a novice," he spoke quietly, knowing from past experience that the young boy was probably nursing a raging headache after having his mind broken into. "It took me a solid six minutes to break into your mind, and chances are your opponent won't have that kind of time to do that in a battle."
Sirius, who had somehow managed to refrain from talking, chose to speak up, directing his words not at Regulus but at the resident house elf. "Tippy!" He commanded, and a house elf popped into the room.
"Master Sirius?" Tippy squeaked, wringing its hands in a nervous fashion. "You called for Tippy?"
"Bring me a couple of headache relief potions and a pepper up potion," Sirius said briskly. "And also two firewhiskeys and one butterbeer."
"Why'd you get two headache relief potions?" Harry asked. "I don't think Regulus needs one." Here, he shot a questioning glance at his professor, who shook his head.
Sirius scowled. "One's for you, and the second one's for me," he said shortly, making both Regulus and Harry arch one of their eyebrows. "Merlin knows I need it," he muttered.
Harry chose to pretend he didn't hear what his godfather had muttered. Tippy popped back into the room, presenting the three wizards with the potions and drinks before disappearing with a bow.
"So, what now?" The soon to be second year asked, trying and failing to imitate his professor's casual tone.
Regulus sipped his drink, taking an old leather bound book out from his cloak and handing it to Harry. "Read it, learn it, and understand it."
Harry took the book gingerly, reading the cover of said book out loud. "Transfiguration: Animations?" he half asked, looking confusedly at his defense professor, who merely closed his eyes and sighed dramatically.
"Potter, what do you think would happen if you walked around Hogwarts carrying a book about legilimency?" He drawled, reaching out and tapping the cover of the book with his wand, causing it to reveal its true title: The Mind Arts: Legilimency.
Harry blinked, now understanding why Regulus had felt it prudent to disguise the cover of the book.
The professor tapped the cover of the book with his wand once more, and the title was soon disguised. "I expect you to be ready to start the practical parts of Legilimency once term begins. This book only covers the theory behind it and also some advanced tips about Occlumency."
"And if I have any questions before term starts?" Harry inquired cautiously.
"Send a letter to me or ask your godfather," Regulus said shortly, standing up. "Now, I have other things to do, so I'll be taking my leave." He strode out of the room without a backwards glance, and Harry heard the distinct pop of Apparation a minute later. He turned back to face his godfather, who was still scowling, his glass of firewhiskey held in his right hand.
"And that's my little brother for you," Sirius muttered. "Knowledgeable, arguably more talented than many other wizards, and let's not forget, a great bloody git."
Harry could tell it would be a long summer.
A really, really long summer.
XXXXX
(The Ministry, the summer before Harry's 4th year)
Harry scowled, not for the first time that day and certainly not for the last time. He was going to kill Sirius after this.
Lily had remarked that Harry should begin learning about the Wizengamot and his roles as the Potter scion and Black heir, and Sirius had agreed, which led to Harry being woken up from a deep slumber at a god forsaken early hour in the morning by his cheerful godfather. He had then been dragged to the Ministry with Sirius, who had called it an "educational trip with an educated person" when Harry had complained. Harry had snorted when Sirius had referred to himself as the "educated person."
As soon as they had entered the Ministry atrium, Sirius had seen a group of old friends (drinking buddies, he had called them) and had gleefully made his way towards the group, leaving Harry alone in the process.
Harry, already irritated with his godfather, had chosen to wander the various halls of the Ministry, receiving many glares from Ministry workers.
He had been walking by himself for around twenty minutes when he spotted a familiar face. "Barty?" He said incredulously, his voice louder than normal due to his surprise.
The man in question turned around, a smile on his face when he saw who had called his name. "Harry," he greeted the boy. "What are you doing here at this hour?"
Harry fought down the urge to scowl. "My godfather dragged me here to learn about the Wizengamot and other important stuff but ditched me as soon as we got here." Barty caught onto the boy's annoyed tone and smirked.
"Well, it's a good thing that you picked today of all days to visit the Ministry. Come on," he said, motioning for Harry to follow him down the hallway. After a short moment of hesitation, Harry followed.
A few minutes later, Harry found himself in front of a small office in an unfamiliar hallway. Barty opened the door with a lazy swish of his wand and entered with a grin. Harry entered the office, sitting in a surprisingly comfortable chair directly in front of Barty.
"Where are we?" Harry asked, looking around at the office.
"An old office that nobody uses anymore," Barty replied casually. "Great place to have a conversation without the risk of being overheard." At those words, Harry tensed slightly. What was so important that Barty had to come to an abandoned office to tell him?
"Relax," Barty told the boy, sensing his tenseness. "It's about an event that's happening at Hogwarts this year."
"Then why all this secrecy?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow.
Barty grinned again. "You lot aren't supposed to know until you get to Hogwarts, but I figured you knowing wouldn't hurt anyone."
Harry suppressed a smile. "So what's this all about?"
"There's going to be a tournament this year at Hogwarts for the kids who want to join the Serpents. A big one, too. First place gets automatically accepted into the Serpents as long as their marks are high enough and everything else is all right."
Harry's jaw dropped. "The hell?" he found himself asking.
Barty nodded wisely. "Yeah, I get that a lot."
Harry snorted but otherwise ignored Barty's reply. "Is there an age restriction?" After all, he couldn't be this lucky…could he?
"Fourth years and older," informed Barty. "Which means you can enter." Yep, he was that lucky.
Harry mulled over the news Barty had given him. "Well fuck," he commented, not knowing what else to say.
"Pretty much, yeah."
XXXXX
(Riddle Manor, the summer before Harry's 4th year. Twelve days before Harry's encounter with Barty at the Ministry)
"You're telling me," the man began with a faux smile fixed on his handsome face, his ruby red eyes flashing for a split second. "That you and the others had two of the most important members of the Order of the Phoenix disarmed and bound, and somehow, somehow they managed to break free and run back to Dumbledore's side?" His fingers twitched slightly, a sign of his displeasure and irritation at the incompetence of the man who knelt in front of him.
The kneeling man, his face half hidden by the mask he wore, stammered nervously. "My Lord…"
"Is there something you wish to tell me, Avery?" His voice was smooth as silk, a dangerous edge accompanying his words. He found the desire to curse the idiot was becoming overwhelming.
The man on the ground mumbled, not daring to look at the face of his furious lord.
"Very well then," came the silky voice once more. He raised his wand. "Crucio," he whispered almost lovingly, enjoying the thrill that came from casting an Unforgiveable.
Avery screamed in agony, the shrill sound echoing off of the high ceiling. The man smirked coldly, savouring his follower's tortured cries. He released Avery from the curse after close to a minute, not wanting to permanently damage him. Even if Avery was, of course, completely incompetent, he thought, still wanting to curse the fool into oblivion. He really needed followers who could both fight and think.
Avery was still kneeling, gasping loudly, relieved at being released from the torture curse. "Get out," the man whispered dangerously, and Avery obeyed, quickly hurrying out of the magnificent doors into the hallway, casting one last fearful glance at his lord.
A trio of figures soon replaced Avery, walking in unison into the dark room, bowing their heads in respect and deference to their lord. "My Lord," all three murmered.
Lord Voldemort, also known as Emperor Riddle to the idiotic twats at the Ministry and the rest of the Wizarding World, smiled. These were his true followers; the ones who were truly loyal, intelligent, and… dangerous.
"I trust you have news?" He questioned, knowing that they must have a reason for interrupting him.
Lucius Malfoy stepped forward, his long blond hair betraying his identity, cool gray eyes ever so calculating. "My Lord, we've come from the Ministry." He hesitated, wondering briefly if his lord would curse him soundly if he told him the bad news.
Lord Voldemort caught the hesitation, narrowing his eyes at the man. "What is it?" He asked sharply, warning Malfoy to not lie to him, lest he face the opposite end of his wand.
"The blood traitors and muggle lovers have been expressing their displeasure at our people at the Ministry," Malfoy spoke smoothly and confidently, knowing his lord vehemently disliked people who stuttered or were not sure of themselves. "Even some of the purebloods have been questioning what we are and are planning on doing with the threat that is the Order of the Phoenix."
"They aren't a threat, merely a nuisance that must be stamped out," Voldemort said coldly, causing Lucius to nod quickly.
"Of course, my Lord," he agreed.
Lord Voldemort turned to his other two followers. "Any other news?" He needed some news that was actually good, for Merlin's sake.
The lone woman stepped forward slightly, a slightly crazed look in her fearsome eyes. "The Serpents' numbers are as strong as ever, my Lord. However, we lack a great deal of… ability in our new recruits." She almost spat the word, her distaste for the newest recruits evident.
"Indeed?" Voldemort spoke, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with her.
Bellatrix Lestrange tossed her head. "Weaklings, all of them," she declared contemptuously. "Barely any of them can duel, and most don't have a single intelligent thought in their whole body."
Augustus Rookwood, who had not spoken yet, snorted. "Most of them come from Hogwarts, and the standards there have never been high." The other three in the room turned to face the former Unspeakable, surprised at how disparagingly he was speaking about the school in which he had taught more than a few classes.
Voldemort was silent for a few moments, pondering the unfortunate series of news.
Bellatrix spoke suddenly, her voice cruel. "We should just end them all, all of the blood traitors and mudbloods at the Ministry." A feral smile appeared on her face.
"Now, now, Bella, you know that wouldn't be wise," Voldemort said lightly, always less cold to his favourite and most faithful follower. The woman in question scowled unhappily at the floor but did not protest.
Lucius pursued his lips in thought. Voldemort noticed the blonde's momentary silence. "Lucius?" He questioned, knowing that the man was arguably the most cunning of his followers and was sure to come up with a plan with dealing with the recent events.
"We need something that will raise public support and also capture the attention of Magical Britain for a while," he said slowly and deliberately, tilting his head slightly in thought. The other three chose not to interrupt, knowing the blonde would be beyond irritated if they did.
Lucius paused. "Doesn't Hogwarts have a tradition of holding a dueling tournament at the end of each year?"
Rookwood nodded his head affirmatively. "The Ending Ceremony Tournament."
"Well, why don't we hold another tournament this year?" Lucius said. "A larger, grander one."
"What do you mean, Lucius?" Bellatrix asked, amusing herself by idly twirling her wand.
"We should hold a tournament at Hogwarts for the older years. It should consist of several tasks, not just dueling, so we can aptly test them to see if they're up to par."
"And what would be the grand prize?" Bellatrix demanded, sneering slightly. "None of those little twits would enter any sort of tournament that doesn't involve them gaining any type of glory or acknowledgement if they win."
"Did you not mention that the Serpents have recently been…lacking suitable talent and skill?" Lucius inquired, an immaculate eyebrow raised, annoyed at the interruption, even if Bellatrix had had a point.
Bellatrix nodded shortly. "Arrogant little shites, the lot of them," she muttered, inciting a snort of laughter from Rookwood.
"It's true," she defended herself, scowling at the former Unspeakable.
"I never said it wasn't," Rookwood replied.
"Well," Lucius continued, ignoring the words exchanged between Bellatrix and Rookwood. "Why don't we make it so that the champion of this tournament is automatically accepted into Serpent training after he or she graduates from Hogwarts?"
"You know, Lucius," Bellatrix started. "There's a reason, a good one too, why we're highly selective about who we accept into the Serpents. We don't want any imbeciles, like the ones we're sure to receive out of this tournament."
Lucius frowned, his facial expressions soon relaxing into his normal blank mask seconds later. "I assure you, whoever becomes champion of the tournament will be Hogwarts' best, and there's no doubt they will be better than the rift raft you currently train."
Bellatrix had to concede that Lucius had a point, choosing to ignore him petulantly, unable to come up with a suitable and scathing response. There was a brief moment where no one spoke, all digesting Lucius' words and proposal.
"I believe that just might work," Rookwood said slowly. "It would certainly gather enough interest and raise the public's opinion."
"Do you have an age restriction in mind?" Voldemort asked, crimson eyes narrowed in thought.
"It shouldn't be just the sixth and seventh years," Rookwood commented. "Some of the younger ones can duel better than they can."
"Shall we say fourth years and up?" Lucius questioned.
"Ickle fourth years?" Bellatrix scoffed.
"Some of the younger years do have potential," Rookwood noted thoughtfully. "I second that."
"Very well then," Voldemort said. "Lucius and Rookwood, I expect both of you to propose and set up the tournament by next month." The threat of what would befall the pair if they should fail in their task was left unsaid.
The two men nodded in agreement, bowing once more. "Of course, my lord," Lucius agreed respectfully before briskly striding out of the room, Rookwood in tow.
"What do you think, Bella?" Voldemort drawled lazily, interested in hearing the input of his second in command.
Bellatrix considered the question carefully. "In regards to the public opinion, I believe that the tournament will be enough to stop the complaints. However, there's still the Order to consider…" She trailed off.
Lord Voldemort, also known as Tom Riddle, curved his lips into a smirk that would make most wizards and witches cower in fear. "Leave the Order to me," he said, eyes flashing dangerously. "Indeed, the Order will fall soon enough and Albus Dumbledore will learn that he is no match for Lord Voldemort."
XXXXX
(Hogwarts Castle)
Filius Flitwick might be shorter than many (if not all) of his students, but his bravery and selflessness knew no bounds. And when he had received the news in the form of a panicked Patronus that the Order of the Phoenix had fled, he had chosen to stay at Hogwarts as a professor, vowing to protect his students as best as he could.
And he had; throughout the years after the Order's retreat and Voldemort's victory, he had remained at Hogwarts, helping his students however he could. He was, overall, a well-liked and cheery professor who was respected and admired throughout the castle by all his students.
Filius remembered the day when Voldemort had come to Hogwarts, many years ago, with Amycus Carrow, declaring the unpleasant man to be the new headmaster of Hogwarts, succeeding Albus Dumbledore.
He had seen the ruthlessness in the Dark Lord's ruby eyes as he made the proclamation, glancing around the hall, daring anyone to object. Filius had instinctively known that anyone who had chosen to speak out would have been eradicated on the spot. Carrow, sensing his imminent crowning as the new Headmaster of Hogwarts, had leered at the students who had been present, and Filius had grimaced, his distaste for the disgusting man well hidden.
He had breathed a sigh of relief when nobody spoke, relieved that further death had been avoided. And that day had marked the start of the reign of Headmaster Amycus Carrow, whom Filius knew would not hesistate in ordering the deaths of any students (or adults) who objected to Voldemort or his followers.
Filius had played it safe; summoning his inner Slytherin characteristics that had made him such an amazing dueling champion when he was younger. He had never been officially part of the Order of the Phoenix, but he had been one of its biggest supporters during the war.
When Carrow had abruptly entered his office one morning, shortly before the start of the second term of that first school year, Filius had instinctively known the man was there to test his loyalties and to determine if he was a threat.
Filius had played his part well, smiling benignly and politely offering the taller man tea. Carrow had declined, sneering slightly in distaste. The pair of professor and headmaster had sat down in the charm professor's office for a full minute before Carrow had begun to speak.
It wasn't much of a "chat," as Carrow had phrased it when he had first arrived, but more of an interrogation, Filius had mused afterwards. Carrow had spent no time on subtlety, instead opting to directly confront the diminutive professor with a series of questions ranging from "Have you any affiliations or loyalty to the Order of the Phoenix?" to "When was the last time you've seen Minerva McGonagall?" to "Is it true that you gave a Gryffindor fifty points for completing a simple task of changing the colour of an object?" (Filius had no clue why the last question had mattered but answered it nonetheless).
It had been a good thirty minutes of their "little chat" before Carrow had decided that Filius wasn't, in any way, shape, or form, affiliated with the Order of the Phoenix and its members, and had rather grumpily left, declaring that he would "be watching" and that the other man should "be careful." Of what, Filius had no idea.
He would bet more than a few galleons that Carrow was heavily disappointed that he wasn't a traitor to "the cause." Indeed, Filius was sure that Carrow, the sadistic bastard that he was, wouldn't hesitate in causing his death in a very, very painful manner if he had proved to be a liability.
There had been many points in the conversation in which Filius had had the overwhelming urge to declare that Voldemort and Carrow and the rest of the bloody miserable bastards had no right to be in Hogwarts, a supposedly safe school for children, and that the Order would rise from its metaphorical ashes and defeat Voldemort once and for all.
However, Filius was anything but stupid, and he had held his tongue. After all, he had to stay at Hogwarts, if not for the children, for the Order. He was sure that many of the new professors who had been appointed by Voldemort and were staunch supporters of said man had no qualms against savagely cursing a child who annoyed or somehow disrespected them. It was his job to make sure they couldn't do that during the time that they were at Hogwarts.
Filius was no fool; he knew that one day, perhaps in the near future, the Order would return to fight Voldemort and his followers, and another vicious war would rage across Britain. He knew that there would be many deaths and atrocities committed, and he was determined to make sure his students could protect themselves to the best of their abilities. And when the Order came once more to Hogwarts, he would fight alongside them.
But for now, he was to be a buffer, a shield against those who would harm innocents, Filius decided. And he would have to play his part well.
XXXXX
(Black Manor, the summer after Harry's first year at Hogwarts)
"Can you stop that?" Draco snapped irritably, glaring at Harry, who adopted a sheepish smile.
"Sorry," the emerald eyed boy said apologetically.
"Prat," Draco grumbled. "You're going to wear a hole through Sirius' carpet if you don't stop your pacing."
Harry paused his pacing for the moment, glancing quizzically at the blonde. "Well, it's not a very pretty carpet to begin with, is it?" He asked, smiling lopsidedly.
Draco snorted. "I'll have you know, that's a magnificent and rare carpet. Bloody expensive too."
"I never said it wasn't nice," Harry protested. "I just said it wasn't pretty."
"How long do we have to wait until they get there," Draco complained, a scowl present on his face.
"They should be here soon," Harry immediately replied in a wary tone, having had this conversation many, many times during the last ten minutes.
"They better," Draco muttered in a low voice. "And I can't believe you're making me stay for this blasted dinner." His voice had risen when he had said the last sentence, and Harry could tell the boy really wasn't pleased at all.
"Draco," he sighed. "They're perfectly good people. And besides, they're your family."
"Not all of them," replied his friend stubbornly. "Especially not the mud-"
"Draco," warned Harry. He really didn't feel up to debating this point for the fifth or sixth time. He heard Draco go silent. "And besides, I still think the carpet's pretty ugly."
His friend took the offered olive branch for what it was. "Prat," Draco grumbled. "Don't let your godfather hear that."
"Hear what?" Sirius ducked his head out of the dining room into the hallway, smiling widely at the two boys, who in turn were both waiting for their dinner guests to arrive.
"Nothing," Harry responded immediately, not wanting to get drawn into an argument revolving around Sirius' taste in carpets. Draco snickered appreciatively, causing Sirius to frown in suspicion, sensing that he had been the target of at least one joke.
Harry was saved from his godfather's response when the Floo came to life, its green flames spitting out a well-dressed couple who immediately began to dust off their robes.
"Harry," Andromeda Tonks began with a warm smile at the raven haired boy. "Sirius." She nodded at her cousin. "And…" she trailed off, noticing the presence of a certain blonde in the hallway. "Draco Malfoy?" She questioned, causing the boy in question to nod shortly.
Her husband, Ted Tonks, greeted the three wizards cheerfully. Harry glanced around, confused. Where was she?
As if she could read minds, Andromeda turned to face him. "Nymphadora should be here any time," she told the boy. "She forgot something, it seems."
Ted snorted. "That, and she's never gotten the hang of Flooing."
Andromeda, who had opened her mouth to defend her daughter, was stopped by the sudden flash of green as the Floo came to life once more, spitting out a witch who fell to the ground as soon as she arrived at Black Manor.
Ted immediately extended a hand to help his daughter up, and she accepted it with a grateful nod.
"Bloody. Fucking. Hell." The newest arrival muttered, causing most of the hallway's occupants to snort loudly.
"Nymphadora," Andromeda said, a scandalized expression on her beautiful face.
"Don't bother scolding her, Andi," Ted told his wife. "It hasn't worked in the past, and it probably won't work now."
"He's right about that," Nymphadora Tonks muttered.
"One can only hope." Andromeda sighed dramatically.
Sirius chortled in glee. "Another one who never listened to Andi? Say Dora, has your mum ever told you about the time we went to a muggle theatre and…" He broke into laughter, clutching his sides, causing Harry and Draco to look at the man strangely.
"Bloody mental, that one," Draco muttered, nudging his friend.
"At least you don't have to see him almost every day," Harry responded in an equally low tone.
Draco considered the point. "True. I'd probably have offed myself if I did."
"Sirius..." Andromeda began dangerously.
"Yes, dear cousin of mine?" was the former Marauder's cheeky response.
"If you want to keep most of your body parts attached to your body, I suggest you not continue that train of thought." Sirius paled instantly, thinking of one incident in the past in which he had not heeded his older cousin's warning and had paid the price.
Andromeda glanced around the hallway. "Cissy and her husband aren't coming, I assume?" Her voice had a hopeful quality in it, contrasting with the mask of indifference she wore.
Sirius did not reply, leaving Draco to do so. "Mother and Father don't want to be seen in...present company," he drawled. Harry winced at his friend's blunt words. He really didn't know if the prat was purposely being rude, or if he was acting like his normal sarcastic self.
An awkward silence fell upon the people standing in the hallway. Naturally, it was Sirius who broke the silence.
"Well, now that everyone's here, what are we waiting for?" Sirius asked, spreading his arms wide, a smile fixed on his face. "Let's eat."
"So," Sirius began casually. "I heard you wanted to be an Auror, Dora." They had finished dinner without any major mishaps (Draco had opened his mouth to most likely make an unpleasant comment about Muggleborns, but Harry had kicked him under the table, drawing a glare from the Malfoy heir), and now they had vacated the dining room and were now sitting, butterbeers (and fire whiskeys, depending on age) in hand, laughing and talking together.
"You heard right," Tonks said, taking a sip of her butterbeer, savoring the taste.
"I was an Auror," Sirius commented offhandedly. "A damn good one too."
Draco and Harry simultaneously snorted. Sirius, taking offense to their disbelieving snorts, protested. "I was," he said indignantly, pouting.
"Of course, whatever you say," Draco replied flippantly.
"Say, didn't you used to come over to Potter Manor and drink a bit before going to work in the morning?" Harry asked Sirius, an innocent look on his face.
Before Sirius could respond, Draco cut in. "And didn't you say those buggers didn't care when you came in, as long as you showed up sometime?" The blonde was smirking at his cousin, who had begun scowling fiercely at the pair of boys.
"That's a load of tosh," Sirius scoffed, turning to Tonks. "Don't listen to them; they don't know anything."
"Sirus," Andromeda said, raising one eyebrow, a skeptical note in her voice.
The Black head of family turned, fixing his blinding grin on her.
"Sirius," Andromeda repeated, and the man in question practically wilted.
"Fine," he grumbled. "But those buggers didn't care in the slightest."
"Weren't you on probation for like a month?" Draco asked, tilting his head in a faux bored manner (Or maybe he was actually bored; Harry never knew for sure). Sirius sent a glare his way, but the Malfoy heir ignored it. Harry and the others snickered at Sirius' expense.
"It wasn't a month. It was more like three weeks," Sirius protested. "And besides, it wasn't even that bad." The second sentence was muttered under his breath, and the others pretended to not hear him.
"So, how was your first year at Hogwarts?" The question was asked by Ted, who felt it prudent to change the subject of the conversation to avoid his wife's ire from increasing at Sirius. He received a nod of appreciation from Sirius.
Draco and Harry exchanged a pair of glances. Harry sighed, knowing Draco really didn't want to answer first. "Pretty grand," he said noncommittedly, not knowing exactly what he was supposed to say.
"How are the professors?" Andromeda asked. "We've heard a lot about them from Nymphadora, but she does tend to exaggerate things, especially things about people she doesn't like."
Tonks instantly rose to defend herself. "It's not my fault half of the professors are gits. I mean, look at Snape."
"She has a point there," Sirius added. Harry had to cover his mouth with a hand to hide his laughter. Draco not similarly amused.
"Our Head of House, unlike others, can actually teach," he said a bit icily.
Tonks was not deterred. "Who are the 'others,' then?"
"Sprout," Draco answered promptly. Harry winced, knowing that Draco's words had probably caused an explosion of sorts. He was right.
"The hell?" Tonks, her father, and Sirius all exclaimed, looking at the Malfoy heir, who was trying (and failing) to look defiant.
Andromeda frowned at the crass words but did not disprove their exclamation. Harry, even though he was thoroughly annoyed with his ponce of a mate, decided to defend his best mate.
"You're just mad that you always get dirt on your robes after Herbology," he accused. Well, maybe not 'defend.' He was still a bit annoyed at Draco. Just a bit.
His friend shot him an utterly betrayed look, prompting a shout of laughter from Tonks. "Are you serious?" She asked gleefully. Harry hesitated. Maybe he had been a tad too cruel.
"At least I haven't blown up two cauldrons in a single class of Potions." Draco sniffed. Harry blinked. Never mind, he admitted to himself. He hadn't been cruel at all.
"You really want to have a go?" He asked sweetly. Draco was saved from answering and taking part in the unavoidable argument that would have followed if he had answered. "Not today. You and blondie can fight some other day," Sirius interjected.
Draco wrinkled his nose in distaste at Sirius' use of the rather despicable nickname. He didn't say anything, and Harry didn't either. "Any other professors who you lot don't seem to despise?" Ted Tonks questioned wryly.
Harry hesitated, steeling himself. He had to admit it someday, even if his godfather wouldn't be happy. "Professor Black is a good defense instructor." He shot a glance at Sirius, whose cheerful expression had faded immediately, leaving a blank mask.
"Bit of a pillock, isn't he?" Tonks muttered. Sirius snorted. Loudly. "My little brother's more than a pillock, don't worry." Harry sent a worried look at Sirius. The statement had been said in a rather bitter tone, and Harry wasn't sure if it had been a good idea to mention Regulus at all.
"I'm sure Regulus is a decent professor," Andromeda replied to Harry's statement. Sirius muttered something derogatory under his breath but did not say anything else. Harry breathed an inaudible sigh of relief. That particular crisis had been averted, at least. Sirius still looked like he wanted to hurt something (probably his brother), but he hadn't really done anything, so Harry counted that as a victory.
The rest of the night was spent reminiscing (mostly by the adults) about events well in the past, talking about Hogwarts, the current state of affairs with the Ministry and the Order of the Phoenix, and also various pranking ideas (A topic which Sirius had enthusiastically proposed, and Tonks had even more enthusiastically agreed on).
Sooner than expected, it was time for the Tonks family to leave, and goodbyes were reluctantly said.
"We must do this again sometime soon," Andromeda commented, briefly stepping forward and hugging her cousin.
"Of course," Sirius agreed easily.
"Thank you for having us." That was Ted.
Meanwhile, Tonks was engaged in deep conversation with Harry about a completely serious topic: Quidditch.
"I'm telling you, the Harpies will absolutely stomp on the Cannons," she declared.
"I'm not arguing with you," Harry said. "They're pretty rubbish, the Cannons."
"Didn't they lose 250-0 in their last game?"
Harry paused. "Pretty sure it was around 300-0."
"Figures."
"Nymphadora," Andromeda called.
"Bugger," Tonks muttered. "Time to go, I guess." She affectionately tousled Harry's hair, causing him to protest. "See you, prat."
"Bye, Tonks."
"Later, Malfoy."
"Bye," was Draco's short reply.
Tonks was the first one to Floo out of Black Manor, almost tripping when reaching for the green Floo powder. Ted was next, Flooing without any mishaps, unlike his daughter. Andromeda remained in the hallway, seemingly waiting for the rest of her family to leave.
She smiled at Sirius. "Thank you, once again." She turned to leave, stopping and turning to the Malfoy heir, who looked at her quizzically.
She hesitated. "Give my regards to your parents, will you? And tell Cissy happy early birthday." Draco hesitated before nodding once. Andromeda smiled sadly, no doubt thinking about her estranged sister. She too, Floo'd back to the Tonks home, leaving Sirius and the boys standing in the now empty hallway.
"Firew-Butterbeer, anyone?" Sirius asked innocently. The two boys grinned at the former Marauder. "Of course," was Harry's replied. Draco's reply was much less polite.
XXXXX
(Hogwarts Castle, 3rd year)
"Git."
"Prat."
"Blonde ponce."
"Italian bugger."
"Over pompous pillock."
"Oi, that's McLaggen, you arse."
"It's a term that applies to you, too."
"Well then, Mr. I-hate-Care-Of-Magical-Creatures-because-I'm-scared-of-getting-dirt-on-my-designer-robes."
"At least I'm not scared of breaking a nail in Herbology."
Harry and Theo looked at each other, exasperated scowls on both of their faces.
Theo raised an eyebrow, to which Harry shook his head vehemently. There was no way in hell that he was going to be the one who broke up that argument. Theo rolled his eyes, making a face at the emerald eyed boy, who in turn stuck out his tongue at the Nott heir. Theo sighed, stepping forward.
"You're both pretty, we get it," Theo interrupted the quarreling duo. The pair stopped their arguing immediately, choosing to face Theo, who merely lifted an eyebrow in apparent disinterest.
Harry sighed; this wasn't going to end anytime soon. Truthfully, he didn't even know why Blaise and Draco were fighting or what they were fighting over. Knowing his mates, it was possible something insignificant, he thought.
Sending Theo, who had started arguing heatedly with the pair, a pitying glance, he snuck out of the dormitory, walking through and out of the Slytherin common room. He didn't really have a particular destination in mind. Right now, anywhere was better than the Slytherin dormitory.
It was when he was passing the abandoned classrooms on the third floor that Harry heard voices muttering. He stopped, craning his head in a vain effort to hear better. It was two distinct voices, he decided. They sound familiar…Could it be?
He walked into the abandoned classroom (which he vaguely recognized from one of his past after curfew adventures) and saw them.
The Weasley twins were huddled in a corner of the classroom, a sheet of parchment on the desk in front of them. One of them held a quill in hand and was in the process of scribbling something down.
They hadn't noticed Harry's entrance, and he decided to make himself known.
"Fancy seeing you lot here," he said casually, leaning against the wall. "Up to no good, I expect."
Both twins looked up at once, shock plain to see on their faces. They had immediately tensed, as if they were wary of an enemy, but had relaxed upon seeing who it was.
"Harrikins," they chorused, causing Harry to grin. "Of course we aren't."
The one clutching a quill in his hand was the first one to speak after their greeting. "What brings you here?" He asked the younger boy.
"The other blokes in my dorm were being prats," he deadpanned. "Well, except for Theo," he added hastily. "What about you lot? Why are you holed up in some dusty classroom?"
The twins exchanged a pair of secretive glances that instantly put Harry on alert. While he was friends with the twins, he didn't necessarily trust them not to prank him.
The twin on the left cleared his throat. "We're deciding how to best capture a nundu that we found in the Forbidden Forest and use it to off some buggers." The other twin nodded seriously, and both had grim looks on their faces.
Harry blinked. He hadn't been expecting that. He suspected the twins were kidding, but one could never know with the Weasley twins…
He simply cocked an eyebrow, waiting for the twins to speak once more.
"We're not trying to capture a nundu," Twin One admitted.
"We're planning a prank," the other said.
Harry didn't know whether to laugh or feel relieved. "Should I be worried?"
The twins pretended to consider his question. "Probably, yeah."
"Who's the target?" Harry was curious; he hoped it wasn't someone he actually liked.
"McLaggen," both twins said. "Kennedon and Falloway, too," one of the twins added. "Want to help?"
Harry pretended to scoff. "Of course not. McLaggen's my best mate."
Twin Two made an obscene gesture. "And we thought you were an alright bloke," Twin One said sadly, wiping a fake tear from his face.
Harry snorted. "Of course I want to help. McLaggen's a ponce."
The twins exchanged yet another set of glances. "That's the reaction we were expecting," Twin One said.
"We thought there might have been something wrong with you, mate," Twin Two admitted, causing the younger boy to snicker.
"And what do you mean?" Harry couldn't resist asking.
Twin One paused. "Well, you could've been hit by one of the Confundus charms we were shooting earlier in the Charms corridor."
"Or you could've been gotten amnesia from falling from the top of the Astronomy Tower."
"Or you could've been mauled by our pet nundu."
Harry sent both twins a disturbed look. "Or maybe you're perfectly normal," Twin Two said. The other twin nodded heartily in agreement.
"So, what are you lot planning for McLaggen and his mates?"
The twins showed Harry the piece of parchment, on which several lines of scrawled notes were written. Harry read them closely, squinting his eyes. Fred (or George) wrote small, and some of the words were hard to make out.
He couldn't stop a smile from breaking out on his face once he reached the end of the parchment.
Twin One raised both eyebrows. "I take it you like what we've planned."
Harry deliberately refrained from answering, and worried looks appeared on both twins' faces.
"Did we forget something?"
"Are the dungbombs too much?"
"Nope," Harry said simply.
"Don't tell me McLaggen's got detention today," Twin One groaned.
"Is Snape still pissed about that colour changing prank we pulled a few days ago?"
"Not in the slightest," Harry replied in a monotone.
"Then what?" Twin Two sounded confused.
"I can't believe you two," Harry said in what he thought was a disappointed tone. "After all we've been through, you lot still forget the most important thing."
The twins wore equally confused looks.
Harry paused dramatically. "Where's the nundu?"
AN 2:
1. The next chapter will be the start of Harry's fourth year, in which the Tournament is introduced to Hogwarts' students.
2. I just wanted to make another point clear: Amycus Carrow is Headmaster of Hogwarts. MacNair is the Care of Magical Creatures Professor. Bellatrix Lestrange is Voldemort's second in command and the main head of the Serpents. Lucius Malfoy is thought to be a former Serpent, but he still does his fair share of work for Voldemort. Regulus Black is the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor, and he is also a Serpent. Augustus Rookwood and Barty Crouch are both Serpents.
3. The Tonks/Black/Malfoy dinner: Draco doesn't like the Tonks family; he's been raised idolizing the pureblood traditions and believes in pureblood supremacy. He doesn't like Ted Tonks because he's a muggleborn, Andromeda Tonks because she was a former Black who married a muggleborn (and is also his mother's sister), and Nymphadora (Tonks) because she's a half blood. He's really just there because of Harry and Sirius.
4. I'm trying to make Harry's learning of both Occlumency and Legilimency realistic. He's not going to magically (yes, I know what I said) wake up one day and become a master Legilimens who can destroy Voldemort's mind within three seconds. No.
At the end of his first year, Harry has acceptable Occlumency shields, which translates to being slightly higher than a novice. His shields can keep out a slight probe, but (as shown by Regulus) said shields can be destroyed easily by any competent Legilimens.
Regulus also instructs Harry to read the theory behind Legilimency because, let's face it, learning the mind arts takes a while. As in years. Do not worry; Harry will have plenty of trouble with Legilimency and furthering his Occlumency skills.
5. There's a bit of humour in this story, but this story will not be labeled as a Humour story. Don't ask me why.