Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter nor am I attempting to make any personal gain from this story.
Author's note: There is apparently some confusion regarding Susan's family. In Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 25; The Beetle at Bay; it clearly states that her uncle, aunt and cousins were killed by Voldemort's Death Eaters. To clarify, the Mr. Bones mentioned in the previous chapter, and again in this one, is Susan's father.
Chapter 10: The Holidays
Harry entered the house ahead of Mr. Bones. Susan was sitting at the kitchen table and stood up to greet him as he entered.
"Hello Harry. Drop your trunk off here and let's go," she said, indicating the corner of the kitchen next to a very muggle looking fridge/freezer.
After putting his trunk in the space indicated he asked, "Why the rush? Can't we sit down for a while first?"
"Because it's already after 9:30 and the shops are already open. We have some shopping to do."
"Shopping?" Susan grabbed his hand and led him out the door on the opposite side of the kitchen. After a walk along the hall they exited via the front door where Harry saw a green car being driven by somebody who was obviously a wizard. The way he was dressed was a dead giveaway. Also in the car was a woman. Susan introduced her as Amelia Bones, head of the DMLE.
After a drive of nearly an hour they arrived in a medium sized shopping centre on the outskirts of London. Harry had asked why they were going shopping but no-one had told him. They had simply said they were getting some necessities and asked if Harry had any muggle money. When Harry said no Amelia told him she would take him to Diagon Alley after they arrived at their destination.
Amelia found a secluded area from which they could disapparate. One apparation later and Harry was back in the Leaky Cauldron, the gateway to Diagon Alley. At Gringotts' Harry spoke to first available Goblin. "I am Harry Potter. I would like to withdraw money from my vault and change it into muggle money."
"Do you have the key to your vault?" asked the Goblin.
"Yes. Here you go," Harry said as he pulled out the key.
"That is all in order. Griphook please take Mr. Potter to his vault."
"Before we go can you please tell he if anyone else has access to my vault?"
"I will need to check our records for that information. Do you wish to amend the list of authorised persons?"
"Possibly but I need to know who is on the list first."
"Very well. The information you request will be available upon your return."
"Thank you," Harry said before turning to Griphook.
When the formalities were completed Harry went to his vault and took out 100 galleons which he exchanged for 475 pounds. The balance, about 5%, went on exchange fees. As soon as they left the bank Madam Bones apparated him back to the shopping centre. Susan had already picked out several items of clothing for Harry to try on. Harry now realised why they were going shopping, it was so he could get some new clothes.
Nearly three hours later they returned to the Bones' house where Harry put on some of his new clothes before having lunch. After lunch Harry and Susan retired to a spare room where they talked, played board games and generally had a pleasant time.
Towards the evening they heard what sounded like a motorcycle stop outside the front gate. A few seconds later there was a knock on the door. They headed back towards the front door as Mr. Bones opened and Sirius entered the house.
"Hello, Harry," Sirius said. "New clothes I see, good."
"It was Susan's idea. How are you?" Harry said.
"I'm good. Thank you, Susan, Harry did need some proper clothes and I'm glad I didn't have to take him shopping."
Susan said, "I'm glad you approve. Is that your motorcycle out there?"
"Yep, that's mine," Sirius replied. "Only just got it back from Hagrid yesterday. There is plenty of room for both you and the trunk in the sidecar."
Sirius drove fast into central London. For a while Harry wondered why no-one had pulled them over for speeding but then he remembered magic. All the same, he decided to ask Sirius about it.
"Three things," Sirius replied. "Firstly, a space adjusting relativity charm that allows the vehicle to 'sense' the amount of available space and adjust its own dimensions to fit. Secondly, a disillusionment charm meaning that muggles cannot see the bike and thirdly, a muffling charm that ensures only people who know of the bikes existence or who know the person riding it can hear it coming. The enchantments are essentially the same as those on the Knight Bus but modified for a smaller vehicle."
Harry nodded his understanding before deciding to ask about the Knight Bus.
"It's a form wizarding transport. Really uncomfortable to ride but it gets you to where you need to be. I've added cushioning spells to the bike to make it more comfortable and, of course, this bike doesn't suddenly jump from one place to another hundreds of miles away like the Knight Bus does."
Presently they arrived on a small cul-de-sac called Grimmauld Place. "Welcome to the Black family mansion; no. 12 Grimmauld Place, London. Since I'm the last surviving person with the Black name I inherited it when my mother died. Even though I don't like it here I agreed with Dumbledore that it was better I claimed my inheritance than let it pass into the hands of the next in line; my cousin Narcissa Malfoy."
"That's not Draco Malfoys' mother is it?" asked Harry.
"I think so, yeah. She has got a son so I guess that's him. Well, let's get in out of the cold. There are a couple of people I'd like you to meet. They should be here by now."
Upon entering Sirius took Harry straight to the kitchen. There were four people in there, drinking bottles of something. Several more identical bottles sat on the table along with a lot of food. Clearly they were planning a party. "Harry Potter, I would like you to meet my cousin Andromeda Tonks, her husband Ted, their daughter Nymphadora…"
"Don't you dare call me Nymphadora, Sirius," snapped a young woman no more than 18 or 19 years old, with pink hair that changed colour to dark red as Harry watched. "Call me Tonks or Dora."
"…Tonks," Sirius continued as if there had been no interruption. "And finally, Remus Lupin. After your father, Lupin, or Moony, was my best friend at school."
Harry greeted each in turn before accepting a bottle from Lupin. "This is great. What is it?" he asked.
"It's called Butterbeer. I'm glad you like it," Lupin replied. Harry already knew that but was pretending he didn't.
Harry drank the Butterbeer and had a lot of food. As the evening wore on he approached Tonks. "How did you make your hair change colour earlier?"
"I am a Metamorph Magus. It's a talent you have to be born with so I cannot teach you if that is what you were going to ask," Tonks replied.
"Is it just your hair you can change?"
"No, I can change my whole face." Tonks demonstrated this for Harry who was very impressed. "I hope it will be of use to me as an auror. That's a magical police officer and that's what I'm training to be."
The next morning Harry got up to find Sirius in the kitchen. "Morning Harry," he said.
"Good morning, Sirius. What's for breakfast?"
"Let's see what Kreacher has prepared. Kreacher," Sirius called.
A strange looking but obviously old creature appeared muttering under its breath. Harry had forgotten how much Kreacher hated Sirius and just how nasty he could be. He did, however, know how to fix the problem. All he had to do was find the locket. It had been in the drawing room, Harry remembered.
After a breakfast of bacon, eggs and toast washed down with a cup of tea Harry decided to explore the house. Sirius' bedroom was on the top landing so he stayed away from there, instead exploring the bedrooms on the same floor as his room. Later he entered the drawing room and immediately set about trying to find the locket. Once he found it he headed straight to the kitchen where Sirius was looking at some papers.
"Sirius, I was exploring the house and in the drawing room I found this," Harry said, pulling out the locket. "I recognise the symbol on it. It is Salazar Slytherin's personal sign."
Sirius looked confused. "What is something belonging to one of the founders of Hogwarts doing here? My family is of noble stock but we are not descended from any of the founders."
Harry decided he was going to trust Sirius so he told him almost everything. Harry talked about the Tiara, how it had belonged to Rowena Ravenclaw and how he had found it in the Room of Requirement at Hogwarts. He then described the Basilisk (Sirius was very shocked to hear that there had been a Basilisk at Hogwarts but was even more shocked when Harry told him he had killed it). Harry explained about Horcruxes and how Basilisk venom was one of the few ways to destroy them. He showed Sirius one of the fangs he had extracted and demonstrated how it could be used to destroy a Horcrux. He also explained about how the Horcrux had tried to possess him.
"Dumbledore mentioned you'd had a vision about a crown offering you power over your enemies. Everything makes sense now," Sirius said.
Harry looked angry. "Dumbledore told you that," he asked.
"Yes. Is there some reason he shouldn't have?"
"I told him and McGonagall that in confidence. I assumed I could trust them. Clearly, though, I can't."
"Do you trust me?" Sirius asked.
"Yes. Probably more than anyone now."
"I guess you don't want me telling Dumbledore or anybody else about our conversation?"
"That's correct, yeah."
Sirius nodded. "Right then. I guess we should check this locket out. See if it is a Horcrux."
"It is," Harry said. I checked it out before I brought it to you. I think we should ask Kreacher to come back in here first. I am certain there is more to this than meets the eye."
"Kreacher," Sirius called.
The house elf appeared, still muttering to himself.
"Kreacher, do you recognise this," Sirius asked, showing him the locket.
Instantly, Kreacher tried to snatch it. "Give it to me," he croaked, angrily. "Master Regulus trusted me with that."
"Kreacher," Harry said. "What has Regulus got to do with it?"
"Filthy blood traitor. How dare you speak to Kreacher?"
"I can help you destroy it," Harry said loudly.
Kreacher stopped, looking at Harry with huge eyes. "Kreacher has tried to destroy it. Master Regulus wanted Kreacher to destroy it but Kreacher failed. Oh, Master Regulus, Kreacher has dishonoured you. Kreacher is sorry." The elf started crying.
"Sirius," Harry asked quietly. "Can you make Kreacher do what I ask him?"
Sirius thought for a minute, while Kreacher sobbed loudly. "I can give him to you. As his master I can make him do anything I want and I don't really want him anyway. Kreacher," he said the last word loudly, attracting the elf's attention.
Kreacher looked up, "Yes master." The last word was delivered with a sneer.
"I, Sirius Orion Black, your lawful master, hereby order you to do whatever Harry Potter tells you. He is now your master and I withdraw any claim over you that I have. Do you understand, Kreacher?"
The elf turned to Harry. "You are now my master. What do you wish Kreacher to do?"
"Tell me where did this locket come from?"
Kreacher told of the cave. How the 'snake faced man' had made Kreacher drink a potion, expecting him to die but Regulus had told Kreacher to return to the house. He said how he and Regulus had gone back there and how Regulus had drunk the potion, leading to his death but not before telling Kreacher to destroy the locket. Kreacher mentioned the substitute locket they had left behind and his own failure to fulfil Regulus' last wish. When Harry said he knew how to destroy the locket Kreacher had yelped with delight and almost knocked Harry over in his enthusiasm to finally fulfil Regulus' wish.
Harry gave Kreacher the Basilisk fang and placed the locket on a flat, wooden surface while Sirius looked on. He spoke in Parseltongue and the locket opened.
Author's note: I have not seen anything in canon saying if Tonks was at Hogwarts during Harry's 1st year or if she had already left. For the purposes of this story she has left Hogwarts and began her auror training.