AN: So an apology is in order. I was going over my notes for previous chapters and what was coming and realised how my short chapters has drawn the story out longer than needed. From now on they'll be longer and this means the real secret is soon to be revealed!
shadowkat87 - Sorry about the confusing dream sequence. To sum it up; Harry watches a girl live the life he did at the Dursleys then Sirius and Voldemort re-enact Lily's death.
animal lover13 - Harry suspects next chapter and it's confirmed the one after.
Judge Not, Lest Ye Be Judged
I had a son. Ekrizdis. Not the name I gave him, I assure you.
What does it mean to be a parent, descendent? I raised Ekrizdis to follow in my footsteps and to my horror that is exactly what he did. He followed them into the very pits of the Dark and stayed there to bathe in the agonies of others.
He used the knowledge I gained to create creatures most foul. Rabid beasts of living shrouds that consume the bodies of his those he experimented on.
I faced him over the creation of such abominations and he laughed at me. He dared me to find a weakness in his "masterpieces" for none had yet been discovered. Forgive me, descendent, for I took on his challenge out of arrogance rather the desire to stop him.
He was my son and I wanted to save him.
I did what he wanted me to do. In my hubris I believed that, by showing him the Power of the Light, it would bring balance to his mind. I was wrong. My son used me as a way of "perfecting" his beasts. He took them and created something far worse.
These new beings were creatures of the Dark. They feasted upon the vibrant souls of the living and left nothing behind but empty husks.
Here is the truth, descendent. They are forever hungry because it is not the soul of just anyone their instincts truly desire. Nay, what they are desperate for is my soul. My blood. My very being.
My son created these demented wraiths as a way of slaying me and so I created a spell to slay them. I took my Patronum magic and augmented it to slay these foul beings.
I destroyed my son's army of shadows and pain, and locked him inside his self-made home. The prison will last as long as my son lives. I can only pray that by the time my magic fades, whatever foul things he does there has died with him.
For if not then I condemn the world, and my bloodlines, to the results of his madness.
[ Extract from the Potter Book ]
9th September, 1994 – Late Evening.
Harry took a hard look around the Shack. The building was rundown with claw marks criss-crossing the walls at every conceivable height and angle. He remembered the night he saw Professor Lupin transform and the agony in those kind eyes before the wolf took the man over. Harry felt as if he was standing in a monument to the Marauder's pain filled life.
"I know that look." Sirius said as he handed Harry an opened bottle of Butterbeer. "That's the look James got when he decided we'd become Animagi. He said it was inhumane for Family to leave its own to suffer alone like this."
"I agree." Harry replied before taking a long swig from the bottle. "Are you ever going to tell me why you're so mad at him?"
"It's something we have to work through, Pup. When you've been friends as long as he and I have, you tend to find times that you want to punch each other's lights out." Sirius shrugged as he took a drink from his own bottle. "It'll be fine."
"Will it, Padfoot?" Harry looked his godfather in the eye, almost desperate for an answer. "Does it always?"
"What's this about, Harry? You aren't asking about us old dogs."
"I don't know." Harry began to pace, his thoughts elsewhere. Sirius perched himself on the edge of the rickety table and watched, waiting. "I guess I feel like I'm gonna have to make a choice soon."
"Ron and Hermione."
"Yeah. No. Maybe."
"At least you're sure." The Marauder laughed.
"Hermione's okay. I derailed her elf crusade. That's a start, right?" Harry's question came out more a plea, his bright eyes tinted by the hint of tears.
"Maybe, Harry." Sirius sighed. "You know my thoughts. As grateful as I am towards her part in rescuing me, I don't think she's been good for you."
Harry nodded and pinched between his eyes. His glasses were in his robe pocket, unneeded and unwanted as it was only the two of them.
He knew what Sirius meant. It had been the cause of their biggest argument in the early days of the summer until Harry had learned enough to understand where his godfather was coming from.
"And Ron?"
"As blind and narrow-minded as always." Harry scoffed, washing down the nasty taste of his friend's attitudes with another pull from the bottle. "Puts his foot in it, gets annoyed when you get annoyed, and then barely does enough to say sorry."
"And you're still friends with him, why? You help him with his homework, why?"
A single tear rolled down Harry's cheek as he admitted the truth. The answer was as simple as it was complicated.
"He was my first friend."
Sirius gently put his drink aside and rose, moving quickly to pull Harry into a tight hug. The teenager, who had grown so much and yet was still so young, sobbed quietly. Sirius held him until Harry had regained his composure.
"But now I have Neville." Harry hiccuped, pulling away so he could drop onto the old sofa that took up one wall. "And even though it's still new, it's deeper. You know?"
"I hear you, Pup." Sirius gave a small smile. "It means it could last longer."
"And then there's Natalia."
"Yes. Yes, there's Natalia." Sirius chuckled wickedly and returned to his table. "I think this amazing room of yours is the best place for you to work and practice. It'll be the Survival School of Black; learn something here, work on it there, and we assess you before the next lesson. If you end up in this blasted tournament then we'll make sure you're the most capable one in it."
Harry nodded, liking the idea of being prepared much more than the 'let's jump in without looking' approach he'd used the last three years.
"And Pup, tell them about the room. You don't need to keep that a secret."
"Yeah, I guess." Harry grumbled. He leaned forward, resting elbows on knees, and gave a heavy sigh. "So, are we going to ignore the dream?"
"Don't worry about the dream." Sirius said in an attempt to wave off his concerns. "Focus on what's real and in front of you."
"Sirius, I saw you die!" Harry snapped, his eyes blazing with raw emotion. "I don't know what's going on about that girl, but I had to watch that bastard kill you. And you let him, Padfoot. You. Let. Him."
"Harry." Sirius tried to explain while knowing there was so much he couldn't say. "I am your godfather. When you were born I swore to Morgana of the Dark herself that I would do everything in my power to keep you safe, to keep you away from him. I may have failed you before but I won't fail again."
"But who keeps you safe?" Harry shouted, launching himself from the chair to get in his godfather's face. "Who stops him coming for you? I can't have you standing in his way too. I can't lose you like I did her."
Harry had fearfully confessed that it was Lily who he felt most connected to, whose loss cut the deepest. The Dementor induced memory made her far more real to Harry than James had ever been. Sirius had only shrugged and said it was natural.
"Listen to me, Harry." Padfoot demanded. He placed his palms on either side of Harry's face, holding the frightened boy still so they wouldn't break eye contact. "You are as much my child as you are James and Lily's. If I died protecting you then that would be an honour. But I promise you, Pup, I will do everything in my power to die old and disgracefully. I promise."
Once more the younger man fell into the embrace of the older, the tears coming heavier and the sobs far louder than before.
It was much later that an emotionally drained Harry left the Shack to get some rest and Sirius found himself staring up at the night sky through the dirty window.
"Master dogfather sir?" Dobby carefully spoke, not wanting to intrude. "Can yous be keeping the bad wizards from hurting Master Harry Potter?"
"There is something." Sirius eventually replied, looking down at the elf who had risked everything to save Harry. "Something that might help him. But he might never forgive me for it, Dobby."
"Oh please Master dogfather!" Dobby cried out, wrapping his arms around Sirius' leg. "Master Harry Potter sir would always loves his dogfather."
Sirius gave a wry smile while his eyes filled with loss and sadness. He gently stroked the elf's head and he turned back to the stars.
"If it gets worse..." Sirius swallowed hard and tried again. "If it gets worse, then I'll do it."
.
.
oOoOo
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10th September, 1994
It took a very deep, dreamless sleep, an exhausting run that had Neville questioning his sanity, and a couple of post-breakfast hours in the Room of Requirement sending dummies crashing into walls before Harry was able to regain his emotional equilibrium.
So it was a much calmer Harry who was ambushed by an irate Hermione. Natalia and Neville trailed behind the bushy-haired missile as she took hold of Harry's sleeve and pulled him into an unused classroom.
"Careful, 'Mione." Harry quipped. "People might talk."
"What?" She stared at him, his joke doing just enough to derail her train of thought that the other two were able to join them and close the door. "No! You're being secretive and sulky, Harry. What's going on?"
Harry raised an eyebrow at his friend's question and then looked to the others.
"Don't ask me why I'm here." Neville pleaded, hands raised in immediate defeat. "I got high-jacked too."
"I'm here for the show." Natalia giggled. "Forgot the popcorn though."
There was a faint pop of elf magic and Dobby appeared, handing the shocked girl a tub of butter coated goodness before vanishing again. Harry's laugh filled the room.
"That..That was Dobby!" Hermione stuttered. "Harry James Potter, just what have you been up to?"
Harry's humour shut down fast. The cold, calculating look he gave Hermione sent a shiver through her spine. This wasn't the Harry she knew, that she had been friends with for years. Instead this was the Harry who had faced dangers and came out the other side. She wondered how she'd feel if she was ever had to face this Harry for real.
"What's your problem, Hermione?" He demanded to know. He crossed his arms, half out of frustration at the nerve of his friend and half to keep them still. He felt his anger rising and with it a growing need to destroy.
"You...you've been moody all day." She stuttered, completely thrown by his aggressive attitude. "And you keep disappearing. Going off on your own and no one can ever find you."
I can't find you. He knew she meant. Harry's eyes narrowed. Neville and Natalia edged away from Hermione as though not wanting to get caught in the impending explosion. Though the sight of Natalia still munching on the popcorn was fighting to put a curve to Harry's lips.
"Come with me." He told them, deciding to take the situation to a better place. Harry's tone brokered no arguments and he stormed out of the room without looking back.
The three friends looked at each other, shrugged in unison, and rushed after him. Harry kept a fast pace and his closed off air kept them from speaking.
Tonks was curious as to what was going to happen. She wasn't keen on the controlling attitude Hermione looked to force on Harry and suspected it was a long-term thing that he was only beginning to rebel against.
Neville was impressed and awed by the strength he had caught in Harry's eyes. He was learning by observation, finally understanding that to be strong was to fight through his problems and not to never have any. Their bonds tightened every day the two boys shared a piece of themselves.
Hermione's lower lip was under assault from her teeth as she stressed over if this time was the final time. She knew she was pushy, knew she was controlling, and had fallen into the habit of letting herself go too far with both Harry and Ron. But this was a new Harry and she was scared that her habits were going to cost her his friendship.
Abandonment issues. That was Harry's problem and he knew it. When he found something of his own, something that mattered, Harry would hold on to it with everything in him. In some moments of his life he felt like a rabid beast fending off bigger, meaner animals that were after his last scrap of food.
He had been that very thing in his time with the Dursleys.
Which was all well and good except when it came to his friends. Harry had spent the past three years holding onto his friendships with Hermione and Ron that he had lost focused on if they really were his friends in the first place. The redhead was showing his true colours, not that they'd been all that well hidden in the first place, and Harry had grown strong enough to not accept that attitude any longer. But as he had told Sirius, he was still unsure about Hermione.
Harry was so caught up in his thoughts that he failed to notice he had arrived on the seventh floor corridor. The three students watched him staring at the blank wall.
"Harry?" It was of course Hermione who spoke first. "Why are we here?"
"Do you trust me?" Harry asked, finally facing them. "If I was doing something you didn't like, would you trust that I had a good enough reason?"
"I...I don't understand." She whimpered.
"I would, Harry." Neville interrupted, stepping forward. The firmness of his voice a long way from the timid stutter people were used to. "Unless you showed me otherwise, I'd trust that you had a good reason for it."
Harry nodded his thanks even as his Avada eyes held Hermione's brown ones. "You went to McGonagall about my broom, 'Mione..."
"This is about your broom?" She screeched, going from confused to righteous in 0.6 seconds.
"No!" Harry's roared back, the sound echoing up and down the hallway. "This is about whether you'd go to them again! Bloody hell, Hermione, do you trust me? Can. I. Trust. You?"
"Of course I trust you!" She shouted back, tears forming. She struggled to regain her control. "I worry about you, Harry, I worry and I want to help."
"And if I made you worry enough, would you go to Dumbledore?"
"Dumbledore's a good man." She stubbornly told him. The other two cringed and took a large step back. "He does his best and..."
"And told me to my face that my life with the Dursleys was necessary."
"Necessary?" She hissed, her eyes narrowing in anger. "What kind of addlepated, demented old codger thinks it's necessary for a child to be raised in that hell-hole?"
Harry burst out laughing and then had to quickly grab her wrist as she made to storm the Headmaster's office to give the wizard a piece of her mind.
"Is he still a good man?" He asked her when she gave him a scathing look at holding her back.
"I..."
"I know." Harry said softly, nodding in understanding. His heart broke at what he was doing to her. "That's my point. I need you to understand that you're not always right. No, listen. You're a brilliant witch, Hermione, but you're as fallible as all of us. I need you to tell me that you know there's more than simply black and white answers out there."
"Hermione." Neville moved closer to get the confused witch's attention. "Harry's right. Just because you're wrong doesn't change things. You're still brilliant, smart, and...and beautiful..."
Everyone stared at the quiet boy in their own mixture of stunned disbelief.
"I think what Harry's trying to say is just like I get caught up in my plants, you do the same with books and the rules and following what the teachers tell you. And sometimes...and sometimes there are more important things than any of it. For all of us..."
Hermione looked at Neville like she'd never see him before and asked the most important question of all. "Do you really think I'm beautiful?"
Neville stammered, blushing furiously as the reply stuck in his throat. Apparently that was all she needed as she broke free of Harry's grip and launched herself at him.
Harry had to admit that the hug was one of the most impressive he'd ever seen her give. He was also extremely happy to be seeing it rather than testing his ribs against the strong hold.
"Ain't young love grand." Natalia dramatically sighed.
The two laughed as Hermione and Neville jumped apart as though pulled by a spell.
"So, who wants to see a magic trick?" Harry asked them with a roguish grin.
"Not to burst your bubble, hot stuff." Natalia smirked. "But we're in a School of Magic. In case you'd forgotten and all."
"Oh, ha ha." He replied, taking the mature road by poking out his tongue at her. "Watch this."
Harry followed the now familiar routine of passing in front of the wall, mumbling below his breath so the others couldn't hear what he was asking for. All three gasped as the plain door materialised and Harry gave a Sirius smirk.
"Amazing, huh?" He laughed and led the way into what had become his private retreat.
Harry's room had grown over the week since he and the room had first created it. The desk remained in one corner of the Slytherin side, sans letter-opener, while in the other corner of the same half was a small potions lab. The middle portion of that side was now taken up by a low, round table, surrounded by comfortable chairs and even a couple of sofas that he had used to rest and even sleep on after a heavy session of practice.
The Gryffindor area had also enlarged. A duelling platform dominated the centre, though as of yet Harry had only used it to practice how to duck and dodge. On one side of that part of the room were his target dummies, spaced out to give him a wider arch of targets, while the other side had small practice lanes he had taken from seeing a shooting-range on TV once. The set-up allowed Harry to work on his precision or crowd spells, depending on his mood.
"Merlin." Three impressed voices gasped.
"Welcome to the Room of Requirement." Harry beamed, arms out wide as he showed off his private area. "A place that can be anything you want, when you want it."
"It's a holodeck?" Hermione gapped at him.
"Ooh, that Riker is such a dish!" Tonks sighed. She was amazed at the room and could only imagine what her Auror instructors would have done with it.
"I prefer Picard myself." Hermione giggled back and the boys shared equally confused looks.
"Sorry, a whats-a-deck?" Neville asked.
"A holodeck." The brunette explained. "It's from a Muggle science fiction television show called Star Trek. Well, Star Trek: The Next Generation actually, since there was the Original series which is no where near as good nor impressive as..."
"What my excited chick-a-dee is trying to say." Natalia interrupted, causing Hermione to blush. "Is that it's a Muggle idea about a room that can be or make anything you want it to. Though you can't take anything out of it since it's only an illusion."
It was her turn be stared at by the boys and she sighed dramatically. "Whaaat?"
Harry could only grin and shake his head at the two girls. He walked over to one of the soft seats and dropping bonelessly into it, his relaxed air letting them see a new side to Harry.
"Well that sums this place up nicely." He answered, waving them to take seats of their own. "Some things are real though but I haven't worked out why. I think the Room pulls what it can from other places around the castle and makes up the rest."
"My popcorn!" Tonks squealed as soon as she sat down. She'd left it in the classroom in her desperation to chase after Harry.
The others stared at her and she blushed, only to then squeal again in delight when the forgotten box was elf-popped onto the table. Harry smiled at the thoughtfulness of his little friend.
"Err, Harry?" Neville spoke up nervously. "I don't mean anything by it but...the colours?"
"Slytherin and Gryffindor?" He asked, doing his best to ignore how Natalia was feasting on her popcorn the way a Niffler went after gold.
Neville's sheepish look was matched by Hermione's curious one. A series of more pops preceded plates of sandwiches and drinks appearing on the table.
"You remember how long my Sorting was, Nev?" Harry said, reaching for his Butterbeer. "That's because the Hat wanted to put me in Slytherin."
Tonks was in the process of throwing her popcorn in the air and catching them in her mouth. At Harry's confession, she missed and the piece landed in her widened eye.
"Ow, ow, ow, ow." She cried out, bouncing in the chair from the pain. Her focus lost, she slipped and crashed to the floor, no doubt bruising her cute bum from the hard landing.
The three laughed and Neville, ever the gentleman, helped her back on the chair.
"What happened?" She asked Harry, blinking wildly to ease her sore eye.
"Malfoy." He told them, taking a drink from his cold bottle. "And by then I'd already been conditioned by both Hagrid and Ron that only evil wizards went into the House of Snakes."
Tonks flinched and bit the side of her mouth, holding back her retort to that idiotic idea through sheer force of will. Andromeda had been a Slytherin and Tonks hated how that attitude painted her mum with the same brush as all the others.
"By the time I realised how wrong that was, it was too late." Harry stared off into the distance and mused. "I'm pretty sure the Hat wouldn't listen to my choice now if it had a second chance."
"You don't want to be resorted, do you?" Neville's voice was tinted with fear.
"No, Nev." Harry shook his head. "But that's because I have friends like you in my corner. Not because I have an issue with the Slytherins."
"Better a live Slytherin than a dead Gryffindor." Tonks repeated his words and Harry nodded, toasting her with his drink.
"Exactly." He solemnly told them. "Being the brash Gryffindor should have got me killed more than once. I've been in a lot of dangerous situations without a plan and my luck won't hold out forever."
"That's what this is about? The summer, the runs, those dummies?" Hermione's eyes narrowed as she put pieces together. "You think there's going to be a next time."
"I think, given my luck, that there's too big a chance I'll be entered in the tournament. And I think it doesn't matter because I've still got Riddle out there."
"Riddle?" Tonks and Neville frowned at the name.
Harry took out his wand and perform Flagrate to write all-too familiar words in the air. Tom Marvolo Riddle that, with a swish, rearranged themselves to read I Am Lord Voldemort.
"Tom Riddle, Half-blood bastard who killed my parents."
"You-Know-Who is a Half-blood?" Tonks squeaked.
Harry nodded and gave the two the same overview of what happened in the Chamber as he had given Hermione. By the time the story was done they were both bone-white, staring in awe at the bite scar on his arm.
"Wait, what do you mean you've still got him out there?" Tonks whispered. Her palms became sweaty as the fear threatened to overwhelm the young metamorph. It was only her overwhelming need to stay undercover that kept her body from shifting though it was far too close a call.
Harry rubbed his forehead, his fingers immediately stroking over the famous lightning bolt scar. When he opened his eyes, they were filled with pain.
"Professor Quirrell was possessed by the spirit of Riddle our first year. That's why he died and yes, Nev, I know the school thinks he retired."
"You told me he ran off after being foiled stealing the Philosopher's Stone." Tonks turned on Hermione in accusation.
"That's the story we tell people if they find out about the Stone." She explain with a sheepish look. "No one wants to know about You-Know-Who's possible return."
"I don't want to know about it!" Tonks snapped and turned back to Harry. "You said his spirit?"
Harry nodded and continued to rub his forehead.
"There's some type of connection between us. My scar hurts when we're close."
"That's why you kept rubbing it first year." Neville recalled, pointing at Harry's fingers.
"Over the summer..." Harry paused. He carefully put the bottle down and stood, walking away so he wouldn't have to see their faces. "Over the summer I had a dream, a vision really, Pettigrew was with Riddle and they were talking about some woman being dead. Bertha Jorkins. They talked about what she knew and some other things, then Riddle killed an old Muggle. Riddle had a body. Something small and disgusting, I don't remember what it was, but he had a body."
There was a hint of hysteria in Harry's voice by the time he was done. The weight of what he knew was coming, but couldn't prove, weighed heavy on his young shoulders.
His eyes were shut and he held himself tightly, waiting for the sound of the door to open as they left him. He heard the initial brush of material as someone stood and then a few moments later soft arms wrapped around him from behind.
"Thank you for trusting us." Natalia whispered against his shoulder. "Thank you."
Harry took her hand in his and squeezed it tightly. She returned the action and led him back to the chairs.
They were silent, each lost in their own thoughts.
"You're preparing yourself for war." Neville finally spoke up, looking around the room with new eyes. "That's why you keep saying never again. You're preparing yourself."
"And you." Harry agreed. "All of you if you want. Riddle is coming back, we saw at the World Cup that his followers are still willing and able to do what they used to. Eventually something is going to happen, it's only a matter of when and what."
They might have been the words of Sirius but they were true and Harry believed every one.
"What about Ron?" Hermione pointed out the large Hippogriff in the room. "Where does he fit into this, Harry?"
"What do you think Ron would do if I told him I could have been in Slytherin, 'Mione?" He shot back. "Or how he'd react seeing this room? Knowing I'm fine making friends with that House?"
"What's your plan?" Neville asked, his back straight with determination.
Harry looked at each other them. His gaze measured their souls and he found himself smiling at what he saw. It was a predatory smile that caused them to shiver, each for a different reason, and then Harry leant forward. Parchment and quill materialised from nowhere on the table and he began sketching out most of his plan.
.
.
oOoOo
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13th September, 1994.
The day found Harry relaxing against the wall of an unused third floor classroom. Classes were over and a mishmash of students had been brought together under the umbrella of the first S.P.A.C.E. Meeting.
Natalia had joked it was really to hear the Great Harry Potter speak rather than any real sense of love towards the magnificent little elves. Harry felt that this was a far too likely reason but kept his opinion, and discomfort, quiet. Instead he privately wondered if Natalia was having Dobby feed her popcorn addiction.
The two girls were making rounds, speaking to the small groups of the surprising turnout while Neville kept Harry company.
"She's done amazing." His close friend said softly, a little awe-struck. "Did you know she'd invited Professor Flitwick?"
"Hardly." Harry scoffed. "I didn't even think she'd get half this many to show up."
Ginny had brought her blonde friend Luna Lovegood, a small group of Slytherins were keeping to themselves which meant Ron was busy pouting in a corner with Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan. Harry had vehemently shot down any loud complaints at seeing the green ties.
"So, going to ask her to Hogsmeade?"
"What? Who? Huh?" Neville eloquently replied, making Harry chuckle.
"You called her beautiful, Nev." He reminded his friend. "Pretty sure she took it well enough that she'd agree on going together."
Neville was saved from having to think up a response when the girl in question started the meeting.
"I want to thank you all for coming." Hermione's voice rose to cut through the chattering. "We're here to talk about S.P.A.C.E. and it's potential for being something beyond Hogwarts."
"Want to tell me why we should care?" The arrogant tone of Cormac McLaggen shouted from near the door.
Harry could tell the boy was in one of his moods and felt Neville stir angrily beside him. A quick glance at the crowd showed many thought the same, even if they didn't voice it, though Katie Bell's cute look of outrage was worth the extra linger.
"Want to tell me the difference between a small child and a house-elf?" Harry's voice cut off whatever Hermione was about to say.
He'd promised to speak so might as well start immediately.
"Well?" Harry demanded, pushing off from the wall to move into the centre of the room. Neville followed without hesitation and the watching students shifting to get a better look. Sirius' teachings, combined with Harry's natural leadership, had led him to instantly captivate the room.
"They're both small, eager to please, living, breathing, loving and vulnerable creatures. What makes it okay to abuse one and not the other? Or are you saying it's okay to abuse kids, McLaggen?"
The boy in question spluttered in an attempt to defend himself but Harry dismissed him with a flick of the eyes. That act and his verbal machinations, if not his message, gained approval from those from older Families.
"You want to know what this is really about?" He challenged the crowd, his magic slowly building with his words. "It's about protecting those who can't protect themselves. Nobody, nobody, has the right to harm another because they feel like it. The weak and helpless are not there to be abused if you have a bad day. They are there to be helped, guided, and sometimes even treated as a member of the family.
"Whether you treat those beneath you as a friend." Harry's voice vibrated with a power that touched everyone there. "Or family. Or a faithful servant. What matters is treating them with respect, McLaggen. Because those who enjoy the pain of others aren't going to stop at house-elves. Eventually they lash out at someone else. And someone else. And someone else."
Harry turned to catch as many eyes as he could. The air was charged with his presence and his voice had taken on a dark, foreboding tone.
"And if you don't look after the weak, then by the time it's your turn to be verbally put down, physically attacked, or socially demonised...Well, there won't be anyone left to listen to your cries for help. That is why you're here."
The heavy silence was shattered by an all encompassing applause. The enthusiast Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs were led by the bouncing form of Professor Flitwick and even the more sedate Ravenclaws clapped. The Slytherins watched, assessed, but even a few of the Snakes showed looks of approval.
The meeting opened and closed with Harry's speech. Some of the students drifted away immediately while some stayed and chattered animatedly about what they had heard. Many come to Harry to shake his hand, to strike up potential alliances post-Hogwarts or simply rub flesh with the Boy-Who-Lived. He took it in his stride and his discomfort was eased at the sight of the small few who immediately went to Hermione in order to help turn S.P.A.C.E. into a reality.
"An excellent, straight from the heart, speech." The diminutive Charms Professor told Harry once the crowd around him had gone. "You weren't just talking about house-elves, were you?"
"Not really a surprise, is it, sir?"
"No, not at all." The Professor shook his head sadly. "You have the heart of a goblin, Mr. Potter."
Harry gave the Charms Master a searching look and then smiled, his eyes lighting up with happiness. "That's one of the nicest things anyone has said to me, Professor."
Flitwick nodded and then left. He had heard rumours from a cousin at Gringotts, rumours that had sounded fanciful. Now Flitwick wasn't so quick to dismiss them. Perhaps a letter to his cousin was in order.
"I think I actually understand why my Family has been so interested in politics." Harry mused aloud.
"That was impressive, Potter." A soft voice said and Harry turned to see a gaggle of girls moving closer. Susan Bones and her friend Hannah Abbott along with the Slytherins Daphne Greengrass and Tracey Davis. The sight of Greengrass threatened to bring up the image of the girl from his dreams but Harry ruthlessly pushed it away. "Auntie's said that things aren't the same without the Potters being involved in the Wizengamot."
"Auntie?" Harry asked, wanting to make sure she meant Amelia. He gave all four his best wicked grin and bowed. "Ladies, it's a pleasure."
"And there he goes." Daphne Greengrass drawled dramatically. "Spoiling it with not knowing your aunt."
"Aunt Amelia." Susan explained, sending the blonde a look.
"I've heard of her." Harry told the Slytherin Ice Queen. "Perhaps I only wanted to hear you talk, Greengrass?"
The other girls giggled as Daphne gave him her best cold glare. Though there was a distinct curve at the corner of her lips.
"If there's one thing that has been proven in my time at Hogwarts." Harry continued. "It's to never assume. Even when everyone knows something to be true they could still be incredibly wrong."
"About that..." Hannah began nervously, biting her lip, only for Susan to finish and save her friend the embarrassment.
"We, at least Hannah and I, wanted to apologise for the whole Heir of Slytherin thing."
"Don't look at us," Tracey scoffed when Harry glanced at the other two. "Slytherin treated you how we always have."
"Slimy snakes." Came the unmistakable snarl of Ron. Harry cocked his head to the side and glared at his one time friend.
"Take a walk, Ron. Now." He commanded, surprising the girls. Ron blushed wildly at being dismissed for the hated enemies and stormed out. Like good little followers Dean and Seamus followed.
"As for you ladies," Harry's loop-sided grin and sparkling eyes told the Slytherin girls he included them in what he said next. "Apology accepted and appreciated."
Daphne sniffed and turned her nose up but the small curve had blossomed into slight smirk of humour.
"See you around, Potter. Maybe you aren't what the rumours say." The Slytherin girls walked off to leave an amused Harry, a somewhat confused Neville and the snickering Hufflepuffs.
"Well." Harry said, clapping his hands enthusiastically as Hermione and Natalia joined them. "There's two of us boys here and and four of you beautiful girls. What shall we do with ourselves?"
That evening the curious sight of Harry hobbling towards the Hospital Wing was seen. What was interesting was the painful, and private, areas he kept almost touching as he winced his way down the corridors.
If Susan has even half the spunk her aunt does, I can see why Sirius liked her. He thought as he tried desperately not to scratch the insanely annoying itch.
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oOoOo
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Life became busy for the Hogwarts friends. Harry drove himself hard in his classes and with his extra-curricular activities. He pushed Hermione's position as number one for Arithmancy and Daphne's place in Ancient Runes while his other subjects all saw dramatic increases of grades.
The teachers were more impressed with his new attitude than they had been with his change in appearance. Snape had stopped automatically failing his work though that was as far as the Slytherin Head of House was willing to go.
It wasn't long after the first S.P.A.C.E meeting that Professor Flitwick took Harry under his wing. The unusual duo spent time together learning about each other and Harry eventually spoke of his solo training. The retired Duelling Master became a new source of information for Harry, giving him tips and anecdotes to improve every aspect of Harry's wand use.
Dumbledore watched Harry's development with growing concern and continuously spoke to his staff about every aspect of Scion Potter's school life. By the time October was coming to an end it had caused a widening split in the faculty between those who still believed in the famous wizard and those who had come to know the real Harry Potter. The more the Chief Warlock pushed, the more he lost control of those around him.
Nymphadora Tonks, in her Natalia persona, continued to match Harry's training and jotted everything down in her charmed diary. The book was a one way report for Madam Bones' eyes only and Tonks was growing more frantic for the arrival of the first Hogsmeade weekend. Some of the information she'd uncovered had the power to shake apart the political landscape and turn Wizarding Britain on its head. For the shiny new Auror, it was well above her pay grade and she needed a face-to-face sit down with her boss.
Hermione pushed for continual growth of S.P.A.C.E with Harry's contribution mostly over after the first meeting. She'd come to realise that the best attack was to build awareness and understanding until the concept broke free of Hogwarts and into the wider Wizarding consciousness. She would only sometimes join Harry, Neville and Natalia in their spell practice and never in their physical work.
Neville pushed himself as hard as Harry would allow, personal demons driving the boy to achievements greater than he would have believed of himself. Though his spells continued to misfire and come out weaker than most, his physical fitness improved dramatically and the female students were all taking notice. Harry's tutoring with potions, made better with the use of the Room of Requirement, meant that even in Neville's most hated class there were signs of change.
It was a coin toss between Snape and Neville over who was more surprised.
The friends continued to speak to others, crossing house borders without a care, and a regular study session involving all four houses was often seen in the library.
Ron continued to be pushed to the fringes. The more isolated he became, the more aggressive his distaste towards the changing tides grew.
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oOoOo
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26th October, 1994
"Right you lot." Moody growl at the class, his magical eye scanning the seats for anyone not paying attention. "Today you get to experience the Imperius first hand. You're going to learn why it's one of the most feared spells out there and see if you're good enough to beat it. Most can't. I doubt you lot could."
"But Professor." Hermione weakly spoke up as the retired Auror cleared the desks with a sweep of his wand. "You told us that using it against someone is illegal."
"Aye, lass, it is." Moody grinned, a disturbing sight, and then took a swig from his flask. Once again the sight niggled at Harry's mind. "Dumbledore wants you taught what it feels like. If you'd rather learn the hard way, when someone's putting it on you so they can control you completely, fine by me. You're excused. Off you trot."
He pointed to the door and Hermione made a show of ignoring the insinuation that she wanted out of a class. The very idea was preposterous.
Moody called them up one at a time and each time the student was forced to do something embarrassing. To all but Harry's surprise Neville initially looked like he was able to fight against the compulsion. Harry could see faint tremors around his friend's eyes which faded as the spell's power was increased, forcing Neville to then do some impressive gymnastics.
"Not bad, Longbottom." Moody grumbled. "You knew it was happening, that's better than most."
Harry gave Neville a proud smile, his friend returned the gesture with a firm nod and walked to the back of the line with his back straight. When it was finally Harry's turn he moved to the centre of the class and waited.
A most wonderful feeling enveloped Harry at the moment he heard Imperio. The world faded away to be replaced by Moody's distant voice telling him to jump on the desk. Harry's knees were beginning to bend when a second sound echoed inside his mind.
Mrs. Figg, his old babysitter, had cats galore and Harry knew the sound an angry one made. This was almost a deep roar, as if the throat that made it was far larger than even her strange cats. The sound caught Harry's attention enough that he was able to question the command.
What am I doing? His slow thoughts asked. Again the voice told him to jump on the desk and for the second time the feline rumble had him stop and think.
Why? It's a stupid thing to do.
Harry shook his head, trying to clear out the conflicting urges. Moody's voice hit him harder than before and his body was reacting before his mind even processed the command. This sent Harry collapsing to the floor when his rebellious instincts fought back.
"Look at that! Potter fought it!" Moody crowed. "He fought it and damn near beat it."
Harry's hands stung and his knees screamed in pain from hitting the stone floor. For a brief second when he heard Moody's voice, he wanted to get up and attack the crazy old man. To rip and shred the Professor for daring to do that to him. The urge subsided and Harry pulled himself to his feet, hobbling back to the end of the line.
The class was the longest of Harry's Hogwarts life as he was put through the Imperio more than the others. While Neville kept getting closer to freeing himself and Natalia frowned after her sessions, it seemed Moody was totally focused on pushing Harry until he could break the curse.
"Bloody nutter." Harry moaned. Natalia's arm was wrapped around his waist to help keep him upright as they walked the hallways. She nodded in agreement with a pensive look. She'd liked the class even less than Harry had.
There was only a small chance of Harry managing to get down for dinner. His kneecaps were swollen and stiff from the constant impacts and it was only his past experience of pain that kept Harry mobile.
The friends slipped into a classroom and, with Neville to keep him company, the two girls headed off to the kitchens with the promise of getting a picnic from the ever-helpful elves.
"Can I ask you something, Harry?" Neville sat opposite Harry with his elbows on knees, hands wringing nervously.
"Anything, Nev." Harry told his friend, wincing as he stretched out his battered legs.
"How do you cope with the memories?"
Harry's left leg froze mid-stretch. He took a deep breath and stared Neville in the eyes. "Tell me."
Neville looked away. Harry had taken him under his wing, shown Neville that there was more to himself than what Gran Longbottom had always told him. Harry had become an older brother to Neville, shared his own demons, and Neville knew it was time to return the gift.
"My dad was an Auror." The words slipped out, softly so Harry had to really listen to not miss anything. "A good one from what I've been told. Gran says it's a great honour to use his wand."
Harry's eyes suspiciously narrowed. He'd seen Ron's sub-par work when using Charlie's wand and the improved sub-par work when he got his own. A plan began to simmer at the back of Harry's mind.
"He and mum went into hiding after I was born. Didn't want to put a baby at risk, I guess." Neville gave Harry an apologetic look. "After what happened with...with you."
Harry nodded that he understood. That Halloween was a big turning point for a lot of people's lives.
"After that." Neville took a shaking breath. "Some of You-Know-Who's followers came after us. And they...they...they..."
"Crucio." Harry filled in for the stumbling boy, squeezing his eyes shut tight. He frantically reinforced his mental shields, pushing back the bright green light of his nightmares. He heard Neville continue as if from a far off place.
"Gran and I, we go to see them as often as we can." Neville said, so lost in his own nightmare he didn't notice Harry's reaction. "They don't know who I am. Mum...she gives me sweet wrappers. Gran says that it doesn't mean anything, but I can't stop thinking that a part of her is still in there. That's she's reaching out when she does it."
"Nev." Harry said firmly, trying to pull them both out of their inner turmoil. "You want to know how I handle it?"
Neville gave a jerky nod, his eyes wide and frantic for any crumb of aid.
"By remembering one thing. My parents chose to stand. They chose to fight. Not only for themselves but me. They loved me enough to face down a monster to give me a chance to live."
Harry sighed and tried getting comfortable. He hoped the girls would return soon or else he'd need to call on Dobby's help, this conversation was not one to do on an empty stomach.
"When I see mum standing in front of me, refusing to move aside, she did it because she loved me." His eyes filled with passion and power, both pouring into Neville as the other boy looked at him. "No one can take what did she away from her or me. And no one can take away what your parents did to save you.
"Thank you, Harry." Neville looked upon his brother in all but blood with a sense of worship. He'd never considered it in that way before. "Thank you."
Harry nodded and then asked the key question.
"Did they catch who did it?"
Neville's eyes hardened with fury and he spat the names that were engraved into his very bones. "Bellatrix Lestrange. Rodolphus Lestrange. Rabastan Lestrange. Barty Crouch Jr. Azkaban for all."
Harry winced internally at the mention of the third Black Sister but kept the reaction off his face. Instead he nodded and they fell into a strangely comfortable silence until the girls got back.
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oOoOo
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Why? Why had two families, each with a small boy, gone into hiding at the same time? Why had the Death Eaters gone after Neville's parents expecting them to know where their leader had gone? Why had that same madman come after him?
Why? Why? Why? Why?
The questions bounced around Harry's mind throughout the evening, leaving him unable to do any of his homework. His knees were better, a healing charm from each girl had him physically healed, but their care could not touch his emotional state. Harry was lucky he was ahead in his work and could take the evening off as he focused on the horrific puzzle.
Nothing helped fill in the gaps, nothing made sense yet Harry was sure the answer was important. The questions waged an unrelenting war inside him and Harry was forced to make his excuses to leave their work table. The others each gave him a concerned look but he waved them off, saying he had to see a teacher.
It was partly the truth.
As soon as Harry was free of Gryffindor Tower he took out the Marauder's Map. A favour for a friend first, breakdown second. He told himself.
"I solemnly swear I'm up to no good."
Harry's experienced eyes danced over the revealed interior of Hogwarts. Dumbledore was in his ivory tower, Snape seemed to be working on some new potion while Professors McGonagall and Flitwick looked to be in some type of meeting. Or they're having an early nightcap. He mused. The slight grin at the idea became a frown when he saw Moody had a visit from Crouch.
"Must be to do with the tournament." He guessed, the puzzle quickly forgotten as he found his target. "There you are."
Harry made his way through the school towards the kitchen. Once there he ignored the familiar painting of fruit and headed straight to the barrels at the end of the corridor. He double then triple checked the Map and sighed, putting the parchment away.
"Right, now what?" He groused, looking everywhere for some hint of how to get into the mysterious Hufflepuff quarters.
Five minutes later and Harry still hadn't found a clue. He was beginning to wonder if he could get away with using a Confringo without completely alienating every Hufflepuff in existence.
"Is there a reason you're stalking my 'Puffs, Mister Potter?" The stern voice of Professor Sprout said from behind him.
Harry yelped in surprise and spun around, losing his footing in the process and tumbled to the ground. The squat Herbology Professor lost her cool and sniggered at Harry's two left feet.
"I have a monitoring charm to protect my 'Puffs." She told him, his confusion at her appearance easy to read. "Though I must say, Potter, you aren't the usual Gryffindor who tries to get inside."
"Actually, Professor, I was looking for you." Harry explained. He leaned on a barrel to regain his footing only to then get squirted with a blast of vinegar. "Ewww!"
"Follow me." She told him with a chuckle.
Harry was led into a small, cosy room along the same hallway. Given how many times he had walked the corridor and that he had never seen the door before, Harry highly suspected it was hidden from anyone not a Hufflepuff.
The room's walls were covered with painting of different types of plants while the bookshelves would have sent Neville into nirvana.
"Neville must love coming to see you, Professor." He said, taking the offered seat. She took out her wand and vanished the offending vinegar from his robes, though he did notice the smell still lingered.
"I'll admit Mister Longbottom has been here once or twice." She replied. She poured herself a cup of tea and Harry politely took the offered second. "Now why don't you tell me why you're out so late looking for me. We both know it's not for help with your Herbology."
"No ma'am." He admitted, savouring the interesting drink. Harry decided it was best not to think what strange plant she might have used to make it. "I love gardening but I'm too used to the Muggle variety. Herbs and flowers, sure, but plants that want to eat me? I'm afraid not. I'm actually here because of him."
"What's wrong with Neville?" She instantly demanded, not even realising she'd used such an informal address.
"I don't know if he's told you but I've been doing my best to help him with his potions." Harry explained. He carefully put the delicate cup and saucer on the desk. The concerned teacher nodded. "I found out today that he's using his father's wand. I think it's a poor match and that's why he's been struggling with everything except Herbology. It's not right for his magic."
Sprout watched Harry carefully. While the concern was a real one, there was still a question she needed an answer to.
"Professor McGonagall is your Head of House. I doubt she'd be too happy that you've come to me and not her."
"Probably not." Harry shrugged and leant back in his chair. The air he gave off was not that of a fourteen year-old boy but that of a grown man doing what he had to. "But your subject is Neville's passion, it's what he was born to do. You're his mentor, Professor, and, most likely, the woman he respects above everyone else. Including his Gran."
The confession took Professor Sprout back. Sure her colleagues had joked about her taking the young Longbottom under her wing, but she had shrugged the teasing off. She had even ignored the growing maternal feelings for the boy, knowing how little encouragement he was getting from the formidable Augusta Longbottom. Yet here was Mr. Potter telling her that she was the only one that the young Longbottom heir would listen to.
"You think he'd accept it from me and not her." She concluded.
"It's his father's wand, Professor." Harry reiterated. "Unless he was pushed into it, I don't think anyone could get him to get his own except for you."
Professor Sprout thought it over and conceded the point. With a firm nod she scribbled a note for Harry to avoid trouble at missing curfew and thanked him for coming to her. Harry only smiled and told her it was what family did for each other.
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oOoOo