Rewrite the Stars
Summary: "Love is that condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own." – Robert A. Heinlein, Stranger in a Strange Land. FemHarry.
Just a warning: FemHarry, AU, Language, Clichés, Age Difference, Messed Time Line, More in the Future
Just so you know (Name): FemHarry's name is Charis Aster Potter. In Greek mythology, a Charis is one of the Charites or "Graces"; goddesses of charm, beauty, nature, human creativity and fertility. This name comes from a Ancient Greek word meaning "Grace", "Kindness" and "Life". Aster is a Ancient Greek word for "Star" while the meaning of the flower Aster can differ depending on the presentation, my favorites being "Elegance", "Patience" and "Daintiness". Also, the Ancient Greeks used to burn aster leaves to ward off both snakes and evil spirits.
I don't own anything related to Marvel or Harry Potter!
Chapter 11. Not so Peaceful Halloween
Two hours and one Gryffindor robes soaked with tears later, Harry sat by James's side, staring down at her hands. She sniffed a little, taking comfort in her Great-Uncle's warmth.
Across her, Professor Lupin looked around for the kettle so he could warm some tea for them. The man had asked the witch to stay behind after dismissing the others, weakly telling Harry that he wanted to talk to her about what happened.
The small girl had agreed between heartbreaking and loudly sobs. She hadn't had the strength to move away or disagree with the scarred man.
James's presence helped to ground her, to remind her that none of those bodies were real… But it still didn't make the whole experience hurt less.
After he finally found the kettle, Professor Lupin tapped it with his wand and a blast of steam issued suddenly from the spout.
"Here it is," Professor Lupin said, passing a chipped mug of tea to Harry.
The girl took it with a trembling hand, rubbing her eyes with the other.
"You know," The new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher tried and failed to sound nonchalant, "I was… expecting your boggart to be different…"
The small raven haired witch resisted the urge of giving him a dry look and say, rudely, something along the lines of Really now? What did you expect to see?
Instead, she drank her tea and waited for him to continue.
"I expected it to be Voldemort," Professor Lupin admitted.
Harry absentmindedly took note of how he actually said Voldemort's name and drank more of her tea. It was either drink the tea or laugh at the ridiculousness of such thought.
The raven haired witch was afraid of many things, she won't lie about that, but none of them were Voldemort. Related to Voldemort, definitely. But the wizard himself? No, not really.
"It wasn't," She said, shrugging weakly as she sniffed.
"Yes – Er," Professor Lupin turned around for a moment, reaching out to grab the plate of cauldron cakes behind him.
Harry smiled at James as he took the opportunity to give her a handkerchief. She really needed it.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Professor Lupin asked, offering her one of the cakes to which she declined politely.
She bit her bottom lip at her question. Harry couldn't see him, but she could still feel her ice blue-eyed Great-Uncle's disbelief and irritation at the question.
Did she want to talk about her greatest fears with an stranger? Did she want to tell this stranger all about her fears of not being good enough to honor her parents' sacrifice? Her fears of losing the only family she had and of being left alone?
Seriously?
Something of Harry's thoughts must have showed up on her face because Professor Lupin gave her a uncomfortable and sad smile.
"I know we don't each other yet, but I hope that you'll come to me in the future when you find yourself in need of a confident." The scarred man said kindly.
While it was nice of him, Harry couldn't help but wonder if this was one of those Punch the Punk Where it Hurts moments that James had warned her about over the summer after teaching her how defend herself from men who were bigger and taller than her (It wasn't much, just a few moves to give her time to run as far as she could).
By the way her Great-Uncle's grabbed the collar of her robes, pulling it up, the thirteen years old took that as an confirmation and her cue to leave.
"I think I need to go," Harry said, placing the mug of tea over the table across her and standing up as she looked down at her wrist watch. "I want to do all my homework before Astronomy."
Before the Professor could say anything, Harry smiled politely, if not a little tense, and left the room with an wave of her hand.
"That – That was really strange," Harry muttered as she and James walked away from the staffroom.
James lowered the hood of the cloak and she saw the dark look on his face, "He seems far too interested on you for my liking."
Harry grimaced.
She hoped her Great-Uncle was wrong because every time a teacher showed some kind of interest on her, it never ended well; for both her and the teacher.
"Charis…"
"Uh?" Green eyes blinked at the man as he looked down at her with kind ice-blue eyes.
"Do you want to talk about happened?" James asked.
Harry opened her mouth to deny. She knew that if she did, her Great-Uncle would change the subject without much problem but…
"Yeah," She replied softly, "I do."
James took her hand and listened. And she loved him for it.
Uncle James, Harry thought, was the best.
Nothing really important or interesting happened after Harry's first Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson of the year. Well, there was the lack of rumors about said lesson circulating the castle; apparently, her fellow Gryffindors had finally decided to mind in their own business for once (Neville was the only one who approached her about the subject but he never tried to make her talk like Ron and Hermione would have done. Instead, like the good friend he was, he merely told her that he would be there if she needed someone to talk to). But that was more surprising than either important or interesting.
Days had gone by and Harry quickly noticed that of the "classic" classes, Defense Against the Dark Art was showing itself to be the students' new favorite, replacing Charms and Transfiguration in many hearts. Mostly because of Professor Lupin, who was a great teacher.
There was a little of mixed feelings about the electives. Some were seen as boring and just a easy way to pass while others were seen as fun or interesting. Care of Magical Creatures was the one elective described as fun more often. After the whole incident with Buckbeak the Hipogriff, Malfoy and his gang had switched dropped the elective and Hagrid had, in turn, been able to teach properly without any interruption or hidden plots being involved. And, speaking of dropping electives…
"I switched Divination with Ancient Runes." Neville told Harry one morning as they worked together on the same puffapod in Herbology.
Harry beamed, "Great!" She said before thinking about it, "Why now though? Couldn't you have switched early?"
Her chubby friend shook his head and explained, "Not really. I had to do all the work I missed before Professor Babbling could decide if I was allowed to switch or not."
The witch nodded. It made sense.
"What did you think?" Harry asked before quickly adding, "Of the work you had to do, I mean."
"It's pretty cool," Neville gave her a timid smile as they stripped the fat pink pods from the plant and emptied the shining beans into a wooden pail. "I can't wait for us to learn how to incorporate Runes in Herbology!" He said with a little bit more excitement.
The green-eyed girl smiled back, "Yeah, I liked to learn about how diverse Runes can be. It can do almost anything normal spells can."
Before Neville could say anything about it, they heard a frustrated growl and the sound of beans scattering all over the greenhouse floor. Turning around, the duo saw a red faced Ron and a nervous looking Hermione.
"Careful, Weasley, careful!" Professor Sprout shouted as the beans burst into bloom before their very eyes.
The red-haired boy grumbled before reaching out to grab the blooms from the floor.
"I can do it on my own!" Ron snapped when Hermione tried to help him.
Harry exchanged a look with Neville when the girl flinched before huffing and turning her attention back to her own beans.
"Why're they fighting now?" Harry asked warily, wondering if she truly wanted to know.
This year, Ron and Hermione had been fighting more than usual. Everyone in the common room was getting of their constant shouting matches and some of the older students were already contemplating to send the two of them to a couples therapy, much to the amusement of the others.
"Apparently," Neville whispered, "Crookshanks tried to eat Scabbers again."
Harry took some time to remember who Crookshanks was before it clicked. That was the name of Hermione's new grumpy looking cat.
"Well," The thirteen years old girl said slowly, "Crookshanks is a cat and cats do hunt rats."
At least that was what she learned from the few episodes of Tom and Jerry that she had been able to watch as a kid.
"Try explaining that to Ron," Neville shook his head, exasperated.
"Leave me alone, Hermione!"
"I'm trying to help you, Ronald!"
All Gryffindors in the greenhouse sighed as the duo started bickering.
The next day, before they left Transfiguration, Professor McGonagall had a announcement to make.
"One moment, please!" She called as the class made to leave. "As you're all in my House, you should hand your Hogsmeade permission forms to me before November 1st." The old witch gave them all an stern look, "No form, no visiting the village, so don't forget!"
Beside Harry, Neville slowly put his hand up.
"Please, Professor, I –" He flushed, "I think I've lost –"
"Your grandmother sent yours to me directly, Mr. Longbottom," Professor McGonagall sighed. "She seemed to think it was safer. Well, if that's all, you may all leave."
Harry sighed as she followed Neville out of the classroom and headed to the Great Hall for lunch. She really wanted to visit Hogsmead but well, that impossible without the form.
"Why so gloom, Harrykins?" Fred asked as he jumped beside her while George placed himself between her and Neville.
"Did something happen?" George asked.
Neville gave her a sympathetic look before replying in her place, "She can't go to Hogsmead."
Fred hummed while George rubbed his chin in thought.
"We can always forge your guardians' signature." He offered.
"We're pros with this kind of forgery." Fred added, getting a nod from his brother.
"Thanks but no thanks," Harry muttered as they made a turn down the corridor. "I don't even know where my form is."
She was pretty she had forgotten it in her old room in Number Four, Privet Drive.
"Too bad," Fred said. "We'll bring you something."
"Just tell us what you want." George nodded while Neville promised to do the same, giving her a list of what they could get for her in Hogsmead.
When they reached the Great Hall and sat on their usual place at the end of the Gryffindor table, the twins asked her something that made Harry blink in surprise.
"Hey, Harry," They called her, "Where's your shadow? He took the map this morning and disappeared."
The small witch put a little bit of mashed potatoes on her plate and looked up, staring at the twins who sitting across her. Neville and Lee weren't paying attention to them, talking about some kind of rare plant native to Uganda that Lee's Grandmother had brought to him over the summer.
"He left for his Healer appointment." She said.
Harry had wondered at the beginning of the year how James would keep going to his appointments with Healer Summers but her Great-Uncle had already been prepared.
He had, at some point over the summer holidays, contacted the Goblins and gotten a special Portkey that would take him from Hogsmead to St. Mungo's and then back again every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Harry had been really relieved at this. She hadn't wanted James to stop visiting the Healer just because he had decided to come to Hogwarts with her.
"Is he sick?" George frowned.
Harry smiled lightly, "He's getting better."
And that was all that mattered to both Harry and James.
On Halloween morning, the school owls swooped into the Great Hall carrying the mail as usual. Harry was leaning over to grab a blueberry muffin from the plate across her when Neville choked.
Turning around, her eyes widened. On her left, James pocked her hips in question, trying to understand why she had reacted like this, but Harry ignored her Great-Uncle.
A huge barn owl had landed in front of her blonde haired friend. It was staring at him with unblinking eyes as it clutched a scarlet envelope in its beak.
Neville started shaking, staring at the familiar scarlet envelop. The owl seemed annoyed with him before it let the envelope go in front of him and flew away as quick as it could.
"Neville –" Harry was cut off by her friend whimper of terror when the letter began to smoke at the corners.
"Open it," Seamus, who had been sitting across them, urged.
Dean had a different advice, "Run, Neville! Run!"
The baby-blue eyed boy would have done so but he had already the envelope with shaking hands. The scarlet envelope started tearing itself until it looked like a mouth filled with sharp teeth.
All Gryffindors immediately stuffed their fingers into their ears.
Dust fell from the ceiling as a roar of fury filled the Great Hall, "NEVILLE FRANKLIN LONGBOTTOM! HOW DARE YOU CHANGE YOUR ELECTIVES WITHOUT MY APPROVAL –"
The volume of Augusta Longbdottom's voice could have rivalled Mrs. Weasley's; the plates and spoons rattled on the table, and the windows trembled.
Harry shook her head as her eardrums started hurting. She was so focused in trying to muffle the Banshee-like screams coming from the Howler Neville got from his Grandmother, that she almost missed a important and horrible part of her rant;
"– DISGRACE TO THIS FAMILY! YOUR PARENTS WOULD HAVE BEEN ASHAM –"
A ringing silence fell as the scarlet envelope burst into flames, stopping the screams.
Slowly, everyone turned to look at Harry.
The witch in question was standing with her wand out and glaring at the remains of the Howler. With a sneer worth of Snape, she tucked her wand behind her ear (Which was where she always placed it when in Hogwarts) and sat down once more.
How dare she say such thing to Neville, Harry thought, stabbing her scrambled eggs, How dare Mrs. Longbottom humiliate him like that!
"Fifteen points to Gryffindor for saving us all from being rendered deaf." Professor McGonagall broke the silence, marching from the head table and moving in their direction, "Mr. Longbottom, come with me, please."
Neville stared at her, pale and wide eyed. Quickly he turned to look at Harry who smiled kindly and made a motion for him to follow the Transfiguration teacher.
"What the hell was that?" James gritted his teeth and she could imagine him covering his ears from under her Invisibility Cloak.
"A Howler," Harry replied before she started explaining what exactly was the letter.
Hopefully, the older witch would be able to deal with her old schoolmate. Mrs. Longbottom needed to understand that Neville was his own person.
Neville didn't show up again until the Halloween feast later that day when Harry and James reached the entrance hall and crossed into the Great Hall, which had been decorated with hundreds and hundreds of candle-filled pumpkins, a cloud of fluttering live bats, and many flaming orange streamers, which were swimming lazily across the stormy ceiling like brilliant water snakes.
Her Great-Uncle was telling her stories about how he and sister celebrated the holiday when Neville showed up, clutching a pinkish wand in his hand.
"Hi, Harry!" Neville greeted her, catching up with her just as Harry was ready to sit down.
"Hi, Nev," The raven haired girl smiled. "Where have you been?" She asked, hearing the sound of a parchment being unfolded.
James, she guessed, had decided to look at the Marauders' Map. He had been doing that a lot lately.
"Professor McGonagall called for Gran," He said, reaching out to grab a plate of salmon. "They spoke for a few hours and then Gran actually took me to get a new wand for myself." He grinned, showing off said wand. "Cherry with Unicorn tail hair - Perfect for Herbology."
Harry smiled back. Of course it was perfect for Herbology, she won't have expected anything less from a wand that had picked Neville as its wilder.
"That's good," She said. "Do you know anything about Cherry wood?"
As they chatted about the wood, Harry kept glancing at the staff table with a frown. Professor Lupin who looked like he was talking animatedly to tiny Professor Flitwick, kept sending looks in her direction. It was difficult to ignore it but she still tried.
Harry really wanted to know why this teacher was so interested in her. Maybe he wanted to kill her like Quirell or maybe he was after her fame like Lockhart?
With a sigh, Harry decided to think about it later, turning her attention to James for a brief moment when he touched her shoulder, silently telling her that he was going hunting.
"Hunting what?" She blinked her eyes, confused.
James never explained, leaving before she had even been able to finish the question. Neville had overheard her words and asked about it but the witch distracted him by talking about their newest Herbology essay (She would tell him about James when they weren't surrounded by so many people. But right now wasn't the best time).
The feast finished with an entertainment provided by the Hogwarts ghosts. They popped out of the walls and tables to do a bit of formation gliding; Nearly Headless Nick, the Gryffindor ghost, had a great success with a reenactment of his own botched beheading.
After the feast, Harry and Neville followed the other Gryffindors along the usual path to Gryffindor Tower. However, when they reached the corridor that ended with the portrait of the Fat Lady, they found it jammed with students.
Immediately, Harry felt dread fill her.
The day had been going so well. She should have known that something would go wrong. It always did on Halloween.
"Why isn't anyone going in?" She heard Ron ask curiously.
Harry tiptoed, craning her neck to see over the heads in front of her. She couldn't see it properly, but Harry did notice that the Fat Lady portrait was closed – Actually, the Fat Lady wasn't even there.
"Where did she go?" Neville asked.
It was a question that many voiced out loud.
"Let me through, please," Percy Weasley said as he came bustling through the crowd with an air of importance. "What's the holdup here?" He snapped. "You can't all have forgotten the password –" The red-haired seventeen years old glared at those who blocked his path. "Excuse me, I'm Head Bo –"
He cut himself off and a tense silence fell over the crowd. Harry bit her bottom lip as a chill seemed to spread down the corridor.
Suddenly, Percy spoke in a sharp voice, "Somebody get Professor Dumbledore. Now."
Harry jumped a little, cursing her height she tried and failed to see what had made Percy react like that.
A moment later, Professor Dumbledore was there, sweeping toward the portrait. The Gryffindors had to squeeze together to let him through, and Harry and Neville took the opportunity to move closer so they could understand what was going on.
Emerald green eyes widened when the thirteen years old girl saw that the Fat Lady portrait had been slashed so viciously that strips of canvas littered the floor; great chunks of it had been torn away completely.
Headmaster Dumbledore took one look at the ruined painting and turned, his eyes somber as he stared at Professors McGonagall, Lupin, and Snape who were hurrying toward him.
"We need to find her," Professor Dumbledore said, voice strong and echoing, "Professor McGonagall, please go to Mr. Filch at once and tell him to search every painting in the castle for the Fat Lady."
"You'll be lucky!" A familiar voice cackled.
Heads turned to see Peeves the Poltergeist, who was bobbing over the crowd and looking delighted as he always did at the sight of chaos, wreckage or worry.
"What do you mean, Peeves?" Professor Dumbledore asked calmly.
Peeves's grin faded a little at the expression on the old wizard's face. He didn't dare taunt or play around with the Headmaster, he knew better than that. Instead he adopted an oily voice that was no better than his cackle.
"Ashamed," He cooed, "Your Headship, sir. Doesn't want to be seen. She's a horrible mess. Saw her running through the landscape up on the fourth floor, sir, dodging between the trees. Crying something dreadful," Peeves said happily made a pause before adding unconvincingly, "Poor thing,"
"Did she say who did it?" Professor Dumbledore asked quietly.
"Oh yes, Professorhead," Peeves nodded, with the air of one cradling a large bombshell in his arms. "He got very angry when she wouldn't let him in, you see." Peeves flipped over and grinned at the Headmaster from between his own legs. "Nasty temper he's got, that Sirius Black."
Harry grimaced when everyone turned to look at her at the name. She then rubbed her face as it finally clicked in her mind and she understood what James's had meant with go hunting.
Her ice-blue eyed Great-Uncle must have seen Black's name in the map and decided to go after the man…
"Silence!" Professor Dumbledore shouted, stopping all whispers and hushed talks about the escaped convict. "I want all of you to head to the Great Hall. Now!"
Harry stared at the ripped portrait of the Fat Lady, wondering where James was, and only moved after Neville grabbed her arm.
After they all got to the Great Hall, the Gryffindors were joined ten minutes later by the students from Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin, who all looked extremely confused.
"The teachers and I need to conduct a thorough search of the castle," Professor Dumbledore announced as Professors McGonagall and Flitwick closed all doors into the hall. "I'm afraid that, for your own safety, you will have to spend the night here. I want the Prefects to stand guard over the entrances to the hall and I am leaving the Head Boy and Girl in charge. Any disturbance should be reported to me immediately," The Headmaster finished to Percy, who was looking immensely proud and important at being addressed. "Send word with one of the ghosts."
Professor Dumbledore paused, about to leave the hall before he turned around to look at them and said,
"Oh, yes, you'll be needing…"
Trailing off, casually waved wand and the long tables flew to the edges of the hall and stood themselves against the walls. With another wave, the floor was covered with hundreds of squashy purple sleeping bags.
"Sleep well," Professor Dumbledore said, closing the door behind him.
The hall immediately began to buzz excitedly with the Gryffindors were telling the rest of the school what had just happened until Percy shot sparks from his wand.
"Everyone into your sleeping bags!" Percy shouted, his chested puffed out like a peacock. "Come on, now, no more talking! Lights out in ten minutes!"
The Head Boy kept shouting orders until everyone had seized their own sleeping bags. Harry and Neville dragged their sleeping bags into a corner where you could find the others Third Year Gryffindors.
"Do you think Black's still in the castle?" Someone whispered anxiously.
It took a moment for Harry recognize the voice as Hermione's.
"Dumbledore obviously thinks he might be," Ron grumbled.
All around them, people were asking one another the same question: "How did he get in?"
"Maybe he knows how to Apparate," A Ravenclaw muttered a few feet away. "Just appear out of thin air, you know."
"Disguised himself, probably," A Hufflepuff fifth year suggested.
"He could've flown in," Dean suggested to Seamus who quickly pointed out that if that was the case then Black would have turned into Dementor's food.
"The lights are going out now!" Percy shouted. "I want everyone in their sleeping bags and no more talking!"
Immediately, the candles all went out at once. The only light now came from the silvery ghosts, who were drifting about talking seriously to the prefects, and the enchanted ceiling, which, like the sky outside, was scattered with stars. What with that, and the whispering that still filled the hall, Harry felt like she were sleeping outdoors in a light wind.
It would have been nice, hadn't she been worried about James. It was a unnecessary worry, she knew. Her Great-Uncle could take care of himself. But that didn't stop her from worrying about him, especially since Headmaster Dumbledore would join the search party for Black.
What if the old and eccentric Headmaster found James?
"Are you alright, Harry?" Neville whispered, looking at her with a frown.
Harry gave him a sweet smile, "I'm fine."
The baby-blue eyed wizard didn't look like he believed her but he didn't say anything else, accepting her answer. He fell asleep soon after.
Harry didn't though. She couldn't sleep, not until James came back.
Once every hour, a teacher would reappear in the hall to check that everything was quiet. Around three in the morning, just as Harry was having to fight to keep her eyes open, Professor Dumbledore finally came back in.
The green-eyed thirteen years old watched him by the corner of her eyes. The old wizard looked around for Percy, who had been prowling between the sleeping bags, telling the people who were still awake off for talking.
"Any sign of him, Professor?" Percy, who hadn't been too far from where Harry was laying, asked in a whisper.
"No." Professor Dumbledore sighed. "All well here?"
Percy nodded stiff, "Everything under control here, sir."
"Good." The Headmaster said, "There's no point in moving them all now. I've found a temporary guardian for the Gryffindor portrait hole. You'll be able to move them back in tomorrow."
"And the Fat Lady, sir?" Percy asked.
"Hiding in a map of Argyllshire on the second floor. Apparently, she refused to let Black in without the password, so he attacked. She's still very distressed but once she's calmed down, I'll have Mr. Filch restore her."
Harry heard the door of the hall creak open again, and there were sounds of slow footsteps. The green-eyed girl pursued her lips a little when she couldn't see who it was.
"Headmaster?" It was Snape. "The whole of the third floor has been searched. He's not there. And Filch has done the dungeons; nothing there either."
"What about the Astronomy tower? Professor Trelawney's room? The Owlery? The abandoned classrooms?" Professor Dumbledore didn't list anything else but it was implied.
"All searched…" Snape replied, sounding more unhappy than usual.
"Very well, Severus." Professor Dumbledore said, "I didn't really expect Black to linger."
"Do you have any theory as to how he got in, sir?" Snape asked and Harry stiffed a yawn, noting that there was a hint of anticipation to his voice. Coming from someone like the bitter Potions Master, it was really creepy.
There was a moment of silence before Dumbledore replied.
"Many, Severus, each of them as unlikely as the next." The old blue-eyed wizard shook his head.
Snape hummed, trying and failing to sound nonchalantly as he spoke, "Headmaster, do you remember the conversation we had just before the start of term?"
Harry knitted her eyebrows at Snape's strange question.
"I do, Severus," Dumbledore replied, and there was something like warning in his voice.
Snape either didn't notice or ignored the warning, "It would have been impossible for Black to have entered the school without inside help. I did express my concerns when you appointed –"
Harry bit her tongue to stop herself from gasping at the clear accusation while Professor Dumbledore cut him off.
"I do not believe a single person inside this castle would have helped Black enter it," Headmaster Dumbledore said and his tone made it clear that the subject was closed. Harry could almost imagine the unpleasant expression Snape made at this. "I must go down to the Dementors," Professor Dumbledore said. "I said I would inform them when our search was complete."
"Didn't they want to help, sir?" Percy asked, curiously.
"Oh yes," The wizard replied coldly. "But I'm afraid no Dementor will cross the threshold of this castle while I am headmaster."
Percy looked slightly abashed and Professor Dumbledore left the hall, walking quickly and quietly. Snape took his time but left soon after, stomping his feet angrily like a child throwing a tantrum.
Harry feel asleep seconds after that strange, and rather suspicious conversation ended, having been far too tired to stay awake for much longer.
The thirteen years old girl woke up a little before breakfast and left with the others for the Gryffindor common room.
The Fat Lady's ripped canvas had been taken off the wall and replaced with the portrait of Sir Cadogan; a short, squat knight in a suit of armor who was always accompanied by his not so loyal pony.
And to say that nobody was happy about this was a understatement. Sir Cadogan spent half his time challenging people to duels before using the rest of his time thinking up ridiculously complicated passwords, which he changed at least twice a day.
No one was allowed to go to Hogsmead that first Saturday of November and while everyone was unhappy about this, Sir Cadogan's antics seemed to make all Gryffindors more miserable than all the other students.
James had yet to come back from his so called hunt but, thankful, the teachers had also not found him, which was good. This knowledge was the only thing keeping Harry from panicking.
"Someone needs to do something about him!" Dean Thomas complained to Percy, his irritated bring Harry out of her thoughts.
The small green-eyed girl looked up from her runes dictionary to see a group of Gryffindors surrounding Percy, who had been trying to not look intimidated.
"He's a complete lunatic," Seamus Finnigan said angrily.
"Can't we get anyone else?" Lavender Brown whined.
The others voiced their agreement.
"None of the other pictures wanted the job," Percy explained. "They're all frightened after what happened to the Fat Lady. Sir Cadogan was the only one brave enough to volunteer."
None of the Gryffindors cared about it and more and more complains started to be raised until it was almost impossible to understand a single word that was being said. Poor Percy tried but he wasn't able to calm the crowd down (The Head Girl, Harry noted, was completely useless and stayed on a far corner, merely watching the whole thing beside her friend).
"What's this? A riot?" Fred asked as he leaned against the armchair Harry was using.
George leaned on the other side of the side, copying his brother pose perfectly, "And no one called us to participate?"
"How mean." They pouted.
Harry rolled her eyes with a small smile on her face, closing her runes dictionary and clutching it to her chest.
"What can I do for you two?" She asked.
"Why, Harrykins," Fred gave her a hurtful look, "do you always think that we want something when we come to you?"
George sighed, "We could have missed you."
She gave them a look.
"But seriously," Fred said, "we don't want anything."
George nodded, "We just came to warn you that Quidditch Practice will be on Wednesday."
"Only on Wednesday?" Harry gave them a doubtful look.
That didn't sound like something Oliver Wood would do. The Keeper and Captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch Team was obsessed with winning and he would do anything to archive that, especially torturing his teammates with daily training; starting very, very early in the morning.
"Well," Fred started listing on his fingers, "There will be another practice on Friday."
"And after that, another one on Monday –" George made a motion with his hand.
"– and then one on Tuesday –"
"– which will be followed by another one on Thursday –"
"– and then the last practice will be on Saturday before the game." They said together before making a face, "Can you believe that our dear Capitan didn't think that would be enough for us to win?"
The small girl rolled her eyes again.
Yes, Harry could believe it.
"Hey, Harry?" Fred called her, making the girl look up at him. "Why're you here alone? Is rare to see that those days…"
She blinked, "Oh, well… Neville is at the Herbology Clu –"
The thirteen years old girl was cut off a strangled scream echoing down the boys' staircase. The whole common room fell silent, turned around and stared, completely petrified, at the entrance. Some of the other students reached out for their wands, ready to attack if necessary.
Then came hurried footsteps, growing louder and louder – Several people sighed in relief when Ron came leaping into view, dragging a bedsheet.
The twins exchanged a look, wondering what had happened now to invoke their little brother's anger.
"LOOK!" The red-haired Third Year bellowed, striding over to the table that Hermione had been using at the corner of the common room.
She looked up from her books, startled and confused. On the chair beside hers, her cat started hissing and spitting, puffing up his fur until he looked like he had been electrocuted.
"LOOK!" Ron shouted again, shaking the sheets in the bushy haired witch's face.
Hermione gave him a look, "Ron, what –?"
He cut her off, his face gaining a shade of purple that reminded Harry of Uncle Vernon when the man had been angry about something.
"SCABBERS!" Ron yelled, "LOOK! SCABBERS!"
Hermione was leaning away from Ron as she, slowly, looked down at the sheet he was holding. Harry and several others did the same to see something red on it – Something that looked like –
"BLOOD!" Ron yelled into the stunned silence. "HE'S GONE! AND YOU KNOW WHAT WAS ON THE FLOOR?!"
"Ro –"
"DO YOU?!"
"N-No," Hermione replied, her voice trembling as tears appeared on the corner of her eyes.
"This!" Ron spat, thrown something down at Hermione's feet.
Almost afraid of what she would find, Hermione leaned forward to see several long, ginger cat hairs – Hairs that were exactly like Crookshanks'.
Hermione gasped while everyone else winced, guessing that Crookshanks had finally caught Ron's pet rat Scabbers.
"Your pet monstrosity ate my rat!" Ron accused, enraged.
Hermione shook her head, defending her cat by suggesting that the ginger hairs could have belonged to another cat. After that, the two started one of those shouting matches that everyone else was already used to.
Their fight didn't last long as a exhausted, both emotionally and physically, Hermione snapped, "Leave me alone Ronald, I've got a lot of work to do!"
Huffing, and trying to hold back her tears, the witch grabbed her books and ran to the girls' staircase, being followed by Crookshanks.
Ron watched her go with a growl, opening his mouth to scream again but he was cut off by Percy.
"Ronald," The older Weasley boy approached him, "That's enough. What's done is done."
Ron made a sound like a little like who was just told that he couldn't have candy before dinner, "But –"
"Come on, Ron, you were always saying how boring Scabbers was," Fred said bracingly. "And he was too old anyway way. It was probably better for him to snuff it quickly –"
"– one swallow really –" George made a gesture with his hand to illustrate his point.
Fred continued, "– he probably didn't feel a thing."
"Fred! George!" Ginny Weasley, who had been sitting with her friends, snapped indignantly at her brothers.
They ignored her.
"All Scabbers did was eat and sleep, Ron, you said it yourself," George said.
"He bit Goyle once!" Ron said miserably.
Harry snorted, recalling that day. It had been pretty funny.
"His finest hour," Fred said dryly, unable to keep a straight face.
Fred and George looked up, clapping their hands together, "Let us all see the scar on Goyle's finger as a lasting tribute to Scabbers' memory." They said solemnly, "That Scabbers the Great may rest in piec – ahem – peace."
Harry placed a hand over her mouth to hide her smile when several Gryffindors imitated the twins, some of them even singing for the newly departed Scabbers or muttering an amused Amen.
Fred looked at his disgruntled little brother, "Oh, come on, Ron, get yourself down to Hogsmeade on Saturday and buy a new rat, what's the point of moaning?"
"Actually," George prompted, "Get yourself a cat so another pet of yours won't end up as dinner again."
Ron looked at Percy and Ginny, expecting them to say something but all the other two did was nod in agreement with the twins. The younger red-haired boy let out a scream at the lack of support and threw his hands up, turning on his heels and stomping back to his dorm.
Harry was shaking her head at the whole thing when she felt a familiar weight over shoulder. Immediately, the small girl perked up as fingers tapped her shoulder; Come on.
"Hey, Harry, where are you going?!" George asked as she stood up from her chair, throwing her book inside her bag.
"Library!" The raven haired witch yelled over her shoulder in reply as she ran out of the common room.
Harry ran until she reached one of the few corridors in the castle where there were no portraits.
"James," She asked, taking a deep breath, "Where have you been?!" Harry glared at the man as he pulled the hood of her Invisibility Cloak down.
Her ice-blue eyed Great-Uncle smiled charmingly, "Hunting."
The small girl crossed her arms and gave him a look.
"I swear," He insisted and opened his mouth to continue with his excuse (Explanation, whatever) but was interrupted by a squeak.
Both of them stared at each other.
"…what was that?" Harry asked slowly.
James glare down and moved as if grabbing something and then took a familiar old grey rat from the pocket the jacket he was wearing under her Cloak. As she stared at the rat, Harry absentmindedly noticed that there was blood on the knuckles of her Great-Uncle's prosthetic hand.
"Why do you have the supposed dead Scabbers?" Harry asked, more curious than accusing.
James squeezed the rat until it stopped trying to free itself and placed his other hand over shoulder.
"You'll see." James said, gently pushing Harry forward.
The two of them made their way down the corridor before walking through another maze of corridors, avoiding any portrait and moving statue. They only stopped when they reached one of the several unused classrooms that could be found in the castle.
James opened the door of the classroom and Harry stepped inside it, freezing when she saw a man tied to a chair. He was bleeding and there were bruises all over his body.
Harry stared, immediately recognizing the bound and beaten up man.
James had captured Sirius Black.
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-Cissnei.
TIMELINE!
March 10, 1917 – James Buchanan Barnes is born
December 2, 1931 – Rebecca Evans née Barnes is born
January 30, 1974 – Lily Potter née Evans is born
March 27, 1974 – James Potter is born
April, 19, 1974 – Sirius Black IV is born
July 31, 1995 – Charis Aster Potter is born
October 31, 1996 – James and Lily Potter are murdered
June 18, 2008 – Hogwarts Express leaves back to London; End of Harry's Second Year.
*Harry first meets the man with ice-blue eyes; she later names him James.
July 5, 2008 – James has his first Healer appointment
*Harry meets Augusta Longbottom and learns about Neville's parents
*James learns his name is James Buchanan Barnes
July 31, 2008 – Harry's Thirteenth Birthday
*James gifts Harry with his family tapestry and she learns that she's his Great-Niece
August 4, 2008 – Aunt Marge's visit
*Harry and James move to Rosewood's Mews
September 1, 2008 – Back to Hogwarts; Harry's Third Year (Monday)
September 2, 2008 – First Day of Classes (Tuesday)
September 4, 2008 – Boggarts Lesson in Defense Against the Dark Arts (Thursday)
October 6, 2008 – Neville says he traded Divination for Ancient Runes (Monday)
October 31, 2008 – Halloween (Friday)
*Augusta Longbottom sends Neville a Howler about the change in his electives
*James sees something in the Marauders' Map and disappears for a while
*Neville gets a new wand
*Sirius Black attacks the Fat Lady
November 1, 2008 – First Hogsmaed Visit is cancelled. (Saturday)
*Scabbers was supposedly eaten by Crookshanks
*James takes Harry to one of hidden rooms at Hogwarts; he has captured Sirius Black