Where have you been?
Disclaimer: I own nothing
Chapter 12
The Great Hall was engulfed in shocked and heavy silence. All students turned their faces to Sebastian, who placed the hat on the stool and went to join his new classmates. And then everybody started talking at once, not paying attention to what the others were saying. McGonagall cleared her throat and tried to read the next name on the list but the noise was too loud even for her own decibels. She turned desperately to Dumbledore. The old headmaster looked slightly surprised, but otherwise completely composed. He nodded to Minerva and stood up:
"Silence, please." Dumbledore said that quietly, but somehow the whole hall heard him and stopped talking at once. The headmaster observed the students for a while and finally spoke again:
"Please, now keep it quiet. Professor McGonagall, would you proceed with the Sorting ceremony?" asked he politely. McGonagall nodded curtly and turned to the students again:
"Wallace, Ben!"
When the dark boy put the hat on his head, a certain blond boy on the Slytherin table was bombarded with questions:
"You're Harry Potter's son? The Harry Potter?"
"No way, you should be in Gryffindor, not here!" the voice belonged to a tall sixth-year girl with dark hair and skin. She eyed Sebastian defiantly and asked:
"You think you're worthy to be in Slytherin?" now everybody was listening closely to her, obviously she was pretty famous in Slytherin. Sebastian looked her straight in the eye and said:
"You want to find out?" his voice was deadly quiet.
Some people on the table laughed and cheered. Malfoy smiled and spoke:
"He's okay, mates, I guarantee you." He put his hand on Sebastian's shoulder. He and the girl still hadn't broke eye contact and were glaring at each other. Finally, she smiled slightly and said:
"That's good enough for me."
Malfoy nodded and sat down. He really didn't remember when he or Sebastian had stand up on the first place. Malfoy shrugged and, observing how his new housemates were congratulating Sebastian, glad to have a Potter in their house, he thought to himself:
"That would be a really interesting year."
On the Gryffindor table, the occupants of the house interrogated another boy with the name Potter.
"Hey, how comes you're in Gryffindor and you're brother - in Slytherin?"
"He's your brother?"
"Who?"
"I wasn't talking to you, mate. I was talking to him!"
"What?"
"Don't yell at me!"
James observed stunned the complete chaos that erupted around him. He looked at the Slytherin table to find his brother in the same situation as him. His father had told him a lot about the House rivalry, but he didn't even imagined that kind of reaction. He had actually expected that the Hat would put Sebastian in Slytherin. After all he was so.well, so Slytherin. Like that Jereth Malfoy said - he even smelled like one. James shook his head and said:
"Look, people, yes, Sebastian is my brother and he's in Slytherin. Okay? But, I'm here. The Hat placed me here. So, please stop asking me these stupid questions and just accept it."
He looked at Frank Longbottom, who was sitting against him and smiled. Frank grinned broadly. The girl next to him took James's hand and shook it:
"Hey, James, welcome to Gryffindor." Suddenly everybody started again congratulating him, shaking his hand and patting him on the back. When Dumbledore stood up for his start-of-term speech, the whole hall went silent and turned eyes to the headmaster.
"Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, let me have few words. First I want to congratulate our new prefects and Headboys and Headgirls." He clapped politely along with the students and the other teachers. "Second, it is very hard for me to tell you that the first few weeks there would be no Defense Against the Dark Arts lessons." A few gasps and many 'cool's could be heard at that announcement. "Obviously, many people still think that this subject is cursed." Dumbledore shook his head incredulously. "However, don't worry, we'll find a teacher soon enough. Now, because I know, you don't want to listen to my blabbering anymore, I will say just one more thing - tuck in!"
The students laughed and suddenly food appeared on the tables. Everybody cheered and started eating forgetting for James and Sebastian Potter for a while. But only for a while.
James soon found out that while he was interrogated by the Gryffindors, Ashley Weasley had been sorted in Gryffindor and Sarah Vazquez - in Ravenclaw. He soon found himself having fun, laughing at Frank's jokes. He became friends with another boy - Andy Finnigan, who was half-blood like himself.
On the Slytherin table, Sebastian was silently talking to Jereth and a girl named Elaise Jones-one of the few half-bloods in Slytherin. He found out that the name of the sixth year girl, who was doubting if he belonged in Slytherin, was Daniela Krum.
Neither James, nor his brother saw the strange expression on Albus Dumbledore's face. He was looking at Sebastian without the usual twinkle in his eyes.
When the feast was over and all students were in their dormitories Albus Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall and Severus Snape were having a little chat in the Headmaster's office. Snape, who was the Potion teacher, had come to ask Dumbledore why, for Merlin's sake, all his Potions classes were Slytherin/Gryffindor and Ravenclaw/Hufflepuff.
"You know how these, hmmm, let's say, students are. They are immature and they are acting like."
"Please, Severus." Dumbledore smiled, looking at Snape. "I'm listening to this every year and still you are always so charming and nice to your students. I am sure that they are going to love you. You're great teacher and."
In this moment in the room came Minerva McGonagall. She looked exhausted and completely irritated. Without greeting, she asked the headmaster:
"Albus, didn't I ask you yesterday - do you found a DADA teacher? What did you answer me? That you have found one! Then what was that announcement an hour ago?"
"Minerva would you."
"No, I would not. Albus, that is completely irresponsible, you know that."
"Maybe I have someone in mind." Smiled Dumbledore from behind his desk.
"Really, who? You know what the people are saying - about the DADA job in Hogwarts. Who had actually agreed to teach it?"
"No one, because I haven't proposed it to anybody yet. But I will soon enough and I hope he would say 'yes'."
"Who's that?" shot Minerva at the old wizard. Albus just smiled and began humming to himself. Suddenly Snape hissed:
"Potter!"
Professor McGonagall looked sharply at Snape and snorted. Then she looked at Dumbledore and the snore died immediately.
"Albus are you serious?" whispered she. She seemed quiet shaken and surprised. Snape on the other hand was furious.
"Headmaster, you can't actually believe that Potter will accept the job. Besides, he left so suddenly before, what if he does it again. We cannot trust him!"
"I'm quiet aware of the risks I'm taking with this decision Severus. And I know that Harry may deny my offer. But I'm bound to try."
Snape glared at the old man and then said quietly:
"I'm warning you Albus. I have done many things for you. Because you have done the same for me. But I'll never accept it, if Potter comes to work here." He stormed to the door and with his hand on the handle added: "I trust you can arrange the potions schedule, Headmaster." With these words, he walked out of the room.
"You can call us any time and order the newest PlayStation on 555-43-76- 00."
Harry stared dully in the screen of his big TV. He had been in this position for about an hour now, with no chances to get out of his stupor. He had been thinking about his life, his sons. He had done this before, just sitting in front of the television, doing absolutely nothing. The new thing was that now he was thinking about his marriage too. Harry was desperate, he didn't know what to do to make things right. And the worse was that he didn't think that it was his fault for the current situation. Amanda dragged him to the Weasley's house. He had come, because he didn't want to have a fight with her. Then Ron went berserk for nothing and then come the Great Fight as he had named it. He and Amanda still hadn't said a word to each other. She just ignored him (he wondered what the Dursleys were doing right now) and she pretended that he didn't exist ('that's mean'!).
"I won't go and apologize to her." Hissed Harry indignantly. "But I won't let her to pretend that I'm not here at all."
He jumped from the sofa and stormed in the kitchen. Amanda was sitting there, reading some cooking books. She didn't even look up.
"I will stay here, Amanda, d'you hear me? I'll just sit here, annoying you."
Amanda put the book on the table and looked at Harry with great displeasure on her face.
"Fine. Then I will just walk out."
She tried to leave the room, but Harry stopped her immediately.
"We have to make things right. We can't live like this. It's just weird."
"Listen carefully, Harry. I don't know what you've been through. I understand that it's hard to meet your old friends, the only people that have been like family for you. But I don't think that it's my fault. You acted like a complete jerk that night. And don't tell me I cannot blame you."
"You can't make me feel sorry about it, Amanda." Whispered Harry. "I won't apologize to you, not a chance." He looked in the eyes and his voice became even quieter: "I'm guilty about many things, but not this too, not this too."
Amanda stared at him shocked. Harry extended his hand and asked calmly:
"Truce?"
Amanda took his hand and when he went to the door, she said:
"Things will never be the same again, Harry."
Her husband turned to face her and nodded:
"Yes, I know, everything's changed now."
In the first year dormitories, James was trying desperately to fall asleep. No such luck. He felt really tired and in the same time he knew he couldn't sleep this night. The other boys in the room were snorting in their beds. James wondered if his parents had already killed each other. He wondered what Sebastian was doing.
"What should I do now?" whispered James quietly. He sighed remembering the conversation he had had in the common room earlier.
Flashback
"Hey there, Potter!" James, who was still laughing at a joke Frank told him, turned his head in the direction of the voice. It belonged to a tall boy with unsure expression on his face.
"Next week we are having quidditch try-outs. You know the rule that the first-years cannot get in the House teams? Well, it doesn't exist anymore. We heard you father was one of the best seekers ever. You are going to try?"
"To join the team?" the tall boy nodded. "I'll see, okay. I haven't even fly on a broom yet. By the way, you are?"
"Robin Carter. Gryffindor captain." He shook hands with James and then said:
"And by the way. With your brother now in Slytherin, you better watch your step. They are capable of anything, the Slytherins I mean. We are going to support you, that's what our House always do. But you'll have to forget he's your brother, got it?"
"What?" yelled James indignantly. He then jumped from his seat and stared at the people in the room. They were all nodding, obviously agreeing with the words of that Carter. James snorted and stormed to his dormitory.
End of Flashback
"He's your brother, you can't pretend he's not in Slytherin, idiot. It doesn't matter if he's in the Snake House though? Sebastian is your family. However, I don't want the Gryffindors to turn their backs on me. And they would, if I try to act like I know him. Besides, why I am so sure Sebastian will act, as he's my brother. Oh, God, why the Hat had to put him in Slytherin?"
"So, anyway, Potter, you have to prove that you belong in here."
"Prove? I thought we decided I'm worthy to be in Slytherin." Sebastian scowled, clenched his fists and looked defiantly in Daniela Krum's face.
"So? That was first impression. What about a challenge?"
"I won't play your games, Krum, you hear me?"
The elder girl groaned:
"Would you listen to me, Potter? No games, okay. You play quidditch?"
"Oh, no, not a chance, I know that my father.."
"It's not about your father or your pride, Sebastian." Spoke Malfoy.
"Yeah, that's the deal. You go to the try-outs and win position in the team."
"Wait, what if I'm not good in quidditch?"
"That's not a possibility." Smirked Malfoy. "Listen, the first match is Slytherin vs. Gryffindork. You play for us, your brother for the Gryffindorks."
"Who the hell told you James will play for the Quidditch team?"
"I heard their captain Carter when he told this to his teammates."
"What 'this'?" asked Sebastian frowning.
"That James Potter would be their seeker, because of."
"Because of my father." Said Sebastian furiously. "Right and what is my part in all this."
"When the game begins, you just push your brother off his broom."
Sebastian stared incredulously at Daniela Krum. He gulped and whispered hoarsely:
"You're kidding me."
A/N: Okay, this chapter is definitely not good, or at least I don't like it. Hope you do.
Anyway, few other things - Andy Finnigan - not a son of Seamus Finnigan, because Seamus died in the war against Voldemort. He's his nephew or something, it doesn't matter anyway.
Second - about the House rivalries in Hogwarts - though I don't agree with JK that Slytherins are only evil and Gryffindors only good, I'll try to stick with her story. The Gryffindors want James just to 'severe ties' with his brother and the Slytherins want Sebastian actually to hurt his brother. There is a 'slight' difference, don't you think? :) But that doesn't mean I will make Sebastian evil only because he's in Slytherin though. Anyway, you'll see later in the story.
Okay, if you got any questions, just ask and review.
Thanks to all the people who reviewed
Bye
Disclaimer: I own nothing
Chapter 12
The Great Hall was engulfed in shocked and heavy silence. All students turned their faces to Sebastian, who placed the hat on the stool and went to join his new classmates. And then everybody started talking at once, not paying attention to what the others were saying. McGonagall cleared her throat and tried to read the next name on the list but the noise was too loud even for her own decibels. She turned desperately to Dumbledore. The old headmaster looked slightly surprised, but otherwise completely composed. He nodded to Minerva and stood up:
"Silence, please." Dumbledore said that quietly, but somehow the whole hall heard him and stopped talking at once. The headmaster observed the students for a while and finally spoke again:
"Please, now keep it quiet. Professor McGonagall, would you proceed with the Sorting ceremony?" asked he politely. McGonagall nodded curtly and turned to the students again:
"Wallace, Ben!"
When the dark boy put the hat on his head, a certain blond boy on the Slytherin table was bombarded with questions:
"You're Harry Potter's son? The Harry Potter?"
"No way, you should be in Gryffindor, not here!" the voice belonged to a tall sixth-year girl with dark hair and skin. She eyed Sebastian defiantly and asked:
"You think you're worthy to be in Slytherin?" now everybody was listening closely to her, obviously she was pretty famous in Slytherin. Sebastian looked her straight in the eye and said:
"You want to find out?" his voice was deadly quiet.
Some people on the table laughed and cheered. Malfoy smiled and spoke:
"He's okay, mates, I guarantee you." He put his hand on Sebastian's shoulder. He and the girl still hadn't broke eye contact and were glaring at each other. Finally, she smiled slightly and said:
"That's good enough for me."
Malfoy nodded and sat down. He really didn't remember when he or Sebastian had stand up on the first place. Malfoy shrugged and, observing how his new housemates were congratulating Sebastian, glad to have a Potter in their house, he thought to himself:
"That would be a really interesting year."
On the Gryffindor table, the occupants of the house interrogated another boy with the name Potter.
"Hey, how comes you're in Gryffindor and you're brother - in Slytherin?"
"He's your brother?"
"Who?"
"I wasn't talking to you, mate. I was talking to him!"
"What?"
"Don't yell at me!"
James observed stunned the complete chaos that erupted around him. He looked at the Slytherin table to find his brother in the same situation as him. His father had told him a lot about the House rivalry, but he didn't even imagined that kind of reaction. He had actually expected that the Hat would put Sebastian in Slytherin. After all he was so.well, so Slytherin. Like that Jereth Malfoy said - he even smelled like one. James shook his head and said:
"Look, people, yes, Sebastian is my brother and he's in Slytherin. Okay? But, I'm here. The Hat placed me here. So, please stop asking me these stupid questions and just accept it."
He looked at Frank Longbottom, who was sitting against him and smiled. Frank grinned broadly. The girl next to him took James's hand and shook it:
"Hey, James, welcome to Gryffindor." Suddenly everybody started again congratulating him, shaking his hand and patting him on the back. When Dumbledore stood up for his start-of-term speech, the whole hall went silent and turned eyes to the headmaster.
"Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, let me have few words. First I want to congratulate our new prefects and Headboys and Headgirls." He clapped politely along with the students and the other teachers. "Second, it is very hard for me to tell you that the first few weeks there would be no Defense Against the Dark Arts lessons." A few gasps and many 'cool's could be heard at that announcement. "Obviously, many people still think that this subject is cursed." Dumbledore shook his head incredulously. "However, don't worry, we'll find a teacher soon enough. Now, because I know, you don't want to listen to my blabbering anymore, I will say just one more thing - tuck in!"
The students laughed and suddenly food appeared on the tables. Everybody cheered and started eating forgetting for James and Sebastian Potter for a while. But only for a while.
James soon found out that while he was interrogated by the Gryffindors, Ashley Weasley had been sorted in Gryffindor and Sarah Vazquez - in Ravenclaw. He soon found himself having fun, laughing at Frank's jokes. He became friends with another boy - Andy Finnigan, who was half-blood like himself.
On the Slytherin table, Sebastian was silently talking to Jereth and a girl named Elaise Jones-one of the few half-bloods in Slytherin. He found out that the name of the sixth year girl, who was doubting if he belonged in Slytherin, was Daniela Krum.
Neither James, nor his brother saw the strange expression on Albus Dumbledore's face. He was looking at Sebastian without the usual twinkle in his eyes.
When the feast was over and all students were in their dormitories Albus Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall and Severus Snape were having a little chat in the Headmaster's office. Snape, who was the Potion teacher, had come to ask Dumbledore why, for Merlin's sake, all his Potions classes were Slytherin/Gryffindor and Ravenclaw/Hufflepuff.
"You know how these, hmmm, let's say, students are. They are immature and they are acting like."
"Please, Severus." Dumbledore smiled, looking at Snape. "I'm listening to this every year and still you are always so charming and nice to your students. I am sure that they are going to love you. You're great teacher and."
In this moment in the room came Minerva McGonagall. She looked exhausted and completely irritated. Without greeting, she asked the headmaster:
"Albus, didn't I ask you yesterday - do you found a DADA teacher? What did you answer me? That you have found one! Then what was that announcement an hour ago?"
"Minerva would you."
"No, I would not. Albus, that is completely irresponsible, you know that."
"Maybe I have someone in mind." Smiled Dumbledore from behind his desk.
"Really, who? You know what the people are saying - about the DADA job in Hogwarts. Who had actually agreed to teach it?"
"No one, because I haven't proposed it to anybody yet. But I will soon enough and I hope he would say 'yes'."
"Who's that?" shot Minerva at the old wizard. Albus just smiled and began humming to himself. Suddenly Snape hissed:
"Potter!"
Professor McGonagall looked sharply at Snape and snorted. Then she looked at Dumbledore and the snore died immediately.
"Albus are you serious?" whispered she. She seemed quiet shaken and surprised. Snape on the other hand was furious.
"Headmaster, you can't actually believe that Potter will accept the job. Besides, he left so suddenly before, what if he does it again. We cannot trust him!"
"I'm quiet aware of the risks I'm taking with this decision Severus. And I know that Harry may deny my offer. But I'm bound to try."
Snape glared at the old man and then said quietly:
"I'm warning you Albus. I have done many things for you. Because you have done the same for me. But I'll never accept it, if Potter comes to work here." He stormed to the door and with his hand on the handle added: "I trust you can arrange the potions schedule, Headmaster." With these words, he walked out of the room.
"You can call us any time and order the newest PlayStation on 555-43-76- 00."
Harry stared dully in the screen of his big TV. He had been in this position for about an hour now, with no chances to get out of his stupor. He had been thinking about his life, his sons. He had done this before, just sitting in front of the television, doing absolutely nothing. The new thing was that now he was thinking about his marriage too. Harry was desperate, he didn't know what to do to make things right. And the worse was that he didn't think that it was his fault for the current situation. Amanda dragged him to the Weasley's house. He had come, because he didn't want to have a fight with her. Then Ron went berserk for nothing and then come the Great Fight as he had named it. He and Amanda still hadn't said a word to each other. She just ignored him (he wondered what the Dursleys were doing right now) and she pretended that he didn't exist ('that's mean'!).
"I won't go and apologize to her." Hissed Harry indignantly. "But I won't let her to pretend that I'm not here at all."
He jumped from the sofa and stormed in the kitchen. Amanda was sitting there, reading some cooking books. She didn't even look up.
"I will stay here, Amanda, d'you hear me? I'll just sit here, annoying you."
Amanda put the book on the table and looked at Harry with great displeasure on her face.
"Fine. Then I will just walk out."
She tried to leave the room, but Harry stopped her immediately.
"We have to make things right. We can't live like this. It's just weird."
"Listen carefully, Harry. I don't know what you've been through. I understand that it's hard to meet your old friends, the only people that have been like family for you. But I don't think that it's my fault. You acted like a complete jerk that night. And don't tell me I cannot blame you."
"You can't make me feel sorry about it, Amanda." Whispered Harry. "I won't apologize to you, not a chance." He looked in the eyes and his voice became even quieter: "I'm guilty about many things, but not this too, not this too."
Amanda stared at him shocked. Harry extended his hand and asked calmly:
"Truce?"
Amanda took his hand and when he went to the door, she said:
"Things will never be the same again, Harry."
Her husband turned to face her and nodded:
"Yes, I know, everything's changed now."
In the first year dormitories, James was trying desperately to fall asleep. No such luck. He felt really tired and in the same time he knew he couldn't sleep this night. The other boys in the room were snorting in their beds. James wondered if his parents had already killed each other. He wondered what Sebastian was doing.
"What should I do now?" whispered James quietly. He sighed remembering the conversation he had had in the common room earlier.
Flashback
"Hey there, Potter!" James, who was still laughing at a joke Frank told him, turned his head in the direction of the voice. It belonged to a tall boy with unsure expression on his face.
"Next week we are having quidditch try-outs. You know the rule that the first-years cannot get in the House teams? Well, it doesn't exist anymore. We heard you father was one of the best seekers ever. You are going to try?"
"To join the team?" the tall boy nodded. "I'll see, okay. I haven't even fly on a broom yet. By the way, you are?"
"Robin Carter. Gryffindor captain." He shook hands with James and then said:
"And by the way. With your brother now in Slytherin, you better watch your step. They are capable of anything, the Slytherins I mean. We are going to support you, that's what our House always do. But you'll have to forget he's your brother, got it?"
"What?" yelled James indignantly. He then jumped from his seat and stared at the people in the room. They were all nodding, obviously agreeing with the words of that Carter. James snorted and stormed to his dormitory.
End of Flashback
"He's your brother, you can't pretend he's not in Slytherin, idiot. It doesn't matter if he's in the Snake House though? Sebastian is your family. However, I don't want the Gryffindors to turn their backs on me. And they would, if I try to act like I know him. Besides, why I am so sure Sebastian will act, as he's my brother. Oh, God, why the Hat had to put him in Slytherin?"
"So, anyway, Potter, you have to prove that you belong in here."
"Prove? I thought we decided I'm worthy to be in Slytherin." Sebastian scowled, clenched his fists and looked defiantly in Daniela Krum's face.
"So? That was first impression. What about a challenge?"
"I won't play your games, Krum, you hear me?"
The elder girl groaned:
"Would you listen to me, Potter? No games, okay. You play quidditch?"
"Oh, no, not a chance, I know that my father.."
"It's not about your father or your pride, Sebastian." Spoke Malfoy.
"Yeah, that's the deal. You go to the try-outs and win position in the team."
"Wait, what if I'm not good in quidditch?"
"That's not a possibility." Smirked Malfoy. "Listen, the first match is Slytherin vs. Gryffindork. You play for us, your brother for the Gryffindorks."
"Who the hell told you James will play for the Quidditch team?"
"I heard their captain Carter when he told this to his teammates."
"What 'this'?" asked Sebastian frowning.
"That James Potter would be their seeker, because of."
"Because of my father." Said Sebastian furiously. "Right and what is my part in all this."
"When the game begins, you just push your brother off his broom."
Sebastian stared incredulously at Daniela Krum. He gulped and whispered hoarsely:
"You're kidding me."
A/N: Okay, this chapter is definitely not good, or at least I don't like it. Hope you do.
Anyway, few other things - Andy Finnigan - not a son of Seamus Finnigan, because Seamus died in the war against Voldemort. He's his nephew or something, it doesn't matter anyway.
Second - about the House rivalries in Hogwarts - though I don't agree with JK that Slytherins are only evil and Gryffindors only good, I'll try to stick with her story. The Gryffindors want James just to 'severe ties' with his brother and the Slytherins want Sebastian actually to hurt his brother. There is a 'slight' difference, don't you think? :) But that doesn't mean I will make Sebastian evil only because he's in Slytherin though. Anyway, you'll see later in the story.
Okay, if you got any questions, just ask and review.
Thanks to all the people who reviewed
Bye