Disclaimer:

J.K. Rowling is the owner of Harry Potter. Stories she has written and characters that she created are not mine. I don't take credit for any of her work. I do thank her for providing such a wonderful universe to dream about and write in.

Harry Weasley and the Reflection of Vengeance

By: Starwin

Chapter 25 – Uninvited Guest

The twins departed just as the sun began to rise. Harry had offered to have them stay but the Chris's had stated that their mother would kill them if they missed Christmas.

"I mean honestly, it's a day named after me!" Chris had joke right before his sister whacked him in the back of the head. Then they flew off. Both Harry and Alex waved goodbye to them until they were out of sight.

"Alright," Harry said to Alex. Harry paused. "Alex I know you can speak." Alex licked his lips and shook his head and began to sign to Harry. "If you don't want to, I won't tell anyone but… what do you mean you can't? I heard you on the train."

Alex patted down his pockets but could not find whatever it was he was looking for. Holding up a finger he signaled for Harry to wait there a moment as Alex rushed over to Harry's desk and retrieved parchment and quill. He scribbled quickly on it.

"I really can't speak," Harry read aloud. "But I heard you!" Harry insisted. "On the train you whispered 'save me'." Alex penned the next part. Harry read it again as though having some strange conversation with himselfm, "I thought it was you who said that." Harry paused for a moment and took a deep breath.

"Who put you in Azkaban?" Harry asked, his eyes locked on his friend.

The quill in Alex's hand paused and then he wrote something out, but the quill had run dry and no letters appeared. Harry could see that his friends hand was shaking. Taking Alex by the shoulder Harry led him over to his desk and sat Alex down.

"Who?" Harry asked again, softer this time. Alex dipped the quill and wrote out in a shaky hand one word, 'Family'. "Why?" Harry asked but the pen in Alex's hand was shaking too badly and Alex had started to cry. Harry took the quill from Alex. "Alright, don't worry about it. I'll tell you what, you wait here and I'll go clear everything up with my mom, alright?" Alex tried to smile appreciatively but failed.

Harry took a deep breath and headed down stairs. Alex's own family had gotten him sent to Azkaban but how and more importantly why? And how was he going to tell his mom he had brought an uninvited guest over for Christmas? How would he even explain how Alex had gotten here? Was she going to be mad? His brain was reeling with thought after thought and his heart was pounding in his chest.

A terrible idea flutter through his head. Maybe she was going to stab him! Harry came to a stop at the bottom of the stairs. He had almost forgotten about what he had seen. Harry couldn't help but let out an uneasy cough of laughter. The memory was painful yet, he found it oddly funny in the mitts of everything that had happened. What was wrong with him?

Harry braced himself, trying to clear his mind. He still had no idea what he was going to say. His mother was sitting at the table in the diningroom, newspaper in one hand cup of coffee in the other. Harry stopped cold in his tracks. His thoughts crashing into his skull for the second time inside of a minute. He was sure his heart must have stopped. The most horrifying thing he had ever seen was right there on the front of the Daily Prophet and his mother was reading it!

"AZKABAN BREAKOUT!" the headline declared in large moving letters. Ginny looked up over her paper and smiled at Harry. She set the Prophet down on the table so that the article was no longer visible.

"Merry Christmas Harry!" she beamed taking him up in a big hug.

"Uh, yeah," Harry said trying to regain his composure. "Merry… Merry Christmas mom."

"Harry, it's alright. I already know," Ginny smiled.

"You… What!" Harry cried shocked. How could she possibly know! And if she did know how could she be so calm about it! He and his friends had broken into Azkaban last night! They had helped a prisoner escape! His mom was just brushing it off like it was nothing. "Ha… How?"

"Your friend Alex, his presents started arriving here a few minutes ago," Ginny continued giving Harry a quizzical glance. For a moment Harry was confused and then he realized, she only knew that Alex was here, not that he had been recently sprung from Azkaban. All the fear and tension that had been welling up inside Harry rushed out of him. "Though I have to admit, there aren't very many. Why don't you bring your friend down so I can meet him?" Harry couldn't speak. He could only nod before heading off. For a brief moment he could understand why Alex didn't speak.

---

Ginny had taken in Harry's friend with open arms just as if he was a member of their family. She could see Alex was in need and she hadn't pressed either Harry or Alex to explain.

There was something about this day that made Harry feel far different then he had in months, Happy. Maybe it was something about the snow sparkling brightly outside on the windowsill. Or perhaps it was the cloudless, bright blue, sky outside.

Alex had received so few presents of his own that Harry decided to share his gifts, giving more than half his presents to his friend, who had gotten only three gifts of his own. It was the last gift, which Harry's mother brought out after all the other gifts had been opened, that made Harry the happiest of all.

"That's a Whizzing Arrow!" Harry cried as his mom held out the new broomstick.

"No," she said. Harry was shocked, it looked like a Whizzing Arrow broom, had the sleek curves and rounded handle. "It's a Whizzing Arrow Three!"

Harry looked at her astounded.

"But…" Harry said at a loss for words. "You can't even buy these! They aren't even out on the market yet! How did you know I needed a new broom?"

"Believe it or not I got the strangest letter from one of your professors who said you would be requiring a new broom," Ginny said and noticed the look of surprise on Harry's face. "I'm going to guess he was right? Should I even ask what happened to your father's Firebolt?" Harry felt his ears turn red. He had forgotten it was his father's Firebolt that he had lost in rescue. His mom smiled at him and gave him a hug.

Embarrassed Harry looked elsewhere finding the eyes of his friend Alex who sat on the sofa dressed in a green colored sweater with the letter A on it. Harry had gotten one of his own with the letter H. Grandma Weasley always made him one.

One of the few other gifts that had been addressed to Alex was still sitting in his lap. It was a letter, which after reading Alex had folded it quickly. He'd looked pale after reading it and had quickly moved on to the next gift which had been the sweater.

Harry noticed that Alex still had one gift left to open.

"Hey," Harry said picking it up and holding it out to him. Harry read the 'from line without even thinking. It said "From: Mom." Harry quickly pulled his eyes away as he held out the package. Alex's mouth twitched a little as he took it and looked at the gift tag. There was a tear that ran down his face and he carefully opened the gift.

Inside, was a small crystal colored orb of glass. Alex held it in his hand looking at it and then began to cry. Without hesitation Harry's mother took Alex up in a hug and let him cry against her shoulder.

---

By dinner time most of the Weasley family had arrived. The only ones missing were the twins, Fred and George.

"There off to look at a new store location in Japan!" Grandma Weasley said over dinner as the question came up. "Bless me, they picked a bad time to go!"

"Nah mom they just didn't want a sweater!" joked Ron.

"Ron!" said Ginny, Bill and Charlie all at once. Lavender put her head in her hand and shook her head. Harry couldn't help but laugh. Alex tugged on Harry's arm and signed at him. It took two tries before Harry got it.

"Alex says thanks for his sweater, Grandma," Harry said. She smiled at Alex, who smiled back.

The glass orb he had gotten was apparently much like the one Professor Roax used. It could be commanded by thought to speak by whoever it belonged to, though Alex hadn't gotten it to work yet. And Harry couldn't help but think that part of the reason it hadn't worked yet was because Alex didn't want to try. Harry realized he had never asked anything about his friend's family before.

"You're most welcome dear," Grandma Weasley said.

The conversation turned to Bill and his wife, Fleur, and when Grandma could expect some grandkids from them!

"So why don't you talk?" asked James as he poked Alex. Harry pulled his attention away from the grownups fun poking.

"Because he doesn't," said Harry.

"That's not a good reason," said Sirius from Harry's other side. "Did some monster eat his voice?"

"Or maybe he doesn't know how!" said James getting excited.

"Stop it," Harry said annoyed. But this only seemed to fuel the twins on. They were just about to start another round, and Harry about to lose his temper when a loud knocking came at the front door.

"I'll get it," said Ginny quickly and she hurried out of the room with speed and grace. Everyone kept talking but Harry could see that just like him they were straining to listen. Harry could hear a familiar voice, but it was too low to make out the words.

"Of course, come in, you know you're always welcome here," Ginny replied. A moment later Ginny reappeared at the entrance to the diningroom. "I'm sorry I have an emergency patient I need to take care of." At this the twins seemed to lose all interest in Alex and tried, several times to sneak off to listen at the door but Aunt Lavender was able to stop them.

Ginny didn't reappear after dinner had finished. Everyone had moved into the living room to continue talking while Harry and Alex cleared the table.

"How she's able to keep track of them sometimes I have no idea!" came Ron's voice. The twins had been positioned between their parents so they couldn't escape.

"Because I actually paid attention in divination Ronald," said Lavender with a smile. Everyone laughed. Harry was making his last trip back to the table to get the plates when the door down the hall opened and Harry's mother appeared. She looked stressed. It wasn't his intent but a moment later he saw the person who came out of the office after her. It was Hermione Granger.

Authors Notes:

Thanks to all my readers and reviewers! You're all awesome! Have I told you that lately? And, have you lost weight?

…okay, I'll get right to the point. There isn't going to be an update this coming Friday. Why you ask? Two reasons, first… Mass Effect and second Rock Band (on the same day unbelievable). Really it's all I've been able to think about for a while now, and most likely the rest of this week, even thanksgiving takes a back seat to these. And this chapter didn't get the usual attention due to a certain person named Mario and the Galaxy he inhabits.

So long story short, this Friday shall be chapterless, sorry.

Next chapter will be on Monday of next week. "Chapter 26 – Mirror"

Starwin