Title: The Black Star
Author: AileenDickinson
Summary: His godfather is dead and Harry decides that it's time to cut the strings from the old twinkle eyed puppeteer, start revealing his secrets and live his life as he wanted to. There's a new star in the Black tapestry. Independent! Smart! Powerful! Harry - Character bashing- slash-
Pairings: Harry/Draco
Genre: Romance, Adventure
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.
Warnings: There will be Character bashing, mainly Dumbledore/Ron/Hermione/Ginny/Molly Bashing!
Slash pairing(s ?) . Don't like, don't read.
Author Notes: First of all, I would like to remind you that I'm Italian and there is a possibility that you will find spelling mistakes or the occasional wrong word, I will do my best to write correctly and double check.
Now, onto the story, I know that many love the old headmaster but personally I don't like him very much. Dumbledore will not be evil, but the greater good often makes him lose contact with reality and forget the difference between people and pawns, and the fact that everybody looks up to him like he can do no wrong does not help. Ron, Ginny, Hermione and Molly are another matter.
For those who follow my other story, Love of Legend, I'd like to say that I did not abandon the story. I found a bit of a writer's block, maybe it's because I have too many things I want to write about and no idea how to. I hope that maybe writing something else for awhile will help me.
§The Black Star §
-Chapter 26-
At the Burrow things were loud. Since the will reading people could hear Molly Weasley screeching to the nearby town. She always had something bad to say about Sirius and Harry, praising instead the good headmaster that surely would do something to help her family reunite and getting the money they deserved.
Yes, she would have all her family back. It was all the brat's fault if four of her sons had all but vanished.
The twins she could see it coming, always troublemakers uncaring of the rules and authority figures. She should have given them some good spanking as kids, maybe with her wooden spoon that surely would have gotten them straight. Too late for that now though.
They had given her such grieves along the years. Couldn't they understand that their pranks were stupid and that they always embarrassed her getting in trouble every other minute? Why couldn't they be well behaved children like their brothers?
And their school marks? They were absolutely unacceptable. So low and teachers always complained about them. She didn't fault them for being stupid, heaven knows not everyone could be as smart as Percy, but they didn't even try!
Then they got into their heads to open a prank shop. A prank shop! What a joke. Something more useless and ridiculous they couldn't think about. What they needed was a respectable job, like a position in the ministry. Maybe that would have calmed them down and taught them a bit of responsibility. Too late for that too.
No one would hire them without NEWTS! How dare they run away from school before their exams?! She had been furious with them, so much that she burned all their stupid prank things. Serves them well.
That's what they got for disobeying their mother!
Now though she had no idea where they were. The little ungrateful brats had sided with Potter and left to who knows where!
She thought Bill and Charlie would help her, but they had disappeared too.
She tried to contact them many times after the will readings but they were unreachable. She had to settle for leaving a letter with those nasty goblins her eldest worked for in the hope to get back from him. But he didn't even reply!
Could it be that they sided with Potter too? No, it was not possible. They knew better. Apart from their questionable choice of work, they were responsible and knew to obey her.
Maybe Charlie went back to his beasts and he was so overworked that he couldn't even answer her firecalls. Yes that was it.
As for Bill, maybe he was with that disgusting French halfbreed. She hoped that was just a passing fancy, she could and would not deal with an animal as her daughter in law.
Upstairs things were not much different. Ron was sulking because he lost his money and Dumbledore wasn't giving him other to replace it. His stupid ex best friend would regret it, he would make sure of it, and before the end of the year he would have his vaults back. Maybe even more money.
Everyone knew that he was the only friend Potter had, so he would come crawling back soon enough to have his friendship back, apologizing for being a bad friend and an egoistic selfish prat. It would be good to see. Maybe he would make him beg in front of the whole great hall.
Ginny instead was trying to find a way to make Harry fall for her and drop the charges. She had to marry him, even if it was the last thing she did.
She was meant to be Lady Potter, his money would be hers as well as the fame and power that came with the title.
Dumbledore and her mother had promised Harry to her and he would be her no matter what.
"Hey Nev"
"Harry. What brings you to my realm?" he asked jokingly. Everyone knew that the greenhouses where his domain. The only one to come there was Severus when he wanted to fetch some ingredient himself, otherwise he just asked Neville trusting him to choose the best.
"Wanted to talk with you." The raven haired wizard smiled. "It's about the wedding actually" "
"Oh, did you and Draco decide for a date then?"
"No, not yet. Draco wants the perfect wedding with the perfect date of course" he smiled. He just wanted to get married honestly, but anything his fiancée wanted, his fiancée would have.
Neville too grinned. Harry was so wrapped around the blond's little finger, it was funny to see but good. Harry deserved someone who loved him fully and would make him happy. In the beginning he had his doubts about Malfoy but after knowing him he could admit he was an alright bloke, and most of all he was right for Harry.
"It's about something else that doesn't concern Draco's obsessive preparations." Harry grinned "Want to be my best man, mate?"
"Me? Are you sure?"
"Of course. You're my best friend, it's obvious it'd ask you" While the young man's confidence has risen leaps and bounds, he still had his moments of doubts.
"Well, in that case. I'd be honored to be your best man Harry"
"Great. So, how are things with you and Blaise?" he asked, sitting on a wooden stool in a corner so he wasn't in the way of the other man.
"Good. Really good." Neville smiled goofily "He's great and actually very romantic. Also he never pressures me and is always so understanding"
"I'm happy for you"
"Yeah, now Mr. Groom why don't you help me replanting those?" he all but ordered while pointing to some not so nice looking carnivore plants.
"Er, sure. As long as they don't eat me. Draco would have a fit otherwise" he grinned rolling up the sleeves of his shirt.
Neville snorted, imagining the face of the blond haired man if his fiancée told him he would go to the alter without a limb. Priceless, but he didn't want to incur in his wrath so he better keep Harry safe. Those plants were a bit moody and always hungry.
They all sat cross legged on the ground with a pot in front of each of them. The first step in mastering the earth element was making a plant grow from a seed with only their magic. They had to go into a meditative state as to feel the earth, then send their magic towards the seed to influence it.
It was difficult because while the earth was a calm element, it needed a steady and equally calm flow of magic and a lot of concentration to manipulate it.
Not surprisingly Neville was the first one to succeed. In his pot there was not a lively green plant with pink flowers. He grinned happily at his achievement and then went to give pointers to his friends.
Slowly they all got some results, some better than others.
Severus and Remus had already speculated about which elements each of them would be most suited for. So far they thought that the Weasleys and Harry were fire; Neville and Susan were earth; Draco, Daphne, Blaise and Theo were wind while Luna, Lorelai and Dora were water.
Severus himself was fire, Remus was water and Andromeda was earth.
So far their predictions held true, with Neville being the best of them followed by Susan. The others had all managed to grow their plants to different heights after much efforts, some even had a couple of blossoms.
Unfortunately the plants were simple garden flowers. You could not grow potion ingredients that way because when infused with magic they tended to react violently when used in a potion, much to Severus' dismay. It would have been good to have potion ingredients growing faster than normal, but the quality of the potion and the safety of the brewer were on top of his priorities.
At the end of the tiring day of earth manipulation he dismissed them and ordered them to read the next stop on the books, because when after they all could grow a plant in 10 minutes flat they would get at it.
A chorus of groans answered him, while they all dragged their exhausted bodies to the house.
Harry and Draco were cuddled together sitting on Harry's bed. Well, it was their bed now, since after the engagement Draco all but moved in with him, his room was only there in name since all his clothes were in the master bedroom as well as most of his possessions.
The blond had a quill and parchment on his lap ready to write.
"So, we need to start to plan the wedding. Even if there's not as much to do since we're under the dome and it will be only us, I still want it to be perfect and beautiful." The blond said, part of him a bit afraid Harry would think he was being stupid and just get on with it.
A gentle hand caressed his hair "I know, Dray. I want it to be perfect too, so that we can remember it for the rest of our lives and tell our children and grandchildren about it"
He turned around to give Harry a kiss, before resting his head on the shoulder behind him once again.
"So.. the first thing is the date then" He started.
"I have no preference, really. As long as it's not too far is fine with me"
"Hm, I was thinking maybe December?" he was answered with a nod and proceed to write it down. "Colors?"
"I guess silver and emerald, after our eyes, would result too slytherinish right?" Harry snickered.
"Yeah, tough it would have been good" mused Draco
"Then let's do it."
"What about silver and pale blue instead?" he proposed "I don't want it to be a house thing, we know it's not but I don't want to be predictable"
"I like blue, and they would go well with the winter landscape"
"I already have asked Blaise to be by best man and I know you have Neville, so that's covered"
Their planning continued for another hour before Harry got bored and proceed to silence the blond with a kiss that lead to a very pleasant afternoon for both of them.
Minerva was in her office doing paperwork, again. It was ridiculous how the amount of paper only grew on her desk, it was not surprising though. Albus never did his work, apart from pulling stupid stunts like hiding the philosopher stone in the school or bring back the triwizard tournament.
Back then she thought Albus could do no wrong but now she was starting to get disillusioned with him. Even more so since after she found out young Harry Potter was her godson. She could have raised him all those years, instead he kept her in the dark and left him with horrid muggles despite her protests.
It was unforgivable for her.
Suddenly it was like the blind had been removed from her eyes and she could see all his imperfections and manipulations.
Poor Sirius Black had spent twelve years in Azkaban because Albus didn't want him to be around to raise Harry, the boy wouldn't have been trusting and malleable for him to turn into a pawn.
All those things that happened in the school in the last years, were those tests for Harry? Was it possible that Albus didn't know what exactly was happening? The wards were designed to alert the headmaster of any problem or dangerous situation inside the castle.
She rubbed her tired eyes with her hands. It was all so stressing and complicated.
Even if Albus had done wrong things what alternative did she have? He was the only one to stand up to Voldemort and Harry was nowhere to be found.
Harry, she was so worried for him. And what he must think of her! Surely that she was a horrible godmother.
Why didn't Lily and James tell her that they made her godmother of their baby? She was so attached to them, it was only after the death of so many of her precious lions during the first war that she stopped being so close to the students of her house.
It hurt so much back then, it was like losing her own children and she couldn't take more of it. Nonetheless there were always some that wormed their way into her heart. The Weasley twins and the two older brothers, shy chubby Neville who reminded her so much of Alice and Frank. Harry.
A pop distracted her from her thoughts. A little elf stood there with a letter clutched in hand.
"Ellie brings letter to Mrs MgGonagall." With that she left the envelope on her desk and disappeared.
Raising an eyebrow she scanned it for any curses or spells, not finding any she opened it wondering who would write to her and sent it with an elf instead of using an owl like common.
Dear Minerva,
Your probably wondering where me and many others have disappeared to. I can't tell you right now but rest assured that me, Lupin, the missing Weasleys, Longbottom and Potter are somewhere safe.
'Oh Thank Merlin' she thought, a weight lifting immediately from her shoulders.
There would be much to tell but I'm afraid I can't elucidate you on the matter as of right now, not before you've taken an oath of secrecy.
'What?'
I'm sorry to ask that of you but Dumbledore is not a very liked person around here and one can never be too sure about secrecy.
Someone will come to you if you decide in favor of taking the oath.
'Of course she would take the bloody oath, silly man' she pursed her lips in distaste, she didn't like such oaths but for Harry's safety she would do anything.
For now I need to tell you a few truths. You already know that Dumbledore framed Black, he left Potter with muggles knowing he would be abused, he stole money from him and he used him as a pawn in this war.
I know all that has been said at the will reading when Harry pressed charges on the man, but you seemed still a bit in shock and the prophet, while telling the truth this time, is not reliable.
I don't know what Dumbledore's plans for this war are but I want nothing to do with it. Nor those who are with me there.
I doubt he plans for Harry to survive this war, or his marriage with Ginny (not that it'll ever happen). What is sure is that he wants his fame back and the Potter money.
'Just as I thought, I can't follow a man like that'
Harry (Yes, yes, I've said his name twice without dying. No big deal) is being trained right now so he can have a bigger chance at defeating Voldemort, along with his friends.
I know that finding that you're his godmother and your distance from him had been a difficult thing to deal with for the boy, he would be on the other hand confident in wanting you as an ally.
HIS ally Minerva, not Dumbledore's.
You will need to choose where your loyalty lies this time and I suggest you to choose well. Do not let your affections for the old man cloud your judgment.
When you're ready to make your decision known simply write back and call for Ellie, she will take it back to me.
I hope to see you on this part of the war,
Severus Snape.
She would have to reply soon but unfortunately she had a meeting with Albus in a while. He wanted to ask her where Severus was probably and advice, he wouldn't follow, on the new teachers to hire.
She hid the letter in her secret compartment of the desk and left the office, careful to clear her mind on the walk from there to Albus' office.
Their second task was making the branches of a tree move to follow their whishes and wrap around a dummy.
It was even more difficult and draining than making a plant grow. Neville who was the best of them only managed to make a branch twitch during the first day of training. For the others it was extremely frustrating.
It took them all a month to master that part but by then they could make the branches do anything they wanted. For those fire orientated it was most difficult, they were passionate people and earth manipulation required being way too calm for them.
Soon they would start of the third part but in the mean time they started on water manipulation.
They were given a bowl of water and asked to make it move, sort of forming waves, with their magic.
Lucky for them water was easy to manipulate, since it didn't have a form of its own and after the trouble with earth it was less tiring too.
The second part was to make the water levitate over the bowl in a spherical shape. A perfect globe, no squares, no inform things, a globe.
That was more tricky. Some tended to have oval form, others dripped into the bowl. Blaise made his blast too high and it dropped onto Theo's head when he forced too much magic into the water.
Harry's sphere seemed to take strange forms, it was like it was making funny faces at him and mocking him cause he couldn't keep it like a globe. When he became too frustrated the water tended to evaporate, proof of his fire orientation.
The third step with earth consisted in manipulating the ground itself. Severus and Remus asked them to form boulders, walls, spears and much more until they dropped from exhaustion.
That concluded their basic training in earth magic, from now on they could experiment on their own using their own creativity while studying the other elements.
The last step for water manipulation was gathering water from the particles in the air. The most whose orientated with water could manage was less than an inch of liquid in a little glass.
That would take them so much more time to master.
When Amelia visited next, Harry and Draco asked her to celebrate their wedding in December. Of course she would be happy to.
Those two were so much in love, anyone could see it. No one would believe it if they knew those young men before, they were school enemies and rather vocal about it.
She could already picture the chaos they would cause with the news once they were out of the dome.
She was now relaxing a bit in the blue room with her niece, trying to catch up on things.
"So, Susie, how are things with Theo?" she asked smiling
"Really good Aunty. He's so sweet with me and I think he's the one you know" she said excitedly "I'm so much in love with him and I can picture having a future together so easily"
"I'm happy for you dear"
"Yes" she said dreamily before frowning "if there wasn't the war in the mix it would be perfect"
"You're not the only one to think that and you'll see that it will end soon enough. We'll make sure of it" Amelia reassured her patting her hand.
"Should I be expecting a marriage in our family too soon?" she asked half jokingly.
"Aunty!" Susan exclaimed blushing a fiery red "We have not even talked about that yet!"
"Mh, mh I guess asking after children is out of question then" she mused, amused at her niece embarrassment. She was so cute that she could not help herself.
"You're horrible" the poor girl muttered hiding her face behind her hand.
"Of course, I'm an evil mean witch" she nodded before adding "but I want some babies anyway"
"Aunty!"
"You alright there?" asked Theo pocking her head inside the door "I heard screaming from outside"
"Fine! Just fine!" the girl said a pitch or two too high for it to be true.
"Oh don't worry, everything 's fine" Amelia assured him "just talking about babies. Don't you like babies?" she asked with a wide smile on her face, making Susan hide behind a cushion this time, whimpering in embarrassment.
"Babies?" he asked wide eyes "Er, they're cute?" he said unsure.
"Yes, yes, but do YOU want babies?"
"When the time is right, I suppose" he answered, hoping it wasn't a trap question.
"You're not funny. Susan has the decency to blush and stutter all over when I mention babies" the woman wanted to give into the temptation to pout and cross her arms.
"Just go, please" pleaded Susan.
"Okay" he said dragging the 'o' before going back to where he came from, a little freaked out if he was honest with himself.
Mostly at Amelia's behavior rather than the talk about babies.
The man shivered trying to keep some warmth into his body. No matter the fact he wasn't in the hell hole anymore he couldn't get the cold to get away.
They would pay for doing that to him, mark his words! As soon as he got better he would get his revenge.
His wife was hiding something from him too, the stupid woman.
He snapped at the elf to add more wood into the fire before staring blankly at it.
Here's the new chapter for you! Wow, I still can't believe how much success this story is having.. 620 favorites, 1108 followers, 479 reviews! It's really wonderful for me so thank you very much all of you!
The last chapter brought different opinions of Minerva. Yes, she was a bad head of house and headmistress, the reasons for that can both be tied to her loyalty to Dumbledore. She believed in him so she decided to turn a blind eye on the philosopher stone plans and the triwizard tournament; she also took upon herself a great load of his work because he was not doing it and she didn't want to report him to the Board of Governors. Maybe they are lame excuses, maybe it's just an old woman making mistakes but Harry is too good of a person not to give a second change to those who truly deserve it and are sorry for their actions. He knows she would be a great ally and that is the reason he mainly agrees to give her a chance at the moment. If he will see her as a godmother in the future depends only on Minerva's actions.
Elfwyn, I didn't want Harry to appear as a child who is being talked down by the adults. He sees them as trusted advisors and guides and their opinions are important to him. But what he does in the end is only his decision. He still is kickass Harry but he knows to listen to those who know more than him about certain things, if only to gather information before making up his mind.
As always thank you for adding my story to your lists and leaving a review. Hope you like this chapter and REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW!