Welcome to the beginning of year two. Thank you very much to everyone who reviewed. A few comments:

Mr. Devilson: I certainly hope to continue the divergence in year two, although some events from canon will still happen.

AJ Granger: I'm glad you think I'm striking the right balance between divergence and canon events. I hope you continue to think so throughout second year.

Laern: Thank you for your long review for most of the story, as well as your most recent one for this chapter. I don't want to give too much away, but I like poor Theodore too much to do what you imply. :)

Blackstone4005: i'm glad you found it worthwhile to go back and read again, even after all this time. I really appreciate that.

I still need a beta. Answers on a postcard, please.


"I will rise up early and dress myself up nice
And I will leave the house and check the deadlock twice
And I will find a crowd and blend in for a minute
And I will try to find a little comfort in it

And I will get lonely
And gasp for air
And send your name off from my lips
Like a signal flare"

The Mountain Goats, Get Lonely

The first thing Harry did when he got to Privet Drive was to tell the Dursleys in no uncertain terms that things weren't going to go on the way they had before he went to Hogwarts.

"What would Mr. Greengrass think when he comes to pick me up in a few weeks and sees all my school stuff locked way?" He was sure Mr. Greengrass wouldn't appreciate having his name used to threaten his family, but what he didn't know wouldn't hurt him.

"I'll do your chores and stay out of your sight," he said, waving his wand in the Dursleys faces. "I'll take my stuff upstairs to my room, and you'll leave me alone."

He was bluffing, of course, as he wasn't allowed to do magic outside school. But Mr. Greengrass definitely was, and Harry had made sure that Uncle Vernon knew Mr. Greengrass knew where he lived. He had been counting on the prospect of an actual adult wizard's visit (that wasn't Hagrid) being enough to make the Dursleys toe the line, and it seemed to have worked, for after a whispered conversation, they didn't follow him up the stairs as he dragged his trunk up to Dudley's old second room.

When night came, he remembered the parchments Mr. Greengrass had given him, with the records on Marvollo and Morfin Gaunt, and he decided to read them before going to bed. Mr. Greengrass had been right, it really didn't make for very nice reading. As befitted their status as official records, the documents made for very dry, but precise reading. Marvollo Gaunt had had a daughter as well as a son. Harry raised his eyebrow at that. He'd never seen any mention of Merope Gaunt before.

The whole family had been fond of doing magic in the sight of Muggles, blatantly disregarding the statute of secrecy. When an auror named Bob Ogden had visited them to discuss this, things had escalated, apparently when Morfin mentioned his sister's having a crush on the son of the local Muggle squire. This was too much for Marvollo's notions of blood purity, and he attacked his daughter in Ogden's presence. Harry assumed the man must have been quite unhinged, especially if he couldn't even wait for the auror to be gone. He supposed that's what only marrying close relatives to maintain one's blood purity did.

After Ogden stopped Marvollo from killing his daughter, he'd had Marvollo and Morfin turn on him. He apparated away, but returned with more aurors, and father and son were imprisoned and sent to Azkaban.

For some reason, Marvollo had only been sentenced to six months imprisonment, while Morfin had served three years. Marvollo had been an old man, and Azkaban probably did him no favours, because he was dead shortly after being released.

After three years, Morfin Gaunt was released and lived in Little Hangleton until 1943, when he was arrested again, for murdering the local squire's family as revenge for his sister's taking up with the son. He had apparently been quite proud of this, and confessed readily when the aurors came for him. There was no trace of this Merope afterwards, but it was quite clear that Morfin had had no offspring. So the Gaunts were definitely extinct. At least by that name. This Merope, though. She'd taken up with the muggle squire? Yet there was no mention of her having been murdered by Morfin. And why did he confess so readily, anyway? He'd put up resistance before, but now just handed himself over to the aurors? There was definitely something strange going on here. He'd need to investigate further.

He hid the parchments at the bottom of his trunk, after making some notes on points for further research. Reminding himself to work out what to say to Mr. Greengrass about why he was so interested in this family, Harry settled into a fitful sleep.


The next day, after doing his promised morning chores, he took some of the muggle money he'd exchanged his galleons into, walked to Little Whinging's High Street, and bought himself a few second hand clothes at charity shops. While it wasn't worth spending much money on stuff he'd only be wearing for a month, or under his robes at Hogwarts, he was going to at least wear something that fitted him rather than Dudley's huge hand-me-downs.

He spent most of his first week working on his homework, trying to complete most of it while the concepts were still fresh in his mind. He wasn't expected to do any practical work over the Summer, because even wizard raised children were technically not allowed to do magic outside school, even if he knew from talking to his friends that this restriction was widely ignored. He couldn't wait to get to the Greengrasses and do magic again.

He sent letters off to all his friends with Hedwig, figuring it'd be best if his owl was kept out of the house as much as possible. He'd made sure to instruct them to use muggle post for the return letters, going via Daphne if necessary.

Soon his first return letters arrived, sent from an address in Norfolk. A large envelope contained two smaller ones, with a letter from Daphne and one from Ted. Both were written in parchment, but Daphne's envelopes were muggle, while Ted's was an old fashioned wizardly looking one.

Having long ago learned his lesson about keeping post safe from the Dursleys, he hid them until he was done with his chores for the day and was safely in his room to read them. He began with Ted's.

Harry,

It was nice to hear from you so soon after holidays started! I hope the muggles aren't being too horrid. Father didn't notice the Pureblood Directory was gone. He probably knows the contents by heart anyway. I was able to put it back safely without any issue.

He's asked me a few questions about you. Nothing very invasive, and I was as vague as I could be. If he asks something else, do you want me to paint you in any particular light? I can make you look really formidable or average-I'll tell him whatever you feel more comfortable with.

It's very lonely here. No one ever comes to visit. I really miss hanging out with you and Daphne.

Speaking of Daphne, when will you be going to the Greengrasses? Daphne has actually convinced her father to let you invite me to your birthday party. That girl really can deliver! But, I have a surprise for you. It'll have to be before your birthday, but count it as a birthday present, will you? Can you meet me in Taunton sometime before you go stay with Daphne? I don't want to say anymore, but I promise you it'll be worth it.

Yours,

Theodore Nott

P.S. - Have you looked at the Transfiguration homework? Stuck and could use some help.

Harry raised his eyebrow at this letter. A surprise? He definitely hadn't expected that. He supposed that's what made it a surprise. What did he need to go to Taunton for? He shrugged. He trusted Ted. He'd work out the logistics of getting there later. Before penning a reply, he turned to Daphne's letter.

Dear Harry,

I hope the muggles haven't driven you mental yet! I suppose you're used to them. Dad thought your uncle looked awful, and I have to agree. It's a good thing you're not actually related to him!

Dad likes you, by the way. He says he's really looking forward to having you here. We're setting you up in a room next to mine. Astoria has an adorable celebrity crush on you. Please don't break her heart when you arrive! I'll try to keep her off your back in return!

Harry could already hear Daphne's teasing tone at this, and he smiled even if he was blushing bright red.

Dad says we can invite Ted over for your birthday, as long as we get other people as well. I was thinking Tracey and Blaise from our house. You're also friends with Morag McDougal from Ravenclaw, right? Would you like her to come? Anyone else?

Your birthday is on Friday. Would the Wednesday before work for us to pick you up? Dad can come round after he's finished at the ministry.

How are you keeping busy? I've begun practicing for the Quidditch tryouts. I can't wait to have you here to have someone to practice again. I'll have to break it off for a while, because we'll be going to Canada for a couple of weeks soon. They don't really care about Quidditch there. They mostly play something called Quodpot.

I'd normally tell you to not work too hard at the homework, but I don't want you to waste any of your time here doing it. Besides, if you're finished with it, you can help me with mine. Still, try to enjoy yourself.

Love,

Daphne G.

He could almost feel the energy emanating from Daphne's letter. He supposed he was going to have to learn something about Quidditch after all. He noticed that the letter didn't say anything about any of the parties he might have to attend later on during his stay. He suspected Daphne didn't particularly like these either, and would be glad to have him to keep company. He also wondered if he'd be seeing anyone else from Hogwarts during these. Knowing his luck, he'd get stuck with Draco Malfoy sometime. He really wasn't looking forward to have to deal with the ponce while on holiday, but he supposed he'd cross that bridge when he got to it. With a sigh, he set about writing his replies.

Hi Ted,

It's been great hearing from you. I'm sorry you have to be all alone in that house. I wish we lived closer and we could just find somewhere to meet up. Speaking of which, I'm very curious about your surprise! I should be able to get to Taunton, no problem. Can we meet up at the railway station?

Harry wondered if Ted would be able to find it. He knew he barely knew anything about the muggle world. Still, that's why he was asking.

Daphne says Mr. Greengrass will pick me up on the Wednesday before my birthday, so we could do this on Monday? It's easier to get around than at the weekend.

Harry bit his pen as he pondered what he wanted Ted to tell his father about him. Ideally the answer would be nothing, and of course Ted knew this, but Harry knew that if his friend was asked he had to answer something. Furthermore, he didn't want Ted to get into any unnecessary trouble on his account. He really wasn't happy with any alternative, but eventually came to a decision.

As for what to tell your father, as you guessed, try to say as little as possible. If he presses you, don't lie, but shade the truth with what he wants to hear. You can tell him how interested I am in my heritage. That sounds like something that'll impress him, and he may even know something about my family that we haven't been able to find. You can mention Quirrell if you must, but don't mention his headmate, or any snake stuff.

Harry tried to shade his language in case his letters were being read by someone else, even if he didn't think they were, as Ted had been fairly free in his language. Still, it couldn't hurt.

I'll let you keep your secret, but I'm really curious about what you have planned now. I've managed to keep the muggles in line. They know Mr. Greengrass is picking me up and that's keeping them on their toes. Write back, I'm going insane without doing magic over here.

Your friend,

Harry J. Potter

P.S. - Copy of Transfiguration essay enclosed.

Harry put Ted's letter, Transfiguration essay and all, in its own envelope, and began to write his reply to Daphne.

Daphne,

It's great to hear back from you so soon after holidays started. You'll have to let me know what Canada is like. The Durlseys never took me anywhere nice like that.

Harry had also never thought about what other countries' wizarding worlds were like. There probably were all sorts of weird magical animals in Canada. He wondered if that Sasquatch thing Dudley had seen on the telly a couple times was really a magical animal that muggles sometimes saw.

I'm glad to hear your dad liked me. I was worried my uncle would make a really bad impression, but he could have been way worse. Please don't encourage your sister, though! But of course I'll be nice to her.

Thanks for taking care of the party stuff for me. Yes, please invite Morag, Blaise, and Tracey. And Ted, of course. Glad you're not suggesting I invite Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle. Is he going to turn up to one of your dad's things?

Wednesday 29th works well for me. As well as any other day, anyway.

I've finished half my homework already! There really isn't much for me to do here. I have chores but I can get them all done in the morning, and then I have nothing else to do. I can't wait to get the new textbooks for next year. At least I'll have something new to read, even if I can't practise any magic before getting to your place.

Enjoy your trip, and again give my regards to everyone in your family. Just don't give Astoria any hopes!

Your friend,

Harry J. Potter

Letter writing still didn't come very easily to him, but he was getting better at it. Why didn't wizards have something more like a phone? Then again, maybe they did and he just didn't know about it. There was so much he didn't know, he thought bitterly, as he tied the reply letters to Hedwig's leg and sent her off.

"Fly girl. Wish I could follow you out of this miserable place." He shut the window back and turned to his Potions homework. He was never that keen on the subject, mostly because he didn't know what to make of Snape's attitude towards him. He didn't treat him quite like a Gryffindor, but he never felt as favoured as any of the other Slytherins, even if he usually got by on partnering with Ted or Daphne-when Snape wasn't being sadistic and forced him to partner with a Gryffindor, or Crabbe. Marking of essays was another story, and Snape was free to show his opinion then, which usually comprised a lot of snarky comments on the text, but a passable grade nonetheless. Harry supposed he liked "foolish wand waving" too much to be truly good at potions, even if he sometimes caught a glimpse of the medium's best uses, when Snape was feeling particularly lyrical, and wished he could get better at it. He resolved to try and read the textbook again and see if his skills improved any this year.

The next few weeks went past in this routine of chores, homework, and letter writing. Oddly, he'd got a letter from Morag McDougal via Daphne. In it, she claimed she'd tried to owl Harry, but never got an answer. When Daphne invited her to Harry's party on his behalf, she'd written Daphne in surprise, and Daphne, in return, offered to forward her letter via the muggle post, telling Harry off for making her act as his secretary.

Harry grinned at Daphne's reaction, even if he was quite confused about why he'd not received Morag's letter. Stil, he apologized to her and was happy to find out she was coming to his birthday party. They briefly changed to routing the letters via Tracey when Daphne's family went to Canada, but even though the month dragged for Harry, his birthday was soon on the horizon.


The twin Valentas screamed, powering Harry at one hundred and twenty five miles per hour down Isambard Kingdom Brunel's billiard table, enclosed within the relative safety and comfort of a High Speed Train. He couldn't exactly do his magical homework on the muggle train, so he sat looking at the landscape and drinking a cup of tea he'd got from the train buffet, thinking of his coming meeting with Ted in Taunton. He still had no clue what his friend's surprise was. He hadn't dropped any hints.

Harry had left Privet Drive before any of the Dursleys had woken up. He'd left a note, even if he didn't think they'd really care. He'd double up on his chores the next day.

As so often before, he found his thoughts drifting back to that fateful night when he'd been kidnapped by Quirrell, completely ignoring the lush summer setting outside the window. He still agonized over his actions that night. He had been managing to dwell on it less, but he wasn't sure that made things better or worse. Was he just accepting the fact that he had taken a human life? He tried to tell himself that he had had no other choice, but that only avoided the real reason for his worries: that he had wanted to kill Quirrell and Voldemort with him. He was worried that this rationalization was just going to make the next time easier-and he had some intuition that this was not going to be the last time that he would be in a position to kill someone. Voldemort was out there, and if he tried to return once, he was bound to try again. He still had followers out there, who had evaded justice. If they found their old master…. Harry shuddered.

His thoughts drifted to Mr. Nott. He knew he was one of them. He was afraid of what was going to happen if and when Voldemort returned. Would Ted be forced to pick between him and Voldemort? Even if he picked Harry-and even if he couldn't be one hundred percent sure Harry thought that's what he'd do-what was going to happen to him. From what little he knew about Mr. Nott, he didn't think that'd go down very well with him. Yet, he didn't think there was much love lost between Mr. Nott and Ted. Maybe that would work to his advantage. In the meantime, he was going to show Ted why he should side with him. Not only was he going to be his best friend, but also someone worth siding with against the Dark Lord. His green eyes burned with determination as he stepped out of the train at Taunton, slamming the door behind him and walking down the platform with a confident stride.

Harry hoped Ted had more sense than most wizards displayed when they ventured out into the muggle world. They usually looked like someone who'd just escaped from an insane asylum. Still, Mr. Greengrass, while not exactly the peak of fashion, showed that some weren't that clueless.

He breathed a sigh of relief as he saw Ted waiting outside. He looked surprisingly like Mr. Greengrass had, making Harry wonder if there had been some guidebook to blending in the muggle world that just recommended wearing tweed everywhere.

"You look like you've stepped out of a 1930s period drama," he said as he approached his friend from behind, laughing when he jumped up in surprise.

"Harry, don't sneak up behind me," Ted said, joining his laughter. "I'm glad you're here, I can't make head nor tail of this bus timetable," he added, pointing at the posters on the outside of the train station.

"Well, I still don't know where we're going," Harry replied with a grin, though he stepped closer and examined the timetable. Ted pointed at one of the stops on the list, a place by the name of Godric's Hollow.

"Godric's? Any thing to do with Godric Gryffindor?" he asked in a whisper, but Ted just smiled enigmatically. Harry shrugged. Let him be mysterious if he wants. Harry checked his watch.

"Well, there's a bus in about ten minutes. Let's just find the stop," he said, looking outside, before setting off with Ted in his trail.

"Oh, shit," the taller boy froze. "I just realized I don't have any muggle money…"

"Relax, I've got us covered," Harry replied. As they walked to the bus stop, Harry was puzzling that in his head.

"Wait, if you don't have any muggle money, how did you get here? Surely you didn't walk here from Devon?" Ted gave him a sheepish grin.

"Well, no. I took the Knight Bus…" He replied.

"The what?"

"Oh yeah, you won't have heard of it, will you? It's really the most convenient way to get around if you're not allowed to apparate…." Ted quickly explained all about how to use the Knight Bus, only pausing when it came time to board the bus, which set off towards Exmoor.

Fortunately, the bus was not very full, so they could continue their conversation without any muggles listening in.

"So why aren't we taking the Knight Bus to this Godric's Hollow place?" Harry asked. "Hell, why didn't you just tell me and I could have taken it from Surrey." Harry wasn't exactly annoyed, as the trip had been pretty interesting, even if slightly expensive, but it still didn't make sense to him.

Ted looked a bit embarrassed, but after hemming and hawing for a couple of minutes, finally admitted it. "I.. was just curious to see a bit more of what the muggle world was like," he admitted. "I didn't really want to do it alone, I don't really know what I'm doing, and I'd probably look like a total idiot…" He spoke way too fast, and Harry had to squeeze his arm to make the torrent of words stop.

"It's alright. I got you," he added with a smile. "I hope a bus trip isn't the whole reason you dragged me here, though…" he trailed, but he was actually quite pleased. This curiosity was completely spontaneous, and bode well for Ted's repudiation of pureblood supremacism being genuine. He filed that away, turning his attention back to his friend, who was shaking his head.

"Oh, of course not. We can even get back by Knight Bus, although I'd probably recommend you take the muggle train back home. It's not really very pleasant over long distances… Anyway, no, there's something in Godric's Hollow that I think you need to see…" he trailed. "Something someone should have shown you a long time ago, if you ask me."

He wouldn't be drawn on what it was, so they talked about their Summer and his upcoming stay at the Greengrasses instead. The bus took the better part of two hours to get to their destination, taking a very roundabout way through narrow country lanes that criss-crossed their way across the Somerset moors. It was a glorious English Summer day, and the moors looked beautiful, spreading out ahead of them, deserted except for small clumps of houses scattered in small villages. A few clouds shaded the land here and there, but mostly the sun shone, making the landscape look quite inviting for a walk. Still, Harry was glad when he finally saw the sign for Godric's Hollow on the side of the road. Ted had been looking a bit green for the past few minutes.

Harry gave Ted a little time for his stomach to settle, while he looked around the village's High Street, if it could be called that, as it only consisted of a dingy pub and a Post Office with a few shops nearby, clustered around what looked like a cenotaph. To the side was an old church with a cemetery by the grounds. Once Ted recovered, he wordlessly beckoned Harry to follow him there.

As they walked in silence, Harry looked at the gravestones, wondering why his friend had decided to bring him here, before a suspicion began to form in the back of his mind. This was soon confirmed, as they came before a gleaming white gravestone, bearing the inscription:

JAMES POTTER LILY POTTER

BORN 27 MARCH 1960 BORN 30 JANUARY 1960

DIED 31 OCTOBER 1981 DIED 31 OCTOBER 1981

The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

Harry's breath stopped in his throat as he realized he was looking at his parents' grave. "Mum? Dad?" he knew they couldn't answer him, but he couldn't help himself. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ted take a few steps back, standing at a respectful distance to give Harry some privacy.

More grateful to his friend than he knew how to express, Harry took a step forward and touched the headstone, running his fingers over his parent's names.

"I'm sorry I didn't come before today. I had no idea where you were buried. Aunt Petunia never told me anything," he explained bitterly. Of course he knew that his parents weren't really listening to him, and yet, a memory of Dumbledore's 'next great adventure' words clung to his mind. That and the idea that the Resurrection Stone might be real and out there for him to find gave him a glimmer of something he didn't even know what to call, but might just be hope. Hope that there was something out there beyond the great charm from which no man returned.

"It was my friend Ted's idea to come here. He's doing it for my birthday. I'll be twelve years old this week. I've just finished my first year at Hogwarts. I'm in Slytherin house. I know you were both Gryffindors. I hope you're not disappointed in me. It's not really so bad as everyone makes out…"

At the edges of his awareness, Harry could feel Ted getting restless, then going for a walk through the graveyard. He was actually thankful. He could feel his eyes welling up with tears, and now wasn't so worried about letting them spill down his face.

He stayed by his parents' grave for a while, telling stories from his first year at Hogwarts, before he felt he'd really had better be going. He was running out of material, anyway. There was not much he could say to parents he'd never met, and he very much didn't want to mention anything to do with Quirrell. He couldn't help but worry his parents would have thought him a murderer.

Ted had come back from his wander and was giving him an excited look, even if he was still giving him space to mourn. Still, that was enough to kindle Harry's curiosity. So he said his goodbyes.

"I have to go now. But I'll be back. I promise I'll make up for the lost time." He traced his fingers along the stone again, this time really noticing the inscription. The Dursleys never having had much concern with religion, Harry didn't know it was actually a quote from the First Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians. Still, as it was, he took it as a good omen for his quest for the Resurrection Stone. "And if that stone actually exists on this earth, I will find it, and I will bring you back," he whispered, his dark green eyes determined, now more than ever. He had found himself a purpose that transcended Voldemort and his status as the Boy-Who-Lived.

He wiped the tears from his eyes and face before turning around and facing Ted again. Before his friend could react, Harry closed the distance between them and pulled him close in a tight hug.

"This was the best gift I could ever ask for," he said, struggling to keep the tears from streaming down again. "You are a great friend, Theodore Nott."

Harry saved using his friend's full christian name for especially solemn moments, when he knew Ted just wouldn't cut it. So he felt him return his hug with more feeling than he expected, before they parted, both slightly embarrassed at letting their emotions overwhelm them like that.

"I just thought you deserved this… When my mother died.. I spent days by her grave. I can't imagine what not being able to do that would be like…"

They stayed silent for a couple minutes, both trying to get their emotions under control. Harry began walking away, but Ted grabbed his arm and stopped him.

"I took a walk around the graveyard while I was waiting," he began, reminding Harry that Ted had seemed like he'd found something curious. "I found a couple of very interesting graves."

Even if that was a slightly macabre thing to say, Harry didn't think Ted would take him to see some random gravestone without good reason, so he followed his friend to a very overgrown section of the cemetery. Most stones in that area were completely illegible, but Ted led Harry to a specific one. It was still very weathered, but a symbol he'd seen before could still be made out.

"That's…. That's the Peverell crest…" he whispered, almost afraid that someone else would overhear them. Ted nodded.

"Yes, the same crest that's on the Gaunts' ring. And look at this." Ted knelt by the gravestone and pointed at what Harry could now see was an extremely weathered, but still barely readable, inscription.

"Ignotus…" Harry whispered again, his eyes widening at the realization that he was standing by the grave of his distant ancestor.

Somehow, Harry felt very heartened to find this. Now only was he standing by the grave of an ancestor almost a thousand years removed from him, a connection to a family he didn't know he had a year ago, but somehow it made his quest for the other Peverell brothers' possessions feel more real and achievable.

"Hello great, great, great grandfather," he said with a smile. "Missed a few dozen greats there. Thanks for the invisibility cloak," he added, glancing at Ted with a grin. He took a step back. "I'll make you proud. And when I can, I will restore your gravestone to the state it deserves." He added the last bit impulsively, but he didn't regret it. He could more than afford it, after all.

There wasn't as much reason to linger here, so he turned back to Ted. "Did you find any more Peverells?" Harry asked, remembering Ted had mentioned a couple graves.

Ted shook his head. "No, this is something a bit more recent," he said, pulling Harry by his arm to a more recent section, not so far from Harry's parents' grave.

"No relation of yours, I think, but I'm sure you'll recognize the name," Ted explained as he finally pointed at a lichen-covered granite gravestone, proclaiming it to be the resting place of Kendra Dumbledore and her daughter Ariana.

Harry's eyebrows rose at this sight.

"Dumbledore's… mother and… sister?" he said, examining the dates on the stones. Ariana Dumbledore had only lived a very short life, dying at the age of fourteen.

"The dates seem about right," Ted replied, before adding in a somber tone. "That's really sad," looking at Ariana Dumbledore's grave. "Do you think he still remembers her? He's lived a very long time…"

"Maybe… Maybe that's why he's not quite right in the head," Harry replied, suddenly feeling compassion for the headmaster he previously regarded as just insane. It was interesting and slightly sobering, but there wasn't much point in them lingering. Harry consulted his watch.

"Shall we go get something to eat?" he asked. Ted followed him towards the gates of the cemetery.

"We're not quite done for the day," he said with a smile. "There's something I want to show you quickly first, then something else that'll take a bit longer. We can eat in between," he added, leading Harry back into the high street and towards the war memorial.

Harry was wondering if there was something special about it, when the memorial seemed to flicker before his eyes. When they were just a few yards away, it transformed completely, from the usual cenotaph into a statue of three people, a man, a woman, and a baby. Harry's mind flew back to the photos he'd seen of his parents, instant recognition making him lunge forward and grip the statue's base. He never thought there'd be a statue.

Ted stood back again, letting Harry take his time, but he didn't spend as long there as he had at his parents' graves. After a few minutes, he turned back.

"A statue erected by the wizarding community, in gratitude to you and your parents," Ted explained as they walked back down the high street. This left a bitter taste in Harry's mouth.

"Too bad their gratitude didn't extend to not making me live with my horrible relatives for ten years," he snapped, before sighing. "Sorry, I know that's not your fault… It's just, seeing all this, it just reminds me of how much I've lost…"

Ted gripped Harry's shoulder softly. "That's why I brought you here. I wanted you to know, and see, at least as far as I could. And we're not done yet. But you're right, it's time to eat."

Harry gave his friend a grateful smile as they walked in silence to one of the shops. Ted was fascinated by the fridges containing sandwiches and cold drinks. Worried he was acting a little too strangely and might arouse the shopkeeper's suspicions, Harry let him wander around the shop while he picked and paid for something for the two of them.

The summer sun was now high in the sky, and the two friends sat amiably on a bench in the church yard where they could bask in the heat and see the moors spread out ahead of them, the heather just beginning to bloom and creating pink pockets here and there where the plants were more exposed to the sun.

Ted was looking curiously at his packet of salt and vinegar chips, so Harry demonstrated how he was supposed to open it, before biting into his hot pasty. A breeze was blowing just the right amount to take the edge of the heat, and he felt at peace for the first time in a while. He was even able to forget about Quirrell and Voldemort, and for one brief moment, felt almost like a normal (almost) twelve year old, out for a day with his best mate.


As usual, I'll finish by reiterating my appeal for a beta. Perhaps, one day, someone will actually take me up.

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