A/N: Harry Potter and his world belong to J.K. Rowling, Warner Brothers and anyone that has received licensing rights. I am grateful she gives us the privilege of playing in her world.

Chapter 18

September 12, 1993

Hogwarts, Scotland

Harry couldn't stop from jumping and throwing his fist into the air. Yesterday had been Quidditch tryouts. He had gone against Gene and the fourth-year Cho for seeker and he had made first string, with Cho as backup.

When he saw Cho looking at him, he went over. "You did very well yesterday," he said to her. He wasn't really gloating, he liked her as a friend.

She smiled. "You did better, Harry. Congratulations"

He smiled back. She didn't seem too put out. "Thank you," he said and walked away. Marietta and another girl leaned in close to Cho and started to whisper.

He wandered over to the table with Luna and Yvette. It was a really miserable day out and after spending time with Astoria this morning, they had all agreed to spend time in their common rooms.

Yvette had joined them when she noticed they were working on their Defense Against the Dark Arts. This year was going to be exciting with Uncle Remus. He was using one class to focus on Creatures and theory, and the other on practical. They had already learned how to disarm, though they would be practicing them for the next few weeks. Not everyone caught on as quickly as him or Luna.

He did wish they had DADA with Slytherin. He would like to go against Astoria. Instead, he had been pared against George last class. It took a few tries, but Harry was able to teach him how to do it by end of class.

Now he settled to do the essay on trolls. They met the Upper Circle at three.

-oOo-

October 14, 1993

Hogwarts, Scotland

Luna was reading a book of laws. She had taken on the project with Hermione to see if they could find a way to save Buckbeak. It had taken him and Astoria awhile to calm her down when she had heard what Malfoy had done about a month ago.

When they had heard that the Ministry was going to put Buckbeak on trial, the two girls had joined forces almost immediately.

Astoria came over to the table, looking disgruntled. She had taken to sitting with them most meals at the Ravenclaw table. He looked at her, noticing the Aster was in her hair. It was most days. Like Luna's moth. Maybe he should make them a few more? Girls liked different accessories, or so he thought.

"Morning, Little Aster," he said quiet enough that only her and Luna could hear. He liked sitting at the end of the table most days now. They didn't feel like they needed the company of the Circle to be alright. They did spend a few meals a week with them. Most days, eat one meal with Hermione and Neville, either at the Raven or Lions table.

Ron had kept clear of them so far. Hermione had stopped huffing every time he walked by.

Astoria kept her mask up. He would get her to break before breakfast was done. "Morning, Harry. Morning, Luna," Astoria greeted.

Luna took a piece of toast and continued reading. Astoria just accepted it and started to get her own food.

Soon after, the owls came. He picked out Hedwig and the Greengrasses tawny-black eagle owl. Hedwig landed and snapped at a small owl with a copy of the Prophet. He paid the delivery owl his four knuts and it took off.

"He has nothing on you, girl," he soothed Hedwig. She nipped his finger as he gave her some bacon. "I only took care of the other one first to get him away," he said before sucking on his finger.

"Hedwig, he does prefer you. You are a beautiful owl," Luna said not looking up.

"Now she says something," Astoria said. The tawny-black eagle owl came to her after Daphne took her letter. "Thank you, Archimedes," she said to the regally sitting owl. She handed him some bacon before taking her letter.

Hedwig hooted and preened before he gave her another piece and she flew off. He took his mum's letter before opening the Prophet. "Do you mind," Astoria asked, putting her letter into her pocket and reaching for the paper.

"No, go ahead," he told her.

He opened the letter and Astoria gasped. Luna looked up from her book. "Harry," she said laying the paper out. He looked down and clenched his hands into fists. It was a picture of Sirius Black escaping some Aurors in a town not far south of them. The headline read Sirius Black Escapes Again.

"The last confirmed sighting was in Cornwall. Why would he be so far north," she asked.

"I am not sure he is as bad as people say," Luna said.

To look at the man fighting and stunning two Aurors made his blood boil. The man had been an Auror along side his dad. Mum and Uncle Remus never talked about him, but he had a sense they had been close at one time. He figured that was why mum hated the man so much. He did too.

"Don't say that! He betrayed my father," he said to Luna harsher than he meant. "There is no good in him."

She sat back, looking offended. "Harry James," Astoria said in a hard voice. "I understand you don't like him and your upset, but don't treat Luna that way."

He blinked and looked at Astoria before Luna. The girl sounded just like his mum when he was in trouble. Luna looked hurt he would snap at her. His anger subsided. "Luna, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you."

Her expressive blue-eyes looked into his. "I know your heart hurts. I just have a feeling he didn't do it."

He took in a deep breath. He had no love for the man nor had anything good ever been said about him. He also knew and trusted Luna.

Harry would never do anything intentionally to hurt her and he knew to listen to her. After another breath, he asked, "Why?"

She pointed to the picture as he ran towards the camera. "His eyes are sad," she told him.

-oOo-

October 31, 1993

Hogwarts, England

Harry was sitting on a bench on the quidditch pitch. His mum had finally been able to get his dad's broom back and he had received it Thursday. The Dark scanners had picked up extra charm work his father must have put on it.

It had direction finding, shield and cushioning charms that were illegal when playing quidditch. His mum figured his father added it after they left school. He used it on missions sometimes and Harry could understand that they could be useful charms.

Looking around the pitch, he had originally come down here to fly. No teams had it booked and a few others were using the free time to just play around. Instead, he was sitting on the bench, looking at his broom.

When Luna sat on the bench next to him, he sighed. Astoria sat on the other side. Luna put a hand on his arm. "You don't want to be alone."

He shrugged. "I kind of do, but you two are the exception," he told them.

Astoria lay her hand over his on his broom. "My father says he was a good man. He saved my father once."

Harry nodded. He hadn't known that, but from what he had heard, his dad would do that.

Luna leaned into him. "He hasn't died, not fully, Harry. He is in you."

He gave a sad smile. "Like your mum is in you?"

She gave a wistful smile. "Those close to us never die until we do."

He kissed her on the top of the head. Luna understood. She mourned her mum, but she didn't show it often. Astoria's hand tightened around his. "I don't know what you two have gone through, but I am here."

He smiled and turned the other way. Without thinking, he kissed her on the forehead. "Thank you."

She nodded, looking stunned. He looked back out onto the pitch. Three others were flying around. He recognized Oliver Wood, the Gryffindor Captain. He had a notebook in his hands and would stop from time to time to write something and then he would fly around the pitch as though doing a play in slow motion.

Ginny was flying around. She had made Seeker this year for the Gryffindors, meaning he would have to play against her at the end of the year. She was searching and chasing after a snitch.

Things had been better this year. Whatever healing she went through in Egypt had made her more like the old Ginny. She had friends in Gryffindor she spent most of her time with and was always kind to him and Luna. She avoided them though, always making excuses not to hang out. He knew it was hurting Luna some, but she let Ginny do her thing. Luna just said it was what happened sometimes. Friends grew apart.

Harry suspected Ginny felt guilty. He saw the sadness every time Ginny saw Luna. He wished he knew how to fix it. He did not like to see Luna hurting, and Ginny was too.

The last person flying was someone he didn't recognize. It was a girl, probably a sixth or seventh year. She didn't fly like she was a quidditch player. The broom was not a model he recognized, and she pushed it too fast and straight, many times flying wide outside the pitch. If he had to guess, she was a racer.

Astoria leaned into him, not something she typically did if others were around. He had to admit having them here chased some of the funk away he usually had on Halloween.

-oOo-

Slytherin House, Hogwarts, Scotland

Astoria walked with Amanda. They were still friends, just not as close as they used to be. They walked behind Daphne and her group of friends back to Slytherin after the Halloween Feast. It was the best spot for them. It told others not to mess with them.

As far as she knew, there were four large factions in Slytherin. Everyone else either avoided them or played to one side or the other. Daphne and many of the children of families that claimed themselves neutral banded together. They tended to stay out of House politics, or to appear to do so.

This usually meant they were the slyest Politicians, learning at an early age how to avoid conflict with the Blood Purists, the Radicals that still believed in the Dark Lord's tripe and the Old Bloods that wanted to keep the status quo. Most of the old Bloods didn't have the same negative views of Muggleborns as the Purists and Radicals.

One would think the groups would get along, with many of them sharing beliefs, but it was a den of vipers when it came to political power. Only Gryffindor could match them usually for that ambition, but many of them were not the savvy cultured lot that most Slytherin were.

Ravenclaw had skills that could rival Slytherin, but most just wanted to read their books or whatever their fancy was. It was also the House closest to being all Pure or half bloods next to Slytherin, making most in Ravenclaw acceptable to Slytherins.

Astoria found she hated all those classifications. Mrs. Potter was the most intelligent person she had ever met. Her son was not far behind and equal to Hermione Granger. The woman and the girl were muggleborn.

The boy she liked... her best mate, she chastised herself. Her best mate had been raised half in the muggle and half in the wizarding world. After spending so much time at the Potters, she found she liked both worlds. She also liked their house. It was so much better than the huge, mostly empty mansion they lived in.

At one time, three generations, five families in total, lived in Greengrass Manor. It was practical to have such a large house, and she thought it was probably much livelier. Now, more than half the rooms sat unused and only one of the four family wings were occupied.

She was finding she wanted away from all this pomp. Daphne, well, she craved it.

It was that craving Astoria used to mostly fly under the radar of her House.

This was part of the split she had with Amanda. Amanda wanted all the same things Daphne did. A huge house. Status. A wealthy husband. Manicures every week.

Well, her sister didn't want the manicures, but she wanted the power and to someday have a seat on the Wizengamaot

Looking at her hands, she wanted them covered in dirt. Luna and Harry were doing all they could to get her over her disdain for the stuff in Herbology, and as she learned more about magical plants, she found she didn't mind it. At least not when it was one or both of them besides her.

"You've been really quiet tonight," Amanda said as they walked into the common room.

"Just some stuff on my mind," she said.

She had spent much of the feast looking towards the Ravenclaw table, wishing she could be next to Harry. He was quiet today. She could understand. She wasn't sure she would take it as well as Luna or Harry if one of her parents died.

"You want to play some gin," she asked.

She had planned to review her astronomy homework before class tonight. She was glad she could sleep in Mondays. Sunday and Monday mornings were the only times of the week the three of them always took off.

Looking at her friend, she nodded. "I'll grab a table if you grab the cards."

Amanda nodded. The Slytherin common room was tall and covered in black tiles. Bookcases and shelves full of artifacts were between tall windows that looked out into the blackish-green depths of the lake. Before the windows were tables.

Walking down the length, many of the older years took the numerous couches in the center of the room. Where the wall curved back on itself, she claimed a table. Almost as soon as she sat down, someone moved next to the table. "We've come to talk, Greengrass," the drawl of a boy came to her.

She sat up straighter and looked up to see the very light blonde hair of the Malfoy heir. The dark hair Pansy was standing next to him. She was one of the bitchiest girls. She never got caught though because Pansy seemed to have a sixth sense when there was someone of authority around.

Behind them stood the ponce's brutes. She would not let them know that she did not want to get caught by herself. "What do you want, Malfoy?"

"Not as brave without Potter or Longbottom," Pansy smiled. "No wand today?"

She didn't let her mask fall. It was one thing around Harry and Luna and her other friends outside of Slytherin. In here, it could have bad consequences.

"We came to talk about Potter and the others you associate with. Father has said he is in talks with your father. I don't want you with mudbloods, blood traitors or the likes of Potter," he said to her.

She did not like the way he was looking at her. "If your father is talking to mine, that is their business. It has nothing to do with who I associate with," she said pulling her nose up a little more.

The boy smiled. "We shall see. Father can be very persuasive and your family has a large share of the imports from India and Australia. Father has told me he is interested in us getting to know each other better."

She kept her eyes narrowed, but inside she wanted to scream. This was just what she wanted to avoid. She was not something to be traded like so many purebloods girls and women were in years past. She knew father would not do that. He had told them. He did not have an heir, and he would probably desire Daphne or her to bare one, but not with Malfoy. Not anyone in this House.

"My sister is my Chaperon," she said, knowing the proper ways of a younger child. She had hoped to never use them. "You would have to ask permission of her, if you wish."

His cocky face turned into a half-snarl. Daphne and him did not get along, and it was a constant power struggle between the two who would be dominant in Slytherin.

"Poor little thing, she can't even make her own choice," Pansy said in a simpering voice. "Just remember that, little heiress."

Pansy knew her fear somehow. Neither Daphne or her had been designated as heiress, and neither would unless they took up as a second wife and had a Line Continuation Contract.

She tried to keep her voice as steady and cool as possible. "I know my place, Parkinson. At least I have a choice if I want to open my legs or not. I hear your father is already bidding."

The girl's face twisted into an ugly snarl. "You little slut. I see the way you throw yourself at Potter. Hoping he might see you, you ugly hag."

A voice cleared behind them. Draco turned and Pansy's face went blank, like the brainless git she was. Daphne was standing nearby. Even with her mask up, it was apparent the anger she was projecting. "I warned you, Parkinson. Now get away before you regret it. And you, Malfoy. You go after Astoria or her friends again, I promise my family will see yours disgraced."

Draco snarled at her. Pansy took a small step back. "This is nothing to concern you, Greengrass."

"I believe my sister declared me her Chaperone. This has everything to do with me."

"Wait until I tell father. We will own the Greengrasses when I am older," he said.

She raised an eyebrow. "Go tell your father. I, on the other hand, do not need my parents to buy, steal or bribe me out of trouble."

Draco looked about ready to curse her when Professor Snape spoke over everyone through a sonorus charm. "Everyone to report to the Common Room."

Draco nodded and his group made it towards the front of the Common Room. Professor Snape did these impromptu meetings from time to time. "Tori, I told you to stay away from them."

She followed her sister to stand near the back of the assembled students. "I did nothing. I was just waiting for Amanda to get back. They came to me."

"You didn't seem to have any issue calling Parkinson an undesirable woman," Daphne said to her. Their group gathered around them. Blaise stood next to Daphne. Tracey, Amanda, Millicent and a half dozen others formed around them.

"You know it is true. Mother and father were talking about it. Lord Parkinson put it out there with a match maker," she answered. "I hear the rumors too about her and Draco."

"You don't need to point it out. She is someone you don't want to rile. I have told you this."

"Malfoy was saying they were talking to father. He wants me to get at our fortune," she told Daphne.

Daphne pursed her lips. At fourteen and thirteen, the girls understood the politics. At fifteen, they would be old enough to be signed to a Contract if father wanted. Father would have that power until they turned seventeen, after which they would need to give their consent. They were both of the age that other Houses would start to look at them. It scared her more than she ever thought it might.

She wanted Harry and Luna. Why couldn't she have been in Ravenclaw?

"Is this everyone," Snape called out.

"Tori, I will owl father on this. You stay close to Potter," she told her.

Astoria looked at her shocked. "You don't like Potter."

"I like him more than Malfoy. He is also very protective of you. If I can't be around, I want you around Potter and his friends. As your Chaperone, I approve."

She nodded. That was a large deal for her to approve. Maybe she didn't hate Harry like Astoria had thought.

"We are all going up to the Great Hall for the night. Sirius Black has been into Hogwarts and we need to complete a search. If anyone falls out of line, you will be serving a months worth of detention with me." Snape turned and they all started to file out.

"Harry," she said scared for her friend.

Daphne took her hand. "I am sure he is in the Great Hall."

She squeezed her sister's hand. Astoria's stomach felt like it was twisting into knots as they walked through the dungeon halls. Why would it hurt so much to worry about Harry and Luna. If something had happened to him, then it was almost certain Luna would have been with him.

When they arrived, the Ravenclaw were already there. She scanned for her friends. "Go," Daphne said softly.

"Amanda," she asked, not wanting to abandon her.

"I'll stay over here."

She moved towards the Ravenclaws. Scanning the crowd, she found them close to the front of the hall. She had never felt so relieved. When she walked up to them, Luna took her into a hug. She had to admit she felt safe with both of them around.

"What is wrong," Luna asked.

She shook her head. "Not here," she told her friend.

Harry was sitting on a cot, his wand in his hands and staring at the floor. "I heard Black was in the school."

"Hermione said he attacked the Fat Lady. He was after Neville," Harry said darkly.

"I do not believe him a bad man," Luna said.

She saw Harry clench his wand hard. "I will not let him hurt anyone else."

"Mrs. Potter said she does not want you near him," Luna said, sounding concerned.

"I am going to Uncle Remus tomorrow and asking for him to train us," Harry said looking up at them.

He had a determined look that gave her strength to see it. He meant to protect those around him. Daphne had told her to stay as close to him as possible. She would stand next to him.

"We will all go," she told him.

Luna held her tighter. "I don't think him bad," she said in a whisper. She doubted Harry heard it.

-oOo-

November 1, 1993

Hogwarts, Scotland

Today was the boring day of Uncle Remus class. Today they were starting a section on Yetis and the full body bind spell. They had already been practicing that spell for a month with a Seventh Year Hufflepuff Lesley Todding.

Luna watched with rapped attention as he conjured a model of a yeti that started to walk around his desk. Harry paid attention, because Uncle Remus would always throw in details not in the book.

When class was over, Luna and him went up to his desk. "Afternoon, Mr. Potter and Ms. Lovegood."

"Professor," he greeted. He preferred Uncle. "Can we talk to you about something."

Uncle Remus looked at him for a moment and made sure everyone was out of the class before removing his wand and closing the door. "I am impressed you waited this long to start the special lessons you asked for," he said to him.

"Black broke into the school last night."

Remus nodded. "He did. You want me to train you how to duel."

"I want you to teach us how to defend ourselves." Last year, he had no idea against Tom what to do. If he had met Black last night, he and anyone around him would have probably died.

"And you Luna," Uncle Remus asked.

"I think it would be quite nice to be able to keep Harry and Astoria out of trouble," she told him. "Have you seen a Yeti, Professor?"

"Yes. Twice. They are big and nasty as a troll."

"I would like to see one," she said.

"We'll find a way, Luna. Don't change the subject. I want to be able to defend myself." He wanted to be able to defend his best mates.

"Are you still doing sessions with Ms. Todding Saturday morning," he asked.

"Yes."

"Are you willing to meet me at eight on Saturday morning," his Uncle asked. "Your friends and Ms. Todding can use this classroom when we are done. We will not meet weeks of a quidditch match"

He looked at his Uncle with narrowed eyes. "That was too easy."

"Lily said you would ask. I would also like to give you a chance to get away. I know how capable Black is. If you see him, you run and use anything at your disposal to run. Do not face him, Harry."

Harry didn't break eye contact. "Uncle Remus, why did he betray my father?" His mum refused to answer the question. It was about the only question she refused to answer.

Remus sighed. "I do not know. I didn't think it possible. James and him were brothers. The only reason Lily was not killed was probably because your mother changed secret keepers. They didn't know they were expecting you at the time."

You did not name someone secret keeper of a fidelius unless you trusted them. His parents would have trusted him implicitly, then they hadn't. "If they trusted him, why would they change secret keepers?"

"Sirius was the original secret keeper. Something scared Lily after the McKinnons were killed about a week before James. She changed it from Sirius to me. I don't know why. You would have to ask your mother."

"She won't talk about it," he said.

Luna wrapped an arm around his. "There is much pain around your father."

It was her explanation. It made sense.

"I will see you Saturday morning. You should go and get ready for dinner. I am sure Ms. Greengrass would like to see you two."

Harry nodded. They had to get to Astoria. Something about last night really spooked her and she was staying closer than usual.

"Thank you, Uncle Remus."

He smiled and took him into a hug. "Do not worry about Black. He won't come near you in this school."

"Alright, Uncle Remus."

Luna took a hug from him too before they left.

His Uncle looked thoughtfully after them. He would not let Harry know how worried he was after last night. Sirius should not have been able to get in the school. He had told Dumbledore about all the secret entrances.