Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters.
A/N: Thanks to PenguinLord0029, who beta this story.
Chapter Fifty-Two
The End of Summer
Sirius didn't recover from hearing about his brother's death for a very long time. It had taken him hours before he was able to lift his head out of his hands, noticing that Harry and Remus were both holding him. He was happy they were there for him, but it didn't make the sick feeling coursing through him any better. He knew that he needed to know what had happened to his brother, the question had kept him awake some nights whenever he had thought of his brother's disappearance. He just wished that his brother's death wasn't this bad, being dragged down to the bottom of a black lake only to become like the monsters that had claimed his life in the end.
He felt angry that Regulus didn't come back from the cave; he knew that Kreacher would have been able to get the two of them out of there, but Regulus had to use the noble side of him that he so rarely showed. He had to save their parents, Kreacher and even himself from facing Voldemort's full rage … a rage that would have had them all killed for sure. Sirius would get angry anytime he would think about this because of how pointless it all was. Their parents had died before ten years had passed and he was already determined to protect Harry, meaning that his life was forfeited a long time before this. Everyone involved with the decision Regulus made would have preferred it if he had chosen to live.
That was why Sirius was moody all during Harry's birthday party, where the Tonkses and Longbottoms showed up. Though this was not a good thing, everyone seemed to notice Harry's depressed mood more than Sirius's (though Harry was by no means as bad off as his uncle). Harry was just thinking about all the people that should have been here if he had his way. It wasn't his best friends that were out of the country that he was thinking of though, it was his dad that he longed more than ever to talk to after that locket incident, but Remus told him that he would have to wait until Christmas for a reason that he couldn't explain at the moment. It was nice knowing that he would be able to see his dad soon, but it didn't seem like soon enough to him. Then there was Regulus, Harry didn't know if he would have even met Sirius's brother, but he felt more than ever that he would have liked to … and it was impossible not to feel pain for the boy that wasn't much older than he was now, that had died in such a grim way.
Neville noticed immediately that his friend was down, and he noticed that Harry didn't want to talk about it. So, he did the only thing that he could think of, he tried to distract Harry by talking about school, Quidditch or anything else that he could think of. Harry was grateful for his friend's choice of topics and was indeed cheered up by the time that the meal was over. After the meal and Harry and Neville had opened their presents, Tonks had decided join them.
"I noticed that you were talking to Remus a lot," Harry commented as soon as she sat next to him. Her cheeks turned a rose color as she shrugged her shoulders trying to look indifferent.
"He seemed to be the only one of you that was up to be sociable," was the answered she gave. "What's the matter with you and Sirius, anyway?"
Harry grimaced at her, but this was just Tonks, she was always direct in her questions, though thankfully she understood when you didn't want to answer them. Harry briefly thought about telling her about Regulus, he was part of her family as well, but it wouldn't do any good having more people know about this. "Sirius just found out that the Cannons are picking up this Chaser that can't even throw the Quaffle two feet … this normally wouldn't have bother me. But he told me that I couldn't get a new broom until the Cannons won five games in a season … I'm never going to get a broom now," he ended with a huge sigh that caused Tonks to laugh.
She wasn't fooled by this story one bit (she was in her final year of Auror training after all), there was no way this was the reason why they were so upset, but she could tell that Harry wasn't going to talk to her about it and she let it go. "So how was your last year at Hogwarts? Sirius told me that it was even worse than your first."
"You can say that again," Neville grimaced and the two boys filled her in on everything that happened to them. She told them stories about her years training as an Auror; some of these stories involving Sirius (and even Frank sometimes) and Harry was pleased with this line of talking.
O
"Well, thanks for the fun party," Tonks said as she left, she had actually stayed longer than the others, talking cheerfully with Harry and Remus until Harry left the two of them when it turned eight.
"I'm not sure about the fun part … it never seems right when Sirius is in one of his moods, but it was better than I thought it would be," Remus smiled at her, he didn't want to admit that it was probably the best night he had all year and that was mostly because he got to talk to her.
"Well then, I'm glad I made this day bearable to you," Tonks said pouting slightly, causing Remus to smile at her expression.
"Sorry … I didn't mean it like that," he chuckled. "You definitely brighten up the party, as always."
She blushed, and smiled at him shyly before said, "I better be going …"
"Bye," Remus said as she made her way out of the house and Apparated on the front porch. Feelings that he had said something wrong, but not knowing what, Remus went up to his room with a frown on his face.
O
The next month past by slowly, Harry really hated that his friends were so far away when he really could use someone to distract him from what he had gone through. He spent some of his time with the few Muggle friends he had made at school before he went to Hogwarts, but seeing as they barely talked the last two years and he couldn't talk about anything that happened to him, it felt awkward and most days he stayed at home. Luckily, Sirius seems to come out of his bad mood after a week, and was cheerful again.
Still, Harry had to admit that it wasn't the same talking to Remus sand Sirius as it was to his friends, and he knew now more than ever what Remus had meant about talking to his friends. He missed them terribly and was happy when Hermione got back a week before school had started.
"So, are you going to tell me what's bothering you?" Hermione asked after they had said their greeting and were now in her bedroom. Just as Sirius had predicted, she seemed to notice that something was wrong with him, but he wasn't sure if he should tell her or not. She sighed, noticing his apprehension in talking to her about this. "I hope you got the present I sent you … though seeing as Hedwig was the one to deliver it to you, I'm sure you did."
"Yeah, it was great," Harry smiled at her, "just what I needed."
"I thought you would like it," Hermione said. "I was thinking about giving you the book I bought about advance transfiguration I found in this little book shop in France, but I wasn't sure if you wanted to explain why I would think you would want a book for a present to Sirius and Remus, so I just gave you the broom servicing kit. I was sure that you wouldn't be disappointed about that in the least. Anyway, this book has a pretty good description about the Animagus transformation, so I got it … it never hurts to have more information about something …"
Harry had to smile at her as she unpacked the bag she had that was filled with books and souvenirs and then handed him the book she was talking about. He opened to the passage she was talking about but he didn't read. If she had continued to bother him about what was bugging him he never would have told her, but her willingness to change the subject made him feel much more comfortable talking to her. He realized that she probably worked this out years ago, knowing that she was the smart witch that she was, but he didn't care. He knew that he would always be able to tell her anything.
He told her everything that happened to him, from the moment that he got to Grimmauld Place, to what happened when the locket had open and how his dad seemed to have come out of it telling him things. He didn't go into details about what the Locket James had said, but her expression showed him that she had guessed at least at some of the things that could have been said. He didn't paused at all before he told her that Dumbledore had come over, stabbed the locket with the sword of Gryffindor, and then he told her about the conversation they had in the living room. He thought about not mention the Horcruxes, it didn't seem like it was really needed, but he felt that he already told her so much that he didn't want to leave anything out. He of course made it clear that this was something that she could never tell anyone, and she promised not to mention it again. He finished with Regulus's story, though again, not telling her the details.
"I'm so sorry Harry," she sighed when he had finished. "You must have been miserable this summer; I knew I shouldn't have …"
"Don't be ridiculously, Hermione," Harry cut her off. "You don't have anything to apologize for. You're allowed to go on a vacation with your parents, and if you really found a book that will help us become Animagi, then it was all worth it."
She didn't bother arguing with him, they both knew that he had wished that she was there, but nothing would change that and she was there now. It was amazing how quickly Harry felt better after he got this off his chest, though one thing still bothered him.
"Hermione?" Harry said shifting uncomfortably in his chair. "Why do you think it is that my dad doesn't want to see me?"
Hermione sighed and sat next to him on the bed, having no idea how to answer that until she finally said. "He's probably afraid."
"For my safety," Harry nodded his head, "that's what Sirius said …"
"Yeah that too, but that's not what I meant," Hermione said frowning, "he might be afraid of what you would think of him … or that he might not be able to relate to you."
"That's stupid," Harry huffed, but he couldn't dismiss her theory easily, wasn't he, after all, afraid of that too. Wasn't that why he had never really pushed Sirius and Remus about meeting his dad? He has been terrified of what his dad would say when they met. "Thanks," he mumbled to Hermione as she rested her head against his shoulder.
"Don't mention it," Hermione said and it was that moment that she heard the tapping at her window and she got up to open it, picking up the exhausted Errol. "It looks like Ron has sent me … er … us a letter," she added as she notice to two different letters there. She passed Harry his letter and then opened her own. They said much the same thing; it seemed that Ron had practically copied the beginning part of the letter to them that explained about the family vacation and the invitation to meet at Diagon Alley in two days. The only difference in the letters was the ending, which in Harry's case talked about the Quidditch matches that took place in the last few weeks (some of them were rather notable) and in Hermione's answered some questioned she asked about the mummies that were found in Egypt, which he had asked Bill for the answer.
"Well that was nice," Hermione said smiling as she read, happy more than she thought she would be that he had actually bother to answer her question. "Have you gone to Diagon Alley yet?"
"Nah, I knew that you hadn't and I thought it would be nice to go together … this is even better," Harry smiled; he really couldn't wait to see all of the Weasley, but particularly Ron. He frowned though when he thought of his other best friend. He had just told Hermione about what happened over this summer, and he felt that out of all the other friends that he made over the last two years, Ron was the only other one he would tell this too. He resolved that if this ever came up, he would tell his friend everything too.
"Yeah, you better tell Ron that we'll meet him," Hermione said, frowning at the owl that was asleep on her desk, "you should probably use Hedwig though; I don't think Errol will be up for flying for another day."
"You're probably right," Harry smiled, and picked up the sleeping owl, knowing that he had owl treats and water for the poor creature at his house. On their way to his house, they paused so Hermione could tell her parents about their plans on meeting Ron in a few days at Diagon Alley and they agreed to it.
O
Harry and Hermione met the Weasleys at the bookstore, having 'met' at the Leaky Cauldron; the stray black dog that had tried to follow Harry into the pub was shooed away by the bartender before he could make more than a few steps. Harry smiled at his uncle's begging whimpers as he left, before he turned to the Grangers and they all walked to the books store. It took Ron's family a while to get there, so they decided to get their books while they waited.
"Hermione?" Harry questioned when her selection of books started to pile up. "Just how many classes are you planning on taking?"
"Thirteen," she answered as if this was nothing. Harry, who was taking ten classes, stared at her with an open mouth. "What?"
"You're taking thirteen classes!" Harry gasped. "You won't have any time to do anything this year but study! No, scratch that, I don't think you'll even have time to study, you'll just be going to classes."
"Don't be so dramatic," Hermione rolled her eyes. "I can handle this."
"I'm sure you can," Harry had to agree with that, "but the question is should you?"
She frowned at that question, she had not expected it, before she could say anything to it though, they heard a shout.
"Harry! Hermione!" Ron said from behind them and they turned to see the beaming face of their best friend. After their greeting, the three of them chatted about all that had happened since the last time they had seen each other. Harry mostly listened because there was no way he was going to talk about his summer in the middle of the bookstore. They finished their shopping there, Ron telling them that they were so late because he had picked up his wand before coming here and showed them the beautiful wand with the hair of a unicorn tail as the core.
When they got out of the bookstore, they saw the other Weasleys seems to be discussing where they will be going next. Harry went over to the twins and Ginny to greet them, all of who were his close friends. Ginny started blushing as soon as Harry approached her but she seemed to force herself to say hello to him. He smiled at her as he returned the hello and she became a deeper shade of red before she turned to Hermione and the two girls started talking.
They all stayed talking like that for a good five minutes before they broke off in groups. The twins went to the joke shop where they were to meet their friend Lee Jordan. Ginny went with her mum to get some more robes for her, she didn't look happy about this, but couldn't argue and Mr. Weasley continued to talk to the Grangers, seeming to be answering all the question they had about what they were seeing as he asked them question of his own. Harry, Ron and Hermione decided to just wander the alley seeing if they could find anything interesting.
"My parents said that I could choose my birthday present this year," Hermione said as they walked pass the stores and she looked at everything intently.
"Isn't your birthday in September," Ron said looking unnerved.
"Yes," Hermione chuckled at his expression. "But I mentioned to them that I wanted an animal, probably an owl, and they said it would probably be best if I picked it out to make sure that I really like it. I couldn't agree with them more, it's important to pick your own pet …"
"Yeah," Ron said moodily looking at the top pocket of his shirt, his pet rat was sleeping in there, the pet rat that was once his brother and he never got to pick at all.
Hermione bit her lip, not knowing what to say about his moody expression, she didn't even know why he was so moody in the first place, but she still didn't like it. She had been quite shock that when she saw him in the bookstore the effect just seeing her friend had on her. He seemed to have grown a few inches and had more freckles than ever and she couldn't seem to keep her eyes off him.
"Well, there are a few stores with owls in it over here," Harry said to break the tension between the three of them.
"Actually, I was thinking about getting a few chocolate flies for my rat Scratch," Ron supplied, trying not to let his annoyance over what was just said ruin everyone's mood. "I know of this little place in the back that has all kinds of animals for sale and they have reasonable prices."
"Sounds good to me," Hermione smiled at him, "lead the way."
When they got to the little shop they all went inside and Ron went immediately to the pet care section as Hermione and Harry headed to look at the animals that were there. Hermione looked through all of the owls and though they all were nice looking, she wasn't sure if she really wanted an owl. She wasn't sure if it was the fact that she would be an owl when she transformed or if it was something that was always true, but she felt that she wanted a pet that she could actually hold.
"Did you find anything?" Ron asked when they returned to the front of the store.
"No," Hermione sighed.
Before they could leave however, something jumped from a ledge onto Ron's head and then onto the counter. Once there, the rather large ginger cat walked to Hermione purring. Harry helped the stunned Ron up; he had been knocked off balance when the cat had landed on his head.
"What the bloody hell was that?" Ron grumbled and glared angrily at the cat. It didn't help that Hermione was petting the animal as it purred contently.
"I believe it's a cat," Harry said, clearly trying not to laugh at his friend's expression.
"Crookshanks," the woman that was behind the counter said exasperated. "You know better than to jump on consumers!"
"Crookshanks," Hermione repeated the name and the cat rubbed he's head against her arm.
"He seems to really like you," the woman said, "he doesn't often let people pet him."
Hermione smiled at that, and scratched his ears, "that's a shame, so is he your pet?"
"Oh no, he's for sale," the lady said, "put he's been here so long, no one seems to want him … it's a shame, he's one of the most intelligent cats I've ever had, but as you can see he's not always nice to everyone. I'm sorry … he might have thought that you were trying to steal the rat in your pocket."
"Whatever," Ron grumbled, his eyes on the stupid cat and the fact that Hermione was still petting it. She turned to him biting her lip and she looked sort of guilty and he could see that she was going to buy this stupid cat and nothing he said was going to change that fact. "Oh, just buy it already and let's get out of here!" he growled and left the store in a huff.
Hermione stared at her retreating friend and knew that he probably was never going to like her cat, but it didn't seem that he would hold it against her too much if she got it. That was the best that she could hope for, seeing as she had already bonded with this cat, Crookshanks. She didn't know why, but from the moment she saw him, she knew this cat had to be hers.
She paid for him quickly, buying everything that she needed to keep him happy and then the three of them headed back to the Leaky Cauldron to meet the others. Hermione went home with her parents, who were a little shocked about her choice in pets … she had talked about getting an owl after all … but seemed to like the cat too. Ginny also seemed to like him as she scratched his ears, before Hermione had to go. Harry was going to stay with the Weasleys for the last few days of vacation and he couldn't be happier to be able to spend time with so many of his friends.
