A part of him wasn't surprised when Harry got the news that Molly had been released as no evidence was found to validate the crime she was accused of. Matt had informed him that Dumbledore had intervened and had used his position as the chief warlock to get her out.
That very day he'd received a letter from Ron asking him to come to the Burrow as the Weaselys had decided to watch the final match of the Quidditch World Cup. Harry never responded to the letter nor did he go. Everything was clear to him now, more so after Dumbledore had saved Molly from the trial. The more he thought about it the more things became clear to him. If Dumbledore was really capable of saving Molly from a trial why didn't he do the opposite for Sirius when he was accused of betraying Harry's parents? Why was Sirius still a fugitive? Even today Dumbledore could use his position as the chief warlock to request for a fair trial for Sirius and Harry was sure his words would be taken into consideration seeing that he was Albus Dumbledore.
He knew things would be different…a LOT more different starting today as he stood at the platform looking at the scarlet engine gleaming in all its beauty. He had arrived earlier than the Greengrasses as they couldn't be seen together for obvious reasons. He knew that the Greengrasses were a neutral family but being purebloods they often receive alliance offers from dark pureblood families simply because the Greengrass, like any other pureblood dark family had always been sorted in Slytherin.
As he walked down the length of the train he noticed Neville sitting alone in a cabin and decided to join him. Neville had definitely changed a lot this summer. He was at least a foot taller than before, if not more but his face still had that look of nervousness. This boy needed to be more confident as Harry knew Neville had the potential to be a great wizard.
The look of surprise never left Neville's face as he saw Harry standing by the cabin's door with his trunk and Hedwig's cage. Just like always Harry had Hedwig fly to Hogwarts because he knew she got cranky staying in the cage for so long.
"Can I sit here?" Harry asked.
"Uh…yes," Neville said standing up. Harry smiled as he walked in before placing his trunk under the seat and sitting down opposite Neville. The two looked at each other for a minute in complete silence and awkwardness as Harry realized this was how his journey was going to be like if he didn't break the ice with this boy. If things had gone better…in a different way he'd have ended up growing with Neville. The fact that it could've been a possibility surprised Harry as he now looked at Neville.
As the train started leaving the station no one else came into their cabin so Harry stood up and locked the door from the inside. He also quickly cast a privacy charm when Neville wasn't paying attention to make sure no one would bother them. He didn't want to see or talk to Ron or any other Weasely if he could help it. He knew Ron would be dying to talk to him as to why he never came to the Quidditch World Cup's final match with them. There was also the possibility of him talking about his mother which Harry wanted to avoid at all costs if possible.
"Neville," Harry said breaking the awkward silence as the boy looked at him from his herbology book, "there is something I wanted to tell you," Harry said. He could see the look of confusion on Neville's face. He never really had a friend at Hogwarts from what Harry had noticed. He always found Neville by himself and even sharing a dorm with him, Ron, Dean and Seamus they hardly noticed him. And now that everything had happened Harry felt really bad for ignoring Neville for the past three years.
"I found something this summer…in my vault at Gringotts," Harry said. "It was a will that my parents had left for me and in it they had mentioned your parents as one of my guardians if anything ever happened to them."
Neville looked at him with a surprised face but then looked towards the window. "But my parents…they are…" he couldn't say as his voice trembled.
"I know," Harry said slowly. "The will was written before…before all of it happened." Harry knew that Neville's parents were attacked the same night Voldemort had murdered his parents. "I know how you feel…in a way." Neville didn't respond. "I just wanted to tell you that there could've been a chance of the two of us growing together…in the same house which would make you my surrogate brother."
Neville didn't know about that. He knew his and Harry's parents were friends but his grandma never mentioned how close they were. The thought of growing together with someone…he now wished it could've happened like that when he was a child. He never had any friends…not even now.
Harry saw Neville didn't say anything so he decided to continue. "I was wondering," he said grabbing Neville's attention, "we never really had a chance to talk to one another and now with everything that has happened…everything that has come to light I feel horrible. I want to know you better. Will it be alright with you?"
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As the train stopped at the Hogsmead station Harry and Neville prepared to board off when Harry said his name.
"Neville," he said as the boy looked at him, "I really appreciate of you understanding it."
"You don't have to, Harry," Neville said with a faint smile. "What you've gone through…I am happy for you…for what you've found."
Harry smiled as they both got off the train when he heard a familiar voice. Harry closed his eyes for a second hoping that he was just imagining things but as he opened them he could see him coming towards him. He prepared himself. Here he was hoping that this year would go by normally but then he'd found his parents' will and that someone he had trusted more than anyone was stealing from him…a lot had happened in these last two weeks and he could only imagine how things would happen from here on.
"Harry," Ron said coming up to him. Harry saw Hermione was not far behind. He still didn't know if she was also betraying him…in some ways but he had decided to keep her at an arm's length as he wasn't just ready or sure to trust her…not yet.
He forced a smile as he turned towards Ron who looked at him questioningly. "Why didn't you come to watch the Quidditch finals with us?" he asked. "I never even got a reply from you."
"Can we talk about this in private?" Harry asked. Ron looked like he didn't want to agree to it but then he said nothing and nodded slowly. "Okay, after dinner meet me on the astronomy tower."
He didn't even wait for Ron's response and headed for the carriages. Neville quietly followed him as Ron kept looking at them wondering what was going on. "Where is he going?' Hermione asked as she came up to him and saw Harry with Neville.
"Beats me," Ron said but underneath he had a guess as to why Harry was acting like this. It must be because of his mother. There couldn't be any other reason. Ron had been told by his mother that something like this could happen so he needed to be patient. While Dumbledore had made sure that his mother's trial never happened, and that all the records related to it had been 'taken care of' one couldn't deny the article the prophet had published about her the day after she had been arrested by a group of aurors in the Gringotts atrium on the charges of stealing from Harry's vault. The Weasely household had never received so many letters after that day. Swarms of owls flew above the Burrow, delivering letter after letter to them. Some were from people the Weaselys knew while most of it was from supposed fan girls of Harry's.
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"Why can't I tell anyone about it?" Astoria asked.
"You know why," Daphne said. "We've talked about this. Do you really want to disappoint mom and dad?"
"No," Astoria said sadly. She couldn't wait to tell her friends about Harry but her parents had made her understand why it was important for her to keep this a secret. She was a little slow at understanding things but she understood her parents' seriousness very well. Living in a pureblood family she had been taught about it very early, especially because she was a girl and in the magical society pureblood girls were often seen as a means to create alliance between two houses.
The Greengrasses didn't have such a mentality but that didn't mean they hadn't received betrothal requests from reputed pureblood families for their daughters, especially Daphne. All of this had caused their eldest daughter to grow up faster than any other child her age. Despite being just fourteen years old she understood the seriousness and dangers that her family…her sister and she herself were constantly in like a full grown adult.
Daphne knew the risks and dangers that will follow her family if word got out that Harry was under their care…and that her mom was best friends with Harry's mother. This was why she didn't even tell Tracey about it, her best and only friend with whom she shared everything. She just couldn't bring herself to trust her with this, though. It was just way too risky.
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Dumbledore looked at the students as they slowly started to fill the great hall. The first years were yet to be brought in but other than that everyone had settled down, talking to each other. His eyes then darted over to Harry who was sitting with Neville Longbottom rather than with Ron and Hermione who were talking to each other while occasionally glancing towards Harry. He assumed something must've happened between them…or they didn't know why Harry was sitting away from them.
But there was something else that was bothering him since last week. Ever since he'd come to know that Molly was caught stealing from Harry's vault he, through his channels, conducted his own investigation. One of the aurors told him that Molly had been using a duplicate key to access Harry's vault and that a goblin was helping her. Dumbledore knew that Goblin was Griphook and that he'd long since been given punishment for that but the auror then told him that Harry's vault was now much more secure with only Harry being able to open it.
Dumbledore hadn't checked it himself but if that was true then Harry had gone and done something he couldn't have…with his knowledge on how things worked in the magical world. Dumbledore knew a goblin named Barefang had brought this incident to light to the goblin king. Harry must've been informed about the theft by Barefang when he'd gone to withdraw money from his vault. It could cause him to know that Molly had stolen from him. Maybe that was why he never joined the Weaselys on the final match of the Quidditch World Cup. Maybe that is why he wasn't sitting with Ron and Hermione right now.
Dumbledore knew he couldn't let things be this way…not for long. For the greater good Harry needed to have good relations with the Weaselys. He could ask Harry if he knew about Molly but then he had other matters to attend to. He cursed mentally as he thought about the tournament asking place here at Hogwarts and the death eater raid which took place during the final math of Quidditch World Cup. It was similar to the last time when Voldemort had rose to power – a display that his forces were gathering.
Various members of his Order had already wrote to him regarding this situation but his mind was focused on Harry at the moment as he saw him laughing and talking with Longbottom. His thoughts were interrupted as the doors to the great hall opened and McGonagall brought in the first year students.
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Harry saw as Ron stood in front of him. They were on the astronomy tower as he saw the look on Ron's face. He clearly wanted answers as to why Harry never came to watch the final match with him and his family. "So, I'm here," Ron said, a little out of breath as there were a lot of stairs one had to climb in order to reach to the top of the astronomy tower. "Now tell me."
Harry looked at him for a moment before reaching for his pocket and taking out a folded parchment which he then handed to Ron. Ron looked at him confused before unfolding the parchment. He looked at it for a few minutes before looking at Harry. "What is this?" he asked, his tone more confused than anything else.
Harry sighed. He should've expected Ron to not understand it as he took the parchment from him. "This is a copy of the transaction records from my vault from last year," he said. He saw the look on Ron's face change. Now the red head knew where he was getting at as he looked at Harry. "I know Mrs Weasely stole from me," he said. "I know that she used a duplicate key to do it and that she had help from a goblin from Gringotts. I want to know why. Why would she betray me like that?"
"You are out of your mind, Potter," Ron said, his voice shaking with anger as he took a step forward. "How dare you accuse my mother with something like that?"
Harry smiled slightly. For some reason, he expected that kind of a response from Ron. "I was shocked at first, too," he said. "Imagine my shock to know that a woman whom I thought as a motherly figure was actually stealing from me. Records don't lie Ron, especially when they are maintained automatically. Even I didn't want to believe it at first but then I was shown the proof…even more…"
"What?" Ron shouted. "What proof do you have…of getting away with such an accusation on my mother?" In a sudden motion his wand was out pointing at Harry when he noticed Harry already had his wand pointing at Ron from stomach level underneath his robe.
"I may not be great at dueling but I sure as hell can knock you out pretty easily," Harry sad, his tone so serous it shocked Ron. He'd never seen Harry like this. He felt as if the air around him had become dense as he swallowed. "I will not waste my time trying to make you understand," Harry said. "The fact that your mother stole from me…was all her love and affection she showed me a lie? Did she lie every time she told me that she cared for me? Help me understand, Ron because I sure as hell can't find any reason to not believe this piece of paper in your hand…"
"So what if she stole from you?" Harry was lucky to have called Ron up here because the way he'd shouted…students outside their dorm would've heard him. The shade of Ron's face matched his hair as his whole body was shaking in anger. "A rich brat like you…and you can't even…So what if she stole some of your money? It's not like it made a bit of difference in your wealth?"
Harry stood there looking at Ron with wide eyes. Was this boy for real, Harry wondered. He wondered if Ron could even hear himself…the ridiculousness of what he'd just said. Harry closed his eyes and took in a long breath. Anna had told him that doing this helped calm one's mind and she was right. Once he was calm enough he looked at Ron with seriousness.
"I don't know if you even heard what you just said," Harry said. "I will be filing a complaint against Mrs Weasely for stealing from me. If it was someone else…I'd have let go but not her. Not the woman who lied to me…every time I saw her." His voice was shaking as he felt his anger rise. "You wanna know why I never came to see the match with you? It was because of this. I wouldn't have done that if I wasn't presented with the evidence that I believe is true. You don't believe that piece of paper in your hand then it's your fault, not mine. I see it as proof enough that your mother…stole from me."
He didn't wait for Ron to speak as he left the tower leaving Ron standing there alone with a look of shock and anger on his face.
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As soon as Harry entered the common room Hermione came up to him. "Did something happen between you and Ron?" she asked sounding worried. "It looks like you are ignoring him…and me."
Harry looked at her. She had been with him in his most important moments. Harry knew he wouldn't be able to bear the pain if she also turned out a betrayer. "It's nothing," he said slowly. "I'm tired. I'm going to sleep." As he walked past her his eyes fell on the Prophet that was on the able. Apparently Voldemort's followers had attacked on the people after the Quidditch match had ended. Many people died and many got injured but the dark mark that the death eaters had cast on the night's sky was what had gathered everyone's attention.
Harry hadn't read the news but he knew people were scared after yesterday. Those who had lived through the horrors of Voldemort's reign over ten years ago, Harry wondered what they thought of this.
As he climbed the stairs to go to his dorm he wondered what the next day would bring. After his feud with Ron tonight he was sure about one thing – he wouldn't be bothered by him for some time. As he retired to his bed Harry wondered how things would take place from here on. He thought about his new 'family'. Matt had told him how hard it was for them ten years ago during Voldemort's reign when they were forced to help his cause just because they were purebloods and they both had been in Slytherin house during their time in Hogwarts.
If Voldemort's followers were planning to cause havoc once again, then Harry knew that the Greengrasses would face a similar situation once more. His thoughts went over to Daphne and Astoria. Anna had told him that the reason Daphne appeared so cold was to make herself appear strong in front of those Slytherins whose parents were known death eaters. And now with Astoria sorted in Slytherin starting last year, Daphne had taken it upon herself to protect her too.
Harry realized the challenge in that…the risk Daphne had to face every day. He'd never imagined how much she had to go through every day at Hogwarts. Now he understood why they could never let anyone know that he was living with them…that Anna and Harry's mom were close friends.
A lot had happened this past two weeks and it would only continue. Harry kept thinking about it as he drifted into slumber.
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Thanks for reading…