Author's Note: Thanks for the love y'all! I am super excited for the Prisoner of Azkaban chapter coming up, and it's about half written. So please be patient with my as I put it together! And since it's going to be pretty significant in setting up this AU... well, I've got to get it right you see. Thank you to Aya for being a wonderful beta!
Disclaimer: The following characters belong to J.K. Rowling, and this story derives from her original works, storylines, and world. Please do not sue me, I can barely pay tuition.
Warnings: NA
Stacked with: MC4A; By Any Other Name; Specious Narrative; Snicket Fence
Individual Challenge(s): Gryffindor MC (x4); Ethnic and Present (Y); Seeds; Bow Before the Blacks (Y); Long Haul
Representation(s): Romani Potter family; Harry getting bullied in CoS; Muggle-born attacks and bullying; Celestial Petals AU; Harry's house-related identity crisis; Muggle-born support networks; Saving Dobby
Bonus Challenge(s): Found Family; Nontraditional; Zucchini Bread; Second Verse (Not a Lamp; Persistence Still; White Dress); Rediscovery
Tertiary Bonus Challenge(s): Ameliorate; Intercept
Word Count: 4402
5.
The Chamber of Secrets Part II: The Basilisk and the Phoenix
"You look happy to be home, love," Lily said, sitting on the end of his bed.
He closed the book he was reading—Hogwarts, a History; an unusual choice for him…
"I missed you," he said earnestly. "And it's Christmas."
"I missed you, too," she said. "But usually you're excited, not… relieved."
Harry chewed his lip.
"It was hard this semester," he said. "Because of the… the Parseltongue."
"I see," Lily said. "That must pair rather oddly with the rumours about the Chamber of Secrets."
"You know about those?" Harry asked.
She nodded and drew her legs up on the bed.
"People say things, but you're my mum and you're Muggle-born," Harry said. "And Hermione's one of my best friends. And Dean is my roommate. I don't understand why people…"
"People don't think, Harry, people talk," Remus said from the doorframe. He let himself in and eased himself down on the reading chair in the corner, joints stiff during this phase of the lunar cycle. "It hasn't gotten better, then?"
Harry shook his head.
"I'm not Slytherin's Heir, am I?" he asked anxiously.
"We looked through everything we have on the Potter family. They were Romani. They suffered a lot of violence and had to move around a lot, and there are things that got lost over time," Remus said. "But we honestly don't think so."
"Then why can I speak Parseltongue?" Harry asked.
"It's a gift some people have," Lily said.
"It doesn't feel like a gift," Harry muttered.
"Magic didn't feel like a gift when I first got to Hogwarts," Lily said, taking Harry's hand. "Give the world time to catch up to you, love."
"I'm not even a Slytherin," Harry said, shaking his head. "I don't want to be one. That's Voldemort's house."
"It was," Lily said. "But we know terrible, terrible Gryffindors as well, don't we? And Slytherin was Merlin's house. It was Professor Slughorn's house, and you know how much he helped me get settled when I was younger. It's not about the house Harry, it's what you do when you're inside."
"I want to be a Gryffindor," Harry said meekly.
"Then be a Gryffindor," Lily said, squeezing his hand. "You've got two in the room with you now…"
"Three," Sirius said. He'd been leaning in the doorway.
"Three," Lily said. "We won't complain. But you don't have to be afraid."
"Remus?" Harry asked over dessert. "How do house elves… I mean, is there any way to free them?"
"Their masters can, yes," Remus said. "They have to be given an item of clothing to be free."
"Any clothing?" Harry asked.
"As far as I know, yes," Remus nodded.
"The Blacks liked to free their house elves by bludgeoning," Sirius reminisced.
"God, we're lucky you ended up this way," Lily said, shaking her head.
"Why do you ask, Harry?" Remus said, bringing his fork to his mouth.
"Just curious," he said.
Lily frowned suspiciously. Her son absolutely was curious, but just curious? No. There was no such thing as a hypothetical question.
"Mum, Professor Lockhart keeps asking about you," Harry said.
"Don't call him 'professor' in this house," Remus warned. Lily grinned.
"What does he ask?" Lily said.
"Just… stuff. Is it true that you two went out while you were at Hogwarts?" Harry asked.
Sirius burst out laughing. Lily cast a silencing jinx from across the room, but that didn't stop him.
"No," Lily said. "Absolutely not."
"He said you two made excuses to see each other," Harry frowned. She saw Sirius laugh louder in the background.
"I tutored him," Lily said. "But I tutored everybody, really."
"In what?" Harry asks.
Lily cracked a grin. "Defense Against the Dark Arts."
"That makes sense," Harry nodded.
"Somebody's up early for their day off," Lily noted. Sirius turned to her.
"I had a letter to send," he said, clearing his throat. "I… that talk with Harry about Slytherin house made me think of my brother."
"Oh," she said. She had never met Regulus, though she'd seen him around at Hogwarts—had probably taken points from him once or twice, given the crowd he'd hung around... Most of what she knew about Regulus she'd learned from James. Very little of it was good, a lot of it was complicated.
She waited this one out until Sirius spoke again.
"I never made much of a fuss when he went missing—my delightful mother was still alive to handle that and I… I honestly didn't care much. But he was so young when he disappeared. God, I feel old saying that, but I am. He was a kid, and he got wrapped up in the things I'd have fallen into had James not adopted me in first year. I just sent Mad-Eye Moody an owl to see if he would be willing to try and track down Regulus."
Lily opened her arms and Sirius walked over for a hug. She kissed his hair.
"I'm proud of you."
"I'm worried about Ginny," Molly said, stirring sugar into her tea. "Of course, I know that it's not unusual for the flow of letters to lighten once children are more habituated to Hogwarts—she is my seventh, after all, but I… oh, it must be silly."
She waved her hand dismissively and took a sip.
"And what about your news?" Molly asked. "How did it go with that Muggle man who took you out?"
"David," Lily said. She chewed her lip. "It was… it was nice, I suppose. I got to dress up, wear my heels. He was a gentleman, very sweet, very kind, very interesting."
"It doesn't sound like it went well by the way you're saying all those nice things," Molly said.
"It's not his fault, I just… my heart wasn't in it," Lily said. She took another sip of her tea. She knew that James would have given her his blessing—goodness, if the positions had been reversed she'd want him to be looking… But it was hard to feel hopeful. Truth be told, Lily had felt bored and understimulated during that entire date. She'd been excited to go home where she knew Remus and Sirius were watching nature documentaries, of all things.
"Well, maybe it's because he's a Muggle. You couldn't quite be yourself around him, could you?" Molly reasoned.
"I suppose it might be," Lily said.
"I'll ask Arthur to have a look at who's available. He only works with Perkins, who I would not send your way for a million galleons, but I'm sure there's at least one decent man in the Ministry," Molly said. "Cheer up, sweetheart!"
It was Valentine's Day. Sirius was out breaking a curse protecting a bog that some druids must have really, really liked—and so Lily and Remus were free to watch documentaries all night and eat Chinese food.
When the flowers came, Lily was confused.
"Did you do this?" Lily asked.
"We've been housemates for eleven years," Remus said. "I thought the spark was gone."
Lily grinned and turned back to the bouquet of… lilies.
I realized that the one thing I don't know about you is what your flower is—since you're always so delighted no matter what I get you—but I know what I like, James had once told her with that cheeky grin of his on their first Valentine's Day. She'd called him a tool, which he'd amended to "a romantic tool," which she had conceded.
These were from Lockhart though, which was way grosser than Lily had anticipated.
"Merlin," Remus said. "Does this mean he knows where we live now?"
"I hope not," Lily said. She vanished the note and picked up the bouquet. Remus gave her a look.
"What?" Lily asked. "It's not their fault they were sent by Lockhart. I won't leave them on the porch to die."
Dear Professor Dumbledore,
Harry has written to tell me that Hagrid was recently fired from his position and thrown into Azkaban. This is ridiculous—absolutely ridiculous. What happened to a man's right to a fair trial? What evidence is there that Hagrid had anything to do with the petrifications when he spends most of his time outside the school anyways? Why is our legal system now running to rumours and catering to the agendas of Purebloods who feel entitled to make judgement calls on half-bloods?
I'm sure I don't have to tell you any of this. I am simply expressing my concern to you so that you can relay one parent's dissatisfaction to the board and can direct me towards who I should send my complaint to the school board to.
Best,
Lily
"And?" Remus asked, watching Lily fold the letter and slip it back into its envelope.
"He won't come home," Lily said. "He says he won't leave Hermione alone in the infirmary. He, Neville, and Ron visit her twice a day and he doesn't intend to stop."
She chewed her lip and felt tears prickling her eyes. She wiped them away and distracted herself by giving Hedwig an owl treat—she kept a jar in she and Remus' office on the ground floor, and Hedwig had started only coming in through their window now. Clever girl.
Lily ran her hand down the owl's feathers. Remus gave her some time before interjecting.
"Lily?" he said.
"Yes?"
"Are you really surprised?" Remus said gently. "I know he crashed a flying car into the Whomping Willow, but this is the most James-like thing he's ever done and ever could do."
Lily squeezed her eyes shut and nodded.
"The thing with James—with all of us, really—is that we only started seeing danger when it was too late," Lily said. "And I don't want that for Harry. People recognize him in the streets, Remus. He's so, so vulnerable and I don't want to tell him because he's just a child and I don't want to be paranoid because that's not fair to him, but… but something's not right. I can… I can feel it."
Lily kept her arms wrapped around her son for so long, he eventually got twitchy in her arms and she had to let go.
"I know you'd yell at me if you weren't so happy and I'm sorry," Harry said quietly. "I… I didn't mean to put myself in danger, it just…"
"Happened?" Lily suggested. Harry nodded and she buried her nose in his hair again. That's what she had been the most afraid of: that these things just happened. And that they would keep happening…
"Molly and Arthur, you should bring Ginny and Ron to Madam Pomfrey," Dumbledore said. "Ron I do believe you could show your parents the way, in case they forgot? Neville, I would appreciate if you could go with them—your grandmother should be here soon."
There was some nodding and some shuffling. Ron held his sister's hand protectively as they turned to the door. Moments later, Lucius Malfoy burst in, a skeletal house elf at his heels.
"You," he said, looking at Dumbledore.
"Indeed, Lucius," Dumbledore said cheerfully. "Thankfully, nobody finished the candy in my jar while I was away."
"Dobby!" Harry said.
"Who?" Lily asked for a second before she saw him looking towards the little elf. Suddenly, all those questions about house elves made sense… How Harry knew this one, out of all elves, Lily didn't know. She'd find out by plying her son with cake, she supposed.
Malfoy was ignoring the little elf, which was apologetically scurrying around his ankles, trying to polish his shoes.
"So!" he said. "You've returned. The school board suspended you, yet you still saw it fit to return to Hogwarts."
"Well, you see, Lucius," said Dumbledore, "the other board members contacted me today. It was something like being caught in a hailstorm of owls, to tell the truth. They'd heard that Arthur Weasley's daughter had been killed and wanted me back here at once. They seemed to think I was the best man for the job, after all. Very strange tales they told me, too. . . . Several of them seemed to think that you had threatened to curse their families if they didn't agree to suspend me in the first place."
Mr. Malfoy went even paler than usual, but his eyes were blazing.
"Curious and curiouser," Lily said, buying into Dumbledore's game. "Although I'm sure that Mr. Malfoy will acknowledge that it was quite a lucky thing that you'd returned after all, given that these attacks have stopped and our children are now safe—all of them. Even the Muggle-borns."
Malfoy turned to her and he looked even angrier.
"Well?" Malfoy snapped. "Who was responsible?"
He struck out his cane, throwing Dobby the house elf away from him. Lily was going to interject, but Harry cut in.
"Voldemort," he said. "But he's a right coward, so he was using that diary over there to manipulate Ginny."
Lily noticed Dobby making curious gestures; he pointed at the diary, then at Malfoy, and smacked himself on the forehead… Lily wasn't sure she understood the how, but the elf was making his meaning clearly enough.
"It was a clever plan, for if Harry and his friends hadn't discovered the diary's properties, why—Ginny Weasley might have taken all the blame without anybody knowing she was being possessed."
Malfoy's face was a mask.
"And to think that the Weasleys are one of Britain's most prominent pure-blood families… To think of the effects it would have had on Arthur Weasley and his Muggle Protection Act if his own daughter had been discovered attacking Muggle-borns," Lily chimed in. "What a tragedy it would have been to lose such potential talent."
The words seemed to pain Malfoy.
"Very fortunate," he said.
"Of course, more can be done to integrate and protect our Muggle-born students," Lily said. "That will be a prominent part of my campaign when I run for President of the School Board."
Malfoy looked at her with wide eyes.
"Why…" he said.
"Your term ends in a month," Lily interrupted. "It is perfectly acceptable for another candidate to run should they feel that they are better suited for the position."
"As you do, presumably?"
"As I know I am," Lily corrected him.
"Yeah, Mum wouldn't go around giving haunted diaries and dark objects to students," Harry chimed in, looking from Dobby to Malfoy. "You know, don't you? You know how Ginny got hold of the diary."
Lucius Malfoy rounded on him.
"How should I know how the stupid little girl got hold of it?" he said.
"Because you gave it to her," said Harry. He looked at Dobby, who was nodding frantically and repetitively slapping his cheek.
Malfoy didn't notice; he just hissed "Prove it."
"Oh, no one will be able to do that," said Dumbledore, smiling at Harry. "Not now that Riddle has vanished from the book. On the other hand, I would advise you, Lucius, not to go giving out any more of Lord Voldemort's old school things. If any more of them find their way into innocent hands, I think Arthur Weasley, for one, will make sure they are traced back to you. . . ."
Lucius Malfoy stood for a moment. His hand reached for his wand, but Lily drew hers.
"I'm still faster," she said quietly. "Just like the old days, isn't it, Malfoy?"
"I don't know what you mean," Lucius Malfoy said stiffly.
"Of course not, a side-effect of those Imperius curses that Dark Lord was so skilled at casting, I am sure. Now unless you want word of this diary spreading, I recommend you leave. Until next time, Lucius. At the school board election."
"Dobby!" Lucius said, opening the door with a wave of his wand. The elf hurried upwards, and Malfoy kicked him across the doorframe—Lily heard a squeal of pain. Harry winced, and then rushed to take his tie off.
"Professor Dumbledore," he said hurriedly. "Can I give that diary back to Mr. Malfoy, please?"
"Certainly, Harry," said Dumbledore. "Why don't you circle down to the infirmary and join your friends afterwards?"
Harry nodded and kissed Lily's cheek before darting out the door.
Lily turned to Dumbledore.
"What long-term damage can we expect from this?" Lily asked.
"Pardon?" Dumbledore asked.
"My scar tingles when I am near Dark Wizards or former allies of Voldemort," Lily said, touching her cheek. "Magic leaves marks. What magical implications can we expect from Harry's exposure to the Basilisk venom, and the phoenix' tears?"
"I do not know," Dumbledore said. "But I will look into it. In the meantime, keep a close eye on Harry and let me know if anything… develops."
There was a pause.
"He met Riddle, then," Lily said.
Dumbledore nodded. "A projection of Riddle, that is."
"What's the difference?" Lily asked. "I'm sure you're familiar with Reynold's Theorem in Charms. If a conjured bird sings like a bird, flies like a bird, looks like a bird, and perches like a bird—then for all intents and purposes, it is a bird."
"An interesting question…" Dumbledore said, sitting down at his desk and stroking Fawkes' feathers.
"Why is he back?" Lily asked. "How is he back?"
"If I knew, I would tell you," Dumbledore promised. "I'm afraid this is magic I have never encountered before. But whatever it was that Harry met, it was every bit as manipulative as the real Tom Riddle once was. Harry was quite worried when I spoke to him alone earlier. Riddle told him… many things."
"I'm sure he did," Lily said. "I'm sure he would have a lot to say."
"Harry worried about the similarities between them."
"Harry is nothing like him," she hissed.
"Perhaps he'll tell you more about his fears later," Dumbledore mused. "Perhaps he won't. Keep an eye on him."
"Don't I always?" Lily asked. "It's at Hogwarts that things hit the fan."
"Yes, he's quite like his parents that way."
Dumbledore smiled. Lily couldn't help but smile back—she'd always known that the old man had turned a blind eye to most of she and James' antics.
"Are you really going to run to be the school board's president?" Dumbledore asked.
"Yes," Lily asked. "Lucius Malfoy has been the second biggest pain in my ass this last year. I don't get mad, Headmaster. I get even."
"Who was the biggest, then?" Dumbledore asked.
"Your DADA professor, sir."
"Oh, about that…"
Remus filled her in on the little news he knew, and Lily went to join Sirius on the porch.
"I'm sorry," Lily said.
"It's fine," Sirius said.
"No it's not, and that's okay." She leaned her head against his shoulder. The porch swing they sat on swung gently.
"It's not like I'm surprised that he's dead," Sirius said. "I just wish I knew what had happened. Why, where, how, when… anything, really. He's not my favourite person, but he is my brother."
"I know what you mean," Lily said quietly. "It's a bond, even if you don't want it."
"Exactly," Sirius said. "I don't want it. But he did once take the blame for a vase I broke while I was five."
"A priceless artifact of the most Noble House of Black!" Lily exclaimed. Sirius made a face and swatted at her arm. Lily smiled; her work accomplished.
"You know, I think Harry wishes he'd had siblings," Lily said quietly. "When I see him with the Weasleys, or with Neville."
"Tell him he's wrong. Remus is an only child and he's by far the most well-adjusted here," Sirius said. Lily scoffed.
"But like you said, it's… it's a bond. It's something," Lily said. Sirius kissed the top of her head.
"I wish he'd gotten that, too. But for the record, I think he's a pretty lucky kid," Sirius said.
At the train station, Lily pulled Hermione aside.
"Are you okay?" she asked.
Hermione chewed her lip and nodded.
"Getting petrified didn't hurt."
"It's still scary," Lily said. "I was scared for you."
Hermione nodded. "It… it was. But I knew it was a Basilisk. I was carrying around a mirror."
"You're so bright," Lily smiled, pushing a piece of her hair back. "And I'm happy you figured it out, but you shouldn't have had to. You know, I was a Muggle-born student while Voldemort was first in power. It was scary, Hermione. When I married a pure-blood it was nearly worse, people said I was going to tarnish an old bloodline... Some of that hatred is still lingering."
Hermione nodded. "It's just… I don't think any of us knew we were in danger until this year, and then we could have died."
"You could have," Lily said. "And that's terrifying. Towards the end of seventh year, James—Harry's father—didn't even want us going to Hogsmeade because of… of things that had happened to other Muggle-borns there. There were students we had to avoid in Hogwarts' hallways to stay safe. Friends you had to let go of before they turned on you. In those days we found that our best tool was to rely on friends. And even then, even the kindest and most invested pure-bloods and half-bloods couldn't understand what it was like to be Muggle-born. It was important to have each other."
She gave Hermione the folder—it was a Muggle binder from a Muggle office supply store. The notes inside were written on Muggle paper with Muggle gel pens. A piece of Muggle masking tape on the cover labeled it: MUGGLE-BORN STUDENT UNION.
"I didn't know that was a club," Hermione frowned.
"It disbanded when Voldemort fell, as I understand it," Lily said. "I was a founding member—president from fifth year upwards. We held meetings every week, let each other know when a student was suspected of joining Voldemort's ranks, or had acted against one of us, held vigils when Muggles had been killed, raised awareness, helped each other through losses… we even campaigned for Muggle Studies to become compulsory. I dare hope that the world has changed, but I'm giving you this as a tool should you ever need it."
Hermione looked through the papers quickly and then looked back at Lily.
"You are not alone," Lily said. "And you don't have to hide your Muggle-born status to fit in with the wizards at school. Wear it like a badge and tell them that you belong if they don't believe it. Make them see it.."
Hermione smiled and nodded.
"I'll… I'll write to Colin, Justin, and Penelope, and all the others I know over the summer. There's probably more I don't know about," she said. "We'll restart it."
Lily smiled and returned Hermione's hug warmly.
Harry hadn't gotten off the train alone. He was holding a little house elf who was looking around the platform curiously by the hand.
"Hello again, Dobby," Lily said.
"Mistress Potter knows Dobby's name," the little house elf squeaked, before looking up at Harry. His ears wiggled in excitement and Lily smiled. "Dobby has heard so much about Mistress Potter…"
"You can call me Lily, Dobby, please," she said, kneeling to be level with the elf. "And I've heard quite a bit about you, now. I heard that you were trying to protect Harry this year."
"Dobby is very sorry," the elf said, shifting uncomfortably from one foot to the other. "Dobby sees that Dobby shouldn't have done many, many things, but Dobby was only trying to keep Mr. Harry Potter safe."
"I appreciate that," Lily said. "It's a full-time job."
"Mum, given that Dobby is free now, I was wondering if he could stay with us," Harry said. Lily arched an eyebrow. She'd ask Harry how exactly that had come to be later.
"Congratulations on your freedom, Dobby," Lily said. "We would love to have you as a guest in our home, if you would like."
"Dobby has never been a guest before," the little elf squeaked nervously. "Much less in the home of such a famous and kind wizarding family as the Potters!"
"It would be our honour," Lily said.
They sandwiched Harry, piling onto his bed. Lily kept the box on her knees tightly.
"I know this was a difficult year," Lily said. "I know that as easy as it is for us to tell you to ignore the other kids, to pretend they're not whispering or spreading rumours about you… it's easier said than done."
Harry hesitated and nodded.
"We're proud of you," Sirius said. "For coming through. And we want you to know that even if you were Slytherin's Prefect and Quidditch All Star, we'd be proud of you. No matter what anybody says. So we got you this."
Lily passed over the box, and Harry looked shocked when he looked inside.
"A snake?" Harry asked.
"They're a magical breed, half corn snake and half Runespoor," Lily said. "They're warm-blooded, unlike other snakes, and they're apparently quite chatty and bright."
"We think he'll help you practise your Parseltongue," Remus said. "That's a gift, Harry. You should be proud of it, and tend to it to see how it grows."
"Hedwig's going to get jealous," Harry smiled. Lily laughed.
Author's Note: Thanks for reading! Please note that Harry's new snake friend doesn't have a name in my mind yet... if you have any ideas, hit the comment section! If you don't, please also leave a review... they make my day!