Blooming Flowers
Past Bloodline:
The next day, rumors ran rampant, whispers followed, and old glares darkened Harry everywhere he went. Harry did his best to ignore them, smiling at his sister and friends' worried glances. Justin had taken to avoiding him. Even worse, his Dad had made him release the snake into the Forbidden Forest. The snake had seemed happy about it, so it wasn't so bad.
"How did you do it?"
Harry looked up from the letter Fenrir had sent him, along with a picture of a female and male centaur, the Pack was somewhere East. Leaning against Harry and reading along, Hermione looked up and frowned. The boy was a sixth year, tall and handsome, and sneering down at her brother.
"How did we do what?" Harry asked.
"Trick the Sorting Hat into sending you here, both of you." The boy, Kevin, Hermione thought as he looked at her.
"….Are we supposed to be somewhere else?" Harry asked after moment.
Kevin's sneer grew. "Don't play games!"
By now, they had attracted the attention of the others in the Common Room, who had been doing their best not be caught, giving nervous glances and low whispers.
"I'm not," Harry told him with a slight narrowing of his eyes, the only indication that he was getting a little annoyed.
"There's no way the Sorting Hat would let you into Gryffindor of all Houses without some kind of trick, so how did you do it? Did your Dad help you?"
"First of all," Harry started, "why would our Dad, the Head of Slytherin, want to trick the Sorting Hat into placing his kids in his rival house?"
"Spies."
"Can't really fault that logic."
"Not helping, 'Mione."
Ron came down the stairs, eyes looking around and then settling on his friends and Kevin. Blue eyes narrowing, he went over.
"Problem?" He crossed his arms after settling himself between the bigger boy and his friends.
Kevin opened his mouth, no doubt to hurl an insult or something unpleasant, only for a clearing of a throat to interrupt him. He looked over his shoulder in the direction of the boys' dormitory and paled.
Percy, Fred, and George were watching him. George raised an eyebrow and Percy's eyes dared the boy to keep speaking.
Kevin didn't, he merely scurried away. Ron was one thing, but the Twins and Percy was another.
"Alright," Percy spoke up when Kevin was gone, "everyone, it's almost dinner time, move along."
"Unless one of you want to test-"
"-our new prank bombs?"
Harry, Hermione, and Ron didn't think people could move that fast.
~.~
Dinner was... difficult.
Whispers, scared expressions, and glares from every direction. Harry picked at his food, Hogwarts's unhappy buzzing giving him a headache. About ten minutes in, he had just decided to eat in the kitchens when Luna stood and made her way to the front, standing before the Staff Table and drawing everyone's attention.
"Good evening, everyone," Luna announced with a dreamy smile, "it has come to my attention that there seems to be some confusion among our peers. So much so, that it's upset my friends."
Her smile dropped.
"I don't like that."
A few students gulped, while seated behind her, Severus raised an eyebrow. That was an interesting.
"So, please allow me to try and clear the fog," Luna raised her wand above her head, "with this spell found in the library of Hogwarts itself. The book is Bloodlines Through The Ages if you're curious."
She said a spell that none of the students heard of, and had a few Professors' eyebrows going up. The tip of her wand glowed, and a red mist line slithered out and spread like branches until everyone was looking at a red tree suspended in the air.
"This spell allows you to see the bloodline of anyone, so as long as you have some kind of DNA, for example, hair. See."
Luna plucked a strand of her hair and placed it into the end of the stream coming out of her wand. The tree glowed and then a list with small pictures shimmered into existence.
"Oh look, my grandfather by marriage was Newt Scamander, how nice."
There were low murmurs now and even some of the Professors looked surprised. Smiling again, Luna started walking down the aisle, humming softly.
"Hmm, who would like to try? How about you, Hermione, or maybe you, Neville?"
Luna stood in front of the nervous Gryffindor, who after gulping, nodded and stood up. When a strand of his hair was added into the stream...
"Mmm, oh my."
"No way!"
"Impossible."
"It's got to be some kind of trick!"
Before them, showed the entirety of Neville's bloodline, including the fact that apparently he was related to Merlin himself.
"How interesting."
As the Great Hall descended into chaos, if anyone had looked at the Staff Table, they would have been shocked to see that the Headmaster's eyes were not twinkling at all.
~.~
Though she ended up being called to the Headmaster's office, Harry was going to make Luna the biggest cake ever, complete with frosting and strawberries. With the whole student body distracted with finding out who they were related too — and a lot were interesting, and eye-changing — they pretty much forgot about Harry.
"This doesn't change anything."
Well, almost everyone.
"You're still a Slytherin."
"You know, Merlin was in Slytherin too."
The group, a mix of older Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff students, paused and glanced at each other. Not a look of surprise, shock, or "Really?" but more "Oh yeah, he was."
Harry snorted, then took his sister's hand, "Come on 'Mione, we're going to be late."
"Hey!" Barked the leader, who by the way was Kevin, grabbing Harry by the shoulder, "We're not done, I don't give a rat's—"
Kevin never finished because there's a fist at his face and he's on the ground.
"Touch my brother again, and you'll have more to deal with than a busted lip."
The two left, leaving Kevin on the floor.
When Minerva told him about it, Severus merely raised a brow and asked, "You really want to go there, after all that's been going on?"
Hermione didn't get detention.
Regardless of that, Harry was left undisturbed all the way up to Valentine's day. That morning, he spent it opening up gifts from his family. Fenrir had even sent a... something. He's pretty sure it's supposed to be a heart... he's pretty sure. His Dad had stopped him in the hall to give him, his sister, and friends some chocolate.
"This wasn't in your secret stash," Hermione had said.
His Dad raised a brow, "What made you think I only had one?"
Another mystery to shove for another day.
~.~
Ginny was looking sick again, and very tried. Percy took her to the hospital wing, she was given a potion and made to rest for the whole day.
Harry visited her during lunch.
Purposely ignoring Colin's bed, he had tried to visit after the last time... but it didn't go well, his Dad had to be called. When he peeked behind the curtain, he found Ginny was up.
"Hey Ginny!" Harry greeted.
She looked up from the book she was reading, and smiled back. Harry's brow furrowed, something didn't feel right.
"You okay?" Ginny frowned.
Harry nodded, and took a seat, "Yep, what about you?"
"Not so good obviously, I've been having trouble sleeping lately, think that's what got me sick."
Hogwarts pulsed, rapidly, loud, and confused.
~.~
Today was a Quidditch match, and Harry was nervous.
Hopefully this match wouldn't end with him breaking bones, or worse, losing them. Surprisingly, his Papa was there with Uncle Lucius, and Auntie Narcissa. Before the match started, Harry noticed Lockhart seated a row behind them, staring at the back of his Papa's head with an odd look.
Harry caught the Snitch and Gryffindor won the match.
After giving his congratulations, Papa dragged Dad off somewhere. Harry and Hermione had a feeling that they were going to do something naughty.
"Well, we best be going," Lucius said, "behave."
"That includes you, Draco," Narcissa said, kissing her son on the cheek.
"Okay!"
After that, they hurried back inside the castle, and that was when they found the petrified bodies of Justin and Headless Nick.
~.~
"Well, up you go." Professor McGonagall told him.
Harry only been in the Headmaster's office once, and that was after what happened last year. He found all the books, portraits and various knick-knacks fascinating as always.
He didn't recall there being a Phoenix though.
It was standing on a golden perch behind the door, decrepit-looking and resembling a half-plucked turkey. It looked at Harry, and made a gagging noise, it's eyes were dull and a couple of more feathers fell out of its tail.
Harry frowned, he knew from the book Draco had showed him once, that the bird was going to die and then be reborn in a burst of flame, it didn't mean it was easy to look at.
The bird burst into flames.
Despite knowing this was going to happen, Harry still jumped in surprise. When the bird become nothing more than a smoldering pile of ashes on the floor, the office door opened, and Dumbledore came in.
"Ah," he said when he noticed the pile, "about time, he's been looking dreadful for days. Been telling him to get a move on."
Harry smiled a bit at that before looking down in time to see a tiny, wrinkled newborn poking it's head out of the ashes. While some may call it ugly, Harry thought it was kind of cute.
"Shame you had to see him on a Burning Day," Dumbledore said, seating himself behind his desk. "He's really handsome most of the time, wonderful red and gold plumage. Fascinating creatures, phoenixes. They can carry immensely heavy loads, their tears have healing powers, and they make highly faithful pets."
Harry, after placing the bird in the nest behind the golden perch, sat down.
"I called you here, Harry, because I'm worried. Things have been very troubling lately, and you often in the middle of it."
Harry kind of wanted to point out that so was his sister and friends, but didn't. He didn't want them to get in any trouble, or in Luna's case anymore, and what did happen during her meeting with the Headmaster? If the Headmaster suspected them, then there was a possibility he was going to summons his friends here too once he was done with him.
"Thank you, but I'm fine. Nothing I can't handle."
Dumbledore hummed. In his nest, the Phoenix chirped.
"Well, if you're sure. Also, while I know you don't have anything to do with any of this, I still want ask, do have anything you want to tell me?
His Dad always told him that while the Headmaster wasn't a really bad person, you should never give him all your eggs, and to always take his word with a pinch of salt.
His Papa always said that the Headmaster was a pain in the arse. There were other words to that statement, but Dad told him never to repeat them until he was seventeen... or out of earshot of an adult.
Either way, to Harry, his sister and Draco, it meant not to trust the man, so when Dumbledore asked if there was anything Harry wanted to tell him, Harry said no.
~.~
Scorching was Hogwarts's fury.
And equally so was Harry.
So naturally, that's when Harry started walking up in near the forest edge again not long after the incident with Justin and Nick. This time, there was no Centaur or Fang with him. Sighing, he made his way to Hagrid's hut. Only to stop at a familiar hissing at his bare feet, he looked down just as something coiled around his ankle.
"Oh, it's you!"
He bent down and the snake easily coiled around his arm, tongue flickering. Standing up, Harry stared at it, brow furrowing "Maybe—"
He hissed and if snakes could give him judging looks, Harry would be getting all the judgment.
"Sorry, erm let's try—Hello."
Hello.
Harry smiled, How are you?
Full.
Good to know, what are you doing out here?
Looking for you, remembered something.
Oh?
Before this place became home, I remember hearing a voice, it was old, ancient.
Harry's brow furrowed once more. A voice that was ancient?
The spiders.
What?
Follow the spiders.
The snake was looking down and slightly to the right. Lighting up his wand, Harry found spiders; rather large ones scurrying into the forest.
Whelp.
Into the woods he went.
~.~
"They were really going to make us do detention in here last year."
That was the thought Harry had as he stared at the giant spider. Around his arm, the snake hissed threateningly at the big, no, huge spiders that surrounded them.
"You, have the feel of the forest about you," said the Spider, who introduced itself as Aragog.
"Um, thank you?"
"Why are you here?"
"Honestly, I think maybe because you can help. Hogwarts led me to the forest, and this guy, told me to follow the spiders."
The spiders around him clicked their pincers, not hostile, but curious.
"Explain."
"Something is attacking the students at the school, and—"
"That happened years ago!" Aragog interrupted, "Years and years ago, I remember it well. That's why they made him leave the school. They believed I was the monster that dwells in what they call the Chamber of Secrets. They thought Hagrid had opened the Chamber and set me free."
"Wait, you know Hagrid?"
"Yes, Hagrid is my friend. I was an egg when a traveler gave me to Hagrid, he was but a boy, but he cared for me, feeding me on scraps from the table. When I was discovered, and blamed for the death of a girl, he protected me. I have lived her in the forest ever since. Hagrid visits me, even found me a wife, and you see how our family has grown, all through Hagrid's goodness. "
Knowing that Hagrid had Aragog as a pet, and cared for him was not surprising, he loved animals of all kind. The man had a big heart, and was very kind, the thought that someone believed the man would hurt anyone made Harry's blood boil.
"You said a girl died?"
"Yes, while it would have been my instinct to kill, I didn't out of respect for Hagrid, I never harmed a human. The body of the girl who was killed was discovered in a bathroom. I never saw any part of the castle but the cupboard in which I grew up, my kind like the dark and the quiet."
"The bathroom, could that mean—?" Idea forming, Harry asked another question.
"Do you know what killed that girl? Because I think it's back, and—"
His words are drowned by a loud outbreak of clicking, and the rustling of many long legs shifting angrily.
"The thing that lives in the castle," said Aragog, "is an ancient creature we spiders fear above all others. The serpent on your arm is nearly the same."
Harry went still.
Oh.
Oh.
"I-I need to go," Harry stuttered out.
The spiders around him shifted closer. Harry paused, his eyes darkened and his fingers tingled. Around his arm, the cobra reared up in a attacking pose.
"Don't."
Aragog shuffled back a little, then, "Let him go. Goodbye, child."
"Thank you for your time."
Harry left the forest unharmed, and after watching the cobra slither back in, he ran back to the castle, vaguely aware that it was morning.
But by the time he got inside, it would be too late.
Thanks to my Beta YenGirl!
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