He Is Not One of Us
Disclaimer/Plot/Challenge Information/Author's Note: SEE FIRST CHAPTER
Recommended Reads: Who Dares Wins by OlegGunnarsson, Xenogenous Souls by Quatermass, Apex by JustBored21, When Daylight Dies by BloodyRose90, Harry Potter and the Hidden Truth by KingFatMan25, Midnight Sun and Darkest Before Dawn by Herald-MageAnduli, Dark Prince Rises and Argent Knight of Pendragon by Ronin2106, Beautiful, Broken, Deadly by ifYouDieInCanada, Small Changes by KnightCarter007, Harry Potter and the Prince of Slytherin by The Sinister Man, Harry Potter and the Shadowed Light by itshanniee and Antithesis by Oceanbreeze7
Key Pairing: Harry/Gabrielle;
Other Pairings: Neville/Ginny; Lily/James; Others TBD
Normal Speech
'Thoughts'
/Parseltongue/
Review Answers:
Vampireking40: Okay, let me fill in the blanks for you;
James and Lily FAKED their deaths and vanished with Jason, leaving baby Harry to go through the wars
Jason IS Harry's younger sibling – ex-now – but he's also his TWIN
As this is a WBWL story, it should be clear how Jason's the BWL
As for the toad and the Dementors, I've got plans in motion, don't worry
There, hope that clears up some things for you;
Winged Seer Wolf: Dark, but interesting; I think I might have another certain idea where that'd work just as well – you know the one;
"Now, I suggest you run, little buck…run back to the stag and tell him to get ready…"
"For what?" hissed Jason, but in response, Harry smiled before, without any mercy whatsoever, he head-butted Jason hard, the force of the impact breaking his nose, sending a few flecks of his blood over Harry's face in the process as the Black Heir backed off.
"Let the hunt begin…"
Chapter 4: Payback's a Bitch (Now, So Am I!)
Unsurprisingly, Harry and Ron were left alone after the pathetically-unsuccessful attempt on Jason Potter's part to manipulate the new Black Scion to come back into the fold.
As far as Ron was concerned, this was a good thing because, even though he would swear blind that he would never abandon his best mate and brother-in-all-but-blood – again – he had a very strong feeling that said that Hermione's willing, not to mention selfishly-driven defection had hit Harry really hard and left him in an unpredictable state of mind.
Not One of Us
After all, when Ron had jumped ship – easily, the worst thing he'd done, as the redhead silently admitted to himself – and turned his back on Harry because of the Tournament and Ron's jealousy, it was Hermione who had been there, standing by Harry's side and helping him out.
Even before then, when Sirius – Harry's now-Dad, as Ron reminded himself – had needed a way to escape his grim fate, Hermione had been there, albeit in a very convenient way, Ron also thought to himself, silently wondering if Harry also found her involvement and coincidental possession of a Time Turner too convenient for anyone else's liking.
Still, when Harry needed a reason to keep fighting after Ron's sacrifice in the chess game back in their first year, Hermione had been there – yes, Ron knew all about that meeting, and what the brunette had said to his brother-in-all-but-blood about him being a great wizard.
In fact, it was the last part, which made Ron hold such a strong suspicion that Harry was hurting more than he might admit and whether it was Harry himself or the Slytherin he'd recently become, the point still stood that being unpredictable made him dangerous.
So, rather than try to weather the storm and deal with his friend's emotional turmoil, Ron left Harry to his thoughts.
Not One of Us
Thankfully, in what little time they had left on the journey back to King's Cross, Harry seemed content to sit in cool, apathetic silence and wait it out, his gaze lingering on the window all the way while he only moved if he had to or felt the need to. However, as Ron noticed, the movements he made were either to flex his fingers, run a hand through his hair or, on more than one occasion, tap the scar on his left-hand side.
Finally, as the outskirts of London started to roll pass the window, indicating the impending end of their journey, Harry finally broke his silence as he drew in a slow, but audible breath, before he spoke to his companion, "Before we get off the train, I want you to know something, Ron."
"What?" asked Ron, a part of him both relieved and unnerved to hear the deathly-calm, almost-uncaring if not unconcerned tone of Harry's voice, suggesting he was back to whatever passed for normal these days with him.
However, as someone who'd been through the wars with him and, recently, been made to watch from the sidelines as Harry went through the same war, albeit with new rules and greater perils, all on his own, Ron had a sneaking suspicion he was anything but all right, much less whatever passed for being in a normal state of mind with him.
Looking away from the window, Harry locked eyes with his best friend as drew himself up to his full height before he explained, "I know what some people might think I'm going to do now I'm no longer the Golden Boy I never even wanted to be, but the truth is, over the course of this summer, I'm going to do everything in my power to get stronger. Being a Black, especially Sirius' heir, gives me the resources to learn everything I want to learn on exactly how to do that and having Sirius as a real Dad means I know, or at least, I hope that he won't stop me from doing it. I also have Draco as a friend and, hopefully, you and your siblings, meaning the Twins and Ginny, can accept that."
"As long as he means what he says, I'm fine with it…but only because you believe him," argued Ron, earning a faint smile from Harry.
"Good, because while I'm getting stronger, I'm going to invite Draco to do the same, so he can stand up to Lucius and the snake-faced wanker he bends the knee to. So, what I'm trying to say is: if you can keep your rivalry with him at school where it belongs, even if only for public appearances' sakes, then you're welcome to join us."
Hearing this, Ron's eyes widened in disbelief while Harry explained, "I'm going to tell Draco the same thing when I see him, but I'm not doing this for them or because I still want to be the hero. On the contrary, my hope is that I can find some way to take down Riddle personally and then, just for fun, remind Potter and his family just who the fuck I am!"
"But why?" asked Ron, a note of curiosity as well as amused disbelief in his voice as he asked, "Why get involved with…him at all anymore? Why not let Mr Big Shot and his bastard Daddy deal with the prick?"
"In case you forgot, mate, this whole thing started with me and him," said Harry matter-of-factly, his eyes glowing like the Killing Curse, which both unnerved and awed Ron, as he added, "It only makes sense for me to try and finish the way we started it: together! And, if somewhere down the line, I get to make Potters Senior and Junior realise, too little too late, what happens to those they think of as nothing more than pawns? Bonus!"
Here, Ron smiled weakly before he cleared his throat as he asked, "And if not? If you take out him and they're still breathing?"
With a cold smile that reminded Ron exactly what sort of wizard Harry had now become as a result of the betrayal of blood, the emerald-eyed Black Heir chuckled darkly before he answered the redhead;
"I suppose we'll cross that bridge when we come to it…won't we?"
Not One of Us
Stepping off the Hogwarts Express, Harry breathed in his first real scent of the freedom he'd gained by becoming Harry Black while his gaze swept across the platform as his peers and others reunited with their families.
As he stepped off the train, however, Harry felt his sense of delight fade away when a familiar voice snapped, "You!"
"And…here we go," muttered Harry, looking to the left where he saw a very angry James Potter cutting through the crowds, a stunned Lily and a smug, but still-hurt Jason with him.
As the Potter Lord made his way towards his former son, Harry gestured for Ron to get off the train before he told him, "Go…I can handle this."
"You sure?" asked Ron, but when he saw Harry give him a wink that would have made Sirius proud, the redhead nodded with understanding.
And, speaking of Sirius…
As James reached Harry, he was cut off from going for the confident youth he used to call his son when the body of the Black Lord seemed to suddenly materialise out of thin air, putting himself between James and Harry, though the lesser of the two didn't seem willing to accept this as he snapped, "Get out of my way, Sirius: this is family business."
"And Harry, lest you forget, Lord Potter, is my son and heir now," argued Sirius, looking once to Jason before he drew in a sharp hissing breath as he asked, "Ouch; that nose looks painful…I wonder how that might have happened."
"Meh, I head-butted him," said Harry in a matter-of-fact voice, earning a snort of amusement from Sirius before the Black Heir added, "But it no less than he deserved for trying to prank your son, Padfoot. That being said, I have to admit it: I did nearly fall for the whole reconciliation shtick…your idea, Prongs?"
"Don't you dare speak that name as though you know what it means, you traitor," hissed James, earning a raised eyebrow from Harry as he saw the man's hand edge towards his wand.
However, before James could make a move, Sirius cleared his throat before he asked, "Look…cooler heads will prevail here. I'm sure you won't want to portray the wrong image, Prongs; so why don't we go through the barrier, go and have a nice cup of tea and we can talk about this civilly? Without the need for wands and words we'll later regret."
"He's right," agreed Lily, earning a scoff from Harry.
Trust her to think they would be safe on the Muggle side of the world.
As he thought this, and Lily went on with insisting that her husband use his head and not his rage for once, Harry suddenly smirked when he began to wonder if something he thought might have happened before now had happened at all. If they passed through the barrier, it would give him the chance to find out and…oh…if his theory was right…
If they were there…
'Time to return the favour, Prongslet,' thought Harry, sneering at Jason before, drawing himself to his full height, he asked, "Look; we're all meant to be grownups here, aren't we? Even those who spit their dummies out and attack kids because they don't like the answers they're given…that's you, Prongs, by the way, hello."
James was practically spitting fire as Harry continued in that same matter-of-fact, don't-really-care-what-you-think voice of his, "All of us are heirs and heads of the two most-powerful, and oldest, of magical families in the country, if not the world, right? So why don't we take this somewhere a little more…more-neutral and we can talk about some sort of recompense for this? Unless you'd like to put it down to just a little banter between two proud…well, one proud and one stupid Marauder Heir, Prongs?"
"Move," growled James, earning a curt nod from Harry as he turned and walked towards the barrier.
As he moved alongside his son, as if giving Harry a shield between him and the narrow-minded nitwit known as James Potter, Sirius gently tapped Harry on the shoulder before he muttered under his breath, "You're up to something, pup…just tell me it's not anything you'll get in trouble for later."
"Let's just say…I'm returning the favour," said Harry, looking back once before, returning his attention to his new Father, he asked, "I mean…I'm not sure about them, but…did you happen to send any sort of message to a certain Thick-Headed Mutant Muggle Trio that I wouldn't need them to come and pick me up this summer, Dad?"
Suddenly, Sirius' eyes shone as they reached the barrier before, as Harry went to pass through it, he snorted as he muttered, "Damn…I knew there was something I'd forgotten to do…and if she – he indicated Lily as he said this bit – didn't do it either…it means…oh, Merlin! If they don't know what we know…"
"That's what I'm counting on," agreed Harry, passing through the barrier as he smiled wolfishly, gripping the head of his cane as he did so.
As the Potters appeared behind them, Harry feigned politeness as he turned before he added, "Now, if you'd be so kind as to follow me, James, we can get this over with. But let's not waste time: I've got more important things to do than dance to the tune of your ego and…oh…one last thing, just for the record: I'm not sorry either."
"What?"
Before Harry could answer, his smile widened when he heard a gasp of horror and disbelief from Lily before, as he'd expected, he heard the redhead whisper, "J…J…James…"
"What's the matter?" asked Harry, turning to face the direction Lily was looking in.
As Harry had expected, he found himself staring at a familiar, and just as unwelcome trio as the Potters, one of whom looked so pale, she might have died from a heart attack there and then – were it not for the fact that she didn't have a heart, most-likely because one of her companions had ripped it out of her and eaten it.
As for the others, the much-larger of them looked just as pale and sickly when he saw not only Lily and James, but Harry and Sirius all standing there, the sight of the former prisoner of Azkaban just as terrifying to them as the sight of two people whom were supposed to be dead.
"Damn," repeated Sirius, mirroring his earlier mood as he drawled, "I knew there was something I'd forgotten to do."
"I'll say," replied Harry, casually walking away from the barrier, as well as his former family before, reaching the spot where the Dursleys stood, he added, "Wow, who knew you could go that pale, Vernon? Anyone would think you were looking at a ghost!"
As the fat man opened and closed his mouth like the world's ugliest fish, Harry turned to Petunia as he added, "What? Didn't you get my owl, Petunia? Because, if you had done, you'd know I'm no longer staying with your lot and my new, adoptive Dad, Sirius Black, is now a free man and proven innocent…oh, and your sister's still alive and as much of a vile, selfish bitch as you claimed…but that's the only time you'll hear me say you were right. Now, we've got to be going; places to go, stuff to do, lives to live, a vast fortune to spoil myself on…or try and swim in, I haven't decided yet, still…you know how it is…toodles."
While Sirius roared with laughter at the casual demeanour of his son and heir, Harry counted to three in his head before James gained more attention than he probably should as he thundered, "You bastard! You set us up!"
'Payback's a bitch, Potter…now, so am I!' thought Harry, noticing how James' roar seemed to be the cue for Petunia to scream at the sight of her supposedly-dead sister standing there, alive and well, which only fuelled the confusion and alarm of the Muggles around them.
"Mischief Managed, Potter!" sneered Harry, letting out a low whistle as he looked around, taking note of the Muggles pointing and asking questions about the loud man and the way he'd suddenly sworn as loud as he had done. "Oh dear, we need to go, Dad…we're starting to draw attention to ourselves…now I wonder why anyone would want to do something like that?"
Sirius was still laughing when Harry left both his former families in the lurch, instead choosing to leave with his real family as they headed for a private area where, seconds later, Harry got his first taste of Apparition as he left King's Cross behind.
And, with it, he officially said goodbye to whatever ties he had to his old identity once and for all…
Not One of Us
When Sirius released Harry from the Apparition, the Black Lord looked once to his son before, unable to hold it in, he sputtered out a loud laugh as he asked, "Did…did you see their faces? Oh…honestly, Harry; even I couldn't have come up with such a delicious means of evening the score with someone who tried to trick the trickster, and I caused some of our more-infamous scenarios."
"Just living up to the reputation of the only good egg in the bunch, Padfoot," argued Harry, shrugging ruefully before he looked around, his eyes narrowing in curiosity, as he asked, "Now, where exactly are we? Being a Black, I'd have thought you'd have some grandly-decorated mansion or a remote, Unplottable island estate and grounds or something…but this? This looks like a suburban terrace of a house."
"That's because it is a suburban terrace of a house," argued Sirius, a note of amusement in his voice as he explained, "This is still London…though, to be precise, it's the street of Grimmauld Place, Harry; location of the olden-days homestead of our family, which is Number Twelve: although, I confess, I once swore…thankfully without magic, I'd never come back here if I could help it."
"So why have you?"
"Because you are the heir now," replied Sirius, indicating his son as he told him, "And I might not know what your goals are, apart from showing up James and his ilk even more, but despite my own personal feelings, I won't deny you a home…or the power you rightly deserve as a Black."
While Harry nodded his thanks, Sirius scoffed suddenly as he added, "Mind you, if, for whatever reason, you decide you'd rather go somewhere else, I do have an island property that's much more-comfortable and remote than this place…not to mention a place he can't get to you, mostly because I never told him or any of them about it."
"So where did you go when you…you swore you'd never come back here if you could help it?" asked Harry, walking across the street towards Number Twelve, which looked like just another building, though as he got closer, Harry felt like he could sense the lingering magic, as well as the humour of hiding in plain sight.
It definitely sounded like something any blood relatives of Sirius' could come up with.
Smiling at the air of wonder and acceptance his son seemed to have with the place, Sirius cleared his throat as he explained, "Ironically, I stayed with James, Charles and Dorea; thanks to my being a relative of Dorea's, who was, herself, a Black, I was always welcome at the Potters. Mind you, I hope that isn't the case now, no matter what plans people have come up with."
"Plans?" asked Harry, a part of him not liking how Sirius had put that.
Nudging his son forwards, Sirius swallowed down his worries and instead, he put on a fatherly air as he explained, "Inside…we can talk about that and other stuff over dinner."
Again, Harry did not like how he said that.
Not One of Us
Not for the first time since its inception was there a dark atmosphere within Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place.
While the rest of the house looked as dark, ominous and anything but warm and homey as usual, in the main lounge, Harry stood stock-still, his green eyes staring deeply into a low-lit fireplace while, behind him, a tea tray holding a half-filled plate of stew and dumplings seemed to turn cold faster than it should have done.
At the same time, a grand-looking mirror hanging over the fireplace started frosting over while, from where he sat next to the seat where he'd been sharing dinner with his son and heir, Sirius let out a slow, calming sigh before, wiping his lips with a napkin, he whispered, "I'm sorry, Harry; believe me, it's the last thing I wanted to put you through this summer, but…"
"No," said Harry, his fingers clasped tightly around the wolf's head on his cane while his green eyes revealed more of their grey, Black-born impurity as he watched the flames dance in front of him. "It's all right, Dad: I'm glad you told me about them coming here…just don't expect me to play nice."
"Honestly, after all they've done to you, I'd be very disappointed if you did," chuckled Sirius, though his attempt at humour did very little to alleviate the wintry atmosphere that seemed to have gripped the house.
An atmosphere he knew had been brought on by his son's true power reacting to the feelings of hate, disdain and even rage-fuelled disgust at the revelation that, in a couple of days' time, Grimmauld would be home to the anti-Voldemort group known as the Order of the Phoenix.
And, among their numbers, the meeting would also involve James Potter, Lily Potter and their Golden Bastard, Jason Potter.
As Harry clenched his hands tighter around his cane, he looked up from his musings as he asked, "What I don't understand, though, is how the old coot managed to convince you to give them Grimmauld, let alone under what I'm already able to figure out will be a Fidelius Charm."
"In the old days, this was the protocol for meetings," agreed Sirius, setting his own dinner aside while he leaned forwards, linking his hands together with a contemplative look in his eyes as he explained, "When the meetings were called, usually once every couple of months or so, we'd choose a location that we would be certain nobody would suspect as a base of operations. Then, as the so-called founder of the Order, it was usually Albus that was used as the Secret Keeper and then, every so often, we'd have a vote on change-around, usually based on security reports and insider information from Voldemort's forces."
Suddenly, Harry felt his blood run cold as he had a sneaking suspicion where said info came from. "Severus is a member of the Order?"
"Yes," replied Sirius, a faint smile showing on his face as he knew how well the two had repaired their relationship since the Potters' return after the Tournament. "As you know, he plays the role of a double agent, presumably on Dumbledore's orders, though only the two of them know why. But yes, Harry: like you said, the main information on the movements of the Death Eaters comes from Sn…Severus, who makes reports and, in the old days, he also used to pass a subtle message about if and when he was summoned by Voldemort."
As Harry heard this, his eyes darkened before, looking to Sirius, he swallowed hard as he asked, "If…is there any way he might be convinced to leave that behind, Dad? I know you and…and even Potter might think he's good where he is, but…but after everything he's done for me, helping me and even welcoming me to my true calling in Slytherin…"
"There isn't a way out," argued a new, but familiar voice, the sound of which made Harry's head snap up while Sirius rubbed the bridge of his nose before turning his head to the door, where Severus Snape stood, though he wasn't alone.
With him, much to Harry's relief and little surprise, were Narcissa and Draco Black, the lesser of whom looked just as beautiful as Harry had heard while she also shared a relieved expression that was visible on her son's face. As Harry gave a curt nod to Narcissa, which she returned in kindness, and the same to Draco, Sirius looked to his former school enemy with a mixture of relief and curiosity.
"Any trouble getting them away from him, Severus?"
"No; fortunately, Lucius is busy trying to assure Fudge that all is well, despite Potter's claims otherwise," answered Severus, looking to Harry as he added, "I apologise for not telling you about this, but the fewer people who knew, the easier it would be to get Narcissa and my godson out of the Manor unharmed and without encountering Lucius…or him."
While Harry took this to heart, he gulped once before, keeping his eyes on his Head of House, he smirked as he asked, "So…Draco's your godson, Severus? Suddenly, the last four years' worth of support, favouritism and watching over him makes so much sense…but that's not important right now; you…you said there's no way out?"
"Unfortunately not," replied Severus, moving to the empty seat where Harry had been sitting while Sirius conjured two more for Narcissa and Draco, the latter of whom gave a friendly smile to Harry – albeit one that was slightly-skewed because of the dark look on Harry's face.
Once everyone was seated, Severus cleared his throat as he rolled up his arm, revealing a very familiar Mark to Harry, which was thick, black and tinged with an air of malice that caused the temperature in the air around it to drop several degrees.
As he stared at the Mark, Harry gulped once before he looked up as Severus explained, "When I received this, I…I was in a very dark place myself and…and like many others, I…I did things. Things I am not proud of and would rather take back, but I did them; as a result of that, as well as the dark invocation of one of the oldest laws of magic, I became bound to the Dark Lord's power and will…forever."
"Can't he free you from it?"
"Why would he?" asked Draco coolly, though he seemed to share Harry's worry for the wellbeing of his favourite teacher and godfather, as was evident by the slight tremor of worry in his voice as he went on. "As far as he knows, Uncle Sev's his double agent in the old fool's circle; plus, he has access and knowledge of potions, arts and methods that many others wouldn't even think of attempting, not even my crazy Aunt Bellatrix."
"And she is crazy," agreed Sirius, earning a scoff from Draco while Narcissa closed her eyes suddenly, a pained look crossing her face.
Severus, meanwhile, looked back to Harry as he added, "Draco is correct: as long as the Dark Lord believes I am his spy, and have my uses, I live: the only release he has ever offered anyone is death, Harry. So, as much as it pains me to consider the possibility of breaking my promise to help you be the best you can be, I'm afraid we are both…what's that Muggle expression of a sport's name? Pooled?"
"Snookered," said Harry, his lips twitching in amusement as he heard Severus' sincerity, as well as the way he misinterpreted the word.
At the same time, Harry took a breath as he asked, "Can…can you at least promise me you'll be careful, Severus? I'm not saying be so obvious that you're found helping me, but…but can you at least be careful with Riddle and…and the Order?"
"That I can do," replied Severus, offering Harry a rare smile as he went on, "And should I discover anything that can be of use to you, I will be sure to let you know first, Harry."
"Good," sighed Harry, lifting his hand to run through his dark hair before, looking to Draco, he smiled with a mixture of curiosity and dark, if not personal amusement as he asked, "I'm guessing, then, you know about the uninvited house guests too, Draco?"
"Unfortunately, yes," said Draco, leaning back in his seat before he indicated a smug-looking Sirius as he explained, "But I'm now, truly, a Black first and everything else second, Harry: I don't know how or why the old fool managed to convince Sirius to do this, especially since even I know the only one he cares for now is you. But however he's done it, I won't allow this…change to stop me honouring my earlier promise to you."
"I certainly hope so," agreed Harry, leaning against the mantelpiece while he kept his eyes fixed on Draco as he went on, "During the ride back from King's Cross, I found out, much to my relief that one of my former best friends still considers me such, even though I'm a Slytherin and on better terms with you. He also told me the truth about why he became friends with me in the first place and proved such loyalty when we were challenged by Potter and the…the traitor who…who I'd hoped wouldn't choose her own ego over the ironclad bonds of friendship we've had for years."
"So, in other words: Weasley's in and Granger's out?" asked Draco, earning a faint smile from Harry before he nodded, earning a scoff from Draco before he asked, "So does that mean I can go back to calling her what she is?"
"Meh, call her whatever you want," agreed Harry, his eyes shining with a mixture of Slytherin slyness and amusement as he explained, "If anything, it'll make me earn the proof that Ron is as good as his word too…and, I'm sorry Sirius, and to you too, Severus, but you can even do the same for that backstabbing, two-faced, selfishly-deluded harlot of a Mudblood bitch, Lily Potter."
"But…" asked Narcissa, speaking for the first time since she'd walked in, her voice as cool in tone as Draco's, though with an eerily-enchanting air about it that made her sound like a true noblewoman, as she asked Harry, "Didn't she…I mean, forgive me for suggesting such a thing, Harrison…"
"You can call me Harry if you want to, Narcissa," replied Harry, earning a faint smile from Sirius before the Black Heir drew on his own emotions as he explained in as apathetic a tone as he could muster, "And to answer your question, she didn't even die trying to protect me? That's as much a lie as the other bullshit we've all had to deal with about their heroics. I mean, I'm not even the real Boy-Who-Lived, not that I wanted to be in the first place; I was nothing more than a decoy…the shadow that Jason used to hide in while he got the family life, the warm heart and the hero's welcome. All I got when they decided it was the right time to come back for the spare…was this!"
He jabbed a finger at his three-pronged scar as he said the last part, earning a wince from Narcissa while Sirius glanced to Draco as he asked the blonde, "Didn't you already tell her about this, Draco?"
"I…I never got the chance," admitted Draco, looking now to Harry as he added, "And I…I never knew that bit about you being just a spare part to them, Harry; I just thought it was the lie and…and the willing scarring that…that had turned you against them."
"I too, offer my apology, Harry," added Narcissa, her own enchanting blue eyes as cold and hard as iced sapphires as she glared at her family's heir while she told him, "If there is one grace I have always held in my heart, it is the bond of family and love for one's own, especially between a parent and their child. However, to learn how easily they would dismiss you for the other boy, and then how easily they'd claim your role and even go as far as marking you as they did…no, I cannot even question your hatred and willing relinquishment of anything that might be misinterpreted as love or defence for either Potter."
"No apologies necessary, Narcissa," said Harry, wiping a stray tear from his eye as he explained, "But this is my point: while they are playing their game of group therapy, I'm going to be doing some real work and, if they want to use my home as their base for their war games, then they're going to find themselves having to play by my rules, warts and all."
"How's that?" asked Draco.
In response, Harry smiled in that sly, amused way of his before he pointed the tip of his cane at Draco as he asked, "I don't suppose you know anyone else who might be willing to let bygones be bygones in exchange for protections from him, would you, Draco?"
"Huh?" asked Draco, but before Harry could answer, Sirius let out a laugh while even Severus smiled as he chuckled at the idea;
"Now I see why you were so intent on gaining what you tried to avoid all those years ago, Harry…it's brilliant."
Not One of Us
Early the next morning, while Severus helped Sirius provide the means for Narcissa and Draco, as well as Harry, to have a safe place away from the Order – and the Death Eaters if necessary – Harry sat alone in the lounge, a book on Medium-Level Duelling open on his lap, his cane resting comfortably next to his chair.
As he turned a page in the book, however, the Black Heir looked up suddenly when he felt the magic around his home react to an intruder.
A few seconds later, a loud bang echoed through the house, accompanied by a loud, none-too-friendly voice he had no trouble recognising.
"HARRY! SIRIUS! SHOW YOURSELVES: YOU HAVE SOME SERIOUS EXPLAINING TO DO!"
"And I was having such a nice day," drawled Harry, returning his wand to its holster before, lifting his voice, he added, "In here, Moony…if you've got something to say, come and say it."
Behind his chair, Harry heard footsteps marching towards him, but even as they crossed the threshold of the living room, Harry was already up and out of his seat, turning to face a red-faced, furious-looking Remus, who looked as murderous as his other half, while his voice growled with rage as he hissed, "Well? What do you have to say for yourself?"
"Nothing," said Harry matter-of-factly, earning a shocked, if not horrified look from Remus.
Seeing the look, Harry scoffed in disbelief before he asked, "What? Were you expecting floods of tears? Me begging you to help me find a way back into Mummy and Daddy's good graces? Or maybe you were hoping I'd listen because you believe you have the right to look me in the eye, stand by my side, get me to trust you and teach me, only to lie to my fucking face, you kicked puppy?"
Remus' eyes widened in disbelief and outrage as he heard the defiance in Harry's voice.
However, as he saw the man's fingers twitch, almost like a gunman flexing his fingers before a shootout in the Wild West, Harry sighed with feigned, if not mocking pity as he told Remus, "Go ahead, you backstabbing, bald-faced-lying freak! Go for your wand. Coincidentally, I've just been reading up on a particularly nasty spell that's pretty useful on your kind!"
"Harry, stop being such a child!" insisted Remus, advancing on Harry as he explained, "I get you're upset that you were left alone so Jason…"
Whatever else Remus might have said was suddenly cut off when Harry swung his cane outwards; with a resounding crack, the head of the cane collided with Remus' face, resulting in a howling scream of pain and terror as the bedraggled man clutched his face in torturous pain.
"Whoops, my hand slipped…sorry," hissed Harry, though he wasn't at all sorry for what he'd done, but Remus didn't need to know that.
As the wolf staggered back in pain, Harry saw his cheek crusting over while blood started flowing from the edge of Remus' mouth as a result of the attack on his skin, but Harry just feigned surprise and pity as he asked, "Oh…I suppose this means you didn't know my cane's ornament was made from pure silver, did you, monster? Would you like a closer look?"
"Harry…you…you don't know what you're doing…"
"Oh, spare me your sanctimonious bullshit," snarled Harry, his green eyes once again glowing with their impure colours as he hissed at the downed man, "Your good friend shed first blood, werewolf, not me! Your best friend gave me an ultimatum when I wouldn't take the knee to his bastard. One I was all too willing to return fire with, just because I didn't do like you and bare my bollocks to the false Alpha! Your good friend gave me the out and, like a real wizard…hell…like a real Slytherin would do, I grabbed it with both hands and never let go."
Here, Harry moved towards Remus before, lifting his cane once more, he pressed his wolf's head ornament down, jaws first, on Remus' neckline.
Thanks to the silver, the skin on Remus' neck began smoking, just like his cheek was doing, though with the jaws clamped on his skin, it soon began to blacken in a way that reminded Harry of how Quirrellmort had been vanquished.
"Now, don't worry, bitch-brains: I'm not going to kill you," said Harry, pressing the jaws down as far as they'd go, which would also leave a bite mark on Remus' skin – appropriate for a werewolf, Harry thought – while he went on, "Death should be a release, not a punishment."
While Remus whimpered in pain, Harry pushed harder still, his eyes glowing with fire and dark magical fury as he hissed, "Besides, like your Alpha, I think it's only fair to say that, to kill you now would be a mercy. Death would be a release from this life and, as far as I'm concerned, both you and your pack's sentences have yet to be carried out…and so, you cannot die until you have suffered the same way that I have suffered. Till you have known complete despair…until you see, for yourself, what you have done to me…and you will. I promise."
With that, he yanked the head from Remus' neck, leaving a pretty deep scar that, later, Harry was amused to notice didn't heal, even when the right spells were used on it.
As for Remus, he skittered back, though as he did so, he came into contact with a pair of legs; looking up, the werewolf paled when he saw Sirius standing there, a familiar gleam of madness visible in the Black Lord's eyes as he asked, "Lupin…what is something like you doing here? Not only do the Order not arrive until tomorrow, but I don't remember adding you to the guest list."
"He was just checking on the bedroom arrangements, Dad," drawled Harry, polishing his wolf's head with a spare rag.
"Oh," said Sirius, though as he did so, he frowned in curiosity, "That looks like a nasty scar; where'd he get it?"
"He fell on my cane," drawled Harry, earning another oh from Sirius before he stepped aside.
"Oh well…at least you're cleaning it, Harry; anyway…goodbye, Mr Lupin," remarked Sirius, watching as Remus left, albeit at a pace that was much quicker and with a lot less dominance and confidence than when he'd arrived.
Once the mutt was gone, Sirius looked back to Harry before he asked, "You okay?"
"I will be," replied Harry, looking to his Father with a stern, but amused glint in his eyes as he added, "Once you help me put one final piece of the puzzle into place, Dad; then, as far as I'm concerned, the therapy sessions can serve tea and cakes in frilly dresses."
"How can I help with that?" asked Sirius.
Once again, Harry smiled with a pure air of Slytherin-born slyness and dark pride that only a true Black, or someone who'd endured what he had endured, could manage as he answered his Father's question;
"Oh, nothing much…just help me cast a little spell, really; that's all."
Not One of Us
Early the next morning, Harry stood with Sirius in the small park across the road from their home, the Black Heir resting against his cane while Sirius stood tall and proud, his eyes scanning their surroundings as, together, they waited for the main event to begin.
As a lone car ran along the road behind them, Harry's left eye twitched slightly when he saw a thick, misty atmosphere – which would have been perfect…for Victorian London – suddenly roll in across the park.
This meant the view of the Muggles on the street would be obstructed, but in the park, Harry drew himself up to his full height, his green eyes cold and hard as he stared into the mist.
"They're here," said Harry, earning a nod from Sirius, who suddenly moved to stand next to his son, just as a series of near-silent pops came from within the fog bank. From out of the misty shadows, Albus Dumbledore, James Potter, Lily Potter and a smug, if not surprised Jason Potter suddenly appeared, all four of them looking at Harry and Sirius as they emerged from the obscure surroundings like ghosts in the night.
As the quartet neared them, Harry smirked once when he saw James' eyes widen suddenly before, looking past Sirius, he asked, "What is this? Where's your…what happened to…I…I can't say it: what is this, Black?"
"I'd call it…check, Potter," answered Harry casually, his smirk turning into a full-blown, wolfish grin as he looked to Lily, who also seemed surprised, and Jason, who looked disappointed and suspicious at the same time, before he glanced to Dumbledore, who also had a look of alarm on his face.
"Sirius…" said Dumbledore, a note of horror in his voice as he looked to the aforementioned lord before he asked, "What have you done?"
"Nothing, Albus," replied Sirius, his eyes shining with amusement and no small amount of victory as he explained, "Everything is going exactly as we discussed, so, once the rest of our…guests arrive, we can all get on with the next step. Until then, nice touch with the Nebulus Charm; I always heard it was a way you liked to ensure you weren't seen or followed."
"Nebulus?" asked Harry suddenly, feigning interest, which earned him a nod from Sirius before the Black Heir smiled as he added, "Thanks for that quick lesson, Dad; I'll be sure to remember it in the future. You never know when a smokescreen or a fog bank might come in handy."
"Actually," added Sirius, earning a look of rage from James while Jason looked beyond disbelieving as him and his family were ignored while Sirius turned to Harry as he explained, "The Smokescreen Charm is Fumos, Harry, but you're right about that coming in handy. Nebulus is better-suited to wide-range situations."
"Shame I couldn't have known that when we were outrunning Scarface," growled Harry, looking to James with a smug expression as he added in a casual tone of voice, "Which reminds me: next time you want to scold me for taking your impotent excuse for a threat and turning it on you, Prongs, do it yourself. Maybe then, next time, I won't have to spend five hours cleaning the stink of Dark Creature off my ornamental fangs."
"You…" gasped Lily, speaking for the first time as she stared at Harry in shock, "You were the one to hurt Remus? After all he's done for you? Harry, he was your friend! Your teacher! He protected you!"
"Lady Potter," remarked Harry, tapping the butt of his cane against the floor while he glared daggers at the redhead as he told her, "Do us all a favour and don't be so boring. Oh, and don't use my first name like we're friends, or even family, either! Like that cowardly throw rug, you chose your side and you helped this bastard treat me like I was just a commodity, which was bad enough before Hogwarts, thank you very much."
"That reminds me," added Sirius suddenly, his eyes shining with mirth as he asked in a very casual, if not mocking tone, "How is Petunia, Lily? Did you two manage to clear the air when you had your little family reunion?"
"You mean when you tricked us?" asked James.
"Now, now, Prongs," drawled Sirius, sniggering with amusement, if not mocking disbelief, as he looked to the dark-haired Potter Lord, "Surely you, the one responsible for Lily and Severus' friendship ending, aren't actually opposing being a sly, arrogant and perfect little trickster who makes his enemies look stupid, are you?"
"Enough," insisted Albus, cutting off James before he could say anything back.
As everyone turned their attention back to him, Albus looked to Sirius with a stern, unyielding glare as he asked, "Sirius, I thought we had already agreed that, according to the protocols of our Order…"
"Your Order," argued Sirius, shaking his head as he added, "Not mine; the only reason I'm letting you do anything to shield the younger generation and have your…what did you call them, my son?"
"Group therapy sessions," finished Harry, earning a nod from Sirius.
"Right, the only reason I'm letting you have those sessions is because, in the long run, it ensures the safety of the most-important people…"
"At least you understand how important Jason is," argued Lily.
In response, Sirius shook his head, though not before he let out a barking laugh as he asked, "I'm sorry, Lily, but did you think I meant him?"
Here, he pointed to a scowling, displeased Jason, who seemed to be getting more-and-more annoyed with how much control his former brother and his Father's former friend had over the situation, when obviously, they were there for him and because Dumbledore said so, which meant nothing and nobody else mattered, least of all Black's bastard.
As for Sirius, he cleared his throat before he went on, "No, I was talking about my son, his friends, his family and, of course, Harry himself; as for everyone else, I wouldn't even shed a tear if the Snake-faced abomination hung you by what little balls you have from the top of Nelson's Column."
While Lily's eyes widened with rage and horror, and James' face reddened with embarrassment and impotent rage, Sirius looked back to Albus as he went on, "So, with all that in mind, I took advantage of the protocols and my…unique position, and decided, with an agreement from said party that the responsibility of Domestic Security and the Magic protecting our…sorry, I mean your little therapy centre would be given to the one person I trust the most."
"And who might that be?" asked Jason.
This time, Harry smiled coldly before, lifting a hand, he waved mockingly, earning horrified looks from James, Jason, Lily and Dumbledore.
Before any of them could say anything, however, Harry's eyes flicked past his birth Mother when he heard more pops, which announced the arrival of the Weasleys – sans Percy, which Harry found odd, but he didn't brood over it – as well as Hermione and, to his rage, Remus, who looked like he was wearing a very unflattering and, judging by the faded colours, old Gryffindor student's scarf around his neck.
As the group appeared, Harry felt his smile return when he saw Ron, Fred, George and Ginny move to stand with Harry and Sirius.
As the two close friends reunited with a firm, brotherly handshake, which then turned into a warm, reassuring, brotherly embrace – while Fred and George both patted Harry on the back and Ginny also hugged Harry out of brother-sister affection – Harry rolled his eyes when, as he'd honestly been expecting since learning she'd be living in his house, Molly started shooting her mouth off.
"RONALD, GINEVRA, FREDERICK AND GEORGE WEASLEY!"
"Molly," hissed Arthur, gesturing around them as he added in an urgent tone, "Remember the Muggles…"
"I have to agree; they can't see you, but, unless they're deaf or dead, they can still hear you just fine, even from space," agreed Harry, earning a snigger from Sirius while Ron, Fred, George and Ginny all smiled in agreement.
As for Molly, she miraculously lowered her voice as she hissed at her son, "Get away from him now! And the same for the rest of you!"
"Why?" asked Ron, turning to face his Mother while he stood tall, proud and defiant at Harry's right-hand side as he asked, "Harry's still our friend, even if you've turned traitor and sided with them!"
"I won't have my children associating with Slytherins!" growled Molly, earning a smile from Harry.
'Time to deliver the killing blow.'
"Well that's just too bad, Mrs Weasley," argued Harry, earning a tick over her eye from Molly as she went to move towards them, but not before she remembered Sirius was standing right there, free, as Harry went on, "Because I've got a few friends at home that might find that disappointing, one of whom I know is willing to extend the olive branch to Ron, Fred, George and Ginny, as long as they are the friends I know they are."
"Stay out of this, boy!" snapped Molly.
Unfortunately, her delusions of thinking Harry would toe the line had blinded her to the bleeding obvious.
Namely that Harry was not the meek, naïve little lion cub who let others beat him down…not anymore.
Making his way towards the redheaded woman, Harry clenched one hand around the shaft of his cane as he stared deep into Molly's eyes before he hissed darkly, "Call me a boy…you Banshee-bred bitch…one more t-"
The sound of flesh striking flesh filled the air, as did a low snigger from Jason while Hermione scoffed, as though she agreed with what Molly said next as she told Harry, "You've been asking for that for years, Harry…clearly, you are…"
"Molly," Sirius piped up, earning a shocked look from Molly as she saw him reach Harry's side in record time, putting himself between his boy and this selfishly-deranged whore while he asked her, "By who's authority did you just strike…my…SON?"
"He is not your son, Black!" snapped Molly, looking to Sirius with rage as she insisted, "He is a treacherous, selfish little shit who clearly never knew what real family was, despite my kindness to him, which his parents have already thanked me for. Betraying Lily and James, harming Jason and defying the Headmaster by letting himself get sent to Slytherin. Anyone would think he'd been put under the Imperius, which reminds me, what are we doing standing out here?"
"Proving a point."
Suddenly, even Sirius backed away when Harry drew himself to his full height again.
This time, when he did so, Sirius' eyes widened with no small amount of rage and fury when he saw a few small scratch marks extended from the edge of one of the three prongs on Harry's newest scar.
As for Harry himself, he turned and, moving slowly, but stiffly, he reached the other Weasleys where, one by one, he leaned in close and whispered several unintelligible whispers to them. After only a moment, Ron, Fred, George and Ginny all shuddered before they nodded, earning a curt nod from Harry before he flicked his head towards the park's exit.
As everyone else watched, the four Weasley children made their way across the road where, only a second later, they vanished suddenly, the feat of which caused Arthur's eyes to widen, as did Remus', while Harry turned back to Albus as he asked, "So…figure it out yet, old man?"
"You…" gasped Albus, earning a very cold, wolfish smile from Harry as the Headmaster opened his mouth to try and finish the sentence, but when he did so, his words came out in croaky gasps, which resulted in him closing his mouth before he asked, "What…how have you done this?"
"Funny thing about secrets, Albus," chuckled Sirius, moving back to his son as he explained, "They have a way of remaining secrets until the time is chosen for them to be spoken…and do you want to hear something even funnier?"
Here, he looked to a white-faced Lily while Harry idly stroked his newest addition to his scar while Sirius told them, "There's more than one sort of spell that can do much better in terms of keeping secrets than the Fidelius Charm…and all without the risk of being betrayed, willingly or otherwise by, say, a rat, a dick with antlers or an ungrateful red weasel. All it needs is something that is so powerful, so sacred and so magically-unique to each person, the consequences are so unique to the individual that nobody knows what they are."
"No magic is that powerful!" snapped James.
"Um, hello?" asked Harry, lifting his hand, though as he did so, Albus' eyes widened when he saw the boy held what looked like a keychain looped around his right index finger; on the end of the chain was a small, diamond-shaped ampoule that held a small amount of glowing red liquid inside.
Even as Dumbledore saw the charm, Harry smiled darkly as he asked, "Heir of the oldest, darkest, most-magically-prominent family when it comes to the Old Ways and Magic better best forgotten, standing right here! Oh, what's wrong, Albus? You look like you've seen a ghost, my boy."
"Harry…" gasped Albus, though Lily also gasped in horror as she asked what the Headmaster wanted to.
"What…what have you done?"
"Let's just say I've ensured history won't repeat itself," answered Harry, clenching his fist around the charm in his hand while he lowered it again as he explained, "And I've also made damn well sure that you sycophantic sons of bitches all know who the real master of the house is…oh, but don't worry, Lily Potter…what's in here won't hurt your precious little lamb there…"
Here, he looked back to Dumbledore with a smile so sinister, it was nothing short of miraculous that the shadows themselves didn't tremble around them as he addressed the old coot;
"After all, the only way anyone could break the magic of this charm is if…oh…I don't know…they share my blood, but fortunately, nobody here does that, so the only one who can break the charm and betray the secret is…well…me…isn't that lucky, Headmaster?"
So, an intense 4th Chapter and it looks like the games have well-and-truly begun, but now someone other than the Order of the Drunken Flamingos holds all the cards, what will he do with his winning hand?
Also, how might the therapy group react to the presence of those who may as well be the wardens and nurses making sure the patients behave themselves…and what else might Harry be planning just to stick it to the Traitorous Trio?
Keep Reading to Find Out
Next Chapter: Harry lays down the laws of the land, which leads to an interesting development: also, the Dis-Order meets the House Guests as Harry delivers one final, swift and very painful kick to the jellied orbs that the Order claim to have;
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