AN: Seriously amazed at the number of people reading this story, let alone leaving me messages and reviews. Thanks for all of your support!
SiruisOrionBitch: Still love your username. I hope it keeps shaping up this well as we go along.
plums: Thanks for the suggestion. I'm still working on formatting from my document to the site, and overlooked that when I put it up. I'll fix that in chapter 2, and use that for the rest of the letters in the story! Good point on the fallout of Alastor and Kingsley, I've got a plan about Dubles getting informed already, but it wasn't through them. I'll have to reconsider my approach.
AbdulBasit: Glad you're enjoying it!
TurtlesTale: Me too!
GreenEyesAreAwesome: Thanks for the support!
griffin blackwood: Thanks for reading!
CaskettFan5: Good point on the Harry/Daphne dynamic. I was planning on using her sister as the bridge between them, as well as let the relationship build slowly. He's an old man, and understands some things can't be rushed.
Lazymanjones96: I hope to keep you interested!
jessessanto: Thanks for reading!
bisda: In hindsight, he could have, but from all the books and their lessons of transfiguring live animals to other things, including live animals, I was following that logic. I'm sorry if it disturbed you. Thanks for reading in spite of that!
bahnannah: I love Astoria as an adorable girl instead of the cunning Slytherin so many people describe her sister as.
mrfresh: Thanks!
Guest: Thanks for giving this one a shot! I agree that most time travel stories usually go to before first year, or during fourth. I read a few that did summer before third year and liked the timing more.
James Birdsong: Thanks!
Ragn0r4k: I understand what you're saying, and thanks for reading and liking the story. My take of Harry's respect for the man comes from the epilog (which I am currently ignoring for my story) and his comment to his son about Snape being one of the bravest men he'd ever known. He never said he liked the guy, which is my take on my versos of Harry's opinion.
Mark1: Good point and suggestion. He may do that in the future, but he's still really young and trying to not stand out, so producing all those new potions, even under a pseudonym, would bring too much scrutiny at the moment. That may change as the story progresses.
-=BREAK=-
Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter. I'm just writing for fun, not profit.
Chapter 3: The wheels on the bus…
-=BREAK=-
There was a sense of nostalgia as Harry watched the craziness that was the Weasley family on the first day of term. It was a running joke that the day their whole family didn't arrive at platform 9 3/4, the end of the world was near.
It was also frustrating because as Harry grew older he prided himself on his punctuality. The fact that he had to wait for this hurricane of a family as they gathered everything up to leave bothered him, and it was difficult to keep it off his face. Luckily he had a distraction in the form of Hedwig, who was informing him that he'd neglected her too much in the past few days and he needed to rectify that. He merely scratched under her feathers for a while and let her know that she'd be able to join him for his breakfast soon, and he'd make sure to leave her rasher of bacon out each morning. With dignity befitting a sitting monarch, she accepted his offer.
Hermione was watching them in quiet bemusement, though she had been focusing most of her attention on Crookshanks, who had been quite vocal about his dislike of the cat carrier he was in. She was making promises about it only being until they were on the train but could tell he wasn't believing a word she said.
As the Weasleys finally assembled at the front door of the Leaky Cauldron, Harry let Hedwig out and told her he'd see her at the castle. It would be much more comfortable for her to fly herself, not to mention less likely to be looked at funny while at the train station. Percy decided to follow suit, as did Ron. It hadn't taken long for his 'heartbreak' over losing his pet rat to be overcome by the fact he still had enough pocket money to buy his own owl if he'd like. The tiny, it was still young, barn owl he'd picked up still ended up being named by Ginny somehow, and so Pigwidgeon, Pig for short, followed Hermes and Hedwig out the door and on its way north to Scotland.
The whole group climbed into the cars provided by the Ministry. Harry had spoken to Arthur already while waiting for the rest of the redheaded family, so he let the man know he was aware of the situation and asked Arthur to not make a big deal about it. Being the genuinely kind man he was, he simply told the family that he'd gotten the vehicles on loan from the Ministry himself as a favor, to end the whole family vacation in style.
They made it through the portal and onto the Hogwarts Express platform with mere minutes to spare. Harry just rushed onboard with a quick wave to Molly and Arthur, encouraging Hermione to follow along. By the time everyone was onboard most of the cabins were already filled up, and they still ended up in one at the far end of the train. Seeing Remus sleeping there again was heartwarming, but he did his best not to show it as they piled in. Helping Ron with their luggage, all three of them were soon chatting quietly about what they expected during the new year.
Ron was the first to comment on the elephant in the room, and Hermione again read his name off the luggage over his head. Harry pulled out one of his reference books from the new book bag he picked up over the summer, gesturing Hermione over to it. "I found this book over the summer, and it had a few simple charms in it that we haven't learned yet that might be useful this year. One of them is a privacy charm that mutes the sounds outside a given area." He looked pointedly at the sleeping wizard as he spoke. "Mind giving it a go? You're always the fastest to learn spells in class, and I don't want to whisper the whole ride up to school."
The book disappeared from his hands before he was finished speaking and Hermione looked to be speed reading the whole thing. He helped her find the appropriate page, almost losing his hand in the process. He'd have to remind her as they left that she could get her own copy later in Hogsmeade.
10 minutes later there was a sound bubble around Professor Lupin, and they were talking, reading, playing games, and enjoying the few visitors that came by. Ginny popped her head in for a minute, as did the twins with Lee Jordan. Neville was invited by the group to stick around, which he seemed grateful for, and talked about some of the newer plants he's been dealing with in his greenhouses over the summer. When Harry asked him if he'd like to do a study group, with him being the herbology expert, he shyly nodded his head. Hermione was already getting her planner out to write up a schedule, and Ron made some comments about study groups being 'mental'.
About halfway through the trip, Malfoy decided to grace them with his presence. Harry was honestly happy to him. Over the years they'd developed an odd friendship, not to mention Draco would have been his brother-in-law at one point in time. His marriage to Astoria was one of the better decisions he made in his life. Now, though, he was still the young man trying to live up to his father's impossible expectations, while also staying in the man's shadow. And a young man who currently didn't get along with The-Boy-Who-Lived.
"Well well, scarface. I assume you've heard the news? Sirius Black escaping Azkaban just to hunt you down for his master." He laughed along with his 'friends' as he tried to get a reaction from his school rival. He was disappointed when it didn't come.
Harry just looked up from the book he was reading before the interruption. "Oh, hey Malfoy. Nice to see you. How has your summer been? Has your mother been continuing your etiquette lessons this year, or has she given them up as a loss?" He asked cheerfully. Hermione and Ron just stared at him, while Neville hid a smile with his own book.
Draco stared at him for a few seconds. "What are you talking about, Potter?" He finally demanded. Harry tilted his head to the side in confusion.
"Well, you obviously need them. You didn't even knock on the door, let alone greet everyone present before asking me about my situation. You could at least have greeted our new DADA Professor. It's the polite thing to do, after all." He kept the somewhat confused look on his face with difficulty, as he heard a small snort from both Neville and Remus, who'd been awake for the last half hour or so.
Draco flushed at his social faux pas, upset that Potter, of all people, called him out on it. He could see that his rival wasn't dressed in rags this year, not to mention looked healthier. He turned to look at the sleeping wizard in the cabin with everyone else, before turning back to Harry with a sneer. "You better watch yourself this year, Potter. I've heard this year could be dangerous to those who aren't careful." He quickly turned around and left, his 'friends' following along.
Harry just chuckled as he watched them go, ignoring the looks on his friends' faces as he addressed the oldest passenger there. "I apologize for using you like that, Professor. I just wanted to resolve the issue quickly and without incident. I hope you understand."
Professor Lupin just chuckled, surprising everyone else in the cabin, and removed his jacket from where it rested on his face. "Not a problem, Mr. Potter. I can certainly appreciate a peaceful resolution, where one is possible." He stood up from his seat before shrinking his luggage and putting it in his pocket. "Now, I promised the Headmaster that I would patrol the train while we were in transit, so I better get on with it. I'll see you all at the welcoming feast." He nodded to each of his fellow passengers and then left to make his rounds.
Hermione was the first to break the silence after he left. "How long was he awake for? How much did he hear? Oh, I hope we didn't make a poor impression on him." Ron just stared at her and then mouthed 'mental, that one' to Harry, while Neville chuckled nervously. Harry shrugged.
"He was awake by the time the twins left, I think. At least, I think that's when he woke up. I saw him laughing a bit at some of their jokes and prank ideas. If he didn't get upset with them, I don't think anything we said could leave a worse impression than that." Harry said, trying to calm her down. He was about to move on to another topic when there was a knock on the door. Neville was the closest, so he moved to open it, showing three girls looking in. Two in Slytherin green and silver, and one without any colors on her black robes, indicating she was a first year. Harry recognized them all easily.
"Hi, Harry! You said I could stop by if I had any questions, and there are just so many that keep popping up. Daph's not been any help at all with them, saying that I'm overthinking things, but there's just so much I want to know! You said most of the stories I read about you weren't true, so I have to know which ones are and which ones aren't, so you can sign the right books. And you never did say anything about how much the Headmaster has taught you…" the endless questions of Astoria flowed from her mouth in a deluge of words. Even Hermione was impressed that the girl could ask so many questions without seeming to breathe. Her sister, Daphne just stood with a look of suffering on her face, cheeks tinged pink in embarrassment, while her best friend, Tracy Davis, stood there with a giant grin as she enjoyed the entertainment unfolding.
"…'m not sure if I'm going to follow my sister into Slytherin, and my mom said that it's ok whatever house I end up in, but I'm worried about making friends anywhere else, since I don't know many people outside of family and Tracy and you and your friends that we met yesterday. Would you be ok if I was put in Gryffindor with you? I think it would be sooooo cool to hang out in the different common rooms, like hang out with Daph and Tracy in the Slytherin common room and then hang out with you guys in Gryffindor one, so even if I'm not in either house I could still see everyone…" He'd forgotten how much of a chatterbox she could be when she was excited. He'd also forgotten that her father was the one to usually settle her down, and from the forlorn look on her face, Daphne couldn't replicate the feat. He decided to take steps. Hopefully, she'd forgive him.
"Well, Astoria," he cut in, "I'm absolutely sure that no matter what house you end up in, your sister will be happy to associate with you." With a cheeky little smile, he added, "It's not like she can claim not to know you in public. As for hanging out or asking questions, the best person to talk to is actually right here." He pointed over at Hermione who was flashing him a look that was half fear, and half promised retribution. He was impressed she could pull it off. "Hermione is one of my best friends and the absolute smartest person I know. Any questions you might have about Hogwarts, you go to her first. If she can't answer, she'll know how to find it in short order, alright?" She was nodding her head up and down, almost as fast as Dobby did when he was given a list of things Harry needed him to do, before she seemed to appear next to his frizzy-haired friend. He watched Daphne's expression turn to shock and awe at how easily he handled her jitterbug of a sister, while Tracy's grin only grew and her eyes shined in glee at the fun times ahead. "Would you two like to have a seat? We should be close to Hogsmeade, and there's no reason for you to remain standing."
Tracy jumped into the cabin and plopped herself between Neville and Ron, who was now by the window, leaving Harry to stand and offer his seat to Daphne, like the gentleman he eventually became in his later years. Daphne sat down on reflex, while he turned to her best friend. "Harry Potter, it's a pleasure to officially meet you. These are my friends, Neville Longbottom, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger" He extended his hand, and kissed above her knuckles when she extended her own in response.
"Tracy Davis, Daphne's best friend." She said with a slight blush. She watched as Hermione was overcome with the number of questions Astoria was sending her way. "It's nice to finally meet you too. I can already see how much fun associating with you will be. I don't think anyone's been able to handle Astoria so well besides her parents." She got a dirty look from Hermione as she said that, but laughed it off.
Harry just smiled as he looked between Ron and Neville, gauging their reactions. Neville seemed fine, if somewhat shy being around so many unfamiliar people, and Ron…
Ron seemed to be switching between wanting to say something rude and wanting to laugh at what seemed to be Hermione's younger twin, based on how many questions about everything she could ask without stopping for an answer. It was obvious that he was happy to see Hermione on the other side of that situation for once. Catching Harry's look, he just settled on a confused acceptance, as it seemed Harry was ok with everything that was happening. He'd learned enough from yesterday to know it would be better to say what was on his mind when it was just the two of them anyway.
Some light conversation with the girls finally tapered off as they saw the lights of Hogsmeade station. Harry was glad to see that Madam Bones had gotten enough evidence to pull the dementors away from Hogwarts, or at least have a larger staff of Aurors around to keep them under control. Either way, he didn't have to deal with them boarding the train this go around, and that made him happy.
Leaving all their luggage to be taken up to the castle separately, the group made their way off the train and towards the school. Harry watched as Daphne guided her sister over to where Hagrid was calling for all the first years to follow him. Once she was safely ensconced in that group, she turned to see that Harry had waited for her, along with Tracy, to find a carriage to ride. Again acting the part of the gentleman, he opened the door to an empty carriage and helped the ladies inside, Tracy and Daphne first, followed by Hermione. He jokingly offered the same to Ron and Neville, only to be punched in the arm by his best mate. He pointedly ignored the Thestrals pulling the carriages up the hill.
-=BREAK=-
Amelia Bones was exhausted as she walked back to her office. Even if she hadn't been running on less than 2 hours of sleep, any time spent dealing with Fudge and his miserable pink toad made her want a long hot shower and a dreamless sleep potion. She didn't have the time for either, at the moment, but maybe once the current emergencies were dealt with…
Entering her office, she saw Moody's current protege standing outside the door, along with her mother. Nymphadora Tonks was someone she had high hopes for in her department, and not because of her unique skillset. She'd, frankly, failed the stealth portion of her exam, but her mindset of what being an Auror was all about is what made Moody select her from the rest of her class. And Amelia had to agree, the girl had spunk, and didn't have a problem putting people in their place when it was needed. She'd learn to deal with the political side of things later on, but for now Moody was honing her instincts and she was doing well.
Andromeda Tonks nee Black was another matter entirely. It was a sad day for House Black when she was kicked out of the family. Amelia had to admit to herself, Bellatrix Lestrange might scare her, but Andromeda Tonks was terrifying. And she wasn't just talking about her wand. Even after House Black kicked her out, she was one witch you didn't cross. All the old houses and pureblood propagandists tried to cause her problems when she and her husband married, thinking they smelled blood in the water. She ate them for lunch, and then took them to court and raked them over the coals to pay for her dinner. And the looks of glee as she tore them apart for the world to see let everyone know one simple truth.
House of Black or no, you don't want a Black-raised witch to come after you.
They both looked up as she approached, Nymphadora giving a simple salute to her superior, while Andromeda just raised one of her perfectly formed eyebrows. She waved them both inside her office before shutting the door and locking her office down for the 8th time that day. Walking to a cabinet along the wall, she pulled out a bottle of scotch and three tumblers. She put a healthy portion in each before putting the bottle away.
"That bad, Amelia?" Andromeda asked as she picked up her glass and inhaled the scent before taking a small sip. Her daughter was torn between taking the glass offered and refusing on principle. She was still on the clock.
Amelia pulled out several folders, including one she'd just brought back with her from her meeting with Fudge. Tossing them over to the barrister, she sipped at her own glass as she sat down at her desk. "I'm sure worse things have happened before, but I'm not aware what it could have been. As it stands, I have a potential Head of House unlawfully imprisoned for 12 years, a guilty rat in hiding and playing dead for the same amount of time, and a Minister who only wants everything to go away without it shitting all over his face. Considering his own actions in dealing with the situation, I have a feeling the last part will happen regardless." She sipped her scotch again as she let Andromeda work her way through the files in her hands. She could tell the woman was getting angrier the more she read, which meant that Fudge was going to be pissed when this all came out. There was no way Andromeda would let any of this rest.
"He never got a trial? My crazy, unstable, bitch of a sister got a trial for what she did, and he didn't? How is that possible, Amelia? And how is it only now being found out?" She was whispering her questions, which made it all the more evident how pissed she was. Amelia winced at the last question before pulling out the letter that started her inquiry yesterday and handing it over. The Black-raised woman read the letter quickly before handing it back in silence. "I assume you asked me here to represent him?"
Amelia downed the rest of her drink as she nodded. "Fudge is going to do everything he can to make this go away. I had to spend hours yelling at him and threatening to arrest him for interfering with an ongoing investigation just to make him call off the dementors he was sending up to Hogwarts to 'protect' the students from such a dangerous criminal." She sighed and her shoulders slumped, showing exactly how tired she was to actually show it in front of the two witches. Nymphadora had been reading through the files as her mother finished them, and had finally picked up the glass offered to her earlier. "What's worse, he's trying to issue a gag order on anything to do with Black's potential innocence in the press." She saw Andromeda frown at that, both of them thinking it likely to be Lucius wanting the gag order, hoping someone would find and off him before the truth came out.
Andromeda stood up, making legal copies of the files and slipping them into her carrying case. "I'll get started right away then, before he can make that go through." Her daughter stood up after finishing her drink. "I'm assuming the official reason I'm here is to ask about my daughter's performance in the Auror department?" Seeing Amelia's nod, she smirked. When the lockdown was lifted, she quickly left the office and made her way to the atrium, intent on having a chat with a certain gossipmonger who owed her a favor at the Daily Prophet.
"Boss?" Nymphadora said quietly. Amelia just smiled at her and told her to check in with her mentor before heading home. The metamorphmagus just nodded as she made her way through the DMLE offices, only stumbling over herself once before reaching the door.
-=BREAK=-
Sirius Black was getting anxious. He'd been getting plenty of food, potions, and rest since he arrived in Hogsmeade Village over a week ago. Lots of correspondence too, letters that were left along with the meals he assumed a house elf dropped off for him each day. Most of the letters were just updates on what he'd missed while he was incarcerated, political stuff he had no real interest in, but appreciated getting the abridged version of. Also included were updates on the manhunt for him. He'd been informed that the lead investigator was getting sightings of him all over Britain, mostly in the London area, though a few had been made in Manchester and Wales, of all places.
It was what wasn't being said in the letters that was making him anxious. News about Pettigrew. News about Harry. As he'd been getting healthier, his mind had been getting clearer, and he had more time to think, but without the information, he couldn't act on anything. It was already September 1st. He'd wait a couple more days before he went looking for the rat himself, and checked on his godson. He couldn't wait any more than that.
When dinner appeared that night, he got another missive from his benefactor. He was happy to see the food selection had broadened from the simple fare he'd started with. Indian Curry was something he'd been introduced to by Lily shortly after graduation, and this one tasted heavenly. He decided to finish his meal before reading the letter this time, as the last one didn't have much of an update. The potion downed, and the meal concluded, he broke the seal on the envelope and began to read. Then froze at the first sentence. He read it a dozen times before reading the rest. Hope began to grow for the first time since he first saw Prongs again.
Dear Sirius,
First of all, I'd like to inform you that Madam Amelia Bones, Director of the DMLE, currently has Peter Pettigrew in custody. She's had him for 24 hours by now, and will no doubt be drowning him in veritaserum to get as much information as possible. Did you know that people declared deceased by the Ministry of Magic, regardless of their actual living status or place in society, have no rights as far as the law is concerned? Madam Bones was made aware of this fact when she received the rat yesterday, and I'm sure, in the pursuit of justice, mind you, she's taking great pains to learn all she can.
As much as I know you'll want to start celebrating now, there's still much to do. From what I know of the formidable Director, she's most likely reached out to your cousin, Andromeda Tonks nee Black, to act as your barrister. You'll need her help to work out any and all legal issues. As much as I trust Madam Bones, I don't trust the Ministry, and neither should you at the moment. As long as Lucius Malfoy holds sway over the Minister, it's not safe to just turn yourself in without your cousin's 'all clear'. To that end, my house elf will be leaving writing supplies for you, and will be acting as intermediary for you and your cousin's correspondence. Just call for Dobby when you're ready, but please, don't ask about my identity. He's been ordered not to tell anyone, and I'd rather he not try and punish himself for disobeying.
As always, I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.
Your friend.
Sirius read the whole thing through several times before calling out for Dobby, who popped in and quickly cleaned up the food before depositing plenty of parchment, quills, and bottles of ink. He then left behind several bottles of water and sandwiches to snack on before popping back out. Picking up a bottle of water, he drank half as he thought about what to say, then penned the first letter he'd done in years. He only hoped Andy would be happy to hear from him.
-=BREAK=-
Harry was getting settled in his dormitory after the welcoming feast had ended. He left his luggage at the foot of his bed, but pulled out his toiletries to get ready for the morning. He thought about the changes that had already happened this go around. They weren't large, but he knew even small things had large impacts.
First of all, it was apparent, to him at least, that Moony had indeed tried out the Wolfsbane potion variant he'd sent. He'd been much more energetic at the feast this time, in spite of it being a full moon the night before. Harry also noticed that he looked to be in less pain as he moved around after the meal.
Second, Astoria. That girl truly surprised him by being sorted in Gryffindor this time. He thought she'd been a Ravenclaw before, but wasn't sure. Either way, she'd run over to sit by him and Hermione and began asking questions until the food was served. Hermione had glared at him the entire time. Looking over at the Slytherin table, he could see both relief and anxiety from Daphne, so he just nodded to her, indicating he'd watch over her sister when he could.
Third, the plan with Wormtail had worked! The dementors were gone, or they'd never arrived. He had seen additional Auror's patrolling around the village as they were in the carriages, but that shouldn't be an issue. Dobby had managed to get him to the Shrieking Shack a couple of days after Dumbledore and Fudge had visited him, so he could put some fairly simple, but very strong, wards over the building. Intent-based wards, that would only permit someone who meant Sirius Black no harm, and knew he was there, to enter the building. Anyone else would just walk on by and not think about it at all. Sometimes the simplest solution really was the best.
Finished brushing his teeth, he thought about the last change of the evening. Ron.
-=FLASHBACK START=-
Harry was laughing at Hermione's situation, trying to not think about anything she'll eventually do to him, when he saw Ron eating quietly across from him. He'd been quiet for most of the evening, and Harry could tell his best mate was struggling to deal with some of Harry's new way of doing things. Catching his eye, he smiled at him, which Ron returned easily enough, before focusing on shoveling food into his mouth again.
As they walked up to the Gryffindor common room, he pulled Ron back a bit from the rest of the students wearing red and gold. He silently cast a quick privacy charm before Ron noticed and asked him if everything was alright.
Ron shrugged, somewhat nervously. "I think so. I mean, nothing's wrong I think, it's just different than it used to be. You're different, mate." It was obvious he was really trying to think this through, instead of his normal foot-in-mouth routine. Harry decided to help him out.
"I know, Ron. Things changed for me a bit this summer. Part of it was dealing with my relatives. I told you about my uncle's sister, and how horrible she can be." Ron nodded as he remembered talking about her. "But honestly, that's only part of it, I think. The other part is, well, I actually had a good summer. I mean, last year you and your brothers had to break me out of my room. The year before was me finding out I was a wizard. This year, for at least half of the break, I was able to enjoy seeing magic everywhere while I was staying at the Leaky. And I learned a lot, Ron." He waited for Ron to nod his understanding. "I met some neat people in the shops. Learned a lot about how things worked. And some of the views I had coming into Hogwarts shifted a bit. Not all Slytherins are bad. Just like not all Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw are good." He smirked a bit before adding, "Though I will admit that Malfoy is a smarmy git, most of the time."
Ron laughed at that last bit, before smiling and then started walking again to their common room. "Yeah, dad took me aside last night after we got back from getting Pig. Really took me to task for what I said about the Greengrass family, how they were good people. I dunno, I've always thought one thing, and now I'm not sure." Then he smirked as he punched Harry's arm. "And then there's you, Mr. I-was-almost-in-Slytherin. And you dropped Divination to take Runes! How mental can you be, dropping the easiest class for the hardest one? You need to work on your priorities, mate."
Harry laughed as he punched Ron back. "What can I say? I'm as brave as I am ambitious. Not to mention I heard Divination might be an easy grade, but it's worthless for your career. You can still talk to McGonagall and change classes too." Then he put his arm around Ron's shoulder as they walked through the open portal, behind the first years, into the Gryffindor common room. "And don't you worry, Ron. I may be changing, growing up a bit I suppose, but I'm still your best mate. That hasn't changed." He let go of the redhead and walked over to check on Astoria, reminding her that Hermione will just be a couple of flights of stairs away if she needed her, which got him a beaming smile from the jitterbug, and a frightful glare from his other best friend.
-=FLASHBACK END=-
Smiling to himself as he climbed into bed, he was glad his best friend was already starting to show the maturity he knew was there. Hopefully, it wasn't a short-term thing.
Before long, he was fast asleep. The first day of lessons was bound to be interesting.
-=BREAK=-
End Chapter 3.
AN: Alright, chapter 3 is done. I think I have the tone for each character the way I want it. Harry, the calm adult with a healthy sense of humor. Hermione, the voice of reason that can be unreasonable at times. Ron, the best friend that is struggling with changes around him.
I honestly loved writing Astoria the most. A little bundle of energy, polar opposite of her calm, collected sister. And then Tracy, who views everyone else as a source of her amusement and entertainment. I was half tempted to have her pull a bucket of popcorn from somewhere as she watched the 'show'.
One thing that I am trying to do is keep the main focus on what's happening around Harry and his friends. The peripheral story elements, Amelia Bones and Sirius Black, are things I'm putting in to give more depth to the story, but I don't want to lose track of the story by having too many points of view. If it seems like I'm getting off track that way, let me know in a review or PM.
Thanks for reading!
-Phail