NOTICE: THERE WILL BE A VOTE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE CHAPTER! PLEASE READ WHAT THE VOTE IS ABOUT, AND THEN TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT IN YOUR REVIEW!!!
After the Dawn
Chapter Twelve: Truth
Sirius was sitting in the kitchen, drinking coffee. He'd discovered the Muggle drink quite some time ago, and now needed his caffeine boost to get the day started … especially when his godson dropped a bombshell like the one he had that morning.
"Are you finished thinking yet?" Harry whined. When he'd asked Sirius if he could tell Dan the truth, Sirius had taken some time to respond. When he had, it had been the typical adults response: "I'll think about it."
"No," Sirius said, in answer to Harry's question. "It's a big thing, Harry. What if he takes the truth badly?"
"Then you can just wipe his memory and we'll live as normal," Harry replied.
"But will you be able to live as normal, knowing that your supposed 'best friend' doesn't like who you really are?" Sirius asked.
"I've lost friends before. We can always move again," Harry pointed out. "Sirius, Dan is my best friend, you said it yourself. Friends don't keep secrets from each other."
"I know …" Sirius sighed, then, on impulse, he nodded. "Ok, you can tell Dan. But if he looks like he's going to tell someone who we are –"
"We wipe his memory and split," Harry interupted.
"Exactly. Think you can do that?"
"I have to, Sirius. I can't live with myself if I know I'm keeping such a secret from my best friend," Harry replied.
"I know what you mean," Sirius agreed. "So Dan's coming over this morning?"
There was a knock on the door.
"No, he's already come," Harry replied, grinning as he headed for the door.
Dan was standing outside, he was alone and smiling at his friend, little knowing the bombshell that was about to be dropped on him.
"Hey mate," Dan greeted his best friend.
"Hey Dan," Harry smiled back. "Come in, there's something I have to tell you."
"You're not moving are you?" Dan asked, eyes widening, his voice taking on a wild note.
Before his friends imagination took root, Harry dragged him inside and shut the door. "No, it's more important than that," he replied.
"More important than you moving and never coming back? What could be more important than that?"
"The loss of innocent lives," Harry replied grimly.
"Hang on – you and Keith haven't killed anyone, have you?" Dan demanded. "Because I know you would-"
"No, Dan. Neither of us have done anything bad. Our lives are the innocent ones that could be in danger here – remember that," Harry interupted again.
"Someone thinks you did something wrong? Mum'll stand up for you – she knows you as well as I do! She'll talk to whoever needs to be-"
"Dan, there is nothing you or your mother can do," Harry spoke gently. "But I need to tell you the truth. I can't stand hiding it from you for a moment longer."
"The truth about what?" Dan asked.
"Me, and Sirius," Harry replied.
"Who's Sirius?"
"That's part of the truth. Just, come to my room, we'll talk it over then," Harry said tiredly.
A bemused Dan followed Harry through the house until they reached Harry's room, where Sirius – in canine form – was lying on his bed.
"Wow! You never told me you were getting a dog!" Dan explained.
"We aren't," Harry replied. "That's part of what I have to tell you. Take a seat," Harry threw himself down on the bed and grinned up at his best friend.
"I know you're my best friend, mate," Dan told Harry, "but at times you can be really infuriating."
"Don't worry, everything will be clear soon. First off: You know about magic, right?" Harry began, his heart pounding nervously inside his chest.
"Yes. Fairytale stuff. I love reading about it. Dragons, and knights, fairies and elves … It's all really amazing!" Dan replied enthusiastically.
"What if I told you that magic was real?" Harry asked.
"I'd say I wish you were right – I'd love nothing better than to know a witch or wizard," Dan said, with a dreamy smile.
"Magic is real. You don't have to wish at all," Harry replied. "As to meeting a witch or wizard, you've met two of the latter. Me and Sirius!"
"I don't know anyone called Sirius!" Dan exclaimed, sounding a little angry that his best friend was playing such an annoying joke on him.
"Yes you do. You just don't know him by that name. You know him as Keith. Can you see him? He's right inside this room!" Harry said, a smile playing at his lips.
"No, I can't see him," Dan said, deciding to play along with Harry's game.
"Have a proper look," Harry urged, smiling wider now.
Dan got up, moving around the room, looking under the bed and inside the closets, and behind the curtains. Anywhere someone could hide. "Ok, I give up. He isn't here!" Dan exclaimed.
"Oh, but he is. And he's about to prove that he's a wizard, aren't you Sirius?" Harry asked, smiling sweetly, oddly enough – from Dan's point of view – Harry was looking at the dog.
With a tiny 'pop' sound, Sirius was suddenly sitting cross-legged where the dog has been a second before. Dan yelled aloud in surprise and fear. "What the!"
"I'm sorry – it was the best way of proving that me and Sirius, or Keith, as you know him, really are wizards," Harry said apologetically.
"Wow," Dan said, sitting down hard and staring at the two people he thought he knew. Suddenly, he managed to snap out of his surprised stupor.
"Why do I get the feeling that there is more to this than that?" He asked warily.
"Probably because there is, a lot more," Harry replied, glad that Dan didn't hate him yet – then again, he'd known that his friend would react this way when he found out about magic. Despite being a fledgling scientist, Dan loved anything to do with the supernatural.
"Well, I suppose you'd best tell me then," Dan said, smiling happily, not knowing that the rest of the story would not prove as happy and exhilarating as the first bit.
"You know how in all of the stories about magic you read, there is always a bad guy?" Harry asked, and Dan nodded. "Well, the same goes for real life, in the wizarding society."
"Hang on, wizarding society?"
"There's loads of us," Harry replied. "I don't know much about it, I have very little to do with the magical world, but Sirius can tell you more."
"The wizarding world, as we call it, is actually bigger than you would think. We keep ourselves to ourselves, most of us do not like to have much to do with Muggles – what we call non-magical folk – because of the old witch burnings. Most of us never forgave Muggles for that," Sirius began.
"We have our own hidden world, right in the midst of yours. We have shops and towns, schools and a government. At the schools, our children learn how to use a wand, which most wizards require to perform magic. The Ministry of Magic see's that everything runs smoothly and that the Muggles don't find out about us. I'll explain more later, that's about all you'll need to know for now," Sirius said, tiring of explaining things that he knew so well – it was difficult to put them into perspective for someone who didn't know anything about magic.
"Anyway," Harry carried on. "Back to the bad guys. Twelve years before I was born, a wizard, who called himself Lord Voldemort, set out to become a Dark Lord. He hated Muggles and everything they stood for – no one is completely sure why. Or if they are, they aren't saying anything.
"He started a reign of terror, killing Muggles, wizards who were Muggle born, wizards who had even one Muggle parent, or anyone who acted as though they liked Muggles. It was a very dark time for the wizarding world. The Muggles didn't know what was going on. They were scared, because people were dying everywhere, and no one knew the cause of it.
"There is some stuff in the tale that no one really knows or understands, and some of it can be answered by something only a very few know about. I know myself, but that I can't tell you, so please don't ask. It is something that one of mine and Sirius's enemies could make you tell them about, and they cannot learn of it," Harry said, regretfully.
"I won't ask," Dan promised, and Harry smiled thankfully.
"Ok. Something happened, just after I was born, that made the Dark Lord nervous about my existence. He came to my place to get rid of me, and my parents. He killed my father, and then came after me. I was upstairs with my mother, she was trying to get me away.
"He told her to move aside, and she wouldn't, she said that he could kill her, as long as he did not kill me. Being a Dark Lord, Voldemort simply killed her, then tried to kill me. Because of the thing that I can't tell you about, the curse he used to kill me rebounded and hit him.
"By rights, we both should have died, being hit with that curse. But something protected me. My mother's love, the love she showed by dying for me, protected me from the curse, and Voldemort … He'd taken many steps towards immortality. There are only two things that the Dark Lord fears above all else: Defeat, and death.
"His body died, by his spirit and mind lives on. He is out there, somewhere, we are sure of it," Harry said, staring at something far beyond the walls of the room he faced.
"I still don't see why this endangers you or Keith … Sorry, Sirius," Dan said, blinking. "And why was it so easy for this Voldemort guy to find you? If you have magic at your command, couldn't you have hidden?"
"I'd best tell this part, I think," Sirius interupted. "Harry's parents were protected. I was their best friend. We cast a charm that hid their location within a single living soul. Only one that he told would be able to find the family …
"It was going to be me. We let that story get around, so that everyone would expect me to be the one who held it. At the last moment, we switched to another, one of our other friends, called Peter Pettigrew.
"Everyone, including Voldemort, was supposed to think that it was me that was the secret keeper. Voldemort would come after me, maybe I would die – I wouldn't have cared. As long as my best friend and his family lived on."
"But Peter betrayed you?" Dan asked, quickly coming to the conclusion.
"That he did," Sirius agreed. "All along, he'd been a spy, sending information to Voldemort. Now is where the dangerous part comes in. everyone thought I was the secret keeper, everyone thought that I must have betrayed the Potters, that I must have been one of Voldemort's supporters – the betrayer."
"So you were framed?" Dan questioned.
"Yes, I went after Peter, after seeing Harry on his way to his aunt and uncles place. It was against my better judgement, but I knew that, as I was now, I would not be able to claim custody of my godson.
"I tracked Peter to a Muggle street. I cornered him, and thought that everything would work out now … But he yelled out that I'd betrayed Harry and his family, and then blasted the street apart with the wand behind his back, and changed form. He can do that, as I can (obviously) but there are few wizards who can.
"The Ministry would have believed me guilty, they wouldn't have questioned anything, so I left as fast as I could. Harry's so called family tried to abandon him in London – he would have been eaten alive by rats if I hadn't come when I did. Since then we've lived as best we could, moving from place to place whenever something happened that drew attention to us …"
"So you were worried that I might have decided you were guilty too? Or hated you because you were different to me?" Dan asked, laughter in his eyes.
"Yes," Harry admitted. "Not everyone can take learning about magic, and not everyone would believe our story."
"Of course I believe you!" Dan laughed. "You're both of you my friends, you've explained everything to me, and I know that you are innocent!"
"Well, that's a relief," Harry muttered.
"You don't say," Sirius rejoined dryly.
"So … can you show me some more magic? Like, other than Keith – I mean Sirius, sorry – turning into a dog," Dan asked eagerly.
"We can," Sirius said slowly. "But we'll have to travel (by magic) to another place before we can do that, I'm afraid."
"Cool!" Dan responded, too eager to see magic to care that he'd have to go elsewhere.
Harry laughed, knowing that he would have a fun afternoon showing Dan some tricks, and exploring Potter Mansion with him.
***
That'll have to do for a chapter – I know it's not very interesting, but it's to help me get back in the feel of the story after Christmas. I was away for FOURTEEN DAYS with very little computer access. *shudders* NEVER again.
I'm sorry for how many thanks there are in this chapter – I didn't put thanks last time, so it's a bit out of control *sigh* the thanks, unfortunately, take up more than half of the chapter. Again, sorry about that.
And guess what? I've got a VOTE thing going on again! Would you like me to separate this story into years? So have Harry's life before Hogwarts as one story, then Harry's first year, second year, ect in different stories, or would you like it to be just one whole thing? If it's the whole thing, it'll be VERY long by the time I'm finished, I warn you now! Just vote one story or several stories please! This vote will last for this chapter and the next one!
Thanks to:
Captuniv: You'll find out how Harry gets into Hogwarts soon enough. Until I get to that point in the story, however, I'm not saying anything. Yeah, Dan is going to be a good friend, for a little while.
Jbfritz: Here's the next chapter, after a fair wait.
Solar1: Thank you!
AthenaKitty: Dan does become Harry's friend, and Harry moves to Bath.
Wynjara: In this chapter here is seven, turning eight in a short time.
MarsIsBrightTonight: I know what you mean, but Sirius really doesn't like Peter, and he can be quite immature, as we all know. He feels betrayed and angry, and he doesn't want to remember that Peter was once his friend.
Wolfia: Well, Harry's got one really good friend!
Chicken Stars: Glad you thought so, and I will!
Dumbledore's Heir: I'm glad you liked it – it is good that Harry is making friends. He'll be going to Hogwarts fairly soon, probably the chapter after next. Not absolutely sure though.
Dweem Angel: Yes, Harry has a friend!
HPFreak: I think that In Every Darkness should be working for reviews again now, probably some glitch with ff.net, but that is probably fixed now. I'm glad you liked the chapter!
Ocpawnmaster1: I know – I hate dead cliffs as well, and there are SOO damn many of them! You'll find out about Hogwarts when I get there, and not a moment before.
Shdurrani: Glad you still like! I'll try and keep the story good, but this chapter wasn't particularly exciting, really.
Don't Know: Hey look, I updated! Just like you apparently wanted me to *grins*
Wizardmon92: Glad you like all my stories – maybe you'll review some of the other one's soonish? Have a look at In Every Darkness – it's pretty good (if I do say so myself)
Jinx: I'll try to~
Stix-the-Rebel: I knew that *grins*
Nicoletta: Maybe it will *grins* we'll see though, won't we?
Prd2bAmerican18: Here's the next one – it was really soon, but it was pretty much as soon as I could have gotten it out *grins*
Calimora: Nope, not Draco *grins* someone totally unrelated who doesn't play much of a role at all in the story!
Empress Sarah-Sama: Dan is a real friend, no worries!
Enelya Fefalas: No, Harry won't meet either Ron or Hermione before he goes to Hogwarts. But yes, he and Hermione might be in a bit of competition …
Motigue: Dan will sort of play a big role in the story. You'll understand better in a few chapters …
Sea-Turtles: I didn't have any bullies at my school either … Though there were only about 31 people in my school, which might explain it *grins*
Lady Cinnibar: I'm glad you like it! This chapter was a bit of a boring one, but things pick up next chapter, I promise!
Dreamer43: Glad you liked it! Here's the new chapter (finally!)
Hp4all: Littler kids is used where I come from – but us Aussies are quite often a little touchy on grammar matters…I don't know if it's correct or not in the wider scheme of things, but where I am, it's just fine!
Hermione HP: Glad to hear it!
OriontheHunter: No, Harry won't meet up with Hermione before Hogwarts, or any other of his year mates. Luna is the only one.
Romm: Yes, Dan might be in Ravenclaw, if he ever went to Hogwarts …
Lord of Darkness13: They will be in the story, but he won't meet up with them until he gets to Hogwarts.
Mikito: I'm glad you like it! Here's some more!
BlueGryphon: Glad you like it! I will!
IRM Karmada Dothlthleig: Well, I hope finish it soon! Here's the next chapter though!
Solaris Isa: No, it's a Muggle school. I'll see if I can get around to reading your stories, if I do, I'll certainly review them! And you should always continue your stories – as you write more, you get more experience, and getting the habit of finishing stories is a good idea.
Simezz: No, Harry and Hermione won't meet up until Hogwarts.
Cyblade Silver: I'm glad you liked it!
Cyblade Silver: Nice to know you thought that! You wouldn't believe how much difficulty I had trying to figure what the different schools and years were called …
Cyblade Silver: Yes, it was really!
Cyblade Silver: Nice to know!
Cyblade Silver: Glad to hear it! Here's some more, and I hope you keep enjoying it!
Maxx77: Here's the next chapter! Nothing exciting, but next chapter will be better!
Howling Wolf1: I know, 37-47 reviews isn't that much … but I've challenged you again here!
AnImE-aNd-Hp-FrEaK: Well now I'll be updating a LOT more frequently, since I'm back from holidays *grins*
DiaphanousChameleon: Congrats on getting through your exams alive! Glad you like the story!
MikiBaby: You'll find out how Harry get's to Hogwarts soon enough *grins* he'll be going in a few chapters …
LonelySpirit: It shouldn't say Karate in some places. I'll have to go and look over it again sometime soon and change that …
Jaded Angel8: Yeah, Dan'll be pretty important. He helps make Harry who he is at Hogwarts. Harry will be going to Hogwarts fairly soon now, but I'm not saying when.
Nasser Himura: I've already planned friendships for Harry at school, and you'll find out more when I get to Hogwarts.
Wytil: They might. I'm not sure yet.
Hilel:
To the Emperor of the Red Star Dynasty,
We hope you did not lock yourself in your dungeon for too long on account of Us, since We forgive you for not reviewing. While We were away over Christmas, We spent our time taking over a Death Goddess, not the one that resides in your lands, however. We are now getting a lot of titles, but We think that We will halt here for the time being.
Sincerely,
WolfMoon,
Lady Death,
Queen of Tenebralia,
Goddess of Darkness and Evilness.
DIRBATUA: Well here it is, and my apologies about the wait being so long!
Songbreeze Swifteye: I'd hate to have nightmares about my past too. Yes, it is good that Harry and Sirius are friends, and Harry won't have to constantly defend Dan.
Zekkers: Dan is Harry's age, which is actually seven going eight in this chapter. He's just a bit grown up for a young kid, but that comes from spending all of his time with an adult. But no, I haven't spent much time with little kids, or anyone who's younger than 12-13, because that's the age of the youngest people in my school.
Ady: No, I won't be doing every full year of Harry's life, at least not before Hogwarts, but I'll spend time in each year that passes, most like.
JerseyPike: No internet? How did you cope? The only reason I survived going away was because I took ten books (including LotR) and I still finished all of them, plus another one, before I got back *grins*
VAna: I'm glad you like it, and sorry it took me so long to update this chapter, but there were reasons, which I've already stated.
Mike Potter 2002: I suppose I ask a bit, but not that much *grins* and it's not that difficult for you, or at least, so I've noticed. Harry won't meet any of the Weasley's until he gets to Hogwarts.
Stix-the-Rebel: I'm not too great at getting spelling/grammar right *grins* I type that fast that I don't notice when I make mistakes, half the time …
AthenaKitty: Dan and Harry remind Sirius of him and James.
Shdurrani: Here's a new chapter – glad you liked the last one.
Wolfia: *grins* I know, it was a bit mean, wasn't it?
Kathy Stgqvk: I had a fairly good vacation, though there were some annoying points in it.
Wynjara: *grins* I thought that was kinda cute myself.
Jbfritz: Well, as if obvious now, I didn't manage to find a computer *sigh* well, I did, but not one that I could update from.
LonelySpirit: Yes, holidays are wonderful – but I'm never spending that long away from a computer again *grins*
WanderingWolf: Woah? Not sure how to respond to that – I'll take it as being good though *grins*
MikiBaby: Something BIG happens next chapter, don't worry.
Midnight-Lord: Well, I'm only updating one chapter of this story, but I am updating my other story at the same time.
Nicoletta: I'll tell you why Kreacher likes Harry at some point later in the story. It's important, and I'm not gonna mention it until I'm good and ready to.
Azntgr01: Thank you.
Kemenran: Here's another chapter, finally!
Songbreeze Swifteye: I'm making the Wandless magic as inconsistent as I can because I don't want Harry to be superhuman. I'm giving him limits.
Taka ichijouji: I'm glad you like the story so much! I did mean to update again before I left, but I couldn't get it done in time.
Maxx77: I've updated again!
Prd2bAmerican18: Here's the next chapter … took a while, but it's here!
OhioGrl-HPFan: Well, in this case, Sirius gives Harry the answer he wants.
Aknightofni: Thank you!
Gaul1: You'll find out more about the metamorphmagi ability in the fairly near future.
Sea-Turtles: I guess so – cliffies are fun for me because of all the reviewers yelling at me *grins*
Romm: No, Sirius isn't too great the maintaining a residence.
Butler: Thanks
Clare: Happy holidays to you too!
PhoenixTears101: Glad you like the story! Here's the next bit, after a bit of a wait.
Howling Wolf1: Thanks!
Arelle: It's not as bad as some I've used in the past *grins* but here's the update!
Michelli: Yeah, he will, eventually.
Kraeg001: Yeah, Harry defends Luna.
Sirius's Gurl: Dudley's dead, so he can't come to Harry's school. I have already planned the last few years of Harry at Muggle school, so I'm afraid your Dumbledore suggestion won't be able to be done either. Thank you for your ideas though.
Fate: No, Harry won't meet up with Hermione until he gets to Hogwarts, and Luna will play an important role in the story, later.
FroBoy: Glad you like! Here's the new chapter.
Faith: I'm updating now, for both of them *grins*
Jeanne2: Glad you liked it! I've updated … but to read this, you'd have to have known that already …
Lil Ole Me 97: Well, he doesn't want to keep a secret that big from his best friend. Here's the update, and I don't think it's THAT long since you reviewed!
Laughing Cat: I do try …
Well, thanks everyone for reviewing the past two chapters of my story! Please review again! Let's try and get to 600 reviews this time! It's only 42 away! Hopefully not too hard. But I'll update after 590! REVIEW PLEASE!!!
~WolfMoon~