Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters.
They all belong to the gifted Joanne Kathleen Rowling so don't sue me! All I
have are my plot and my computer =).
A/N: I did a little revision to the end of the
previous chapter since so many of you are against Harry being more powerful
than Dumbledore. I don't think I can write as fast as I like though, since
exams are coming up so please be patient with me. Don't be deceived by the
short time I took for this chapter. Others will take longer to be uploaded.
Sirius,
Remus and…Cho?
The coming Saturday, Harry made his way to
Hogsmeade early in the morning, intending to apparate to Lupin Manor. He was
eager to see Sirius and Remus, as he would have someone else to talk to about
all that had happened to him since he arrived at Hogwarts. He also never
actually just spent time hanging out with them before as when they met in the
past, it was because of trouble or one in need of the other's help, so this
time he was looking forward to enjoying the day with the two adults closest to
him. Though the summer did not start off well, with the attack on the Dursleys
home, this looked to be the best holidays he had ever had. He thought hard of
the two words 'Lupin Manor' in his head, not sure of how the place looked like
or where it was. He hoped that he would not get lost or even worse, splinched.
Since he had no apparating license, he wondered what the Ministry would do if
they found out about him apparating illegally. He could have gone by Floo
Powder but he always felt sick when traveling by it. And the great speed and
rocky ride on the Knight Bus made him cross that idea out of his head. So far,
apparating had been the least 'painful' way of transport. He felt as if he was
pulling off a steep dive on his broom when apparating. He felt the now familiar whooshing sensation
come over him and found himself standing in front of a sprawling mansion. He
was shocked that Remus could own such a massive place and wondered for a while
if he was at the wrong place. Then he noticed the unmistakable words at the
gate - 'Lupin Manor'.
"Gosh, this place is huge. I never thought that
Remus could be so rich. Looks can really be deceiving." Harry chuckled as he
thought to himself.
Noting that the gate was locked, he tried to
apparate past it but he found himself remaining at the same spot. Finally, he
concluded that there must be some anti-apparating charm on it like Hogwarts.
That could be why he landed outside and not in the grounds when he first
arrived. Wondering how to get in, he paced about in front of the gates. When
his eyes finally caught sight of a doorbell, he nearly laughed out loud at
himself.
"Hmm…not living at a Muggle home for a while made
me forget all about the simple invention of the doorbell."
He pressed it and waited for someone to let him in
but the house remained as silent as when he first came. He finally figured that
nobody was at home. Seeing that it was still pretty early, he decided to loiter
about the surrounding area and come back later. Sirius had mentioned that they
were on a mission and they might have been held back for a while. He threw one
last glance at the place to see if anyone might have come to open the door, but
to no avail. Sighing with resignation, Harry turned and trudged down the street
to see if he could find somewhere to pass his time until Sirius and Remus
returned.
He spotted a café nearby and decided to grab some
breakfast since he had left Hogwarts that morning with none in anticipation to
see his parents best friends. "Luckily I remembered to change some Muggle money
at Gringotts last summer," he mused. He paid for his breakfast and made his way
to a vacant table in the near empty café. As he ate, he thought about all that
had happened so far in the summer. He was afraid that since Voldemort could not
get him, he would turn to his friends. Ron was rather safe, living in a family
of wizards but Hermione was Muggle-born. At least she was visiting Krum; she
might be safer there. But then again, Voldemort can strike anytime and
anywhere. Maybe he could ask Dumbledore about putting protection spells on
them. It might not help much but it would be a start. There had to be a way of
protecting them.
"Harry…Harry…" he had been so caught up in his
thoughts that he did not hear someone calling him. He looked up into a feminine
face looking worriedly at him.
"Cho!" Harry exclaimed, turning red as he noticed
how close she was. "Er…what are you doing here?"
"I thought I should be asking you that since I
happen to live near here," Cho replied with faint amusement.
"Oh," Harry blushed even more. Seeing her made him
feel a swarm of butterflies in his stomach. "I'm…er…visiting but nobody was
home."
A tense silence came upon them, neither knowing
what to say, both caught up in their own thoughts. He had liked her since his
third year but he was uncertain how she felt about him. After all, he had
'killed' her boyfriend. He knew they were close, yet he could not stop liking
her, and that made him feel all the more guilty. He thought that it had been
just a crush which would eventually fade but it had somehow turned into
something more. When he saw her heart-wrenching tears after Cedric's death, all
he wanted to do was to draw her close and comfort her. "Maybe I would have a
chance with her after all, now that Cedric was dead," the thought came out of
nowhere but he quickly suppressed it, "You killed her boyfriend. You saw her
misery. You'd be lucky if she doesn't hate you." Seeing Cho deep in thought
made him all the guiltier. Sadness clouded her face and he knew that she hasn't
fully healed from Cedric's death. The emotional scars were still there, hurting
her deeply inside, no matter how she tried to disguise it.
Cho had been stunned to see Harry. She had been
taking a walk, enjoying the morning when she spotted him. Seeing him just
brought back all the memories that she had tried to push aside. Cedric was
technically her boyfriend yet she knew that she wasn't in love with him. He
adored her and she did not know how to let him down without hurting him, so she
kept procrastinating. She valued the friendship they had before they became a
couple and did not want to lose that. In the end, she did not even have a
chance to tell him. She knew that Cedric wanted to win the TriWizard Cup for
her. The thought that he might not die if she had broken up with him earlier
kept crossing her mind and overwhelmed her with guilt. What was worse? She
realized that she cared more for the guy sitting in front of her than the guy
who died.
"Are you okay?" Harry finally broke the silence,
unable to bear seeing her face contorted in sadness. "You looked like you had a
lot on your mind."
"I'm fine. Just thinking…" Cho sighed.
"About Cedric?" Harry asked tentatively.
Her whole expression crumpled and tears welled up
in her eyes. "It had been difficult, to say the least. My parents are trying to
make everything seem normal but my friends seem like cats walking on hot bricks
when around me. It's like nobody understands." Words just poured out of her.
"I understand, Cho. I really do. Cedric and I…we
became closer during the course of the TriWizard Cup."
"How do you get over all that you've gone through
without feeling different?" Cho asked, wiping her eyes.
"I don't…" Harry muttered.
"But you seem to…"
"I get nightmares, Cho. I've been having them for a
long time." Harry said wryly.
She remained silent for a while before reaching for
his hand. They understood each other.
"Do you think you can tell me about it? I mean it's
all right if you do not want to relive the events. You're the only one who
knows the whole truth and I just thought to ask."
"It's okay. It was all my fault." Harry told her
all that happened at the end of last year. He thought to leave some parts out
but he chose otherwise, thinking that she deserved the truth. After all, she was
close to Cedric. "Now Potter, you don't deserve her so stop thinking about
that," he resolved to himself.
"In other words, I killed Cedric. I'm a murderer."
Harry concluded, thinking that he must revolt Cho now that she knew the truth.
"No," Cho said vehemently, "you did not."
Amazed that she could think this way he continued
softly, "If it wasn't for me, Cedric would still be alive. He would be here
with you and Voldemort would not have risen again."
"You. Are. Not. Guilty." Cho punctuated each
syllable with emphasis. "It was Voldemort and he would have risen even if all
these had not happened."
"You said his name," Harry was surprised that
someone other than he and Dumbledore called Voldemort by his name.
"After all that happened, it seems silly to be afraid
of his name. He would come whether you say his name or not." Cho dismissed his
surprise. "Promise me that you will not feel guilty, Harry. Voldemort wants you
to feel guilty and he'd be delighted to see that you're doing as he planned."
Thinking through all this, he realized that what
she said made sense but he couldn't stop thinking that somehow, if not for him,
Cedric would still be alive. "But then again, it was indeed Voldemort who flung
the final blow," Harry thought selfishly before he forced the thought aside.
Maybe it wasn't totally his fault. He can't forgive himself immediately but,
"I'll try," he found himself saying to Cho.
"Thanks Harry. I'm really grateful that you've told
me everything. I know it must be hard to talk about it." Cho tried to ease the
tension in him.
"To tell you the truth, I feel better after getting
it off my chest. I haven't talked much about it and…I wasn't sure how everyone
would react to it…I mean, it was already bad enough when people found out that
I was a parselmouth…"
"You know you can count on me," Cho remembered how
everybody shunned from him in his second year.
"Yeah, thanks." Both of them knew that they had
just shared something special. How ironic that neither talked much to each
other before yet the sharing of a common sorrow brought them together.
"Hey, sorry but I have to leave. I told my mum that
I was only taking a walk but I've been ages. Fancy seeing you here. This was
sure unexpected." Cho grinned apologetically.
Harry was glad to see her back to her normal
cheerful self after that rather somber conversation. "I'll walk with you. I'm
done here anyway."
"Oh okay. So who are you visiting anyway?" Cho
asked curiously.
Harry nearly said Sirius but caught himself in time
when he remembered that his godfather was still a wanted criminal. "Re- er
Professor Lupin."
"He lives here? I haven't seen him around before."
Cho was taken aback to hear that Harry was visiting their ex-Defense Against
the Dark Arts teacher. She guessed that they must be rather close even though
he had already left the school.
"Yah. He lives at the end of this lane." Harry
spotted the Lupin Manor ahead.
Just then, Cho stopped in front of a rather big
house. "That means he only lives a few houses down from me as this is home."
"It looks nice," Harry remarked.
"Thanks, would you like to come in?" Cho asked.
"Maybe some other day. I'm free the whole holidays
and I have nothing better to do at Hogwarts. I think Professor Lupin should
have reached home by now." Harry blushed as he finally realized that he had
spent the morning with the girl he liked.
"So you'll only come because you have nothing
better to do," Cho teased. "Anyway, why are you at Hogwarts?"
"Oh, death eaters attacked my relatives home so
Dumbledore thought it was safer to be at Hogwarts."
"Were you injured?" Cho tried to hide her worry for
him.
"Nope. It's just…now all my relatives are at
Hogwarts too." Harry said with a wince.
Noting his expression, she asked, "I take it that
they don't like it there."
"They detest it. They do not want to have anything
to do with magic."
"Must be tough living with them," Cho commented.
"Beyond tough but recently my cousin's treated me
better. He just found out that he's a wizard." Harry grinned as he told her
about the Dursleys.
"No wonder you're bored. You only have books for
company." Cho smirked. "Anyway, I should go in now. Send me a line when you're
coming. I'll be happy to help keep you from dying of boredom. See you then."
"I'll owl you. Bye."
Cho watched Harry leave and realized that there was
something different about him. He was no longer a scrawny boy anymore. He had
grown to at least six foot and muscles were appearing. Even his voice seemed
deeper and he carried himself better too. He was becoming really good-looking,
not that he wasn't before. (A/N: Bon, here's your description.) She blushed
when she realized what she thinking and was glad that he wasn't there to see
her. How could she feel this way towards him when Cedric just died? "Maybe
because you always felt that way towards him," a voice said in her head before
she could stop it.
Harry made his way up to Lupin Manor, cursing
himself for always being so flustered around her. He hoped that she did not
notice any of his lapses. "You'll regret it if you don't give yourself and her
a chance. Maybe she even likes you." Harry tried convincing himself but he was
not really successful. When he finally reached Lupin Manor, he was caught in
two minds, whether to go for it or not. Even if wanted to, he did not think
that he had the guts. Cho was popular and beautiful; he was just one of many
guys. She wouldn't choose him. Before he could press the doorbell, Remus fell
upon him.
"Harry," Remus exclaimed, "We were so worried about
you."
"I came by earlier but you weren't at home so I
went for breakfast." Harry explained.
"We didn't expect you so early. Anyway, it's almost
lunchtime now, Harry," Remus said full of mirth. "Anyway, we better go in.
Sirius is turning the house upside down because he couldn't come out and find
you."
"Sorry, I didn't realize that time had passed so
fast." Harry said apologetically as Remus said something that caused the gate
to open.
The moment he entered the house, Sirius enveloped
him. "I was so afraid. I thought death eaters had tried to get you again."
"I'm alright Sirius. I just met a friend and talked
a while." Harry flushed a little at this.
"So which friend is this? I thought you only knew
Ron and Hermione." Sirius teased.
"I'm not antisocial Sirius. It's Cho…Cho Chang from
Ravenclaw." Harry replied.
"I remember Ms. Chang. A delightful pupil.
Beautiful too. Does she live near here?" Remus grinned.
"Ah…so Harry likes someone…you have to introduce
her to me someday." Sirius kidded.
"Sirius," Harry exclaimed, turning bright red,
before continuing, "She lives a few doors down from here, Remus."
"So enjoyed your time with her, Harry? You must
have been glad that we were not home…eh Remus." Sirius carried on teasing.
"We were talking about Cedric, Sirius, her
ex-boyfriend." Harry said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Oh, I'm sorry." Sirius immediately turned
remorseful.
"It's okay. I have to get used to hearing about
him." Harry gave a wan smile.
"Hey both of you, what about lunch? I'm starving."
Remus interjected, leading the way to the dining room upon seeing their nods of
approval.
"Remus, your dining room is like a mini-mausoleum."
Harry exclaimed at the size of it.
"I take that as a compliment," Remus replied dryly.
"Oh, Cho said that she had never seen you around
this area before. How come?" Harry asked curiously.
"I just moved in." Remus said before continuing
when Harry looked at him expectantly, "When I was a werewolf, the Ministry
froze my account in Gringotts so I had nothing. Only recently did I get back
all that I owned when I was proven no longer a werewolf."
"How could they do that to you just because you're
a werewolf?" Harry was miffed.
"That's the Ministry. They don't take kindly to
werewolves, vampires and such. They think all these are evil." Remus explained.
"But it's unfair." Harry said indignantly.
"It is but that's the way it is." Remus said as he
looked towards Sirius who had silently sat through the conversation.
"He's like Ron," Harry said when he followed Remus
line of vision and saw Sirius gorging his food without a care, "Food is most
important."
The day carried on in the same fashion. Harry had
fun as Sirius and Remus showed him the pranks the Marauders used to play in
school. They even advised him to try it though Remus mockingly warned him
against it in his class. But Harry also learnt that day. He found out that
Sirius had been an auror before he was sent to Askaban and since Lupin was also
experienced in Defense Against the Dark Arts, they both showed him some spells
that would be useful. Both were amazed to see Harry picking up the new spells
so easily and mutually agreed that Harry would grow up to be one of the most
powerful wizards in history.
"I think you should teach Defense Against the Dark
Arts instead of me. I do not even know some of the spells you do." Remus teased
after Harry showed them what he had learnt from books in the library.
"You know, I don't feel any different despite the
new powers I now have. It's only my spells coming out stronger and can hold on
longer than before." Harry suddenly said.
"I guess it's more of a gradual change, so you
won't feel anything." Remus replied, while Sirius seemed to have a lot on his
mind as they worked on spells.
In fact, hearing that Harry was powerful made
Sirius no less worried about his godson. He knew that Harry would eventually
have to face Voldemort and was afraid that he would not be able to protect his
godson like he was not able to protect James and Lily. He was proud of his
godson's achievements yet he felt inferior as a godfather. He was supposed to
be the one protecting his godson and it seems that it would end up the other
way round. He also felt worried that Harry would not be able to take all the
increased pressure and vowed not to add to Harry's burden and just support him
all the way. Only Harry had a chance to defeat Voldemort and Sirius did not
want Harry to be distracted by him.
As if knowing what Sirius was thinking, Harry spoke
to him when Remus decided to let the two spend some quality time alone. "I did
not want to this powerful. All I wanted was to be an ordinary boy. I'll be
fine, Sirius. If what Dumbledore says is correct, I can defeat Voldemort."
"I hope so, Harry. I know you don't want me to
worry but I can't help it. You're my responsibility. So give me the privilege
of worrying, alright?" Sirius ended with a smile.
"Alright, but do protect yourself. It's a two-way
thing, I can worry about you too." Harry returned the smile.
"Now, tell me about this girl you like," Sirius
grinned devilishly, changing the subject swiftly.
"Sirius, I don't -" Harry tried denying the fact,
flushing as he did so.
"You like her. I know my godson better than that."
Sirius replied.
"Fine, I like her," Harry gave a sigh of
exasperation, "But I don't think she likes me."
"Have you looked at yourself?" Sirius asked
incredulously. "You are handsome, Quidditch seeker, defeater of the Dark Lord
for four times, a brave Gryffindor…etcetera…etcetera…"
"She was Cedric's girlfriend. I don't want to be
replacement for him. Moreover, I'd feel guilty if I…" Harry explained.
"You're finding excuses because you don't dare to
try. Where's your courage, Gryffindor?" Sirius interrupted teasingly.
******************************
Harry returned to Hogwarts that night having
thoroughly enjoyed his day. He wanted to apparate back but Sirius told him to
return by Floo Powder. He did not want Harry walking back from Hogsmeade alone
in the dark as who knows what might happen. He even added that he had the
license to worry. Dudley was waiting for him in the Gryffindor common room when
Harry walked out from the fireplace.
"How was your day?" Harry asked as he dusted dirt
from the fireplace off his clothes.
"I had tests today to pass into the third year.
Hope it goes fine. Otherwise, I'll be behind time, and then I'll have to study
second year stuff again. Then I might not be ready for the fifth year by the
end of the holidays." Dudley said wistfully.
"Don't worry. It'll be fine. You're already
progressing much faster than I did." Harry replied.
"Oh, I forgot to say that Dumbledore had finally
found a house for my parents. It's only a few kilometers from Hogsmeade so
Dumbledore can still protect them when necessary and I can visit them at
times."
"Good. I hope that they don't complain over the
place Dumbledore got them." Harry said blandly.
"I don't think they will. Dumbledore brought us
over to take a look today and it's huge. They just have to renovate it to their
satisfaction. So how was your day?"
"The best," Harry proceeded to tell Dudley all
about it.
"Not bad. First, you got to meet your dream girl.
Then, you saw your godfather and your favorite teacher. And you even got
yourself an invitation to your dream girl's house." Dudley chuckled.
The next morning, Harry went to Dumbledore's
office. He wanted to ask about his friends' protection as soon as possible. He
did not want them to be in danger because of him. "Sugar Quill," he said to the
gargoyle that swung for him to enter.
"Good morning Harry. What may I do for you?"
Dumbledore asked.
"Morning Professor."
"So what brings you here this morning?" Dumbledore
asked again.
"I just wanted to ask if you know any good
protection spells." Harry asked, a little flustered over his request.
"What do you need them for Harry?"
"You see, I think people close to me will be
endangered and knowing how stubborn Ron and Hermione are, I expect that they
won't leave me alone."
"I can see that much," Dumbledore said in
amusement.
"I am afraid that Voldemort will go for them if he
can't get me so I wanted to know if you knew a way of protecting them?"
"Instead of protection spells, why don't you try
portkeys?" Dumbledore suggested.
"Why portkeys, sir?" Harry inquired.
"Voldemort might be able to break down protective
spells easily. If you use portkeys, the person just has to activate it to be
transported away from there to safety. You can make the portkeys to activate by
passwords instead of by wand or by time. But it is not easy to make one as it
is very advanced magic."
"I think I get what you mean. I would like to try
making it, Professor." Harry said resolutely, adamant that he would protect his
friends from danger.
"Here, take this permission slip. You will find a
book to help you on it in the restricted section of the library. Come to me if
you need any help."
"Thanks Professor," Harry said gratefully before
turning to leave.
"Oh, Harry. It's better to have the portkeys
transport the person to Hogwarts. It's safe here. If Hogwarts is unsafe, I
would advice you to transport the person to The Burrow or Lupin Manor. And do
use smaller items to make it, it'd be easier to conceal."
"Um Professor, can I ask you a question?" Harry
suddenly remembered something.
"Yes Harry," Dumbledore's eyes twinkled with
amusement.
"Why didn't you do this for my parents?"
Dumbledore immediately became pensive. "That is
something I will always regret. We never even thought of it as we assumed that
the Fidelius Charm would be enough. Alas, if only we constructed portkeys for
your parents."
"Thank you for telling that to me Professor. I'll
go and look up on the portkeys."
******************************
A/N: To tell you the truth, I never expected so
many to review my fic. Such a pleasant surprise =). Thanks so much for all your
wonderful reviews. The irony is that my other fic is 11 chapters and this fic
already has more than twice as many reviews as that. Anyway, do carry on with
your reviews.
vmr: Thanks for your review.
~*Piper Halliwell*~:
Thanks and I will.
Savita Yoshima aka Louisa:
Aw…I'm blushing. I can never be compared to her. Thanks anyway. =)
Zenbu Hotaru Megumi: Thanks.
Hope you still think so as I write more.
samantha: Don't worry. He won't be
perfect. The flaws will creep in. Thanks for reviewing though.
Pipsqueak: Thanks. Check back
weekly. I think that's the fastest I can get with my exams and stuff.
Kathy M Kidman: Thank you, thank
you, thank you. I'm honored to get your first ever review. =)
angel eyes: Will post as fast as I
can. Thanks.
Trio Maxwell: Thanks for
reviewing. More will be coming though I'm not sure if it will be good. My brain
doesn't function that well all the time.
princess of mordor: I'm
keeping my mouth shut now but I'm not even sure myself if it's going to be R/H.
I can safely say that Hermione will not end up with Krum but who she ends up
with is still pending.
Sirius*Padfoot*Black: Thanks
and this is not my first fic. The other's suspended until I can think of how
I'm going to continue. Don't worry, I'll see this fic through but it'll be
quite long before it's over. Be patient alright?
Gohan Ichijouji: This story is
definitely a multi-chaptered one so more chapters will be out as time goes
along =).
kitkat: I tried rectifying the
Dumbledore part to make it that Dumbledore would be as powerful if he wasn't
that old. Dumbledore will still help him along the way though. He's powerful
but he still needs to rely on Dumbledore's experience and guidance. Even though
he's powerful, he will still be getting into bad scrapes and the Slytherin part
will be coming along…
Starlight: I'll try to oblige and
write as fast as I can. Glad you liked the story. Thanks.
Bon: Oh, puberty will definitely
have started. Since Harry's not met any of his friends yet. I did not put
physical appearance in the previous chapter.
Sandra Solaria Dees:
Thanks for reviewing. I know the Dudley part it a little rushed but I needed
more time for the rest of his summer hols so there's less time spent at the
Dursleys. And I guess Dudley would have slimmed down from exercise so the broom
can still hold his weight.
meg: Writing more is not a
problem but time is tight. I'm writing as fast as I can though.
Jessie: Oh no. Have I taken too
long? I am really trembling in fear about the punishment, lol. Glad you liked
the fic and I'll try my utmost to meet the time limit =).
Jillian: Thanks so much. I'm
really blushing 'cos this is nothing compared to JK's works. Love your story on
H/C too. Are you continuing it?
elvengirl: Oops…so it was a tad
confusing. Care to tell me where so I might revise it if I can? Agree that
Dudley is a little extreme but then again, I'm an extremist =). And Harry will
have flaws. Don't worry about that. Thanks for adding me to your favorites and
I'll try to write more soon.
Freda Potter: Thanks for reviewing.
Ms. Raye Sinic: Thanks. Appreciate
it.
Laura: Will write more to
satisfy your need to know what happens. Thanks.
IceAngel: Thanks for reviewing.
Gary Skinner: Thanks for
reviewing.
Pampered Tigeress: Wow,
the longest review I've ever had, though mostly in exclamation marks, lol. Yes,
you got your point across. =)
mouse: As I said, I'm not a H/H
person. H/C rocks though I read other ships as well.
Lucky: Will write more. Love
your story too, esp. since you took the name of my broom to use. I should
copyright it next time. Just kidding, it's alright with me. =)
kate: Yes, I will. Just be
patient. It's a virtue I'm sad to say I don't have but I'm certain you do =).
Willow: Thanks for reviewing.
Brian Potter, Son of Harry and Hermione: This
isn't the end. But I just got to say that this story wouldn't be Harry/Hermione.
Just thought to add this since you are their 'son'. =)
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