This chapter feels rushed to me. A lot happens. It's also the last chapter, and I never could end stories well. I also can't write nice soppy reunion scenes, so Harry meeting his dad in person isn't a tear jerker or anything. It's actually kinda pathetic, in my opinion, but I can't think of anything else.
Oh well. A lot of unresolved problems at the end, but that's okay, it's supposed to be like that. The sequel, The Founders, will deal with most, if not all, of that stuff. Look for it soon, I can't wait to write it! It'll be much darker and a deathfic, and so confusing, but it actually has a tentative outline already written, so I know where it's going. With Wolf-Child, I just wrote a one-shot, a really bad one-shot, that developed into something more.
Don't own 'em, so there! :P
Wolf-Child
Harry and Noko snuck down the hall, hidden by the invisibility cloak. Noko was holding onto Harry's leg with one hand and biting the other to stifle the giggles that threatened to erupt. This game was FUN, but she had to be quiet! That was part of the rules!
Harry looked both ways, about to cross the hall to get to Myrtle's bathroom when Fred and George flew past. Harry plastered himself against the wall, afraid they would run into him. They didn't, luckily. Instead they turned into raccoons before disappearing into the hole that led to James' prison. Harry rubbed his nose and dashed across the hall.
Ever since Fudge had been found dead in his office several days ago, Lucius had beefed up security around Hogwarts. Students continued to die from the disease, Lucius pointed out that no new case of the sickness had sprung up since he became headmaster. The governors noticed that too and agreed that Lucius was doing a good job. No one knew what he was trying to find or stop at Hogwarts, but Harry knew that sneaking into Myrtle's bathroom had gotten a heck of a lot harder.
"It's about time you got here," Draco drawled. "We've been waiting ages." He sounded bored, but he was smiling. Harry smiled back. Ever since that outburst, Draco had really loosened up. He was actually pleasant to hang out with all the time.
"Open up," Harry hissed. As the sink slid away, there was a *pop.* Everyone jumped and looked around. Fred picked himself up from the fireplace he had appeared in and ran out the door, down the hall, and back through the hole in the wall. The group stood in the doorway staring after him.
Three more *pops* occurred behind them. Fred and George tumbled out of the fireplace, then helped a third man up. Harry's mouth dropped open. So did James Potter's.
"Dad!?" Harry asked quietly.
"Harry!?" James whispered back, just as shocked.
Draco sat back and watched them, amused. His interest quickly died out as the two Potters just stood there, staring at each other, their mouths hanging open. With a long suffering sigh, Draco led Harry to James and wrapped their arms around each other. He gestured for Blaise to take the role of Harry. In a deep voice, he began. "Why hello there, Harry my boy! How've you been?"
Blaise adopted a high-pitched chirp. "Oh Daddy, I've been missing you terribly! How've you been? Please say you missed me too!"
"Of course I have, Harry my boy! How could I not! Being stuck behind that wall for years, and you not even sending me an owl!"
"Oh Daddy, I'm sorry! I didn't know you were back there though, honest, I didn't!"
Fred and George sat down to watch the show, pulling Noko into their laps. Hermione wasn't sure what to make of the scene, and Ron was torn between standing with his girlfriend or sitting next to his brothers and wondering where the popcorn was.
Harry glared at Blaise. "I don't talk like that!"
James wrinkled his nose. "Harry my boy? Who in their right mind says that these days?"
Draco shrugged and smiled. "Well, it looked like the perfect set up for a touching reunion scene, the only problem was you two weren't talking. Someone had to talk for you, don't blame us for stepping up and filling your shoes! We were doing you a favor!"
Fred snorted and they all lost it, hugging each other and making introductions all around. James remembered Molly from school days, she had been a seventh year when he was a first year, but she was always very kind and helpful to the first year newbies. He was quite pleased to meet yet another of her children, and thrilled that they had practically adopted Harry as their son who lived away from home. Hermione reminded him of Lily, James said, always studious and down-to-earth, but very pretty. Hermione didn't know what to say, so she settled for blushing and stammering her thanks to the tiles.
James wasn't sure how to react when Harry introduced Draco and Blaise to him. They both assured him they were nothing like their fathers, but that did little to ease his fears. However, since they were Harry's friends, James did promise he would try to put past prejudices aside.
Noko won James' heart just as she did everyone else's. She wiggled into his arms, wagged her tail, and looked at him with big puppy eyes. Soon James was wrapped around her fingers just as securely as everyone else. Not that Noko minded.
"Hey Harry?" Fred and George were peering around him curiously, looking at the spot once occupied by a sink. "What's with the hole?"
"Oh, that, uh, well . . ."
"It's the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets," Ron interrupted. "We've been working on the antidote down there, want to help?"
"The Chamber of Secrets?" James asked, awe in his voice. "So it does exist! Siri and I spent years searching for it! We never guessed it was here! Speaking of Siri, where is he, and Remus? The twins say they're both professors here. . ." James trailed off, letting someone else finish.
Harry blushed and adjusted his glasses. "Well, they're both Defense professors, so they're probably showing each other different, ah, teaching techniques."
"Teaching techniques?" James asked, smiling at Harry's blush. How many times had he done that himself, after interrupting those two. "Well, we wouldn't want to disturb them, would we?" Harry shook his head frantically, and James grinned broader. Harry must have interrupted them himself, and learned from experience. "Well then, what about this Chamber? Can we go down?"
Blaise stepped out of the way. "After you," he said with a smirk, "But mind you, it is quite disgusting down there."
Fred and George looked at each other and shrugged before climbing into the pipe and sliding down. James let Harry go first and followed him down. Hermione went next, then Ron with a yelp as Draco advanced on him, looking murderous.
"Why did you tell them?" Draco asked Ron when they were all at the bottom. "Your brothers, and Mr. Potter. They didn't need to know."
"Need to or not, Fred and George are top in their potions class. Potions is the only class they really care about good grades in, because it vexes Snape even more when he isn't able to give them bad grades. If anyone can help us with the antidote, it's them. As for Mr. Potter, Harry's been spending most of his free time down here. He deserves to spend that time with his long-lost dad, don't you think?"
Draco shrugged. "Fathers aren't always all they're cracked up to be."
But he was wrong. James, Fred, and George proved to be invaluable additions to the potions gang. Within a week, the recipe for the antidote was completed and the Chamber rang with their cheers.
Lucius was not amused. Students who had been sick were suddenly better, and all the clues pointed to Harry and Draco at the center of it all. He was never able to prove anything though, and that only made his temper worse.
To top it off, James had reappeared in the living world. Lucius had actually stormed out of the Great Hall during dinner when James showed up for the first time. No one had any idea why. There never had been any form of friendship between the two, but James didn't know Lucius hated him that much.
Other then Draco showing up to class with fresh bruises occasionally, the rest of the school year passed quickly. Harry relaxed, positive that the evil plan of the year had been foiled. However, there was one small issue yet to be resolved. In an election for the new Minister of Magic, two candidates brought in exactly half of the vote each. In an unprecedented move, Lucius Malfoy and Arthur Weasley were named Co-Ministers of Magic. A rift started to form in the wizarding world, but nothing serious. Sadly, the new Ministers of Magic were failures. Nothing could be done without the approval of both ministers, and they never agreed with each other. Entire weeks were spent with them arguing over whether or not the dementors of Azkaban should be replaced with something less likely to turn to Voldemort, or if envoys should be sent to the giants.
Harry moved in with his father, who had moved in with Sirius, who had moved in with Remus, who had to build an addition onto his home. Harry laughed and laughed as the three adult wizards struggled to build the muggle way, then gave up and cast illusion charms to hide them building it with magic. Harry's summer started off being the best he'd ever had.
When Mrs. Weasley suggested a trip to Muggle London, and invited Harry and his entire household along, they all jumped at the chance. Hermione was invited as well, and Harry looked forward to seeing her and Ron again. The twins had a mild summer cold and declined, offering to keep Noko company while the rest went out.
Harry would never forget that evening when they returned to the Weasleys. They had all been laughing over something Mr. Weasley had bought, some unidentified object that had a plug and used batteries, when Ginny's laughter turned into a strangled cry. The Burrow was gone, replaced by smoldering rubble and the Dark Mark hovering overhead. Looking at the ghostly green skull, Harry realized what Mr. Weasley had meant when he said "Just picture coming home and finding the Dark Mark hovering over your house, and knowing what you're about to find inside . . . Everyone's worst fear . . . the very worst . . ." after the Quidditch World Cup.
Screaming Fred and George's names, the group tore towards the house, packages left abandoned. Two figures dressed in black stood from where they had been crouched in the ruins, but flung themselves back to the ground when the adults flung stunning spells at them. Harry grabbed one, Ron got the other. The two figures looked like miniature Death Eaters. Ginny marched forward and pulled off their masks.
"Draco!?" Harry gasped. Draco struggled against Harry's grip.
"Get off!"
Harry looked over at Ron's Death Eater, Blaise. Blaise was hanging limply in Ron's grasp, not trying to do anything. "What are you doing here?" Ron asked, shaking Blaise roughly. Blaise didn't respond, just sagged even more. "Answer me! Where are Fred and George?"
"We don't know!" Draco cried. "We're looking for them!"
"We didn't do this," Blaise whispered. "Oh Draco, it's just like my dream, just like I said. We didn't do this."
"I think they're telling the truth, Ron," Harry said.
Ron scowled and shook his head. "They're Death Eaters, Harry, at the scene of the crime. That's all we need to know. Not even Lucius can get Malfoy out of this now. All the evidence is right here."
"Lucius!" Draco cried, renewing his struggles. "Lucius isn't Lucius! He's not my father!"
"What?"
"Lucius, the Minister of Magic, isn't my father! He's Fudge, using the Polyjuice Potion!"
"Fudge is dead!"
"No, he's not! I saw him! He has my father stunned and imprisoned in our dungeons, and is using the Polyjuice Potion to go around as my father! I don't know why, but he's doing it. Fudge is a dark wizard!"
"Arthur! Molly! Over here!" Remus' call interrupted Draco. Remus was holding up a large beam while Sirius moved a body out from under it. "It's one of the twins, I don't know which one!"
Draco and Blaise were forgotten as everyone crowded around the body. Mrs. Weasley checked him over, smoothing his hair back and peering into his glassy eyes. "It's Fred," she whispered, her eyes filling with tears. "Oh, it's Fred!" She started sobbing into Mr. Weasley's arms. Percy knelt beside Fred and touched his hand.
"It can't be Fred," Percy whispered. "Fred's always moving."
"Noko," Harry whispered. "Noko! We forgot about Noko! Where is she? Has anyone found her?"
By now, Ministry officials had showed up on the scene. Draco and Blaise hid their Death Eater masks and pretended they had been trying on their Hogwarts robes, in case they needed to be retailored. None of the officials paid them much attention; after all, what evil wizard has two skinny 16 year old boys to be his dark servants?
Noko was found, shivering, under the remains of a bed. Other then being frightened out of her mind, she was fine. Not even a scratch or a bruise. Harry and Draco hugged her tightly, ruffling her fur and telling her they loved her over and over.
Several hours later, the Ministry officials announced that the chances of finding George in the rubble, dead or alive, were virtually nonexistent. Either his body had been destroyed or removed from the scene. There wasn't a stone left unturned. Draco sat next to Harry, who was hugging Ron. Ron was holding Fred's hand and crying silently.
"Is this the end then?" Ron asked. "Is this how everything's going to end?"
"No," Draco whispered. "I fear this is only the beginning."
Now, I'm sure a few of you are panicking. Just when Fred and George are okay, no sickness or anything, I kill one and vanish the other.
Well, think about it.
THIS ISN'T A DEATHFIC.
So, Fred's not dead.
Nor is George.
~grins~
~Crawler