SEQ CHAPTER \h \r 1D/C: I don't own anything. (Not even the little bit about Lord of the Rings.)
A/N: Well, here it is. I've been as sick as a dog, and I haven't been able to get out of bed, much less write anything. The chapter was originally part of the last chapter, but I got lazy, so it's two parts now. Hope you enjoy! Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year! Good will towards men, and since I'm not biased, good will towards women and children, too!
Family Portrait
Chapter Eight: Christmas (Part Two)
J-chan
(3rd POV)
Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked to History of Magic class alone, talking among themselves about what they were going to do during the Christmas holidays, or what Binns would think about their reports. All of the sudden Draco Malfoy turned up behind them, with Crabbe and Goyle at his side. He stopped Harry in his tracks. Now mind you, it's only been a few days since Harry got out of the hospital wing. Last thing he needs is to get back in it because he and Draco had a duel.
"Well, well, if it isn't Potty, Weasel, and mudblood Granger. Going to run to your Granddad, Potter, or have you not told everyone else yet?" Draco taunted, making a few people in the hallway stop. Ron and Hermione had told Harry the rumors Draco had spread around the school about Richard being a Death Eater, and if it got out that Harry was a Death Eaters' grandson, there was no clue what people would think. Harry wasn't going to let that happen.
"Say the word, Malfoy, and I swear I'll kill you." He said, wand out and ready. Ron and Hermione had theirs out too, just in case. The look on Harry's face showed nothing but anger, and a readiness to kill Malfoy.
"Now aren't we in the Christmas spirt, Potter? Or should I say something else? Your real last name, perhaps?" Draco's taunts were drawing a lot of unwanted attention.
"Say it Draco. I dare you. In fact, please do. I need a good reason to kill you."
"You wouldn't dare . . . "
"Wanna bet?" Harry said, his wand very close to Draco's nose. It was then when Draco noticed that the only teacher around them was Richard, and he would probably let Harry murder him, if not, help him do it. He backed out.
(Richard's POV)
"In my report, I took a long study to realize that my family goes very far on my dad's side. I also realized that me and Ron were destined to be best friends, because our ancestors were. My farthest ancestor, Frodo Baggins, was best friends with Samwise Gamgee, Ron's ancestor. Frodo was particularly famous for his defeat of the wizard Sauron, a feared wizard in medieval times. He's also famous because he is the great-great grandfather of Godric Gryffindor. Godric Gryffindor is one of the founders of this school. Anything you could want to know about him can be found in the library, and a book called Hogwarts, A History . . . " (A/N: I was too lazy to make up Harry's history, so I borrowed one. Oh don't give me that look! Could have been worse, it could be Luke Skywalker . . . ) I truthfully don't think he knows I'm listening to him.
Oh sure, Professor Binns noticed that I came into the class room, but all he did was hold up his finger, telling me to let Harry finish his oral report. So I stood there, leaning on the doorpost to the old classroom. :( His is bigger than mine . . . Ron noticed I was in here, and he waved before giving Harry his undivided attention. It was then when he turned and looked at me.
"Grandpa!" He shrieked, dropping his note cards all over the place. Professor Binns gave me a dirty look, watching Harry cling to me.
"I'm glad you came! I can use you for my report! Everyone, this is my grandfather!" He said, watching the fifth year Gryffindor's faces turn from sleep to wonderment. I'm guessing he no longer cared who knew. This was going to get around the school pretty quickly . . .
"Really Ric . . . Professor Patterson? Are you really Harry's grandfather?" Neville Longbottom asked, stopping himself from calling me Richard in front of Professor Binns. (I told them to be careful about that, seeing as how Minerva got wind that I told the students to call me Richard, and gave me an earful.) Ron answered for me.
"Yes he is! He told me and Hermione so!" I smiled at him, though I turned to Professor Binns.
"Didn't mean to interrupt, Professor, but I was just going to take Harry, if you wouldn't mind . . . " I asked. I hadn't realized earlier just how far away Remus lived, and he wasn't connected to floo powder, either. And seeing as this was the last day before holidays, I figured I was going to get him out a little early.
"Fine. You're free to go, Harry. By the way, you made a B on your oral report. I'll have your written one done by the end of the holidays. If you would have looked up from your note cards at all, you would have had an A." I frowned, but ended up pulling Harry out of the classroom, him waving at his friends and classmates.
"Thanks for getting me out of History, Richard. But tell me, what's the occasion?" He asked, walking down the hallway at a paced speed.
"We're going to see that blasted godfather of you for the holidays. You're packed, right?" I asked. He better have just forgotten . . . I Take it he didn't. He stopped dead in the hallway.
"We're going to see Sirius?!" He asked, looking at me like I was crazy.
"Um, yes, did you not know?" I asked him. This was the last time I'm going to rely on Ron giving messages.
"No! Is that why Ron and Hermione are going home for Christmas?" He asked, and I shook my head.
"Yeah. I'm going to give Ron a good slap on the face, too, for not telling you. Ah, I guess we'd better head out to the common room . . . " I said, turning around completely. Harry gave me a strange look.
"Eh, Granddad? The Gyffindor common room is this way . . . " He said, pointing to the direction we had once headed in.
"I know, but I know a short cut that's this way." I said, grabbing his hand.
***
"You mean it's that simple to get to the common room?" Harry asked, stepping out of the passageway I showed him.
"Yep. And if you had taken the staircase to the right you would've been in the Ravenclaw common room. And if you had to the one to the bottom left you'd end up in the Slytherin common room. And the bottom right would have been Hufflepuff." I said, walking up to the boy's dormitories.
"And if you went straight?" Harry asked, following me closely.
"Eventually you would have ended up in the Chamber of Secrets, but I didn't tell you that." I said, winking at him. He laughed, opening the chest at the end of his bed. I looked at some of the clothes he was pulling out, confused.
"Why do you have some of that stuff, Harry? That's entirely too big for you . . . " He sighed, putting a pair of pants that would have fit me in his bag. (And I'm quite a bit bigger than Harry.)
"The Dursleys never bought me any clothes. I just got Dudley's old stuff. Though the Weasleys' have given me a sweater every year that I've known them." He said, grabbing a blue sweater with a large 'H' on it. I crinkled my nose. I was going to change that. I was about to say something, too, but something else caught my eye.
"My Invisibility Cloak!" I screamed, taking the cloak out of Harry's hands. He looked at me for a second before replying.
"It was once my Dad's . . . I got it for Christmas my first year from Professor Dumbledore." I said. Made sense. I had given the old thing to Dumbledore many, many years ago. And he gave it to my son! Ha! That old fart likes to make sure things stay in the family, doesn't he . . .
"I gave that to Dumbledore many years ago. I can't even remember why, now, but I'm glad I did. Glad to know he's kept up with a family heirloom . . . " Harry laughed.
"Where did it come from?" He asked, zipping up his bag.
"Long time ago, before I was even thought about. Legend in the family is that it came from Godric Gryffindor himself, a gift from his wife, Amethyst. It's been sowed back together quite a few times, so I don't doubt the legend." I said, pulling it on. Boy, do I remember how many times' Tom and I used that sucker to get around school.
"So in other words, my entire family has been trouble makers?" He asked, taking the cloak and putting it in his bag and pulling out a piece of parchment. It was old and worn. He smiled, glad of my confusion. He pulled out his wand, and pointed it at the piece of parchment.
"I solemnly swear I am up too no good!" He said, and a map appeared, in green ink, too. I laughed.
"How'd you get this?" I said, walking down the stairs of the dormitories.
"Fred and George Weasley gave it to me in my third year. My dad, Sirius, Remus, and Peter Pettigrew made it." (He kind of scorned when he said Peter.) I laughed, examining the map carefully when I noticed it. The map was far from finished.
"So your dad is related to me after all! I thought it might have just been you that he just passed down my greatness . . . but no. He's like me enough. Though there's something wrong with this map, Harry." Harry looked at me, puzzled. "It's not near finished. I got a feeling that Flich got it before these Marauder's could finish it. Maybe we could finish it together, at a few finishing touches." I said, and Harry laughed.
"Sirius would like that. Not sure if Remus would, seeing as how strict he is . . . Anyway, sure! Why not? It's something we can do over the break . . . " He said, muttering something, and the map went blank. He shoved it into his bag and walked out with me.
***
I have never been so bored in my life. Why does Remus have to live so far away? Oh, I know the answer to that. But still, if I were a werewolf, I'd live just a little closer, maybe I'd get lucky and I could bite Malfoy . . . Not that I want to hurt him, mind you . . .
Harry had long since fallen asleep. I don't blame him. I want to sleep, too. But unfortanitly, I can't sleep a wink. I got this funny feeling in the back of my mind . . .
Suddenly, there's an owl at the window, hitting the glass with it's beak. It's not a normal owl, though . . . Oh no, this owl had a snake dangling from its mouth . . . A snake whom worked with Tom. My eyes widened carefully. It was a very important snake, an important snake indeed. Tom had this snake's mother for a pet when we were in school, and has been taking care of the family since then. It was most important because Tom usually could talk through it, so having her was like having Tom here. That wasn't very good . . .
I slammed the window open, though not too hard, as not to wake up Harry. I grabbed the snake out of the owl's mouth, shooing it off. I grabbed the snake and carried it into another compartment, one Harry wasn't in.
"What are you doing here?!" I screamed at the snake, watching it slither towards me.
"Making sure you do your job." The snake hissed, the cobra's head spitting at me. "I want that boy's head on a silver platter, and you're the best I've got. Don't tell me you can't do it."
"Change of plans, Tom. I've decided to give up the life of a Death Eater." I said, almost in a trembling voice. Even though I've always seen Tom as my equal, deep on the inside I've feared him more than anyone else could.
"So you found out, have you, Richard? Found your grandson at last? Then know you understand why I must destroy him!" Tom hissed, leaving me confused.
"No I don't see why you must kill him, or why you killed James, for that matter. And why do so many people know he's my son, and yet refused to tell me?!" I screamed, furious at my former best friend.
"Because he was your son. There was no way you'd support me if you knew you had family involved. I had to get rid of him. I meant it in best interest, friend. Which is why you must understand that you can't keep Harry alive! The child almost caused the death of me, I can't just let him live!" Tom did have a point . . .
"You know I have a point. I won't fight you, Richard, because you are my best friend, and have supported me since school. But I will not stop trying to kill your pathetic grandson! I pray that you will see the logic in my words, and come back where you belong. It was foolish of me to send you to Dumbledore..." A faint pop sound came, and the snake disappeared. I sighed heavily. This was definitely a hard time in my life...
***
"Where have you been?" Harry asked, yawning. He had just woken up, but just soon enough to notice I wasn't there.
"Bathroom." I lied, sitting down on my side of our compartment. I believed me, sitting up straight.
"How much longer until we're there?" He asked, and I looked at my watch.
"It will be another hour before we get to the station, and from there it will be another three hours before we get to Remus'." I said, no emotion in my voice whatsoever. Harry noticed, but didn't say anything about it. Instead he stretched, and muttered something that sounded closely like "Oh Shit," but I'm not for sure. He seemed in a daze.
"You're troubled, Harry. What's wrong?" I said, glad that he wasn't asking me this question. He shrugged.
"I had a dream." He said, starring out the window, looking for the right words.
"Ah, a dream. Those do seem to cause trouble." He laughed, and looked back at me. "Tell me, what happened in your dream, grasshopper." Where did that come from? ...Oh well, it fit.
"Since when have you called me Grasshopper?" He asked, and I shrugged my shoulder before answering 'now.' He smiled, and then rubbed his forehead. Uh oh . . .
"Was your dream about Voldemort?" I asked, and he shook his head.
"And you, too. You were fighting him, arguing. He said he didn't want to kill you, but he would to kill me. And then..." He paused for a second, looking out the window, and then back at me. "I woke up." I told him he was worrying too much, and that he shouldn't be predicting my death, he's only known me for four months, now I can't be getting on his nerves that quickly. He laughs, and we end up starting a game of chess.
***
The cottage Remus lived in was remote enough. About sixty miles from anything alive, more like it! Sirius must of had a hell of a time trying to find this place, being a dog and all. But I figure, Sirius is probably part of the reason its so remote. And the fact that Remus is a werewolf, but Sirius might have something to do with it. I stood there, knocking on the door gently. I can tell Remus is not use to having visitors, I can hear him yelling at Sirius to transform. I look down at Harry, who's pretty tired after having to sit down for so long, and smile. This was going to be fun, in a strange sort of way.
Eventually, Remus opened the door. Man, the guy's a mess. Seriously, I think he has more gray hair than I do, and he's about twenty-thirty years younger. He also has a small goatee, and it does not fit him at all. He looks very tired and worn. His eyes grew a few feet, though, when he opened the door.
"It's the end of term already?!" He screamed, looking back inside his house, and then back at us. From the looks of it, he wasn't ready for us. The big black dog, whom I presumed to be Sirius, smiled before transforming.
"Great! Come in! Come in! How have you been?" He said, looking a lot better than Remus did. His long, shaggy black hair a lot neater and tidier than it is in any of those wanted pictures. In fact, if I didn't know any better, I would say they weren't the same person. Remus looked mortified when we came in. It was very obvious that he hadn't dusted in ages, nor vacuumed either. His house was a pigsty, though I figure that's not to hard to have, living with Sirius and all. Sirius was very happy to have Harry and I here, taking us inside and showing us the small cottage and where we would be sleeping. I still haven't told them that I'm Harry's grandfather, but that's part of the reason for the trip. Somewhere along the line.
"Please ignore the mess." Remus said, hiding his face from embarrassment. Sirius didn't help any, showing any and every part of the house, including the closet and places that you expect to be a mess.
"Well, glad to know you're here. Your probably tired. Or hungry. We got some Egg Nog, if you want. Afraid it's spiked, so Harry, you can't have any. Um, we might a soft drink or something. Remus rarely shops, so there isn't much...How about some eggs? I can cook some eggs..." What I wouldn't give to have Sirius' energy...It seems to be driving Remus insane. Before I knew what was happening, Sirius and Harry were cooking a French omelet, making a complete disaster of Remus' already messy kitchen. Poor guy...It was a full moon last night, and he had completely lost tract of the days of the week, except when the full moon was.
***
"Your not a bad cook, are you, Sirius?" I said, a few hours later. Unfortanitly he's not very good at cleaning, which is what Remus and I are doing. Sirius and Harry are watching. (Helpful, aren't they?) I wouldn't be surprised if Remus tries suicide soon. Or kills Sirius...in fact, I might do that. Put the man out of his misery. Sirius seems to run on an endless supply of energy, and he's making Harry that way. The both of them should have never met.
"Nah. Remus does most of the cooking. And cleaning. And bill paying. And working. And the list goes on and on." Sirius said, and you can tell he's being truthful. I think Remus' eyes are red...Then again, that might be because yesterday was a full moon.
"And what do you do?" I asked, and Remus answered.
"He does the same thing every day. He wakes up, begs for breakfast until I make it, and then he goes and lays on the couch, watching the same reruns of the same crap he watched in the seventies, eating whatever he can get his hands on, making messes and expecting me to clean them up. If he gets tired of the same reruns of crap he watched in the seventies, then he'll change into a dog and goes to sleep." Remus said angrily. Sirius looked at him with a puppy-dog face, until Harry started laughing. We all looked at him, not getting it.
"And what, pray tell, is so funny?" Remus asked, and Harry began laughing again.
"You! You sound so...I don't know, adultish...like a parent of a teenager." Harry said, and Sirius grinned.
"Yeah! And you won't let me help you do anything. Every time I try, you tell me to go back and sit on the couch." This time, I laugh, and so does Remus.
"I know. I'm just a perfectionist freak, let me be..."
A/N: So sorry, people, but it's 11:00 at night, and I'm still sick as a dog. I guess this chapter will have to be three parts, because I'm not writing anymore tonight. But at least I got this part done...Whew, I'm going to bed, folks...