Notes: I realized after rereading The Five that Kendra mentioned to Hermione that she knew most of the story behind Sirius Black and the entire plot of PoA. That's my mistake, but I really didn't feel like going back and changing it. My apologies.
Chapter Two
It was strange being back at Hogwarts after so long. The children looked so much smaller than Harry remembered his peers being, but they treated him exactly the same. If they weren't rambling endlessly about all the wonderful things they'd been told about Harry Potter, they were creeping past him with a look of absolute awe on their young faces.
With a smile, Harry watched as a second year boy peered at Hermione from around his book. One major benefit to being one of five students who had defeated Voldemort was that he was no longer alone in the reverence and awe. It would have been almost impossible to deal with by himself, but with four other students to admire it became easier.
There was a scroll dedicated to Parvati Patil in the entrance hall. He hadn't been back in so long that he hadn't even known about it. Kendra had explained it to him as they walked by it the next day, pointing out their names mixed into the story of The Five.
"We don't compare," he had whispered. "I mean, we were brave and all, but Parvati . . ." he had trailed off and Kendra patted his hand knowingly.
"You don't even need to say it," she had whispered back, then grabbed him by the arm and pulled him into the warm sunlight.
It was times like those when Harry really realized what Parvati had done for the world. She had given up the warm sunlight so that everyone else wouldn't have to. He couldn't help but admire that, more deeply and more profoundly than he'd ever admired anyone.
Even now, as they ate breakfast in the Great Hall, surrounded by the current Gryffindor students, he could feel the eyes on them. Whispers ran up and down the tables, theories spreading about why they were all back at Hogwarts at the same time as the war against the unnamed enemy and mysterious curse was heating up.
"You're Harry Potter, aren't you?" a girl beside him asked.
Harry nodded. "Yes."
"We've read all about you in Defense against the Dark Arts. All of The Five, in fact," she informed him.
"Really?" He was genuinely surprised at this information. He had never imagined that The Five would earn a place in that class.
She cocked her head to one side, seeming to choose her words carefully. "It's not an actual lesson, you see," she said, trying to explain. "Professor Lupin knows that we can't all adopt powers like that and let light run through us to defeat our enemies, but-"
"Did you say Lupin?" Harry asked, interrupting the girl.
She blinked, then nodded. "Yes. He's taught here for the past two years. He's a wonderful professor; the best we've ever had."
Harry grinned, then nodded. "I know. He was my Defense against the Dark Arts professor when I was in third year."
The girl's face lit up. Obviously she enjoyed talking about her favourite professor. "He's fantastic, really," she gushed. "He's so intelligent and no one cares anymore than he's a werewolf. Everyone knows that werewolves don't hurt people if they're locked up safely during their change." She rolled her eyes to stress how little she cared about Remus Lupin's infliction. "Learning about The Five was definitely my favourite part of class last year," she said. "Professor Lupin has done some extensive research on how The Five are picked and how their powers are distributed. He's especially interested in learning how the seer is the most important and most powerful member of the group."
"Wow," Harry said, genuinely impressed. "Lupin has done a lot of work on this, hasn't he?"
"I think it's because you were one of The Five," the girl stated, very matter of factly. "Everyone knows now that he was close to your parents and I think he finds anything dealing with you interesting."
"I seriously doubt that," Harry said, smiling a little anyway. "Professor Lupin has always shown great interest in his work."
The girl laughed. "It definitely shows."
As they discussed Remus Lupin and ate breakfast the crowd in the hall began to thin. The girl stood up in a rush a moment later.
"I'm going to be late for class. It was really nice to meet you," she said. "I'm Charlize Grey, by the way."
"Nice to meet you," Harry said, shaking her hand quickly.
"Making friends?" Kendra asked, grinning at him from across the table.
Harry just shrugged and returned to the meal set out before him that he had ignored up until that point.
"Honestly!" Hermione burst out suddenly, whipping her head toward the second year boy who was staring at her openly now. "What is so fascinating about me that prevents you from finishing your breakfast?"
The boy gaped at her for a moment, then blushed furiously and scrambled to begin eating.
Hermione sighed deeply, then turned back toward Harry and Kendra. "Should I not have yelled?"
Kendra snickered, then cleared her throat as she tried to hide her laughter.
Hermione pursed her lips. "It's really not amusing."
Harry's mouth twitched, but he nodded very seriously. "Not at all amusing, Hermione. Honestly, the poor boy had it coming."
She shrunk down into her seat and began eating quickly. Every so often she'd mumble something around her toast about constantly being stared at and Harry smiled sympathetically.
"Now you know what all seven years at Hogwarts were like for me," he said.
Hermione opened her mouth to respond with something snappy and sarcastic, but apparently thought better of it.
"Sorry," she finally said.
"Hey," Harry said, looking at her. "It's nothing to be sorry to me about. I know what you're feeling like, trust me."
Hermione smiled halfheartedly. "I just never wanted to be back here under terms like this. It's . . . it's not good that we're here. It only results in bad things happening to people, Harry. It's getting to me already."
"Where's Ron?" Kendra asked, trying to take Hermione's attention away from exactly why they were at Hogwarts again.
Harry shrugged. "He said he wasn't hungry when I tried to wake him for breakfast. I think he's just feeling guilty."
"Good," Hermione said, looking smug. "He should feel guilty."
Kendra glanced at her. "I don't know if we should . . . y'know, rub it in. It must be hard enough on him as it is."
Hermione shrugged. "He should have known better. Getting drunk and spilling a secret like that to some girl just because she's blonde and beautiful." She laughed dryly. "I suppose we should have know. He's always been stupid like that about girls. Remember Fleur?"
Harry nodded. How could he not remember Fleur? She was definitely the cause of much heartache on Ron's part for the majority of their fourth year and when he wasn't pining away after the unavailable, aloof Veela, he had been convinced that Viktor Krum was going to whisk Hermione off to a better life. Forget the fact that she was only fourteen.
"Look, we all need to work together during this time," Kendra said in a low voice. "It isn't going to help things if you try to make Ron feel more guilty than he already does."
Hermione pursed her lips angrily. "That's just like you, Kendra. You've always taken Ron's side over mine."
Kendra leaned back in exasperation. "How old are you, Hermione? Twelve? We're adults now. Maybe we should all try acting like them."
"Why act like an adult when acting like a child is so much more fun?" a cheerful voice said.
Sirius Black settled happily on Harry's other side and studied the plates before them.
"What's on the menu?" he asked.
Harry pushed his half eaten plate toward his godfather, then glanced at Kendra. She was sneaking glances between Hermione and Sirius, apparently trying to decide whom to give her attention to. The potential for an argument didn't seem to be as interesting as finding out more about the accused murderer sitting at their breakfast table, as Kendra turned to the left to see Sirius better.
"Harry hasn't told me anything," she said.
Sirius blinked, then glanced at her. "Anything about what, exactly?"
"About you," she said.
"You're very forthright, aren't you?"
Kendra nodded.
Sirius grinned and Harry had to resist the urge to groan.
"So, what do you want to know, sweetheart?"
That was it. Harry had to groan. "I told you not to flirt with her!" he said.
Sirius put up both hands defensively and grinned. "Sorry. I forget sometimes. Y'know, the head trauma."
Harry looked bewildered. "What head trauma?"
Sirius just grinned again and looked at Kendra. "You must think that I'm a murderer. I'm not. What actually happened is a long and extremely complex story of lies, betrayal and deceit. It can only be told properly by the light of the full moon with a bottle of expensive Muggle wine and romantic music."
Remus Lupin put his hands on his hips from where he was now standing behind Sirius. "Well, that's not how you told the entire story to me. If I recall correctly we were cold, terrified and angry."
"Lupin!" Harry cried, standing up.
"Professor Lupin?" Hermione asked.
Kendra grinned. "Oh, Merlin, you're teaching here again?"
Lupin nodded. "This is my second year back."
"Ladies and gentlemen!" Sirius announced loudly. "May I introduce you to the only Defense against the Dark Arts teacher to ever last more than a year!" He began to applaud wildly as the remaining students stared at him on their way out of the Great Hall.
From the Head Table, Dumbledore clapped politely, then returned to his meal.
Kendra looked at Harry, who simply shook his head and mouthed, 'crazy' to her.
"Be nice, Harry," Lupin scolded jokingly. "Your godfather isn't completely crazy."
Sirius arched an eyebrow. "Says who?"
Hermione just shook her head and went back to her breakfast.
"To make a long story short, Kendra, Peter Pettigrew was the actual murderer," Lupin tried to explain.
Kendra looked at him blankly. "They said all they found of Pettigrew was a finger."
"Well, trust me," Lupin said. "He's not dead. He was James and Lily's Secret Keeper, he gave them away to Voldemort and when Sirius went after him, he murdered all those Muggles, cut off his own finger, left Sirius to take the blame and lived for twelve years as a rat."
Kendra blinked, then looked at Harry who was nodding.
"It's true," he said.
"So he just let you go to Azkaban for his crimes?" Kendra asked incredulously, staring at Sirius.
He nodded. "Most people don't believe what the Ministry tells them anymore, so I can basically travel about freely. I'm still wanted, according to the Minister of Magic but . . . no one turns me in, so I guess I'm okay."
Kendra studied him, then asked, "Are you going to be helping us?"
Lupin smiled at her. "Sirius and I have spent some time looking up information on the connection you shared with the other students during your seventh year here. We had hoped that we'd have some sort of . . . thesis regarding the powers you share when you're together, but so far we have nothing."
"Nothing?" Harry asked. "A girl I spoke with said you'd done years of research."
Lupin nodded. "I have, but I've come up with absolutely nothing. The documents that contain any information regarding past occurrences of The Five have either been destroyed or lost. Your story is all the information that I really have. I've tried to find out why these five families were picked, but there's nothing that points toward a connection or . . . anything."
"I thought they were members of the five most powerful wizarding families of the time," Hermione said.
Lupin shook his head. "Contrary to what Severus's lineage book may have stated the Malfoys and the Blacks were always the most powerful families."
Sirius smiled around a piece of bacon. "That'd be me."
"I thought that their power might have had something to do with it, but I came up empty handed." Lupin shrugged helplessly. "I thought that if I could discover something it might help this time around but I have nothing. I had hoped that once you were here I could interview each of you alone and get some more information."
Hermione nodded. "I don't see why not."
"I'll do it," Harry said.
Kendra shrugged. "Why not?"
Lupin smiled and nodded. "Good, this is all very good. I can conduct interviews, speak with Severus about the battles and find out exactly what went on six years ago."
"Then what?" Kendra asked. "Then we . . . fight? Again?"
Harry smirked. "Getting a little tedious, isn't it?"
"You have Sirius to help out this time," Lupin pointed out.
"Yeah, you have me," Sirius said. "I am a great warrior, trained to fight smart and become completely emotionless in the heat of battle. Plus, I pack a mean insult when someone really pisses me off." Sirius paused long enough to wolf down a piece of Harry's half eaten toast, then cracked his knuckles and smiled broadly. "So . . . when do we leave?"
More Notes: I do realize how OOC Harry is if you look at him post OotP, but I decided to keep him IC with how I started writing him. It feels weird, but keep in mind this is now officially AU. Not that it wasn't before but … you know what I mean. :D
