Realisation.
Em.
Disclaimer:
I am not the owner of any of the characters or any of the places. As many fanfic authors say, I am just taking them all for a spin. The characters and their personalities were made up by the renowned JKR. Whom I'm sure you're all familiar with.
Authors note:
Sorry I took so long. I'm very busy all of a sudden. I've decided what order everyone is going in: Trelawney, Dumbledore, Sprout, Filch (with mrs Norris and the House elves), Hooch, Flitwick, Remus and Sirius, Hermione and Ron, Snape, Malfoy and last but by no means least Hagrid. There. Happy? If you don't like it by all means comply your own order and give me reasons why…solid reasons cause 'I like him' wont work cause I've got good reasons of my own. Don't worry though you get guest appearances of the other characters they're just not the ones looking after Harry. Sorry about my spelling mistakes…the word processor didn't pick up on them and I wasn't sure on Pomfrey. I dedicate this chapter to Lady fox fire cause of her good ideas (ghosts will be guest stars too!) and TWHM for great c/c. Now for the thankyou's:
Tynilla…sorry. I realise your preferences are last. Don't worry though Harry will see them often enough.
Aeren..i'm sure your godson isn't that bad.
Paper crane…Thankoyu.
J.Lynn…thankyou. I'm glad my fic is shibby.
Kuroi Atropos…I know this one isn't funny, it's a bit fluffy, but I've got comic relief install for the next chapter.
Luna rose…Thanyou.
Lil…Thankyou
Phoenix…Thankyou.
TWHM…now, to clear a bit up. Sorry I didn't go into much detail at the beginning. I might have Hermione and Ron research it a bit and fill in any gaps. I'm just introducing their part in the story. I don't want them to take the spotlight away from Harry's adjustment. There is actually a reason why I'm making Harry clever, but bravo for pointing it out. The mad bit. Are you British? I am. I use mad all the time. In the dictionary (a Brit one) it has several meanings. Mad as in angry and cross is one of them. I don't know if in parts of England people don't use it but I know I do. Although It was my second choice. Sorry if I sound defensive I don't mean to. Next up…Pomfrey. You are a saint. All through writing this here fic I've had second doubts to the spelling but no-one said anything. It'll take too much time to change past ones at the moment, but rest assured I'll use the proper spelling in future. Same with the mayhen twister scentence. And lastly 'pronounciating' sorry. I make up words like confuddle…a synthesis of confuse and befuddle as well as other things. It slipped out. I'm sorry, bare with me on that one will you. At lleast you understood where I was coming from.
Calistal…thankyou for your input.
Venus4280…thankyou.
HermioneGMalfoy…sorry it took so long. Time isn't my friend.
LadyFowxfire…Thankyou. I'm glad you took the time to e-mail me your input. Your review made me smile.
Rave….thankyou
Anneliese…no need to beg. Thankyou.
Tidmag…thankyou. Uncontrollable magic..good idea. Believe me when I say I'm well ahead of you on that one.
Tay…I'm glad I made your day. The next chapter is going to have humour.
Sophie…if I get roud to all the techers and haven't lost interest in the story…Voldemort will be next on my agenda.
Kim…thankyou.
RJLL…Thankyou.
Jane Doe…I think I've gone more with your suggestions more than anyone else. Thankyou.
Cartooned…Thankyou.
Polaris…Thankyou.
Nicky…Thankyou.
Usako…Thankyou. Unless I change my mind he will eventually go back to normal. My only decision to make is whether he goes through growth spurts and gradually gains his memory with them or they find a cure, I'm happy for your input.
Ast…Thankyou.
Adelina…Thankyou.
Cheetah…Thankyou.
Jenny…thankoyu for your great input. I promise that I'll end this story on Vernon getting his just deserts.
Maab…Thankyou.
May…Thankyou.
Silver tenshi…thankyou.
It was a scraggly procession of students that entered the hall late for lunch. A few minutes later McGonnagall and Harry Potter followed. Their clothes were crumpled and creased. Their hair was matted and falling out of whatever hairstyle they usually wore. Their faces were red and above all they were all smiling.
A silence took a hold of the whole hall save for the procession. They were all talking excitedly to each other and not just restricted to their own house. For that year the Slytherin and Griffindor hatred had ceased and it was all because of a teachers whim, a little child and a muggle game.
With a great sigh Minerva sat down at her respected place next to Albus Dumbledore, for he had returned after finding them. Harry sat under the table at her feet, looking out at all the students in the great hall.
"I see you've got Griffindor and Slytherin fifth years next." Albus said, clearly amused. The twinkling in his eyes was back with vengeance. She groaned, but then again she'd groaned at the prospect of the Weasley twins. She'd managed so far and one more double lesson and she were free. Perhaps she'd take the boy and a trip around the castle, show him the room with a thousand pillows or the inside garden? She decided to just go with the flow. Go with the flow? What wrong with you Minerva? You never go with the flow. Its plan plan plan plan! Nothing else will do!" She decided to stop berating herself, she was hungry and so was Harry. Food now, plans later.
The class of fifth years sat in silence. Their professor stared at them, assessing the situation. Harry sat under the desk.
"Today I will not tolerate any insubordination. Is that clear?" She paused and sighed irritably when there was no answer. "I said, is that clear?" She yelled full throttle. Then realised he mistake when she caught the frightened face of the new inhabitant of her desk. "I'm sorry. I'm not mad, see!" She forced a huge smile, but it soon turned genuine when she saw his lips twitch into a smile. She'd made him smile! Then it turned forced again when her ears distinctly heard Malfoy snicker. She slowly turned away from harry so that he couldn't see her face and shot a look so angry at the golden haired child at the front that he immediately stopped. In a sickly sweet voice but with a look of contempt that rivalled Snape's she softy whispered "fifty points from Slytherin for rudeness and lack of self control." The class visibly gaped. This was most unMcGonnagallish. But he'd laughed at her motherliness and she wasn't going to stand for that. She may not be the most maternal person ever, but there was no need to snicker at her attempts to placate a child. "Today you will be transfiguring a stone into an apple. This is extremely useful if you are for some reason without food because I'm sure you'll all agree that stones are not uncommon. Firstly I'd like you all to turn to page 33 in your books, read until page 40, write notes and answer the questions. One you've done that you may begin." She stopped and then as an afterthought added. " And I don't want to hear on word from you apart from the incantation." With that over with she directed her attention over to harry. He was engaged in another exciting adventure with Foo-foo and Ignatius.
Soon there was the all too familiar sound of quills scratching on parchment and Harry getting bored of his adventures had begun to play with the toy train.
"Choo-choo." He kept saying and he began to move the little one carriage red and green train along the gangways of the class. He was so engrossed in his little game that he'd forgotten where he was and had gained all of the classes attention was on him. "Choo-choo." Realising that nothing was getting done Minerva decided to intervene.
"Harry, perhaps you'd like to finger-paint." She said as her eyes spotted the little paint set sat on the corner of her desk. She inwardly groaned, again the what was I thinking feeling settle don her for the thousandth time that day? She stopped thinking that though when he replied.
"How do you paint? I've never done it before." They'd never let him paint, he'd never had toys and by the looks of it he'd never had a childhood, ever. She felt suddenly very angry and with the determination she'd had earlier to get that big box off of the top shelf she transfigured a large pillow into a small desk and set up the paints and parchment.
Harry had never had so much fun in his life. The paint was at first cold on his hands but it soon became warm. It was gooey like mud and it smelt weird and yet wonderful because it was new. He began to fill page after page of bright handprints, enjoying the fact that they were his. Unique. The lady had praised him continuously and so he decided to paint her with Foo-foo much to her joy and the classes amusement.
It was a little while later that the golden haired boy at the front turned to him.
"Why don't you draw a picture of her on the wall." He said, his voice sounding sweet and innocent. Harry being five was naïve, but entirely sure if he should do it or not. He knew his aunt liked tidiness and order just as much as this lady and he knew his aunt would have a fit. Then he would be punished, involuntarily he shuddered. "Go on." The boy continued. "I'm sure she'd love it. She's often said that she wished this room was brighter and it would be perfect if you drew her. I promise, she'd love you for it."
Never being loved before but still remarkably understanding what love was. Dudley was loved, Vernon and Petunia always told him so. He was not. He knew what the difference between him and his cousin was and if by painting on the wall he wasn't so different. That he wasn't the freak he was told he was. He would do it. The punishment if she was angry was worth the chance that she would love him for it. Gingerly he dipped his hand in the bright blue and began with the sky.
A few minutes later an almost identical picture of the one she had loved before was on the wall, except for a couple of improvisations. It was when he stepped back finished and satisfied with his work that Minerva finished helping a student and saw to her great shock what he had done. Not thinking what she was doing, just that her immaculate wall was ruined. Forgetting that a flick of her wand would clean it up, forgetting how insecure and frightened Harry was, she bellowed.
"Harry Potter, what have you done to my classroom? How could you? Did I not give you enough parchment?"
"D…d…d…don't you like it?" He queried knowing the answer, but hoping against hope that he had misinterpreted her actions or was playing a twisted joke on him.
"No I most certainly do not!" She yelled making some grey looking apples some of the students had half successfully transfigured to shake and even some to roll off of the desks. It was then that he realised that she wasn't the one playing the joke on her, it was the golden haired boy. "I thought you were nicer than that. Going around desecrating school property. I cant believe what you've done, I thought you were kind and sweet. " She stopped yelling and in a rather hurt voice she added " I thought you understood."
I was then that the little boy in font of her suddenly felt as if the world around him was crashing down. He did understand, but he realised that saying what the other boy told her was useless, she wouldn't believe him. They never believed him, it was always his fault. He felt trapped, unable to do anything. Panic enveloped him and a tingling feeling of fear creeped up his spine. Little eyes widened like a house elves and with one hastily shouted sorry he ran off.
A stunned silence ensued and with an unexplainable dread Minerva sat down dejectedly on the edge of her desk. What had she done? Noticing Malfoy's satisfied smirk she pulled him up by the scruff of the neck and through gritted teeth ground out something like 'Headmasters office now.' Before releasing him.
After sorting out the class by setting them homework and letting them go early and then tidying the room to the immaculate state it was this morning save for the mural Harry had painted and Foo-foo, Ignatius and twister. She went to Dumbledore's office to berate a now very frightened Malfoy. He was stepping on thin ice. First for causing the mirror to break and then for convincing harry to paint on the wall. Although she was telling herself that it was all malfoy's fault she couldn't quite help the pang of guilt that was clutching her chest. She should have controlled her anger; she was the one that made the boy run away and no amount of telling herself otherwise were going to erase that. She was responsible and Minerva Margaret McGonnagall was not one to shy away from responsibility. It still didn't mean that that brat Malfoy was getting away with anything. She always liked to think she was a fair woman, but he'd been causing trouble in her classroom the moment she arrived.
The moment she stepped outside of the room when two slightly annoyed and very worried teenagers accosted her. Harry's friends.
"If you want to help," she started, butting into their almost immediate gabble. "Search the castle with me and in an hour meet me at Dumbledore's office. The password is Hubba Bubba. Don't ask me why." It was a few seconds before Hermione launched off into a surprisingly detailed lecture of what Hubba bubba was.
"It's a muggle sweet called bubble gum. Hubba bubba is its brand name. You chew it and blow bubbles and it comes in lots of flavours, but they run out after a while. I don't think there's a wizarding alternative, you should tell Fred and George I'm sure they could adapt it for their joke shop." That was all she heard because the two had began walking off in search of their lost best friend. With the third bout of unyielding determination of the day, Minerva transfigured into her animagus form and walked off in the direction of the infirmary. For some reason she though he would be there.
He'd been running around for ages not really knowing where he was going. His eyes were glistening with unshed tears and his vision was blurry. It was because of this that he ran into a very surprised Professor Trelawney. Quickly hiding her surprise she said in a mysterious tone.
"I'll let that slip, the fates told me you'd do that today and you cant help what the fates decide." Then she forcefully took his hand and dragged him to the infirmary whilst muttering incoherently with the odd 'death' 'destruction' 'poor boy' and 'evil' that he managed to make out. This was because she'd speak them in a much higher voice in bursts and place her hand dramatically on her forehead like before.
It was a very startled, paranoid and shaken child that sat on the end of an infirmary bed when Foo-foo jumped on his lap. Trelawney had been sent off to get Dumbledore, Malfoy, Ron and Hermione.
"I'm scared." He whispered. My Uncles going to punish me and that scary lady knows it." He shuddered and with an unsteady hand he smoothed the top of the cats head. "I didn't mean to anger the lady. The boy told me to." He swallowed a lump that was forming in his throat and began rocking backwards and forwards. "He told me she'd love me if I did it. I should have known. I should have known. I should have known." His voice grew quieter with each time he said in and his rocking fiercer. Clutching tightly to the only friend he thought he had he buried his face in he fur.
A little while later the divination professor returned with the group she'd been told to get. They stopped silently at the sight of the rocking harry. All save Trelawney (who was oblivious to all around her) stared in a moment of contemplation. This wasn't the Harry they knew. This was a scared little boy who had been denied a childhood. It was decided in an unspoken pact among all those present (apart from Trelawney) that Harry would get his childhood. Harry would learn to trust he would learn that people cared about him and even Draco was in on it. Although the others didn't know.
"Harry." Dumbledore spoke up, breaking the other's mesmerisation. "Professor Trelawney here is going to look after you until tomorrow evening. Don't worry though, Minerva isn't mad and I'm sure she'll want to see you at lunch and that she'll look after you again." He said and realising the look of horror on Harry and Foo-foo's faces he added. "Of course you and Foo-foo can sleep here tonight, I'm sure Madame Pomfrey wont mind." With that he walked back out into the hall with the three students in toe. "Mr Malfoy, I expected better of you than to trick poor harry, for that I am going to put your name on the list to look after Harry. " He received a scowl in response, but it was a half-hearted one, merely for show. "And You two." He turned to Ron and Hermione. "I expect you want your names down too." They nodded vigorously. "Very well, but I'm going to tell you, all three of you." He stared intensely at each of them in turn so as to stress his point and make himself seem very serious because half the time he didn't. "Harry isn't like we know him. I expect you all to treat him very carefully. He's insecure, frightened and most importantly he's five and doesn't always understand what he's doing. That is all."
With a brief glance towards the infirmary door where they knew a little boy was rocking himself asleep and feeling very much alone and lost, they walked away.
Thus ends the fifth instalment.
