Chapter Seven: Harry's Discovery
Harry was now taking Dementor protection lessons from Professor Lupin. Harry needed the help so every time he came near a Dementor, he did not fall off his broom. They were working very hard when Professor Lupin decided to take a break. Harry and Professor Lupin decided to walk down to his office for a cup of tea. While there, Harry was looking at some of the wizard's photos that the Professor had in his office.
"Professor, who is that girl in the picture with my mum, my dad, you and Sirius Black?"
"Harry, wow, that's an old photo. It must have been taken when your father, mother, Sirius and I were seventh years. That girl was in her fifth year. Her name was Delilah Black. She was half sister to both James and Sirius."
"What? Do you mean to tell me that I had an aunt?"
"Yes, on your father's side. She was killed by You-Know-Who years ago with her husband. They had a daughter."
"What became of their daughter when they died?"
"Nobody knew, but she lived in a Muggle orphanage. Everyone had thought she had died."
"What was her name?"
"That, I am not allowed to say."
"Professor, did Sirius Black have any children?"
"No, he didn't. He hadn't grown up enough to be a parent yet, in my opinion of course."
"Thanks for the tea Professor. I should get back to Gryffindor Tower. I have a Potions exam tomorrow that I need to study for."
"Good luck with the exam Harry."
"Thank you, Professor. Good night."
"Good night Harry."
Harry ran out of Professor Lupin's office and went straight to the common room. He found Ron and Hermione there with Fred and George. As was the usual lately, Clarice went to bed as soon as she fulfilled her duties. Harry was glad that the common room was almost empty.
"Guys, I think I found out the truth about Clarice Black!"
"What did you find out Harry?" asked Hermione apprehensively. She hoped he hadn't uncovered the fact that Clarice is a werewolf.
"I think she is the thought to be dead daughter of Delilah Black. She can't be Sirius Black's daughter. He never had children," said Harry.
"Alright. So she's his niece. Why are you so excited?" asked Ron.
"Because if I'm right, then I do have a live relative in the magical world...Clarice."
"And how exactly would that be Harry?" asked Fred.
"Delilah Black was the half sister of both James Potter and Sirius Black. The question now would be, does she know that she is related to me," said Harry.
"That would explain the excitement. But how can you be so sure, Harry?" asked George.
"Simple. Professor Lupin had a picture of Delilah Black in his office. When I asked about her he told me she had a daughter who was raised in a Muggle orphanage because everyone thought she was dead," he explained. "But when I asked for the daughter's name, Professor Lupin told me that he cannot tell me that. I think it's because he knows its Clarice."
"Fred. George. You're closer to her than we are. Why don't you two ask her about it tomorrow?" asked Ron.
"We'll try," said Fred.
"Good. Now, if you two don't mind we need to get some studying done before the exam in Potions tomorrow," said Hermione to Fred and George. She was relieved Harry didn't find out Clarice is a werewolf.
The next day, Fred and George approached Clarice on the Delilah Black topic.
"Hey Clarice. Can we talk?" asked George.
"Sure. What's up guys?"
"Well, our dear friend Harry Potter gave us some very interesting news last night. News that might deal with you," said Fred.
"Yeah. He knows your secret," said George.
Clarice panicked.
"He knows I'm a werewolf!?! How!?!"
"No, he knows you're his cousin," said Fred.
"I'm his WHAT?"
"Cousin," said George.
"Why does he think that?"
"He found out last night that Delilah Black is the half sister of Sirius Black and James Potter. If you are the daughter of Delilah Black then you are his cousin," said Fred.
Clarice thought back to a conversation she had with Professor Lupin back in November. She remembered him telling her she was Delilah and Eric's only daughter and that he knew them pretty well. Things had just been too crazy for her to see him about the truth of her family.
"I had no idea," she said.
"What!?!" exclaimed the twins in unison.
"I found out from Professor Lupin when he realized I was a werewolf, that my mother's name was Delilah. My father's name is Eric. I am Professor Dumbledore's granddaughter. But I swear to you, I didn't know Delilah was related to James Potter. Or Sirius Black to be honest with you. I really never knew whether I was using my proper surname. I didn't tell anyone because I didn't have enough details to go on to understand myself. I was supposed to see Professor Lupin so he could tell me about my parents, but when we stopped talking, I didn't care."
Fred and George were amazed. She was Harry's cousin, had been around him for the last three years, and not even known that she was his only wizarding relative. They convinced her to tell Harry what she did know.
An hour later, Clarice ran into Harry out on the grounds returning from his Care of Magical Creatures class with Hagrid. She grabbed him and walked him down by the lake before he went in for dinner.
"Harry, there is something I need to tell you."
"What's it about?"
"Well, Fred and George came to see me earlier. About what you guys talked about last night."
"Really? And?"
"Based on what they told me you learned from Professor Lupin, yes, Harry, I am your cousin. I just didn't know until today. You see I had found out from Professor Lupin that my mum's name was Delilah and I knew my father's name was Eric. I just didn't know Delilah was related to James Potter. I am also related to Professor Dumbledore. He is my grandfather... on my dad's side. So I'm guessing my proper name would actually be Clarice Dumbledore."
Harry was too shocked to speak. He actually had family in the magical world. He had a cousin who was not a Dursley. It was one of the happiest days of his life.
Harry was now taking Dementor protection lessons from Professor Lupin. Harry needed the help so every time he came near a Dementor, he did not fall off his broom. They were working very hard when Professor Lupin decided to take a break. Harry and Professor Lupin decided to walk down to his office for a cup of tea. While there, Harry was looking at some of the wizard's photos that the Professor had in his office.
"Professor, who is that girl in the picture with my mum, my dad, you and Sirius Black?"
"Harry, wow, that's an old photo. It must have been taken when your father, mother, Sirius and I were seventh years. That girl was in her fifth year. Her name was Delilah Black. She was half sister to both James and Sirius."
"What? Do you mean to tell me that I had an aunt?"
"Yes, on your father's side. She was killed by You-Know-Who years ago with her husband. They had a daughter."
"What became of their daughter when they died?"
"Nobody knew, but she lived in a Muggle orphanage. Everyone had thought she had died."
"What was her name?"
"That, I am not allowed to say."
"Professor, did Sirius Black have any children?"
"No, he didn't. He hadn't grown up enough to be a parent yet, in my opinion of course."
"Thanks for the tea Professor. I should get back to Gryffindor Tower. I have a Potions exam tomorrow that I need to study for."
"Good luck with the exam Harry."
"Thank you, Professor. Good night."
"Good night Harry."
Harry ran out of Professor Lupin's office and went straight to the common room. He found Ron and Hermione there with Fred and George. As was the usual lately, Clarice went to bed as soon as she fulfilled her duties. Harry was glad that the common room was almost empty.
"Guys, I think I found out the truth about Clarice Black!"
"What did you find out Harry?" asked Hermione apprehensively. She hoped he hadn't uncovered the fact that Clarice is a werewolf.
"I think she is the thought to be dead daughter of Delilah Black. She can't be Sirius Black's daughter. He never had children," said Harry.
"Alright. So she's his niece. Why are you so excited?" asked Ron.
"Because if I'm right, then I do have a live relative in the magical world...Clarice."
"And how exactly would that be Harry?" asked Fred.
"Delilah Black was the half sister of both James Potter and Sirius Black. The question now would be, does she know that she is related to me," said Harry.
"That would explain the excitement. But how can you be so sure, Harry?" asked George.
"Simple. Professor Lupin had a picture of Delilah Black in his office. When I asked about her he told me she had a daughter who was raised in a Muggle orphanage because everyone thought she was dead," he explained. "But when I asked for the daughter's name, Professor Lupin told me that he cannot tell me that. I think it's because he knows its Clarice."
"Fred. George. You're closer to her than we are. Why don't you two ask her about it tomorrow?" asked Ron.
"We'll try," said Fred.
"Good. Now, if you two don't mind we need to get some studying done before the exam in Potions tomorrow," said Hermione to Fred and George. She was relieved Harry didn't find out Clarice is a werewolf.
The next day, Fred and George approached Clarice on the Delilah Black topic.
"Hey Clarice. Can we talk?" asked George.
"Sure. What's up guys?"
"Well, our dear friend Harry Potter gave us some very interesting news last night. News that might deal with you," said Fred.
"Yeah. He knows your secret," said George.
Clarice panicked.
"He knows I'm a werewolf!?! How!?!"
"No, he knows you're his cousin," said Fred.
"I'm his WHAT?"
"Cousin," said George.
"Why does he think that?"
"He found out last night that Delilah Black is the half sister of Sirius Black and James Potter. If you are the daughter of Delilah Black then you are his cousin," said Fred.
Clarice thought back to a conversation she had with Professor Lupin back in November. She remembered him telling her she was Delilah and Eric's only daughter and that he knew them pretty well. Things had just been too crazy for her to see him about the truth of her family.
"I had no idea," she said.
"What!?!" exclaimed the twins in unison.
"I found out from Professor Lupin when he realized I was a werewolf, that my mother's name was Delilah. My father's name is Eric. I am Professor Dumbledore's granddaughter. But I swear to you, I didn't know Delilah was related to James Potter. Or Sirius Black to be honest with you. I really never knew whether I was using my proper surname. I didn't tell anyone because I didn't have enough details to go on to understand myself. I was supposed to see Professor Lupin so he could tell me about my parents, but when we stopped talking, I didn't care."
Fred and George were amazed. She was Harry's cousin, had been around him for the last three years, and not even known that she was his only wizarding relative. They convinced her to tell Harry what she did know.
An hour later, Clarice ran into Harry out on the grounds returning from his Care of Magical Creatures class with Hagrid. She grabbed him and walked him down by the lake before he went in for dinner.
"Harry, there is something I need to tell you."
"What's it about?"
"Well, Fred and George came to see me earlier. About what you guys talked about last night."
"Really? And?"
"Based on what they told me you learned from Professor Lupin, yes, Harry, I am your cousin. I just didn't know until today. You see I had found out from Professor Lupin that my mum's name was Delilah and I knew my father's name was Eric. I just didn't know Delilah was related to James Potter. I am also related to Professor Dumbledore. He is my grandfather... on my dad's side. So I'm guessing my proper name would actually be Clarice Dumbledore."
Harry was too shocked to speak. He actually had family in the magical world. He had a cousin who was not a Dursley. It was one of the happiest days of his life.