Harry awoke with a bubble of excitement building inside of him, Hermione, her parents and Tonks would be arriving before lunch. He raced downstairs and charged through his exercises. He wanted to push himself extra hard this morning as he would not get too much work done this week, he was having a half day today, half day tomorrow and then no further classes until Monday. Luckily Dumbledore had decided on Saturday afternoon that he had kept to his end of the bargain and practical lessons would begin the following week as promised. How he was to arrange this he wasn't revealing until Harry's birthday. Thankful that he wasn't going to be racing to meet a deadline with his studies while his friends were newly arrived he breezed through the morning lessons.
After his classes he went down to bang on Moony's door. "Come on Moony, time to get up. Drink a Pepper-Up potion, have a shower and get dressed, 'Mione and Tonks will be here in 45 mins. Grandfather sent off Fawkes with a portkey." The phoenix had arrived that morning with a message for Dumbledore.
"Some of us had a difficult night" snapped a gaunt and haggard Lupin as he brushed past Harry on his way to the bathroom.
"Look on the bright side, it's over for another month, and didn't you hear me before, you must be getting old, I said TONKS WILL BE HERE IN 45 MINS."
"You know, I feel that you are spending too much time with damn portrait." Moony griped, "You sound more like a recording of James everyday."
Harry just beamed at him and raced upstairs to get ready himself.
Harry, Dumbledore and Lupin were all waiting in the lounge room for the imminent arrival of their guests. Dumbledore having accepted an invitation to stay for lunch before heading back to Hogwarts. Right on schedule the portkey, an old tennis shoe, delivered the Grangers and Tonks. Harry quickly stepped forward wrapping Hermione in a huge hug "I've missed you" he said looking deep into her eyes.
"Well I'm here now" she grinned as they separated.
Breaking eye contact with her, Harry noticed that Tonks and Lupin were still locked together in a tight embrace. "Ahem," they jolted apart, "now that you two have finished your little reunion we might continue with the introductions." He smirked at the blushing pair.
Hermione took over "Dad, this is Harry Potter, you met him a few years ago in Diagon Alley."
"I remember, a pleasure to see you again, thank you for letting us stay." He said as they shook hands.
She continued, "Professor Remus Lupin, a former DADA teacher from Hogwarts" she indicated to the werewolf who, now looking much healthier than he did a short time before, was standing with his arm around Tonks' shoulder. Lupin gave a quick salute.
"And this is the Headmaster from Hogwarts and Harry's Great Great Grandfather, Professor Albus Dumbledore. Professor, my parents, Dr and Dr Granger."
"Dr's Granger, it is truly a pleasure to meet the parents of one of the most gifted witches to have come through Hogwarts in the last 500 years." Dumbledore said, his sincerity obvious to all.
"Believe me Headmaster, the pleasure is ours, Hermione has told us so much about your accomplishments" Dr Granger's face was beaming with pride at the compliment paid to her daughter "and please, call us Kath and Peter, the whole Dr and Dr Granger thing will become confusing after a while."
"Then I insist you call me Albus" said Dumbledore with aplomb
"And I'm Remus" Lupin's face had a cheeky grin "just to clarify a point though, I am also the current DADA teacher at Hogwarts."
"You're coming back" Hermione squealed as she raced over to congratulate him.
"I sure am, as are Tonks and Moody."
"Your teaching at Hogwarts this year and you never told me?" Hermione's tone was accusatory as she frowned at Tonks.
"Well it was supposed to be a secret" Tonks replied slapping Lupin on the arm.
He laughed, "It wouldn't have stayed a secret too much longer from her, Harry knows already, and how long do you think it would have taken him to tell her?"
As they sat down talking pleasantly amongst themselves, Dobby popped into the room, a tea tray in his hands. Hermione's parents reeled in shock at the sight of the house-elf. They quickly composed themselves and looked on in interest at the conversation that was taking place.
"Just put the tray on the table Dobby, we can serve ourselves." Harry instructed "And would you be able to take everyone's luggage to their rooms please?"
"Of course Master Harry, Dobby shall do so at once" said the house-elf, his manner strangely formal as he placed the tray on the coffee table.
"Relax Dobby, what's wrong?"
"Winky is telling Dobby that Master Harry Potter is having important guests coming to stay, and that Dobby has to be on his best behaviour so he does not embarrass Master Harry or his visitors. Winky threatened Dobby that if he didn't act like a good house-elf should she would not let him do any of the work!" His fear at being prevented from helping with Harry's birthday party evident in his eyes.
Harry laughed at this. "Dobby, I'll talk to Winky for you, I want you to be happy. Please, while my guests are here just be yourself."
"Oh thank you Master Harry," the small house-elf threw himself at Harry's leg, hugging it tightly "Master Harry is too kind to Dobby, Dobby doesn't deserve to be working for such a kind and great wizard."
"That's alright Dobby, now can you see about the bags?" Harry patted him on the back.
"At once Master Harry" Dobby squealed.
As the excitable house-elf grabbed the bags everyone sat back, varying degrees of amusement on their faces. The magical folk openly laughing while the Grangers were still a little confused, not having met any non-human creatures previously.
Harry pulled Hermione to the side of the room as everyone else drank their tea. "I need to ask you a favour." He began haltingly. "You know how you offered to help me pack Sirius' things?"
Hermione nodded and grasped his hand.
"Well I'd like to make a start on that this afternoon if that's alright." Squeezing Hermione's hand trying to extract all the comfort from it he could he continued in a rush, "I still haven't been able to open the door and with everyone else arriving tomorrow I'd like to try and get the worst out of the way if possible. I have no idea what's in there, I mean for all I know it could just be an empty room, but ….."
"Harry," Hermione paused him mid-sentence, bringing her spare hand up to gently brush his cheek, "I understand. We'll go up this afternoon after lunch and see what needs to be done. I told you I would help you deal with this and I meant it."
Harry smiled weakly at her. Turning back to the others and still gripping Hermione's hand he asked loudly, "Would like to freshen up before lunch I can have Dobby and Winky show you to your rooms."
"Thank you anyway, but I don't see any real need" Peter said with a chuckle, "this portkey travel sure beats a 4 hour drive."
"I'm fine as well thanks Harry," smiled Kath, "but I wouldn't mind a tour of the house, it looks fabulous."
Realising that Harry was still focusing on Sirius, and aware that her mothers comment about the renovations would have only added to his emotions Hermione squeezed his hand again.
Dumbledore, also recognising that his grandson's thoughts were in the past, quickly interjected, "I need to have a brief discussion with Remus and Nymphadora, we shall meet you in the kitchen after you have finished your tour." Tonks grimaced at the use of her Christian name, as Dumbledore continued "Perhaps the Grangers would like to begin by meeting your parents."
"Harry, I hope you don't mind this question," Kath asked her confusion obvious "but Hermione led me to believe that you were an orphan, how exactly are we meeting your parents?"
Quickly snapping back to the present Harry grinned "Right this way I'll show you."
They left the lounge room, Harry still holding onto Hermione's hand, her parents following closely behind smiling at how naïve the two teens were being about their own feelings regarding the other. "They'll realise one day," Peter whispered in Kath's ear. She just smirked in reply.
They walked into the hallway admiring the portraits and other artworks, Harry led them towards the feature piece and said "Mum, Dad, I'd like to introduce you to my best friend Hermione Granger, and her parents Dr Kath and Dr Peter Granger."
"A pleasure to meet you Mr and Mrs Potter." Hermione smiled brightly.
Her parents just stood there, jaws on the floor, unable to utter a word as the man in the portrait said, "Hermione, it's nice to finally be able to put a face to the name, we've heard so many things about you."
"The smartest muggleborn at Hogwarts since, well, me" grinned Lily.
Noticing her parents stunned expressions Hermione nudged them "Mum, dad, I told you all about wizarding pictures, they have the personalities and the memories of the people as they were when it was posed for." Turning back to the picture she continued "You will have to forgive them both Mr and Mrs Potter, today is their first time in a wizarding household and so far they have had a portkey, house-elves and now this."
James laughed "Not a problem at all my dear, it can be a culture shock at first and please I'm James, this is Lily. Mr and Mrs Potter were my parents. Speaking of which, if you ever get a portrait done of my parents Harry, make sure you put it on a different floor to me and Lils will you, don't really need them looking over my shoulder all the time if you know what I mean." James winked.
Lily smacked him up the back of the head and said to Hermione "I know my parents where absolutely floored the first time they came to Godric's Hollow, they'll adjust to it quickly, don't worry. Harry tells us you will be staying for a few weeks?"
"I will be, but my parents are flying to Canada tomorrow morning."
"Oh well, not to worry. I hope you and I can have a few nice long chats while you are here, it would be nice to speak to a female every now and then, and an intelligent conversation will make a lovely change." She raised her eyebrow at James who just sniggered at her. She turned to the older Grangers "It was nice to almost meet you."
Hermione removed her hand from Harry's and stepped in between her still incredulous parents. Linking arms with both of them, she followed Harry as he continued the tour. He took them down to the basement, showed them the door that led to Remus' suite. They saw the gym, all three were impressed by the potions room, and Hermione's eyes had taken on a gleam of excitement at the sight of row after row of ingredients available. Harry knew she would be planning on spending as much time as possible down here getting a head start on her NEWTs. He showed them the training room, which had been improved and magically expanded to fit the addition of a couple of desks and chairs as well as shelves containing the remaining books from the Black family library that had previously been in the lounge. The majority of the books had been donated to the restricted section at the Hogwarts library, Lupin considering them too dangerous to be stored anywhere else. Harry demonstrated the cushioning charms in the room by launching himself at the far wall. Peter's inner child took over and he too threw himself into the brickwork, bouncing harmlessly off it onto the soft floor.
"It's just like a Jumping Castle at a Fete" he exclaimed excitedly.
Hermione's mother rolled her eyes muttering "boy's, they never grow up, they just get older."
They then went upstairs, and Harry showed they would be sleeping, both rooms filled with a huge four poster bed. He rushed them past the door that led to Sirius' quarters and finished the tour by showing them his suite. Leading them back into the kitchen where the others were waiting, he formally introduced the Grangers to Dobby and Winky. Dobby was bouncing from his left foot to his right in glee, while Winky merely performed a staid bow.
As Dobby went to speak, Winky nudged him with her elbow, giving him a look worthy of Professor McGonagal. He turned to Harry a soulful pleading look in his eyes, silently begging Harry to intercede on his behalf.
Harry cleared his throat. "Winky, I have asked Dobby to continue acting as he would at any other time. I do not expect either of you to act as my servants; you are both my friends and should be able to be yourselves. You will not embarrass me in doing this, and if it upsets my guests then it is their issue to deal with, not mine and certainly not yours. If you wish to continue to serve in the manner in which you have been, then that's your decision and I will accept that, but please do not reprimand Dobby for being different."
"Yes Master Harry" she said meekly, feeling like she had disappointed her master.
"Master Harry is a great and wise wizard, Dobby is so happy he will be able to help with Master Harry's birthday." The house-elf was jumping for joy in little circles.
Knowing the chaos that Dobby could cause when he was really excited and also realising he had to make Winky feel better he added, "But Dobby, I have some conditions, Winky, as always, remains in charge of the kitchen and the bedrooms. Your job is to greet my guests, take the luggage to their rooms, and maintain the rest of the house."
"Yes Master Harry," they chorused.
Taking their seats they filled themselves with the huge spread of food that the elves had prepared, there was cold meats, salads, cheeses, fruits, and an array of desserts. After everyone was comfortably full Dumbledore bid his farewells. "I shall be back before the meeting tomorrow night" addressing Harry he asked, "If possible I shall stay overnight; will my room be available for me then? I know you have other visitors arriving."
"Of course, you never have to ask." Harry added "I have already told the elves to consider that your permanent room."
Dumbledore gripped him on the shoulder; turning to the Grangers he said "I hope you have an enjoyable vacation." To the rest he nodded "Until tomorrow."
After Dumbledore had gone Lupin turned to Harry, "What's your plan for this afternoon?"
Harry paused, deciding how to frame his reply, he hesitantly offered "Hermione and I are going to begin sorting through Sirius' room."
His face a mask Lupin asked "Would you like my help?"
"Not right now," Harry rushed; he didn't want anyone other than Hermione there with in case he broke down. "Maybe later in the holidays, all I was planning on doing today was boxing everything up so that we could go through everything together when we were both ready."
Lupin breathed a sigh of relief, his emotions, still unsettled from his transformations over the preceding nights, were not prepared to deal with the memories that the room contained. "Yeah…..when we are both ready."
Leaving the four adults to their own devices the two teenagers walked up the stairs. Stopping outside Sirius' door Harry took a deep breath. Placing his hand on the cold steel doorknob he shuddered.
Hermione grabbed his free hand in both of hers, "If you're not ready we really don't have to do this now."
"Yes I do Hermione, I can't have this hanging over my head. I have to take this final step. If I leave here without having started to clear out his room, it's almost as if I am expecting him to come back. I need….I need closure."
He closed his eyes and opened the door. Inhaling the essence of the musty air he moved forward, slowly opening his eyes he peered around the room. It hadn't changed since Christmas. With measured steps he made his way over to the bed and sat down. Hermione came over and positioned herself next to him, "Where do you want to start?" she asked softly.
Harry, his eyes slowly tracing the room, as if to memorise the exact location of every item didn't answer. A folded banner in the corner near the wardrobe caught his eye. At a snails pace he moved towards it, collecting it from its dusty home he unfurled it and read. "WELCOME HOME HARRY" a lone tear silently streaked its way along the contours of his cheek, hanging on his chin before dropping to the floor. "All he had wanted to do for the last 15 years is give me a place I could call home. He finally gets his wish, and isn't here to be part of it." Hermione, knowing that sometimes silence says more than 1000 words ever could, enveloped him in an embrace simply holding him to show that she cared. "Thankyou" he whispered as they separated.
Biting back his grief he opened the wardrobe door and began to place everything into boxes that Dobby had brought up for them. He packed it all; robes, t-shirts, shoes, old quidditch magazines, books, years of accumulated flotsam and jetsam, from his unhappy childhood, to his unhappy adulthood. What Harry found most depressing was how little there was to show the sort of man that Sirius truly was, nothing tangible that he could grasp and say "That was Sirius alright." Hermione stood by his side the whole time helping him pack, neither of them speaking; it was if she knew automatically when he needed her support, a simple touch on the arm or a quick hug.
They had cleared away virtually everything; all that were left were the odds and ends on the small table beside the bed. Sliding the box with him as he walked across to it he stopped stock still, an unfathomable expression of pain and remorse streaking across his face. Reaching down he gathered the two items from the table looking carefully at them, then pulling them close to his chest, he took off as if his very life depended on it, brushing past Hermione he raced up the stairs.
She turned and followed him, her mind racing through the myriad items that could cause such a response. Reaching his door she knocked softly. Not getting any reply she slowly opened the door. Harry was face down on his bed, his muted sobs barely audible. She could faintly make out the words "All my fault" being repeated between cries. Making her way to his side she sat down. Placing her hand on his back she noticed a silver photo frame beside him. Picking it up she turned it over and read the engraving along the top.
YOU ARE MY BROTHER, YOU ARE MY SON, YOU ARE MY LIFE
HAPPY 16TH BIRTHDAY HARRY
LOVE SIRIUS
Inside the frame were two photographs, one of Sirius holding Harry as a baby, the joy on his face obvious as he tickled the infants chin. The other was from last Christmas, with Harry and Sirius standing with their arms around each other in front of the Christmas tree.
"Harry" she said softly, "I know this must have upset you, but you have to begin to move on. Don't let this eat you up inside, Sirius would not want you to be blaming yourself."
"But you don't understand Hermione, it IS all my fault." He rolled over and thrust the other item he had taken from the room jnto her hands. It was a drab and dusty hand mirror.
"How does this make it your fault?" she asked totally confused as to its relevance.
Then as if a dam had burst inside of him Harry told it all. He told her about the mirror, how he should have used it to call Sirius. He told her all about the pain and anger and resentment he had kept hidden from them last year. He told her about trying to use the cruciatas curse on Bellatrix Lestrange. He went on to outline his plans for this year, how he had refused the Quidditch Captaincy and Prefects position, how he would only be taking four NEWT classes and the rest of the time studying martial wizardry to prepare to fight Voldemort.
Hermione had started crying during his soliloquy, "But Harry," she cried "You've lost so much already; you don't have to give up any more. Let someone else shoulder the burden for a while."
"I have to, I have no choice. Either I kill Voldemort or he kills me. The prophecy wasn't lost Hermione, both Dumbledore and I know the entire verse."
He spoke softly:
"The one with the power vanquish the Dark Lord approaches…born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies…and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not…and either must die at the hand of the other, for neither can live while the other survives…the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies."
"You see, there is no one else, at the end there will be me and him, that's all."
She catapulted herself into him knocking him back down onto his pillow; they lay there wrapped in each others arms sobbing, tears streaming down their cheeks. Once she had recovered enough to speak she asked "What can I do to help you?"
"Just be there for me 'Mione, that's all I ask. Sometimes it may seem like I take you for granted, but I don't. You have always been there for me in the past and I have never told you how much that has meant to me. All I can ask of you is to continue being yourself."
She kissed him gently on the cheek, her lips softly brushing against his skin. "If you ever need me I'll be there for you."
They lay there like that, drawing on each others strength for comfort until Winky came to get them for dinner.
They joined the others in the kitchen who, after noting the tear stains on their cheeks, decided not to ask any questions.
As Harry ate his mind was concentrated on the mirror. He didn't want to throw it away as it had belonged to Sirius, but he didn't want to keep it either. Then he had a thought, calling Dobby to him he whispered in his ear, "Can you come up to my room about 15 mins after I go to bed please." Dobby nodded. Harry finished his dinner in silence. "I'll be off to bed now" he stood, continuing quickly before Hermione could say anything "Now Hermione, I insist that you spend tonight with your mother and father, just the three of you, you don't know if you will see them again before next year. I'll be fine. I need some time by myself anyway, just to get some thoughts in order and I'm sure Moony and Tonks can manage to entertain each other." He grinned at the rosy cheeked pair.
Hermione mouthed "Thank You" as he left the room, grateful for the opportunity for some final quality time with her family.
Racing back to his room he quickly scribbled a note. As he was finishing Dobby arrived. "Dobby, in my school trunk you will find a broken mirror similar to this one." He held up the mirror. "All of the pieces of glass should be with it. Can you repair it for me please?"
Dobby instantly did his masters bidding.
"Now Dobby, I want you to look into this mirror. Let me know if my face appears when I call your name. Dobby the House-elf."
"Yes Master Harry, Dobby is seeing your face in the mirror."
"Excellent" Harry grinned, he knew exactly what to do now. "Dobby, can you please separately wrap both of these mirrors for me, add this note to one of the packages and mark which one has both the note and the mirror. Make sure you pad them properly so that they don't break again. Once that's done return them both to me here."
Dobby popped away returning about 20 minutes later "This one has the note Master Harry."
"Thankyou Dobby, excellent work"
After placing one package in his school trunk and the other beside his bed, Harry lay down. Sleep was a long time coming, but he finally drifted off into an exhausted slumber.
Review Answers.
HermioneGreen: Once again thankyou oh most faithful of reviewers. :-D
Shadow101: Harry will learn some wandless magic, No he isn't going to become almost superhero like I have no intention of that happening. A duel with Dumbledore wont be on the cards in this book, in the sequel definitely.
Thelvyn: Your right, I may have made Snape a little bit less polished in his animosity I will try and improve on that.
Bill: You are really scaring me, do you have a copy of my plot notes?
Ryusuken: Thanks a lot. I have never understood the concept of flames. I have only ever sent one even remotely flame like review to a fan fic, and that was only after the author had decided to make it slash half way through, and even stated in her authors notes that it served no plot purpose. The reason I did that was I had been really enjoying the story up to that point. If I don't like something I stop reading it.
Jeffb, Evil Muhahahaha, wowsergirl, : thanks a lot :-D
Ears91: I needed to move Ron aside to create room for Neville, I honestly think the whole Ron/Jealousy thing will get raised again by JK Rowling in a later book.
Astronut: I am trying to improve that side of my writing; it is quite difficult for me as I spend the majority of my day sticking to cold plain facts alone.
Angelisl, Kemenran, : I update as often as I can, so far it has been daily. I think the most it will ever be is three days if all goes to plan.
Azntgr01: Ginny doesn't work because it doesn't fit in with my plans for the story. LOL :P
MidKnight: Harry's animagus form is undecided at the second. I have two or three alternatives, neither of them are magical creatures, and neither will be totally of place if seen in Britain. Romance will be an element in this story, but it will never be a full blown passionate affair. If you were to ask my girlfriend she would tell you that I don't have a romantic bone in my body :P
Joyce2: Yep I have Fudge all planned out, I regret using the term prank now though. It doesn't quite cover the spectrum of what is in the pipeline.
Linky2: Animagus form will be practical and useful in a fight.