Title: Revelations and Their Consequences
Summary: Harry faces choices he must make and some made already. Can the friendship of a small boy show him what life can offer and how precious it is?
A/N ok guys for all of you who have been bugging me here is that small boy! Not exactly as small as Lukie but hey! BTW I am thinking still of a sequel to LITA!! Review plz!
It took six more, long boring days before Madame Pomfrey would release him. His back had healed and his ankle didn't hurt to put pressure on it. Only his arm still bothered him. He wore it in a sling and Madame Pomfrey found an old dictaquill for him to use. Ron and Hermione were there when he was released and Ron brought Jimmy with him.
"Ready to go?" Ron asked as Harry clumsily lased a shoe. Harry grinned widely.
"Definitely!" when he walked out of the hospital wing Harry let out a whoop showing for the first time in ages that he was just a sixteen year old boy.
"Where do you want to go?" Hermione asked him. He thought for a minute. There was so much he had missed in the three months or so he'd been away.
"Hagrid's" he said finally. Ron and Hermione shared an odd glance,
"What?" Harry asked. "Hagrid's okay right." His voice tightened. "Nothing's happened has it?" he didn't think he could bear it.
"No nothing's happened its just Hagrid isn't here. We haven't seen him." Hermione was quick to explain. Harry nodded. He'd suspected at the end of last year Hagrid was off to the remaining giants again to take Grawp back and to try to recruit again and he probably wasn't back yet. He thought a moment longer and said,
"Let's just go to the lake then." Hermione and Ron agreed so they headed for the Hogwarts grounds. On their way there they came across Professor McGonagall.
"Well hello Granger, Weasley. And how are you Potter?"
"I'm erm good Professor." He gazed warily at the stern Professor but she was smiling.
"That's good. I need to talk to you about Quidditch."
"Er what about Professor?"
"As you know Johnson was captain." How well he knew. He remembered Angelina parading around the field shouting at the players during endless training sessions. "And well Potter the team needs a captain."
"Surely someone-"McGonagall was shaking her head.
"No they don't seem to think they are as qualified as you are." He felt faint and could barely squeak out.
"Me? Why me?" Ron started to laugh.
"I'd think that was obvious Potter. You've won nearly every game you've played on and been on the team every year!"
"Yeah but I'm only a Sixth year…"
"So was Wood." Harry nodded remembering that but Wood seemed so much older then than he was now. "You'll need to have chaser and beater. tryouts as soon as possible. Congratulations Potter." He nodded, and the professor began to walk away.
"Hang on Professor just one thing."
"Yes Potter?"
"I er can't fly I mean my arm…" she pursed her lips together.
"Well then Potter." He waited for the demotion. "You'll just have to heal quickly won't you?" she smiled and Harry smiled back. When they continued walking Ron kept congratulating Harry and the grin wouldn't leave Harry's face.
Nearly all the students were taking advantage of the warm day and sitting by the lake. Seamus was teasing the squid as surrounded by a few awestruck first years. The three sixth years stretched out on the ground.
"How does it feel to be free of the hovering nurse?" Ron asked Harry.
"Great. Absolutely wonderful!" He stared up at the cloudless sky for a while and felt completely at peace. All of a sudden it seemed to cloud over. It grew dark and cold. Harry sat up and looked around the entire student's were gone. He thought they must have gone in when he didn't notice and he walked towards the castle.
The castle seemed to get further and further away. Something seemed to draw him to the forest. He followed the path down and suddenly came to a clearing. Someone was there and they had something. They had something he wanted something he'd die without. They wouldn't give it back. He ran to the captive and saw that it was Voldemort. Voldemort laughed a high cruel laugh as Harry pleaded and then raised his wand-
"Harry! Harry wake up!" the forest vanished around him and the sky to get brighter. He opened his eyes and saw Ron above him. He was drenched with sweat. Ron squinted down at him.
"Harry you okay?" Harry sat up. The sky was still clear and there was no sign of Voldemort. He must have been dreaming.
"Yeah I'm fine. Just fell asleep. I guess I'm just still kind of not up to par is all." Hermione looked at him cryptically.
"Do you need to go to Madame Pomfrey? Harry faked a scream.
"No anything but that!" Ron and Hermione laughed and forgot about it. Harry didn't however but he chose not to think about it. As they walked up to the castle that night Harry felt the hairs on the back of his neck prickle as if there was someone watching him. He looked and saw someone duck behind the bushes. He nudged Ron.
"What is it Harry?"
"I think someone's behind us." Ron took out his wand.
"Lumos." He said pointing it behind them sure enough the figure stopped in its tracks.
"Who's there?" Ron barked. "Show yourself!" the figure came closer. When he came within the light Harry breathed a sigh of relief. It was just a kid.
"Don't hurt me! I don't mean any harm." Ron put the wand in his pocket.
"Well then why were you following us?" the grateful boy ran up to them. They were nearing the castle and from that light Harry could see the boys face was pale. He had brown hair and was covered in freckles.
"I-I- it's just… well, you're Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley right?"
"Yes and?" Ron said dubiously,
"And I heard how you're nice to almost every one and I don't have any friends and I wanted to hang out with you guys." Ron looked at him skeptically.
"Pray tell us why you were hiding in the bushes." The boy looked down at the stone steps they were climbing. He didn't quite come up to Harry's armpit and he was quite thin.
"I didn't know if you'd like me. I've always been shy and I told myself I'd talk to you but I wasn't sure." Ron nodded.
"So." Harry said. "What's your name anyway?"
"Oh I'm Sander, Sander McKinnon." He held his hand out and Harry shook it followed by Ron and Hermione. As they walked in Hermione spoke for the first time.
"McKinnon? Weren't the McKinnon's? I mean this is none of my business but…" Sander smiled shyly.
"But weren't most of the McKinnon's killed?" he asked and Hermione nodded. "My mother wasn't there. They attacked the McKinnon mansion and my mom wasn't there. She kept her maiden name when she married which was good because she divorced my father. He didn't want to deal with her being upset about her family's death." he looked down after saying all this clearly waiting for them to judge him.
"Oh wow." Harry breathed. "Seems you're mom's a brave lady Sander." He nodded and mumbled something. "What was that? You'll have to speak up my ears don't go that low." The boy didn't speak for a moment and Harry wondered if he'd offended him.
"Was." He said finally. "My mum was a brave lady. She's dead now. I live with my Stepdad." Hermione put an arm around him,
"Oh you poor thing." He smiled up at her.
"It's not so bad. I'm glad to be here though." Harry wasn't sure of the meaning of that. They were in the Great Hall by then. They went to sit at the Gryffindor table but Sander stood off to the side seemingly unsure. Harry noticed this.
"Sander, sit down." The boy shook his head. Harry stood and walked over to the younger boy. "What's wrong?"
"I'm-I'm a Ravenclaw." Harry smiled.
"Well that's okay you can still sit with us." Sander smiled and hurried over to sit next to Harry. Ginny joined them soon.
"Hey Harry you're free! Who's this?" she indicated Sander who became suddenly interested in his steak and kidney pudding. Harry smiled and put an arm around Sander.
"This is Sander McKinnon first year extraordinaire." Ginny laughed and Sander stared at Harry admirably. "How's Jimmy?" Harry asked as Ginny piled her plate.
"Good. He wants you. He couldn't get why we weren't going to the Hospital Wing. I had to pick him up and carry him to the grounds when he had to go out." Harry laughed. Sander looked at him curiously.
"Jimmy's my pet Crup."
"Crup?" Harry looked at the boy startled. Wasn't Sander from a wizarding family?
"Yeah a Crup. You know a wizard dog?" Sander nodded.
"Oh yeah a Crup." He smiled and Harry turned back to his dinner. Seamus Finnegan ran in and ducked behind a table.
"What are you doing?" Hermione burst out. Seamus put a finger to his lips.
"Wait for it…" he whispered. Sander was looking thoroughly puzzled and the ones who were used to Seamus who seemed to have taken over for the twins were waiting for the explosion. Sure enough Filch ran in soon. Everyone in the hall started laughing. He was covered in dung from head to toe, but this wasn't normal dung. This dung was tie-dyed.
"Finnegan!" Argus Filch screamed. Seamus ran out of the hall to applause. Filch ran after trailing dung. Dumbledore stood from the teacher's table.
"Yes, yes highly amusing." His eye twinkled and he preformed a cleaning charm on the hall floor. Sander was still giggling but he turned to Harry.
"Who was that guy?"
"That." Harry said struggling to keep a straight face. "Was the Hogwarts caretaker Argus Filch. He's a squib and hates students."
"A squib?" Harry explained as Ron had.
"The opposite of a muggle-born. A muggle born to a wizard family." Sander nodded.
"And that was Dumbledore the Headmaster right?" Harry nodded. Almost through the meal he yawned. Ginny, Ron, and Hermione all looked at him. Harry felt as if he was in the Spanish Inquisition as their gazes penetrated him.
"Harry, are you okay?" he nodded.
"I'm fine. You guys really worry too much. Just the first day I've moved basically." He looked over at Sander who had his head on his hands and was trying hard to stay awake. Harry smiled sympathetically. "I think I'll escort our new friend to his house and go to bed."
"Okay mate."
"Good night Harry."
"Jimmy's waiting for you." Harry smiled at his friends and gestured for Sander to follow him.
"Pretty tired huh?" the boy nodded stifling a yawn. His blue eyes were halfway closed.
"Yeah. There's a small time difference here from where I live. I'm up earlier than anyone in my house and asleep before they are also. They all think I'm weird. I figured you would too." Harry smiled down at the boy.
"Never. You're a nice boy and I'm glad you want to be friends with us. You'll adjust to the time too." Sander smiled.
"Thanks. I don't have any friends back home really." Harry felt his heart go out to the boy; that sounded so familiar.
"I didn't either when I came here. Don't worry Ron, Hermione, and I'll take care of that." Sander smiled sleepily and they arrived at the gargoyle that was the entrance to the Ravenclaw Common room. Sander's eyes widened.
"How'd you know?" he asked flabbergasted. Harry laughed. He wondered if he was that amazed by some of the things he saw in his first year. He probably was worse after all he'd never seen anything from the wizarding world.
"I'll tell you that later. You need to go to sleep." Sander nodded. "See you tomorrow. Can you find your way to the Great Hall or should I meet you here?"
"I can do it." Harry ruffled the boy's hair and went to his own house. When he entered his dorm Jimmy started bouncing around his feet he knelt down and petted the dog. He got into bed and fell asleep wondering about the boy who had come from behind a bush.