Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Authors Note: I think this chapter turned out quite alright. I like it, there is a little Harry that we probably don't expect, and the next chapter is equally as good. There is going to be a lot happening in the next few chapters, so sit tight. RR -Kat*****
Chapter 8
Out in the open
Harry awoke with a heavy weight on his chest. He groaned and slid Crookshands off of him. He had forgotten to close the door all the way when he went to bed. The cat trotted away as though thoroughly offended. Harry got up and put his dressing gown on. He decided to sit in the common room to wait for Hermione to rise. He looked at the clock and realized it was only 6am.
Once Harry got down the the common room, he plopped down onto the squishy sofa. Seeing the there was a book on the table, he reached for it. He was intrigued by the title "You Don't Know Me", so he started reading it. He sat there, getting completely absorbed by the book. He hadn't realized how in depth he had gotten until Hermione sat down beside him.
"Good book, huh?" She smiled knowingly at him. "I thought you would like it."
"Yeah, kinda reminds me of myself in a way."
"Ah, yes, struggling to be accepted for being you. Not knowing who the real you is the whole time. I see."
"you never miss a thing, 'Mione."
"Yes, well, I think we should both get ready for our first day of classes, it's 6:45."
"I think I'll take a shower first." Harry got up, put the book down, and walked into the bathroom. As soon as he got under into the shower he had realized what he had done.
"Damnit! Not today..." He looked up, "I'm living with Hermione, too!"
After he was done, he did a sort of Mission Impossible move, which was from a sort of Muggle movie Dudley loved, and peaked out of the bathroom.
"'Mione?" He sighed a breath of relief and ran straight down the hallway to hid room. As soon as he turned to shut the door, Harry saw Sirius sitting there, laughing into his tea cup with a hysterical Ron next to him, Ginny had her hands over her face, shaking her head in disbelief. Harry shouted down to Ginny. "Gin, never fails, does it?"
"Not once, Harry, not once." She was trying to compose herself, but by the look on her face, it was a tough feat. Sirius sat there, giggling like a giddy school girl and Ron was laughing so hard he was crying. The sight was above humiliating.
"Hey Harry, thanks for the show, I enjoyed it!" Sirius bellowed.
"Sod it, Sirius, You can now consider yourself on my hit list," Harry said, clutching his towel for dear life.
"Who else, Harry?"
"Ron.."
"Well isn't that a little blatantly obvious, hasn't he been on that list since he first opened his mouth?" Ginny asked. Ron elbowed her playfully in the ribs, wiping tears from his eyes. "Ow, you bugger!"
"Hey Harry, you look a little cold!" Sirius was enjoying every second of Harry's misery. "Your father did the same thing you know, but Lily wasn't so...understanding...as Ginny."
"Shut it, Sirius." With that, he slammed the door shut and kicked it...hard.
"The door says 'ow!' Harry!" Sirius was trying to speak between laughs.
"Lovely, just lovely," he groaned. Harry stumbled upon the bed and gingerly rubbed his toe. "This couldn't be a more smashing way of bringing in the school year." He shook his head in disbelief and walked over to his wardrobe. After Harry got dressed, he grabbed his things and made his way downstairs.
"Oh, a nice dressed Harry, how lovely," Sirius sang.
"How much do I have to pay you to shut it, or do I have to put a cork in your mouth?"
"Ouch, harsh." Sirius faked a fatal Heart Attack and "died" on Ginny, sending her into fits of hysterical laughter.
*****
After Sirius' near fatal "heart attack" on Ginny, they all made their way down to the great hall. They received their class sheet and Harry smiled.
"Wicked, Double Defense!" Harry smiled at Ron. "Charms first, then Potions--" He made a face,"--Divination, then Defense." He grinned again. "Herbology is our only afternoon class. Then tomorrow, in place of Charms is History of Magic, and Care of Magical Creatures replaced Divination. Wicked, we have double Defense or double Care of Magical Creatures. This is the best schedule all these years. And look at this, Potions is the only class with Slytherin this year!"
"Oh, wow, mated. This is the best." Ron was beaming, but Nevelle's face was even more priceless.
"N--no--no double Snape!" He was so happy.
"Oh, bad thought," Harry groaned, "Snape is going to make the time we are with him a living hell." He banged his head on the table, making the plates rattle.
"Oh no," they all said this in unison. "Great," Harry moaned.
Sirius walked over to Harry before he left class and engaged in a civilized conversation until the great hall was considerally emptied. Then he asked Harry for a favor. At this time, he started begging.
"Hey buddy, ol' pal, mate, dear Godson."
"Get on with it, what do you want?" Harry was shaking his head.
"Help."
"D'uh," Harry said, "we all know you need that."
"I'm going to disregard that comment. Anyway, I'd like to have a duel with you in Defense to show them how out of practiced I am and what one looks like." He had an almost pleading look in his face.
Harry laughed at Sirius, "I guess, when?"
"First block..." Sirius paused for a second, as if having a personal battle, "Second, and maybe third..."
"All day? We'll be burnt out, Sirius!"
"Well, I hoped that by the end of the day I will be at least a little better..."
"Good one."
"Uh, Harry, would you tell them what the Cruciatus Curse feels like?"
"Okay, and Imperius?"
"You...you know how that feels?"
"Yes, Sirius, the fake Moody put it on me, and I learned to block it. Then Voldemort put it on me. Quite a shock for him..." Harry half laughed. He tried not to think about that night in his Fourth Year...ever.
"Oh...well, in that case...Listen, Harry, I don't want you to do this if it's going to be too hard for you."
"There comes a time when you have to put the past being you, and move on. You can't forget it, but you can't dwell on it either. Sirius, Listen to what I have to say very carefully. I had a very bad fifth and sixth year. Very bad." He raised the sleeve of his robe to reveal his arm. Scars ran acrost it, all over. "Just understand what happened happened. We can't change what I did, so don't try to. You know what happened and that's all that matters now." He saw the look on Sirius' pale face and continued, "I can honestly say that I'm fine now."
"Oh my wand, Harry, I never knew," he was visibly shaking, "I never knew."
"No one did, Sirius, I wouldn't have told you either way, so don't say it. I didn't want help. I needed to get through it by myself, in my own way."
"Wow..." They sat there for a few seconds. "Uh, Harry, we must get to class." Sirius obviously didn't want to, but he sighed and walked out of the great hall. Harry looked at Ron and Hermione, whos faces were quite identical, funny even, if it had been under different circumstances. They were again doing their infamous impression of a gold fish.
"Guys? Well, I'll be with Sirius, okay?" Harry had no sooner said the words when Hermione lunged herself on him.
"Oh, Harry. I never would have guessed!" She was crying into his shoulder.
"'Mione, listen, no one would have known. No one." He let go of her and walked out of the hall--shocked.
Authors Note: I think this chapter turned out quite alright. I like it, there is a little Harry that we probably don't expect, and the next chapter is equally as good. There is going to be a lot happening in the next few chapters, so sit tight. RR -Kat
Out in the open
Harry awoke with a heavy weight on his chest. He groaned and slid Crookshands off of him. He had forgotten to close the door all the way when he went to bed. The cat trotted away as though thoroughly offended. Harry got up and put his dressing gown on. He decided to sit in the common room to wait for Hermione to rise. He looked at the clock and realized it was only 6am.
Once Harry got down the the common room, he plopped down onto the squishy sofa. Seeing the there was a book on the table, he reached for it. He was intrigued by the title "You Don't Know Me", so he started reading it. He sat there, getting completely absorbed by the book. He hadn't realized how in depth he had gotten until Hermione sat down beside him.
"Good book, huh?" She smiled knowingly at him. "I thought you would like it."
"Yeah, kinda reminds me of myself in a way."
"Ah, yes, struggling to be accepted for being you. Not knowing who the real you is the whole time. I see."
"you never miss a thing, 'Mione."
"Yes, well, I think we should both get ready for our first day of classes, it's 6:45."
"I think I'll take a shower first." Harry got up, put the book down, and walked into the bathroom. As soon as he got under into the shower he had realized what he had done.
"Damnit! Not today..." He looked up, "I'm living with Hermione, too!"
After he was done, he did a sort of Mission Impossible move, which was from a sort of Muggle movie Dudley loved, and peaked out of the bathroom.
"'Mione?" He sighed a breath of relief and ran straight down the hallway to hid room. As soon as he turned to shut the door, Harry saw Sirius sitting there, laughing into his tea cup with a hysterical Ron next to him, Ginny had her hands over her face, shaking her head in disbelief. Harry shouted down to Ginny. "Gin, never fails, does it?"
"Not once, Harry, not once." She was trying to compose herself, but by the look on her face, it was a tough feat. Sirius sat there, giggling like a giddy school girl and Ron was laughing so hard he was crying. The sight was above humiliating.
"Hey Harry, thanks for the show, I enjoyed it!" Sirius bellowed.
"Sod it, Sirius, You can now consider yourself on my hit list," Harry said, clutching his towel for dear life.
"Who else, Harry?"
"Ron.."
"Well isn't that a little blatantly obvious, hasn't he been on that list since he first opened his mouth?" Ginny asked. Ron elbowed her playfully in the ribs, wiping tears from his eyes. "Ow, you bugger!"
"Hey Harry, you look a little cold!" Sirius was enjoying every second of Harry's misery. "Your father did the same thing you know, but Lily wasn't so...understanding...as Ginny."
"Shut it, Sirius." With that, he slammed the door shut and kicked it...hard.
"The door says 'ow!' Harry!" Sirius was trying to speak between laughs.
"Lovely, just lovely," he groaned. Harry stumbled upon the bed and gingerly rubbed his toe. "This couldn't be a more smashing way of bringing in the school year." He shook his head in disbelief and walked over to his wardrobe. After Harry got dressed, he grabbed his things and made his way downstairs.
"Oh, a nice dressed Harry, how lovely," Sirius sang.
"How much do I have to pay you to shut it, or do I have to put a cork in your mouth?"
"Ouch, harsh." Sirius faked a fatal Heart Attack and "died" on Ginny, sending her into fits of hysterical laughter.
After Sirius' near fatal "heart attack" on Ginny, they all made their way down to the great hall. They received their class sheet and Harry smiled.
"Wicked, Double Defense!" Harry smiled at Ron. "Charms first, then Potions--" He made a face,"--Divination, then Defense." He grinned again. "Herbology is our only afternoon class. Then tomorrow, in place of Charms is History of Magic, and Care of Magical Creatures replaced Divination. Wicked, we have double Defense or double Care of Magical Creatures. This is the best schedule all these years. And look at this, Potions is the only class with Slytherin this year!"
"Oh, wow, mated. This is the best." Ron was beaming, but Nevelle's face was even more priceless.
"N--no--no double Snape!" He was so happy.
"Oh, bad thought," Harry groaned, "Snape is going to make the time we are with him a living hell." He banged his head on the table, making the plates rattle.
"Oh no," they all said this in unison. "Great," Harry moaned.
Sirius walked over to Harry before he left class and engaged in a civilized conversation until the great hall was considerally emptied. Then he asked Harry for a favor. At this time, he started begging.
"Hey buddy, ol' pal, mate, dear Godson."
"Get on with it, what do you want?" Harry was shaking his head.
"Help."
"D'uh," Harry said, "we all know you need that."
"I'm going to disregard that comment. Anyway, I'd like to have a duel with you in Defense to show them how out of practiced I am and what one looks like." He had an almost pleading look in his face.
Harry laughed at Sirius, "I guess, when?"
"First block..." Sirius paused for a second, as if having a personal battle, "Second, and maybe third..."
"All day? We'll be burnt out, Sirius!"
"Well, I hoped that by the end of the day I will be at least a little better..."
"Good one."
"Uh, Harry, would you tell them what the Cruciatus Curse feels like?"
"Okay, and Imperius?"
"You...you know how that feels?"
"Yes, Sirius, the fake Moody put it on me, and I learned to block it. Then Voldemort put it on me. Quite a shock for him..." Harry half laughed. He tried not to think about that night in his Fourth Year...ever.
"Oh...well, in that case...Listen, Harry, I don't want you to do this if it's going to be too hard for you."
"There comes a time when you have to put the past being you, and move on. You can't forget it, but you can't dwell on it either. Sirius, Listen to what I have to say very carefully. I had a very bad fifth and sixth year. Very bad." He raised the sleeve of his robe to reveal his arm. Scars ran acrost it, all over. "Just understand what happened happened. We can't change what I did, so don't try to. You know what happened and that's all that matters now." He saw the look on Sirius' pale face and continued, "I can honestly say that I'm fine now."
"Oh my wand, Harry, I never knew," he was visibly shaking, "I never knew."
"No one did, Sirius, I wouldn't have told you either way, so don't say it. I didn't want help. I needed to get through it by myself, in my own way."
"Wow..." They sat there for a few seconds. "Uh, Harry, we must get to class." Sirius obviously didn't want to, but he sighed and walked out of the great hall. Harry looked at Ron and Hermione, whos faces were quite identical, funny even, if it had been under different circumstances. They were again doing their infamous impression of a gold fish.
"Guys? Well, I'll be with Sirius, okay?" Harry had no sooner said the words when Hermione lunged herself on him.
"Oh, Harry. I never would have guessed!" She was crying into his shoulder.
"'Mione, listen, no one would have known. No one." He let go of her and walked out of the hall--shocked.