Disclaimer: Fortunately not mine or the real stuff never would have been published.
A/N: So… excuses for the long delay? Er… too many other fics to read? Does that count? Accidentally writing another fic (it's possible, believe me). School (of course). And tiredness/laziness. Oh yeah, and friends who think I spend an unhealthy amount of time with our dear Potter (jerks, I'm not addicted, I can quit whenever I want… I just don't want to!)
Excuses for this chapter… why do I need excuses? You'll see when you read it. I blame it on undercooked turkey and too much chocolate. Honestly, I don't know where half of this came from. It wasn't in the original plan, but it wouldn't go away when I tried to avoid it… if you still want to read, thank you brave souls! :) please review too. I love getting notes from strangers as long as their not stalkers.
Chapter 8: August 2nd and 3rd
By the time Harry was finished telling his tale, leaving out certain things about himself, supper was ready and placed on the table. Harry felt bad for not having helped, but Mrs. Weasley insisted it was his birthday dinner, just a few days late. It was delicious, every bit as good as he remembered and then some. He conveyed his thoughts to Mrs. Weasley who smiled.
"Why thank you dear. I'm sorry I couldn't send you more food parcels this summer. We've been awfully busy." She did look sorry about this, and Harry didn't really know what to say.
Harry blushed from her concern and said without looking up, "It was alright. I had plenty of food at the Dursleys. You don't have to worry about me," he smiled up at her, but didn't look her in the eye.
"Well, that's good to hear. Would you like some dessert?"
Harry had the distinct impression that she knew that he didn't get much more food this summer, but he was eternally grateful for her not bringing it up in front of everyone. He smiled and accepted the dessert of fruit and cakes. After all, it was a moot point now that he wasn't living there anymore. Concerns for next year's stay could be ignored for now.
They enjoyed a relatively relaxing evening, or as much of one as a person could have with the Weasley twins around. Harry was happy to let his normally undesirable thoughts be overridden with laughter at their jokes and new inventions. Harry was a little disappointed that Hermione couldn't be here to join in the fun, but understood that her parents wanted to spend more time with her. After all, she barely spent any time home last summer and was seriously injured at the end of term. Dumbledore had put up some powerful wards around her parents house and given them an emergency portkey, should anything happen. Happily, nothing had happened, aside from Harry's false vision, to cause any more worry this summer.
"You guys need to come to Remus's. His back yard is huge, great for flying!"
"Yeah! We can play a real Quidditch game, because it's in the middle of nowhere, right?" asked Ron excitedly.
"Yep! Although, I don't have any real Quidditch balls."
"No problem, mate. We've got a set," said George.
"It's a little old," said Fred.
"And the snitch occasionally tries to be a bludger," continued George.
"But it works pretty well anyway," finished Fred.
Harry smiled, "Sounds perfect." He was thoughtful for a minute, then said, "I have to make sure it's ok with Remus, of course. I'm sure he'll say yes, though. I hope he's doing alright tonight," he added as an afterthought.
"I'm sure he is. He has Padfoot with him, right?" said Ron with a huge smile.
Harry smiled back at him with one of the few genuine smiles he'd had in quite a while, "Yes, he does. It's good he's back. So good." Harry just stared into apace for a few minutes, thinking about how great it was to have Sirius in his life again, even if Harry was a little confused by it all sometimes. It's worth it, thought Harry, to go a little nuts if it means Sirius is alive.
A wrapping at the door startled Harry out of his thoughts. For a split second Harry thought he was having a vision, the Death Eaters are polite enough to knock before torturing and killing their victims. The thought was banished when Mrs. Weasley's voice accompanied the knocks. Harry visibly relaxed, although he wasn't aware of tensing in the first place. Thankfully, none of the Weasley children noticed these changes.
"Time for bed, kids! We want an early start in the morning," Mrs. Weasley said as she opened the door. No one bothered to argue with her that they weren't 'kids'. It was a losing battle.
Everyone looked at her confused. Finally, Ginny spoke up and asked what they all wanted to know.
"Mum, what are we doing tomorrow?"
"We're going to have a day out. Now, go to bed. I don't want to be calling you for an hour in the morning to get up. Fred, George, you have someone minding the store for tomorrow, correct?"
"Yes, Mum."
"Lee Jordan."
"Goodnight, dears," she said after ushering Ginny, Fred, and George out and hugging Ron and Harry.
Harry and Ron got ready for bed, wondering what was going on the next day.
Harry had a single candle for light as he wrote in his journal. He'd waited until Ron's breathing evened out and was asleep before taking the journal out and writing his password on the first page. Everything he had written previously appeared, and he flipped to the first blank page and began writing.
[Hey Journal, they keep me locked up and away from everyone for a summer and a half. Now, they're taking us out for the day? That doesn't make any sense. There must be something happening here tomorrow that they don't want us around for. I'll ask someone in the morning. I wonder who's going with us. I know there will be guards, I just hope they're some that like to have a little fun. I hope Tonks comes. I wonder where they will take us. I guess I'll find out all that tomorrow.
New topic: I had a little scare when Mrs. Weasley knocked on the door. I thought for a minute it was Death Eaters (I know, completely irrational). It's just, they always knock. My panic didn't last long though, and no one noticed. Maybe it's a good thing Hermione's not here, even though I miss her, she always sees things like that. Other than that, I had a good day without any problems with reality... Wow, that sounds so stupid and loony. If I knew myself, I'd through me in St. Mungo's and throw away the key. I should say, if I was someone else who knew me. Good thing the others don't notice. I really don't want to be locked up. Maybe I'm not really that crazy, if no one else can see it? I think I'm getting better. I haven't had any false visions for a while. I still can't block all of the real stuff, but I must be doing better, because I haven't seen anything the past couple nights. Perhaps Voldemort's on vacation? There's an interesting thought. Snake-man on the beach. Hope he gets a bad sunburn with skin that pale. Ok, I'm not making much sense now, I'm so tired. I can't hold off sleep much longer, so I'm going to stop writing now. ~Harry (Aug. 2nd, 2:30 a.m.)]
Harry put his things away and blew out the single candle. He drifted to sleep very quickly out of exhaustion and didn't have anything more than fleeting images flying through his mind all night. The images were like muggle photos from each vision, false and true, that he had ever had. Despite the disturbing nature of these images, Harry slept soundly until he was shaken awake in the morning. He woke with no memory of the images that plagued his dreams. He immediately recalled that he needed to find out what was going on today.
As they sat down for breakfast, Harry looked around at all the Order members present. It seemed the whole Order was here except Lupin, Sirius, and Dumbledore. Even Snape was here, brooding in a corner. Harry felt a familiar sense of guilt, thinking about the Penseive incident and thought about apologizing, but he didn't want to do it with so many people around. He knew Snape would be very receptive to him in the first place, and with so many people around it would be a hopeless cause.
Kingsley walked over and told Harry that Sirius had fire-called them earlier to say everything went fine the night before and he'd be there later that afternoon. Remus was still planning on coming the next day, but possibly this afternoon with Sirius if he got enough sleep. Harry smiled and sighed in relief. He didn't realize how much he had been worried about his two… he didn't know what to call them. They were both like father figures in some ways and like brothers or older friends in other ways.
Harry brought his dirty dishes into the kitchen where Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were talking and cleaning up. He cleared his throat and they turned to him.
"Oh, thank you, dear. You didn't have to bring your dishes in here," said Mrs. Weasley kindly.
Harry blushed, "Er, I had some, er, questions." Harry could have kicked himself for the uncertainty in his voice.
"What questions, Harry?" asked Mr. Weasley.
"Why do we have to leave for the day? What's going on?"
Mr. Weasley smiled, "Nothing gets by you, does it, Harry? We are testing some of the enchantments on this old place. We may add a few, but it's mostly just going to be a boring meeting discussing the protections around headquarters. If anything should go wrong, there is a slight chance, however unlikely, that someone would be able to find us. So, we figured it would be safer and more fun for you kids to go out for the day. I know you haven't been able to go have a good day out in a long time, Harry. Enjoy it."
Harry smiled and said, "Thanks, I will. Thank you for telling me some of what's going on. I don't like being left in the dark, especially when it affects me. Wait, that sounded conceited, but do you know what I mean?" Mr. Weasley nodded and pushed Harry back to his friends.
Dumbledore had arrived and most of the Order were sitting around the large table.
"Would everyone going out today please step into the Drawing room? That includes Mr. Potter, three Misters Weasley, Miss Weasley, and their guard. Once they are off, we will proceed with the meeting."
The called stepped into the Drawing room and waited somewhat patiently. None of them knew what they were waiting for, except the adults, and they wouldn't say. The twins had much to say about that, since they were also adults and out of school. They didn't have much time to voice their complaints, however, because Dumbledore came in to the room and called everyone's attention.
"Well, today you get to be muggles. You will be going to the zoo and a muggle shopping center. As such, you will need to look and act as much like muggles as you can. The Granger family will meet you at the Underground station near the Leaky Cauldron after you are done in Diagon Alley. Since the only guards we can spare at the moment are Molly and Tonks, you will all be disguised. The Grangers will not. It would probably be a good idea not to call each other's names loudly, as there could be anyone listening. It is unlikely in the middle of muggle London, but it could happen. Now, I will be putting a charm on all of you. It is similar to the Disillusionment charm, but has a slightly different effect. Instead of blending in, your appearance will be different from usual – not completely different, but enough that you aren't readily recognizable. This charm uses what you already have and tweaks here and there," Dumbledore's eyes were twinkling like mad, and Harry wondered if he just made this charm up on the spot or if it really existed and wondered what he meant by 'tweaks'. Well, he'd find out soon enough.
The headmaster tapped Harry on the head with his wand and muttered words that Harry couldn't understand. Similar to the Disillusionment charm, he felt a chill travel down from his head, but the chill tingled like when a single hair on your head is pulled lightly. When it was finished, he looked in the mirror and gasped.
His hair was a medium brown and lying somewhat flatter than usual. His face was different, but he couldn't tell how. He just knew that more of his mother's features were visible than the usual 'duplicate of James' look. His eyes were more of a golden-hazel color, but still held tones of green depending on the light. It seemed that this charm took what was already there in subtle tones and made these more pronounced, thereby quieting the more distinctive features. All in all, he didn't look much different, but knew he wouldn't be recognized as Harry Potter.
The Weasleys all looked slightly different also. Harry could tell who they each were, but guessed he wouldn't have known had he just seen them on the street one day without knowing about the charm. Ron's hair was more brownish now, though it held a tint of red throughout. Ginny's hair was a cascade of colors from a very light blonde to deep auburn, like a sunset weaved into hair. Her freckles evened out and gave her a tanned look. She seemed to have acquired an older, more mature feminine look as well. In a word, she was beautiful, but Harry would never admit that to any of the Weasley men. That could prove more terrifying than Voldemort. Harry laughed quietly to himself at the image of seven red-headed men and one woman all charging after him. He really did love that family. Amazingly, Fred and George didn't look the same anymore. Fred's hair had turned lighter, almost to a strawberry blond and his freckles all but disappeared, leaving him with a pale complexion. George, on the other hand, had dark brown, almost black, hair. Red highlights could be picked out in direct sunlight, but otherwise, his hair seemed to match Harry's more than the other Weasleys. Mrs. Weasley looked much the same as usual, but with chocolate brown hair and some slight differences Harry couldn't name. She still looked motherly, but not necessarily like a Weasley. Dumbledore waved his wand again and they were all in the latest muggle-style clothing. Needless to say, they would not be mistaken for a group of Weasleys and Harry Potter. Tonks, of course, merely concentrated to turn herself into a middle-aged muggle woman. The term 'soccer mom' flashed through Harry's head from an American movie Dudley had watched once.
Harry was very pleased. He'd glanced at himself again and noticed that his famous scar was hardly visible on his tan-looking skin. If one looked close enough to see it, Harry was sure he could explain it as a simple cat scratch or some such minor cut. He grinned at his companions as they walked back into the kitchen, to gaping viewers, before leaving.
Mrs. Sanders (Mrs. Weasley had come up with this to keep their name quiet for the day) looked to the group of witches and wizards and smiled, "We will be back around four this afternoon. If anyone wishes to stay for supper, you are more than welcome. Just tell me when I get back, so I know how much to make."
Tonks exchanged words with a few people and the group left number twelve Grimmauld Place in high spirits. Tonks handed Harry a small pin, which he pinned onto his jacket. She informed him that it was an emergency portkey to the headmaster's office at Hogwarts. All he needed to do was touch it and say "safe haven," and he would be transported there. There were two more emergency portkeys for the group that Tonks and Mrs. Weasley held on to, should they need them. These precautions dampened Harry's spirits a bit, but he perked up when he heard Fred and George congratulating their mother on a way to finally tell them apart, now that they looked so different. He laughed quietly at their antics and walked down the sidewalk with a slight smile on his face.
They walked to the nearest Underground station, as it wasn't a great distance, and rode to the part of London containing the Leaky Cauldron. Harry and the Weasleys needed to exchange some Galleons for muggle money.
Harry was very relieved when they walked into the old bar and there were no second glances; no whispers about the Boy-Who-Lived; generally, no reaction at all. He rather like his new look and wondered if Dumbledore would consent to him using it every time he went out in public. The Gringott's goblins didn't seem to care that he looked nothing like Harry Potter, as long as he had the key to his vault, so everything went well at the wizarding bank. Harry hadn't really done much muggle shopping, aside from going to the market with a detailed list from his aunt, so he grabbed fifty Galleons to exchange. He hurriedly put the pounds into an old muggle money clip, which Moody had charmed so the bills needed were on the outside for easy, quick access. Apparently, Mad-eye's paranoia was not restricted to magic or Death Eaters, but regular pick-pockets also. 'They can't steal what they don't know is there!' he had told Harry. Harry just shook his head and laughed at the ex-auror, while thanking him for his thoughtfulness.
The trip to Gringotts and back out of the Leaky Cauldron took less than an hour, and the group was on their way to the Underground again. Harry decided to buy gifts for Sirius and Remus while he was out, but he didn't know what to get them. He was brought out of his thoughts by Ron tapping him on the shoulder and speaking to him.
"Chad? Hey, Chad, you gotta remember that that's your name for the day and respond," Ron said, laughing a bit.
"Alright, Matt. I got it. How about we just don't say any names. We don't say each other's names in normal conversation very often anyway, you know?"
"Yeah, I know. It's just fun, though, isn't it? Being someone else for a day. Wait till Hermione sees us! She'll freak!" Ron exclaimed.
'Filthy little freak!'
"Yeah, she will. It'll be fun to spend some time with her and her parents. We don't really know them at all. I wonder what sort of things they like to do," Harry pondered.
Mrs. Weasley heard him, "Well, it was their idea to go to the zoo and shopping. They said we could do something else if we liked, but I didn't know what to suggest, so we decided to go with their suggestions. Is that alright with you, Ha – Chad?" Mrs. Weasley smiled.
"Yes, Mrs. Sanders, it's great. I remember I went to the zoo once with the Dursleys, before I knew about Hog – our school. I talked to a boa constrictor from Brazil," he added absently, then cringed, remembering how angry that whole incident made his uncle.
Ron, Fred, and George looked at him with wide eyes. Fred said, "Wicked. Are you going to do it again this time?"
"Hopefully that one got away. He was really unhappy in there. Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you. I accidentally made the glass disappear… That shouldn't happen this time. For one, I know about magic and can somewhat control it. Two, I'm with you guys, not the Dursleys, so I shouldn't get mad enough to lose control. Maybe I can talk to some other snakes though. Don't you mind? Everyone was pretty creeped out by it when I did it by accident second year."
"Well, it is kind of strange sounding," said George.
"I don't think you should. It would be pretty noticeable to anyone who knows what it is, you know?" said Ron.
Harry considered this and realized he was right. Plus, he didn't really want everyone else staring at him while he did it. He like the idea of talking to something that no one else could understand, because he could tell it anything, but a public place wouldn't be the best venue for chatting with a snake.
"Yeah, you're right, Matt," Harry said to Ron.
They just came up on Hermione and her parents and ran over.
"Hermione!" Harry and Ron cried at the same time.
She looked at them and smiled. She hugged Ron first, then Harry, "It's good to see you, Harry. I heard the good news and I'm thrilled for you. I can't wait to see Snuffles again."
She had spoken softly into his ear so no one else could hear. They quietly filled her in on who all was with them, though she had figured it out, and what their names were for the day. Apparently, Dumbledore had told her they would be disguised so they would have to find her and tell her who they were, so she wasn't all that surprised, to Ron's chagrin. He really had wanted to mess with her head it seemed.
"You guys look great!" she squealed. "It's been too long," she smiled.
The adults started off and motioned for the kids to follow. Tonks sort of hovered between all the conversations, as she was an adult, but was really closer in age to the kids.
They made their way towards the zoo, taking various trains and a bus before reaching their destination. Harry was excited. This was like going out for his birthday. Granted it was a few days after, and not really for that purpose, but he hushed up that little part of his brain and enjoyed the feeling. He didn't care that he was sixteen now, and going to the zoo for birthdays is supposed to be childish. He and the rest of his companions had a great time looking at all the different species of animals.
When they approached the lion's cage, they found the big cats sleeping. After reading the sign, they learned that these cats could sleep around twenty hours a day, so they decided that waiting around to get a roar out of the big male probably wasn't worth the wait – that is, unless one of the guards accompanying the group is just as excited about hearing it roar. Tonks surreptitiously moved her arm in her oversized sleeves, where she hid her wand, and the next second the male was up on a high rock and roared out for all to hear. Some of the keepers in the area looked puzzled – this was not normal behavior, but it must not have been too rare, because they went back to their work and the lion settled down to sleep again after several minutes.
"That was great! What did you do?" asked Ron excitedly.
"Oh, I just made him think there was another male around. He had to call out to claim his territory. Nothing much. It's just fun to hear that roar," Tonks said with glittering eyes. Mrs. Weasley didn't look too happy that she had used magic here, but no one else had noticed, so she merely told them to move on.
They had a great time looking at the rest of the big cats. Ginny mentioned that the jaguars were her favorite, and it turned out to be quite a challenge to get her away from that enclosure.
They walked by a bird exhibit on the back side of a building. Harry was looking at some large flightless birds, emus, when he heard someone behind him.
"Those are the most unintelligent animals in the zoo," the voice said.
"What?" Harry asked.
The others were a few meters ahead of him and didn't hear his quiet question.
"The emus are so stupid that they do not know how to get inside when the weather turns cold. The humans have to come and usher them into their homes."
Harry turned around at the word 'humans' to try and see who or what was talking to him. He saw a glass window behind him containing a medium sized snake. So that's who's talking to me. Harry had no idea how he could hear through the glass, but it was the same with that snake from Brazil all those years ago. He looked around to see if anyone was close. There was no one but his group, which was now two exhibits down the trail.
"What is your name?" he asked the snake.
"One of the humans calls me 'Cueball.' The rest don't call me anything. My sign says Ball Python. What are you called, human?"
"I'm Harry. I think Cueball is a nice name for you. You seem to like to curl up into a ball quite a bit. Is that human nice to you?"
"Yesss, he is the only one that puts me on his neck. It is a very warm place to sleep, a human neck. Although, my rock in the warm light is nice too. Where do you like to sleep, Harry human?"
Harry suppressed a laugh and answered, "I sleep in a bed. It's like a soft rock with layers of… leaves over me. It keeps me nice and warm like your rock."
"Soundsss nice."
"It was nice talking to you, Cueball, but I need to go. The other humans I am with will be wondering where I am. I have to stay close to them so they don't worry."
"Alright, Harry human. It was nice talking to you. I wish I could talk to the nice human who holds me, but he doesn't seem to understand what I say. Good day to you, and may you find plenty of sunshine on your soft rock."
"Thank you, Cueball. Goodbye."
Harry walked away from the window and had to jog to catch up to the rest of the group. They were all goggling at a couple of parrots that had learned to imitate people and were spewing out random words and phrases. Harry suddenly had a new appreciation of snakes and his ability to talk with them.
"Hi, Samantha. What do you think of them?" Harry asked Ginny, indicating the birds.
She smiled, "I think they're beautiful. Do you like them?"
"I guess so. They are very nice looking, not half as beautiful as someone else I know." Harry winked at Ginny, then continued. "I think Hedwig would be jealous if I thought they were more beautiful than her. She just knows sometimes," Harry smiled. Ginny laughed and blushed, knowing exactly who Harry was referring to before talking about Hedwig.
"Oh, Chad, you are simply too much sometimes. I think this little costume of yours has given you more confidence. It's very bold to talk of a girl's beauty, be she a bird or not."
"Where on Earth did you get that line, Samantha? You've grown up."
"Yes, well, maybe I shouldn't have looked at that trashy romance novel I found at headquarters," she blushed again. "I just wanted to say something a little more grown up, but it really doesn't suit me, does it? It was a little cheesy."
Harry just smiled at her again before they walked on with the rest of the group. After a few minutes, Harry said, "I've also said things that don't suit me, so I guess it's just the day for it, eh?"
"Yes I suppose it is, and in multiple languages. I heard you back there, er, talking to the snake…"
"Oh…"
"None of the others noticed. I think I can pick it up easier because of everything that happened my first year… Would it offend you if I said it gives me the chills? I don't think it would if I didn't have those memories, you know?"
Harry nodded, "I know what you mean. I kind of have this thing with portkeys because of what I associate with them. I'm sorry, I didn't even think about what you would remember from the Chamber and all that. Are you ok?" he asked concerned.
She smiled at him, "Yes, I'm alright. It's been a long time, and it doesn't really bother me much anymore. Just certain things, like someone speaking Parseltongue, will jog my memory," she said with a smirk.
"I'm sure the Parseltongue example happens all the time, not just when some prat of a friend does it without thinking," Harry said sarcastically.
"Every day," she replied and they both chuckled a bit and caught up to the group. "And you're not a prat."
They continued on to the gift shop after looking at all the animals once (some twice). Harry found a jaguar stuffed animal and bought it, along with a statue of two wolves, one gray and white, the other pure black. He thought it might be nice for Remus's house and hoped he wouldn't be offended by the gesture.
Once they got on the bus again, Harry handed Ginny the stuffed animal he'd bought her.
"You didn't have to get me this, Chad," Ginny said amazed.
"Yes I did. Some zoo keeper told me to give it to you, because they wouldn't let you take the real ones home," he joked.
Ginny smiled. "Well, I'll have to thank him next time I'm there."
Everyone seemed to go into a sort of stupor on the way to the shopping center. They had gotten up early that day and had already done a lot of walking, and everyone was fairly tired by this point. Harry began dozing when his scar started to itch. No, not here, he thought frantically. After a few minutes the pain, which had increased to a slight burning, disappeared. Harry wasn't sure if he'd imagined it or what. Those pains never disappeared that quickly anymore, and no foreign emotions came with it. He thought maybe it was because he had been practicing occlumency more rigorously of late. He didn't have much time to ponder these thoughts before they reached their destination.
Once inside the shopping center, all hell broke lose. More specifically, teenage girl-ness took over the group. Hermione and Ginny wanted to shop for clothes, shoes, and more clothes, while the boys wanted to go to the arcade and game shops and other 'fun' stores. The discussion was settle by splitting into two groups. Mrs. Weasley, Mrs. Granger and the two girls went in one group. Tonks, Mr. Granger, and the boys went in the other. Harry thought he heard Tonks mumble something about thanking the deities above for getting out of girl shopping, but he wasn't sure he heard everything correctly over the noise of the crowd so avoided commenting.
The boys had a leisurely walk around the mall, checking out stores if they looked interesting, but mostly avoiding clothing shops. Harry mentioned that he did need to buy some clothes, so they went in one shop that didn't look too bad. After ten minutes of constant badgering by a salesman, Harry walked out with two new pair of jeans and a few shirts. He didn't like any of the flashy things the clerk was trying to get him to try on and went as fast as he could to buy the somewhat plain t-shirts and sweaters he liked.
This incident led to a new game for Fred and George, which they aptly named 'Can I help you?' The whole point is to walk in a store, touch the back wall, and walk out without getting badgered by any salespeople. It turned out to be more difficult than it sounded, but did make for some great laughs. Harry couldn't remember every having so much care-free fun. This was honestly one of the best days he could remember.
All too soon, they were back on the Underground, having said goodbye to Hermione and her parents, and on their way back to Number Twelve Grimmauld Place.
When they entered the old manor, they found most of the Order still in the house. Apparently they had just finished everything a few minutes before and those not staying for supper were just leaving. Harry rushed to greet Sirius and Remus when he saw them in the kitchen.
"Remus! I thought you weren't coming till tomorrow!" Harry exclaimed.
"Well, I had a pretty restful day today and thought I'd come a day early. You seemed to have had a fun day, Chad." Remus winked at him.
"Oh, right. Where is Professor Dumbledore? He needs to take the charms off."
"Right here, Mr. Potter. Would you care to join the rest of us in the Drawing Room again?" Dumbledore said.
"Of course, sir." Harry rushed in to where the others were already waiting. He was a little embarrassed that he hadn't noticed he was supposed to go there right away. He was too distracted by his excitement at seeing his godfather and Remus again.
When the charm was removed, Harry was a bit disappointed to see the famous scar standing out like a beacon to the world on top of his pale skin again. However, he reminded himself that it was a symbol of his mother's love, and he knew he'd never rid himself of it given the choice. So, once again looking like his father with hints of his mother thrown in, Harry made his way back to the two men in the kitchen.
"Padfoot, Moony, I heard everything went well last night?" it was a question of confirmation that they weren't hurt.
Remus held up his left arm, where a partially healed scratch was, and smiled, "This is all that happened before the wolf was subdued by both potion and Padfoot."
"If you don't mind me asking – how does the potion work? I mean, I know you keep your mind with it, but obviously some of the wolf comes through," Harry indicated the scratch.
"I don't mind you asking. The potion seems to kick in just after I transform, but for a few seconds after the transformation it's still a slight battle for control. After last month when Padfoot wasn't there, the wolf was very angry… you know what happened then. The wolf didn't realize that Padfoot was there again right away last night, he was still angry from before. Padfoot took care of him quickly though, and we had a thankfully uneventful night."
"I'm glad. I was a little worried. Oh, I got you something when we were out today! I'll be right back."
Harry ran upstairs where his packages lay in his room and found the small statue of two wolves in a gift bag and rushed back downstairs.
"I wanted to thank you for letting me stay at your house. I saw this and it just fit. I really hope it doesn't offend you, I don't mean it to… if you don't like it, I'm sure I can take it back, or you can throw it out and I can get you something different or –" he was cut off by Sirius.
"Can he see it before you take it away and exchange it for something else?" he asked with a smirk.
"Oh, sorry. Here," Harry sat down and looked at his hands shyly. He still wasn't really comfortable with giving gifts, especially to people of which he thought highly. He was so afraid that Remus would get the wrong idea and think he was mocking him that he didn't notice said werewolf trying to get his attention.
Finally coming out of his thoughts as two men knelt before him, he looked into each of their eyes and smiled, seeing the smiles the two marauding friends wore.
"Is – is it ok?" he asked like a small child needing reassurance.
"It's perfect, Harry. Thank you very much. I think I'll put it on the mantel, next to my Harry Potter doll," commented Remus before pulling him into a light hug, followed by Sirius.
Harry nodded, then re-ran what he just heard through his head again and said in a low defeated moan, "I'm a doll now?"
Sirius and Remus looked at each other and laughed. Sirius choked out through gasps for breath, "Even has… removable… glasses. Your face… so red… Weasley!" He was laughing so hard he couldn't even form complete sentences, but Harry, and everyone else who had entered at the outburst of laughter, caught onto his meaning fairly easily. Harry just buried his head in his hands and grumbled something about a future life as a cartoon.
Everyone was still relating their adventures of the day when supper was set out on the table. They had an enjoyable meal, once everyone learned to avoid the mashed potatoes after three people's ears had turned green. Mrs. Weasley glared at the twins, but surprisingly Ginny spoke up.
"Sorry, mum. I hate mashed potatoes. How many times do I have to ask for just one baked potato for me? I even offered to make it! Something had to be done about the injustice of it all." She managed to say all of this very seriously, but broke out in laughter after Sirius, Remus, and the twins cracked. Soon everyone was holding their sides in laughter, even Mrs. Weasley couldn't keep a grin off her face. No one knew who started it (Harry suspected Mr. Weasley), but in the middle of all their laughing mashed potatoes started flying through the air and splattering on the dinner party. Mrs. Weasley quickly put a stop to the food fight before too much mess was made and cleared everything away with a flick of her wand.
The twins were complaining about the abrupt end to the battle and Ron grumbled, "Yeah, well you guys were cheating anyway. We're not allowed to use magic." This only served to make everyone break out in laughter again.
It is a mortal sin to wrongfully touch Mrs. Weasley's oatmeal chocolate brownies, so the desserts were unaffected and safe to eat. And boy did they eat! Harry swore he must have had half a pan himself, even though his appetite still wasn't even close to rivaling Ron's.
After the food festivities, Harry and Ron spent the evening chatting with Sirius and Remus. Harry was mostly quiet, just watching the others and laughing along at their jokes. He couldn't believe how much Sirius, Remus, and the Weasleys meant to him. He really didn't have any idea how much he was capable of caring for people until he'd started having his false visions of them tortured and dying. Seeing each person he cared about die in front of him gave him a new appreciation for them, and also a new determination to fulfill the prophecy for the light. He didn't know how in the world he would be able to do it, but he would someday. He could never let these people suffer, not when he could prevent it. He knew the others noticed how quiet he was, but he was glad they let him be for now. This is what he needed, just to relax with friends and push all the worries away for a day.