Harry Potter and the New Life Chapter seventeen – The woes of Harry or is it now James?

Harry pushed open the door and stepped into the now rather warm dinning room. He counted the faces looking at him, Moody and Snape, Lupin, Tonks, the man Harry still didn't remember, Mr Weasley, Mrs Weasley and Mundungus Fletcher even Mrs Figg who Harry was pleased to see had her going to town clothes on tomight as she called them.

Harry noticed Dumbledore wasn't there but to be honest he was still too angry to be able to control his manners around his headmaster. Staying at the door Harry mumbled to himself.

"Wow the whole neighbourhood watch is hear!" Taking yet another Butterbeer from the cooler and pulling the lid off Harry sat on the side table looking around at everyone.

"I think you've had enough of those Harry." Lupin told him with a scolding look that would only work if given by Sirius or Mrs Weasley.

As it was Harry was boiling at the moment and could really do with the cold drink whatever Lupin said.

"I see you've not lost your sense of manners Mr Potter." Snape sneered from the corner.

"As always I aim to please." Was Harry's only reply taking a second swig of his icey drink.

"Potter now you've finished fanning around do you care to tell us what you are doing here?" Moody growled walking over to where Harry was insolently sat drinking. He stood up smiling. and looked Moody right in the mad-eyed face and asked.

"What would you like to know?" Moody glared with both eyes at Harry who although disturbed by the sight wasn't going to let him think he was frightened. This seemed to madden Moody even more but Lupin was standing next to him motioned for Moody to sit back down.

"Harry you must understand, you were sent to the Dursley for your own protection. Now if you choose to fight against us as we'll..." He stopped.

"You'll what? Go on you started that sentence now finish it!" Harry was staring Lupin directly in the face he was almost as tall as him now and could feel blood pumping round his body, but Lupin didn't seam to have an answer he merely stood there looking at Harry with a peculiar expression when Mr Weasley came over taking over.

"Harry that letter, I didn't understand, you just left without a word. Where did you meet George, who is she?" Harry had far more patience and respect for Ron's family so checked his conscious before answering.

"I'm sorry, I did want to tell you in person but I... I couldn't find the words it was to hard."

"But those pictures Harry, they were such a dreadful shock to look at." But Mrs Weasley had pushed her way over pasted Lupin almost knocking him over.

"What pictures Arthur? I never saw any what didn't you show me?" Mr Weasley looked slightly annoyed but then calm, turning to his wife saying.

"I didn't let you see because I thought they would be too much to cope with, until I had a chance to find out what had happened from Harry himself. Ron and Ginny wouldn't tell us anything would they."

"I remember, our own daughter had sworn herself to a secrecy that she would not break no matter what the consequences were." Mrs Weasley added with a lot of pain in her voice. Mr and Mrs Weasley both looked very tired and Harry was sorry to cause them such pain and said so.

"I'm sorry to both of you, it wasn't me who asked her to stay silent. Shows a lot for her character that she would even keep many secrets from you for your own good.' Mr and Mrs Weasely didn't know what to make of this but felt it was a complement to Ginny's maturity.

'I'm sorry I couldn't tell you I was worrying about something else." Harry was looking to and from Ron's parents just like Ron or Ginny would.

"Worried about something else or someone, Harry?" Lupin asked still hovering in the back ground rubbing his chest from Mrs Weasley's elbows. Turning to Lupin now Harry maintained his calm composure.

"Both but not what you think, I gave my word and I intend to keep it. Surely you must understand that!"

"Sounds to me like we are finally getting somewhere on equal footing. Harry obviously is very determined to have a hand in what he wants to do, even if his methods are a bit irrationally he's grown up a lot these past few months. It's such a shame to see him do it by himself." Mrs Figg explained from her corner but with a strong voice Harry had never herd or thought her capable of.

"Back to this letter, you left Harry, will you explain to me what happened?" Harry nodded but fetched another drink from the cooler still feeling stiflingly too hot.

"Where do you want me to begin?" Harry asked sitting at the table along with everyone else now.

"How about when you dodged me in London and what you were doing there?" Lupin asked slightly discrumpled that he couldn't seem to reach Harry on a personal level.

"Well I wanted to get out of Little Surrey, it was driving me mad been cooped up like an animal again, so, I went to London. But I saw you and you made me angry, so I left, you deserved it, following me around like a lap dog, I know Mrs Figg watches me and always had done, but at least I'm invited in for cake and Lemonade.' Harry explained calm but firmly even if all his memories of Mrs Figgs cakes were that they were stale it was the gesture that was important.

'You lot try and ignore me as much as possible, and to behonest it was getting annoying." Harry looked at Mrs Figg who as he expected had a small cat sat on her knee that she was stroking.

"Well you did manage to give me the slip and if it wasn't for Denis here we would never of known you were going back to your Uncle's house." Harry stared at the floor, they still thought the Dursley's were his family but how could they be now, after what's happened and what will.

"My mother wouldn't call them family now, so why should I?' He sat quiet for another moment but they were surpriseingly patient.

'I spent a lot of time with George then, but Dursley was furious, he couldn't lock me in my room any more, he couldn't make me behave like a doll, nothing seamed to work I came and went as I pleased, and the pressure eventually got to much for him. I'm grateful for what you did when I left Hogwarts last summer, I know you had my best interest at heart but you can't work Dursley like that, to again be honest, it just made things worse." Mr Weasley suddenly twigged something.

"The muggle Sargent said you had been taken out of his care and that there was to be a hearing to decided what to do with you."

"Yes but there is something you need to know before I get to that bit. I think this is best explained in order, since I've left there something else has happened but I can't explain what very has to do with my mother.' Harry paused to take a sip of his Butterbeer again the looks of surprise at Harrys words.

'Dudley Dursley has grown far stronger than me this last year and with far more powerful friends than I have."

"What, a muggle bully more powerful than us?" Fletcher exclaimed.

"The proof is in the pudding and I'm still walking round with that proof in my chest and it is still very, very sore when I try and move. Dudley thought it would be err.' Harry remembered how Lupin had first described Sirius and Snape's first encounter of hatred.

'Amusing. To gang up on me one night with his friends like they've done to more than one boy I knew at school. Except I was the special one, lucky me! Dudley decided to give me what I deserve and not only give me a good beating but pull out a blade and give it me in the chest, which i can now comfirem does a bit more than sting, then they ran off leaving me for dead."

Mrs Weasley looked almost as shocked as Lupin did at this news, they obviously had no idea.

"But Harry when did this happen?" Lupin asked trying to work out how they could of missed such a vital part of Harry's time with the Dursley's.

"It was my birthday treat from the Dursley's Lupin, to finally get what's been coming to me. And so I would have been err, not around as much, if not for George, she took me to a muggle hospital where, well, that's just boring muggle law stuff, involving a needle and thread."

"Stitch's they gave you stitch's what do these muggles hope to achieve by doing that." Mrs Weasley was shocked at the mere thought, and Harry remembered how she behaved when Arthur had experimented with muggle medicine.

Ignoring her outburst he carried on.

"It's really not that bad and it wouldn't be the first time someones had to stich or glue me back together. Well, blar, blar, blar, I ended up going back to the Dursley home mainly for Hedwig who was still locked in my room, with the muggles, boy named daniel as it happend. But I got me self cornered in the kitchen by the Dursley's, there was very little I could do to stop them.

'I was so tired from been up a few night in a row and what with muggle's everywhere I basically let Dursley release all the pressure off on me. I don't really remember much to be honest, a few speeding frying pans with the wait of him behind them does that to you.' Harry paused to see the listening faces, even Snape was paying attention from his dark little corner.

'I stayed in a muggle safe house for a while then eventually I was deemed fit to go home. Couldn't think of anywhere else to go so we turned up at the Burro, was the best place I though I could go where the food was always good and I could finally rest."

Mrs Weasley seemed calmer now, at the thought that Harry thought the best place to go for care was here home. Harry took several gulps of ice cold drink before standing up turning sideways and bending over to pull his jumper up over his head unfortunately more than one person noticed the large scar in the side of body.

"Harry, boy, will you let me take a closer look at that wound." Moody grumbled. Harry stood to face him as the magical eye swivelled around to look through his T-shirt.

"But Harry how does this, George fit into things more." Lupin asked impatiently.

"Well I think you should ask her yourself, as I know you wouldn't believe me even if I told you from some sort of truth potion." Just then George strode in with Sirius the owl on her shoulder and a two letters in her hand already opened.

"James.' She bent down next to him to whisper quietly.

' I understand now what it means I think, but can't be sure, you'd have to look for yourself.' She pulled a chair over sitting on the edge to whisper some more.

'You've had a letter from both Neville and Luna, that you best read soon. And there's been another letter from Ginny saying well, here." She passed him a small piece of parchment.

Harry I hope this reaches you safely in time. It's Neville you need to talk to him because he's been having some trouble, i think its his mum and dad.

Harry was surprised but he knew he couldn't leave this meeting yet, the note from Ginny made perfect sense even if he couldn't actually do anything about it.

"What is it Harry?" Lupin asked walking over to Harry.

"Never mind, I can't see to it yet, I'm sure you won't let me just go but we have to rap this up quick before I'm too late." This cryptic answer wasn't satisfying enough for most in the room but Tonks was keeping on track.

"Something's obviously bothering Harry but we might as well make the most of the time we have seen as that is what we always do? Why don't you tell us who this lady is?" Moody agreed both eye's fixed on her.

"Yes and I want to know what you were playing at when we arrived." Snape sneered, George was staring with hate increasing towards him the more she saw him.

"You were threatening my House elf so I defended him." George answered hotly.

"Excuse me, your house elf!" Snape shouted.

"Calm yourself man she's only a girl." Fletcher commented but Snape was angry and Harry had to laugh at the mere though of what was going to come out next.

"A girl she may be but with a very strong arm and quicker than your wand arm, both of you I might add." Harry sniggered, he could see the cogs turning in Snape's brain as he worked it out.

"No never!" Tonks had worked it out and was beginning to laugh in disbelief.

"For those of you who haven't guessed, Moody and Snape here were skulking around here and frightening Dobby, so George totally unaware of who they were picked up a lump of skirting board as it was, and clunked them both one around the head catching both totally off guard. What do you think to that?"

"From what little I know of you both I think it's rather impressive but quiet understandable considering!" George added fetching herself a drink from the cooler and sitting firmly next to Harry.

"Considering what?" Snape shouted jumping up to look at George closely.

"I would be nicer if i were you as just like my father i would be quiet willing to though you out, I've never met Dumbldore so won't have the same trouble." Snapes face was livid with anger.

"She sadly never met Sirius either." Harry added but Lupin was thinking far quicker than everyone else.

"Who's you mother?"

"She's dead now, that's why i came here but her name was Lady Anabel."

"Makes sense, I remember him telling about her. She had lots of strwberry curls like you, didn't she?"

"Yep but it all fell out towards the end and i wasn't aloud to look at her anymore."

"That's a shame." Lupin replied sitting comfortable.

Everyone else had now cottoned on this this was Sirius's daughter and the only way Harry could explain it was if you could imagine the two most shocking pieces of information ever conceived would course absolute may hem, by themselves then imagine them been delivered in the same breath.

No one in the room knew weather they were more shocked at the idea that Moody particularly, had been out whited by a young girl, or that the Blacks still live on in George. The line hadn't in fact been ended with the death of Sirius Black when most were stuggling to except the connection.

This preatty young girl was a relation to the ragged, muckey and slightly mad looking Sirius that had been transformed in prizon. For Snape it all seemed a bit to much and he had to sit down for a moment.

The room sat in stunned silence but Harry got up and staggering to the door in a hot sweat and his forehead burning in a way Harry couldn't ever remember it doing so.

"James what is it?" George asked nervously as Harry flopped to the much cooler landing floor away from the blazing fire.

"I'm too hot, can you get some ice." George could feel Harry's head getting much warmer and ran to the kitchen grabbing the bucket of ice and pushing her way back to Harry who now had Lupin and Mrs Weasley standing over him.

The clock chimed three in the morning and Harry was exhausted but he had to fight his mind and keep it closed, he pulled off his now soaking wet with sweat T- shirt and through it off so everyone who wanted to look could still the outline of fist marks down his back.

Moody and Snape signalled the time and that they had to leave, closely followed by Mrs Figg and Fletcher, leaving only Mr and Mrs Weasley, Lupin and Tonks to watch Harry. Who was fighting with all his might to close his mind and when George returned with the ice he through it all down his back before vomiting into the empty bucket, struggling to breath.

It was clear Mr and Mrs Weasley also needed to leave but were too concerned about Harry to do so. Harry knew this he could feel it so tried to force the words out.

"If you should go, then, do so, I will be fine, I just need, rest, he's fighting me, and you lot, kept me, awake, I'm so, tired!" Lupin assured them that if they went he and Tonks would stay and watch over Harry and will send word what happens.

Harry knew what was happening around him but wished they would be quiet the Weasley's were just leaving when he finally cried out in anger, screaming his head off, trying with all his remaining strength to empty his mind before collapsing totally worn out on the floor.

Not sure if this chapter works well yet, but i suppose we just have to wait and see how it panned out further down the line.

Just wanted to keep this baby rolling so posted it anyway.