Knights in Billowing Robes

By Siriusly Amused

Author's Note: Uggh...my head...I'm all drowsy.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Harry Potter characters...I on...I don't even have cough medicine...do you honestly think I own something as awesome as Harry Potter?

Chapter Two

The Boy Who Lived to be Oblivious

The small, wooden door that was the entrance to the cupboard under the stairs at Number Four Privet Drive retched open hastily and caused a small cloud of dust to fall upon a sulking, eighteen-year-old Harry Potter. He coughed and brushed the offending mess off of himself before leaning back and crossing his arms once again. Dudley's round face peered into the cupboard, confusion written all over it.

"What are you doing in there?" he asked his cousin. It had been years since Harry was forced to live in the cupboard.

"I'm sulking!" Harry shot back angrily.

Dudley rolled his eyes as his mother came beside him and peered into the dark cupboard as well. Something in Aunt Petunia had changed since fifth year. Maybe she realized the severity of the war that was waging in the wizarding world. Maybe she realized that Harry had actually saved her son that night back when the two were fifteen. Or maybe she realized that she would have to confront her sister someday in the afterlife. Whatever the reason, Aunt Petunia had started treating Harry better. She didn't spoil him like she did Dudley, but she did talk to him kindly. She let him vent about the war. She bought him clothes that actually fit him and she even allowed him to get his driver's license the year before, which was nice even though Harry didn't get a car (Dudley got two).

"Harry," Aunt Petunia said gently, "why don't we get some tea?"

Harry glared at her for a minute before getting up and leaving the cupboard. Aunt Petunia stared at her nephew. She was still getting used to what she saw. It had been a great shock when Harry had appeared at their door step a month before. He was finished with school, an adult in the wizarding world now, free to live where he wanted, and yet, he came back to them. To them of all people!

Almost as shocking as seeing him home, was seeing his appearance. Over the years, the Dursleys had gotten used to seeing him come home taller and more adult looking, so the fact that he was now an inch or so taller than Mr. Dursley didn't shock them. They had also gotten very used to Harry coming home with bandages and wounds from unknown battles, so they weren't shocked at his battered state.

They were shocked, however, with the absence of Harry's glasses and the fact that his eyes glowed a bright green. On his first night back, Harry and Dudley had ran into each other in the dark hallway, each on their way to the bathroom, and Harry's glowing eyes had scared Dudley enough to wet himself. The other big change was Harry's hair. It was pure white. Vernon had yelled at Harry for dying his hair such an unnatural color, but Petunia had hushed him when the boy didn't respond to the yells. She had a sinking suspicion that his hair had not been dyed. She told her husband and son to leave Harry alone, that he probably had a rough year and needed peace and quiet to himself, and so for the past month, the family watched as Harry Potter tried to return to normal.

"Are we getting tea or not?" Harry asked his aunt, forcing her out of her thoughts. Petunia nodded and motioned for Dudley to leave them as she led Harry into the kitchen and put the kettle on the stove. Harry sat down at the table and stared at his hands. Petunia went right back to wondering about his physical appearance.

After a few days home, his eyes had returned back to normal. No more glowing at least. He still didn't wear his glasses and the Dursleys had to wonder if he had even brought his glasses home that summer. He didn't appear to need them. They caught him reading and watching TV without them and he wasn't squinting so unless he was just staring at the book and television for the sake of having something to stare at, his vision was quite fine.

His hair was growing back black. At the moment it was half and half. Black roots with white ends. He greatly resembled a skunk.

The kettle shrieked and Petunia finished making the tea. She went to the table and set a cup in front of Harry while sitting across from him. "So," she stated, holding her tea cup in her hands as Harry took a sip of his, "he's dead?"

Harry nodded. He had told his aunt of the prophesy the summer before.

"And your hair and eyes?" Petunia asked, eyeing the white tips of Harry's hair.

Harry shrugged. "Something about my excessive use of magic when I killed him. I don't know, Dumbledore was telling me but I was bombarded by paparazzi at the time so I didn't really pay attention."

Petunia raised her eyebrows at the mention of paparazzi but didn't say anything. She now knew why Harry had come back; he needed to just get away.

"So now what?" Petunia asked. Harry merely shrugged his shoulders. The two sat in silence for a few minutes before a loud 'pop' sounded somewhere to Petunia's right and Ron apparated into the room.

"MY WORD!" Petunia exclaimed, looking at the redheaded teenager standing next to her. Ron gave a slight jump upon seeing her, but he soon recovered. His blue eyes traveled around the room.

"I've never been in a room with so many electrical appliances," he stated in awe as he walked over to the microwave and began pushing buttons.

Harry blushed at his friend's amusement with the microwave and quickly got up to stop Ron from hugging the blender.

"Sorry," Ron apologized when he realized that he had been acting like his father. His blue eyes lingered on Harry's weirdly colored hair for a moment before he turned and looked at Aunt Petunia who was still sitting at the table, looking at Ron as if he were mad.

"Er...Aunt Petunia, this is my friend, Ron," Harry informed, indicating Ron. "And, Ron, this is my aunt." They nodded curtly to each other.

"Anyway, Harry, I came here to tell you something important!" Ron stated, suddenly becoming urgent.

Harry raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"Well, you know how...our kind...has been greatly diminished in the war?"

Harry nodded. Over half of the wizarding population had died.

"Well there's talk about how, if we don't do something, the wizarding world will die out. Complete rubbish if you ask me, but the stupid ministry is all worried about it."

"So?" Harry asked.

"So, they're...they're arranging marriages."

The kitchen was in total silence for two minutes exactly before Aunt Petunia asked Harry if she could attend his wedding.

"Come again?" Harry asked Ron.

"You heard me," Ron said, crossing his arms over his chest.

A cold sweat broke on Harry's forehead.

"But, what if I stayed in the Muggle world?" Harry asked; it took all he had to say it.

Ron shook his head. "By law, both wizard and Muggle, everyone who has an once of magic in their blood must marry someone else who had magic in them. The good news is that we only have to be married for a year. The ministry is just hoping that some of the marriages will produce children. Also, if you already have someone in mind, you can marry them, as long as they're magical."

The last statement did not make Harry feel any better. He never fell in love with anyone and therefore had no choice other than to marry whoever the ministry picked for him.

"So," Ron continued. "I need you to come to town to help me."

"Help you!?" Harry exclaimed, his now infamous anger rising. "Help you with what?"

"Buy a ring, of course," Ron stated, heading out of the kitchen door.

"You're going along with this!?" Harry yelled, behind him. "What the hell do you need a ring for?"

Ron looked over his shoulder at Harry, a smirk playing across his features. "To ask Hermione to marry me, of course."

Harry stood frozen at Ron's words. He smiled for a moment, happy for his friends, but then became even more depressed than what he was before. Harry did not think that anyone loved him and so he would be forced to be in a marriage with someone for a year because of it.

End Author's Note: I wrote my first author's note last week, so my cold's better now! But my side hurts. Anywho, I don't have much to say.