AHHHH! I JUST SAW HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN! Oh, it was good. I feel energized to write more! Harry was soooo cute! And despite my lingering worries, I thought the acting and the directing were superb as was the way the story was turned into script. Professor Lupin and Sirius Black were great, so too was the new actor for Dumbledore. The Sirius and Harry scenes and the ones between Remus and Harry were so heart wrenching especially considering fifth book! My favorite of the Harry Potter books is now my favorite Harry Potter movie
Just FYI for this story, PHYSICAL APPERANCE of MOONY AND PADFOOT:
Sirius is not quite so scruffy and quite the charmer with long black hair and blue eyes.
Remus is also clean-shaven with honey hair already greying with grey eyes.
As to Reviewers, THANK YOU. Replies are below the chapter. Read and enjoy.
CHAPTER II: The House Elf Who Knew Too Much
"Wow," Harry breathed. The Burrow was quite a sight-- a cobbled together structure that quite literally held itself together with magic. Harry could practically see the ropes of spells and charms knotted together out of the corner of his eye.
Remus let out a low whistle. "Quite the wizard's house."
"Go on home, girl," Sirius said to the Ford, patting the bonnet of the car. The auto revved her engine in response before trundling off to the nearby shed. Sirius suddenly turned, nose up, eyes alight. "I smell lunch!" he announced happily laying an arm across his godson's shoulder. "Let's go on in."
Sirius had just raised his fist to knock when a massive explosion rocked the house, blowing open and then closing every window in the Burrow.
Sirius and Remus, reacting on instinct, had thrown themselves in front of Harry with wands drawn.
"Fred . . . GEORGE?!" A female voice bellowed from inside rattling the window glass.
Harry peered around his godfather. "It's the twins," he said knowingly. "They're experimenting with pranks."
"Sounds familiar," Remus said with a relieved laugh, re-holstering his wand. "Very familiar," he looked pointedly at Sirius.
"You used to do experiments too?" Harry asked curiously.
"Only for schoolwork purposes," the Animagus said hurriedly, shooting Remus a withering glance. The last thing he wanted was his precious, innocent godson knowinghis less than stellar past. "Let's try this again," he said, knocking on the door.
"I'll get it!"
"I'll get it!"
"Don't run! I'm the oldest, I'll get--"
"You're not--"
"--the oldest! I'll--"
"--get it!"
"It's Harry, I'll get it!"
The Marauders shared a glance and backed away from the door as the approaching thunder of feet grew inexorably closer.
With a bang the door flew open.
"Harry!" shouted two identical soot-stained faces.
"Out of the way!" Ron's voice rose above the noise. He shoved past Fred and narrowly missed stepping on a rather squashed Percy. "Harry! You made it! Hullo Sirius, Remus."
"Hello, Ron," Sirius greeted him.
"Sirius Black?" George said in awe. He reached out and grabbed Black's hand and shook it vigorously. "Loved your Howlers last term, brilliant absolutely brilliant! Right, Fred?"
Fred dove and grabbed Black's other hand and pumped it. "Charmed, sir."
"Perhaps we could invite our guests inside?" Percy said tartly as Ron helped him up. Straightening his glasses and brushing at his robes he nodded in greeting. "Harry Birthday, Harry."
"Yeah, Happy Birthday," chimed in Ron as he shoved and pushed at his brothers to make room. He grabbed Harry's arm and eagerly dragged his friend into the house. "Mum's been baking for hours and hours and--"
Mrs. Weasley was suddenly there in all her multicolored crochetglory. "About time you let them in, Ronald Weasley! Leaving guests on the doorstep," she scolded, wiping her hands on her apron before stripping it off. "Fred, Georgego clean up. No more explosions today. Harry, welcome! Happy Birthday."
She reached out to him with open arms, fully intent on hugging the wild haired, bespeckled, motherless orphan boy who was so dwarfed by her own sons. She was stopped in her tracks when Harry's guardians finally gained entrance. "And you must be Sirius Black," she said frostily, lowering her arms slowly.
"Yes, we met at Kings Cross at Christmas. May I call you Molly?" He reached out and took her hand. "I am ever so glad you've invited us for Harry's party. It means so much to him," Sirius said with a charming smile.
For a moment Mrs. Weasley looked pleasantly flustered but she rallied valiantly.
"Yes-yes we did. You were riding that dreadful motorbike," she said sternly. The escapee from Azkaban did not even quiver under her gaze, but Molly did find surprising support in Remus Lupin.
"You took the motorbike to fetch Harry at Christmas?" he asked incredulously.
"Er . . ."
"I got to drive!" Harry said proudly.
"You drove it right onto the platform, didn't you?" the werewolf demanded, crossing his arms.
"Harry had been gone for months! I wanted to give him a nice greeting," Sirius protested hurriedly.
Finding Sirius Black properly chastised and well in hand, Molly decided not to let Mr. Black's irresponsible conduct ruin Harry's birthday party. "I don't believe we've been introduced. I'm Molly Weasley," she said holding out her hand to the grey eyed man.
He smiled and took her hand. "Remus Lupin. An old family friend."
Sirius snorted. "Don't listen to him, Molly. He's practically Harry's second godfather."
Relieved that Harry didn't only have this charming wild man as his guardian, Mrs. Weasley took in Lupin's somewhat old fashioned robes, his graying hair, his painful thinness and began to worry.
Remus Lupin, she thought. Now why does that name sound familiar?
Brushing aside her absent thought, she focused on what she could fix. "All of you look like you could do with a hot lunch," she decided firmly, shepherding the three of them towards the wonderful smells in the kitchen.
"Aw, Mum," Ron said, grabbing back hold of his friend's arm. "Can't I show Harry my room first?"
"After lunch," she said firmly directing the Marauders to the table. "George, Fred! Lunch!" She called up the stairs. "Percy, would you go on up and fetch Ginny?" She helped Harry get settled and tutted disapprovingly over him. "Goodness, your hair's all a mess."
"Harry's hair is always a mess. He doesn't even comb it," Ron put in, sliding into a seat on oneside of Harry. "He doesn't even have a comb." He looked at his fastidious mother, hoping she'd get the hint.
Molly scowled and Harry shrank beneath her gaze, hand reaching up to smooth down his wild hair when Sirius reached over and ruffled it into an even bigger tangle.
"Yup, Harry looks just like his father," Black said proudly.
Harry positively beamed.
Mollified, Mrs. Weasley drew out her wand and began directing lunch to the table with the skill of a concert conductor. Fred and George tumbled into the kitchen barely missing being brained by a bowl of floating potatoes. "Everyone sit down. Don't touch that cake, Fred."
"I'm not Fred," said the guilty twin, popping one chocolate iced finger into his mouth.
"I'm Fred" said the other throwing himself into his chair. "Honestly Mum, don't you know your own children?"
"Sorry, dear," she apologized absently as the rolls popped out of the oven and jumped into a waiting basket. "Percy! Ginny! Lunch NOW! We have guests! No dawdling!"
"Afternoon, Weasleys!" a voice from the back door called.
"Afternoon, Dad!" the Weasley children greeted.
Arthur Weasley came inside and took off his hat and put down his battered briefcase and was nearly run over by Ginny and Percy entering the kitchen.
"Just in time for lunch I see. Smells wonderful," he complimented his wife, kissing her on the cheek, and taking his seat began to load food onto his plate.
"Ginny, why don't you sit down over there?" Molly said giving the petrified, wide eyed girl a push towards the table.
Stumbling, Ginny sat across the table from Harry and stared intently at her plate.
"Harry dear, won't you have some potatoes?" Molly said as she spooned several onto his plate.
"How are things at the Ministry?" Percy asked his father.
"Pass the butter," Fred said elbowing Percy.
"Manners," Molly put in pointedly.
"Six raids all this morning," Arthur said. "We're preparing a second batch of notices to go out this afternoon for tomorrow's raids. I begged off paperwork to get out of there on time."
"You really should have some more roast, Mr. Lupin," Molly insisted, forking over the meat.
"Anyone we know?" Sirius asked as he ladled some gravy all over Harry's and then his own food.
"Oh, the old familiar names. We've been trying to get clearance to search the Malfoy estates but you know how it . . ." Mr. Weasley trailed off, fork suspended in mid air as he realized it was not one of his children who asked the question. Blinking, he stared at the three guests at his table.
One was thin, wiry, tense with exhaustion, and had honey colored hair already greying liberally.
The other man had long black hair and intense blue eyes.
And the last, hidden between Ron and the blue eyed man was smaller and slighter than even his youngest child, with wild pitch hair and glasses hiding enormous green eyes.
"Hello!" Arthur exclaimed. "Who are you?"
"Remember, Dad, it's Harry's birthday today," Ron said, leaning over to snag a roll. "We invited him for lunch. That's why Harry's Hogwarts letter came with ours this morning. They've brought back the car."
Arthur leaned over and peered around his son to stare at the dark haired boy in outright amazement and awe.
Harry swallowed hard and placed his knife and fork down. "I'm Harry, sir. Harry Potter."
"Are you really?" Arthur said in delight. "Harry Potter! G-Good lord." He finally tore his eyes away to see the dark haired man glowering at him. "And you must be Sirius Black and Remus Lupin."
"Take some salad," Mrs. Weasley insisted to Remus. "You're all skin and bones."
"Did you confiscate anything, Dad?" Ron said around a mouthful of roast beef.
"Oi! Ginny, be careful!" George exclaimed righting the nearly tipped over glass.
"Confiscate?" Harry asked softly over the noise of Molly fussing over her daughter's near spill.
"Dad works in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts office. Dad loves muggles, thinks they're fascinating."
"Seconds?" Molly said cheerfully and without waiting for a reply piled food on Remus' still full plate, completely ignoring Sirius' empty one.
"Harry, you lived with muggles. Can you explain something for me?" Arthur asked eagerly, wiping his mouth on his napkin.
Harry started a bit at the question and turned to regard the man, unsure and lost as to what he could possibly inform Mr. Weasley about.
Sirius cleared his throat and narrowed his eyes at Arthur. He was about to quite pointedly tell the man off for upsetting Harry when Molly intervened, leaning over the table and cutting off his line of sight for his I-am-a-scary-Grim-fear-me look.
"Harry, have some more. A growing boy like you needs to eat well and look handsome for all the girls."
This time Ginny succeeded in spilling her milk over the table.
"Ginny!" Fred yelped as he wiped futily at his soaked shirt.
"So, Harry, explain to me this thing called telluvisin that muggles watch all the time. What exactly are they watching? Are they windows to somewhere?"
Sirius was just about to open his mouth when Moony elbowed him sharply in the stomach. "No yelling at our hosts," he hissed. "It's Harry's birthday."
The whole table quieted as everyone waited for Harry's answer. The boy scrambled for a reply, trying to remember something about "telluvisin."
"W-well, er . . ."
"It's like a wizard portrait that tells different stories," Sirius put in smoothly.
"Amazing!" Mr. Weasley was positively beaming. "What sort of stories did you watch, Harry?"
"I--I never watched television at the Dursleys, sir," Harry admitted quietly.
Arthur jumped in his seat from the pain to his shin and stared wounded at his wife over the sudden, unprovoked attack. Molly was obviously trying to tell him something furiously with her eyebrows but no matter how many semaphore moves they performed he just couldn't quite get what she was--
Oh.
Oh!
Hurriedly Arthur looked back at the wilted figure of Harry Potter, shrunk down to avoid notice in his seat, and the homicidal glares of both Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, as well his own son Ron!
"Oh, oh yes of course. I am sorry to have pressed," he said anxiously. "Back to this delicious lunch then," he said with false joviality.
"Harry dear, finish your plate," Molly urged. "Cake is coming up. Mr. Lupin, have some milk."
"So how was the car? Ron said it went wild after they crashed at your house!" Fred or possibly George broke in, destroying the tense silence with his usual aplomb.
"And broke a dozen wizarding laws in the process," Percy said, rolling his eyes at the twins.
"Beautiful," Sirius said with a sigh. "She's a wonderful piece of magic and machinery."
"She's illegal," Molly snapped as she began clearing off the empty dishes from lunch and the not so empty plate of Sirius'. "We should take her apart."
"You're going to take her apart?" the black haired Marauder asked in horror.
"No, we're not," Arthur assured him.
"Yes, we are," Molly insisted at the same time.
"We really should, Dad. It would look awful if you were caught misusing muggle artifacts," Percy said.
"If you don't want her, I'll buy her. I didn't tame her and coax her out of Fangorn Forest for you to take apart!" Sirius said indignantly, using his fork to steal some of Harry's barely touched roast now that his own plate had been snatched.
"I'd probably have to raid your home if I did sell her to you," Mr. Weasley said with a laugh.
"Cake!" George yelled.
"Cake!" Fred echoed, banging his fork on the table.
"Let me help, Mum," Percy said, hurrying to stand.
"Thank you, dear. Ginny, if you're not going to finish please put your plate away. Harry dear, are you sure you can't eat any more?"
"Mum made chocolate cake," Ron informed Harry. "Her special recipe."
"Cake-Cake-Cake-Cake!" the twins chanted.
"Manners," Molly scolded. "Arthur, if you could spell the lights?"
With a wave of his wand the lights dimmed and the window glass grew dark blocking out the sun and a chocolate layer cake lit with 12 candles floated gently to land on the table in front of Harry to the applause of the Weasleys.
"Blow them out," Ron said.
"Singing first!" Fred demanded loudly.
"I already had my song," Harry said, faintly remembering being serenaded to this morning by Sirius.
"Then cake!" Fred countered, banging his fork with gusto.
"Blow them out," urged Sirius with a smile.
Taking a deep breath Harry blew and the flickering flames went out.
And then burst back into light.
Everyone blinked.
"Fred, George!" Molly yelled, smacking the two red heads with a dishcloth. "Did you put trick candles on Harry's cake?!"
"No, Mum!" came the chorused denial.
Harry focused on the candles and blew again. This time the flames went out and stayed out.
Shakily, Arthur spelled the room light again staring at Harry in barely disguised awe. Molly grasped his shoulder tightly. They had felt that unmistakable wave of power down to their bones.
George gaped at the candles. Fred sputtered.
"Th-those were guaranteed to stay lit! Even if doused with water! We tested them!" George said indignantly.
Ron stared at Harry through the corner of his eye wonderingly. Harry's green eyes slid over to meet his gaze and the dark haired boy smiled.
"Harry! Take a piece dear," Molly insisted, pressing a plate into his hands. "You too, Mr. Lupin--"
"Call me Remus, please." the werewolf insisted eagerly grabbing at the chocolate pastry.
"Remus then," she said with a smile. "You look like you could use some chocolate."
Sirius didn't bother to muffle his snickers as he dug into his piece of the birthday cake.
"Eat up, Harry," Molly urged after a few moments.
"He's stuffed from lunch, Mum," George put in through chewing, scattering dark crumbs everywhere.
"Say it don't spray it," Percy snapped. "Really, we have guests. Don't talk with your mouth full."
"Nonsense. Harry's not full." Mrs. Weasley huffed, "Growing boys don't eat like little birds."
Remus chuckled as he raised his glass and Sirius offered a wink to his smiling godson.
"You are a genius, Mrs. Weasley," Remus said patting his nonexistent belly with contentment. "This was much better than the cake I made for this morning."
"I liked your cake," Harry insisted, wiping his mouth with his napkin.
"I'm surprised you remember it at all, you were half asleep," Sirius said with a laugh, ruffling Harry's hair.
"Have you been staying up late?" Molly asked suspiciously. "I know its summer, Harry dear, but you don't want to go around looking like a raccoon. You two," she said sharply turning her attention to Lupin and Black. "You should set a good example and go to bed at a reasonable hour."
"Yeah, Harry, you should go to bed early so you can sneak out later and go flying," Fred said, George nodding in agreement as he took a second slice of cake.
"That is enough out of you two as well," Molly scolded. "Arthur, itÂ’s almost time."
Mr. Weasley craned around in his seat to see the family clock. "Good lord, I'm Very Nearly Late." Taking one last bite of cake, Arthur stood and grabbed his hat. He then turned back to the table and smiled at Harry. "It was very nice to meet you, Harry. I'll meet up with you later on this afternoon at Diagon Alley if I managed to finish all that paperwork."
"Don't forget your briefcase!" Percy yelled after his dad, rushing outside to hand it to him before he apparated away.
"Full, Harry?" Sirius asked his godson who had set down his fork on his cake filled plate.
"Just resting."
The Animagus leaned down to whisper "It's a bit overwhelming, isn't it?"
Harry looked over the laughing, talking Weasleys with amazement and nodded.
"C'mon Harry, let me show you my room," Ron said suddenly, tugging on his arm.
"Take Ginny with you. We'll do presents after everyone's had a chance to rest," Mrs. Weasley insisted from where she stood arranging spells over the sink. She turned back to check on her guests and found only a third of Harry's enormous slice of birthday cake gone. "Harry, you didn't finish. Dear me, a boy not eating cake," she fussed.
"He'll want the rest later," Remus assured her.
"Thank you for lunch," Harry put in. "It was very nice."
"We'll have it!" Fred and George said helpfully, already reaching for the plate.
Harry gratefully pushed his portion towards him. It was delicious but very heavy. He stood to join Ron who had not stopped tugging at his friend.
Molly looked like she was about to protest when Sirius reach out and grabbed her hand and kissed it with a flourish. "Thank you for this marvelous meal, Molly. It was absolutely excellent."
Flustered for a moment it was long enough for the twins to make serious headway on Harry's cake. "Go on you two bottomless pits," Molly said in exasperation. "I'll wrap up the rest for you to take home tonight. I'll also wrap up some of the lunch for you to take back tonight for dinner," she said eyeing Black darkly.
"Go on ahead," Sirius said, shooing the boys and Ginny upstairs. Needing no further prompting the three of them departed.
Molly watched Harry go with pursed lips. That child was too thin and so small next to her own boys. Her Ron had mentioned something about Harry barely nibbling at meal time, and here faced with a wonderful meal and cake, chocolate cake, he hadn't even managed to clear his plate! He didn't even ask for seconds! Did he even receive three hot meals a day? And what about Mr. Lupin? If any man was wasting away it was him!
"Do either of you bachelors cook?" she asked pointedly.
Somewhat taken aback the Marauders stared at each other.
"Er . . . I make a rather good lamb curry," Sirius put in warily. "Though I tend to . . . cook other things rather well done."
Molly narrowed her eyes, not pleased.
"I can handle most foods," Remus added with a raised eyebrow as he drew his wand to help with some of the clean up.
Well at least one of them cooks, though he's thinner than you usually see a person who knows his way around food, she thought.
"Harry's a rather good cook though," Sirius said proudly. "Meats, soup, salad, breakfasts, vegetables, and pastries. He does some wonderful desserts."
The werewolf nodded. "Chocolate," he said as if that explained everything.
"Harry cooks?" she squeaked. Harry cooks but barely eats? He doesn't go to bed at a reasonable hour for little boys? Doesn't even own a comb?
That settled it. Molly Weasley was writing a very strongly worded letter to Albus Dumbledore as soon as her guests flooed home this evening. She couldn't stand the thought of that poor child living in an unfit environment. After he'd been so abominably abused by those wretched muggles one would hope he would have a second chance with a good family like her own.
Maybe she could convince Albus to let Harry stay with them?
It was worth a shot.
Ron thundered up the stairs, Harry and Ginny behind. "That's Percy's room, he's been holed up in it all summer. Studying, he says. This is Fred and George's room and that's Mum and Dad's. Ginny's is right down there," Ron said pointing down the winding corridor about two and a half stories up.
Harry turned and smiled at Ginny who promptly turned cherry red and backed towards her room.
"Ginny?" Ron asked perplexed. "Aren't you coming?"
She opened and closed her mouth several times, pointed behind her towards her room and then dashed off.
"Was it something I said?" Harry asked worriedly.
Ron shook his head. "Nah, she's like that. She's been talking about you all summer. Dead annoying really. And now that you're here she doesn't say a word! Girls," he finished rolling his eyes.
"Better not say that in front of Hermione," Harry warned as they once again began ascending the steps.
"Hermione's not a girl!" Ron protested. At Harry's incredulous look he flushed. "W-well, I suppose she's a girl, female and-and all that. But she's not one of those moony, sighy girls that whispered and giggled about you all last year. She's--she's sensible! Almost as good as a boy, really."
"There were moony, sighy girls whispering about me?" Harry asked in bewilderment. "Why?"
"I asked Fred and George about it," Ron said as he pushed open his bedroom door. "They didn't really say much, just winked and nudged a lot."
"Oh."
"Yeah, it wasn't much help. Well, this is my room," he said with a flourish. "Right under the-- elf!"
Ron and Harry stopped amid the shockingly orange room at the sight of a small creature with big floppy ears bouncing on Ron's bed.
"I didn't know you had a house elf," Harry said in surprise.
The elf stopped what it was doing and turned to face the boys. Its huge eyes widened even more. "Harry Potter," it breathed.
"We don't own a house elf," Ron said. "I've never seen it before. Where did it come from?"
"Why are you asking me?" Harry said before turning his attention back to their mysterious guest. "Er . . . Hello," he said carefully. "Who are you? How can we help you? Are you, er . . . lost?"
"Help . . . me?" the little being echoed, giant eyes tearing. "Help Dobby?" It then promptly burst into tears.
Harry rushed forward, but there was nothing he could to do stop the wailing elf. "Ron, shut the door," he told his friend hurriedly. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you," he said quickly. "I didn't mean to be rude. I'm sure an elf like you would never be lost. Won't you sit down?"
"Si-sit DOWN?!" This produced a fresh flow of tears. "Never, never, never--"
"What did I say?" Harry asked wretchedly. "House elves always . . . every time I've talked to them . . . they just . . .what did I say wrong?" he asked Ron. He was horribly uncomfortable around the magical beings, afraid he was hurting them somehow because they always tried to cling to him, sobbing every time he tried to talk to them.
Ron hurriedly dug around his pockets for a slightly grubby handkerchief and offered it to the despondent creature. "Here, get a hold of yourself," he said gruffly, as put off by the elf's tears as he was his sister's, or even worse his mother's tears.
Dobby, if that was who the elf really was, raised it-- his head and stared at the proffered item. "Harry Potter's Wheezy is kind to Dobby as well!" he cried, burying his head in his hands and shaking with tears.
Ron looked taken aback. "Wheezy? Wheezy?" he echoed in dismay. "It's Weasley and I'm Ron."
"Why shouldn't we be kind? You-you seem like a perfectly good elf," Harry assured him.
"No, no, Dobby is a bad elf, bad elf! Dobby should not be here, Dobby should not have left his home and his family to find Harry Potter but Dobby had to! And then- and then Harry Potter is asking Dobby to sit down and asking if he can help Dobby! And then Harry Potter's Wheezy is offering Dobby a handkerchief and no wizards are ever being so nice to Dobby. Ever!"
"You haven't met many nice wizards then," Ron put in. "Some wizards are absolutely beastly to their house elves."
"They are?" Harry said, shocked. He took in Dobby's ragged, filthy pillowcase/clothing, his emaciated, bruised state and felt sympathy and a painful sense of kinship to this being's predicament. "Well, we aren't going to hurt you. You can stay as long as you want, and we'll keep you a secret," Harry said staunchly remembering what Padfoot did for him all those years ago.
With a cry the creature latched onto Harry's arm and hugged it tight. "Harry Potter is kind and good and as wonderful a wizard as everyone is saying!" Dobby pulled back slightly and sniffed. "But Dobby is here on purpose and cannot stay. Dobby is bound to his family, Harry Potter sir. And until Dobby's family gives him clothes, Dobby cannot leave his family, Harry Potter sir."
"Well then, why did you come then?" Ron said reaching over to pry Dobby off his friend.
The house elf clasped his hands together and took a deep breath. "Dobby has uncovered a plot, a most terrible plot! Harry Potter must not go back to Hogwarts! Terrible things happening at Hogwarts if he goes back! If Harry Potter goes back to Hogwarts this year he will die!"
Tbc What did you think of the Weasleys? I tried to capture their hectic and wonderfully rambunctious family life. I love writing Mr. And Mrs. Weasley. I hope you enjoyed it.
Thank you everyone who reviewed! I am so glad you guys like this story. For those of you who reviewed with concerns and comment/questions read below:
NightSpear- Thank you! I like to think that every time I write I get just a bit better too. (Though it makes me cringe to read my older work though.) Keep reading.
TeeDee- THE best? Wow. Not sure I agree for my part (though for neutral's, surely) but I'm flattered! As for Moony's on again off again paranoia . . . we shall see.
me- Spell check, grammar check, betas, arg! Sorry for the errors. I know how mistakes in writing can be very distracting. I've uploaded another version of Chapter One, hopefully without all the annoying errors. I hope. gulp Remus give in and do Sirius' dirty work? I think you doubt the strength of Moony to face off against Padfoot's puppy dog eyes.
athenakitty- Since he bought his wand in "Let Winterlight Come" Harry has had trouble using and channeling his full magical power through the phoenix feather core. He hid it most of his first year, fake waving the wand and using his magic wordlessly to get by in classes. Quirrell noticed though and Harry is getting Sirius to help him work with the wand. Sirius got the car on accident when in neutrals "Hunting for Marbles" (the story right before this one) Ron and Hermione flew/crashed the Weasley car into Moor House. Sirius is planning on returning it to the Weasleys as we speak. Sirius doesn't own a car to enchant; he's got his motorbike. :)
AC- Ahh, the mysterious job of Sirius Black. You've got to wait till third year for the answer to that question.
LilPup- While the scene between Harry and Snape about Harry's essay in "Half of a Dueling Range" would be great fun to write there are two problems. First, Snape assigns the essay on uses of dragon's blood during the summer between second and third year not first and second year so we have a year to go (which makes Sirius's story to Harry explaining things all the more ridiculous). Second, neutral I believe has first dibbs on writing that scene as a short side story. But good eye for catching it! As for Ginny's crush, Sirius still sees his godson as a six year old and it is inconceivable that anyone else sees him older. It will take something of a wake up call that girls are in fact after Harry and I'm not guaranteeing that will happen in Harry's second year but it is an idea for later. Thanks. :)
Barbara- Lockhart is in for it; Sirius will see to that! evil laugh As always you read my mind: am I that transparent about Dobby and Flourish and Blotts? Must work harder. Oooh, interesting idea about polyjuice. Hmm. Must think on that.
GY- Yup, there is a bit of a gap between "Hunting for Marbles" and this story, but neutral and I talked about the direction of this so I hope you all enjoy it. As for me writing Harry's second year, unless neutral tells me otherwise I plan to write all of Harry's years I can with neutral's input and help. She is so nice and it is such a fantastic opportunity to work with her. As for the wand, it is sort of counterintuitive that using a wand is hard for Harry, but it isn't about lack of knowledge or lack of power it is too much power to harness through the holly wand. I am very glad you enjoy second year so far.
Review?