A/N – Howdy! I had a wonderful Christmas with family and was able to finish up this fic and start another that would and will continue the story. I figured that since there are a whole bunch of other things happening that I should do something! Anyway, this was supposed to be two chapters, so you'd also get a part 21, but I thought it best to blend the two into one whole chapter! Please enjoy!
Harry Potter and the Story of Secret's
Part 20
It was dark in the room; the blinds were shut but a bit of sun light streamed in where it could. Creeping its way across the wood floor and over the lump that lay buried in blankets on what is called the bed. The lump, as it turned out, also had a horn that sounded like a Moose mating call. Bellowing out through the nose, and rattling any knickknacks that had found their way into the room.
However, the door opened and the room found a new occupant that was not afraid of the sound, for he had heard it many times before and knew who made such a sound, and it was no Moose, he could tell you that!
Harry Potter, his hair a birds nest from sleeping (not that it ever got better, but it was more mussed than usual) had a smile on his face, he was glad that there was no need to take the awful potions that Padfoot insisted on! He tip toed across the room and came at a stop at the lump.
"PADFOOOOOOOTTTTT! WAKE UP AN' LOOK AT THIS!" Harry yelled as he jumped onto the bed. The lump – Er—Sirius woke out of sleep with a curse. He heard a gasping sound from the little boy on his lap.
"Oooooh! Padfoot said a bad word!" Harry cried, hands over his mouth and his green eyes as wide as plates. Sirius groaned.
"It's all right, when you are as old as me, than you're allowed to say things, but till you're….twenty-nine, you can't, hear me?" Sirius explained.
"Uh-huh!" Harry nodded his head.
"Now, what was it that you wanted, kid?"
"Look at this! Look! The spot's are gone an' I don't itch any more!" Harry cried happily. Sirius smiled and mussed up Harry's hair, which didn't really do anything but add to the problem.
"I guess you're better than, you really threw me a loop when you got sick like that," Sirius said.
"I didn't mean too!"
"I know you didn't, it's all right…" Sirius hugged Harry to him, the little boy hugged his Godfather back, searching for the comfort that he had been bereft off for his six years of life.
"Thank you," Harry muttered into Sirius' shoulder.
"No need to thank me, you deserve love," Sirius whispered back. Harry didn't felt as if he deserved it, but he hoped that what Sirius said was the truth and that he wouldn't have to worry about losing anything ever again…
At least, he hoped….
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"How did he take it?" Remus asked; he was still bed ridden, but Sirius was at least an exceptional cook, so Remus did not have to worry if he'd poisoned them all accidentally. Sirius looked a bit sad.
"That kid has gone through a lot; He still can't believe that we're here, when I'm in another room he tends to peak around the corner, and sometimes he just stares at me, and you," Sirius said.
"I'd noticed, he's also very quiet," Remus said.
"I'm not sure what the is from, but I'm not sure if I want to know,"
"We don't, trust me, we don't want to know, and Harry just wants to forget," Remus replied.
"All right…" Sirius looked towards the door of Remus' room, he went out to the hall for a moment to make sure that Harry wasn't anywhere near by.
"I sent Harry to his room to make you a get well card, so act surprised; anyway, I was thinking that we should have a huge party for Harry!" Sirius said.
"Indeed, that would be nice, who would come?" Remus asked.
"I've all ready invited Severus, Knott, Crabbe, Goyle, the Malfoy's – they have a kid just the same age as Harry, only a bit older, two months I think, and Bellatrix and Voldemort, well, I at least extended the invitation to him," Sirius explained.
"Do you know what Harry's favorite food is?" Remus asked.
"He said he had never had sweets before, I think we should go with chocolate, everyone likes chocolate!" Sirius replied.
"Indeed, well, I think this is a great plan, who is helping you get all that you need?"
"Lucius and Severus are, they're even picking up the presents, they've had more experience than I have at shopping for kid's, I'll pay them back once my vault is un-frozen," Sirius said.
"We could pay them back using mine, I think there is enough," Remus said.
"Remie, no offence mate, but you hardly have enough to buy new robes, there is no way you have enough to pay for a top of the line broom, and other Quidditch stuff not to mention, books and clothes and anything else they're going to be getting, trust me, I've talked this over with them and we have a binding magical agreement," Sirius said, waving off Remus' offer.
"Oh, well, if it's all right with you…"
"Of course it is, besides, I can't go to Diagon Alley and get all that stuff any way, Voldemort would have a hissy fit!" Sirius laughed.
"Please, don't make any jokes like that in front of Voldemort," Remus rolled his eyes.
"I won't, I can be Slytherin when I want to be," Sirius replied with a grin.
"Uncle Moony! Look at what I made for you!' Harry cried, he ran into the room waving a piece of blue construction paper. Remus helped his sit on the bed so that they could both see the picture.
On it was a picture of Remus (a title and an arrow pointed to a stick figure with ragged robes on) who was laying in a stick bed, beside him was a puppy dog (or so Remus – the real wizard—assumed) and a little boy with huge round glasses on it. At the top, written very messily was the legend – Get better sooner!
"Oh my, Harry this is wonderful! One of these day's someone is going to hang it in a museum and everyone will want to see it!" Remus said quite seriously.
"I did it all by myself!" Harry said happily.
"You did a wonderful job! I hadn't known you could spell," Remus smiled.
"I was really good in secondary school! I got an 'A' in class! But…Aunt Petunia said that I'd better not do so good next time,"
"Why?" Sirius asked.
"Cousin Dudley didn't do so good, he got failed," Harry replied.
"Harry, do you understand that we are very proud that you got such a wonderful grade in class?" Remus asked. Harry shook his head 'no'.
"Well, we are, you are just as smart as James, maybe even more so than him," Remus said.
"Really?" Harry's eyes got huge!
"Yes, silly! James was very clever and I am sure you are as well, you're Aunt and Uncle just couldn't see that, but we do, and we want you to explore that talent," Remus replied.
"All right!" Harry smiled.
"We love you," Remus said, hugging Harry, Sirius joined in.
Moments later, a slight coughing from the door interrupted their family time;
"Can you proceed with this fluff some other time?" came a rolling voice.
"Can you stop being a prat long enough to appreciate the intricate workings of family?" Remus replied.
"Good one, Mate!" Sirius slapped Remus on the back.
"I don't get it," Harry said as he watched the adults laugh at their jokes.
"Don't worry, no one ever does understand the Mutt and the Wolf," Lucius said.
"So, are we going to set up or what?" Sirius asked, getting off the bed.
"Severus is here to check on Remus, while he's doing that we can set things up,"
"What's going on?" Harry asked, jumping from bed.
"We're setting up for a party," Sirius said.
"Who's party?"
"You're of course! You're turned seven last night!" Sirius replied scandalized that his own godson had forgotten.
"Oh…? Oh! I forgot," Harry shrugged his shoulder's.
"Oh my Merlin! He forgot his own birthday!" Sirius gasped then fell to the floor in mock-faint.
"Black! Get off the floor! You two can play later," Lucius ordered, Sirius stood up laughing.
"Do you have to ruin everything?"
"Sirius, stop being immature and go set up, otherwise there will be nothing to do later when everyone arrives," Remus put in.
"Come on! Let's go! I've never had a birthday party before!" Harry jumped up and down.
"All right, all right," Sirius relented and hand in hand, Sirius and Harry followed Lucius to the sitting room in order to get things set up.
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"I see that you took my threat seriously," Severus said as he undid the bandages around Remus' ankle. Remus groaned.
"Please, don't say that word, I've learned to stay away from it! Why Mrs. Black gave her son a name people could pun-around with, I'll never know," Remus said.
"He is quite opposite of his name, isn't he?" Severus asked.
"You've no idea, you didn't live with him for seven years," Remus shook his head.
"Why don't you enlighten me?" Severus asked.
"Well, there was that time when…."
"Oh come on! It'll be fun!" Sirius winged.
"No way! The old bird will have you're head!" Remus replied, shocked at his friends plan, but in hind sight, he knew he shouldn't have been as shocked.
"He isn't going to fall over dead!" Sirius complained.
"No, but he might die of shock!" James snickered from the chair he sat in.
"Prongs, it'll be hysterical!"
"…and we haven't done anything to him for a while….."
"Oh fine! Go have you're fun, but if anyone finds out…."
"Don't worry, Moony! We'll be careful," Sirius said, and with that, he and James were out of the Gryffindor common room before anyone could say "Bob's you're Uncle"
Moments later, a large black dog bound into the Great Hall, it growled at the nearest students (HufflePuff's) before running beneath their table, the table shook and the food fell from the plates, mussing up the table and the student's. The dog then ran across the room and jumped onto the Slytherins table, food flew everywhere as the dog ran down the table. It then jumped off the end. The dog must have been special, because it flew threw the air, and landed on top of Slughorn. The Professor fell backwards as the dog landed on him. The dog didn't waist a second as it bound into a side passage way that lead away from the Great Hall.
Sirius leaned against a wall, laughing his butt off; James ran up to him, also laughing. They were in the Honey Dukes passage; they knew that they were safe there.
"Did you see that? Brilliant!" James said between bouts of laughter.
"That was one of my most brilliant plans ever!" Sirius howled (pun intended)
"You guy's! are you off you're rockers or what? That was really stupid!" Remus yelled at them, he had come with James but he was fuming instead of laughing.
"Don't worry, Remie, we weren't caught and no one will know what happened anyway! I mean, c'mon, there must be lot's of Black dogs about in the forest," Sirius raised his eyebrows.
"Sure, and a Werewolf has taken up residence in Gryffindor tower, brilliant Padfoot, could you be even more stupid?" Remus crossed his arms.
"In five years, you'll be laughing about this, and then you'd owe me a galleon!" Sirius said before he bound down the tunnel back to the school.
"…and when you got to the fifth year?" Severus asked.
"He was in Azkaban, but I did laugh, and I sent him a letter with a galleon in it," Remus replied with a smile.
"It was quite brilliant, but I wished he'd gone after McGonagall instead of Slughorn," Severus sighed.
"Gryffindor's go after Slytherins, you should know that," Remus quirked and eyebrow.
"Oh yes, I know," Severus smirked, he never smiled, he always smirked!
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"I do not know where they might be, and the French Ministry is not helping!" Fudge said.
"I know, I have tried talking to Muriel, but she refuses to answer me or take any fire call's," Albus replied.
"That Potter boy is our only hope for power, we need to control him," Fudge muttered.
"I know that as well," Albus nodded his head.
"What do you plan to do about it?"
"We are still searching, Tonks and Mad-Eye are on it as we speak, but they may not find a thing," Albus shrugged.
"Well, guess what I found out? Harry Potter has been put on the Beauxbatons school registry, when he turn's eleven he's going to school in FRANCE!"
"What? Well, that is surprising…but not acceptable, Harry Potter has had his name down for Hogwarts since the day he was born," Albus said.
"Look's like Black and Lupin won't stand for you're meddling any longer,"
"We must step up our search immediately," Albus said.
"I'm sending out a team of Auror's, they'll know what to do," Fudge said, then the floo call was over.
Albus sat back in his chair; the more help the better, he decided, if Harry Potter was allowed to be trained differently, there was no telling what he would believe. He needed to believe that the things Voldemort preached was truly evil, at this rate, the boy wouldn't care one wit about the whole damnable affair.
A quandary indeed…..
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"Go on," Remus encouraged the young boy; Draco Malfoy stood besides Harry. Meanwhile, Harry wasn't sure what to do, he had seen Dudley do it before; but he hadn't had a cake before.
"Just blow out the candles and male a wish, but don't tell anyone!" Draco said helpfully. Harry nodded and he took a deep breath. He blew out the candles with a long whoosh! Everyone clapped as smoke came from the candle. Narcissa cut the cake and served everyone a piece, Harry got his first.
Harry and Draco sat chatting at the table till the grown up's had gotten their food, then they all dug in. Harry had never had cake before, he hadn't been allowed any sort pf sweets, and he didn't think the chocolate cake of Mrs. Figg's had been this good! Remus went about serving coffee or tea to the adults, and got milk for the little ones.
"Presents!" Sirius announced after the dishes had been cleared away, he magicked them onto the table in front of Harry.
"Er—thank you," Harry said.
"Go ahead and open them," Draco nudged Harry.
"All right, this one is from –Er—Uncle Lucius and Auntie Narcissa," Sirius said as he handed Harry a rather light present. Harry carefully tore open the paper. Inside were two young wizard robes, one of red and the other black.
"This one is from Draco," Sirius said handing Harry another present. Inside was a Quidditch book entitled Quidditch for Youngsters by Beryla Loamsdown.
"Thanks a bunch, Draco," Harry smiled at his new friend.
"I didn't know if you understood the game, this book is great! It has great pictures!" Draco explained.
Harry opened present after present, Remus had owl-ordered Harry some magic books and a practice wand, Severus gave Harry a potions set, this set would only make simple and non-threatening potions. Crabbe and Goyle and their two boys' gave Harry some more clothes. Bellatrix and her husband gave Harry a replica of the night light castle that Remus had been forced to leave behind when they had left their home.
When it became Sirius' turn, he out did everyone!
"It's a BROOM!" Harry said excitedly, his mouth agape at the Spitfire 5000 which was especially made for young wizards just beginning to learn how to fly.
"I knew you'd like it!" Sirius crowed.
"I am not surprised, Sirius had been trying to get Lily to let him take you flying, but she'd have none of it," Remus said.
"I remember that," Narcissa laughed, she turned to Harry, "You're Mum hexed Sirius so bad that he wasn't able to get out of bed for a week! He had green and blue boils all over the place that itched like crazy!"
"You were there?" Harry asked.
"No, but she told me," Narcissa replied.
"We had better go, dear," Lucius said, standing up; the party had wound down and the adults were enjoying a second cup of coffee while Draco and Harry admired the broom, (Messrs. Crabbe, Goyle and their boys' had gone home way before then).
"Father hasn't gotten me a broom yet," Draco said.
"Maybe the next time you come to visit we can both take turns on it!" Harry suggested.
"Really? You'd share with me?" Draco asked.
"Why shouldn't I?" Harry asked.
"No reason, thanks," Draco gave Harry a small smile.
"Not a problem!" Harry beamed, he was proud to have said something that Sirius said all the time!
"Draco, come, we need to leave," Lucius called to his son. Draco gave Harry a hurried good-by before joining his parents.
"Don't forget our offer, Narcissa, Lucius," Remus reminded them before they disappeared with a poof of green light.
Soon, the other guests had also left and the only occupants of the French safe house were Sirius, Remus and Harry. Harry sat among his gifts with a strange look on his face. He had never got a present in his life. Well, not really there were a couple of times that he had gotten something, but this was the first time that he had gotten new things all at the same time!
"Did you have fun?" Remus asked, he sat down beside Harry.
"I – I can't believe it," Harry muttered.
"Why?" Remus asked, Harry scooted closer to the older man.
"I can't believe all of this, was I that good to deserve this?" Harry asked.
"Harry, we love you, and that has nothing to do with you being good or bad, we love you because we just do, you need not earn it," Remus said, putting his arm around Harry.
"What about the others? Uncle Lucius, Uncle Sevvie, Auntie Narcissa and Bella, and Draco?" Harry asked.
"They think of you as their own, you're special, you have people here who love you and you can always count on Draco and his parents, and Bellatrix to look after you when Sirius and I can't,"
"You aren't going to be here?" Harry asked, his green eyes bearing down on Remus.
"Not because we chose not too, but because we'd probably be forced too," Remus said.
"I understand, you want to be here with me, but if something happens, you can't because you'd want to protect me," Harry said.
"Exactly, and we protect you because we love you, we celebrated you're birthday today because we love you," Remus said.
"I love you too," Harry stood and gave Remus a hug.
Harry then looked about the room, Sirius had been watching from the open door way the led to the kitchen, he ran to Sirius and gave him a huge hug about the leg (he wasn't that tall).
"I love you too! Padfoot!" Harry cried, Sirius wrapped Harry in his arms.
"I love you, kid, always remember that!" Sirius muttered in his ear.
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Muriel glared at the figure standing in front of her desk; she had not been expecting a visit from Dumbledore, and just by seeing his face she was ready to hex him into the next century and back with the most painful hex she could think of!
"Head Master, what brings you here?" she asked, standing from the secretary.
"I want to know where Lupin and Black have taken Harry, it is important that I get Harry back from them," Dumbledore replied.
"I'm sorry, but I have nothing to talk to you about on that subject," Muriel sniffed.
"You do not understand …"
"No! you don't understand! I have it under good authority that they are doing what is best for the young boy, I have based my decision on that information and I am not sorry for it, now, you can just leave France all together and forget about them!" Muriel stomped her foot in agitation.
"Very well, but I will not let this rest," Dumbledore replied, then he exited the office with fire on his heels.
"And good riddance," Muriel muttered before she sat down at the secretary.
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Dear Mr. Lupin,
I must inform you that Dumbledore is on you're trail; please contact you-know-whom and ask his advice on this, for I have none. I do apologize for this short notice. I had not known myself till Dumbledore showed up in my office.
Good-day,
Muriel
Remus looked over the short note; Muriel was really very nice, no doubt about it. She was also a spit fire (Remus hit himself for comparing Muriel to a bloody broom!). He wondered if he must reply to the message. The exact process for this was sort of confusing. But what had he to lose anyway?
Remus went to the small desk that they had been able to scrounge up from the Riddle House, he had to think for a few moments before starting it.It took him a few parchments till he figured that he got it right; he sent it back with the French Ministry owl before going to the kitchen.
Sirius sat at the table, a steaming cup of coffee in front of him; Remus joined him.
"What's wrong?" Remus asked. The frown on Sirius' face practically told Remus everything that he needed to know.
"I can't believe how neglectful those Muggles were; didn't they know that Harry's a good kid?" Sirius asked.
"Those muggles only care about themselves, besides, we all knew that Petunia didn't like Lily," Remus replied.
"I know, but I figured that when she saw Harry that she might change her mind? What is more precious than a baby?" Sirius asked.
"Remember that time when James was taking care of Harry? He didn't know how to change the nappies and so he fire called us; we didn't even know how to change nappies and there we were, using a pot to put Harry in!" Remus chuckled.
"Oi! Lily was so shocked when she got home," Sirius grinned.
"Then she changed Harry and hexed us badly, that was the only time she ever hexed me," Remus said.
"Point of pride I see," Sirius rolled his eyes.
"So, what has brought on this sudden bought of depression besides the fact that Harry didn't have a birthday party since he was one years old?"
"Our Lord wrote," Sirius handed a scrap of parchment to Remus.
"Ah, I got a note from Muriel as well, but Lord Voldemort seems adamant that we move again," Remus said.
"I know, I'm not sure what we're going to do, that potion won't be ready till next month! We have to hold the Order off till the potion is ready," Sirius said.
"Oh? And how are we to do that?" Remus asked.
"Well, someone has to stay here with Harry, I'll only be gone…"
"No! you can't be thinking what I think you're thinking!" Remus stood suddenly; upsetting the coffee cup which spilled its contents all over the table.
"Why not?"
"It's too dangerous, think about Harry,"
"I have been! Think about it! Bangkok! That is so long gone from here! They'd so buy it!" Sirius explained.
"Bangkok? That'd take forever to get too! What about the full moon! Someone has to protect Harry!"
"I know, I know all ready! Merlin, what the bloody hell do you want me to do about it?" Sirius yelled, standing from his chair which fell to the floor.
"Not this! Have you even talked to Voldemort about it?"
"No…"
"Then don't do a damn thing till you do!" Remus said, glaring at his best friend.
"You're right, as always," Sirius muttered, picked his chair up and sitting back down. Remus went and got a cloth to clean up the spilt coffee, he then poured Sirius a fresh cup and set it before him, then took a seat himself.
"I'm sorry I yelled," Remus said.
"Don't be, I'm sorry I wasn't thinking," Sirius muttered, he bowed forward and rested his forehead on the table, then preceded to bang his head against the hard wood.
"Padfoot, you're killing off brain cells, not making yourself smarter," Remus smirked.
"What am I to do? I can't let them get Harry! They'd ruin him!"
"I know, I don't want that to happen either," Remus said, patting his friend on the shoulder.
They sat in that kitchen; just the two of them. Safe for the moment, but for how long? How long would this torture last? Waiting for the day where they would be discovered and killed over a precious soul that could never be replaced if anything bad happened to it.
The guardians, of Harry James Potter agonized over their dilemma, knowing that one of them would have to suffer for the others. But were they bothered by such a prospect of pain? No, they were not afraid, how could they be? They had to protect the only thing that was more important than life!
A kid, a seven year old kid, neglected for most of his life and whom had only just found the love of a family; Harry James Potter!
Too Be Continued
Harry Potter and the Price of Love
Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Harry Potter have found the most important thing to them! Each other, their own little family in a world consumed by pain!
Can they keep their family going even against those who seek to destroy all that they stand for?
A/N – Okay, that was fun! Writing here at Grandmum's while my siblings are being total brats is kinda hard! Oh well! Now then, please review and tell me what you think of this! I liked this chapter because of the prank, let's see now….They would have been in….sixth year….
A/N (2, PRESENT TIME) – Okay, what do you think? It is the longest chapter to date! Cause the second half was 7 pages and now it is up too 13! Wow!
TIME LINE --
James and Lily got married at the end of seventh year, after they left school.
Harry was born in July, and the Potter's died in October after seventh year.
Sirius was put into Azkaban right after the Potter's died.
Harry went to the Dursley's.
Remus made do on the bet a year before Sirius got out of Azkaban and this story started. (Does that make any sense?)
Ta,
Poppy