CHAPTER 5: TRADITION OF ANNUAL SURPRISES
Many people would claim that July 31st was the highlight of the Evans' Family Social Calendar. The Viscount's Summer Ball, with it's fancy decorations and live band playing by the lake is after all a grand affair, attended by the who's who of the wizarding world. The Viscount after whom the ball is named would claim otherwise. If anyone asked Richard Evans, he would say he much preferred the day after the ball. August 1st was a day for friends and family, there would be a picnic by the lake, a barbecue in the evening and a family Quidditch game, although considering the number of people invited it often turned into a mini-tournament. It was a tradition and all the family were invited, well, everyone except Lucius Malfoy. Richard refused to invite Death Eaters.
It was this tradition, which explained the note asking Harry to meet the Evans' Family by the lake when he finally woke up at Eleven O'clock the next morning after a late night explaining his adventures to his parents' portraits. He was also pleased to note that a set of robes had been left out for him, as well as a map of the mansion, something Harry was grateful for considering the place seemed to be like a rabbit warren.
Harry made his way to the gardens without getting lost, although he did have to make copious use of the map of the mansion. Stepping out of a surprisingly tidy ballroom, he was confronted with a spectacular view of the Pembrokeshire countryside and beyond. The gardens themselves were tiered so that they sloped down towards a lake before rising up to a ridge on three sides creating a natural amphitheatre. The area between the house and the lake was arranged as a formal garden complete with the typical flowerbeds and fountains one would expect in the gardens of an English manor house. Beyond the lake was a less formal garden of paths amidst trees and pathways begging to be explored. In the middle of the lake was a large island, accessible by a Japanese style bridge, upon which Harry could discern figures moving about. Harry made his way towards them strolling through the gardens. He was met at the bottom by Samuel, who seemed to watching over the house elves as they dismantled a platform by the lake.
"Sleep Well." the redhead asked as he got up from underneath the tree which he had been sitting under.
"Yes, Thank You." Harry replied. The two walked along the lake towards the Japanese bridge to join the other the guests who had settled themselves on the island in the middle of the lake, with Samuel explaining the day's programme of events as they walked. When they were arrived Harry was immediately set upon by his youngest cousin Michael, much to Sam's amusement, who insisted on dragging Harry off to meet his mother, Valerie, and his friends who seemed to be in awe of meeting the famous Harry Potter and kept on asking him inane questions about Hogwarts,the Triwizard Tournament and on being the boy-who-lived. It took him half an hour to break away from them and make his way over to Sirius, who seemed to be talking perfectly happily with Remus and a fairly tall man with light-brown hair, despite the fact there were over thirty over people nearby, most of whom Harry assumed didn't know about his godfather's innocence. He commented as such, and the stranger responded.
"Your Grandfather is Deputy Head of the Department of Mysteries and one of his best friends is Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, both of them believe Sirius to be innocent," the stranger said, "Just because the Minister is a moron it doesn't mean that the rest of us are equally blind. Besides, if I thought Sirius guilty he'd be at the ministry as we speak. I am an auror after all."
"So the aurors are actually doing something to stop Voldemort?" Harry asked.
"As much as we can without the ministers co-operation," the auror replied, "The minister is keeping a close eye on is though, so we have to let the unspeakables do most of the work, so he doesn't get suspicious. The Minister wants the search for Sirius to take top priority, what he doesn't know is that we're actually searching for Pettigrew instead." Harry gave a broad grin at this news.
"I even told the Minister that Sirius was a rat animagus," Remus added with a grin. Harry noticed that Sirius bore a wicked smirk, "It even made the front page of the Daily Prophet a few weeks ago."
"But won't the minister cover up the evidence, if Wormtail is caught?" Harry asked, remembering what had happened to Barty Crouch Jr.
"Not if we leak the full story to the press first," the tall man replied, "We would do it now, but all the evidence that we have against Pettigrew is highly classified and unleakable, in fact most of it was collected illegally. It's the same with all the Death Eaters we know they're guilty we just don't enough evidence that a court would accept. It's really annoying, but still it's better then nothing."
"We can't have everything," Samuel interrupted. He turned to Harry, smirking slightly, "I see you've finally escaped Michael." he continued.
"It wasn't Michael that was the annoying one," Harry moaned in exasperation, "It was his two friends. They kept on asking me stupid questions about Voldemort and Hogwarts."
"Surely they're not the first?" Samuel asked, not bothering to hide his amusement at the Boy-who-Lived's complaints.
"True," Harry replied, thinking of the Creevey brothers, "But it's still damn annoying."
"I trust Wolfboy here has introduced himself." It was clear from the look of guilt on the stranger's face that he had forgotten to do so, "As he normally forgets. Dumb git."
"Oops," Romy said, "The names Romulus Lupin. Remus is my younger brother." They shook hands, as Harry gave his name in return.
"Oops?" Another said from behind Samuel, Sirius and Remus who could see the man had gone into a state of shock, "Honestly at times you'd think you were a Hufflepuff, not a Ravenclaw, Wolfboy" Harry looked up to see his rescuer and namesake accompanied by a tall and pretty blonde. It took several minutes for him to realise the woman was Aunt Petunia, she looked nothing like the woman that he had met in the woods twenty-four hours previously. Sam was stuttering incomprehensibly torn between shock, joy and anger, while Romulus seemed to be gasping for air, his jaw hanging wide open. Both Harry's were on the verge of laughter at the four men's reactions.
"What the hell are you doing with that piece of trash?" Samuel sneered eventually, once he had got his voice back. He wasn't the first to recover from the shock, but the others seemed to wait for him to speak first.
The elder Harry laughed, "Ah, Samuel Evans. Forever the mild tempered and ultra logical Ravenclaw." he joked, "Petunia is here as my girlfriend."
"Girlfriend!" Samuel exploded, "You're dating that creature. What the fuck have you have been taking? Who let you out of the lunatic asylum? You know I thought you had good taste, Slinker."
"You're just jealous, Sam" The elder Harry replied. Sam turned an interesting shade of green, "Besides we were dating before my disappearance, and we've been keeping in contact."
"You kept in contact with her but not me!" Sam roared in reply.
"I didn't even intend to tell dad. I didn't want anyone to know that I survived; it was too risky. But Dad saw me as I was getting away and made me promise to keep in touch."
"But why the hell did you stay in contact with her?" Sam shouted. His anger had diminished slightly.
"I was in love with her," Sam scoffed at this, "If I'd left her completely it would have destroyed her. I was - and still am - the only thing she has, besides as a muggle she didn't pose a security risk."
"Security Risk? What are you? A Death Eater?" Sam's anger had continued to diminish, his tone was nothing more then a harsh sneer, and an evil look at the sister he wanted to forget about. The elder Harry rolled up the sleeves of his robes and showed his bare forearms to the gathering crowd. Sam looked the man in the eye before nodding to show his satisfaction that the man wasn't a Death Eater, without breaking eye contact. There was a pause. The remainder of Sam's anger seemed to have dissipated when Petunia had left her Boyfriends, while the elder Harry had been proving he wasn't a Death Eater. He looked completely overwhelmed. He looked older then his forty odd years and extremely tired, but at the same time there was a happiness in his eyes that hadn't been there before.
The staring contest between the two men broke when Sam suddenly gasped, "It was you wasn't it?" he said, there was no hint of accusation in his voice. The elder Harry nodded, "And the other times too?" His tone was more questioning this time, but never accusing. There was another nod, "Harry too?" Yet another nod. Sam smiled, a genuine happy smile, "Why didn't you turn up to my wedding?"
The elder Harry laughed, "Oh come off it. I wouldn't have missed your wedding for the world. I sneaked into the back of the church, breaking a thousand rules in the process. I would have spoken to you as well, but it would have gotten me executed."
"Why weren't you allowed to contact us?" Sam enquired as he sobered up, "Me especially."
The elder Harry sighed, "It's supposed to be a secret," he said, "But I intend to tell you anyway." The two men walked off away from the gathered crowd across the Japanese Bridge to continue their conversation. The rest of the picnickers returned to their conversations. Sirius and the Lupin brothers sat in stunned silence.
"Bloody Hell," Sirius muttered eventually, "There's someone I never thought I'd see again." Romulus and Remus merely nodded in agreement.
"Who is he?" Harry asked eventually, "I mean he saved my life, but I known nothing about him." Harry's godfather didn't get a chance to respond.
"He saved your life did he?" a familiar voice drawled. Harry looked up to see Draco Malfoy standing over him, sneer on face, "Pity, I was quite looking forward to your funeral."
"I'm glad to know you care so much about your family, cousin," Harry replied, smiling sweetly, determined to not let the Slytherin get to him. He felt dirty about calling Malfoy his cousin and family, but the reaction was well worth it.
"You are not my cousin, Potter." Malfoy spat angrily, and far too quickly. Harry noticed the auburn haired figure of his grandfather approaching the two boys out of the corner of his eye. He was accompanied by Narcissa Malfoy.
"I see you've met your cousin, Harry." Richard called as he approached the two boys.
"Malfoy is not my cousin," Harry replied emphatically, "You know our mothers weren't sisters, even if you were their father."
"I agree." Malfoy commented in agreement to Harry's assertion.
"It seems someone took their mothers words a little too seriously." Richard remarked with amusement.
"Father," Malfoy's mother scolded. She was standing next to her son, "You know well enough, that Lilly Evans was not my sister." Her stern tone reminded him distinctly of Aunt Petunia, a fact he expressed to the gathered onlookers.
"I do not sound like that bitch," Narcissa shrieked in a Petunia like tone, much to Harry's amusement, "We have nothing, I repeat, nothing in common."
"Really?" Harry replied raising an eyebrow, "You've got the same voice, same looks, same bad attitude, same arrogant…" Harry commented ticking each one of on his fingers. Harry heard several people trying to suppress their laughter at the expression on the faces of both Malfoys and of Aunt Petunia who had joined the watching crowd. Richard, however, did not look amused and was glaring at him just as much as Malfoy who could barely suppress his rage.
"Do not insult my mother Potter, or else." The blond hissed.
"Or what?" Harry asked unaffected by the wand that Draco was pointing at him, "You'll get turned into a Ferret again." Harry drew his wand too, as he glared Draco down from across the picnic rug.
"At least I still have a mother to defend." Malfoy sneered. Anger rose in Harry, as he tried to suppress the rage that last comment had provoked.
"Boys," Richard boomed at the two rivals, "Put your wands away this instant." He was trying to intimidate them both. It didn't work.
"Stay out of this, granddad," Harry sneered, "This is between me and Malfoy."
"I'm warning you." Richard had his wand drawn and pointed at Harry, whilst his grandmother had her wand trained on Malfoy. They both continued to ignore their grandparents, preferring to glare at each other instead. They didn't see Narcissa push through the crowd and whisper something in her father's ear. A hushed conversation ensured. "Alright," he said to the two enemies at long last, "You can duel, properly. Normal rules, no illegal curses, physical violence permitted. Afterwards you shake hands and agree not to insult each other for the rest of the summer. Agreed?"
Both boys agreed to the proposal, still not breaking eye contact. Harry desperately wanted the duel, so he could beat Malfoy once and for all. The disappointment was that his friends weren't there to see his victory.
"Good." Richard remarked as a group cleared a space free of picnic equipment for the forthcoming duel. The crowd waited with anticipation for the duel to begin.
I've been quite busy recently, so I haven't had much time to write. I actually intended to have Draco and Harry duel in this chapter, but I decieded adding a bit of the elder Harry was far more important to the plot. I've deceided to beef up his role and Richard's (Harry's Grandfather) roles a bit (a lot actually) compared to my draft. Sam (Lilly's brother) has always been an important character in my drafts for reasons which shall be revealed in a few chapter's time (and no he's not the new DADA teacher). Thank You to all those who reviewed Chapter Four. The reviews were much appreciated.