BLOOD OF THE MOTHER By BertaS Jan. 2006
Disclaimer: A Willing Suspension of Disbelief.
Chapter 35 – Bum-bum-bum!
Hedgwig found Harry during lunch with a short note from Dudley.
Harry,
Dad is convinced that you are never coming back and is turning your room into an office. I managed to rescue the things you had stashed under the loose floor board, he destroyed everything else. I'm Sorry, I did the best I could.
Dudley
This note had Harry eating faster than normal and heading for the edge of the wards.
When Severus questioned the wisdom of Harry returning to his relative's home, Harry replied, "You don't have to go, if you don't want to."
"I believe we have had this discussion before Harry. I can not protect you, if I do not accompany you." Severus was secretly rejoicing that he would have a chance to find out just how bad these people had treated his master.
"Alright but try not to hex anyone." with these last words Harry Potter apperated to the back yard of #4 Privet Drive. Severus followed quickly.
The normal stillness of the Friday afternoon was disturbed by two soft pops, no louder than a couple of beer cans being opened. They were loud enough to alert the young man kneeling in the flower bed. He straightened envying the drinkers and thinking a beer sounded awfully good. Maybe whoever it was would share, he looked around they had to be pretty close if he could hear the tabs being opened.
His eyes fell on two figures in black, one tall and the other short. The short one turned and grinned at him. Dudley Dursley stood to greet the new arrival, happy to see his cousin but disappointed that there was no beer.
They all went in to the kitchen where Dudley offered "Sorry, all I have is diet sodas."
"That's alright Dud, thanks." He accepted the soda, "I got your note. I need you put the diary some place safe, and keep it here at the house." Harry said.
"Yeah, I know." he grinned, "It's in my room. I did wonder why you left it," his grin turned a little sheepish, "so I read most of it. I'm not sure I understand it all, but it's some thing to do with the wards, right?"
Harry nodded, "It's the main anchor. I've been meaning to read up on wards, I want to add to what Mum did. "
They were interrupted by Petunia entering the kitchen. When Severus turned and their eyes met, she gasped and grabbed the back of a chair to support herself. Severus gasped as well when he was hit with a swirling maelstrom of random scenes that made absolutely no sense whatsoever. His use of Legimency was only partially conscious; it was just something he did, almost automatically when meeting some one for the first time.
Petunia tilted her head to one side and in a slow eerie voice, with heavy breaths, almost as though she where fighting to hold it in, said:
THE DARK IS GONE
THE GREY REMAINS
THE LIGHT GROWS
THE GOLD QUESTIONS
THE SILVER ACCEPTS
THE LIGHT GROWS
THE RED FOX RISES
THE GREY …
THE GREY … BURNS
She practically screamed the last word as her eyes rolled up. Harry slid from his chair just in time to keep her head from hitting the floor.
The three of them stared at each other. "Well, umm, I guess that answers who made the Prophesy in the diary." Harry had a very shocked look as he sat on the floor thinking 'Does this mean that Aunt Petunia is a witch?
"Yeah, um, is Mum okay?" Dudley was worried. He didn't think his Dad would consider this at all normal.
Severus waved his wand, while thinking, 'If I had known she was a seer I could have avoided a nasty headache.' What he said out loud was, "She seems to have just fainted. Shall I enervate her or would it be better…?"
Petunia stirred and opened her eyes blinking slowly. She looked up and realized her head was in her nephews lap and shivered recognizing the feeling from when she was young. "It's all right Aunt Petunia, you fainted."
As she sat up she snorted, "Don't be ridicules, IT happened again. Didn't it?" she looked at each of them to confirm what she already knew. "I said 'strange' things." They helped her into a chair, "Why is this happening again? What kind of nonsense was it this time?" she attempted to smile while the tears gathered in her eyes. She was terrified that her Diddikins would now be afraid of her.
"It wasn't nonsense, Mum. We just don't understand it yet." Dudley moved to hug his mother. "Don't worry, I won't tell Dad." He whispered.
"Oh, Diddy, he'd leave us in a heartbeat if he ever found out." She sobbed as Dudley held her.
"I don't think he'd just leave." He looked at Harry and pulled his Mum a little closer. "You know what he'd do, don't you, Harry?"
Harry nodded, "Yes Dudley, I know." His face hardened, "Professor, can you help me set wards that will alert me if any one tries to harm my family?"
"I think that should already be incorporated in them, and I believe that you hold the wards, do you not? It is the only explanation for the way they behaved the day you defeated Voldemort." Harry thought back to that day and realized that he had claimed the property and ordered everyone off. There was also the fact that he hadn't heard of any one disturbing the Dursleys.
They spent the rest of the afternoon with Severus teaching Harry to strengthen, control and recognize what the wards were telling him.
Harry would have preferred to avoid him but it was necessary to inform Vernon of the new rules. Harry had managed to make it so that no one who intended harm of any kind would be able to find the house. He also made it so that most wizards would not notice anything but a muggle home in a muggle neighborhood.
When Vernon started turning purple at finding Harry in the house, Severus had smiled evilly and commented, "Mr. Dursley, if you do not calm yourself, the wards will see you as a threat, and you will find yourself on the sidewalk with no idea what you are doing there, and no way to find this house, until such time as you no longer wish harm to those who dwell here." Sev was anything but pleased with what he was seeing in the fat man's mind.
Vernon sputtered until he finally found words, "How dare you. You freak, this is my home."
Harry smirked, "According to the deed that I hold, this house belongs to Aunt Petunia and I. As long as my Mothers Blood dwells here, and welcomes me, I can call this 'my home' as well. I will protect them, Vernon, and by extension, you."
"I don't need the protection of a freaky little sod like you." Vernon bellowed.
"Should your own actions cause you to be expelled from the house, you will forfeit my protection," Harry smirked, "and I have plenty of enemies that would roast you over a slow fire in an attempt to hurt me." He shook his head, "My visits will be short and timed so as to avoid you. If the Professor had not insisted that you be warned, I would have left before you got back. Good bye Vernon."
He turned, "Aunt Petunia?" she smiled slightly, "I wish you well. I have some things I would like you to store in the attic for me." she nodded and opened her arms to hug him for the first time. She actually knew from Lily that having some of his things here would help to anchor the wards, as having some of Lily's things did.
She whispered, "Take care Harry."
When Dudley in turn hugged Harry, Vernon frowned even more. "Keep in touch Harry."
Harry nodded. "You too, Dud."
The two wizards stepped out into the back yard and disappeared, again Dudley thought it sounded like someone opening a can of beer.
The next day Harry and Severus woke early to ready themselves, for what they both expected to be a long and tiring day.
They ate quickly and with most of the staff apperated to the Ministry.
Hermione, Ron, Ginny, and Neville, all looked for Harry as they boarded the Hogwarts Express, even thought they had been told that he would not be on the train since, according to Molly, he was staying at Hogwarts with Professor Snape. Once they were settled in a compartment together Ron and Hermione went to the Prefects meeting.
After several uncomfortable moments, Neville and Ginny quietly discussed what they had done over the summer. Ginny told all about Sirius' will and Neville told her about the Cotillion, getting all embarrassed and tongue tied when he got to the part with Snape and Mrs. Malfoy dancing together.
Several people had poked their heads in to see if they knew where Harry was and if he would still be leading the DA.
Once Hermione and Ron along with Luna who had been made a fifth year Ravenclaw Prefect got back the talk turned to the DA as more and more people stopped by seeking information.
They were nearing Hogsmead Station, when the door slid open to reveal a smirking Draco Malfoy, he looked around and frowned, "Where's Potter?"
Hermione glared, "Like you really care, Malfoy?"
Malfoy, affecting an air of indifference drawled, "Hmm, No Granger can't say I really do. I just heard a rumor that he wasn't on the train, thought I'd see if it was true." He smirked.
Luna said in a distant and misty voice, "He and several of the teachers were supposed to attend a trial today. It should be over by now though." She smiled serenely.
"Oh, well," he failed to hide his surprise, "if you will excuse me then." His plastered a polite smile on his face and bowed slightly as he stepped back and closed the door.
"That was really weird. What was so important that Harry and a bunch of teachers have to go to a trial? What did Harry do now?" Ron asked.
"Oh, Ron, honestly, why do you assume that it was something Harry did?" Hermione huffed.
"Since when is Malfoy polite to us?" ask Ginny with a frown at the same time.
"What I want to know is what Malfoy is up to, I mean, Ron and Ginny are right, that was bizarre." said Neville.
They continued to speculate on Malfoy's motives, seeming to forget about where Harry was for the moment.
Luna went back to reading her latest smutty novel. She was quite pleased with the charm that masked it as a copy of the Quibbler even if it did always appear to be upside-down. They would find out soon enough that the headmaster had probably been convicted this afternoon.
Harry, against the wishes of every one who saw him, was preparing for the welcoming feast. When his friends entered the great hall Harry waved enthusiastically from his seat.
Hermione was the first to reach him intent on hugging him when it registered that he had not stood and that he was covered in bruises.
"Oh, holy cricket, Harry, what happened?" several others had gathered around him to ask the same thing.
Harry started to laugh, and then winced, "It's good to see you too. Can I tell you about it later? McGonagall wants to start." He motioned to the new Headmistress and the other at the teacher's table.
While the Gryffindors where settling themselves, they heard cries go up from around the hall.
"Professor Lupin?" "Look its Professor Lupin." "Lupin's back."
And the more ominous whispers of, "Dumbledore's gone." and "Where's Snape?"
A/N: I got the title for this chapter from my daughter's comment when I finished reading this chapter to her, "Bum-bum-bum!"
Ok, no throwing things at the author. I haven't lost Sevie yet, I know exactly where he is and what he is doing. All will be explained… um when I get it all figure it out. I am seriously considering some revision to the earlier chapters to condense it into less, but longer chapters, and to flesh it out some. bertas