Hey everyone,
So this Preview is one I really love and it has been in my head for practically the first entire week of this new year. I had some issues in how to start it, but I personally think that this is, yet again, something that could have been done to make the fifth book be a WHOLE lot better, though if you disagree, feel free to.
Also, I might just start putting these up as I go along instead of just one preview/challenge a month, because if I don't, my mind will either get too filled up with all these ideas, or I will risk the chance of losing some pretty good challenges/previews by forgetting about them by the time I start my monthly update of chapters.
Have fun,
Venquine1990
Preview #10
The Plan
15th of August 1995
Grimmauld Place, London
Harry Potter's POV
Grimmauld Place. You have to be Lucius Malfoy to admire the beauty of the Dark Magic that lingers here. You need to be Albus Dumbledore to think that this is a safe hiding place for Light Wizards. You need to be Molly Weasley to be in the delusional belief that you and a bunch of underage kids can clean the place up and make it Light.
And you need to be Sirius Black to suffer under the actual effects this house can have on you, making it so that you would rather hide yourself away in your room than be in the company of those who care for you. But I am Harry Potter and I worry for what will happen to my godfather once the next two weeks have passed.
Because of this did I take quite the risk last night by sneaking out of Grimmauld Place and exploring the Muggle neighborhood, finding a few interesting places around the safe house of the Order, yet also receiving a – to me – positive answer to a question I have been wondering about and which made me decide on a course of action.
"Do you trust me?" I ask the inhabitants and guests of the safe house and they all stop what they're doing – eating, talking and – in the cases of Sirius and Mrs. Weasley – sulking and glaring – to look at me as my best friend Hermione asks: "Why do you ask that?" And I answer: "Because – because I might have a plan."
"A plan for what, Harry?" Mr. Weasley asks me and I answer: "To solve an issue that I am really, really concerned about." Yet to this Mrs. Weasley proves that – whether or not she trusts me, she really doesn't take me seriously – as she smiles at me with a smile that is supposed to be comforting, but feels degrading and says:
"Harry dear, I'm sure that, whatever you're worried about –.""You're one of the reasons I worry for this." I interrupt her, hating how she is trying to undermine me and my plans just because she thinks she knows better than me and the woman looks shocked before I turn my worried eyes to my shocked godfather and say:
"Sirius, you don't fool me. No one here does. This place has too many generations of Dark Magic lingering here for anyone to be able to make any real change here and once Ron, Hermione and I leave, it will be just you and Mrs. Weasley. And I can already see that this combination will do you no good at all, not mentally."
The man smiles at me, obviously touched that I care so much for him that I see through the illusion he, Mrs. Weasley and the Order are trying to create about cleaning this place up and I turn away from him as I say: "And you guys don't fool me either. You have work, your social lives, your missions and your own homes.
Being here even half as often as either Sirius or Mrs. Weasley is not an option for any of you and you know it. So don't even think that I will delude myself with the idea that this place will be any cleaner than it is now when we all get back here for Christmas or even next year's summer holiday. I know better than to believe that."
Here the other adults all look awkward and disappointed in themselves before I turn back to Sirius and say: "Sirius, you spent twelve years having to suppress one set of horrid nightmares and heart-breaking memories and now – you're stuck in a place that has a whole different, yet still just as horrid set of memories to trap you in.
And if the only company you are about to have is someone who, while she can be a brilliant mother and care for others as if they were their own, can't even see that you need that kind of care more than her own kids did when they were toddlers, then I fear for two scenarios that I could come to face at the end of the year.
A scenario where Lupin is supposed to come and tell me that you had to be admitted to the Janus Thickey Ward." Here all the adults gasp and Sirius tightens his grip on his goblet before, trying to hold back tears of feared pain, I continue and say: "Or a scenario where he has to come tell me that – that you went and joined my parents."
And instantly a horrid silence fills the room, everyone now white and looking at Sirius with just as much fear for the man and his health as I feel in my heart and when the man tries to comfort me by saying: "Harry –." Do I interrupt him and say: "No, you went through hell and now you're being thrown back in it.
And regardless of how strong and incredible you are, Sirius, everyone has their limits and I just know what will happen when you finally reach yours. I don't want to see you reaching that and – and because of that – I asked some Muggles around here if their government is still looking for you and they answered negative.
The Prime Minister stopped the search for you in February of 1994, because you were only spotted once and didn't even do anything when you were spotted. Because of this does the Prime Minister no longer believe that you are a menace and have they called off the search. But just this isn't enough to keep you safe – or happy."
Here many of those around me turn to look at each other and then Hermione asks: "Harry, when did you find this out?" But I ignore that, considering that the question just isn't worth answering in light of the bigger picture and say: "Because of this, did I think of a way we can use this to our advantage and that is how I devised my plan."
Here I take a deep breath, feeling that I have gotten to the point where I can feel a bit more assured of everything and smile at everyone as I say: "However, I know myself and I know my luck, which is why I asked if you guys trust me. Because if I explain my plan, it will fail. But if you help me conduct my plan – I can keep my godfather."
And this ending once again brings home to everyone how scared I am of what this house could do to the man besides me and then Mrs. Weasley angers me as she simpers: "Harry, your fears are completely unfounded. Sirius is perfectly safe here and –." But then I silence her with my most furious glare and snarl:
"There is physical safety, Mrs. Weasley and there is mental and or emotional safety. Just like there is a reason I call Sirius by his first name and you by your last." And this shocks the woman before Lupin proves me he at least takes me seriously and says: "Harry is right, Molly. There is a clear difference between the two."
"You believe he thinks higher –." And while I think: "Yeah, I do." And convey this thought to Sirius through a warm gaze, does Lupin say: "I meant between physical and emotional safety. And Harry is right in everything else as well. From the clean house illusion to who will and will not be able to visit Sirius over the next coming months.
We all ignored the obvious signs and with that we endangered one of our own. So yes, Harry. I will trust you in whatever plan you have. You don't want to lose Sirius to his own emotional pain and the suffering Fate keeps sacking up on him and neither do I want to be the one to have to tell you such a thing. What do you want me to do?"
Here I smile at the man, once again seeing the brilliant teacher I had over the course of my third and then say: "I mostly need you, Hermione, Kingsley, Tonks or Moody and the twins. And Sirius himself, of course." This seems to intrigue those around me and Hermione asks: "How could I help? Or the twins? And why not Ron?"
To which I smile at my best friend with confidence and care before I say: "Because the twins are inventors and Ron isn't." To which the twins share a grin while Ron shrugs and says: "That's true." I then turn to Hermione and ask: "Do you still have a copy of your exam scores? Of all last four years, I mean?" And the girl nods.
This makes me smile, a spark of hope shining in my heart, yet my fears for how fate usually treats me keeping the spark at an all-time low as I say: "Please go get them. And Lupin, if you could make extra copies and turn the scores on those copies into their Muggle equivalent, it would greatly help." And both of them nod.
A little while later Hermione has a set of Magical test scores in her hands as well as a set of Muggle exam scores and here I take a deep breath as this brings me one step closer to my plans, even if they could impose on the lives of people I really don't know that well, yet then I shake my head and turn to the twins as I say:
"Guys, here is what I need you to make. Make, not buy and enchant, but make." The two and I say: "A leash and collar that keep an Animagus in their form when wearing it. A bowl that, when filled with water, makes the water taste like chocolate, yet will be as nutritious as an orange. And a plate that can be hang above stuff.
The final one will be difficult, because it needs to make sure that, when someone sleeps under it, they get covered in something similar to Dreamless Sleep potion. And the difficulty here lies in the fact that, however these effects get caused, they can't make the sleeper addicted to said potion. Think you can manage that?"
Here the two look at each other and then they say: "Give us two days max." Before they instantly rush up the stairs, making me feel like crying as this was a hurdle I wasn't sure could be overcome and then Sirius draws my attention as he is suddenly smirking at me with a playful smirk and a raised eyebrow as he asks:
"Harry, what on earth exactly are you planning here?" Yet while I can tell that the man doesn't really want to know and that he is just amused by the small hints I am dropping about the plan I might have, do I turn to Hermione and ask: "Hermione, how would you like a new pets to celebrate your four years of awesome school scores?"
And while the girl looks at me with her mouth wide open and her eyes wide, does Sirius burst out laughing, his eyes dancing with mirth and he himself trying to say: "I – I – I – I kne-kn-kne-knew I – I – I – hahahahahha!" But he seems unable to finish his sentence as he just keeps laughing, Lupin actually joining him as well.
And that is that,
So, what do you think? Sirius is going to be staying with the Grangers as their pet and with that get the chance to heal from everything he had been through. Advantages? Umbridge won't bother with any letters a – ahem – Mudblood sends her filthy parents, Sirius will be somewhere mentally safe – and no Department Of Mysteries!
Why no Department of Mysteries? Because, when Harry has his vision, he will worry for Hermione's parents and hurry to see to their safety first and thus find out that he almost walked straight into a trap. Also, just Sirius being somewhere other than at London will change a whole lot in regards to the rest of book five.
You like it?
Venquine1990
Further Story Parts:
Starts two days after Harry's trial
Harry worries for Sirius and the state he will be in if staying at Grimmauld with only Molly for company
The Muggles stopped searching for Sirius in February 1994
Harry gets escorted to the Grangers for The Plan
The Grangers accept Harry's plan to take Sirius in as their pet as they feel horrible that Sirius has to sacrifice his emotional health for his safety.
Hermione stays with her parents for the rest of summer before returning to Hogwarts
Because Hermione is the one sending letters to her parents, Umbridge doesn't intercept Hedwig
When Arthur gets attacked, Sirius expands the guest room to house all of House Weasley
The Grangers demand Harry and friends be with them for Halloween and take them to see Lily and James' graves.
Because Sirius is with the Grangers when Christmas passes, the Grangers discuss methods that can help Harry train for his Occlumency classes
Because of The Plan, when Harry has his vision of Sirius, he worries for the Grangers and thus takes the Knight Bus their way, resulting in him finding out about the trap in time.
The letters exchanged between Harry, Sirius, the grangers and Hermione teach Hermione all she needs to know to properly integrate in the Wizarding World and teaches Harry about his place in the Magical World of Politics and High Society
Pairings: HarryxLuna, Hermionex?, SiriusxLeona (friend of the Grangers), RonxSusan
After realizing that he was almost tricked Harry heads for the Atrium, where he ensues a fight between him, Dumbledore and Voldemort, yet during the fight Sirius and the Grangers arrive and Voldemort tries to kill Sirius only for Harry to intercept the Killing Curse with his body, thus destroying the Horcrux within his scar.
After almost losing Harry, yet getting him back from Limbo, Sirius decides that he has had enough with a war he doesn't want to partake in and the Grangers offer to take him, Harry, their daughter and Harry's friends and their families to a villa in America that was offered to them by the International Dentistry Society.
Molly and Albus often object against what is being planned by Harry and Sirius, yet get outvoted by the rest of the Order approving of the ideas.
On the night before Sirius leaves for the Grangers, he leaves the Order with an Extendable Ear through which they hear his last conversation with Harry where he tells the boy that he has requested Albus and Minerva to watch over Harry, yet Harry tells him his list of people he has met who have given him reason to trust them and not take that reason away later.
The list consists of Mr. Weasley, Sirius and the Grangers, though both Lupin and Minerva were on it at certain times as well.
Minerva was taken from the list because of her lie in First and how she behaved during the 150 points loss and how she ignored the students' response to that.
Lupin was taken off because Harry believed that he lied to Harry about being confident that they would see each other again real soon, yet Sirius confides in him that Lupin has been sending him stuff every week since he resigned.
Because the letters are private each in their own right, Harry writes to Sirius about his secret passion for singing, playing music, poetry, drawing, painting, sowing, knitting and baking.