A New day, with new troubles
Harry awoke with a start the next day wondering where he was and trying to remember what happened the day before. Remembering what happened to the headmaster, Harry sat up in bed and noticed that Albus was still asleep next to him. Watching the little boy sleep within his bed looking innocent, but also knowing that this boy would grow to be one of the men Harry disliked. He couldn't see the man he knew he would grow up to be inside him. They were just two different people.
Grabbing his glasses from the side and looking at the clock to find that it was 7.30, Harry gently wakes up the sleeping baby next to him.
Albus's eyes slowly fluttered open and with a tired looking face turned towards Harry.
'Morning Albus, did you sleep well?' the boy nodded while rubbing his eyes. 'Come on, let's get you ready for the day yeah?' Not waiting for an answer, Harry picked up the small child and carried him to the bathroom.
20 minutes later both of them were awake and ready. 'Shall we go and see Hermione now?' said Harry 'yeah' was the reply and picking him up, he took him down to the common room.
Walking down the stairs, Albus saw that there were only Ron and Hermione waiting, which suited him, just fine. "Mione", Hermione looked up, startled that the boy called her. Smiling at him, she walked over to Harry and took Albus from him. "Hello Albus, did you sleep well? Smiling at her, he nodded and then rested his head on her shoulder.
"Right now that were all down, could we please go and get some breakfast, I'm staving"
Frowning at Ron, Hermione re adjusted Albus in her arms and walked out of the portrait hole, closely followed by Harry and Ron. As they walked towards the great hall, many people from different houses gave them funny looks and a lot of Gryffindor girls couldn't resist the urge to come and say Hello. After finally breaking away from all the obsessed students, they reached the Great Hall. As soon as they were seen the Hall went quiet. Everyone was starring at them. Not familiar with the attention he was getting Albus hid his young face in the grove of Hermione's neck. Slightly annoyed by the boys reaction, Harry moved in front of Hermione, and glared at all of the students his eyes rested on. Seeing Harry's sudden protectiveness on the young Headmaster, everyone turned back round and carried on with eating their Breakfast.
Still glaring around the Hall, Harry turned round to his friends; "Come on guys, McGonnagal told us that we were to sit alone by the staff table today". Nodding with the recollection, all four of them continued past the house tables, and up to the staff table, where Professor McGonnagal was waiting for them with a smile on her face. "Well done Mr Potter, 10 points to Gryffindor for your protectiveness back there, I trust now you see why I thought you three would be the perfect candidates to look after him". Nodding at them all, she turned her attention to the little boy, who was sitting in Hermione's arms looking at her with trust in his eyes. "Hello Albus did sleep well, was you comfortable?"
Albus nodded, "I sept in Hawee bed Nerva", he said with a huge smile on his face looking at Harry. McGonnagal looked enquiringly at Harry, before directing them to their table. "This is where you will be eating until things are back to normal", she said before turning back round to the main staff table. Feeling that it was time to explain, McGonnagal picked up a spoon and tapped her goblet with it. Whatever noise was present in the Hall was now silenced and every eye was on the Deputy Headmistress.
"As most of you would know by now, our Headmaster has had an accident which has evidently turned him into a young boy". As McGonnagal paused, everyone started talking then and pointed up at the table where the trio sat. Looking around Harry saw that Malfoy had a smirk on his face and was looking as if he found the whole situation amusing, which made Harry angry and worried. "Now", said McGonnagal as she started again, " while he is a boy, Mr Potter, Miss Granger, and Mr Weasley have offered to look after him, until such time when we can turn him back". Harry watched as he saw his professor lean onto the table, looking very serious, "
However I must ask every single one of you to not inform anyone out side of Hogwarts about this incident, Now you know who has returned, the Headmaster is in great peril, and would instantly become a target for any one in line with you know who".
The whole Hall turned very quiet then, except for the worried gasps from some of the students, and the very low chatter that was coming from Malfoy. "That's all, Continue with your breakfast".
Harry watched as she sat back down and started to chat to Snape, before turning his attention back to breakfast. Seeing that Hermione was sorting Albus out, he started to help himself. "Right then Albus, what do you want for breakfast, Cereal or toast?" asked Hermione. Albus watched as everyone else ate and considered what he wanted. "Can I av toath Mione pease?" he asked, looking up at her. Smiling at him, she picked up a plate and placed one piece of toast on in and then cut it into four triangles, "there you go Albus, eat it all up for me". Albus nodded and smiling up at her, he picked up one of the pieces and started to eat. Harry watched as Albus begin to eat and couldn't help but smile. He couldn't help but feel a sense of pride for the boy. Hermione turned and saw that Harry was smiling, and smiled back before starting to help herself. Ron, she noted had not at all paid any attention to the child at all through breakfast and just kept eating, which started to annoy her.
How can anyone, just care for himself or herself, when there is a little boy to look after?
Shaking her head at the thought, she began to eat. "What we got first Mione?" asked Ron once everyone saw finished. Hermione, feeling annoyed answered his question. "Oh honestly Ron, asking me every Thursday what we got would not change it. What do we always Have first thing on Tuesday, it's potions" Groaning, Ron picked up his bag. "What are we going to do with Albus, we can't bring him with us, Potions is hard enough without having a kid to deal with as well" Harry who had just picked up Albus, and saw that Hermione was going to yell spoke before she could." Of course he will be there too, we can't just drop him of and let someone else look after him, he is our responsibility you know"
"Bloody ridiculous" said Ron, "I wish we didn't have to bloody look after the little imp, he will be a right pain and we won't be able to do anything fun" Moaned Ron. Albus hearing this knew that he was taking about him, began to pout and look sad. Harry, seeing this was about to reply but was beaten. "20 points from Gryffindor, and detention Mr Weasley for having no sense to speak somewhere without a Professor Present" Came Professor Snape's reply. "And unless you want to lose Gryffindor more house points I suggest you be on time for my lesson". As Snape stalked away, Ron turned to Harry and Hermione to say something, but found that both of them were glaring at him.
Walking silently to Potions, Albus in Harry's arms, Albus kept looking around his surroundings. Harry seeing this stopped. "Are you ok Albus, what's up?" Looking down at the young boy, he didn't realise that he was looking very worried. Albus turned to him, with a look Harry couldn't make out, "Bad man close Hawee" said Albus now looking slightly worried.
All of them suddenly whipped out their wands and found themselves facing Malfoy and his cronies. Malfoy looked around, checking if there were any teachers around before he spoke. "Easy their Potter, you could hurt yourself or that brat if your not careful," he said sneering at them. Harry tightened his grip on Albus. "Get lost Malfoy, before I jinx you " warned Harry, with Hermione and Ron at his side.
Malfoy just Sneered, " You ought to be politer to me Potter, what with MY connections, and my father wanting news everyday, I could put you in a very awkward position, especially when it comes down to our precious most powerful Headmaster, the one they say the Dark Lord is most Afraid of". This comment caused an instant up roar of laughter from the Slyitherins' present, and Harry and Hermione, as they both were about to throw curses at Malfoy. "What is going on here?" Yelled Professor McGonnagal who had just come round the corner, looking livid. "Malfoy and the others were Harassing us Professor and were scaring Albus". Hermione quickly said before Malfoy could defend himself. "Two weeks worth of detentions for all of you, and 50 points from Slyitherin for misconduct to the headmaster, now follow me".
Once they were gone, Harry turned to Albus to see if he was all right and found that he was shaking slightly. Re adjusting him in his arms, Harry hugged him close and started to stroke his hair. Harry Looked over to Hermione and Ron and found that both of them were thinking the same thing, Malfoy might have told his father of worse Voldermort about Albus. Harry couldn't help but feel completely afraid of this.
Seeing that they were going to be late for class, Harry, Hermione, and Ron all sped up and managed to get their just in time. Entering Potions class, they found that Professor Snape was not there yet, and the students that were present were all in deep conversation with one another.
They noticed that there was a place up at the front of the class, away from all the other desks, all prepared for them, along with a little desk right next to it and a chair for Albus. Moving over to it, Harry slowly prized Albus of him, and looked down at him. "Albus, I have to do some work now, and I need you to sit here for me and be a good boy, ok". Albus nodded and allowed Harry to put him in the chair.
Albus watched him, get out some picture books and some paper and crayons, for him to play with. "dat bad boy told his daddy about me" said Albus still watching him.
Harry looked up at Albus with shock. How did he know? "How do you know that Albus?" The boy kept on looking at him. "Cause the boy said so, I heard it in my head" he said touching his head with his small hand. "The bad man is gonna get me now" said Albus with sadness in his voice, while looking down at the desk.
Harry couldn't stand it, he didn't like it that the child knew that he was in trouble and that someone wanted to get at him. It made him feel completely terrified. Watching the boy as he started to pout again, Harry was suddenly over come with anger. This boy was his responsibility, he was his headmaster and while he was around, no one was going to hurt this boy. Not while Harry was going to protect him.
"Albus, I am not going to let anything happen to you, ok, I promise that no one is going to hurt you". Albus looked up at him, still looking sad, but not pouting. "You Promise?" asked Albus, looking up at Harry. Smiling down at him, Harry started to stroke his cheek. "I promise Albus, no one will hurt you".
Albus, for the first time since morning smiled his true smile up at Harry, and visibly started to relax.
Suddenly a door opened on the other side of the room, and in burst Snape. Waving his wand, the instructions came up on the board. "You have exactly one hour to brew this potion, begin".
Well, what do you think. Sorry about the long wait, i had some computer trouble. Please Review.
