Unspoken
by Teddylonglong
Please refer to chapter 1 for my disclaimer and warnings. Thank you.
The meeting with Marcus during the older students' Hogsmeade visit was very constructive, and Harry received several ideas for the Beater broom. In return, he offered to have the first prototype ready by the beginning of December and, once completed, Marcus would receive one broom for free for his efforts.
HP
The opening of the Marauders' broom shop under the name of Paws & Turtle Brooms was a huge success. On the first day, they immediately sold one third of the stock, which they had prepared, and they already had a waiting list for the Paws & Turtle Beater.
Dressed in their Unspeakable robes, Paws and Turtle spoke with their customers for about two hours, before they left the premises, knowing that Harry could not risk being missed at Hogwarts.
"That was very efficient," he admitted to Connie, once they were back in his suitcase. "I got several hints for improvements, and I think once the Beater broom is out, I could make updated models for all the other positions."
"Your customers will love it." Connie grinned broadly. "But I believe that you'll have two more models to develop first."
Harry looked at the girl in surprise. "And what might they be?"
Connie chuckled. "First of all, you need to invent a family broom, on which Rebecca and Artemis can take Aidan, and then, when the three babies are going to turn one next summer, you'll need to have the baby brooms ready."
Harry remained pensive for a moment. "Two valid points," he then admitted, nodding in agreement. "You're simply the best."
Connie shrugged. "We did all right today, didn't we? No one suspected that you're only a first-year student and I'm a muggle, did they?"
Harry shrugged. "I don't think they did. You're holding up really well, but even if someone noticed, who'd care? You know more about these brooms than they do, so why would they care if you can do magic or not?"
Connie smiled and pulled him into a gentle hug that was only interrupted, when Lucy pressed herself into the middle.
HP
On the third Saturday of November, the first Quidditch match of the season, Slytherin versus Gryffindor, took place, and Harry sat together with his Slytherin housemates to watch the match. He still felt sad that Professor Snape did not allow him to play on the team in spite of the complaints which the man had received from Marcus and his team.
'I can't wait to play in a match,' he thought, as he observed his housemates and the Gryffindors mount their brooms. 'Oh, the Weasley twins are the Beaters in Gryffindor,' he realised in surprise. Even if he had never had an opportunity to speak with the boys, Ronald always complained about his twin brothers, who seemed to do nothing but nonsense day in and day out. 'Perhaps, he's simply jealous of them, because they're in Gryffindor and on the Quidditch team at that,' he thought.
"I can't wait to be able to play on the team next year." Draco leaned over to him. "Do you think Snape will allow you to play by then?"
Harry shook his head. "I don't think so. The fact that I'm a first-year was only a suitable excuse for him."
Draco nodded, gravely. "Probably."
'The Snitch is hovering above the left goal post.' Harry smirked, as he informed his friend, telepathically, causing Draco to jerk around.
"Wow. You're really good at it."
Apparently, the two Seekers had not seen the Snitch, and it was only after another hour that the Gryffindor Seeker finally caught the winged ball ending the match in favour of Gryffindor.
"Harry spotted the Snitch an hour ago," Draco whispered to Marcus, when the Slytherins returned to the dungeons after the match.
"Draco, leave it. I don't want Tim to feel bad about it," Harry whispered back.
"Ah, don't worry. He doesn't even want to play and was ecstatic to hear that you were going to become the Seeker, before Snape decided otherwise," Marcus reassured him.
The mood in Slytherin remained subdued during the day, while the Gryffindors were remarkably absent from their house table during lunch and dinner, probably having a huge victory party in their common room.
HP
Harry became quickly distracted, however, when Connie informed him that Whisker, Felina and Dove urgently wished to discuss something with him concerning the wolvescure, which they were still trying to develop.
He quickly excused himself from his wife and friends and popped himself into team room 13, where he was greeted in apparent delight.
"Harry, we need your input here," Rebecca informed him, as soon as he sat on the empty seat between her and Lily. "More or less as a final straw, we're considering using a few drops of blood of some kind of creature, such as, for example, a yeti or centaur."
Harry shook his head in confusion. "Have you already tried two or three drops of blood from a healthy wizard or witch?"
No one replied, and when Harry looked up in surprise, he realised that everyone was staring at him.
"Can you believe that we didn't even think of it?" Lily was the first to speak. She sounded strangely excited. "Let's try it out. Harry, would you be willing to give three drops, considering that Remus is your godfather?"
"Of course." Harry grinned, broadly. "I'd feel honoured." He rolled up his left sleeve, revealing his elbow. "Help yourselves."
A moment later, two drops of his blood fell into a small phial, which Lily carried into the adjacent potions lab in a high speed.
"Do you still need me?" Harry asked, unnecessarily, noticing in amusement that everyone followed the potions mistress in obvious excitement.
"No dear, thanks for coming and helping." Rebecca pulled him into a gentle hug. "Your mum is missing you very much," she whispered. "She's counting the days until you'll be home for Christmas."
"Me too," Harry replied, smiling, before he spontaneously decided to pay Regina a visit.
HP
Harry turned invisible and popped himself home, thanking Merlin for the Unspeakables' way of popping, which allowed him to pop anyway and gave him the security of not being tracked.
Regina was sitting in her office engrossed in what seemed to be lesson plans. Harry quickly made himself visible, before he politely knocked at the half open door.
"Harry! What a surprise. Is everything all right?"
"Hi Mum. Everything is fine. I just wanted to say hello for a moment. I was with Rebecca and our colleagues and was just about to return to Hogwarts but thought that a detour of a few minutes wouldn't matter."
In the end, he spent an hour speaking with adoptive mother, which they both thoroughly enjoyed, before he finally popped back into his suitcase.
HP
At the end of November, Harry could finally play Seeker in the match Ravenclaw versus Hufflepuff, while Hermione took one of the Chasers' positions. Only when they took into the air together with the team, did he realise that Connie was sitting next to Professor Flitwick in the Ravenclaw stands with Sirius and Remus on her other side.
'You're here?' he thought to her with a combination of surprise and happiness.
Her response was ecstatic. 'Of course. I want to see your first Quidditch victory.'
Ravenclaw indeed won, when Harry caught the Snitch twenty-three minutes into the game.
'Well done, Harry.' Connie was the first to commend, when Harry guided his broom towards the ground.
"Well done, Harry." Martin, the Ravenclaw Quidditch captain, repeated, grinning in obvious happiness. "Now, will the two of you please for once come to the common room for the victory party?"
Harry sighed. "My godfathers came to watch the match together with my girlfriend. Will she be allowed to join us, even if she's not a student at Hogwarts? And will the older girls behave towards her and Hermione?"
"I'll see to it," Martin promised. "As to your girlfriend, you'll have to ask Professor Flitwick."
Harry nodded in understanding. "I'll do that then."
"Harry, come." Hermione pulled his arm and led him and Connie over to where Professor Flitwick was offering his half sincere condolences to his Hufflepuff colleague.
To Harry's relief, the professor immediately agreed for Connie to accompany them to the common room and merely enquired how she was going to get home afterwards.
With a flick of his hand, Harry cast a silencing spell around the four of them. "Professor, Connie and I are both Mini Unspeakables and have our means to travel," he then explained, knowing that Connie did not only have her Portkey into his suitcase but also to the Unspeakables' office, which allowed her to travel to both places from everywhere.
The professor's eyes widened in surprise combined with apparent delight. "That is amazing." He nodded, knowingly. "That explains why you're so proficient in several of your classes. My colleagues were wondering."
Harry inwardly groaned. "Professor, while I shouldn't have told you about it, please do not speak about this with any of your colleagues."
Flitwick nodded. "Thank you for informing me, and I promise that I shall keep your secret. Well done, Harry and Hermione, ensuring Ravenclaw's victory today."
HP
While the mood of their Ravenclaw housemates was good and the members of the Quidditch team were treated like heroes, Harry did not overly like the atmosphere in the common room. The group of older girls, who used to annoy Hermione, whenever they had the opportunity, was sitting in one corner, shooting the occasional glare at Hermione and Connie. Everyone else was friendly to Connie, and Harry could not help feeling extremely proud of his wife, who mingled so well that no one could suspect that she was anything but a witch. He knew, however, that Connie was feeling uncertain, and Lucy seemed to notice it, too. She remained on the sofa between Harry and Connie with her head perched on Connie's lap the whole time.
HP
By the middle of December, Harry managed to finalise the Beater broom and made one broom for Marcus, while he gave his prototype to the Marauders for reproduction and sale in their shop. Right on time for Christmas, it was announced in the shop and sent out to everyone who had pre-ordered it. Like they had done with previous models, Paws and Turtle gifted two brooms to Hogwarts – much to Madam Hooch's delight.
Harry observed from the Slytherin table how the two brooms were delivered to the high table, much to the students' amusement, as the head table was turned into utter chaos, when the brooms hit plates, cups and glasses.
"Two Beater brooms, gifted by Paws and Turtle again." Madam Hooch all but shouted in apparent excitement. "How will I ever be able to thank them for all their gifts? Minerva, you have connections to them, don't you?"
Minerva shook her head. "Sorry, Rolanda, but no. Nimbus is out of their business now, as they solely sell through the Paws & Turtle Brooms shop in Hogsmeade. As it is owned by the Marauders though, perhaps, Harry Potter could assist if you wish to contact them."
Seeing that the professors were looking over to the Slytherin table in apparent expectation, Harry shook his head. "Sorry, Professors, but as we're not allowed to participate in the Hogsmeade visits yet, I haven't even been able to visit their shop let alone speak with Paws or Turtle."
"Would you be willing to accompany me to the shop?" Hooch sounded extremely excited.
Harry shrugged. "Sure, if my heads of house allow me to go."
Hooch looked at Snape, who fiercely shook his head. "No. First-years aren't allowed to go to Hogsmeade. He can go during the Christmas holidays, which are going to commence in nine days."
"That was clear," Harry uttered, only for his housemates to hear.
"Madam Hooch," Marcus spoke up. "In fact, Harry was so kind as to make the contact for me, and I was even able to directly speak with Unspeakables Paws and Turtle. I gave them a few hints for the Beater broom and even tried out their prototype, which is why I am in the possession of my own Beater broom. I could contact them and ask for a meeting with you."
"Thank you, Mr. Flint. I'd highly appreciate it."
Harry inwardly rolled his eyes. 'I don't have time for unnecessary meetings,' he thought in annoyance, when he became distracted by the overall commotion, as everyone left the Great Hall to hurry to their first test of many during the test week.
"Harry, are you coming?"
Harry nodded, and quickly followed Draco, Hermione and Neville to the Transfiguration classroom.
'Harry, remember to send me the image of every written test, so that I can do them here and have Hermione correct them later on.' With this instruction coming from his wife in mind, Harry set to work.
HP
Ten days later, the students had left for the Christmas holidays. Minerva inwardly sighed, as she took her seat at the high table for dinner, the only meal that Albus insisted everyone had to attend on a daily basis. In fact, she had conducted a huge fight with him about her absence for Christmas dinner, which she had won, surprisingly with the help of not only Poppy but also Severus.
Her surrogate family had invited her to join them on Christmas Eve and stay until New Year's Day, and Minerva had happily accepted under the condition that she would only arrive after dinner on Christmas Eve. Of course, she could not tell Albus about her surrogate family, but still, the headmaster had no reason to deny her a much-needed holiday.
"See, Minerva, Harry even willingly returned home over Christmas. The Dursleys can't be so bad."
Minerva almost chocked on her tea. "Albus, they are horrible. Perhaps, life in Slytherin or Ravenclaw is even worse though, especially if your head of house hates you for no obvious reason. Apart from that, he has godfathers. Why in the world would he return to that hellhole?"
Albus looked up in apparent shock. "You don't think that he's staying with Messrs. Black and Lupin over Christmas, do you?"
Minerva let out a deep sigh. "Albus, why would I know where Harry spends his holidays? Please ask Filius or Severus, considering that he's in their houses."
In silent amusement, she listened how Filius replied in apparent admiration of Harry, who had managed to win their first Quidditch match and excelled in all his tests, and how Severus replied in obvious disgust for the famous boy who lived.
HP
Christmas was a joyful event, and each member of Harry's extended family enjoyed it greatly.
However, when Harry and Connie readied themselves to travel to the Unspeakables' office the following morning, intending to spend the whole week of Christmas holidays at the Unspeakables' office, James took them aside, wearing a grave expression.
"Harry, have you ever heard of Horcruxes?"
"Eh, no?"
"It's the foulest kind of dark magic I can imagine." James sighed, before he told his son and daughter-in-law everything that he knew about Horcruxes. "Team 5 is intensely researching them, as Raros witnessed how Voldemort made one of them. He even managed to steal and destroy one. One of the goblins, who is working for the Unspeakables, is said to have destroyed another Horcrux, which the goblins found in a vault at Gringotts. However, there are others, probably about four or five more."
"All right." Harry shook his head in confusion, wondering why James was telling him about his team's research.
"From what Dumbledore told your mother… Lily," he corrected himself upon noticing that Harry's eyes narrowed, "he might have unintentionally created another Horcrux, when he killed Lily and me. According to Dumbledore, that Horcrux is hidden behind your scar."
Harry chuckled. "All right, Dad. That sounds extremely plausible, especially as he did not manage to kill you and that I don't have my scar anymore ever since I returned from saving your lives."
"You what?" James stared at him in apparent confusion. "Your scar is gone, and no one noticed it?"
Harry smirked, as he raised his fringe. "Knowing how everyone knew about my scar, Rebecca laid a charm onto my forehead to display the scar for everyone to see. However, it's not there anymore, and Lucy has told me that the residue of dark magic she could feel coming from my forehead is gone, ever since I returned from the past. So, Dad, just relax. I am not a Horcrux."
"Thank Merlin," Connie uttered, pulling him into a light hug. "I love you, Harry."
James shook his head, grinning at his son. "You're worse than any of us Marauders were. Marrying at the age of five."
"I'm glad he did." Connie smiled.
"Yeah, me, too. Dad, just tell me, how were your grades in your first year? According to Minerva, I was first of my class in all our tests, and I would be on the second place if Connie had been able to take the test with us."
"Well, that sounds more like your mother than like me." James smirked.
"Both your mothers." Connie grinned. "Did Hermione make the second place?"
Harry nodded. "I hope she won't be upset that she didn't make it to the first place. Draco was third and Neville fourth."
"Cool." Connie looked happy, although Harry realised that her smile did not reach her eyes.
'I really have to make more effort researching how to give Connie magic,' he resolved. During the last few months, he had concentrated on his broom work and his Potions studies, as he intended to take the Potions mastery exam at the end of the following summer.
"When is the full moon?" he suddenly remembered to ask.
"Tomorrow night," James informed him.
'I just hope that Remus won't transform,' he thought, even if he knew that it was highly unlikely that their newest concoction with the added drops of his blood would manage to cure the werewolf.
James remained pensive for a moment, before he enquired, "Harry, you said you managed the complete transformation into your doggy form, didn't you?"
Harry nodded and swiftly transformed into his canine form, much to Lucy's delight, who immediately attacked him from his side in a mock fight.
"We, that is everyone who is an Animagus, are going to accompany him into the forest around his house in our Animagi forms. Do you wish to join us?"
=Yes!= Harry fiercely nodded his head and after a short apology to Lucy transformed back. "Of course, I want to join you."
"James, it's not dangerous for Harry, is it?" Connie's voice was laced with concern.
"No, not at all."
'I still hope that he won't transform at all,' Harry thought, although he did his best to not get his hopes up.
HP
After a day of studying at the Unspeakables' office, Harry returned home for dinner, before he popped Lucy and himself right in front of Remus' house.
'I look forward to a proper dog fight with you and your dogfather,' Lucy thought to him, 'but remember that we can't fight a wild wolf. He's too powerful.'
'No, we won't fight him,' Harry reassured her. 'We only want to keep him company. We only fight among us doggies.'
However, to everyone's delight, there was no wild wolf in the forest behind Sirius' and Remus' houses that night. The full moon rose, and everyone looked at Remus, who stared at the full moon with apparent apprehension; however, he did not transform but remained in his human form.
When he was still in his human form at midnight, everyone transformed back, and a house-elf brought an assortment of delicacies for an impromptu party, which lasted until the early morning. By the time everyone readied themselves to leave, Remus was tear-stricken.
"I still can't believe it, and I'll spend the night of the next full moon here in the forest again just to be sure that I won't transform, even if I already knew from the lack of side-effects from the approaching moon that I was cured. I can't thank you enough, Lily, Rebecca, Artemis and Harry, for curing me."
"Remus, will you accompany me to the Unspeakables' office? I'll take you to one of our healers and have them check on you. They'll surely be able to tell if you're still suffering from lycanthropy."
Remus nodded. "Thank you, Harry. I appreciate it."
While everyone else returned to their respective homes, Harry popped Remus and Lucy into the Unspeakables office to receive confirmation from the healers that Remus had efficiently been cured from lycanthropy.
"Thank you, Harry. That's the best Christmas present I ever received," Remus sobbed.
"You're welcome." Harry smirked. "And now, let me take you home to tell Mum the good news."
"Harry, wait." Remus smirked, as he glanced at his wristwatch. "Do you know when the shops at Diagon Alley open?"
Harry shrugged. "Sorry, but how would I know such a thing?"
"I'd love to buy a ring for Regina."
Harry grinned broadly. "Are you going to propose to her? She'll be beyond happy, and you won't need a ring. Your propose will top everything else anyway, and if you're going to marry her, you'll be the Lord Lestrange and will have the ring that matches the Lady Lestrange's ring anyway. Come, let's go."
Together with Lucy and his godfather, he popped home, where the members of the extended family were waiting for them in apparent expectation.
"Mum, I believe that Remus wishes to speak with you in private," he uttered, grinning happily.
Everyone stared after the obviously happy couple, when Regina led Remus into the dining room, firmly closing the door behind them.
"Harry?" Lily voiced what everyone seemed to think, as Harry felt all eyes on himself.
"We did it. He's cured from lycanthropy, and he's just proposing to Mum."