Chapter: My favorite color is You
"Did you all hear that commotion last night?" Nott asked as he served his plate. "Kinda muffled through the door, but sounded like Professor Snape was in the common room. Think someone tried to sneak out?"
"No, I think we would be missing points if someone had." Hermione responded, gesturing to the point counter. Although it was only a week in, Slytherin currently held the lead by a hundred points. Harry chewed his bacon silently, considering telling them that he was the one in the common room. He decided against it when he saw Professor Snape stride into the Great Hall, not even sparing his own table a glance. The Owl Post came in, letters fluttering down to their owners. A large black raven landed heavily on the table in front of Harry, causing his silverware to rattle. Hermione and Nott edged away from him as the Raven stared him down. Harry glared back, extending his hand for the letter around its leg.
"You're not an owl." He muttered, hissing in pain as the raven pecked at him. Harry shooed the bird back to the table as he looked down at his letter. "It's from my Mom." He said for the benefit of his friends as he ripped the letter open. A small compact mirror fell into his lap, and he subtly covered it with his robe.
"I didn't know a raven could get through the owl post." Pansy said with interest, reaching out a hand to softly touch its wing. Harry tried not to show his surprise. Pansy had not officially joined his circle as of yet, but based on the sour look on Malfoy's face, he had done something to upset her once again.
"It looks like he likes you better. I can see why, your hair shines just as bright as his feathers." Harry said nonchalantly, reaching the part of the letter where his mother explained the raven. He was so engrossed in the letter that he missed the blush that rose on the girl's face. Hermione took this casual comment to mean that Pansy was welcome to their circle and pulled the girl into conversation with them all.
"Hand it over." Came the clipped command from their Head of House. Harry pulled the letter against his chest, sneering at the man. So much for any progress they made last night.
"You can't have my personal mail, that is illegal." Harry remarked.
"An unauthorized bird has entered the school and with it a potentially cursed item, hand over the mirror." Hermione let out a small gasp of awe as Harry moodily moved his robe to reveal the mirror. Harry had barely taken it into his hand before it was snatched by the Professor.
"If it is cursed, it is not harmful enough to kill me. An Addams would never permanently incapacitate a family member."
"If it is from an Addams at all." Severus replied, inspecting the mirror. Etchings of home brew magic were all along it, and the minuscule divets throughout were a tell tale sign of blood magic.
"I would hope our new familiar would be smart enough to avoid bringing me something under a false pretense." Severus slender fingers wrapped around the mirror slowly as his dark eyes moved to the large raven sitting stoically on the table. It being larger than any raven he had seen to date was indicative of it potentially being a familiar. A ringlet around its ankle with a family crest, though one he did not recognize immediately. Not wanting to show undue interest in the crest in front of his students he moved on to look at the wings. Severus moved his head a fraction of a degree, letting the light hit the feathers in just a way that the acidic green of reciprocal bonds within to flash briefly. All this observation done within the blink of an eye and then he was addressing the boy once again.
"I was under the impression that you were raised in the Muggle world."
"I was."
"Ah." Severus said, realizing he was close to overstepping a boundary. He pocketed the mirror. "I am collecting on your detention. Grab your things and follow." Harry glared after the man as he grabbed Thing and the raven, waving off his friends promises to wait for him.
"Don't bother. I'll be there all day, because I am not leaving without that mirror."
"What's so special about it?" Millecent asked. "Besides its from your family I mean." Harry could see Malfoy lean closer.
"It concerns none of you." Harry spun on heel and headed for the dungeon. His friends did not take it personally. They had come to accept Harry's varied mood. The boy was usually open with what he was thinking, even if it was considered rude. Harry quickly caught up to the Potions Master, noticing that the man kept the mirror in his hand. A small smirk came to Harry's face. The bat of the dungeons wanted to be seen as heartless, but small gestures like this made Harry realize he was not. In fact, his sister did a similar thing to Pugsley frequently. While the Professor was showing his authority and power by keeping the object from Harry, he was not obscuring it, in turn letting Harry know it was still safe. Harry decided to test this further. "Professor, you don't understand. I need to use the mirror now. My mother has said there is terrible news." He shoved the letter near the man as they walked. Severus internally rolled his eyes at the boy handing over something he had been guarding moments ago, not realizing Harry had done such a thing on purpose to mask his intentions.
"Son, you must call at your earliest convenience. I have the most terrible news." Severus muttered, weighing the benefits of withholding the mirror. Although, seeing the boy interact with his family might give him more insight. "You may use it for five minutes. You will tell your mother exactly what you have done to deserve punishment and why your call is limited."
"Alright." They had reached the dungeons, and Professor Snape let Harry enter the classroom. It did not go unnoticed that the boys shoulders relaxed, or that his eyes became intrigued by the things on the wall. Severus scowled at this. Wordlessly he held out the mirror, wondering if the boy would know how to use it at all. Harry held the mirror in his hand, swiping his finger over a sharp spindle on the back. A drop of blood welled up and he smeared it across the silver carvings. To Professor Snape it looked as if they boy had done it hundreds of times. Severus walked towards his shelves strategically, gaining a vantage point of the mirror past Harry's unruly hair.
"Harry…." Greeted the soothing voice of a woman. Her skin was as pale as Harry's, her dark brown eyes almost black, much like his own. 'Perhaps that is why my glares seem to have no effect.' He thought bitterly. Her makeup was tasteful, if a bit gothic, all together a picture of elegance. She continued the pleasantries with an aloofness that did not seem to bother Harry.
"You said you had terrible news, mom?" Harry prompted.
"Ah yes, someone came by the house searching for you." Losing all pretense of spying, Severus stood behind Harry, peering into the mirror.
"Who was looking for the boy?" The woman was not put off by his intrusion, as if she had known him to be in the room all along.
"A Dursley from down the street…with a dreadful flower name." She said slowly, as if gauging his reaction.
"Petunia." He supplied, eyes holding anger. A small smile appeared on her dark red lips.
"Petunia…yes. Says her boy noticed you gone from school. She was concerned, very delightful seeing the hidden panic. I told her you were safe and sound at Hogwarts. She got that nasty look on her face…you know the one my little bat." Severus glanced at Harry, finding it odd that for the Addams, 'bat' was an endearment, rather than an insult. He wondered if Harry had mentioned his moniker of the Dungeon Bat to his family. He turned his nose up at this. He hoped he hadn't, otherwise the Addams would be under the impression that he was absolutely cuddly. "She also had some choice words about us not being your real family, giving a new definition to the word freak." Harry's eyes became dark. "Your father didn't much like that, so…we poisoned them." Harry let out an unfiltered laugh, and it sent shivers down Severus spine.
"I think you are forgetting to mention your detention." Severus reminded the boy coldly. Harry let out a sigh and explained to his mom the events leading to detention. She did not get angry, but neither did she side with him.
"It is to be expected. Wednesday and Pugsley are not doing well in school without you either. But we will talk about this at a later date."
"Perhaps at the conference I have requested?" Severus supplied, explaining that he had sent a letter out that morning about the very thing. Morticia agreed, promising a reply to the letter. She said her goodbyes to her son, and then Harry replied with something that Severus thought would have been stricken from his vocabulary on that Halloween night ten years ago.
"Bye Mom, I love you and see you soon."
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Morticia put the mirror in the drawer of her vanity, picking up her brush. Her husband entered, loosening his tie. The room was unnaturally bare, holding only the essentials of someone on a short vacation. It had been a rough time since Harry had left, with many preparations still on the way for when they would see him again.
"How is our son doing?" He asked, giving her a light kiss on the cheek. Morticia gazed at her husband through the reflection.
"He has gotten himself into a bit of trouble."
"Good trouble, or bad trouble?" He asked, taking a seat on the bed. Morticia turned in her chair to face him, eyes having a far off look.
"I'm not sure darling. He has detention with Professor Snape, the man he speaks so highly of in his letters. From what I could see, he seemed like a perfectly reasonable man, with excellent decorating sense. His Aura is that of a strong wizard, just dark enough to be considered a good role model for our Little bat…"
"But…" Gomez prompted.
"There was something on his person, darker than dark, yet not Black Magic. Dirty, impure…" she had wrapped her arms around herself, feeling as if the magic could reach around her. Her eyes lit up with an imposing glow as she held her husband in a piercing gaze. "Tainted Magic." She whispered. A loud crash from downstairs had her out of her seat in a moment, Gomez following behind with his bedpost sword. The rest of the Addams had entered the main foyer at the same time, all eyes finding the large rock sitting surrounded by glass. Morticia made to move forward, but was stopped by her husband. Lurch picked up the rock and turned so they could see the message spray painted on it.
'Leave Freaks.'
"Seems they are upset about the whole poisoning thing." Gomez said, looking out the shattered window.
"Well, it seems we will not be leaving as peacefully as we planned." Morticia smirked as she took a seat on a packed box. It was their original intention to leave under the cover of night, the house fixed to look as it had before, to leave the neighbors wondering if they had existed at all. "Let us have a proper Addams exit."
The Addams gleefully drew their chaos creators of choice. Gomez tossed away his bedpost sword and grabbed the two larger swords above the fireplace. Grandmama cackled as she tossed mini potions jars into her purse. Wednesday grabbed her slingshot, a bag of sharpened jacks in her pocket. Pugsley snapped his goggles over his eyes, pulling the cord to bring his homemade flame thrower to life. Uncle Fester opened his coat to expose several bombs of various strengths and types. Lurch crushed the rock with his bare hands.
"Ready family?" Gomez asked. Morticia stood, walking past them and pushing the doors open with a flourish.
"Ready," she said, voice dripping with disdain for the people of Privet Drive.
"CHARGE!"
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Severus rubbed his temples, regretting initiating a detention first thing on a Saturday. It seems the call with Mrs. Addams had put Harry in a good disposition, turning him into a chatterbox. Nothing he used to punish students seemed to work on the boy. Pickling animal body parts? Why, the boy was simply fascinated at the process, and the magical animals he had not yet encountered. Sorting insects? He swore he had seen the boy pop a few damaged ones into his mouth for a snack! Cleaning cauldrons? As Harry had shown that potions class, he was quite adept at it. Severus did not like how the boy's eyes roamed the shelves with intent. Cataloguing ingredients in his mind, no doubt. Sufficiently annoyed, Severus pulled out a parchment and quill, knowing how to get beneath the boys skin.
"I believe we have an interview to finish." Harry looked up at him with a neutral expression, placing down the rag he had been using to approach. "Full name?"
"Harry 'Vespitilio' James Vladimir Addams-Potter."
"Vespitilio is not on your official school record." Severus said evenly. Was this a Dark Lord choosing his new name? Harry rolled his eyes.
"My dad calls me that enough for it to be considered a second first name. I think it fits better into the family than just Harry." Harry explained, trying to look at the further questions. Severus made a gesture than subtly covered them.
"Which do you prefer?"
"While I am starting to hate what the name Harry Potter stands for in this world, I will not change it legally anytime soon. Vespitilio is the name I use for trickery and invisibility. It would be best if we kept that between us."
"Why bother to mention the name to me at all?"
"It makes us even." Harry said calmly, casting a glance to the fireplace. Severus did not need to ask what he meant by the gesture. He did not want to be known as the man who gave Harry Potter a charmed blanket. A secret for a secret, but it still did not explain why the boy seemed to have put his trust in him.
"Tell me about how magic has presented itself in your family."
"My Grandmama has magic. No wand, as I said before. Her sons, my dad and uncle, have no magic. Well…no useable magic I guess. Uncle Fester is immune to poison of all kinds." Severus wrote this down slowly as he thought it over. Harry had previously called his nonmagical family members Muggles, and so he had assumed this 'Grandmama' was the mother of Mrs. Addams, and that all the children had been adopted like Harry. Magical persons did not give birth to Muggles, they gave birth to Squibs.
"Nothing your father does has magic?" Severus pressed, finding it odd that there would be nothing to show he was a squib. Harry shrugged.
"He was deadly ill when he was younger. He got better when he met my mom at a funeral. He says destiny had my mom's love save him so that they could be together." Harry said this wistfully, as if it was a cherished story to him. Severus, ever the skeptic, doubted this version of events.
"You said your family has not been within the magical community for years, generations even, correct?"
"The Adams haven't been. Not since the witch burnings in Salem." The ruffle of feathers distracted the boy, and Severus took this chance to write down a theory he had concerning Mr. Addams' severe Squib status.
"Back to your family."
"My mom is a pureblooded witch. Uh, disowned." A thin eyebrow crept up, but Harry ignored the look.
"At what age?" Harry saw no harm in answering this, not knowing the many inferences that could be made by his Professor.
"6." Harry said curtly. "My brother and sister are my parents biological children. No real magic."
"Explain what you mean by real magic." Severus asked as he wrote a note about Harry's use of the word 'biological' underneath 'Vespitilio fits better into the family.' Harry groaned in frustration.
"You know, spells and accidental events! Wednesday can do hex bags and voodoo, but Pugsley is not interested in magic much at all. He is an inventor."
"Tell me more about your parents. I can tell from your mirror call that your mother is a very elegant woman, who seems to care about her children."
"Of course she cares about all of us." Harry shot back as if the notion of her not was ridiculous. 'All of us' was written down in Severus' notes. "Mom is very proper, but that is just how she was raised. She doesn't require us to do the same."
"And yet I notice that you know the difference between a dinner fork and a dessert one." Harry crossed his arms defensively.
"I am in Slytherin House. With all the others rules you impose on us, it only seemed right to follow table etiquette." Harry responded with a tone of sarcasm. "Mom really doesn't mind, but I like to do it. But not enough to refuse a food fight with Pugsley." Severus let the matter drop for the moment.
"You share a love of the Dark Arts with your mother." Harry merely nodded, his patience beginning to wear thin. "What do you share with Mr. Addams?"
"My Dad? We like to spar, sometimes with swords. We both like the arts. I like music though…better." Harry trailed off, as if he felt that was the wrong answer. "I like the respect he has for my mom. She never gets pranked."
"Are your siblings exactly like your parents?"
"No, of course not."
"Then why are you trying so hard to be?" There, the tiniest of flinches. Harry refused to look him in the eye, focusing instead on his new familiar. At what age had the boy realized that he was not truly an Addams? Did his parents impose their own views onto the boy? What was expected of him?
"What do you daydream about?" Harry was caught off guard by the sudden turn of question. Harry looked down at his hands, as if he were nervous. He considered lying, but somehow he knew his Professor would catch on to this particular lie.
"Saving the day." He whispered out tersely.
"If that is what you daydream about, then why do you resent being the new figure head of the Light? And do not tell me you do not resent it." Severus questioned, having no care that he had seemed to hit a nerve with the boy. This is what he wanted. To break the child of any idiocies that he could outsmart a Hogwarts Professor. Because Severus was finally beginning to understand Harry's apparent mood swings for what they were. Fear. Fear of being away from home, fear of rejection, fear of failure, all things that Severus himself had felt the first week at Hogwarts. He had tried to be cheerful even to James Potter and Sirius Black that first week! Only for them to call him a sniveling girl and brand him with the nickname Snivillius.
"I don't want to save the day with Light magic. I want these people to see Dark magic for what it is! Deep, powerful magic!" Harry said slamming his hand on the table.
"Five points from Slytherin." Harry glared at him. "I will not encourage your temper tantrums as other might. Your attitude needs to change if you are ever going to accomplish anything, because at the current moment you seem to be a completely unhinged brat!"
"What would you know?" Harry replied, crossing his arms.
"I would know that your crocodile tears," Harry made to interrupt, but was quickly shut out. "Yes! Crocodile tears! At the Sorting Ceremony may have gotten you sympathy had you been sorted into any other House, but you ended up here, didn't you? You do not want pity from these snakes, that is how you become a lackey, not a leader." Severus ignored the urge to rub his fingers over his Dark Mark. "In addition, do not be so foolish to shout out your goals until your following can overwhelm the majority, lest the populace give you the same bizarre looks your classmates did in the common room." Harry shrunk down in his chair moodily, not wanting to admit it was a bad idea. "And worst of all, to make your greatest weakness common knowledge to a group with split allegiances was so moronic it was as if your father's spirit overtook you."
"My mother can handle herself. She always has." Harry's eyes gained that faint eerie glow that Severus had yet to explain. "And if she cannot, the Addams will be there to back her."
"No actual harm need to come to your mother for her to be used against you." Severus said simply, closing the debate before it could begin. He looked down at his question list. Something that seemed innocuous enough with simple, almost playful scenarios for children. However, it was nothing more than a sweetened version of what he regularly did as a spy to gain a feel for one's character. It was almost laughable how much in common a school age child and a dumb adult held.
"Who would you consider your friends?" 'With whom do you have good relations at this event? I trust your judgement to keep me away from the unfavorables…'
"Wednesday and Puglsey, obviously. Thing, Dad, Mom, Uncle Fester, Grandmama, Lurch…" Severus of course made note that all of the boy's immediate family was listed first, further proving the boys claims of the Addams sticking together. "Hermione and Neville."
"The Longbottom boy?" Severus interrupted with a sneer.
"Yes." Harry hissed out. "Bulstrode, Greengrass, Nott. I think Parkinson is coming around."
"Ah yes, your penchant for collecting a female fan club to fawn over you is no surprise given your blood."
"Girls do not exist to idolize boys." Harry snapped out, standing form his chair. "What kind of teacher are you?" Harry asked in disgust. Severus did not answer right away, letting the point of his quill pause over the inkwell. "They like me because I treat them like equals, because they are. Hermione is goddamn brilliant if you haven't noticed? A walking library even!" Again, Severus mentally noted that an insult to others was a compliment from Harry Addams. "Bulstrode is currently too nice to be intimidating, but that is her choice. Greengrass is trying to do something that has never been done before-"
"I know." Severus interjected. Harry felt the steam leave him. "I believe…" Severus internally sighed. Given a talking to by a school boy, how pathetic. "That Ms. Parkinson will benefit from your friendship, given your admirable view of women. Her problems lie in the fact that her father has quite the opposite ideology."
"When you talk about it being in my blood…you mean my biological father, don't you?" Severus did not respond, not wanting to open a channel for the boy to find out about his parents. He was probably the one who knew most, yet, at the same time he knew very little that was not seen through the lens of bitterness.
"Your wand, the mirror…your family seems to have a penchant for Blood Magic." He left the statement open ended, as he wondered if the boy would tell him more. Either way his answer would further prove his theory about the boy. For seeing Mrs. Addams in the mirror had cleared up why Harry's eyes were not the same shade as Lily's, and why he seemed to have lost the tan he had inherited from James. The boy had been more than adopted, he had been made Blood Kin, most likely when he was still too young to recall it on his own. Had his adopted parents told him? Did they feel the need to?
"It isn't illegal if it is not used to harm others. We never do. My family might give them a fright, or create chaos, but we have never hurt anyone." It seems he had not been told. He wondered how long it would be until someone sought the boy out to show him pictures of Lily and James.
"You might have to, one day." Harry frowned a bit.
"I know, but I'm going to try my best not to."
"A war cannot be won with Expelliamus you know." Severus said condescendingly.
"Watch me." Harry snatched his bag from the floor as he made his way to the door. Thing steering the Raven in that direction as well.
"Mr. Addams." Severus called out sternly.
"Been an hour, Professor. Hogwarts code doesn't let a first time offense extend beyond that time unless approved by the Headmaster." Harry threw a glance over his shoulder, one that was both mischievous and angry, a strange combination. "And by the way, my favorite color is black." The door closed with a small thud. Severus sat back in his chair, drawing the interview parchment closer to himself. It was obvious that even after the ten years he had been with the Addams, that Harry feared being rejected by them, despite the very obvious signs that they would never do so. The boy was trying his best to be an Addams, but he was still a Potter-Evans as well.
"Saving the day." He muttered with a shake of his head. The Headmaster would have a field day if he heard such a thing. He reflected on the past hour, and realized he had not enjoyed the company of a child for quite so long at any time in his adult life. Even his own godson grated on his nerves within a few minutes. So what made Harry different? He ignored the phantom twinge in his Dark Mark as he realized what it was.
Potential.
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Harry entered the common room with Thing on one shoulder and his new familiar on the other. He figured the raven must have a charm on it to make it weigh less, as he was sure a small eleven year old like him would not normally be able to support the weight of such a large bird. Hermione immediately rushed towards Harry upon noticing him, but was halted by the loud caw of warning. Thing flicked the bird, causing it to rise from Harry's shoulder and try to capture the disembodied hand. Harry shook his head in humor and left them to it, sitting down with his friends.
"How was your detention?"
"Probably worse for professor Snape than it was for me." Harry said cheekily, causing Nott to laugh. "What are you playing?"
"Exploding Snap, want in?" Harry nodded in excitement, quickly becoming enamored with the game.
"Where did you get these? Dad, Uncle Fester and Pugsley would love them." Harry asked, looking to Nott.
"I had some left over from the summer. You can get them at Diagon Alley. Bummer that none of is has an older sibling to restock us during Hogsmede weekends."
"Hermione, you know an older student, is he allowed to go?" Harry asked.
"Percy?" She said incredulously. "I doubt he would get those for his own brothers let alone us. Which, I happen to agree with. Just a bunch of racket it is." Blaise rolled his eyes.
"Aw come on Hermione, it isn't that bad." Greengrass said, despite the fact that her hair was in complete disarray.
"Fine, I will ask, but I most certainly not beg him, so if he says no that's the end of it." She said resolutely, snapping her book shut and leveling them with a stare, daring anyone to disagree. They agreed to her terms. "Harry, you said your family lives in the Muggle world, does that mean the familiar will be staying with you most of the time?"
"Not that I know of. My mother expects him back with a response on Tuesday. Professor said the same thing about the Muggle World, is there something I'm missing?"
"Well, I thought it was odd the way he phrased it, so I looked it up," she raised her book slightly. "Familiars can only live with those who live within a magical residence." Blaise was giving Hermione a strange look that had nothing to do with what she was saying. In fact, he didn't even need to listen to her, because all Purebloods knew that rule about familiars. Most half-bloods would know, but he supposed it depended which parent was the magical one. After all, Addams hadn't known. He opened his mouth to ask Hermione which of her parents were magical, but was cut of by the louder voice of Draco Malfoy.
"Bulstrode, quit lazing about, and give Crabbe his lesson." Millicent started to get up, but Harry placed a hand on her shoulder to stop her.
"I'm sorry what was that, Malfoy?" Harry asked. Draco sneered at him. "So help me Malfoy, I will steal your teeth. What did you say?" The air in the room felt charged, Harry's raven watching from atop a chair, eyes locked on the blond boy. Malfoy shoved Crabbe towards their group and went into his room. Crabbe clasped his hands together, eyeing Harry warily.
"Uhm, Bulstrode is now okay for my lesson? Draco wants to go out to the lake later so…" Millicent gave a tight smile.
"Alright" she grabbed her things, and motioned to the nearest study room. "I will see you all at lunch." She told the others. They all wished her luck and returned to their game. Harry was going over what Hermione had said, finding it a bit strange but not overly so. His family had always bent the rules, why would this one be any different?
"You know, a walk around the lake does sound lovely…" Harry suggested, glancing over at Malfoy's room with mischief in his eyes. Hermione waved him off, engrossed in her book. He turned to the others. Pansy gave a shrug and agreed, seeing at as an opportunity to gain favor. Harry did not even consider this intention when he extended a hand to help her off the floor. They had reached the edge of the lake when Harry decided to break the tension.
"What did Malfoy say to you this morning?" He asked. Pansy's lips pinched together as she thought about it. Would Harry Addams be like Draco Malfoy? The other girls seemed so happy around him, but she did not really know any of them that well. He said he wanted to be a Dark Lord, but what if he didn't and she ended up aligning herself with the Light? Her father would never forgive her. She tugged at her shoulder length hair in worry, stopping when she felt a hand on hers. "You don't have to tell me if it distresses you. I just know it can be hard to deal with issues that seem impossible on your own. You don't have to be alone. No one should ever have to be alone." Harry ignored the pang he felt, missing his family, but the letters would have to do for now. He told himself they would be here to visit soon, and he had better have something to make them proud when they did.
"Draco knows about my father's expectations of me. About me needing to find a suitor by third year. He knows this because he is one of the original options my father gave me. I've known Drac for so long, I have only seen him as a friend or brother even, but he said…" Pansy's lip quivered, and she took in a shuddering breath. "He said I should give up looking for someone to love and just accept him as a choice. Which wasn't so bad, I mean, I do love Draco, just not quite in that way…at least not yet."
"But he said something worse…" Harry deduced.
"To accept him as a choice and he would gladly marry me, just as long as puberty was good to me, 'if I knew what he meant'." Harry felt his blood boil. "He had always been such a gentlemen, why would anyone say something so crude! I-I don't even think about boys like that yet, do you think of girls like that?" She covered her mouth, realizing she may have spoken out of turn. But upon seeing that the anger in Harry's eyes was not directed at her, she understood that Addams was not what her father had taught her to expect of a boy.
"Well…" Harry took a small pouch out of his pocket, showing it to Pansy. "Let's see if he's even worth marrying, just as long as this prank is good to him." Harry worked quickly as he spoke, setting a trap. "If you know what I mean." He stepped back to appreciate his handiwork, explaining it to Pansy without telling her the end result just yet.
"Are we going to hide to see it?" She asked, thinking of the hours until Draco would decide to come out to the lake.
"No, I'm sure we'll know exactly when it is triggered. Then we will blend into the crowd." He gestured for her to lead the way, as he was done with his part of the walk. Harry gladly followed Pansy as she moved in the direction of the green houses. "And, I will be your suitor, Pansy, when we reach third year. If it will buy you some time, I'll do it, no strings attached."
"Even if I grow a nasty wart on my nose and turn green?" Pansy said, thinking it was ridiculous that Muggles thought of magical beings like that.
"I wouldn't find those things unattractive." Harry said seriously. He gave a smirk. "I think it depends on the laugh." Pansy grinned and gave the most obnoxious laugh that she could. Harry placed his hand on his chest. "Me enamore." He joked. Pansy shook her head. It turned out she did not need to gain favor with Addams. He wanted to give favor, but why? Was he raised that way?
"I don't think my father would approve. He…well he followed the old Dark Lord."
"Blah, that phoney? He was killed by love, how pathetic is that?" Harry shook his head, placing his hands in his robe pockets. "Love should make you stronger, and I might die for it, but never by it." It was then that Pansy saw what the others saw in Harry. Belonging and acceptance. A new beginning to their way of life. Harry took out his wand and cast the time charm, further impressing Pansy. "Almost time for lunch. Are you feeling better? Are you ready to face the git?"
"Yes, I am okay." She said, heading towards the castle. "If he talks to me, I'll just steal his tongue." She teased. Harry tilted his head back slightly at this.
"Tongue? Why would you want his tongue, teeth are so much more valuable."
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Harry grinned as he looked at Malfoy's door across form his. He no doubt had been showering all night long. It served him right for treating Pansy the way he had. His prank had worked out gloriously, with a large group of students gathering to see the blonde trapped in a rope net, smelling to high heaven from a powerful stink bomb. The cherry on top was finding out the additional glitter bomb he had set was a bright pink that contrasted greatly with Malfoy's hair. Pansy had nearly been in tears from her laughter, and Harry had made sure to make eye contact with Malfoy long enough to give him a wink before leading Pansy away. Speaking of the spoiled pureblood, Malfoy exited his room picking at his hair. Harry was sure that if the light hit him right a stray pink sparkle would appear.
"Ready to go?" Hermione asked him as she approached. Harry nodded, letting her lead the way. He was not looking forward to the day, as they had defense for their second class. Quirrell gave him a bad feeling, and while he knew he didn't particularly need his wand, he would feel better if he could participate. He was finding Astrology to be fun though. It was hard work in the beginning, but he was quickly getting the hang of it. Breakfast seemed as if it would be uneventful, but a splat of something wet hitting Harry in the back of the head as they filed out to class proven otherwise. .
"Who did that?" He asked without turning, hand gripping his bag to prevent himself from reaching for his wand. There was no answer. "Coward." He gestured for his friends to continue on in front of him, but amazingly without a word Bulstrode and Nott were suddenly behind him. Pansy and Hermione were on either side, and Zambini and Greengrass took up the front. Harry felt strange in his chest at the gesture, a smile growing on his face.
Severus watched all this from the Head table, eyes narrowing as Draco scowled and begun to whisper to his friends. Harry no doubt had the loyalty of his first year friends, but the silence from the rest of Slytherin table showed that many were still willing to follow Malfoy due to his name. When would Draco learn? Seeing the blond boy slink out of the Great Hall with Crabbe and Goyle told him it would not be anytime soon. Severus grabbed his cup of coffee and sipped it calmly. The worst Draco could do is send a few sparks Addams way. He doubted Addams would even retaliate. At least not immediately. More than likely the boy would pull another prank, knowing Draco's pride was too big to rat him out.
"How is Harry doing?" Minerva asked him, interrupting his thoughts. Severus lowered his cup a bit, giving her a rare smirk that was not laced with a disgusted tone.
"He's thriving."
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Morticia Addams stood shaded by her umbrella, surveying the street with hooded eyes. The sun was beginning to set, and the people were seeking shelter. When the last rays of sunlight disappeared she calmly closed her umbrella, resting it on her arm like a cane.
"Ça fait longtemps." A woman said, coming to rest beside her, checking her watch.
"Tu connais mes raisons." Morticia replied cooly, her wedding ring glinting in the light. She did not often wear it, and neither did Gomez, but tonight was a night that it was needed.
"Oui, le jour est encore frais pour moi." She handed Morticia the small locket she had, which showed them both as children. "Je suppose que nous avons chacun notre façon de nous rebeller."
"En effet nous faisons, Black Widow." The stunningly beautiful woman stepped into the light, smiling at her long lost friend.
"What has brought you back to us?" She asked, pulling her in for a hug. "I hope you are not here to cure me." She joked. Morticia hugged her back briefly, before bringing her to arms length.
"Of course not. You have made the curse your own. However, I would like to know how you were able to hold it at bay long enough to have your son." Feeling a bit emotional at the mention of children, Morticia pulled her friend back in tighter, a single crystal tear falling down her face. "I never did thank you for protecting me, Morana."
"It was not a bother, my friend. It was the right choice, and fate has brought us together again." Morana gave Morticia a moment to compose herself. The Frumps never did have any more children after Morticia, the Zambini family had made sure of it. Her whole world had come crashing down in the span of a few seconds. First, to find out that her best friend had fallen in love with a squib, when they had been taught nothing but blood purity for 12 years. Then realizing that she had feelings for her friend. Followed quickly by a red mist of a curse being shot at Morticia by her own parents. Her feet moving before she even thought to identify the curse. The agony, and Morticia's scream. Struggling through the pain to tell Morticia to run, and to never look back. The curse lifting, her friend missing, her own parents furious. "Blaise finds your son intriguing."
"Perhaps they will be friends, just as we once were." Morticia said wistfully. Morana smiled as well, albeit a bit more sadly.
"Perhaps they will. Beautonxs was never the same without you. How is Harry adjusting to Hogwarts?"
"He has gotten into a bit of trouble, but nothing he cant handle on his own." Morticia became a bit more serious. "This society is on the brink of another war, Morana." Ms. Zambini looked up in shock.
"What?" She whispered out, the word almost materializing in the cold air.
"Harry is powerful. Perhaps more than anyone can truly gauge. He needs training. We've done our best so far. Gomez has taught him weapons, and hand to hand. Forbidden potions, blood magic, Dark Arts…but there is something missing."
"Purpose." Morana looked up at the passing clouds. "We are most powerful when we have purpose. Mortica the Mouse, screaming at her parents that she would marry who she wanted, damn the consequences. How much did you destroy that day?"
"Not enough."
"Knowing how much you loved Gomez, I am sure you love your children just as much. There has never been danger to any of them."
"We are quite secluded."
"The wizarding World will show him that all magic is not like his." Morana gently rolled her wand between her fingers. "If this war is coming, it will build slowly. Our children will grow with it. All of them will." Morticia did not react to the comment.
"What if your son gets hurt, protecting mine? What if he dies?"
"I do not think they are as close as we were. Blaise has incredible self preservation skills, perhaps it is why he was able to be born at all. His risks are calculated. I would never blame you or your son." Mortica inclined her head in could trust that Morana was on their side. Which left only one more question.
"What do you know of Severus Snape, and the tainted magic on his aura?"
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"Have you never flown before?" Blaise asked Hermione, seeing her still engrossed in a book about the subject, even as they made their way to their first lesson with the Gryffindors.
"I grew up in the Muggle World, so, no." Hermione replied. Blaise nodded in response, noting the phrasing. Did she word it in that way because she was a half-blood or a muggleborn? He had been meaning to find out, but he was not foolish enough to right out ask her, less someone decide he cared about such things a blood purity to an extent of choosing a side.
"I haven't either, but I'm excited." Harry said with a grin. A magic broom, how hilarious! He would need to find a way to convince Pugsley to take a ride with him. And then of course drop him from several hundred feet up. He wondered if his mother had even ridden a broom, but 6 seemed a bit young to learn."How young do people start learning brooms?"
"As young as 1 sometimes." Nott told him. "They make toy ones with special charms so it cant fly to high, or let the kid fall off." Harry slowly came to a stop, causing his friends to falter in their steps. "You okay?"
"Nothing…just wondering if maybe I have flown before, I was adopted a bit after I was 1." He shook his head, continuing forward. "Guess it would depend on if my birth parents liked to fly."
"James Potter did," Hermione said, still not looking away from her book. "He even played for Gryffindor."
"What?" Harry asked in disbelief. Hermione paused to look up from her book. "Where did you find that out?" Hermione flushed red.
"When I was researching you prior to school starting." Harry began to walk towards her, an unreadable emotion on his face. "I-I haven't brought anything up, because well you're Harry Addams now, and – and I didn't mean to just blurt it out…" The others watched with baited breath.
"Hermione?" His voice was low, for he feared it cracking with emotion. "Please, don't apologize. I was just caught unaware. I guess I didn't think about looking into my birth parents. The Addams are all I need."
"But they aren't all that you are." Blaise said sagely. Green eyes turned to him. "You may have been raised mostly Muggle, but you're a full wizard. You told us you're the only one with a wand. There is power in blood you know. Who knows what is available to you in this world because of your birth family…enchanted weapons, lost knowledge, familiar spells…the list is endless."
"A fortune?" Harry questioned flatly, remembering Snape's comment the first day he had used his wand in Transfiguration.
"Well, yeah." Daphne agreed. "You should ask Professor Snape to help you."
"Tsk, as if he would help." Harry said moodily. He did not explain further as their Instructor had arrived.
"Alright then, pick a broom everyone!" She called out. Her hawk like eyes watched as the children scrambled to get a good broom, a glint appearing as she saw Harry choose a particularly good one. "I am Madame Hooch, your flying Instructor, and main referee for all Quidditch matches." She glanced in the direction of Ron Weasley, wondering if he would play as the twins have. "Place your hand over your chosen broom and in a confident voice command it." Her gloved hand moved over her own broom. "UP!" It snapped into her hand with a satisfying smack.
"Up." Harry said, grinning when he broom came to him without issue. Hermione was struggling next to him, a light blush covering her cheeks when she glance over and saw the rest of her friends hadn't had any trouble.
"Chin up." Nott whispered from her other side. "Don't look at the broom, your focus gets off."
"Right…" Hermione set her focus to an empty spot in front of her. "Up!" She winced a bit as the wooden handle hit her hand.
"Nice work, Hermione!" Neville called from across her. His broom was still barely rolling about on the floor. Madame Hooch allowed for each student to get their broom to rise before continuing.
"Very well! Next step is to mount your brooms, paying close attention to how you position your hands." Madame Hooch started on the side of the Gryffindors first, making corrections here and there. Meanwhile Draco began to brag about how often he flew, even describing evading helicopters. Harry's brow furrowed.
"Helicopters? That's Muggle. Where would you have been that a helicopter was around?" Draco made a nasty face at him.
"For your information, Addams, my godfather lets me do whatever I want when I stay with him." The look in his eyes was challenging. Harry merely rolled his eyes, asking Hermione if she thought his grip was correct. "Hey! I'm talking to you!"
"Quiet down, Mr. Malfoy." Hooch reprimanded. "Pay attention as I adjust your grip. If you have truly been flying as much as you claim, you have been doing it wrong." Harry couldn't hold back his laughter, making Draco's ears tinge pink. "Addams, you're a natural." Hooch complimented, moving onto the next student. Harry became pensive. His biological father had been a flyer. A Gryffindor. Still nothing about his birth mother. But then, how much did he know about his current mom and dad's childhood. Children didn't really think about that…did they? He was broken away from his thoughts when he heard Neville's uneasy shouts. The boy was hovering on his broom, but it seemed to be climbing higher, despite his pleas for it to let him off. Harry tightened his grip, ready to take after him, but the boy fell at that precise moment, hitting the ground with a thud.
"Neville!" Hermione gasped, rushing over to him with Harry right on her heels. Hooch reached him first, tutting as she supported his hand.
"Broken wrist." Neville groaned in dismay. "Now, none of that. Up you go, let's get you to the infirmary." Hooch set her gaze on the rest of the class. "Not a single one of you is to mount your brooms while I'm gone." Draco waited until Madame Hooch and Neville were around the corner before hopping on his broom and lazily moving towards where the Gryffindor had fallen.
"What's up with you, Granger. Planning on making Longbottom your suitor?" He joked. Pansy clenched her fist. Harry grabbed the tail end of Malfoy's broom and gave it a hard yank, pulling it out from underneath the blond.
"What's up with you, Malfoy? Didn't Madame Hooch just teach you how to correct your grip?" Draco pushed himself up off the ground, a pleased smirk on his face, confusing Harry.
"Hm, I can't quite remember, let me check…" In his pale hand was a glass sphere with gray smoke within.
"That's Neville's!" Ron shouted, pushing up to the front. "Give it back you slimy snake." Harry gave Ron an appraising glance. He was almost as red as his hair, but had a stance that showed he knew how to fight hand to hand. Harry figured older brothers would do that to a person.
"Yeah, hand it over to Weasley." Harry agreed.
"You stay out of it." Ron snapped. Harry glared at the boy's back. His eyes were drawn back to the Remembrall when Draco began to toss it up and down in his hand.
"No, I think I will put it somewhere safe for Longbottom to find, like up a tree." He grabbed the broom out of Tomas' hand and began to float up above them.
"You're going to lose us points!" Nott complained. Harry mounted the broom he had taken from Malfoy, nerves filing his stomach. Would he be good at flying like his father was?
"Maybe a drop from this height can break it." Malfoy taunted. Harry kicked off from the ground hard, coming at Malfoy fast. The blonde gasped in surprise, barely moving out of the way in time. Harry pulled hard on the broom, making a sharp turn to come back around. Malfoy refused to lose to Addams again, his grip tightening on the ball. "Go and get it, Addams!" He shouted, before throwing the ball as hard as he could towards the castle. Green eyes widened before he instinctively dropped closer to the broom, speeding past Malfoy, his foot kicking his classmate's broom askew in the process. The walls of the castle were starting to consume his vision the closer he got, but he pushed himself to focus on the ball instead, not wanting to lose it's trajectory. He felt so alive, and as if he were dead all at once. His blood was pumping through him like fire, yet his breathing tightened his chest like ice. His eyes were glowing, but not for intimidation, but elation. He reached out, his hand closing around the ball gently. For a split second he was distracted by the faces of McGonagall and Snape in the window he was heading straight towards. He commanded his broom down, clipping his elbow on the window sill. He landed heavily, the other first years running over in amazement. He hissed in pain when Nott jostled his arm.
"You're hurt." Zambini said. Harry gave a small nod, tossing the Remembrall to Ron before cradling his elbow closer to his chest. Harry's hair was windblown, his scar prominently displayed, his cheeks pink.
"Mr. Addams!" Snape called out as he stalked his way to the boy. The first years parted like the Red Sea, casting anxious glances to Harry. Harry looked up at Professor Snape, but he could not wipe the wide smile off his face, even seeing the most dangerous glare to date. Severus faltered, coming to a stop right before the boy. It was Lily's smile on the boy's face.
"I will refrain from reprimanding you, until after Madame Pomfrey attends to your arm." He said smoothly, playing off his momentarily lapse.
"But he broke the rules!" Malfoy complained.
"That much is obvious." Severus replied with a glare to his godson. " I cannot help but notice you are also holding a broom." Draco hastily dropped the broom, crossing his arms. "None of you are to touch another broom. Disperse immediately. Let's go Addams."
"Yes, sir." Harry muttered, following behind the man as he strode to the Infirmary. Severus waited until they were at the doors of the infirmary before speaking again.
"It is not a crime to love flying." Harry kept his gaze straight ahead, pretending he didn't hear him. "Follow the instructions that Madam Pomfrey gives you, to a tee. I will not have my new Seeker medically exempt from the first game." That got Harry's attention.
"Wha-Seeker?!" But it was too late, Professor Snape was already down the hall, his robes billowing behind him. Once again Harry found himself with a smile he could not hide.
A/N: No there is not a confusion to Morticia's timeline. Harry and his siblings have always been told that she left her home at 6, upon meeting Gomez. Morticia's interaction with Morana (Blaise's mother) seems to suggest otherwise. This will become more clear later on. Sorry for the crazy delay. Many life changes happening. Hope to update at least once a month.