Chapter 31 – New Problems

Harry, Sirius and the Weasley family ended up staying at Hogwarts for three more days, so they could organize their lives and find an agreement concerning the new routine of Harry and Ginny, who wouldn't let go of each other for anything. Ginny's parents and Sirius agreed to facilitate their access to the floo network. This way, the children could see each other every day and spend time together without leaving aside their families.

Sirius was still searching for a good place for him and Harry to live. Until then, Sirius thought it would be better for them to stay at the old house that once belonged to his parents, even though the house wasn't at its best state.

Harry observed a big dark dresser, the peeled and ugly wallpaper and the threadbare carpet. The room was illuminated through gas lamps and candles in chandeliers in the shape of snakes. He looked to the side. There was an umbrella stand that reminded him of one of the troll's legs that he and Ron had faced at Halloween.

'Who lived here? Salazar Slytherin?' Harry joked.

Sirius wasn't feeling at ease as Harry was.

'Worst… My mother lived here.' He told the boy. 'We won't be here for long, I promise. Just until we find a good house to live.'

'Do I need to fear something there is here?' Harry was still kidding. 'Do the curtains bite or something?'

'The curtains don't, but the doxys surely will.'

'Doxys?'

'They are biting fairies, a common domestic infestation. They are quite the ugly pests. Their bite is poisonous, so be careful.'

'Right… Then I'll keep my distance from the curtains. Anything else I should know?'

Sirius shrugged. 'Other than an occasional boggart in the closets, I don't think there is anything else.'

They entered the long hallway, passing through crooked paintings stained by the time, who were grumbling at the new resident of 12 Grimmauld Place. A staircase led to the upper floors. Near it was a painting of an old and ugly witch (like those in the Muggle fairy-tales), who was screaming and cursing at them in a crazy way.

'Harry, I'd like to introduce you to my lovely mother.' Sirius ironically said.

'She's your mother?' Harry cautiously watched the painting. 'She looks scary.'

Sirius' laugh sounded like a dog's bark.

'Your dad used to say the same.' He remarked animatedly. 'But old Prongs had the bad luck of meeting her when she was still alive.'

They went up to the first floor, where there was a drawing room, a library, a bathroom and a habitable looking bedroom.

'Moony and I have worked on this bedroom. It's clean of doxys, boggarts and dust, the only thing left is the awful decoration. It has two single beds, so we can share it until we decide what we'll do.' Sirius clarified.

Harry's trunk was placed in one of the bedroom's corner. Harry sat on one of the beds. It wasn't as good as his one in Hogwarts, but it was a lot better than the old mattress at the Dursleys.

'What do you think?' Sirius asked, he was feeling a bit insecure.

'It's amazing. It looks like the house of the mean witch from the fairy-tales.'

'My mother was similar to those. Most of my family were dark wizards, which is why I never got along with them. Few Blacks were decent people. Andromeda was one of them, for instance, and so was your grandmother. Aunt Dorea was a lovely person.'

'My grandmother was your aunt?'

'Great-aunt, actually. Your grandparents were quite old when they had your dad. Everyone thought they couldn't have children. Infertility is common among pureblood families… But then James was born. Your grandparents loved him.'

'I didn't know my grandmother was a Black.' Harry commented. 'I don't know much, to be honest. No one ever tells me about my family. Everything I learnt was by myself or through my mum's diary.'

'What diary?' Sirius asked.

Harry told him everything about the diary and how it had helped him discovering Sirius' innocence.

'Lily's genius mind still astonishes me. I think I owe her now… That reminds me of something I've been thinking about these days.'

'What?'

'You know you aren't a boy like the others, right, Harry?

'No? And here was I believing everyone faces dark wizards and meets their soulmate at eleven years old…'

'That's right, pup, I'm sorry to inform you it isn't like that for everyone else, which is why I'm worried.'

'Worried?'

'I know you spent all your life before Hogwarts without knowing your story. And after that, a lot has happened to you in just a year. As soon as you were back to the wizarding world, Voldemort was already sneaking behind your back and decided to attack you and consequently Ginny as well. This is very serious.'

'I know… Since I left the Hospital Wing I've been having nightmares every night, where Ginny is tortured. I dreamt of the screams full of pain, crying helplessly… I don't want that to happen again, but I can't be away from her.'

'I'm not saying that you have to drive her away. To be honest, something tells me that she makes you stronger. The bond created between you is a great proof of that. Remus, Andromeda and I have started researching it and we've found somethings.'

'What did you find out?'

'Forgetting every tale and legend, and going straight to the practical side of things, we discovered that soul-bonds are indeed rare, but there were only a few ones recorded in the world in the last millennium. By our laws, which are very ancient, a soul-bond is considered a magical marriage bond and it can't be annulled.'

'What does that mean?'

'It means that you and Ginny are legally married.'

Harry simply stared at him. He couldn't believe him. 'Is that a joke?'

'No, it isn't. We checked the Department of Magical Registries and Contracts in the Ministry of Magic and your union has already been officially registered.' Sirius informed. 'Ginny is now Ginevra Molly Potter by the law e because of that you are both emancipated.'

'Emancipated? Does that mean that by the wizarding law we are adults?'

'That's right… Those laws are very old and haven't been updated in centuries. For a long time, they've been used to force marriage between children for political and financial interests among pureblood families. Sadly, there aren't many child protection laws in our world.'

'I don't know what to say…' Harry stated.

'In the short-term, this doesn't change anything. It'd be for the best if no one knows about it until we deem it to be necessary. This way we can avoid more interferences in your life. However, you should tell Ginny.'

'If I'm emancipated, how could someone interfere in my life?'

'Harry, sometimes it's best to let our enemy think that they've the upper hand. You won't want to waste time in useless court battles with people who want to find ways to control you.'

'Who wants to control me?'

'I could do a list. I'll start it with Albus Dumbledore, following some retired Death Eathers and I ended it with some big political figures.' Sirius retorted. 'Understand this, Harry. You're famous, you've an ancient and powerful surname and you'll inherited the fortune and the titles of two of the most noble families in would world. I'm certain that you're the most powerful wizard of this century, but if you aren't one step ahead, those people will swallow you up.'

Harry stayed quiet during a few moments, absorbing Sirius' words.

'I don't feel like that person you're describing.'

'That's understandable. It just looks like no one want you to discover who you really are. They want you to be easily manipulated… I won't allow it and neither should you.'

'Do you think Dumbledore is an enemy?' Harry asked warily.

'It isn't like that. Dumbledore means well, but he tends to believe he's the only good and wise wizard in the world. Due to his arrogance he makes mistakes and his mistakes can harm a lot of people.' Sirius clarified.

'He could've given you a trial when you were arrested.' Harry verbalized an old thought.

'He could.' Sirius agreed. 'However it was convenient to believe in my guilt, it took me out of his way, making it easier to manipulate you… The old Headmaster can try and deny it, but I'm sure he believes in the damn prophecy as much as Voldemort.'

'Does he want to control me because of the prophecy?'

'Do you already know about it?'

'Yes.'

'I think everything is connected to that prophecy. I'm certain we'll have problems due to it.'

Harry sighed. Suddenly he was feeling very tired.

'I just want to have a normal life.'

'Really? I thought you adore your lovely wife?'

'I do!' Harry laughed. 'But I'd adore her the same way in any other situation.'

'I can't give you a normal life, pup. I can only help you be ready as much as possible to face the life you have now. And I know you'll make every effort you can, because you have the greatest motivation in the whole world.'

'Which is?'

'Love… I hate to tell you this, but if you aren't strong enough to face those challenges, Ginny will be the first to suffer the consequences.'

'Then I can't fail.'

'No, you can't.'

A/N: This story was written before we learned about Fleamont and Euphemia Potter, that's why Harry's grandparents here are Dorea and Charlus Potter (an old popular headcanon).

Next chapter's title: Once Again