Disclaimer: this story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoat Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Chapter three: Guardianship Matters
Harry's thoughts were in disarray after his conversation with Snape. He'd known something was wrong with Sirius, of course he had. The attack had been a dead giveaway. But Sirius back at St. Mungo's? A guardianship hearing? Being at Snape's house? It boggled his mind. But prevailing over all that was one panicked thought: what had happened to the locket?
It had taken Harry more than a week before he'd had a chance to look for it. His chance came when Sirius had left him to do some necessary shopping, while Harry had begged off in favor of doing homework. At least, that was what he'd told Sirius. The moment Sirius had gone, Harry started his hunt for Slytherin's locket. His greatest fear had been that the locket had been thrown away when Sirius had cleaned Grimmauld Place. The only reason the damn thing had survived the cleaning first time around was because Kreacher had hidden it. But Harry hadn't seen hide nor hair of Kreacher. He'd actually had the sneaking suspicion that Sirius had killed him. Under normal circumstances, that wouldn't have bothered Harry all that much, but he'd actually needed Kreacher alive so he could rescue the locket.
The first place Harry looked was in the small hidey-hole that was Kreacher's room. It was surprisingly neat and tidy, but there was no sign of Kreacher. Luckily for Harry, alongside the back wall there was a neat row of Black Family heirlooms. And third from the left was Slytherin's locket. With a sigh of relief, Harry wrapped it up in his handkerchief and pocketed it.
Later that day, Harry put it in his mostly empty trunk. He'd been meaning to find a better place to put it, but he was loath to leave the Horcrux behind when he went to Hogwarts. So in the end, he'd decided to leave it in his trunk. But Snape had said someone had packed his trunk and brought it over. Had they discovered the Horcrux? Had they perhaps recognized it as something Dark and confiscated it?
Panicked gnawed at Harry, clogging up his throat at the thought of maybe having lost a Horcrux. Snape must have sensed something of his inner turmoil, if the concerned gaze was anything to go by. But to Harry's great relief, the man didn't ask. Instead, Snape stood from where he'd been perched on the edge of the couch.
"I'm going to make us some breakfast," he said.
Harry nodded and waited until Snape had left the room. He'd already spotted his trunk, so as soon as he was alone, he stood from the couch to make his way over. He didn't even make it one step before bolts of pain laced through his body. He stifled a gasp, not wanting to alert Snape to the fact that he was up. Biting the pain away, Harry slowly made his way to his trunk. Once there, he gratefully sank to the floor, as his legs felt like he'd been hit with a Jelly-Legs Jinx. He threw open his trunk and began rooting through the contents. Clothes, books, his homework; they were all piled on top of each other, and there was no logic to the order in which they were packed. At the bottom, the items that had already been in the trunk became visible: the stack of letters from his mother that Snape had given him, the photo album Remus had given him, and his Invisibility Cloak. Harry felt inside the folds of the cloak and gave a sigh of relief as his fingers closed around the heavy, gold chain that was attached to the locket. He pulled it out of the trunk and gently ran his finger over the ornate serpentine S. The tingle in his finger reassured him that it was indeed the real Horcrux.
Just then, a small movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention. He tensed and turned his head. Snape was standing in the doorway that led to the kitchen, unfathomable black eyes watching Harry. Quickly, Harry closed his hand around the locket and pushed it back inside his trunk, once again hidden inside his folded Invisibility Cloak. When he looked up again, Snape was gone and the sound of pots and pans clanging could be heard, far louder than necessary. Harry smiled. If there was one thing he liked about Slytherins in contrast to Gryffindors, it would be this. They at least understood that secrets weren't meant to be shared.
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Snape's house wasn't big, but it had all the rooms that were necessary. The living room was tiny and dark, but the walls and even the doors were lined with books, which made up for a lot in Harry's mind. The kitchen wasn't big either, but it was big enough to house a table that seated four. Upstairs there were two modest bedrooms, one Snape's and the other one now Harry's, and a bathroom. But by far the best room in the house was the basement, which was a fully equipped potions lab.
Apart from the first day, which he'd spent ensconced in bed at Snape's insistence, Harry spent his days in the basement. In the mornings, Snape worked on replenishing the Hospital Wing's potions supply, and Harry watched as the Potions Master easily controlled three bubbling cauldrons at the same time. It was pure magic to see, and Harry was absolutely enthralled by it, much to Snape's amusement. In the afternoons, Snape continued Harry's lessons at Harry's insistence. The difficulty level and concentration it required enabled Harry to forget about the impending guardianship hearing and the visit of the casewitch that was supposed to happen sometime before that. Today though, it seemed Snape had other ideas.
"No working in the lab today," Snape told him over breakfast. "The weather's nice. You should go out and explore the neighborhood."
"I can just watch," Harry said. "I won't be in the way, I promise."
A slight smile played around Snape's lips, but to Harry's disappointment he still shook his head no.
"I'm not working in the lab today either," Snape said.
"I'll just read then," Harry said.
It wouldn't be as good as working on potions when it came to distracting him, but it would have to do. He felt guilty enough as it was, invading Snape's house and time like he did. He couldn't exactly go and beg the man for more lessons; after all, this was supposed to be a holiday for Snape as well.
"No, you need some sunlight," Snape said, nixing that plan. "Go out, explore the neighborhood, have some fun."
It seemed there was no getting around it. And he couldn't blame Snape for wanting some time alone. If Harry was surrounded by children for a whole school year, he would want some time without children around him during the summer holidays. Determined to give Snape a break from having to babysit him, Harry set out to explore the neighborhood after breakfast.
Even in the sunlight of an exceptionally beautiful summer's day the houses looked drab and rundown. As Harry walked around, he realized he was walking in the neighborhood where his mother had grown up. Looking at the decrepit state of it, he could understand why his Aunt Petunia was so obsessed with everything looking neat and nice. Of course, she took it way too far, but that was Aunt Petunia for you—or all the Dursleys, really. Moderation wasn't a word they were familiar with.
Harry stayed outside as long as he could, but when the thoughts of where he was going to go now that Sirius couldn't take care of him became too much, he returned home. Unfortunately, instead of the distraction he'd hoped to find, he found Miranda Wobberwacky, his casewitch, waiting for him. After introducing them, Snape ushered them into the kitchen before leaving Harry alone with her. Harry thought it was quite strategic of Snape, since the only way out of the kitchen was through the living room where Snape, Harry was sure, was standing guard.
"Now, Harry… I can call you Harry, can't I?" Miss Wobberwacky asked.
Harry had to suppress a wince at the casual use of his first name. He hated the fact that people in the Wizarding World thought they knew him just because they knew of him. The fake familiarity was just as annoying as the open fawning. But he nodded politely. Not that it seemed to matter any, as Miss 'call me Miranda' Wobberwacky perkily chatted on.
"I'll be representing you at the guardianship hearing next week," she said. "I'll make sure you get the best guardian you can have until your godfather can take care of you again. Don't you worry!"
"Will I have a say?" Harry asked.
Miranda actually looked a bit surprised at the question.
"Oh, no, honey, you won't have to do a thing," she answered. "Just leave it to the grown-ups."
That statement set Harry's teeth on edge, and it was with gritted teeth that he listened to her detailing how the hearing was going to go. She asked some questions about his stay with Snape, and his answers seemed to satisfy her. After an agonizing minutes of conversation, she finally left him in peace.
Harry plunked his head down on the kitchen table with a groan, utterly frustrated with the whole guardianship thing, which was how Snape found him a few minutes later.
"Harry, are you all right?" Snape asked, sounding concerned.
"No," Harry moaned as he lifted his head to look at Snape. "May I kill her, please, sir?"
"No, you may not," Snape said sternly, but his lips twitched.
"Can I kill myself then?" Harry asked beseechingly.
Snape laughed while shaking his head.
"No, but if you truly find her so trying, try and do what I do when dealing with Ministry officials," Snape said. "Imagine all the ways in which they could accidentally kill themselves due to their stupidity."
Harry snorted out a surprised laugh.
"That could take a while," he said.
"Exactly," Snape said with a smirk.
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Seated next to Miranda, Harry listened with growing horror to the panel of five judges. Aurors and Healers had given testimonies about Sirius Black, and the judges had unanimously decided that at the current time, he was not fit as a guardian. Harry couldn't help but agree. But the real problem came with deciding who would be his new guardian. The judges were actually discussing placing him back with the Dursleys! And Miranda, who was supposed to have his best interests in mind, was all for it.
Harry looked over at where Snape and McGonagall were seated, hoping to catch Snape's eyes. The man had promised him he wouldn't be returned to the Dursleys, so why didn't he do something? But Snape kept looking straight ahead, not even glancing in Harry's direction. Disheartened, he refocused his attention on the judges.
"And seeing as there is no other viable alternative…" the oldest of the judges droned.
"Actually, Lord Arynn," Snape interrupted. "There is an alternative guardian—one who can offer Mister Potter a stable home until such a time that Sirius Black is able to return to his guardianship duties. A guardian who already has a bond of trust with Mister Potter and who, unlike Mister Potter's aunt, has magic. This placement will therefore ensure that Mister Potter will not be cut off from his parents' legacy, our world, again."
Harry looked at Snape, who'd delivered his passionate speech standing up, hope blossoming in his chest. Then his gaze fell upon McGonagall, still seated next to Snape. Was she the guardian Snape had in mind?
"Well, Professor Snape, that sounds reasonable, " the obese judge said. "Who might this possible guardian be?"
"Me," Snape said.
For a few seconds, the courtroom was utterly silent as everyone, Harry included, gaped at Snape in surprise. Then pandemonium broke out, with everyone talking at the same time and getting increasingly louder as they tried to make themselves heard over everyone else.
"Preposterous!" the obese judge bellowed.
"But his aunt is his family," Miranda wailed from her seat next to Harry.
"He's a Death Eater," another judge shouted.
"Professor Snape is an honorable man," McGonagall said in a loud voice.
"Murderer!" the one female judge shrieked.
"Does the word spy mean anything to you?" Snape shouted back.
Accusations were flying around, there was screaming and shouting, and Harry even saw Snape's wand hand twitch, although he fortunately had enough self-control not to draw his wand. And amidst it all, nobody had even looked at Harry, let alone asked him what he wanted.
"Shut up!" Harry screamed, jumping up from his seat, his fists balled. "Just shut up!"
The sudden silence was almost deafening in its intensity, and for a moment Harry thought he'd actually made them realize they needed to listen to him. He soon realized the real situation though, as the eldest judge glared at him, motioning frantically while his mouth moved without sound. He'd Silenced everyone in the courtroom but himself in a bout of accidental magic. Out of habit, he reached for his wand to undo the spell, but he stopped himself when he realized this would be his only chance to be heard.
"I'm sorry but if I undo the spell, you'll stop listening again," he said.
The judges were all frowning, but a quick glance at Snape showed that the man had taken a seat. He had his arms folded in front of his chest, but there was also a smug smile on his face. As Harry caught his eyes, Snape gave him a small nod. Bolstered by Snape's tacit approval, Harry turned back to the judges.
"Everybody is talking about where I should go, but nobody asked me what I want," he said, after turning back to the judges. "I don't want to go back to the Dursleys. Why would I? They hate magic, and they hate me. If anybody had asked me, I could've told them that."
Harry took a deep breath. He had never wanted to discuss the Dursleys and their treatment, but knew he had to. It didn't make it any easier to admit out loud that the only real family he had left hated him. He snuck another glance at Snape, who was perhaps the only one in the courtroom who didn't look shocked. The man had known, had perhaps known more than Harry had previously thought, but strangely enough Harry didn't mind.
"Professor Snape is right. He can provide me with a home. He's done so for the past week and a half. I have my own room, I get three meals a day, and he even sends me outside to play because he says I need the sunlight," Harry continued. "I trust him a lot more than other people. I've told him more than anyone else, including Sirius. And what he didn't say is that he was friends with my mum. In fact, he was the one who warned my parents that they were targeted by Voldemort."
Everyone in the courtroom except Harry winced as he spoke Voldemort's name, but Harry took no notice of it. Another quick glance over at Snape showed the man looking at him with wide eyes. Harry knew he'd surprised the man, and he hoped that the surprise would keep him from asking where exactly Harry had gotten that knowledge.
"If it wasn't for Pettigrew's betrayal, Professor Snape's warning would've saved my parents' lives. I know you all look at him and see just the Dark Mark on his arm. But when I look at him, I see a brave man who did what he had to in order to defeat the darkest wizard our world has faced in recent memory. And instead of praising him, you condemn him!"
Harry took a shaky breath as he tried to calm down. Memories of the war, pieces of the puzzle that had been Snape's life, carefully reconstructed by Hermione after the man's demise, it all came to the forefront of his mind when talking about this. But if he wanted to have any chance to go home with Snape, something he found himself wanting to very much, he needed to keep his head in the game.
"Nobody asked me what I wanted. But if they'd asked, I would've told them I want Severus Snape to be my guardian," Harry said.
Harry fell silent after that, waiting for a response. It was only after half a minute and a few gestures from the oldest judge, this time with a teasing smile on his face, that Harry remembered he'd Silenced everyone. He quickly reversed it, blushing madly in embarrassment.
"Thank you, Mister Potter," the oldest judge said after he'd regained the ability to speak. "Let me first say that we are sorry you felt so unheard your magic reacted in this way to remedy the situation. Furthermore, I think I speak for all of us," he gestured to his fellow judges, "when I say that we will under no circumstance send you back to your aunt."
Harry blew out a relieved breath and shot a grin towards Snape, who smiled back briefly. The man was still tense though, reminding Harry that the most important decision had yet to come.
"As for the matter of appointing Severus Snape as your guardian, I think, in light of your passionate speech, young man, that we will approve Severus Snape's guardianship until such a time as when Sirius Black is recovered enough to be granted custody of you once again," the judge finished.
Harry let out a whoop of joy, making both Snape and McGonagall chuckle and most of the judges smile. Miranda didn't look too happy, but Harry really couldn't care. After giving Snape a quick hug, which the man returned much to Harry's surprise, he was left to make some polite small talk with McGonagall while Snape took care of the necessary paperwork. Ten minutes later, they were ready to leave.
"Floo to Grimmauld Place," Snape said as they reached the public Floos in the Ministry's atrium. "We'll collect the rest of your things."
Harry tumbled out of the fireplace in the drawing room with Snape not far behind him. But Harry wasn't taking any notice of the man at all, because all he had eyes for was the damaged room. During Sirius' attack, Harry had been too busy defending himself to take notice of it, but now he could clearly see the ravage the duel left behind. There were scorch marks on the walls and carpet, one of the sofas had a hole in it, two windows were cracked, and the table was nothing but a pile of rubble.
Harry startled as Snape put his hand on Harry's shoulder.
"Are you all right?" Snape asked.
Harry nodded and wordlessly led Snape to his room. There really wasn't much to pack anymore, just some clothes that had gotten left behind, Hedwig's cage and owl treats, and his broom. There was only one problem: his broom was nowhere to be found. He and Snape looked for it all over the house, and Harry eventually found it in pieces in the backyard. The broom, or what was left of it, reminded him a bit of his relationship with Sirius, and he wondered if it was possible to mend the damage.
"He must have used your broom to try and escape the Aurors," Snape said, kneeling next to Harry. "It doesn't look like it's fixable. I'm sorry."
"Doesn't matter," Harry said with a shrug.
And really, it didn't. Brooms were replaceable, after all. And it was not the first time a gift from Sirius ended up in pieces. But Harry couldn't help but wonder if it was some sort of sign.
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The morning after the hearing, Harry woke up in what was now officially his room. Hedwig, sitting in her open cage on the desk, hooted a soft greeting at him as he got up. After getting dressed, Harry made his way downstairs for breakfast. When he got to the kitchen, he realized Snape wasn't alone. Dumbledore was there, as well, and the atmosphere was tense.
"Ah, Harry," Dumbledore said when he saw him. "How are you today?"
"I'm not going back to the Dursleys," Harry blurted out in lieu of a greeting.
From the way neither man acted surprised by Harry's outburst, it seemed he had been right about the reason for Dumbledore's visit.
"Now, my boy, I understand you might not be perfectly happy at your aunt's, but surely in light of …" Dumbledore began.
"Not perfectly happy?" Harry shouted, interrupting Dumbledore. "They beat me! They starved me and made me work like a slave, and if there wasn't any work, they'd lock me up in the cupboard under the stairs!"
Harry had tears running down his cheeks while he shouted out all the anguish he'd never voiced before. Dumbledore looked aghast by his outburst, while Snape had a dark look on his face that Harry now knew him well enough to identify as equal parts angry and concern.
"And it's all your fault!" Harry continued, although it was now more of a hoarse whisper than a shout. "You left me there."
Dumbledore had been getting paler and paler during Harry's speech, and he was now looking like he might be sick. Harry couldn't care less about Dumbledore, as he was choking on his sobs. Suddenly, he found himself engulfed in Snape's arms.
"I think you should leave, Headmaster," Snape said in an icy whisper.
Harry didn't hear Dumbledore reply, but the distant sound of the Floo indicated he'd heeded Snape's words. For a long time, Harry let his tears flow in the safety of Snape's embrace. In the original timeline, Harry had never spoken about the Dursleys' treatment of him, not even when Hermione had pressed him about it. It felt liberating to talk about it now, but it also hurt and brought back all of Harry's old insecurities. But Snape standing by him, wanting him, that helped a lot.
Eventually, Harry calmed down and withdrew from Snape's arms, feeling a little embarrassed.
"Thanks, Professor," he mumbled with warm cheeks.
"I think, considering I am now your guardian and it's the summer holidays, you can call me Severus," Snape said. "Now, how about we have some breakfast? There's a lot of brewing on the program for today, I believe."
Harry smiled and sat down at the table as Snape, no, Severus, started on breakfast. He might not quite know how a normal household was run, only having experienced the abuse of the Dursleys and the craziness of the Weasleys, but Harry imagined it would be very much like this.
But the plans to start brewing after breakfast had to be put on hold as another visitor arrived, just as Severus was putting away the last of the dishes he'd cleaned. This time it was Remus, and Harry steeled himself for the man's reaction, knowing the history there was between Severus and the Marauders. He was expecting a lot of things, but not the crushing hug the man gave him.
"Oh, Harry, I am so sorry," Remus said.
Harry tensed slightly in the man's embrace. Sure, most people he knew wouldn't be jumping for joy about Severus being his guardian, but coming right out and saying you're sorry was a bit much—especially when the man was standing right there.
"I should've noticed," Remus rambled on, still hugging him. "If I'd only…I would've seen it. I would've stopped him before he could hurt you."
Harry was thoroughly confused now. Severus hurting him? Where was Remus getting this? He withdrew from the hug, and Remus let him go, if a bit reluctantly.
"What are you talking about, Remus?" Harry asked.
A momentary flash of surprise crossed Remus' face before it became contrite again.
"Why, Sirius of course," Remus said. "If I'd just visited more, I would've seen something was wrong with him. I never would have let it come this far. But I wanted to give the two of you some time together."
Understanding flooded Harry. Remus was feeling guilty, an emotion Harry was quite familiar with. But it was misplaced in this instance.
"It's not like I realized anything either, and I lived with him," Harry said with a shrug.
"He's right, Lupin, nobody noticed, not even the staff of St. Mungo's," Severus said. "So stop the self-pity."
Remus gave a slight grin and sat down at the kitchen table, evidently intending to stay for a while. Severus gave him a sneer.
"I suppose you want tea?" he asked snidely.
"That would be lovely, Severus, thank you," Remus replied kindly.
As Severus made tea for all of them, Remus turned his attention back to Harry.
"So, how are you doing?" he asked.
Harry grinned.
"Great," he said. "Severus has been letting me use his lab to brew potions."
"Yes," Severus said as he placed a cup of tea in front of Remus and another one in front of Harry. "I'm thinking I should put him to work, have him help me with the potions for the Hospital Wing."
"Sure, use me as cheap labour," Harry quipped.
Remus chuckled, but Severus just raised an eyebrow, the look in his eyes promising copious amounts of talking in Harry's future. Harry gave him a small smile, while Remus started telling an anecdote about a Potions exam that had gone terribly wrong due to a prank. Maybe talking wouldn't be so bad, if it was with the right person.
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Summer went on, and it was arguably one of the most pleasant summers Harry had ever had. With enough food, being able to do his homework, spending his afternoons either brewing, reading, or walking around the neighborhood, and no abuse, it should have been a carefree summer. But it wasn't, because there were two big concerns weighing heavily on Harry's mind.
The first one was that although he had frequent contact with Hermione and Theo, he had not heard anything from Draco since the holidays began. He had not even received a reply to the letter he'd sent to all three of his friends, telling them about Sirius' delusions and that Severus was now his guardian. Knowing now what he did about Draco's home life, he was quite worried about his friend.
The second problem he had concerned the Horcrux diary. Harry had planned to snag it in Diagon Alley after Lucius Malfoy had given it to Ginny, but he had soon realized that might be easier said than done. Without his friendship with Ron, he had no idea how he was going to convince Severus they had to go to Diagon Alley on the fifteenth of August and no other day. And if he couldn't convince Severus to go on the same day the Weasleys would be there, Harry was going to have to figure out a way to sneak into Gryffindor tower and up to the girl's dormitory—not something he wanted to attempt.
In the end, Severus unknowingly solved both of Harry's problems by proclaiming they were meeting Lucius and Draco in Diagon Alley on the fifteenth. To Harry it seemed like Luck was finally on his side. He only hoped it would continue to be.
The plan was to meet Lucius and Draco in front of Gringotts. So after taking the Floo to the Leaky Cauldron, Severus and Harry made their way there along the winding, cobbled street. Harry was dressed in a light summer robe because, according to Severus, Harry was a role model in Wizarding society whether or not he wanted to be. So he should always act and look like an upstanding Wizard. Harry didn't mind, though. The robes made him blend in a bit more, and he hoped he'd be able to avoid any fans.
By the time they reached Gringotts, Lucius and Draco were already waiting for them. They, too, were decked out in wizarding robes, although a bit dressier than the ones Harry and Severus were wearing. Both blonds were looking particularly pale, and Harry saw that Draco was standing stiffly. Harry stifled a worried sigh and instead smiled and greeted them as if nothing was wrong. He knew better than to ask personal questions in such a public venue.
"Mister Malfoy, I wanted to thank you once again for your help," Harry said. "I'm very glad you helped Sirius get a trial."
"You're quite welcome, Harry," Lucius said. "I am just sorry that it didn't work out better for you."
Harry felt somewhat uncomfortable talking to Lucius Malfoy like this, remembered hurts that had not yet come to pass making it a bit awkward. But Harry also realized that he was talking with Lucius Malfoy, Draco's father and not with Lucius Malfoy, Death Eater. So he pushed his unease away and mustered up a smile.
"That's all right," Harry said. "Sirius is getting the help he needs right now, and I've got Severus."
"You do indeed," Lucius said.
With that it seemed the conversation was over, much to Harry's relief. After a brief moment of quiet conversation between Lucius and Severus, the men granted Draco and Harry the freedom to roam around Diagon Alley for two hours. They agreed to meet up at Flourish & Blotts. Severus pressed a couple of Gallons in Harry's hand as pocket money. Harry took it without comment, having had the whole argument about money that morning. He'd lost it, having to concede that Severus, as Harry's guardian, was responsible for paying for everything Harry might need. He was not to touch the money in his vault, because according to Severus, if Harry wanted something he should come to him, and Severus would then decide if it was something Harry should have. It had been quite a shock to realize that with Severus he not only had a good guardian but that he would lose some of the freedom he'd gotten used to. It was worth it though.
Draco and Harry went off on their own, leaving the two adult wizards to their conversation. They took their time peering in the windows of the shops and talked about everything and nothing. Draco didn't say a word about never writing, and Harry didn't ask, but he did notice the blond boy moved rather gingerly. Harry couldn't help but wonder how many injuries Draco's light blue robe hid. That train of thought had him thinking about Lucius Malfoy again. If Draco was this injured, Lucius must be as well. Harry briefly entertained the thought of trying to get Lucius Malfoy on his side, but then he discarded the idea. No, he might be able to save Draco from becoming a Death Eater, but it was far too late for Lucius Malfoy.
At Draco's insistence, they bought pumpkin-and-chocolate ice creams at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor, which were surprisingly good, and they spent a good half-hour in Quality Quidditch Supplies gaping at all the equipment.
"Are you going to try out for the team this year?" Draco asked him as they were examining brooms.
"I don't know," Harry said. "My broom's busted, and I doubt Severus will let me buy anything so expensive."
"Hey, my Dad bought me a new broom for my birthday. You can borrow my old one for try-outs and stuff," Draco said enthusiastically. "Come on, we should both try out! I'm sure we're good enough to get on the team."
Harry laughed and agreed to at least try out for the team. To be honest, he missed flying—missed the exhilaration caused by chasing after the Snitch and catching it.
With twenty minutes left before they had to meet up with Lucius and Severus, the boys decided that the last stop they were going to make was Gambol and Japes Wizarding Joke Shop. Harry was having great fun trying out several different fake wands, some of which turned into rubber animals, while others just puffed out multi-colored smoke, when the door opened again and the Weasley twins came walking in together with Lee Jordan. Seeing them made Harry aware of the task that awaited him at Flourish and Blotts, and he suddenly had butterflies in his stomach. He quietly made his way over to where Draco was examining a box of Dungbombs.
"Come on, let's go to Flourish and Blotts," Harry said. "I want some time there to look around, and I don't think Severus will be patient enough for that."
Draco snorted.
"Yeah, right, you've met the man, right?" he said. "Reading comes second only after brewing."
"Yeah, well, I get the feeling he wouldn't have much patience for me browsing the Quidditch section," Harry argued.
"Point," Draco conceded.
Together, the boys made their way to Flourish & Blotts. When they got there, there was a large, jostling crowd outside the doors. Harry's eyes caught the banner stretched across the upper windows of the shop, proclaiming that Gilderoy Lockhart was signing copies of his new book. He groaned in misery. With his attention so focused on being at Flourish & Blotts to intercept the diary, he'd totally forgotten that Lockhart would be there too.
"Let's forget about looking at the books and just get in, gather our books, pay as soon as your father and Severus get there, and get out," Harry said. "I do not want to end up in the papers, or worse, in front of that crowd."
"Yeah," Draco said, eyeing the crowd apprehensively. "In and out without being spotted, right there with you."
They pushed through the crowd to get inside the store, where there was a little more room to move, as most people where standing in the long line that wound right to the back of the shop. With everyone's attention focused on the place where Lockhart had just appeared, all flashy colors and dazzling white smile, nobody paid any attention to Harry and Draco, much to the boy's relief.
Draco pulled out the booklist, and they quickly went to work on getting a copy for each of them of every book on the list. They were halfway down the list when Harry saw a short, irritable-looking man with a camera pushing his way through the crowd. Remembering him all too well, Harry quickly pulled Draco between two high stacks of Gilderoy Lockhart's newest book, hiding them from sight. Draco gave him a questioning look but was thankfully smart enough not to say anything.
"Make way, make way, this is for The Daily Prophet," the man called out, and Harry shrank back into the shadows a little more.
After a few seconds, Draco peered around the stacks.
"Nobody with a camera in sight," he said to Harry. "That guy's probably at the front of the crowd by now."
"Thanks," Harry whispered.
Draco gave him a small smile. Not wanting their luck to run out, the boys quickly gathered the rest of the books on the list. Draco was just grabbing the last book they needed when Harry saw Severus and Lucius shoulder their way into the store. Both wizards had a sneer on their face as they surveyed the crowd. Harry wanted to wave at them to get their attention, but he had his hands full of books, so that wasn't an option. But Severus had already spotted him, and the two men made their way over to Harry.
"Where's Draco?" Lucius asked.
"Here, Dad," Draco said from behind his father
He handed one of the books in his hands to Harry, causing the rest of his stack to topple precariously. But before any books could fall to the floor, Lucius relieved his son from his burden. Severus took Harry's books out of his hands.
"Stay here," he said. "We'll pay for this, and then we will vacate this madhouse."
Lucius and Severus hadn't been gone for more than half a minute when Harry heard a familiar cacophony of voices behind him. He turned around to see Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, along with Ron, Ginny, the twins, and Percy. Unfortunately, Ron had spotted them as well. With a disgusted look on his face, he made his way over to them.
"Well, well, if it isn't famous Harry Potter, the traitor," Ron sneered. "And look, your little lapdog is with you."
Harry suppressed a flinch at the hateful words that spewed out of the mouth of his one time friend. He wondered if he'd known Ron at all, because he couldn't remember the friend he'd had being quite so vicious.
"I'm surprised to see you in a shop, Weasley," Draco retorted. "I suppose your parents will go hungry for a month in order to pay for your books."
Ron flushed in anger. Harry was abruptly conscious of the fact that he had once stood on the other side of this argument. It had to be one of the weirder moments he'd encountered since traveling back in time.
"Oh, that's right," Draco continued with a sneer. "They're already going hungry just feeding their litter. You'd think being a disgrace to the name of wizard would pay better."
That last insult was apparently too much for Ron, and he flew at Draco, smashing into him with a roar. They crashed into a bookcase, causing several books to tumble down upon them, but neither boy took any notice of that. Ginny shrieked something unintelligible, and all of a sudden Lucius and Severus were there, as well as Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.
In the chaos, Harry took his chance. Ginny had left her cauldron filled with books on the floor and while everyone's attention was on Draco and Ron, who'd been pulled apart by Mr. Weasley and Lucius, who'd taken over the arguing their sons had begun, Harry had no problems pulling the diary out from between the other books. Severus, who'd pressed the bag with Harry's books in his hands before wading into the melee of Weasleys, was busy trying to keep Lucius and Mr. Weasley from getting into a fistfight themselves and was paying no attention to Harry. Quickly, he put the diary in between the other books in his bag. He was just in time, too, as Severus beckoned him to go outside.
Once outside, the first thing Severus did was ascertain that Harry was all right. Harry reassured the man he was fine. But the fight had thoroughly spoiled the mood of both older wizards, so after some hasty goodbyes, Severus and Harry set out for home. Lucius and Draco only had to visit Madam Malkins before they could go home as well. Harry thought it was probably more an excuse to stay away from Narcissa as long as they could than the fact that they absolutely had to go there. It hadn't escaped Harry's attention that after that tumble into the bookcase, courtesy of Ron, Draco was walking even more stiffly, and he clearly favored his right side. From the dark look on Severus' face, he hadn't missed it either. And although Harry had a second Horcrux in his possession now, it was difficult to be happy when his friend was so obviously injured.