Disclaimer's in the prologue.
Harry rode the school carriages to get to Hogsmeade hours later after his and Draco's conversation. The carriages were being pulled by thestrals (bony creatures that slightly looks terrifying), others cannot see it but him, his brother most probably, and others who have witnessed death, can.
There were three other people in the carriage he doesn't know though they look like from higher years, two Ravenclaws and one Gryffindor. The ride was silent, though quite annoying because of the older years who kept on looking at him.
"Hey Harry!" Theo greeted, looking like he has been waiting since he arrived.
"Hey." he greeted back as he left his trunk to the one in charge of loading it on the train.
The train will leave in about fifteen minutes and fortunately they managed to find an empty compartment even with all the students hurrying to get one. Harry told Theo of Draco's offer of friendship hours before, Theo looked unconvinced but relented anyway, trusting his judgement of 'the blonde ferret.'
The two of them were just the only ones in the compartment until someone knocked on the door. Harry responded for the person to come in.
"Malfoy." Theo said neutrally.
Harry looked at Draco who was still standing by the compartment door. "Come in and sit down and don't you have something to say to Theodore."
"Yes, I apologize about always calling you a traitor, oddball." The blonde boy said.
Theo raised an eyebrow before saying. "Apology accepted ferret face."
Just as Draco sat down someone opened the compartment door the rest of Draco's supposed friends, Crabbe, Goyle, Parkinson, Bulstrode, and the two that he seemed alright with, Zabini and Greengrass. Macnair was also with them along with his gorillas.
"Draco what are you doing sitting with those muggle lovers?" snarled Parkinson, scrunching her nose that made her look uglier than ugly.
"What would your Father say, Draco?" Macnair said with a sneer. "Associating with bloodtraitors like those two."
"Look uglies," Theo started, making the others snicker and Parkinson scowl at him. "No one, and nobody would have, invited you guys here and you" Theo looked at Parkinson, "standing there looking at us...is kinda giving us the creeps right guys?" They both looked at Draco who nodded in absolute agreement with him. Parkinson was glaring at Theo then Greengrass spoke up.
"Well do you mind if we stay here Harry? The others are full." She asked kindly so Harry nodded politely. Parkinson snorted then left without a word with the others except Crabbe and Goyle who stuck around Malfoy and also joined them in the compartment. Zabini just left, looking like he wouldn't care less even if the world ends right in front of him.
"Crabbe, Goyle introduce yourselves." Draco told the two and they complied. Harry never really talked Malfoy's bodyguard and they weren't that talkative either they just do this and do that, whatever the others told them what to do. It was a pity really, even if they're not that intellectually good they should at least not let Draco or any other people boss them around for that matter.
"Gregory Goyle but you can call me Greg, Evandrus." The taller of the two said, shaking hands with him.
"Vincent Crabbe, you can call me Vincent or Vince." the other one said, also taking a turn to shake his hand.
"How do you do." he said to them.
The old lady who was selling sweets stopped by their compartment and as expected, Theo, and Malfoy, who just commanded Crabbe and Goyle to do it for him, started buying some candies.
"Have fun getting your teeth rotten to bits." he stated dryly. "I'm sleeping" then he leaned his head by the wall and drifted off to sleep.
"Hey hey, wake up sleeping beauty." Greengrass woke him up hours later.
"Thanks for waking me up Greengrass." he said politely, seeing that Draco and Theo were already outside the compartment.
"Just Daphne." Harry nodded in disinterest and exited the train with the three of them. Greengrass left their side immediately.
"Where do you live by the way? I know you don't live with my mother's cousin and your brother." Draco said while getting their trunks.
"Somewhere." he replied vaguely.
Draco's eyes rolled and said. "Oh come on Evandrus really where do you live?"
"I don't see why you need to know where I live." Harry said to the Malfoy scion crisply. "It's not like..." He stopped, looking at Theo and Draco who were both grinning.
"Come on Harry, it's not like we're going to... blow up your house or something when we go visit you there, right Draco?" Draco nodded. Harry was slightly dumbstruck at the two of them. They've been more than a little unfriendly at each other since the beginning of the school year and now they are acting like they're best of friends after just an apology hours before.
Harry sighed. He won't admit it out loud, but it was nice though that someone would want to drop by. "I'm going to be staying in Number Six Privet Drive."
"Score!" Theo exclaimed, giving Draco a high five. Harry just shook his head.
Mrs. Malfoy came to pick up Draco some time later. Maldoy Sr. clearly wasn't the type who will accompany a son of his to the train station. Crabbe and Goyle disappeared immediately with their respective fathers.
Draco introduced him to his mother Narcissa Malfoy, his Godfather's cousin.
"Very nice to meet you Lady Malfoy." he said politely, shaking the hand of Mrs. Malfoy. Malfoy's mother smiled at him and commented that he has excellent manners that will pass as a pureblood and then they left not long afterwards.
"Father, this is my friend Harry Evandrus." Theo introduced him. "Harry, this is my Father, Alexander Nott." Theo's father, like Harry, looks like a copy of his father except the eyes for Theo's eyes were brown like a chocolate while his father's was blue like that of the ocean.
"Pleased to meet you Mr. Nott." he said politely, holding out his hand which Nott senior shook while giving him a calculating and a bit disapproving, not to mention an evil looking, look.
"You as well." Mr. Nott said, though it really didn't seem like it was. "We best be going, come along now Theodore." Harry had a feeling that Mr. Nott does not like him well it wouldn't be a surprise since he's a half-blood.
"Have a safe trip." he told them. Theo's father ignored him and Theo waved goodbye and they were gone.
Once they were gone, he walked through the barrier to be in King's Cross station.
He was going to leave when a voice called "Hey Harry." He turned and saw his brother looking a little upset.
"Lars, what are you still doing here?"
"Just gonna say bye, Theo and I cancelled the bet for the House cup since well...it's a tie."
"Then what's with the long face?"
Lars sighed heavily. "I'm grounded, for a whole bloody month, no going out of the manor, early bed time...and no allowance for the whole month..."
"You had it coming, my dear brother."
"I know." Lars replied with an eye roll. "Where do you live by the way? Can I visit you?"
"Number six Privet Drive."
"Ok then, bye Harry see you soon." Lars said then left along with the Weasley family who's, presumably, going to accompany him to the Leaky Cauldron.
"Need a hand there boy?" The cab driver asked him when he was about to load his trunk.
"Yes, thank you." he said. The cab driver lifted his trunk then placed it at the back.
"Where ya headed?"
"Privet Drive Little Whinging Surrey." The trip to Little Whinging was annoying for Harry. The cab driver, like many nosy people, kept on asking things like why's he alone, where're his parents or something like that. He sighed in relief when he arrived.
All the houses looked the same, boring little box like houses, but anyway it's better than not having one at all. It wasn't a permanent setting anyway, according to the old man. But why, of all places in London, or in the United Kingdom for that matter, was he placed there. Maybe it was so he will change his mind and go to Richmond for the summer with Midas, and Ethan, lots of possibilities as to why but the answer, or at least what he thought the answer was for the time being, came during his first afternoon at the house.
It was half way before three that following afternoon. He was having some snacks and a quiet time when someone knocked on the door. He wasn't expecting some visitor and if it was a visitor, they would have the courtesy of sending a letter to him first. He lazily walked towards the door and opened it.
Neighbours, he thought exasperatedly.
"Good afternoon." A voice of a woman said. "Are your parents around?"
"No." He replied immediately without looking at the woman by the door.
"Guardian perhaps?" She added sweetly.
Harry looked up to say something rather...impolite to the woman for disturbing his peace and quiet but decided against it when she found the woman awfully familiar.
Harry cleared his throat. "I live here by myself." He informed her. The woman looked strangely at him with a look of disbelief at hearing him say that he lives alone in the house.
"I see. I'm Petunia Dursley by the way. My family and I live next door." She said. Now Harry knew why she was somewhat familiar to him.
"Please do come in." He told her, neglecting to introduce himself.
She led her into the living room where he was having a snack. He motioned for her to sit down while he went to the kitchen to refill the bowl of fruits and get some juice.
"I'm sorry, I haven't introduced myself," he said when he got back with a tray of tea. "I'm Harold or Harry for short."
"Thank you," She said when he gave her a cup of tea. "It's a nice name. My Father's name was also Harold..." Harry was just quiet and didn't comment on that.
"My sister named one of her sons, Harold, if I can remember correctly." She looked hesitant at mentioning that she had a sister.
"Sons?" Harry asked innocently.
"Oh yes," She smiled at him, "twins, Harold and Lawrence."
"I see..." Harry was quiet before he noticed that Mrs. Dursley was staring at him with a nostalgic look on her face.
"Your eyes," She began, "they...they're beautiful...just like my sister's." Mrs. Dursley whispered the last part, Harry barely heard it.
"What is your last name by the way?" Mrs. Dursley asked.
Harry sipped from his cup and answered "Evandrus, my last name's Evandrus."
"I do not mean to pry, but where are your parents?" Harry knew that she would ask that sooner or later.
"They're dead," Harry said blandly.
"Oh, I'm sorry." She gave him a sympathetic look.
"No don't be," Harry said curtly. "You're not the psychopathic Dark Wizard who killed her." Voldemort should be sorry, but Harry will never forgive him and the others involved for destroying his should have been happy family.
"D-dark W-wizard?" She stuttered before placing both her hands on Harry's face which caused him to flinch a little. She looked like she was examining something in his face.
"I know that your face looks familiar..." She whispered. "Potter's face and...and Lily's eyes." And finally she recognized him. She had a tear in her eyes when she pulled away her hand.
"Yes, well as much as I don't like it, I do look like my Father." Harry said in a bored tone. "I hope Mrs. -"
"Aunt Petunia," she corrected lightly. "I'm your aunt after all."
Harry gave her a nod. "As I was saying, I hope you don't mind that I kept you in the dark for the past few minutes. I wasn't sure if you are who I think you are and if you can recognize me."
"I understand." She said.
"I nearly haven't, even with seeing your eyes, recognize you I mean, you do not have eyeglasses like Potter." She admitted. "It has been years...you were just about two years old...when I last saw you and your brother during...during Lily's funeral, I'm surprised that you even found me familiar." Harry can't remember his mother's funeral as he and his brother were barely two years old at that time. He only recognized his Aunt because of some pictures he saw before he left Potter Mansion.
"Where is that idiot James and why is your name 'Evandrus' and not 'Potter'?" She suddenly said with distaste, she must have never liked James Potter because of his too easy going and boastful attitude.
"Where is your twin...why are you here alone and not with those...wizards?" she said the last part with a bit uncertainty whether she should say it or not.
"My Father is dead, I haven't seen him for six almost seven years," said Harry without even any concern in his voice, not that he had any reason to be concerned that his Father is dead, other than he'll never know if his father will learn to like him. "I had to change it and I just thought that Evandrus is appropriate. My brother lives with Uncle Sirius and Uncle Remus and I'm a temporary resident of this house." He gazed at the window.
"Wait, six years?" She said with incredulity. "That arrogant prick has been dead for almost six years?"
Harry shook his head. "No. He's been dead for nearly five years I think."
"How come you did not see him?" She asked.
"I ran away when I was five thus not seeing him for more than half a decade." His Aunt was clearly shocked about that. "I'd rather not tell why so please do me a favour and don't ask anymore." He quickly added before his Aunt asks why he ran away.
"I understand." She said.
"Let me just invite you over for dinner on Saturday night at our home, I'm sure your Uncle Vernon will not object to it." Harry thought if he should or shouldn't. It'd be nice to be in other's company though, especially someone related to him. "I also have a son the same age as yours, my Diddykins." That was an odd name for a boy well it's probably just a nickname.
"Thanks Aunt Petunia, for asking, dinner would be lovely." He said sincerely with a small, polite smile.
"Excellent." She said. "Saturday five thirty."
"I would love to get to know you Harry," she looked sincere when she said that. "I never got the chance to apologize to Lily. Perhaps...all I can do is get to know you and your brother." She seemed a bit sad about it, probably regretful that she displayed resentment towards his mother when she was alive. The letters were the evidence of that. Why his mother never burned those resentful letters was beyond him.
Just like they say, you wouldn't know you care about something or someone, until you lose it or him.
"You should also invite your brother for Saturday," She suggested. "I would really love to have the two of you for dinner."
"Maybe if he comes by, or sends an owl, he's grounded for the whole month."
"Grounded huh?" She said with a hint of disbelief. "I never thought that Black would be quite a disciplinarian." Sirius wasn't always known to be that much of a disciplinarian, but probably when he thought back on their years at Hogwarts and how James acted like he's the centre of the world, Sirus probably changed his views that it was wrong to spoil a child.
"Why is your brother grounded?" She asked with a frown. "Got into mischief making like that Father of yours?"
Harry chuckled. "I guess you could say that,"
He knows that Lars likes playing pranks, thankfully his pranks are like the Weasley twins', just for good laughs, doesn't cause harm to people and most certainly not for bullying others.
"Where is your guardian Harry? I really don't think that you should be living alone, by yourself."
"I'm fine on my own." he said, managing not to sneer. "I can handle myself."
She nodded her head. "If you say so, feel free to stop by my house any time." She offered kindly while finishing her cup of tea. "I should -"
The fireplace suddenly flared and Aunt Petunia wasn't able to finish what she was about to say. Someone stumbled out of his fireplace unceremoniously. To say that Harry, and also his Aunt, was shocked would be an understatement of the century. He was extremely startled. He certainly wasn't expecting that, he didn't even know that the fireplace was connected to the floo network. Note to self, get all information first before moving in a house.
The intruder, who had just stood up, turned out to be Theo. First day in his new, though rented house and he still hasn't got rid of that pureblood.
"What are you...never mind that..." He turned to his Aunt. "Aunt Petunia this is my -"
"Best mate, Theodore Nott, very nice to meet you Ma'am." Theo interjected way too cheerfully, shaking the hand of a dumbstruck Aunt Petunia.
Aunt Petunia regained her composure. "I'm Harry's Aunt. It is nice to meet you as well. Now I must be going." Harry showed her out then went back to the living room.
"Theo, what on earth gave you the idea to floo here?" he asked. Using the floo network without assurance that your destination exists is highly dangerous, since it might cause you to turn up in Merlin-knows who's -fireplace. One's lucky enough to get redirected to the Ministry, but what if one gets redirected to somewhere unknown?
"What?" Theo said, looking confused. "I thought the address that you gave us is for the floo."
"No it wasn't." he said seriously. "I had no idea that this house is connected to the floo network."
"Oh..." That was all Theo managed to say.
"Oh indeed, Theo. Anyway, what are you doing here?" Harry asked in annoyance with his arms crossed.
"Oh come now, I miss my best friend." Harry gave his friend a dubious look, ignoring the delighted feeling that he had for a moment when he was referred to as Theo's best friend.
"I'm touched." he said mockingly with a hand on his chest. "I just saw you not more than twenty four hours ago, now I'm seeing your face again." he pointed out as he sat down on the sofa.
Theo sighed. "I know. I'm just getting bored at the house."
"Believe me you're going to be more bored here." he said truthfully because as far as he was concerned there is nothing inside the house that can possibly relieve someone of boredom though he did have some books that he brought with him and he's sure that Theo likes reading.
"Well you can wander around the house though." he suggested after observing that his friend was eyeing the living room.
"Do you mind?"
Harry shrugged. "As long as you don't break anything or burn down the house, I'm fine with it."
"OK GREAT!" Theo then ran upstairs checking the rooms.
"You have three extra rooms in here and you live alone." Theo stated when he got back.
"It's just for a few months, next year I'm probably not staying here."
"Where will you stay then?"
Harry shrugged. "Somewhere else, obviously."
"If you say so...can we go outside?" Theo asked.
"What time is it?"
"Fifteen past four."
"Alright then."
"Hang on does your parents know you're here?" Harry forgot to ask earlier. Theo merely nodded then they went out of the house and went to a nearby park.
Theo was evidently amazed to see the playground, the slides, see-saw, swings, monkey bars, etc. stating that it had been months since he last saw the muggle world.
Harry just sat on one of the swings and observed the people around him. There weren't a lot of kids present at the current time. There were almost zero, except him, Theo, a bunch of kids who looked like they were already leaving, and a group of large boys near a tree.
He turned to reading his book after glancing around his surroundings. When he looked up, he noticed that Theo is nowhere to be seen. Where is that pureblood of to now? He thought. That was when he heard a shout of "Let go of me you fat arsed muggle!" He turned to his right where, a group that consist of five bigger boys were ganging up on someone, and that someone was Theo, who was already on the ground.
"What do you think you're doing?" Harry said with his usual neutral voice to the group of boys. They turned to look at him, and Theo.
"Buzz off geek." One tall but quite large boy sneered at him and his friends snickered. He caught up why the other boy called him geek. He was wearing an eyeglass, a cardigan with a long sleeved shirt with a tie inside and black trousers. He just ignored them then he called for his friend. Theo quickly stood up and walked to hi's side then turned to leave.
"Oh, would you look at that, two freaky cowards." One of the boys from the group spoke. Harry and Theo looked at them again and saw that it was the fat one who spoke.
"Freaks, this is our park you hear?" The fat one said again.
"Mr. Whoever you are, my friend and I are neither cowards nor freaks," Harry said coolly, even if most people regarded Slytherins as cowards for they normally pick flight instead of fight, "If someone is a coward here then I think it would be you as you still need those" he pointed at the fat boy's friends, "cronies of yours to face one person."
The fat boy scowled at him before he walked in front of Harry, towering over him and nearly concealing that Harry was there if someone looks from the back of the fat boy.
"You're the new kid at numbah six aren't you?" It was more of a statement than an actual question.
Harry raised an eyebrow at the fat arsed muggle making a move to threaten him."So what if I am?"
"You better know who I am here,"
Harry rolled his eyes and adjusted his eyeglasses. "Look, I don't particularly care who you are, so just let us be." he said calmly. "Just apologize to my friend then we can all forget this incident." The bullies looked at each other then laughed. Harry wasn't surprised by that for he was actually half-expecting it.
"You know, new kid, you could always join my gang," Translation of that was to be the punching bag, or servant, of their gang. "I'm Dudley Dursley, we're neighbors."
Oh great, another clodpoll for a relative.
"So you're diddykins huh?" Harry asked mockingly with a smirk, remembering that not long ago did his Aunt refer to her son in that nickname. Fatso scowled at him while Theo had a look of confusion.
"I'm Harold Evandrus, and I'm your cousin." Fatso's group, and also Theo, looked at him and then looked at Fatso, then to him again.
"Cousin?" Fatso repeated. "My cousins' last name starts with a 'P'." So Aunt Petunia did mention to her family about them, and probably the wizarding world as well.
"I see." he drawled. "Well believe it or not, I am your cousin, now I think you should apologize to my friend."
"Dud, you ain't apologizing to that tourist are you?" The rat like boy said.
"Excuse me?" Theo reacted. "I'm not a -"
"He meant you're not from around here Theodore..." Harry interjected.
"Oh..."
"Oh indeed." says Harry before turning to fatso. "Your apology Dursley."
"I'm not botherin' you again, but there's no bloody way I'm apologizing, come on boys..." And then the group of zoo animals left.
"That went well..." Theo remarked. "Fat git...didn't even have the decency to apologize..."
"Quite...now I'm going back to the house."
"You sure he's your cousin?" Theo asked on their way back. "He certainly doesn't look like it."
"Yes, I agree."
Theo had dinner at his house. Harry cooked, or rather placed in a microwave a ready-made lasagne that Theo thought was delicious.
"I apologize that I wasn't of any help earlier." Harry said after contemplating whether he should say it or not.
"What?" Theo asked with a confused tone while eating his food.
"I intervened." he replied. "But I didn't even get him to apologize to you. Had they beat you up, I'm afraid I won't be able to do a thing."
Theo blinked, and blinked, and then blinked again. "That's fine mate, when you can't, you just can't. The good thing is you tried." After looking thoughtful, Theo continued. "I think it just shows that you're a real friend that you care, trying to help even if you think that you won't be able to do a thing."
Harry frowned. "What's the point of trying when it won't make a difference, when you'll just be failure over, and over again?"
"It makes all the difference Harry," his friend said with surprisingly a lot of conviction. "For me, failure is when you stop trying, when you give up, when you think that you're already a failure."
Harry chuckled a bit. "I heard that before." he remarked. "I just never believed it, I believed some of the things that he said, but that's one of the things that I didn't believe."
"Why not?"
Harry shrugged. "I don't know, but it was probably because I tried to please my father back then. You know the usual things that a child would do, leave drawings, smile, and all that, until I just gave up because he never seemed to care, he'll just be angry."
Theo went oddly silent when he said that.
"Does that make me a failure then?" he questioned. "Theodore? For giving up on having my father's approval."
"No," Theo shook his head. "You failed in that, but I don't think you're a failure. I certainly think that you don't think of yourself as a failure."
"Quite right." he huffed haughtily. "Of course I don't think myself a failure."
"Why apologize?"
"Excuse me?"
"I mean, why did you apologize for that? It's not like it's your fault."
Harry shrugged again. "I thought it was right that I should. I watched some who interact with their friends before and, when their friends can't, or didn't, defend them they seemed to be mad about it."
"Well that's stupid. I don't have a lot of friends, but I think that friendship is not about what your friends can do for you, maybe it should be a mutual relationship, but I don't think it is right to befriend people just because you have use for them."
"I see...anyway, now that I answered a question of yours, I think you should answer mine."
"Ok, that's fine with me."
"Why are you here? Until dinner might I add?" he asked. "Kind as you are, considering yourself my friend and all, but you won't be here without reason. Now, the truth."
Theo sighed heavily. "To tell you the truth, I got kicked out of the mansion until my father says that I can go back...Father sort of punished me." Theo scoffed. "Apparently that ugly, arse faced idiot Macnair was sending missives to Macnair Sr. about Hogwarts. So naturally Father was informed about it. He now knows that you are Lawrence's twin, that I sneak out to go to the muggle world, and I like muggles, muggleborns and half-bloods, so yes my punishment is to be anywhere but the mansion until I find where my loyalties lie." A sloppy grin split into Theo's face. "Pretty early to ask that don't you think?"
That was what Harry's afraid of when Theo audaciously proclaimed in the Slytherin common room that he is not anti-muggles. It was kind of harsh on Nott Sr.'s side, to punish his kid just for being aware of his belief. Harry valued family, even if he doesn't have the complete Mother, Father and Sibling, kind of family, he still values it. Prejudices and different beliefs should not be the cause for families to drift apart. Just as the difference in opinion of friends should not become the reason for mutual animosity.
"So you're here...to sleep over?"
"No," Theo denied, "only to eat and to give you a visit. I'm going stay in the Leaky Cauldron, winning bets is a lot of help I should say."
"You can stay if you want, like you said there are other rooms here."
"Really?"
"Yes." he replied curtly.
"Thanks Harry," Theo said gratefully, with a sad look on his face. Who knew that beyond all that facade of very cheerful, outgoing and boisterous schoolmate, and apparently friend, was someone who is troubled by his own beliefs and the beliefs of his family. His friend was starting to get torn in half by his loyalty to his family and his own views.