Glasses: A Harry Potter Fanfiction
By: TheWonderingWizard
Summary: If I gave a description or a premise for this one, it would ruin the story. I saw a plot suggestion on the Harmony Co Prompt Bank over on Tumblr, and decided to give it a try as a longer one-shot. Credit goes to pamraleymoore. My standard disclaimer applies. Something to bear in mind, I futzed with when Luna was born. Because of where her birthday fell on the calendar, Luna was able to go to Hogwarts with Harry's class. So, she's roommates with Padma Patil. Allons-y!
Daily Prophet Offices
Diagon Alley, London
22nd of June, 1996
ta Skeeter was at her desk in her office, looking out the window. It was the last day of her ban on writing anything about Harry Potter, or any of his friends. It was the deal that she found herself being forced to make the previous summer. She had been caught by Hermione Granger, that little Muggleborn witch. Unbeknownst to the Ministry of Magic, Rita Skeeter was an Animagus. It was the secret to her success as a journalist. Well, that, and her Quick Quotes Quill. Rita prided herself on always being able to get the latest and juiciest gossip, and sharing it with her adoring public. That old fuddy-duddy, Dumbledore, had tried to ban her, HER, from the grounds of Hogwarts during the Triwizard Tournament. Who did that old goat think he was? The Triwizard was the biggest event to hit Hogwarts in over two centuries. She used every source she'd cultivated in getting her stories on the front page. Then, that Granger girl had discovered her little secret. Rita had been forced into not writing about the Boy-Who-Lived or his little gang for one year. That year ended today, and she wanted and badly needed something juicy to write about.
Rita glanced at the shelves across from her desk, where she kept her collection of accolades, awards, trophies, and celebrity photos. Some of her best pieces were framed and were hanging about the office. There was room on her shelf for another Ossa award, and she was bound to get it thanks to the delicious "takedown" stories she'd done about Hogwarts during the previous school year. Reputations had been ruined, some irreparable so, but a story was a story. She looked out the window again, and nearly dropped her mug of tea when she spotted Harry walking out of Gringotts Bank. Not only that, he was hand-in-hand with a young woman! A closer look revealed the young witch in question to be Hermione Granger! Oh, this could be a juicy piece to land her on the front page again and possibly land her that Ossa trophy for sure! Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, had a girlfriend. She grabbed her handbag with her Quick Quotes Quill and parchment notebook already inside. Charming them to fit into the pocket of her robes, she shifted into her beetle form and flew out the open window.
Gringotts Bank
Diagon Alley
Harry had received a letter from Gringotts via owl post the previous day. Harry took one look at the envelope and knew that it would not be good news. The fortnight since Harry and his friends had battled the Death Eaters in the Department of Mysteries had passed by in a state of shock. He had allowed Voldemort into his mind and show him a false vision. In it, Sirius was being held captive by Death Eaters at the Ministry. Harry knew he had to go and save his Godfather. Hermione, Neville Longbottom, Parvati and Padma Patil, Elizabeth Collins, and Luna Lovegood all joined him to help out. They flew on Thestrals to London, and managed to get into the Hall of Prophecy. They'd walked right into the trap Voldemort set for them. The fighting had been fierce, and almost all of the students had been injured or wounded. Sirius and a few of the members of the Order of the Phoenix responded to a Patronus message and came to help. Sirius fought against his cousin, Bellatrix Lestrange. At one point, she cursed him, and he fell backward through the Veil. He was gone. One of the best friends his parents had ever known, and Harry's godfather, was gone. There'd been another major duel, this one between Dumbledore and Voldemort. At one point, Voldemort had possessed Harry, nearly killing him. Harry fought him off and cast him out. The Minister of Magic and dozens of Ministry personnel had witnessed it. Now, they believed Harry and Dumbledore when they said Voldemort was back.
he group of close friends returned to Hogwarts, with Hermione and Elizabeth both wounded by the curses they'd taken. Hermione had taken a Cutting Curse that was cast by Antonin Dolohov. The garish purple light had left a gash running along her torso from right shoulder to left hip. It was deep, but thanks to some quick thinking not fatally so. Elizabeth had pushed her childhood friend out of the way before the curse had cut her in half. The curse had broken her clavicle, nearly broken her sternum, bruised her heart, broken a couple of ribs, and punctured a lung. An enraged Dolohov had used a powerful banishing hex to throw Elizabeth against a wall in retaliation. She crashed into the wall, and had multiple broken bones and some internal injuries. Those two hexes were the last that Dolohov would ever cast, however. Padma cut him down with a flame whip around his body. Screaming in agony, he'd been unable to use his portkey to escape. Kingsley Shacklebolt had placed the two injured teens under stasis fields to stabilise them until they could get medical attention. Taking a portkey fashioned from a length of rope, they were whisked right into the Infirmary at Hogwarts and the expert care of Poppy Pomfrey. The two critical injured were seen to, and put on the mend. After Harry had his injuries seen to, he sat in a chair right next to Hermione's bed with their hand joined. Luna sat with him, while Neville and the Patil twins sat in between and on the other side of Elizabeth's bed. They'd all been friends since becoming Gryffindors and Ravenclaws at the start of their first year, and no one was about to split them up now, for any reason. They slept in shifts, and Madam Pomfrey had meals brought up. After a few days, Elizabeth was well enough to be released. Rather than go back to their dorm in Gryffindor, she joined Harry in his watch over their best friend. It was another three days before Hermione was well enough to be released.
Now Harry was living with the guilt he'd led his friends into a trap, and the loss of a father figure. Harry had spent the previous summer at Grimmauld Place, the ancestral home of the House of Black. After getting the place looking respectable, Harry and Sirius had one of the best summers either had ever seen. Harry and Sirius talked late into the night about his parents, and the hijinks they used to get into during their Marauder days. Sirius taught Harry combat spells, tactics, healing charms, Ministry structure, and wizarding politics. Sirius told Harry that he'd be named Lord Black should something happen to Sirius.
After receiving the letter at lunch, Harry had walked out of the Great Hall. He'd barely touched his food, something that had been happening a little more often the past couple of weeks. Hermione grabbed some sandwiches, wrapped them in a napkin, and followed Harry. He was walking in a daze, but his feet carried him to the seventh floor, and the Room of Requirement. After Harry was done walking back and forth three times, thinking of a cosy sitting room, the two friends walked in and sat on the sofa by a large window. The pair of Gryffindors sat in silence, words were not needed. They stared at the heavy parchment envelope, noting the wax seal. Harry decided it was best to get this over with, and opened the letter. It was from Silverstaff, the accounts manager for the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black.
"Your Grace, Harry James Potter. Allow me to offer my heartfelt condolences on the loss of Sirius Orion Black II, recently deceased Lord of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black..." The letter went on to inform Harry that Sirius had penned a Last Will and Testament, and it was to be read the following morning at eleven o'clock in the London branch. As one of the beneficiaries, his presence was being required for the Reading. Hermione had her arm across his shoulders, and was rubbing his right shoulder to give comfort and show her support.
Harry Floo-called Professor McGonagall to get her permission as his Head of House to leave school grounds in order to attend family business. The normally stern professor and deputy Head gave her permission as well as her condolences. She'd had tears streaming down her face, something neither Harry nor Hermione had seen in their time at school.
"'Mione, could you come with me? I don't think I can do this without you" Harry said, his emerald eyes gazing into her chocolate brown ones.
"Harry, you don't need to ask. I'll go with you. Always" she replied as she took his hand in both of hers.
For the first time in many weeks, they could smile, if only for a brief moment. She brought her hand up to his cheek, and wiped a tear away from his eye with her thumb. He began to cry harder, the deep sobs going straight to her heart. Her best friend, her Harry, was hurting. She wrapped her arms around his back, and held him in her famous hug. She held him as they cried together, mourning their mutual loss. They fell asleep, wrapped up in their embrace. Awaking several hours later, they made their way back to Gryffindor Tower and their dormitories. At the foot of the stairs leading to the girls' dorms, Hermione embraced Harry again. There was something different about his returning of the hug, though. He tilted her head up to look into her eyes again, and then touched his lips to hers.
"Always?" he asked, after kissing for a few brief seconds, but that felt much longer.
She returned the kiss, deeper this time, and fisting her hands in the robes on his back. He broke the kiss, both needing air. "Always" she replied, leaning her forehead against his.
"Goodnight, my 'Mione" he said, as he gave her hand a gentle squeeze.
"Goodnight, my Harry" she replied, returning the squeeze.
The Reading of the Last Will and Testament had been...enlightening, for sure. Sirius had named Harry as his heir, and granted him the title of Lord Black. Harry was shocked, as were the Malfoys. Surely Draco was next in line! Sirius had revealed through his Will that Harry was a direct descendant of Dorthea Black, his grandmother and the wife of Charles Potter. Dorthea Potter nee Black was the younger sister of Arcturus Black, the father of Sirius and Regulus. Malfoy was the first male heir born to a cousin of Arcturus Black, so his claim to the title and estate was weaker than Harry's. Harry was given instructions to cast Narcissa Malfoy nee Black out of the House of Black. In one stroke of ink of parchment, Lucius Malfoy lost his access to the Black fortune. He was bankrupted in an instant, and the three Malfoys were escorted out of Gringotts. Sirius had also given sworn testimony in his Will that he was not the Secret Keeper for James and Lily Potter, that role was given to Peter Pettigrew. His inheritance in the Will was to be thirty silver Sickles, and not a Knut more.
Remus Lupin was given thirty thousand Galleons, and a house in Hogsmeade. Sirius also advised him to find happiness, and find a witch who would love him, even with his "furry little problem". The Reading was concluded, and Harry took up his role as Lord of House Black. Silverstaff also informed him that he was also named Lord Potter, per the Last Will and Testament of Lord James and Lady Lily Potter. He was Lord of two Most Ancient and Noble houses, the wizarding equivalent to a duke. Per wizarding law, he would be de facto Lord Potter-Black when he came of age the following summer.
It was time to return to Hogwarts. Taking her hand, Harry led Hermione out through the bank lobby and back out into the summer sunshine. Hermione rested her head on Harry's shoulder, and clasped his forearm with her free hand. They walked past Olivander's, then Madam Malkin's, and Flourish and Blotts. When they were almost back at the Leaky Cauldron, Harry heard a sickening crunch from under his trainers.
He checked under one foot, and there was nothing. Looking under his right heel, he saw the remains of a hard-shelled insect. It was a lurid green colour, perhaps a beetle. The beetle had what looked like square protrusions from its snout. Hermione glanced down to see what her boyfriend was looking at. She blushed a deep pink, putting her hand over her mouth to hide a knowing smile.
"Harry, that beetle looks familiar. I think it was the last of its kind. If what I know about that species is right, it is now extinct. Still, those had to be the ugliest glasses that I have ever seen."
The realisation hit Harry like a Bludger to the stomach. "You mean, it won't bug us anymore? No nasty gossip articles?" he said, a smile forming on his face.
"Nope, no more bugging" she said happily as she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him passionately.