Author's Note:

DISCLAIMER: I do not own the section from chapter ten of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, that belongs to the lovely JKR and as always, I tweaked it as needed for my story.

Reviews and Comments: To E-Dett: Thank you! I think it was important for Ted and Andromeda to both attend the funeral, whether Druella liked it or not. I hope Sirius' words do sink in. Draco is a bigot and an asshole and it would be nice to see him grow up a little. Remus is definitely not denying his feelings for Tonks. He is blissfully happy. To xoxstephlouxox: Thank you very much! To love reading20613: Thank you for saying you love my stories and that I'm a great Hinny writer. Thank you! To cha-chris: Thank you! Thank you for saying that me sharing my story is a gift. I think Harry and Ginny together will be great when it happens. To nesciamema: Thank you! Sirius and Tonks do have a great dynamic. Yes, we will see Hinny down the line and as to Dean and Cho… I do have plans but a little different. To Mille072: Thank you! Druella is a huge bitch. Andromeda will not go bananas over her daughter inheriting. Draco can sometimes surprise us, stepping up to talk to his aunt on his own. But he's twelve and has never met her, inquisitive. Thank you. Nice to know you're going to still read despite it being Hinny, I appreciate that. To geekymom: Thank you! To darkhk: Me too. Sirius is definitely so happy Remus and Tonks are together.

To Guest: Thank you! Sirius is a fucking genius sometimes lol. I'm glad you found it so funny when Tonks kissed Remus right in front of him. I agree, a mother should love her child no matter what and Druella is similar to Walburga in the bitch category. Thank you. To alix33: Thank you! To ria2813: Thank you! I love Remus and Tonks as well. To turnthepage21: Thank you! Why tell Sirius when they can just show him? LOL. Yes, Remus will have to tell Tonks about his furry little problem, but he will put it off a little longer. Thank you very much for your kind words. To Guest: I thought it was a great way for Sirius to find out lol. Thank you.

Thank you very much for reading and please, please review!

Your reviews give me life! They give me inspiration! And they make me want to keep writing for more than just myself! Thank you!

CHAPTER EIGHTY-FOUR:

The One Where Remus Punches Lockhart

As Harry had told Sirius and Remus, Professor Lockhart had pretty much given up on teaching them, but instead decided to reenact some of his accomplishments. He usually picked Harry to help him with these reconstructions. So far, Harry had been forced to play a simple Transylvanian villager whom Lockhart had cured of a Babbling Curse, a yeti with a head cold, and a vampire who had been unable to eat anything except lettuce since Lockhart had dealt with him.

Harry was hauled to the front of the class during their very next Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson, this time acting as a werewolf. If he hadn't had a very good reason for keeping Lockhart in a good mood, he would have refused to do it. To think of attacking a werewolf made him want to throw up.

"Nice loud howl, Harry — exactly — and then, if you'll believe it, I pounced — like this — slammed him to the floor — thus with one hand, I managed to hold him down — with my other, I put my wand to his throat — I then screwed up my remaining strength and performed the immensely complex Homorphus Charm — he let out a piteous moan — go on, Harry — higher than that — good — the fur vanished — the fangs shrank — and he turned back into a man. Simple, yet effective — and another village will remember me forever as the hero who delivered them from the monthly terror of werewolf attacks."

The bell rang and Lockhart got to his feet.

"Homework — compose a poem about my defeat of the Wagga Wagga Werewolf! Signed copies of Magical Me to the author of the best one!"

The class began to leave. Harry returned to the back of the room, where Ron, Neville, and Hermione were waiting. "This better work because if I have to be his guinea pig again I might throw up in my mouth," Harry told them as Ron snorted next to him.

"Wait till everyone's gone," Hermione said nervously. "All right…"

She approached Lockhart's desk, a piece of paper clutched tightly in her hand, Harry, Ron, and Neville right behind her.

"Er — Professor Lockhart?" Hermione stammered. "I wanted to — to get this book out of the library. Just for background reading." She held out the piece of paper, her hand shaking slightly. "But the thing is, it's in the Restricted Section of the library, so I need a teacher to sign for it. I'm sure it would help me understand what you say in Gadding with Ghouls about slow acting venoms…"

"Ah, Gadding with Ghouls!" Lockhart said, taking the note from Hermione and smiling widely at her. "Possibly my very favourite book. You enjoyed it?"

"Oh, yes," Hermione said eagerly as Harry and Ron rolled their eyes at each other behind their friend. "So clever, the way you trapped that last one with the tea strainer!"

"Well, I'm sure no one will mind me giving the best student of the year a little extra help," Lockhart said warmly, and he pulled out an enormous peacock quill. "Yes, nice, isn't it?" he said, misreading the revolted look on Ron's face. "I usually save it for book signings."

He scrawled an enormous loopy signature on the note and handed it back to Hermione.

"So, Harry," Lockhart said, while Hermione folded the note with fumbling fingers and slipped it into her bag. "Tomorrow's your big Quidditch match of the season, I believe? Gryffindor against Slytherin, is it not? I hear that you're a useful player. I was a Seeker, too. I was asked to try for the National Squad, but preferred to dedicate my life to the eradication of the Dark Forces. Still, if ever you feel the need for a little private training, don't hesitate to ask. Always happy to pass on my expertise to less able players or show you a trick or two…"

Harry made an indistinct noise in his throat and Neville merely tugged on his arm. They said a quick goodbye before hurrying off. The thought of asking Quidditch advice or taking private lessons from that prat made his stomach clench in revulsion. He hurried after his friends.

"I don't believe it," he said as the four of them examined the signature on the note. "He didn't even look at the book we wanted!"

"That's because he's a brainless git," Ron said. "But who cares, we've got what we needed —"

"He is not a brainless git," Hermione said, shrilly, as they half ran toward the library.

"Just because he said you were the best student of the year —"

They dropped their voices as they entered the muffled stillness of the library. Madam Pince, the librarian, was a thin, irritable woman who looked like an underfed vulture.

"Moste Potente Potions?" she repeated suspiciously, trying to take the note from Hermione; but Hermione wouldn't let go.

"I was wondering if I could keep it," she said breathlessly.

"Oh, come on," Ron said, wrenching it from her grasp and thrusting it at Madam Pince. "We'll get you another autograph. Lockhart'll sign anything if it stands still long enough."

Five minutes later, they were barricaded in Moaning Myrtle's out of order bathroom once again. Hermione had overridden Ron's objections by pointing out that it was the last place anyone in their right minds would go, so they were guaranteed some privacy.

Hermione opened Moste Potente Potions carefully, and the four of them bent over the damp spotted pages. It was clear from a glance why it belonged in the Restricted Section. Some of the potions had effects almost too gruesome to think about, and there were some very unpleasant illustrations, which included a man who seemed to have been turned inside out and a witch sprouting several extra pairs of arms out of her head.

"Here it is," Hermione said excitedly as she found the page headed The Polyjuice Potion.

It was decorated with drawings of people halfway through transforming into other people. Harry sincerely hoped that the artist had imagined the looks of intense pain on their faces.

"This is the most complicated potion that I've ever seen," Hermione said as they scanned the recipe. "Lacewing flies, leeches, fluxweed, and knotgrass," she murmured, running her finger down the list of ingredients. "Well, they're easy enough, they're in the student store cupboard, we can help ourselves… Oooh, look, powdered horn of a Bicorn — don't know where we're going to get that — shredded skin of a Boomslang — that'll be tricky, too, and of course a bit of whoever we want to change into."

"Excuse me?" Ron said, sharply. "What d'you mean, a bit of whoever we're changing into? I'm drinking nothing with Crabbe's toenails in it —"

Neville snorted and Ron merely gave him a look.

Hermione continued as though she hadn't heard him. "We don't have to worry about that yet, though, because we add those bits last."

"D'you realize how much we're going to have to steal, Hermione? Shredded skin of a boomslang, that's definitely not in the students' cupboard. What're we going to do, break into Snape's private stores? I don't know if this is a good idea… I suppose I could order them from the apothecary, but that will be just as suspicious…" Harry said, thinking about how to get a hold of all of the ingredients.

Hermione shut the book with a snap. "Well, if you three are going to chicken out, fine," she said. There were bright pink patches on her cheeks and her eyes were brighter than usual. "I don't want to break rules, you know. I think threatening Muggleborns is far worse than brewing up a difficult potion. But if you don't want to find out if it's Malfoy, I'll go straight to Madam Pince now and hand the book back in —"

"I never thought that I'd see the day when you'd be persuading us to break the rules," Ron muttered. "All right, we'll do it. But no toenails, okay?"

"How long will it take to make, anyway?" Harry said as Hermione, looking happier, opened the book again.

"Well, since the fluxweed has got to be picked at the full moon and the lacewings have got to be stewed for twenty one days… I'd say it'd be ready in about a month, if we can get all the ingredients."

"The full moon is tomorrow night," Harry told her. "Do you know where we can find fluxweed?"

"Professor Sprout has it in greenhouse two," Neville told them scratching his chin. "This sounds really dangerous though. Are you sure that you can brew it, Hermione?"

"We can definitely brew it," Harry told Neville with a smile. "Hermione and I will brew it together."

"A month?" Ron exclaimed, looking at his friends in shock. "Malfoy could have attacked half the Muggleborns in the school by then!" But Hermione's eyes narrowed dangerously again, and he added swiftly, "But it's the best plan we've got, so full steam ahead, I say!"

However, while Hermione was checking that the coast was clear for them to leave the bathroom, Ron muttered to Harry, "It'll be a lot less hassle if you can just knock Malfoy off his broom tomorrow."

~ ASC ~

After everything that had been going on the last few weeks, Harry was anxious to finally play in his first Quidditch match of the season. The season had started last weekend when Slytherin had crushed Hufflepuff, tiny blurs in the air on their new broomsticks.

He woke early on Saturday morning, a warm sticky substance on his stomach and in his pyjamas. He looked down in alarm, worried for a moment that he had somehow peed the bed. He lifted his pants up, looking down at his penis in confusion. When he touched it, it was very sensitive to his touch and he frowned. Not sure what to make of it, he grabbed his wand and quickly used the new cleaning spell that Flitwick had taught them, suddenly feeling much better. He wasn't sure what had happened, but he definitely hoped that he hadn't started peeing the bed or something equally as embarrassing.

He lay for a while thinking about what he had dreamed about to cause such a strange thing to occur, but he couldn't remember his dream and then he remembered the coming Quidditch match. He was nervous, mainly at the thought of what Wood would say if Gryffindor lost, but also at the idea of facing a team mounted on the fastest racing brooms that gold could buy. He had never wanted to beat Slytherin so badly. After half an hour of lying there with his insides churning, he got up, dressed, and went down to breakfast early, where he found the rest of the Gryffindor team huddled at the long, empty table, all looking uptight and not speaking much.

As eleven o'clock approached, the whole school started to make its way down to the Quidditch stadium. It was a muggy sort of day with a hint of thunder in the air. Ron, Hermione, and Neville came hurrying over to wish Harry good luck as he entered the change rooms. The team pulled on their scarlet Gryffindor robes, then sat down to listen to Wood's usual pre match pep talk.

"Slytherin has better brooms than us," he began. "No point denying it. But we've got better people on our brooms. We've trained harder than they have, we've been flying in all types of weather —"

"Too true," George muttered. "I haven't been properly dry since August"

"— and we're going to make them rue the day that they let that little bit of slime, Malfoy, buy his way onto their team." Chest heaving with emotion, Wood turned to Harry. "It'll be down to you, Harry, to show them that a Seeker has to have something more than a rich father. Get to that Snitch before Malfoy or die trying, Harry, because we've got to win today, we've got to!"

"So, no pressure, Harry," Fred said, winking at him.

As they walked out onto the pitch, a roar of noise greeted them; mainly cheers, because Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were anxious to see Slytherin beaten, but the Slytherins in the crowd made their boos and hisses heard, too. Madam Hooch, the Flying teacher, asked Flint and Wood to shake hands and Harry was amused at the way they both seemed to stare rather threateningly at each other.

"On my whistle," Madam Hooch said. "Three… two… one…"

With a roar from the crowd to speed them upward, the fourteen players rose toward the leaden sky. Harry flew higher than any of them, squinting around for the Snitch.

"All right there, Scarhead?" Draco yelled, shooting underneath him as though to show off the speed of his broom.

Harry had no time to reply. At that very moment, a heavy black Bludger came pelting toward him; he avoided it so narrowly that he felt it ruffle his hair as it passed.

"Close one, Harry!" George said, streaking past him with his club in his hand, ready to knock the Bludger back toward a Slytherin.

Harry saw George give the Bludger a powerful whack in the direction of Adrian Pucey, but the Bludger changed direction in midair and shot straight for Harry again. Harry dropped quickly to avoid it, and George hit it hard toward Draco, but the Bludger swerved like a boomerang and shot at Harry's head instead. Harry put on a burst of speed and zoomed toward the other end of the pitch. He could hear the Bludger whistling along behind him.

What was going on? Bludgers never concentrated on one player like this; it was their job to try and unseat as many people as possible…

Sirius and Remus were wondering the same thing down below.

"That Bludger has been following Harry the entire game!" Sirius insisted, looking through his binoculars and standing on his toes as if it helped him get a closer look.

Tonks watched carefully next to her cousin. "It's just a coincidence."

"It better be," Sirius muttered. "If someone's tampered with that Bludger they're going to have to answer to me. After what happened on Halloween, this is the last thing that Harry needs is some rogue Bludger after him all game!"

Up in the air, Fred was waiting for the Bludger at the other end. Harry ducked as Fred swung at the Bludger with all his might; the Bludger was knocked off course.

"Gotcha!" Fred yelled happily, but he was wrong. As though it was magnetically attracted to Harry, the Bludger pelted after him once more and Harry was forced to fly off at full speed.

It had started to rain; Harry felt heavy drops fall onto his face, splattering onto his glasses. He didn't have a clue as to what was going on in the rest of the game until he heard Lee Jordan, who was commentating, say, "Slytherin lead, sixty points to zero."

The Slytherins' new brooms were clearly doing their jobs, and meanwhile the mad Bludger was doing all it could to knock Harry out of the air. Fred and George were now flying so close to him on either side that Harry could see nothing at all except their flailing arms and had no chance to look for the Snitch, let alone catch it.

"Someone's — tampered — with — this — Bludger!" Fred grunted, swinging his bat with all his might at it as it launched a new attack on Harry.

"We need a time out," George said, trying to signal to Wood and stop the Bludger breaking Harry's nose at the same time.

Wood had obviously got the message. Madam Hooch's whistle rang out and Harry, Fred, and George dived for the ground, still trying to avoid the mad Bludger.

"What's going on?" Wood said as the Gryffindor team huddled together, while Slytherins in the crowd jeered. "We're being flattened. Fred, George, where were you when that Bludger stopped Angelina scoring?"

"We were twenty feet above her, stopping the other Bludger from murdering Harry, Oliver," George declared angrily. "Someone's fixed it! It won't leave Harry alone! It hasn't gone for anyone else all game. The Slytherins must have done something to it."

"But the Bludgers have been locked in Madam Hooch's office since our last practice, and there was nothing wrong with them then…" Wood said, anxiously.

Madam Hooch was walking toward them. Over her shoulder, Harry could see the Slytherin team jeering and pointing in his direction.

"Listen," Harry said, quickly. "With you two flying around me all the time the only way that I'm going to catch the Snitch is if it flies up my sleeve. Go back to the rest of the team and let me deal with the rogue one."

"Don't be thick," Fred said in annoyance. "It'll take your head off."

Wood was looking from Harry to the Weasleys with uncertainty.

"Oliver, this is insane," Alicia said angrily. "You can't just let Harry deal with that thing on his own. Let's ask for an inquiry…"

"If we stop now, we'll have to forfeit the match! And we're not losing to Slytherin just because of a stupid Bludger! Come on, Oliver, tell them to leave me alone!" Harry demanded.

"This is all your fault," George exclaimed angrily to Wood. "'Get the Snitch or die trying,' what a stupid thing to tell him!"

Wood looked at the determined look on Harry's face. "All right," he said. "Fred, George, you heard Harry — leave him alone and let him deal with the Bludger on his own."

On Madam Hooch's whistle, Harry kicked hard into the air and heard the telltale whoosh of the Bludger behind him. He flew higher into the air, trying to race against the Bludger.

He looped and swooped, spiralled, zigzagged, and rolled. Slightly dizzy, he nevertheless kept his eyes wide open as rain covered his glasses. He could hear laughter from the crowd. He knew that he must look very stupid, but the rogue Bludger was heavy and couldn't change direction as quickly.

"Look at him fly!" Sirius said, pride bursting from him. "He has complete control over that broom, but that Bludger is still all over him, Rem!"

Remus nodded. "Sirius, Harry knows what he's doing up there, we just have to trust him."

Sirius tapped McGonagall on the shoulder from where she was sitting next to Lee in front of them. "That Bludger's been tampered with, Minnie!"

McGonagall nodded, her eyes wide as they watched Harry circle the pitch, whirling and spinning to avoid the ball. "I don't know how anyone got access to it!"

Sirius frowned. "Look at him fly, he's outmanoeuvring that thing like a pro!"

A whistling in Harry's ear told him the Bludger had just missed him again. He turned right over and sped in the opposite direction.

"Training for the ballet, Potter?" Draco yelled as Harry was forced to do a stupid kind of twirl in midair to dodge the Bludger.

Harry fled, the Bludger trailing a few feet behind him; and then, glaring back at Draco, he saw it — the Golden Snitch. It was hovering inches above his left ear and Draco was too busy laughing and mocking him to notice it.

For an agonizing moment, Harry hung in midair trying to figure out how to get the Snitch without alerting Draco that it was right there in front of him.

He had stayed still a second too long.

His elbow smashed into his ribs and he winced as the Bludger had hit him. Dimly, dazed by the searing pain in his arm, he slid sideways on his rain drenched broom, one knee still crooked over it, his right arm dangling useless at his side. The Bludger came pelting back for a second attack, this time aiming at his face. Harry swerved out of the way, one idea firmly lodged in his numb brain — he had to get to that Snitch.

Through the haze of rain, he turned his broom and sprinted in the direction of the Slytherin Seeker. Draco's eyes widened in surprise and he jerked away from him in shock as Harry took his remaining hand off his broom and made a wild snatch. He felt his fingers close on the cold Snitch, but was now only gripping the broom with his legs, and there was a yell from the crowd below as he headed straight for the ground, trying hard not to pass out.

With a splattering thud he hit the mud and rolled off of his broom. His arm was hanging at a very strange angle and pain shot through his arm and up into his shoulder as he heard a good deal of whistling and shouting. He focused on the Snitch clutched in his good hand.

"Aha," he said vaguely. "We've won."

And he fainted.

Sirius, Remus, and Tonks had started running down the stands towards Harry the moment that Harry had grabbed the Snitch. Sirius' heart was racing as he watched Harry plummet from the sky and crash into the ground.

He was full on sprinting by now and he fell to his knees next to his godson, his face pale. Lockhart leered over Harry from the other side, having pushed Remus out of the way.

Sirius gently slapped Harry's cheeks and he groaned, turning towards Lockhart.

"Oh, no, not you," he moaned as he regained consciousness.

"Doesn't know what he's saying," Lockhart said loudly to the anxious crowd of Gryffindors pressing around them. "Not to worry, Harry. I'm about to fix your arm."

"No!" Harry said. "I'll keep it like this, thanks…"

"Harry," Sirius said, his hand gently touching Harry's broken arm. "It's okay, Prongslet, it's broken, but we'll get it fixed right up."

"No, not him!" Harry insisted as he tried to sit up, but the pain was terrible. He heard a familiar clicking noise nearby. "I don't want a photo of this, Colin," he said loudly, turning when he saw Remus. "Uncle Rem, you fix my arm — not Lockhart!"

"Lie back, Harry," Lockhart said, soothingly, and ignoring Harry's protests. "It's a simple charm I've used countless times!"

"Why can't I just go to the hospital wing?" Harry insisted through clenched teeth.

"He should really, Professor," Wood said as he wiped the mud off of his face as he grinned widely, despite his Seeker's injury. "Great capture, Harry, really spectacular — your best yet!"

"Stand back," Lockhart said, who was rolling up his jade green sleeves as Fred and George attempted to get the Bludger back into the box behind him.

"Really, Lockhart, let me just take Harry to see Madam Pomfrey," Sirius said, bending down to scoop Harry up into his arms. "We appreciate the offer, but you're not a healer."

Lockhart shrugged. "Not to worry, not to worry! It's a simple charm!"

"No — don't…" Harry said weakly, turning into Sirius' shoulder, "he's incompetent, Uncle Siri."

But Lockhart was already twirling his wand and a second later had directed it straight at Harry's arm.

A strange and unpleasant sensation started at Harry's shoulder and spread all the way down to his fingertips. It felt as though his arm was being deflated. He didn't dare look at what was happening. He had shut his eyes, his face turned away from his arm and buried in Sirius' shoulder, but his worst fears were realized as the people above him gasped and Colin Creevey began clicking away madly. His arm didn't hurt anymore, nor did it feel remotely like an arm.

"Ah," Lockhart said. "Yes. Well, that can sometimes happen. But the point is, the bones are no longer broken. That's the thing to bear in mind."

"You, fucking idiot," Remus exclaimed from next to Sirius. "You removed his bloody bones!"

"Well, it's just a small side effect, I promise you that it can be fixed right up!"

"That's not the bloody point, you wanker," Remus insisted angrily. "If you're not capable of performing a simple healing spell you shouldn't bloody well try to perform them on a student!"

Lockhart flushed and tried to look important. "So, Harry, just toddle up to the hospital wing and Madam Pomfrey will be able to — er — tidy you up a bit."

Sirius glared at him. "I will take him to the hospital wing and then you and I are going to have a serious discussion about what an absolute tosser you are!"

Lockhart blanched. "Now, see here!"

Remus shoved him out of the way. "Move it!"

Lockhart glared at him. "He's perfectly fine! It was a simple accident, a side effect and one that —" he blanched when Remus whirled around on him.

Remus' eyes were flashing dangerously, the whiskey having darkened to a deep amber that made Lockhart take an automatic step back. But he didn't step far enough because Remus plowed his fist into Lockhart's face. Lockhart's entire body jerked back and he landed on his bum.

"Listen here, you gormless knob head! If you can't perform a simple healing spell on a broken arm than don't attempt it and especially don't attempt it on my son, you bloody useless pillock! A fucking sheep could do a better job!"

"Remus!" McGonagall exclaimed, grabbing his arm and pulling him away from Lockhart. "Control yourself, there are students about!"

Lockhart was clutching his bloody nose and groaning as he stood up. "This barmy prat punched me!"

McGonagall simply looked at his nose. "Oh, dear, Gilderoy, you might want to have someone check that out. I'm sure Madam Pomfrey will be free to look at it after she fixes Potter's arm, but re-growing bones, dear, that is a slow business indeed, and Potter will need her complete and undivided attention. Unless of course, you can fix it yourself? After all, someone as skilled as you can surely set right a broken nose like that," she said, snapping her fingers. She gave him a bright smile and looped her arm through Remus'. "Let's do get Harry up to the hospital wing, Remus."

Remus bent his head and kissed her cheek. "You're the greatest, Minerva."

She smiled and patted his cheek affectionately, walking along with him after Sirius who was carrying Harry as they went.

McGonagall left them at the door to the hospital wing to go check out the rogue Bludger, promising Sirius to update him the moment that she and Hooch had finished inspecting it.

Madam Pomfrey was furious when she saw what Lockhart had done. She reassured Harry that she would be able to grow his bones back, but that it was going to very painful.

"Can't you give him something for the pain, Poppy?"

Madam Pomfrey shook her head. "No. It will counteract the Skele-Gro. You should have brought him straight here, Sirius. Lockhart is not a healer and obviously incapable of performing a simple charm!"

"I was going to do it, but he insisted, got in my way actually," Remus muttered bitterly. "I'm sorry, little Prongs, I should have stopped him."

"It's okay," Harry said, drinking the potion that the matron passed him. He drank it down, coughing in disgust. "Seeing you punch him in the face made it totally worth it."

Remus flushed. "Er — I may have overreacted a tad."

Tonks grinned widely at him. "May have? Merlin, that was bloody brilliant! The students are going to be talking about it for years!"

Sirius grinned at them as he fluffed up Harry's pillows. "Get comfortable, Prongslet. You're going to have a long night."

The door to the hospital wing burst open at that moment. Filthy and soaking wet, the rest of the Gryffindor team had arrived to see Harry.

"Unbelievable flying, Harry!" George exclaimed. "I've just seen Marcus Flint yelling at Malfoy. Something about having the Snitch on top of his head and not noticing. Malfoy didn't seem too happy."

"Good on you for punching Lockhart," Fred said to Remus with a grin. "Everyone is talking about it!"

Remus blushed at that as Tonks just smirked at him.

They had brought cakes, sweets, and bottles of pumpkin juice as they gathered around Harry's bed to celebrate Gryffindor's spectacular win, but Madam Pomfrey came storming over, shouting, "This boy needs rest! He's got thirty three bones to regrow! Out! OUT!"

Sirius simply stared her down as Harry's team, Ron, Hermione, and Neville were all kicked out. "If you think we're leaving, Poppy, you've got another thing coming."

Madam Pomfrey rolled her eyes. "I couldn't kick you out when you went to school here, Black, I'm not going to even bother trying now."

Tonks made herself comfortable on the end of the hospital bed, sitting cross-legged with her back against the footboard. She was grinning widely at him. "That was some seriously wicked flying, Harry! You were fast and capable and those moves! When you started the barrel roll to avoid that Bludger and turned it into a loop the loop while holding it sloth-like, I mean, wow! I can't pull that off now!"

Remus nodded, sitting in the visitor chair that he had tugged over on Harry's left. "I can only agree. Not to mention how good you're getting at dives. You did unbelievable at outflying that Bludger!"

Sirius beamed at him from where he was stretched out next to Harry in the hospital bed. "I can attest to that. You are without a doubt, a more talented flyer than your father, and that is saying a hell of a lot for a twelve year old."

Harry flushed under the praise. "Thanks. I was just trying to avoid that Bludger. I almost succeeded, too, but when I saw the Snitch by Malfoy's ear, I froze. I thought I was going to lose the match, but he didn't see it."

"See," Sirius said with a smirk. "The broomstick doesn't make the player, Harry. You were incredible out there. As for that Bludger, someone tampered with it. I've never seen a Bludger follow one player like that."

"Fred and George were trying to stop it, but I couldn't play like that. How were we supposed to win if they were covering me and preventing me from seeing the Snitch?"

Remus grinned at him. "You could have said something to Madam Hooch."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Then we would have had to forfeit the game, Uncle Moony!"

Remus chuckled. "Merlin, do you sound like Jamie."

Harry grinned at them. "I'm glad you guys are here. Did you see Lockhart though? How incompetent he is?" He winced slightly at the sharp pain in his arm. It felt like hundreds of needles were stabbing him all over the place.

"He does seem to be a little bad at simple charms," Remus said, his eyes annoyed. "I wonder if he fixed his own nose yet."

Tonks chuckled and reached over to pat Remus' knee. "I can't believe you punched him in the nose."

Harry grinned. "It was brilliant, Uncle Rem!"

Remus flushed. "Well, I shouldn't have let my anger get the best of me nevertheless."

Harry rolled his eyes. "No, he is a gormless knob head! Yesterday in class, he made me go up to the front and pretend to be this werewolf he defeated as he reenacted this scene from his book. It was awful! Do you know what I've learned from him this year? Don't do anything he says to," Harry said bitterly.

"He killed a werewolf?" Tonks asked, her eyes wide. "Like actually killed one? Does he know that they're human beings?"

Remus looked at Tonks sharply, taking in her shocked expression before he cleared his throat. "I don't think he killed him, surely."

"No, not killed one, but he made it sound like he did; about how the wolf turned back into a man and the village rejoiced," Harry snorted. "The full moon probably just ended."

Remus grinned at him, "Harry, I think that you're being a little overdramatic."

"A little?" Harry said in surprise. "Uncle Rem, he doesn't teach us anything! He just tells us stories of all of the so-called great things that he did."

Sirius kissed Harry's cheek. "All right, Prongslet, calm down. I know that you're mad at the bloke for removing all of the bones from your arm —"

"Obviously," he said, rolling his eyes.

"I'm sorry that he's such a bloody awful teacher," Remus said with a look of sympathy. "Which is why, I've brought you this gift." He reached into his bag and pulled out the textbook, passing it across the bed to Harry.

"Practical Defensive Magic and Its Use Against the Dark Arts," Harry read with interest.

"It's a bit advanced, but I thought that some of the stuff in there will be a great help to you. You can start teaching yourself some of the spells in there. Sirius and I can help you out if you need it. The first five chapters cover a good deal of what you should be learning this year," Remus said with a smile.

Harry grinned widely. "Thanks, Uncle Remus."

"You're welcome."

"What else have you been up to since we spoke last?" Sirius asked him, taking the book and placing it on Harry's night stand.

Harry thought about the Polyjuice Potion that they were brewing in the girl's bathroom. "Er, nothing much. Binns told us about the Chamber of Secrets." He quickly told them the story. "We've been speculating on who the heir could be. Everyone thinks it's me because of the whole Mrs Norris thing. Ron thinks it's Malfoy."

"Draco?" Sirius asked in surprise. "Why?"

Harry shrugged. "Because of what he said mostly, about Muggleborns. We don't have any proof, though, other than he's just kind of a git."

Remus laughed. "I suppose that's reason enough. But remember last year when you boys thought that it was Snape and it wasn't."

"I know," Harry said. "We were just speculating."

Sirius smiled as he watched Harry wince slightly at the sharp pain in his arm. "Remus and I have a few things we wanted to tell you anyway."

"What kind of things?"

Remus flushed slightly. "Er, well, for starters… Nymphadora and I are together."

Harry stared between the two of them in surprise as Tonks linked her hand with his. "You are?"

Tonks grinned. "We are. Finally, right?"

Harry grinned. "That's brilliant!"

"I'm glad you think so," he said, smiling when Tonks squeezed his knee affectionately.

"Also," Sirius said, letting out a deep sigh. "My uncle passed away this week. You never met him, but he was Andy's father. I went with Andy to the funeral."

He quickly explained about how he had run into Draco and how Draco had spoken to Ted so rudely.

When he was finished, Harry just stared at him. "I doubt your words will mean anything, but we'll see. Malfoy is still a huge git."

Sirius simply grinned. "Maybe he is. But I hope he takes my words into consideration."

Harry sighed and settled himself against his pillows. "Do you think that I could get some food, Uncle Sirius? I was too nervous to eat breakfast this morning and now I'm starving."

Sirius grinned and ruffled his son's hair. "Anything for my Quidditch star."

Harry just beamed in response.