Hey everyone,
Wow, this story has really become something else. We came to Beast's Castle, got rid of Trelawney, proved how much Harry cared for his dead parents, grew the bond between both him and his parents as well as him and Viktor and even had a little bit of an adventure and made another discovery about a, in canon, really inconspicuous character.
And to be honest, even though this canon chapter isn't going to end well, am I going to try my hardest to make this year end with a bang when it comes to this story. So expect some friendly goodness between our hero and our favorite werewolf as well as some respectful goodness between said hero and his always stern Head of House.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Venquine1990
Shout-outs To:
V.L. Crawford
Wishfull-Star
Chapter 72
Spirits and Reminders
4th of July 1995
Ballroom, Beast's Castle
Minerva's POV
Molly has actually always been someone I thought I could relate to, someone who understood why I loved being a Head of House and who tried to do something similar with her own family. But no Head of House, leader or – most of all – mother should ever try to change their kids the way that this No-Name has now been proven to have tried.
Yet at the same time am I glad and do I feel a sense of guilty vindictiveness over the fact that she tried to change them like this as it made her turn her oldest son into acquiring a position as Curse Breaker, which has allowed him the chance to not only catch her in the act, but also have the means to undo all of the work she has been doing on them.
And the sight of the new and improved Weasley family, which now consists of two Weasley girls instead of one as well as a mother and father that, just by looking at them, feel like they are an even more perfect match, both increases that sense and makes me feel better as well as it lessens my sense of concern for them all. And with that sense of relief do I start to read.
The Patronus … Firebolt now thanks to his connection with Hogwarts, but what … criminal damage. Harry, however, told him to stay out of this. Ron wanted to object, but Harry said: "You have your own issues with her regarding Crookshanks and Scabbers. Leave this one to me." And the boy had accepted his words. Hermione, who … come back. After a while Harry stopped being angry over the broom, though the anger and pain over the fact that his friend didn't trust him enough to confide in him stayed behind and he was not willing to be the one to apologize over this. Hermione was the one in the wrong and he was not going to start trusting her again until she'd apologize.
"Good intentions really mean little when your actions show a sense of distrust or lack of belief in the ones the intentions are meant for." Riku mutters and there is no mistaking the dark tone in his voice as he says this. Axel nods at this, pulling Roxas a little closer against his side as he says: "Trust me, he's right." And while both of their boyfriends cuddle to comfort them, do I read on.
All in … a broomstick?"
A lot of my Lions look at the boy for this, but Oliver sighs and says: "You do not want to know what my family life is like. I won't say it's anything like Harry's, but it's not pleasant either. And yes, I know I'm being called the most Quidditch obsessed Team Captain, but trust me, my parents make me look like a First year going to the Flying lessons." This concerns me and I read on.
"I know," … A Firebolt..."
Harry sighs and says, "To be honest, the Firebolt doesn't bother me so much. It's the fact that Hermione –." But Wood was no longer listening. This annoyed Harry and he knew he couldn't talk with Ron about it as that was part of their agreement. Because of that was he glad to be sharing a dorm with Neville as that night, he was able to spill his guts, Neville remaining quiet, but with a kind and understanding smile on his face the entire time. And while the boy didn't give any advice, tips or even say anything other than nodding or shaking his head from time to time, did it still make Harry feel better in the end and he went to bed feeling a lot calmer, thanking his friend for his support.
"The advantage to being a wall-flower. It teaches you how to be a good listener." Neville says with a large smile on his face and others also smile at him. Yet others still look at the boy with slight levels of amazement and I turn back to the book, feeling bad because I caught myself feeling the same when I read this. "When am I ever going to recognize that boy for the Lion he is?" I think as I read.
Classes started … white-hot logs.
Harry had two extra reasons to enjoy this. Not only was he able to actually understand the lizards on some level – thanks to his Parsletongue ability that was apparently growing stronger over time – but the enjoyment of the beings and students on her lands seemed to actually give Hogwarts a little bit of power back and Harry was able to much better understand her as he left the class and headed back inside with the others.
"I'll make sure to plan some more like that, once we get back." Hagrid excitedly states and Harry smiles at him as he says: "Good idea. If we can split the next three days after this book between Herbology, Flying and CoMC classes, Hogwarts should be back to her full power in no-time." This instantly excites both the three teachers and various students and I happily read on.
The first … her again."
Harry, however, had his own reasons for getting even angrier with the girl. "She knows Lupin's secret. And behaving like that is just going to make more people want to find out, which will just cause trouble for the poor guy." And the fact that Lupin was his only link to his past didn't help matters, making it so that that night he had another silent session with Neville.
He did feel a little bad afterwards, just constantly unloading his troubles with someone his own age, but Neville told him not to, that he would always be there for Harry as the silent support he needed.
"You have Ron and Hermione as your public support – or at least Ron for now – and me for your private support. Everyone who has a life like yours needs such a thing. Trust me, if I didn't want this, I would have gone straight to a member of staff after that one incident in our first." The boy had said before they had both gone to bed.
"I really don't want to know what would have become of me if it weren't for you, Neville." Harry mumbles and many of those around him agree as the other boy turns dark with pain and says: "You would have either completely given yourself over to Dumbledore or –." Yet the boy doesn't need to continue as we all know what he means, making me read on feeling grim.
At eight … Harry curiously.
Part of him wanted to tell Lupin what he had been doing for the better part of his school life, how he wrote more than one essay for each of his classes each time one was requested and only giving the ones with the mediocre level of acceptance to his teachers while keeping the hard-worked ones to himself.
Yet he didn't think Lupin really needed to know this, because – thanks to the man's wonderous teachings and because Harry knew he had known his parents – he had decided not to do this, so he knew that the man based this statement on Harry's actual ability, not the one he was hiding from the other staff. Though part of Harry was also curious as to how teacher meetings between Lupin and, say, McGonagall would go when it came to this.
"Those were definitely quite confusing and often amusing too, though I am glad to finally have an answer to the confusion." Remus snickers, yet I myself don't share in his amusement as I think: "This man earned my own Lion's trust quicker than I ever could and actually managed to keep it, where my stupid blind stubbornness made me lose it instead." And I read on, determined to fix this mistake.
"Each one … conjures it." Lupin said, bringing Harry out of his musings.
"And how … did he?
This concerns me, yet it also fills me with a sense of guilt and I think: "If Fillius and I had just shared our experiences with the boy regarding his parents, he wouldn't be so focused on this one bad one. He's going to have much more trouble with these lessons than he'd need to if it weren't for my colleague and I wanting to remain stuck in stupid grief." And I read on, hoping for the best.
Lupin grasped … shouting, panicking –
Yet here I falter as reading of Lily dying is one thing and really brings back a strong sense of grief, but to read the last words of the one student I currently feel I failed beyond any other, even his son, simply because of how badly I did fail his son is almost too much. Yet then I remember everything we have read so far and, like the Lion young Harry has proven himself time and time again, do I press on.
"Lily, take … high-pitched laughter –
Only two sentences, yet so many emotions ring through me as I read them. The urgency I can only imagine James would have felt as he spoke his final words, the terror that must have been felt by Lily as she stumbled and fled and all-out rage, anger and hatred for the man that Harry heard laughing, laughing over the fact that he was about to rip this family apart.
For years anger and fear have battled within me when it came to Voldemort, but now that I have read this, do I feel all of my fear retreating as it is replaced by anger, the fuel being not just the knowledge that Voldemort felt nothing when he took Lily and James from us – something I've always known – but exactly how it happened and what he and my two favorite student went through.
And while I truly, utterly hate the fact that I learn all of this from the fact that my young lion is being terrorized with these suppressed memories, can I not help the small part of me that feels glad and relieved – and even honored – to finally know this, to finally have these answers, to finally have a witness statement of what happened that night. And with that thought, do I read on.
"Harry! Harry … did you?" Harry already knew the answer, but he actually realized that part of him wanted to hear Lupin confirm it. He didn't know why, but it made him feel better when Lupin did.
"I – I did … to him and a plan was forming in his mind as he spoke.
"Professor Lupin?" … getting late."
But Harry stayed seated where he was, he was still too weak and his legs felt worse than they did when he was casting the Patronus. "Tell me about him, about my dad, I mean. You don't have to mention Black if you don't want to. It's just - no one else here does. Talk about him, I mean." He said. Lupin looked at him long and hard, a confused look on his face and for a minute Harry was afraid he had overstepped his bounds.
"James – was amazing. He was crazy and every bit your typical popular youth that grew up rich. He was pampered, but he had honor and pride and he always stood up for what he believed in. Sometimes it felt as if – as if nothing could take that guy down. It's one of the reasons why people like Minerva and Albus consider you a beacon, Harry, because you are so much like him."
Yet at this Remus turns to his son and says: "I was wrong, you know. You're not like James, you're more. James was definitely strong enough to withstand the oppression of fear that Voldemort was trying to use to conquer the Wizarding World with, but he would have definitely fallen under the pressure that Dumbledore kept trying to use to destroy you.
James was strong, but you are much stronger than he'll ever be. I'm sure he's proud of the young man you've become. I'm sure because I know I am." And Sirius nods along the entire time before the small family share in a loving hug, Harry himself trying to secretly wipe a few tears out of his eyes. I smile at the three of them and decide to give them some privacy and so I read on.
Harry left … his chocolate, feeling touched with the little bit that Lupin had told him about his dad and how he had complimented Harry, but also wishing he … of chocolate and his mind kept going over what Lupin had told him. Terrible though … Quidditch Cup. And you have Lupin now, his stories can fill up that gap for you. Just focus on that."
He stood … his homework, which included the pieces that he wrote for his own sense of pride. Though the fact that he didn't have to do this for Lupin made the level of strain a little easier to deal with. He had also started taking "notes" in Herbology, though they weren't always notes as they were more often than not his actual homework for the other classes. Every now and then he did believe that Professor Sprout was onto him, but even if she was, she didn't say anything and just let him continue his work. Harry believed the fact that most of his plants came out only slightly worse than Neville's had something to do with this, so he didn't complain.
"I was onto him, though by that point I had heard so many students, from Third all the way up to Sixth year, complain about the growing work load that I started to encourage that kind of work. I don't care what my students do alongside the task I set them up with, as long as they keep their work for my class going and doing a good job at it." The gentle woman happily says and I read on, smiling.
Even so … was interrupted.
"Wait, I'm confused." Sora suddenly says and he turns to the girl as he says: "You are the one who trusted McGonagall over your best friend. So why aren't you going to her about this? Why aren't you –?" But the girl answers: "I didn't want to. I kept lying to myself and telling myself I could handle it, even though I obviously couldn't." This worries the boy and I grimace before I read on.
"How's she … Malfoy's got."
I read this whole part with a monotone voice, simply to hide how annoyed I feel about it all, especially the part of Mr. Wood shaking his head in disbelief after repeating his own ridiculous statement and Sirius growls: "I have never been more glad that you graduated, punk." And Wood winces back in fright at the furious glare send his way by the Black Lord as I read on.
"I'm not … badgering me."
Harry had half a mind to tell Ron that he'd see him later and to tell McGonagall about his connection to Hogwarts, but the woman was bent over the homework she had collected at the start of the class. And so Harry left, yet as he did, he realized he had shot himself in the foot. Due to him handing in mediocre essays and never truly performing to the high standard set by the woman, he had made it so that she would never believe him if he told her about his connection. McGonagall wasn't the only one who had made it so that there could be no bond between her and Harry, Harry himself had done the same.
"Yet you did it as a response to my treatment of you, I just did it because I was lost in my own grief and didn't want to let go of a past that was hurting me and making me blind to how I was hurting those I was supposed to be responsible for. You hold no blame for this, Harry, I hope you believe me on that." I gently tell the boy, who nods to prove that he does and I read on, feeling better.
To make … voices again. He had thought that learning more about his parents, which did happen at the end of every lesson after he exhausted himself, would make things easier, but it somehow made him even more desperate to hear their voices, as if hearing those would make the stories more real or easier to believe or something. And these facts just made Harry feel even worse as that sounded as if he didn't believe Lupin, which he did, and so he pushed himself a little harder each lesson.
"Ah, that explains it." A deadly voice says and Hades appears once again. This, naturally, angers Blaise, yet the God of the Dead ignores him and turns to Harry as he says: "For some time now I've had these two souls floating at the edge of the lake that is next to the entrance to my realm. I've been wondering why they'd stay there, most souls'd rather just float on."
This shocks us all and then suddenly Severus stands up. "Lord Hades, I propose a deal. Two of my greatest students against your two newest lackeys. If they win, you release the souls of Lily and James Potter. If they lose, my soul is yours." This makes all of his snakes shout at him, but then Karkaroff stands up and says: "And so is mine."
This seems to intrigue the God and he asks: "Both of you are 100% mortal, right? No hidden god powers or ichor or anything?" And while this confuses some and makes a few others snicker, do the two men shake their heads and Severus says: "I know I'm mortal. My dad died of alcohol poisoning after killing my mother for being a witch." And Karkaroff goes on:
"And trust me, I'm mortal too. The Dark Lord has been proving that to me every time he punished me for my failures in the last war." The God nods and says: "Very well then, you have yourselves a deal. When do you wish to hold the fight?" And Severus smirks at me as he says: "After the Quidditch Finals chapter." Making me smirk back at him before I continue to read.
"You're expecting … suspicious. "Well – first of all, you're as bad of a liar as your father was, but I'll let it slide – this time. Second, let's drink … forever...lost."
This seems to anger the God and he mutters: "So that's what happens to those strings. The Fates have been wondering about that for centuries." He turns to Fudge and says: "Sorry, but I will have to deal with those. Souls when lost belong to my realm, no excuses." Yet to this Harry stands up and says: "Maybe another deal?" Intriguing the god.
"The Dementors need to stay. I don't like them anymore than you do, but they keep our people safe, because they guard the worst of the worst in our world. But there are so many of them that not all of them need to be at Azkaban all the time. So maybe, I don't know, the ones that don't can go to your world and you can extract the souls they took and then send them back.
Then they can replace the ones at Azkaban, who can then go and do the same. That way, they get to keep doing their job, but you get to keep doing yours as well. Okay, with a bit of a detour, but –.""But it sure sounds like something we can all benefit from. Thank you, Harry, I'll take it from here." Fudge says and Harry nods, sitting back down with his parents before I read on.
Lupin drank … by that. Not to mention that he instantly regretted his own words as he remembered the questions that were screaming in his mind, questions he didn't feel he could ask Lupin now that he had said this. So he … Magic classroom, feeling like he had when he left McGonagall's office a few weeks ago.
Harry half … of you and those same questions raging through his mind once again that he … last night..."
Harry looked from the broom to the woman and blurted out, "I'm doing the best I can, Professor, really. It's just …." Yet the woman interrupted him, her smile looking a little more understanding, "I know, Potter. You have a lot of hurdles you need to overcome. Your father was just the same. He was able to do so and I know you can too." A look was shared between the two and a sense of hope filled Harry from the inside; maybe he hadn't shot himself as bad as he had thought.
"You reminded me of him that day, Harry. Even the way you were holding that broom. It may sound like a bit of an insult to his memory but – you were holding that Firebolt the same way James held Lily the first time he found out that she was pregnant, which was right at the end of a Death Eater rally that had gotten her injured and fearing for her newborn's life.
James was – was so afraid for the both of you that night, afraid of what he had to do to make sure you would both make it through that horrible war, yet there was no mistaking the look in his eyes after he regained himself. Though, I will admit, I could also see a clear difference between the two of you, that being that you obviously weren't able to regain yourself, at least not by yourself.
So I said what I did, hoping to be the one to do it for you." I tell the softly crying boy, tears leaking down my own eyes as I remember both the night that James found this out and the look on my student's face when we had this conversation and Sirius takes the boy in his arms while Remus whispers me a silent thank you. I nod at my former colleague and read on.
Speechless, Harry … a change."
Harry himself was in no mood to do so, but he knew his best friend well enough. If he didn't get Ron to do this now, he would hold the fact that the Firebolt was perfectly fine over the girl's head for ages, his agreement with Harry to stay out of it be damned.
They turned … with them!"
This makes Harry glare at his mother and he says: "You better make sure you make it up to him over this. Especially now that you know how important he's been to me over the years." The man nods, a red hue of shame on his face and he turns to Neville as he says: "We'll discuss this later, okay?" The boy nods, looking only slightly shocked, proving he had forgotten this as I read on.
"Oddsbodkins," said … boys' staircase. Harry was glad for this as it was the chance he wanted to really talk with the girl.
"Can I … poring over. He shook his head, wondering why she would be trying to do them all at the same time. If she had some kind of magic to make sure she could get to all her classes, why didn't she use that to spread out her homework more evenly as well?
"How are … number chart. He really wanted to get to the bottom of the conversation, but felt he needed to reconnect with his friend first before he could do so. And talking schoolwork was, to his knowledge, the best and fastest way to do so.
"Oh no … cat hairs.
"You know what, something suddenly makes sense." Sirius says, just as the stunned silence in the ballroom after I finish reading almost becomes too much and we all turn to him. "Crookshanks and I had this little schedule where he would bring me a bit of food every time we were sure no one'd be watching us. When he brought me the list, he was actually running late.
Now I finally get why. He got kept up, though I do wonder why his attacker chose that moment of all times. I know for a fact that he had no idea how close I was to him, nor about the team-up between me and the cat. So why then. We haven't heard about any incidents between the two of them since Christmas. The only thing I can think of is that it just took him that long to come up with a plan."
"You're talking about the actual traitor, aren't you? Why won't you just tell us his name?" Lee Jordan asks and Sirius wants to smirk, but then Harry frowns and asks: "Yeah, why aren't we? The bastard already proved himself both a traitor and a murderer. We read about that at the start of all this." To which Amelia gasps and asks: "Wait, you mean – Peter Pettigrew?" And Harry nods.
Okay, THIS was fun!
I mean writing this chapter. And to be honest, I have been dreading this chapter for the better part of the month. Heck, I actually didn't really start on this thing until the day before I usually update. I think it was the whole start of the CR chapter; the problems between Harry, Ron and Hermione kept me back and I just didn't believe that I could put a positive twist to it.
And partially – I was right. There really wasn't all that much positive added to the story – bar of course the sweet moments between Harry, Lupin and McGonagall. But when it comes to the characters themselves, there was plenty of positive twists; there's the upcoming battle, James and Lily potentially coming back and Minerva reminiscing about the past. Speaking of which,
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Venquine1990
