CHAPTER FOUR

THE LEAKY CAULDRON

Ron and Hermione dragged Harry to the room with the tapestry.

"What is going on?!" Ron demanded of his friend. "You've been acting weirder than usual ever since the second chapter. It can't ALL be about what that bitch said about your parents as we've already had this discussion!"

Harry backed up to the wall and slid to the ground.

"I wouldn't mind this book if we didn't look into my thoughts." He admitted. "But…ever since the start of this book, I can't help but to look back on what I thought of Sirius BEFORE learning the truth. Especially after learning he's my godfather. I remember all that hatred I had and…I don't want him knowing of that."

"Yeah. And the way we jumped him in the shack didn't give that away at ALL!" Ron argued sarcastically.

"Harry," Hermione said as she and Ron joined Harry on the floor and sat on either side of him. "Sirius won't hold that against you. He knows you were duped by Pettigrew JUST as the rest of the world was. He loves you"

"But for how much longer?" Harry asked.

"C'mon." Ron said after a moment of silence. "We should be in the next chapter."

The trio got up and went back to the reading room. However, before entering, Hermione pulled Ron aside.

"What?" he asked.

"I have a plan." She said. "It depends on when we stop to break though. If we reach a certain point of the book before the break, we ask for a break then and there. If we break before that point, we sneak a peek at the book to FIND that point."

"Why?"

"Because after the break, we're going to seat Harry between the two of us and hold him down when we read about his sneaking into Hogsmeade." Hermione said. "Even if we have to get the twins and Ginny in on it just to SIT on him. Maybe it'll also teach the adults about jumping to conclusions because it was their fault Harry knew about the situation in the first place.

"Are you two coming or what?" Harry asked.

"Yeah."

"What are you two planning?" he accused them.

"Nothing." Hermione lied. "Just scolding Ron about calling Crookshanks a 'damned cat.'"

The trio walked in and sat back down. Molly had the book now.

"Are we ready?" she asked.

The trio nodded.

"Chapter four: the Leaky Cauldron" she read.

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"Sounds delicious." Tonks said sarcastically.

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"LUCKY!" the twins and Ginny chorused. Ron would have as well had he not been so concerned about Harry's lack to accept the fact he was loved.

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"Wasn't that the year the Firebolt came out?" Bill asked.

"I'd be tempted too." Charlie informed Harry.

"Tempted?" Tonks asked. "Charlie, if you had the money Harry does, you'd BUY the thing as soon as it came out."

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"Would you like me to buy everyone who is currently drooling a Firebolt of their own when this whole mess with Voldemort is settled?" Harry asked Bill, Charlie, Fred, George, Ron, Ginny, Tonks, Sirius, and too his amusement, McGonagall and Snape.

"I can buy my own." Sirius said messing up Harry's hair even more. "After all, I bought you yours."

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"At least you know how to spend your money wisely." McGonagall praised Harry.

"Lily would be proud." Remus told Harry. "James would have been first in line for that broom."

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"Should have taken muggle studies." Harry muttered thinking of the easy grade. Then again, he had thought Divinations would be an easy grade.

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Everyone shivered as they thought of Fluffy, Norbert, and Aragog.

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"Perhaps you should make a point to approve certain text." McGonagall suggested to Dumbledore.

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"What's the point of writing that?" Tonks asked.

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Hermione and McGonagall both rolled their eyes.

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"Your subconscious." Sirius told Harry in order to reassure him. "I used to transform for you all the time."

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"Or your godfather trying to give you a heart attack." Remus added while glaring at Sirius.

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"When this mess is over, we're going to take you to the beach." Hermione told Harry as she realized exactly how pale he was compared to her and Ron.

"Probably bring two others with us." Ron said eyeing Snape and Sirius who also looked as if they'd never seen a flash of sun.

"Why would I want to go to the beach with… one of them?" Harry asked having seen Ron eye Snape.

Ron leaned over Sirius' lap and Harry leaned as well.

"We can feed him to some sharks." Ron whispered.

Harry FINALLY smiled.

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Harry pouted.

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"Got that right." Molly confirmed before continuing.

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"Don't blame him." Kingsley whispered to Tonks.

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"Where in the world did you get the time?" Bill asked the girl.

Hermione just smirked knowingly.

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"Not particularly." Hermione admitted.

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"More like news of an escape convict didn't agree with him." Ron muttered.

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"Should have been the FIRST clue." Arthur sighed still upset that he harbored a mass murderer in his home.

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"And thus entered the demon cat." Ron muttered before being whacked by Hermione.

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"Not quite." Hermione admitted.

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"See why I don't like these books!" Harry declared at Hermione's glare.

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"And they won't if we have anything to say." Arthur assured Sirius.

"Thanks." Sirius said.

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"Wanna bet?" Ron asked his father.

Arthur rolled his eyes though looking forward to how Ron had met Sirius prior to his own meeting. Especially considering what Molly had told him when she had seen Sirius at Hogwarts a couple of months ago and Ron's reaction.

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"Just had to add that, didn't you?" Ginny muttered.

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"Where's that attitude now?" George muttered to Fred.

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"Well done boys." Sirius praised.

Molly glared at the Marauder for the encouragement.

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Bill raised his eyebrow at his mother who continued while blushing bright red.

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"Yeah." Ginny said. "Ron, Charlie, and Bill."

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"Should have let us go through with it." Fred sighed.

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"He was certainly ACTING like one." Fred defended his and his twin's actions.

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"Tattletale" Ron grumbled.

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"And he's blaming Ron?" Remus asked. "How long has he known Fred and George?"

"Well, M…Mate" Sirius said catching himself at McGonagall's warning glare of not to mention the Marauders' names. "Percy didn't have the advantage you have of meeting me and James prior to meeting Fred and George."

"But still…" Remus muttered.

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"So THAT'S what happened." Arthur mused.

"You overheard us, didn't you?" Molly groaned.

Harry nodded sheepishly before getting uncomfortable again.

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"I'd rather be unhappy knowing than happy not knowing and get caught off guard." Harry declared.

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"Not necessarily by who I feared before now that I think of it." Arthur mused.

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Harry wanted so much to plug his ears so he wouldn't have to rehear this bad-talking about his godfather. Meanwhile, Arthur had made a decision as he watched Sirius listen to the story.

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"You were right about that last part." Sirius admitted.

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Ron started laughing.

"What is so funny?" Molly asked her son.

"Sorry. It's not." Ron chuckled. "It's just…when you said, 'if they save Harry,'…they were the ones that came the closest to KILLING us that year."

Molly paled at that.

"Thanks for that Ron." Harry said sarcastically realizing that Molly hadn't known of that part.

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Sirius winked in approval causing the twins to beam.

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"At least Pettigrew couldn't try anything." Sirius said.

"And truthfully, it was part of the reason I asked Mr. Lupin to ride the train." Dumbledore admitted.

"Part?" Sirius asked looking between the headmaster and the werewolf.

"It was also a way for me to get to see Harry before the year started." Remus admitted.

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"Probably because you know subconsciously I wouldn't hurt you." Sirius told his uncomfortable godson.

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"As it is today" Harry groaned in frustration.

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"That's it." Molly said.

"I'm sorry" Arthur told Sirius. "About those things I said that Harry overheard."

Sirius shook his head.

"You didn't know." Sirius told Arthur. "And you were just looking out for Harry. For that, I am grateful…to both of you."

Hermione and Ron shot Harry a Told-you-so look. However, Harry didn't look convinced.

"I'll read next." Arthur said taking the book from his wife.