Chapter Fifty-six

"Get up," Harry said the next morning, holding onto Nathaniel, who was in his snake form. Amaryllis and Alexander were once again downstairs, patiently waiting for the two to come down.

Put me down, Harry, the snake said, sounding irritated. How would you like it if I picked you up and started to shake you?

"I'm not shaking you," Harry argued. "Amaryllis and Alexander are downstairs, waiting for us. I'll be downstairs while you get ready, but you better be quick, Nathaniel."

With that, Harry set the snake down and left the room. He went down the stairs and grinned at the two in the doorway.

"Nathaniel'll be down in a minute. So, where are we going?"

"Remember that bloke at Maythers Park last time we went? The one that juggled fire? He's coming back to perform stuff there. Thought you'd like to come with us," Alexander explained excitedly. His dark eyes shone with anticipation.

"OK," Harry said, turning to look behind him once he heard Nathaniel come down the stairs.

"Ready to leave?" Nathaniel asked. "Does Snape know we're leaving?"

"Yup," Harry replied, starting towards the door. He smiled to himself as it was he and Alexander in the lead; Nathaniel and Amaryllis trailing behind.

As the two boys walked along the deserted road in silence, only Amaryllis's light giggles from behind could be heard, they approached Maythers Park.

-

Alexander got a queasy look on his face, and Harry couldn't help but laugh at it.

"Are you OK?" Harry asked the younger boy. "You don't look too good."

Alexander swallowed, not taking his eyes off the man performing in front of them. "No, I'm … I'm good. Just—how could he swallow fire? It's not possible!"

"Aw, it was just a stunt, Alex," Amaryllis said with a laugh. "I doubt it's real fire."

"What is it, then?" Alexander asked, raising his eyebrows. "You're so smart … you tell me."

"I don't know what it is," replied Amaryllis. "But if you believe that he swallowed real fire, then he did."

"Personally, I agree with Amaryllis," Nathaniel spoke up. "After all, who could actually swallow fire?"

"Of course you agree with Amaryllis," Alexander snapped, scowling. "You're the one who has your arm wrapped around her! Why wouldn't you agree with her?"

Harry snickered at Nathaniel's expression, causing Nathaniel to glare at Harry.

"Did you see that?" Alexander suddenly gasped, looking at the entertainer in amazement. "He's balancing plates on a stick! But the plates aren't on fire. I think that's the first act since we've been here that hasn't had fire in it."

Harry laughed. "I agree."

"It's too bad that there's only two acts left," Amaryllis said, disappointment fresh in her voice. "Then after that Alex and I have to go to our grandmothers house. She's doing poorly."

"I hope your grandmother gets better," Nathaniel said.

Amaryllis smiled. "Thanks."

"I wonder if he'll be jumping through a ring of fire," Harry said to Alexander with a grin.

"Or lay on a bed of fire," Alexander added with a laugh. "That'd hurt."

"It would," Harry, watching as the man stuck out his tongue and placed a stick that held a plate on top. He laughed as it fell and smashed on the ground.

-

Harry returned to the Snape later that day, while Nathaniel was still outside saying goodbye to Amaryllis. Shoving his hands in his pockets, Harry felt something in his right pocket. He carefully took whatever it was out and examined it; then finding himself staring at his mothers face. It was the picture of his mother that he had a while back, then lost, then … Sirius had found it again and gave it back to him.

"Um -" Harry cleared his throat, tearing his eyes away from the picture to see Severus standing in front of him. "Do you mind if I put this up in my room? I - it's a picture of … my mum …"

Severus looked surprised at being asked if Harry could put a picture in his room, nevertheless he said that Harry could.

Harry, still clutching onto the picture of his mother (and without waiting for Nathaniel to follow), rushed up the stairs to place it on his mirror. When he did, he stood back for a minute and admired it. Then he went down the stairs, just as Severus was coming up.

"Follow me," Severus said to Harry, startling the boy, but followed anyway. Harry, the whole way, was looking at the back of Severus's head curiously as the Potions Master led him to a door.

"What are we doing here?" Harry finally asked, mystified. Severus went over to the closet and opened it, Harry noticed that the door led to the library.

"I want to show you something," replied Severus. "So, if you'll follow me …"

Without any questions being asked, though Harry had a few, he silently followed, but had to grab onto Severus's hand half-way through so he wouldn't get lost, since it was dark through the corridor. No light whatsoever.

"You should put some lights here," Harry said, bringing the matter to Severus's attention. "It's too dark."

"I should," Severus agreed. "I can usually see through the dark. Can't you?"

"You're probably used to it," Harry responded. "I'm sort of used to the dark too, since I was always in the dark at the Dursleys. My bedroom, that is, was dark. But some lights on the wall would make things brighter. A lot brighter."

Severus stopped abruptly, causing Harry to do the same without bumping into him. Harry curiously followed Severus into the library, and he couldn't help but wonder why Severus wanted to bring him to the library in the first place.

"We could've went the other way," Harry said, watching as Severus passed bookshelves, his eyes searching for a particular one. "The permanent one, instead of the way that goes from room to room?"

But Severus didn't answer. Instead, he stopped in front of the second bookcase, pulling out a thin, navy coloured book that seemed to hold dust more than anything else. It was all blank, except for the Hogwarts Coat of Arms on the front cover.

Harry was surprised, and also confused, when Severus handed the book over to him, and the confusion must've shown, because Severus said, "It's a book."

Harry glanced up at the Potions Master and took the offered book, examining it. "I know that it's a book. But why are you giving it to me?"

"Open it," instructed Severus. "Look through it. Keep it, since I'll never have any use for the thing."

Harry opened the book to the first page, and saw unfamiliar people on that page. Every picture that was in the book moved, just like the ones that were in the Daily Prophet. But, as he flipped through the pages, he saw a woman. The woman in his picture, with her fiery red hair, bright, lively green eyes … It was his mother.

Then he realized that it seemed to be a wizarding yearbook of some sort.

"If you want it," Severus continued, "you can keep it in the library, but I suggest otherwise. It'll only collect dust down here."

"Why are you giving it to me?" Harry finally asked, tearing his eyes away from the book.

"The only thing you have is a picture," Severus pointed out. "I thought that perhaps you'd want that. I have no use for it. Everybody got one after we graduated from Hogwarts."

"Thank-you," Harry said, his voice thick with sincerity as he uttered those words. "You really don't mind if I keep it?"

"I don't mind, Harry. What would I do with it, anyway? For years it's been in this library, never touched."

Harry closed the book and held onto it tightly. "Have you had this house for a long time?"

"I grew up in this house," replied Severus. Harry's eyes widened.

"You did? You grew up in this house? Wow."

Harry looked even more surprised than when Severus had given him the book. To think that Severus had walked the same halls that he did at the exact same age …

"Did you have fun at Hogwarts when you went?" Harry asked curiously.

Severus looked taken aback by the question, and didn't respond to it. Instead, he said, "Perhaps you'd like to look through that book now?"

Harry didn't answer automatically, since it was not the response he was looking for from Severus. "Er—yeah, I guess."

Severus turned around, walking past a bookcase to one of the doors. As Harry followed, he wondered if he had said something wrong.

-

Nathaniel wasn't happy that Harry had left him the way he did, but was curious when Harry had showed him the book that Severus had given him.

"Did he say when he got this?" Nathaniel asked, peering over Harry's shoulder in Harry's room, trying to see the book.

"After they graduated from Hogwarts," Harry said, flipping over to the next page. "Hey, look—here's you!"

"Me?" Nathaniel repeated. "How? I wasn't there for the last year. Or did you forget that?"

"It's probably pictures of before," Harry answered. "When you were at Hogwarts."

Harry looked at the picture: Nathaniel looked a bit younger than he did now; his arm was draped around a girl. He had a proud smile on his face, and with closer inspection, Harry noticed that the girl was Topaz Aureus.

The Nathaniel in the picture was laughing with Aureus, and the younger girl in the picture looked so happy. He couldn't believe that she was Aureus.

"Wow," Nathaniel muttered, running his fingers across the picture. "I remember that! Slytherin won a Quidditch match then. She and I were celebrating."

"That 'she's' Aureus," Harry pointed out.

Nathaniel stared at the picture a moment longer, letting out a surprised gasp.

"It is! I forgot that she and I were—"

"A couple?" Harry interrupted, casting a matter-of-fact look at the picture. Nathaniel scowled.

"Friends. She had her eyes set on James Potter, even if he was a Gryffindor. Anyway, someone would have to be off their trolley to date her. Your dad did it just to make your mum jealous."

Nathaniel looked proud of himself to remember that.

"Hey, look," Harry said suddenly as he flipped to the next page, his eyes on Sirius Black. Not only him, but there was also Remus and next to Remus, was his father. Next to his father, however, Harry didn't know who it was, but his eyes were just set on the other three. Sirius, Remus and his dad.

"They look loads younger," said Harry. "Sirius and Remus do, anyway. Who's the other one by my dad?"

Nathaniel frowned as he studied the picture. "I don't know. Peter Something."

Harry looked up at Nathaniel in alarm. "Peter? Peter … Pettigrew?"

Slowly, Nathaniel nodded. "I think so. How did you know?"

"Sirius," Harry said carefully, "was telling me. Nathaniel—Peter Pettigrew is the one who betrayed my parents."

Nathaniel kept quiet, not knowing how to answer to that. "Why don't you turn to the next page?" he ultimately suggested.

Harry silently did as was suggested, and saw that it was the page that he had flipped to earlier. There was his mother again, smiling. Then as his eyes scanned the rest of the page, he saw James with his arm around Lily. They looked happy.

"That's the last page," Harry finally announced. He closed the book, and got up from the bed to set the book on his dresser.

"About that picture earlier," Nathaniel started as Harry gently set his book down. "Did you really think that that woman was Aureus?"

Harry turned around to look at his friend. "Well, yeah. Why?"

Nathaniel looked displeased, but said as calmly as he could, "I was just wondering. Am I not allowed to wonder? Anyways, I just couldn't really believe that I used to be friends with her."

Harry sat in the chair that was in front of his dresser. "It's true, though. I must say, sometimes you have bad taste."

"I do not!"

"Yes you do."

"No, I don't."

"Yes, you do! Let's stop arguing now, all right?"

Nathaniel sighed exasperatedly. "You started it."

"All right," Harry gave in with a sigh that matched Nathaniel's. "Truce?"

"Truce," Nathaniel agreed, quickly standing up. "Come on Harry, I hear Snapey downstairs. Maybe lunch's ready."

Harry carefully set his book on his dresser before following Nathaniel out of the bedroom.

-

A/N: Thanks to everybody that has been reviewing… you don't know how much I appreciate it :-) Last couple of chapters will be posted later.