Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, etcetera.
A/N: Sometimes, I just don't have anything to say. I would like to thank all of those that reviewed, and point out that at the end of this chapter I actually respond to some of my reviews if they had questions in them. I'm still new at this, so give me a chance.
I will finish this thing whether it kills me or not, so don't worry that it will become the dreaded 'discontinued.' I have my own little questions about Rowling's books so far, and I'm trying to solve a couple of them my style in this while I wait for the next book to come out in a year or two.
000000000000000 Chapter 8: After-Dinner Party 000000000000000
Harry sipped the warm butterbeer slowly. It felt soothing in his slightly nervous stomach, and it made the sandwich he was trying to eat go down better. Everything that had happened today, on his birthday, had been a little much. First a vision, then a shouting match with Snape, then OWLs, then adoption papers, and then boxes and boxes of fan mail. He had definitely not seen that last one coming.
And now he was sitting in a warm den, Remus next to him and Dumbledore seated across from him and a little to the left. Tonks had left, for once realizing that a little privacy was needed, and they had eaten their late lunch quickly. Remus looked nervous, Harry felt nervous, and Dumbledore looked calm as usual.
"The adoption papers—" Dumbledore began, then paused to give Harry and Remus time to look up and finish chewing and swallowing. "They are more of a formality than anything," he said. He smiled at Harry. "It is just to appease the Ministry, really, because they would never allow a werewolf to have custody of their hero. No offense to you, Remus."
"None taken," Remus said mildly.
"I take offense to the hero thing," Harry grumbled. Remus elbowed him slightly, and Dumbledore just smiled.
"The loophole in the papers is that I can hand over care of my charge to whomever I see fit, no matter their background. So Remus will have practical rights," he explained. Harry hesitated.
"I—I never really asked if you wanted to do this, Remus…" he admitted. The werewolf hugged him around the shoulders.
"Harry, I was the one that brought it up," Remus reminded him. "There is nothing I'd want more than to take care of you."
"I'm sixteen," he pointed out. "Another year and I won't be anyone's bur—er—charge."
"That doesn't matter to me," Remus said firmly. "The point is making you family on paper, so that it's really official. And I will always have time for you, Harry, no matter how old you get."
"Thanks," Harry said, embarrassed by Remus just a little. This was obviously something that really mattered a lot to Remus.
"Now, you just have to sign in a few places, Harry…Remus and I have already signed…" Dumbledore broke in. Harry nodded and took up the flamboyant green quill that Dumbledore produced, already full of ink, from his robes.
Harry signed wherever Dumbledore pointed, too eager to see this done to even wonder what the papers all said. When he'd scratched in the last signature, he gave the quill back to Dumbledore and sat back while the man folded up the papers and tucked them into his robes.
"Now, Harry," Dumbledore began again. "I know that the right Mr. Weasley and Ms. Granger could not be here today, but I do believe they brought you presents—"
"Where?" Harry asked. He'd been kind of disappointed earlier when he hadn't even gotten a word about Ron from Bill or Charlie.
"I believe Charlie has them," Dumbledore said. "He wanted to wait until after you've had dinner and some cake."
"Aren't you staying?" Harry asked. Dumbledore looked genuinely regretful.
"I'm afraid I can't, Harry. There is too much to be done right now…and as part of that, we need to discuss these visions you've started having," Dumbledore said. Harry did not want to talk about them, but he'd vowed to stop lying to Dumbledore sometime over the summer. So he was going to try hard to stick to that.
"What do you need to know?" he asked.
Dumbledore thought about it a moment. "First of all, I need to know about what Voldemort says," he said. "Just give me a summary of the vision you had last night," he suggested. Harry breathed in and out once, going over it all in his head.
"Right," he said. "Well, I was on the floor in this room," he began. "Usually I see things as if I'm Tom, but this time it was like I was just a third person there. Except nobody could see me. He said something about something happening again, or a test or something, and there were these three wizards, an old one and two younger. The younger ones stood in front of the old one and passed him a knife. He killed himself before Tom could do anything, but then he cursed the younger ones."
"Is that all?" Dumbledore pressed when Harry didn't go on. Harry shook his head slowly.
"Then I felt it. Like it was happening to me," he explained. "Plus I felt Tom's emotions…and then Remus woke me up and I got out of it. I was only cursed for a few minutes at most," he ended. "Tonks got Snape to come when I went into shock."
"That's true," Dumbledore said softly. He glanced at Harry. "Remus appeared in my chambers early this morning, and when I came out Tonks was just shouting for Professor Snape to come with her."
"I wanted to come back, but Albus said it would be okay," Remus spoke up. Harry nodded.
"I ended up shouting at him a little and he snapped at me some, but I guess he did help me," he admitted. "After I fell in the tub," he added.
"What?!" Remus asked. Harry smiled sheepishly.
"He was being a g—being rude, and I wasn't feeling so good so I tried to roll away from him. Except the edge of the pool was right there so I fell in. He fished me back out though," he added. There was no way he was going to say how Snape had jerked him out by his hair. That would be way to embarrassing, and would only give Snape more reasons to hate him. "It got me out of shock," he added helpfully.
"I was worried there had been brain damage," Remus admitted.
"That's what Tonks said," Harry confirmed. "I think I was just a little bit dazed. Although Snape still thinks I'm brain-damaged anyway," he added thoughtfully.
"Professor Snape, Harry," Dumbledore corrected him.
"Sorry," he said.
"Do you know what potions he gave you?" Dumbledore asked. Harry shook his head.
"They didn't kick in for a bit, and when he made me drink them I was still really out of it," he admitted. "The one was really cold and bitter tasting, though."
"Post-cruciatus Potion," Dumbledore mused. "He probably gave you something else to pull you out of shock."
"That's what I figured," Harry said. "I didn't think falling in the water would be enough to do it."
"There's just one last thing about that," Dumbledore said. "Do you know how Professor Snape received a black eye?"
"Actually, I don't," Harry said honestly. Remus shook his head.
"Don't look at me," he said innocently. Dumbledore smiled and Harry's eyes went wide.
"You don't think—Tonks?" he asked. Dumbledore chuckled. "I guess she was kind of mad at Sn—Professor Snape for the way he was treating me…" he mused. Dumbledore smiled.
"She is rather fond of you, Mr. Potter. She has a very strong mothering instinct," Dumbledore pointed out. Harry groaned.
"Just what I need. Another woman who wants to mother me," he griped. "She and Mrs. Weasley can fight it out. I only need one trying to stuff more food into me."
Remus laughed and hugged him again. Harry mentally noted to have a little chat with Remus about just how 'fatherly' Remus planned on being. He hadn't had any parental figure in his life, ever, and he wasn't sure he could handle a full-time one now. At least not for a while. It was hard to know how to act and react.
"Well, I didn't tell her to hit him," he said. "If she did, good on her."
"I'm afraid it has made Professor Snape rather loathe to help with finding a solution to these visions," Dumbledore commented. Harry folded his arms across his chest stubbornly.
"I don't care," he said. "He told me next time he'd enjoy watching me suffer," he said.
"You know he didn't mean that, Harry," Dumbledore said sternly.
"So what if he didn't?" Harry said. "He still said it."
"I know you've said things you don't really mean, Harry. Everyone does that," Dumbledore said gently. Harry frowned.
"He's my Professor," he said. "He isn't supposed to be my tormentor," he pointed out. Dumbledore sighed.
"These are not normal times, Harry," he said. "Professor Snape has to be cruel to you in his classes and whenever he sees you, or students will become suspicious."
"So that's why he tormented me in Occlumency lessons," Harry snapped, feeling a little upset now. "That's why he just kept prying into my mind and digging through all of my most embarrassing and terrible memories without giving me more than a little clue about what I was supposed to do!"
"I know that Professor Snape made many mistakes last year, Harry," Dumbledore said softly. "I have already had a word with him about his approach to your lessons, but he informs me that you pried while he was absent and looked in his Pensieve."
Harry reddened a little. "I didn't mean to," he said. "And then…my dad and Sirius…" he wasn't going to explain it. He'd promised never to tell anyone, and he hadn't—well, except for Remus and Sirius. But one of the two was dead, and the other had been there. So Remus didn't even count. "I—I tried to apologize," he added.
"I'm afraid that your transgression rather upset him," Dumbledore said. "I understand that it was an unfortunate accident, but Professor Snape has held his grudge against your father and Sirius for a long time. Seeing you makes things much worse for him."
"Well, excuse me for living!" Harry almost shouted. "Like I chose to look like my father, or get born!"
"Harry, please calm down," Dumbledore said. Harry realized he'd stood up, and let Remus pull him back down. "I know that Professor Snape's anger is mostly unfounded. But I want you to be the adult here and learn to live with that. He will be—"
"I'm not doing Occlumency with him!" Harry objected. "No way!"
"I was going to suggest that, eventually," Dumbledore admitted, and then went on at Harry's enraged look, "however, in the meantime, Professor Snape will be working on a potion to block the visions you've been having. There is nothing he likes more than a good challenge to his skills."
"I'll bet," Harry said darkly, wondering what kind of vile potion he'd be forced to drink down.
"Severus has also been able to give us a little information about why you've started having these visions," Dumbledore added. Harry looked up.
"Oh really?" he asked, only a little sarcastically. Dumbledore went on like he hadn't said a word.
"Voldemort has been torturing a lot of prisoners and random muggles lately, and sometimes vaguely mentions tests working or not working. Severus believes that perhaps Voldemort has found a way to open your link more, so that you are forced to become a victim in his tortures," Dumbledore explained.
"He seemed to know I was there, but couldn't see me," Harry said, thinking back to what Voldemort had said in the most recent vision. "He was happy."
"We will have to find a potion to block these visions. They will be of no help to us, and I fear that Voldemort has become so skilled at manipulating your connection that he does not have to show you anything if he does not want to," Dumbledore said. Harry frowned.
"Do you think I could make my connection with him work for me?" he asked. Dumbledore sighed.
"I honestly don't know, Harry," he said. "The problem is that he transferred powers to you, not the other way around. He does carry your blood now, which may give you an advantage. It certainly makes him weaker to attacks from you, physical or mental."
"So what am I supposed to do in the meantime?" Harry asked. "Just sit around and wait for him to drag me into a vision again?"
"You can't stay awake until Severus is finished with his first attempt, so I would advise sleeping at irregular times. Take naps during the day, and try to sleep as little as possible during regular nighttime hours. Hopefully, that will give you a chance to avoid any visions until we have something to protect you from these visions," Dumbledore instructed. Harry sighed, resigned. He did not want another of those visions. Especially if it ended up with him possibly drowning in a tub if someone didn't jerk him out by his hair…
"I'll make sure he doesn't get stuck in a vision," Remus said. Harry felt that arm around him again, protective and firm. Remus was very serious about this guardian thing, it seemed. Harry had no idea what to do about that. He'd just deal with it when it really came up.
"I'm afraid I must be leaving," Dumbledore said. "There is too much to work on right now…I'm sorry to cut my visit short, Harry."
"I'm glad you could come at all," Harry assured him. He stood up and followed Dumbledore, Remus with him as well, and went to the door of the den. Remus suddenly darted forward and opened the door inwards.
Tonks fell forwards, stumbling but somehow keeping her feet. She grinning sheepishly. "Er—hi," she said.
"Don't you know the meaning of private?" Harry asked. Tonks threw him a dirty look.
"I didn't see you staying out of Order business last year when you were supposed to," she told him. "You listened in just like the rest."
"Well—" Harry didn't really have an argument anymore. Tonks looked triumphant. Remus sighed irritably and Tonks looked worried.
"I'm sorry," she said. "I just—I heard my name…"
Dumbledore laughed. "I'm sure Professor Snape will find a way to get you back for the black eye, Ms. Tonks," he commented. Tonks blushed and looked down.
"He was being a real rotter to Harry," she said. "I wasn't going to let him just get away with it!"
"I'm sure he'll think twice about insulting me when you're within hearing distance," Harry said to smooth things over. Dumbledore laughed, as did Remus, and they moved to the living room so Dumbledore could floo back to Hogwarts.
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Dinner was served fairly late. Bill, Charlie, Tonks, and Remus were the only ones there besides Harry, but he didn't mind. It was good to know everyone he was eating with, and it was good to know that they were there not because he needed their protection or because of some political reason, but because they really did want to be there.
"Ron and Hermione couldn't come, but I have their gifts," Charlie said, as they finished eating. Harry nodded.
"Dumbledore mentioned something about that," he said. "That's really cool that you could bring their gifts here," he added. "Thanks."
Charlie produced two packages from his coat. They were both small. "They couldn't get you anything big—it had to fit inside my pocket to come with me. So this is what they found for you."
"Nice," Harry said. He took Ron's gift and opened it. He almost fell backwards on the floor as something zoomed upwards. Before he could even register what it was, his had had snapped out and grabbed it out of the air.
"Good grab," Bill said appreciatively.
"It's a snitch," Harry said, surprised. The little gold ball was fluttering between his fingers now, trying to get free. He let it, and once again snatched it out of the air, this time as it tried to make a beeline for the open door to the living room. "Cool," he said.
"Ron thought you might like it," Charlie said. "Don't worry—Dumbledore already checked it over for any curses or whatever. It's clean."
"That's good," he said.
"Oh!" Remus suddenly said.
"What?" Harry asked, alarmed.
"Albus forgot completely to mention it, Harry—but your ban from Quidditch has been revoked. He's still negotiating a more fair punishment for your fight last year, but you're free to play again," he told Harry, who grinned.
"I was hoping I'd be able to play this year," he said. "It was torture without Quidditch last year. I'd rather serve detentions all year than miss Quidditch."
"Hm," Remus said with a smile. "It might come to that. Professor Snape is quite reluctant to let you off with only a light punishment."
"Great," Harry said, rolling his eyes. He refused to let himself worry about it though. As long as he could play Quidditch he would be happy. He put the snitch inside the paper it had come in and wrapped it up again before putting it in his pocket. For a moment he had a flashback to the memory of his father, thinking he was cool while snatching a snitch out of midair. Just as quickly, though, he pushed that thought out of his head. So what if his father had been a show-off? He didn't have to be.
Hermione's gift was amazingly not a book. Instead, it was a small bauble in the shape of a dragon. It was a green color, about the same color as his eyes, and sparkled magically. "I wonder where she found this," he asked out loud. Charlie reached over and picked it up, examining it a moment before handing it to his brother.
"Looks like some sort of emerald mix," Bill said.
"Hungarian Horntail," Charlie added. Harry laughed.
"That's what I had to get by in the Second Task fourth year," he explained. "Of course Hermione would remember that."
He put the stone in his pocket as well. "When you see them, please tell them thanks and that I can't wait to see them at school," he asked. Charlie nodded.
"I'm headed back soon anyway. I'll make sure they both know," he assured Harry.
"Thanks, Charlie," Harry said gratefully. Charlie just smiled.
"So where's the cake?" he asked. "That's what I'm here for."
Tonks shot out of her seat. "Oh no!" she cried. Charlie's smile faded.
"Don't tell me…" he groaned. Tonks practically flew towards the kitchen, running as fast as she could. She still managed to knock a chair over as she fled. Harry laughed out loud.
"At least it's never boring," Remus grumbled. "Socks Snape, listens in on conversations—"
"—walks in on me in the bath—" Harry added.
"—and burns the cake," Remus finished. "There won't be any house left by the time she's through with it."
"Saved it!" came Tonk's shout. Charlie breathed a sigh of relief.
"Well, that's one good thing, at least," he said.
"What's this about her walking in on you?" Bill asked, eyebrow raised. Harry blushed.
"I was just treading water in that big tub and she came in," he explained. "I just about drowned."
Charlie laughed, and so did Bill. Remus frowned a bit, obviously thinking he should perhaps have a talk with Tonks about privacy issues, and then chuckled a little as well.
A few minutes later Tonks appeared, carrying a slightly lopsided chocolate cake with candles all over the top.
"All right," she said. "On three," she told them. Harry wondered what she was talking about.
"What—" he asked. Remus looked at him a little oddly.
"You sing to the person on their birthday," he explained. Harry blushed.
"Oh," he said. "The—er—Dursleys weren't big on that," he commented. Remus frowned, but laughed and forgot about it as Tonks set down the cake and started to sing.
"That," Harry said, when the loud cacophony of voices had died down, "has got to be the best singing I've ever heard."
"Why thank you, Harry," Tonks said with a grin. "Now blow out those candles!" He did, and Tonks glanced at him. "What'd you wish?" she asked him. He blinked.
"What?" he said. "Wish?"
"When you blew out the candles," she hinted, looking a little perplexed.
"Oh!" Harry said. Dudley's parties saved him again as he remembered what she was talking about. "Er—if I told you, it wouldn't come true," he told her. She laughed and turned to start cutting up the cake.
Harry managed one piece of the heavy cake before he was too stuffed to eat anymore. "This is great," he said. "Wow, Tonks."
"You're welcome, Harry," she said, pleased. "I love cooking for you."
"You'll have to fight with Mrs. Weasley if she comes," he warned her. "She won't let someone else do the cooking."
Tonks grinned. "She'll have to get used to it, then," she said with a laugh. "I've gotten pretty good at it now." Bill smiled.
"You'd better watch out, Tonks. Mum's pretty defensive when it comes to Harry," he told her. Before Harry could move, Tonks had mussed up his hair with her hand.
"Aw," he groaned, trying to smooth it down. "You've messed up my hair!"
"I think that's impossible, Harry," Remus commented. "It's a perpetual mess, even if it is a little longer now." Harry just glared at Remus, trying to smooth his hair back down a little.
"Nobody's feeding Harry except for me," Tonks said stoutly, glaring around as if expecting Bill or Charlie to argue with her. Harry sighed again.
"Can't I just feed myself?" he asked plaintively. "I AM sixteen!"
"Sure, Harry," Charlie said. "But then you'd have to eat your own food, Mum's food, and Tonks's," he said. Harry shook his head.
"I'm going to lock myself in my room if your mum comes," he said. "No offense to her," he added quickly. "But I don't want to die of exploding stomach."
Charlie and Bill both laughed uproariously at Harry's distraught expression. "Aw, you'll just have to get bigger to hold it all," Bill told him. Harry groaned.
"Don't talk about food," he whined. His stomach felt much too full, and he was queasy because of it. "I'm never eating again…"
"You'll eat in the morning," Remus said. "You always do."
"Bleah," Harry said. "No food."
"I think it's time to move to the living room, perhaps," Remus suggested. The others got up, and Harry followed them. He eyed the bottle of fire-whiskey that Remus produced curiously, but Remus saw his interested stare. "You can try it, Harry, but you're sticking to butterbeer."
"Oh, come on, Remus," he begged. Remus shook his head.
"I'm not letting you get drunk on your sixteenth birthday, Harry. Especially since I can't let you go to sleep, remember?" Remus told him. Harry nodded. He took the small tumbler of fire-whiskey that Remus handed him, and, unsuspecting, drank it straight down.
It felt like a burning fire down his throat, and he sputtered and coughed up about half of it. When he'd quit hacking, he realized the others were all laughing. His eyes were watering now, and he blinked back the tears as best he could. "You're all nutters," he gasped. "Drinking that stuff!"
"Well, you don't just drink it straight the first time, Harry," Remus said.
"Although," Charlie commented, picking up the bottle and filling his own small glass, "You can." Harry watched with deep respect as Charlie tossed back the entire glass, swallowing down the whiskey without flinching.
"Wow," he said. "I'm impressed."
"Charlie's throat's all calloused over from drinking too much fire-whiskey," Bill said. "And probably cured as well, from all the smoke he breathes working with dragons."
Charlie elbowed his elder brother. "It's not my fault some of us can drink their liquor and others can't!"
"Oh, come on," Remus said with a laugh, filling a short, heavy glass and sitting down in a chair. Harry took another chair, happy to see a warm butterbeer already waiting for him. "Just sit down and drink like civilized wizards, please," he asked. Bill and Charlie glared at each other jokingly for a moment, and then sat down with refilled glasses.
"I'll just have butterbeer," Tonks said, when Remus tried to had her a glass. He nodded and she conjured up her own bottle to drink from. Remus slowly sipped at the fire-whiskey and sighed contentedly.
"This is just how I imagined I'd spend my evenings," he said softly. "Few drinks, a few good friends…a minor wanting to get his first taste of alcohol," he teased. Harry rolled his eyes.
"I'm not helping anyone get up in the morning," he said. "That's your job."
"We'll see who can't get up in the morning and give them a good wake up," Tonks said, cackling evilly. "How about ice water or maybe mice, hm Harry?"
"I like the mice idea," he said appreciatively. Remus mock-glared at him. "You should go get some sleep, Harry. I'm going to wake you up when I'm headed to bed, and you can stay up a few hours while I sleep."
"Sure," Harry agreed. He really was pretty tired, and he wanted Remus to have a chance just to relax and drink with friends. He hated how it felt like everything Remus did depended on him and what was happening with him. He got up with a stretch and yawned, feeling sleepy. "I'll just catch a few hours."
"G'night, Harry," Tonks said.
"Goodnight, Harry," Charlie and Bill both said. Remus stood up and gave him a brief hug. Way too many hugs, Harry thought uncomfortably. Remus needed to step it back a bit until he got used to it all.
And then of course Tonks wanted to hug him, so he had to let her clamp her arms around him and tell him goodnight…and mess up his hair again… Surprisingly, though, her hug didn't make him feel any more uncomfortable than Remus's. Perhaps he was getting more used to them. Or perhaps it was because she didn't try to squeeze him to death like Hermione sometimes tried. It was more like when Mrs. Weasley had hugged him. It was nice.
"Well, good night, then," he said, after Tonks finally released him. He headed up the stairs drowsily, ready to get a little sleep. The morning and the pain he'd been through were catching up to him…as well as the fact that he still wasn't anywhere near back to full strength. He, according to Remus, 'was still skin and bones.'
He lit the lights in his room and changed into his pajamas quickly, not caring that the door was still open. If Tonks wanted to walk in on him and embarrass him to death, now was the time. He didn't really care. The small bit of fire-whiskey made him feel warm and a little unbalanced, and he welcomed a little rest.
His eyes fell on an envelope on his pillow as he went to remove his glasses. It was hard to see in the dim room, so he picked it up.
'To Harry Potter,' it read.
The return name made him shout aloud.
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A/N: I decided cliffies tend to make people want to know what's going to happen next. I know, but you don't, so it works out for me. Keep reading and keep reviewing, and perhaps you'll find out just who is writing to Harry on his birthday. If anyone wants to venture a guess, please be my guest. I'd love to read about who YOU think it might be.
I would also like to take this opportunity to suggest that you read 'Watching,' my other story, if you like this one at all. I think that one better fits my usual style, even if it is much harder for me to write. It's too depressing to work on all the time, but the first section I've read over and over and I still really like it. Heck, for the first couple times I read it, it made me cry a little. Way too depressing. Please review if you do read it!
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Responses to Reviewers:
Angel74 – Thank you for such a glowing review, and especially for the advice. I'm still new to this whole thing, and I'm trying to figure out what works best. I'm not really certain how to make the summary more catching…I've changed it a few times now, but if you have any good suggestions I would love to hear them. Ron and Hermione will make an sort-of appearance in an upcoming chapter…perhaps the next chapter…and Harry will certainly be seeing them before going back to Hogwarts. The problem is that any travel between Grimmauld Place and the Burrow could possibly be tracked by death eaters, or something like that. Also, Snape will probably have a little bit of change of heart. He can't stay a cold-hearted jerk forever. He's just not willing to let go right now.
u-ne-corn – I'm sorry that you think the Dursleys are a little over the top. They may be, but they've always been a little unpredictable, I think. Harry's request to be taught to become an animagi is just that. A request. It does not mean that he will be skilled at it or that he will have multiple forms or anything like that. As of now, I have two different ideas of how Harry's animagi training will go. We'll see which works best…
Kjkit – I try to update every day or so. Be warned now that when I get out of school for the summer I won't have a steady internet connection. This means that updates will become less regular until the end of August. I'll still work hard to update once a week after I get out.
Also thanks to: Crackerjacknpez, Slrmn82, shadowsfriend, HPBeatles, and Imaginaryfriendless for their reviews. And anyone else that I did not mention.
–Miss Laine