So, the first ten pages of this were finished for the longest time, but I couldn't figure out how to continue. You'll see why when you finish reading it. There will be a longer AN at the end. I don't own the characters.
The professors stared at the piece of parchment. It hung on the back of the door to the staff room.
"Isn't it bad enough with the Weasley Twins?" Snape drawled.
"This is only going to be worse," Flitwick told him.
"How?"
"We know who the Weasley Twins are, this could be anyone, from any year and house," McGonagall explained.
"We also won't be able to just blame everything on the twins," Sprout added.
"Great, but I can guarantee that they are not from my house," Snape said as he left the room.
Flitwick walked up to the parchment after Snape left. It was a basic sheet of parchment; it was the words on it that worried them.
INTRODUCING
THE AMAZING
THE WONDROUS
THE UNSTOPABLE
KNIGHTS OF HOGWARTS
AT YOUR SERVICE
FOR SCHOOL-WIDE ENTERTAINMENT
"This is not going to mean anything good for us, is it?" Sprout sighed.
"What is this stuff?" Ron asked as they sat down for breakfast.
Instead of the normal breakfast spread, each table was covered with colorful boxes and jugs of milk.
"Cereal," Hermione replied.
"Muggles eat this?" Neville questioned, shaking a box of Kellogg's Ricicles.
"Oh! Lucky Charms!" Harry exclaimed. They all stared at him. "And Cinnamon Toast Crunch!"
They watched as he looked from one box to the other. Finally, he grabbed both, and poured them into his bowl. He reached for one of the jugs, and poured the milk into the bowl. He took a bite, and grinned. He paused when he noticed everyone within five seats staring at him.
"What? Do you know how long it's been since I've had cereal? And now that I find myself in front of my favorites, I am going to enjoy them," he defended himself.
A few of them laughed, while others slowly looked away. Harry kept eating happily. Ron picked up a box of Kellogg's Coco Pops, a poured some into his bowl. He added a splash of milk, and tried it. His eyes went wide, and he filled his bowl.
Maybe muggles' aren't as barmy as I thought," he said between bites.
"They aren't idiots, Ronald. The just had to find ways to survive without magic," Hermione told him.
Ron shrugged, and she just shook her head, exasperated.
"Look at the Slytherins," Neville said. They all looked across the hall to the Slytherin table. Most of the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws were eating, but very few of the Slytherins were.
A few who either didn't care where the food came from, or would eat anything like Crabbe and Goyle, were eating. Most, however were acting as though there was no food on the table, and were just talking.
Harry saw Malfoy looking at a box of Corn Pops with disgust.
"I hope they get over it," he laughed. "Or they won't be eating today."
Harry glanced up at the Head Table. Most of the professors were eating, and appeared amused at the food.
"Mr. Potter, I would like to speak with you after class," McGonagall said when Harry walked into Transfiguration that day.
"Yes, Professor," Harry responded, and went to sit down.
"What do you think she wants?" Dean asked him.
"Probably thinks I had a part in breakfast this morning."
The class passed uneventfully. As usual, Hermione was the first to master the spell, Seamus almost set his robe on fire, and Harry helped Neville. Finally, Harry nodded to the rest of the Knight as they walked out of the room. He walked up to McGonagall's desk once the room was empty.
She looked at him over her glasses briefly before putting the paper she was holding down, and leaning forward.
"You wouldn't happen to know how we all ended up eating cereal for breakfast, would you, Harry?" she asked him.
"You kidding me? I wish I knew how they did that. I would love to have cereal more often around here," he said.
She rolled her eyes, and told him to go. He grinned once he was out of the room. It technically hadn't been a lie. He had just given the kitchen House Elves the money and a few suggestions. He had no idea how they had gotten any of the cereal, let alone the American brands.
"How did I not know about this before?" Ron asked through a mouthful of pizza.
"Because muggle food isn't considered good enough for many witches and wizards," Hermione told him.
"We must me mad, cause this stuff is bloody brilliant."
She just shook her head, and took a bite out of her own pizza.
The pies were lined up on each table. Baskets of rolls had been placed randomly, and the jugs that had held milk for breakfast now held a variety of sodas.
"How do they drink this stuff?" Neville coughed after drinking the soda.
"Used to the carbonation," Harry shrugged after finishing his second glass.
Neville just shook his head a poured himself a glass of water.
Harry looked around him towards the Slytherin table. More of them were eating compared to breakfast, but a core group was still holding out. Malfoy was sitting with his back to the table.
"They will break at supper," Dean told him.
"Hope they won't, they can suffer for the night," Seamus said.
"Kinda dark, Seamus," Hermione said. Seamus shrugged.
"They better give us some decent food for supper," Malfoy said as they waited for potions to start. The Knights smirked at each other.
"It's not so bad if you try it, Draco," Tracey Davis said.
"How would you know?" Pansy questioned.
"I didn't eat last night, so I had some," Tracey quickly said. "It really wasn't bad."
Malfoy sneered at here. "Why would I lower myself like that?"
"Because you most likely won't eat today if you don't," she shot back.
"Why do you say that?"
"It already happened for breakfast and lunch, why wouldn't it happen for supper?"
"The professors have probably already figured out who did it."
Harry snorted at this. There was no way the House Elves would not do what he had asked. They were getting as much amusement out of it as they were. Besides, he doubted it mattered enough to any of the professors for them to figure out who was doing it.
"What's so funny, Potter?" Malfoy spat.
"Did you even look at the head table?" he said. "There weren't exactly complaining about it. In fact, most of them seemed to be enjoying the food."
"It's still against school rules, Potter?"
"What rule?"
Snape walked in before Malfoy could answer. The blond sent a look to Harry before looking up at Snape.
"Man, fish 'n chips!" Dean said as they walked into the Great Hall for supper. He found the first opening large enough for all of them, and sat down. He instantly pulled the newspaper open, and started to eat.
The others quickly sat down as well, and started to dig into their own meal. Each seat had a basket lined with a few newspaper pages, and full of food.
"It's amazing," Seamus said. "How did they do this?"
The others shrugged. They knew he had meant the house elves.
"So, this is how muggles eat," Neville states as they finished up.
"Not just muggles," one of the twins said as he sat down next to him. The other sat across from his twin. "According to Bill, a lot of witches…"
"And wizards, the younger ones in London," the other added.
"Eat like this regularly."
"All Americans do as well, magic or not," Harry told them.
"Which is why we came over here, young one."
"Some of the food we enjoyed today looked particularly… What was the word?"
"Yankish."
"Yes, yankish. You wouldn't happen to…"
"Know anything about it…"
"Would you?"
"I wish, but I have no idea how anyone would be able to get the food here… Oooh! Cookies!" He reached out and grabbed a stack of the chocolate chips.
The twins looked away from him, and looked down the table. It was covered in sweets. The twins left to sit next to Lee, and gorge themselves.
Tubs of ice cream sat every few feet with toppings around each tub. Even more food sat between each tub. Platters of fresh cookies and bowls of left over cookie dough. Pies, tarts, and fairy cakes had been raised over everything else on stands. The wood wasn't visible due to the amount of chocolate bars scattered across the table.
"This is muggle candy?" Ron said, his mouth wide.
"Yeah, try these," Dean said, tossing him a Mars Bar and a small box of Malteasers.
"This was the best idea ever," Neville said as he scooped himself some ice cream.
"Here, put these on top," Harry said, handing him some cream and a Cadbury Flake.
"I just have one question," Hermione said as she put her mug of hot chocolate down. She leaned closer to Harry. "How did you convince the house elves to agree to do this?"
Harry grinned. "Well, most of them were for it from the start. The older ones were convinced when I promised them the biggest mess I could make for them."
"You promised them more work?" she said incredulously.
"Yeah, the little buggers love it. They're all for it."
"What do you mean by 'mess'?" Seamus asked him.
Harry grinned. "Everyone ready?" Before they could respond, he picked up and fairy cake, and lobbed it towards the Ravenclaw table. It hit, frosting first, the back of an older girls head.
She spun around, and looked around the hall for whoever had thrown it. When she looked towards the Knights, Harry pointed down the Gryffindor table at a seventh year boy. The girl nodded slightly, and chucked another fairy cake at the boy.
The boy froze, and looked around. The first thing he saw was the twins laughing at him. He picked up a pie, and threw it at them. The first twin saw it, and ducked. The other get a face pull of pie. The pied twin picked up another pie, and stuck it into the face of his twin.
Food was flying within moments.
Harry grabbed the closest ice cream tub, the toppings, and the scooper, and ducked under the table. The others quickly copied him.
He looked at each other the Knights, and quickly formed a plan.
"Ron, Seamus pop up and grab some pies, then throw them across the room. Neville, Hermione, take all of the topping we have, and just go crazy. Dean, you and I will work with the ice cream." They all nodded, and started to move. "Wait, whenever you can, grab some of the bars and put them in your pockets. We may be knights, but we dine like kings tonight!"
With that, he scooped some of the ice cream, and moved above the table enough to fling the scoop at a Hufflepuff.
Practically everyone in the hall was coated in sugar by the time Dumbledore managed to get order. The most covered were either the pure-bloods who had never heard of a food fight before, or those, like the twins, who didn't care. Others had managed to duck under the tables, and stayed relatively clean, until people started to throw stuff under the tables, at least.
"Everyone is to go shower, then return to the great hall," Dumbledore said.
The students stampeded out of the hall.
"Told you they would get a mess," Harry said as they made their way to the Gryffindor tower.
"What if they make us clean it up?" Dean asked.
"The professors have to get clean too, the elves will do it while everyone is gone," he shrugged.
"We will find who is responsible for this, if not the one who decided to start this little 'food fight,' than the one who decided to change our menu for today."
The students watch as Snape walked back and forth. They stood in a large mass around the tables. They were all wearing different outfits. Some had put another uniform on, while others had put muggle day clothes on. A few, such as the twins and the Knights, were in their pajamas.
As Harry had predicted, the hall had been cleaned before they had returned.
"If those responsible speak up now, their punishment will be lessened. It will be much more severe if they are found later," McGonagall added.
"Yes, and you are lucky that the house elves already cleaned the Great Hall, or you would all be spending the night cleaning it," Snape snarled.
"As it is," Dumbledore spoke up. "The hall has been cleaned, and no one has been hurt. You may all leave."
The students started to move out of the hall again, but they turned around when a loud band filled the room. A large banner hung behind the high table.
We hope you thoroughly enjoyed the first ever
'Muggle Day'
At this fine establishment
Truly yours,
The Knights of Hogwarts
"You think they will figure out it was us?" Neville asked as they all sat in the boy's dorm that night. The candy they had stashed in their robed was in a pile in the center of their circle.
"No way," Ron said. "And the elves will never tell."
"I still can't believe we got away with it," Hermione said.
"You underestimate me," Harry laughed.
"We really should do this every year," Dean suggested.
"Until we get caught, that is," Seamus added.
Harry tried to cool himself down as he stalked away from the Hufflepuffs. They really thought he was the Heir!
"Harry!" a voice called after him once he was out of the library.
He spun around to see Susan following him.
"Don't listen to them," she told him once she caught up. "I keep telling them that they're mad, but they won't listen to me."
"It's okay, Susan, I just wish they would listen to me," he said and started to walk down the hall.
"They'll come around soon enough."
"Yeah, when the real heir is revealed." He gave a short laugh as they turned a corner.
She opened her mouth the say something else, but Harry pulled her back. She turned to him, to see him staring down the hall. She looked to see Justin and Nearly-Headless Nick.
"Oh, Merlin," she gasped.
As she stared, Harry looked around and darted into one of the classes in the hallway.
"What are you doing, Potter?" she could just hear McGonagall ask.
"There's been another attack," Harry replied.
The hallway was soon filled with students. Peeves was singing a song about Harry being the heir. She heard Ernie yell something at Harry.
"Let's go, Susan," Hannah said from next to her.
She turned her head, and nodded.
Harry looked around to see everyone gone, even Susan. His heart fell, she thought he was doing it.
"Harry?" he looked up to McGonagall.
"They all think I'm doing it," he said quietly.
"Not all of them," she replied.
"I just don't think it's Malfoy," Hermione said later that night. The Knights were all in the boy's dorm, throwing ideas around. Harry had told them everything that had happened in Dumbledore's office, and they were throwing around ideas.
"C'mon, he's gotta be the biggest git in the school," Ron argued.
"And, who else would bother tryna get rid of the muggleborns?" Seamus added.
"Sure, he's a git, and certainly hates muggleborns, but that doesn't mean it's him," she countered.
"Would you listen to yerself, Hermione?" Seamus groaned.
"I am, besides, Malfoy was at the feast during the first attack, and in class today," she pointed out.
"What about when Colin was attacked?" Ron said.
"If we can blame Malfoy because we don't know where he was then, we can blame anyone," Hermione sighed.
"What do you three think?" Seamus asked, turning to Harry, Dean, and Neville. Neville and Dean glanced at each other.
"I dunno," Dean shrugged.
"I do kinda think that you are giving him too much credit, Seamus. He's our age. Do you really think he could do something like this?" Neville said.
"His dad could of told him how," Ron said. "He must of opened it the last time it happened."
"What's wrong, Harry?" Hermione said. Harry looked up. He hadn't said anything since he had told them what had happened.
"They all think I'm the heir, and no matter what I say or do, they won't believe me," he told them.
"Just ignore them," Neville suggested. "They will eventually believe you."
"Sure, if the real heir is ever caught. If not…" he trailed of.
"What if," Dean started. "The Knights do something to convince people otherwise?"
"Like what?" Harry questioned.
"Well, they can't tell you. We promise it won't be too bad," he laughed.
Harry looked at them all and nodded. "Okay."
"Of course, it may have to wait until after break."
Harry,
I'm sure you try to keep out of trouble, you just aren't very good at it.
I can't tell you now, this is something I need to tell you in person
Minerva has told me about some of the stuff that has been going on at Hogwarts this year. Stay safe.
Dad.
-oOo-
Harry,
It would not be sweet if the house is haunted, and I won't let him know that we know about the cabinet.
It would be really cool to see some of them here. I bet they would get into so many fights because of their attitude.
If a Deathday party is depressing, why did you go? It's good that you still went to the feast. I don't think Ron would be able to survive the night without food.
I'm sorry I can't write more right now. I have a huge paper for history. They expect me to write three full pages! No pictures! Still, stay safe. Don't try to find whoever petrified the cat.
Love,
Kelly
-oOo-
Mom,
It's been a while since I've written to you. I'm really sorry. A lot has been going on. Good and bad.
I guess I'll get the bad out of the way. Someone is attacking students here. A lot of people think it's me for some reason. The person is the 'Heir of Slytherin,' so I really have no idea why people think it's me. Nobody's dead, but my friend, Colin, has been petrified.
As for the good, I had my first Quidditch match! I won it too! Granted, some elf almost killed me with an enchanted bludger, but I'm fine. I've been keeping my grades up. Aunt Minnie is making sure of that. I even have a decent grade in potions.
I promise to write sooner next time.
Love,
Harry
Harry opened the door as quietly as he could. The front room was empty, and the TV off. He listened, and heard a conversation from the kitchen.
"Hurry up, Daddy, he's gunna be here soon," Kelly's voice said.
"I know," their father replied.
"Why couldn't we go pick him up?"
"I couldn't get off of work, I told you that."
"You could have gotten the day off."
"Kelly, I already told you…"
"You didn't try hard enough!"
She raced out of the kitchen, and turned down the hall. Harry was shocked to see how thin she was. It was obvious, even under her winter outfit. He was about to say something when she stopped halfway down the hallway and spun around.
"Harry!" she yelled. She sprinted at him, and almost knocked him down.
"Hey, Kelly," he grinned.
Gibbs walked around the corner. Kelly released him, but he kept an arm over her shoulder. He could feel her shoulder bone easily.
"Hey, kiddo, didn't expect you so soon."
"Most of the students left on the train, so Aunt Minnie was able to bring me home sooner."
"Did you thank her?"
"Of course. Why wouldn't I?"
Gibbs shrugged.
"C'mon, we made your favorite dinner!" Kelly exclaimed, pulling him into the dining room.
Harry grinned when he saw the plates set up on the table. The plates were covered in food. His eyes latched onto the platter of treacle tart.
"You guys didn't have to do this," he said.
"You don't like it?" Kelly said, her voice sad.
Harry turned to her. She seemed to be on the verge of tears.
"Of course I like it," he told her. "It's just that you guys went through so much trouble for me coming home for Christmas."
He put a hand on her shoulder, but she shrugged it off.
"If you don't appreciate it…" she said before running off.
Harry looked at Gibbs.
"What did I do?"
"Nothing, Harry. Kelly's just not in a good place right now."
"What do you mean?"
Gibbs sighed, and motioned for Harry to kit down. He took the place next to his son, and thought of how to explain what had happened.
"Is something wrong with her?" Harry pushed.
"She hasn't been the same since you left," Gibbs slowly explained.
"She seemed so happy to see me."
"She may have been, but she didn't stay that way long, did she?"
"Why did she change so fast? Is she sick?"
"I don't know that, Harry."
Harry looked at the entrance to the kitchen, and glanced back at Gibbs. He stood up, and went after Kelly.
He raced down the hall, and stumbled to a stop in front of Kelly's door. He stared at it as he caught his breath, then knocked.
"Go away," a muffled voice said from inside the room.
"It's just me," he said through the wood.
"Leave me alone."
Harry slowly turned the knob, and cracked the door open. The room was dark except for a soft glow from an unseen source.
"I said to leave me alone."
"Why?"
"Cause I want to be left alone."
"But I just got home and want to hang with you."
He opened the door a little more, and slid inside slightly.
Kelly was sitting on her bed, her knees pulled to her chest, and her arms wrapped around her knees. Her face was hidden by her hair.
Harry moved completely into the room. He walked over to her, and wrapped an arm around her. She pushed him away. He tried again, but she pushed him away again. He stared at her, and sat on the side of her bed.
He looked around the room as they sat in silence. The posters she had taped onto the walls were gone. Mia Hamm and Belle no longer stared into the room. Her desk was a mess instead of the pristine condition she used to keep it in. In contrast, her night stand was almost empty. It used to be covered in stuff. The only things left on it were a lamp, a clock, and a picture.
A picture of the family before Harry had been adopted. His eyes stopped on their mother.
"I miss her too," Harry said, breaking the silence.
Kelly snorted. "You barely knew her."
"What?" he asked, surprised.
Kelly looked up at him. Tears were rolling down her face, but they seemed to be more of anger than grief.
"She wasn't you're real mother!" she yelled. "How do you know what I'm going through?"
"Kelly, I…" he started. Her words cut into his heart.
"No! You just went right back to your perfect magic school, and forget what happened!"
His pain turned to anger. Did she really think that? Did she really think he was a stranger to pain? He stood, unable to sit anymore.
"I went through just as much as you did. And I didn't have anyone I could really turn to!"
"You know nothing of what I went through," she spat.
"I know nothing?" he roared. "I guess the fact that my parents died before I got to know them mean nothing! Or the fact that I spent years with my abusive relatives! Or the fact that I have lost two mothers and a father!"
She shrunk back, but her face was still screwed up in anger.
"I bet that if you hadn't shown up, she would still be alive!" she yelled back.
"Then maybe I should go back to England!"
"Maybe you should!"
Harry paused, and stared at her. Anger and pain raced through him. Suddenly, he turned his back on her, and raced out of the room with tears starting to roll down his face.
He pushed past Gibbs, who had been standing in the hall. He turned into his room, and locked the door behind him.
Once he was safe, the tears took reign. He sat against the door, and the sobs racked his body. He tried to stop a few times, but was unable to. Eventually, he stopped fighting, and just pulled his knees up to rest his head on them.
For a brief moment, he wanted to hate her. How could she say all of that? Did she really think he had escaped the pain by going to Hogwarts? Sure, he had Aunt Minnie with him, but he didn't have Dad, or Kelly, and Aunt Minnie couldn't always talk to him. She had a job she had to do.
He heard someone try to open his door, and knock when they found it closed. Gibbs called for him to open the door. Harry ignored him, too angry to speak to anyone.
Gibbs would obviously side with Kelly. She was his by birth. Harry was just some kid he had picked up.
After a few minutes his anger dissipated, leaving only pain. They didn't want him anymore. He was going to end up back as the orphan no one wanted. No one loved. He was going to be the freak again. Who would take him in if he couldn't stay here? Would he end up in the States, or in England? How would he get to Hogwarts if he stayed in the States?
As the tears stopped, he started to realize something. There were people who wanted him. He could just go back to England and live with McGonagall, or the Ron, or Neville, or any of his friends at Hogwarts.
He stood up with conviction. He grabbed a duffle bag out of his closet, and started to put stuff in it. He emptied his desk, and threw some of his books in as well. He ignored his dresser; he could get clothes in London.
He paused when he saw the picture next to his bed. It was him and Kelly right after they had moved to America. He stared at it before carefully putting it into the bag. She may not love him anymore, but he still loved her.
He zipped the bag, and unlocked his door before slowly opening it. He hefted the bag onto his shoulder, and started to walk down the hallway.
"Where are you going?" a small voice asked right before he entered the living room.
He turned around to see Kelly standing just outside of her room. Her eyes were wide and red. Her arms were wrapped around her, making her seem half her size. She hiccoughed softly as he stared at her.
"England," he said, surprised at the venom in his voice.
"Why?" she slowly questioned.
"Because you don't want me anymore," he spat.
"I didn't mean that, Harry," she quickly told him. Tears were starting to collect in her eyes again. She hiccoughed again.
"No, you did. But, I get it. Who would want a freak?"
His mind briefly flashed to his stint with the Dursley's, and he had to fight the tears away. He turned around to continue walking, but paused at her quiet answer.
"Me."
He heard her feet softly tread on the wooden floor, but didn't turn back around.
"I'm so sorry, Harry," she said, her voice closer. He saw her out of the corner of his eye as she squeezed around him. She stopped in front of him. Tears were rolling freely down her face. Another hiccough.
He stared at her, his eyes hard.
"I didn't mean any of it. I just…" she let out a sob. "I don't know why I said any of it. You know I didn't mean it."
"No, I don't know."
"Please, Harry," she pleaded. "Ever since you left… It's been like a roller coaster. Sometimes, I feel really good, but other times… Other times I just want to hurt someone."
He stared at her. His anger was slowly vanishing.
"I don't want you to go."
She stepped back against the wall, and slid down it. She curled up at the bottom, sobbing.
Harry felt his own tears start to return. He dropped his bag, and pulled her into his arms.
"I'm sorry," she whispered.
"Me too."
"Are you staying?"
"Of course."
Okay, first off. Congrats to serenityselena. I honestly started calling them the Knights in my head before I even started to look at the poll results.
Second, wow, this chap. Gunna be honest, I felt sincerely depressed during the fight. To anyone who wants to say that they seem older than they are at this point, emotions don't have an age requirement.
Third, I am going to Disney World, Florida tomorrow (squeee!...can't believe I typed that, but that's how I feel about it) so that's really why I actually sat down to do this. Also, it means it will be at least a week before another update.
Finally, any ideas for the prank they will pull on Harry? I have a few, but want your ideas.
OH, and some cool news- I have mapped out the rest of this fic! About 25 more chaps!