** I own nothing from Harry Potter. I only own Hercules James Black!

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Stories of their Pasts

Everyone was shocked when they saw Neville and Harry walking out to the lake, coming towards them. Hercules and Draco looked at each other. They hadn't expect Neville to invite Potter without at least warning them. How was Potter going to react when seeing three Slytherin's standing there? They stood there waiting to be face to face with Harry Potter.

When Neville and Harry got closer, they noticed Neville was being a little nervous. Hercules smiled at him and nodded. Showing him he wasn't in the wrong for inviting his friend. Neville calmed down and smiled.

"Everyone this is Harry I thought he should hear others stories about the war." Neville said, explaining why he invited Harry.

"Of course. It's a pleasure Potter." Hercules said, shaking hands with him.

"This is Susan Bones and Theo Nott. You know Draco though." Hercules introduced everyone.

Draco elbowed Hercules in the arm. Reminding him to introduce himself. Hercules nodded, taking a deep breath.

"And I'm Hercules Black but please I go by James." Hercules introduced himself.

"Nice to meet you James… Susan and Nott also." Harry said, shaking hands with everyone and nodded politely at Draco.

"I hope you all have an extra candle?" Harry asked, a bit nervously.

"Of course. Draco can you get him one?" Hercules turned to ask Draco. Draco nodded and looked in his bag for another candle, then handed it to Harry.

"Thanks Malfoy." Harry said. Draco nodded politely.

They all lit their candles and sat in a circle looking at each other waiting for someone to go first. Hercules coughed and looked at Neville. Neville nodded and cleared his throat.

"I guess I'll start then, on October 31st 11 years ago, my family was attacked and tortured. My mum and dad were the ones tortured." Neville said taking a deeper breath and continued. "Bellatrix Lestrange, Rodolphus Lestrange, and his brother had gotten our location. We had trusted Dumbledore you see, he was our secret keeper. Somehow Bellatrix got a piece of paper with our location on it and attacked us after she found out about the Dark Lord's death." Neville said, tears running down his face. Harry tapped him on his back in a sign of comfort. Neville nodded grateful.

"They tortured my parents until they couldn't be saved. By then the Aurors had arrived and Bellatrix, her husband and his brother got away." Neville finished, crying and trying to calm down.

"My parents will never recover, it's like they're gone but their bodies are still here. They are slowly dying and I hate seeing it." Neville said, his voice shaking.

Everyone looked down giving Neville a moment to himself and calming down. They all thought about his parents and how they wouldn't ever see Neville grow up. Hercules looked at Harry seeing his reaction, Hercules knew Harry needed to hear these stories. To know he wasn't alone anymore.

"I'll go next." Susan said, to get the attention off Neville everyone knew. Susan took a deep breath.

"I lost my parents about a week before Halloween. I was staying with my Auntie that day, my parents had a date night once a week. That's where they were. They were ambushed outside the restaurant they had gone to. They didn't get a chance to fight back." Susan paused and took a deep breath and wiped away from tears. "I never knew the death eaters that did it. That attacked them but if I ever do I won't hold back. I will fight them and beat them." Susan finished with confidence. She looked at everyone in the eyes and they all nodded.

Again everyone looked down and gave a minute to Susan to collect herself and honor her parents. They all knew the feeling of loss and hopelessness. Most of them grew up without parents. They didn't know the love of a parent. Harry hadn't known about all this lose. He knew of course that people had died a lot of people have died in the last war but he didn't know the stories of his peers. He wanted to know and help. They all had reasons to fight, because he knew something they didn't. That Voldemort would come back. They would all want to fight. Which is their right. He would help and fight with them.

Someone cleared their throat. It was Nott. Harry was most interested in his story. His loss. He thought or people have told him that most Slytherin's parents were all dark wizards. Harry wanted to make his own opinion. To know himself that they are or they aren't.

"Well I guess I'll go next." Nott said, Draco put his arm around Nott's shoulders, knowing it would be hard for him.

"My family is or was neutral before the last war. My father decided when he became Lord Nott, Head of the house, that he would join Voldemort. He believed in his agenda. My mother had been against him joining. Didn't want to join Death Eaters. When I was born, my mother tried to run away with me. She didn't want me to grow up in that kind of family. She didn't want me to believe in what the dark lord was doing. She wanted me to become Lord Nott but not turn out like my father." Nott shook his head as he was wiping away his tears. "My father caught us, of course. He wasn't going to let my Mother take his Heir. He grabbed me from my mother's arms, handed me to a house elf, and then killed my mother in front of me. I mean yeah I was only a baby but green streaks wake me up in my sleep. I have nightmares of turning into my father and disgracing my mother's memory. I have a reoccurring nightmare where my mother repeats over and over that I'm a disgrace that I got her killed, I know I didn't but it still scares me you know?" Nott finished, looking down ashamed.

Harry knew what he was talking about. Harry got up and went and sat next to Nott.

"I know what you mean. I have the same nightmare about my mum and dad. I also see a green streak when I have nightmares about them. My aunt and uncle always said my parents would be so disappointed in me, for being ungrateful. If you ever wanna talk I'll always be here for you Nott." Harry said, staring in Nott's eyes showing him he was being honest. Nott was surprised by Harry being so honest and saying telling him that, well telling everyone that. Nott nodded.

"Call me Theo, and thank you." Nott said, nodding his head.

"I'll go next." Hercules said, looking around nodding at everyone. Draco knew this would be hard. It would tell Harry some things he won't want to hear.

"Well my family is dark. Always has been, my family always believed they were above everyone else. I mean why shouldn't we right? We come from the big twelve families. At one point we made the laws in our world. We traditionally are raised to believe we are above everyone even some pureblood families. My father had broken the mold for that. He was a Gryffindor, he made friends with my godfather James Potter, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew. Potter was from another big twelve family, Remus was a werewolf, and Pettigrew was a half blood. So to say my father was a rebel wouldn't be far off." Hercules paused looking at Harry, he saw he was tight jawed and unbelieving. Hercules knew it was going to hurt when he heard the rest. He might even explode.

"My father didn't believe in any of the pureblood bull shit. He fought for the light side. Met my mum and married her. She was a Malfoy that rebelled also. They fight for the light side. My father gave up the right to be heir to the House of Black. My mum made up with her family after having me. I was about two when it happened. My godfather and his family was attacked, the night it all happened my dad went to check on Peter their secret keeper, make sure he was okay and everything right?" Hercules took a breath and continued.

"My dad found that he wasn't there and knew he was the spy, the traitor. He left my mum and I to check on James, his brother in everything even blood as a cousin, and his family. Well Once James was gone our wards fell as he was our secret keeper. My mum didn't notice until Bellatrix blasted our door off the wall. She tortured me and my mum until Remus showed up and Bellatrix disappeared." Hercules looked Harry in the eyes, tears falling from both their eyes. Hercules nodded.

"Harry and I along with Neville lost our parents in the same night." Hercules said, with a final breath. He turned away knowing what would be asked, Draco put in arm around my shoulder like he did with Nott.

"But what happened with your dad?" Harry asked, sounding confused.

"He was arrested because people thought he betrayed your parents Potter." Draco answered for me. His voice was sharp.

Harry face was confused. Why would they do that?

"What's a secret keeper?" Harry asked.

"It's someone that keeps a secret of someone who is hiding, it's for a spell called Fidelius Charm. You cast it over someone and their home to hide them. No one can find them unless the secret keeper tells them. My family was hiding under it with Dumbledore as our secret keeper. Sirius was supposed to be your parents but they changed their minds at the last minute deciding to use Peter." Neville explained.

"If they knew Peter was the secret keeper why did they blame your dad Hercules?" Harry asked, still confused on why they wouldn't believe his father.

"Because we have no proof. It's in the Will of your parents but that can't be read until your 13. Or your guardian requests it." Hercules said, sitting taller.

"Oh. My guardian wouldn't want to do that. Their muggles and they hate me." Harry said, looking down. Hercules and Draco looked at each other.

"They hate you?" Draco asked, not really wanting to believe it.

"I guess I should tell you my story. You all know what happened with my parents but I should explain afterwards." Harry said, looking around seeing them all nodding and waiting.

"Well I was dropped off at my muggle Aunt and Uncles home. They hated magic and never wanted me. It was their first time meeting me also. They didn't know my name until they read a letter that was left with me. Now they never hit me or anything like that. I also didn't know my real name until I started primary school. I always got called boy or freak." Harry stopped, Harry didn't mean to say that. He was being honest. That's all. He wouldn't look at anyone's eyes though. He kept talking, quickly.

"I didn't know I was a wizard until Hagrid came and told me on my birthday. He told me I was famous for stopping the Dark Lord as a baby. I didn't do anything. It was my mum and dad they protected me. I hate that people only see me as the boy who lived and not just Harry. I mean even Ron and Hermione do it too." Harry said, he hated it, honestly.

"Harry?" Neville said, Harry looked at him.

"You just Harry to me. I've always known you were just Harry. A good friend and a better Gryffindor." Neville said, smiling at Harry. Neville hoped that would help.

"Thank you Neville." Harry said, smiling a little.

Harry looked at Draco.

"Do you have a story?" Harry asked curious.

"Yes. I didn't lose a parent. My family was neutral until my dad became Head of the Malfoy house. He joined the Dark Lord also. Thinking he could protect his sister that married Black. That was his only goal. Protect his sister, my aunt. He couldn't though. Bellatrix attacked them. The Lestrange's are blood enemies of the Malfoy house now." Draco said, in a strong voice.

"Blood enemies?" Harry asked, just curious, he thought he was learning a lot about the wizarding world.

"Yes. It means anyone apart of that family or that associate with them will be looked down at. They won't get any business from the Malfoy's. Anytime they want to buy something from a business owned by my family they can't." Draco explained quietly.

"Do the Potter's have any blood enemies?" Harry asked. Draco looked at Neville and Hercules they both nodded. Harry just became more curious with that.

"Yes Harry but that's for another day. It's getting late. Curfew is in ten minutes. Why don't we meet another time and we can talk more about that?" Neville said, not wanting to start anything here. Everyone agreed, Harry slowly did. They all got up and went their separate ways. Everyone thinking about what they heard.

***What do you all think? Good or not?

***The next chapter will be only Neville and Harry talking about all the stories and what he wanted to do with his future.