Chapter 9
The Headmaster of Hogwarts sat behind his large desk with his head in his hands. The headache had started out small, but had grown in size steadily until even his hair hurt. The causes of this annoyance were the multitudes of people that were at present congregating in his office. It was most frustrating.
"What do you mean you want to suspend Lord Potter, Headmaster?"
Albus sighed; this was another one of his verbal slip ups, slip ups that had been increasing the last few months. He was troubled by this as he was, he thought, very much able to keep his emotions under control. That seemed to not be the case where Harry was concerned. "He disobeyed a direct order given to him by me, the Headmaster of this school. Such actions have consequences, Madam Bones."
"And could you tell me why he disobeyed your orders?" she continued.
"That, I believe, is not relevant to this conversation." he replied.
"It most certainly has relevance, Headmaster. Did or did not Lord Potter disregard your orders to see to the well being of a student that had been assaulted?" continued Amelia.
"That is correct, however..."
"There is no however about it, Albus; any form of punishment that you see fit to give Lord Potter will most definitely be ignored. He and his friends rescued a student from a bullying experience the kinds of which I've never seen or heard of occurring in these halls. And I'm sorry Minerva, but as much as I love you and our friendship, it does not excuse the fact that the assault occurred in your House under your supervision!" said the shouting Dame Longbottom.
The icy voice of the prisoner of Azkaban added his opinion to the conversation. "You would punish my godson for doing something to protect a friend?"
"Lord Black, the fact still remains that he did disobey me."
"Something I'm sure Miss Granger and her parents will be eternally grateful for." he rejoined.
"Enough of this, Headmaster; there are far more important things to deal with at the moment. What is it that you are going to do the students responsible for this act of violence?"
He could see no way out of this. The son of one of his staunchest supporters was moments away from being expelled from Hogwarts and having their wand snapped. "Mr. Ronald Weasley will be expelled from the school, his wand will be snapped. I believe that that is punishment enough for the young man, don't you agree?"
"Headmaster, you can't! He's just a boy!" wailed Molly at the news.
"That boy and his buddies," spat Sirius contemptuously, "attacked a young girl, bound her, ripped her clothing, and beat her. That boy is lucky he's only eleven, or he'd be spending a stretch in Azkaban for his behavior. Arthur, you must see that, don't you?"
"Ron has done something that is inexcusable. This is something that he has to pay for. Albus, there will be no complaint from the Weasleys regarding this situation that is of our young son's own making. He will have to atone for his actions. He will do so at home under the strict supervision of we, his parents. Madam Bones, is there any way to contact the young ladies parents so that we may offer our apologies?"
"I'm sorry, Arthur, but no. I believe it is their intention to get their daughter as far away from this school as is possible. I believe hearing from you might add to their...displeasure at the situation."
"Headmaster, what of the other three boys that were in on this attack?"
"The boys, Mr. Finnegan, Mr. Thomas, and Mr. Larkin, have all been suspended through the end of the year. Come next term, if they return, they will all repeat their first year. I hope this also satisfies your need for revenge?" commented Albus dryly.
"Revenge? Is that what you think this is a about? No, Dumbledore, revenge is the furthest thing from my mind. Justice and correctly applied punishment is my objective. Tell me, sir, how many detentions would they have served if it had been you punishing them like you normally would have? No, the punishment you've given is just and proportionate to the acts committed. I'm only sorry that you don't see it that way. Now, Minerva, what of Gryffindor House itself? What have you come up with regarding them?"
"Gryffindor House? You expect me to punish my whole House when it is obvious that only four students were involved in the incident?" asked a surprised Minerva.
Augusta shook her head in disgust. It was clear that Minerva had been influenced by her mentor. "Minnie listen, please, to what I have to say. If you'd found yourself walking down Diagon Alley and came across a child being beaten, would you help that child? Further, had you not helped that child and just stood there and watched, do you think that perhaps you would have been just as culpable as the perpetrator of the beating because you just stood and watched? Don't you see that that is exactly what had happened in your common room that night? There are what, seventy or so kids in Gryffindor? And they all stood around as four children beat another. There were prefects present, for Merlin's sake, why did they not intervene? No one did, except for the four that had been bound and silenced. They all, to a man, stood around and watched. Don't you see the shame in that action? Amelia, what was it that you called that, witness something or other? And how did the four that were bound and silenced end up that way, Minerva? Spells like those are beyond first or second year, so some of the upperclassmen had to have helped as well."
"The bystander effect, Augie, it is called the bystander effect by the muggle researchers who studied this phenomenon. In a crisis, the more people watching, the less likely it is for someone to help. And that's what all of Gryffindor did. Stood there and watched!" said Amelia scathingly.
"Gryffindor House as a whole should also suffer the consequences of their actions. In the House of the brave, only four people tried to put a stop to what was obviously a dangerous situation. They are not blameless, and neither is their Head of House." Dame Longbottom said with a glare at McGonagall. "But, I don't think either of you see yourselves as having done anything wrong, and that is disgraceful."
"Headmaster, young Mr. Weasley and his guards are at the entrance. Shall I allow them up?"
"If you would, please, Armando?" said Albus casually to the portrait.
"Mom? Dad?" said a weepy eyed Ron.
"Not now, Ronald, the discussion we are going to have will happen at the Burrow. Headmaster?"
"Ronald Weasley, I find that your actions against one of you classmates were beyond reprehensible. As such, it is my duty to inform you that you are hereby expelled from Hogwarts. Your wand, please, Mr. Weasley." said Albus sadly and with a flick of his wrists he snapped the boy's wand.
"MOM! DAD! What the hell is going on? Why am I being expelled? This isn't right, help me!"
Albus Dumbledore had an epiphany at that moment. "Forgive me Ronald, but you don't understand why you're being expelled?"
"No I don't. All I did was beat up a mudblood, it's not like it was someone important or something."
The assembled group of adults gasped in astonishment, stunned at the words of the young wizard before them.
"And you think your actions merit no punishment?" Albus continued.
"Maybe a detention or two, I suppose, I did hit a fellow student after all. Plus, everybody was laughing and encouraging me, so I thought it was alright to carry on." he answered.
And with that declaration, the Gryffindor Head of House had an epiphany. "Are you saying that all my Lions just stood by and watched? Stood by and laughed?"
"Yes, ma'am, it was only Lavender, Parvati, and my brothers that got all offended. Luckily, one of the older students got them to shut up." if not for the glare all the adults were directing his way, Ron would probably have smiled at the memory.
"And who, may I ask, was the older student?" asked Minerva.
"That I don't know for sure. I heard Fred and George yelling when I was punching the beaver, but when I turned around to look, they'd already been tied up. Everyone started cheering again."
"Out! Get him out of here before I do something I will regret!" roared Dumbledore, to everyone's astonishment. "Arthur, Molly, leave with this...this...child, now!"
Frightened into action by the surprising words of the Headmaster, Molly and Arthur quickly grabbed their son and left the office. The assembled adults were all staring in open-eyed amazement at the Headmaster.
"What?" he asked them.
"Albus, I didn't think you had it in you!" said an amused Augusta.
"Contrary to popular belief, I do have a conscience. I may have allowed it lay dormant for quite some time, but that is now at an end. Minerva, assemble your House in the common room after dinner this evening. I believe it is time that I have a conversation with all of them. As a matter of fact, pass that on to all Heads of House. I will speak to the remaining three Houses as well. I'm beginning to see how my failure to act as a Headmaster should have has been detrimental to our children."
"As you wish Headmaster, and I think I'm beginning to see how my failures have also contributed to the current state of our school." said Minerva ashamedly.
"Dame Longbottom, with my apologies, please disregard my lack of respect towards you and Lord Potter. At the time, I believe I felt useless. Useless that I had not been able to help a child in a time of need and I also let myself feel as though my pride had been wounded because Lord Potter was able to do what I was not. Obviously, he will not be punished. He did that which was right."
OoOOooOOoo
Sirius was pacing nervously in McGonagall's office. It had been too many years since he'd felt like this; the last time he'd felt this nervous had occurred was when James had gently placed Harry in his arms. He'd been afraid to drop Harry, to injure him unintentionally. But as he held Harry in his arms, an intense feeling of love and protectiveness had overcome him. He'd do it all, everything and anything in his power to protect Harry. In that moment, he'd gone from being the man-child everyone correctly assumed he was and became a rather more grown up version of himself. Oh, he was still irrepressibly Sirius, but that had been tempered somewhat by this new sense of responsibility.
"Relax babe, everything is going to be just fine. I told you the kind of kid he is. Just get to know him, let him get to know you. Be yourself, mostly, and everything will work out fine." said Amelia as she tried to soothe him.
"I'm frightened, Ami. I'm terrified that he's going to reject me and never let me into his life. I'd understand if he did, but it would devastate me." he whispered.
"Just be honest with him. All he wants is family and a link to his parents. I'd say you fill those two conditions rather well."
"I should've taken him from Hagrid, I should have grabbed him and ran full speed to Alder Glen like Lils and Jamie wanted. I let my emotions get in the way; I let my need for revenge get in the way. And Harry suffered for it. He suffered for ten years with those animals. And it was all my fault." he whimpered.
"Punishing yourself for things that have already happened will not do you a bit of good, Lord Black. If you feel the need to punish yourself, then do so by making Harry's life as wonderful as you can possibly make it. Not forgetting of course the awesome fiancée you have. Making my life wonderful is also going to be a top priority for you. And for the love of Merlin, don't rag on him until he understands your warped sense of humor! " she teased.
"My sense of humor is not warped!" he said defensively.
"Whatever!" she retorted.
"Have you told Susan about us, Ami?" he added, ably changing the subject.
"Not yet, but soon. I figure that as soon as summer starts I can sit her down and have a conversation with her about us." Sirius nodded in approval.
"Until summer then, I understand that. You know, I'm actually quite surprised that we weren't front page news of the Prophet already. 'Mass Murderer to Marry Top Auror' or something just as ludicrous." he said with a smile.
"Well, so far Madam Marchbanks and Augusta are the only ones to know. They're not gossips, so I doubt they'd say anything." she said. "Are you ready, Siri, it's almost time."
Sirius straightened his clothing and took a deep breath. He closed his eyes and imagined the life he hoped to have with Harry. With a nod and a quick kiss to his intended, "as ready as I'm ever going to be."
OoOOooOOoo
Harry was pacing nervously in his bedroom. He must have changed clothing several times, as evidenced by the large pile of them that were currently tossed on his bed. He knew he was being silly, as he doubted his godfather would care what he was wearing, but just couldn't help it. He was about to meet his godfather!
"Sweetie, you ready? Gods above, Harry, what have you done with all your clothes?" asked Susan in exasperation.
"I didn't know what to wear, so I tried on a bunch of different stuff. Is that weird? That's weird, isn't it? Great, I'm a weirdo!" Harry ranted. Susan calmly walked up to him and enveloped him in a hug.
"You may be a weirdo, but you're my weirdo. I need you to relax, Harry. There's no need to be this anxious. I understand a little bit of the nerves, but I think you may be going a bit overboard here. The man already loves you more than life itself. He's not going to reject you, he's not going to abandon you, and he's not going to hurt you in any way.
Harry tightened his grip on his girlfriend, relishing in its comfort. "Thank you for coming with me. Thank you for being with me."
"You never need to thank me for standing with you, understand?" she said as she took his face in her hands. "It's you and me, always."
"You and me, always." he repeated with a smile.
"Now come on, let's head up and meet him. Auntie will be there too just in case you need the extra support." Harry grabbed Susan's hand and led them out of his room.
"Heading out to meet your godfather, Harry?" asked Neville, who was in the common room doing homework with Hannah.
"I am, or we are as I've asked Susan to come with me. What are you two working on?"
"Just going over the notes for transfiguration which I promised Hermione I'd take up to her so she doesn't fall too far behind." answered Hannah. "Madam Pomfrey said she'd be okay to leave the infirmary in the morning. But you know our Hermi; she can only relax if she has a book in her hands."
"I left my charms homework and notes on the study table in my room if you want to take those up to her as well. The door is open." said Harry. "Alright, we'll see you two in a while. I have a godfather I need to meet."
"Don't be nervous, brother. Just be yourself and it will all be fine." recommended Neville wisely.
"When did you get all wise like?" asked Susan.
"We big brothers are always wise, didn't you know that?" he huffed at her.
Harry and Susan both rolled their eyes. "Hannah, get Neville to behave, will you please?"
"Sure thing, Sue, you guys off then?" she replied.
"We are, or we'll be late. Give Hermi a hug from both of us, okay? Tell her we'll see her at breakfast if she gets let out of the penitentiary."
Harry and Susan made their way up to Professor McGonagall's; the Gryffindor Head had offered them use of her office for the meeting as it was relatively private. Harry, in a rare show of panic, clung to Susan like as if she were a lifeline.
"Sweetie, you need to settle down. It will all be okay, just you see."
Harry stood and took a couple of deep calming breaths as Master Bode had taught him when they'd begun studying mind magics. He'd always wanted a father figure in his life, and hoped that Sirius would fit that bill. He knew, after he'd spoken to Amelia that the man was more than likely still suffering from the aftereffects of his imprisonment and the close proximity to those demented thingys. But he didn't care about all that. Harry knew that he was just as damaged, but that with the help of his new family, especially Susan, he was in a far better place than he'd ever been in. He promised himself to be patient and understanding, knowing that he'd want the same in return.
Susan was watching the boy beside her, watching as he took in a deep breath and closed his eyes. She watched as his faced seemed to jump from one emotion to another. She found it an odd sensation to be able to tell what his emotions were, to be able to actually feel the emotions coming from him. But she treasured it as well, as it meant that her Harry was hers. When he finally opened his eyes and looked at her, she was overcome by the depth of the affection that he was directing at her. She took in that warmth, that love, and sent her own feelings toward him. That his smile brightened could only mean that he'd received her emotions as well. She was done fighting this, whatever 'this' was. She would from now on, unafraid, accept that it was meant to be.
"I'm ready." he said in a clear voice.
"Well, let's go meet Sirius then, huh?"
OoOOooOOoo
The knock on the door almost caused the Marauder to faint in a panic. Amelia noticed, and chuckling faintly, made her way to the door and invited Susan and Harry in. Amelia hugged Susan first, and then moved to Harry.
"He's waiting on you, Harry. Susan and I will be just over there if you need either of us, okay?"
Harry nodded, his eyes firmly attached to the man standing at the far end of the room. He almost laughed out loud when he noticed the man was fidgeting with his clothes, something that he'd been doing not ten minutes ago. Slowly, deliberately, he made his way towards the man. He couldn't help the tears that were forming in his eyes, but he paid them no mind as all he could do was just stare at the man, who also seemed to be fighting back the tears.
"Sirius Black, I'm Harry Potter." he said as he extended his hand in greeting.
Sirius looked at the boy walking towards him. He fought back the sob he was close to letting loose, and stared at the boy who looked so much like his best friend. When Harry introduced himself and raised a hand, Sirius could no longer hold it in. Batting aside Harry's hand, the Lord Black fell to his knees and embraced the boy, and without care of his Marauder status, let loose with the tears.
The man holding him was crying! He looked to Susan in confusion who with an encouraging nod mimicked a hug. Catching on, Harry quickly held his godfather. The deep emotions Sirius let loose had an effect on him as well, as he himself let out with all the tears he'd been holding back.
"I'm so sorry Harry, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry..." Sirius repeated over and over.
"Godfather, why are you sorry?" Harry asked curiously.
"Because I let you down, I let you be taken in by those animals that mistreated you. I should have been there for you, but I wasn't. To my eternal shame I wasn't there for you when you needed me most."
"Is it something you intend to let happen in the future?"
"Never again, Harry, never again will I abandon you. I will be standing right behind you for the rest of my life. I disappointed you enough, not something I will ever do again."
"Then there is nothing to forgive. We've both had bad things happen to us, Mr. Black. I couldn't think of anything I would want more than to have you back in my life. Well, except..."
"Except for having your mom and dad back?" Harry nodded. "If I could, I would give my life so you could have time with them. And for the sake of my sanity, please call me Sirius. Anytime I hear 'Mr. Black' I think I'm about to get detention."
Harry laughed delightedly, and pulled back from Sirius to look in the man's eyes. "Aunt Amelia said you were funny. I think she was right."
"Of course I'm funny! What kind of godfather would I be if I couldn't make my godson laugh? Besides, your Aunt Amelia is never wrong." Emotion once again overcame him as he stared into the green eyes of the boy before him. "Has anyone told you that you look exactly like your father?"
"Gran might have mentioned it. I do, really?" said Harry in a small voice.
"The spitting image of him at this age. But your eyes, well your eyes are all Lily. She had the most wondrous green eyes, and I can see her in yours."
"Professor Snape mentioned that..."
"Snivellus?" asked Sirius.
"Sirius..." came the warning from Amelia.
"Sorry." he said to her. "So, Harry, I hear you are the youngest seeker the school has had in over a hundred years. You know it was me that taught you to fly, right?"
OoOOooOOoo
Susan looked in wonder at her boyfriend, amazed at the feelings of joy she was receiving from him. One could see the type of relationship those two would have just by watching them for a few minutes. Harry needed this, he needed someone that was carefree and could show Harry how to live his life with happiness. She sighed in contentment.
"Susan?" asked a curious Amelia. "What's with the sigh?"
"Oh, it's nothing, just Harry. I can feel how happy he is and that makes me happy too."
Amelia could only look at her niece in amazement. Feeling someone else's emotions was not something that anyone should be able to do. "Can Harry feel your happiness too?"
"Hmm, oh, yes he can. More so recently, since he woke up after the Slytherin match. We both seem to be more connected since then, it's nice." she said with a smile as Harry and Sirius once again laughed loudly.
"How's your friend Hermione? Tonks questioned her about her ordeal; she said she was a very intelligent young witch"
"She's doing much better; I'll let her know you asked after her. She's a really nice girl and she's pushing all of us to do better in school." Susan replied.
"Good, I like that you and Harry are putting forth the effort to get good grades." Amelia gave the next some thought, hoping that her niece could answer. "Susan, how did Harry know that she was in danger?"
Susan was startled by the question; it had not been something she'd reflected on. "You know, I hadn't really thought about it. Harry and I were just getting some food that night in the common room, and for some reason I asked him if he thought Hermione would be okay in Gryffindor that night since their team had lost to us. At first we both thought that was kind of ridiculous, I mean, who would be so mean as to hurt someone over some stupid game. After I said that Harry got all quiet. He asked me if we should tell Madam Sprout about our worries regarding Hermione. I thought it a good idea, you know? Better safe than sorry and all that. It was when he went to see her that he got all serious and determined. You know the rest of the story after that."
"I wonder how he knew, though?" she asked.
"Well, she's family, that's all."
"Family?" Amelia asked confused.
"Yeah, Harry thinks of her as a sister and so do I. He thinks of Hannah the same way. You know how important family is to him; nothing would have stopped him from helping her."
"I see..." she said, still not quite understanding.
Another round of laughter from the boys distracted her as she cast her gaze towards them. Sirius stood and placed an arm around Harry as they both walked towards Susan and her.
"Ladies," said Sirius with a deep bow, "you, young lady, must be Susan. Your Aunt has told me all about you. I think I may have changed your diapers a time or two."
"Sirius..." warned Amelia.
"I can't thank you enough for being friends with Harry."
Susan stood and gently hugged the man. She pulled back and her hand automatically latched onto Harry's. "We'll be friends and more for a very long time, Lord Black." Harry nodded in agreement and kissed her forehead as he threw and arm around her shoulders. Sirius looked towards Amelia who just shrugged, as if saying 'I told ya!'
"Ladies, I have told Harry here that I plan to get him out of school this weekend and take him to the Potter home. I'm hoping that you'll both join us as I take Harry to see where his dad grew up and where his family has lived for generations."
The pleading look from Susan almost made Amelia laugh out loud. "I suppose." she said with little enthusiasm. "Wait, Susan, aren't we supposed to go shopping for underwear this weekend?"
"AUNTIE!" yelled Susan. Sirius couldn't help but laugh, which only increased in volume when he noticed the deeply blushing Harry.
"No? Okay then, I suppose we can tag along with the boys as they head to Alder Glen." she said with a bit more enthusiasm.
"Alder Glen?" asked Harry.
"Yes, Harry, Alder Glen is the name of the estate. One of your ancestors named it because of the forest of that tree that surrounds the home. It's really a place of beauty. I lived there with your dad for almost three years."
"How come?" asked a curious Harry.
"A story for another time, suffice it to say that I kind of ran away from home and your grandparents let me live with them and James. It's getting late kids, and I'd rather not have Pomona send out the search parties."
Harry's face saddened at the thought of leaving his godfathers company. "Don't worry kiddo. Your Aunt Amelia and I will come pick you both up on Friday afternoon after classes. We'll spend the evening with Bones' girls and then head over to your place to spend the weekend. Sound good?"
Both kids were nodding in approval of that plan.
"Oh, and if it's okay with you, your Uncle Moony wants to tag along as well, what do you think?"
"Moony!?" shouted Susan and Harry.
"What?" asked a bewildered Sirius.
OoOOooOOoo
The turbaned professor watched the two young students exit the offices of Professor McGonagall and followed them as they made their way back to their dormitory. The young man who'd ended his previous life looked nothing like he'd imagined him to be. He'd thought there'd be more to the young man. But in the almost nine months since his arrival at Hogwarts, young Harry Potter had shown no power to match his own. A wizard of minimal power had somehow beaten him, the most powerful wizard to ever have lived. And it angered him.
That fool Dumbledore had actually thought to trap him here in the castle; simply laughable. But he couldn't pass up the opportunity to acquire the legendary Philosopher's Stone. He'd be tied down to drinking a potion every once in a while, but he could live with that, especially since it would grant him the immortality he so desperately craved. Having more gold than he could ever need was just an added bonus.
But, he needed to be careful. Dumbledore, though idiotic, was still a powerful wizard that he would need to avoid until he'd regained his full power. "Quirinus, who is the young lady accompanying Potter?"
"The niece of Amelia Bones, Master, she who is the current head of the DMLE. The gossip among the professors have them being quite attached to each other."
"Indeed? Well, it seems we may need to involve that witch as well. Harry Potter has ignored all my attempts at manipulating him into going after the Stone. Even that old fool has had a hard time encouraging the lad. I have not figured out the final piece of the puzzle yet. I will need him to overcome the rather ingenious charms old Dumbledore has placed on the mirror. If he doesn't come voluntarily, I fear he may need a rather more personal incentive."
"The witch, my Lord?"
"Yes, Quirinus, the witch. Love," spat Voldemort, "such an irrational and absurd emotion. But through it, Potter will do all to rescue his damsel, I believe. It is time, my servant, time for us to recover the Stone and for me to be set free."
OoOOooOOoo
"I hope you like your new painting?" asked Albus of the Fat Lady. "The young man that destroyed the last one was most apologetic and also ashamed at his actions. He thought you'd quite enjoy this one."
"Headmaster, thank him for me, please? Although I believe it is I that owes him an apology. How did I not know what was occurring right behind me?"
"It is not your fault." he said soothingly.
"Be that as it may, I still feel as I've failed in my duties. I will not be so uninformed from now on. I will not fail again." she said.
"Very well, now, I believe I have a meeting to attend. Would you open for me please?"
"Of course, Headmaster." and with that, the large painting swung aside to let Albus into the Gryffindor common room.
Upon entering, Albus was more than a little angered at the existing lack of remorse that seemed to be coming from the majority of the assembled students. Some were reading and doing homework, others were looking bored, and still others congregated in groups laughing as if the events of the previous night had meant nothing. A very few knew that their actions were despicable and sat in silence, punishing themselves. He caught Minerva's eye and he could tell right away that she felt deep shame at the behavior of her Lions. He looked around again and saw the four that had actually tried to help Miss Granger, the quartet were standing close together, protective of one another, the girls sandwiched between the two large redheads.
Albus stood quietly, hovering at the front of the room with a look of annoyance. His eyes were not twinkling, rather, they burned. Little by little the students noted the Headmaster standing there before them. The room quickly became quiet, as the attention of all focused on Albus.
"Enjoying your evening, everyone?" he asked sarcastically.
A subdued 'yes Professor' came from the majority of the children. Most of them had caught the look of repressed anger coming from their Headmaster.
"Well, isn't that nice. It's good to see most of you in such high spirits." mocked Albus.
The biting remark was not missed by many.
"Prefects, up front, please?" he called out. Minerva had walked and stood to his right, the shame on her face having been replaced by a look of deep resolve. The three boys and three girls walked nervously toward the front.
"Which one of you was it that stopped the assault that occurred in this very room from happening?" he asked. All six lowered their heads in humiliation. "Come, come now. One of you must have helped a first year student that was being assaulted. Which one of you was it?"
And still they'd not meet his eyes. "Minerva, if you would please?"
"All six of you will relinquish your prefect badges to me right now." she growled. "Ladies and gentlemen, there will no longer be prefects from House Gryffindor. None of you present, with the exception of you four, will be able to rise to those positions. No one in this House will be submitted for Head Boy or Head Girl. These are position of honor, which none of you have. Those are positions of responsibility, which none of you have demonstrated."
"Has anyone anything to say?" asked Albus. "Nothing? No one? Very well, continue please Minerva."
"The House Quidditch team is hereby disbanded." she said with obvious pain in her voice. "None of you will represent the honor of House Gryffindor. Furthermore, all Hogsmeade weekends have been cancelled to all members of this house. Any school events, such as balls or dances, will not be attended by any member of this house."
Albus once more addressed the students. "Your House is like family. Why did none of you remember that?"
"Sir how is Miss Granger?" asked one of the former prefects.
"And why would you care? Did you all not make it painfully obvious to the young woman that you don't care about her in the slightest?" Albus sighed. "Miss Granger is doing much better, thanks to the ministrations of Madam Pomfrey and the love of friends and family."
"And, she has been resorted." added McGonagall. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a large golden coin. "And before I forget, Headmaster, I do believe I owe you five galleons."
"Indeed, I will savor this victory for months to come." he said with a smile. "Oh, in case you're all wondering, I bet Professor McGonagall that the Hat would put her in Hufflepuff."
"Headmaster, I do believe that intimidating a magical item with physical harm if not placed in Hufflepuff is not, technically, a something we should encourage." smirked Minerva.
"Minerva, you should know by now that Sebastian does nothing by accident. I also believe he was quite amused by Miss Granger and her belligerence. No, she'll do well in that House, I'm quite confidant of that." He once again cast his gaze at the students before him. "There will now be consequences for any act off bullying or intimidation. No longer will a few detentions suffice as punishment. Suspension, expulsion, snapping of your wands, these are the things that now will happen to those who overstep the bounds of civilized behavior. Anything else, Professor McGonagall?"
"Nothing I can think of at the moment, Headmaster." she replied.
"Before you all disperse, there is just one more thing that I should warn you all about. Given the idiotic behavior of the whole lot of you, I wouldn't put it past any of you to seek some sort of retribution against Miss Granger, the Weasleys twins, Miss Patel, or Miss Brown. I must warn against that in the strongest possible way. The punishment for such an act will pale in comparison to the punishments you are all receiving at the moment. If I were you, I would also include Miss Bone, Mr. Longbottom, and Miss Abbott to that list."
"Not Potter?" shouted someone in the back of the room.
Albus merely chuckled. "If any of you is foolish enough to confront him, then by all means do so. Given the demonstration he gave while in this very room I'll merely warn you that that would be not only foolish but quite possibly the last thing you do. He may be a child of eleven, but his command of magic in defense of his friend would put most seventh years to shame."
Minerva shook her head, trying her best to hide a smile. Albus was right, any one messing with one Mr. Potter's friends would find themselves looking at an intense and dangerous set of green eyes. And Merlin helps anyone who dared even consider of doing something to Miss Bones. She shivered a bit at the mere thought.
OoOOooOOoo
Breakfast that morning was filled with excitement and anticipation, at least to Susan and Harry. They'd be having a weekend together and they both, along with Sirius and Amelia, were off to see the home of Harry's family. Harry was kind of surprised when Hedwig came in along with all the other owls as he'd not really been expecting any mail.
Hedwig landed on his shoulder and nipped at his ear. "What have you got, Hed?" he said as he removed a small parcel from his familiars' leg. He opened it carefully and opened the letter.
"Who's it from?" asked a curious Susan.
"From Sirius, he says that this coin," he said holding up the large silver piece, "is something called a portkey that will take us to your home at five. What's a portkey?"
Hermione, on the other side of the table, was begging to answer that question, jumping up and down in her seat. "Hermi, no need to raise your hand, we're not in class." teased Susan.
Hermione pinked slightly, "sorry, it's just that I know the answer. Sometimes I get carried away."
"Sometimes?" said Neville.
"Shut it, Longbottom!" she retorted. "A portkey Harry is a transportation device. You and Susan will both have to be holding at the same time and it will send you to the programmed destination. You'll have to walk outside the school wards, though."
"Oh, cool..." said Harry.
"Cool? That's it, cool? You're going to be transported from here to...Susan where's your home?"
"Near Oxford." she replied.
"So, transported from here in Scotland all the way to Oxford in the blink of an eye and all you can say is that it's cool?"
"Very cool?" he tried again.
"Sweet Merlin, you are going to be the death of me!" complained Hermione.
Hedwig rubbed her head against Harry's. "Oh, sorry Hed, bacon or sausage?"
Hedwig let out a bark. "Sausage it is. Try not to suck it down so quickly this time. It gave you a stomach ache last time, remember?"
Hedwig acknowledged that with another short bark. "More? Okay, here you go girl. Oh, Susan and I are going to be gone all weekend. We're going to Alder Glen if you want to meet us there, or, you can just stick around here. I'll let Hagrid know to feed you if you want to stay here."
Hedwig jumped up and down before jumping into the air and flying out of the great hall. Harry just smiled at her retreating form and the turned back to his breakfast. It took him a few minutes for him to notice the questioning look of his friends and girlfriend.
"What?" he asked between bites of toast.
"So, is Hedwig staying here or meeting us there?" questioned Susan with amused awe.
"Oh, she said she'd meet us there. It'll take her a few hours to fly there, so she's leaving now." he answered.
"She said?" squeaked Hermione.
"Guys, don't bother." Hannah said. "It's just another of those Harry Potter things, let it go."
"Huh?" asked Harry.
"Nothing, sweetie, nothing at all; shall we all head to class?" the group of five stood and made their way out.
"What did Sirius have to say?" asked Susan as she grabbed Harry by the arm.
"Not much really, just that everything is arranged and that he's made some dinner plans for the four of us tonight. Uncle Remus will meet us at your place in the morning and then we'll all head to my house."
"Hmmm, dinner arranged by your godfather. Should be interesting, don't you think?"
"Well, with Aunt Amelia joining us, it shouldn't be too interesting." he replied.
"Are you saying my Auntie is boring?" she questioned in her dangerous voice.
"Sorry, not going to fall for it this time." he replied coolly.
"Damn! And here I thought I could pull one over on you this morning. Hey, I have kind of an odd question for you?"
"Odd? Okay, what is it?"
"Do you think Auntie and Sirius are a couple." she asked.
"You think they are?"
"Not sure yet, but I guess we'll know eventually. It's in the way they look at each other, you know?"
"It's okay with you if they are together?"
"Yes! I've never seen my Auntie with anyone. As far as I know she's never even dated. I hope it isn't because of me that she hasn't dated. I want her happy. As for Sirius, I really do like him. I think they'd be good together. She's so stern sometimes, but she seems to open up when he's around. She seemed to smile and laugh a lot more that night you and Sirius met. I think they both were trying to hide the fact that they like each other."
"I guess we'll have to do something about that, won't we?" he said with a mischievous grin.
"Oh, crap, what've you got planned Harry?"
"Don't know yet. Maybe we can arrange a nice dinner for two for them?"
"I will have to give it some thought, but I do like the idea of a nice dinner."
OoOOooOOoo
Harry walked up the lovely manicured walkway, simply amazed at all he saw around him. There was a familiarity to the place, an unexplainable déjà vu. Sirius said that he had been here before. Mom and Dad had brought him back here from St. Mungo's as soon as mother and child had been cleared to do so. It was a few minutes later that saw Harry and his companions see the actual house for the first time.
The house was more beautiful than anything had ever seen before. He marveled at the size, wondering what one would do with so much room.
"Hey, Pup, you need to be the one to open the front door. Just place your ring against the handle; it should just click open at that point."
Harry could only nod, because if he were to answer he would have probably laughed himself silly or cried himself hoarse at the improbability of his present situation. The loud click was followed by the double doors opening up before him.
"Okay Harry, now we have to take off the stasis charms that are on the house. The spells put on the house are what kept it looking like this. See the Potter Crest on the floor before you? Walk over to it, all you need to do is stand there for a few seconds. The wards on the house will identify you and then dispel the charm."
Harry walked over to the crest and stood upon it as directed. His ring tingled a bit, which it hadn't done in some time, so it surprised just a bit. A gentle breeze seemed to come from somewhere deep in the house and it washed over him on its way out the front door.
"Harry, now you have to invite each of us in individually. The wards probably don't know who we are, probably, there might be a chance that James left them like they were before they left here in which case they would recognize all three of us. In any case, just to be safe, we'll pretend that's not the case. You see that big book over on that lectern? Open it up and see whose names are written in it."
Harry strolled over to the book and opened it to the first page. "There's a bunch of names on here, Sirius, most of them have a line drawn through them."
"Do you see our names on there and have they been crossed off?"
"Hmmm, oh wait...here! All your names are on here, no lines through them. That's good right?"
"Yup, it means that we're still able to enter the house. C'mon girls, let's check this place out!" Sirius said happily.
"Sirius, do you want to check the book and make sure these other people are okay to come here?" asked Harry. Sirius walked over to the book and began running through the names.
"Definitely scratch off Dumbledore. Just grab that quill over there and run a line through his name. Now, see how Remus' name has a line through it? We want to add him, so grab the quill again and write his name down on the bottom of the page."
"Why would his name have been scratched off?" he asked warily.
"There's nothing sinister about it, Harry. See, my name's been scratched off a bunch of times, as has Amelia's by the look of it. I suppose it depends on the situation. I think Remus was out of the country at the time or something. So should we do some exploring?"
Susan walked over to Harry and grabbed his hand once again as she led him through the house. The place, in Harry's estimation, was enormous. Amelia and Sirius both had a bit of tears in their eyes as they entered a big study.
"This was your grandfather's office. James and I spent a lot of time here when we were kids, learning a bunch of stuff from your granddad. After he passed and James took his place, the study became like the focal point for your family. Your mom used to sit on that chair over there and read her books for hours on end while your dad sat at the desk and worked. Once you were born, they put a crib in here. You and Susan spent many hours here, crawling on the floor and playing."
Harry could only walk around and absorb all this. The emotion he was feeling began to overwhelm him. The tears started coming down and his body shook as if in pain. Sirius and Amelia both made as to help him, but a gentle shake of her head made both adults stop as Susan made her way to Harry. He turned and looked at her when he felt her hand in his. She started to cry herself when she felt the deep sadness that was coming from her boyfriend. She grabbed his cheeks, kissed him softly, and put his head on her shoulder. The emotional dam that he usually held in check broke, and the years of pain came out of him in waves of anguish and heavy tears. She held him tightly, she cried with him, she comforted as best she could. She felt the sadness lessen within him and also felt the affection he felt for her.
"I'm sorry, Harry, I didn't realize that this might be painful for you. I never thought..."
"It's alright, Sirius, I'll be okay. It just came on all of a sudden. Besides, my girlfriend here is an awesome hugger and can get me out of a funk quicker than anyone." he said as he placed a kiss on her forehead.
They turned to leave the study and were all surprised by the small creature that stood at the entrance. Big ears, wide eyes, and dressed in a smart butler's uniform. "Welcome home, Lord Potter."
"Uhm...thanks?" replied Harry hesitantly.
"It has been many years since you have been here, my Lord." the creature glanced at Amelia and Sirius. "Lord Black, Madam Bones, it is a pleasure to see you both again."
"Michael?" asked Sirius.
"Indeed, my Lord." The creature, Michael, walked casually up to Harry and Susan and bowed before them. "My Lady, it is very great honor to have you back in this home."
"Thank you, Michael." she said hesitantly. "I take it we've met before?"
"A very long time ago, my Lady, you were but a baby; my Lord Potter and you were very close." he cocked his head a little as he observed the young couple. "And so it seems the Lady Lily was correct."
Sirius coughed loudly and Amelia quickly interceded before Michael said something they didn't want bandied about. "Harry, this is Michael. He is the Potter family house elf. Think of him as sort of a magical butler." explained Sirius.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Michael. I'm Harry and this is my girlfriend Susan Bones."
"Michael, what say you and I have a word? Amelia, you mind taking the kids on a tour upstairs. Let Susan pick out a room and show Harry the master suite."
"Let's go kids!" Amelia said as she pushed the couple out the door. Sirius let loose the breath he'd been holding in.
Michael raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "Lord Black?"
"I'm sorry Michael; it was not my intention to interrupt you and Harry getting to know each other again. But Amelia and I don't want those two to find out about the bond for a while yet. I take it you can see it?"
"Yes, my Lord. It is quite strong, and getting stronger. They are still quite young, though. My Lady Lily anticipated their closeness. Their bond will be quite strong. What is the reason you keep this information from my Lord Harry?"
"Harry has had an awful life, Michael. Did you ever meet Lily's sister?"
"No, My Lord; the Lady Lily did not discuss her much at all. She did let slip once that she was quite a hateful woman."
"That, Michael, is the understatement of the year. Harry was abused."
The elf's eyes grew impossibly large. "My Lord Harry was mistreated?"
"Very badly." Sirius replied.
"And Lady Lily's sister did this to him?" asked Michael
"Yes, and the husband too; also his cousin got in on the mistreatment. He has only recently come to know about his family. And we've still much to teach him. Amelia and I wanted to spare them the burden of learning about their bond at too young an age."
"I see. If asked directly, you know I must answer?"
"I do Michael. It won't be for long, two or three year's maybe. By then, we hope they'll both be old enough to understand. Us too for that matter; I don't suppose Lily left any research around here regarding those two?"
"I'm not certain, my Lord. Perhaps in her library or in Lord James' office?"
"I'll take a look when I can. It would help us better understand Lils decision to place them in a marriage contract."
Michael chuckled at the statement from Sirius.
"Michael?"
"I am sorry, my Lord, but given the strength of their bond I believe the contract will be unnecessary. They'll be married long before the contract need be enforced or fulfilled."
Sirius frowned and ran a hand through his hair. "Hang on; I think I'm going to need to sit down to hear the explanation for that. Okay, what exactly did you mean by that last statement?"
"Their bonding will be blessed by magic, my Lord. They will be married. It is the nature of the melding of two souls into one."
"Well...shit!"
OoOOooOOoo
He'd gotten up early that morning, and truth be told, he hadn't really managed to go to sleep much that night. He'd wandered his house aimlessly in the late hours after his family had gone to bed, going from room to room and just soaking in the atmosphere of this new place. He could almost feel the presence of his parents in the darkness; he could almost hear the whispers of his ancestors welcoming him home.
And so, once the sun had risen, Harry found himself running the grounds of his estate. He marveled at the grandiose beauty of the place, so teeming with life. When he happened upon the edge of the crystalline lake, he did what was normal for a kid his age: he took of his shoes and socks and walked the shore, dipping his toes occasionally into icy cold water. He sat on one of the larger rocks he came upon and soaked in the warmth and familiarity of this, his new home.
He smiled a bit when he felt his presence behind him. "It's okay, Uncle Remus, you can come out. I can feel you staring a hole into my back!"
"How did you know, cub?"
"Cub?"
"Oh, sorry, force of habit I guess. Werewolf babies are cubs; hence, I call you cub. Sirius is a dog, in more ways than the obvious, so puppies...pup. So, you going to tell me how you knew I was there."
"I think it has something to do with being here in my home." he said. "I could somehow feel that you had left the house, and sense where you were on the estate."
"Must be the wards, I guess. That's interesting. You don't mind if I do some snooping in your library to find out about this?"
"Nah, why would I? I want you to feel as home here as I do. My parents didn't have any choice with Sirius; they had to put up with him as he was a member of the family. You, on the other hand, they chose to be with them." he said with a chuckle.
Remus laughed delighted at his nephew. "I'll have to use that sometime, it'll be sure to piss the old mutt off a bit. On a more serious note, no pun intended, how are you doing with all of this? I'm sure it's not easy."
"You'd think, right? But it actually has been rather easy. I feel, I don't know, at home here I guess. I feel like I belong somewhere, finally. Just sitting here on this rock, next to that beautiful lake, I can tell that my family is all around me."
" Even without being able to track you," he said pointing at his nose, "I knew you'd be right here."
"Really, how?"
"This, Harry, was your mother's rock. She'd come here when she was sad, or angry, or just needed to think. It was her place of comfort. Well, until you came along, and then her place of comfort was being right next to you or holding you. Your father on the other hand loved the study. That was his sanctuary. I think some of his happiest times were just being in there with you crawling around the floor. On the occasions Sue was here, she'd join you two. You and she would just race around his office, giggling and laughing as only babies can when they're happy." Remus said, remembering happier times.
"Remus, can I ask you something?"
"Always, cub." he said sincerely.
"Is the Headmaster an evil man?" asked Harry.
Remus was taken aback by the question, one that shouldn't be asked by one so young. "Why do you ask?"
"The school, Hogwarts, it's nothing like I would have expected it to be. Oh, sure, the magic is fascinating and I'm learning a lot, but I sometimes don't feel safe there. I don't worry so much about myself, but if something were to happen to my friends, to Susan..."
"You know, back when your parents, Sirius, and I were in school it was dangerous times for everyone. A war was going on and recruitment for followers to the self-anointed dark lord was all around us. The students would leave for holidays and some of them didn't come back. At the time, Albus Dumbledore was a figure larger than life. He'd defeated another dark lord called Grindewald and was hailed a hero by one and all. He being the Headmaster probably helped keep the evil at bay and away from our classrooms and common rooms. But times have changed since then. The danger this time seems more restrained, more hidden in the shadows than it was before, and Albus is not a young man anymore. I don't think he's evil, Harry, not at all. But I do think that maybe he has lost touch with reality a bit, forgotten how dark things got the last time. He believes in second chances, for anyone, regardless of what that person has done. And that can be a bad thing, especially to those who are victims. Why would anyone come forward to report a crime if they knew that the offender would get a slap on the wrist no matter how heinous the crime was?"
"Like with Flint?"
"Indeed, like with Mr. Flint. Albus was going to only give him a week's worth of detention for what he did to you. That would not have been a punishment that fit the crime. But with him expelled for what he did, it gave warning to those who would use violence. Mr. Weasley learned the hard way that his actions have consequences. Sirius was ready to rip the boys head off because he couldn't understand that what he did to your friend Miss Granger was wrong."
"So, you're saying that people that think like those two do will not to those things anymore?" asked Harry.
"Yes and no, cub; people will probably stop doing those things openly. But we must also be more careful because those same people will probably do those things from the shadow or where they won't be discovered."
"Master Bode says there's a crazy old Auror called Mad-Eye that says 'constant vigilance' a lot. I think I now understand what that means!"
Remus laughed. "Mad-Eye was a fine Auror in his day and a good man. Once you get older Madam Longbottom will probably contract him to teach you and Neville. He's harsh, and paranoid, but no one understands the Darkness better than him. Now, if my nose isn't lying to me, I'd say you have a beautiful redhead looking for you. Catch you at breakfast, cub!"
"Good mornin', Uncle Moony," said Susan casually as she passed the tall man who nodded at her with a grin on his face. "Did you sleep okay, Harry?"
"Not so much, but it wasn't a bad thing." said Harry as he rose to embrace her. "Being alone at that time of night, just walking around the house, it gave me time to kind of soak in the atmosphere of the place."
"You're probably exhausted." she said with a note of worry.
"You would think so, but I'm not, really."
"Breakfast will be ready in a few minutes, Lord Harry, if you and the lady would like to head back to the house." said Michael as he popped in.
"Thank you, Michael, we'll be right up." he took Susan's hand and led her to the edge of the lake. "This place is my families. I feel at home here."
"As well you should. This place has been in your family for generations. All the Potters have been born here. You were born here. It's no wonder you feel connected to the place." Harry could only nod in agreement.
"I don't want to go back to school." he said.
"It's only a week left. Testing is mostly done. It's only Hermi who'll be disappointed, you know how she likes to learn." she giggled.
"Too true." he replied. "Is she getting on okay within the House?"
"Yes, completely and totally accepted. I like being in Hufflepuff, mainly because we tend to be so accepting. I think she may have had a hard time in Ravenclaw if she'd been sorted there." she reflected.
"Why? They're the house of intelligence, something she obviously doesn't lack."
"They're also quite the bunch of bullies, even to members of their own House."
Harry could only shake his head in disappointment. "Has it always been like this? Why are things like that allowed to continue?"
"Auntie said it was pretty bad when she was in school too, and Uncle Sirius agreed with her. Oh, I have to tell you something!" she said in her most gossiping tone of voice.
Harry raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "How in the world have you found something to gossip about here?"
"Easy," she said casually, "I happened to notice Uncle Sirius leaving Aunties room this morning."
"He...she...in my house?" Harry said in embarrassment.
"Oh stop, you and I both talked about this. It was a possibility. I've just confirmed that it's true is all. And really, why would you be upset about them being together. It's obvious that they care about each other."
"I'm not going to be able to look at them in the eye!" he said and she laughed in amusement at his discomfort. "Not funny, Bones."
"Yes it is," she said still laughing, "Maybe we can tease them about this until they come clean?"
"Really? I think that might make me feel better. He better treat her right though or I'll hurt him. Or better yet, I color his head blue." he said with a chuckle.
OoOOooOOoo
"So...how was the weekend at boyfriends home this weekend?" asked Hannah casually.
"Excellent! Brilliant! Hannah, the place is lovely. There's a beautiful lake, a huge forest with lots of birds and animals running around..."
"And Harry was there..." interjected Hermione with a smirk.
"Oh c'mon, are you going to start teasing me too?"
"Hannah says that's what friends do, and as I'm your friend, yes I am most certainly going to tease you." answered Hermione with a grin. "Where are the boys? I thought they'd be joining us for lunch?"
"Master Bode came early today for their lesson. It's the night of the leaving feast and he wanted them to have a final class. They should be done soon. Neville's gonna be pissed he missed lunch though!" answered Hannah.
"Make him a sandwich, he'll be happy. And maybe he'll show you his appreciation." said Hermione wiggling her eyebrows.
"See, you're getting the hang of it! Although I don't easily embarrass, Hermi, you'll have to do way better than that if you want to make me blush." Hermione pouted and both Susan and Hannah laughed at her.
"I wonder what Madam Sprout will have us do today; last day of class and all. What do you have, Hermione?"
"Transfiguration; I can't wait until next term when our schedules match up, I hate being in class with the other 'Gryff's."
"Han, I'll meet you down at the greenhouses. I'm going to walk with Hermi as it's on the way to the loo."
"Should I give Harry a kiss from you if I see him before you do?"
"If you want to die a most painful death, go right ahead." she said trying to imitate Dumbledore. "C'mon Hermione."
After attending to her needs in the bathroom Susan was washing her hands and was surprised to hear a muffled cry from the other side of the door. "Hermione!"
She pulled the door open and searched for her friend. Another yelp drew her down the corridor that led to the moving staircases. She ran as fast as she could, trying to catch up to. The flashes of Gryffindor colored robes caught her eye as she slowly gained on her targets. Three boys, the ones that had helped that Weasley boy in hurting Hermione, were dragging her between them as they climbed the stairs.
"Stop!" yelled Susan at the top of her lungs.
"Grab her!" yelled the dark skinned boy. "We've got to bring her with us now or she'll rat us out before we can get the treasure."
"Treasure, what treasure?" asked Susan as the other two boys surrounded and grabbed her.
"Never mind that; c'mon nerd, you're only useful to us if you get us past the clues. Try anything and the next beating you get will be worse than the last two combined, you got me?" he yelled in Hermione's face. Hermione could only nod in fear.
"You guys are...you guys are so stupid!" screeched Susan as she struggled to free herself.
"Oh, and why is that Bones? It's the three of us that understood Dumbledore's hidden message from the sorting feast. Whatever jewels or gold are down there will be ours and then I won't have to worry about getting kicked out of this miserable school."
"That girl you're holding is someone Harry Potter considers a sister. He'll come after her. And me, I'm his girlfriend! He'll tear you all apart if you do anything to either of us!"
"Whatever, I ain't scared of the little shit. C'mon boys, before anyone sees us!"
OoOOooOOoo
A/N
So, still at my conference which will last a couple of more days. First time in Vegas for me, and I gotta tell you, it's a lot of hype this place (in my humble opinion anyways). Maybe if I was twenty years younger I might feel differently. It sure gives away one's age when all I can think in my head is 'damn kids'!
Did manage to play some poker, couldn't come here and not gamble just a little bit. But for the last couple of days I find myself falling into my usual routine of typing in the evening after all the conference stuff gets done for the day.
The food here is amazing, and as a chef, I really appreciate things like that. I'm not much for the buffets, but some of the restaurants I've been to have been wonderful. Pricey as all get out, but delicious. Damn celebrity chefs!
Can't think of anything to recommend off the top of my head, haven't hit upon a truly great piece in a while, as most of the ones I'm reading are still incomplete.
Sorry for the bit of cliffie, just be assured that I'm almost done with the next chapter and it will probably not be too long before I'm finished with it and have it up for you guys.