Title: The Advice of Lilith Adler.

Author: HMS Jones (previously Chipmunki)

Rating: T

Warnings: harsh language, homophobic language, slash (Sirius/Remus) and other teenage stuff.

Summary: Harry Potter is a pretty easy going guy, but yeah, he has a temper and quite a lot of hidden angst and now he's living in Lima, Ohio with his gay guardians and he's joining glee. Should be fun.

oOo

'By Definition, Glee Is About Opening Yourself Up To Joy.' Lilith Adler, Glee Advisor.

oOo

Harry felt surrounded. In fact, Harry was surrounded! A host of loud, gossiping glee clubbers pelted him with questions from every side. He wondered if this was what Luna meant when she said to beware the swarms of squabblers in the colonies.

oOo

"So, what are you doing here, Potter?"

Harry could feel himself blushing, Santana was pressed right up against his side – her boobs all squashed up into his arm and her breath hot in his ear. He managed to stay calm because he had dealt with fan girls before but never someone so deliberately sexy!

"There was..." he paused, and considered how to explain being kidnapped by the megalomaniac mass murderer who killed his parents when he was one and a half in an attempt to magically regain physical form so he could further what he considered to be a superior people and, basically, rule the world. "...Trouble back home, so we moved here."

The understatement would have made him laugh, except he couldn't, considering the fact he still had nightmares about Cedric. The glassy look in his eyes followed by the solid, harsh thump of his body hitting the ground after that blinding flash of bright green light. It was only one thing about that day that made it bearable. When he was transported back to the maze, he carried two bodies with him. One was the dead body of Cedric Diggory, Hogwarts champion.

The other the unconscious body of Peter Pettigrew.

Now that made him laugh.

oOo

"Have you got a girlfriend, Harry?"

Brittany. Sweet little Brittany, with her pinkies linked with the demon child Santana. Harry wondered if they ever dressed up as an angel and a demon for Halloween. He kind of hoped not; Santana didn't need another reason to act that menacing.

"Well, Potter? Or should it be boyfriend?"

Santana. The word bitch scored itself across his mind as he remembered his wizarding life. He remembered walking on a cloud after he had realised that in the Wizarding World it was accepted and just as much of a norm to be in a heterosexual relationship as it was to be in a homosexual one. Hogwarts was full of kids with two mums or two dads; Terry Boot had two mums and Goyle's mum was a surrogate for Crabbe's dads (which explained a lot!). He wasn't a freak like Uncle Vernon had raged whenever a piece about gay rights came on to the television. It was okay for him to like boys and girls (and for him to think about Oliver Wood the way he thought about Cho Chang). And then Cho Chang came along, with Cedric and the realisation that if he wasn't allowed to have both, either would be just as attractive as a prospect. In fact, he realised over the course of the Triwizard Tournament, his crush on Cedric was probably the biggest one he'd ever had. He may not have dribbled his drink all over himself but he wasn't exactly suave either.

And then he'd been devastated when he died.

He shook Brittany of his arm and turned away,

"No," he said "I never had either."

Then he walked away.

oOo

He was closest friends to Tina most of all. It wasn't that surprising when he thought about it. She stuttered to avoid attention, he raged so people would stop looking at him. It also helped that he was distantly related to Cho and knew about the magical world through her mother's family (apparently the magical Asian community was even closer than the muggle Asian community.)

"Y-you can do it, H-H-Harry; you can be really ch-charming when you want t-to be!" Tina pleaded, her eyelids were painted gold today and she had made Harry help her streak her hair with red. Maybe she was hoping to remind Harry of the Harry Potter he was in Britain but he actually thought it was more likely she was trying to build up courage for herself (maybe something to do with the looks she had been sending Artie?), he knew she needed it.

He shook his head. "I don't know how to be charming, Tina, I've only ever been myself!" he retorted, they had been at this for hours, since Tina had grabbed Harry's arm at the beginning of school. They shared English and Maths together and that had given Tina over two hours worth of time to bug Harry into trying to convince Rachel to come back to glee.

"And Rachel is scary!"

Of course, he ended up doing it. The linoleum squeaked underfoot as he walked towards the auditorium, it had no doubt just been cleaned of slushy he thought vindictively, and Tina was really scary when she pulled that Daughter of the Asian Vampire King thing. Although technically it was her Great-Grandfather on her mother's side that was the vampire. And he wasn't a king or anything. As far as Tina knew he was roaming Russia right now. He occasionally sent letters, sometimes presents and once, a vampiric owl as a present for Tina. Her father had refused to let it into the house and it had been shipped to Korea and had been given to Tina's cousins.

Harry paused by the doors to the auditorium, the dark wood was surprisingly foreboding, and he wasn't quite sure what to think about the voice belting out that song from that musical 'Les Mis' or something. The lyrics were pretty angsty – and Harry could recognise angst when he saw, heard, smelt, even tasted it!

"And I know it's only in my mind
That I'm talking to myself and not to him
And although I know that he is blind
Still I say, there's a way for us

I love him
But when the night is over
He is gone
The river's just a river
Without him
The world around me changes
The trees are bare and everywhere
The streets are full of strangers!"

He had been in Glee Club long enough to recognise Rachel's voice when he heard it. And it was saddening the sorrow in her voice. The loneliness, dare he say it – the pain. He'd never really thought of these teenagers being in that much pain. Sure they got frozen drinks thrown at them and their stuff stolen and those disgusting swirlies he'd ended up helping out a couple of the ...er... more Ravenclaw-ish students from, but that was nothing when compared some of the stuff that went on back in England – at Hogwarts. Harry forcefully dragged his mind away from Cedric and Ginny and Ron, whose cherished childhood pet turned out to be a wizard in rat form and a spy.

Harry pushed open the door, and stepped inside. He walked down the aisle to the stage, where Rachel stood with her eyes closed, belting the rest of the song. He tried to think of something cool to say, but all that came out was a weak

"Are you okay?"

Rachel's eyes flew open. Her face was full of surprise and her face grew dark with dramatic outrage, then she registered what Harry had said. Then her face gentled. It took on the oddest expression of sadness, and shyness. It certainly wasn't what was to be expected from Rachel. It was too meek. He moved closer to the stage, until he stood at her feet, then, smiling, offered her a hand down.

oOo

"Do you think you'll be happier in the school musical than Glee Club?" He asked. They were sitting on the auditorium chairs. The red velvety fabric was plush beneath him as Harry wiggled further into it. Rachel sat primly next to him, blushing slightly. Harry got the impression she didn't get much male attention, even purely friendly attention.

She sat up straighter as she began to answer, "Of course I will. It'll be a chance for me to truly show my talent! This show is perfect!"

She was incredibly self-assured when she spoke of her future and her admittedly brilliant voice, but Harry couldn't help but think she was too self-assured, too confident. She was overconfident. If Tina hadn't wanted her back into Glee he would have been happy to let her go. Who the bloody hell quit a club because they didn't get a solo? But Tina wanted her back into Glee Club, and Tina was his friend, so he agreed to help her.

Harry sighed, his mind working quickly and piecing all of the odd bits of information together. He frowned, "Maybe a bit too perfect."

His green eyes narrowed. Rachel gaped at him, "What do you mean?" she said.

"Well, isn't Cabaret one of your favourite musicals? And don't you love Celine Dion?" he winced; Rachel had ranted more than once about the genius of such things and how they related to her. "It seems like the entire thing was devised to lure you in!" Harry grinned; he loved working out plots and mysteries and the professors had complained more than once about his curiosity.

When Rachel puffed up in pride at what he said, he continued. Not that he wanted to burst her bubble or something – but he was on a roll!

"And Coach Sylvester," he voice was a mix of admiration and fear – which he believed was just how Sylvester liked it. He had once seen her literally cut a girls hair off because it was in the Cheerio style and Sylvester didn't want 'her Cheerios associated with a dough ball of failure that smelt of out-of-date lemon bon-bons' and heard from Maxie Hartfield from his Chemistry class that she had once threatened the CEO of a company so that they would give a man a promotion in Ohio, not out of state, so that one of her best Cheerios would stay in McKinley. "is one of the teachers in charge of the musical and so is Sandy Ryerson, the man who used to be in charge of Glee before he fired because of accusations of him inappropriately touching students."

Rachel looked uncomfortable and slightly proud at the same time. Harry didn't want that explained. He continued, "They both have reasons for wanting Glee Club destroyed. Ryerson wants revenge, against the club that didn't support him and perhaps the one in Glee who reported him."

Rachel looked guilty and looked at the wall behind Harry, avoiding his eyes. Harry snorted. "I thought it was you." He added, "There were rumours." At her surprised glance.

She avoided his gaze again and he sighed. "Anyway, I know Sylvester hates Glee Club, I'm surprised she lets her Cheerios in it considering how much she hates it. And I've heard her insult Mr Schue's hair a lot, she seems to despise him. I wouldn't be surprised if she wanted to obliterate Glee Club just to take away something Mr Schue loves."

He sighed. "Face it, Rachel; they aren't doing this for your talent. They're doing this to destroy the club. They think without you in Glee they'll destroy Glee Club!"

He stood, leaving the shell shocked Rachel sitting in the seat, and rather awkwardly patted her on the shoulder, "You should come back to Glee, Rachel, believe it or not, we miss you and considering how I think Sandy's been treating you you'll get a lot more appreciation there. Which is what you want, right?"

He turned to face her, caught her eyes, looking at them in a straight forward manner and smiling again. He wanted to get his point through and he could do that best by just telling the truth.

"Come back to Glee. Even though I think you're arrogant and it's a little bit pathetic you quit just because you didn't get a solo the club is happier with you there and you're happier there than you are here. That's the best reason there is to go back."

Rachel looked conflicted, she stood uncertainly. "Could you leave?" she asked, "I think I need time to think about some things."

Harry nodded, and smiled again. "Sure"

As he left Rachel made her way to the stage and he felt sure she was going to sing another song. To someone who identified themselves so close with their voice it was probably the best way she could think, or so Harry thought. It was how he was like when he was flying. Everything was clearer in the air – including himself.

He made it past the door before he stopped. The dark wooden doors swung closed behind him as he came face to face with the infamous Cheerleading coach of McKinley High.

oOo

Harry wasn't sure how this had happened. Actually that was a lie. He knew how it happened, he just didn't understand why he hadn't done anything to stop it.

Harry sat in an uncomfortable polyester chair in Coach Sylvester's office. The chair was a bright red, obviously cheerio themed like most things in the office. Sylvester herself was wearing a white and red tracksuit. She had yanked him into her office muttering and yelling things about wasted talent, hair that belonged to a lesbian Disney princess and various outrageous insults. The insults were mostly aimed at the students that got in her way and Harry had a large suspicion that all the hair comments were aimed at Mr Schue. He self consciously raised a hand to his own hair and tried to flatten it. Like always, it didn't work.

Coach Sylvester sat in her own, more impressive, black chair behind a large desk. She was reclining, pumping one arm with a weight before switching to the next, talking all the time.

"So, Potter. I want you on my Cheerios." she said strongly. "There's an opening with one of my male tumblers, who can't be convinced that staying would be the best thing to do. Apparently a mortally ill relative is more important than my Cheerio routines. Impossible." She spat, looking disgusted. "I couldn't believe it. But then I saw you." She leant forward, eyes a hard gleaming blue "I don't believe in letting talent out of Sue Sylvester's grasp, even if it was first in the slimy, curly haired hold of one William Schuster."

Harry interrupted "I'm only in glee because I punched someone."

Sue stared at him until he shuffled awkwardly in his uncomfortable seat. Then she smiled, "Anger Management problems. You remind me of a young Sue Sylvester, only more feminine and without the eagle vision that made me the super soldier that I was in 'Nam."

She stood, "So you'll be joining my Cheeeios and you'll help us win our next inevitable trophy. See Quinn for practice times. Now get the hell out of my office." She shot out harshly.

Harry fled.

oOo

"So, er, Quinn, can I-", Harry stopped short. Quinn was standing alone in the Glee rehearsal room, clutching in her hands a bit of green clothe. Her eyes were red and her knuckles were straining white against the skin covering them as she gripped the object in her hands. "Are you okay?"

She sighed sadly, "This is Mekiki. Finn's dad bought it for Finn the day he was born. He said he slept with it every day as a kid. It's one of the only things that came from him."

Harry frowned, "Why would he give it to you?"

He stared at Quinn until she turned to look at him. Her eyes were full of tears, and her hands gripped the blanket tighter as an almost sob shuddered through her body.

"Oh." he stopped, and stepped forward. An arm tentatively reached forward to hug around her shoulders. "Bloody hell, Quinn, are you okay?"

"No, no I'm not." She turned in to his chest and began to sob. "What am I going to do?"

Harry held her until she calmed enough for her shoulders to stop shaking. His now wet shirt clung to his skin and he grimaced slightly but comfortingly tightened them around her, as she settled. She clung to him; her fingers digging through his shirt into his skin before letting him go. She took a step back, gathering herself with a self deprecating smile and a quick glance at him.

He let her out of the cradle of his arms and asked hesitantly, "Do you want to talk about this, Quinn?"

She sighed again, shaking her head softly and stroking the blanket, "No, I'm alright. I really just need some time to myself, to think about it."

He nodded, "Okay then. Well if you want to talk about it..." He left the sentence open, moving a hand through his hair and resisting the urge to adjust the glasses he no longer wore since he got contact lenses.

"You're here." She finished shakily, smiling. Quinn nodded and turned to leave. When she was at the door she half turned, one hand gracefully on the door handle, the other still gripping the blanket, the only indication to her turmoil over her situation. "What did you want, Potter?"

"Oh, Sylvester wants me to be a Cheerio, she, er, demanded I ask you for the rehearsal schedule but I can just ask Santana or Brittany." He paused, and then corrected himself wincing "I think I'll ask Brittany."

She smiled tightly back at him. "Okay then. You won't tell anyone about this, will you, Potter?"

"No," he affirmed stoutly, "No, I won't."

She nodded, then straightened her cheerleading uniform, "Good." She said, and left, tightening her ponytail as the door swung shut behind her.

Harry shook his head. Pregnant in high school, head cheerleader and head of the chastity club as well. What a thing. They only had giant snakes at Hogwarts.

oOo

Harry sat at the kitchen counter, watching Remus cook a stir fry. He was nearly finished, and with a few more tosses he carefully tipped out the contents of the wok onto three plates covered with noodles. Remus placed a plate in front of Harry and one on either side of him and then called for Sirius.

He slipped into the place next to Harry with a sigh and a soft hand on the teenagers shoulder. "So are you going to tell me what's wrong now?" he asked Harry, who was playing with her food.

Harry shook his head as Sirius waltzed into the room and slouched into the other seat next to Harry.

"Harry's not telling us something?" He asked, aghast "This should never happen. 13 years without you, Harry, we now need to know everything about you. You can't keep secrets."

Although he said it in a joking manner Harry knew he was at least partially serious. Sirius wanted to be a big part of Harry's life after missing so much of it and Remus was right behind him in that sentiment. They questioned him on his Dursley years and then on the first two years at Hogwarts – all of which had worried them greatly and only made them want to be a bigger part in Harry's life, a better guardian and defence against Voldemort, his followers, dark creatures (this Harry found ironic considering Remus and his furry little problem) and all of the humans out there who would do him harm.

Harry found it really stifling, but at the same time he loved it. He had never been cared for or protected at the Dursleys. Remus and Sirius were there for him. They were the ones to comfort him when he got nightmares or visions, the ones to lift him up when he got sad, the ones to calm him when he got into his rages. As independent as he was, he wanted a family and Remus and Sirius were the best family he could have ever thought of.

As if he knew Harry was thinking mushy thoughts Sirius reached out and grasped one of Harry's hands, whilst Remus's grip on his shoulder turned stronger and more protective. He smiled at them and began to talk.

oOo

At the next Glee meeting he was surrounded by questioners again.

"So why did you pick Lima? It doesn't seem like... the kind of place you would like."

It's Finn, who asks this, stuttering slightly over the last utterance as if he is afraid he may offend by finishing his sentence. Maybe he changed what he was going to say halfway through the sentence, Finn seems like the kind of guy to do that sort of thing.

To be honest, Harry feels kind of awkward answering that question. How do you tell someone who seems quite attached to their home town that you don't want to be here, it was just luck – of the bad persuasion? Harry went for white lies.

"We each threw a dart at a map of America. Then Rock, Paper, Scissor'd it to see where we could go. Remus won. And we ended up in this arse-sore of a place." Harry winced at the last metaphor for Lima, Ohio, which had Finn looking like a large puppy who had just been kicked.

"So you didn't want to live here?" He sounded incredibly hurt.

Harry sighed, Finn was fun, but could be annoying in large doses. "Let's put it this way – if it was up to me – and it would have been, I have awesome aim, we would be in New York right now."

"Not Las Vegas?" butted in Puck, with an arrogant yet charming smirk on his face.

"No," he answered, laughing "Sirius aimed for it, but he can't throw darts to save his life, so we would've been living in South Carolina if he didn't also fail at Rock, Paper, Scissors. He doesn't seem to understand that Scissors beat Paper every time."

The Glee club joined in his laughter.

All the time he laughed he felt guilty. The real reason he was in Ohio wasn't one he could tell a group of random muggles, even if some were becoming his friends. It was barely a reason he could admit to himself.

His mind whispered the reason traitorously. The voice was small, but sinister. Harry would have thought it was his connection to Voldemort had he not known himself so well. He had a rather terrible temper, and this voice was just himself being vicious.

The voice whispered it again and again, over and over, until it was all he could hear, until it melded together into one big rush of noise in his head and he wanted to punch someone to shut it up.

Horcrux.