Rose's face burned with embarrassment and anger as she stormed her way back to the Gryffindor common room. Hogwarts being what is was, the news that 'she' had told off the greasy potions professor has spread like wildfire through the rumor mill and not long before dinner, everyone knew. While the Gryffindors and Ravenclaws seemed proud of her, the Hufflepuffs remained put out because of the tournament and the Slytherins shot scathing glares her way. Rose ducked her head to avoid looking at anyone. The realization that something as simple as telling Snape off could sway peoples opinions made her feel queasy.
She came across a sniggering group of Slytherins blocking the hallway and she toyed with her wand, glowering at them all the while. The students quickly made way for her to pass and she did so without a second glance. She had to thank Harry later for teaching her how to intimidate people, if indirectly. While Harry was using her body to berate Snape and Dumbledore, she was inwardly aware of what he was doing and she could easily mimic the looks and posture Harry used. It worked wonders at getting people to leave her alone. She couldn't wait to ask Harry if he could teach her how to 'properly' intimidate.
"I wonder what he wants to tell me tonight. Maybe he can explain what's happening here." Rose muttered to herself as she crawled through the portrait hole. The common room was packed full of Gryffindors. All conversation ceased and everyone turned to look at her. Then, everyone began to applaud and cheer for her. She really didn't want to put up with the attention right now, especially not the twins, who were badgering her for first-hand information, so she quickly excused herself and hurried up the stairs to the girls' dorm. Rose quickly shut the door behind her with a grateful sigh and rested her forehead against it.
"Rose," Hermione said sternly from behind her.
"Yes?" Rose's voice was flat and emotionless and she didn't turn around to face Hermione. Inwardly, she was happy to see Hermione again, and even more so that Hermione had stood with her against Malfoy earlier that day. Rose hoped that Hermione was here to actually apologize, as she hadn't yet.
"I can't believe you said those things to Professor Snape! How could you? He's your teacher!"
'Of course not…' Rose thought, at Hermione's scolding tone. "So?" Rose shot back. Did you really expect me to respect the man that has treated me like rubbish since I started here?"
Hermione opened her mouth to retort, but Rose was already fired up and didn't let Hermione say anything before continuing. "And who are you to scold me, Granger?" she hissed waspishly. "You're not my teacher and I've already been scolded by the Headmaster, so shut your trap and mind your own business you backstabber. You think you can turn your back on me then come crawling back any time you feel like it? NO! It doesn't work like that."
Hermione flinched and recoiled with the red head's rant. Properly cowed, Hermione murmured an apology and left the room, tears shimmering in her eyes.
Rose shook her head at her former friend's retreating back. What the hell was Hermione acting hurt for? She had been the one that abandoned Rose and stayed with Ginny and Ron. Rose didn't have anyone anymore. If Hermione was trying to become friends again by scolding her, their friendship was not going to be reconciled anytime soon.
"Prats," Rose said not really meaning it. She really did miss her friends.
(((o)))
Harry threw the hood of his cloak over his head and cast a few obscuration charms as he walked down the dark passage into Knockturn Alley. Since he was going to reveal who he truly was to Rose, he felt it best to do so with a pensieve and veritaserum as back up. Unfortunately, he had neither, and where a pensieve was easy enough to come by, most of the ingredients to brew the potion were under heavy ministry control. In order to buy them legally, a witch or wizard had to have proper authorization from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. A short cut to that would be to simply purchase a pre-made potion, but in order to do both of that, he would have to do some shopping in knockturn Alley. Harry knew just the shop to visit.
In the previous dimension, Harry discovered a little out of the way apothecary in a dark corner of knockturn alley when he needed to interrogate a death eater he captured. In a sharp contrast to the atmosphere of the alley itself, the shop was clean and well maintained and the owner, one Mathias Elderberry, was a pleasant middle aged man who simply couldn't afford rent for his shop in diagon alley. He and Harry became fast friends and Mathias vowed to help Harry with whatever he needed in his fight against Voldemort. Harry could only hope that Mathias was the same person here in this dimension. Hell, Harry hoped that Mathias even owned the store, if it was even there.
Harry followed the twisting maze of alleyways before coming to a stop in front of a small sign that read, "Elderberry's Reagents". Stepping tentatively into the small shop, Harry was relieved to find Mathias seated comfortably behind the cash counter reading the days Prophet. He looked just like Harry remembered, his fly away dark hair was peppered with grey and he still sported a well trimmed goatee. Mathias' brown eyes were as sharp as ever and before Harry had the chance to make his presence known, Mathias greeted him.
"Hey there stranger," Mathias called from behind his paper. "Have you been reading the paper lately?"
"No," Harry answered cautiously. He was still unsure of Mathias in this dimension. He figured that the best way to gauge him would be to hold a conversation. "Anything interesting?"
Mathias chuckled and put the paper down before smiling at Harry. "Not really. Just more death eaters whining about having their houses pillaged. If you ask me they're getting what they deserve" Harry was momentarily taken aback at Mathias' outward stance against the dark. It seemed that Mathias could read his expression through the obscuration field over his face and laughed again. "Don't worry. I know you're not a death eater. My wards told me when you entered my shop. Anyway, what can I do for ya?"
Harry mentally slapped himself. He had forgotten about the wards. It was a good thing he didn't carry the dark mark, otherwise he would have been stunned and most likely woken up in prison. Now that the pleasantries were out of the way, Harry was glad that Mathias was the same person here. He felt he could trust Mathias with his identity, if not name, and pushed the hood back, revealing his face. Mathias' eyes widened momentarily but he quickly quashed the surprise. "I need some veritaserum," Harry stated. "And I don't have time to brew any. Do you have any in stock?"
"What makes you think I would carry any of that?" Mathias said curiously.
Harry simply raised an eyebrow at the older man, as if saying, "Are you telling me you don't?"
Mathias chuckled again. "You seem to be well informed then, young…" he trailed off waiting for Harry to introduce himself.
"Harry," he said, extending his hand for a shake. Best to keep his last name a secret for as long as possible.
Mathias took Harry's hand and shook it warmly. "Mathias Elderberry," he said jovially. "How many vials do you need? Just the one?" Harry nodded and Mathias retreated into his office. Harry could hear him rummaging around back there and Mathias returned with a stoppered vial with what looked like water in it. He handed it to Harry, who poured a single drop on the counter before sprinkling a pale blue powder on it. The drop fizzled with violet sparks and Harry nodded satisfactorily. Mathias looked at him curiously.
"A test," Harry stated simply. "It looks tastes and smells like water. I would be easy enough to simply sell me a vial of water and call it veritaserum."
Mathias nodded in understanding. "So, it'll be ten galleons then." Harry pulled the amount from his money bag and handed it over and heading for the door to the shop. "Mind me asking what you plan on using the serum for?"
Harry stopped at the door and turned with a cryptic smile. "No, I don't mind you asking. Doesn't mean I'll answer though." Mathias laughed and Harry waved goodbye. "Take care, Mathias."
As Harry left the shop, he put his hood back up and reapplied the obscuration charms. He planned on stopping by Ollivander's to pick up a spare wand, as it wouldn't do to be seen with a copy of the girl-who-lived's wand. No sooner had Harry turned toward the exit to knockturn alley did he notice he was surrounded. While he was lost in his thoughts, six men came from the shadows and began circling Harry like a pack of wolves. Harry was instantly on his guard and his hand clenched tightly over his wand.
"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" asked a raspy, bark like voice from behind him. Harry whirled and was instantly enraged. "Seems a stranger has trespassed into our alley."
'Pack of wolves indeed,' Harry thought bitterly. Encircling him was none other than Fenrir Greyback and his personal pack of werewolves. Harry's eyes flashed maliciously as he thought back to when he was seventeen. He remembered the failed attack at Riddle manor where Fenrir and Remus had fought. Remus fought valiantly but Fenrir had the upper hand and more experience and in the end, Remus nearly had his throat ripped out by the evil wolf. Luckily he had survived, but just barely.
The other five werewolves began to snicker. They stopped circling Harry but Fenrir continued moving. "See, I don't know you, wizard, and I never forget a scent." He explained. "Me and my pack haven't had much fun lately, so you, a nobody happens along and…well…I think you understand where I'm goin' with this."
Harry simply glared at him from under his hood. "Nothing to say then?" Fenrir taunted. Harry really didn't have anything to say, as his mind was totally caught up in visions of revenge against the man who nearly killed his last remaining link to his parents. It didn't matter that it was a different Fenrir, or that he had already killed the werewolf responsible for Remus' death; Harry was caught up in his hatred all over again. Then, as Fenrir lunged forward, Harry leveled his wand and murmured a curse under his breath.
"Crucio…"
Instantly, Fenrir fell to the ground and began writhing and screaming in absolute pain, such was the force of the curse. The other five werewolves stepped forward to assist their alpha, but with a wave of his hand they were all frozen in place. "Stay where you are," Harry had hissed in a dark, cold voice. Inwardly, he knew he should kill the werewolf right now for all the evil he would commit in the future, but now was not the time to attract the Ministry's attention. Still, it wouldn't hurt to have a bit of fun.
Ignoring the gathering crowd, Harry lifted the pain curse on Fenrir and wordlessly summoned a huge python. "Bind the werewolf, but do not kill him," Harry hissed in parseltongue. The gathered crowd all began muttering amongst themselves about how the Dark Lord had returned. Many of them fled, but a few began to look upon Harry with adoration. Harry laughed silently to himself, thinking this could work to his advantage. He could find the whereabouts of any loyal death eaters and hunt them down before Voldemort could call them back, in case his plan went awry.
The python hissed menacingly as it wrapped Fenrir in its coils and clacked its jaws together near his head. "P-please… w-wait, my lord," Fenrir simpered in fear. "Don't kill me." Everyone watching was taken aback at the sight of the ruthless Fenrir Greyback pleading for his life.
Harry hissed a command in parseltongue and the python loosened its coils enough for the werewolf to breathe. Harry crouched down near him and sneered coldly. "Tell me, Greyback, whom among my followers is still loyal to me?" Harry hissed, releasing an aura of darkness.
Fenrir whimpered like a kicked puppy and kissed the hem of Harry's robes. Inwardly, Harry was disgusted by this act but didn't show it. "I-I have remained loyal, my Lord," Fenrir groveled.
"Whom else…?"
Fenrir remained silent, and Harry snapped angrily at him. "Well, speak, dog!"
Fenrir cringed and covered his head. Harry wondered what Voldemort had done to the werewolf to inspire such fear. "I'm sorry, my Lord, I don't know!" he whined.
Harry sighed outwardly and inwardly. So much for his grand plan… "You disappoint me, Greyback," Harry hissed. With a wave of his hand, the python vanished in a puff of smoke. "You are lucky I don't have time to deal with your incompetence today, else I would kill you." Fenrir cringed again. "Go into hiding till I contact you." Harry lifted the curse from the other five werewolves and watched as they and Greyback fled into the bowels of the alley.
With one last glare at the gathered crowd and a swish of his cloak, Harry left the alley himself. He had a satisfied smirk on his face. That had been fun, and Harry couldn't wait to see tomorrows Prophet.
(((o)))
That night, Rose left the common room at eight thirty to get her invisibility cloak and map for her meeting with Harry in the shrieking shack. It took her a bit to finally find them but, she eventually did. Throwing the cloak over her head and activating the map, Rose headed toward the door, but stopped when she heard a tapping on the dorm window. Cautiously she walked over and opened it, and a barn owl flew in, landing on a post of her bed. Recognizing the owl as the same one she sent to Sirius, she hurried over and untied the letter from the owls' leg. The owl stayed on the bed post waiting on a reply.
Rose hastily opened the letter and was overjoyed to recognize Sirius' handwriting.
Rose,
I can't say everything I would like to in this letter. It's too risky in case the letter is intercepted. We need to talk face-to-face. Can you ensure that you are alone by the fire in Gryffindor Tower at one O'clock in the morning on the 22nd of November?
I know better then anyone that you can look after yourself and while you're around Dumbledore and Moody, I don't think anyone will be able to hurt you. However, someone seems to be having a good try if they are risking themselves face to face with Dumbledore.
Be on the watch Rose, I still want to hear about anything unusual. Let me know about the 22nd of November as quickly as you can.
Sirius
Rose smiled at the thought of talking with her godfather again. She missed him terribly and hoped he was doing well. Scribbling a quick reply to him, she told him as much, and also told him that she would be by the fire on the 22nd of November. Finally, after hiding the letter from Sirius in her trunk, she threw the invisibility cloak over herself once more and activated the map again.
As she hurried from the castle, Rose's mind wandered to what she and Harry would discuss that night. She could only hope it would be good.
(((o)))
"Harry?" Rose called as she opened the trap door into the house. She shivered slightly and wished she had brought a jumper with her, as it was rather chilly this evening. Looking around the room that had been built for Remus' 'furry little problem' she didn't see anyone. She did finally hear faint music drifting down the stairs from the upper floor. Climbing the stairs, she recognized the instrument being played as a flute. The song was a haunting and sad melody that reminded Rose of loss and loneliness.
Still, the music was beautiful and almost mesmerizing. Rose followed the sound to a closed door on the second floor. When she opened the door, she was surprised to find that the room had been cleaned and repaired, and a cozy fire was crackling in the hearth, making the room feel warm and comfortable. On a scarlet leather couch by the window sat Harry, playing a silvery flute. He had his eyes closed and Rose waited patiently for Harry to finish the tune.
"Right on time, Rose," Harry said, pulling the flute from his lips, and setting it in his lap. The fire light twinkled off of the polished metal surface
"That was beautiful," Rose said softly. Her eyes were drawn to the silvery instrument in his hands. "I didn't know you played."
Harry smiled at the red head sadly and said, "Thank you. I find playing helps me organize my thoughts."
Rose tore her gaze away from the flute when Harry gestured for her to have a seat next to him on the sofa. In front of the sofa was a small table on which sat a large soapstone bowl.
"First things first; do you know what this is?" Harry asked, pointing to the bowl that was engraved with runes. Inside the bowl, there was a bunch of swirling silvery liquid. Seeing the confusion on Rose's face, Harry explained. "This is a pensieve. It lets you store and review memories, kind of like a movie." He said, knowing that Rose would understand the muggle reference. "If you're anything like me, it's easier to see things than simply having them explained to you." Harry reached out took Rose's hand gently. "Ready?"
Not knowing what to expect, Rose simply nodded with a giddy smile on her lips. 'Harry's holding my hand,' she thought. She was surprised when Harry waved his other hand over the bowl and the silvery liquid began to swirl and the surface began to clear. "Just try and keep any questions till after we're done with the memories, okay?" Looking in the bowl, she could see what was clearly the stairway at number 4, Privet drive. Before she had a chance to ask about it, Harry leaned forward and the two of them plunged their way into the memory.
She felt a falling sensation before she was roughly deposited upright on the hardwood flooring in the entry hall of the Dursley's house. She staggered a bit and gave Harry a grateful smile when he steadied her. "The first time is always rough," he explained. "Now, watch."
Rose turned her attention back to the memory, wondering how and why Harry was showing her one of her own memories. Unsure what the date of the memory was, she peered into the kitchen and noticed that it was five twenty eight a.m. If she remembered correctly, Aunt Petunia would be coming down stairs any minute now to wake her and force her to make breakfast for her whale of a cousin. Rose felt her neck and cheeks heat up with embarrassment; she really didn't want Harry to see this. She tugged on his sleeve to get his attention. "Harry, I really don't-"
But Harry cut her off. "Just watch," he insisted gently.
Rose looked pensively back at the memory and sure enough, her aunt stormed down the stairs and took the padlock off of the cupboard beneath them. Rapping harshly on the door, Petunia called, "Wake up boy. You need to make breakfast for my Diddy-kins." The cupboard door opened and Rose expected to see a younger version of her self clamber out, but she was shocked to see not a young girl, but a young boy with messy black hair and green eyes, sporting a familiar lightning bolt shaped scar on his forehead.
She looked up at Harry with a question on her lips but Harry simply shook his head. "Keep the questions in your mind for when we're done here. Remember that memories cannot be altered or faked." Rose nodded hesitantly and turned back to where memory-Harry had just finished stretching. Memory-Harry stepped glumly into the kitchen and Harry guided Rose with a steady hand to follow. The two of them watched as Petunia berated memory-Harry for overcooking the bacon, or making more of a mess than he had to for a few minutes before the atmosphere clouded. Rose panicked, not knowing what was happening.
"It's alright." Harry said, wrapping a comforting arm around the girl. "We're just moving to the next memory."
As soon as he said that, the scene was replaced with the familiar sight of Petunias flower garden and a slightly older memory-Harry was stubbornly tugging on a tough weed. The weed evidently had some thorns on it, because memory-Harry cried out and stuck a bleeding finger in his mouth. "Stupid plant," he said, stomping roughly on the offending weed. Rose held her own finger out and examined it. She remembered pricking her finger while trying to pull the stubborn plant out and cutting her self on a thorn. She still had the small scar.
Harry took Rose through a few more of his childhood memories, ranging from being forced over to Mrs. Figg's while his aunt and uncle took Dudley to an amusement park, to his bouts of accidental magic and Dudley's gangs games of 'Harry Hunting', all the way up to the trip to the zoo, where Harry had inadvertently released the Burmese Python. "Look familiar?" Harry asked a wide eyed Rose.
Rose simply nodded, unable to tear her eyes away from the imagery in the pensieve. To say she was confused would be an understatement. She didn't know what exactly she was seeing, but her first thought was that Harry had modified her memories. But, didn't Harry say that memories couldn't be altered? She turned toward Harry to ask a question, but the scene shifted again. "Hold on," he said. "We're not nearly done yet."
The next scene the pensieve presented was of a dingy shack on a rocky island out at sea. Rose recognized it as the night that her first friend ever, Hagrid, had shown up and taken her away from the Durselys. She watched as the scene played out in front of her, only it was Harry going through exactly what she had experienced, even Hagrid giving Dudley a curly pigs tail. She couldn't help but smile at that memory. She watched as Hagrid took memory-Harry to Diagon alley for the first time ever, and smiled remembering her trip there. She watched Hagrid hand over a familiar cage with a familiar owl in it over to a beaming memory-Harry. Unable to keep the question from escaping she asked Harry, "Hedwig?"
"I miss her terribly," he said sadly. Rose nodded in understanding, though she was still rather confused. If she was ever separated from her owl, she didn't know what she would do, but she knew it would hurt. She hoped her Hedwig was doing alright.
The scene fogged again, and this time was replaced by the familiar image of the Great Hall at Hogwarts. She watched as memory-Harry walked timidly toward the stool, where Professor McGonagall was waiting patiently to put the battered sorting hat on his head. Rose could hear the murmurs and whispering going on around them and could sympathize with the meek little boy in the memory. She had felt the exact same way. Memory-McGonagall put the enormous had over memory-Harry's head and Harry began to explain. "At this point, as I'm sure you're catching on to; I was doing my damnedest to convince the hat not to sort me into Slytherin."
Rose nodded again as the hat called out in a loud voice, "Gryffindor!" and a beaming memory-Harry walked over to the Gryffindor table and sat down next to a happy Ron, while the Weasley twins began to sing, "We got Potter!" over and over. The scene shifted once again, and Rose watched as her first year was replayed in front of her, only with Harry as the lead instead of herself. She watched as memory-Ron and memory-Harry saved memory-Hermione from the troll, watched as memory-Harry was nearly thrown from his broom in his first quidditch match, and as Harry saw his parents in the Mirror of Erised. She recoiled slightly and stared up as Harry when she recognized them asher parents, and a vague understanding began to form in her mind. She then watched him defeat Voldemort-possessed Quirrel in front of the mirror and save the philosophers stone.
Simply by watching the few memories they had been through, Rose had a multitude of questions she wanted, no needed to ask Harry, but she held them in. They then spent the next couple of hours watching everything Rose had done be experienced by a younger Harry. She gasped as Hermione was petrified by the basilisk and cried as Harry begged Ginny not to die in the Chamber of Secrets, and smiled fondly as memory-Harry conjured his Patronus, Prongs for the first time. She couldn't help but be filled with joy as she watched memory-Hermione and memory-Harry save Sirius and Buckbeak from death in their adventures with the timeturner, though she was a bit confuse as to the absence of Ginny.
The scene shifted again and Rose saw her more recent memories of the Tri-Wizard Tournament play in front of her. Harry spoke again, "I'm going to let you see all of my fourth year because it might help you with the tournament, but we won't see any more than that." He said.
"Why?" Rose asked. She noticed a pained expression on Harry's face and wondered what was so horrible about the things that happened after fourth year that hurt him so.
"Because there's nothing in them that will happen now that I'm here. Now, shush."
Rose turned back to the memory and nearly screamed. There, in front of her and trying to eat memory-Harry, was an enormous dragon. "I have to fight a dragon!?" she shouted. Harry chucked slightly at Rose as she gasped at the memory. Rose clapped heartily as memory-Harry swooped down and scooped up the golden egg. As the scene shifted, she turned back to Harry and asked again weakly, "I have to fight a dragon?" Harry simply smiled at her and continued to watch the scene being played out.
The next scene was the second task. Rose mad a face as she watched memory-Harry wolf down the slimy gillyweed. Harry took her shoulder and guided her into the memory-lake. Rose panicked initially but relaxed when she could still breathe under water. She glared at Harry for not telling her as much, and Harry laughed again.
The two of them followed memory-Harry down to the merfolk village where floating there serenely were Fleur's sister, Hermione, Cho Chang, and Ron. They watched as memory-Harry tried to save both Ron and Hermione but was stopped by the merfolk. Rose turned toward Harry with a curious look on her face and Harry explained. They take someone you care about to the bottom of the lake and you have to go save them. Rose nodded and the two of them followed memory-Harry back to the surface as he swam upward with Gabrielle and Ron in his arms. Then the scene shifted again, this time to a hedge maze.
"The third task," Harry explained, "is a maze with numerous obstacles in it." The two of them followed memory-Harry as he wound his way through the labyrinth. "There are acromantulae, enchantments, those horrible screwts you've been caring for, and even a sphinx in there." They followed memory-Harry all the way through until he and Cedric were ported away by the cup and Harry ended the memory there. The bowl expelled the two of them back into the room in the shack and Rose looked up at Harry.
"So you won?" she asked hopefully. Her hope was quashed at the anguished expression on Harry's face. "You lost?"
Harry sighed. "The cup was a port key that took both me and Cedric to a grave yard," he said sadly. "Voldemort was waiting there with Pettigrew and he killed Cedric in cold blood." Rose gasped but Harry continued. "Then, Voldemort used my blood to give himself a body that was immune to the protection that my mum gave me."
There was an uncomfortable silence in the room before Rose broke it. "Our mum," she said softly. Harry looked up from studying his fingernails and nodded. "Harry, what-"
But Harry interrupted her again. "We have one more memory before I'll let you ask any questions." He said, pulling the silvery memories out of the bowl and depositing them back in his head. He then pulled out another memory, but this one was dull, not nearly as silver as the ones previous. Rose guessed that it was a bad memory. Harry put it in the pensieve and stirred it, like he had the others and the memory cleared. Rose could see a lavish but old and rundown manor that somehow looked familiar through the surface, though in the memory, it seemed a battle had taken place here.
Before she had the chance to ask anything, Harry lightly gripped her shoulder and the two of them plunged in.